Electrical connector

Abstract

To provide an electrical connector that allows the connection status between the substrate and the contact member to be visually confirmed without impairing the function of shielding electromagnetic waves. [Solution] The electrical connector comprises an insulating housing member provided with a slot into which a card is inserted, a plurality of conductive contact members 11 held in the housing member, each having a contact portion that electrically contacts contacts provided on the card inserted into the slot and a board connection portion 21 that connects to signal electrodes on the board, a conductive shell member 12 that at least partially covers the board connection portion 21 of one of the contact members 11b in a direction intersecting the mounting surface of the board so as to be visible, and a conductive cover member 13 that is movably attached to the shell member 12 between a first position P1 in which the board connection portion 21 of at least one contact member 11b is visible through the opening 13d and a second position P2 in which it is not visible through the opening 13d.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a board connector that shields electromagnetic waves radiated from a plate-like object to be connected (card). In this board connector, most of the insulating housing that holds the conductive contacts, including the connection portion of the contacts (the portion connected to the board), is covered with a conductive shell.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, in the board connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the connection portion of the contacts is covered with a shell, it is difficult to visually check whether the contacts are properly soldered to the board or the like.

[0005] The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electrical connector capable of visually checking the connection state between a board and a contact member (contact) without impairing the function of shielding electromagnetic waves.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the electrical connector according to the present invention is an electrical connector mounted on a board, an insulating housing member provided with an insertion port into which a flat object to be connected is inserted, A plurality of conductive contact members are held in the housing member, each having a contact portion that electrically contacts a contact provided on the object to be connected inserted into the socket, and a substrate connection portion that connects to the electrodes of the substrate. A conductive shell member that at least partially covers the substrate connection portion of at least one of the plurality of contact members in a direction intersecting the mounting surface of the substrate, so as to be visible in that direction, A conductive cover member is provided with an opening, and the substrate connection portion of at least one contact member is movably attached to the shell member between a first position where it can be seen through the opening and a second position where it cannot be seen through the opening. Equipped with 、 The cover member moves in a direction parallel to the plane perpendicular to the normal direction of the mounting surface in the shell member. ru. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the connection state between the substrate and the contact member can be visually confirmed without impairing the function of shielding electromagnetic waves. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an electrical connector, substrate, and card according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (A) is a diagram showing the arrangement of electrodes on the substrate. (B) is a top view of the area near the contacts on one side (bottom) of the card. (C) is a top view of the area near the contacts on the other side (top) of the card, opposite to the first side. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown. [Figure 4] (A) is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the contact member and the fixing member. (B) is a perspective view showing the connection state between the contact member and the plate-shaped object to be connected. (C) is a perspective view of the housing member and the contact member. [Figure 5] This is a disassembled perspective view of an electrical connector. [Figure 6](A) is a perspective view showing the structure of the receiving portion in the shell member. (B) is a rear view of the shell member. (C) is a front view of the shell member. (D) is a perspective view before inserting the cover member into the receiving portion. [Figure 7] (A) is a perspective view of the shell member and cover member when the cover member is in the first position. (B) is a partial perspective view of the shell member and cover member when the cover member is in the first position. [Figure 8] (A) is a perspective view of the shell member and cover member when the cover member is in the second position. (B) is a partial perspective view of the shell member and cover member when the cover member is in the second position. [Figure 9] (A) is a top view of the electrical connector when the cover member is in the first position. (B) is a top view of the electrical connector when the cover member is in the second position. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector along line XX in Figure 1 when the cover member is in the second position. [Figure 11] This figure shows a modified configuration of an electrical connector when the cover member is in the first position. [Figure 12] This figure shows a modified configuration of the electrical connector when the cover member is in the second position. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in Figure 12. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the embodiments described below, expressions such as “having,” “including,” or “containing” also include the meaning of “consisting of” or “composed of.” In these embodiments, the description will be made according to the XYZ three-axis Cartesian coordinate system shown in the drawings as appropriate.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, an electrical connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a substrate 2 and electrically connects the substrate 2 and a card 3 which is a flat connection object. The electrical connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2 by soldering or the like. As shown in FIG. 2(A), signal electrodes 2b are formed on the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2, and the electrical connector 1 is connected to the signal electrodes 2b.

