Electrical connector

Abstract

To provide an electric connector which can appropriately maintain a contact pressure applied to a mating connector even if it is downsized.SOLUTION: A terminal 10 of a receptacle connector 2 has: a bottom part 12 including a mounting part 13; a first leg part 11 which extends from the bottom part 12 in an upper direction Z1 and is elastically deformable in an X1 direction; and a second leg part 14 which extends from the bottom part 12 in the upper direction Z1 and is elastically deformable in an X2 direction. The terminal 10 houses a terminal 30 of a plug connector 3 in a fitting recess 16 formed by the bottom part 12, the first leg part 11, and the second leg part 14. The terminal 10 comes into contact with the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 at the first leg part 11 and the second leg part 14. A housing 20 has a first lateral wall 21 which comes into contact with the second leg part 14 of the terminal 10. When the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 is inserted into the fitting recess 16 of the terminal 10, the second leg part 14 of the terminal 10 and the first lateral wall 21 of the housing 20 are both elastically deformed in the X2 direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector having terminals and a housing for holding the terminals.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various techniques related to electrical connectors having terminals and a housing for connecting a printed wiring board, a flexible flat cable, etc. are known. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-69133) discloses a housing including a terminal accommodating portion that opens upward in the vertical direction (fitting direction), and a bottom portion located below the terminal accommodating portion, a base portion that is embedded and held in the bottom portion of the housing, a spring portion that extends upward from the base portion and is elastically deformably accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion, and a terminal including a contact portion supported by the spring portion.

[0003] In the electrical connector disclosed in this Patent Document 1, when the terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion, the terminal of the mating connector contacts the contact portion of the terminal of this electrical connector, and the spring portion that supports this contact portion elastically deforms in the short-side direction, thereby applying an elastic force (corresponding to the contact pressure) to the terminal of the mating connector. Thereby, the spring portion of the electrical connector holds the terminal of the mating connector, and electrical connection between the terminals of both connectors is ensured.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0006] When an electrical connector, such as the one described in Patent Document 1 above, is miniaturized, the spring portion of the terminal also becomes very small (thin). As a result, the elastic force of the terminal's spring portion decreases, making it difficult to apply sufficient contact pressure (in other words, contact pressure) to the terminal of the mating connector. This can lead to situations where, for example, repeated attachment and detachment of the electrical connector may result in the inability to ensure electrical connection between the terminals.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an electrical connector that can accurately secure the contact pressure applied to the mating connector even when miniaturized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention is an electrical connector having a terminal and a housing for holding the terminal, wherein the terminal has a bottom portion including a mounting portion mounted on a predetermined member, a first leg portion connected to the bottom portion on a first direction side perpendicular to the mating direction with a mating connector, extending from the bottom portion in the mating direction and configured to be elastically deformable in the first direction, and a second leg portion connected to the bottom portion on a second direction side opposite to the first direction, extending from the bottom portion in the mating direction and configured to be elastically deformable in the second direction, the terminal is configured to accommodate the terminal of a mating connector in a mating recess formed by the bottom portion, the first leg portion and the second leg portion, and when the terminal of the mating connector is accommodated in the mating recess, the first leg portion and the second leg portion are configured to contact the terminal of the mating connector, the housing has at least a side wall extending in the mating direction and abutting the second leg portion of the terminal, and both the second leg portion of the terminal and the side wall of the housing are configured to be elastically deformable in the second direction when the terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the mating recess of the terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the electrical connector of the present invention, even when miniaturized, it is possible to accurately ensure the contact pressure applied to the mating connector. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a plug connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of a plug connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed along the line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of a portion of a receptacle connector (one terminal and its surrounding area) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a side view of a portion (one terminal and its surrounding area) of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]This is a top view of a portion of a receptacle connector (one terminal and its surrounding area) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a bottom view of a portion (one terminal and its surrounding area) of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of a portion (one terminal and its surrounding area) of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 6. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of one terminal of a plug connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention before mating. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of a connector assembly after mating according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of a portion of a receptacle connector (one terminal and its surrounding area) according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a side view of a part of a receptacle connector (one terminal and its surrounding area) according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings used to illustrate the embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and repeated descriptions of such components will be omitted. Although each embodiment (including modified examples) is described independently, this does not preclude combining the components of each other to form an electrical connector.

