connector

Abstract

To prevent a creep phenomenon of a movable housing and increase a resonance frequency in a floating connector.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises: terminals 40, 50; and a movable housing 30 that can be displaced with respect to an attachment object 14. The terminal 40 and 50 each have displacement parts 44, 45 and 54, 55, respectively, which are displaced with the movable housing 30, and the displacement parts 44, 45 and 54, 55 each include one-side contact parts 45 and 55, respectively, which are brought into contact with a connection object 11 from one side. The connector 10 comprises additional members 90 held by the movable housing 30. The additional members 90 each have an other-side contact part 91 that is brought into contact with the connection object 11 from the other side. The additional members 90 are formed as separate bodies from the terminals 40, 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector, a method for manufacturing the same, a mating connector, and a connector set.

Background Art

[0002] In the floating connector described in Patent Document 1, the terminal has a displacement portion that displaces together with the movable housing. The displacement portion has a one-side contact portion that contacts the connection object from one side, a the other-side contact portion that contacts the connection object from the other side, and a connecting portion that integrally connects the one-side contact portion and the other-side contact portion. Therefore, since the movable housing is not directly pressed against the connection object, the creep phenomenon of the movable housing is suppressed.

[0003] In the right-angle floating connector described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the movable housing has legs that protrude downward. Therefore, by the legs abutting against the substrate or the fixed housing which is a member on the fixed side, excessive downward displacement of the movable housing is restricted.

[0004] The connector described in Patent Document 3 includes a housing and terminals that are press-fitted and held in the housing in a predetermined press-fitting direction. The terminal has a press-fitting portion formed in an extension portion that extends along the press-fitting direction, a displacement portion that is displaceable with respect to the press-fitting portion, and an intermediate portion between the extension portion and the displacement portion. The intermediate portion has a plurality of bent portions bent in the plate thickness direction. Therefore, by the intermediate portion deforming, displacement of the displacement portion is permitted.

[0005] The connector set described in Patent Document 4 includes a right-angle type internal connector attached to an internal substrate disposed inside a case, and a relay connector attached to an opening of the case that relays between the internal connector and a connection object (external connection object) outside the case. Therefore, it is possible to connect an internal circuit board, which is positioned perpendicular to the wall in which the opening is formed, to an external object through the opening in the case. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-206623 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-091649 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-129084 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-177665 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] When a floating connector, such as the one described in Patent Document 1, is used in a vibrating environment such as an automobile, if the vibration frequency matches the resonant frequency of the floating connector when it is connected to the object being connected (hereinafter simply referred to as the connector's resonant frequency), the displaced part may vibrate violently together with the object being connected, causing wear on the contact surface. For this reason, in recent years, there has been a demand to increase the resonant frequency of the connector. Therefore, the first aspect of this disclosure aims to suppress creep in the movable housing and increase the resonant frequency of the connector in a floating connector.

[0008] Furthermore, a common problem with connectors is that when the electrical equipment on which the connector is installed changes, the dimensions of the object to which the connector is connected and the performance requirements for the connector also typically change. Therefore, it is necessary to design and manufacture the connector from scratch according to the number of variations in the dimensions of the object to be connected and the required specifications. Therefore, the second aspect of this disclosure aims to facilitate the development of variations in the connector.

[0009] Furthermore, the inventors believed that increasing the resonant frequency of the connector was also important in right-angle floating connectors such as those described in Patent Documents 2 and 3. Therefore, a third aspect of the present disclosure aims to limit excessive downward displacement of the movable housing and increase the resonant frequency in a right-angle floating connector.

[0010] Furthermore, the connector described in Patent Document 3 has a problem in that when the displacement part is displaced and the intermediate part deforms, stress tends to concentrate in the curved part that makes up the intermediate part. Therefore, a fourth aspect of the present disclosure aims to suppress stress concentration at the curved portion in a connector having one or more curved portions in the middle of the terminal.

[0011] Furthermore, in the connector set described in Patent Document 4, it is conceivable that the relay connector may include a first relay terminal and a second relay terminal positioned at different locations in the direction perpendicular to the substrate (perpendicular to the internal substrate) in order to match the structure of the external object to be connected. However, in this case, it becomes necessary to provide a first internal terminal and a second internal terminal of different shapes in the internal connector that contact the first and second relay terminals, respectively, and as a result, the design cost of the internal connector increases. Therefore, a fifth aspect of this disclosure aims to reduce the design cost of the internal connector in a connector set comprising an internal connector and a relay connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In the following description of the connectors and the like, we will use directional concepts such as vertical direction to explain the connectors and the like. However, these directional concepts are based on the connectors and the like, and do not limit the installation direction or orientation when the connectors and the like are in use.

[0013] (First aspect) The connector according to the first embodiment is a connector that can be attached to an object to be attached, comprising: a terminal; a movable housing that is displaceable relative to the object to be attached; and an additional member formed separately from the terminal and held by the movable housing, wherein the terminal has a displaceable portion that is held by the movable housing and displaces together with the movable housing, the displaceable portion has a one-sided contact portion that contacts the object to be connected from one side, and the additional member has a other-sided contact portion that contacts the object to be connected from the other side.

[0014] In this embodiment, the connector comprises a terminal and a movable housing that is displaceable relative to the object to be attached. The terminal has a displaceable portion. The displaceable portion is held by the movable housing and displaces together with the movable housing. The displaceable portion has a one-sided contact portion that contacts the object to be connected from one side.

[0015] Furthermore, the connector includes an additional member formed separately from the terminals and held in the movable housing. The additional member has a contact portion on the other side that contacts the object to be connected from the other side. As a result, the movable housing is not directly pressed against the object to be connected, and the creep phenomenon of the movable housing is suppressed. Furthermore, since the additional component is formed separately from the terminal, there is no need for a connecting part to integrally link one contact part with the other, and the movable part of the connector can be made lighter accordingly. As a result, the resonant frequency of the connector can be increased.

[0016] Based on the above, this embodiment makes it possible to suppress the creep phenomenon of the movable housing in a floating connector and to increase the resonant frequency of the connector.

[0017] In the embodiments described later, an example in which the connector includes a fixed housing will be explained, but the connector of this form is not limited to this. Furthermore, in the embodiments described later, the terminal has an intermediate deformation portion, but the terminal in this embodiment is not limited to this. Even if the terminal does not have an intermediate deformation portion, a displacement portion that displaces together with the movable housing can be realized.

[0018] In the connector according to the first to second aspects, in the first to first aspect, the additional member does not have a portion connected to the object to be attached and a portion between the portion and the other contact portion.

[0019] In this aspect, the additional member does not have a portion connected to the object to be attached and a portion between the portion and the other contact portion. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide the additional member with the portion and the portion between the portion and the other contact portion, the connector can be miniaturized as compared with the aspect in which the additional member has these.

[0020] In the connector according to the first to third aspects, in the first to first or first to second aspect, the additional member does not have a structure for electrically connecting to the terminal.

[0021] In this aspect, since the additional member does not have a structure for electrically connecting to the terminal, the connector can be miniaturized or lightened as compared with the aspect having such a structure.

[0022] In the connector according to the first to fourth aspects, in any one of the first to first to third aspects, the additional member is made of a material having a specific gravity lighter than that of the terminal.

[0023] In this aspect, since the additional member is made of a material having a specific gravity lighter than that of the terminal, the movable part of the connector can be lightened.

[0024] In the connector according to the first to fifth aspects, in any one of the first to first to fourth aspects, the additional member is made of stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy or a nickel alloy.

[0025] In this aspect, since the additional member is made of stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy or a nickel alloy, the surface of the additional member is protected by a passive film and is not easily corroded even if sufficient plating treatment is not performed on the additional member or no plating treatment is performed at all. Therefore, the connector can be manufactured at a low cost.

[0026] In the connector according to the 1st to 6th embodiment, in any of the 1st to 1st to 5th embodiments, the portion of the movable housing in which the additional member is held and the portion in which the displacement portion is held are formed integrally.

[0027] Incidentally, it is also conceivable to construct the movable housing from two or more separate components, with the component holding the additional component and the component holding the displacement part being separate. However, such a configuration would complicate the structure of the movable housing. In this embodiment, the portion of the movable housing that holds the additional member and the portion that holds the displacement portion are integrally molded, thus simplifying the structure of the movable housing.

[0028] In the first seven embodiments of the connector, in any of the first to sixth embodiments, the one-sided contact portion has a first contact piece that contacts the object to be connected and a second contact piece that contacts the object to be connected further in the connection direction than the first contact piece, and is configured such that the amount of displacement of the contact of the first contact piece when the object to be connected is greater than the amount of displacement of the contact of the second contact piece, and when the connector is viewed from the far side in the connection direction, the contact of the second contact piece is not covered by any member, including the first contact piece and the additional member.

[0029] In this embodiment, the one-sided contact portion has a first contact piece that contacts the object to be connected, and a second contact piece that contacts the object to be connected further in the connection direction than the first contact piece. As a result, foreign matter attached to the object to be connected is removed by the first contact piece, and the portion of the object from which the foreign matter has been removed can be brought into contact with the second contact piece. Furthermore, the device is configured such that the displacement of the contact point of the first contact piece (for example, the displacement in the direction perpendicular to the connection direction) when the object to be connected is connected is greater than the displacement of the contact point of the second contact piece. As a result, the contact pressure of the first contact piece against the object to be connected is increased, improving the function of scraping off foreign matter (the so-called wiping function).

[0030] However, with the above configuration, when viewed from the front side in the connection direction, the contact point of the second contact piece is covered by the first contact piece, which makes it difficult to inspect the height of the contact point of the second contact piece. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the connector is viewed from the back in the connection direction, the contact of the second contact piece is not covered by any of the members, including the first contact piece and the additional member. For this reason, the height of the contact of the second contact piece can be inspected by inspecting the connector from the back in the connection direction.

[0031] In the connector according to the first to eighth embodiment, a contact metal layer is formed on the one-sided contact portion in any of the first to seventh embodiments.

[0032] In this embodiment, a contact metal layer is formed on one side of the contact portion. Therefore, by forming an appropriate contact metal layer, the reliability of the connection between the one side of the contact portion and the object to be connected can be improved. Incidentally, if the terminal and the additional member were formed as a single unit, the additional member would obstruct the formation of the contact metal layer on one side of the contact portion, making it difficult to apply the plating solution to the correct position. However, in this embodiment, since the terminal and the additional member are separate, the additional member does not get in the way when forming the contact metal layer on one side of the contact portion, making it easier to apply the plating solution to the appropriate position. As a result, the amount of metal (e.g., gold, palladium, silver, tin) contained in the contact metal layer can be reduced, and the connector can be manufactured at a low cost.

[0033] In the connector according to the first to ninth embodiment, the contact metal layer includes a precious metal, as in the first to eighth embodiment.

[0034] In this embodiment, since the contact metal layer contains a precious metal, there is a significant cost reduction effect by reducing the amount of metal used in the contact metal layer.

[0035] In the connector according to the 1st to 10th embodiment, the contact metal layer comprises tin or a tin alloy, and the portion of the additional member held by the movable housing does not have tin or a tin alloy attached to it.

[0036] In this embodiment, the contact metal layer contains tin or a tin alloy. However, the portion of the additional member held by the movable housing does not have tin or a tin alloy adhering to it. This prevents the formation of whiskers. If the terminal and the additional component were formed as a single unit, there is a possibility that the plating solution may adhere to the additional component when forming the contact metal layer on one side of the contact area. However, since the terminal and the additional component are separate parts, it is prevented that the plating solution will unintentionally adhere to the additional component.

[0037] In the connector according to the 1-11 embodiment, in any of the 1-1 to 1-7 embodiments, the base material of the additional member is stainless steel, the additional member does not have a plating layer, and the additional member is not electrically connected to the object to be attached.

[0038] In this embodiment, the base material of the add-on is stainless steel, and the add-on does not have a plating layer. Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion without the need for time-consuming and costly plating, and is also relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, since the additional components are not electrically connected to the object to be attached, the connector can be made smaller by eliminating the need for such a structure.

[0039] (Second aspect) The connector according to the second-first embodiment comprises a terminal having a terminal-side contact portion that contacts an object to be connected, an additional member having an additional-side contact portion that contacts the object to be connected, and a housing that holds the terminal and the additional member, wherein the additional member is formed separately from the terminal.

[0040] In this embodiment, the connector comprises a terminal having a terminal-side contact portion that contacts the object to be connected, an additional member having an additional-side contact portion that contacts the object to be connected, and a housing that holds the terminal and the additional member. Here, the additional component is formed separately from the terminal. This makes it suitable for manufacturing multiple variations of the connector. In other words, in this embodiment of the connector, the terminals and housing can be common parts for each variation of the connector, while the additional members can be designed specifically for each variation of the connector. This allows the performance of the connector to be changed by changing only the additional members among the terminals, additional members, and housing that constitute the connector. For example, the performance of the connector can be changed by changing the shape or friction coefficient of the contact portion on the additional side of the additional member.

[0041] Based on the above, this embodiment makes it easier to develop variations of the connector.

[0042] In the embodiments described later, an example is described in which the terminal-side contact portion contacts the object to be connected from one side, and the additional-side contact portion contacts the object to be connected from the other side, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the terminal-side contact portion may contact the object to be connected from a first direction, and the additional member may contact the object to be connected from a direction perpendicular to the first direction. Furthermore, while the embodiments described later will explain an example in which the "housing" is a movable housing, this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the connector may not have a movable housing, and the "housing" may be a fixed housing.