[0011] In the present embodiment, the electrical connector 1 will be described with reference to a three-axis orthogonal coordinate system composed of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. A plane along the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2 is defined as an XY plane, and the normal direction of the mounting surface 2a is defined as the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the card 3 is inserted into the electrical connector 1 along the +Y direction.

[0012] The card 3 is, for example, an M.2 (M dot two) card. M.2 is a standard defined for the form factor and connection terminals of a built-in expansion card of a computer. An internal circuit (not shown) such as a memory is formed in a main body of the card 3 having wide front and back surfaces 3a with a rectangular outer edge. As shown in FIGS. 2(B) and 2(C), at one end (+Y direction end) of the main body of the card 3, contact points 3b which are electrodes connected to the internal circuit are formed. The electrical connector 1 is connected to the contact points 3b to conduct the signal electrodes 2b of the substrate 2 and the contact points 3b of the card 3.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 2(B) and 2(C), in the card 3, an array of the contact points 3b is formed at its end. Actually, in the card 3, the arrays of the contact points 3b are formed one by one at the end of one wide surface 3a and at the end of the other wide surface 3a on the back side thereof. As shown in FIG. 2(B), the contact points 3b formed on the wide surface 3a facing the -Z direction are defined as contact points 3ba, and as shown in FIG. 2(C), the contact points 3b formed on the wide surface 3a facing the +Z direction are defined as contact points 3bb. The arrangement pitch of the contact points 3ba and the arrangement pitch of the contact points 3bb are the same, and the position of the contact points 3ba is shifted by half of the arrangement pitch in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) with respect to the position of the contact points 3bb.

[0014] Correspondingly, as shown in Figure 2(A), an array of signal electrodes 2b, whose number and array pitch are the same as those of the contacts 3b of the card 3, is formed on the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2 in the X-axis direction. With respect to the card 3, the array of signal electrodes 2b is formed in two rows in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, an array of signal electrodes 2ba is formed as an array of signal electrodes 2b closer to the -Y direction, corresponding to the array of contacts 3ba, and an array of signal electrodes 2bb is formed as an array of signal electrodes 2b closer to the +Y direction, corresponding to the array of contacts 3bb. The array pitch of signal electrodes 2ba and 2bb in each row is the same as that of contacts 3ba and 3bb, and the position of signal electrode 2ba is shifted by half the array pitch in the array direction (X-axis direction) relative to the position of signal electrode 2bb.

[0015] The electrical connector 1 connects the signal electrode 2b on the circuit board 2 to the contact 3b on the card 3 on a one-to-one basis. As shown in Figure 2(A), multiple ground electrodes 2c are arranged on the mounting surface 2a so as to surround the arrangement of signal electrodes 2b. In addition, a pair of soldering portions 2d are formed on the circuit board 2.

[0016] [Electrical connector] The configuration of the electrical connector 1 will now be described. As shown in Figures 1, 3, 4(A) to 4(C), and 5, the electrical connector 1 comprises a housing member 10, a contact member 11, a shell member 12, a cover member 13, and a fixing member 14.

[0017] The housing member 10 is the base body of the electrical connector 1, made of an insulating material, such as resin. The housing member 10 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the X-axis direction as its longitudinal direction. As shown in Figures 4(C) and 5, the housing member 10 has a bottom surface facing the substrate 2, an upper surface F1 on the opposite side, a front surface F2 facing the card 3, a back surface F3 on the opposite side, and two side surfaces F4 at both ends in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction).

[0018] As shown in Figures 4(C) and 5, the housing member 10 is mounted on the substrate 2 with its front surface F2 facing the -Y direction. An insertion slot 10a is formed on the front surface F2 of the housing member 10 into which one end of the card 3, into which the contact 3b is formed, is inserted. As shown in Figure 1, the card 3 is inserted into the insertion slot 10a with its wide surface 3a facing the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2. At this time, the wide surface 3a facing the mounting surface 2a must be the wide surface 3a on which the contact 3ba is formed. Therefore, a mechanism is provided to prevent the card 3 from being inserted into the insertion slot 10a when the wide surface 3a on which the contact 3bb is formed is facing the mounting surface 2a.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2(B) and 2(C), a slit 3e is provided at one end of the card 3 where the contact 3b is formed. The slit 3e is formed at a position offset from the center of the card 3 with respect to the X-axis direction. On the other hand, a partition portion 10b is formed in the insertion opening 10a of the housing member 10. The partition portion 10b is formed to correspond to the position of the slit 3e with respect to the X-axis direction. The slit 3e is formed offset from the center of the card 3. Therefore, if the front and back of the card 3 are reversed, the position of the slit 3e and the partition portion 10b will not match, and one end of the card 3 will come into contact with the partition portion 10b, making it impossible to insert the card 3 into the insertion opening 10a.