[0012] [Configuration of electrical connectors and connector assemblies] First, with reference to Figure 1, the configuration of the connector assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector assembly according to this embodiment, as seen from the plug connector side.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the connector assembly 1 according to this embodiment has a receptacle connector 2 and a plug connector 3, and these receptacle connector 2 and plug connector 3 are configured to be fitted together. Hereinafter, when the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are not distinguished, they are referred to as "connectors 2, 3" or simply "connector". The connectors 2, 3 are mounted on a substrate such as a printed wiring board as a predetermined member not shown. Specifically, the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are attached to the substrate on the sides of their respective bottom walls 23 and 43. Further, the connectors 2, 3 can be used as internal components in small electronic devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, digital cameras, notebook computers, etc. Note that the receptacle connector 2 is an example of the "electrical connector" in the present invention. This receptacle connector 2 can be mounted on various members (predetermined members) such as a flexible flat cable in addition to the above-described substrate. Hereinafter, an example in which the receptacle connector 2 is mounted on the substrate will be given.

[0014] Here, in Fig. 1 (the same applies to other figures), the short side direction (width direction) of the connector is denoted as "X" (corresponding to the "first direction" and "second direction" in the present invention), the longitudinal direction (depth direction) of the connector is denoted as "Y" (corresponding to the "third direction" in the present invention), and the fitting direction (vertical direction) of the connector is denoted as "Z". In this specification, for a certain connector, in the fitting direction Z, the side that receives the mating connector is defined as "up" or "front", and the side attached to the substrate is defined as "down" or "back". Specifically, in the receptacle connector 2, the direction indicated by "Z1" in the fitting direction Z corresponds to the "upward direction", and the direction indicated by "Z2" in the fitting direction Z corresponds to the "downward direction". On the other hand, in the plug connector 3, the direction indicated by "Z2" in the fitting direction Z corresponds to the "upward direction", and the direction indicated by "Z1" in the fitting direction Z corresponds to the "downward direction".

[0015] <0000As shown in FIG. 1, the receptacle connector 2 mainly includes a terminal 10 and a housing 20 that holds the terminal 10. Specifically, in the receptacle connector 2, a plurality of terminals 10 are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y, and a set of the plurality of terminals 10 arranged in the longitudinal direction Y are provided in two rows with a space in the short transverse direction X (specifically, sandwiching the second inner wall 25 of the housing 20). In other words, the receptacle connector 2 has a pair of a plurality of terminals 10 along the longitudinal direction Y, and the pair of the plurality of terminals 10 are arranged so as to face symmetrically in the short transverse direction X. All of these terminals 10 have the same substantially U-shaped form that is recessed downward (see also FIG. 9 described later, etc.). For example, the receptacle connector 2 is created by integral molding using a conductive member such as a copper alloy that forms the terminal 10 and a resin such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) that forms the housing 20. In a typical example, the terminal 10 is insert-molded with respect to the housing 20.

[0016] The housing 20 of the receptacle connector 2 has a pair of first side walls 21 that extend in the longitudinal direction Y and a pair of second side walls 22 that extend in the short transverse direction X, and the first side walls 21 and the second side walls 22 constitute an outer wall (peripheral wall). Further, the housing 20 has a first inner wall 24 that extends in the short transverse direction X and is formed so as to separate each of the plurality of terminals 10 arranged in the longitudinal direction Y. More specifically, the housing 20 has a pair of first inner walls 24 that sandwich a portion on one side in the short transverse direction X of one terminal 10 in the longitudinal direction Y and are provided at a distance from the terminal 10. Further, the housing 20 has a second inner wall 25 that extends in the longitudinal direction Y and is formed so as to entirely separate between a pair of the plurality of terminals 10 arranged to face symmetrically in the short transverse direction X.

