Floating connector

Abstract

To provide a floating connector which inhibits increase of a moving speed of a movable housing and thereby inhibits occurrence of connection troubles.SOLUTION: A floating connector 10 includes: a fixed housing 20; a movable housing 30; and a terminal 40. The floating connector 10 includes a buffer member 50 formed by a deformable material. The buffer member 50 is placed at a position where the buffer member 50 is deformed contacting with both of the fixed side member (the fixed housing 20) and the movable housing 30 by the movable housing 30 moving. Thus, the buffer member 50 is deformed to inhibit increase of a moving speed of the movable housing 30 to inhibit occurrence of connection troubles when the floating connector 10 is used under a vibration environment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a floating connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a floating connector as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. This floating connector includes a fixed housing to be attached to an attachment target, a movable housing that is movable relative to the fixed housing and configured to fit with a connection target, and terminals. Each terminal has one end side held by the fixed housing and the other end side held by the movable housing.

[0003] Such a floating connector can absorb vibration by the movable housing fitted with the connection target moving relative to the fixed housing even when used in a vibrating environment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when resonance occurs during use in a vibrating environment, the vibration of the movable housing increases, which may cause connection defects such as contact sliding wear.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a floating connector that suppresses the occurrence of connection defects by suppressing an increase in the moving speed of the movable housing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A floating connector according to the first embodiment comprises a fixed housing attached to an object to be attached, a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing and engaging with an object to be connected, and a terminal one end of which is held by the fixed housing and the other end of which is held by the movable housing, further comprising a cushioning member made of an easily deformable material, wherein the cushioning member is positioned to deform by contacting both the fixed side member, which is composed of the object to be attached and the fixed housing, and the movable housing as the movable housing moves.

[0008] In the above embodiment, the floating connector comprises a fixed housing that is attached to the object to be connected, a movable housing that is movable relative to the fixed housing and engages with the object to be connected, and a terminal whose one end is held by the fixed housing and whose other end is held by the movable housing.

[0009] Here, the floating connector includes a cushioning member made of a material that is easily deformable. The cushioning member is positioned so that it deforms when it comes into contact with both the fixed side member, which consists of the object to be attached and the fixed housing, and the movable housing itself, as the movable housing moves. Therefore, the deformation of the cushioning member suppresses an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing, thereby suppressing the occurrence of connection problems.

[0010] The manner in which the cushioning member deforms in the above embodiment can vary and is not particularly limited. For example, if the cushioning member is in contact with both the movable housing and the fixed side member, the movable housing moves, and the gap between the movable housing and the fixed side member where the cushioning member is positioned narrows, causing the cushioning member to deform. Furthermore, the cushioning member can deform if the movable housing moves from a state where the cushioning member is in contact with both the movable housing and the fixed side member, thereby widening the gap between the movable housing and the fixed side member where the cushioning member is positioned (for example, if the cushioning member is adhesive). Also, if the cushioning member is adhesive, the cushioning member will deform if the part of the movable housing in contact with the cushioning member and the part of the fixed side member in contact with the cushioning member move relative to each other (even if the size of the gap does not change). For example, this occurs when the plane of the movable housing in contact with the cushioning member and the plane of the fixed side member in contact with the cushioning member move relative to each other in a direction parallel to each other while maintaining a parallel state. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cushioning member is not limited to contacting both the movable housing and the fixed side member when the movable housing is in its normal position (a position not under vibration conditions). The cushioning member may only come into contact with both the movable housing and the fixed side member when the movable housing moves from its normal position.

[0011] In the second embodiment of the floating connector, in the first embodiment, the movable housing has a restricted portion that faces the fixed side member, thereby limiting the range of movement of the movable housing, and the buffer member is positioned to deform when the restricted portion approaches the fixed side member.

[0012] In the above embodiment, the movable housing has a restricted portion that faces the fixed side member, thereby limiting the range of movement of the movable housing.