[0020] The contact member 11 is a terminal that electrically connects the signal electrode 2b of the substrate 2 and the contact 3b of the card 3. The contact member 11 is made of a conductive material, such as metal. Specifically, the contact member 11 is formed, for example, by punching out a metal plate. As shown in Figure 4(A), the contact member 11 has a locking portion 20, a substrate connection portion 21, and a contact portion 22. In Figure 4(A), the housing member 10 is omitted from the illustration for clarity, but in reality, the locking portion 20 locks onto the housing member 10. This holds the contact member 11 in place of the housing member 10. The substrate connection portion 21 is connected to the signal electrode 2b of the substrate 2 by soldering or the like. The contact portion 22 makes electrical contact with the contact 3b provided on the card 3 inserted into the slot 10a. The contact 3b of the card 3 and the signal electrode 2b of the substrate 2 are electrically connected via the contact member 11.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4(A), the electrical connector 1 is equipped with multiple contact members 11. The multiple contact members 11 are arranged in the X-axis direction, corresponding to the arrangement of contacts 3b on the card 3 and the arrangement of signal electrodes 2b on the substrate 2. This arrangement of contact members 11 in the X-axis direction is provided in two rows aligned in the Y-axis direction. The number of contact members 11 in each row is the same as the number of contacts 3ba and 3bb in the arrangement of contacts 3ba and 3bb on the card 3, and the arrangement pitch is also the same as the arrangement of contacts 3ba and 3bb. Furthermore, the positions of the contact members 11 (11a, 11b) in each row in the X-axis direction are shifted by half the arrangement pitch, similar to the relationship between the arrangement pitch of signal electrodes 2ba and 2bb and contacts 3ba and 3bb.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4(A), the contact members 11 in the row closer to the -Y direction are designated as contact member 11a, and the contact members 11 in the row closer to the +Y direction are designated as contact member 11b. The contact portion 22 of contact member 11a contacts the contact 3ba (see Figure 2(B)) of the card 3 inserted into the socket 10a, which is closer to the -Z direction. The contact portion 22 of contact member 11b contacts the contact 3bb (see Figure 2(C)) of the card 3 inserted into the socket 10a, which is closer to the +Z direction. As a result, a transmission line is formed from the contact 3ba (closer to the -Z direction) inserted into the socket 10a → contact member 11a → signal electrode 2ba, and a transmission line is formed from the contact 3bb (closer to the +Z direction) inserted into the socket 10a → contact member 11b → signal electrode 2bb.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2(C), the surface of the card 3 on which the contacts 3bb are located is provided with a shield case 3c, which is an electromagnetic shield that covers the internal circuit (not shown) and prevents the intrusion of electromagnetic waves from the outside. The shield case 3c is made of a conductive material, such as metal.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the other end of card 3 (the end in the -Y direction) is provided with a semicircular notch 3d, which will be described later. Card 3 is fixed to the substrate 2 with bolts 7 at this notch 3d. As a result, card 3 is positioned approximately parallel to the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2.

[0025] [Shell components] As shown in Figure 5, the shell member 12 is made of a conductive material, such as metal. The shell member 12 is constructed, for example, by bending a metal plate cut into a predetermined shape. The shell member 12 covers the housing member 10 at least partially. Specifically, the shell member 12 covers the top surface F1, back surface F3, and side surfaces F4 of the housing member 10 and is connected to the substrate 2. The shell member 12 may also cover parts of both ends of the front surface F2 in the X-axis direction.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the shell member 12 comprises an upper portion S1 positioned opposite the upper surface F1 of the housing member 10, a side portion S2 continuous with the upper portion S1 and positioned opposite the side surface F4 of the housing member 10, and a rear portion S3 continuous with the side portion S2 and positioned opposite the rear surface F3 of the housing member 10. The upper portion S1 covers a part of the upper surface F1 of the housing member 10. The side portion S2 covers the side surface F4 of the housing member 10. The rear portion S3 covers the rear surface F3 of the housing member 10.

