Electrical connector

Abstract

To provide an electric connector capable of effectively preventing bucking and deformation of a contact held on a tongue-shaped part of a housing of the electric connector, and provide a manufacturing method of the electric connector.SOLUTION: An electric connector 1 contains: an insulation housing 7 that has a base part 71; a tougue-shaped part 72; a plurality of housing concave parts 74 formed onto the tougue-shaped part 72; and a plurality of projection parts 75 that is extended from a tip end surface of the plurality of housing concave parts 74 to a base end side; and a plurality of contacts 6 that is held onto the tougue-shaped part 72 of the housing 7 so as to be arranged onto a contact flat surface, and is extended in a liner shape along an insertion direction of a mating side connector. Each tip end part 61 of each of the plurality of contacts 6 is arranged at each of the plurality of housing concave parts 74, and the plurality of projection parts 75 is contacted to the tip end part 61 of the plurality of contacts 6. The plurality of contacts 6 is not adhered to the tougue-shaped part 72 of the housing 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to electrical connectors, and more specifically, in a state where a plurality of contacts are held on a tongue portion of a housing such that tip portions of the plurality of contacts are positioned within a plurality of storage recesses formed on the tongue portion of the housing, a plurality of protrusions extending from tip surfaces of the plurality of storage recesses formed on the tongue portion of the housing are brought into contact with the tip portions of the plurality of contacts respectively, thereby enhancing the integrality between the tongue portion of the housing and the plurality of contacts, and thereby preventing buckling and deformation of the plurality of contacts provided on the tongue portion of the housing. Ta This relates to an electrical connector. Ta

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, electrical connectors have been used to electrically connect an electronic device and another electronic device. To obtain an electrical connection between an electronic device and another electronic device, a receptacle connector mounted on a circuit board provided in the housing of the electronic device and having an insertion port exposed to the outside of the electronic device through a through hole provided in the housing of the electronic device, and a plug connector inserted into the insertion port of the receptacle connector are combined and used.

[0003] In addition, with the miniaturization of electronic devices in recent years, the demand for miniaturization of electrical connectors has been increasing. In response to such a demand for miniaturization of electrical connectors, the USB Type-C standard has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). An electrical connector conforming to the USB Type-C standard adopts a vertically symmetric design, and it is possible to insert the plug connector into the receptacle connector regardless of the vertical orientation of the connector.

[0004] ​An electrical connector conforming to the USB Type-C standard includes a metal shell and an internal structure housed inside the shell. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connector including an internal structure 500 as shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the internal structure 500 comprises a plurality of contacts 501 that each contact a plurality of connectors of a mating connector (plug connector), a ground plate 502, and an insulating housing 503 that holds the plurality of contacts 501 and the ground plate 502 in an insulated state from each other.

[0005] The housing 503 comprises a base portion 504, a tongue-shaped portion 505 extending from the base portion 504 toward the tip, and a plurality of contact receiving portions 506 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 505. The tongue-shaped portion 505 of the housing 503 is a flat plate-shaped member extending from the base portion 504 toward the tip, on which a plurality of contacts 501 are placed, and further holds a ground plate 502 inside. Furthermore, a plurality of contacts 501 are housed in each of the plurality of contact receiving portions 506 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 505.

[0006] As shown in Figure 1, the multiple contacts 501 are arranged parallel to each other on the same plane along one direction (the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector) and are each placed in a plurality of contact receiving portions 506 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 505. Each of the multiple contacts 501 has a tip portion 507, a contact portion 508 that is exposed outward on the tongue-shaped portion 505 of the housing 503, and a horizontal extension portion 509 that extends horizontally from the contact portion 508 toward the base end and is embedded in the base portion 504 of the housing 503. The contact portion 508 of each of the multiple contacts 501 contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector when the mating connector is inserted into the electrical connector having an internal structure 500. At this time, the mating connector and the electrical connector are mated, and an electrical connection is provided between the mating connector and the electrical connector.

[0007] The horizontal extension portion 509 of the contact 501 extends in the same direction as the extension direction of the contact portion 508. The horizontal extension portion 509 is embedded in the base portion 504 of the housing 503, and the horizontal extension portion 509 of the contact 501 is fixed to the housing 503. On the other hand, the tip portion 507 and the contact portion 508 of the contact 501 are housed in the contact receiving portion 506 of the housing 503, but are not bonded to the tongue-shaped portion 505 and are not fixed to the tongue-shaped portion 505.

[0008] Thus, the tip 507 and contact portion 508 of contact 501 are not fixed to the tongue portion 505 of housing 503. Therefore, when a mating connector is inserted into an electrical connector, if the insertion angle of the mating connector is oblique, the corresponding contact of the mating connector will make oblique contact with the contact portion 508 of contact 501, thereby applying a load to the contact portion 508. This applied load may cause buckling or deformation of the contact portion 508, and the contact portion 508 may detach (curl up) from the tongue portion 505. As a result, there is a problem in that the reliability of the connection between contact 501 and the corresponding contact of the mating connector is compromised, and the product life of the electrical connector is shortened.

[0009] To address this problem, a method is known in which the housing 503 and all contacts 501 are simultaneously integrally molded (insert molded), thereby bonding (fixing) the tip portions 507 and contact portions 508 of all contacts 501 to the tongue-shaped portion 505 of the housing 503 and integrating them. With this method, even if the mating connector is inserted into the electrical connector at an angle, the contact portions 508 of all contacts 501 are bonded and fixed to the tongue-shaped portion 505, thus preventing the contact portions 508 from buckling or deforming and detaching from the tongue-shaped portion 505. However, such integral molding, which integrates all contacts 501 and the housing 503 simultaneously, increases the difficulty of positioning each component because it involves the simultaneous integral molding of a large number of parts, including all contacts 501, thus increasing the technical difficulty of integral molding. Furthermore, because it is necessary to integrally mold a large number of parts, the structure of the mold for integral molding becomes complex, increasing the cost of the mold and thus increasing the manufacturing cost of the electrical connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-71954 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] The present invention addresses the above-mentioned conventional problems. Its objective is to provide an electrical connector and a method for manufacturing an electrical connector that can effectively prevent buckling and deformation of contacts held on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing of the electrical connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] Such objectives are achieved by the present invention as described in (1) or (2) below. (1) An electrical connector that can be mated with a mating connector inserted from the tip side, a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion in the insertion and extraction direction of the mating connector ,of an insulating housing comprising a plurality of contacts held on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing so as to be arranged on a contact plane and extending linearly along the insertion and extraction direction of the mating connector, and The tongue-shaped portion of the housing is A plurality of contact receiving portions, each having a groove extending in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, Multiple storage recesses are formed at the tips of the multiple grooves of the multiple contact receiving portions, The plurality of storage recesses are provided with a plurality of protrusions extending from the tip surface toward the base end, wherein the plurality of contacts Each of them is, before the tongue-shaped portion Correspondence front Record are placed within the receiving recess ni place The tip and and The tongue-shaped portion extends from the base end of the tip toward the base end, is held in the groove of the corresponding contact receiving portion of the tongue-shaped portion, and comprises a contact portion that contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector, The tip of the contact extends linearly downward at an angle from the contact portion. The tongue-shaped portion wherein the plurality of protrusions bottom contact the tip portions of the plurality of contacts located within the plurality of receiving recesses Top surface and wherein the plurality of contacts Each of the aforementioned contact parts are ,before not adhered to the tongue-shaped portion, characterized by an electrical connector