[0013] Incidentally, depending on the mounting position of the floating connector on the object to be attached and the mating condition with the object to be connected (for example, if the object to be connected is mated at an angle or misaligned in the plane of the circuit board), the direction and amplitude of vibration may differ from what is expected. In that case, the restricted part may collide with the fixed side member such as the fixed housing, and the impact of this collision may cause connection problems such as contact sliding. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the cushioning member is positioned to deform when the restricted portion approaches the fixed side member. As a result, the deformation of the cushioning member suppresses an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing, thereby mitigating the impact caused by the collision and suppressing the occurrence of the above-mentioned malfunction. Furthermore, when the cushioning member is positioned between the restricted portion of the movable housing and the fixed side member, and the cushioning member is made of rubber or the like, the movable housing and the fixed side member will collide via the cushioning member. In this case as well, the impact is mitigated by the cushioning member, and the occurrence of the above-mentioned malfunction is suppressed.

[0014] In the third embodiment of the floating connector, in the first embodiment, the movable housing has a fitting direction restricted portion that faces the fixed side member in the fitting direction, thereby limiting the range of movement of the movable housing in the fitting direction, and the buffer member is positioned to deform when the fitting direction restricted portion approaches the fixed side member.

[0015] In the above embodiment, the occurrence of malfunctions due to collisions that occur when the movable housing moves in the fitting direction is suppressed.

[0016] In the fourth embodiment of the floating connector, in the third embodiment, the buffer member is positioned to prevent the mating direction restricted portion and the fixed side member from directly colliding.

[0017] In the above embodiment, the cushioning member is positioned to prevent the fitting direction restricted portion and the fixed side member from directly colliding. Therefore, malfunctions caused by collisions between the movable housing and the fixed side member are further suppressed.

[0018] In the fifth embodiment of the floating connector, in any of the first to fourth embodiments, the buffer member is attached to the movable housing and contacts the fixed side member only when the gap between the fixed side member and the movable housing becomes smaller due to the movement of the movable housing.

[0019] In the above aspect, the buffer member is attached to the movable housing, and comes into contact with the stationary-side member only when the movement of the movable housing reduces the gap (the gap between the stationary-side member and the movable housing). For this reason, the buffer member can be easily formed of a non-flowable material (such as rubber), and the arrangement of the buffer member is facilitated.

[0020] A floating connector according to a sixth aspect is the floating connector according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the buffer member is in a state of being in contact with both the stationary-side member and the movable housing.

[0021] In the above aspect, the buffer member is in a state of being in contact with both the stationary-side member and the movable housing. For this reason, the buffer member deforms not only when the gap in which the buffer member is arranged narrows, but also when the gap widens or the like, and an increase in the moving speed of the movable housing is suppressed.

[0022] A floating connector according to a seventh aspect is the floating connector according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein one of the movable housing and the stationary housing has a recess in which the buffer member is arranged.

[0023] In the above aspect, one of the movable housing and the stationary housing has a recess in which the buffer member is arranged. For this reason, the buffer member can be easily arranged at a desired position. In addition, in the above aspect, the material of the buffer member is not particularly limited, but this is suitable for cases where, for example, the buffer member is formed of a highly flowable member.

[0024] A floating connector according to an eighth aspect is the floating connector according to the seventh aspect, wherein the other of the movable housing and the stationary housing has a protrusion protruding toward the recess.

[0025] In the above aspect, the other of the movable housing and the stationary housing has a protrusion protruding toward the recess. Therefore, even when the movable housing and the fixed housing are separated, the contact between the other housing and the cushioning member is easily maintained.

[0026] In the ninth embodiment of the floating connector, the convex portion is configured to be able to enter the recess, as in the eighth embodiment.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the convex portion is configured to be able to penetrate the concave portion. Therefore, the contact between the fixed housing and the cushioning member is more easily maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a rearward perspective view of the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the fixed housing of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the movable housing of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the terminals of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of the connector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the fixed housing of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the movable housing of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the terminals of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is an enlarged view of the area near the buffer member in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The arrows X, Y, and Z shown in each figure represent directional concepts relative to the connector and its components. The +X direction is the front direction of the connector, the +Y direction is one side of the connector's width direction, and the +Z direction is the upward direction of the connector. When simply referring to the front-to-back direction, width direction, and up-and-down direction, they mean the front-to-back direction of the connector, the width direction of the connector, and the up-and-down direction of the connector, respectively.