[0017] Next, in addition to FIG. 1, referring further to FIGS. 2 and 3, the plug connector 3 according to the present embodiment will be specifically described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plug connector 3 according to the present embodiment as viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the plug connector 3 according to the present embodiment as viewed along line III-III in FIG. 2.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the plug connector 3 mainly consists of terminals 30 and a housing 40 that holds these terminals 30. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the plug connector 3 has multiple terminals 30 arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y, and two sets of these terminals 30 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y are provided in the short direction X with a mating recess 44 in between. In other words, the plug connector 3 has pairs of multiple terminals 30 along the longitudinal direction Y, and these multiple terminals 30 are arranged to face each other symmetrically in the short direction X. All of these terminals 30 have the same shape, a roughly inverted U-shape that protrudes upward (see also Figure 3). For example, such a plug connector 3 is manufactured by integral molding using a conductive material such as a copper alloy to form the terminals 30 and a resin such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) to form the housing 40. In a typical example, the terminals 30 are insert-molded into the housing 40.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the housing 40 of the plug connector 3 has a pair of first side walls 41 extending in the longitudinal direction Y and a pair of second side walls 42 extending in the transverse direction X, and these first side walls 41 and second side walls 42 constitute the outer wall (circumferential wall). Next, as shown in Figure 3, the terminals 30 of the plug connector 3 are formed to be held by the first side walls 41 of the housing 40 and mainly have a mounting portion 31, a first leg portion 32, a top portion 33 and a second leg portion 34. The mounting portion 31 is exposed on the lower surface of the plug connector 3 and is the part for connecting the terminals 30 to the substrate by soldering. In detail, the mounting portion 31 protrudes slightly from the bottom wall 43 of the housing 40 (see also Figures 1 and 2). The first leg portion 32 is connected to the mounting portion 31 and extends upward Z2 from the mounting portion 31, the top portion 33 is connected to the first leg portion 32, and the second leg portion 34 is connected to the top portion 33 and extends downward Z1 from the top portion 33.

[0020] When the plug connector 3 is mated with the receptacle connector 2, the first leg portion 32, the top portion 33, and the second leg portion 34 of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 are inserted into the recessed portion (mating recess 16, described later) formed by the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2, and a portion of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2, as well as the first inner wall 24 and the second inner wall 25 of the housing 20, are inserted into the mating recess 44 of the plug connector 3. At this time, the contact portions 32a and 34a of the first leg portion 32 and the second leg portion 34 of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 contact the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the terminals 10 and 30 of the connectors 2 and 3. These contact portions 32a and 34a are portions of the surfaces on the opposite side of the surface that contacts the first side wall 41 on the first leg portion 32 and the second leg portion 34, respectively.

[0021] Next, the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 9. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 show a portion of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, specifically one terminal 10 and the surrounding housing 20, from an oblique upward perspective, a side view along the longitudinal direction Y, a top view along the mating direction Z (specifically the downward direction Z2), a bottom view along the mating direction Z (specifically the upward direction Z1), and a cross-sectional view along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 6, respectively. Note that in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the components are shown in partial perspective. Figure 9 is a perspective view of only one terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, viewed from an oblique upward perspective.

[0022] As shown in Figures 4, 5, 8, and 9, the receptacle connector 2 has a bottom portion 12 on which the terminal 10 has a mounting portion 13 mounted on a substrate on its lower surface. The terminal 10 also has a first leg portion 11 that is connected to one side of the bottom portion 12 in the short direction X (corresponding to the "first direction" in this invention, hereinafter referred to as "X1"). This X1 direction corresponds to the direction from outside to inside in the receptacle connector 2, specifically the direction from the terminal 10 toward the second inner wall 25 side of the housing 20. The first leg portion 11 extends upward Z1 from the bottom portion 12 and is configured to be elastically deformable in the X1 direction. Furthermore, the terminal 10 has a second leg portion 14 that is connected to the bottom portion 12 on the side opposite to the X1 direction (corresponding to the "second direction" in this invention, hereinafter referred to as "X2"). This X2 direction corresponds to the direction from the inside to the outside in the receptacle connector 2, specifically the direction from the terminal 10 toward the first side wall 21 of the housing 20. The second leg portion 14 extends upward Z1 from the bottom portion 12 and is configured to be elastically deformable in the X2 direction.

[0023] The first leg portion 11 is not basically held by the housing 20, but the bottom portion 12 and the second leg portion 14 are held by the housing 20 (see Figures 4, 5, and 8). Specifically, the bottom portion 12 is held by the bottom wall 23 of the housing 20, and the second leg portion 14 is held by the first side wall 21 of the housing 20. In this case, the sides of the second leg portion 14 on both sides in the longitudinal direction Y (corresponding to the fracture surface when the metal plate constituting the terminal 10 is cut) and the back side on the X2 direction side (the side opposite to the contact portion 14a, which will be described later) are in contact with the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 (see Figure 4).

