Connectors and connector systems

Abstract

To provide a connector that is effective for establishing both of the number of signals transmittable in parallel and shield performance.SOLUTION: A connector 2 comprises: a plurality of pairs of first contacts 120 arranged along an arrangement direction D2 in parallel with a circuit board; a plurality of pairs of second contacts 130 arranged along the arrangement direction D2 between the circuit board and the plurality of pairs of first contacts 120; a plurality of conductive shells 140 for enclosing the plurality of pairs of first contacts 120 and the plurality of pairs of second contacts 130 around a fitting direction D1 for each pair of first contact 120 and each pair of second contact 130; and a plurality of reception spaces S1 provided in the plurality of shells 140, respectively. The inside of each of the plurality of shells 140 is partitioned into a first housing space S11 for housing a pair of first contacts 120 and a second housing space S12 for housing a pair of second contacts 130, by a plurality of partition parts 244 of mating connectors 3 inserted into the plurality of reception spaces S1, respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a connector system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a plurality of first cable-side contacts respectively connected to ends of a plurality of upper first cables, a plurality of second cable-side contacts respectively connected to ends of a plurality of lower second cables, a cable-side housing that holds the plurality of first cable-side contacts and the plurality of second cable-side contacts in a state where they are shifted back and forth, and a shield member that covers the cable-side housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a connector effective for achieving both the number of signals that can be transmitted in parallel and shielding performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a connector provided on a circuit board and mating with a mating connector along a mating direction parallel to the circuit board, comprising: a plurality of pairs of first contacts arranged along an arrangement direction parallel to the circuit board and perpendicular to the mating direction, each connected to a plurality of pairs of first signal lines of the circuit board; a plurality of pairs of second contacts arranged along the arrangement direction between the plurality of first contacts and the circuit board, each connected to a plurality of pairs of second signal lines of the circuit board; a plurality of conductive shells arranged along the arrangement direction and surrounding the plurality of pairs of first contacts and a plurality of pairs of second contacts, each pair of first contacts and each pair of second contacts; and a plurality of receiving spaces provided within each of the plurality of shells to receive a plurality of conductive partitions provided in the mating connector, wherein the interior of each of the plurality of shells is divided into a first receiving space for accommodating a pair of first contacts and a second receiving space for accommodating a pair of second contacts by the plurality of partitions that enter each of the plurality of receiving spaces.

[0006] In a configuration where multiple pairs of contacts are arranged in two rows, the multiple pairs of first contacts in the first row and the multiple pairs of second contacts in the second row are separated by multiple shells, with each pair of first contacts and each pair of second contacts being partitioned. Furthermore, multiple partitions in the mating connector divide the interior of each of the multiple shells into a first housing space for a pair of first contacts and a second housing space for a pair of second contacts. This improves shielding performance. In addition, by using the components of the connector itself and the components of the mating connector in combination, the space occupied by the shield can be reduced, and more space can be allocated to signal transmission. Therefore, this is effective in balancing the number of signals that can be transmitted in parallel with shielding performance.

[0007] Each of the multiple shells may have a pair of shell contacts facing each other in the arrangement direction, such that each contacts a partition of the mating connector that has entered the receiving space. Shielding performance can be further improved by enhancing the shielding between the shells and the partitions.

[0008] Each of a pair of first contacts has a first contact portion that contacts the mating first contact of the mating connector on the side closer to the circuit board, and each of a pair of second contacts has a second contact portion that contacts the mating second contact of the mating connector on the side further away from the circuit board, and each of the multiple shells may accommodate at least the first contact portion and the second contact portion. Even without providing space between multiple pairs of mating first contacts and multiple pairs of mating second contacts, multiple pairs of first contacts can be brought into contact with multiple pairs of mating first contacts and multiple pairs of second contacts can be brought into contact with multiple pairs of mating second contacts, while mutual interference due to electromagnetic waves is suppressed by multiple shells and multiple partitions.

[0009] Each of the multiple pairs of first contacts further has a first connection portion connected to a first signal line on the circuit board, and each of the multiple pairs of second contacts further has a second connection portion connected to a second signal line on the circuit board, and each of the multiple shells may further house the first and second connection portions. Shielding performance can be further improved.

[0010] The device further comprises an insulating housing that holds multiple pairs of first contacts, multiple pairs of second contacts, and multiple shells, the housing having a mating hole that opens in the direction toward the mating connector along the mating direction, a connection space that opens in the opposite direction to the mating hole along the mating direction and further toward the circuit board, and a retaining wall that partitions the mating hole and the connection space and holds multiple pairs of first contacts and multiple pairs of second contacts, the first contact portion and the second contact portion being housed in the mating hole, the first connection portion and the second connection portion being housed in the connection space, and the multiple shells may partition the mating hole, the connection space and the retaining wall, each for each pair of first contacts and each pair of second contacts. The shielding performance can be further improved by partitioning the area from the mating hole that houses the first contact portion and the second contact portion to the connection space that houses the first connection portion and the second connection portion with multiple shells for each pair of first contacts and each pair of second contacts.

[0011] In the mating direction, the second connecting portion is located between the first connecting portion and the retaining wall, and the length of the portion of the multiple pairs of second contacts that is housed in the mating hole may be longer than the length of the portion of the multiple pairs of second contacts that is housed in the connection space. By shortening the section in which the first contact and the second contact coexist in the same space without being separated by a partition, the shielding performance can be further improved.

[0012] Each of the multiple shells may open toward the circuit board and have a pair of shell connections at each end in the direction of arrangement toward the circuit board, which connect to the ground pattern of the circuit board. By utilizing the ground pattern of the circuit board as a component of the shield, the space occupied by the shield can be further reduced.

[0013] A connector system relating to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises the connector and a mating connector, the mating connector comprising: a plurality of conductive pairs of mating first contacts connected to a plurality of pairs of first wires, a plurality of conductive pairs of mating second contacts connected to a plurality of pairs of second wires, a plurality of conductive mating first shells surrounding the plurality of pairs of mating first contacts in pairs around the mating direction, and a plurality of conductive mating second shells surrounding the plurality of pairs of mating second contacts in pairs around the mating direction, the plurality of shells accommodating the plurality of pairs of mating first contacts and the plurality of mating second contacts for each pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts, in each of the plurality of shells a pair of first contacts contacts each other, a pair of second contacts contacts each other, and the mating first shell and mating second shell that accommodate the pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts respectively have a partition that enters the receiving space of the shell that accepts the pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts and separates the first accommodating space and the second accommodating space.

[0014] The shells that house the pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts may have a pair of shell contact portions that face each other in the alignment direction and each contact a partition portion that enters the receiving space.

[0015] Each of the opposing first shell and the opposing second shell has a partition, and the first and second containment spaces are doubly partitioned by the partition of the opposing first shell and the partition of the opposing second shell, and each of the pair of shell contact portions may contact both the partition of the opposing first shell and the partition of the opposing second shell.

