connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of electrically connecting a contact to a flexible conductor of a connected object even if the flexible conductor is exposed on the front or back side of the connected object.SOLUTION: An inner contact 18 comprising a wire spring includes a pair of contact parts P1 that come into contact with a plug contact 13, and a pair of pressing parts P2. Part of a sheet-shaped conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the pressing part P2 and the inner surface of a recess 13C in a direction orthogonal to a mating shaft, the inner surface of the recess 13C comes into contact with the front surface of the sheet-shaped conductive member 15, and the pressing part P2 comes into contact with the rear surface of the sheet-shaped conductive member 15. Thus, the plug contact 13 is electrically and directly connected to a shield layer 15D, and electrically connected to a shield layer 15F via the inner contact 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector that is connected to a sheet-like object to be connected having a flexible conductor exposed on at least one surface.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, so-called smart clothing that can acquire user's biological information such as heart rate and body temperature just by wearing it has attracted attention. This smart clothing includes electrodes arranged at measurement locations, and by electrically connecting a wearable device as a measuring device to the electrodes, it becomes possible to transmit biological information to the wearable device. The connection between the electrode and the wearable device can be performed, for example, by using a connector connected to a flexible conductor drawn from the electrode.

[0003] As this type of connector, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector as shown in FIG. 32. The connector has a housing 2 and a base member 3 arranged on both sides of the flexible substrate 1 with the flexible substrate 1 sandwiched therebetween. The cylindrical portion 4A of the contact 4 is passed through the contact through-hole 2A of the housing 2, and the flange 4B of the contact 4 is sandwiched between the housing 2 and the flexible conductor 1A exposed on the surface of the flexible substrate 1.

[0004] In this state, by pushing the base member 3 toward the housing 2, as shown in FIG. 33, the projection 3A of the base member 3 is inserted into the projection housing portion 4C of the contact 4 with the flexible substrate 1 sandwiched therebetween, and the inner surface of the projection housing portion 4C contacts the flexible conductor 1A with a predetermined contact force, whereby the contact 4 is electrically connected to the flexible conductor 1A. Also, as shown in FIG. 32, by press-fitting the housing fixing post 3B protruding from the base member 3 into the post housing portion 2B of the housing 2, the housing 2 and the base member 3 are fixed to each other.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-129244 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] By mating a wearable device to the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the wearable device can be connected to an electrode made of a flexible conductor. However, when the flexible conductor 1B is exposed on the back surface of the flexible substrate 1, the connector in Patent Document 1 has the problem that the flexible conductor 1B cannot be electrically connected to the contact 4.

[0007] This invention was made to solve the problems of the conventional methods, and aims to provide a connector that can electrically connect the contacts to the flexible conductor of an object to be connected, regardless of whether the flexible conductor is exposed on the front or back surface of the object to be connected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The connector according to this invention is A cylindrical conductive plug contact having a recess extending along the mating axis, A conductive inner contact consisting of a wire spring inserted into a recess and bent, Equipped with, The inner contact has a contact portion that is elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the mating axis and contacts the plug contact within the recess, and a pressing portion that is elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the mating axis and is located within the recess. When a portion of a sheet-like object to be connected, on which a flexible conductor is exposed on at least one side, is sandwiched between a pressing portion and the inner surface of a recess in a direction perpendicular to the mating axis, and the inner surface of the recess contacts the surface of the object to be connected, and the pressing portion contacts the back surface of the object to be connected, the plug contact is electrically connected directly to the flexible conductor when the flexible conductor is exposed on the surface of the object to be connected, and when the flexible conductor is exposed on the back surface of the object to be connected, the plug contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor via an inner contact.

[0009] Inner contact lenses are A horizontal section extending across the mating shaft, The horizontal section is connected to both ends of the horizontal section via a first bent section and a second bent section, respectively, and the first and second oblique sections extend diagonally with respect to the fitting axis while intersecting each other, The tip of the first slanted section and the tip of the second slanted section are connected via a third bent section and a fourth bent section, respectively, and the first and second extensions extend in a direction away from the horizontal section along the fitting axis, facing each other with the fitting axis in between. It can be configured to have

[0010] Preferably, the first and second bends form contact points, and the third and fourth bends form pressing points. The first extension and the second extension are preferably parallel to each other, or they are preferably oblique to the fitting axis such that the distance between them decreases as they move away from the horizontal portion. Furthermore, the first extension portion may have a first projection that is bent to project away from the second extension portion, and the second extension portion may have a second projection that is bent to project away from the first extension portion, with the first and second bent portions each forming a contact portion, and the first and second projections each forming a pressing portion. Furthermore, the third and fourth bends can each form contact points, and the first and second bends can each form pressing points.

[0011] Inner contact lenses are A horizontal section extending across the mating shaft, A first extension portion is connected to one end of the horizontal portion via a first bent portion and extends along the fitting axis, A second extension portion extends from the other end of the horizontal portion along the fitting axis, A first projection is bent in the middle of the first extension so as to project away from the second extension. It can also be configured to have In this case, the first bent portion can form a contact point, and the first protruding portion can form a pressing portion.