[0024] More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, in the second leg portion 14, a portion 14b of the sides on both sides in the longitudinal direction Y of the contact portion 14a is exposed from the portion 21a of the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 that sandwiches these sides. In addition, the length (width) of the second leg portion 14 increases in the longitudinal direction Y toward the downward Z2 from the contact portion 14a (see also Figure 9), and the sides of the portion in which the length in the longitudinal direction Y increases in this way are also exposed from the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 (see also Figure 5). The portion of the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10 that is exposed from the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 is used to hold the terminal 10 in place with a mold when insert molding.

[0025] Furthermore, in terminal 10, the ends 15 on the upward Z1 and X2 directions of the second leg portion 14 are the parts that have been cut from a carrier (not shown) (in other words, the lead cut portion and the carrier connection portion), and this portion is located at the very top of terminal 10 (see Figures 5, 8, and 9). Moreover, terminal 10 is formed such that the length of the second leg portion 14 along the longitudinal direction Y is longer than the length of the first leg portion 11 along the longitudinal direction Y (see Figure 9). In this case, the difference in the length of the longitudinal direction Y between the first leg portion 11 and the second leg portion 14 occurs because the length of the longitudinal direction Y changes at the bottom portion 12 (see Figures 7 and 9).

[0026] Furthermore, in the receptacle connector 2, the housing 20 has a pair of first inner walls 24 that extend in the short direction X so as to sandwich the first leg portion 11 of the terminal 10 in the longitudinal direction Y, and are spaced apart from the first leg portion 11 (see Figure 4). In addition, the housing 20 has a second inner wall 25 that extends in the longitudinal direction Y so as to connect the pair of first inner walls 24 so as to face the first leg portion 11 of the terminal 10 in the X1 direction.

[0027] On the other hand, the terminal 10 has a roughly U-shape with a first leg portion 11, a bottom portion 12, and a second leg portion 14 recessed downward Z2, and forms a mating recess 16 that opens upward Z1 (see Figures 5 and 8). When the receptacle connector 2 is mated with the plug connector 3, the first leg portion 32, the top portion 33, and the second leg portion 34 of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 (see Figure 3) are inserted into the mating recess 16 of the terminal 10. At this time, the contact portions 11a and 14a of the first leg portion 11 and the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 contact the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the terminals 10 and 30 of the connectors 2 and 3. These contact portions 11a and 14a are parts of the surfaces on the mating recess 16 side of the first leg portion 11 and the second leg portion 14, respectively.

[0028] Here, as described above, the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 abuts against the surface of the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10 on the X2 direction side, and since it is made of resin, it can be elastically deformed in the short direction X together with the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10. Specifically, when the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 is inserted into the mating recess 16 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2, both the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 and the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 are configured to elastically deform together in the X2 direction in sync. Furthermore, the length of the first side wall 21 in the short direction X and the length in the mating direction Z should be appropriately designed so that the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 undergoes the desired elastic deformation, in other words, so that a contact pressure within a predetermined range is applied to the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 from the first side wall 21 and the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10. In this case, in order for the first side wall 21 to undergo the desired elastic deformation, a slit extending downward Z2 from the upper end of the first side wall 21 may be further formed between the second leg portions 14 of the multiple terminals 10 in the first side wall 21 that extends in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0029] Next, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the mounting portion 13 of the terminal 10 is exposed on the lower surface of the receptacle connector 2 and is used to connect the terminal 10 to the circuit board by soldering. As described above, the mounting portion 13 is formed by the lower surface of the bottom portion 12 of the terminal 10. In addition, in the receptacle connector 2, the surface of the mounting portion 13 of the terminal 10 and the bottom surface of the housing 20 (i.e., the lower surface of the bottom wall 23) are flush (see Figure 8 in particular).

[0030] Next, as shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 8, the housing 20 has a covering portion 26 that covers the bottom portion 12 on the side of the terminal 10 opposite to the mounting portion 13, that is, the upper surface of the bottom portion 12. Specifically, the housing 20 has two separate covering portions 26 for each terminal 10 so as to cover at least two portions corresponding to the boundary (joint) between the bottom portion 12 of the terminal 10 and the bottom wall 23 of the housing 20 (see Figure 6 in particular). Such covering portions 26 prevent solder applied to the mounting portion 13 on the back side of the terminal 10 from leaking to the front side. Note that the use of two separate covering portions 26 is not limited to this, and a single covering portion formed by connecting them may also be used.

