Connector device

Abstract

To reduce the height of a connector device.SOLUTION: A connector device comprises a circuit board 21, and a board connector 30 attached to the circuit board 21. The board connector 30 comprises a connector part 31 that is disposed so as to project forward from a front end 21F of the circuit board 21, and a board mounting part 60 that is attached to a component side 22 of the circuit board 21 so as to overlap. In a thickness direction of the circuit board 21, the whole of the circuit board 21 and the board mounting part 60 are disposed so as to fall within the height of the connector part 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a board connector. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for attaching a circuit board connector to a circuit board. The circuit board connector comprises a housing and a plurality of terminals attached to the housing. The housing is fixed to the upper surface of the circuit board. Leg portions of the terminals are connected to the circuit board while being penetrated through through-holes of the circuit board. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-039257 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In the above structure, since the housing is arranged so as to overlap the upper surface of the circuit board, the dimension in the height direction of the entire device including the circuit board and a circuit board harness increases.

[0005] The connector device of the present disclosure has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to achieve a reduction in height. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] The connector device of the present disclosure includes: a circuit board, a board connector attached to the circuit board, the board connector has: a connector portion arranged to protrude forward from a front edge of the circuit board, and a board mounting portion attached to overlap a mounting surface of the circuit board, In the thickness direction of the circuit board, the entire circuit board and the board mounting portion are arranged so that they fit within the height range of the connector portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce the height of the product. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector device of Example 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the housing and circuit board in a disassembled state. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a circuit board connector seen from diagonally above and in front. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the circuit board connector with the upper cover removed, seen from an oblique angle above and behind. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a disassembled circuit board connector. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the outer conductor, seen from diagonally above and behind. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the inner conductor attached to the dielectric, seen from an oblique angle above and behind. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the lower case, seen from diagonally above and in front. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the lower case, seen from diagonally above and behind. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the state before the PCB connector is attached to the housing. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a bottom cross-sectional view showing the state before the PCB connector is attached to the housing. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing the circuit board connector attached to the housing. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a bottom cross-sectional view showing the circuit board connector attached to the housing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. Any combination of the following embodiments, in a manner that does not create a contradiction, is also included as a form for carrying out the invention. The connector device of this disclosure is (1) The device comprises a circuit board and a board connector attached to the circuit board. The board connector has a connector portion that is positioned to protrude forward from the front edge of the circuit board and a board mounting portion that is mounted so as to overlap with the mounting surface of the circuit board. In the thickness direction of the circuit board, the entire circuit board and the board mounting portion are positioned within the height range of the connector portion. When the board connector is attached to the circuit board, the entire circuit board and the board mounting portion are positioned within the height range of the connector portion. The connector device of this disclosure can be made lower in profile compared to a device in which the board connector is mounted while resting on the mounting surface of the circuit board.

[0010] (2) Preferably the connector portion includes a terminal fitting, a terminal holding member for holding the terminal fitting, and a first sub-board attached to the terminal fitting. Preferably the board mounting portion includes a second sub-board arranged parallel to the mounting surface. With this configuration, since the second sub-board constituting the board mounting portion is arranged parallel to the mounting surface, the entire board mounting portion can be reliably contained within the height range of the connector portion.

[0011] (3) Preferably, the first sub-board is positioned behind the terminal holding member, and the second sub-board is positioned behind the first sub-board. Preferably, the first sub-board and the second sub-board are connected via a flexible cable. With this configuration, since the first sub-board and the second sub-board are connected by a flexible cable, there is a high degree of design freedom when setting the relative position of the connector portion and the board mounting portion in the height direction.

[0012] (4) It is preferable to further comprise a housing that accommodates the circuit board and the board mounting portion. It is preferable that the connector portion comprises a dielectric, an inner conductor held by the dielectric, and a metal outer conductor attached to the dielectric so as to surround the inner conductor. It is preferable that an opening that exposes the connector portion to the outside of the housing is formed in a front cover of the housing. It is preferable that the outer conductor is fixed to the front cover by screwing. According to this configuration, the connector portion can be stably fixed to the housing.