[0043] The method for manufacturing a connector according to the second-second embodiment is the method for manufacturing a connector according to the first embodiment, wherein the additional member is selected from a plurality of types of additional members designed in advance and held in the housing.

[0044] In this embodiment, the additional member is selected from a plurality of pre-designed additional members and held in the housing. Therefore, by selecting appropriate additional components, connectors that meet the required specifications can be manufactured at a low cost. The aforementioned "retention" includes not only retention by press-fitting but also retention by insert molding.

[0045] A method for manufacturing a connector according to the second-third embodiment is, in the second-second embodiment, the connector wherein the terminal-side contact portion contacts the object to be connected from one side, the additional-side contact portion contacts the object to be connected from the other side, and the plurality of types of additional members include two or more types of additional members configured such that the distance between the terminal-side contact portion and the additional-side contact portion is different.

[0046] In this embodiment, the terminal-side contact portion contacts the object to be connected from one side. The additional-side contact portion contacts the object to be connected from the other side. The multiple types of additional members include two or more types of additional members configured such that the distance between the terminal-side contact portion and the additional-side contact portion is different. Therefore, by selecting the additional member, the distance between the terminal-side contact portion and the additional-side contact portion can be changed to an appropriate distance.

[0047] In the method for manufacturing a connector according to the second-fourth embodiment, in the second-second or second-third embodiment, the plurality of types of additional members include two or more types of additional members with different coefficients of friction of the additional contact portion.

[0048] In this embodiment, the multiple types of additional members include two or more types of additional members with different coefficients of friction of the contact portion on the additional side. Therefore, by selecting the appropriate additional member, the force required to connect the objects can be set to an appropriate level.

[0049] The method for manufacturing a connector according to the second-fifth embodiment is such that, in any of the second-fifth to second-fifth embodiments, the plurality of types of additional members include two or more types of additional members that are configured such that the distance between the terminal-side contact portion and the additional-side contact portion is the same, but the friction coefficients of the additional-side contact portions are different.

[0050] In this embodiment, the multiple types of additional members include two or more types of additional members that are configured such that the distance between the terminal-side contact portion and the additional-side contact portion is the same, but the coefficient of friction of the additional-side contact portion is different. Therefore, it is possible to increase the variety of connectors without having to increase the variations in the shape of the additional components.

[0051] (Third aspect) The connector according to the third-first embodiment is a connector that can be attached to the mounting surface of an object to be attached and can connect to an object with the direction along the mounting surface as the connection direction, and comprises a fixed housing fixed to the object to be attached, a movable housing that can be fitted to the object to be attached and is displaceable relative to the object to be attached, a connecting portion connected to the object to be attached, and a terminal having a displaceable portion held by the movable housing and displaced together with the movable housing, wherein the fixed housing has a displacement restricting portion provided at a position that contacts the object to be attached when the object to be attached, in a state of being fitted with the movable housing or in a state of being partially fitted, is displaced in a direction toward the mounting surface as described above.

[0052] In this embodiment, the connector comprises a fixed housing, a movable housing, and a terminal. The fixed housing is a housing fixed to the object to be mounted. The movable housing is a housing that is displaceable relative to the object to be mounted and is matable with the object to be connected. The terminal has a connecting portion and a displaceable portion. The connecting portion is the part that is connected to the object to be mounted. The displaceable portion is the part that is held by the movable housing and displaces together with the movable housing.

[0053] Here, the fixed housing has a displacement restricting section. The displacement restricting section is provided at a position where it contacts the object to be connected when the object is displaced in a direction toward the mounting surface while it is fitted with the movable housing or in the process of being fitted. Therefore, the displacement of the connected objects in the fitted state or in the process of fitting is restricted, resulting in the suppression of excessive displacement of the movable housing.

[0054] In other words, while the technologies described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 limit excessive displacement by providing downwardly protruding legs on the movable housing, this embodiment limits excessive displacement by providing a portion (displacement restricting portion) on the fixed housing that contacts the object to be connected in a fitted state or in the process of fitting.

[0055] Based on the above, in this embodiment, since the displacement restricting part limits the excessive displacement of the movable housing, the legs can be made unnecessary or simplified, and as a result, the movable part of the connector can be made lighter. Therefore, in the right-angle floating connector, the excessive downward displacement of the movable housing can be limited and the resonant frequency can be increased.

[0056] In the third-second embodiment of the connector, the fixed housing has a passage space that is on the mounting surface side of the space in which the movable housing is arranged, and through which the movable housing can pass.

[0057] In this embodiment, the fixed housing is located on the mounting surface side (lower side) of the space in which the movable housing is arranged, and has a passage space through which the movable housing can pass. Therefore, when manufacturing the connector, the movable housing can be assembled to the fixed housing from below.

[0058] In the third-third embodiment, the connector, in the third-first or third-second embodiment, has an upward limiting portion that restricts the range of movement of the movable housing away from the aforementioned mounting surface.

[0059] In this embodiment, the fixed housing has an upward restricting portion. The upward restricting portion limits the range of movement of the movable housing in the direction away from the mounting surface (upward). Therefore, there is no need to separately attach a member that functions as an upward restricting portion to the fixed housing.

[0060] In the third-fourth embodiment, the connector, in any of the third-to-third embodiments, has a fixed-side retained portion that is held by the fixed housing, and the displacement restricting portion holds the fixed-side retained portion.

[0061] In this embodiment, the terminal has a fixed-side retained portion that is held by a fixed housing, and the displacement restricting portion holds the fixed-side retained portion of the terminal. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which a displacement restricting portion is formed separately from the portion that holds the fixed-side retained portion of the terminal, the connector can be made smaller.

[0062] In the third-fifth embodiment of the connector, in any of the third-fifth to third-fifth embodiments, the terminal has a deformable intermediate deformable portion between the connecting portion and the displacement portion, and at least a portion of the intermediate deformable portion is located between the movable housing and the aforementioned mounting surface in a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned mounting surface.

[0063] In this embodiment, the terminal has a deformable intermediate deformable portion between the connecting portion and the displaceable portion. At least a portion of the intermediate deformable portion is located between the movable housing and the mounting surface in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface (height direction). Therefore, the length of the intermediate deformation section can be secured.

[0064] The mating connector according to the third-sixth embodiment is a mating connector as a connection target that can be connected to a connector according to any of the third-sixth embodiments, comprising a mating housing and a mating terminal held in the mating housing, wherein the mating housing has a facing lower surface that faces the displacement restricting portion in a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned mounting surface when it is fitted with the movable housing or in the process of fitting, and a downward projection that protrudes from the facing lower surface toward the aforementioned mounting surface, the downward projection being provided at a position that contacts the displacement restricting portion when the mating connector, when fitted with the movable housing or in the process of fitting, is displaced in a direction toward the aforementioned mounting surface.

[0065] The mating connector according to this embodiment comprises a mating housing and a mating terminal held in the mating housing. The mating housing has a lower surface that faces the displacement restricting portion in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface (vertical direction) when fitted with the movable housing or in the process of fitting. Furthermore, the mating housing has a downward projection that protrudes from the opposing lower surface toward the mounting surface. The downward projection is positioned to contact the displacement restricting portion when the mating connector, while engaged with the movable housing or in the process of being engaged, is displaced toward the mounting surface. Therefore, the maximum downward displacement of the mating connector is reduced by the amount of the downward protrusion. Consequently, excessive downward displacement of the mating connector can be limited while suppressing the increase in mass of the mating housing of the mating connector.

[0066] In the mating connector according to the third-seventh embodiment, the mating terminal protrudes from the mating housing and has a mating contact portion that contacts a contact portion formed in the displacement portion, and the opposing lower surface is a lower surface facing the side of the adjacent support portion that supports the portion adjacent to the mating contact portion.

[0067] In this embodiment, the mating terminal protrudes from the mating housing and has a mating contact portion that contacts a contact portion formed in the displacement portion. The portion of the mating terminal adjacent to the mating contact portion is supported by an adjacent support portion of the mating housing. A downward protrusion protrudes from the lower surface of the adjacent support portion. Therefore, this method allows for weight reduction of the mating connector while suppressing excessive displacement of the movable housing, compared to simply increasing the vertical dimension of the adjacent support portion and bringing its lower surface into contact with the displacement restricting portion of the internal connector.

[0068] A connector according to the 4-1 embodiment comprises a housing and a terminal held in the housing, wherein the terminal has a first retained portion formed in a first extension portion extending along a first direction, a displaceable portion displaceable relative to the first retained portion, and an intermediate portion between the first retained portion and the displaceable portion, having one or more curved portions bent in the thickness direction, the intermediate portion being connected to the first extension portion via the first curved portion closest to the first retained portion among the one or more curved portions, and includes a second extension portion extending along a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second extension portion having a second retained portion formed thereon.

[0069] In this embodiment, the connector comprises a housing and a terminal held in the housing. The terminal has a first retained portion formed in a first extension portion extending along a first direction, a displaceable portion that is displaceable relative to the first retained portion, and an intermediate portion between the first extension portion and the displaceable portion. The intermediate portion has a plurality of curved portions bent in the thickness direction.

[0070] Here, the intermediate section is connected to the first extended section via the first curved section and includes a second extended section that extends along a direction perpendicular to the first direction. A second retained section is formed on the second extended section. Therefore, since the second retained portion formed in the second extension portion is held by the housing, deformation of the first curved portion is suppressed, and stress concentration on the first curved portion is suppressed.

[0071] Based on the above, according to this embodiment, in a connector in which the intermediate part of the terminal has one or more curved sections, stress concentration at the curved sections can be suppressed.

[0072] In the embodiments described later, the first held portion and the first curved portion are in close proximity, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In the embodiments described later, the first curved portion and the second held portion are in close proximity, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In the embodiments described later, the housing is a fixed housing, but the housing in this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0073] The connector according to the 4-2 embodiment, in the 4-1 embodiment, includes a gradually decreasing extension portion in which the portion of the second extension portion that is on the displacement portion side of the second retained portion is formed such that the plate width gradually decreases as it moves away from the second retained portion.

[0074] In this embodiment, the portion of the second extension portion that is on the displacement side of the second held portion includes a gradually decreasing extension portion, which is formed such that the plate width gradually decreases as it moves away from the second held portion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the concentration of stress in a specific part of the second extension section.

[0075] In the connector according to the 4-3 embodiment, in the 4-1 or 4-2 embodiment, the second retained portion is formed to have a wider plate width than the portion adjacent to the second retained portion, and the rate of change in plate width on the first retained portion side with respect to the position of the second retained portion where the plate width is maximum is greater than the rate of change in plate width on the displacement portion side.

[0076] In this embodiment, the second held portion is formed with a wider plate width than the portion adjacent to the second held portion. Furthermore, the rate of change in plate width on the first held portion side relative to the position of maximum plate width within the second held portion is greater than the rate of change in plate width on the displacement portion side. Note that the rate of change in plate width refers to the amount of change in plate width with respect to the distance approaching the first held portion side or the displacement portion side. Therefore, the position of the second supported part can be set close to the first curved part, and stress concentration in the intermediate part that is close to the displaced part relative to the second supported part can be suppressed. Setting the position of the second supported part close to the first curved part allows for a longer deformable region in the intermediate part.

[0077] The connector according to embodiment 4-4 is such that, in any embodiment of 4-1 to 4-3, the terminal is press-fitted into the housing in a predetermined press-fitting direction and held therein, the first direction being the press-fitting direction, the first retained portion being the first press-fitting portion, and the second retained portion being the second press-fitting portion.

[0078] In this embodiment, the terminal is press-fitted into the housing in a predetermined press-fitting direction (first direction) and held in place.

[0079] The connector set according to the 5-1 embodiment comprises a right-angle type internal connector attached to a substrate located inside a case, and a relay connector attached to an opening in the case that relays the internal connector to an external connection target outside the case, wherein the internal connector comprises a first internal terminal and a second internal terminal, and the relay connector comprises a first relay terminal connected to the first internal terminal and a second relay terminal connected to the second internal terminal, and the first internal terminal has a first contact portion that contacts the first relay terminal and a first connection portion that connects to the substrate, The second internal terminal has a second contact portion that contacts the second relay terminal and a second connection portion that connects to the substrate; the first relay terminal has a first internal contact portion that contacts the first internal terminal and a first external contact portion that contacts the external object to be connected; the second relay terminal has a second internal contact portion that contacts the second internal terminal and a second external contact portion that contacts the external object to be connected; the first external contact portion and the second external contact portion are arranged at different positions in the substrate vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the substrate, and the first internal contact portion and the second internal contact portion are arranged at the same position in the substrate vertical direction.

[0080] The connector set according to this embodiment comprises a right-angle type internal connector that is attached to a circuit board located inside the case, and a relay connector that is attached to an opening in the case and relays the internal connector to an external connection target outside the case. The internal connector comprises a first internal terminal and a second internal terminal. The relay connector comprises a first relay terminal connected to the first internal terminal and a second relay terminal connected to the second internal terminal. The first internal terminal has a first contact portion that contacts the first relay terminal and a first connection portion that connects to the circuit board. The second internal terminal has a second contact portion that contacts the second relay terminal and a second connection portion that connects to the circuit board. The first relay terminal has a first internal contact portion that contacts the first internal terminal and a first external contact portion that contacts the external object to be connected. The second relay terminal has a second internal contact portion that contacts the second internal terminal, and a second external contact portion that contacts the external object to be connected.

