Coaxial electrical connectors and coaxial electrical connectors with circuit boards

Abstract

To provide a coaxial electrical connector that is easy to accurately position with respect to a circuit board and a coaxial electrical connector with circuit board to which the coaxial electrical connector is attached.SOLUTION: A mounting member 60 has a mounting head part 61 that can be engaged with an upper surface of a flange portion 11A, and a screw shaft part 62 that extends downward from the mounting head part 61 and is arranged to insert through a mounting hole 13 and a through portion P3, a locking member 70 is screwed onto the screw shaft part 62 from below and can engage a circuit board P from below and can hold the flange portion 11A and the circuit board P in concert with the mounting head part 61 by rotating the mounting head part 61, and an extending portion 17 is adjacent to the locking member 70 in a direction around an axis of the screw shaft part 62 so as to contact the locking member freely, and its movement is regulated in a direction parallel to a mounting surface by a positioning portion P4 formed on the edge of the through portion P3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coaxial electrical connector connected to a circuit board and a coaxial electrical connector with a circuit board having the coaxial electrical connector attached thereto.

Background Art

[0002] As a coaxial electrical connector mounted on a circuit board, for example, the coaxial electrical connector of Patent Document 1 attached to the circuit board by a fixture is known. The outer conductor of this coaxial electrical connector has a cylindrical body portion having an axis extending in the vertical direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a mounting flange portion extending radially outward from the lower portion of the body portion. The mounting flange portion is formed with mounting holes penetrating the mounting flange portion in the vertical direction at two positions sandwiching the body portion. The fixture has a mounting member as a screw body inserted into the mounting hole from above, and a locking member screwed and attached to the screw shaft portion of the mounting member from below. The locking member has a substantially prismatic outer shape, and a locking claw portion for locking to the circuit board from below is provided at the lower end portion thereof. Further, a rectangular locking hole penetrating the circuit board in the vertical direction is formed in the circuit board at a position corresponding to the mounting hole of the coaxial electrical connector.

[0003] When attaching a coaxial electrical connector to a circuit board, the locking member on the mounting fixture attached to the coaxial electrical connector should be loosely screwed onto the screw shaft. When the coaxial electrical connector is placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board, the screw shaft and locking member are inserted into the mounting hole of the circuit board from above. At this time, the mounting fixture is inclined in the vertical direction. Next, when the mounting operation is performed by rotating the mounting head of the mounting member located on the upper surface of the mounting flange, the mounting fixture becomes vertical and the locking member is pulled upward. As the locking member is pulled up, the locking claws engage with the lower surface of the circuit board from below, and the screw shaft and locking member are sufficiently tightened, resulting in the mounting flange and circuit board being firmly clamped by the mounting head and locking claws. At this time, the outer surface of the vertically positioned locking member comes into contact with the inner edge of the locking hole of the circuit board, thereby positioning the coaxial electrical connector relative to the circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-064497 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the positioning of the coaxial electrical connector relative to the circuit board is performed by the outer surface of the locking member contacting the inner edge of the locking hole in the circuit board, as described above. In other words, the coaxial electrical connector and the circuit board are positioned via the mounting member and locking member of the mounting fixture. Therefore, when attaching the coaxial electrical connector to the circuit board, all errors (manufacturing errors and assembly errors) that exist in the relationship between the mounting hole and the mounting member, the mounting member and the locking member, and the locking member and the locking hole are superimposed, making it difficult to accurately position the coaxial electrical connector relative to the circuit board.

[0006] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a coaxial electrical connector that is easy to position accurately with respect to a circuit board, and a coaxial electrical connector with a circuit board in which the coaxial electrical connector is attached to a circuit board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The coaxial electrical connector according to the present invention is a coaxial electrical connector connected to a circuit board, and comprises an outer conductor having a cylindrical body portion extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, an outer conductor having a flange portion provided radially outward from the body portion and having mounting holes formed through it in a vertical direction for attachment to the circuit board, a dielectric housed in the internal space of the body portion, and a central conductor extending vertically within the internal space and held by the dielectric.

[0008] In such a coaxial electrical connector, the present invention provides a mounting fixture disposed to pass through the mounting hole and the through-hole formed through the circuit board, the outer conductor has an extension that extends downward from the flange and is disposed to pass through the through-hole, the mounting fixture has a mounting member disposed from above the flange and a locking member disposed from below the flange, the mounting member has a mounting head that can be locked to the upper surface of the flange and an extension that extends downward from the mounting head to the mounting hole and front The locking member has a screw shaft portion that is arranged to pass through the through portion, and the locking member is screwed onto the screw shaft portion from below and can be locked onto the circuit board from below, and by rotating the mounting head, it can cooperate with the mounting head to clamp the flange portion and the circuit board, and the extension portion is adjacent to the locking member so as to be able to abut against it in the direction of the axis of the screw shaft portion, and its movement in the direction parallel to the mounting surface is restricted by a positioning portion formed on the edge of the through portion.