[0013] (5) It is preferable that the connector portion comprises a dielectric, an inner conductor held by the dielectric, and an outer conductor attached to the dielectric so as to surround the inner conductor. It is preferable that the board mounting portion comprises a second sub-board arranged parallel to the mounting surface, and a flat lower case that supports the second sub-board in a mounted state. It is preferable that the lower case can be assembled to the outer conductor in a state where the board connector is not attached to the circuit board. According to this configuration, the second sub-board can be maintained in a stable positional relationship with respect to the connector portion in a state where the board connector is not attached to the circuit board. (6) It is preferable that the outer conductor and the lower case are made of metal. According to this configuration, since the outer conductor and the lower case are made of metal, the outer conductor and the lower case can be reliably assembled together.

[0014] (7) It is preferable to further comprise a metal upper cover that is assembled to the lower case so as to sandwich the second sub-board therebetween. According to this configuration, a shield shell surrounding the second sub-board can be formed by the outer conductor, the lower case, and the upper cover.

[0015] (8) The outer conductor preferably has an arm portion that extends rearward so as to be separated from and facing the lower surface of the lower case. It is preferable that the circuit board is sandwiched between the lower case and the arm portion. This configuration makes it possible to stabilize the positional relationship between the circuit board and the connector portion.

[0016] (9) It is preferable that the first sub-board is positioned perpendicular to the mounting surface and overlaps the rear surface of the terminal retaining member. With this configuration, since the first sub-board is positioned overlapping the rear surface of the terminal retaining member, the dimensions of the connector portion in the front-to-back direction can be kept small.

[0017] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] [Example 1] A connector device of Embodiment 1 embodying this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 13. The present invention is not limited to these examples and is shown in the claims, with all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims being equivalent. In Embodiment 1, the front-to-back direction is defined as direction F in Figures 1 to 13. The left-to-right direction is defined as direction R in Figures 1 to 9, 11, and 13. The up-to-down direction is defined as direction H in Figures 1 to 10 and 12.

[0018] The connector device of this embodiment 1 is, for example, a device mounted in an automobile that constitutes an in-vehicle communication circuit for autonomous driving control using Ethernet (registered trademark). The connector device is composed of a housing 10, a circuit board unit 20, and a circuit board connector 30 assembled together. The circuit board connector 30 functions as a relay connector that relays signals between various in-vehicle equipment and the circuit board unit 20.

[0019] <Housing 10> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 10 is constructed by assembling a box-shaped housing body 11 with an open front and a front cover 12 that closes the opening on the front of the housing body 11. The front cover 12 has an opening 13 for exposing the board connector 30 to the outside of the housing 10. A pair of female screw portions 14 are formed on the front cover 12 at positions that sandwich the opening 13 from the left and right. The front cover 12 is held in place by screws 15 attached to the housing body 11. The entire board unit 20 and a part (rear end) of the board connector 30 are housed inside the housing 10.

[0020] <Circuit board unit 20> As shown in Figures 2, 10-13, the board unit 20 includes a circuit board 21 and a mounting connector 26. In this embodiment 1, for convenience, the structure will be described assuming that the circuit board 21 is fixed inside the housing body 11 in a horizontal position. The upper surface of the circuit board 21 functions as a mounting surface 22. As shown in Figure 2, a pair of main ground circuits 23 extending in the front-to-back direction are formed on the mounting surface 22. The pair of main ground circuits 23 are arranged side by side with a gap between them in the left-to-right direction.