[0030] [First Embodiment: Figures 1-6] The connector 10 in the first embodiment is a right-angle type floating connector. A mating connector (not shown), which is the "object to be connected," is mated to the connector 10 from the front of the connector. In other words, in the first embodiment, the direction towards the rear of the connector is the "mating direction."

[0031] The connector 10 comprises a fixed housing 20 attached to a substrate (not shown) as the "object to be attached", a movable housing 30 that is movable relative to the fixed housing 20 and mates with a mating connector, and a plurality of terminals 40, one end of which is held by the fixed housing 20 and the other end of which is held by the movable housing 30. Each of the plurality of terminals 40 has an intermediate elastic portion 43 between the portion held by the fixed housing 20 (fixed-side held portion 42) and the portion held by the movable housing 30 (movable-side held portion 44). The movement of the movable housing 30 relative to the fixed housing 20 is permitted by the deformation of the intermediate elastic portion 43.

[0032] (Fixed housing 20) The fixed housing 20 is integrally molded from an insulator such as synthetic resin.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the fixed housing 20 has a pair of side walls 21 facing each other in the width direction of the connector, a top wall 22 connecting the upper parts of the pair of side walls 21 in the width direction, and a terminal holding portion 23 (Figures 1 and 2) for holding the terminals 40.

[0034] The side wall portion 21 has a through hole 24 that penetrates the side wall portion 21. The protruding portion 32 (restricted portion, fitting direction restricted portion) of the movable housing 30 is positioned in the through hole 24. The through hole 24 is a hole whose vertical dimension is larger than its front-to-back dimension, and specifically it is a rectangular hole.

[0035] The side wall portion 21 has a mounting bracket holding portion 21a that holds a mounting bracket (not shown). The mounting bracket is held by the mounting bracket holding portion 21a and is also fixed to the substrate by soldering or the like. This ensures the mounting strength of the connector 10 to the substrate. The mounting bracket holder portion 21a is formed on the lower part of the side wall portion 21 and on the outer side in the width direction. The mounting bracket holder portion 21a is located behind the connector beyond the through hole 24. The mounting bracket holder portion 21a is configured to hold two mounting brackets.

[0036] The top wall section 22 covers almost the entire space formed between the pair of side wall sections 21 from above.

[0037] The terminal holding portion 23 is formed at a position corresponding to the rear and lower part of the pair of side wall portions 21, and connects the pair of side wall portions 21 in the width direction. The fixed side holding portion 42 (Figure 6) of the terminal 40 is press-fitted into the terminal holding portion 23 from the rear.

[0038] Furthermore, the fixed housing 20 is equipped with a protrusion 25. The protrusion 25 is formed on the edge of the through hole 24 in the side wall portion 21. Specifically, the protrusion 25 is formed to protrude forward from the rear edge of the through hole 24. This allows the protrusion 25 to enter the recess 33 of the movable housing 30, which will be described later (Figure 3). The shape of the protrusion 25 in side view is a trapezoid with the front-to-back direction as the height direction.

[0039] Furthermore, the fixed housing 20 has a fitting direction restricting portion 24a. The fitting direction restricting portion 24a is provided opposite the fitting direction side (in this embodiment, the connector rear direction side) of the protruding portion 32 (restricted portion, fitting direction restricted portion) of the movable housing 30, thereby restricting the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the fitting direction. The mating direction limiting portion 24a is the rear surface of the edge that constitutes the through hole 24, and is a plane facing the front of the connector. The aforementioned protrusion 25 protrudes from this plane in the opposite direction of mating (forward of the connector).

[0040] Furthermore, the fixed housing 20 has a non-fitting direction restricting portion 24b. The non-fitting direction restricting portion 24b is provided opposite the non-fitting direction side (connector forward direction) of the protruding portion 32 (restricted portion) of the movable housing 30, thereby restricting the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the non-fitting direction. The anti-fitting direction limiting portion 24b is the front surface of the edge that constitutes the through hole 24, and is a plane facing the rear direction of the connector.

[0041] Furthermore, the fixed housing 20 has an upward restricting portion 24c. The upward restricting portion 24c is the upper surface of the edge that constitutes the through hole 24.

