Electrical connector assembly

Abstract

To provide an electric connector assembly in which a manufacturing of a relay connector is hardly complex even if design of a vertical direction dimension of the relay connector is changed, and which can be therefore suppressed in increase of the manufacturing cost.SOLUTION: A first substrate connector 2 includes on both end sides in the connector width direction, a metal fitting 80 extending to a connector length direction right angel to both of a width direction and a vertical direction of the connector. The metal fitting 80 includes an elastic piece 83 that extends to an upper direction and can be elastically deformed toward the connector in a width direction. The elastic piece 83 includes in the upper end portion thereof, a lock portion 83B projecting toward outside in an external direction. A relay connector 1 includes a housing 20 that can receive the first substrate connector 2 from underneath. The housing 20 includes a side wall 22 extending to the connector longitudinal direction on both end sides in the connector longitudinal direction. The side wall 22 includes a latched portion 22C-1 that can be latched to the lock portion 83B from underneath at a position corresponding to the elastic piece 83 in the connector width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly including two mating connectors and a relay connector that electrically relay-connects the two mating connectors. [Background Art]

[0002] Such an electrical connector assembly is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, a first mating connector, which is one mating connector mounted on a circuit board, and a second mating connector, which is the other mating connector mounted on another circuit board, are fitted and connected to the relay connector from opposite sides in the vertical direction. Specifically, the first mating connector is fitted and connected to the relay connector from below, and the second mating connector is fitted and connected to the relay connector from above.

[0003] The relay connector is configured by connecting a plurality of relay connection units arranged in one direction parallel to a circuit board via connecting members made of metal plates provided on both sides in the connector width direction. The connecting members extend with the arrangement direction of the plurality of relay connection units as the longitudinal direction, and have lock legs extending downward and elastically deformable in the connector width direction at a plurality of positions in the arrangement direction. The lock legs can be locked to the first mating connector by a lock portion (lock piece) provided at the lower end thereof. Further, the connecting member does not have a portion for locking with the second mating connector. That is, the relay connector can be locked only to the first mating connector.

[0004] The first mating connector is configured by connecting a plurality of mating connection units arranged in the arrangement direction via connecting members made of metal plates provided on both sides in the connector width direction. In the connecting member, a hole-shaped locked portion is formed at a position corresponding to the lock leg in the arrangement direction, and can be locked by engaging with the lock portion. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-131940 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Depending on the environment in which the electrical connector assembly is installed, the distance (vertical distance) between two mating connectors may be changed. In this case, the change in setting is addressed by using the two mating connectors (first mating connector and second mating connector in Patent Document 1) as they are, while preparing a new intermediate connector with vertical dimensions corresponding to the above distance. In Patent Document 1, when preparing such a new intermediate connector, not only the intermediate connection unit but also the connecting member must be newly prepared with changed vertical dimensions because it has a locking function with the first mating connector. As a result, the manufacturing of the intermediate electrical connector becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost increases.

[0007] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an electrical connector assembly that, even if there are design changes regarding the vertical dimensions of the intermediate connector, does not complicate the manufacturing of the intermediate connector and can suppress increases in manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The electrical connector assembly according to the present invention is an electrical connector assembly having two mating connectors and an electrical relay connector that relays the two mating connectors, wherein at least one of the two mating connectors is a board connector mounted on a circuit board, and the relay connector has a connection direction with the mating connectors in the vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board, with the board connector being connected from below and the other mating connector being connected from above.

[0009] In such an electrical connector assembly, the present invention provides that the board connector has metal fittings on both ends in the connector width direction that extend in the connector length direction perpendicular to both the connector width direction and the vertical direction, the metal fittings have elastic pieces that extend upward and are elastically deformable in the connector width direction, the elastic pieces have a locking portion at their upper end that protrudes outward in the connector width direction, and the intermediate connector has a housing that can receive the board connector from below, the housing has side walls on both ends in the connector width direction that extend in the connector length direction, and the side walls have a locking portion at a position corresponding to the elastic piece in the connector length direction that can be locked from below to the locking portion.

[0010] In this invention, a locking portion is formed on a metal fitting provided on the board connector, and the locking portion engages with a lockable portion formed on the housing of the intermediate connector, thereby enabling locking. If the distance between mating connectors in the vertical direction is changed, the board connector (one mating connector) and the other mating connector are used as they are, and a new intermediate connector with vertical dimensions corresponding to the changed distance is prepared. In this invention, the lockable portion in the intermediate connector is formed on the housing. Therefore, even if a metal fitting is provided on the intermediate connector, since that fitting does not have a locking function, there is no need to change its shape in response to the change in the distance setting, and it can be used as is. In other words, in the intermediate connector, at least the metal fitting does not need to be newly manufactured with a changed shape, so the manufacturing of the intermediate connector is less complicated and the increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

[0011] (2) In the invention of (1), the fitting may have elastic pieces at multiple positions along the length of the connector. By providing elastic pieces with locking portions at multiple positions on the fitting in this way, the locking portions can be engaged with the locked portion of the intermediate connector at these positions, thereby increasing the locking strength between the board connector and the intermediate connector.