[0013] (2) An electrical connector that can be mated with a mating connector inserted from the tip side, An insulating housing comprising a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion in the direction of insertion and removal of the mating connector, Includes a plurality of contacts, which are held on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing so as to be arranged on a contact plane and which extend linearly along the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, The tongue-shaped portion of the housing is A plurality of contact receiving portions, each having a groove extending in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, Multiple storage recesses are formed at the tips of the multiple grooves of the multiple contact receiving portions, The plurality of storage recesses are provided with a plurality of protrusions extending from the tip surface toward the base end, Each of the aforementioned multiple contacts is The tip portion located within the corresponding storage recess of the tongue-shaped portion, The tongue-shaped portion extends from the base end of the tip toward the base end, is held in the groove of the corresponding contact receiving portion of the tongue-shaped portion, and comprises a contact portion that contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector, The multiple protrusions of the tongue-shaped portion are in contact with the tip portions of the multiple contacts located within the multiple storage recesses. Each of the contact portions of the plurality of contacts is not bonded to the tongue-shaped portion. The contact plane includes a first contact plane and a second contact plane parallel to the first contact plane. The plurality of contacts includes a plurality of first contacts arranged on the first contact plane and a plurality of second contacts arranged on the second contact plane. The housing includes an upper housing that holds the plurality of first contacts and a lower housing that holds the plurality of second contacts, The tongue-shaped portion of the housing is included in the lower housing, The upper housing is attached to the lower housing such that the plurality of first contacts held by the upper housing are located on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion of the lower housing. An electrical connector characterized in that the plurality of second contacts are held on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion of the lower housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the electrical connector of the present invention, multiple protrusions extending from the tips of multiple recesses toward the base end are in contact with the tips of multiple contacts, each located within a plurality of recesses formed on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing. This increases the integrity between the tongue-shaped portion of the housing and the contacts. As a result, buckling or deformation of the contacts on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, which may occur when the mating connector is inserted into the electrical connector, can be prevented. Therefore, the reliability of the connection between the electrical connector and the mating connector contacts can be improved, and the product life of the electrical connector can be extended.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method of the electrical connector of the present invention, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to perform integral molding, which simultaneously integrates a large number of parts including multiple contacts, in order to prevent buckling or deformation of the contacts provided on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform integral molding, which is technically difficult, to integrate a large number of parts simultaneously as in the prior art, and electrical connectors can be easily manufactured. In addition, since expensive molds with complex structures for integrating a large number of parts simultaneously are not required, the manufacturing cost of electrical connectors can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a conventional electrical connector. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector shown along line AA. [Figure 4]This is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the disassembled upper and lower components of the internal structure shown. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the upper component. [Figure 7] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the lower component. [Figure 8] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the lower housing from a different angle. [Figure 9] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the lower component from a different angle. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the internal structure before the heat welding process is applied to it. [Figure 11] This is a diagram illustrating the first heat welding process for multiple protrusions. [Figure 12] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area near the tip of the first contact. [Figure 13] This flowchart shows the method for manufacturing the electrical connector of the present invention. [Figure 14] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the process of providing contacts to the housing. [Figure 15] This is a diagram illustrating the process of attaching the upper part to the lower part. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The electrical connector and method for manufacturing the electrical connector of the present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The figures referenced below are schematic diagrams prepared for the purpose of explaining the present invention. The dimensions (length, width, thickness, etc.) of each component shown in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensions. In addition, the same reference numeral is used for identical or corresponding elements in each figure. In the following description, the positive direction of the Z axis in each figure may be referred to as the "tip side," the negative direction of the Z axis as the "base side," the positive direction of the Y axis as the "upper side," the negative direction of the Y axis as the "lower side," the positive direction of the X axis as the "front side," and the negative direction of the X axis as the "back side." The Z direction may also be referred to as the "insertion / removal direction of the mating connector."

[0018] First, an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 12. Figure 2 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector shown in Figure 2, taken along line AA. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the upper and lower components of the internal structure shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the upper component shown in Figure 5. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the lower component shown in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the lower housing shown in Figure 7 from a different angle. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the lower component shown in Figure 5 from a different angle. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the internal structure before a heat welding process is performed on the internal structure. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a first heat welding process on a plurality of protrusions. Figure 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area near the tip of the first contact.

[0019] The electrical connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 2 and 3 is configured to conform to the specifications defined by the USB Type-C standard. For example, the electrical connector 1 is mounted as a receptacle connector on a circuit board provided inside the casing (not shown) of an electronic device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, portable music player, or e-reader. The mating connector is inserted from the tip side (+Z direction side) of the electrical connector 1, providing an electrical connection between the mating connector and the electrical connector 1.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, the electrical connector 1 includes an internal structure 2, a metal shell 3 that covers the internal structure 2 from the outside and holds the internal structure 2 inside, and a shielding member 4 that covers the internal structure 2 and the shell 3 from above.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, the internal structure 2 consists of an upper part 21 obtained by holding a plurality of first contacts 6 with an upper housing 5, and a lower part 22 obtained by holding a ground plate 8 and a plurality of second contacts 9 with a lower housing 7. The upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22 from above, and the internal structure 2 is obtained by further applying a heat welding process to the lower part 22.

[0022] As shown in Figure 6, the upper component 21 includes an insulating upper housing 5 and a plurality of first contacts 6 held by the upper housing 5. The plurality of first contacts 6 are arranged parallel to each other along the X-axis and held spaced apart by the upper housing 5 to insulate each other. The upper component 21 is obtained by insert molding, in which the plurality of first contacts 6 are placed in a mold having a shape corresponding to the upper housing 5 and a thermoplastic insulating material is poured in, and the plurality of first contacts 6 are held by the upper housing 5.

[0023] The upper housing 5 includes a tip portion 51 located at the tip end and a base portion 52 located closer to the base end than the tip portion 51. The upper housing 5 is formed from a thermoplastic insulating material such as a thermoplastic resin (e.g., polyamide (PA), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene (PE), ABS resin) and is integrated with a plurality of first contacts 6 by integral molding.

[0024] The tip portion 51 includes a plate-like portion 511 extending from the base portion 52 toward the tip, a plurality of tie bar cut holes 512 formed in the plate-like portion 511, a pair of heat-welding holes 513 through which the welded protrusions 76 of the lower housing 7 (see Figures 5 and 7), which will be described later, are inserted, a pair of wall portions 514 extending upward from both sides of the base end portion of the plate-like portion 511, a pair of press-fit portions 515 formed to protrude outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of wall portions 514, and a pair of press-fit ribs 516 formed to protrude outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of press-fit portions 515.

[0025] The plate-shaped portion 511 is a flat plate-shaped member that extends from the tip side of the base end portion 52 to the tip side of the upper housing 5, and has the function of holding a plurality of first contacts 6 inside. Specifically, the plate-shaped portion 511 holds the first horizontal extension portion 63 of the plurality of first contacts 6, which will be described later, inside, and holds the plurality of first contacts 6 by integrating with it.

[0026] Multiple tie bar cut holes 512 are formed on both sides of the upper surface of the plate-like portion 511 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure). When the upper part 21 is obtained by integrally molding the multiple first contacts 6 and the upper housing 5, the multiple first contacts 6 are connected to each other via connecting portions. The multiple tie bar cut holes 512 are used to perform tie bar cuts to separate the first contacts 6 from each other by punching out the connecting portions with a cutter after the upper part 21 has been obtained by integral molding.

[0027] The pair of heat-welding holes 513 are formed approximately at the center of the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure) of the upper surface of the plate-like portion 511, between the pair of tie-bar cut holes 512. The pair of heat-welding holes 513 are used to insert a pair of welded projections 76 formed on the lower housing 7. The pair of heat-welding holes 513 are also used as tie-bar cut holes for inserting a cutter to perform the aforementioned tie-bar cutting. After the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, with the welded projections 76 inserted through the heat-welding holes 513, a heat-welding process is performed on the welded projections 76, and the heat-welding holes 513 are partially or completely filled with the molten welded projections 76, thereby integrating the upper part 21 and the lower part 22.

[0028] The pair of wall portions 514 extend upward from both sides of the base end portion of the plate-like portion 511 and protrude from one end to the other of the base end portion 52. When the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, the outer surfaces of the pair of wall portions 514 and the inner surfaces of the pair of wall portions 714 (see Figures 5 and 7) of the lower part 22 come into contact with each other.

[0029] The pair of press-fit portions 515 are formed to protrude outward from the respective outer surfaces of the pair of wall portions 514. Furthermore, the outer surfaces of the press-fit portions 515 are continuous with the outer surface of the base portion 52 without any step. When the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, the pair of press-fit portions 515 are press-fitted into the pair of press-fit grooves 713 of the lower part 22, thereby attaching the upper part 21 to the lower part 22.

[0030] The pair of press-fit ribs 516 are formed to protrude outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of press-fit portions 515. The press-fit ribs 516 also extend vertically (in the Y direction) on the outer surfaces of the press-fit portions 515. When the pair of press-fit portions 515 are pressed into the pair of press-fit grooves 713 of the lower part 22 from above in order to attach the upper part 21 to the lower part 22, the pair of press-fit ribs 516 elastically deform and are pressed against the pair of press-fit grooves 713. This increases the strength of the attachment of the upper part 21 to the lower part 22.

[0031] The base end portion 52 includes a plate-like portion 521 extending from the tip portion 51 toward the base end, a fitting recess 522 formed on the lower surface of the plate-like portion 521, and a connecting portion 523 connecting the plate-like portion 521 and the tip portion 51. The base end portion 52 is integrally molded with the tip portion 51.

[0032] The plate-shaped portion 521 is a flat plate-shaped member that extends from the tip portion 51 toward the base end, and has the function of holding a plurality of first contacts 6 inside. Specifically, the plate-shaped portion 521 holds the bridge portions 64 of the plurality of first contacts 6, which will be described later, inside, and holds the plurality of first contacts 6 by integrating with them.