[0081] In this embodiment, the first external contact portion and the second external contact portion are positioned at different locations in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, while the first internal contact portion and the second internal contact portion are positioned at the same location in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. Therefore, since the distance from the substrate to the first contact point is the same as the distance from the substrate to the second contact point, the shape of the first internal terminal and the shape of the second internal terminal can be made the same, or at least similar.

[0082] Based on the above, according to this embodiment, in a connector set comprising an internal connector and a relay connector, the design cost of the internal connector can be reduced.

[0083] In the embodiments described later, an example is given where the "internal connector" is a floating connector, but the "internal connector" in this embodiment is not limited to this. Furthermore, in the embodiments described later, the internal connector includes a third internal terminal and a fourth internal terminal in addition to the first internal terminal and the second internal terminal, and the relay connector includes a third relay terminal and a fourth relay terminal in addition to the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal, but the "connector set" in this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0084] In the connector set according to the 5-2 embodiment, in the embodiment of the 5-1 embodiment, the first internal terminal is located between the first contact portion and the first connection portion and has a first intermediate deformation portion that deforms to allow displacement of the first contact portion relative to the first connection portion, and the second internal terminal is located between the second contact portion and the second connection portion and has a second intermediate deformation portion that deforms to allow displacement of the first contact portion relative to the second connection portion.

[0085] In this embodiment, the first internal terminal is located between the first contact portion and the first connection portion and has a first intermediate deformation portion that deforms to allow displacement of the first contact portion relative to the first connection portion. The second internal terminal is located between the second contact portion and the second connection portion and has a second intermediate deformation portion that deforms to allow displacement of the second contact portion relative to the second connection portion. Therefore, the first and second contact portions can be displaced relative to the substrate, and misalignment between the substrate and the relay connector can be absorbed.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the internal terminals have intermediate deformation sections (first or second intermediate deformation sections), the design of the internal terminals is particularly complex. Therefore, if the number of types of internal terminal shapes increases, the design cost will increase significantly. This problem is particularly pronounced in the case of internal connectors used in environments where strong vibrations are applied over long periods, such as in automotive equipment, because high-performance intermediate deformation sections that can maintain performance under such conditions are required.

[0087] A connector set according to embodiment 5-3, in embodiment 5-1 or 5-2, the internal connector comprises a third internal terminal and a fourth internal terminal, the relay connector comprises a third relay terminal connected to the third internal terminal and a fourth relay terminal connected to the fourth internal terminal, the third internal terminal has a third contact portion that contacts the third relay terminal and a third connection portion that connects to the substrate, the fourth internal terminal has a fourth contact portion that contacts the fourth relay terminal and a fourth connection portion that connects to the substrate, and the third relay terminal contacts the third internal terminal The fourth relay terminal has a third internal contact portion and a third external contact portion that contacts the external object to be connected, and the fourth relay terminal has a fourth internal contact portion that contacts the fourth internal terminal and a fourth external contact portion that contacts the external object to be connected, and the first external contact portion, the second external contact portion, the third external contact portion and the fourth external contact portion are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction of the substrate, the first internal contact portion and the second internal contact portion are arranged at the same position in the vertical direction of the substrate, and the third internal contact portion and the fourth internal contact portion are arranged at the same position in the vertical direction of the substrate.

[0088] In this embodiment, the first external contact portion, the second external contact portion, the third external contact portion, and the fourth external contact portion are arranged at different positions in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. On the other hand, the first internal contact portion and the second internal contact portion are arranged at the same position in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and the third internal contact portion and the fourth internal contact portion are arranged at the same position in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. Therefore, since the distance from the substrate to the first contact point is the same as the distance from the substrate to the second contact point, the shape of the first internal terminal and the shape of the second internal terminal can be made the same, or at least similar. As a result, the design cost of the internal connector can be reduced. Furthermore, since the distance from the substrate to the third contact point is the same as the distance from the substrate to the fourth contact point, the shape of the third internal terminal and the shape of the fourth internal terminal can be made the same, or at least similar. As a result, the design cost of the internal connector can be reduced.

[0089] In the connector according to embodiment 5-4, in embodiment 5-3, the first external contact portion and the fourth external contact portion are arranged at the same position in the arrangement direction which is perpendicular to the direction perpendicular to the substrate, the second external contact portion and the third external contact portion are arranged at the same position in the arrangement direction, and the first internal contact portion, the second internal contact portion, the third internal contact portion and the fourth internal contact portion are arranged at different positions in the arrangement direction.

[0090] In this embodiment, the second external contact portion and the fourth external contact portion are arranged in the same position in the arrangement direction, and the first external contact portion and the third external contact portion are arranged in the same position in the arrangement direction. On the other hand, the first internal contact portion, the second internal contact portion, the third internal contact portion and the fourth internal contact portion are arranged in different positions in the arrangement direction. Therefore, the positions of the first, second, third, and fourth contact parts of the internal connector can be made different in their arrangement direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0091] [Figure 1]A perspective view showing the internal connectors and intermediate connectors before connection. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the connection status of the internal and intermediate connectors. [Figure 3] This is a disassembled perspective view of the internal connector. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the internal connector in the process of assembly. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the internal connector. [Figure 6] This is a front view of the internal connector. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in Figure 6. [Figure 9] This is a side view showing the terminals and additional components of the internal connector. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the terminal. [Figure 11] (A) is a bottom view of the added member, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11B-11B. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 11B, which shows different types of additional members. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view of the fixed housing. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the fixed housing from a different angle. [Figure 15] This diagram shows a magnified view of the press-fit groove formed in the front frame of the fixed housing and the fixed-side holding portion of the lower terminal. [Figure 16] This diagram shows a magnified view of the area around the second press-fit portion of the lower terminal. [Figure 17] This is a perspective view of the movable housing. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view of the movable housing from another direction. [Figure 19] This is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the arrangement space formed in the movable housing. [Figure 20] This is a perspective view of the relay connector. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view of the relay connector from another direction. [Figure 22] This is a perspective view of multiple relay terminals. [Figure 23] This is a front view of multiple relay terminals. [Figure 24] This is a rear view of multiple relay terminals. [Figure 25] A top view of multiple relay terminals. [Figure 26] This is a side view of multiple relay terminals. [Figure 27] These are top and side views of the first structural relay terminal. [Figure 28] These are top and side views of the second structural relay terminal. [Figure 29] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state during the fitting process. [Figure 30] This is a cross-sectional view showing the fitted state. [Figure 31] This is another cross-sectional view showing the mating state. [Figure 32] This is another cross-sectional view showing the mating state. [Figure 33] This is another cross-sectional view showing the mating state. [Figure 34] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example in which the rear wall of the fixed housing is omitted. [Figure 35] This diagram shows the position of the plating treatment on the contact points of the terminals of the internal connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0092] In the following explanation, the ±X directions in each figure will be described as the front-to-back direction, the ±Y directions as the width direction, and the ±Z directions as the up-and-down direction.

[0093] (Connector set) As shown in Figure 1, the connector sets 10 and 11 include an internal connector 10 and a relay connector 11. The internal connector 10 is attached to the circuit board 14 (the object to be mounted) which is located inside the case 13. The internal connector 10 is a right-angle type floating connector. The relay connector 11 connects the internal connector 10, which is located inside the case 13, to an external connection target (not shown; hereinafter referred to as "external connection target," for example, a connector provided at the end of a wire harness). The relay connector 11 is attached to the opening 13a of the case 13.

[0094] The connection between the internal connector 10 and the relay connector 11 is performed, for example, in the following procedure. First, the circuit board 14, to which the internal connector 10 is attached, is placed inside the case 13 and secured. Next, the relay connector 11 is fitted into the opening 13a of the case 13, and the relay connector 11 is connected to the internal connector 10. Finally, the relay connector 11 is secured to the case 13 by bolts or the like (not shown).

[0095] (Internal connector 10) Next, we will describe the internal connector 10.

[0096] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the internal connector 10. The internal connector 10 comprises a plurality of terminals 40, 50, a fixed housing 20, a movable housing 30, a plurality (4) of fasteners 101, and a plurality (28) of additional members 90.

[0097] (Terminals 40, 50) The multiple terminals 40, 50 include multiple (14) upper terminals 40 and multiple (14, the same number as the upper terminals 40) lower terminals 50.

[0098] The multiple upper terminals 40 each have the same structure, and the multiple lower terminals 50 each have the same structure. The upper terminals 40 and the lower terminals 50 have different structures.

[0099] In the following explanations relating to both the upper terminal 40 and the lower terminal 50, they will be referred to simply as terminals 40 and 50 without distinction.

[0100] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the terminals 40 and 50 have a connection portion 41 and 51 that is connected to the substrate 14, a fixed-side held portion 42 and 52 that is held by the fixed housing 20, a deformable intermediate deformable portion 43 and 53, a movable-side held portion 44 and 54 that is held by the movable housing 30, and a contact portion 45 and 55 that contacts the relay terminals 60 and 70 of the relay connector 11.

[0101] The connecting parts 41 and 51 are soldered to the surface (mounting surface) of the substrate 14, which is the object to be connected. The fixed-side held parts 42 and 52 are press-fitted into the fixed housing 20. The movable-side held parts 44 and 54 are press-fitted into the movable housing 30. The movable-side held parts 44 and 54 and the contact parts 45 and 55 function as displaceable parts 44, 45, 54, and 55 that can be displaced relative to the substrate 14.

[0102] (upper terminal 40) The connection portion 41 of the upper terminal 40 extends rearward from a curved portion 404 formed on the lower side of the first extension portion 401 which extends in the vertical direction.

[0103] The fixed-side retained portion 42 of the upper terminal 40 has a first press-fit portion 421 and a second press-fit portion 422.

[0104] The first press-fit portion 421 is formed on the first extension portion 401 which extends in the vertical direction. The first press-fit portion 421 is oriented in the front-to-back direction in the plate thickness direction. Press-fit protrusions are formed on both sides of the first press-fit portion 421 in the plate width direction. The second press-fit portion 422 is formed in the second extension portion 403, which extends forward from the curved portion 402 (first curved portion) formed on the upper side of the first extension portion 401. The second press-fit portion 422 is located near the curved portion 402 within the second extension portion 403. The second press-fit portion 422 is oriented vertically in the thickness direction. The second press-fit portion 422 is formed with a wider plate width than the adjacent portion. The specific structure of the second press-fit portion 422 will be described later.

[0105] The fixed-side retained portion 42 is press-fitted into the fixed housing 20 with the upward direction as the press-fitting direction. Therefore, the first press-fit portion 421 is press-fitted in a direction perpendicular to its plate thickness direction, and the second press-fit portion 422 is press-fitted in a direction parallel to its plate thickness direction.

[0106] The intermediate deformation portion 43 of the upper terminal 40 has a forward extension portion 431 which is the portion of the second extension portion 403 that is on the displacement portion 44, 45 side of the second press-fit portion 422, a curved portion 432, an upward extension portion 433, a curved portion 434, a rear extension portion 435, a curved portion 436, an upward extension portion 437, a curved portion 438, and a forward extension portion 439.

[0107] The curved portion 432, the upwardly extended portion 433, and the curved portion 434 constitute folded portions 432, 433, and 434, in which the extension direction is changed from the forward direction to the rearward direction. The curved portion 436, the upwardly extended portion 437, and the curved portion 438 constitute the folded portions 436, 437, and 438, in which the extension direction is changed from the rear direction to the front direction. Thus, the intermediate deformation portion 43 of the upper terminal 40 includes two folded portions in which the extension direction is converted to the front-to-back direction. The vertical dimensions of the lower folded sections 432, 433, and 434 are smaller than the vertical dimensions of the upper folded sections 436, 437, and 438.

[0108] Most of the forward extension portion 431 is composed of a section (gradually decreasing extension portion) in which the plate width gradually decreases as it approaches the displacement portions 44 and 45. The curved portion 432 is formed with a wider plate width than the adjacent portion to prevent stress concentration. The forward extension portion 439 has a base end portion 439a in which the plate width does not change, and a tip end portion 439b in which the plate width gradually increases as it approaches the displacement portions 44 and 45.

[0109] (Lower terminal 50) The connection portion 51 of the lower terminal 50 extends forward from a curved portion 504 formed on the lower side of the first extension portion 501 which extends in the vertical direction.

[0110] The fixed-side retained portion 52 of the lower terminal 50 has a first press-fit portion 521 and a second press-fit portion 522.

[0111] The first press-fit portion 521 is formed on the first extension portion 501 which extends in the vertical direction. The first press-fit portion 521 is oriented in the front-to-back direction in the plate thickness direction. Press-fit protrusions are formed on both sides of the first press-fit portion 521 in the plate width direction. The second press-fit portion 522 is formed in the second extension portion 503, which extends backward from the curved portion 502 (first curved portion) formed on the upper side of the first extension portion 501. The second press-fit portion 522 is located near the curved portion 502 within the second extension portion 503. The second press-fit portion 522 is oriented vertically in the thickness direction. The second press-fit portion 522 is formed with a wider plate width than the adjacent portion. The specific structure of the second press-fit portion 522 will be described later.

[0112] The fixed-side retained portion 52 is press-fitted into the fixed housing 20 with the upward direction being the press-fitting direction. Therefore, the first press-fitting portion 521 is press-fitted in a direction perpendicular to its plate thickness direction, and the second press-fitting portion 522 is press-fitted in a direction parallel to its plate thickness direction.

[0113] The intermediate deformation portion 53 of the lower terminal 50 has a rear extension portion 531 which is the portion of the second extension portion 503 that is on the displacement portion 54, 55 side of the second press-fit portion 522, a curved portion 532, an upward extension portion 533, a curved portion 534, and a forward extension portion 535.