[0012] (3) In the invention of (1) or (2), the fitting may be formed of a plate-shaped member with the connector width direction as the plate thickness direction. By making the fitting such a plate-shaped member, the dimensions of the fitting in the connector width direction can be kept to the plate thickness dimension, and as a result, an increase in the size of the board connector in the connector width direction can be avoided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The present invention provides an electrical connector assembly that, even if there are design changes regarding the vertical dimensions of the intermediate connector, does not complicate the manufacturing of the intermediate connector and can suppress increases in manufacturing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an intermediate connector according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a circuit board connector, showing the state before mating connection. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the intermediate connector together with the circuit board connector, illustrating the state after mating and connecting. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the individual components of the relay connector separated. [Figure 4] This is a front view showing two relay boards placed side by side, each inverted vertically. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing only the signal transmission line pairs provided on the three relay boards. [Figure 6] These are cross-sectional views of the lower and upper side walls of the intermediate connector, taken from a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction. (A) shows the state where all intermediate boards are correctly positioned, and (B) shows the state where some intermediate boards are incorrectly positioned. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the individual components of the first circuit board connector separated. [Figure 8] The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the intermediate connector and the first board connector, taken from a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the intermediate electrical connectors, illustrating the state before mating and connection. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the relay connector and the first board connector, taken along a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the relay connector, wherein (A) shows a state in the middle of fitting connection, (B) shows a state after completion of fitting connection, and (C) shows a state in the middle of pulling out. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing a relay electrical connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "relay connector 1") together with a first board connector 2 and a second board connector 3 as mating connectors (hereinafter collectively referred to as "board connectors 2, 3" when necessary), wherein FIG. 1 shows a state before fitting connection, and FIG. 2 shows a state after fitting connection. In the present embodiment, the relay connector 1 and the board connectors 2, 3 constitute a connector assembly for transmitting high-speed differential signals. The board connectors 2, 3 are electrical connectors for circuit boards respectively disposed on different circuit boards (not shown), and are fitted to the relay connector 1 in a posture where the surface of each circuit board is perpendicular to the vertical direction, in other words, the connector height direction (Z-axis direction). Specifically, the first board connector 2 is fitted and connected to the relay connector 1 from below (on the Z2 side), and the second board connector 3 is fitted and connected from above (on the Z1 side), whereby the board connectors 2 and 3 are connected to each other via the relay connector 1. In the present embodiment, the board connectors 2 and 3 are configured as electrical connectors having exactly the same shape.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the relay connector 1 includes: relay circuit boards 40 (hereinafter referred to as "relay boards 40") each having a plate shape, serving as a plurality of relay members to be described later; a housing 10 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin, which supports the plurality of relay boards 40 arranged at predetermined intervals in the plate thickness direction (X-axis direction) of the relay boards; and two connecting fittings 50 made of metal plates to be described later.

[0018] The housing 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape with the arrangement direction of the relay substrates 40 (X-axis direction) as the longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as "connector length direction"). The housing 10 includes a lower housing 20 that supports the lower portion of the relay substrate 40, and an upper housing 30 that supports the upper portion of the relay substrate 40. As will be described later, the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 30 are connected via a connecting fitting 50.

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing each member of the relay connector 1 in a separated state. As shown in Figure 3, the lower housing 20 includes a peripheral wall 21 that is formed in a square frame shape when viewed from above and surrounds a plurality of relay substrates 40, and a plurality of lower intermediate walls (not shown) for positioning the plurality of relay substrates 40 at predetermined intervals in the connector length direction (X-axis direction). The peripheral wall 21 includes two lower side walls 22 extending in the connector length direction (X-axis direction), and two lower end walls 23 extending in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the connector length direction and connecting the ends of the two lower side walls 22 to each other. The lower intermediate wall is formed in a plate shape having a plate surface perpendicular to the connector length direction in the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 21, and connects the inner wall surfaces of the middle portions in the vertical direction of the two lower side walls 22, and is arranged at predetermined intervals in the connector length direction (refer to the upper intermediate wall 34 of the upper housing 30).