[0021] The circuit board 21 has a notch 24 formed by cutting out a rectangular shape from the front edge 21F of the circuit board 21. In the front-rear direction, the area of ​​the notch 24 is from the front edge 21F of the circuit board 21 to the area in front of the front end of the main ground circuit 23. In the left-right direction, both left and right edges of the notch 24 are positioned in the same location as the pair of main ground circuits 23. The circuit board 21 has a guide groove 25 formed therein. The guide groove 25 extends linearly backward from the left-right center of the rear edge of the notch 24.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the mounting connector 26 is positioned between a pair of main ground circuits 23 in the left-right direction. The mounting connector 26 is positioned behind the rear end of the main ground circuits 23. The mounting connector 26 has a substrate housing space 27. The substrate housing space 27 opens in a narrow, slit-like shape in the left-right direction on the front of the mounting connector 26. The mounting connector 26 houses a plurality of connection terminals (not shown) facing into the substrate housing space 27. The substrate unit 20 is housed in the housing 10 and fixed in a predetermined position.

[0023] <Connector for circuit board 30> The board connector 30 is a shielding connector and, as shown in Figure 3, comprises a connector section 31, a board mounting section 60, and a flexible cable 78. The connector section 31 and the board mounting section 60 are connected via the flexible cable 78. The connector section 31 is connected to, for example, the equipment-side ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of communication equipment (not shown) used in autonomous driving control, via a wire harness (not shown). Examples of autonomous driving control equipment include LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The board mounting section 60 is detachable from the mounting connector 26.

[0024] <Connector section 31> As shown in Figure 5, the connector portion 31 comprises four pairs of inner conductors 32, one dielectric 33, one outer conductor 38, one mating member 51, and one first sub-substrate 55. Each inner conductor 32 is made of a metal component that is elongated in the front-to-back direction. A pair of inner conductors 32 constitutes a differential pair circuit. As shown in Figure 7, the dielectric 33 has a wall-like portion 34 with its thickness direction oriented in the front-to-back direction, and four protruding holding portions 35 that project forward from the wall-like portion 34. A pair of through holes 36 are formed at both the left and right ends of the wall-like portion 34. The through holes 36 penetrate the wall-like portion 34 in the front-to-back direction. Each protruding holding portion 35 holds a pair of inner conductors 32 in a state where they penetrate in the front-to-back direction.

[0025] The outer conductor 38 is a single component made of metal. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the outer conductor 38 has a plate-shaped portion 39 with its thickness direction oriented in the front-to-back direction, and four cylindrical portions 40 that protrude forward from the plate-shaped portion 39. In a front view of the outer conductor 38, the plate-shaped portion 39 is rectangular or square. The upper end surface of the plate-shaped portion 39 is located at the uppermost end of the outer conductor 38 and is positioned at the uppermost end 31H of the connector portion 31. The lower end surface of the plate-shaped portion 39 is located at the lowermost end of the outer conductor 38 and is positioned at the lowermost end 31L of the connector portion 31.

[0026] The rear end of the cylindrical portion 40 opens to the rear surface of the plate-shaped portion 39. Four retaining holes 41 are formed at the four corners of the plate-shaped portion 39, penetrating the plate-shaped portion 39 in the front-rear direction. A pair of symmetrical positioning protrusions 42 are formed on the outer conductor 38. The positioning protrusions 42 are elongated and cantilevered extensions from the plate-shaped portion 39 to the rear. A pair of symmetrical plate-shaped mounting portions 43 are formed on the outer conductor 38. The plate-shaped mounting portions 43 have their thickness direction oriented in the front-rear direction and protrude outward in the left-right direction from both left and right side edges of the plate-shaped portion 39. Mounting holes 44 are formed in the plate-shaped mounting portions 43, penetrating the plate-shaped mounting portions 43 in the front-rear direction.

[0027] The outer conductor 38 has a pair of symmetrical support portions 45 and a pair of symmetrical arm portions 50. The pair of support portions 45 extend cantilevered backward from both the left and right ends of the plate-like portion 39. The support portion 45 has a support wall portion 46 with the plate thickness direction oriented in the left-right direction, a front projection 47, and a rear projection 48. The front projection 47 is located at the front end of the outer surface of the support wall portion 46. The rear projection 48 is located at the rear end of the outer surface of the support wall portion 46. The rear end of the rear projection 48 has a guide surface 49 that is inclined such that the protrusion dimension from the support wall portion 46 decreases towards the rear.