[0114] The curved portion 532, the upwardly extended portion 533, and the curved portion 534 constitute folded portions 532, 533, and 534 in which the extension direction is changed from the rear direction to the front direction. Thus, the intermediate deformation portion 53 of the lower terminal 50 includes one folded portion in which the extension direction is changed from the front-rear direction.

[0115] Most of the rearward extension section 531 is composed of a portion (gradually decreasing extension section) where the plate width gradually decreases as it moves toward the displacement sections 54 and 55. The curved section 532 is formed with a wider plate width than the adjacent section to prevent stress concentration.

[0116] Since the displacement parts 44 and 45 of the upper terminal 40 and the displacement parts 54 and 55 of the lower terminal 50 have the same structure, they will be described together.

[0117] The displacement parts 44, 45, 54, and 55 each have a movable side holding part 44, 54 and a contact part 45, 55.

[0118] The movable retained portions 44 and 54 are oriented with their plate thickness direction in the vertical direction. Press-fit protrusions are formed on both sides of the movable retained portions 44 and 54 in the plate width direction (width direction). The movable retained portions 44 and 54 are press-fitted into the movable housing 30 with the forward direction as the press-fitting direction. Therefore, the movable retained portions 44 and 54 are press-fitted in a direction perpendicular to their plate thickness direction. The movable side holding portions 44, 54 are connected to the forward extension portions 439, 535 without the need for a curved portion.

[0119] The contact portions 45 and 55 each have first contact pieces 45a and 55a that elastically contact the object to be connected (relay terminals 60 and 70), and second contact pieces 45b and 55b that elastically contact the object to be connected at a position further back in the connection direction (rearward direction) than the first contact pieces 45a and 55a.

[0120] The first contact pieces 45a, 55a have first contact portions 45a1, 55a1 and a pair of first support portions 45a2, 55a2. The first contact points 45a1 and 55a1 are bent into a mountain shape so that the upward direction is convex. The pair of first support portions 45a2, 55a2 elastically support the first contact portions 45a1, 55a1.

[0121] The second contact pieces 45b, 55b have second contact portions 45b1, 55b1 and second support portions 45b2, 55b2. The second contact portions 45b1 and 55b1 are bent into a mountain shape so that the upward direction is convex. The second contact portions 45b1 and 55b1 are located behind the first contact portions 45a1 and 55a1. As a result, the second contact portions 45b1 and 55b1 are located further back in the connection direction (rear direction) than the first contact portions 45a1 and 55a1. When the relay connector 11 is connected to the internal connector 10, the relay terminals 60 and 70 of the relay connector 11 first slide against and wipe the first contact portions 45a1 and 55a1, and then come into contact with the second contact portions 45b1 and 55b1. The second support portions 45b2, 55b2 are formed between the pair of first support portions 45a2, 55a2. When the internal connector 10 is not connected to the relay connector 11, the vertex positions (contacts) of the second contact portions 45b1 and 55b1 are located lower than the vertex positions (contacts) of the first contact portions 45a1 and 55a1.

[0122] Next, we will explain the positional relationship between the upper terminal 40 and the lower terminal 50.

[0123] The displacement portions 54 and 55 of the lower terminal 50 are located below the displacement portions 44 and 45 of the upper terminal 40. The starting end of the intermediate deformation portion 53 of the lower terminal 50 (the boundary between the rear extension portion 531 and the fixed-side holding portion 52) is located below the starting end of the intermediate deformation portion 43 of the upper terminal 40. The vertical dimension of the intermediate deformation portion 53 of the lower terminal 50 is smaller than the vertical dimension of the intermediate deformation portion 43 of the upper terminal 40.

[0124] The front-to-back extension portion (front extension portion 431) at the starting end of the intermediate deformation portion 43 of the upper terminal 40 is shorter than the front-to-back extension portion (rear extension portion 531) at the starting end of the intermediate deformation portion 53 of the lower terminal 50. The front-to-back extension portion (forward extension portion 439) at the end of the intermediate deformation portion 43 of the upper terminal 40 is longer than the front-to-back extension portion (forward extension portion 535) at the end of the intermediate deformation portion 53 of the lower terminal 50.

[0125] The positions of the multiple upper terminals 40 in the width direction differ from the positions of the multiple lower terminals 50. In the width direction (terminal arrangement direction), the upper terminals 40 and lower terminals 50 are arranged alternately.

[0126] (Additional member 90) The additional member 90 is formed separately from the terminals 40 and 50 and is a member held in the movable housing 30.

[0127] As shown in Figure 11, the additional member 90 has a front end portion 90a that constitutes the front end of the additional member 90, a general portion 90b, and a rear end portion 90c that constitutes the rear end of the additional member 90. The front end portion 90a is formed such that its width decreases as it moves forward. The general section 90b has a constant width regardless of its position in the front-to-back direction, except for the portion where the press-fit protrusions 92 and 93 described later are formed. The rear end portion 90c has a constant width regardless of its position in the front-to-back direction, and its plate width is smaller than that of the general portion 90b.

[0128] The additional member 90 is formed by punching or other processes on a sheet material, and is not bent. The additional member 90 is made of, for example, stainless steel and is not plated.

[0129] The additional member 90 has a bulging portion 91 that protrudes downwards due to bead processing. The bulge portion 91 is formed in a position that faces the contact portions 45 and 55 of the terminals 40 and 50 in the vertical direction. The bulge portion 91 contacts the relay terminals 60 and 70 of the relay connector 11. The bulge portion 91 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction and faces both the first contact portions 45a1 and 55a1 and the second contact portions 45b1 and 55b1 in the vertical direction. The front end of the bulge portion 91 is located at the front end portion 90a of the add-on member 90. The rear end of the bulge portion 91 is located at the general portion 90b of the add-on member 90, specifically in front of the center position of the general portion 90a in the front-rear direction. The bulging portion 91 corresponds to the "additional contact portion" and the "other-side contact portion" in this disclosure.

[0130] The additional member 90 has a plurality of press-fit protrusions 92, 93. The multiple press-fit protrusions 92, 93 consist of a pair of front press-fit protrusions 92 and a pair of rear press-fit protrusions 93. The front-to-rear positions where the pair of front press-fit protrusions 92 are formed overlap with the area where the bulge portion 91 is formed. The front-to-rear positions where the pair of rear press-fit protrusions 93 are formed do not overlap with the area where the bulge portion 91 is formed, and correspond to the rear end of the general portion 90b of the additional member 90. The additional member 90 is press-fitted into the additional member press-fitting groove 312b (see Figure 19) formed in the upper part of the arrangement space 312 of the movable housing 30.

[0131] A portion of the front end 90a on the tip side is a tip-side inclined portion 90a1. In the inclined tip section 90a1, the plate thickness decreases as it moves forward. As a result, the lower surface of the inclined tip section 90a1 is inclined upward as it moves forward.

[0132] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an additional member 90A of a different type from the additional member 90 shown in Figure 11. The additional member 90A has almost the same configuration as the additional member 90, but differs in that the amount of bulging of the bulging portion 91A is larger than that of the bulging portion 91 of the additional member 90. The additional member 90A can also be press-fitted into the additional member press-fitting groove 312b of the movable housing 30 (see Figure 19) in place of the additional member 90. In this embodiment, the bulge portion 91 is formed by bead processing (i.e., processing to create a recess in the thickness direction of the plate), so the amount of bulge (protrusion amount / recess amount) of the bulge portion 91 can be easily changed, making it easy to develop variations.

[0133] (Fixed housing 20) Figures 13 and 14 show the fixed housing. The fixed housing 20 is a housing that is fixed to the substrate 14, which is the "object to be mounted". The fixed housing 20 is fixed to the substrate 14 via a plurality of terminals 40, 50 and a plurality of fasteners 101.

[0134] The fixed housing 20 is formed of an insulator such as synthetic resin.

[0135] The fixed housing 20 has lower frames 21, 22, and 23. The lower frames 21, 22, and 23 each have a front frame portion 21, a rear frame portion 22, and a pair of side frame portions 23. The front frame portion 21 and the rear frame portion 22 extend in the width direction, and the pair of side frame portions 23 extend in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the lower frames 21, 22, and 23 are rectangular in shape when viewed from above.

[0136] The front frame portion 21 functions as a lower terminal holding portion 21 that holds a part of the lower terminal 50 (the fixed-side held portion 52) (see Figure 7). The front frame portion 21 has a press-fit groove 28 into which the fixed-side held portion 52 of the lower terminal 50 is press-fitted. Therefore, the front frame portion 21 is fixed to the substrate 14 via the lower terminal 50. The cross-sectional shape of the front frame portion 21 perpendicular to the width direction is rectangular. The upper surface of the front frame portion 21 is a plane with the upward direction as the normal direction. The press-fit groove 28 is a groove that is open only on the lower and rear sides of the front frame portion 21.

[0137] The rear frame portion 22 functions as an upper terminal holding portion 22 that holds a part of the upper terminal 40 (the fixed-side held portion 42) (see Figure 8). The rear frame portion 22 has a press-fit groove 28 into which the fixed-side held portion 42 of the upper terminal 40 is press-fitted. Therefore, the rear frame portion 22 is fixed to the substrate 14 via the upper terminal 40. The structure of the press-fit groove 28 of the rear frame portion 22 is almost the same as that of the press-fit groove 28 of the front frame portion 21, and will be described in detail later.

[0138] The pair of side frame sections 23 have a symmetrical structure. The side frame sections 23 have grooves 231 and 232 for press-fitting the fasteners 101 into which the fasteners 101 are press-fitted. The fasteners 101 are press-fitted into the fastener press-fitting grooves 231 and 232 from above. Therefore, the side frame sections 23 are fixed to the substrate 14 via the fasteners 101. The fixing grooves 231 and 232 have a front fixing groove 231 and a rear fixing groove 232. When the side frame portion 23 is divided into a front portion, a rear portion, and an intermediate portion between them, the front fixing groove 231 is formed in the front portion of the side frame portion 23, and the rear fixing groove 232 is formed in the rear portion of the side frame portion 23.

[0139] As described above, the lower frames 21, 22, and 23 are fixed to the substrate 14 in all four directions, including the front frame 21, the rear frame 22, and the pair of side frame 23.

[0140] The front frame portion 21 has a pair of outer recesses 211 formed on the widthwise outer side of the portion where multiple press-fit grooves 28 are formed (see Figure 14). The outer recesses 211 are recesses that are open downwards and backwards. The rear frame portion 22 has a pair of outer recesses 221 formed on the widthwise outer side of the portion where multiple press-fit grooves 28 are formed. The outer recesses 221 are recesses that are open downwards and forwards.

[0141] The space enclosed by the lower frames 21, 22, and 23 is a space (passage space 29) through which the movable housing 30 can pass in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 14, the side frame portion 23 has a recessed area 233 that is recessed outward in the width direction so that the protruding portion 32 of the movable housing 30 can pass through in the vertical direction. The front-to-rear dimensions of the recessed area 233 are greater than the distance between the front regulating wall 271 and the rear regulating wall 272. Specifically, in terms of position in the front-to-rear direction, the rear end of the recessed area 233 coincides with the front surface of the rear regulating wall 272, but the front end of the recessed area 233 is located in front of the rear surface of the front regulating wall 271.

[0142] The fixed housing 20 has a pair of rear side walls 24. The pair of rear side walls 24 have a symmetrical structure. The rear side walls 24 extend upward from the rear of the side frame portion 23. The rear side walls 24 are not formed in a position corresponding to the front of the side frame portion 23. The rear side walls 24 constitute the outer walls in the width direction of the space in which the movable housing 30 is arranged.

[0143] The fixed housing 20 has a pair of restricting portions 27. The pair of restricting sections 27 have a symmetrical structure. The restricting sections 27 are formed on the upper side of the intermediate portion of the side frame section 23. The restricting section 27 has a front restricting wall 271 and a rear restricting wall 272. The front restricting wall 271 and the rear restricting wall 272 face each other in the front-rear direction. The protruding portion 32 of the movable housing 30 (see Figure 17) is positioned between the front restricting wall 271 and the rear restricting wall 272, thereby restricting the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the front-rear direction. That is, the front restricting wall 271 limits the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the front direction, and the rear restricting wall 272 limits the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the rear direction.

[0144] Specifically, the shape of the front restricting wall 271 is a rectangular prism, and more specifically, it is a rectangular prism whose front-to-back dimensions are smaller than its top-to-bottom dimensions and width dimensions. The outer surface of the front restrictor wall 271 in the width direction is flush with the outer surface of the side frame portion 23 in the width direction. Also, the outer surface of the front restrictor wall 271 in the width direction is located further outward in the width direction than the outer surface of the rear side wall 24 in the width direction. The top surface of the front restrictor wall 271 is flush with the top surface of the top wall 25. The front surface of the front restrictor wall 271 is flush with the front surface of the top wall 25.

[0145] Specifically, the shape of the rear restricting wall 272 is a rectangular prism, and more specifically, it is a rectangular prism whose front-to-back dimensions are smaller than its top-to-bottom dimensions and width dimensions. The outer surface of the rear regulating wall 272 in the width direction is flush with the outer surface of the side frame portion 23 in the width direction. Also, the outer surface of the rear regulating wall 272 in the width direction is located further outward in the width direction than the outer surface of the rear side wall 24 in the width direction. The upper surface of the rear regulating wall 272 is flush with the upper surface of the top wall 25. The inner end of the rear regulating wall 272 in the width direction connects to the front end of the rear side wall 24.