[0009] When attaching the coaxial electrical connector according to the present invention to a circuit board, the coaxial electrical connector is placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board with the locking member loosely screwed onto the screw shaft. At this time, the extension, the screw shaft of the mounting member, and the locking member are arranged to pass through the through-hole of the circuit board. The extension is positioned by contacting a positioning portion formed on the edge of the through-hole in a direction parallel to the mounting surface. Next, the locking member moves upward by rotating the mounting head, and the flange portion and the circuit board are clamped between the mounting head and the locking member. At this time, the locking member screwed onto the screw shaft contacts the extension in the direction of the axis of the screw shaft, so it is prevented from rotating together with the screw shaft, and as a result the locking member and the mounting member move relative to each other reliably. Furthermore, in the present invention, the movement of the extension of the coaxial electrical connector is restricted by the positioning portion of the circuit board. Therefore, the coaxial electrical connector is positioned directly relative to the circuit board without the need for a mounting member, enabling accurate positioning of the coaxial electrical connector.

[0010] (2) A coaxial electrical connector according to the present invention, which is different from the invention of (1), is a coaxial electrical connector connected to a circuit board, and comprises: an outer conductor having a cylindrical body portion extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board; a flange portion provided radially outward from the body portion and having a mounting hole portion formed to penetrate vertically for attachment to the circuit board; a dielectric material housed in the internal space of the body portion; and a central conductor extending vertically within the internal space and held by the dielectric material.

[0011] In such a coaxial electrical connector, the present invention provides a mounting fixture disposed to pass through the mounting hole and the through-hole formed through the circuit board, the outer conductor having an extension portion that extends downward from the flange portion and is disposed to pass through the through-hole, and a locking portion that extends upward from the flange portion, the mounting fixture having a mounting member disposed from below the flange portion and a locking member disposed from above the flange portion, the mounting member having a mounting head that can be locked to the lower surface of the circuit board, and extending upward from the mounting head The locking member has a through portion and a screw shaft portion disposed to pass through the mounting hole portion, the locking member is screwed onto the screw shaft portion from above and can be locked onto the flange portion from above, and by rotating the mounting head, it can cooperate with the mounting head to clamp the flange portion and the circuit board, the extension portion is restricted from moving in a direction parallel to the mounting surface by a positioning portion formed on the edge of the through portion, and the locked portion is adjacent to the locking member so as to be able to abut in the direction around the axis of the screw shaft portion.

[0012] When attaching the coaxial electrical connector according to the present invention to a circuit board, the coaxial electrical connector is placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board with the locking member loosely screwed onto the screw shaft. At this time, the extension, the mounting head of the mounting member, and the screw shaft are arranged to pass through the through-hole of the circuit board. The extension is positioned by contacting a positioning portion formed on the edge of the through-hole in a direction parallel to the mounting surface. Next, the locking member moves downward by rotating the mounting head, and the flange portion and the circuit board are clamped between the mounting head and the locking member. At this time, the locking member screwed onto the screw shaft contacts the locked portion in the direction around the axis of the screw shaft, so it is prevented from rotating together with the screw shaft, and the locking member and the mounting member move relative to each other reliably. Furthermore, in the present invention, the movement of the extension of the coaxial electrical connector is restricted by the positioning portion of the circuit board. Therefore, the coaxial electrical connector is positioned directly relative to the circuit board without the need for a mounting member, enabling accurate positioning of the coaxial electrical connector.

[0013] (3) In the invention of (1) or (2), a plurality of extensions may be provided. By providing a plurality of extensions whose movement is restricted by the positioning portion of the circuit board, more accurate positioning becomes possible.

[0014] (4) In the inventions of (1) to (3), the screw shaft portion may be inserted through a spring member, and the spring member may be compressed vertically by the flange portion and the locking member by rotational operation at the mounting head. When the spring member provided in this manner is compressed vertically by the flange portion and the locking member, the elastic force of the spring member acts on the flange portion and the locking member as a reaction force to the compressive force. Therefore, the locking member and the screw shaft portion into which the locking member is screwed, and consequently the mounting member, are in a stable position with respect to the circuit board, and as a result, the mounting member can be smoothly inserted into the through portion and installed.