[0027] As shown in Figures 5 and 6(A) to 6(D), the side portion S2 and the back portion S3 are provided with a substrate connection portion 12a that connects to the ground electrode 2c of the substrate 2. When the substrate connection portion 12a is connected to the ground electrode 2c, the ground electrode 2c of the substrate 2 and the shell member 12 are at the same potential. As shown in Figure 2(A), the ground electrode 2c is arranged to surround the signal electrode 2b, so the substrate connection portion 12a of the shell member 12 is also arranged to surround the signal electrode 2b and the contact member 11 connected to it along the XY plane.

[0028] The shell member 12, with its top portion S1, side portion S2, and back portion S3, covers the top surface F1, back F3, and side F4 of the housing member 10 of the electrical connector 1, thereby functioning as an electromagnetic shield that suppresses the intrusion of electromagnetic waves from the outside into the inside and suppresses the leakage of electromagnetic waves generated inside to the outside. The back portion S3 is a pair of flat plate-like portions that are bent from the +Y direction ends of the pair of side portions S2 toward the center in the X direction of the shell member 12. The tips of this pair of flat plate-like portions fit together at the center in the X direction of the shell member 12 to form the back portion S3.

[0029] A gap is provided between the rear portion S3 and the top portion S1. This gap allows the substrate connection portion 21 of at least one contact member 11b among the multiple contact members 11 to be visible in a direction intersecting the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2. By constructing the rear portion S3 by bending it from the side portion S2, the gap can be enlarged, making it easier to visually check the soldering state between the substrate connection portion 21 of the contact member 11b and the signal electrode 2bb from the outside. Furthermore, by constructing the rear portion S3 by bending it from the side portion S2, it is possible to reduce the gaps that tend to occur at the corners of the boundary portions of the top portion S1, side portion S2, and rear portion S3 of the folded shell member 12.

[0030] As shown in Figures 6(A), 6(B), and 6(C), the side portion S2 is constructed in a double layer by folding a plate-like portion. This allows the cover member 13 to be received between these double layers, as shown in Figure 6(D). Hereafter, the portion that receives the cover member 13 will be referred to as the receiving portion 30.

[0031] As shown in Figures 6(B) and 6(C), the receiving portion 30 is formed by bending plate-like portions extending from both ends of the upper surface portion S1 in the X-axis direction. The receiving portion 30 comprises an inner plate portion 31, a connecting portion 32, and an outer plate portion 33. The inner plate portion 31 is connected to one of the ends of the upper surface portion S1 in the X-axis direction and is formed by bending it in the -Z direction. The connecting portion 32 is connected to the -Z end of the inner plate portion 31 and is the bottom surface of the receiving portion 30 bent outward in the X-axis direction around the Y axis. The outer plate portion 33 is connected to the opposite side of the connecting portion 32 from the portion that connects to the inner plate portion 31 and is a plate-like portion that extends in the +Z direction at a distance from the inner plate portion 31. The +Z end of the outer plate portion 33 is bent toward the center of the shell member 12 in the X-axis direction. A part of the cover member 13 is inserted between the inner plate portion 31 and the outer plate portion 33.

[0032] Furthermore, a first restricting portion 34 is formed on a part of the outer plate portion 33 closer to the +Y direction. The first restricting portion 34 is a protruding portion formed on the receiving portion 30. Specifically, the first restricting portion 34 is formed by cutting off the rest of the outer plate portion 33, leaving only the edge closer to the -Y direction, and then bending the resulting rectangular piece toward the inner plate portion 31 with the -Y edge as the axis. The protruding portion of the first restricting portion 34 fits into the through hole 13c provided in the cover member 13 inserted into the receiving portion 30, as described later, thereby restricting the cover member 13 from moving any further in the +Y direction. The relative position of the cover member 13 with respect to the shell member 12, restricted by the first restricting portion 34, is defined as the first position P1 (the position shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B)).

