connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of electrically connecting a contact to the conductor of an object to be connected even when exposing the conductor to any of the front and rear surfaces of the object to be connected.SOLUTION: An inner contact 18 includes: a holding part held in the recessed part 13C of a plug contact 13 and electrically connected to the plug contact 13; a connection part 18C facing the rear surface of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13; and a spring part connected to elastically displace the connection part along a fitting axis to the holding part. A part of a sheet-like conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the rear surface of the flange 13B and the connection part 18C of the inner contact 18 in a direction along a fitting shaft; the rear surface of the flange 13B contacts the front surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15; and the connection part 18C contacts the rear surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a connector that is connected to a sheet-like object to be connected in which a conductor is exposed on at least one surface.

Background Art

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

[0003] As this type of connector, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector as shown in FIG. 34. The connector has a housing 2 and a base member 3 arranged on both sides of a flexible substrate 1 with the flexible substrate 1 sandwiched therebetween. The cylindrical portion 4A of the contact 4 is passed through a through-hole 2A for contact in the housing 2, and the flange 4B of the contact 4 is sandwiched between the housing 2 and a conductor 1A exposed on the surface of the flexible substrate 1.

[0004] In this state, by pushing the base member 3 toward the housing 2, as shown in FIG. 35, the protrusion 3A of the base member 3 is inserted into the protrusion accommodating portion 4C of the contact 4 with the flexible substrate 1 sandwiched therebetween, and the inner surface of the protrusion accommodating portion 4C contacts the conductor 1A with a predetermined contact force, whereby the contact 4 is electrically connected to the conductor 1A. Also, as shown in FIG. 34, by press-fitting a housing fixing post 3B protruding from the base member 3 into a post accommodating portion 2B of the housing 2, the housing 2 and the base member 3 are fixed to each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

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

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

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

[0008] The connector according to this invention is A connector that mates with the mating connector along the mating direction, Fitting direction A cylindrical portion extending along and having a recess formed on the inside, and from the end of the cylindrical portion Fitting direction A conductive plug contact having a flange extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction, A conductive inner contact, part of which is inserted into the recess, Equipped with, The inner contact has a holding portion that is held within the recess and contacts the inner surface of the recess to be electrically connected to the plug contact, Fitting direction A connecting portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the flange and facing the back surface of the flange, and a connecting portion relative to the retaining portion Fitting direction It has a spring portion that is elastically displaceable along the direction, A portion of a sheet-like object to be connected, in which a conductor is exposed on at least one side, Along the fitting direction The plug contact is sandwiched between the back surface of the flange of the plug contact and the connection portion of the inner contact. When the back surface of the flange contacts the surface of the object to be connected, and the connection portion contacts the back surface of the object to be connected, the conductor is exposed to the surface of the object to be connected. In this case, the plug contact is electrically connected directly to the conductor. When the conductor is exposed to the back surface of the object to be connected, the plug contact is electrically connected to the conductor via the inner contact.

[0009] Preferably, the retaining portion has a hook portion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis, and the plug contact has a receiving portion formed inside the recess that receives the hook portion, so that the inner contact is held inside the recess by the receiving portion receiving the hook portion.

[0010] In the first and second embodiments, the retaining portion has a pair of hooks that protrude in opposite directions in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis and are arranged to be elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis.

[0011] In the first embodiment, the inner contact is formed from a single bent metal plate and connected to a pair of hooks and Twist While playing Fitting direction It has a spring portion extending along and a flat plate-shaped connecting portion connected to the spring portion and facing the back surface of the flange, and the connecting portion is connected to the flange by the spring portion Ji It can be configured to exhibit elastic displacement toward the back surface. In this case, the pair of hooks are arranged to be elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate forming the hook, or to be elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the metal plate forming the hook. The inner contact is located between the retaining part and the spring part. Fitting direction It is preferable that the hook portion is received by the receiving portion when the beam portion is pushed up in the fitting direction, and the beam portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the receiving portion. The bottom insulator has a projection that is inserted into a recess, and the beam portion can be pushed up in the fitting direction by the projection.

[0012] In a second embodiment, the inner contact is formed from a single bent strip of metal and is configured to have a pair of spring portions connected to a pair of hook portions and a pair of connecting portions connected to the pair of spring portions. The pair of spring parts are A pipe passing through the center of the cylindrical part of the plug contact and extending in the fitting direction. It is preferable that the fitting shaft is sandwiched between the fitting shaft and has a pair of bent portions that are positioned on the opposite side of the fitting shaft and protrude toward the fitting shaft, and that the pair of connecting portions extend in a direction away from the fitting shaft from the tips of the pair of spring portions. The bottom insulator has a projection that is inserted into a recess, and the projection may have a retaining groove for holding the inner contact. Preferably, within the recess, a pair of bent portions are pushed by projections in a direction away from the fitting shaft, causing a pair of connecting portions to be elastically displaced toward the back surface of the flange by a pair of spring portions.

[0013] In a third embodiment, the retaining portion is inserted into the recess and Fitting direction It has a cylindrical, elastically deformable insertion part that protrudes along the edge, the hook part is located on the outer circumference of the insertion part, and the spring part extends from the end of the insertion part. Fitting direction It consists of a leaf spring extending in a plane perpendicular to the flange, and the connecting portion can be positioned at the tip of the spring portion and configured to be elastically displaced toward the back surface of the flange by the spring portion.

[0014] In this case, the insertion part is, Fitting direction A cylindrical portion extending along and connected to the tip of the cylindrical portion and Fitting direction Preferably, the diameter-reduced portion extends tapered along the cylindrical portion, and the diameter-reduced portion is arranged along the circumference of the connection portion with the cylindrical portion and has a hook portion that protrudes radially more than the cylindrical portion. The insertion portion spans the cylindrical portion and the reduced diameter portion. Fitting direction It is preferable that the cylindrical portion has a slit extending along it, and that it elastically deforms in the circumferential direction such that the width of the slit narrows. The spring portion preferably extends while curving along the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion from the proximal end of the cylindrical portion. The insertion portions each have a plurality of spring portions that curve in the same rotational direction from the proximal end of the cylindrical portion, and it is preferable that a plurality of connection portions are arranged at the tips of the plurality of spring portions. Around the mating direction It is possible to provide a bottom insulator that is inserted inside the insertion portion and has a protrusion for temporarily holding the inner contact. It is also preferable to provide a top insulator in which the cylindrical portion of the plug contact penetrates and a contact through-hole smaller than the flange is formed.