[0031] Next, the mating of the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the connectors 2 and 3 (connector assembly 1) before mating, viewed along the longitudinal direction Y, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the connectors 2 and 3 (connector assembly 1) after mating, viewed along the longitudinal direction Y. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, when the connectors 2 and 3 are mated, the first leg portion 32, the top portion 33 and the second leg portion 34 of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 are inserted into the mating recess 16 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2, and the first leg portion 11 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 and the first inner wall 24 and the second inner wall 25 of the housing 20 are inserted into the mating recess 44 of the plug connector 3. Furthermore, in order to achieve such mating, the mating recess 16 of the receptacle connector 2 is formed to a size that can accurately accommodate the first leg portion 32, the top portion 33, and the second leg portion 34 of the plug connector 3, and the mating recess 44 of the plug connector 3 is formed to a size that can accurately accommodate the first leg portion 11, the first inner wall 24, and the second inner wall 25 of the receptacle connector 2.

[0032] When connectors 2 and 3 are mated, as shown in Figure 11, the first leg 11 of terminal 10 of receptacle connector 2 is pushed by the first leg 32 of terminal 30 of plug connector 3, deforming in the short direction X (specifically the X1 direction) as shown by arrow A1. In addition, the second leg 14 of terminal 10 of receptacle connector 2 is pushed by the second leg 34 of terminal 30 of plug connector 3, deforming in the short direction X (specifically the X2 direction) as shown by arrow A2. In this case, the first side wall 21 of housing 20 of receptacle connector 2 is also pushed by the abutting second leg 14, deforming in the short direction X as shown by arrow A2. In other words, in receptacle connector 2, both the second leg 14 of terminal 10 and the first side wall 21 of housing 20 deform together synchronously in the short direction X.

[0033] In this mating state, the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 is pushed in the short direction X (specifically in the X2 direction) by the force of the first leg 11 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 returning to its original shape, and also pushed in the short direction X (specifically in the X1 direction) by the force of the second leg 14 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 and the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 returning to their original shape. This ensures an electrical connection between the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 and the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3. In this case, the contact portion 11a of the first leg 11 and the contact portion 14a of the second leg 14 of the terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2 contact the contact portion 32a of the first leg 32 and the contact portion 34a of the second leg 34 of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3, respectively. Furthermore, by reducing the contact area of ​​at least one of these contact points 11a, 14a, 32a, and 34a, the reliability in these contact states can be improved.

[0034] [Mechanism of Action and Effects] Next, the operation and effects of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment described above will be explained.

[0035] The receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment has a terminal 10 which includes a bottom portion 12 including a mounting portion 13 mounted on a substrate or the like, a first leg portion 11 connected to the X1 direction side of the bottom portion 12, extending upward Z1 from the bottom portion 12 and configured to be elastically deformable in the X1 direction, and a second leg portion 14 connected to the X2 direction side of the bottom portion 12, extending upward Z1 from the bottom portion 12 and configured to be elastically deformable in the X2 direction, and the terminal 10 is fitted into a fitting recess 16 formed by the bottom portion 12, the first leg portion 11 and the second leg portion 14. The housing 20 accommodates the terminal 30 of the lug connector 3, and is configured to contact the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 at its first leg portion 11 and second leg portion 14 when the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 is accommodated in the mating recess 16 of the terminal 10. The housing 20 has a first side wall 21 that extends in the mating direction Z and abuts against the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10. Both the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10 and the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 are configured to elastically deform in the X2 direction when the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 is inserted into the mating recess 16 of the terminal 10.

[0036] According to this embodiment of the receptacle connector 2, when the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 is inserted into the mating recess 16 of the terminal 10, the first leg 11 of the terminal 10 elastically deforms in the short direction X (specifically in the X1 direction), and both the second leg 14 of the terminal 10 and the first side wall 21 of the housing 20 elastically deform together in the short direction X (specifically in the X2 direction). As a result, elastic force is generated from both the first leg 11 of the terminal 10 and both the second leg 14 of the terminal 10 and the first side wall 21 of the housing 20, thereby providing sufficient contact pressure to the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3, or in other words, strengthening the applied contact pressure. Therefore, even if the receptacle connector 2 is miniaturized, the contact pressure applied to the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3 can be accurately ensured. Thus, for example, even if the connectors 2 and 3 are repeatedly attached and detached, sufficient contact pressure can be maintained, and the electrical connection between the terminals 10 and 30 of the connectors 2 and 3 can be ensured.