[0146] The fixed housing 20 has a top wall 25. The top wall 25 constitutes the upper wall of the space in which the movable housing 30 is located. The top wall 25 connects the upper ends of the pair of restricting sections 27 and the pair of rear side walls 24 in the width direction. The top wall 25 abuts against the movable housing 30 when the movable housing 30 is displaced upward. In other words, the top wall 25 functions as a part that limits the upward movement range of the movable housing 30 (upward limiting section).

[0147] If we consider the fixed housing 20 to be composed of three parts: a front part, a rear part, and an intermediate part in between, then a top wall 25 is formed in the intermediate and rear parts of the fixed housing 20, while a top wall 25 is not formed in the front part of the fixed housing 20.

[0148] The fixed housing 20 has a rear wall 26. The rear wall 26 extends upward from the rear frame 22 and connects the rear ends of the rear side walls 24 in the width direction. The upper end of the rear wall 26 connects to the rear end of the top wall 25. The front surface of the rear wall 26 is flush with the front surface of the rear frame 22, and the rear surface of the rear wall 26 is flush with the rear surface of the rear frame 22.

[0149] The rear wall 26 has multiple (five) rear wall recesses 261 that are recessed in front of the rear surface of the rear wall 26. The rear wall recesses 261 are recesses that are open in the rearward and upward directions. The multiple rear wall recesses 261 are formed side by side in the width direction. The lower end of the rear wall recesses 261 is located above the upper end of the lower frame bodies 21, 22, and 23 (specifically, the upper surface of the side frame portion 23).

[0150] (Specific shape of the second press-fit section 422 and the press-fit groove 28 of the fixed housing 20) Next, the structure of the fixed-side holding portions 42 and 52 of the terminals 40 and 50 and the press-fit groove 28 of the fixed housing 20 will be described in detail.

[0151] Figure 15 is an enlarged perspective view showing the press-fit groove 28 formed in the front frame portion 21 of the fixed housing 20 and the fixed-side holding portion 52 of the lower terminal 50. The press-fit groove 28 of the front frame portion 21 and the press-fit groove 28 of the rear frame portion 22 have almost the same structure. Hereafter, when not specifically distinguishing between them, they will simply be referred to as the press-fit groove 28.

[0152] The press-fit groove 28 is a groove that is open inward in the downward and front-rear directions, and the fixed-side retained portions 42 and 52 are configured to be press-fitted from below. The press-fit groove 28 has a first groove 281 into which the first press-fit portions 421 and 521 are press-fitted, and a second groove 282 into which the second press-fit portions 422 and 522 are press-fitted.

[0153] The second groove 282 has a wide portion 282a that forms its lower part and a narrow portion 282b that forms its upper part. The width dimension of the wide portion 282a is greater than the maximum plate width of the second press-fit portions 422, 522, and the width dimension of the narrow portion 282b is smaller than the maximum plate width of the second press-fit portions 422, 522. As a result, the second press-fit portions 422, 522 do not bite into the fixed housing 20 at the wide portion 282a, but bite into the fixed housing 20 at the narrow portion 282b. In this way, the second press-fit portions 422, 522 are held in the narrow portion 282b of the second groove 282. Since the lower part of the second groove 282 is a widened portion 282a, the timing at which the first press-fit portions 421 and 521 are pressed into the first groove 281 and the timing at which the second press-fit portions 422 and 522 are pressed into the second groove 282 are made to be as close as possible to each other.

[0154] A boundary portion 283 is formed between the first groove 281 and the second groove 282. The groove width of the boundary section 283 is smaller than the groove width of the other parts of the press-fit groove 28. The groove width of the boundary section 283 is constant throughout the vertical direction.

[0155] Figure 16 is an enlarged view of the second press-fit portion 522 of the lower terminal 50. The second press-fit portion 522 of the lower terminal 50 is formed with a wider plate width than the adjacent portion. The arrow in Figure 16 indicates the position in the second press-fit section 522 where the plate width is at its maximum (maximum plate width position). The rate of change in plate width on the first press-fit section 521 side relative to the maximum plate width position of the second press-fit section 522 is greater than the rate of change in plate width on the displacement sections 54 and 55 side. The rate of change in plate width refers to the amount of change in plate width with respect to the distance approaching the first press-fit section 521 side or the displacement sections 54 and 55 side. A concave edge 522a that is convex inward in the width direction is formed at the boundary between the second press-fit section 522 and the intermediate deformation section 53. The concave edge 522a is formed in a smooth curved shape. The configuration of the second press-fit portion 522 of the lower terminal 50 described here also applies to the second press-fit portion 422 of the upper terminal 40. Therefore, the explanation of the configuration of the second press-fit portion 422 is omitted.

[0156] (fixture 101) The fixing device 101 is a component for fixing the fixing housing 20 to the substrate 14. The fastener 101 is made of, for example, metal. As shown in Figure 3, the four fasteners 101 have the same structure as each other. The fastener 101 has a retained portion 101a that is held in the fixed housing 20 and a connecting portion 101b that is fixed to the substrate 14. The retained portion 101a is press-fitted into the fixed housing 20 with the downward direction being the press-fit direction. The thickness direction of the retained portion 101a is the width direction. The thickness direction of the connecting portion 101b is the vertical direction. A curved portion is formed between the retained portion 101a and the connecting portion 101b.

[0157] (Movable housing 30) The movable housing 30 is formed of an insulator such as synthetic resin.

[0158] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the movable housing 30 has a main body portion 31. The upper surface 31a of the main body 31 is a plane whose normal direction is upward. The lower surface 31b of the main body 31 is a plane whose normal direction is downward. The pair of side surfaces 31c of the main body 31 are planes whose normal direction is the outer side in the width direction. When the movable housing 30 moves in the width direction, the pair of side surfaces 31c come into contact with a part of the fixed housing 20 (specifically, the front restricting wall 271). This limits the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the width direction.

[0159] Furthermore, the main body portion 31 has an upper curved surface 31d connecting the upper surface 31a and the side surface 31c, and a lower curved surface 31e connecting the lower surface 31b and the side surface 31c.

[0160] An upper recess 311 is formed in the main body portion 31. The upper recess 311 is a recess that is recessed on the lower side relative to the upper surface 31a of the main body portion 31. No recess corresponding to the upper recess 311 is formed on the lower surface 31b side of the main body portion 31.

[0161] The main body 31 holds multiple terminals 40, 50 and an additional member 90. Specifically, the main body 31 has a plurality of arrangement spaces 312A, 312B that are open to the rear. Parts of the terminals 40, 50 and the additional member 90 are press-fitted into the arrangement spaces 312A, 312B from the rear.

[0162] The multiple arrangement spaces 312A and 312B comprise multiple upper arrangement spaces 312A and multiple lower arrangement spaces 312B arranged in the width direction. The displacement parts 44 and 45 of the upper terminal 40 are arranged in the upper arrangement space 312A, and the displacement parts 54 and 55 of the lower terminal 50 are arranged in the lower arrangement space 312B. Since the multiple arrangement spaces 312A and 312B have the same structure, they are simply referred to as arrangement space 312 unless otherwise specified.

[0163] As shown in Figure 19, the arrangement space 312 is open to the front through the insertion opening 313. When the relay terminals 60 and 70 of the relay connector 11 are inserted into the insertion opening 313, they come into contact with terminals 40 and 50 inside the arrangement space 312. As shown in Figure 17, a guide surface 314 is formed on the front side of the insertion opening 313 to guide the relay terminals 60 and 70 of the relay connector 11 toward the insertion opening 313.

[0164] As shown in Figure 19, the arrangement space 312 is a space with a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. Near the lower end of the arrangement space 312, a terminal press-fit groove 312a is formed into which the movable side holding portions 44 and 54 of the terminals 40 and 50 are press-fitted. Near the upper end of the arrangement space 312, an additional member press-fitting groove 312b is formed into which the press-fitting protrusions 92 and 93 of the additional member 90 are press-fitted.

[0165] A pair of positioning holes 315 are formed in the main body portion 31. The pair of positioning holes 315 are holes into which the pair of positioning protrusions 86 (see Figure 20) of the relay connector 11 are inserted, and they serve to position the internal connector 10 and the relay connector 11 when they are connected. The pair of positioning holes 315 have a symmetrical structure. The positioning holes 315 are located outward in the width direction relative to the positions where the multiple arrangement spaces 312 are formed. The positioning holes 315 penetrate the main body 31 in the front-to-back direction.

[0166] The movable housing 30 has a pair of protruding portions 32. The pair of protruding portions 32 are located on the outside in the width direction of the main body portion 31. The protruding portions 32 are positioned between the front restricting wall 271 and the rear restricting wall 272 of the restricting portion 27 of the fixed housing 20. This limits the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0167] The protruding portion 32 is plate-shaped with the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction. Regarding its position in the vertical direction, the lower end of the protruding portion 32 coincides with the lower surface 31b of the main body portion 31, and the upper end of the protruding portion 32 coincides with the upper surface 31a of the main body portion 31.

[0168] As shown in Figure 18, the rear surface 32a of the protruding portion 32 is flush with the rear surface 31f of the main body portion 31. The protruding portion 32 has a rearward bulge portion 321 that bulges outwards from the rear surface 32a of the protruding portion 32. As a result, the rear end of the protruding portion 32 is located behind the rear surface 31f of the main body portion 31. The rearward bulge portion 321 is formed at positions corresponding to the upper end, lower end, and outer end in the width direction of the protruding portion 32.

[0169] (Assembly process) In the assembly process of the internal connector 10, the terminals 40, 50 and the additional members 90 are press-fitted into the movable housing 30 before the terminals 40, 50 are press-fitted into the fixed housing 20 (see Figure 4). Then, the movable housing 30 with the terminals 40, 50 and additional members 90 press-fitted is assembled to the fixed housing 20 from below, and the terminals 40, 50 are press-fitted into the fixed housing 20. At this time, the movable housing 30 passes through the passage space 29 of the fixed housing 20 in the vertical direction (see Figure 5).

[0170] (Relay connector 11) Next, we will describe the relay connector 11.

[0171] The relay connector 11 comprises a plurality of relay terminals 60A, 60B, 70A, 70B (see Figure 22) and a relay housing 80.

[0172] (Multiple relay terminals 60A, 60B, 70A, 70B) Multiple relay terminals 60A, 60B, 70A, and 70B electrically connect terminals 40 and 50 of the internal connector 10 (hereinafter referred to as internal terminals 40 and 50) to externally connected objects (not shown) outside the case 13. In the following explanation, the front side, which is the direction of the externally connected object in the front-to-back direction, will be referred to as the "external side," and the rear side, which is the direction of the internal connector 10 in the front-to-back direction, will be referred to as the "internal side."

[0173] As shown in Figure 22, the multiple relay terminals 60A, 60B, 70A, and 70B comprise multiple first relay terminals 60A, multiple second relay terminals 70A, multiple third relay terminals 60B, and multiple fourth relay terminals 70B.

[0174] Multiple first relay terminals 60A have the same structure, multiple second relay terminals 70A have the same structure, multiple third relay terminals 60B have the same structure, and multiple fourth relay terminals 70B have the same structure.

[0175] The first relay terminal 60A and the third relay terminal 60B have the same structure. However, the third relay terminal 60B is positioned differently from the first relay terminal 60A, being rotated 180 degrees around the front-to-back axis relative to the orientation of the first relay terminal 60A. The second relay terminal 70A and the fourth relay terminal 70B have the same structure. However, the fourth relay terminal 70B is positioned differently from the second relay terminal 70A, being rotated 180 degrees around the front-to-back axis relative to the position of the second relay terminal 70A. The first relay terminal 60A and the third relay terminal 60B have different structures from the second relay terminal 70A and the fourth relay terminal 70B. As a result, for multiple relay terminals 60A, 60B, 70A, and 70B, two types of terminals with different structures are used.

[0176] (Structure of relay terminals 60 and 70) The relay terminals with the structure of the first relay terminal 60A and the third relay terminal 60B are called first-structure relay terminals 60, and the relay terminals with the structure of the second relay terminal 70A and the fourth relay terminal 70B are called second-structure relay terminals 70.

[0177] As shown in Figures 27 and 28, both the first structural relay terminal 60 and the second structural relay terminal 70 have internal contact portions 61 and 71 that contact the internal terminals 40 and 50, and external contact portions 62 and 72 that contact the external object to be connected.

[0178] In the first structural relay terminal 60, the internal contact portion 61 and the external contact portion 62 are formed at different positions in the vertical direction. The first structural relay terminal 60 has a crank portion 66 formed between the internal contact portion 61 and the external contact portion 62. The crank portion 66 has an external curved portion 66a, an upper and lower extension portion 66b, and an internal curved portion 66c. The width of the crank portion 66 is smaller than that of the adjacent portion. Therefore, it is easy to form the crank portion 66 having curved portions (external curved portion 66a, internal curved portion 66c).

[0179] In the second structural relay terminal 70, the internal contact portion 71 and the external contact portion 72 are formed at the same position in the vertical direction. The second structural relay terminal 70 does not have a crank portion. The second structural relay terminal 70 is easy to manufacture because it does not have a curved portion.

[0180] In the first structural relay terminal 60 and the second structural relay terminal 70, the internal contact portions 61, 71 and the external contact portions 62, 72 are formed at different positions in the width direction. Specifically, the internal contact portions 61, 71 and the external contact portions 62, 72 are offset by a distance D in the width direction. When referring to the widthwise positions of the internal contact parts 61, 71 and the external contact parts 62, 72, etc., the central axis of the internal contact parts 61, 71, etc. shall be used as the reference.

