Electrical connector

Abstract

[Problem] To make a single lead wire guide member applicable to both lead wire downward routing and upward routing. [Solution] In the present invention, a connector body 20 comprises, in a rear section thereof, a rear extension section 28 that extends rearward and at least partially forms a cylindrical body that encloses a lead wire 32. A lead wire guide member 50 comprises an opening section 52 for accommodating, in a front section thereof, the rear extension section 28 from an upward direction or a downward direction that is perpendicular to a plugging / unplugging direction of the connector body 20. The lead wire guide member 50 and the rear extension section 28 are provided, respectively, with a plugging / unplugging direction locking section 56 and a plugging / unplugging direction locked section 36 that, in a state in which the rear extension section 28 has been accommodated in the front section of the lead wire guide member 50, lock the lead wire guide member 50 and the rear extension section 28 to one another in the plugging / unplugging direction.

Description

electrical connectors

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector such as a plug or jack to which lead wires are connected.

[0002] An electrical connector is known that has a connector body and a lead wire guide member (pressure assist member) that is detachably attached to the rear of the connector body to guide the lead wires extending from the rear end of the connector body in the insertion / removal direction (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-181469

[0004] Conventional lead wire guide members are dedicated to routing lead wires downward or upward, and one lead wire guide member cannot be used for both routing lead wires downward and upward.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it possible to use one lead wire guide member for both downward and upward routing of lead wires.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is an electrical connector (10) having a connector body (20) and a lead wire guide member (50) detachably attached to the rear of the connector body to guide lead wires (32) extending from the rear end of the connector body in the insertion direction, wherein the connector body has a rear extension portion (28) that extends rearward at the rear and is at least partially cylindrical and surrounds the lead wires, and the lead wire guide member has an opening (52) at the front for receiving the rear extension portion from above or below perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction of the connector body, and when the rear extension portion is received at the front of the lead wire guide member, an insertion / removal direction locking portion (56) and an insertion / removal direction locked portion (36) are provided on the lead wire guide member and the rear extension portion, respectively, to lock the lead wire guide member and the rear extension portion to each other in the insertion / removal direction.

[0007] According to this aspect, by reversing the mounting direction of the lead wire guide member relative to the connector body upside down, one lead wire guide member can be used for both downward and upward routing of the lead wires, eliminating the need to prepare separate lead wire guide members.

[0008] In the above aspect, preferably, the insertion / removal direction locking portion and the insertion / removal direction locked portion include opposing surfaces (37, 57) that face each other in the insertion / removal direction.

[0009] According to this aspect, the lead wire guide member and the rear extension portion are reliably locked to each other in the insertion / removal direction.

[0010] In the above aspect, preferably, the lead wire guide member includes an upper wall (50A), a left wall (50B) and a right wall (50C) extending parallel to each other, and a rear wall (50D) joined to the rear edges of the upper, left and right walls and extending approximately perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction, and has open front and bottom sides.When the front part receives the rear extension part, the upper wall, left wall, right wall and rear wall define a lead wire guide chamber (54) between the rear end of the rear extension part and the upper wall, left wall, right wall and rear wall, which is open downward.

[0011] According to this aspect, the lead wires are reliably guided by the lead wire guide member.

[0012] In the above aspect, preferably, a viewing window (60) opening toward the lead wire guide chamber is provided on the upper wall.

[0013] According to this aspect, with the rear extension portion received in the front portion of the lead wire guide member, the operator can check the state of the lead wire in the lead wire guide chamber through the viewing window.

[0014] In the above aspect, preferably, the rear extension portion includes a left wall (28C) and a right wall (28D) facing the left wall and the right wall, respectively, of the lead wire guide member, the insertion / removal direction locking portion includes a groove (56A) or a slit (62) provided on each of the left wall and the right wall of the lead wire guide member so as to extend in the vertical direction, and the insertion / removal direction locked portion includes a protrusion (36A) provided on each of the left wall and the right wall of the rear extension portion so as to extend in the vertical direction so that the insertion / removal direction locking portion can engage with it so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

[0015] According to this aspect, the lead wire guide member and the rear extension portion are reliably locked to each other in the insertion / removal direction.