[0015] (5) The coaxial electrical connector with a circuit board according to the present invention is characterized in that the coaxial electrical connectors (1) to (4) are attached to a circuit board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The present invention provides a coaxial electrical connector that is easy to position accurately with respect to a circuit board, and a coaxial electrical connector with a circuit board in which the coaxial electrical connector is attached to a circuit board. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a coaxial electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a circuit board, where (A) shows the state immediately before mounting to the circuit board and (B) shows the state after mounting to the circuit board. [Figure 2] These are cross-sectional views of a coaxial electrical connector mounted on a circuit board. (A) shows a cross-sectional view in the XZ plane including the axis of the central conductor, and (B) shows a cross-sectional view in the YZ plane including the axis of the central conductor. [Figure 3]It is a perspective view of a coaxial electrical connector, showing the mounting member, locking member, and spring member separated from each other. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view of a coaxial electrical connector attached to a circuit board. (A) shows a cross-section in the YZ plane including the axis of the center conductor before the rotational operation of the mounting member, and (B) shows a cross-section in the YZ plane including the axis of the center conductor after the rotational operation of the mounting member is completed. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing the coaxial electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a circuit board according to a modification. (A) shows the state immediately before attachment to the circuit board, and (B) shows the state after attachment to the circuit board.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0019] FIGS. 1(A) and (B) are perspective views showing the coaxial electrical connector 1 (hereinafter referred to as "coaxial connector 1") according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a circuit board P. FIG. 1(A) shows the state immediately before attachment to the circuit board P, and FIG. 1(B) shows the state after attachment to the circuit board P. FIGS. 2(A) and (B) are cross-sectional views of the coaxial connector 1 attached to the circuit board. FIG. 2(A) shows a cross-sectional view in the XZ plane including the axis of the center conductor, and FIG. 2(B) shows a cross-sectional view in the YZ plane including the axis of the center conductor. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coaxial connector 1, showing the mounting member 60, locking member 70, and spring member 80 separated from each other.

[0020] The circuit board P on which the coaxial connector 1 is mounted is a so-called test board used for performance testing of electronic components (not shown) such as IC chips. Also, the coaxial connector 1 is mounted on the circuit board P and is a so-called test connector that is connected to a measuring device (not shown) for measuring the electrical characteristics of electronic components via a mating coaxial connector (not shown) and a coaxial cable (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, on the mounting surface of the circuit board P, a signal pattern P1 extending in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) on the mounting surface and a ground pattern P2 extending in a strip shape in the front-rear direction so as to surround the signal pattern P1 are formed. In the present embodiment, in the front-rear direction, the Y1 direction is defined as "rearward" and the Y2 direction is defined as "forward". Near the front end (Y2 side) of the signal pattern P1, an electronic component (not shown) to be subjected to performance testing is mounted, and near the rear end (Y1 side) of the signal pattern P1 (connector pattern portion), the coaxial connector 1 is mounted. A mating coaxial connector (not shown) connected to a coaxial cable (not shown) is fitted and connected to the coaxial connector 1 from above.

[0021] Also, on the circuit board P, on both sides of the connector pattern portion in the connector width direction (X-axis direction), outside the ground pattern P2, through holes P3 in the form of holes penetrating the circuit board P in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction), which is the board thickness direction, are formed. The through hole P3 has a substantially keyhole shape when viewed in the up-down direction, and is formed by a substantially circular base hole portion P3A, a straight forward guide hole portion P3B extending forward from the base hole portion P3A, and a rearward guide hole portion P3C protruding rearward from the base hole portion P3A communicating with each other. In the circuit board P, among the edge portions of the through hole P3 formed in the region surrounding the through hole P3, the edge portions of the forward guide hole portion P3B and the rearward guide hole portion P3C respectively form a forward positioning portion P4 and a rearward positioning portion P5 for restricting the movement of the coaxial connector 1 in a direction parallel to the circuit board P.

[0022] The coaxial connector 1 has an axis extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board P, and has a symmetrical shape in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the coaxial connector 1 includes a metal outer conductor 10, a metal central conductor 20, a resin dielectric 30, and a metal support 40, which are arranged in the internal space 16 (described later) so as to be concentric with the outer conductor 10, a mounting fixture 50 for fixing the coaxial connector 1 to the circuit board P, and a spring member 80 provided together with the mounting fixture 50. The mounting fixture 50 also includes a mounting member 60 and a locking member 70 that can be screwed together.