[0015] According to this invention, the inner contact has a holding portion that is held in the recess of the plug contact and contacts the inner surface of the recess to be electrically connected to the plug contact, a connection portion that extends in a direction orthogonal to the fitting shaft and faces the back surface of the flange of the plug contact, and a spring portion that elastically connects the connection portion to the holding portion so as to be displaceable along the fitting shaft. A part of the connection object is sandwiched between the back surface of the flange of the plug contact and the connection portion of the inner contact in the direction along the fitting shaft, the back surface of the flange contacts the surface of the connection object, and the connection portion contacts the back surface of the connection object. When the conductor is exposed on the surface of the connection object, the plug contact is directly electrically connected to the conductor. When the conductor is exposed on the back surface of the connection object, the plug contact is electrically connected to the conductor via the inner contact. Therefore, no matter whether the conductor is exposed on the surface or the back surface of the connection object, it is possible to electrically connect the contact to the conductor of the connection object.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the top insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the plug contact used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the plug contact used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the protrusion of the bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the object to be connected to the connector of Embodiment 1, viewed from diagonally above. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the object to be connected to the connector of Embodiment 1, viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing the reinforcing sheet used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact temporarily held by the protrusion of the bottom insulator. [Figure 13] This is a bottom view showing the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into which the inner contact of the connector of Embodiment 1, which is connected to an object to be connected, is inserted. [Figure 15] This is a partial side cross-sectional view, seen from a different direction than Figure 14, showing the state inside the plug contact into the connector of Embodiment 1, which is connected to an object to be connected, with the inner contact inserted. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view showing an inner contact used in a connector according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. [Figure 17] This is a perspective view showing the connector according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 18]This is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 19] This is a perspective view showing the bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 2. [Figure 20] This is a perspective view showing the protrusion of the bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 2. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact used in the connector of Embodiment 2. [Figure 22] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact temporarily held by the protrusion of the bottom insulator. [Figure 23] This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact with the inner contact inserted in the connector of Embodiment 2 during assembly. [Figure 24] This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into the connector of Embodiment 2, which is connected to an object to be connected. [Figure 25] This is a perspective view showing the connector according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 26] This is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 27] This is a perspective view showing the bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 3. [Figure 28] This is a perspective view showing the protrusion of the bottom insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 3. [Figure 29] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact used in the connector of Embodiment 3. [Figure 30] This is a perspective view showing the inner contact temporarily held by the protrusion of the bottom insulator. [Figure 31] This is a front view showing the connector of Embodiment 3 during assembly. [Figure 32] This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact with the inner contact inserted in the connector of Embodiment 3 during assembly. [Figure 33]This is a partial side cross-sectional view showing the state inside the plug contact into the connector of Embodiment 3, which is connected to an object to be connected. [Figure 34] This is a disassembled perspective view of a conventional connector. [Figure 35] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing a conventional connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Embodiments of this invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Embodiment 1 Figure 1 shows a connector 11 according to Embodiment 1. The connector 11 is used, for example, as a clothing-side connector for mating a wearable device, and has a housing 12 made of an insulating material. The housing 12 holds four plug contacts 13, and the housing 12 also holds a reinforcing sheet 14 and a sheet-like conductive member 15 in a superimposed state. The sheet-like conductive member 15 constitutes the object to which the connector 11 is connected. The four plug contacts 13 are arranged in two parallel rows and positioned to protrude perpendicularly from the sheet-like conductive member 15.

[0019] For convenience, the reinforcing sheet 14 and the sheet-like conductive member 15 extend along the XY plane, the direction in which the four plug contacts 13 are arranged is called the Y direction, and the direction in which each of the four plug contacts 13 protrudes is called the +Z direction. The Z direction is the mating direction in which the connector 11 mates with the mating connector.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the connector 11. The connector 11 has a top insulator 16 and a bottom insulator 17, and these top insulator 16 and bottom insulator 17 constitute the housing 12.

[0021] Four plug contacts 13 are held in the top insulator 16, and a reinforcing sheet 14 is placed on the back surface of the top insulator 16 in the -Z direction, with a sheet-like conductive member 15 placed on the -Z direction side of the reinforcing sheet 14. Furthermore, four inner contacts 18 are placed on the -Z direction side of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and a bottom insulator 17 is placed on the -Z direction side of the inner contacts 18. The four inner contacts 18 correspond to the four plug contacts 13, respectively.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the top insulator 16 has a recess 16A that opens in the +Z direction and four contact through holes 16B formed within the recess 16A. The recess 16A constitutes a mating connector housing portion in which a part of the mating connector (not shown) is housed, and the four contact through holes 16B correspond to four plug contacts 13. In addition, a plurality of bosses 16C are formed on the surface of the top insulator 16 facing the -Z direction, each protruding in the -Z direction.

[0023] Each of the four plug contacts 13 is formed from a conductive material such as metal and connects to the corresponding contact of a mating connector when a part of a mating connector (not shown) is housed in the recess 16A of the top insulator 16. As shown in Figure 4, the plug contact 13 has a cylindrical portion 13A extending in the Z direction along the fitting axis C, and a flange 13B extending along the XY plane from the -Z end of the cylindrical portion 13A. As shown in Figure 5, a recess 13C is formed inside the cylindrical portion 13A, which is open in the -Z direction, and a receiving portion 13D is formed inside the recess 13C, which is a recess that extends in an annular shape on the XY plane along the inner surface of the recess 13C.