[0028] The pair of arm portions 50 are cantilevered and extend rearward from both the left and right ends of the lower end of the plate-like portion 39. The arm portions 50 are positioned below the support portion 45. The lower surface of the arm portions 50 is positioned above the lower end surface of the plate-like portion 39. A support space equal to or slightly smaller than the thickness of the circuit board 21 is secured between the upper surface of the arm portions 50 and the lower surface of the support portion 45.

[0029] The fitting member 51 is a single component made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the fitting member 51 has a rectangular tubular hood portion 52 and a rear wall portion 53 that covers the rear surface of the hood portion 52. Four communication holes 54 are formed in the rear wall portion 53. The upper surface of the fitting member 51 is positioned at the uppermost end 31H of the connector portion 31, just as the upper end surface of the plate-shaped portion 39 of the outer conductor 38 is positioned at the lowermost end 31L of the connector portion 31, just as the lower end surface of the plate-shaped portion 39 of the outer conductor 38 is positioned.

[0030] The first sub-board 55 is positioned at the rear end of the connector portion 31 with its thickness direction oriented in the front-to-back direction. Electronic components are mounted on the rear surface of the first sub-board 55. A pair of positioning holes 56 are formed at the upper ends of both the left and right ends of the first sub-board 55. The positioning holes 56 penetrate the first sub-board 55 in the front-to-back direction.

[0031] The connector portion 31 is formed by assembling the inner conductor 32, dielectric 33, outer conductor 38, mating member 51, and first sub-board 55. The mating member 51 is positioned at the foremost end of the connector portion 31, and the first sub-board 55 is positioned at the rearmost end of the connector portion 31. The outer conductor 38 is assembled to the mating member 51 from the rear. The front surface of the plate-shaped portion 39 of the outer conductor 38 is in surface contact with the rear surface of the rear wall portion 53 of the mating member 51. The four cylindrical portions 40 each pass through four communication holes 54. The pair of retaining protrusions of the mating member 51 each pass through the pair of retaining holes 41 of the outer conductor 38. The rear ends of the retaining protrusions plastically deform to expand in diameter when heated and adhere closely to the rear surface of the plate-shaped portion 39. The outer conductor 38 and the mating member 51 are held in the assembled state by the rear ends of the retaining protrusions engaging with the edges of the retaining holes 41.

[0032] The dielectric 33, which holds the inner conductor 32, is assembled to the outer conductor 38 from the rear. The front surface of the wall-like portion 34 of the dielectric 33 is in surface contact with the rear surface of the plate-like portion 39 of the outer conductor 38. The four protruding holding portions 35 are individually fitted to the four cylindrical portions 40. The pair of positioning protrusions 42 of the outer conductor 38 individually pass through the pair of through holes 36 of the dielectric 33.

[0033] The first sub-substrate 55 is assembled to the dielectric 33 from the rear. The front surface of the first sub-substrate 55 is superimposed on the rear surface of the wall-like portion 34 of the dielectric 33 in a surface contact state. The rear ends of the inner conductors 32 are individually inserted into through-holes in the first sub-substrate 55, thereby connecting the inner conductors 32 and the first sub-substrate 55 in an electrically conductive manner. The rear ends of a pair of positioning protrusions 42 are individually press-fitted into a pair of positioning holes 56 in the first sub-substrate 55. The press-fitting of the positioning protrusions 42 into the positioning holes 56 holds the outer conductor 38, dielectric 33, and first sub-substrate 55 in an assembled state.