[0016] Each of the mating first shell and the mating second shell may open in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the alignment direction such that a pair of mating first contacts and a pair of mating second contacts are in opposite positions to each other, with the pair of first contacts contacting each other in the direction in which the mating first shell opens, and the pair of second contacts contacting each other in the direction in which the mating second shell opens. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that is effective in achieving both a large number of signals that can be transmitted in parallel and high shielding performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view illustrating a connector system before mating. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view illustrating a plug connector mated to a receptacle connector. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 2. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 2. [Figure 7] It is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a receptacle connector. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a housing. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a housing. [Figure 10] It is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a plug connector. [Figure 11] It is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a first connector. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a first base plate. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a first shell. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a first housing. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a first housing. [Figure 16] It is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of a second connector. [Figure 17] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a second housing. [Figure 18] It is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a second housing.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements or elements having the same function, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0020] Connector system 1 is used to connect a circuit board 10 to multiple pairs of wires 30 in applications where low-degradation transmission of high-frequency signals and low profile are required. Each pair of wires 30 transmits one signal (differential signal). An example of such an application is an information processing system that transmits signals on the circuit board 10 using multiple pairs of wires 30 instead of printed wiring on the circuit board 10. By using shielded cables for each pair of wires 30, signals can be transmitted with higher signal transmission characteristics than printed wiring. Signal transmission characteristics refer to the amount of signal degradation during signal transmission, and high signal transmission characteristics mean that there is little signal degradation during signal transmission. Specific examples of signal degradation include noise interference due to crosstalk and signal attenuation.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the connector system 1 comprises a receptacle connector 2 and a plug connector 3. The receptacle connector 2 is mounted on the circuit board 10 and mates with the plug connector 3 along a mating direction D1 parallel to the circuit board 10. The mating direction D1 only needs to be substantially parallel to the circuit board 10, and may be slightly inclined with respect to the circuit board 10 due to mounting errors of the receptacle connector 2, etc.

[0022] The plug connector 3 is connected to multiple pairs of wires 30 and mates with the receptacle connector 2 along the mating direction D1. For example, the plug connector 3 is connected to multiple shielded cables 20, each having a pair of wires 30. The multiple shielded cables 20 include multiple first shielded cables 20A arranged in a first row and multiple second shielded cables 20B arranged in a second row parallel to the first row. The multiple pairs of wires 30 include multiple pairs of first wires 30A included in the multiple first shielded cables 20A and arranged in a first row, and multiple pairs of second wires 30B included in the multiple second shielded cables 20B and arranged in a second row.

[0023] The distinction between multiple first shielded cables 20A and multiple second shielded cables 20B (the distinction between multiple pairs of first wires 30A and multiple pairs of second wires 30B) is based on their arrangement, and the configuration of each of the multiple first shielded cables 20A and each of the multiple second shielded cables 20B are the same.

[0024] Mating along the mating direction D1 means mating by movement along the mating direction D1. Plug connector 3 is the "mating connector" for receptacle connector 2, and receptacle connector 2 is the "mating connector" for plug connector 3. Figure 2 shows the state in which plug connector 3 is mated to receptacle connector 2 along the mating direction D1.

[0025] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III-III in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the receptacle connector 2 comprises multiple pairs of conductive first contacts 120, multiple pairs of conductive second contacts 130, and multiple conductive shells 140. The multiple pairs of first contacts 120 are arranged along an alignment direction D2 parallel to the circuit board 10 and perpendicular to the mating direction D1, and are connected to multiple pairs of first signal lines 11 (see Figure 6) of the circuit board 10, respectively. The multiple pairs of second contacts 130 are arranged along the alignment direction D2 between the multiple pairs of first contacts 120 and the circuit board 10, and are connected to multiple pairs of second signal lines 12 (see Figure 6) of the circuit board 10, respectively.

[0026] The arrangement direction D2 only needs to be substantially parallel to the circuit board 10, and may be slightly inclined with respect to the circuit board 10 due to mounting errors of the receptacle connector 2, etc. Also, the arrangement direction D2 only needs to be substantially perpendicular to the mating direction D1, and may be slightly inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the mating direction D1 due to manufacturing errors of the receptacle connector 2, etc.

[0027] Multiple shells 140 are arranged along the alignment direction D2, and surround multiple pairs of first contacts 120 and multiple pairs of second contacts 130 around the mating direction D1, for each pair of first contacts 120 and pair of second contacts 130. For example, each of the multiple shells 140 surrounds a pair of first contacts 120 and a pair of second contacts 130 that are aligned along the mating direction D1 and the orthogonal direction D3 perpendicular to the alignment direction D2, around the mating direction D1. The surround does not necessarily have to be a full circumferential surround. For example, even if the line surrounding the object to be surrounded is missing in one or more places, if at least a part of the object to be surrounded is included in the annular body obtained by linearly interpolating the missing one or more places, the object to be surrounded is surrounded by that line. The same applies below.

[0028] Each of the multiple shells 140 is U-shaped, with the opening portion of the U-shape located near the circuit board 10 and the bottom portion of the U-shape located far from the circuit board 10. In other words, each of the multiple shells 140 opens toward the circuit board 10. Each of the multiple shells 140 has a pair of shell connectors 143 at both ends facing the circuit board 10 (both ends in the array direction D2). The pair of shell connectors 143 are connected to the ground pattern 13 of the circuit board 10.

[0029] The receptacle connector 2 further comprises a plurality of receiving spaces S1. Each of the multiple receiving spaces S1 is provided within a plurality of shells 140 so as to receive each of the plurality of conductive partitions 244 (see Figure 5) provided in the plug connector 3.

[0030] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, the plug connector 3 has multiple pairs of conductive first contacts 210A, multiple pairs of conductive second contacts 210B, multiple conductive first shells 220A, and multiple conductive second shells 220B.

[0031] Multiple pairs of first contacts 210A are aligned along the alignment direction D2 and connected to multiple pairs of first wires 30A, respectively. Multiple pairs of second contacts 210B are aligned parallel to the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A in the orthogonal direction D3 and connected to multiple pairs of second wires 30B, respectively. Multiple first shells 220A surround multiple pairs of first contacts 210A around the mating direction D1, one pair at a time. For example, each of the multiple first shells 220A surrounds one pair of first contacts 210A. Multiple second shells 220B surround multiple pairs of second contacts 210B around the mating direction D1, one pair at a time. For example, each of the multiple second shells 220B surrounds one pair of second contacts 210B.

[0032] Since multiple pairs of first contacts 210A in the first row are surrounded pair by multiple first shells 220A, and multiple pairs of second contacts 210B in the second row are also surrounded pair by multiple second shells 220B, the pairs are separated by conductive material in both the arrangement direction D2 and the orthogonal direction D3 where the first and second rows are aligned. Therefore, this is effective in improving shielding performance.

[0033] Each of the multiple first shells 220A is U-shaped, with the opening portion of the U-shape located near the first contact 210A and the bottom portion of the U-shape located far from the first contact 210A. Each of the multiple second shells 220B is U-shaped, with the opening portion of the U-shape located near the second contact 210B and the bottom portion of the U-shape located far from the second contact 210B. The bottom portions of the multiple first shells 220A and the bottom portions of the multiple second shells 220B are in contact. That is, each of the multiple first shells 220A may open in a direction away from multiple pairs of first contacts 210A and multiple pairs of second contacts 210B, and each of the multiple second shells 220B may open in a direction away from multiple pairs of first contacts 210B. Even without providing space between multiple pairs of first contacts 210A and multiple pairs of second contacts 210B, the first shell 220A and the second shell 220B suppress mutual interference due to electromagnetic waves, allowing multiple pairs of first contacts 210A to contact multiple pairs of first contacts 120 (mutual first contacts), and multiple pairs of second contacts 210B to contact multiple pairs of second contacts 130 (mutual second contacts). Therefore, it is possible to achieve both miniaturization of the plug connector 3 and shielding performance.