[0023] The outer conductor 10 has a plate-shaped base portion 11 that extends parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board P, a cylindrical body portion 12 that extends upward from the upper surface of the base portion 11, and a plurality of extension portions 17 that extend downward from the lower surface of the base portion 11. As shown in Figures 1(A) and (B), the base portion 11 is plate-shaped with its longitudinal direction in the connector width direction (X-axis direction). The base portion 11 has flange portions 11A that protrude outwards on both sides of the body portion 12 in the connector width direction. Each flange portion 11A has one mounting hole portion 13 (see Figure 2(A)), which is a screw hole that penetrates the flange portion 11A in the vertical direction.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), a bottom groove 14 is formed on the bottom surface of the base 11, extending in the direction of the short side of the base 11 (Y-axis direction) at the center in the connector width direction (X-axis direction). As shown in Figure 2(A), the bottom groove 14 is recessed in a rectangular shape from the bottom surface of the base 11 when viewed in the Y-axis direction, and as shown in Figure 2(B), it extends across the entire area of ​​the base 11 in the Y-axis direction and penetrates the base 11. As shown in Figure 2(A), the groove width dimension (dimension in the X-axis direction) of the bottom groove 14 is larger than the width dimension (dimension in the X-axis direction) of the signal pattern P1 (see Figure 1) and the outer diameter of the central conductor 20.

[0025] The fuselage section 12 has a central axis extending in the vertical direction and is cylindrical in shape, rising upward from the upper surface of the base section 11. The middle section of the fuselage section 12 has a larger diameter than the other sections in the vertical direction.

[0026] The outer conductor 10 has a central axis extending in the vertical direction, and as shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), an internal space 16 is formed that penetrates the base 11 and the body 12 in the vertical direction. The internal space 16 has a large-diameter space 16A and a small-diameter space 16B formed below the large-diameter space 16A.

[0027] The large-diameter space 16A is a cylindrical space formed in the vertical direction, extending from the upper end to a position near the lower end of the body portion 12. As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the upper part of the large-diameter space 16A is slightly larger in diameter than the lower part. The support 40 is housed in the lower part, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B). The upper part of the space is for receiving the mating coaxial connector (not shown) when it is mated to the coaxial connector 1 from above. When the mating coaxial connector is mated, the upper surface of the support 40, which is supported by the outer conductor 10, comes into contact with the lower surface of the mating outer conductor (not shown) of the mating coaxial connector, enabling electrical conductivity.

[0028] As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the small-diameter space 16B has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter space 16A and is formed in a vertical range from the lower end of the large-diameter space 16A to the upper end of the bottom groove 14 of the base 11. The upper part of the small-diameter space 16B has a slightly larger diameter than the lower part.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1(A) and 3, the extensions 17 are roughly rectangular prism-shaped and two are provided at each end of the base 11 in the connector width direction. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, one extension 17 is provided at each end of the base 11, in the front-to-back direction, flanking the mounting hole 13 (see also Figures 4(A) and (B)). Each extension 17 faces each other in the front-to-back direction and is adjacent to the mounting member 60 with a small gap between them (see Figures 4(A) and (B)). In the connector width direction, the extensions 17 are formed to the same or slightly smaller dimensions as the front guide hole P3B and rear guide hole P3C of the circuit board P.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the central conductor 20 is pin-shaped and extends vertically, and is positioned concentric with the internal space 16 when viewed in the vertical direction. The central conductor 20 has a connection portion 21 at the top to which the mating central conductor (not shown) of the mating coaxial connector is connected, a contact portion 22 at the bottom that can contact the signal pattern P1 (see Figure 1) of the circuit board P, and a connecting portion 23 provided between the connection portion 21 and the contact portion 22 to connect the two.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the connection portion 21 is housed within the large-diameter space 16A of the outer conductor 10, or more specifically, within the internal space 41 of the support 40, which will be described later, located within the large-diameter space 16A. The connection portion 21 is substantially cylindrical in shape due to a plurality of connecting pieces arranged circumferentially at its upper part. The mating center conductor (not shown) of the mating coaxial connector is inserted from above into the space surrounded by the plurality of connecting pieces. At this time, the plurality of connecting pieces are stretched radially outward by the mating center conductor, becoming elastically deformed, and by making contact with the outer surface of the mating center conductor with contact pressure, they become electrically conductive with the mating center conductor.

[0032] The connecting portion 23 is cylindrical in shape with a smaller diameter than the connecting portion 21 and the contact portion 22, and is housed in the internal space 16 while being inserted into and held by the dielectric 30, as shown in Figures 2(A) and (B). Specifically, the connecting portion 23 extends over a range that spans both the large-diameter space 16A and the small-diameter space 16B in the vertical direction.

[0033] The contact portion 22 is cylindrical in shape and has a smaller diameter than the connecting portion 21. As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), it extends vertically over approximately the same range as the base portion 11. The lower end portion of the contact portion 22 protrudes into the bottom groove portion 14, while the rest of the contact portion 22 is housed in the small diameter space 16B. The lower end of the contact portion 22 protrudes slightly downward from the bottom groove portion 14, and its lower end surface is designed to make reliable contact with the signal pattern P1 (see Figure 1(A)). The contact portion 22 also has a larger diameter than the connecting portion 23 and contacts the dielectric 30 from below at a stepped portion formed at the boundary with the connecting portion 23. In other words, the dielectric 30 supports the stepped portion from above.