[0024] The mating shaft C is a shaft that passes through the center of the cylindrical portion 13A and extends in the direction of mating between the connector 11 and the mating connector. Furthermore, although the cylindrical portion 13A has a cylindrical shape, as long as it has a recess 13C inside, the cross-sectional shape is not limited to a circle, but can also have various cross-sectional shapes such as an ellipse or a polygon. Furthermore, all four plug contacts 13 can be used as terminals for transmitting electrical signals.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, the bottom insulator 17 has a flat plate portion 17A, and four circular recesses 17B are formed in the flat plate portion 17A, each opening in the +Z direction. The four recesses 17B correspond to four plug contacts 13. Each of the four recesses 17B has four protrusions 17C that project in the +Z direction from the center of the recess 17B. Furthermore, the flat plate portion 17A has multiple through holes 17D that correspond to the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16.

[0026] As shown in Figure 7, the projection 17C formed in the recess 17B of the bottom insulator 17 has the shape of a rectangular prism that extends in the Z direction along the fitting axis C of the plug contact 13 which is positioned corresponding to the recess 17B, and a retaining groove 17E is formed at the +Z direction end of the projection 17C, which crosses the projection 17C in the Y direction.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8, the inner contact 18 consists of a single bent conductive metal plate and has a retaining portion 18A, a spring portion 18B connected to the -Z end of the retaining portion 18A, and a connecting portion 18C connected to the -Z end of the spring portion 18B. The retaining portion 18A and the spring portion 18B are inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 when the connector 11 is assembled.

[0028] The retaining portion 18A has a pair of hook portions 18D positioned on both sides of the fitting axis C of the corresponding plug contact 13 in the YZ plane. Each pair of hook portions 18D has a hook shape that protrudes in the +Y and -Y directions and faces the -Z direction, and is arranged to be elastically displaceable in the Y direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate forming the hook portion 18D. When no external force is acting on the pair of hook portions 18D, the distance between the +Y direction end and the -Y direction end of the pair of hook portions 18D is set to be slightly longer than the diameter of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13.

[0029] The spring portion 18B is formed by a pair of strip-shaped portions 18E that extend parallel to each other and spaced apart in the Y direction, and extends in the Z direction along the fitting axis C while bending in the X direction, and connects the connecting portion 18C to the holding portion 18A so as to be elastically displaceable in the Z direction. The connecting portion 18C has a nearly circular flat plate shape, and a rectangular notch 18F is formed in the center of the connecting portion 18C for inserting the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17.

[0030] Furthermore, the inner contact 18 has a beam portion 18G that extends in the Y direction between the holding portion 18A and the spring portion 18B. The beam portion 18G is positioned in the same location as the notch 18F of the connecting portion 18C on the XY plane and connects the -Z ends of the pair of hook portions 18D to each other. An inner contact 18 with such a configuration can be easily manufactured, for example, by bending a metal plate that has been cut into a predetermined shape.

[0031] The sheet-like conductive member 15 has a multilayer structure in which multiple wiring layers, each formed from a conductor, and multiple insulating layers are laminated together. As shown in Figure 9, four contact placement areas 15A are defined on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 facing the +Z direction for arranging four plug contacts 13. A circular opening 15B is formed in the center of each contact placement area 15A, penetrating the sheet-like conductive member 15 in the Z direction. Around the opening 15B, a wiring layer 15C is exposed facing the +Z direction, surrounding the opening 15B. An insulating layer 15D is exposed in the areas other than the four contact placement areas 15A.

[0032] Since the opening 15B penetrates the sheet-like conductive member 15 in the Z direction, as shown in Figure 10, the opening 15B is also visible on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 facing the -Z direction, at positions corresponding to the four contact placement areas 15A.

[0033] On the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 facing the -Z direction, a wiring layer 15E is exposed in the -Z direction around the openings 15B formed at positions corresponding to the four contact arrangement regions 15A, surrounding the openings 15B, while an insulating layer 15F is exposed in the other areas. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, multiple through holes 15G corresponding to multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 are formed in the peripheral edge of the sheet-like conductive member 15.

[0034] As shown in Figure 11, the reinforcing sheet 14 is for reinforcing the mounting target object, such as clothing (not shown), on which the connector 11 is mounted. It is made of an insulating material and has an opening 14A formed in the center. Furthermore, along the periphery of the opening 14A of the reinforcing sheet 14, a plurality of notches 14B are formed, corresponding to the plurality of bosses 16C of the top insulator 16.

[0035] The four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16, the four plug contacts 13, the four contact placement areas 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the four inner contacts 18, and the four recesses 17B of the bottom insulator 17 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction. Furthermore, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16, the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15G of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 17D of the bottom insulator 17 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction.

[0036] When assembling the connector 11, first, as shown in Figure 12, the inner contact 18 is temporarily held in place by the projection 17C of the corresponding recess 17B of the bottom insulator 17. At this time, the inner contact 18 can be temporarily held in place by inserting the projection 17C into the notch 18F of the connection portion 18C of the inner contact 18, pushing the inner contact 18 down from the +Z direction to the -Z direction, and inserting the beam portion 18G into the holding groove 17E of the projection 17C. Similarly, the inner contacts 18 are temporarily held in place by the protrusions 17C of the four recesses 17B of the bottom insulator 17.

[0037] Next, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 are inserted into the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14. At this time, the four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16 are located within the opening 14A of the reinforcing sheet 14. Furthermore, the cylindrical portions 13A of the plug contacts 13, each corresponding to one of the four contact through-holes 16B of the top insulator 16, are inserted from the -Z direction, and the bottom insulator 17 is pressed toward the top insulator 16 in the +Z direction with the sheet-like conductive member 15 in between.

[0038] At this time, the holding portion 18A and spring portion 18B of the inner contact 18, which are temporarily held by the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17, are inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 through the opening 15B of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the flange 13B of the plug contact 13 is positioned on the corresponding contact arrangement region 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the sheet-like conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the surface on the +Z direction side of the connection portion 18C of the inner contact 18 and the back surface on the -Z direction side of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13.