[0033] The fitting recess 522 is formed on the tip side of the lower surface of the base end portion 52 and has a concave shape corresponding to the shape of the central portion 711 of the lower part 22 (see Figures 5 and 7), which will be described later. By fitting the central portion 711 into the fitting recess 522, the upper part 21 is prevented from swinging relative to the lower part 22. The connecting portion 523 extends diagonally upward from the base end side of the tip portion 51 and connects the tip portion 51 and the base end portion 52. Furthermore, when the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, the inner surface of the connecting portion 523 is in contact with the inclined surface 7111 (see Figures 5 and 7) on the tip side of the central portion 711 of the lower part 22.

[0034] Each of the multiple first contacts 6 has a rod-like shape that extends linearly along the insertion / removal direction (Z-axis direction) of the mating connector. Since all of the multiple first contacts 6 have the same configuration, one first contact 6 will be described in detail below as a representative example. The first contact 6 includes a tip portion 61 located at the outermost point (+Z direction side), a contact portion 62 that extends horizontally from the base end of the tip portion 61 toward the base end and contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector, a first horizontal extension portion 63 that extends horizontally from the contact portion 62 toward the base end (-Z direction side), a bridge portion 64 that extends from the first horizontal extension portion 63 toward the base end, and a terminal portion 65 that extends from the bridge portion 64 toward the base end. Note that the contact portions 62 and the first horizontal extension portion 63 of the multiple first contacts 6 are all located on the same plane. Hereinafter, in this specification, the plane on which the contact portions 62 and the first horizontal extension portions 63 of the multiple first contacts 6 are located will be referred to as the "first contact plane".

[0035] The tip portion 61 is located at the very front of the first contact 6 and extends diagonally downward from the contact portion 62. As shown in Figures 3 and 11, the tip portion 61 is located within a storage recess 74 formed on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7, which will be described later. Therefore, when the electrical connector 1 is assembled, the tip portion 61 extends from the contact portion 62 toward the corresponding storage recess 74 of the lower housing 7. Returning to Figure 6, the contact portion 62 is the portion that contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector when the mating connector is inserted from the tip side through the insertion opening 311 of the shell 3 when the electrical connector 1 is assembled. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, when the internal structure 2 is formed, the upper surface of the contact portion 62 is exposed toward the outside (+Y direction).

[0036] Returning to Figure 6, the first horizontal extension 63 extends horizontally from the base end of the contact portion 62 toward the base end and is embedded in the tip portion 51 of the upper housing 5. The bridge portion 64 has a first leg portion 641 that extends diagonally upward from the base end of the first horizontal extension portion 63, a second horizontal extension portion 642 that extends horizontally from the first leg portion 641 toward the base end, and a second leg portion 643 that extends diagonally downward from the base end of the second horizontal extension portion 642 and connects to the terminal portion 65. The first leg portion 641, the second horizontal extension portion 642, and a part of the second leg portion 643 are embedded in the tip portion 51 and base portion 52 of the upper housing 5. The terminal portion 65 is the part that extends horizontally from the base end of the second leg portion 643 toward the base end. When the electrical connector 1 is mounted on the circuit board, the terminal portion 65 is connected to the corresponding terminal provided on the circuit board.

[0037] As mentioned above, the upper part 21 is obtained by integrally molding the multiple first contacts 6 and the upper housing 5. During the integral molding of the upper part 21, in order to prevent misalignment or tilting of the multiple first contacts 6 within the upper housing 5, each of the multiple first contacts 6 is connected to each other by a connecting portion. Therefore, after the integral molding of the upper part 21, a cutter is inserted through the tie bar cut hole 512 and the pair of heat welding holes 513 of the upper housing 5, and the connecting portions connecting each of the multiple first contacts 6 are punched out, performing tie bar cutting to separate the multiple first contacts 6 from each other.

[0038] Furthermore, the multiple first contacts 6 include two pairs of high-frequency signal contacts CP1, each consisting of two high-frequency signal contacts 6A for transmitting high-frequency differential signals with the mating connector; one pair of normal signal contacts CP2, each consisting of two normal signal contacts 6B for transmitting normal frequency differential signals with the mating connector; and multiple non-signal contacts 6C used for purposes other than signal transmission.

[0039] Each of the two pairs of high-frequency signal contacts CP1 consists of two adjacent high-frequency signal contacts 6A. Each pair of high-frequency signal contacts CP1 is located on either side of the electrical connector 1 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure). Furthermore, non-signal contacts 6C are arranged on both sides of each pair of high-frequency signal contacts CP1. In Figure 6, the non-signal contacts 6C located on the outside of each pair of high-frequency signal contacts CP1 are ground terminals that contact the ground terminal of the mating connector. On the other hand, the non-signal contacts 6C located on the inside of each pair of high-frequency signal contacts CP1 are power supply terminals for supplying power to the electrical connector 1.

[0040] A pair of normal signal contacts CP2 consists of two normal signal contacts 6B for transmitting differential signals of normal frequencies to the mating connector and is arranged between two pairs of high-frequency signal contacts CP1. Furthermore, non-signal contacts 6C are arranged on both sides of the pair of normal signal contacts CP2. Each of the non-signal contacts 6C arranged on both sides of the pair of normal signal contacts CP2 is an identification contact used for transmitting a signal to identify the electrical connector 1.

[0041] As mentioned above, the upper part 21 is obtained by integrally molding the plurality of first contacts 6 and the upper housing 5. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, in the state in which the plurality of first contacts 6 and the upper housing 5 are integrated, the tip portions 61 and contact portions 62 of the plurality of first contacts 6 protrude outwards from the plate-shaped portion 511 of the tip portion 51 of the upper housing 5 and are exposed. Furthermore, a portion of the second leg portions 643 and terminal portions 65 of the plurality of first contacts 6 protrude outwards from the base end side to the base end side of the lower surface of the base end portion 52 of the upper housing 5 and are exposed.

[0042] As shown in Figure 7, the lower component 22 includes an insulating lower housing 7, a ground plate 8 held by the insulating lower housing 7, and a plurality of second contacts 9 held by the insulating lower housing 7 and arranged on the same plane parallel to the ground plane on which the ground plate 8 is located. The ground plate 8 is held in the ground plane by the lower housing 7, spaced apart from the plurality of second contacts 9 to insulate it from the plurality of second contacts 9. The plurality of second contacts 9 are also arranged parallel to each other along the X-axis direction and held spaced apart by the lower housing 7 to insulate them from each other. The lower component 22 is obtained by integral molding in which the ground plate 8 and the plurality of second contacts 9 are placed in a mold having a shape corresponding to the lower housing 7 and a thermoplastic insulating material is poured in, and the ground plate 8 and the plurality of second contacts 9 are held by the lower housing 7.

[0043] The lower housing 7 is formed of a thermoplastic insulating material such as thermoplastic resin and is integrally molded with the ground plate 8 and a plurality of second contacts 9. The lower housing 7 includes a base portion 71 which is press-fitted into the base end opening 312 (see Figures 3 and 4) of the main body portion 31 of the shell 3 in order to fix the internal structure 2 to the shell 3, and a tongue-shaped portion 72 which extends from the base portion 71 toward the tip.

[0044] The base portion 71 is a member having an outer shape that corresponds to the base end opening 312 of the main body portion 31 of the shell 3 in the XY plane. After the upper part 21 and the lower part 22 are integrated to obtain the internal structure 2, the base portion 71 is press-fitted into the base end opening 312 of the main body portion 31 of the shell 3, thereby permanently housing the internal structure 2 inside the main body portion 31 of the shell 3.

[0045] The base portion 71 comprises a central portion 711 located in the center of the base portion 71, a pair of side portions 712 formed on both sides of the central portion 711, a pair of press-fit grooves 713 formed on the inner surfaces of each of the pair of side portions 712, a pair of wall portions 714 extending toward the tip from each of the pair of side portions 712, a pair of positioning protrusions 715 projecting downward from the lower surface of the protruding portions 7121 of the pair of side portions 712, and a pair of press-fit holes 716 formed on the upper surface of each of the pair of side portions 712. All parts of the base portion 71 are integrally formed.

[0046] The central portion 711 is located in the center of the base portion 71 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure) and extends upward on the base end side of the tongue-shaped portion 72. When the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, the central portion 711 is inserted into the fitting recess 522 of the upper part 21, and the central portion 711 and the fitting recess 522 engage. In addition, the tip corner of the central portion 711 is chamfered, forming a bevel 7111. When the central portion 711 and the fitting recess 522 engage, the bevel 7111 contacts the inner surface of the connection portion 523 of the upper housing 5.