[0033] In other words, the first restricting portion 34 restricts the cover member 13, which is inserted into the receiving portion 30 of the shell member 12, from moving beyond the first position P1 in the direction toward the first position P1 (+Y direction).

[0034] A second restricting portion 35 is connected to the -Y end of the outer plate portion 33, as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(C). The second restricting portion 35 extends from the outer plate portion 33 toward the inner plate portion 31. The second restricting portion 35 abuts against the cover member 13 inserted into the receiving portion 30, restricting the cover member 13 from moving any further in the -Y direction. The relative position of the cover member 13 with respect to the shell member 12, restricted by the second restricting portion 35, is defined as the second position P2 (the position shown in Figures 8(A) and 8(B)).

[0035] In other words, the second restricting portion 35 restricts the cover member 13, which is inserted into the receiving portion 30 of the shell member 12, from moving beyond the second position P2 in the direction toward the second position P2 (-Y direction).

[0036] [Cover component] The cover member 13 is made of a conductive material, such as metal. As shown in Figure 5, the cover member 13 is made, for example, by bending a metal plate cut into a predetermined shape. The cover member 13 comprises an upper surface portion C1, two side portions C2 that are continuous with the edges of both ends of the upper surface portion C1 in the X-axis direction and extend bent in the -Z direction, and an overhanging portion C3 that is continuous with the edge of the upper surface portion C1 in the -Y direction and protrudes in the -Y direction.

[0037] A knob 13a is provided on the upper surface portion C1 of the cover member 13. The knob 13a is provided as an operating part for grasping it with a finger or the like and inserting the side portion C2 of the cover member 13 into the receiving portion 30 of the shell member 12 from the -Y direction, as shown in Figure 6(D), and sliding the cover member 13 in the Y-axis direction.

[0038] The shell member 12 has contact surfaces of the outer plate portion 33 (the surface of the outer plate portion 33 facing the -Z direction and the surface of the connecting portion 32 facing the +Z direction) that can contact the cover member 13 at both ends in the Z-axis direction. The cover member 13 has a second ground contact portion 13b that contacts its contact surface while maintaining an elastic state in the Z-axis direction. When the side portion C2 is inserted into the receiving portion 30, the second ground contact portion 13b contacts the contact surface of the outer plate portion 33 while maintaining an elastic state. Specifically, the second ground contact portion 13b is elastically supported by the cover member 13 and displaces within the range of elastic deformation to maintain electrical contact between the shell member 12 and the outer plate portion 33. In other words, the second ground contact portion 13b maintains electrical contact between the shell member 12 and the outer plate portion 33 while maintaining an elastic state. As the second ground contact portion 13b maintains an elastic state while making contact, the cover member 13 is constantly pressed against the shell member 12 in the -Z direction, thereby stabilizing the position of the cover member 13 in the Z-axis direction.

[0039] When the side portion C2 is inserted into the receiving portion 30, the top portion C1, together with the top portion S1 of the shell member 12, covers the top surface F1 of the housing member 10. The cover member 13 is movably mounted on the shell member 12 between a first position P1 shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B) (see Figure 9(A)) and a second position P2 shown in Figures 8(A) and 8(B) (see Figure 9(B)). By operating the knob 13a, the cover member 13 can be moved in a direction parallel to the plane (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the normal direction (Z-axis direction) of the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2 on the shell member 12.

[0040] A through hole 13c is provided in the side portion C2 of the cover member 13. As shown in Figure 7(A), when the cover member 13 is in the first position P1, the first restricting portion 34 of the shell member 12 fits into the through hole 13c of the cover member 13, as shown in Figure 7(B). This restricts the cover member 13 from moving any further in the +Y direction. As shown in Figure 8(A), when the cover member 13 is in the second position P2, the second restricting portion 35 of the shell member 12 abuts against the -Y end of the cover member 13. This restricts the cover member 13 from moving any further in the -Y direction. Also, as shown in Figure 8(B), when the cover member 13 is in the second position P2, the first restricting portion 34 of the shell member 12 abuts against the +Y edge portion of the side portion C2 of the cover member 13. This also restricts the cover member 13 from moving in the +Y direction, and the cover member 13 is fixed in the second position P2 (see Figure 9(B)).