[0039] Furthermore, by pressing the bottom insulator 17 against the top insulator 16, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 sequentially penetrate the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15G of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 17D of the bottom insulator 17. Then, as shown in Figure 13, by thermally deforming the tips of the multiple bosses 16C that protrude on the -Z side of the bottom insulator 17, the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 17 are fixed to each other, and the assembly of the connector 11 is completed.

[0040] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the beam portion 18G of the inner contact 18 is pushed up in the +Z direction by the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17. As a result, the pair of hook portions 18D that constitute the holding portion 18A of the inner contact 18 move in the +Z direction within the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 while elastically displacing in the Y direction, and are received by the receiving portion 13D formed on the inside of the recess 13C. In this way, the holding portion 18A of the inner contact 18 is held within the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, and the pair of hook portions 18D are pressed against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, thereby electrically connecting the inner contact 18 to the plug contact 13. Alternatively, instead of using the projection 17C of the bottom insulator 17 to push up the beam portion 18G of the inner contact 18, a jig (not shown) can be used to push up the beam portion 18G of the inner contact 18 in the +Z direction. In this case, the bottom insulator 17 does not need to have the projection 17C.

[0041] At this time, an elastic force acting in the +Z direction is applied to the connection portion 18C by the spring portion 18B that connects the holding portion 18A and the connection portion 18C of the inner contact 18. Because the sheet-like conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the flange 13B of the plug contact 13 and the connection portion 18C of the inner contact 18, the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on the +Z direction side is pressed against the back surface of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13, and the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on the -Z direction side is pressed against the surface of the connection portion 18C of the inner contact 18.

[0042] Here, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, in the contact placement region 15A on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the wiring layer 15C is exposed around the opening 15B, and on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the wiring layer 15E is exposed around the opening 15B at a position corresponding to the contact placement region 15A. Therefore, the wiring layer 15C on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the back surface of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13 with a predetermined contact pressure, and the wiring layer 15E on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the surface of the connection portion 18C of the inner contact 18 with a predetermined contact pressure.

[0043] Therefore, the wiring layer 15C exposed on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected directly to the plug contact 13, and the wiring layer 15E exposed on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected to the plug contact 13 via the inner contact 18. In other words, both the wiring layers 15C and 15E are connected to the plug contact 13.

[0044] Thus, with the connector 11, by using the inner contact 18, it becomes possible to electrically connect both the wiring layer 15C, which consists of a conductor arranged on the front side of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the wiring layer 15E, which consists of a conductor arranged on the back side, to a single plug contact 13. Therefore, by connecting the connector 11 to a sheet-like conductive member in which the conductor is exposed only on the surface side, the plug contact 13 can be electrically connected to the conductor on the surface side of the sheet-like conductive member. Similarly, by connecting the connector 11 to a sheet-like conductive member in which the conductor is exposed only on the back side, the plug contact 13 can be electrically connected to the conductor on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member.

[0045] Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, by connecting the connector 11 to a sheet-like conductive member in which conductors are exposed on both the front and back sides, the plug contact 13 can be electrically connected to both the conductor on the front and back sides of the sheet-like conductive member. For example, if the object to be connected is a multilayer sheet-like conductive member in which conductors constituting a shielding layer are exposed on both the front and back sides, and conductors constituting a signal wiring layer are laminated between these shielding layers insulated from both shielding layers, then by connecting the plug contact 13 connected to the front and back shielding layers to ground potential, a shielding effect on the signal wiring layer is achieved, making it possible to perform high-precision signal transmission while suppressing the effects of disturbances such as electromagnetic waves.

[0046] Each plug contact 13 is fixed to the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 17 by having its flange 13B sandwiched between the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 17.

[0047] Figure 16 shows an inner contact 19 used in a connector according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. The inner contact 19, like the inner contact 18 in Embodiment 1, is made of a single bent conductive metal plate and has a holding portion 19A, a spring portion 19B connected to the -Z end of the holding portion 19A, and a connecting portion 19C connected to the -Z end of the spring portion 19B.

[0048] The holding portion 19A has a pair of hook portions 19D that protrude in the +X direction and the -X direction, respectively. These hook portions 19D are formed by curving the metal plate that forms the inner contact 19 in the X direction, which is the thickness direction of the plate, and are arranged so as to be elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the metal plate in the portions that form the hook portions 19D with respect to each other. Similar to the inner contact 18 in Embodiment 1, the spring portion 19B connects the connecting portion 19C to the holding portion 19A so as to be elastically displaceable in the Z direction, and the connecting portion 19C has a substantially circular flat plate shape.

[0049] In the connector 11 of Embodiment 1, even if the inner contact 19 shown in Figure 16 is used instead of the inner contact 18, both the wiring layer 15C located on the front side and the wiring layer 15E located on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 can be electrically connected to the plug contact 13 in the same manner. In the inner contact 19, the pair of hooking portions 19D are arranged to be elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the metal plate in the portion that forms the hooking portions 19D with each other. Therefore, it is configured to be more elastically displaceable than the pair of hooking portions 18D of the inner contact 18 in Embodiment 1, making it possible to assemble the connector 11 with less assembly force.

[0050] Embodiment 2 Figure 17 shows a connector 21 according to Embodiment 2. Similar to the connector 11 of Embodiment 1, the connector 21 has a housing 22 made of an insulating material, and four plug contacts 13 are held in the housing 22. Furthermore, the housing 22 holds a reinforcing sheet 14 and a sheet-like conductive member 15 in a state where they are stacked on top of each other. The plug contact 13, reinforcing sheet 14, and sheet-like conductive member 15 are the same as those used in Embodiment 1.

[0051] Figure 18 shows an exploded perspective view of the connector 21. The connector 21 has a top insulator 16 and a bottom insulator 27, which were used in Embodiment 1, and the housing 22 is formed by these top insulator 16 and bottom insulator 27. Four inner contacts 28 are arranged on the -Z direction side of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and a bottom insulator 27 is arranged on the -Z direction side of the inner contacts 28.