[0034] The dielectric 33 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the plate-like portion 39 of the outer conductor 38 and the first sub-substrate 55. The plate-like portion 39 of the outer conductor 38, the wall-like portion 34 of the dielectric 33, and the first sub-substrate 55 are arranged in a stacked state in the front-to-back direction. The uppermost end of the dielectric 33 and the uppermost end of the first sub-substrate 55 are positioned lower than the uppermost end 31H of the connector portion 31.

[0035] <Board mounting section 60> The board mounting section 60 comprises one shield shell 61 and one second sub-board 75. As shown in Figure 5, the shield shell 61 is composed of a lower case 62 and an upper cover 70. Inside the shield shell 61, a flattened shield space (not shown) is secured, with a height dimension smaller than the front-to-back and left-to-right dimensions.

[0036] The lower case 62 is a single component made of the same type of metal material as the outer conductor 38. The lower case 62 is a single component that is plate-shaped overall with its thickness direction oriented vertically. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the lower case 62 has a case body 63 that has a rectangular shape in plan view and a pair of symmetrical connecting parts 67. The case body 63 has a shallowly concave rectangular dish shape on its top surface. Positioning parts 64 that have an L-shape in plan view and protrude upward in a rib-like manner are formed at the four corners of the case body 63. A female screw hole 65 is formed at the rear end of the case body 63. A guide rib 66 that extends in the front-rear direction is formed at the front end of the lower surface of the case body 63.

[0037] The pair of connecting portions 67 are cantilevered and protrude forward from both the left and right ends of the front edge of the case body portion 63. The connecting portions 67 are plate-shaped with their thickness direction oriented in the left-right direction. A rectangular connecting recess 68 is formed at the front end of the connecting portion 67 by recessing the front edge of the connecting portion 67. A rectangular connecting hole 69 is formed at the rear end of the connecting portion 67, penetrating in the left-right direction.

[0038] The upper cover 70 is a single component made of the same type of metal material as the outer conductor 38 and the lower case 62. The upper cover 70 has a plate-shaped base 71 with its thickness direction oriented vertically, a heat sink 72 formed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped base 71, and positioning ribs 73 formed on both the left and right side edges of the plate-shaped base 71. An insertion hole 74 is formed at the rear end of the plate-shaped base 71, penetrating the plate-shaped base 71 in the vertical direction.

[0039] The second sub-board 75 is positioned horizontally with its thickness direction oriented vertically. A card edge connection portion 76 is formed at the rear edge of the second sub-board 75, which is inserted into the board housing space 27 of the mounting connector 26. In the rear end area of ​​the second sub-board 75, in front of the card edge connection portion 76, an insertion hole 77 is formed that penetrates the second sub-board 75 vertically.

[0040] The first sub-board 55 and the second sub-board 75 are connected by a flexible cable 78. Therefore, prior to assembling the board mounting section 60, the lower case 62 is first attached to the outer conductor 38. During assembly, the lower case 62 is positioned behind the outer conductor 38, and the connecting portion 67 of the lower case 62 is brought closer to the support portion 45 of the outer conductor 38 from the rear. During the assembly process, the connecting recess 68 slides against the guide surface 49 of the rear projection 48, causing the pair of connecting portions 67 to elastically expand.

[0041] When the connecting recess 68 passes the rear projection 48, the pair of connecting parts 67 elastically return to their original position, and the lower case 62 and the outer conductor 38 reach the normal assembled state. In the normal assembled state, the connecting recess 68 fits into the front projection 47, and the connecting hole 69 fits into the rear projection 48, and these fittings hold the lower case 62 and the outer conductor 38 in the assembled state. The lower case 62 cantilevered outward from the outer conductor 38.