[0181] The first structural relay terminal 60 and the second structural relay terminal 70 each have a first widening portion 63a, 73a and a second widening portion 63b, 73b. The first widened sections 63a and 73a are wider than the adjacent sections and are rectangular in shape. Through holes 63a1 and 73a1 are formed in the first widened sections 63a and 73a, penetrating in the vertical direction, which is the thickness direction of the plate. The through holes 63a1 and 73a1 are circular in shape. The resin that constitutes the intermediate housing 80 is filled into the through holes 63a1. The second widening sections 63b and 73b have a wider board dimension than the adjacent sections and are rectangular in shape. The second widening sections 63b and 73b are located further out than the first widening sections 63a and 73a. In the first structural relay terminal 60, the first widening section 63a and the second widening section 63b are located on the outer side of the crank section 66.

[0182] Of the first structural relay terminal 60, the parts located inside the first widening section 63a are called internal side sections 66, 65, and 61, and the parts located outside the first widening section 63a are called external side sections 64, 63b, and 62. Of the second structural relay terminal 70, the portion inside the first widened portion 73a is called the internal portion 75, 71, and the portion outside the first widened portion 73a is called the external portion 74, 73b, 72.

[0183] The internal side portions 66, 65, and 61 of the first structural relay terminal 60 have a crank portion 66, a wide base portion 65, and a narrow tip portion 61. The narrow tip portion 61 is the internal contact portion 61. The wide base portion 65 has a first wide base portion 65a and a second wide base portion 65b. With respect to its position in the width direction, the crank portion 66 coincides with the first widening portion 63a and the outer side portions 64, 63b, and 62. With respect to the width dimension, the first base-side wide portion 65a is larger than the second base-side wide portion 65b and the tip-side narrow portion 61, and the second base-side wide portion 65b is larger than the tip-side narrow portion 61. The wide base portion 65 and the narrow tip portion 61 have their ends on one side in the width direction (upper side in Figure 27) coincide in the width direction, while their ends on the other side in the width direction are at different positions in the width direction. As a result, the first base-side wide portion 65a, the second base-side wide portion 65b, and the tip-side narrow portion 61 are different from each other in terms of their positions in the width direction. The tip-side narrow portion 61 is located to one side in the width direction more than the first base-side wide portion 65a and the second base-side wide portion 65b, and the second base-side wide portion 65b is located to one side in the width direction more than the first base-side wide portion 65a. Near the inner end of the wide base portion 65, an inclined plate edge 651 is formed at the other end in the width direction, which slopes inward in the width direction toward the inner (rear) side. Of the internal side portions 66, 65, and 61, only a portion of the narrow tip portion 61 is exposed from the relay housing 80.

[0184] In Figures 27 and 28, the two dashed lines extending vertically indicate the boundary between the portion embedded within the relay housing 80 and the exposed portion. The portion between the two dashed lines is the portion embedded in the relay housing 80, while the remaining portion is the exposed portion.

[0185] The internal side portions 75 and 71 of the second structural relay terminal 70 have a base-end wide portion 75 and a tip-end narrow portion 71. The tip-end narrow portion 71 is the internal contact portion 71. Regarding the width dimension, the widened portion 75 at the base end is larger than the narrowed portion 71 at the tip end. The base end wide portion 75 and the tip end narrow portion 71 have the same position at one end in the width direction (upper side in Figure 28), while the positions at the other end in the width direction are different. The base-side widened portion 75 is located to one side in the width direction relative to the first widened portion 73a and the outer side portions 74, 73b, and 72. Near the inner end of the wide base portion 75, an inclined plate edge 751 is formed on the other end in the width direction, which slopes inward in the width direction toward the interior. Of the internal side portions 75 and 71 of the second structural relay terminal 70, only a portion of the narrow tip portion 71 is exposed from the relay housing 80.

[0186] The external sides 64, 63b, and 62 of the first structural relay terminal 60 have a base end side 64, a second widened side 63b, and a tip side 62. The tip side 62 is the external contact side 62. With respect to their positions in the width direction, the base side portion 64, the second widening portion 63b, and the tip side portion 62 coincide with each other. Also, with respect to their positions in the width direction, the outer side portions 64, 63b, and 62 coincide with the first widening portion 63a. Regarding the width dimension, the second widening portion 63b is larger than the base end portion 64 and the tip end portion 62, and the tip end portion 62 is slightly larger than the base end portion 64.

[0187] The external sides 74, 73b, and 72 of the second structural relay terminal 70 have a base end side 74, a second widening portion 73b, and a tip side 72. The tip side 72 is the external contact portion 72. With respect to their positions in the width direction, the base side portion 74, the second widening portion 73b, and the tip side portion 72 coincide with each other. Also, with respect to their positions in the width direction, the outer side portions 74, 73b, and 72 coincide with the first widening portion 73a. With respect to the width dimension, the second widening portion 73b is larger than the base end portion 74 and the tip end portion 72, and the tip end portion 72 is slightly larger than the base end portion 74.

[0188] The base end portion 64 of the first structural relay terminal 60 is slightly longer than the base end portion 74 of the second structural relay terminal 70. Therefore, the first widened portion 63a of the first structural relay terminal 60 is located slightly further inward (towards the rear) than the first widened portion 73a of the second structural relay terminal 70.

[0189] (Regarding the placement of relay terminals 60 and 70)

[0190] As shown in Figure 24, the first internal contact portion 61A and the second internal contact portion 71A are positioned at the same location in the vertical direction. The third internal contact portion 61B and the fourth internal contact portion 71B are positioned at the same location in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 23, the first external contact portion 62A, the second external contact portion 72A, the third external contact portion 62B, and the fourth external contact portion 72B are positioned at different locations in the vertical direction.

[0191] Multiple first external contact portions 62A are arranged in the width direction at predetermined intervals 8D. Multiple second external contact portions 72A are also arranged in the width direction at predetermined intervals 8D. Multiple third external contact portions 62B are also arranged in the width direction at predetermined intervals 8D. Multiple fourth external contact portions 72B are also arranged in the width direction at predetermined intervals 8D.

[0192] With respect to their positions in the width direction, the multiple first external contact portions 62A and the multiple fourth external contact portions 72B coincide. Regarding the arrangement in the width direction, the multiple second external contact portions 72A and the multiple third external contact portions 62B coincide.

[0193] As shown in Figures 27 and 28, in both the first structural relay terminal 60 and the second structural relay terminal 70, the external contact portions 62, 72 and the internal contact portions 61, 71 are formed with a widthwise position offset by a distance D. Furthermore, the first relay terminal 60A and the fourth relay terminal 70B are positioned in opposite orientations (upside-down orientations) where the directions of the offsets are opposite to each other. Therefore, for the first relay terminal 60A and the fourth relay terminal 70B, where the widthwise positions of the first external contact portion 62A and the fourth external contact portion 72B coincide, the first internal contact portion 61A and the fourth internal contact portion 71B are offset by a widthwise position offset by a distance 2D. The same relationship also holds for the second relay terminal 70A and the third relay terminal 60B. As a result, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, the multiple first external contact portions 62A, the multiple fourth external contact portions 72B, the multiple second external contact portions 72A, and the multiple third external contact portions 62B do not coincide with each other in terms of their positions in the width direction.

[0194] (Relay housing 80) The intermediate housing 80 is formed from an insulator such as synthetic resin. Specifically, the intermediate housing 80 is manufactured by insert molding, with multiple intermediate terminals 60A, 60B, 70A, and 70B as insert parts.

[0195] The relay housing 80 has a fitting portion 81 that fits into an external object to be connected. The mating portion 81 is formed in a cylindrical shape. When viewed from the front, the cylindrical mating portion 81 is approximately rectangular. Inside the cylindrical mating portion 81, the external contact portions 62 and 72 of the multiple relay terminals 60 and 70 are arranged.

[0196] The intermediate housing 80 has a flange portion 82. The flange portion 82 is located on the outside of the case 13 and is positioned around the opening 13a of the case 13. Bolt insertion holes 82a are formed in the flange portion 82. Two bolt insertion holes 82a are formed. The two bolt insertion holes 82a are located on one side in the width direction and the other side in the width direction relative to the fitting portion 81. The vertical positions of the two bolt insertion holes 82a coincide with the vertical center position of the fitting portion 81.

[0197] The relay housing 80 has an opening arrangement portion 83 that is positioned within the opening 13a of the case 13. The opening arrangement portion 83 has a shape substantially similar to the opening 13a. A sealing member 12a is attached to the circumferential surface of the opening arrangement portion 83.

[0198] The relay housing 80 has a base portion 84. The base portion 84 is the part that protrudes inward from the opening arrangement portion 83. The base portion 84 is roughly rectangular when viewed from the front or back. The width and height dimensions of the base portion 84 are smaller than the width and height dimensions of the opening arrangement portion 83.

[0199] The relay housing 80 has a terminal protrusion 85. The terminal projection 85 is a portion that protrudes inward from the base portion 84. The terminal projection 85 is roughly rectangular when viewed from the front or back. The width and height dimensions of the terminal projection 85 are smaller than those of the base portion 84. Multiple relay terminals 60A, 60B, 70A, and 70B protrude inward from the rear surface of the terminal projection 85.

[0200] The relay housing 80 has two positioning protrusions 86. Each of the two positioning protrusions 86 protrudes inward from the base portion 84. When connecting the connectors, the tips of the positioning protrusions 86 reach the positioning holes 315 of the movable housing 30 before the relay terminals 60 and 70 reach the insertion opening 313 of the internal connector 10. The two positioning protrusions 86 are located on the outside in the width direction of the terminal projection 85. The bases of the two positioning protrusions 86 are integrated with the terminal projection 85. The outer surface 86a2 in the width direction of the positioning projection 86 is flush with the outer surface 84 in the width direction. The vertical dimension of the positioning projection 86 is such that it can conceal the internal contact portions 61 and 71 of the multiple relay terminals 60 and 70 in a side view. The vertical dimension of the positioning projection 86 is smaller than the vertical dimension of the terminal protrusion 85. The positioning projection 86 has a general portion 86a and a tip portion 86b. The general portion 86a has a constant cross-sectional shape regardless of the direction of extension (front-rear direction) of the positioning projection 86. The tip portion 86b does not have a constant cross-sectional shape along the direction of extension (front-rear direction) of the positioning projection 86, and the cross-section gradually becomes smaller toward the tip side (inner side). This makes it easier to insert the positioning projection 86 into the positioning hole 315. Even if the relay connector 11 and the internal connector 10 are misaligned in the YZ direction during insertion, the positioning projection 86 can be brought into contact with the positioning hole 315 of the movable housing 30, thereby displacing the movable housing 30. The general portion 86a of the positioning projection 86 has an inner surface 86a1 in the width direction, an outer surface 86a2 in the width direction, and a pair of upper and lower curved surfaces 86a3. The inner surface 86a1 in the width direction has a larger vertical dimension than the outer surface 86a2 in the width direction. The tip of the positioning projection 86 is located further inward (towards the rear) than the tips of the relay terminals 60 and 70 (the tips of the internal contact portions 61 and 71). As a result, the internal contact portions 61 and 71 of the relay terminals 60 and 70 are hidden and properly protected by the positioning projection 86 when viewed from the side, and in an embodiment in which the positioning hole 315 and the insertion opening 313 are formed at the same position in the front-rear direction, collisions between the tips of the relay terminals 60 and 70 and the movable housing 30 can be properly prevented. Even if the positioning projection 86 is omitted, the tips of the relay terminals 60 and 70 can be brought into contact with the guide surface 314 of the movable housing 30, thereby displacing the movable housing 30.

[0201] The relay housing 80 has a downward contact projection 87. The downward contact projection 87 is the part that contacts the front frame portion 21 (displacement restricting portion 21) of the internal connector 10 when the intermediate connector 11 is displaced downward while in the mated state or in the process of mating. Multiple (2) downward contact protrusions 87 are provided. The multiple downward contact protrusions 87 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the widthwise center of the relay connector 11. The downward contact projection 87 protrudes downward from the lower surface (opposite lower surface) of the terminal projection 85. The downward contact projection 87 has an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction. The front end of the downward contact projection 87 is connected to the base portion 84. The rear end of the downward contact projection 87 is aligned with the rear surface of the terminal projection 85 in the front-to-back direction.

[0202] <Effects and Effects> (First point of view) Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be described from a first perspective.

[0203] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, in this embodiment, the internal connector 10 comprises terminals 40 and 50 and a movable housing 30 that is displaceable relative to the object to be attached 14. The terminals 40 and 50 have displaceable parts 44, 45, 54, and 55 that displace together with the movable housing 30. The displaceable parts 44, 45, 54, and 55 have one-sided contact parts 45 and 55 that contact the object to be connected 11 (specifically, the relay terminals 60 and 70, see Figures 30 to 33) from one side (the lower side in this embodiment). Furthermore, the internal connector 10 is formed separately from the terminals 40 and 50 and includes an additional member 90 held by the movable housing 30. The additional member 90 has a other-side contact portion 91 that contacts the object to be connected 11 from the other side (the upper side in this embodiment). As a result, the movable housing 30 is not directly pressed against the object to be connected 11, and the creep phenomenon of the movable housing 30 is suppressed. Furthermore, since the additional member 90 is formed separately from the terminals 40 and 50, there is no need for a connecting part to integrally connect the one-sided contact portion 45 and 55 with the other-sided contact portion 91, and the movable parts of the internal connector 10 (movable housing 30 and displacement parts 44, 45, 54, 55, etc.) can be made lighter accordingly. Based on the above, according to this embodiment, in a floating connector, creep phenomenon of the movable housing 30 can be suppressed and the resonant frequency of the connector can be increased.