[0020] The slit-shaped space formed vertically penetrating between adjacent lower intermediate walls or between a lower intermediate wall and the lower end wall 23 forms a lower substrate accommodating space (not shown) for accommodating the lower portion of the relay substrate 40. Below the lower substrate accommodating space, a lower receiving portion 26 surrounded by the peripheral wall 21 is formed (see Figure 8), and the lower receiving portion 26 can receive the second substrate connector 3 from below.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, a lower groove 22A is formed in the upper part of the lower side wall 22, extending in the length direction of the connector, at an intermediate position in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction), i.e., in the thickness direction of the lower side wall 22, for receiving the lower part of the connecting fitting 50. In the upper part of the lower side wall 22, on the wall portion located outside the lower groove 22A in the connector width direction, a plurality of lower locking holes 22B are formed at predetermined intervals in the length direction of the connector (X-axis direction), penetrating the lower side wall 22 in the wall thickness direction. The lower locking holes 22B can be locked with the lower locking piece 51A of the connecting fitting 50, which will be described later.

[0022] At the lower part of the lower side wall 22, multiple locking holes 22C are formed at predetermined intervals in the connector length direction (X direction), penetrating the lower side wall 22 in the wall thickness direction (Y-axis direction). As shown in Figure 8, a locking portion 22C-1 is formed at the portion forming the lower edge of the locking hole 22C, which can be engaged with the locking portion 83B of the first substrate connector 2, described later. The locking portion 22C-1 is claw-shaped and extends upward with an inclination as it moves inward in the connector width direction.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, a slit 22D is formed on the inner surface of the lower side wall 22, extending in the vertical direction, to accommodate the side edge (the edge extending vertically) of the relay substrate 40. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), a first lower support portion 22E and a second lower support portion 22F are provided on the upper part of the lower side wall 22, at a position between the lower groove portion 22A and the slit 22D in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction), for supporting the later-described supported portion 41A of the relay substrate 40 from below. The first lower support portion 22E and the second lower support portion 22F are provided alternately in the connector length direction, and the first lower support portion 22E is positioned to protrude upward by a predetermined dimension P compared to the second lower support portion 22F. The first lower support portion 22E and the second lower support portion 22F have upper end surfaces that are flat surfaces perpendicular to the vertical direction, and these upper end surfaces support the later-described supported portion 41A of the relay substrate 40 from below.

[0024] The upper housing 30 has a similar shape to the lower housing 20 and is installed in an inverted position relative to the lower housing 20, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6(A), (B). In these figures, parts of the upper housing 30 that correspond to parts of the lower housing 20 are indicated by the same reference numeral as the lower housing 20 plus "10". Here, we will mainly explain the parts that differ from the lower housing 20. The upper housing 30 accommodates the upper portion of the relay board 40 in a slit-shaped upper board housing space 35 formed between adjacent upper intermediate walls 34 or between the upper intermediate wall 34 and the end wall 33. Above the upper board housing space 35, an upper receiving section 36 surrounded by a peripheral wall 31 is formed, and the second board connector 3 can be received from above in this upper receiving section 36. As shown in Figure 3, the upper housing 30 has a notch 32C that opens upward at a position corresponding to the locking hole 22C of the lower housing 20. In other words, the upper housing 30 does not have a portion that corresponds to the locking portion 22C-1 of the lower housing 20.

[0025] As shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the upper housing 30 is provided with a first upper support portion 32E and a second upper support portion 32F at the lower part of the upper side wall 32 for supporting the relay board 40 from above. The first upper support portion 32E and the second upper support portion 32F are provided alternately in the connector length direction, with the first upper support portion 32E located at the same position as the second lower support portion 22F in the connector length direction, and the second upper support portion 32F located at the same position as the first lower support portion 22E in the connector length direction. The first upper support portion 32E and the second upper support portion 32F have a shape that is the inverted version of the first lower support portion 22E and the second lower support portion 22F, respectively, and their lower end surfaces (flat surfaces) support the corresponding supported portion 41A of the relay board 40, described later, from below.

[0026] In this embodiment, the first upper support portion 32E is positioned to protrude downward by a predetermined dimension P compared to the second upper support portion 32F. In other words, the dimension P by which the first upper support portion 32E protrudes downward compared to the second upper support portion 32F is equal to the dimension P by which the first lower support portion 22E protrudes upward compared to the second lower support portion 22F.