[0037] Furthermore, in the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, the housing 20 has a covering portion 26 that covers the bottom portion 12 on the opposite side (upper side) from the mounting portion 13 of the terminal 10. With such a covering portion 26 of the housing 20, it is possible to prevent solder applied to the mounting portion 13 on the back side of the terminal 10 from leaking to the front side (first leg portion 11, second leg portion 14, etc.).

[0038] Furthermore, the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment has a plurality of terminals 10 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, and the housing 20 has a pair of first inner walls 24 that extend in the X1 direction from the portion corresponding to the first leg portion 11 of the terminal 10 and are formed spaced apart from the first leg portion 11 so as to sandwich the first leg portion 11 in the longitudinal direction Y. With such first inner walls 24 of the housing 20, even if the first leg portion 11 is displaced in the longitudinal direction Y by the insertion of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3, the first leg portion 11 will come into contact with the first inner wall 24, thereby preventing further displacement of the first leg portion 11 in the longitudinal direction Y. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first leg portion 11, which has been displaced in the longitudinal direction Y by the insertion of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3, from coming into contact with the first leg portion 11 of another terminal 10 adjacent to it in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0039] Furthermore, the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment has a pair of terminals 10 arranged to face each other symmetrically in the X1 direction, and the housing 20 further has a second inner wall 25 that extends in the longitudinal direction Y and is formed to face the first leg portion 11 of the terminal 10 in the X1 direction. With such a second inner wall 25 of the housing 20, even if the first leg portion 11 is displaced significantly in the X1 direction by the insertion of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3, the first leg portion 11 will come into contact with the second inner wall 25, thereby preventing further displacement of the first leg portion 11 in the X1 direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first leg portion 11, which has been displaced significantly in the X1 direction by the insertion of the terminal 30 of the plug connector 3, from coming into contact with the first leg portion 11 of another adjacent terminal 10 in the X1 direction.

[0040] Furthermore, in the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, the terminal 10 is formed such that the length in the longitudinal direction Y of the second leg portion 14 is longer than the length in the longitudinal direction Y of the first leg portion 11. By making the length in the longitudinal direction Y of the second leg portion 14, which is held by the housing 20 (i.e., in contact with the first side wall 21 of the housing 20), longer than the length in the longitudinal direction Y of the first leg portion 11, which is not held by the housing 20, the elastic force on the second leg portion 14 side can be effectively strengthened. Therefore, the contact pressure applied from the receptacle connector 2 to the plug connector 3 can be more effectively secured.

[0041] [Differentiation] Next, a modified example of this embodiment described above will be explained.

[0042] In the embodiment described above, the receptacle connector 2 does not hold the first leg portion 11 of the terminal 10 in the housing 20, but holds the second leg portion 14 of the terminal 10 in the housing 20, specifically bringing the second leg portion 14 into contact with the first side wall 21 of the housing 20, so that the second leg portion 14 and the first side wall 21 are elastically deformed together. However, in a modified example, the second leg portion of the terminal may not be held in the housing, but the first leg portion of the terminal may be held in the housing, specifically providing a side wall of the housing against which the first leg portion contacts, so that the first leg portion and the side wall are elastically deformed together.

[0043] Furthermore, in a further modification, both the first and second legs of the terminal may be held by the housing, specifically by providing side walls of the housing that contact the first and second legs, so that both the first and second legs are elastically deformed together with the respective side walls of the housing. Such modifications will be specifically described with reference to Figures 12 and 13.

[0044] Figures 12 and 13 show a portion extracted from a modified receptacle connector, specifically a single terminal 50 and the surrounding housing 60, as a perspective view from diagonally above and a side view (partially shown with transparency) along the longitudinal direction Y, respectively. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, in the modified receptacle connector, the terminal 50 has a bottom portion 52 with a mounting portion 53 mounted on a substrate on its lower surface, a first leg portion 51 connected to the X1 direction side of the bottom portion 52, extending upward Z1 from the bottom portion 52 and configured to be elastically deformable in the X1 direction, and a second leg portion 54 connected to the X2 direction side of the bottom portion 52, extending upward Z1 from the bottom portion 52 and configured to be elastically deformable in the X2 direction.