[0034] The dielectric 30 is made of, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and is formed into a roughly cylindrical shape. As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the dielectric 30 is formed with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the upper space of the small-diameter space 16B of the outer conductor 10, and is press-fitted and housed in this upper space. Furthermore, the upper end of the dielectric 30 has a smaller diameter than the rest of it and protrudes above the bottom surface of the large-diameter space 16A, and is housed in the lower part of the internal space 41 of the support 40, which will be described later.

[0035] Furthermore, the dielectric 30 has a notch (not shown) formed at one location in the circumferential direction that extends over the entire vertical direction. This notch is formed radially from the outer circumferential surface to the inner circumferential surface of the dielectric 30. In other words, the dielectric 30 is discontinuous at the location of the notch in the circumferential direction.

[0036] The support 40 is cylindrical and is housed in the lower part of the large-diameter space 16A of the outer conductor 10. The support 40 has a portion at its upper part that is slightly larger in diameter than the rest of it, and this portion is press-fitted and held in place by the outer conductor 10. The support 40 has an internal space 41 that has a common axis with the internal space 16 of the outer conductor 10 and penetrates the support 40. At the lower part of the support 40, a portion is formed that protrudes radially inward toward the internal space 41, extending over the entire circumferential area of ​​the internal space 41. As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), this portion contacts the stepped portion formed at the boundary between the upper end of the dielectric 30 and the rest of it from above and supports the stepped portion.

[0037] The mounting member 60 is a threaded member with its axis oriented vertically, and as shown in Figures 2(A), (B) and 3, it has a mounting head 61 and a threaded shaft 62 that extends downward from the mounting head 61 and is arranged to pass through the mounting hole 13 of the outer conductor 10. The mounting head 61 has a circular shape with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 13 when viewed vertically, and can be locked onto the upper surface of the flange portion 11A of the outer conductor 10 from above. The upper surface of the mounting head 61 has a cross-shaped groove into which the tip of a tool (e.g., a screwdriver) not shown for rotating the mounting member 60 is inserted. The threaded shaft 62 has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the mounting hole 13, and a threaded groove (not shown) is formed on its outer circumference over its entire vertical range. As shown in Figure 2(A), the threaded shaft 62 is longer than the combined dimensions of the flange portion 11A, the circuit board P, and the locking member 70 in the vertical direction.

[0038] The locking member 70 is a plate-shaped member with its thickness oriented vertically, and a screw hole 71 for screwing into the screw shaft portion 62 from below is formed through the locking member 70 vertically at its central position. The locking member 70 is roughly rectangular when viewed vertically, and when positioned with the connector width direction as its longitudinal direction, it is provided between the two extension portions 17 in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 2(B) (see also Figures 4(A) and (B)). The longitudinal dimension of the locking member 70 is slightly smaller in the connector width direction than the base hole portion P3A of the circuit board P, as shown in Figure 1(A), and larger than the width dimension (dimension in the connector width direction) of the front guide hole portion P3B of the circuit board P. Therefore, when the locking member 70 is positioned extended in the connector width direction, both ends of the locking member 70 are located outside the front guide hole portion P3B in the connector width direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the front and rear end surfaces of the locking member 70 are flat surfaces perpendicular to the front-rear direction, while both end surfaces in the connector width direction are convex curved surfaces that curve along the inner edge of the base hole P3A of the circuit board P.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the spring member 80 is a coil spring and is externally fitted onto the screw shaft portion 62 from below, as shown in Figures 2(A) and (B). The outer diameter of the spring member 80 is larger than the inner diameters of both the mounting hole portion 13 of the outer conductor 10 and the screw hole 71 of the locking member 70, and smaller than the inner diameter of the base hole portion P3A of the circuit board P. When the spring member 80 is externally fitted onto the screw shaft portion 62, it is provided between the flange portion 11A and the locking member 70 in the vertical direction.

[0040] Next, the procedure for using the coaxial connector 1 will be explained. In this embodiment, the coaxial connector 1 is mounted on the connector pattern portion of the circuit board P (test board) on which the electronic components (IC chips, etc.) to be tested are mounted.