[0047] The pair of side portions 712 are formed on both sides of the base portion 71 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure) and are connected to both sides of the central portion 711 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure). Each of the pair of side portions 712 also has a projection 7121 that protrudes from the upper part of the side portion 712 toward the base end. When the internal structure 2 is press-fitted into the shell 3, the tip surfaces of the pair of side portions 712 contact the edge of the base end opening 312 of the shell 3.

[0048] The pair of press-fit grooves 713 are recesses formed on the inner surfaces of each of the pair of side portions 712, positioned towards the tip of the central portion 711. As described above, when attaching the upper part 21 to the lower part 22, the pair of press-fit portions 515 of the upper housing 5 are press-fitted into the pair of press-fit grooves 713 from above. At this time, the pair of press-fit ribs 516 formed on the outer surfaces of the pair of press-fit portions 515 are elastically deformed (crushed) and pressed against the pair of press-fit grooves 713. With this configuration, the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22.

[0049] The pair of wall portions 714 are parts that extend from the pair of side portions 712 toward the tip and are formed to be located toward the tip than the pair of press-fit grooves 713. The pair of wall portions 714 also extend upward from both sides of the tongue-shaped portion 72 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure). When the pair of press-fit portions 515 of the upper housing 5 are pressed into the pair of press-fit grooves 713 in order to attach the upper part 21 to the lower part 22, the inner surfaces of the pair of wall portions 714 come into contact with the outer surfaces of the pair of wall portions 514 of the upper housing 5, respectively.

[0050] The pair of positioning protrusions 715 are cylindrical portions that project downward from the lower surfaces of the protruding portions 7121 of the pair of side portions 712, and are used to position the electrical connector 1 on the circuit board. When the electrical connector 1 is assembled, the positioning of the electrical connector 1 relative to the circuit board is achieved by press-fitting the pair of positioning protrusions 715 into the corresponding pair of bosses on the circuit board. The pair of press-fit holes 716 are formed on the upper surfaces of the pair of side portions 712, and the internal structure 2 is obtained by attaching the upper part 21 to the lower part 22. Furthermore, after the internal structure 2 is housed in the shell 3 by press-fitting it, the shield member 4 is attached to the internal structure 2 by inserting the pair of press-fit protrusions 43 (see Figure 4) of the shield member 4, which will be described later, into the pair of press-fit holes 716.

[0051] The tongue-shaped portion 72 is a flat plate-shaped member that extends from the base portion 71 toward the insertion / removal direction (tip side) of the mating connector. As shown in Figure 7, the tongue-shaped portion 72 has an upper portion 72T located above (+Y direction) the main body portion 81 of the ground plate 8 which is embedded inside the tongue-shaped portion 72, a lower portion 72B located below (-Y direction) the main body portion 81 of the ground plate 8, and a plurality of tie bar cut holes 721 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 72.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7, the upper portion 72T includes a contact receiving portion 73 on which each of the multiple first contacts 6 is placed, a plurality of storage recesses 74 formed on the tip side of each of the multiple contact receiving portions 73, a plurality of protrusions 75 extending from the tip surface of each of the multiple storage recesses 74 toward the base end, and a pair of welded protrusions 76 which are integrated with the upper housing 5 by heat welding.

[0053] The multiple contact receiving portions 73 are parts formed on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 to hold each of the multiple first contacts 6. As shown in Figure 10, with the upper part 21 attached to the lower part 22, the multiple first contacts 6 are each placed in the multiple contact receiving portions 73. Returning to Figure 7, each contact receiving portion 73 has a pair of wall portions 731 facing each other on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72, a groove 732 defined by the inner surfaces of the pair of wall portions 731 and the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 and extending in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, and a pair of support portions 733 formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of wall portions 731 and supporting the contact portion 62 of the first contact 6 from both sides.

[0054] The pair of support portions 733 are formed to protrude from the opposing surfaces of the pair of wall portions 731 in the middle of the groove 732. The distance between the pair of support portions 733 is approximately equal to the width (in the X-axis direction) of the first contact 6. The surface of the support portion 733 facing the first contact 6 is a flat surface parallel to the side surface of the first contact 6. Therefore, when the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, the contact portion 62 of the first contact 6 is held and gripped by the pair of support portions 733 within the groove 732. The depth of the groove 732 is less than the thickness (thickness in the Y-axis direction) of the first contact 6. Therefore, the upper surface of the contact portion 62 is exposed outward (upward) from the contact receiving portion 73, and when the mating connector is inserted, it comes into contact with the corresponding contact of the mating connector. This configuration prevents the first contact 6 from swinging in the planar direction on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72, ensuring stable contact with the contact of the mating connector.

[0055] Each of the multiple storage recesses 74 is formed at the tip of the groove 732 of the multiple contact receiving portions 73, and is a recess for housing the corresponding tip portion 61 of the first contact 6. In this embodiment, the shape of the storage recess 74 extends diagonally downward toward the tip from the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 to correspond to the shape of the tip portion 61. As shown in Figures 3 and 11, the tip surface (+Z direction surface) of the storage recess 74 is a flat surface perpendicular to the Z direction. The bottom surface 741 of the storage recess 74 (see Figure 12) is a flat surface perpendicular to the Y direction.

[0056] As shown in Figures 3 and 11, in this embodiment, the shape of the storage recess 74 extends diagonally downward toward the tip from the upper surface of the upper portion 72T to correspond to the shape of the tip portion 61, but it is not limited to this. The shape of the storage recess 74 is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate the tip portion 61 of the first contact 6, and embodiments in which the storage recess 74 has any shape different from the illustrated shape are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0057] As shown in Figures 3 and 11, the multiple protrusions 75 are formed on the upper part of the tip surfaces of the multiple contact receiving portions 73 on the tongue-shaped portion 72, and extend from the upper part of the tip surfaces of the contact receiving portions 73 toward the base end. In particular, as shown in Figure 12, the lower surface 751 of the protrusion 75 is in contact with the upper surface (contact surface) 611 of the tip portion 61 of the first contact 6. In this way, each of the multiple protrusions 75 acts as a stopper that locks the tip portion 61 into the storage recess 74 by pressing downward (towards the storage recess 74) against the upper surface 611 of the tip portion 61 of the first contact 6 located in the storage recess 74. In addition, since the protrusions 75 press downward against the tip portion 61, a load is applied to the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 against the contact portion 62 of the first contact 6. This increases the integration between the contact portion 62 and the tongue-shaped portion 72.

[0058] Furthermore, the upper surface of each projection 75 is continuous with the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 without any step difference. Also, the upper surface of each projection 75 is located below the upper surface of the contact portion 62 of the first contact 6. In addition, the lower surface 751 of each projection 75 is spaced apart from the bottom surface 741 of the storage recess 74, and the tip portion 61 of the first contact 6 is located between the lower surface 751 of the projection 75 and the bottom surface 741 of the storage recess 74. Moreover, the projection 75 has a tapered shape in which its thickness decreases as it moves away from the tip surface of the storage recess 74.

[0059] Returning to Figure 7, the pair of welded protrusions 76 are portions that protrude upward from near the center of the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72, spaced apart from each other. As shown in Figure 10, when the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22 and the internal structure 2 is obtained, the pair of welded protrusions 76 are inserted through the pair of heat-welding holes 513 of the upper part 21. As will be described later, in the state shown in Figure 10, a heat welding process is performed on the welded protrusions 76 inserted through the pair of heat-welding holes 513. The welded protrusions 76 that have been melted by this heat welding process partially or completely fill the inside of the heat-welding holes 513 and are bonded to the upper housing 5. This integrates the upper housing 5 (upper part 21) and the lower housing 7 (lower part 22).

[0060] As shown in Figure 8, the lower portion 72B of the tongue-shaped portion 72 is located below (in the -Y direction) the main body portion 81 of the ground plate 8 and has multiple embedded portions 77 into which multiple second contacts 9 are embedded.

[0061] The multiple embedded portions 77 are areas into which multiple second contacts 9 are embedded by integral molding. Each of the multiple embedded portions 77 is bonded by integral molding to the upper surface and side surface of the corresponding tip portion 91 and contact portion 92 of the second contact 9. The lower surface (outer surface) of the contact portion 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 is exposed outward from the corresponding embedded portion 77. Therefore, when the mating connector is inserted into the electrical connector 1, each of the contact portions 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 can make contact with the corresponding contact of the mating connector.

[0062] Returning to Figure 7, the ground plate 8 includes a first ground plate piece 8L and a second ground plate piece 8R. Each of the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R is a flat plate-shaped member made of a metal material that is embedded between the upper part 72T and the lower part 72B of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. Each of the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R has a flat main body portion 81 and a terminal portion 82 that extends from the base end of the main body portion 81 toward the base end and is exposed to the outside of the lower housing 7. The terminal portion 82 has a first leg portion 821 that extends diagonally upward from the outer part of the base end of the main body portion 81, a horizontal extension portion 822 that extends horizontally from the base end of the first leg portion 821 toward the base end, and a second leg portion 823 that extends downward from the base end of the horizontal extension portion 822.