[0052] As shown in Figure 19, the bottom insulator 27 has a flat plate portion 27A, and four circular recesses 27B are formed in the flat plate portion 27A, each opening in the +Z direction. Each of the four recesses 27B has four protrusions 27C that project in the +Z direction from the center of the recess 27B. Furthermore, the flat plate portion 27A has multiple through holes 27D that correspond to the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16.

[0053] As shown in Figure 20, the projection 27C formed in the recess 27B of the bottom insulator 27 has a large-diameter portion 27K located on the -Z direction side and a small-diameter portion 27E connected to the +Z direction side of the large-diameter portion 27K. Both the large-diameter portion 27K and the small-diameter portion 27E have a cylindrical shape centered on the fitting axis C of the plug contact 13 which is located corresponding to the recess 27B, and the small-diameter portion 27E has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 27K.

[0054] Furthermore, a retaining groove 27F is formed on the upper surface of the small-diameter portion 27E facing the +Z direction, traversing the small-diameter portion 27E in the X direction. The retaining groove 27F is for temporarily holding the inner contact 28 and extends not only on the upper surface of the small-diameter portion 27E but also to the sides of both the small-diameter portion 27E and the large-diameter portion 27K. The bottom of the retaining groove 27F forms a first cam surface 27G extending along the YZ plane on both sides of the large-diameter portion 27K in the X direction, and a second cam surface 27H extending along the YZ plane and closer to the fitting shaft C than the first cam surface 27G is formed on both sides of the small-diameter portion 27E in the X direction. In addition, a stepped portion 27J inclined in the +Z direction is formed at the boundary between the first cam surface 27G and the second cam surface 27H.

[0055] As shown in Figure 21, the inner contact 28 consists of a single bent conductive strip of metal plate and includes a holding portion 28A having a pair of hook portions 28D, a pair of spring portions 28B connected to the pair of hook portions 28D, and a pair of connecting portions 28C connected to the pair of spring portions 28B. The retaining portion 28A extends from the connecting portion 28E located on the mating shaft C, bending on both sides in the X direction, and a pair of hooking portions 28D are formed at both ends of the retaining portion 28A in the X direction. The pair of hooking portions 28D are arranged on both sides of the mating shaft C, with the mating shaft C of the corresponding plug contact 13 in between, and are formed by cutting and bending a metal plate that forms the inner contact 28.

[0056] The pair of spring portions 28B are positioned opposite each other on the mating shaft C, with the mating shaft C in between, so as to face each other in the X direction. Each has an extension portion 28F extending in the -Z direction from the corresponding hook portion 28D, and an arm portion 28G extending in the X direction, bending at the -Z end of the extension portion 28F and moving away from the mating shaft C. A pair of bent portions 28H are formed in the middle of the extension portion 28F of the pair of spring portions 28B in the Z direction, projecting toward the mating shaft C so as to be close to each other. The pair of connecting parts 28C are located at the tips of the arm parts 28G of the pair of spring parts 28B.

[0057] The four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16, the four plug contacts 13, the four contact placement areas 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the four inner contacts 28, and the four recesses 27B of the bottom insulator 27 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction. Furthermore, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16, the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15G of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 27D of the bottom insulator 27 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction.

[0058] When assembling the connector 21, first, as shown in Figure 22, the inner contact 28 is temporarily held in place by the projection 27C of the corresponding recess 27B of the bottom insulator 27. Specifically, the inner contact 28 is temporarily held in place by the projection 27C such that the connecting portion 28E is inserted into the retaining groove 27F of the projection 27C, and the bent portions 28H of the pair of spring portions 28B contact the second cam surface 27H and the stepped portion 27J of the projection 27C. Similarly, the inner contacts 28 are temporarily held in place by the protrusions 27C of the four recesses 27B of the bottom insulator 27.

[0059] Next, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 are inserted into the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, and the cylindrical portions 13A of the plug contacts 13, corresponding to the four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16, are inserted from the -Z direction, and the bottom insulator 27 is pressed toward the top insulator 16 in the +Z direction with the sheet-like conductive member 15 in between.

[0060] At this time, as shown in Figure 23, the holding portion 28A of the inner contact 28, which is temporarily held by the projection 27C of the bottom insulator 27, is inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 through the opening 15B of the sheet-like conductive member 15. The pair of hook portions 28D positioned on the holding portion 28A move in the +Z direction within the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 while elastically displacing in the Y direction, and are received by the receiving portion 13D formed on the inside of the recess 13C. As a result, the holding portion 28A of the inner contact 28 is held within the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, and the pair of hook portions 28D are pressed against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, thereby electrically connecting the inner contact 28 to the plug contact 13.

[0061] Furthermore, the flange 13B of the plug contact 13 is positioned on the corresponding contact arrangement region 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the sheet-like conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the surface on the +Z direction side of the pair of connection portions 28C of the inner contact 28 and the back surface on the -Z direction side of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13. However, as shown in Figure 23, the surface of the flat plate portion 27A of the bottom insulator 27 on the +Z side is not in contact with the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on the -Z side, and a gap is still formed between them.

[0062] In this state, the bottom insulator 27 is further pressed in the +Z direction toward the top insulator 16 until the flat portion 27A of the bottom insulator 27 contacts the sheet-like conductive member 15. As a result, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 sequentially penetrate the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15G of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 27D of the bottom insulator 27. Then, by thermally deforming the tips of the multiple bosses 16C that protrude toward the -Z direction of the bottom insulator 27, the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 27 are fixed to each other, and the assembly of the connector 21 is completed.

[0063] As the bottom insulator 27 is pressed toward the top insulator 16 until the flat portion 27A of the bottom insulator 27 contacts the sheet-like conductive member 15, the projection 27C of the bottom insulator 27 moves in the +Z direction relative to the inner contact 28, as shown in Figure 24, and the bent portion 28H of the pair of spring portions 28B of the inner contact 28 overcomes the stepped portion 27J of the projection 27C and contacts the first cam surface 27G. Since the first cam surface 27G is positioned further from the fitting axis C than the second cam surface 27H, the pair of spring portions 28B of the inner contact 28 are elastically displaced in the X direction so that the distance between them increases, and as a result, a pressing force in the +Z direction acts on the connecting portion 28C located at the tip of the spring portion 28B.