[0041] First, the threaded shaft portion 62 of the mounting member 60 is inserted from above into the mounting hole portion 13 of the outer conductor 10. At this time, the mounting member 60 is locked in place by the mounting head 61 on the upper surface of the flange portion 11A. Next, the spring member 80 is fitted onto the threaded shaft portion 62 that extends downward from the flange portion 11A from below. Furthermore, the locking member 70 is screwed onto the lower end of the threaded shaft portion 62 from below. At this time, the locking member 70 is screwed in until at least a part of the locking member 70 enters between the two extending portions 17 in the front-rear direction (see Figure 4(A)). To move at least a part of the locking member 70 between the two extending portions 17, the locking member 70 is pinched with the fingers and maintained in an extended position in the connector width direction, while the mounting head 61 of the mounting member 60 is rotated in the tightening direction to move the locking member 70 upward. Furthermore, the spring member 80 is compressed vertically by the flange portion 11A and the locking member 70. By loosely screwing the locking member 70 onto the screw shaft portion 62 in this manner, the preparation for attaching the coaxial connector 1 to the circuit board P is completed.

[0042] Next, as shown in Figure 1(A), the coaxial connector 1 is positioned above the circuit board P. At this time, the flange portion 11A of the coaxial connector 1 is positioned directly above the through-hole P3 of the circuit board P. Next, the coaxial connector 1 is placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board P. At this time, the extension portion 17 of the outer conductor 10, the screw shaft portion 62 of the mounting member 60, and the locking member 70 are arranged to pass through the through-hole P3 of the circuit board. Specifically, the screw shaft portion 62 of the mounting member 60 and the locking member 70 are inserted into the base hole P3A, the extension portion 17 located at the front is inserted into the front guide hole P3B, and the extension portion 17 located at the rear is inserted into the rear guide hole P3C.

[0043] In this embodiment, the spring member 80 is compressed vertically by the flange portion 11A and the locking member 70, so the elastic force of the spring member 80 acts as a reaction force against the compressive force on the flange portion 11A and the locking member 70. Therefore, the locking member 70, the screw shaft portion 62 into which the locking member 70 is screwed, and the mounting member 60 extend without tilting in the vertical direction, resulting in a stable position relative to the circuit board P. As a result, the screw shaft portion 62 and the locking member 70 can be smoothly inserted and installed in the base hole portion P3A.

[0044] As a result of inserting the mounting fixture 50 and extension portion 17 of the coaxial connector 1 into the through-hole P3, the locking member 70 is positioned below the lower surface of the circuit board P. Furthermore, the upper part of the front extension portion 17 is located at the rear of the front guide hole P3B, and its movement in the connector width direction (X-axis direction) is restricted by the front positioning portion P4. Also, the upper part of the rear extension portion 17 is located within the rear guide hole P3C, and its movement to the rear and in the connector width direction (X-axis direction) is restricted by the rear positioning portion P5.

[0045] Next, the coaxial connector 1 is slid forward. This sliding movement continues until the front extension 17 contacts the front edge of the front guide hole P3B (part of the front positioning portion P4) from the rear. As a result, as shown in Figure 4(A), the upper part of the front extension 17 and the upper part of the screw shaft portion 62 of the mounting member 60 are located within the front guide hole P3B. The locking member 70 is positioned so that both ends in the connector width direction face the lower surface of the front positioning portion P4 of the circuit board P from below. In this embodiment, the upper part of the rear extension 17 does not enter the front guide hole P3B but is located within the base hole P3A. As a modification, the front guide hole P3B may be made even longer so that the upper part of the rear extension 17 is located within the front guide hole P3B.

[0046] Once the above sliding movement is complete, the lower end surface of the contact portion 22 of the central conductor 20 will be in contact with the signal pattern P1 of the circuit board P from above, and the lower surface of the base portion 11 of the outer conductor 10 will be in contact with the ground pattern P2 of the circuit board P from above.

[0047] Next, the mounting head 61 is rotated to move the locking member 70 upward, and as shown in Figure 4(B), the mounting head 61 and the locking member 70 clamp the flange portion 11A and the circuit board P in the vertical direction. At this time, the locking member 70, which is screwed onto the screw shaft portion 62, comes into contact with the extension portion 17 in the direction of the axis of the screw shaft portion 62, and is prevented from rotating together with the screw shaft portion 62. As a result, the locking member 70 and the mounting member 60 move relative to each other reliably, and the locking member 70 moves smoothly upward.

[0048] When the flange portion 11A and the circuit board P are firmly clamped by the mounting head 61 and the locking member 70, the contact pressure between the contact portion 22 of the central conductor 20 and the signal pattern P1 of the circuit board P is increased, ensuring reliable contact between the two. In addition, the contact pressure between the base portion 11 of the outer conductor 10 and the ground pattern P2 of the circuit board P is increased, ensuring reliable contact between the two.