[0027] The connecting fitting 50 is made by punching out a metal plate member and partially bending it. As shown in Figure 3, the connecting fitting 50 extends in the length direction of the connector (X-axis direction) as its longitudinal direction, and its plate thickness direction coincides with the width direction of the connector (Y-axis direction), with one fitting provided on each side of the relay substrate 40 in the connector width direction. At the lower end of the connecting fitting 50, a lower projection 51 is provided that protrudes downward at a position corresponding to the lower locking hole 22B of the lower housing 20 in the length direction of the connector, and is capable of entering the lower groove 22A from above. A lower locking piece 51A is formed on the lower projection 51 by cutting and bending a part of it outward in the connector width direction. The lower locking piece 51A enters the lower locking hole 22B and locks onto the upper edge of the lower locking hole 22B from below. The upper end of the connecting fitting 50 is provided with a lower projection 52 that can enter the upper groove of the upper housing 30, similar to the lower projection 51 and the lower locking piece 51A, and an upper locking piece 52A that can enter the upper locking hole 32B and lock onto the lower edge of the upper locking hole 32B from above.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the relay board 40 has a plate-shaped base material 41 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin, a plurality of signal transmission line pairs 42, 44 for differential signal transmission arranged on the base material 41 as conductive lines (see Figures 4 and 5), and a ground layer 46 formed to cover both plate surfaces of the base material 41 (surfaces perpendicular to the plate thickness direction (X-axis direction)). Each signal transmission line pair 42, 44 has a conductive pattern extending along the plate surface of the base material 41 and vias provided inside the plate thickness to connect the conductive patterns. In this embodiment, the plurality of relay boards 40 are arranged so that adjacent relay boards 40 in the connector length direction are inverted vertically relative to each other. Here, "inverting vertically" of the relay board 40 means rotating the relay board 40 180° around an axis in the X-axis direction passing through the center of the surface of the relay board 40 while maintaining the surface of the relay board 40 (surface perpendicular to the X-axis direction).

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the base material 41 has supported portions 41A on its side edges that extend vertically at both ends in the connector width direction, and these supported portions 41A protrude outward in the connector width direction at the same position in the vertical direction. The supported portions 41A are positioned offset to one side from the center of the base material 40 in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the relay board 40 is supported from below by the first lower support portion 22E or the second lower support portion 22F of the lower housing 20, and supported from above by the first upper support portion 32E or the second upper support portion 32F of the upper housing 30. As shown in Figure 4, the supported portions 41A are positioned differently by a predetermined dimension P in the vertical direction in the two inverted relay boards 40. This predetermined dimension P is equal to the predetermined dimension P at which the first lower support portion 22E protrudes above the second lower support portion 22F (see Figure 6(A)), and the predetermined dimension P at which the first upper support portion 32E protrudes below the second upper support portion 32F (see Figure 6(A)).

[0030] The signal transmission line pairs 42 and 44 have two types of pairs, straight pairs 42 and cross pairs 44, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this embodiment, three straight pairs 42 and three cross pairs 44 are arranged alternately in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0031] The straight pair 42 has a pair (two) straight patterns (straight lines) 43 that extend at intervals without intersecting each other over the entire length from one end to the other in the vertical direction. The pair of straight patterns 43 have a shape that is symmetrical both left-right and up-down when viewed in the thickness direction (X-axis direction) of the base material 41. As shown in Figure 5, the straight pattern 43 has a signal connection portion 43A for connection with the board connectors 2 and 3, a plurality of thin strips 43B that are divided and extend in the vertical direction, and a plurality of signal vias that extend in the thickness direction (X-axis direction) within the thickness of the base material 41. The signal connection portion 43A and the plurality of thin strips 43B are connected to each other by signal vias, and as a result the straight pattern 43 is formed in two layers within the thickness of the base material 41. In this embodiment, the straight pair 42 is composed of a pair of straight patterns 43 that do not intersect each other. Alternatively, the straight pair may be composed of a pair of straight patterns that have intersecting portions that intersect each other non-contacting at an even number of locations in the longitudinal direction of the straight pair.

[0032] The cross pair 44 has a pair (two) cross patterns (cross lines) 45 that intersect each other non-contacting at an intermediate position in the vertical direction. The pair of cross patterns 45 have a left-right asymmetrical and up-down asymmetrical shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the base material 41. Like the straight pattern 43, the cross pattern 45 has a signal connection portion 45A for connection with the board connectors 2 and 3, a plurality of thin strips 45B that are divided and extend in the vertical direction, and a plurality of signal vias that extend in the thickness direction (X-axis direction) within the thickness of the base material 41. The signal connection portion 45A and the plurality of thin strips 45B are connected to each other by signal vias, and as a result the cross pattern 45 is formed over two layers within the thickness of the base material 41. In this embodiment, the cross patterns 45 of the cross pair 44 intersect each other non-contacting at one location in the longitudinal direction of the cross pair 44, but the number of locations where this intersection is formed is not limited to one, but can be an odd number.

[0033] The ground layer 46 is made of metal and is formed to cover almost the entire surface of each plate of the base material 41, as shown in Figure 3.

[0034] The relay connector 1 is assembled in the following manner. First, the relay boards 40 are inserted one by one into the lower board housing space of the lower housing 20 from above. At this time, the relay boards 40 are arranged so that adjacent relay boards 40 are inverted vertically, and each supported portion 41A is supported from below by the first lower support portion 22E or the second lower support portion 22F. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6(A), a relay board 40 in an orientation where the supported portion 41A is positioned higher is arranged so that its supported portion 41A is supported by the first lower support portion 22E, and a relay board 40 in an orientation where the supported portion 41A is positioned lower is arranged so that its supported portion 41A is supported by the second lower support portion 22F.