[0034] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 5, when the plug connector 3 is mated to the receptacle connector 2, the multiple shells 140 of the receptacle connector 2 accommodate multiple pairs of first contacts 210A and multiple second contacts 210B, each pair of first contacts 210A and pair of second contacts 210B arranged in the orthogonal direction D3. Within the receiving shell 140, each pair of first contacts 210A contacts each a pair of first contacts 120, and each pair of second contacts 210B contacts each a pair of second contacts 130. The first shell 220A and the second shell 220B each accommodate a pair of first contacts 210A and pair of second contacts 210B. The partition 244, which enters the receiving space S1, divides the inside of the shell 140 into a first housing space S11 in which a pair of first contacts 210A and a pair of first contacts 120 are housed, and a second housing space S12 in which a pair of second contacts 210B and a pair of second contacts 130 are housed.

[0035] In this way, the interior of each of the multiple shells 140 is divided into a first housing space S11 that accommodates a pair of first contacts 120 and a second housing space S12 that accommodates a pair of second contacts 130 by the multiple partitions 244 that each enter into the multiple receiving spaces S1. With the receptacle connector 2, the multiple pairs of first contacts 120 in the first row and the multiple pairs of second contacts 130 in the second row are separated by the multiple shells 140, one pair of first contacts 120 and one pair of second contacts 130. Furthermore, the interior of each of the multiple shells is divided into a first housing space S11 that accommodates a pair of first contacts 120 and a second housing space S12 that accommodates a pair of second contacts 130 by the multiple partitions 244 of the plug connector 3. This improves shielding performance. Also, by using the components of the receptacle connector 2 and the components of the plug connector 3 together, the space occupied by the shield can be reduced, and more space can be allocated to signal transmission. Therefore, this is effective in achieving a balance between the number of signals that can be transmitted in parallel and shielding performance.

[0036] The partition portion 244 may have a pair of shell contact portions 243 that are oriented in opposite directions in the arrangement direction D2 and contact the inner surface of the receiving shell 140. By improving the shielding between the shell 140 and the partition portion 244, the shielding performance can be further improved.

[0037] The fact that the first shell 220A and the second shell 220B have a partition portion 244 means that at least one of the first shell 220A and the second shell 220B has a partition portion 244. The first shell 220A may have a partition portion 244 and the second shell 220B may not have a partition portion 244, and the second shell 220B may have a partition portion 244 and the first shell 220A may not have a partition portion 244. The first shell 220A and the second shell 220B each have a partition portion 244, and the first containment space S11 and the second containment space S12 may be doubly partitioned by the partition portion 244 of the first shell 220A and the partition portion 244 of the second shell 220B. The shielding performance between the first containment space S11 and the second containment space S12 can be further improved.

[0038] Each of the multiple shells 140 may have a pair of shell contact portions 144 that face each other in the arrangement direction D2, such that each contacts a partition portion 244 that has entered the receiving space S1. The pair of shell contact portions 144 each contact a pair of shell contact portions 243 of the partition portion 244. If each of the first shell 220A and the second shell 220B has a partition portion 244, each of the pair of shell contact portions 144 contacts both the partition portion 244 of the first shell 220A and the partition portion 244 of the second shell 220B.

[0039] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 6, each of the pair of first contacts 120 of the receptacle connector 2 may have a first contact portion 123 that extends toward the circuit board 10 and contacts the first contact 210A of the plug connector 3. Each of the pair of second contacts 130 of the receptacle connector 2 may have a second contact portion 133 that extends toward the circuit board 10 and contacts the second contact 210B of the plug connector 3.

[0040] As described above, the first shell 220A and the second shell 220B may each have openings such that a pair of first contacts 210A and a pair of second contacts 210B are in opposite positions relative to each other in the orthogonal direction D3. Specifically, the first shell 220A may be positioned such that the opening portion forming the U shape is further from the circuit board 10 than the bottom portion that constitutes it, and the pair of first contacts 210A may be positioned in the opening portion of the first shell 220A. Alternatively, the second shell 220B may be positioned such that the opening portion forming the U shape is closer to the circuit board 10 than the bottom portion that constitutes it, and the pair of second contacts 210B may be positioned in the opening portion of the second shell 220B. Each of the pair of first contacts 210A has a first contact portion 211A that contacts the first contact 120 in the direction in which the first shell 220A opens (from the bottom portion forming the U shape toward the opening portion forming it), and each of the pair of second contacts 210B may have a second contact portion 211B that contacts the second contact 130 in the direction in which the second shell 220B opens (from the bottom portion forming the U shape toward the opening portion forming it). Even without providing space between the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A and the multiple pairs of second contacts 210B, mutual interference due to electromagnetic waves can be suppressed by the first shell 220A and the second shell 220B, and the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A can be brought into contact with the multiple pairs of first contacts 120, and the multiple pairs of second contacts 210B can be brought into contact with the multiple pairs of second contacts 130. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both miniaturization of the connector and shielding performance.

[0041] Each of the multiple pairs of first contacts 120 of the receptacle connector 2 may further have a first connection portion 124 connected to a first signal line 11 on the circuit board 10. Each of the multiple pairs of second contacts 130 may further have a second connection portion 134 connected to a second signal line 12 on the circuit board 10.

[0042] Each of the multiple shells 140 may accommodate at least a first contact portion 123 and a second contact portion 133 in the mating direction D1. Each of the multiple shells 140 may further accommodate a first connecting portion 124 and a second connecting portion 134 in the mating direction D1. This can further improve shielding performance.

[0043] Each of the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A of the plug connector 3 may further have a first connection portion 212A connected to the first wire 30A. Each of the second contacts 210B may further have a second connection portion 212B connected to the second wire 30B.

[0044] The first electric wire 30A has a conductive signal conductor 31 and an insulating inner sheath 32 covering the signal conductor 31. Similarly, the second electric wire 30B also has a signal conductor 31 and an inner sheath 32. The first shielded cable 20A has a conductive outer conductor 21 covering a pair of first electric wires 30A and an insulating outer sheath 22 covering the outer conductor 21. Similarly, the second shielded cable 20B also has a conductive outer conductor 21 covering a pair of second electric wires 30B and an insulating outer sheath 22 covering the outer conductor 21.

[0045] For connection to the plug connector 3, the end of the first shielded cable 20A has a first exposed portion where the respective signal conductors 31 of the pair of first electric wires 30A are exposed, and a second exposed portion where the outer conductor 21 is exposed. The signal conductors 31 of the first exposed portion are connected to the first connection portion 212A by soldering or the like. The outer conductor 21 of the second exposed portion is connected to the first base plate 250A, described later, together with the first shell 220A, by soldering or the like.

[0046] Similarly, a first exposed portion and a second exposed portion are formed at the end of the second shielded cable 20B. The signal conductor 31 of the first exposed portion is connected to the second connection portion 212B by soldering or the like. The outer conductor 21 of the second exposed portion is connected to the second base plate 250B, described later, together with the second shell 220B by soldering or the like.

[0047] Returning to Figure 1, the connector system 1 further comprises a locking member 280. The locking member 280 prevents the plug connector 3 from coming off the receptacle connector 2 when the plug connector 3 is mated to the receptacle connector 2. The locking member 280 has a pair of arms 281 and a hold bar 282. The pair of arms 281 are attached to both ends of the plug connector 3 in the array direction D2 so as to be rotatable about an axis 283 along the array direction D2. Each of the pair of arms 281 extends away from the axis 283. The hold bar 282 extends along the array direction D2 and connects the ends of the pair of arms 281.

[0048] After the plug connector 3 is mated to the receptacle connector 2, the pair of arms 281 can be rotated around the axis 283 to position the hold bar 282 behind the receptacle connector 2 as seen from the plug connector 3, as shown in Figure 2. The hold bar 282 positioned behind the receptacle connector 2 resists the displacement of the plug connector 3 away from the receptacle connector 2 along the mating direction D1, thus preventing the plug connector 3 from coming off the receptacle connector 2. By rotating the pair of arms 281 around the axis 283 and retracting the hold bar 282 from behind the receptacle connector 2, it becomes possible to remove the plug connector 3 from the receptacle connector 2.