[0063] The first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are positioned on the ground plane so as to face each other via the central axis of the electrical connector 1 in the width direction (X-axis direction) which is perpendicular to the insertion direction (Z-axis direction) of the mating connector. Specifically, the first ground plate piece 8L is positioned on the ground plane in the positive X-axis direction relative to the central axis of the electrical connector 1, and the second ground plate piece 8R is positioned on the ground plane in the negative X-axis direction relative to the central axis of the electrical connector 1.

[0064] Furthermore, during the integral molding of the lower part 22, in order to prevent misalignment or tilting of the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R within the lower housing 7, the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are connected to each other by one or more connecting parts. When the tie bar cut performed on the lower part 22 after acquisition is performed, the connecting parts of the multiple second contacts 9 are punched out, and at the same time, the connecting parts that connect the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are also punched out. As a result, the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are held by the lower housing 7 in a separated state.

[0065] The main body portions 81 of the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are embedded between the upper portion 72T and the lower portion 72B of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 so as to be parallel to the plane in which the multiple first contacts 6 and the multiple second contacts 9 are arranged. The main body portion 81 is integrally molded with the lower housing 7 to hold the first ground plate piece 8L, the second ground plate piece 8R, and the multiple second contacts 9. It includes multiple positioning holes 83 for inserting pins to position the multiple second contacts 9 when acquiring the lower part 22, tie bar cut holes 84 for punching out the connection portions of the multiple second contacts 9 that are connected to each other via connection portions when acquiring the lower part 22 after integrally molding the lower housing 7, and impedance adjustment holes 85 for adjusting the impedance of the high-frequency signal contacts 6A and 9A among the multiple first contacts 6 and the multiple second contacts 9.

[0066] The number, position, and shape of the positioning holes 83, tie bar cut holes 84, and impedance adjustment holes 85 in the main body portion 81 are not particularly limited and are set as appropriate when integrally molding the lower part 22. As shown in Figure 7, at least one of the positioning holes 83, tie bar cut holes 84, and impedance adjustment holes 85 are formed in the main body portion 81 of the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R at positions corresponding to the plurality of first contacts 6 and second contacts 9, respectively.

[0067] As shown in Figure 7, the multiple second contacts 9, as a whole, have a rod-like shape that extends linearly along the insertion / removal direction (Z-axis direction) of the mating connector. Each of the multiple second contacts 9 has basically the same configuration as each of the multiple first contacts 6. Below, the configuration of one second contact 9 will be described in detail as a representative example. Specifically, the second contact 9 includes a tip portion 91 located at the outermost point (+Z direction side), a contact portion 92 that extends horizontally from the base end of the tip portion 91 toward the base end and contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector, a first horizontal extension portion 93 that extends horizontally from the contact portion 92 toward the base end (-Z direction side), a bridge portion 94 that extends from the first horizontal extension portion 93 toward the base end, and a terminal portion 95 that extends from the bridge portion 94 toward the base end. Note that the contact portions 92 and the first horizontal extension portion 93 of the multiple second contacts 9 are located on the same plane (see Figure 7). Hereinafter, in this specification, the plane on which the contact portions 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 and the first horizontal extension portion 93 are located will be referred to as the "second contact plane." The second contact plane is parallel to the first contact plane and the ground plane. The ground plane is located spaced apart from the first contact plane and the second contact plane.

[0068] The tip portion 91 is located at the very front of the second contact 9 and extends diagonally upward from the contact portion 92. The tip portion 91 is embedded in the embedded portion 77 of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. The contact portion 92 is the portion that contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector when the mating connector is inserted from the tip side through the insertion opening 311 of the shell 3 when the electrical connector 1 is assembled. Therefore, when the internal structure 2 is formed, the lower surface of the contact portion 92 is exposed outward (-Y direction). Since the contact portion 92 is embedded in the lower portion 72B of the tongue-shaped portion 72 by integral molding, the upper and side surfaces of the contact portion 92 are bonded to the tongue-shaped portion 72.

[0069] The first horizontal extension 93 extends horizontally from the base end of the contact portion 92 toward the base end and is embedded in the lower portion 72B of the lower housing 7. The bridge portion 94 has a first leg portion 941 extending diagonally upward from the base end of the first horizontal extension portion 93, a second horizontal extension portion 942 extending horizontally from the base end of the first leg portion 941 toward the base end, and a second leg portion 943 extending diagonally downward from the base end of the second horizontal extension portion 942 and connecting to the terminal portion 95. The entirety of the first leg portion 941 and the second horizontal extension portion 942 of the bridge portion 94, as well as a part of the second leg portion 943, are embedded in the central portion 711 and a pair of side portions 712 of the lower housing 7.

[0070] The terminal portion 95 is a part that extends horizontally from the base end of the second leg portion 943 of the bridge portion 94 toward the base end. When the electrical connector 1 is mounted on a circuit board, the terminal portion 95 is connected to a corresponding terminal provided on the circuit board. As described above, the lower component 22 is obtained by integrally molding the ground plate 8, the plurality of second contacts 9, and the lower housing 7. During the integral molding of the lower component 22, each of the plurality of second contacts 9 is connected to one another by a connecting portion in order to prevent misalignment or tilting of the plurality of second contacts 9 within the lower housing 7.

[0071] The function of each of the multiple second contacts 9 is the same as the function of each of the first contacts 6 described above. Specifically, similar to the multiple first contacts 6, the multiple second contacts 9 include two pairs of high-frequency signal contacts CP1, each consisting of two high-frequency signal contacts 9A for transmitting high-frequency differential signals with the mating connector; one pair of normal signal contacts CP2, each consisting of two normal signal contacts 9B for transmitting normal frequency differential signals with the mating connector; and multiple non-signal contacts 9C used for purposes other than signal transmission. Furthermore, the arrangement of the high-frequency signal contacts 9A, normal signal contacts 9B, and non-signal contacts 9C of the multiple second contacts 9 is the same as that of the multiple first contacts 6 (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0072] The multiple first contacts 6 and the multiple second contacts 9 are arranged such that, when viewed from the front side (the mating connector side) of the electrical connector 1, the contact portions 62 of the first contacts 6 and the contact portions 92 of the second contacts 9 are vertically symmetrical via the ground plate 8.

[0073] The number and arrangement of the multiple high-frequency signal contacts 6A, 9A, multiple normal signal contacts 6B, 9B, and multiple non-signal contacts 6C, 9C in the multiple first contacts 6 and multiple second contacts 9 are not particularly limited, and the electrical connector 1 is appropriately configured according to the electrical connector standard.

[0074] Multiple tie bar cut holes 721 are formed on both sides of the tongue-shaped portion 72 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the figure) and on the tip side of the welded projection 76. During the integral molding of the lower part 22, these are used to punch out the connections of the multiple second contacts 9 that are connected to each other via the connecting portion, and to perform tie bar cuts to separate the multiple second contacts 9 from each other.

[0075] As described above, the lower part 22 is obtained by integrally molding the lower housing 7, the ground plate 8, and the plurality of second contacts 9. With the lower housing 7, the ground plate 8, and the plurality of second contacts 9 integrated, tie bar cuts are performed to separate the plurality of second contacts 9 from each other by punching out the connecting portions that connect each of the plurality of second contacts 9 through the plurality of tie bar cut holes 721 in the lower housing 7 and the plurality of tie bar cut holes 84 in the ground plate 8.

[0076] Figure 9 shows the lower part 22 after tie bar cuts have been made to the multiple second contacts 9. As shown in Figure 9, the lower surfaces (outer surfaces) of the contact portions 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 are exposed outward from the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. Furthermore, a portion of the second legs 943 and terminal portions 95 of the multiple second contacts 9 are exposed from the base end side to the base end side of the lower surface of the central portion 711 of the lower housing 7. In addition, the terminal portions 82 (second legs 823) of the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are exposed from the lower surfaces of the protruding portions 7121 of the pair of side portions 712, respectively.

[0077] The upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22 from above, and the internal structure 2 is obtained by performing a heat welding process on the lower part 22. The heat welding process on the lower part 22 includes a first heat welding process in which a plurality of protrusions 75 are brought into contact with the corresponding tip portions 61 of the first contact 6, and a second heat welding process in which a pair of welding protrusions 76 are melted to integrate the upper part 21 and the lower part 22. The order of the first heat welding process and the second heat welding process is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the first heat welding process and the second heat welding process may be performed simultaneously.