[0016] In the above aspect, preferably, the rear extension portion includes an upper wall (28A) and a lower wall (28B) facing the upper wall of the lead wire guide member, the insertion / removal direction locking portion includes a groove (56B) extending in the left-right direction on the upper wall of the lead wire guide member, and the insertion / removal direction locked portion includes a protrusion (36B) extending in the left-right direction on each of the upper wall and the lower wall of the rear extension portion so as to engage with the insertion / removal direction locking portion.

[0017] According to this aspect, the lead wire guide member and the rear extension portion are more reliably locked to each other in the insertion / removal direction.

[0018] In the above aspect, preferably, when the rear extension is received in the front portion of the lead wire guide member, a vertical locking portion (58) and a vertical locked portion (38) are provided on the lead wire guide member and the rear extension, respectively, to lock the lead wire guide member and the rear extension to each other in the vertical direction.

[0019] According to this aspect, the lead wire guide member and the rear extension portion are reliably locked to each other in the up-down direction.

[0020] In the above aspect, preferably, the vertical locking portion includes a vertical locking portion (58) provided on the lead wire guide member, and the vertical locked portion includes an engaging surface (38) provided on the rear extension portion so that the spring claw can abut against it.

[0021] According to this aspect, the lead wire guide member and the rear extension portion can be easily locked to each other in the up-down direction.

[0022] In the above aspect, preferably, the rear extension is provided with a protrusion (40) that abuts against the front end (51) of the lead wire guide member when the rear extension is received in the front portion of the lead wire guide member.

[0023] According to this aspect, the lead wire guide member can be accurately positioned in the front-rear direction relative to the rear extension portion.

[0024] According to the electrical connector of this embodiment, one lead wire guide member can be used for both downward and upward routing of the lead wires.

[0025] 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector and a printed circuit board according to embodiment 1; 2 is a perspective view of the electrical connector according to embodiment 1, as seen from the rear, showing downward-extending lead wires; 3 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector according to embodiment 1, as seen from the rear, showing downward-extending lead wires; 4 is a perspective view of the electrical connector according to embodiment 1, as seen from the rear, showing upward-extending lead wires; 5 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector according to embodiment 1, as seen from the rear, showing upward-extending lead wires; 1 is a perspective view of the downward lead wires of the electrical connector according to embodiment 2, as seen from the rear; 2 is an exploded perspective view of the downward lead wires of the electrical connector according to embodiment 2, as seen from the rear; 3 is a perspective view of the connector body of the electrical connector according to embodiment 3, as seen from above; 4 is a perspective view of the connector body of the electrical connector according to embodiment 4, as seen from above; 5 is a perspective view of the lead wire guide member of the electrical connector according to embodiment 5, as seen from below;

[0026] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an electrical connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.

[0027] 1, the electrical connector of this embodiment is a card edge connector 10. The card edge connector 10 has a connector body 20 and a lead wire guide member 50 that is detachably attached to the rear of the connector body 20 in the insertion / removal direction relative to a printed circuit board (PCB) 100 that is the connection target. The lead wire guide member 50 bends and guides the lead wires 32 that extend rearward from the rear end of the connector body 20 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0028] In the following description, the insertion direction of the connector body 20 into the PCB 100 is defined as the front-rear direction. However, this definition of direction is for the sake of convenience and is not limited to this.

[0029] The connector main body 20 has a rectangular cylindrical connector housing 22 molded from synthetic resin. The connector housing 22 is integrally formed with a terminal accommodating portion 26 that accommodates a plurality of terminals 24 and a rear extension portion 28 that extends rearward from the rear of the terminal accommodating portion 26. The rear extension portion 28 accommodates the rear portions of the terminals 24 accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 26. By accommodating the rear portions of the terminals 24 in the rear extension portion 28, the connector main body 20 can be made smaller than if the rear extension portion 28 were simply an attachment portion for the lead wire guide member 50.