[0042] Furthermore, the fixed housing 20 has a width-direction limiting portion 21b (Figure 4). The width-direction limiting portion 21b is formed on the width-direction inner surface of a pair of side wall portions 21 and faces the width-direction outer surface of the main body portion 31 of the movable housing 30, which will be described later. The width-direction limiting portion 21b is formed at both the front and rear positions relative to the through hole 24.

[0043] (Movable housing 30) The movable housing 30 is integrally molded from an insulator such as synthetic resin.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the movable housing 30 comprises a main body portion 31 that holds the terminal 40, and a pair of protruding portions 32 located on the outside in the width direction of the main body portion 31.

[0045] The main body portion 31 is roughly rectangular in shape. The pair of side surfaces 31a of the main body portion 31 are planes facing in the width direction, and by contacting the pair of side walls 21 of the fixed housing 20 (specifically the width direction limiting portion 21b), the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the width direction is limited. The main body 31 has an arrangement space 31b in which a portion of the terminals 40 are arranged inside. Multiple arrangement spaces 31b are formed corresponding to the number of terminals 40. The multiple arrangement spaces 31b are formed side by side in the width direction. A portion of the terminals 40 is press-fitted into the arrangement space 31b from the rear side of the connector. As shown in Figure 1, the arrangement space 31b is open to the front via the socket 31c. When the terminals of the mating connector (not shown), which is the "object to be connected," are inserted into the socket 31c, they establish an electrical connection with the terminals 40 located in the arrangement space 31b. The socket 31c has a tapered shape to guide the terminals of the mating connector.

[0046] The pair of protruding portions 32 are positioned in through holes 24 in the pair of side wall portions 21 of the fixed housing 20. The positioning of the protruding portions 32 in the through holes 24 limits the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the front-rear direction. The protruding portion 32 is plate-shaped with its thickness oriented in the front-to-back direction. When viewed from the front-to-back direction, the shape of the protruding portion 32 is approximately rectangular. The lower end of the protruding portion 32 is located above the lower end of the main body portion 31, and the upper end of the protruding portion 32 is located above the upper end of the main body portion 31. The vertical dimension of the protruding portion 32 is greater than the vertical dimension of the main body portion 31. The protruding portion 32 is located in front of the center position in the front-to-back direction of the main body portion 31.

[0047] The protruding portion 32 has a front surface 32a and a rear surface 32b. The front surface 32a of the protruding portion 32 is a plane facing forward and abuts against a part of the fixed housing 20 (the anti-fitting direction limiting portion 24b), thereby limiting the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the anti-fitting direction (forward direction). The rear surface 32b of the protruding portion 32 is a plane facing rearward and abuts against a part of the fixed housing 20 (the fitting direction limiting portion 24a), thereby limiting the range of movement of the movable housing 30 in the fitting direction (rearward direction).

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, a recess 33 is formed in the protruding portion 32 where the cushioning member 50 (Figure 2) is placed. The recess 33 is formed so as to be recessed forward relative to the rear surface 32b of the protruding portion 32. The recess 33 is approximately rectangular in shape when viewed from the rear and is formed over a wide area of ​​the rear surface 32b of the protruding portion 32. When viewed from the rear, the area of ​​the recess 33 is larger than the area of ​​the rear surface 32b of the protruding portion 32. The rear surface 32b of the protruding portion 32 is located above, below, and to the outside in the width direction relative to the recess 33, but not to the inside in the width direction.

[0049] The recess 33 has an enlarged portion 33a that expands outward in the width direction in a part of its vertical direction. This makes it easy to inject the cushioning member 50 into the recess 33 after the protruding portion 32 has been placed in the through hole 24 of the fixed housing 20 (see Figure 2). The enlarged portion 33a is located in the middle of the recess 33 in the vertical direction.

[0050] (Terminal 40) The terminal 40 is made by punching and bending a conductive plate material.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the terminal 40 has a substrate fixing portion 41, a fixed-side held portion 42, an intermediate elastic portion 43, a movable-side held portion 44, and a contact portion 45, in this order from one end to the other end.

[0052] The substrate fixing portion 41 is fixed to the substrate by soldering or the like. The fixed-side retained portion 42 is held in the fixed housing 20. The intermediate elastic portion 43 is formed to be easily deformable so that the fixed-side retained portion 42 and the movable-side retained portion 44 can move relative to each other. The movable-side retained portion 44 is held in the movable housing 30. The contact portion 45 makes conductive contact with the terminals of the mating connector, which is the "object to be connected".