[0049] The configurations of the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are further illustrated below. [Receptacle Connector] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector 2. As described above, the receptacle connector 2 comprises multiple pairs of first contacts 120, multiple pairs of second contacts 130, and multiple shells 140, but Figure 7 shows the state with only one pair of first contacts 120, one pair of second contacts 130, and one shell 140 removed.

[0050] As shown in Figure 7, the receptacle connector 2 comprises a housing 110, a plurality of pairs of first contacts 120, a plurality of pairs of second contacts 130, a plurality of shells 140, and an outer cover 150. The housing 110 is made of an insulating material such as resin and holds the plurality of pairs of first contacts 120, the plurality of pairs of second contacts 130, and the plurality of shells 140 in an insulated state from each other. The housing 110 has a facing surface 110a that faces the circuit board 10, a opposite surface 110b that faces away from the circuit board 10, a front surface 110c that faces the plug connector 3 along the mating direction D1, and a rear surface 110d that faces away from the plug connector 3 along the mating direction D1.

[0051] Each of the multiple pairs of first contacts 120 is made of a metal material such as copper and has a first insertion portion 121 and a first leg portion 122. The first insertion portion 121 is inserted into the housing 110 from the back surface 110d toward the front surface 110c. The first contact portion 123 described above is formed at the end of the first insertion portion 121 that is inserted into the housing 110. The first leg portion 122 is bent relative to the first insertion portion 121 and extends toward the circuit board 10. The first connecting portion 124 described above is formed at the end of the first leg portion 122.

[0052] Each of the multiple pairs of second contacts 130 is made of a metal material such as copper and has a second insertion portion 131 and a second leg portion 132. The second insertion portion 131 is inserted into the housing 110 from the back surface 110d toward the front surface 110c. The end of the second insertion portion 131 that is inserted into the housing 110 has the second contact portion 133 described above. The second leg portion 132 bends relative to the second insertion portion 131 and extends toward the circuit board 10. The end of the second leg portion 132 has the second connecting portion 134 described above. The second insertion portion 131 is located between the first insertion portion 121 and the circuit board 10. The second connecting portion 134 is positioned in front of the first connecting portion 124. Therefore, the length of the second insertion portion 131 is shorter than the length of the first insertion portion 121, and the length of the second leg portion 132 is shorter than the length of the first leg portion 122.

[0053] Each of the multiple shells 140 is made of a metal material such as copper and has a center plate 141 and a pair of partition plates 142. The center plate 141 faces the opposite surface 110b. The pair of partition plates 142 are each bent relative to the center plate 141 and extend toward the circuit board 10, facing each other along the arrangement direction D2. The shell connection portion 143 described above is formed at the end of each of the pair of partition plates 142 that faces toward the circuit board 10.

[0054] Each of the pair of partition plates 142 is inserted into the housing 110 from the opposite side 110b toward the opposing side 110a, partitioning between two adjacent pairs of first contacts 120 and also partitioning between two adjacent pairs of second contacts 130. The shell connection portion 143 reaches the opposing side 110a so as to be connectable to the ground pattern 13.

[0055] The outer cover 150 is made of a metal material such as copper and covers at least partially the outer surface of the housing 110. For example, the outer cover 150 has a cover plate 151 and a pair of side plates 152. The cover plate 151 covers the opposite side 110b of the multiple shells 140 from the outside of the center plate 141. The pair of side plates 152 extend from both ends of the cover plate 151 in the array direction D2 toward the circuit board 10, and cover both end faces of the housing 110 in the array direction D2.

[0056] Each of the pair of side plates 152 has a cover connection portion 153 formed at the end facing the circuit board 10, which connects to the ground pattern 13 of the circuit board 10. Each of the pair of side plates 152 has a protrusion 154 formed along the arrangement direction D2 toward away from the housing 110. The protrusions 154 of the pair of side plates 152 catch on the pair of arms 281 when the hold bar 282 of the locking member 280 is positioned behind the receptacle connector 2 as described above, preventing the locking member 280 from coming off.

[0057] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the housing 110 alone from the front 110c and the opposite side 110b, and similarly, Figure 9 is a perspective view from the opposing side 110a and the rear side 110d. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the housing 110 has a mating hole 111, a connection space 112, and a retaining wall 113. As shown in Figure 8, the mating hole 111 opens along the mating direction D1 toward the plug connector 3. For example, the mating hole 111 opens on the front 110c and widens along the arrangement direction D2. As shown in Figure 9, the connection space 112 opens along the mating direction D1 in the opposite direction to the mating hole 111 and further opens toward the circuit board 10. For example, the mating hole 111 opens on the rear side 110d and the opposite side 110b and widens along the arrangement direction D2. The retaining wall 113 partitions the fitting hole 111 and the connection space 112, and holds multiple pairs of first contacts 120 and multiple pairs of second contacts 130. For example, the retaining wall 113 has multiple pairs of first insertion holes 114 arranged along the alignment direction D2, and multiple pairs of second insertion holes 115 arranged along the alignment direction D2 between the multiple pairs of first insertion holes 114 and the opposing surface 110a.

[0058] Multiple pairs of first insertion holes 114 are inserted into each of the multiple pairs of first contacts 120, from the back surface 110d toward the front surface 110c. The first contact portions 123 at the ends of the first insertion portions 121 are housed in the fitting holes 111. The first leg portions 122 and the first connecting portions 124 at the ends of the first leg portions 122 are housed in the connecting space 112.

[0059] Multiple pairs of second insertion holes 115 are inserted into each of the multiple pairs of second contacts 130, from the back surface 110d toward the front surface 110c. The second contact portions 133 at the ends of the second insertion portions 131 are housed in the fitting holes 111. The second leg portions 132 and the second connecting portions 134 at the ends of the second contact portions 133 are housed in the connecting space 112.

[0060] The housing 110 further has a plurality of partition holes 116 arranged along the array direction D2. Each of the plurality of partition holes 116 penetrates between an opposing surface 110a and an opposite surface 110b. The partition holes 116 at both ends in the array direction D2 each receive partition plates 142 located at both ends in the array of the plurality of shells 140. Each of the partition holes 116 other than the partition holes 116 at both ends receives partition plates 142 that overlap between adjacent shells 140 (see Figure 7). In this way, the multiple shells 140 housed in the multiple partition holes 116 partition each of the fitting hole 111, the connection space 112, and the retaining wall 113 according to the pair of first contacts 120 and the pair of second contacts 130 arranged in the orthogonal direction D3. By partitioning the area from the fitting hole 111, where the first contact portion 123 and the second contact portion 133 are housed, to the connection space 112, where the first connection portion 124 and the second connection portion 134 are housed, with the multiple shells 140 according to the pair of first contacts 120 and the pair of second contacts 130 arranged in the orthogonal direction D3, the shielding performance can be further improved.

[0061] In each of the multiple shells 140, the above-described receiving space S1 is formed between the portion of a pair of partition plates 142 located in the fitting hole 111. In addition, at least a portion of the portion of the pair of partition plates 142 located in the fitting hole 111 becomes the pair of shell contact portion 144.

[0062] The housing 110 may further have a plurality of reinforcing walls 117 aligned along the alignment direction D2. The plurality of reinforcing walls 117 project from the retaining wall 113 toward the rear surface 110d so as to divide the connection space 112 into pairs of first contacts 120 and pairs of second contacts 130 aligned in the orthogonal direction D3. The partition holes 116 other than the partition holes 116 at both ends are formed within the plurality of reinforcing walls 117, respectively.