[0078] Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the internal structure 2 after the upper part 21 has been attached to the lower part 22, but before the heat welding process is performed on the lower part 22. As shown in Figure 10, in the stage before the heat welding process is performed on the lower part 22, the multiple protrusions 75 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 extend upward (+Y direction) from the tip side of the tip surface of the multiple storage recesses 74. In this state, the base end surface (-Z direction surface) of the protrusion 75 is a flat surface continuous with the tip surface of the storage recess 74 (see upper part of Figure 11). The thickness of the protrusion 75 gradually decreases from the bottom to the top, and the protrusion 75 has a tapered shape that extends upward.

[0079] Figure 11 schematically shows the first heat welding process for multiple protrusions 75. The upper part of Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure 2 before the first heat welding process is performed, and the lower part of Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure 2 after the first heat welding process is performed.

[0080] Furthermore, as shown in the upper cross-sectional view of Figure 11, when the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, each of the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 is placed within the corresponding contact receiving portion 73 of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. In addition, each of the tip portions 61 of the multiple first contacts 6 is located within the corresponding storage recess 74 of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. Also, since the multiple first contacts 6 and the lower housing 7 are not integrally molded, the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 are not bonded to the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. In the embodiment shown in Figure 12, a gap exists between the lower surface of the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 and the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 are not bonded to the tongue-shaped portion 72, the lower surface of the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 and the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 may be in contact. On the other hand, the tip portions 91 and contact portions 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 are located within the embedded portions 77 formed on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72.

[0081] As shown in Figure 11, by heating and pressing the multiple protrusions 75, the multiple protrusions 75 are melted, and each of the multiple protrusions 75 is brought into contact with the corresponding tip portion 61 of the first contact 6. Through this first heat welding process, each of the multiple protrusions 75 extends from the upper part of the tip surface of the storage recess 74 toward the base end, and adheres to the corresponding tip portion 61 of the first contact 6, becoming integrated with it, as shown in the lower part of Figure 11.

[0082] Figure 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area near the tip of the first contact 6 after the first heat welding process has been performed. After the upper part 21 and the lower part 22 are attached, the first heat welding process is performed from above on the protrusions 75 that extend upward (+Y direction) from the tip side of the tip surfaces of the multiple storage recesses 74. This first heat welding process heats and presses the multiple protrusions 75, which are made of thermoplastic insulating material, causing them to melt and deform, resulting in a shape that extends from the top of the tip surfaces of the multiple storage recesses 74 toward the base end. In this state, the lower surfaces 751 of each of the multiple protrusions 75 and the upper surface (contact surface) 611 of the corresponding tip 61 of the first contact 6 are bonded and integrated. Each of the multiple protrusions 75 contacts and presses against the upper surface (contact surface) 611 of the tip 61 of the corresponding first contact 6 from above (outside), thereby generating a load on the contact portion 62 of the corresponding first contact 6 that presses the contact portion 62 onto the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. This increases the integration between the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 and the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7, making it possible to prevent buckling and deformation of the contact portions 62.

[0083] As shown in the upper part of Figure 11, before the first heat welding process is performed, each storage recess 74 is open upward. On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of Figure 11, after the first heat welding process is performed, each of the multiple protrusions 75 that have been melted and deformed by the first heat welding process covers the upper surface (contact surface) 611 of the tip 61 of the corresponding first contact 6, so the opening of each storage recess 74 becomes smaller or closes.

[0084] Each of the multiple protrusions 75 is in contact with the upper surface (contact surface) 611 of the tip 61 of the corresponding first contact 6 such that it covers at least 3%, preferably 10%, and more preferably 50% of the area of ​​the upper surface (contact surface) 611 of the tip 61 of the corresponding first contact 6.

[0085] Prior to the first heat welding process shown in the upper part of Figure 11, each of the multiple protrusions 75 extends upward and has a tapered shape with a thickness that gradually decreases from bottom to top. Also prior to the first heat welding process, the width in the X-axis direction of the base ends of the multiple protrusions 75 is approximately equal to the width in the X-axis direction of the contact receiving portion 73. Furthermore, on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion 72, one protrusion 75 is provided in the portion adjacent to the tip surface of each storage recess 74 from the tip side. However, the shape, dimensions, and number of protrusions 75 are not particularly limited, as long as, after the first heat welding process, the multiple protrusions 75 can contact the tip portions 61 of the corresponding first contacts 6 located in the storage recesses 74, thereby improving the integration between the contact portion 62 of the corresponding first contacts 6 and the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. Embodiments in which the shape, dimensions, and number of protrusions 75 are changed are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0086] Continuing to refer to Figure 12, the tip portion 61 of each of the multiple first contacts 6 extends (protrudes) diagonally downward from the contact portion 62 (towards the bottom surface 741 of the storage recess 74) and is housed within the storage recess 74. In this embodiment, a gap S is formed between the tip portion 61 of each of the multiple first contacts 6 and the bottom surface 741 of the storage recess 74. Furthermore, since the multiple first contacts 6 are not integrally molded with the lower housing 7, the lower surface (-Y direction surface) and side surface of the contact portion 62 of the first contacts 6 are not bonded to the upper surface (+Y direction surface) of the upper portion 72T of the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7.

[0087] Thus, in the electrical connector 1 of the present invention, each of the multiple protrusions 75 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 contacts the upper surface (contact surface) 611 of the tip portion 61 of the corresponding first contact 6. With this configuration, a load is generated at the contact portion 62 of the corresponding first contact 6 that presses the contact portion 62 against the tongue-shaped portion 72, increasing the unity between the contact portion 62 and the tongue-shaped portion 72, and preventing buckling and deformation of the contact portion 62.

[0088] Returning to Figure 4, the shell 3 is a flat, cylindrical member made of a metal material. The shell 3 covers the internal structure 2 from the outside and is used to fix the electrical connector 1 onto the circuit board of the electronic device. The shell 3 houses the internal structure 2 inside, covering it except for the front and base ends in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector.

[0089] The shell 3 has a cylindrical main body portion 31 and a pair of shell legs 32 that are formed to protrude outward from the side ends of the upper surface of the main body portion 31 and extend downward in a stepped manner.

[0090] The main body 31 of the shell 3 has a flat, cylindrical shape. The internal structure 2 is housed within the space defined by the inner surface of the cylindrical shape of the main body 31. An insertion opening 311 for receiving a mating connector is formed at the tip end of the main body 31. On the other hand, a base-end opening 312 is formed at the base end of the main body 31 to guide the multiple first contacts 6, multiple second contacts 9, and ground plate 8 of the internal structure 2 housed inside the shell 3 to the circuit board of the electronic device.

[0091] When the electrical connector 1 is assembled, the internal structure 2 is housed inside the main body 31. The terminal portions 65 of the multiple first contacts 6, the terminal portions 95 of the multiple second contacts 9, and the terminal portion 82 of the ground plate 8 extend outward through the base end opening 312 of the main body 31. Furthermore, by connecting the terminal portions 65 of the multiple first contacts 6, the terminal portions 95 of the multiple second contacts 9, and the terminal portion 82 of the ground plate 8 to the circuit board of the electronic device, the electrical connector 1 is mounted on the circuit board of the electronic device.

[0092] The shell legs 32 of the shell 3 are used to fix the electrical connector 1 onto the circuit board of the electronic device. When the electrical connector 1 is assembled, the shell legs 32 of the shell 3 are inserted into engagement holes formed on the circuit board of the electronic device, thereby fixing the electrical connector 1 onto the circuit board of the electronic device. The shell legs 32 are formed to protrude outward in a stepped manner from the side ends of the upper surface of the main body 31.

[0093] The shielding member 4 has the function of electromagnetically shielding (EMC) the shell 3 and the internal structure 2 by covering them from above. Furthermore, the shielding member 4 has the function of fixing the electrical connector 1 onto a circuit board provided inside the housing of the electronic device.

[0094] The shield member 4 is made of a metal material. The shield member 4 has a main body portion 41, a pair of screw insertion holes 42, a pair of press-fit protrusions 43, and a pair of shield legs 44.

[0095] The main body portion 41 is flat and has a tip portion 411 that covers the upper surface of the shell 3, a base portion 412 that covers the upper surface of the base portion 52 of the upper housing 5 of the internal structure 2 and a pair of side portions 712 of the lower housing 7, and a pair of connecting portions 413 that connect the tip portion 411 and the base portion 412.

[0096] The pair of press-fitting protrusions 43 are formed to protrude outward from both sides of the tip of the side of the base end 412. The pair of press-fitting protrusions 43 have a horizontal extension portion 431 that extends outward horizontally (in the X-axis direction) from the side end of the upper surface of the base end 412, and a downward extension portion 432 that extends downward from the horizontal extension portion 431. When attaching the shield member 4 to the internal structure 2 and the shell 3, the downward extension portions 432 of the pair of press-fitting protrusions 43 are pressed into a pair of press-fitting holes 716 formed on the upper surfaces of a pair of side portions 712 of the lower housing 7 of the internal structure 2 (see Figure 4).