[0041] The upper surface portion C1 of the cover member 13 is provided with a rectangular through-hole, or opening 13d. Specifically, the opening 13d is located on a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. When the cover member 13 is in the first position P1, the opening 13d is positioned opposite the substrate connection portion 21 of the contact member 11b. This allows the connection state between the substrate connection portion 21 of the contact member 11b and the signal electrode 2bb, i.e., the soldering state, to be confirmed through the opening 13d, as shown in Figure 9(A). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(B), when the cover member 13 is in the second position P2, the opening 13d is positioned on the upper surface portion S1 of the shell member 12. This shields electromagnetic waves by preventing the substrate connection portion 21 of the contact member 11b from being visible through the opening 13d.

[0042] The protruding portion C3 constituting the cover member 13 includes a plurality of first ground contact portions 13e. The first ground contact portions 13e protrude in the -Y direction when the cover member 13 moves from a first position P1 to a second position P2. When the cover member 13 is in the second position P2, the first ground contact portions 13e contact the shield case 3c provided on the outer surface of the object to be connected inserted into the socket 10a while maintaining an elastic state, as shown in Figure 10. Specifically, the first ground contact portions 13e are elastically supported by the cover member 13 and displace within the range of elastic deformation to maintain electrical contact with the shield case 3c. In other words, the first ground contact portions 13e maintain electrical contact with the shield case 3c while maintaining an elastic state.

[0043] As shown in Figures 4(A), 4(B), and 4(C), the fixing members 14 are held by the housing member 10, positioned at both ends of the arrangement of contact members 11. The fixing members 14 are soldered to the soldering portion 2d of the substrate 2. This fixes the electrical connector 1 to the substrate 2.

[0044] As described above, the electrical connector 1 according to this embodiment comprises a housing member 10, a contact member 11, a shell member 12, a cover member 13, and a fixing member 14, and electrically connects the signal electrode 2b of the substrate 2 and the contact 3b of the card 3.

[0045] Next, we will explain the process of attaching the electrical connector 1 to the circuit board 2 and the connection operation of the card 3.

[0046] [Installation Process] First, the electrical connector 1 is mounted to the circuit board 2 by soldering. First, the circuit board connection portion 21 of the contact member 11 is connected to the signal electrode 2b of the circuit board 2 by soldering, the circuit board connection portion 12a of the shell member 12 is connected to the ground electrode 2c of the circuit board 2, and the fixing member 14 is connected to the soldering portion 2d of the circuit board 2, so that the housing member 10 with the contact member 11 and fixing member 14 attached, as shown in Figure 4(C), is mounted to the circuit board 2. After mounting the housing member 10, the shell member 12 with the cover member 13 attached is attached to the housing member 10, so that the circuit board connection portion 12a of the shell member 12 and the fixing member 14 are mounted to the circuit board 2. At this stage, as shown in Figure 9(A), the cover member 13 is in the first position P1. At this stage, the card 3 has not yet been inserted, so the connection state between the circuit board connection portion 21 of the contact member 11a and the signal electrode 2b of the circuit board 2 can be confirmed. Furthermore, the connection status between the substrate connection portion 21 of the contact member 11b and the signal electrode 2b of the substrate 2 can be confirmed through the opening 13d. Once it is confirmed that these connections are in good condition, the installation process is completed.

[0047] [Connection operation] Subsequently, card 3 is inserted into the socket 10a. In this state, even if card 3 is inserted parallel to the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2, the elastic force of the contact member 11 causes the other end to tilt away from the substrate 2 relative to the end inserted into the socket 10a. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the portion of card 3 with a notch 3d is fixed to the substrate 2 by a bolt 7. As a result, card 3 becomes approximately parallel to the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2.