[0035] Next, the connecting fitting 50 is attached to the lower housing 20. Specifically, the lower projection 51 of the connecting fitting 50 is inserted from above into the lower groove 22A of the lower housing 20. At this time, the lower locking piece 51A elastically deforms inward in the width direction of the connector due to contact with the inner wall surface of the lower groove 22A during insertion, and then returns to its free state when it reaches the position of the lower locking hole 22B, and enters the lower locking hole 22B. As a result, the lower locking piece 51A becomes able to lock onto the upper edge of the lower locking hole 22B from below, and the installation of the connecting fitting 50 is completed.

[0036] Next, the upper housing 30 is brought in from above to the intermediate board 40 located in the lower housing 20, and the upper part of the intermediate board 40 is inserted into the upper board housing space 35 of the upper housing 30 from below and positioned, and the connecting fitting 50 is attached to the upper housing 30 from below. As shown in Figure 6(A), in the orientation in which the supported portion 41A is positioned higher up, the supported portion 41A is supported from above by the second upper support portion 32F, and in the orientation in which the supported portion 41A is positioned lower down, the supported portion 41A is supported from above by the first upper support portion 32E.

[0037] Furthermore, the attachment of the connecting fitting 50 to the upper housing 30 is carried out in the same manner as the attachment of the connecting fitting 50 to the lower housing 20 described above. Once the connecting fitting 50 is attached, the upper locking piece 52A becomes capable of being locked from above to the lower edge of the upper locking hole 32B of the upper housing 30. In this way, the assembly of the relay connector 1 is completed.

[0038] In this embodiment, as previously described, the supported portions 41A of the two inverted relay boards 40 are positioned with a predetermined difference of P in the vertical direction. Also, the first lower support portion 22E and the second lower support portion 22F are positioned with a predetermined difference of P in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the relay boards 40 are positioned in the correct orientation so that adjacent relay boards 40 are inverted vertically, the upper ends of all relay boards 40 will be at the same height in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 6(A). Thus, an operator can easily visually recognize that the relay boards 40 are positioned in the correct orientation.

[0039] If, among the multiple relay boards 40, there is a relay board 40 that is incorrectly positioned in an orientation that is not inverted relative to an adjacent relay board 40, then, as shown in Figure 6(B), the upper end of that relay board 40 will be positioned higher or lower than the other relay boards 40. For example, if a relay board 40 in an orientation where the supported portion 41A is positioned higher is positioned at the second lower support portion 22F in the connector length direction, the upper end of the relay board 40 will be positioned lower than the upper ends of the other relay boards 40 (see the second relay board 40 from the right in Figure 6(B)). Also, if a relay board 40 in an orientation where the supported portion 41A is positioned lower is positioned at the first lower support portion 22E in the connector length direction, the upper end of the relay board 40 will be positioned higher than the upper ends of the other relay boards 40 (see the fifth relay board 40 from the right in Figure 6(B)).

[0040] Therefore, the worker can easily visually recognize if the relay board 40 has been misplaced. The misplacement of the relay board 40 can be recognized at either the time the relay board 40 is placed in the lower housing 20, or after the assembly of the relay connector 1 is complete. If such misplacement occurs, the relay unit can be inverted and then re-placed in the lower housing 20.

[0041] As previously described, in this embodiment, when the relay board 40 is inverted, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the straight pair 42 in the inverted state is positioned corresponding to the cross pair 44 in the non-inverted state, and the cross pair 44 in the inverted state is positioned corresponding to the straight pair 42 in the non-inverted state. Therefore, when multiple relay boards 40 are arranged in the housing 10, in any two adjacent relay boards 40, the cross pair 44 is positioned in the position corresponding to the straight pair 42 of the other relay board 40, and the straight pair 42 is positioned in the position corresponding to the cross pair 44 of the other relay board 40. In other words, when viewed as a whole, the straight pairs 42 and cross pairs 44 are arranged in a staggered pattern, so that FEXT (far-end crosstalk) between the relay boards 40 is effectively reduced.

[0042] In this embodiment, the straight pair 42 and the cross pair 44 correspond to each other by being located at the same position in the connector width direction in the two relay boards 40 which are inverted vertically. However, it is not essential that they be at the same position, and the straight pair 42 and the cross pair 44 may correspond to each other even if they are slightly offset in the connector width direction. Also, in this embodiment, the straight pair 42 and the cross pair 44 are arranged alternately, but it is not essential that they are arranged alternately, and it is sufficient that the straight pair 42 and the cross pair 44 are arranged in correspondence.