[0063] In the fitting direction D1, the second connecting portion 134 is located between the first connecting portion 124 and the retaining wall 113 (see Figure 6). The length of the portion of the multiple pairs of second contacts 130 that is housed in the fitting hole 111 may be longer than the length of the portion of the multiple pairs of second contacts 130 that is housed in the connection space 112. By shortening the section in which the first contact 120 and the second contact 130 coexist in the same space without being separated by the partition portion 244, the shielding performance can be further improved.

[0064] The receptacle connector 2 can be assembled, for example, by the following procedure. First, the second insertion portions 131 of each pair of second contacts 130 are inserted into each pair of second insertion holes 115 of the housing 110, from the back surface 110d toward the front surface 110c, the second contact portions 133 of each pair of second contacts 130 are accommodated in the mating holes 111, and the second connecting portions 134 of each pair of second contacts 130 are accommodated in the connecting space 112. Next, the first insertion portions 121 of each pair of first contacts 120 are inserted into each pair of first insertion holes 114 of the housing 110, from the back surface 110d toward the front surface 110c, the first contact portions 123 of each pair of first contacts 120 are accommodated in the mating holes 111, and the first connecting portions 124 of each pair of first contacts 120 are accommodated in the connecting space 112. Next, multiple shells 140 are inserted into multiple partition holes 116, one by one, from the opposite side 110b toward the opposing side 110a. Then, the outer cover 150 is placed over the housing 110, from the opposite side 110b toward the opposing side 110a.

[0065] [Plug connector] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the plug connector 3. As shown in Figure 10, the plug connector 3 has a first connector 200A, a second connector 200B, and a conductive cover 300. The first connector 200A is a unitized assembly of multiple pairs of first contacts 210A and multiple first shells 220A. The second connector 200B is a unitized assembly of multiple pairs of second contacts 210B and multiple second shells 220B. The first connector 200A and the second connector 200B overlap in the orthogonal direction D3. The cover 300 surrounds the overlapping first connector 200A and the second connector 200B, integrating the first connector 200A and the second connector 200B. The first connector 200A and the second connector 200B, in their overlapping state, are mated to the receptacle connector 2 along the mating direction D1.

[0066] The following describes each configuration. In the description of each configuration, the side toward the plug connector 3 along the mating direction D1 is referred to as the "front". In the description of the first connector 200A, the side toward the second connector 200B is referred to as the "inward side", and the side away from the second connector 200B is referred to as the "outward side". In the description of the second connector 200B, the side toward the first connector 200A is referred to as the "inward side", and the side away from the first connector 200A is referred to as the "outward side".

[0067] (First connector) Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector. As shown in Figure 11, the first connector 200A includes a plurality of pairs of first contacts 210A, a first housing 260A, a first base plate 250A, and a plurality of first shells 220A. Each of the plurality of pairs of first contacts 210A, which are arranged along the arrangement direction D2, is made of a metal material such as copper and extends along the mating direction D1. The tip of the first contact 210A facing forward is formed with the first contact portion 211A described above. The base end of the first contact 210A facing backward is formed with the first connecting portion 212A described above.

[0068] The first housing 260A is formed of an insulating material such as resin. The first housing 260A extends along the arrangement direction D2 and holds a plurality of first contacts 210A. The first housing 260A exposes the first contact portions 211A of the plurality of pairs of first contacts 210A outward and exposes the first connection portions 212A of the plurality of pairs of first contacts 210A inward. Signal conductors 31 of the plurality of pairs of first wires 30A are connected to the first connection portions 212A of the plurality of pairs of first contacts 210A from the inside by soldering or the like.

[0069] The first base plate 250A is formed of a metallic material such as copper, extends along the arrangement direction D2, and is connected from the outside to the outer conductors 21 of the multiple first shielded cables 20A. The first base plate 250A is held in the first housing 260A, insulated from the multiple first contacts 210A.

[0070] As shown in Figure 12, the first base plate 250A has a pair of base connection portions 251 at both ends in the arrangement direction D2. Each of the pair of base connection portions 251 is held in the first base plate 250A so as to be exposed outward and connected to the cover 300. Between the pair of base connection portions 251, the first base plate 250A has a plurality of openings 252 and a plurality of pairs of openings 253 aligned along the arrangement direction D2. The plurality of openings 252 correspond to a plurality of first shield cables 20A. Each of the plurality of openings 252 is open so as to expose the outer conductor 21 of the corresponding first shield cable 20A to the outside. The first base plate 250A is connected to the plurality of first shield cables 20A from the outside via the plurality of openings 252 by soldering or the like.

[0071] Multiple pairs of openings 253 correspond to multiple first shield cables 20A and to multiple openings 252. Each pair of openings 253 is formed such that the corresponding opening 252 is located between two openings 253 in the arrangement direction D2. Multiple pairs of openings 253 are used to connect multiple first shells 220A to the first base plate 250A, as will be described later.

[0072] As shown in Figure 13, each of the multiple first shells 220A has a base portion 230 and an end portion 240. The base portions 230 of the multiple first shells 220A each surround the outer conductors 21 of the multiple first shield cables 20A and are fixed to the first base plate 250A. For example, the base portion 230 has a pair of base sidewalls 231 and a base connecting wall 232. The base connecting wall 232 faces the first base plate 250A from the inside. The pair of base sidewalls 231 each bend relative to the base connecting wall 232 and extend toward the first base plate 250A, facing each other along the alignment direction D2. Between the pair of base sidewalls 231, the shield cables 20 of the corresponding first shield cables 20A are housed.

[0073] Fixing pieces 233 are formed at the ends of each of the pair of base sidewalls 231 that face the first base plate 250A. The fixing pieces 233 of the pair of base sidewalls 231 each fit into a pair of openings 253 and are fixed (connected) to the first base plate 250A from the outside by soldering or the like. As a result, the first shell 220A is held in the first housing 260A via the first base plate 250A.

[0074] The end portion 240 extends forward from the base portion 230 along the fitting direction D1 and surrounds the pair of first contacts 210A. For example, the end portion 240 has a pair of end sidewalls 241 and an end connecting wall 242. The end connecting wall 242 is connected to the base connecting wall 232. The pair of end sidewalls 241 bend outward relative to the end connecting wall 242 and are connected to the pair of base sidewalls 231, respectively. The pair of end sidewalls 241 face each other along the alignment direction D2.

[0075] The spacing between the pair of end sidewalls 241 in the arrangement direction D2 is smaller than the spacing between the pair of base sidewalls 231 in the arrangement direction D2. The outer conductor 21 of the first shield cable 20A is present in the base portion 230, whereas the outer conductor 21 of the first shield cable 20A is not present in the end portion 240. By making the spacing between the pair of end sidewalls 241 in positions where the outer conductor 21 is not present smaller than the spacing between the pair of base sidewalls 231 in positions where the outer conductor 21 is present, the uniformity of the arrangement relationship between the pair of first wires 30A and the metal body with ground potential surrounding the pair of first wires 30A can be improved, and the signal transmission characteristics can be further improved.

[0076] Each of the pair of base sidewalls 231 has a pair of shell contact portions 243. The pair of shell contact portions 243 elastically deform and move closer to each other when an external force is applied, and move further apart when the external force is removed. At least a portion of the end portion 240 enters the above-mentioned receiving space S1 and becomes a partition portion 244. The pair of shell contact portions 243 are in contact with the inner surfaces of the pair of partition plates 142. The portions of the pair of partition plates 142 that are in contact with the pair of shell contact portions 243 become the pair of shell contact portions 144.