[0012] The plug contact preferably has a cylindrical portion and a flange formed at one end of the cylindrical portion, and the recess is preferably located inside the cylindrical portion.

[0013] It has an insulating housing for holding the object to be connected, the plug contact and the inner contact, Housing is A top insulator having a contact through-hole formed through which the cylindrical portion of the plug contact passes and which is smaller than the flange, A bottom insulator having a retaining part for holding the inner contact It has, It is preferable that the cylindrical portion of the plug contact passes through the contact through-hole, and that the top insulator is fixed to the bottom insulator so as to sandwich the object to be connected and the flange between the top insulator and the bottom insulator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the inner contact inserted into the recess of the plug contact is composed of a bent wire spring, and has a contact portion that is elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis and contacts the plug contact within the recess, and a pressing portion that is elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis and is disposed within the recess. A part of the object to be connected is sandwiched between the pressing portion and the inner surface of the recess in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis, the inner surface of the recess contacts the surface of the object to be connected, and the pressing portion contacts the back surface of the object to be connected. When the flexible conductor is exposed on the surface of the object to be connected, the plug contact is directly electrically connected to the flexible conductor. When the flexible conductor is exposed on the back surface of the object to be connected, the plug contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor via the inner contact. Therefore, even when the flexible conductor is exposed on the back surface of the object to be connected, it is possible to electrically connect the contact to the flexible conductor of the object to be connected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing a top insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing a bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing a plug contact used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view showing a plug contact used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] It is a cross-sectional view showing an object to be connected to the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of an object to be connected to the connector of Embodiment 1 as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the object to be connected to the connector of Embodiment 1, viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing the reinforcing sheet used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] This is a front view showing the inner contact used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] This is a plan view showing the inner contact used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 1, which is held by the bottom insulator. [Figure 15] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into the connector of Embodiment 1, which is connected to an object to be connected. [Figure 16] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into the connector of Embodiment 1, which is connected to an object to be connected. [Figure 17] This is a front view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 2. [Figure 18] This is a front view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 3. [Figure 19] This is a plan view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 3. [Figure 20] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 3, which is held by the bottom insulator. [Figure 21] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into which the inner contact is inserted in Embodiment 3. [Figure 22] This is a front view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 4. [Figure 23] This is a plan view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 4. [Figure 24] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 4, which is held by the bottom insulator. [Figure 25]This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into which the inner contact is inserted in Embodiment 4. [Figure 26] This is a front view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 5. [Figure 27] This is a plan view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 5. [Figure 28] This is a perspective view showing the bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 5. [Figure 29] This is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 28. [Figure 30] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact in Embodiment 5, which is held by the bottom insulator. [Figure 31] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into which the inner contact is inserted in Embodiment 5. [Figure 32] This is a disassembled perspective view of a conventional connector. [Figure 33] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing a conventional connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Embodiments of this invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Embodiment 1 Figure 1 shows a connector 11 according to Embodiment 1. The connector 11 is used, for example, as a clothing-side connector for mating a wearable device, and has a housing 12 made of an insulating material. The housing 12 holds four plug contacts 13, and the housing 12 also holds a reinforcing sheet 14 and a sheet-like conductive member 15 in a superimposed state. The sheet-like conductive member 15 constitutes the object to which the connector 11 is connected. The four plug contacts 13 are arranged in two parallel rows and positioned to protrude perpendicularly from the sheet-like conductive member 15.

[0017] For convenience, the reinforcing sheet 14 and the sheet-like conductive member 15 extend along the XY plane, the direction in which the four plug contacts 13 are arranged is called the Y direction, and the direction in which each of the four plug contacts 13 protrudes is called the +Z direction. The Z direction is the mating direction in which the connector 11 mates with the mating connector.

[0018] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 11. The connector 11 has a top insulator 16 and a bottom insulator 17, and these top insulator 16 and bottom insulator 17 constitute the housing 12.

[0019] A reinforcing sheet 14 is positioned on the -Z side of the top insulator 16, four plug contacts 13 are positioned on the -Z side of the reinforcing sheet 14, and a sheet-like conductive member 15 is positioned on the -Z side of the four plug contacts 13. Furthermore, one inner contact 18 is positioned on the -Z side of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and a bottom insulator 17 is positioned on the -Z side of the inner contact 18. The inner contact 18 corresponds to one of the four plug contacts 13 that is located on both the -X and -Y sides.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the top insulator 16 has a recess 16A that opens in the +Z direction and four contact through holes 16B formed within the recess 16A. The recess 16A constitutes a mating connector housing portion in which a part of the mating connector (not shown) is housed, and the four contact through holes 16B correspond to four plug contacts 13. In addition, a plurality of bosses 16C are formed on the surface of the top insulator 16 facing the -Z direction, each protruding in the -Z direction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the bottom insulator 17 has a flat plate portion 17A, and four circular recesses 17B are formed in the flat plate portion 17A, each opening in the +Z direction. The four recesses 17B correspond to four plug contacts 13. Of the four recesses 17B, one recess 17B located on the -X and -Y sides has a projection 17C that protrudes in the +Z direction, and the other three recesses 17B each have three projections 17D that protrude in the +Z direction. Furthermore, the flat plate portion 17A has multiple through holes 17E that correspond to the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, the projection 17C formed in the recess 17B located on the -X and -Y sides of the bottom insulator 17 has a substantially regular hexagonal prism shape extending in the Z direction. A pair of grooves 17F extending in the Z direction are formed on the side facing the +Y direction and the side facing the -Y direction of the projection 17C, and these grooves 17F form a retaining portion that holds the inner contact 18. The projections 17D formed in the other three recesses 17B have a similar structure to the projection 17C, except that they do not have a pair of grooves 17F.