[0045] Furthermore, in this receptacle connector, the housing 60 has a second side wall 62 that abuts against the first leg 51 of the terminal 50, in addition to the first side wall 61 that abuts against the second leg 51 of the terminal 50. As a result, when a plug connector is inserted into the receptacle connector, both the second leg 54 of the terminal 50 and the first side wall 61 of the housing 60 elastically deform in the X2 direction, and both the first leg 51 of the terminal 50 and the second side wall 62 of the housing 60 elastically deform in the X1 direction.

[0046] Even with such modifications, elastic force is generated from both the first leg portion 51 of the terminal 50 and the second side wall 62 of the housing 60, and from both the second leg portion 54 of the terminal 50 and the first side wall 61 of the housing 60, thereby providing sufficient contact pressure to the terminals of the plug connector, that is, effectively strengthening the applied contact pressure. Therefore, even when the receptacle connector is miniaturized, the contact pressure applied to the plug connector can be ensured more effectively. In the above modified example, the lengths of the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 62 in the short direction X and the length in the mating direction Z of these first side wall 61 and second side wall 62 should be appropriately designed so that both the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 62 of the housing 60 undergo the desired elastic deformation, or in other words, so that contact pressure within a predetermined range is applied to the terminal of the plug connector from the first leg 51 and the second leg 54 of the terminal 50 in addition to the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 62.

[0047] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the receptacle connector 2 was created by integral molding (insert molding), but in a modified example, the receptacle connector 2 may be created by press-fitting.

[0048] The embodiments described above are illustrative examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit. [Industrial applicability]

[0049] The electrical connector according to the present invention can be used in electronic devices such as smartphones and mobile phones that perform high-speed transmission of electrical signals, for applications such as connecting circuit boards with a flat cable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1. Connector assembly 2 Receptacle Connectors 3. Plug connector 10 terminals 11 1st leg 11a Contact part 12 Bottom 13 Implementation Section 14 Second leg 14a Contact part 16 Fitting recess 20 Housing 21 First side wall 22 Second side wall 23 Bottom wall 24. First Inner Wall 25 Second Inner Wall 26 Covering part 30 terminals 31 Implementation Section 32 1st leg 33 Top 34 Second leg 40 Housing 41 First side wall 42 Second side wall 43 Bottom wall 44 Fitting recess X Short direction Y-direction (longitudinal direction) Z mating direction

Claims

1. An electrical connector having terminals and a housing that holds the terminals, The aforementioned terminal is, A bottom portion including a mounting part that is mounted on a predetermined component, A first leg portion is connected to the bottom portion on the side of the first direction perpendicular to the mating direction with the mating connector, extends from the bottom portion in the mating direction, and is configured to be elastically deformable in the first direction, A second leg portion is connected to the bottom on the side of the second direction opposite to the first direction, extends from the bottom in the fitting direction, and is configured to be elastically deformable in the second direction, It has, The terminal is configured to accommodate the terminal of the mating connector in a mating recess formed by the bottom portion, the first leg portion, and the second leg portion, and to contact the terminal of the mating connector with the first leg portion and the second leg portion when the terminal of the mating connector is accommodated in the mating recess portion. The housing has at least a side wall that extends in the fitting direction and abuts against the second leg portion of the terminal, Both the second leg of the terminal and the side wall of the housing are configured to elastically deform in the second direction when the terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the mating recess of the terminal. An electrical connector characterized by the following features.

2. The bottom portion of the terminal has the mounting portion on one side in the mating direction, The housing has a covering portion that covers the bottom portion opposite to the mounting portion in the fitting direction. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

3. The electrical connector has a plurality of terminals arranged along a third direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the first and second directions, The housing has a pair of inner walls that extend in the first direction from the portion of the terminal corresponding to the first leg and are formed spaced apart from the first leg so as to sandwich the first leg in the third direction. The electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The electrical connector has a pair of the plurality of terminals arranged to face each other symmetrically in the first direction, The housing, with the inner wall being the first inner wall, further has a second inner wall that extends in the third direction and is formed to face the first leg portion of the terminal in the first direction. The electrical connector according to claim 3.

5. The terminal is formed such that the length of the second leg along the third direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the first and second directions is longer than the length of the first leg along the third direction. The electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The housing, with the side wall being the first side wall, further has a second side wall that extends in the fitting direction and abuts against the first leg of the terminal, The first leg of the terminal and the second side wall of the housing are both configured to elastically deform in the first direction when the terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the mating recess of the terminal. The electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2.

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