[0077] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the first housing 260A includes a first housing base 261, a plurality of first projections 262, a pair of first base retainers 264, and a pair of first guides 263. The first housing base 261 extends along the alignment direction D2. The plurality of first projections 262 are aligned along the alignment direction D2 and project forward and inward from the first housing base 261. The plurality of first projections 262 each hold a plurality of pairs of first contacts 210A, which are each housed in a plurality of first shells 220A. Each of the plurality of first projections 262 holds a pair of first contacts 210A such that the first contact portion 211A is exposed outward and enters the end portion 240 of the first shell 220A from the outside. The first connecting portion 212A of the pair of first contacts 210A project rearward from the first projections 262 and is located inside the first housing base 261 (see Figure 6).

[0078] A pair of first base holding portions 264 protrude inward and backward from both ends of the first housing base 261 in the arrangement direction D2, and each holds both ends of the first base plate 250A such that a pair of base connecting portions 251 are exposed outward. A pair of first guides 263 protrude forward from the pair of first base holding portions 264. In the arrangement direction D2, a plurality of first protrusions 262 are located between the pair of first guides 263. The pair of first guides 263 protrude forward of the plurality of first protrusions 262. When the plug connector 3 is mated with the receptacle connector 2, the pair of first guides 263 enter the plug connector 3 before the plurality of first protrusions 262, guiding the plurality of first protrusions 262 into the plug connector 3.

[0079] The first housing 260A has a first fitting portion 265 that faces the second housing 260B, which will be described later. For example, the first housing 260A has a pair of protrusions formed on a pair of first guides 263 so as to project inward, which serve as the first fitting portion 265.

[0080] (Second connector) Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector. As shown in Figure 16, the second connector 200B has multiple pairs of second contacts 210B, a second housing 260B, a second base plate 250B, and multiple second shells 220B. The structure of the second connector 200B is the same as that of the first connector 200A, with the multiple pairs of second contacts 210B corresponding to the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A in the first connector 200A, the second housing 260B corresponding to the first housing 260A in the first connector 200A, and the second base plate 250B corresponding to the first base plate 250A in the first connector 200A. The multiple second shells 220B correspond to the multiple first shells 220A in the first connector 200A. Each of the multiple pairs of second contacts 210B is the same part as each of the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A, and the tip of the second contact 211B facing forward has the second contact portion 211B described above formed thereon. The second connecting portion 212B described above is formed at the base end of the second contact 210B that extends to the rear. The second base plate 250B is the same part as the first base plate 250A, and each of the multiple second shells 220B is the same part as each of the multiple first shells 220A.

[0081] The function of the second housing 260B in the second connector 200B is the same as that of the first housing 260A in the first connector 200A, but the second housing 260B is not the same part as the first housing 260A. The second housing 260B is made of an insulating material such as resin. The second housing 260B extends along the arrangement direction D2 and holds a plurality of second contacts 210B. The second housing 260B exposes the second contact portions 211B of the plurality of pairs of second contacts 210B outward. The second connection portions 212B of the plurality of pairs of second contacts 210B are exposed inward. Signal conductors 31 of the plurality of pairs of second wires 30B are connected from the inside by soldering or the like to the second connection portions 212B of the plurality of pairs of second contacts 210B.

[0082] The second base plate 250B is held in the second housing 260B, insulated from the multiple second contacts 210B, and is connected from the outside to the outer conductors 21 of the multiple second shielded cables 20B.

[0083] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the second housing 260B, like the first housing 260A, has a second housing base 271, a plurality of second projections 272, a pair of second base retainers 274, and a pair of second guides 273. The second housing base 271 extends along the alignment direction D2. The plurality of second projections 272 are aligned along the alignment direction D2 and project forward and inward from the second housing base 271. The plurality of second projections 272 each hold a plurality of pairs of second contacts 210B, which are each housed in a plurality of second shells 220B. Each of the plurality of second projections 272 holds a pair of second contacts 210B such that the second contact portion 211B is exposed outward and enters the end portion 240 of the second shell 220B from the outside. The second connecting portion 212B of the pair of second contacts 210B protrudes rearward from the second projection 272 and is located inside the second housing base 271 (see Figure 6).

[0084] A pair of second base retaining portions 274 protrude inward and backward from both ends of the second housing base 271 in the arrangement direction D2, and each holds both ends of the second base plate 250B so that the pair of second housing bases 271 are exposed outward. A pair of second guides 273 protrude forward from the pair of second base retaining portions 274. In the arrangement direction D2, a plurality of second protrusions 272 are located between the pair of second guides 273. The pair of second guides 273 protrude forward of the plurality of second protrusions 272. When the plug connector 3 is mated with the receptacle connector 2, the pair of second guides 273 enter the plug connector 3 before the plurality of second protrusions 272, guiding the plurality of second protrusions 272 into the plug connector 3.

[0085] In the orthogonal direction D3, the thickness of the pair of second guides 273 is different from the thickness of the pair of first guides 263. For example, the thickness of the pair of second guides 273 in the orthogonal direction D3 is greater than the thickness of the pair of first guides 263 in the orthogonal direction D3.

[0086] The second housing 260B has a second fitting portion 275 facing the first housing 260A. For example, the second housing 260B has a pair of recesses formed in a pair of second guides 273, which open inward, as the second fitting portion 275, and a pair of protrusions, which are the first fitting portion 265, fit into the pair of recesses, which are the second fitting portion 275. The first fitting portion 265 may be a recess and the second fitting portion 275 may be a protrusion.

[0087] (Outer cover) Returning to Figure 10, the cover 300 has a first outer cover 310A and a second outer cover 310B. The first outer cover 310A is made of a metal material such as copper and has a cover plate 311 and a pair of side plates 312. The cover plate 311 extends along the alignment direction D2 and covers the first housing 260A from the outside.

[0088] A pair of side plates 312 are connected to both ends of the cover plate 311 in the arrangement direction D2, and cover both end faces of the first housing 260A and the second housing 260B in the arrangement direction D2, respectively. The cover plate 311 has a pair of connection openings 313 near both ends in the arrangement direction D2. The pair of connection openings 313 expose a pair of base connection portions 251 of the first base plate 250A to the outside. The cover plate 311 is fixed (connected) to the pair of base connection portions 251 of the first base plate 250A from the outside by soldering or the like via the pair of connection openings 313.

[0089] The cover plate 311 may further have a cover connecting portion 314 that contacts the first base plate 250A between a pair of connecting openings 313. The cover connecting portion 314 extends inward between the pair of connecting openings 313 and contacts the first base plate 250A.

[0090] Each of the pair of side plates 312 is provided with a pair of bearing slits 315. The pair of bearing slits 315 open in a direction away from the cover plate 311.

[0091] The second outer cover 310B, like the first outer cover 310A, is made of a metal material such as copper and has a cover plate 311 and a pair of connecting openings 313. The cover plate 311 extends along the arrangement direction D2 and covers the second housing 260B from the outside.

[0092] The pair of side plates 312 are connected to both ends of the cover plate 311 in the arrangement direction D2, overlapping with the pair of side plates 312 of the first outer cover 310A in the arrangement direction D2, and are fixed (connected) to the pair of side plates 312 of the first outer cover 310A by soldering or the like. The cover plate 311 has a pair of connection openings 313 near both ends in the arrangement direction D2. The pair of connection openings 313 expose the pair of base connection portions 251 of the second base plate 250B to the outside. The cover plate 311 is fixed (connected) to the pair of base connection portions 251 of the second base plate 250B from the outside by soldering or the like via the pair of connection openings 313.

[0093] The cover plate 311 may further have a cover connecting portion 314 that contacts the second base plate 250B between a pair of connecting openings 313. The cover connecting portion 314 extends inward between the pair of connecting openings 313 and contacts the second base plate 250B.