[0042] After the lower case 62 is assembled to the outer conductor 38, the second sub-board 75 is placed on the case body portion 63 of the lower case 62. The second sub-board 75 is positioned in the front-rear and left-right directions by the positioning portion 64. After the second sub-board 75 is attached to the lower case 62, the upper cover 70 is assembled so as to be placed over the second sub-board 75. The upper cover 70 is positioned relative to the lower case 62 by the positioning ribs 73 fitting onto the left and right side edges of the case body portion 63. As a result, the lower case 62, the second sub-board 75, and the upper cover 70 are temporarily assembled in a stacked state. Most of the second sub-board 75 (mounted components) are housed in the shield space.

[0043] With the components temporarily assembled, the screws 16 are inserted through the insertion holes 74 of the upper cover 70 and the insertion holes 77 of the second sub-board 75, and then screwed into the female screw holes 65 of the lower case 62 and tightened. As a result, the lower case 62, upper cover 70, and second sub-board 75 are integrated, and the assembly of the shield shell 61 is completed, as well as the assembly of the board mounting section 60 and the board connector 30.

[0044] The board mounting section 60 extends horizontally rearward from the connector section 31. The card edge connection section 76 protrudes rearward beyond the rear end of the shield shell 61 (lower case 62 and upper cover 70). In the vertical direction, the entire board mounting section 60 is located only within the range from the lowest end 31L to the highest end 31H of the connector section 31. The highest end of the board mounting section 60 (the upper surface of the upper cover 70) and the highest end of the flexible cable 78 are located below the highest end 31H of the connector section 31. The lowest end of the board mounting section 60 (the lower surface of the guide rib 66 of the lower case 62) is located above the lowest end 31L of the connector section 31.

[0045] <Assembly of the PCB connector 30 to the housing 10 and the PCB unit 20> When attaching the PCB connector 30 to the housing 10 and the PCB unit 20, the PCB connector 30 is inserted into the housing 10 through the opening 13 of the front cover 12. During insertion, the lower surface of the lower case 62 is brought into sliding contact with the mounting surface 22 of the circuit board 21, and the lower end of the dielectric 33 and the lower end of the first sub-board 55 are fitted into the notch 24 of the circuit board 21, thereby positioning the PCB connector 30 in the left-right direction relative to the circuit board 21. As the insertion of the PCB connector 30 progresses from this state, the guide rib 66 fits into the guide groove 25, stabilizing the left-right orientation of the PCB connector 30.

[0046] When the card edge connection portion 76 is inserted into the board housing space 27 of the mounting connector 26, and the plate-shaped portion 39 and plate-shaped mounting portion 43 of the outer conductor 38 come into contact with the front surface of the front cover 12, the insertion of the board connector 30 is complete. After this, the screws 17 are inserted into the mounting holes 44 of the outer conductor 38 and screwed into the female threaded portion 14 of the front cover 12 to tighten them. With these steps completed, the assembly of the board connector 30 to the housing 10, the mounting of the board connector 30 to the board unit 20, and the connection between the mounting connector 26 and the board connector 30 are completed.

[0047] When the PCB connector 30 is assembled to the circuit board 21, the front end of the circuit board 21 is sandwiched between the upper surface of the arm portion 50 of the outer conductor 38 and the lower surface of the lower case 62, thus stabilizing the vertical positional relationship and orientation of the PCB connector 30 with respect to the circuit board 21. In the height direction, which is the thickness direction of the circuit board 21, the uppermost position of the PCB connector 30 is at the same height as the uppermost end 31H of the connector portion 31, and the lowermost position of the PCB connector 30 is at the same height as the lowermost end 31L of the connector portion 31. In the height direction, the entire PCB mounting portion 60 and the entire PCB unit 20 are located only within the range between the uppermost end 31H and the lowermost end 31L of the connector portion 31. Therefore, compared to connectors where the PCB mounting portion 60 and the PCB unit 20 are located at a height lower than the lowermost end 31L of the connector portion 31, the connector device of this embodiment 1 achieves a lower profile.