[0043] Next, the configurations of board connectors 2 and 3 will be described. As can be seen in Figure 1, board connectors 2 and 3 have exactly the same configuration, so the following description will focus on the configuration of the first board connector 2, and the description of the second board connector 3 will be omitted, using the same reference numerals as the first board connector 2. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing each component of the first board connector 2 separated. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 7, the first board connector 2 has a housing 60 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that fits the lower receiving portion 26 (see Figure 8) of the lower housing 20 of the relay connector 1, a plurality of terminal holders 70 arranged and held in the housing 60, and two metal plate connecting fittings 80 that extend in the length direction of the connector on both sides of the terminal holders 70 in the width direction of the connector.

[0044] The housing 60 is made of an electrical insulating material such as resin, and as shown in Figure 1, it has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the arrangement direction of the terminal holders 70 (X-axis direction) as the longitudinal direction (connector length direction). As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the housing 60 has an upper housing 61 and a lower housing 62, which are formed by dividing it in the vertical direction. The upper housing 61 and the lower housing 62 are connected via a connecting fitting 80. The housing 60 houses and holds a plurality of terminal holders 70 arranged in the length direction of the connector.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, the upper housing 61 has an upper peripheral wall 61A that forms a rectangular frame when viewed in the vertical direction, and a plurality of upper intermediate walls 61D that extend in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) within the space enclosed by the upper peripheral wall 61A. The upper peripheral wall 61A has two upper side walls 61B that extend in the connector length direction (X-axis direction), and two upper end walls 61C that extend in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) and connect the ends of the two upper side walls 61B. The plurality of upper intermediate walls 61D extend in the connector width direction and connect the inner wall surfaces of the two upper side walls 61B. The upper side walls 61B have multiple groove-shaped upper connecting grooves 61B-1 that penetrate in the vertical direction at intervals along the connector length direction. The upper side wall 61B has multiple groove-shaped upper locking grooves 61B-2 that penetrate vertically at positions different from the upper connecting groove 61B-1 in the length direction of the connector.

[0046] The lower housing 62 holds a plurality of terminal holders 70 arranged at equal intervals in the connector length direction (X-axis direction). Similar to the upper housing 61, the lower housing 62 also has a rectangular frame-shaped lower peripheral wall 62A and a plurality of lower intermediate walls 62D extending in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction). Furthermore, similar to the upper peripheral wall 61A, the lower peripheral wall 62A has two lower side walls 62B extending in the connector length direction and two lower end walls 62C extending in the connector width direction.

[0047] The lower side wall 62B has a groove-shaped lower connecting groove 62B-1 that penetrates vertically and communicates with the upper connecting groove 61B-1 of the upper housing 61, at the same position in the connector length direction. Furthermore, the lower side wall 62B has a groove-shaped lower locking groove 62B-2 that penetrates vertically and communicates with the upper locking groove 61B-2 of the upper housing 61, at the same position in the connector length direction.

[0048] As shown in Figure 7, the terminal holder 70 has a plurality of signal terminals made of metal plates arranged in the width direction of the connector, a plurality of ground members made of metal plates extending in the width direction of the connector, and a holding member made of an electrically insulating material such as resin that holds the signal terminals and the ground terminals. The signal terminals are able to contact the signal connection portion 43A or signal connection portion 45A formed on the lower part of the relay board 40 of the relay connector 1 at their upper ends, and can be soldered to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board at their lower ends. The ground members are able to contact the ground layer 46 formed on the relay board 40 of the relay connector 1 at their upper ends, and can be soldered to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board at their lower ends.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, the connecting fitting 80 is made by punching out a metal plate member extending in the connector length direction (X-axis direction) and partially bending it in the thickness direction. The connecting fitting 80 extends over the entire range of the arrangement of the terminal holder 70 in the connector length direction and is provided on both sides of the first board connector 2 in the connector width direction with a plate surface perpendicular to the connector width direction. In this embodiment, since the connecting fitting 80 is a plate-shaped member provided in this orientation, the dimensions of the connecting fitting 80 in the connector width direction can be kept to the thickness dimension of the connecting fitting 80, and as a result, an increase in the size of the first board connector 2 in the connector width direction can be avoided.

[0050] The connecting fitting 80 has a side plate portion 81 extending in the direction of the connector's length, a plurality of locking arms 82 and locking arms 83 extending upward from the side plate portion 81 at multiple positions in the direction of the connector's length, and a plurality of fixing portions 84 extending downward from the side plate portion 81 at multiple positions in the direction of the connector's length.

[0051] The locking arm portion 82 is positioned in the connector length direction to correspond to the upper connecting groove portion 61B-1 and the lower connecting groove portion 62B-1 of the upper housing 61. A portion of the locking arm portion 82 is cut and bent outward in the connector width direction to form a locking piece 82A, which is used to lock from above onto a stepped portion formed in the upper side wall 61B of the upper housing 61.