[0094] Each of the pair of side plates 312 is provided with a pair of bearing slits 315. The pair of bearing slits 315 open in a direction away from the cover plate 311. The pair of bearing slits 315 of the second outer cover 310B and the pair of bearing slits 315 of the first outer cover 310A form the bearing holes for the pair of arms 281 of the locking member 280.

[0095] The second outer cover 310B may be the same part as the first outer cover 310A. In this case, the pair of side plates 312 of the second outer cover 310B and the pair of side plates 312 of the first outer cover 310A overlap so as to be alternately aligned in the arrangement direction D2 (see Figure 4).

[0096] (Assembly Instructions) The plug connector 3 can be assembled by the following procedure. First, a first unit is formed by insert molding of a resin material, etc., in which multiple pairs of first contacts 210A, a first base plate 250A, and a first housing 260A are integrated. Similarly, a second unit is formed by insert molding of a resin material, etc., in which multiple pairs of second contacts 210B, a second base plate 250B, and a second housing 260B are integrated. Next, the signal conductors 31 of multiple pairs of first wires 30A are connected to the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A of the first unit. Similarly, the signal conductors 31 of multiple pairs of second wires 30B are connected to the multiple pairs of second contacts 210B of the second unit. Next, multiple first shells 220A are attached to the first unit so as to surround each pair of first contacts 210A, to which the signal conductors 31 of the multiple pairs of first wires 30A are connected. Similarly, multiple second shells 220B are attached to the second unit so as to surround each pair of second contacts 210B, to which the signal conductors 31 of multiple pairs of second wires 30B are connected. Next, the first housing 260A and the second housing 260B are combined so as to be parallel to each other in the orthogonal direction D3 to the multiple pairs of first contacts 210A and the multiple pairs of second contacts 210B, and then integrated with the cover 300. Next, the locking member 280 is attached to the plug connector 3.

[0097] 〔summary〕 The embodiments illustrated above include the following configurations. (1) A connector 2 provided on a circuit board and mating with a mating connector 3 along a mating direction D1 parallel to the circuit board, comprising: multiple pairs of first contacts 120 arranged along an array direction D2 parallel to the circuit board and perpendicular to the mating direction D1, each connected to multiple pairs of first signal lines of the circuit board; multiple pairs of second contacts 130 arranged along the array direction D2 between the multiple pairs of first contacts 120 and the circuit board, each connected to multiple pairs of second signal lines of the circuit board; and multiple pairs of second contacts arranged along the array direction D2 and around the mating direction D1, each connected to multiple pairs of first contacts 120 and multiple pairs of second contacts Connector 2 comprises a plurality of conductive shells 140 that surround each of the contacts 130, a pair of first contacts 120 and a pair of second contacts 130, and a plurality of receiving spaces S1 provided within each of the plurality of shells 140 to receive each of the plurality of conductive partitions 244 provided in the mating connector 3, wherein the interior of each of the plurality of shells 140 is divided by the plurality of partitions 244 that enter each of the plurality of receiving spaces S1 into a first receiving space S11 that accommodates the pair of first contacts 120 and a second receiving space S12 that accommodates the pair of second contacts 130. In a configuration where multiple pairs of contacts are arranged in two rows, the multiple pairs of first contacts 120 in the first row and the multiple pairs of second contacts 130 in the second row are separated by multiple shells 140, with each pair of first contacts 120 and each pair of second contacts 130 being partitioned. Furthermore, multiple partitions 244 of the mating connector 3 divide the interior of each of the multiple shells 140 into a first housing space S11 that accommodates a pair of first contacts 120 and a second housing space S12 that accommodates a pair of second contacts 130. This improves shielding performance. In addition, by using the components of the connector 2 itself and the components of the mating connector 3 in combination, the space occupied by the shield can be reduced, and more space can be allocated to signal transmission. Therefore, this is effective in balancing the number of signals that can be transmitted in parallel with shielding performance.

[0098] (2) The connector 2 according to (1), wherein each of the multiple shells 140 has a pair of shell contact portions 144 that face each other in the arrangement direction D2 so that each contacts a partition portion 244 of the mating connector 3 that has entered the receiving space S1. By improving the shielding performance between the shell 140 and the partition 244, the shielding performance can be further enhanced.

[0099] (3) The connector 2 according to (1) or (2), wherein each of a pair of first contacts 120 has a first contact portion 123 that contacts the mating first contact 210A of the mating connector 3 on the side closer to the circuit board, and each of a pair of second contacts 130 has a second contact portion 133 that contacts the mating second contact 210B of the mating connector 3 on the side further away from the circuit board, and each of a plurality of shells 140 accommodates at least the first contact portion 123 and the second contact portion 133. Even without providing space between multiple pairs of mating first contacts 210A and multiple pairs of mating second contacts 210B, the multiple shells 140 and multiple partitions 244 suppress mutual interference due to electromagnetic waves, allowing multiple pairs of first contacts 120 to contact multiple pairs of mating first contacts 210A and multiple pairs of second contacts 130 to contact multiple pairs of mating second contacts 210B. Therefore, the connector 2 can be further miniaturized.

[0100] (4) The connector 2 according to (3), wherein each of the plurality of pairs of first contacts 120 further has a first connection portion 124 connected to a first signal line of a circuit board, each of the plurality of pairs of second contacts 130 further has a second connection portion 134 connected to a second signal line of a circuit board, and each of the plurality of shells 140 further accommodates the first connection portion 124 and the second connection portion 134. Shield performance can be further improved.

[0101] (5) The connector 2 according to (4) further comprises an insulating housing 110 that holds a plurality of pairs of first contacts 120, a plurality of pairs of second contacts 130, and a plurality of shells 140, wherein the housing 110 has a mating hole 111 that opens in the direction toward the mating connector 3 along the mating direction D1, a connection space 112 that opens in the opposite direction to the mating hole 111 along the mating direction D1 and further opens toward the circuit board, and a retaining wall 113 that partitions the mating hole 111 and the connection space 112 and holds a plurality of pairs of first contacts 120 and a plurality of pairs of second contacts 130, the first contact portion 123 and the second contact portion 133 are housed in the mating hole 111, the first connection portion 124 and the second connection portion 134 are housed in the connection space 112, and the plurality of shells 140 partition the mating hole 111, the connection space 112 and the retaining wall 113, respectively, for a pair of first contacts 120 and a pair of second contacts 130. By partitioning the space from the fitting hole 111, which houses the first contact portion 123 and the second contact portion 133, to the connection space 112, which houses the first connection portion 124 and the second connection portion 134, with multiple shells 140 for each pair of first contacts 120 and each pair of second contacts 130, the shielding performance can be further improved.

[0102] (6) In the mating direction D1, the second connecting portion 134 is located between the first connecting portion 124 and the retaining wall 113, and the length of the portion of the plurality of pairs of second contacts 130 that is housed in the mating hole 111 is longer than the length of the portion of the plurality of pairs of second contacts 130 that is housed in the connection space 112, as described in (5). By shortening the section in which the first contact 120 and the second contact 130 coexist in the same space without being separated by the partition 244, the shielding performance can be further improved.

[0103] (7) A connector 2 according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein each of the multiple shells 140 is open toward a circuit board and has a pair of shell connectors 143 at both ends in the arrangement direction D2 toward the circuit board, which are connected to the ground pattern of the circuit board. By utilizing the ground pattern on the circuit board as a component of the shield, the space occupied by the shield can be further reduced.