[0048] <Effects and Actions of Example 1> The connector device of this embodiment 1 comprises a circuit board 21 and a board connector 30 attached to the circuit board 21. The board connector 30 has a connector portion 31 and a board mounting portion 60. The connector portion 31 is positioned to protrude forward from the front edge 21F of the circuit board 21. The board mounting portion 60 is mounted so as to overlap the mounting surface 22 (top surface) of the circuit board 21 in the height direction. When the board connector 30 is attached to the circuit board 21, the entire circuit board 21 and the board mounting portion 60 are positioned so that they fit within the height range of the connector portion 31 in the thickness direction of the circuit board 21. The connector device of this embodiment 1 can be made lower in profile compared to one in which the board connector 30 is mounted while resting on the mounting surface 22 of the circuit board 21.

[0049] The connector section 31 includes an inner conductor 32 as a terminal fitting, a dielectric 33 as a terminal holding member for holding the inner conductor 32, and a first sub-sub-board 55 attached to the inner conductor 32. The board mounting section 60 has a second sub-sub-board 75 arranged parallel to the mounting surface 22. Since the second sub-sub-board 75 constituting the board mounting section 60 is arranged parallel to the mounting surface 22, the entire board mounting section 60 can be reliably contained within the height range of the connector section 31.

[0050] The first sub-board 55 is positioned behind the dielectric 33 (terminal holding member). The second sub-board 75 is positioned behind the first sub-board 55. Since the first sub-board 55 and the second sub-board 75 are connected via a flexible cable 78, there is a high degree of design freedom when setting the relative position of the connector section 31 and the board mounting section 60 in the height direction.

[0051] The connector device of this embodiment 1 includes a housing 10 that accommodates a circuit board 21 and a board mounting section 60. The connector section 31 has a metal outer conductor 38 that is attached to the dielectric 33 so as to surround the inner conductor 32. The front cover 12 of the housing 10 has an opening 13 that exposes the connector section 31 to the outside of the housing 10. The outer conductor 38 is fixed to the front cover 12 by screws 17. By using screws 17, the connector section 31 can be stably fixed to the housing 10.

[0052] The board mounting section 60 includes a second sub-board 75 arranged parallel to the mounting surface 22, and a flat lower case 62 that supports the second sub-board 75 in its mounted state. The lower case 62 can be assembled to the outer conductor 38 when the board connector 30 is not attached to the circuit board 21. When the board connector 30 is not attached to the circuit board 21, the second sub-board 75 can be maintained in a stable positional relationship with respect to the connector section 31. Since the outer conductor 38 and the lower case 62 are made of metal, the outer conductor 38 and the lower case 62 can be securely assembled.

[0053] The connector device includes a metallic upper cover 70 that is assembled to the lower case 62 so as to sandwich the second sub-board 75. The lower case 62 and the upper cover 70 constitute a shield shell 61 that surrounds the second sub-board 75.

[0054] The outer conductor 38 has an arm portion 50 that extends rearward, facing the lower surface of the lower case 62 at a distance. The circuit board 21 is positioned between the lower case 62 and the arm portion 50. By sandwiching the circuit board 21 between the lower case 62 and the arm portion 50, the positional relationship between the circuit board 21 and the connector portion 31 can be stabilized.

[0055] The first sub-board 55 is positioned perpendicular to the mounting surface 22 and overlaps the rear surface of the dielectric 33. This configuration allows the dimensions of the connector portion 31 in the front-to-back direction to be kept small.