[0048] From this state, the cover member 13 is moved from the first position P1 shown in Figure 9(A) to the second position P2 shown in Figure 9(B). The cover member 13 contacts the shell member 12 while maintaining an elastic state via the second ground contact portion 13b, and also contacts the shield case 3c of the card 3 via the first ground contact portion 13e. At this time, since the shell member 12 is connected to the ground electrode 2c of the substrate 2, the ground electrode 2c, shell member 12, cover member 13, and shield case 3c are at the same potential (for example, 0). As shown in Figure 10, the shell member 12 and cover member 13 cover the transmission line consisting of the internal circuit of the card 3, the contact member 11 of the electrical connector 1, and the signal electrode 2b, and therefore function as an electromagnetic shield to block electromagnetic waves generated from these.

[0049] To remove card 3 from electrical connector 1, simply remove bolt 7 from circuit board 2, return cover member 13 from second position P2 to first position P1, and then remove bolt 7 from circuit board 2. This causes card 3 to rotate relative to circuit board 2 due to the elastic force of contact member 11, resulting in a tilted position relative to circuit board 2. In this state, card 3 can be easily removed from electrical connector 1. Note that when removing card 3 from electrical connector 1, it is also possible to remove it while cover member 13 remains in second position P2 without returning it to first position P1.

[0050] Figures 11 to 13 show modified configurations of the electrical connector 1B. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the shape of the cover member 13 of this electrical connector 1B differs from that of the electrical connector 1. As can be seen by comparing Figure 10 and Figure 13, the length of the protruding portion C3 in the Y-axis direction of the cover member 13 of the electrical connector 1B is shorter than that of the electrical connector 1.

[0051] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, in the electrical connector 1B, the first ground contact portion 13e is formed by recessing a part of the -Y-axis end of the protruding portion C3 in the -Z-axis direction. One first ground contact portion 13e is formed at each end in the X-axis direction. As shown in Figure 12, when the cover member 13 is in the second position P2, the first ground contact portion 13e contacts the shield case 3c provided on the outer surface of the object to be connected inserted into the socket 10a, as shown in Figure 13.

[0052] Thus, in the electrical connector 1B, the first ground contact portion 13e is made of a portion that protrudes in the -Z direction, rather than an elastic member that extends in the Y direction provided on the electrical connector 1. This makes it possible to shorten the length of the protruding portion C3 in the Y direction. Shortening the length of the protruding portion C3 in the Y direction allows the card 3 to be inserted into the insertion slot 10a from an oblique upward direction relative to the substrate 2, making it easier to insert the card 3. This improves the workability when inserting the card 3.

[0053] (1) As described in detail above, the electrical connector 1 according to the above embodiment is mounted on a substrate 2. The electrical connector 1 has an insulating housing member 10 into which a flat card 3 is inserted, a contact portion 22 that electrically contacts a contact 3b provided on the card 3 inserted into the insertion portion 10a, and a substrate connection portion 21 that connects to the signal electrode 2b of the substrate 2, and a plurality of conductive contact members 11 held in the housing member 10, and the substrate connection portion 21 of at least one of the plurality of contact members 11 is connected to the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2. The device comprises a conductive shell member 12 that at least partially covers the contact member so that it is visible in the direction of insertion, and a conductive cover member 13 that is movable relative to the shell member 12 between a first position P1 (see Figures 7(A), 7(B), and 9(A)) where the substrate connection portion 21 of at least one contact member 11 is visible through the opening 13d, and a second position P2 (see Figures 8(A), 8(B), and 9(B)) where it is not visible through the opening 13d. By positioning the cover member 13 at the first position P1, the soldering state between the substrate connection portion 21 of the contact member 11b and the signal electrode 2b can be checked. After checking, the cover member 13 can be positioned at the second position P2, shielding the housing member 10 and contact member 11 from the outside world with the shell member 12 and cover member 13. This allows the connection state between the substrate 2 and the contact member 11 to be visually checked without impairing the electromagnetic wave shielding function.

[0054] (2) In the electrical connector 1 according to the above embodiment, the cover member 13 has a first ground contact portion 13e that contacts the conductive shield case 3c provided on the outer surface of the card 3 inserted into the socket 10a when it is in the second position P2. This makes the cover member 13 function as an electromagnetic shield by setting the potential of the cover member 13 and the shield case 3c of the card 3 to the same potential.

[0055] (3) In the electrical connector 1 according to the above embodiment, the cover member 13 moves in a direction parallel to the plane of the shell member 12 that is perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. This makes it possible to maintain a low height of the electrical connector 1 from the substrate 2.