[0104] (8) A connector 2 as described in (1) and a mating connector 3, wherein the mating connector 3 comprises a plurality of conductive mating first contacts 210A connected to a plurality of pairs of first wires 30A, a plurality of conductive mating second contacts 210B connected to a plurality of pairs of second wires 30B, a plurality of conductive mating first shells 220A surrounding each pair of mating first contacts 210A around the mating direction D1, and a plurality of conductive mating second shells 220B surrounding each pair of mating second contacts 210B around the mating direction D1, wherein the plurality of shells 140 connect the plurality of mating first contacts 210A and the plurality of mating second contacts 210B to a pair of mating first contacts Connector system 1, each of the multiple shells 140 accommodates a tact 210A and a pair of mating second contacts 210B, and in each of the multiple shells 140, a pair of first contacts 120 contacts a pair of mating first contacts 210A and a pair of second contacts 130 contacts a pair of mating second contacts 210B, and the mating first shell 220A and mating second shell 220B that accommodate the pair of mating first contacts 210A and a pair of mating second contacts 210B respectively enter the receiving space S1 of the shell 140 that receives the pair of mating first contacts 210A and a pair of mating second contacts 210B and have a partition portion 244 that separates the first accommodating space S11 and the second accommodating space S12.

[0105] (9) The connector system 1 according to (8), wherein the shell 140 housing a pair of mating first contacts 210A and a pair of mating second contacts 210B has a pair of shell contacts 144 that face each other in the arrangement direction D2 and each contact a partition 244 that enters the receiving space S1.

[0106] (10) The connector system 1 according to (9), wherein each of the mating first shell 220A and the mating second shell 220B has a partition portion 244, and the first housing space S11 and the second housing space S12 are double-partitioned by the partition portion 244 of the mating first shell 220A and the partition portion 244 of the mating second shell 220B, and each of the pair of shell contact portions 144 contacts both the partition portion 244 of the mating first shell 220A and the partition portion 244 of the mating second shell 220B.

[0107] (11) The connector system 1 according to any one of (8) to (10), wherein each of the mating first shell 220A and the mating second shell 220B opens in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction D1 and the alignment direction D2 such that a pair of mating first contacts 210A and a pair of mating second contacts 210B are in opposite positions to each other, and the pair of first contacts 120 contact the pair of mating first contacts 210A in the direction in which the mating first shell 220A opens, and the pair of second contacts 130 contact the pair of mating second contacts 210B in the direction in which the mating second shell 220B opens.

[0108] Although embodiments have been described above, this disclosure is not necessarily limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0109] 1...Connector system, 2...Connector, 3...Mating connector, D1...Mating direction, D2...Arrangement direction, S1...Receiving space, 244...Partition, S11...First housing space, S12...Second housing space, 30A...First wire, 30B...Second wire, 110...Housing, 120...First contact, 123...First contact part, 124...First connection part, 130...Second contact, 133...Second contact part, 134...Second connection part, 140...Shell, 143...Shell connection part, 144...Shell contact part, 111...Mating hole, 112...Connection space, 113...Retaining wall.

Claims

1. A connector provided on a circuit board, which mates with a mating connector along a mating direction parallel to the circuit board, Multiple pairs of first contacts are arranged along an arrangement direction parallel to the circuit board and perpendicular to the mating direction, and each is connected to a multiple pair of first signal lines of the circuit board, Between the plurality of first contacts and the circuit board, there are a plurality of second contacts arranged along the arrangement direction and connected to a plurality of second signal lines of the circuit board, A plurality of conductive shells are arranged along the aforementioned alignment direction and, around the aforementioned mating direction, surround the plurality of pairs of first contacts and the plurality of pairs of second contacts, one pair of first contacts and one pair of second contacts. Multiple receiving spaces are provided within each of the multiple shells to receive each of the multiple conductive partitions provided in the mating connector, Equipped with, A connector in which the interior of each of the multiple shells is divided into a first housing space for housing the pair of first contacts and a second housing space for housing the pair of second contacts, by the multiple partitions that each of the multiple receiving spaces enters.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of shells has a pair of shell contact portions that face each other in the arrangement direction such that each contacts a partition portion of the mating connector that has entered the receiving space.

3. Each of the pair of first contacts has a first contact portion that contacts the mating first contact of the mating connector on the side closer to the circuit board, Each of the pair of second contacts has a second contact portion that contacts the mating second contact of the mating connector on the side away from the circuit board, Each of the plurality of shells accommodates at least the first contact portion and the second contact portion. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Each of the plurality of first contacts further has a first connection portion that is connected to a first signal line of the circuit board, Each of the aforementioned pairs of second contacts further has a second connection portion connected to a second signal line of the circuit board, Each of the plurality of shells further accommodates the first connection and the second connection. The connector according to claim 3.

5. The facility further comprises an insulating housing that holds the plurality of pairs of first contacts, the plurality of pairs of second contacts, and the plurality of shells, The aforementioned housing is A mating hole that opens in the direction toward the mating connector along the mating direction, A connection space that opens in the opposite direction to the fitting hole along the aforementioned fitting direction, and further opens in the direction toward the circuit board, A retaining wall that separates the fitting hole and the connection space and holds the plurality of pairs of first contacts and the plurality of pairs of second contacts, It has, The first contact portion and the second contact portion are housed in the fitting hole. The first connection part and the second connection part are housed in the connection space. The plurality of shells each partition the fitting hole, the connection space, and the retaining wall for each of the pair of first contacts and the pair of second contacts. The connector according to claim 4.

6. In the aforementioned fitting direction, The second connecting portion is located between the first connecting portion and the retaining wall. The length of the portion of the plurality of pairs of second contacts that is housed in the fitting hole is longer than the length of the portion of the plurality of pairs of second contacts that is housed in the connection space. The connector according to claim 5.

7. Each of the aforementioned shells is open toward the circuit board, The circuit board has a pair of shell connection portions connected to the ground pattern, each at both ends in the arrangement direction toward the circuit board. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The connector according to claim 1, The aforementioned mating connector, Equipped with, The aforementioned mating connector is Multiple pairs of conductive mating first contacts are connected to multiple pairs of first wires, Multiple pairs of conductive mating second contacts are connected to multiple pairs of second wires, A plurality of conductive mating first shells surround each of the plurality of mating first contacts in the direction of the mating, A plurality of conductive mating second shells surround each of the plurality of pairs of mating second contacts in the direction of the aforementioned mating, Equipped with, The plurality of shells accommodate the plurality of pairs of mating first contacts and the plurality of pairs of mating second contacts, for each pair of mating first contacts and each pair of mating second contacts. In each of the plurality of shells, the pair of first contacts contact the pair of mating first contacts, and the pair of second contacts contact the pair of mating second contacts. The first and second shells that house the pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts respectively are: A connector system having a partition that enters the receiving space of a shell that receives the pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts, and separates the first housing space from the second housing space.

9. The shell that houses the pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts has a pair of shell contact portions that face each other in the arrangement direction and each contacts the partition portion that enters the receiving space. The connector system according to claim 8.

10. Each of the aforementioned mating first shell and the aforementioned mating second shell has the partition portion, The first storage space and the second storage space are doubly partitioned by the partition portion of the mating first shell and the partition portion of the mating second shell. Each of the pair of shell contact portions contacts both the partition portion of the mating first shell and the partition portion of the mating second shell. The connector system according to claim 9.

11. Each of the mating first shell and the mating second shell opens in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction and the arrangement direction such that the pair of mating first contacts and the pair of mating second contacts are in opposite positions to each other. The pair of first contacts each contact the pair of mating first contacts in the direction in which the mating first shell opens. The pair of second contacts each contact the pair of mating second contacts in the direction in which the mating second shell opens. The connector system according to claim 8.

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