[0056] [Other examples] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, but is shown in the claims. The present invention includes the meaning of equivalents of the claims and all modifications within the claims, and also includes the following embodiments. The second sub-board may be positioned perpendicular to the mounting surface. The first sub-board and the second sub-board may be connected by components other than a flexible cable. The number of sub-boards provided on a circuit board connector may be one or three or more. The present invention can also be applied when the terminal holding member does not function as a dielectric and the connector portion does not have an outer conductor. The lower case may be made of synthetic resin. The board mounting section may be configured without an upper cover. The circuit board may be configured so that it is not sandwiched between the lower case and the arm section. The first sub-board may be positioned parallel to the mounting surface. The first sub-board may be positioned at a location separated from the terminal holding member. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 10… Housing 11… Housing body 12…Front cover 13…Opening 14...Female threaded section 15...bis 16...bis 17... Bis 20... Circuit board unit 21... Circuit board 21F…Front edge of the circuit board 22…Implementation aspects 23…Main ground circuit 24... Notch 25… Guide groove 26…Implemented connectors 27… Circuit board housing space 30… Connectors for circuit boards 31…Connector section 31H... Uppermost end of the connector section 31L...Lowest end of the connector section 32...Inner conductor 33… Dielectric 34...Wall-like part 35...Protruding holding part 36…Through hole 38…Outer conductor 39...Plate-like part 40...Cylindrical part 41...Retaining hole 42...Positioning projection 43...Plate-shaped mounting part 44…Mounting holes 45...Support part 46...Support wall part 47...Anterior process 48...Posterior process 49… Guide surface 50...Arm section 51… Fitting member 52…Food Department 53...Rear wall part 54...Communication hole 55…First Sub-board 56…Positioning hole 60... PCB mounting section 61... Shield Shell 62...Lower case 63...Case body 64... Positioning section 65…Female screw hole 66... ​​Guide Ribs 67...Connection part 68…Connecting recess 69...Connection hole 70... Upper cover 71...Plate-shaped base 72… Heatsink 73…Positioning rib 74…Insertion hole 75...Second sub-board 76...Card edge connection part 77…Through hole 78... Flexible Cable

Claims

1. Circuit board and The circuit board is equipped with a board connector that is attached to the circuit board, The aforementioned connector for the circuit board is The circuit board has a connector portion that is positioned to protrude forward from the front edge of the circuit board and a board mounting portion that is attached so as to overlap with the mounting surface of the circuit board. In the thickness direction of the circuit board, the entire circuit board and the board mounting portion are arranged so that they fit within the height range of the connector portion. The connector portion comprises a terminal fitting, a terminal holding member for holding the terminal fitting, and a first sub-board attached to the terminal fitting. The first sub-board is positioned behind the terminal holding member, The substrate mounting section has a second sub-substrate arranged parallel to the mounting surface, The second sub-board is positioned behind the first sub-board. A connector device in which the first sub-board and the second sub-board are connected via a flexible cable.

2. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-board is positioned perpendicular to the mounting surface and overlaps the rear surface of the terminal holding member.

3. A circuit board and The circuit board is equipped with a board connector that is attached to the circuit board, The aforementioned connector for the circuit board is The circuit board has a connector portion that is positioned to protrude forward from the front edge of the circuit board and a board mounting portion that is attached so as to overlap with the mounting surface of the circuit board. In the thickness direction of the circuit board, the entire circuit board and the board mounting portion are arranged so that they fit within the height range of the connector portion. The connector portion comprises a dielectric, an inner conductor held by the dielectric, and an outer conductor attached to the dielectric so as to surround the inner conductor. The substrate mounting section comprises a second sub-sub The lower case is a connector device that can be assembled to the outer conductor when the board connector is not attached to the circuit board.

4. The connector device according to claim 3, wherein the outer conductor and the lower case are made of metal.

5. The connector device according to claim 4, further comprising a metallic upper cover that is assembled to the lower case so as to sandwich the second sub-board.

6. The outer conductor has an arm portion that extends rearward so as to be separated from and facing the lower surface of the lower case, The connector device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the circuit board is arranged to be sandwiched between the lower case and the arm portion.

7. The device comprises a housing that accommodates the circuit board and the board mounting section, The connector portion comprises a dielectric, an inner conductor held by the dielectric, and a metal outer conductor attached to the dielectric so as to surround the inner conductor. The front cover of the housing has an opening that exposes the connector portion to the outside of the housing. The connector device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer conductor is fixed to the front cover by screw fastening.

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