[0030] Flanges 30 extending outward to the left and right are provided on both the left and right sides of the terminal accommodating portion 26 at approximately the center in the front-to-rear direction. The flanges 30 are pressing pieces that are pressed forward by an operator when inserting the connector body 20 into the PCB 100.

[0031] Each terminal 24 housed in the terminal housing 26 and the rear extension 28 is conductively connected at its front to a corresponding terminal connection conductive portion 102 formed on the edge of the PCB 100. A lead wire 32 is connected to the rear of each terminal 24. Each lead wire 32 extends rearward from the corresponding terminal 24.

[0032] Next, the connector body 20 of the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0033] The rear extension portion 28 has an upper wall 28A and a lower wall 28B extending parallel to each other, a left wall 28C and a right wall 28D extending parallel to each other, and the upper wall 28A and the lower wall 28B integrally formed therewith, and forms a rectangular cylindrical body that collectively surrounds the multiple lead wires 32.

[0034] The lead wire guide member 50 is integrally formed with an upper wall 50A, a left wall 50B and a right wall 50C extending parallel to each other, and a rear wall 50D joined to the rear edges of the upper wall 50A, the left wall 50B and the right wall 50C.

[0035] There are no walls at the front and bottom of the lead wire guide member 50, and the entire front and bottom sides are open. In other words, the front of the lead wire guide member 50 opens forward, and the bottom opens downward.

[0036] The front portion of the opening on the lower side of the lead wire guide member 50 is referred to as an opening 52 for receiving the rear extension 28 from above and below. The front portions of the top wall 50A, left wall 50B, and right wall 50C of the lead wire guide member 50 face the top wall 28A or bottom wall 28B, left wall 28C, and right wall 28D of the rear extension 28, respectively, when the front portion of the lead wire guide member 50 receives the rear extension 28.

[0037] From here on, the state in which the front of the lead wire guide member 50 receives the rear extension portion 28, i.e., the state in which the rear extension portion 28 is received in the front of the lead wire guide member 50, may be referred to as the receiving state.

[0038] The lead wire guide member 50 is used for both the downward lead wire configuration shown in Fig. 2 and the upward lead wire configuration shown in Fig. 4. When the lead wire guide member 50 is in the downward lead wire receiving state shown in Fig. 2, a lead wire guide chamber 54 (see Fig. 6) with an open bottom is defined between the lead wire guide member 50 and the rear end of the rear extension portion 28 by the rear portions of the top wall 50A, left wall 50B, and right wall 50C, and the rear wall 50D. When the lead wire guide member 50 is in the upward lead wire receiving state shown in Fig. 4, a lead wire guide chamber 54 with an open top is defined between the lead wire guide member 50 and the rear end of the rear extension portion 28 by the rear portions of the top wall 50A, left wall 50B, and right wall 50C, and the rear wall 50D.

[0039] When the lead wire guide member 50 is in the state where the lead wires are received with the upper leads exposed, it is upside down and left to right reversed from when it is in the state where the lead wires are received with the lower leads exposed, so that the left wall 50B in the state where the lead wires are received with the lower leads exposed becomes the side wall located on the right side when the lead wires are received with the upper leads exposed, and the right wall 50C in the state where the lead wires are received with the lower leads exposed becomes the side wall located on the left side when the lead wires are received with the upper leads exposed.

[0040] The lead wire guide member 50 and the rear extension 28 are provided with an insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 and an insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 for locking the lead wire guide member 50 and the rear extension 28 to each other in the front-to-rear direction in the received state.

[0041] The insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 includes a groove 56A provided on the inner surface of each of the left wall 50B and the right wall 50C of the lead wire guide member 50 so as to extend linearly in the vertical direction, and a groove 56B provided on the upper wall 50A of the lead wire guide member 50 so as to extend linearly in the horizontal direction. Each groove 56A extends over the entire left wall 50B and the right wall 50C in the vertical direction and opens at the lower edge of the left wall 50B or the right wall 50C. The grooves 56A and 56B are continuous with each other and form a gate shape in a front view.