[0023] Each of the four plug contacts 13 is formed from a conductive material such as metal and connects to the corresponding contact of a mating connector when a part of a mating connector (not shown) is housed in the recess 16A of the top insulator 16. As shown in Figure 6, the plug contact 13 has a cylindrical portion 13A extending in the Z direction along the mating axis C, and a flange 13B extending along the XY plane from the -Z end of the cylindrical portion 13A. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, a recess 13C is formed inside the cylindrical portion 13A, which is open toward the -Z direction.

[0024] Of the four plug contacts 13, one located on both the -X and -Y sides is connected to ground potential and used as a shielding terminal, while the remaining three plug contacts 13 are each used as signal terminals for transmitting electrical signals.

[0025] As shown in Figure 8, the sheet-like conductive member 15 has a sheet body 15A made of an insulating material, and has a multilayer structure in which a signal wiring layer 15B made of a flexible conductor, an insulating layer 15C, a shield layer 15D and an insulating layer 15E made of a flexible conductor are sequentially laminated on the surface of the sheet body 15A facing the +Z direction, and a shield layer 15F and an insulating layer 15G made of a flexible conductor are sequentially laminated on the back surface of the sheet body 15A facing the -Z direction.

[0026] As shown in Figure 9, four contact placement regions 15H are defined on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 facing the +Z direction for arranging four plug contacts 13. Of the four contact placement regions 15H, one located on the -X and -Y sides forms region R1 where plug contacts 13 used as shield terminals are arranged, and the remaining three contact placement regions 15H form region R2 where plug contacts 13 used as signal terminals are arranged.

[0027] In region R1, where the plug contact 13 serving as the shield terminal is located, the insulating layer 15E is removed, exposing the shield layer 15D in the +Z direction. In region R2, where the three plug contacts 13 serving as signal terminals are located, the insulating layer 15E, shield layer 15D, and insulating layer 15C are removed, respectively, exposing the signal wiring layer 15B in the +Z direction. In regions other than R1 and R2, the insulating layer 15E is exposed. Furthermore, in all regions R1 and R2, multiple cuts 15J are formed that penetrate the sheet-like conductive member 15 in the Z direction.

[0028] Since the notch 15J penetrates the sheet-like conductive member 15 in the Z direction, as shown in Figure 10, the notch 15J is visible on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 facing the -Z direction, at positions corresponding to one region R1 and three regions R2, respectively. On the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 facing the -Z direction, the insulating layer 15G is removed only at the position corresponding to region R1, exposing the shielding layer 15F, while the insulating layer 15G is exposed in the other regions. Furthermore, multiple through holes 15K corresponding to multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 are formed in the peripheral edge of the sheet-like conductive member 15.

[0029] As shown in Figure 11, the reinforcing sheet 14 is for reinforcing the mounting target object, such as clothing (not shown), on which the connector 11 is mounted. It is made of an insulating material and has an opening 14A formed in the center. Furthermore, along the periphery of the opening 14A of the reinforcing sheet 14, a plurality of notches 14B are formed, corresponding to the plurality of bosses 16C of the top insulator 16.

[0030] Figures 12 and 13 show the configuration of the inner contact 18. The inner contact 18 is made of a wire spring formed from a conductive material such as metal and is bent, and has a horizontal portion 18A that extends in the Y direction across the mating axis C and whose ends are curved toward the -Z direction.

[0031] The first oblique section 18D and the second oblique section 18E are connected to the -Y direction end and the +Y direction end of the horizontal section 18A via the first bent section 18B and the second bent section 18C, respectively. The first oblique section 18D extends linearly from the first bent section 18B in the +Y direction and the -Z direction, and the second oblique section 18E extends linearly from the second bent section 18C in the -Y direction and the -Z direction. These first oblique section 18D and the second oblique section 18E extend diagonally with respect to the fitting axis C, intersecting each other.

[0032] Furthermore, the first extension portion 18H and the second extension portion 18J are connected to the tip of the first oblique portion 18D and the tip of the second oblique portion 18E, respectively, via the third bend portion 18F and the fourth bend portion 18G. The first extension portion 18H and the second extension portion 18J face each other in the Y direction with the fitting axis C in between, and extend diagonally with respect to the fitting axis C such that the distance between them in the Y direction narrows as they move toward the -Z direction.