[0049] Furthermore, a mating coaxial connector (not shown), attached to one end of a coaxial cable (not shown), is mated to the coaxial connector 1 from above. As a result, the mating center conductor (not shown) of the mating coaxial connector is connected to the connection portion 21 of the center conductor 20 of the coaxial connector 1, and the mating outer conductor (not shown) of the mating coaxial connector is connected to the body portion 12 of the outer conductor 10 of the coaxial connector 1. The other end of the coaxial cable is connected to a measuring instrument (not shown) for measuring electrical characteristics. In performance testing of electronic components, a voltage is applied to the electronic components mounted on a test board, and their electrical characteristics are measured by the measuring instrument.

[0050] In this embodiment, as described above, the forward extension portion 17 of the coaxial connector 1 is restricted from moving in a direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board P by the forward positioning portion P4. Therefore, the coaxial connector 1 is positioned directly with respect to the circuit board P without the need for a mounting fixture 50, enabling accurate positioning of the coaxial connector 1. In addition, in this embodiment, extension portions 17 are provided on both sides of the body portion 12 in the connector width direction, and the connector is positioned by these extension portions 17. By providing multiple extension portions 17 whose movement is restricted by the positioning portion P4 of the circuit board P in this way, more accurate positioning becomes possible.

[0051] To remove the coaxial connector 1 from the circuit board P, first, rotate the mounting head 61 of the mounting member 60 in the opposite direction to the rotation operation used when installing the connector as described above. This rotation operation moves the locking member 70 downward, and as a result, the state in which the flange portion 11A and the circuit board P are clamped by the mounting head 61 and the locking member 70 is released. Next, slide the coaxial connector 1 toward the rear so that the locking member 70 is positioned directly below the base hole P3A of the circuit board P. Then, by moving the coaxial connector 1 straight upward, the locking member 70 passes through the base hole P3A, and the coaxial connector 1 can be easily removed from the circuit board P.

[0052] In this embodiment, the through-hole P3 of the circuit board P is formed as a hole, but the shape of the through-hole P3 is not limited to this, and as a modified example, it may be formed as a notch, as shown in Figure 5(A). In the circuit board Q in this modified example, the through-hole Q3 is formed as a notch that extends in the front-rear direction and has an open rear end. Specifically, it has a shape in which the base hole P3A and rear guide hole P3C are omitted from the through-hole P3 shown in Figure 1(A), and the front guide hole P3B is extended to the rear end of the circuit board P. Note that in the circuit board Q shown in Figure 5(A), the signal pattern Q1 and ground pattern Q2 have the same configuration as the signal pattern P1 and ground pattern P2 of the circuit board P shown in Figure 1(A), so their explanation is omitted.

[0053] In this modified example, the through-hole Q3 opens to the rear, as described above. Therefore, when attaching the coaxial connector 1 to the circuit board Q, the locking member 70 is loosely screwed onto the screw shaft portion 62, and the extension portion 17 and the screw shaft portion 62 can be brought into the through-hole Q3 while approaching the rear end of the circuit board P from diagonally above and behind. After positioning the coaxial connector 1 so that the front extension portion 17 abuts against the front edge of the through-hole Q3, the mounting head 61 of the mounting member 60 is rotated to move the locking member 70 upward, similar to the mounting operation described above, and the flange portion 11A and the circuit board P are clamped between the mounting head 61 and the locking member 70. Furthermore, the extension portion 17 is restricted from moving in a direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board Q, specifically in the forward and connector width directions, by the positioning portion Q4 formed at the edge of the through-hole Q3.

[0054] In this way, by forming the through-hole Q3 as a notch, the coaxial connector 1 can be moved diagonally, in other words, moved simultaneously in both forward and downward directions, and positioned on the mounting surface of the circuit board Q. Therefore, in this modified example, the positioning of the coaxial connector 1 on the mounting surface can be performed more smoothly compared to the case where the coaxial connector 1 is moved straight downward and then slid forward, as in the mounting operation to the circuit board P shown in Figures 1 to 4.

[0055] In this embodiment, the mounting member 60 is positioned above the flange portion 11A and the locking member 70 is positioned below the flange portion 11A. However, in a modified configuration, the mounting member may be positioned below the flange portion and the locking member may be positioned above the flange portion. In this modified configuration, the outer conductor is provided with a locking portion extending upward from the flange portion, which differs from the embodiment in this respect. The locking portion is adjacent to the locking member so as to be able to abut it in the direction of the axis of the screw shaft portion, and is formed, for example, by one or more projections extending upward from a part of the peripheral edge surrounding the mounting hole portion of the flange portion.