[0052] The locking arm 83 is positioned to correspond to the upper locking groove 61B-2 and the lower locking groove 62B-2 of the upper housing 61. The locking arm 83 is an elastic piece that can be elastically deformed in the connector width direction and can be locked vertically to the locking portion 22C-1 of the lower housing 20 of the relay connector 1 (see Figure 9(B)). Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the locking arm 83 has a straight portion 83A that extends straight vertically and a locking portion 83B that bends and extends from the upper end of the straight portion 83A. The straight portion 83A is elastically deformable in its thickness direction, i.e., in the connector width direction. The locking portion 83B is located outward in the connector width direction compared to the straight portion 83A. The locking portion 83B is formed by bending at the upper end of the straight portion 83A, extending inclined outward and downward in the connector width direction, then bending upward, and further bending its upper end (free end) so as to receive and inclinate inward and upward in the connector width direction. In this embodiment, since the locking arm portion 83 is provided at multiple positions in the connector length direction on the connecting fitting 80, the locking portion 83B can be engaged with the locked portion 22C-1 of the relay connector 1 at these positions, thereby increasing the locking strength between the first board connector 2 and the relay connector 1.

[0053] The fixing portion 84 is provided at positions corresponding to the locking arm portion 82 and the locking arm portion 83 in the longitudinal direction of the connector, and its lower end is fixed by soldering it to the corresponding portion of the circuit board.

[0054] The first board connector 2 is assembled in the following manner. First, terminal holders 70 are inserted from above into the grooves between adjacent lower intermediate walls 62D and between adjacent lower end walls 62C and lower intermediate walls 62D in the lower housing 62, and the multiple terminal holders 70 are held in the lower housing 62 in the direction of the connector length (X-axis direction). Next, the locking arms 82 of the two metal plate connecting fittings 80 are press-fitted into the lower connecting groove 62B-1 from below. At this time, the locking arms 83 enter the lower lock groove 62B-2 from below.

[0055] Furthermore, the upper housing 61 is attached to the lower housing 62 from above. At this time, the locking arm 82 of the connecting fitting 80 is inserted into the upper connecting groove 61B-1 from below, and the locking piece 82A is positioned to be able to lock onto the stepped portion of the upper side wall 61B from above. As a result, the upper housing 61 and the lower housing 62 are prevented from coming apart. At the same time, the locking arm 83 enters the upper locking groove 61B-2 from below. As a result, the locking arm 83 is housed in the upper locking groove 61B-2 and the lower locking groove 62B-2 in a state that is elastically deformable in the connector width direction. By attaching the upper housing 61 in this manner, the first board connector 2 is completed. The second board connector 3 is manufactured in the same manner as the first board connector 2.

[0056] Next, we will explain the connector mating operation between the relay connector 1 and the board connectors 2 and 3. First, the board connectors 2 and 3 are soldered to different circuit boards. Next, as shown in Figure 1, the relay connector 1 is positioned above the first board connector 2.

[0057] Next, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 8, the relay connector 1 is moved downward and mated with the first board connector 2. During mating, the lower surface of the locking portion 22C-1 of the lower housing 20 comes into contact with the locking portion 83B of the locking arm portion 83 of the connecting fitting 80 from above. Since the lower surface of the locking portion 22C-1 is an inclined surface that slopes upward as it moves inward in the connector width direction, it presses the locking portion 83B inward in the connector width direction. As a result, as shown in Figure 9(A), the locking arm portion 83 elastically deforms inward in the connector width direction, allowing further downward movement of the relay connector 1.

[0058] As the relay connector 1 moves further downward and the locked portion 22C-1 passes the position of the lock portion 83B, the lock arm 83 returns to its free state, as shown in Figure 9(B), and the lock portion 83B is positioned directly above the locked portion 22C-1. As a result, the locked portion 22C-1 can be locked to the lock portion 83B from below, resulting in a locked state in which the upward movement of the relay connector 1 is restricted.

[0059] When the relay connector 1 is mated and connected to the first board connector 2, the signal terminals and ground terminals of the first board connector 2 make contact with the signal connection portion 43A, signal connection portion 45A, and ground layer 46 at the bottom of each relay board 40 with contact pressure, making them electrically conductive.

[0060] Next, the second board connector 3 is mated and connected to the relay connector 1 from above in an inverted position relative to the first board connector 2 (as shown in Figure 1). As previously described, a notch 32C is formed in the upper housing 30 of the relay connector 1 in the portion corresponding to the locking hole 22C of the lower housing 20. In other words, the upper housing 30 does not have a portion corresponding to the locking portion 22C-1 of the lower housing 20. Therefore, the locking arm 83 of the second board connector 3 enters the notch 32C from above without interfering with the upper housing 30 (see Figure 2). In other words, the locking arm 83 of the second board connector 3 is not used.