[0033] A pair of contact points P1 are formed by the outer surfaces of the first bent portion 18B and the second bent portion 18C, which face in opposite directions, and a pair of pressing portions P2 are formed by the outer surfaces of the third bent portion 18F and the fourth bent portion 18G, which face in opposite directions.

[0034] The distance between the pair of contact portions P1 in the Y direction is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the recess 13C in which the pair of contact portions P1 make contact when the inner contact 18 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13. Therefore, when the inner contact 18 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, the pair of contact portions P1 elastically displace in the direction toward the mating axis C and contact the inner surface of the recess 13C with a predetermined contact pressure.

[0035] Furthermore, the distance between the pair of pressing portions P2 in the Y direction is set to be slightly larger than the value obtained by subtracting twice the thickness of the sheet-like conductive member 15 from the inner diameter of the recess 13C in which the pair of pressing portions P2 make contact when the inner contact 18 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13. Therefore, when the inner contact 18 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 while the sheet-like conductive member 15 is pressed in, the pair of pressing portions P2 elastically displace in the direction toward the fitting axis C, pressing the sheet-like conductive member 15 against the inner surface of the recess 13C with a predetermined contact pressure.

[0036] As shown in Figure 14, the inner contact 18 is held in place by the bottom insulator 17 by inserting the first extension portion 18H and the second extension portion 18J into a pair of grooves 17F of the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17.

[0037] The four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16, the four plug contacts 13, the four contact placement areas 15H of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the four recesses 17B of the bottom insulator 17 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction. The inner contact 18 is positioned to align in the Z direction with respect to the contact placement region 15H of the sheet-like conductive member 15, which forms region R1 and is located on the -X and -Y sides, and with respect to the recess 17B of the bottom insulator 17, which has a projection 17C and is located on the -X and -Y sides, and is located on the -X and -Y sides.

[0038] Furthermore, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16, the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15K of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 17E of the bottom insulator 17 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction.

[0039] When assembling the connector 11, first, as shown in Figure 14, the inner contact 18 is held in place by inserting the first extension portion 18H and the second extension portion 18J of the inner contact 18 into the pair of grooves 17F of the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17.

[0040] Next, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 are inserted into the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14. At this time, the four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16 are located within the opening 14A of the reinforcing sheet 14. Furthermore, the cylindrical portions 13A of the plug contacts 13, each corresponding to one of the four contact through-holes 16B of the top insulator 16, are inserted from the -Z direction, and the bottom insulator 17 is pressed toward the top insulator 16 in the +Z direction with the sheet-like conductive member 15 in between.

[0041] At this time, the flange 13B of each plug contact 13 is positioned on the corresponding contact placement area 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the inner contact 18 held by the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17 is inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 while pressing into the area R1 of the sheet-like conductive member 15. Also, the three projections 17D of the bottom insulator 17 are inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 while pressing into the area R2 of the sheet-like conductive member 15.

[0042] Furthermore, since each of the four contact placement regions 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15 has multiple notches 15J formed therein, the inner contact 18 and the three protrusions 17D are inserted into the recesses 13C of the plug contact 13 while opening the multiple notches 15J in the corresponding contact placement region 15A.

[0043] Furthermore, by pressing the bottom insulator 17 against the top insulator 16, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 sequentially penetrate the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15K of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 17E of the bottom insulator 17. Then, by thermally deforming the tips of the multiple bosses 16C that protrude on the -Z direction side of the bottom insulator 17, the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 17 are fixed to each other, and the assembly of the connector 11 is completed.

[0044] Each plug contact 13 is fixed to the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 17 by having its flange 13B sandwiched between the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 17.

[0045] As shown in Figure 15, in the plug contact 13 used as a shield terminal, the inner contact 18 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 while pressing the region R1 of the sheet-like conductive member 15. As a result, the pair of contact portions P1 of the inner contact 18 are pressed against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, and the inner contact 18 is electrically connected to the plug contact 13. Furthermore, the sheet-like conductive member 15, which is pressed into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 by the inner contact 18, is pressed toward the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 by the pair of pressing portions P2 of the inner contact 18.

[0046] Here, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, a shield layer 15D is exposed in region R1 on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on which the plug contact 13 used as a shield terminal is located, and a shield layer 15F is exposed on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 at a position corresponding to region R1. Therefore, the shield layer 15D on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 facing the Y direction with a predetermined contact pressure, and the shield layer 15F on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the pressing portion P2 of the inner contact 18 with a predetermined contact pressure.