[0056] In this modified configuration, rotating the mounting head causes the locking member to move downward, and the mounting head and the locking member clamp the flange and the circuit board. At this time, the locking member, which is screwed onto the screw shaft, contacts the locked portion in the direction of the axis of the screw shaft, preventing it from rotating together with the screw shaft, and ensuring that the locking member and the mounting member move relative to each other reliably. Furthermore, since the movement of the extension portion of the coaxial connector is restricted by the positioning portion of the circuit board, the coaxial connector is positioned directly relative to the circuit board without the need for a mounting member, resulting in accurate positioning of the coaxial electrical connector.

[0057] In this embodiment, the coaxial connector 1 is used for the purpose of testing the performance of electronic components mounted on the circuit board P. However, the test object is not limited to this, and for example, it may be used for the purpose of testing the performance of the circuit board itself. In this case, it is not necessary to mount electronic components on the circuit board.

[0058] In this embodiment, an example of the coaxial connector 1 being used as a so-called test connector has been described, but its use is not limited to this, and for example, it may be mounted on a circuit board provided in an electrical product.

[0059] In this embodiment, the entire signal pattern and the entire ground pattern are provided on the mounting surface (top surface) of the circuit board. However, instead, for example, at least a portion of the signal pattern and the ground pattern may be provided on the back surface (bottom surface) or inner layers of the circuit board, extending along the surface of the circuit board. In this case, patterns that are located at different positions in the thickness direction of the circuit board are connected by vias or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Coaxial connector 10 Outer conductor 11A Flange section 12 Torso 13 Mounting hole 16 Interior space 17 Extension 20 Central conductor 30 Dielectrics 50 Mounting hardware 60 Mounting components 61 Mounting head 62 Screw shaft 70 Locking member 80 Spring component P Circuit Board P3 penetration part P4 Forward positioning section Q3 Penetration Q4 Positioning section

Claims

1. A coaxial electrical connector connected to a circuit board, An outer conductor having a cylindrical body portion extending vertically perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a flange portion provided radially outward from the body portion, with mounting holes formed through it vertically for attachment to the circuit board, A dielectric material housed within the internal space of the fuselage portion, A coaxial electrical connector having a central conductor that extends vertically within the internal space and is held by the dielectric, The mounting fixture is provided so as to pass through the aforementioned mounting hole and the through-hole formed through the circuit board, The outer conductor has an extension that extends downward from the flange portion and is arranged to be inserted into the through portion. The mounting fixture comprises a mounting member disposed from above with respect to the flange portion and a locking member disposed from below with respect to the flange portion. The mounting member has a mounting head that can be locked onto the upper surface of the flange portion, and a screw shaft portion that extends downward from the mounting head and is arranged to pass through the mounting hole and the through portion. The locking member is screwed onto the screw shaft from below and can be locked onto the circuit board from below, and by rotating the mounting head, it can cooperate with the mounting head to clamp the flange and the circuit board. The coaxial electrical connector is characterized in that the extension portion is adjacent to the locking member so as to be able to abut it in the direction of the axis of the screw shaft portion, and its movement in two directions parallel to and intersecting with respect to the mounting surface is restricted by a positioning portion formed on the edge of the through portion.

2. A coaxial electrical connector connected to a circuit board, An outer conductor having a cylindrical body portion extending vertically perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a flange portion provided radially outward from the body portion, with mounting holes formed through it vertically for attachment to the circuit board, A dielectric material housed within the internal space of the fuselage portion, A coaxial electrical connector having a central conductor that extends vertically within the internal space and is held by the dielectric, The mounting fixture is provided so as to pass through the aforementioned mounting hole and the through-hole formed through the circuit board, The outer conductor has an extension portion that extends downward from the flange portion and is arranged to be inserted into the through portion, and a locking portion that extends upward from the flange portion. The mounting fixture comprises a mounting member disposed from below the flange portion and a locking member disposed from above the flange portion. The mounting member has a mounting head that can be locked to the lower surface of the circuit board, and a screw shaft portion that extends upward from the mounting head and is arranged to pass through the through portion and the mounting hole portion. The locking member is screwed onto the screw shaft portion from above and can be locked onto the flange portion from above, and by rotating the mounting head, it can cooperate with the mounting head to clamp the flange portion and the circuit board. The extension portion is restricted from moving in two directions parallel to and intersecting with respect to the mounting surface by a positioning portion formed on the edge of the through portion. The coaxial electrical connector is characterized in that the locked portion is adjacent to the locking member so as to be able to contact it in the direction of the axis of the screw shaft portion.

3. The coaxial electrical connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a plurality of the aforementioned extension portions are provided.

4. The aforementioned screw shaft portion has a spring member through which it is inserted, The coaxial electrical connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spring member is compressed vertically by the flange portion and the locking member by a rotational operation at the mounting head.

5. A coaxial electrical connector with a circuit board, characterized in that the coaxial electrical connector described in claim 1 or claim 2 is mounted on a circuit board.

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