[0061] When the second board connector 3 is mated and connected to the relay connector 1, the signal terminals and ground terminals of the second board connector 3 make contact with the signal connection portion 43A, signal connection portion 45A, and ground layer 46 on the upper part of each relay board 40 with contact pressure, making them electrically conductive. In this way, the first board connector 2 and the second board connector 3 are mated and connected to the relay connector 1, thereby electrically connecting the first board connector 2 and the second board connector 3 via the relay connector 1.

[0062] In the connector mated state, the intermediate connector 1 is locked to the first board connector 2, but not to the second board connector 3. Therefore, when disconnecting the connector, if you grasp the second board connector 3 and pull it upward, the second board connector 3 will always be disconnected from the intermediate connector 1, and the intermediate connector 1 will never be disconnected from the first board connector 2.

[0063] To remove the intermediate connector 1 from the first board connector 2, first, move the intermediate connector 1 to one side in the connector width direction (the Y2 side in Figure 9(C)) so that the locking portion 22C-1 is positioned outside the locking portion 83B in the connector width direction. Next, as shown in Figure 9(C), rotate the intermediate connector 1 using the other side in the connector width direction (the Y1 side in Figure 9(C)) as a pivot point, tilting it to lift the aforementioned side. Since the lower part of the locking portion 83B has a portion that protrudes downward and outward, when the locking portion 22C-1 comes into contact with this portion while lifting the aforementioned side, a pressing force directed inward in the connector width direction (towards the Y1 side in Figure 9(C)) acts on the locking portion 83B, causing the straight portion 83A to elastically deform inward in the connector width direction. Therefore, it is permissible to further lift one of the above-mentioned sides, and as a result, the locked portion 22C-1 can be pulled out above the locking portion 83B.

[0064] Next, by moving the relay connector 1 towards the other side in the connector width direction and lifting that other side, the locked portion 22C-1 is pulled out above the lock portion 83B, and as a result, the relay connector 1 can be removed from the first board connector 2.

[0065] In this embodiment, as previously described, a locking arm 83 is formed on the connecting fitting 80 of the first board connector 2, and the locking portion 83B of the locking arm 83 engages with the locking portion 22C-1 of the lower housing 20 of the intermediate connector 1, thereby enabling locking. If the setting of the distance between circuit boards in the vertical direction is changed, the first board connector 2 and the second board connector 3 are used as they are, and a new intermediate connector 1 with vertical dimensions corresponding to the changed distance is prepared. In this embodiment, in the intermediate connector 1, the locking portion 22C-1 is formed on the lower housing 20, not the connecting fitting 50. Therefore, since the connecting fitting 50 does not originally have a locking function, it does not need to change its shape in response to the change in the setting of the distance, and can be used as is. In other words, in the intermediate connector 1, at least the connecting fitting 50 does not need to be newly manufactured with a changed shape, so the manufacturing of the intermediate connector 1 is less complicated and the increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

[0066] In this embodiment, both mating connectors (board connectors 2 and 3) connected to the relay connector 1 are assumed to be connectors. However, as a modification, for example, one mating connector may be a connector and the other mating connector may be a cable. In other words, in this modification, the relay connector is connected by mating a connector on one side and by wiring a cable on the other side.

[0067] In the first and second embodiments, the transmission line was formed by a signal transmission line pair for differential signal transmission, but the type of transmission line is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a normal signal line, a ground line, or a power line. Also, different types of lines may be mixed and provided on a single relay board. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1. Intermediate connector 2. First board connector (mating connector) 3. Second board connector (mating connector) 10 Housing 20 Lower housing 22 Lower side wall 22C-1 Locked part 80 Connecting fittings (fittings) 83 Locking arm (elastic piece) 83B Lock section

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly having two mating connectors and an electrical relay connector that relays the two mating connectors, At least one of the two mating connectors is a board connector mounted on a circuit board. In an electrical connector assembly in which the relay connector has its connection direction with the mating connector in the vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board, one mating connector, the board connector, is connected from below, and the other mating connector is connected from above, The aforementioned board connector has metal fittings extending in the connector length direction perpendicular to both the connector width direction and the vertical direction at both ends in the connector width direction, and a board-side housing that holds the metal fittings. The fitting has an elastic piece that extends upward and is elastically deformable in the connector width direction, and a locking piece that is provided at a different position from the elastic piece in the connector length direction. The elastic piece has a locking portion at its upper end that protrudes outward in the connector width direction, The locking piece can be locked to the substrate-side housing, The relay connector has a relay housing capable of receiving the board connector from below, The relay housing has side walls extending in the length direction of the connector at both ends in the width direction of the connector, The electrical connector assembly is characterized in that the side wall has a locking portion that can be engaged with the locking portion from below at a position corresponding to the elastic piece in the longitudinal direction of the connector.

2. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the metal fitting has elastic pieces at multiple positions in the length direction of the connector.

3. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the metal fitting is formed of a plate-shaped member with the connector width direction as the plate thickness direction.

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