[0053] The contact portion 45 has one side contact portions 45a1, 45a2 and the other side contact portion 45b. This allows it to contact the terminals of the mating connector by clamping them. The clamping direction is vertical. The one side contact portions 45a1, 45a2 are configured to be elastically displaceable relative to the movable housing 30, while the other side contact portion 45b is fixed to the movable housing 30 and does not displace relative to the movable housing 30. The one side contact portions 45a1, 45a2 have two contacts aligned in the mating direction.

[0054] (cushioning member 50) Furthermore, the connector 10 includes a buffer member 50. The cushioning member 50 is made of a material that is easily deformable. In this embodiment, the cushioning member 50 is made of a gel or a sol, and more preferably a gel. This is because gel has better shape recovery than sol, and the cushioning member 50 is more likely to remain in the desired position. It is also preferable that the cushioning member 50 is made of an adhesive material. The cushioning member 50 is placed in the recess 33 of the protruding portion 32 of the movable housing 30. When the mating connector is connected to the connector 10 with the cushioning member 50 placed in the recess 33, the movable housing 30 moves in the fitting direction, and the cushioning member 50 placed in the recess 33 comes into contact with the protruding portion 25 of the fixed housing 20. When the connector 10 and the mating connector are connected, the cushioning member 50 is used in contact with both the movable housing 30 and the fixed housing 20.

[0055] <Effects and Effects> Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained.

[0056] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the floating connector 10 comprises a fixed housing 20 that is attached to the object to be mounted (substrate), a movable housing 30 that is movable relative to the fixed housing 20 and engages with the object to be connected, and a terminal 40 whose one end is held by the fixed housing 20 and whose other end is held by the movable housing 30.

[0057] Here, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the floating connector 10 includes a cushioning member 50 made of a material that is easily deformable. The cushioning member 50 is positioned so as the movable housing 30 moves, it contacts and deforms against both the fixed side member (movable housing 20) and the movable housing 30. Therefore, the deformation of the cushioning member 50 suppresses an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing 30, thereby suppressing the occurrence of connection problems when used in a vibrating environment.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movable housing 30 has a restricted portion (protruding portion 32) that faces the fixed side member (fixed housing 20), thereby limiting the range of movement of the movable housing 30. However, if the restricted portion (protruding portion 32) collides with the fixed housing 20, connection problems such as contact sliding may occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cushioning member 50 is positioned to deform when the restricted portion (protruding portion 32) approaches the fixed side member (fixed housing 20). As a result, the deformation of the cushioning member 50 suppresses an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing 30, thereby mitigating the impact caused by the collision and suppressing the occurrence of the above-mentioned malfunction.

[0059] In particular, in this embodiment, the occurrence of malfunctions due to collisions that occur when the movable housing 30 moves in the fitting direction is effectively suppressed.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the amount of the cushioning member 50 may be increased (more than shown in Figure 3) so that the cushioning member 50 is positioned to prevent direct collision between the fitting direction restricted portion (protruding portion 32) and the fixed side member (fixed housing 20) (specifically, between the rear surface 32b of the protruding portion 32 and the fitting direction restricted portion 24a). In this case, malfunctions caused by collisions between the movable housing and the fixed side member are further suppressed.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cushioning member 50 is in contact with both the fixed housing 20 and the movable housing 30. Therefore, the cushioning member 50 deforms not only when the gap in which it is positioned narrows, but also when it widens, suppressing an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing 30. In other words, the cushioning member 50 deforms not only when the movable housing 30 moves to the rear of the connector, but also when it moves to the front, above, or below the connector, suppressing an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing 30.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movable housing 30 has a recess 33 in which the cushioning member 50 is placed. Therefore, it becomes easier to position the cushioning member 50 in the desired location. In particular, in this embodiment, the cushioning member is preferably made of a fluid material (such as a sol). The recess may be formed in a fixed housing rather than a movable housing.