[0204] Also, in the present embodiment, the additional member 90 does not have a portion that connects to the object to be attached 14 and a portion between that portion and the other-side contact portion 91. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide such a portion and the portion between that portion and the other-side contact portion 91 in the additional member 90, the internal connector 10 can be miniaturized as compared with an aspect in which the additional member 90 has these portions.

[0205] Also, in the present embodiment, since the additional member 90 does not have a structure for electrically connecting to the terminals 40 and 50, the internal connector 10 can be miniaturized or lightened as compared with a connector having such a structure.

[0206] Also, in the present embodiment, the additional member 90 is preferably made of a material having a specific gravity lighter than that of the terminals 40 and 50. In this case, the movable portion in the internal connector 10 can be lightened.

[0207] Also, in the present embodiment, the additional member 90 is preferably made of stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy, or a nickel alloy. In this case, even if sufficient plating treatment is not performed on the additional member 90 or no plating treatment is performed at all, the surface of the additional member 90 is protected by a passive film and is less likely to corrode. Therefore, the internal connector 10 can be manufactured at a low cost.

[0208] By the way, it is also conceivable to form the movable housing 30 from two or more members formed separately from each other, and to separate the member that holds the additional member 90 and the member that holds the displacement portions 44, 45, 54, and 55 of the terminals 40 and 50. However, with such a configuration, the structure of the movable housing 30 becomes complicated. In the present embodiment, since the portion of the movable housing 30 that holds the additional member 90 and the portion that holds the displacement portions 44, 45, 54, and 55 are integrally formed, the structure of the movable housing 30 can be simplified.

[0209] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the one-sided contact portions 45, 55 have first contact pieces 45a, 55a that contact the object to be connected 11, and second contact pieces 45b, 55b that contact the object to be connected 11 further in the connection direction than the first contact pieces 45a, 55a. Therefore, foreign matter adhering to the object to be connected 11 is removed by the first contact pieces 45a, 55a, and the portion of the object to be connected 11 from which the foreign matter has been removed can be brought into contact with the second contact pieces 45b, 55b. Furthermore, the device is configured such that the displacement of the contact points (first contact portions 45a1, 55a1) of the first contact pieces 45a, 55a when the object to be connected 11 is connected (displacement in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction) is greater than the displacement of the contact points (second contact portions 45b1, 55b1) of the second contact pieces 45b, 55b. As a result, the contact pressure of the first contact pieces 45a, 55a against the object to be connected 11 is increased, improving the function of scraping off foreign matter (so-called wiping function). However, with the above configuration, when viewed from the front side in the connection direction, the contacts of the second contact pieces 45b and 55b are covered by the first contact pieces 45a and 55a, which makes it difficult to inspect the height of the contacts of the second contact pieces 45b and 55b. Therefore, in this embodiment, when viewing the terminals 40, 50 individually (or the terminals 40, 50 held in the movable housing 30) from the rear side in the connection direction, the height of the contacts of the second contact pieces 45b, 55b can be inspected. In this embodiment, when the internal connector 10 is viewed from the rear in its completed state, the rear wall 26 of the fixed housing 20 obstructs the inspection (see Figures 7 and 8). Therefore, the rear wall 26 of the fixed housing 20 may be partially or completely omitted so that the inspection can be performed in the completed state of the internal connector 10 (see Figure 34).

[0210] In this embodiment, a contact metal layer may be formed on one side contact portions 45 and 55 by plating. Figure 35 shows the position where the contact metal layer is formed, using contact portion 45 as an example. By forming an appropriate contact metal layer, the reliability of the connection between the one side contact portions 45 and 55 and the object to be connected 11 can be improved. As shown in Figure 35, it is preferable that the contact metal layer be formed only near the locations that come into contact with the relay terminals 60 and 70, from the viewpoint of saving plating solution. Incidentally, if the terminals 40, 50 and the additional member 90 were formed integrally, the additional member 90 would get in the way when forming the contact metal layer on one side contact portion 45, 55, making it difficult to apply the plating solution to the appropriate position. However, in this embodiment, since the terminals 40, 50 and the additional member 90 are separate, the additional member 90 does not get in the way when forming the contact metal layer on one side contact portion 45, 55, making it easier to apply the plating solution to the appropriate position. As a result, the amount of metal (e.g., gold, palladium, silver, tin) contained in the contact metal layer can be reduced, and the internal connector 10 can be manufactured at a low cost.

[0211] Furthermore, the contact metal layer may contain tin or a tin alloy. In this case as well, it is preferable that tin or a tin alloy does not adhere to the portion of the additional member 90 that is held by the movable housing 30 (press-fit protrusions 92, 93). This prevents the formation of whiskers. If the terminals 40, 50 and the additional member 90 were formed integrally, there is a possibility that the plating solution would adhere to the press-fit protrusions 92, 93 of the additional member 90 when forming the contact metal layer on one side contact portion 45, 55. However, since the terminals 40, 50 and the additional member 90 are separate components, it is prevented that the plating solution will unintentionally adhere to the additional member 90.

[0212] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the base material of the add-on member 90 is stainless steel and that the add-on member 90 does not have a plating layer. Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion without the need for time-consuming and costly plating, and is also relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, since the additional member 90 is not electrically connected to the object to be attached 14, the internal connector 10 can be made smaller by omitting such a structure.

[0213] (Second perspective) Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained from a second perspective.

[0214] In this embodiment, the internal connector 10 comprises terminals 40, 50 having terminal-side contact portions 45, 55 that contact the object to be connected 11, an additional member 90 having an additional-side contact portion 91 that contacts the object to be connected 11, and a housing 30 that holds the terminals 40, 50 and the additional member 90. Here, the additional member 90 is formed separately from the terminals 40 and 50. This makes it suitable for manufacturing multiple variations of the internal connector 10. In other words, in the internal connector 10 according to this embodiment, the terminals 40, 50 and the housing 30 are common parts for each variation of the internal connector 10, while the additional member 90 can be an additional member 90 designed for each variation of the internal connector 10. This makes it possible to change the performance of the internal connector 10 by changing only the additional member 90 among the terminals 40, 50, additional member 90 and housing 30 that constitute the internal connector 10. For example, the performance of the internal connector 10 can be changed by changing the shape or friction coefficient of the additional contact portion 91 of the additional member 90. In particular, in this embodiment, since terminals 40 and 50 have intermediate deformation portions 43 and 53, the molds for manufacturing terminals 40 and 50 tend to become complex. It is uneconomical to prepare complex molds for each variation of the connector. In this embodiment, terminals 40 and 50 having intermediate deformation portions 43 and 53 are used as common parts among the variations, and multiple additional members 90 without intermediate deformation portions are prepared. This makes it easy to develop variations of the internal connector 10.

[0215] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the additional member 90 may be selected from a plurality of pre-designed additional members 90 and held in the housing 30. In this case, by selecting an appropriate additional component 90, an internal connector 10 that meets the required specifications can be manufactured at a low cost.

[0216] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal-side contact portions 45, 55 contact the object to be connected 11 from one side, and the additional-side contact portion 91 contacts the object to be connected 11 from the other side. In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the multiple types of additional members 90 may include two or more types of additional members 90, 90A configured such that the distance between the terminal-side contact portions 45, 55 and the additional-side contact portions 91, 91A is different. In this case, by selecting the additional member 90, the distance between the terminal-side contact portions 45, 55 and the additional-side contact portions 91, 91A can be changed to an appropriate distance.

[0217] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple types of additional members 90 may include two or more types of additional members 90 with different coefficients of friction of the additional contact portion 91. In this case, by selecting the additional member 90, the force required to connect the object 11 can be set to an appropriate force. The coefficient of friction of the additional contact portion 91 can be changed, for example, by the method of plating the additional contact portion 91 (plating material, etc.).

[0218] Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the multiple types of additional members 90 are configured such that the distance between the terminal-side contact portions 45, 55 and the additional-side contact portion 91 is the same, two or more types of additional members with different coefficients of friction of the additional-side contact portion 91 may be included. In this case, the variations in the internal connector 10 can be increased without increasing the variations in the shape of the additional member 90.

[0219] (Third perspective) Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained from a third perspective.

[0220] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the internal connector 10 includes a fixed housing 20 fixed to the object to be attached 14, a movable housing 30 displaceable relative to the object to be attached 14, and terminals 40 and 50. The movable housing 30 is capable of fitting with the object to be connected 11. The terminals 40 and 50 have connection portions 41 and 51 connected to the object to be attached 14 and displacement portions 44, 45, 54, and 55 displaceable relative to the object to be attached 14. The displacement portions 44, 45, 54, and 55 are held by the movable housing 30.

[0221] Further, the fixed housing 20 has a displacement restricting portion 21. The displacement restricting portion 21 is provided at a position where it abuts against the object to be connected 11 when the object to be connected 11 in a fitted state or a state during fitting (see FIG. 29) is displaced in a direction (downward direction) approaching the mounting surface 14a. Therefore, as a result of restricting excessive displacement of the object to be connected 11 in the fitted state or the state during fitting, excessive displacement of the movable housing 30 is suppressed. As described above, according to this embodiment, since the excessive displacement of the movable housing 30 is restricted by the displacement restricting portion 21, legs as in the prior art become unnecessary or the legs can be simplified. Therefore, in a right angle floating connector, excessive downward displacement of the movable housing can be restricted and the resonance frequency can be increased. In particular, in this embodiment, since the terminals 40 and 50 have intermediate deformation portions 43 and 53, plastic deformation of the intermediate deformation portions 43 and 53 can be suppressed by restricting excessive displacement of the movable housing.

[0222] Also, in this embodiment, the fixed housing 20 has a passage space 29 on the mounting surface side (lower side) of the space where the movable housing 30 is disposed and through which the movable housing 30 can pass. Therefore, when manufacturing the internal connector 10, the movable housing 30 can be assembled to the fixed housing 20 from below (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0223] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the fixed housing 20 has an upward limiting portion 25. The upward limiting portion 25 is a portion that limits the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the direction away from the mounting surface 14a (upward direction). Therefore, it is not necessary to separately attach a member that functions as an upward limiting portion to the fixed housing 20.

[0224] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the terminal 50 has a fixed-side retained portion 52 that is held by the fixed housing 20, and the displacement restricting portion 21 holds the fixed-side retained portion 52 of the terminal 50. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the displacement restricting portion 21 is formed separately from the portion that holds the fixed-side retained portion 52 of the terminal 50, the internal connector 10 can be made smaller.

[0225] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, at least a portion of the intermediate deformation portions 43 and 53 of the terminals 40 and 50 (for example, the forward extension portion 431 and the rear extension portion 531) is located between the movable housing 30 and the mounting surface 14a in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 14a (height direction). Therefore, the length of the intermediate deformation sections 43 and 53 can be secured.

[0226] Furthermore, the relay connector 11 according to this embodiment includes a mating housing 80 and mating terminals 60 and 70 held in the mating housing 80. The mating terminals 60 and 70 protrude from the mating housing 80 and have mating contact portions 61 and 71 that contact the contact portions 45 and 55. The mating housing 80 has adjacent support portions 85 that support the portions of the terminals 40 and 50 adjacent to the mating contact portions 61 and 71. The adjacent support portion 85 has a lower surface 85a facing the mounting surface. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 21 and 28, the mating housing 80 has a downward contact projection 87 that protrudes from the lower surface 85a of the adjacent support portion 85 (terminal projection portion 85) toward the mounting surface (downward side). The downward contact projection 87 is positioned to contact the displacement restricting portion 21 when the relay connector 11, while fitted with the movable housing 30 or in the process of being fitted, is displaced toward the mounting surface 14a. Therefore, by providing the downward contact projection 87, it is possible to reduce the weight of the relay connector 11 while suppressing excessive displacement of the movable housing 30, compared to simply increasing the vertical dimension of the adjacent support portion 85 to bring the lower surface 85a of the terminal projection 85 into contact with the displacement restricting portion 21 of the internal connector 10.

[0227] (Fourth perspective) Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be described from a fourth perspective.

[0228] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 10, 15, etc., the internal connector 10 comprises a housing 20 and a terminal 40 that is press-fitted into the housing 20 in a predetermined press-fitting direction and held therein. The terminal 40 has a first press-fit portion 421 formed on a first extension portion 401 extending along the press-fit direction, displaceable portions 44 and 45 that are displaceable relative to the first press-fit portion 421, and intermediate portions 402, 422, and 43 between the first extension portion 401 and the displaceable portions 44 and 45. The intermediate portions 402, 422, and 43 have a plurality of curved portions 402, 432, 434, 436, and 438 that are bent in the thickness direction of the plate. Here, the intermediate sections 402, 422, and 43 are connected to the first extension section 401 via the curved section 402 and include a second extension section 403 that extends along a direction perpendicular to the press-fitting direction. The second press-fitting section 422 is then formed in the second extension section 403. Therefore, since the second press-fit portion 422 formed in the second extension portion 403 is held by the housing 20, deformation of the curved portion 402 is suppressed, and stress concentration on the curved portion 402 is suppressed.