[0064] Because the sheet-like conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the flange 13B of the plug contact 13 and the connection portion 28C of the inner contact 28, the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on the +Z direction side is pressed against the back surface of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13, and the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on the -Z direction side is pressed against the surface of the connection portion 28C of the inner contact 28. As a result, the wiring layer 15C on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the back surface of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13 with a predetermined contact pressure, and the wiring layer 15E on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the surface of the connection portion 28C of the inner contact 28 with a predetermined contact pressure.

[0065] Therefore, the wiring layer 15C exposed on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected directly to the plug contact 13, and the wiring layer 15E exposed on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected to the plug contact 13 via the inner contact 28. In other words, both the wiring layers 15C and 15E are connected to the plug contact 13.

[0066] Thus, with the connector 21 of the second embodiment, it is possible to electrically connect both the wiring layer 15C, which consists of a conductor arranged on the front side of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the wiring layer 15E, which consists of a conductor arranged on the back side, to a single plug contact 13.

[0067] In the above embodiment 2, the inner contact 28 is temporarily held in place by the projection 27C of the bottom insulator 27, and then the bottom insulator 27 is pressed toward the top insulator 16 with the sheet-like conductive member 15 in between. However, the invention is not limited to this. For example, the connector 21 can also be assembled in a similar manner by first inserting the inner contact 28 into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 with the sheet-like conductive member 15 in between, and then pressing the bottom insulator 27 toward the top insulator 16.

[0068] In this case, the projection 27C of the bottom insulator 27 may have only the first cam surface 27G, without having the second cam surface 27H and the stepped portion 27J. However, as in Embodiment 2, if the projection 27C has not only the first cam surface 27G but also the second cam surface 27H and the stepped portion 27J, it becomes easier to insert the first cam surface 27G between the pair of bent portions 28H of the inner contact 28, and the connector 21 can be easily assembled.

[0069] Embodiment 3 Figure 25 shows a connector 31 according to Embodiment 3. Similar to the connector 11 of Embodiment 1, the connector 31 has a housing 32 made of an insulating material, and four plug contacts 13 are held in the housing 32. Furthermore, the housing 32 holds a reinforcing sheet 14 and a sheet-like conductive member 15 in a state where they are stacked on top of each other. The plug contact 13, reinforcing sheet 14, and sheet-like conductive member 15 are the same as those used in Embodiment 1.

[0070] Figure 26 shows an exploded perspective view of the connector 31. The connector 31 has a top insulator 16 and a bottom insulator 37, which were used in Embodiment 1, and the housing 32 is formed by these top insulator 16 and bottom insulator 37. Four inner contacts 38 are arranged on the -Z direction side of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and a bottom insulator 37 is arranged on the -Z direction side of the inner contacts 38.

[0071] As shown in Figure 27, the bottom insulator 37 has a flat plate portion 37A, and four circular recesses 37B are formed in the flat plate portion 37A, each opening in the +Z direction. Each of the four recesses 37B has four protrusions 37C that project in the +Z direction from the center of the recess 37B. Furthermore, the flat plate portion 37A has multiple through holes 37D that correspond to the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16.

[0072] As shown in Figure 28, the projection 37C formed in the recess 37B of the bottom insulator 37 is for temporarily holding the inner contact 38, and has a cylindrical portion 37E extending in the Z direction and a plurality of temporary holding pieces 37F that protrude from the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion 37E.

[0073] As shown in Figure 29, the inner contact 38 is formed from a conductive material such as metal and has a retaining portion 38A, a plurality of spring portions 38B connected to the -Z end of the retaining portion 38A, and a plurality of connecting portions 38C connected to the tips of the plurality of spring portions 38B.

[0074] The retaining portion 38A has a cylindrical, elastically deformable insertion portion 38D through which the mating shaft C of the corresponding plug contact 13 passes. The insertion portion 38D is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13 and has a cylindrical portion 38E that extends in the Z direction along the mating shaft C, and a reduced-diameter portion 38F that is connected to the +Z end of the cylindrical portion 38E and tapers towards the +Z direction along the mating shaft C. A hook portion 38G is formed at the -Z end of the reduced-diameter portion 38F connected to the cylindrical portion 38E, which protrudes radially along the XY plane more than the cylindrical portion 38E. Although the cylindrical portion 38E of the insertion portion 38D has a cylindrical shape, it is not limited to a cylindrical shape; for example, it may have any cylindrical shape with various cross-sectional shapes such as an ellipse or polygon.

[0075] Furthermore, the insertion portion 38D has a slit 38H that extends in the Z direction, spanning the cylindrical portion 38E and the reduced diameter portion 38F, and penetrates the conductive material forming the inner contact 38 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the diameter of the hook portion 38G is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13. Therefore, when the insertion portion 38D of the inner contact 38 is inserted into the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, the hook portion 38G comes into contact with the inner surface of the recess 13C, and the insertion portion 38D undergoes elastic deformation in the XY plane such that the width of the slit 38H narrows.

[0076] Multiple spring portions 38B extend from the -Z-direction end of the cylindrical portion 38E along the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion 38E, curving in the same rotational direction around the fitting axis C. Each spring portion 38B is made of a leaf spring that extends along the XY plane and is elastically deformable in the Z direction, with a connecting portion 38C positioned at the tip of the spring portion 38B. The connecting portion 38C is configured to be elastically displaceable in the Z direction as the spring portion 38B elastically deforms.

[0077] The four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16, the four plug contacts 13, the four contact placement areas 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15, the four inner contacts 38, and the four recesses 37B of the bottom insulator 37 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction. Furthermore, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16, the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15G of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 37D of the bottom insulator 37 are positioned to be aligned with each other in the Z direction.