[0056] (4) In the electrical connector 1 according to the above embodiment, the shell member 12 includes a first restricting portion 34 that restricts the cover member 13 from moving beyond the first position P1 in the direction toward the first position P1, and a second restricting portion 35 that restricts the cover member 13 from moving beyond the second position P2 in the direction toward the second position P2. This prevents the cover member 13 from falling off the shell member 12.

[0057] (5) In the electrical connector 1 according to the above embodiment, the shell member 12 has contact surfaces (a surface of the outer plate portion 33 facing the -Z direction and a surface of the connecting portion 32 facing the +Z direction) that can contact the cover member 13 at both ends in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cover member 13 moves. The cover member 13 has a second ground contact portion 13b that contacts the contact surface while maintaining an elastic state in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the cover member 13 and the shell member 12 can be brought into contact with each other and made to the same potential, and the cover member 13 is always pressed against the shell member 12 in the -Z direction, so that the position of the cover member 13 in the Z-axis direction can be stabilized.

[0058] (6) In the electrical connector 1 according to the above embodiment, the opening 13d is provided on a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. This makes it possible to check the soldering state between the substrate connection portion 21 of the contact member 11b and the signal electrode 2b from the direction normal to the mounting surface 2a of the substrate 2.

[0059] In the above embodiment, card 3 is an M.2 card. However, it is not limited to this. It may be a card of another standard (e.g., SD), or a communication card with a built-in wireless antenna.

[0060] This invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. In other words, the scope of this invention is indicated not by the embodiments, but by the claims. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent scope of the meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of this invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0061] The present invention can be applied, for example, to an electrical connector that connects a substrate to a flat object. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1, 1B Electrical connector, 2 Circuit board, 2a Mounting surface, 2b, 2ba, 2bb Signal electrode, 2c Ground electrode, 2d Soldering part, 3 Card (object to be connected), 3a Wide surface, 3b, 3ba, 3bb Contact, 3c Shield case (Ground member), 3d Notch, 3e Slit, 7 Bolt (Fastener), 10 Housing member, 10a Insertion port, 10b Partition part, 11, 11a, 11b Contact member, 12 Shell member, 12a Circuit board connection part, 13 Cover member, 13a Knob, 13b Second ground contact part, 13c Through hole, 13d Opening, 13e First ground contact part, 14 Fixing member, 20 Locking part, 21 Circuit board connection part, 22 Contact part, 30 Receiving part, 31 Inner plate part, 32 Connecting part, 33 Outer panel part, 34 1st regulation part, 35 2nd regulation part, C1 top part, C2 side part, C3 overhang part, F1 top part, F2 front part, F3 back part, F4 side part, S1 top part, S2 side part, S3 back part

Claims

1. An electrical connector mounted on a circuit board, An insulating housing member having an insertion slot into which a flat object to be connected is inserted, A plurality of conductive contact members are held in the housing member, each having a contact portion that electrically contacts a contact provided on the object to be connected inserted into the socket, and a substrate connection portion that connects to the electrodes of the substrate. A conductive shell member that at least partially covers the substrate connection portion of at least one of the plurality of contact members in a direction intersecting the mounting surface of the substrate, so as to be visible in that direction, A conductive cover member is provided with an opening, and the substrate connection portion of at least one contact member is movably attached to the shell member between a first position where it can be seen through the opening and a second position where it cannot be seen through the opening. Equipped with, The cover member moves in a direction parallel to the plane perpendicular to the normal direction of the mounting surface in the shell member. Electrical connector.

2. The cover member, when in the second position, has a first ground contact portion that contacts a conductive ground member provided on the outer surface of the object to be connected inserted into the socket. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned shell member is A first restricting portion that restricts the cover member from moving beyond the first position in the direction toward the first position, The cover member comprises a second restricting portion that restricts the cover member from moving beyond the second position in the direction toward the second position, The electrical connector according to claim 1.

4. The shell member has contact surfaces that can come into contact with the cover member at both ends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cover member moves, The cover member includes a second ground contact portion that contacts the contact surface while maintaining an elastic state in the direction normal to the mounting surface. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

5. The opening is provided on a plane perpendicular to the normal direction of the mounting surface. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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