[0229] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal 50 has a first press-fit portion 521 formed on a first extension portion 501 extending along the press-fit direction, displaceable portions 54, 55 that are displaceable relative to the first press-fit portion 521, and intermediate portions 502, 522, 53 between the first extension portion 501 and the displaceable portions 54, 55. The intermediate portions 502, 522, 53 have a plurality of curved portions 502, 532, 534 that are bent in the thickness direction of the plate. Here, the intermediate sections 502, 522, and 53 are connected to the first extension section 501 via the curved section 502 and include a second extension section 503 that extends along a direction perpendicular to the press-fitting direction. The second press-fitting section 522 is formed in the second extension section 503. Therefore, since the second press-fit portion 522 formed in the second extension portion 503 is held by the housing 20, deformation of the curved portion 502 is suppressed, and stress concentration on the curved portion 502 is suppressed.

[0230] In particular, in this embodiment, since the curved portions 402 and 502 are located near the first press-fit portions 421 and 521, if the second press-fit portions 422 and 522 are not formed, stress concentration on the curved portion 502 is likely to become a particular problem.

[0231] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the portion of the second extension portion 403, 503 that is on the displacement portion 44, 45, 54, 55 side of the second press-fit portion 422, 522 includes a gradually decreasing extension portion (forward extension portion 431, rear extension portion 531) formed such that the plate width gradually decreases as it moves away from the second press-fit portion 422, 522. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the concentration of stress in specific parts of the second extension sections 403 and 503.

[0232] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second press-fit sections 422, 522 are formed with a wider plate width than the portions adjacent to them. The rate of change in plate width on the first press-fit section 421, 521 side relative to the position where the plate width of the second press-fit section 422, 522 is maximum (see Figure 16) is greater than the rate of change in plate width on the displacement section 44, 45, 54, 55 side. Note that the rate of change in plate width refers to the amount of change in plate width with respect to the distance approaching the first press-fit section 421, 521 side or the displacement section 44, 45, 54, 55 side. Therefore, the positions of the second press-fit sections 422 and 522 can be set close to the curved sections 402 and 502, and stress concentration in the parts close to the displacement sections 44, 45, 54, and 55 relative to the second press-fit sections 422 and 522 can be suppressed. If the positions of the second press-fit sections 422 and 522 can be set close to the curved sections 402 and 502, it is possible to secure a longer area of ​​the intermediate sections 402, 422, 43, 502, 522, and 53 that can actually be deformed (intermediate deformation sections 43 and 53).

[0233] Furthermore, effects similar to those described above from the fourth perspective can also be achieved when the terminal 40 is held in the housing 20 by insert molding, rather than when it is press-fitted into the housing 20 in a predetermined press-fitting direction. In this case, the first press-fitting portion and the second press-fitting portion can be read as the first held portion and the second held portion, respectively.

[0234] (Fifth perspective) Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be described from a fifth perspective.

[0235] The connector sets 10 and 11 of this embodiment include a right-angle type internal connector 10 that is attached to a circuit board 14 located inside the case 13, and a relay connector 11 that is attached to an opening 13a of the case 13 and relays the internal connector 10 to an external connection target (not shown) outside the case 13. The internal connector 10 includes a first internal terminal 40A, a second internal terminal 40B, a third internal terminal 50A, and a fourth internal terminal 50B. The relay connector 11 includes a first relay terminal 60A connected to the first internal terminal 40A, a second relay terminal 70A connected to the second internal terminal 40B, a third relay terminal 60B connected to the third internal terminal 50A, and a fourth relay terminal 70B connected to the fourth internal terminal 50B. The first internal terminal 40A has a first contact portion 45A that contacts the first relay terminal 60A and a first connection portion 41A that connects to the circuit board 14. The second internal terminal 40B has a second contact portion 45B that contacts the second relay terminal 70A, and a second connection portion 41B that connects to the circuit board 14. The third internal terminal 50A has a third contact portion 55A that contacts the third relay terminal 60B and a third connection portion 51A that connects to the circuit board 14. The fourth internal terminal 50B has a fourth contact portion 55B that contacts the fourth relay terminal 70B, and a fourth connection portion 51B that connects to the circuit board 14. The first relay terminal 60A has a first internal contact portion 61A that contacts the first internal terminal 40A, and a first external contact portion 62A that contacts the external object to be connected. The second relay terminal 70A has a second internal contact portion 71A that contacts the second internal terminal 40B, and a second external contact portion 72A that contacts the external object to be connected. The third relay terminal 60B has a third internal contact portion 61B that contacts the third internal terminal 50A, and a third external contact portion 62B that contacts the external object to be connected. The fourth relay terminal 70B has a fourth internal contact portion 71B that contacts the fourth internal terminal 50B, and a fourth external contact portion 72B that contacts the external object to be connected.

[0236] Here, the first external contact portion 62A, the second external contact portion 72A, the third external contact portion 62B, and the fourth external contact portion 72B are positioned at different locations in the vertical direction (up and down direction) of the substrate. On the other hand, the first internal contact portion 61A and the second internal contact portion 71A are positioned at the same location in the vertical direction of the substrate, and the third internal contact portion 61B and the fourth internal contact portion 71B are positioned at the same location in the vertical direction of the substrate. Therefore, the distance of the first contact portion 45A from the substrate 14 and the distance of the second contact portion 45B from the substrate 14 are the same, so the shape of the first internal terminal 40A and the second internal terminal 40B can be made the same, or at least similar. As a result, the design cost of the internal connector 10 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the distance of the third contact portion 55A from the substrate 14 is the same as the distance of the fourth contact portion 55B from the substrate 14, the shape of the third internal terminal 50A and the shape of the fourth internal terminal 50B can be made the same, or at least similar. As a result, the design cost of the internal connector 10 can be reduced.

[0237] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first internal terminal 40A is located between the first contact portion 45A and the first connection portion 41A and has a first intermediate deformation portion 43A that deforms to allow displacement of the first contact portion 45A relative to the first connection portion 41A. The second internal terminal 40B is located between the second contact portion 45B and the second connection portion 41B and has a second intermediate deformation portion 43B that deforms to allow displacement of the second contact portion 45B relative to the second connection portion 41B. Therefore, the first contact portion 45A and the second contact portion 45B are displaceable relative to the substrate 14, and can absorb positional misalignment between the substrate 14 and the relay connector 11, as well as positional misalignment between the internal connector 10 and the relay connector 11. Furthermore, since the internal terminal 40 has an intermediate deformation portion 43, the design of the internal terminal 40 is particularly complex. Therefore, if the number of shapes of the internal terminal 40 increases, the design cost will increase significantly. This problem is particularly pronounced in the case of the internal connector 10 used in environments where strong vibrations are applied over a long period of time, such as in automotive equipment, because a high-performance intermediate deformation portion 43 that can maintain performance even under such conditions is required. In particular, in this embodiment, the first intermediate deformation section 43A and the second intermediate deformation section 43B have the same shape. This reduces design costs. Furthermore, the above points apply not only to internal terminal 40 but also to internal terminal 50.

[0238] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple first external contact portions 62A and the multiple fourth external contact portions 72B are arranged at the same position in the arrangement direction (width direction), and the multiple second external contact portions 72A and the multiple third external contact portions 62B are arranged at the same position in the arrangement direction. On the other hand, the first internal contact portion 61A, the second internal contact portion 71A, the third internal contact portion 61B, and the fourth internal contact portion 71B are arranged at different positions in the arrangement direction. Therefore, the positions of the first contact portion 45A, the second contact portion 45B, the third contact portion 55A, and the fourth contact portion 55B of the internal connector 10 can be made different in the direction of arrangement. In particular, in this embodiment, by arranging the positions of the first contact portion 45A, the second contact portion 45B, the third contact portion 55A, and the fourth contact portion 55B in different positions, the contact portions 55 of the third internal terminal 50A and the fourth internal terminal 50B are not hidden when viewed from the connector side by the intermediate deformation portion 43 of the first internal terminal 40A and the second internal terminal 40B.

[0239] While embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the configurations of the connectors, mating connectors, connector sets, etc., of the present disclosure are not limited to those of the embodiments described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0240] 10,11 Connector Set 10 Internal connectors (connectors) 11. Intermediate connector (to be connected) 13 cases 13a aperture 14. Circuit board (object to be mounted) 14a Mounting surface 20 Fixed Housing (Housing) 21 Front frame section (displacement restricting section, lower terminal holding section) 22 Rear frame section (upper terminal holding section) 25 Top wall (upward limiting section) 29 Passage space 30 Movable Housing (Housing) 40 Upper terminal (internal terminal, terminal) 40A The terminal connected to the first relay terminal among the upper terminals (first internal terminal) 40B The terminal connected to the second relay terminal among the upper terminals (second internal terminal) 401 First extension section 402,422,43 Middle section 402, 432, 434, 436, 438 Multiple curved sections 402 Song section (first song section) 403 Second extension part 41 Connection part 41A First connection section 41B Second connection section 42 Fixed side held part 421 First press-fitting part (first held part) 422 Second press-fitting part (second held part) 43 Intermediate deformation section 43A First intermediate deformation section 43B Second Intermediate Deformation Section 431 Anterior extension (gradually decreasing extension) 44,45 Displacement section 45 Contact part (terminal side contact part, one side contact part) 45A First contact part 45B Second contact part 45a,55a First contact piece 45b,55b Second contact piece 50 Lower terminal (internal terminal, terminal) 50A Lower terminal, the terminal connected to the third relay terminal (third internal terminal) 50B The terminal connected to the fourth relay terminal among the lower terminals (fourth internal terminal) 501 First extension part 502 Song section (first song section) 502, 522, 53 Middle section 502, 532, 534 Multiple curved sections 503 Second extension part 51 Connection part 52 Fixed side held part 521 First press-fitting part (first held part) 522 Second press-fitting part (second held part) 53 Intermediate deformation section 531 Rear extension section (gradually decreasing extension section) 54, 55 Displacement section 55 Contact part (terminal side contact part, one side contact part) 55A Third contact part 55B Fourth contact part 60A, 60B, 70A, 70B Intermediate terminal (receiving terminal) 60A First relay terminal 60B Third relay terminal 61 Narrow tip side part (inner side contact part) 61A First relay terminal internal contact portion (first internal contact portion) 61B Third relay terminal internal contact portion (third internal contact portion) 62. Tip side (external contact area) 62A First external contact part 62B Third external contact part 70A Second relay terminal 70B Fourth relay terminal 71 Narrow tip side part (inner side contact part) 71A Second relay terminal internal contact part (second internal contact part) 71B Fourth relay terminal internal contact portion (fourth internal contact portion) 72. Tip side (external contact area) 72A Second relay terminal external contact part (second external contact part) 72B External contact portion of the fourth relay terminal (fourth external contact portion) 80 Relay Housing (Opponent Housing) 85 Terminal protrusion (adjacent support part) 85a Bottom side 87 Downward contact convex part 90 Additional member 90A Additional Member 91 Swelling part (additional side contact part, other side contact part) 91A Swelling part (additional side contact part, other side contact part)

Claims

1. A connector that can be attached to the object to be attached, Terminals and A movable housing that can be displaced relative to the object to be attached, The system comprises an additional member formed separately from the terminal and held by the movable housing, The terminal is held by the movable housing and has a displacement portion that moves together with the movable housing. The displacement portion has a one-sided contact portion that contacts the object to be connected from one side, The additional member has a contact portion on the other side that contacts the object to be connected from the other side, The aforementioned additional member does not have a structure for electrically connecting to the terminal. Of the movable housing, the portion in which the additional member is held and the portion in which the displacement portion is held are formed integrally. The aforementioned additional member does not have a portion that connects to the object to be attached and a portion between that portion and the other contact portion. The additional member is oriented in the thickness direction in a direction in which the one contact portion and the other contact portion face each other. When the connection direction between the connector and the object to be connected is defined as the front-to-back direction of the additional member, and the direction perpendicular to both the thickness direction and the front-to-back direction of the additional member is defined as the width direction of the additional member, The additional member comprises a pair of press-fit protrusions that protrude outward in the width direction and are held by the movable housing, The front-to-back position where the pair of press-fit protrusions are formed and held in the movable housing is a position that overlaps with the range where the other side contact portion is formed. connector.

2. The additional member is made of a material with a lower specific gravity than the terminal. The connector according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned additional member is made of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, or nickel alloy. The connector according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The aforementioned one-sided contact portion has a first contact piece that contacts the object to be connected, and a second contact piece that contacts the object to be connected at a position further in the connection direction than the first contact piece. The displacement of the contact point of the first contact piece when the object to be connected is connected is configured to be greater than the displacement of the contact point of the second contact piece. When viewing the connector from the rear side in the connection direction, the contact of the second contact piece is not covered by any of the members, including the first contact piece and the additional member. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A contact metal layer is formed on the one side contact portion. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The aforementioned contact metal layer contains a precious metal, The connector according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned contact metal layer contains tin or a tin alloy. The portion of the aforementioned additional member that is held by the movable housing is free from the presence of tin or tin alloy. The connector according to claim 5.

8. The base material of the aforementioned add-on member is stainless steel. The aforementioned additional member does not have a plating layer. The aforementioned additional member is not electrically connected to the object to be attached. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The additional member has a bulge formed on the side of the one contact portion by bead processing, and the bulge constitutes the other contact portion. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The bulging portion is formed to extend in the front-rear direction. The connector according to claim 9.

11. The additional member has a tip-side inclined portion at its front end, the surface facing the one-side contact portion being inclined in a direction away from the one-side contact portion as it moves forward in the connection direction, with the front side being the forward side. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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