[0078] When assembling the connector 31, first, as shown in Figure 30, the inner contact 38 is temporarily held in place by the projection 37C of the corresponding recess 37B of the bottom insulator 37. Specifically, the inner contact 38 can be temporarily held in place by placing the cylindrical portion 38E over the projection 37C. At this time, the multiple spring portions 38B of the inner contact 38 are housed within the recess 37B of the bottom insulator 37. Similarly, the inner contacts 38 are temporarily held in place by the protrusions 37C of the four recesses 37B of the bottom insulator 37.

[0079] Next, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 are inserted into the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, and the cylindrical portions 13A of the plug contacts 13, corresponding to the four contact through holes 16B of the top insulator 16, are inserted from the -Z direction, and as shown in Figure 31, the bottom insulator 37 is pressed toward the top insulator 16 in the +Z direction with the sheet-like conductive member 15 in between.

[0080] At this time, as shown in Figure 32, the insertion portion 38D of the inner contact 38, which is temporarily held by the projection 37C of the bottom insulator 37, is inserted into the recess 13C of the corresponding plug contact 13 through the opening 15B of the sheet-like conductive member 15. The diameter of the hook portion 38G located on the insertion portion 38D is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13. As the hook portion 38G contacts the inner surface of the recess 13C, the insertion portion 38D is elastically deformed so that the width of the slit 38H shown in Figure 29 narrows, and the insertion portion 38D moves in the +Z direction within the recess 13C.

[0081] As the insertion portion 38D into the recess 13C continues to be inserted in this manner, the hook portion 38G is received by the receiving portion 13D formed on the inside of the recess 13C, as shown in Figure 33. As a result, the insertion portion 38D of the inner contact 38 is held within the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, and the hook portion 38G of the insertion portion 38D is pressed against the inner surface of the recess 13C of the plug contact 13, thereby electrically connecting the inner contact 38 to the plug contact 13.

[0082] Furthermore, by pressing the bottom insulator 37 against the top insulator 16, the multiple bosses 16C of the top insulator 16 sequentially penetrate the multiple notches 14B of the reinforcing sheet 14, the multiple through holes 15G of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the multiple through holes 37D of the bottom insulator 37. Then, by thermally deforming the tips of the multiple bosses 16C that protrude on the -Z side of the bottom insulator 37, the top insulator 16 and the bottom insulator 37 are fixed to each other, and the assembly of the connector 31 is completed.

[0083] As the bottom insulator 37 is pressed toward the top insulator 16 until the hook portion 38G of the insertion portion 38D is received by the receiving portion 13D of the recess 13C, the sheet-like conductive member 15 is sandwiched between the surface on the +Z direction of the connecting portion 38C located at the tip of the multiple spring portions 38B of the inner contact 38 and the back surface on the -Z direction of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13, as shown in Figure 33.

[0084] Therefore, the multiple spring portions 38B of the inner contact 38 elastically deform in the Z direction, and a pressing force in the +Z direction acts on the connecting portion 38C located at the tip of the spring portion 38B. As a result, the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on the +Z direction side is pressed against the back surface of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13, and the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 on the -Z direction side is pressed against the surface of the connecting portion 38C of the inner contact 38. Consequently, the wiring layer 15C on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the back surface of the flange 13B of the plug contact 13 with a predetermined contact pressure, and the wiring layer 15E on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 contacts the surface of the connecting portion 38C of the inner contact 38 with a predetermined contact pressure.

[0085] Therefore, the wiring layer 15C exposed on the surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected directly to the plug contact 13, and the wiring layer 15E exposed on the back surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is electrically connected to the plug contact 13 via the inner contact 38. In other words, both the wiring layers 15C and 15E are connected to the plug contact 13.

[0086] Thus, with the connector 31 of Embodiment 3, it is possible to electrically connect both the wiring layer 15C, which consists of a conductor arranged on the front side of the sheet-like conductive member 15, and the wiring layer 15E, which consists of a conductor arranged on the back side, to a single plug contact 13.

[0087] As shown in Figures 8 and 16, the connecting portions 18C and 19C of the inner contacts 18 and 19 in Embodiment 1 have a flat plate shape. However, spring portions similar to the multiple spring portions 38B of the inner contact 38 in Embodiment 3 shown in Figure 29 can also be added to these connecting portions 18C and 19C.

[0088] In embodiments 1 to 3 described above, the plug contact 13 located in the contact placement area 15A of the sheet-like conductive member 15 is connected to both the wiring layer 15C exposed on the surface side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 and the wiring layer 15E exposed on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15. However, for example, it is also possible to connect only the wiring layer 15E exposed on the back side of the sheet-like conductive member 15 to the plug contact 13 located in the contact placement area 15A.

[0089] The sheet-like conductive member 15 used in the above embodiments 1 to 3 has a multilayer structure, but is not limited to this; it is sufficient if it has a conductor exposed on at least one surface. Furthermore, in embodiments 1 to 3 described above, two layers of conductors, consisting of a wiring layer 15C and a wiring layer 15E of the sheet-like conductive member 15, are connected to one plug contact 13. However, the invention is not limited to this, and three or more layers of conductors can also be connected to one plug contact 13.