[0097] The pair of shield legs 44 are formed to protrude outward from both sides of the base end 412. The pair of shield legs 44 have a horizontal extension portion 441 that extends outward horizontally (in the X-axis direction) from the side end of the upper surface of the base end 412, and a downward extension portion 442 that extends downward from the horizontal extension portion 441. The downward extension portion 442 of the pair of shield legs 44 is connected to the corresponding terminal provided on the circuit board when the electrical connector 1 is mounted on the circuit board.

[0098] Next, the manufacturing method S100 for the electrical connector 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 13 to 15. Figure 13 is a flowchart of the manufacturing method S100 for the electrical connector 1 according to the present invention. Figure 14 is a flowchart of the process of providing contacts to the housing as shown in Figure 13. Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating the process of attaching the upper part 21 to the lower part 22.

[0099] In step S110, multiple first contacts 6 are held by the upper housing 5, and multiple second contacts 9 are held by the lower housing 7. Figure 14 shows step S110 in more detail. In step S111, the upper housing 5 and the multiple first contacts 6 are integrally molded to obtain the upper part 21. Specifically, in step S111, the multiple first contacts 6 are placed in a mold having a shape corresponding to the upper housing 5, and integral molding is performed by pouring a thermoplastic insulating material into the mold. Through this integral molding, the first horizontal extension portion 63 and bridge portion 64 of the multiple first contacts 6 are embedded in the tip portion 51 and base portion 52 of the upper housing 5, respectively. As a result, the multiple first contacts 6 are held in the upper housing 5. Note that in step S111, in order to prevent misalignment or tilting of the multiple first contacts 6 within the upper housing 5, each of the multiple first contacts 6 is connected to one another by a connecting portion.

[0100] Next, in step S112, the upper part 21 is subjected to tie bar cutting, which punches out the connecting portions that connect the multiple first contacts 6 to each other. Specifically, a tie bar cutting cutter is inserted into the tie bar cutting hole 512 and the pair of heat welding holes 513 of the upper housing 5, and the connecting portions that connect the multiple first contacts 6 are punched out. Through this tie bar cutting, the multiple first contacts 6 held by the upper housing 5 are separated from each other and held in an insulated state by the upper housing 5.

[0101] Meanwhile, in step S113, the lower housing 7, the multiple second contacts 9, and the ground plate 8, which is composed of a first ground plate piece 8L and a second ground plate piece 8R, are integrally molded to obtain the lower part 22. Specifically, in step S113, the ground plate 8 and the multiple second contacts 9 are placed in a mold having a shape corresponding to the lower housing 7, and integral molding is performed by pouring a thermoplastic insulating material into the mold. Through this integral molding, the tip portions 91, contact portions 92 (except the lower surface), first horizontal extension portions 93, and bridge portions 94 of the multiple second contacts 9 are embedded in the lower part 72B of the lower housing 7. As a result, the multiple second contacts 9 and the ground plate 8 are held in the lower housing 7. Note that in step S113, in order to prevent misalignment or tilting of the multiple second contacts 9 within the lower housing 7, each of the multiple second contacts 9 is connected to one another by a connecting portion. Furthermore, in step S113, in order to prevent misalignment or tilting of the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R within the lower housing 7, the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are connected to each other by one or more connecting parts.

[0102] Next, in step S114, the lower component 22 is subjected to tie bar cutting, which punches out the connection points connecting the multiple second contacts 9 to each other, and one or more connection points connecting the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R to each other. Specifically, a tie bar cutting cutter is inserted into the tie bar cutting hole 721 of the lower housing 7 and the tie bar cutting hole 84 of the ground plate 8, respectively, and the connection points connecting the multiple second contacts 9 to each other, and one or more connection points connecting the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R to each other are punched out. As a result of this tie bar cutting, the multiple second contacts 9 held by the lower housing 7 are separated from each other, and the first ground plate piece 8L and the second ground plate piece 8R are separated from each other.

[0103] The acquisition of the upper part 21 by processes S111 and S112, and the acquisition of the lower part 22 by processes S113 and S114, may be performed individually or simultaneously. Furthermore, the execution order of the acquisition of the upper part 21 by processes S111 and S112 and the acquisition of the lower part 22 by processes S113 and S114 is not particularly limited.

[0104] Once the upper part 21 and the lower part 22 are obtained, in step S115, the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22. Figure 15 schematically shows the attachment of the upper part 21 to the lower part 22 in step S115. As mentioned above, at this stage, the multiple protrusions 75 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 extend upward (in the +Y direction) from the tip surfaces of the multiple storage recesses 74.

[0105] In the state shown in Figure 15, a pair of press-fit portions 515 of the upper part 21 are press-fitted into a pair of press-fit grooves 713 of the lower part 22 from above. At this time, a pair of press-fit ribs 516 formed on the outer surfaces of the pair of press-fit portions 515 are elastically deformed and pressed against the pair of press-fit grooves 713. This attaches the upper part 21 to the lower part 22. Furthermore, a pair of welded protrusions 76 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 are inserted into a pair of heat-welded holes 513 of the upper housing 5.

[0106] When the upper part 21 is attached to the lower part 22, a heat welding process is performed in step S120 shown in Figure 13, in which a plurality of protrusions 75 and a pair of welded protrusions 76 extending upward from the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 are subjected to heat welding (heat crimping). The heat welding process in step S120 includes a first heat welding step in which the plurality of protrusions 75 are heated and pressed to bring the plurality of protrusions 75 into contact with the corresponding tip portion 61 of the first contact 6, and a second heat welding step in which the pair of welded protrusions 76 are heated and pressed to weld the pair of welded protrusions 76 to the upper housing 5, thereby integrating the upper housing 5 and the lower housing 7. The first heat welding step is performed, for example, by pressing a heated metal plate against the plurality of protrusions 75. Similarly, the second heat welding step is performed, for example, by pressing a heated metal plate against a pair of welding protrusions 76. The order in which the first heat welding step and the second heat welding step are performed is not particularly limited; they may be performed individually or simultaneously.

[0107] In the first heat welding process, the multiple protrusions 75 are heated and pressed, causing them to melt and deform, so that they come into contact with the corresponding tip portion 61 of the first contact 6 from above and adhere to the tip portion 61. As a result, the multiple protrusions 75 and the corresponding tip portion 61 of the first contact 6 are integrated into one.

[0108] In the first heat welding process, as shown in Figure 12, the multiple protrusions 75 extend from the upper end of the corresponding front end surface of the housing recess 74 toward the base end. As a result, the lower surfaces 751 of the multiple protrusions 75 contact the upper surface 611 of the front end 61 of the corresponding first contact 6 located within the housing recess 74 from above. Consequently, the front ends 61 of each of the multiple first contacts 6 are pressed downward by the multiple protrusions 75, creating a load on the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 that presses the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 against the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7, thereby increasing the integration between the contact portions 62 and the tongue-shaped portion 72. Therefore, buckling and deformation of the contact portions 62 of the first contacts 6 can be prevented.

[0109] Furthermore, the pair of welded protrusions 76 of the lower housing 7 are melted by the second heat welding process, partially or completely filling the pair of heat-welded holes 513 of the upper housing 5, thereby integrating the upper part 21 and the lower part 22.

[0110] Subsequently, in step S130, the internal structure 2 is inserted and installed through the base end opening 312 of the shell 3. In step S140, the shield member 4 is attached to the upper surface of the internal structure 2 and the shell 3, thereby completing the manufacturing and assembly of the electrical connector 1.

[0111] As described above, in the electrical connector 1 of the present invention, a projection 75 provided on the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7 contacts the tip portions 61 of a plurality of first contacts 6, each located in a plurality of storage recesses 74 formed on the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. With this configuration, a load is generated at the contact portions 62 of the plurality of first contacts 6 that presses the contact portions 62 against the tongue-shaped portion 72, increasing the unity between the contact portions 62 and the tongue-shaped portion 72, and preventing buckling or deformation of the contact portions 62. As a result, buckling or deformation of the contact portions 62 of the plurality of first contacts 6 when the mating connector is inserted into the electrical connector 1 can be prevented. Therefore, the reliability of the connection between the electrical connector 1 and the contacts of the mating connector can be improved, and the product life of the electrical connector 1 can be extended.

[0112] Furthermore, in the electrical connector 1 obtained by the manufacturing method of the electrical connector according to the present invention, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to perform integral molding, which simultaneously integrates a large number of parts including multiple first contacts 6, in order to prevent buckling or deformation of the contact portions 62 of the multiple first contacts 6 provided on the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform integral molding, which is technically difficult, to simultaneously integrate a large number of parts as in the prior art, and the electrical connector 1 can be easily manufactured. In addition, since expensive molds with complex structures for simultaneously integrating a large number of parts are not required, the manufacturing cost of the electrical connector 1 can be reduced.