[0063] In this embodiment, the fixed housing 20 also has a protrusion 25 that projects toward the recess 33. Therefore, even if the gap between the movable housing 30 and the fixed housing 20 widens, the contact between the fixed housing 20 and the cushioning member 50 is easily maintained.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the convex portion 25 is configured to be able to enter the concave portion 33. Therefore, the contact between the fixed housing 20 and the cushioning member 50 is more easily maintained. In this embodiment, the height of the protrusion 25 and the depth of the recess 33 are the same, but the height of the protrusion 25 may be smaller than the depth of the recess 33. In this case, both the upper and lower portions of the recess 33 on the rear surface 32b of the protruding portion 32 can be reliably brought into contact with the fitting direction limiting portion 24a of the fixed housing 20. Therefore, even when the movable housing 30 is pushed toward the fitting direction when the mating connector is fitted, the posture of the movable housing 30 remains stable.

[0065] [Second Embodiment: Figures 7-11] The connector 10A in the second embodiment is a straight-type floating connector. A mating connector (not shown), which is the "object to be connected," is mated to the connector 10A from above. In other words, in the second embodiment, the downward direction of the connector is the "mating direction."

[0066] Connector 10A comprises a fixed housing 60, a movable housing 70, and a plurality (six) of terminals 80.

[0067] The fixed housing 60 is integrally molded from an insulator such as synthetic resin. The fixed housing 60 is fixed to the substrate P via terminals 80 and mounting brackets 63, and becomes immovable relative to the substrate P when placed on it. The fixed housing 60 holds a part of the terminals 80 (fixed-side holding portion 82). The fixed housing 60 is frame-shaped, and the movable housing 70 is positioned inside it.

[0068] The movable housing 70 is integrally molded from an insulator such as synthetic resin. The movable housing 70 holds a portion of the terminal 80 (movable side retained portion 84). The movable housing 70 is positioned inside the frame-shaped fixed housing 60 and is movable within a predetermined range of motion relative to the substrate P and the fixed housing 60. The movable housing 70 has an insertion space 71a that opens upward. A portion of the mating connector, which is the "object to be connected," is inserted into the insertion space 71a.

[0069] As shown in Figure 10, each terminal 80 has a fixed-side retained portion 82 that is press-fitted into and held by the fixed housing 60, a movable-side retained portion 84 that is held by the movable housing 70, and an intermediate elastic portion 83 between the fixed-side retained portion 82 and the movable-side retained portion 84. The movement of the movable housing 70 relative to the fixed housing 60 is permitted by the elastic deformation of the intermediate elastic portion 83.

[0070] Furthermore, the connector 10A includes a buffer member 90 (Figures 9 and 11). The buffer member 90 in the second embodiment is made of a material that is easily deformable and non-flowing, for example, rubber.

[0071] Next, we will describe the detailed structure of the floating connector 10A.

[0072] (Multiple terminals 80) The multiple (six) terminals 80 consist of multiple (three) terminals 80 arranged in the front-to-back direction on one side in the width direction, and multiple (three) terminals 80 arranged in the front-to-back direction on the other side in the width direction.

[0073] As shown in Figure 10, each terminal 80 has, in this order from one end to the other, a substrate fixing portion 81, a fixed-side holding portion 82, an intermediate elastic portion 83, a movable-side holding portion 84, and a contact portion 85.

[0074] The substrate fixing portion 81 is fixed to the substrate P by soldering or the like. The fixed-side held portion 82 extends upward and is configured to be press-fitted into the fixed housing 60 from below. The intermediate elastic portion 83 is formed to be easily elastically deformable. The movable-side held portion 84 extends upward and is configured to be press-fitted into the movable housing 70 from below. The contact portion 85 contacts the terminals of the mating connector, which is the "object to be connected".

[0075] (Fixed housing 60) As shown in Figure 8, the fixed housing 60 is formed in a frame shape and comprises a pair of front-to-back sections 61 and a pair of width-to-back sections 62.

[0076] A restraining recess 61a is formed in the front-rear portion 61. As shown in Figure 7, a part of the movable housing 70 (front-rear protrusion 72) is restrained in the restraining recess 61a. The restraining recess 61a is a recess that is open on both the downward and front-rear sides.

[0077] Each of the pair of widthwise portions 62 holds the fixed-side holding portion 82 of the terminal 80. As shown in Figure 8, multiple grooves extending vertically are formed on the inner surface in the width direction of the width direction portion 62, and the fixed-side retained portion 82 of the terminal 80 is press-fitted into these multiple grooves from below.