[0090] Furthermore, although the connectors 11, 21, and 31 according to the above embodiments 1 to 3 have four plug contacts 13, the number of plug contacts 13 is not limited, and it is sufficient to have at least one plug contact 13 that is electrically connected to a conductor exposed on at least one surface of the sheet-like conductive member 15. In embodiments 1 to 3 described above, a reinforcing sheet 14 is placed between the bottom insulators 17, 27, and 37 and the top insulator 16. However, if there is no need to reinforce the mounting object, such as clothing to which the connectors 11, 21, and 31 are attached, the reinforcing sheet 14 can be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 1 Flexible substrate, 1A Conductor, 2 Housing, 2A Through-hole for contact, 2B Post housing, 3 Base member, 3A Projection, 3B Post for housing fixing, 4 Contact, 4A Cylindrical part, 4B Flange, 4C Projection housing, 11,21,31 Connector, 12,22,32 Housing, 13 Plug contact, 13A Cylindrical part, 13B Flange, 13C Recess, 13D Receiving part, 14 Reinforcement sheet, 14A Opening, 14B Notch, 15 Sheet-shaped conductive member, 15A Contact placement area, 15B Opening, 15C,15E Wiring layer, 15D,15F Insulation layer, 15G Through-hole, 16 Top insulator, 16A Recess, 16B Through-hole for contact, 16C Boss, 17,27,37 Bottom insulator, 17A, 27A, 37A Flat plate section, 17B, 27B, 37B Recessed section, 17C, 27C, 37C Protrusion, 17D, 27D, 37D Through hole, 17E Retaining groove, 18, 19, 28, 38 Inner contact, 18A, 19A, 28A, 38A Retaining section, 18B, 19B, 28B, 38B Spring section, 18C, 19C, 28C, 38C Connecting section, 18D, 19D, 28D, 38G Hooking section, 18E Strip-shaped section, 18F Notch, 18G Beam section, 27E Small diameter section, 27F Retaining groove, 27G First cam surface, 27H Second cam surface, 27J Stepped section, 27K Large diameter section, 28E Connecting section, 28F Extension section, 28G Arm section, 28H Flex section, 37E Cylindrical section, 38D Insertion section, 38E Cylindrical section, 38F Reduced diameter section, 38H Slit, C Fitting shaft.

Claims

1. A connector that mates with a mating connector along the mating direction, A conductive plug contact having a cylindrical portion extending along the fitting direction and having a recess formed on its inner side, and a flange extending from the end of the cylindrical portion in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction, A conductive inner contact, part of which is inserted into the recess, Equipped with, The inner contact has a holding portion that is held within the recess and contacts the inner surface of the recess to be electrically connected to the plug contact, a connecting portion that extends in the orthogonal direction and faces the back surface of the flange, and a spring portion that connects the connecting portion to the holding portion so as to be elastically displaceable along the fitting direction. A connector in which a portion of a sheet-like object to be connected, having a conductor exposed on at least one surface, is sandwiched between the back surface of the flange of the plug contact and the connecting portion of the inner contact along the mating direction, and the back surface of the flange contacts the surface of the object to be connected, and the connecting portion contacts the back surface of the object to be connected, thereby exposing the conductor to the surface of the object to be connected, the plug contact is electrically connected directly to the conductor, and the plug contact is electrically connected to the conductor via the inner contact when the conductor is exposed on the back surface of the object to be connected.

2. The holding portion has a hook portion that protrudes in the orthogonal direction, The plug contact has a receiving portion formed inside the recess and which receives the hook portion, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the inner contact is held in the recess by the hook portion being received by the receiving portion.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the retaining portion has a pair of hooking portions that protrude in opposite directions in the orthogonal directions and are arranged to be elastically displaceable in the orthogonal directions.

4. The inner contact is formed from a single bent metal plate and has a spring portion that is connected to the pair of hook portions and extends along the fitting direction while bending, and a flat plate-shaped connecting portion that is connected to the spring portion and faces the back surface of the flange. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion is elastically displaced toward the back surface of the flange by the spring portion.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the pair of hooks are arranged to be elastically displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the metal plate in the portion forming the hooks.

6. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the pair of hooks are arranged to be elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the metal plate in the portion forming the hooks.

7. The inner contact has a beam portion extending in the orthogonal direction between the holding portion and the spring portion, The connector according to claim 4, wherein the beam portion is pushed up in the fitting direction, and the hook portion is received by the receiving portion.

8. The bottom insulator has a projection that is inserted into the recess, The connector according to claim 7, wherein the beam portion is pushed up in the fitting direction by the projection.

9. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the inner contact is formed from a single bent strip of metal plate and has a pair of spring portions connected to the pair of hook portions and a pair of connecting portions connected to the pair of spring portions.

10. The pair of spring portions are arranged on opposite sides of the fitting shaft, with respect to the fitting shaft that passes through the center of the cylindrical portion of the plug contact and extends in the fitting direction, and have a pair of bent portions that protrude toward the fitting shaft. The connector according to claim 9, wherein the pair of connecting portions each extend from the tips of the pair of spring portions in a direction away from the mating shaft.

11. The bottom insulator has a projection that is inserted into the recess, The connector according to claim 10, wherein the projection has a retaining groove for holding the inner contact.

12. The connector according to claim 11, wherein the pair of bent portions are pushed by the projection in a direction away from the fitting shaft within the recess, so that the pair of connecting portions are elastically displaced toward the back surface of the flange by the pair of spring portions.

13. The retaining portion has a cylindrical, elastically deformable insertion portion that is inserted into the recess and protrudes along the fitting direction, The aforementioned hook portion is arranged on the outer circumference of the insertion portion. The spring portion consists of a leaf spring extending from the end of the insertion portion in a plane perpendicular to the fitting direction. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the connecting portion is positioned at the tip of the spring portion and is elastically displaced toward the back surface of the flange by the spring portion.

14. The insertion portion has a cylindrical portion extending along the fitting direction and a reduced diameter portion connected to the tip of the cylindrical portion and tapering along the fitting direction. The connector according to claim 13, wherein the reduced diameter portion is arranged along the circumference of the connecting portion with the cylindrical portion and has a hook portion that protrudes radially more than the cylindrical portion.

15. The connector according to claim 14, wherein the insertion portion has a slit extending along the fitting direction so as to span the cylindrical portion and the reduced diameter portion, and the cylindrical portion is elastically deformed in the circumferential direction such that the width of the slit narrows.

16. The connector according to claim 14, wherein the spring portion extends from the base end of the cylindrical portion while curving along the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion.

17. The insertion portion has a plurality of spring portions that each curve from the base end of the cylindrical portion in the same rotational direction around the fitting direction, The connector according to claim 16, wherein a plurality of connection parts are arranged at the tips of the plurality of spring parts.

18. The connector according to claim 13, further comprising a bottom insulator that is inserted into the insertion portion and has a projection for temporarily holding the inner contact.

19. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising a top insulator through which the cylindrical portion of the plug contact passes and through a contact hole smaller than the flange is formed.

Images