[0047] As a result, the shield layer 15D exposed on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected directly to the plug contact 13, and the shield layer 15F exposed on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected to the plug contact 13 via the inner contact 18. In other words, both the shield layers 15D and 15F are connected to the plug contact 13 used as a shield terminal.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17 that holds the inner contact 18 has a shape that is approximately a regular hexagonal prism extending in the Z direction. Therefore, the sheet-like conductive member 15 is also sandwiched between the side surface of the corner of the regular hexagonal prism and the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13. For this reason, the shield layer 15D exposed on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is not only pressed against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 by the pair of pressing portions P2 of the inner contact 18, but also contacts the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 with a predetermined contact pressure by the side surface of the corner of the projection 17C, thereby electrically connecting to the plug contact 13. Furthermore, the projection 17C is not limited to the shape of a nearly regular hexagonal prism; for example, it can also be cylindrical.

[0049] Thus, with the connector 11, by using the inner contact 18, it becomes possible to electrically connect both the shield layer 15D located on the front side and the shield layer 15F located on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to a single plug contact 13 located in region R1.

[0050] On the other hand, in the three regions R2 of the four contact placement regions 15A partitioned on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15, where the three plug contacts 13 used as signal terminals are placed, as shown in Figure 16, the projection 17D of the bottom insulator 17 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 while pressing into the region R2 of the sheet-like conductive member 15. Here, as shown in Figure 9, the signal wiring layer 15B is exposed in region R2 on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15, so the sheet-like conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the side surface of the projection 17D and the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, and the signal wiring layer 15B contacts the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 with a predetermined contact pressure, thereby electrically connecting to the plug contact 13 placed in region R2.

[0051] Furthermore, the signal wiring layer 15B is subjected to a predetermined patterning, and three wires, each formed from the signal wiring layer 15B and insulated from one another, are connected to the three plug contacts 13 located in the three regions R2. As shown in Figure 8, the signal wiring layer 15B is laminated between the shielding layers 15D and 15F, which are located on the front and back sides of the sheet-like conductive member 15, in an insulated state from these layers. Therefore, by connecting the plug contact 13, which is located in region R1 and connected to the shielding layers 15D and 15F, to ground potential, a shielding effect is achieved for the signal wiring layer 15B, enabling high-precision signal transmission while suppressing the effects of disturbances such as electromagnetic waves.

[0052] In the connector 11 of Embodiment 1, a reinforcing sheet 14 is placed between the bottom insulator 17 and the top insulator 16. However, if there is no need to reinforce the object to which the connector 11 is attached, such as clothing, the reinforcing sheet 14 can be omitted.

[0053] Embodiment 2 Figure 17 shows an inner contact 28 used in the connector according to Embodiment 2. This inner contact 28 has a first extension portion 28H and a second extension portion 28J that extend parallel to each other along the mating axis C, instead of the first extension portion 18H and second extension portion 18J that extend diagonally with respect to the mating axis C, as in the inner contact 18 used in Embodiment 1 and shown in Figure 12. The other configurations are the same as those of the inner contact 18.

[0054] In other words, the inner contact 28 has a horizontal portion 18A and a first oblique portion 18D and a second oblique portion 18E connected to the -Y direction end and +Y direction end of the horizontal portion 18A via a first bent portion 18B and a second bent portion 18C, respectively, and a first extension portion 28H and a second extension portion 28J connected to the tip of the first oblique portion 18D and the tip of the second oblique portion 18E via a third bent portion 18F and a fourth bent portion 18G, respectively. Similar to the inner contact 18, a pair of contact portions P1 are formed by the outer surfaces of the first bent portion 18B and the second bent portion 18C facing opposite directions, and a pair of pressing portions P2 are formed by the outer surfaces of the third bent portion 18F and the fourth bent portion 18G facing opposite directions.

[0055] Similar to the inner contact 18 in Embodiment 1, this inner contact 28 can also be held in the bottom insulator 17 by inserting the first extension portion 28H and the second extension portion 28J into the pair of grooves 17F of the projection 17C shown in Figure 5. In the connector 11 according to Embodiment 1, even if the inner contact 28 shown in Figure 17 is used instead of the inner contact 18, it is still possible to electrically connect both the shield layer 15D located on the front side and the shield layer 15F located on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to a single plug contact 13 located in region R1.

[0056] Embodiment 3 Figures 18 and 19 show an inner contact 38 used in the connector according to Embodiment 3. This inner contact 38 has, instead of the first extension portion 18H and second extension portion 18J that extend diagonally with respect to the mating axis C in the inner contact 18 used in Embodiment 1 and shown in Figure 12, a first projection portion 38K that is bent in the middle of the first extension portion 38H so as to protrude away from the second extension portion 38J, and a second projection portion 38L that is bent in the middle of the second extension portion 38J so as to protrude away from the first extension portion 38H. The other configurations are the same as those of the inner contact 18.

[0057] In other words, the inner contact 38 has a horizontal portion 18A and a first oblique portion 18D and a second oblique portion 18E connected to the -Y direction end and +Y direction end of the horizontal portion 18A via a first bent portion 18B and a second bent portion 18C, respectively. A first extension portion 38H and a second extension portion 38J are connected to the tip of the first oblique portion 18D and the tip of the second oblique portion 18E via a third bent portion 18F and a fourth bent portion 18G, respectively. Furthermore, a first projection portion 38K and a second projection portion 38L are formed in the middle portions of the first extension portion 38H and the second extension portion 38J, respectively.