[0078] Each of the pair of widthwise sections 62 has a protective wall 62a formed to protect the intermediate elastic section 83 of the terminal 80. The protective wall 62a is formed higher than the rest of the fixed housing 60.

[0079] (Movable housing 70) As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the movable housing 70 comprises a main body portion 71 and front and rear protruding portions 72.

[0080] The main body portion 71 is roughly rectangular in shape, forming an insertion space 71a and holding the movable side retained portion 84 of the terminal 80. The main body 71 has a terminal arrangement wall 71b in which terminal arrangement grooves are formed. The terminal arrangement wall 71b is located inside the insertion space 71a. The contact portion 85 of the terminal 80 is arranged in the terminal arrangement groove.

[0081] The front and rear protrusions 72 protrude outward in the front-rear direction from the lower part of the movable housing 70. The front and rear protrusions 72 are positioned in the restraining recesses 61a of the fixed housing 60. This limits the upward movement range of the movable housing 70. A total of four front and rear protrusions 72 are formed: two on the front side and two on the rear side.

[0082] As shown in Figure 9, the movable housing 70 has a mounting projection 73 to which the cushioning member 90 is attached. The mounting protrusions 73 project downward from the lower surface of the movable housing 70. There are multiple mounting protrusions 73, specifically four. The positions of the multiple mounting protrusions 73 are such that they overlap with the main body portion 31 of the movable housing 70 when viewed from above, but not with the front and rear protrusions 72. The shape of the mounting protrusions 73 is a frustum, specifically a frustum of a square pyramid. The top of the mounting projection 73 is located at the lower end of the movable housing 70. Therefore, if the cushioning member 90 cannot be attached, when the movable housing 70 moves downward, the top of the mounting projection 73 comes into contact with the substrate P, limiting the range of downward movement, which is the fitting direction.

[0083] (cushioning member 90) The cushioning member 90 is made of a non-flowable material such as rubber and is attached to the movable housing 70. The cushioning member 90 is attached to the lower surface of the movable housing 30, specifically to the top of the mounting projection 73 of the movable housing 70. When the movable housing 30 moves downward, which is the fitting direction, the cushioning member 90 is interposed between the movable housing 30 and the substrate P, which is the "object to be attached". The cushioning member 90 prevents the movable housing 30 and the substrate P from directly colliding.

[0084] <Effects and Effects> Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be described.

[0085] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the floating connector 10A comprises a fixed housing 60, a movable housing 70, and terminals 80. Here, as shown in Figure 11, the floating connector 10 includes a cushioning member 90 made of a material that is easily deformable. The cushioning member 90 is positioned so that it deforms when it comes into contact with both the fixed side member (substrate P) and the movable housing 30 as the movable housing 70 moves. Therefore, the deformation of the cushioning member 90 suppresses an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing 70, thereby suppressing the occurrence of connection problems.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movable housing 70 has a restricted portion (the lower surface of the movable housing 70, specifically the top of the mounting projection 73) that faces the fixed side member (substrate P) and restricts the range of movement of the movable housing 70 in the fitting direction (downward). However, if the restricted part (the lower surface of the movable housing 70) collides with the fixed side member (the substrate P), connection problems such as contact sliding may occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cushioning member 90 is positioned to deform when the restricted portion (the lower surface of the movable housing 70) approaches the fixed side member (substrate P). As a result, the deformation of the cushioning member 90 suppresses an increase in the movement speed of the movable housing 70, thereby mitigating the impact caused by the collision and suppressing the occurrence of the above-mentioned malfunction.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the buffer member 90 is positioned to prevent direct collision between the fitting direction restricted portion (the lower surface of the movable housing 70) and the fixed side member (substrate P). Therefore, malfunctions caused by collisions between the movable housing 70 and the fixed side member (substrate P) are further suppressed.

[0088] In this embodiment, the cushioning member 90 is attached to the movable housing 70. The cushioning member 90 contacts the fixed side member (substrate P) only when the gap between the movable housing 70 and the fixed side member (substrate P) becomes smaller as the movable housing 70 moves. Therefore, the cushioning member 90 is easily constructed from a non-flowing material, and the placement of the cushioning member 90 is easy.