[0113] In the above-described embodiment, the multiple second contacts 9 are integrally molded with the lower housing 7, so that the contact portions 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 are bonded to the tongue-shaped portion 72 of the lower housing 7, thereby increasing the integralness of the contact portions 92 with respect to the tongue-shaped portion 72. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Embodiments in which the multiple second contacts 9 are held by the lower housing 7 in such a way that the contact portions 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 are not bonded to the tongue-shaped portion 72 (for example, by any method such as press-fitting) are also within the scope of the present invention. In this case, a configuration in which multiple contact receiving portions 73 and multiple protrusions 75 similar to those provided on the upper surface of the upper portion 72T of the tongue-shaped portion 72 are formed on the lower surface of the lower portion 72B of the tongue-shaped portion 72, and each of these multiple protrusions contacts the tip portion 91 of the corresponding second contact 9 located within the contact receiving portion from below (outside), thereby increasing the integration between the contact portions 92 of the multiple second contacts 9 and the tongue-shaped portion 72, is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0114] Although the electrical connector and method for manufacturing the electrical connector of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. Each component of the present invention can be replaced with any component that can perform a similar function, or any component can be added to each component of the present invention.

[0115] Those skilled in the art and the field to which the present invention pertains will be able to modify the configuration of the electrical connector of the present invention as described without significantly departing from the principles, concepts, and scope of the present invention, and the electrical connector having the modified configuration will also be within the scope of the present invention.

[0116] Furthermore, the number and types of electrical connector components shown in Figures 2 to 12 are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Embodiments in which any components are added or combined, or any components are removed, are also within the scope of the present invention, without departing from the principles and intent of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0117] 1…Electrical connector 2…Internal structure 21…Upper part 22…Lower part 3…Shell 31…Main body 311…Inlet 312…Base end opening 32…Shell leg 4…Shielding member 41…Main body 411…Tip 412…Base end 413…Connecting part 42…Screw insertion hole 43…Press-fit projection 431…Horizontal extension 432…Downward extension 44…Shielding leg 441…Horizontal extension 442…Downward extension 5…Upper housing 51…Tip 511…Plate-shaped part 512…Tie bar cut hole 513…Heat welding hole 514…Wall part 515…Press-fit part 516…Press-fit rib 52…Base end 521…Plate-shaped part 522…Matching recess 523…Connection part 6…First contact 61…Tip 611…Top surface 62…Contact part 63…First horizontal extension 64…Bridge part 641…First leg part 642…Second horizontal extension part 643…Second leg part 65…Terminal part 6A…High frequency signal contact 6B…Normal signal contact 6C…Non-signal contact 7…Lower housing 71…Base part 711…Center part 7111…Slope 712…Side part 7121…Protrusion 713…Press-fit groove 714…Wall part 715…Positioning projection 716…Press-fit hole 72…Tongue-shaped part 72B…Lower side part 72T…Upper side part 721…Tie bar cut hole 73…Contact receiving part 731…Wall part 732…Groove 733…Support part 74…Storage recess 741…Bottom surface 75…Protrusion 751…Bottom surface 76…Welded projection 77…Embedded part 8…Ground plate 8L…First ground plate piece 8R…Second ground plate piece 81…Main body part 82…Terminal part 821…First leg part 822…Horizontal extension part 823…Second leg part 83…Positioning hole 84…Tie bar cut hole 85…Impedance adjustment hole 9…Second contact 91…Tip part 92…Contact part 93…First horizontal extension part 94…Bridge part 941…First leg part 942…Second horizontal extension part 943…Second leg part 95…Terminal part 9A…High frequency signal contact 9B…Normal signal contact 9C…Non-signal contact 500…Internal structure 501…Contact 502…Ground plate 503…Housing 504…Base part 505…Tongue-shaped part 506...Contact receiving section 507...Tip section 508...Contact point section 509...Horizontal extension section CP1...High frequency signal contact pair CP2...Normal signal contact pair S...GapS100… Manufacturing methods S110, S111, S112, S113, S114, S115, S120, S130, S140… Engineering

Claims

1. An electrical connector that can be mated with a mating connector inserted from the tip side, An insulating housing comprising a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion in the direction of insertion and removal of the mating connector, Includes a plurality of contacts, which are held on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing so as to be arranged on a contact plane and which extend linearly along the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, The tongue-shaped portion of the housing is A plurality of contact receiving portions, each having a groove extending in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, Multiple storage recesses are formed at the tips of the multiple grooves of the multiple contact receiving portions, The plurality of storage recesses are provided with a plurality of protrusions extending from the tip surface toward the base end, Each of the aforementioned multiple contacts is The tip portion located within the corresponding storage recess of the tongue-shaped portion, The tongue-shaped portion extends from the base end of the tip toward the base end, is held in the groove of the corresponding contact receiving portion of the tongue-shaped portion, and comprises a contact portion that contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector, The tip of the contact extends linearly downward at an angle from the contact portion. The lower surface of the plurality of protrusions of the tongue-shaped portion is in contact with the upper surface of the tip portion of the plurality of contacts located within the plurality of storage recesses. An electrical connector characterized in that the contact portion of each of the plurality of contacts is not adhered to the tongue-shaped portion.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between the bottom surface of each of the plurality of storage recesses of the tongue-shaped portion and the tip portion of the corresponding contact.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions and the corresponding tip portions of the contacts are bonded together and integrated.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions of the tongue-shaped portion is in contact with the upper surface of the tip of the corresponding contact such that it covers at least 3% of the area of ​​the upper surface of the tip of the corresponding contact.

5. Each of the plurality of contacts further comprises a first horizontal extension portion extending horizontally from the contact portion toward the base end, a bridge portion extending from the first horizontal extension portion toward the base end, and a terminal portion extending from the bridge portion toward the base end. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the bridge portion comprises a first leg portion extending diagonally upward from the first horizontal extension portion, a second horizontal extension portion extending horizontally from the first leg portion toward the base end, and a second leg portion extending diagonally downward from the second horizontal extension portion and connecting to the terminal portion.

6. Each of the aforementioned plurality of contacts extends from the contact portion toward the corresponding housing recess of the housing, The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions of the tongue-shaped portion presses the upper surface of the tip of the corresponding contact toward the housing recess of the tongue-shaped portion.

7. The contact portions of the plurality of contacts are exposed outward from within the grooves of the plurality of contact receiving portions of the tongue-shaped portion. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the first horizontal extension portion and the bridge portion of the plurality of contacts are embedded in the base portion of the housing.

8. An electrical connector that can be mated with a mating connector inserted from the tip side, An insulating housing comprising a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion in the direction of insertion and removal of the mating connector, Includes a plurality of contacts, which are held on the tongue-shaped portion of the housing so as to be arranged on a contact plane and which extend linearly along the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, The tongue-shaped portion of the housing is A plurality of contact receiving portions, each having a groove extending in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, Multiple storage recesses are formed at the tips of the multiple grooves of the multiple contact receiving portions, The plurality of storage recesses are provided with a plurality of protrusions extending from the tip surface toward the base end, Each of the aforementioned multiple contacts is The tip portion located within the corresponding storage recess of the tongue-shaped portion, The tongue-shaped portion extends from the base end of the tip toward the base end, is held in the groove of the corresponding contact receiving portion of the tongue-shaped portion, and comprises a contact portion that contacts the corresponding contact of the mating connector, The multiple protrusions of the tongue-shaped portion are in contact with the tip portions of the multiple contacts located within the multiple storage recesses. Each of the contact portions of the plurality of contacts is not adhered to the tongue-shaped portion. The contact plane includes a first contact plane and a second contact plane parallel to the first contact plane. The plurality of contacts includes a plurality of first contacts arranged on the first contact plane and a plurality of second contacts arranged on the second contact plane. The housing includes an upper housing that holds the plurality of first contacts and a lower housing that holds the plurality of second contacts, The tongue-shaped portion of the housing is included in the lower housing, The upper housing is attached to the lower housing such that the plurality of first contacts held by the upper housing are located on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion of the lower housing. An electrical connector characterized in that the plurality of second contacts are held on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion of the lower housing.

9. The lower housing has a welded projection that is integrated with the upper housing, The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the welded projection of the lower housing is bonded to the upper housing, thereby integrating the upper housing and the lower housing.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions of the tongue-shaped portion has a tapered shape in which the thickness in the vertical direction decreases as it moves away from the tip surface of the corresponding storage recess.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein the lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions of the tongue-shaped portion is an inclined surface that extends linearly upward diagonally from the tip surface of the corresponding storage recess.

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