[0058] In the inner contact 38, a pair of contact portions P1 are formed by the outer surfaces of the first bent portion 18B and the second bent portion 18C, which face in opposite directions, and a pair of pressing portions P2 are formed by the outer surfaces of the first protrusion 38K and the second protrusion 38L, which face in opposite directions.

[0059] Similar to the inner contact 18 in Embodiment 1, the inner contact 38 can also be held in the bottom insulator 17 by inserting the first extension portion 38H and the second extension portion 38J into the pair of grooves 17F of the projection 17C, as shown in Figure 20.

[0060] When the inner contact 38 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, as shown in Figure 21, the pair of contact portions P1 of the inner contact 38 are pressed against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, thereby electrically connecting the inner contact 38 to the plug contact 13. In addition, the pair of pressing portions P2 formed on the first protrusion 38K and the second protrusion 38L each face the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13.

[0061] Although the sheet-like conductive member 15 is not shown in Figure 21, when the inner contact 38 is inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 while pressing the region R1 of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the sheet-like conductive member 15, which has been pressed into the recess 13C, is pressed toward the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 by the pair of pressing portions P2 of the inner contact 38.

[0062] Therefore, in the connector 11 according to Embodiment 1, even if the inner contact 38 shown in Figures 18 and 19 is used instead of the inner contact 18, it is possible to electrically connect both the shield layer 15D arranged on the front side and the shield layer 15F arranged on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to a single plug contact 13 arranged in region R1 in the same manner.

[0063] Embodiment 4 Figures 22 and 23 show an inner contact 48 used in the connector according to Embodiment 4. This inner contact 48 is made of a wire spring formed from a conductive material such as metal and is bent, and has a horizontal portion 48A that extends in the Y direction so as to cross the mating axis C and whose ends are curved toward the -Z direction.

[0064] A first extension portion 48C, which extends along the fitting axis C, is connected to the +Y direction end of the horizontal portion 48A via a first bent portion 48B, and a first projection portion 48D is formed in the middle of the first extension portion 48C. In addition, a second extension portion 48E is connected to the -Y direction end of the horizontal portion 48A, and a third extension portion 48G is connected to the tip of the second extension portion 48E via a second bent portion 48F. The first projection 48D protrudes in the +Y direction so as to move away from the second extension 48E. Furthermore, the second extension portion 48E is slightly inclined with respect to the fitting axis C such that it moves away from the first extension portion 48C as it moves in the -Z direction, and the third extension portion 48G is slightly inclined with respect to the fitting axis C such that it moves closer to the first extension portion 48C as it moves in the -Z direction.

[0065] One contact portion P1 is formed by the outer surface of the first bent portion 48B facing the +Y direction, and one pressing portion P2 is formed by the outer surface of the first protruding portion 48D facing the +Y direction. Thus, unlike the inner contacts 18, 28, and 38 in embodiments 1 to 3, the inner contact 48 does not have any parts that intersect with each other, and has only one contact portion P1 and only one pressing portion P2.

[0066] Similar to the inner contact 18 in Embodiment 1, the inner contact 48 can also be held in the bottom insulator 17 by inserting the first extension portion 48C and the third extension portion 48G into the pair of grooves 17F of the projection 17C, as shown in Figure 24.

[0067] When the inner contact 48 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, as shown in Figure 25, one contact portion P1 formed on the first bent portion 48B contacts the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 on the +Y direction side, and the inner contact 48 is electrically connected to the plug contact 13. In addition, one pressing portion P2 formed on the first protruding portion 48D faces the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 on the +Y direction side.

[0068] Although the sheet-like conductive member 15 is not shown in Figure 25, when the inner contact 48 is inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 while pressing the region R1 of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the sheet-like conductive member 15, which has been pressed into the recess 13C, is pressed toward the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 by the pressing portion P2 of the inner contact 48.

[0069] Therefore, in the connector 11 according to Embodiment 1, even if the inner contact 48 shown in Figures 22 and 23 is used instead of the inner contact 18, it is possible to electrically connect both the shield layer 15D arranged on the front side and the shield layer 15F arranged on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to a single plug contact 13 arranged in region R1 in the same manner.

[0070] Embodiment 5 Figures 26 and 27 show the inner contact 58 used in the connector according to Embodiment 5. This inner contact 58 has a shape similar to the inner contact 18 used in Embodiment 1 and shown in Figure 12, but it is in an upside-down position relative to the inner contact 18.

[0071] In other words, the inner contact 58 has a horizontal portion 58A located at the -Z end of the inner contact 58. The horizontal portion 58A extends in the Y direction so as to cross the mating axis C and both ends are curved toward the +Z direction, and the first oblique portion 58D and the second oblique portion 58E are connected to the -Y and +Y ends of the horizontal portion 58A via the first bent portion 58B and the second bent portion 58C, respectively. The first oblique portion 58D extends linearly from the first bent portion 58B toward the +Y and +Z directions, and the second oblique portion 58E extends linearly from the second bent portion 58C toward the -Y and +Z directions, and these first oblique portion 58D and second oblique portion 58E extend diagonally with respect to the mating axis C while intersecting each other.