[0089] [Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment] The connectors of this disclosure are not limited to the connectors 10 and 10A of the above embodiments.

[0090] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the terminal is integrally formed and has an intermediate elastic portion to allow movement of the movable housing. However, the terminal of this disclosure is not limited to being integrally formed. For example, the terminal may comprise a first member having a substrate fixing portion and a fixed-side held portion, and a second member having a movable-side held portion and a contact portion, wherein the first member and the second member are configured to slide in contact with each other.

[0091] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the fixed housing 20 is integrally formed from a single material, but the fixed housing of this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the fixed housing may be composed of a resin member and a metal member integrated with the resin member. Furthermore, in this case, the cushioning member may be configured to contact only the portion of the fixed housing that is the metal member, and the cushioning member may be deformed accordingly.

[0092] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the movable housing 30 is integrally formed from a single material, but the movable housing of this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the cushioning members 50 and 90 are separate from the movable housing 30 and the fixed housing 20, and an example in which they are attached to the movable housing 30, etc., has been described. However, the cushioning members of this disclosure are not limited to this. For example, the cushioning member may be a resin spring made of the same material as the movable housing (e.g., synthetic resin) and formed integrally with the movable housing. A resin spring refers to a component made of resin that is easily deformable and has spring properties.

[0094] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the cushioning member 50 is placed after the protruding portion 32 of the movable housing 30 is placed in the through hole 24 of the fixed housing 20, but the timing of placing the cushioning member 50 is not limited to this. Alternatively, the cushioning member 50 may be placed in the recess 33 of the protruding portion 32 of the movable housing 30, and then the protruding portion 32 of the movable housing 30 may be placed in the through hole 24 of the fixed housing 20.

[0095] Furthermore, although the second embodiment described above illustrates an example in which the cushioning member 90 is attached to the mounting projection 73, the disclosure is not limited thereto. The cushioning member may be attached to a location other than a projection.

[0096] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the cushioning members 50 and 90 do not contact the terminals 40 and 80, the cushioning members of this disclosure are not limited to this. The cushioning members may be in contact with the terminals, or they may be arranged so as to be able to contact the terminals. In this case, it is preferable that the cushioning members be made of a highly fluid material such as a sol so as not to hinder the deformation or movement of the terminals. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 10 Connectors (Floating Connectors) 20 Fixed housing (fixed side member) 24a Fitting direction limiting section 24b Anti-fitting direction limiting section 25 Convex part 30 Movable Housing 32 Protruding portion (restricted portion, portion restricted in the fitting direction) 33 Recess 40 terminals 50 Cushioning material 10A connector (floating connector) 60 Fixed housing (fixed side member) 70 Movable Housing 72 Front and rear protrusions 73 Mounting protrusion (restricted portion, restricted portion in the fitting direction) 80 terminals 90 Cushioning material P substrate (fixed side member)

Claims

1. A fixed housing that is attached to an object to be attached, A movable housing that is movable relative to the fixed housing and engages with the object to be connected, A terminal having one end held by the fixed housing and the other end held by the movable housing, A floating connector equipped with, The system further comprises a buffer member made of a gel or sol, which is a material having properties that make it more easily deformable than the material of the fixed housing and the material of the movable housing. The cushioning member is positioned so as the movable housing moves, it contacts and deforms against both the fixed housing and the movable housing. The movable housing has a fitting direction restricted portion that faces the fixed housing in the fitting direction, thereby limiting the range of movement of the movable housing in the fitting direction. The cushioning member is positioned to deform when the fitting direction restricted portion approaches the fixed housing. One of the movable housing and the fixed housing is formed to be recessed toward the opposite side of the fitting direction or toward the fitting direction, and has a recess in which the cushioning member is arranged. The movable housing and the other fixed housing have a protrusion that projects toward the recess that is either in the opposite fitting direction or in the fitting direction. Floating connector.

2. The aforementioned protrusion is configured to be able to enter the aforementioned recess, The floating connector according to claim 1.

3. The cushioning member is positioned to prevent the fitting direction restricted portion and the fixed housing from directly colliding. A floating connector according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The cushioning member is in contact with both the fixed housing and the movable housing. A floating connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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