[0072] Furthermore, the first extension portion 58H and the second extension portion 58J are connected to the tip of the first oblique portion 58D and the tip of the second oblique portion 58E, respectively, via the third bend portion 58F and the fourth bend portion 58G. The first extension portion 58H and the second extension portion 58J face each other in the Y direction with the fitting shaft C in between, and extend diagonally with respect to the fitting shaft C such that the distance between them in the Y direction narrows as they move toward the +Z direction, and they are open to each other toward the +Z direction.

[0073] A pair of contact portions P1 are formed by the outer surfaces of the third bent portion 58F and the fourth bent portion 58G, which face in opposite directions, and a pair of pressing portions P2 are formed by the outer surfaces of the first bent portion 58B and the second bent portion 58C, which face in opposite directions.

[0074] Figure 28 shows the bottom insulator 57 used in the connector according to Embodiment 5. The bottom insulator 57 is the same as the bottom insulator 17 used in Embodiment 1 and shown in Figure 4, but has a protrusion 57C instead of a protrusion 17C, and the other configurations are the same as the bottom insulator 17. In other words, the bottom insulator 57 has a flat plate portion 17A with four circular recesses 17B formed thereon. Of the four recesses 17B, one recess 17B located on the -X and -Y sides has a projection 57C that protrudes in the +Z direction, and the other three recesses 17B each have three projections 17D that protrude in the +Z direction.

[0075] As shown in Figure 29, the projection 57C has the shape of a nearly regular hexagonal prism extending in the Z direction, and a groove 57F is formed across the projection 57C in the Y direction. This groove 57F forms a retaining portion that holds the inner contact 58. As shown in Figure 30, the inner contact 58 can be held in the bottom insulator 57 by inserting the horizontal portion 58A, the first bent portion 58B, and the second bent portion 58C into the groove 57F of the projection 57C.

[0076] When the inner contact 58 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, as shown in Figure 31, the pair of contact portions P1 of the inner contact 58 are pressed against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, thereby electrically connecting the inner contact 58 to the plug contact 13. In addition, the pair of pressing portions P2 of the inner contact 58 face each other against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13.

[0077] Although the sheet-like conductive member 15 is not shown in Figure 31, when the inner contact 58 is inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 while pressing the region R1 of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the sheet-like conductive member 15, which has been pressed into the recess 13C, is pressed toward the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 by the pair of pressing portions P2 of the inner contact 58.

[0078] Therefore, in the connector 11 according to Embodiment 1, even if the bottom insulator 57 shown in Figure 28 and the inner contacts 58 shown in Figures 26 and 27 are used instead of the bottom insulator 17 and inner contact 18, it is still possible to electrically connect both the shield layer 15D arranged on the front side and the shield layer 15F arranged on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to a single plug contact 13 arranged in region R1.

[0079] In Embodiment 5, the inner contact 58 has a pair of contact portions P1 formed on the third bent portion 58F and the fourth bent portion 58G, which are connected to the first extended portion 58H and the second extended portion 58J, which are open to each other in the +Z direction. Therefore, even if there are variations in the dimensional tolerances during the manufacturing of the inner contact 58, the fluctuation in the contact force of the pair of contact portions P1 with respect to the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 is kept to a minimum.

[0080] The inner contacts 18, 28, 38, 48, and 58 used in the above embodiments 1 to 5 can be easily and inexpensively manufactured without requiring complex manufacturing equipment, for example, by forming a metal wire. Furthermore, even when the thickness of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to be connected differs, inner contacts 18, 28, 38, 48, and 58 that can accommodate the sheet-like conductive member 15 can be easily obtained simply by adjusting the forming process.

[0081] In the embodiments 1 to 5 described above, the plug contact 13 located in region R1 of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is connected to both the shield layer 15D exposed on the surface side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 and the shield layer 15F exposed on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15. However, for example, it is also possible to connect only the shield layer 15F exposed on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to the plug contact 13 located in region R1.

[0082] The sheet-like conductive member 15 used in the above embodiments 1 to 5 has a multilayer structure as shown in Figure 8, but is not limited to this; it is acceptable as long as it has a flexible conductor arranged on at least one side of the sheet body. Furthermore, in embodiments 1 to 5 described above, two conductive layers consisting of a shield layer 15D and a shield layer 15F of the sheet-like conductive member 15 are connected to one plug contact 13 used as a shield terminal. However, the invention is not limited to this, and three or more conductive layers can also be connected to one plug contact 13.

[0083] Furthermore, although the connector 11 according to embodiments 1 to 5 described above has four plug contacts 13, including contacts used as shield terminals and contacts used as signal terminals, the number of plug contacts 13 is not limited to this, and it is sufficient to have at least one plug contact 13 that is electrically connected to a flexible conductor arranged on the front or back side of the sheet body of the sheet-like conductive member 15. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Flexible substrate, 1A Flexible conductor, 2 Housing, 2A Through-hole for contact, 2B Post housing, 3 Base member, 3A Protrusion, 3B Post for housing fixing, 4 Contact, 4A Cylindrical part, 4B Flange, 4C Protrusion housing, 11 Connector, 12 Housing, 13 Plug contact, 13A Cylindrical part, 13B First flange, 13C Recess, 14 Reinforcement sheet, 14A Opening, 14B Notch, 15 Sheet-shaped conductive member, 15A Sheet body, 15B Signal wiring layer, 15C, 15E, 15G Insulation layer, 15D, 15F Shielding layer, 15H Contact placement area, 15J Cutout, 15K Through-hole, 16 Top insulator, 16A Recess, 16B Through-hole for contact, 16C Boss, 17 Bottom insulator, 17A Flat section, 17B Recessed section, 17C, 17D, 57C Protrusion, 17E Through hole, 17F, 57F Groove, 18, 28, 38, 48, 58 Inner contact, 18A, 48A, 58A Horizontal section, 18B, 48B, 58B First bend section, 18C, 48F, 58C Second bend section, 18D, 58D First oblique section, 18E, 58E Second oblique section, 18F, 58F Third bend section, 18G, 58G Fourth bend section, 18H, 28H, 38H, 48C, 58H First extension section, 18J, 28J, 38J, 48E, 58J Second extension section, 38K, 48D First protrusion, 38L Second protrusion, 48G Third extension section, C Mating shaft, R1, R2 regions, P1 contact point, P2 pressing point.

Claims

1. A connector for connecting to a sheet-like object having a flexible conductor exposed on at least one of the front and back surfaces of a certain region, A cylindrical conductive plug contact having a recess extending along the mating axis, A conductive inner contact consisting of a wire spring inserted into the recess and bent, Equipped with, The inner contact has a contact portion that is elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis and contacts the plug contact within the recess, and a pressing portion that is elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis and is located within the recess. A connector in which, if the region of the object to be connected is sandwiched between the pressing portion and the inner surface of the recess in a direction perpendicular to the mating axis, the inner surface of the recess contacts the surface of the region, and the pressing portion contacts the back surface of the region, the plug contact is electrically connected directly to the flexible conductor exposed on the surface of the region, and if the flexible conductor is exposed on the back surface of the region, the plug contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor exposed on the back surface of the region via the inner contact.

2. The aforementioned inner contact is A horizontal portion extending across the aforementioned fitting shaft, The horizontal portion is connected to both ends of the first and second bent portions, respectively, via a first bent portion and a second bent portion, and the first and second oblique portions extend diagonally with respect to the fitting shaft while intersecting each other, The tip of the first slanted portion and the tip of the second slanted portion are connected to the first and second extension portions via a third and fourth bend portion, respectively, and the first extension portion and the second extension portion extend in a direction away from the horizontal portion along the fitting axis, facing each other with the fitting axis in between. The connector according to claim 1, having the following features.

3. The first bent portion and the second bent portion each form the contact portion, The connector according to claim 2, wherein the third bent portion and the fourth bent portion each form the pressing portion.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the first extension portion and the second extension portion extend parallel to each other.

5. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the first extension portion and the second extension portion extend diagonally with respect to the mating shaft such that the distance between them decreases as they move away from the horizontal portion.

6. The first extension portion has a first projection portion that is bent so as to project away from the second extension portion, The second extension portion has a second projection portion that is bent so as to project away from the first extension portion, The first bent portion and the second bent portion each form the contact portion, The connector according to claim 2, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion each form the pressing portion.

7. The third bent portion and the fourth bent portion each form the contact portion, The connector according to claim 2, wherein the first bent portion and the second bent portion each form the pressing portion.

8. The aforementioned inner contact is A horizontal portion extending across the aforementioned fitting shaft, A first extension portion is connected to one end of the horizontal portion via a first bent portion and extends along the fitting axis, A second extension extends from the other end of the horizontal portion along the fitting axis, A first projection is bent in the middle of the first extension so as to project away from the second extension. The connector according to claim 1, having the following features.

9. The first bent portion forms the contact portion, The connector according to claim 8, wherein the first protrusion forms the pressing portion.

10. The plug contact has a cylindrical portion and a flange formed at one end of the cylindrical portion. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the recess is located inside the cylindrical portion.

11. The housing comprises an insulating housing for holding the object to be connected, the plug contact, and the inner contact, The aforementioned housing is A top insulator through which the cylindrical portion of the plug contact passes and through a contact hole smaller than the flange is formed, A bottom insulator having a retaining portion for holding the inner contact It has, The connector according to claim 10, wherein the cylindrical portion of the plug contact is passed through the contact through hole, and the top insulator is fixed to the bottom insulator such that the object to be connected and the flange are sandwiched between the top insulator and the bottom insulator.

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