[0042] The insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 includes a protrusion 36A provided on the outer surface of each of the left wall 28C and the right wall 28D of the rear extension 28 so as to extend linearly in the vertical direction, and a protrusion 36B provided on the upper wall 28A and the lower wall 28B of the rear extension 28 so as to extend linearly in the horizontal direction, so that the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 can slidably engage with the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 in the vertical direction. The protrusions 36A and the protrusions 36B are continuous with each other to form a flange that surrounds the rear extension 28 and has a rectangular frame shape in a front view.

[0043] Because the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 is a recessed groove having a rectangular cross section and the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 is a ridge having a rectangular cross section, the front and rear surfaces of the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 and the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 form opposing surfaces 57 and 37 (see FIG. 5 ) that face each other in the front-to-rear direction. The opposing surface 57 exists over the entire front and rear surfaces of the left and right grooves 56A and the upper groove 56B of the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56. The opposing surface 37 exists over the entire front and rear surfaces of the left and right ridges 36A and the upper and lower ridges 36B of the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36.

[0044] The lead wire guide member 50 is provided with a vertical locking portion 58 for locking the lead wire guide member 50 in the vertical direction relative to the rear extension portion 28 in the received state.

[0045] The vertical locking portions 58 include resilient claws having a one-way preventing shape that protrude from the inner surfaces of the left wall 50B and the right wall 50C of the lead wire guide member 50.

[0046] The vertically locked portion 38 includes an engaged surface formed by the bottom surface of an engaging recess formed in each of the upper wall 28A and the lower wall 28B of the rear extension portion 28, so that the vertically locking portion 58 can resiliently abut (anti-return engagement) against the engaged surface 38. Hereinafter, the vertically locked portion 38 may be referred to as the engaged surface 38.

[0047] The rear extension 28 is provided with a protrusion 40 that abuts against a front edge 51 (see FIG. 6) of the lead wire guide member 50 in the received state. Similar to the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36, the protrusion 40 is provided contiguously with one another on the outer surfaces of the upper wall 28A, lower wall 28B, left wall 28C, and right wall 28D of the rear extension 28. In other words, the protrusion 40 forms a flange that surrounds the rear extension 28 and has a rectangular frame shape in a front view.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, when it is desired to route the lead wires 32 downward from the card edge connector 10, as shown in FIG. 3, the opening 52 is faced downward and the lead wire guide member 50 is moved downward from above relative to the rear extension 28 of the connector body 20, and the front of the lead wire guide member 50 is placed over the outside of the rear extension 28 through the opening 52.

[0049] As the lead wire guide member 50 moves downward relative to the rear extension 28, the lead wire guide member 50 receives the rear extension 28 at its front portion through the opening 52 from above and below, perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction.

[0050] In this accepted state, the lead wire 32 extending horizontally from the rear end of the connector body 20 in the insertion / removal direction is bent downward by nearly 90 degrees by the lead wire guide member 50 in the lead wire guide chamber 54, and is guided by the lead wire guide member 50 and taken out toward the bottom of the lead wire guide member 50.

[0051] When moving the lead wire guide member 50 downward relative to the rear extension 28, the groove 56A of the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 is slid up and down relative to the protrusion 36A of the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 with the front edge 51 of the lead wire guide member 50 abutting against the rear surface of the protrusion 40. As a result, the downward movement of the lead wire guide member 50 relative to the rear extension 28 is guided by the groove 56A and the protrusion 36A. This allows smooth and reliable downward movement of the lead wire guide member 50 relative to the rear extension 28.

[0052] In this accepted state, the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 and the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 engage with each other, and the lead wire guide member 50 is locked in the insertion / removal direction relative to the rear extension portion 28. In this accepted state, the left and right vertical direction locking portions 58 each resiliently contact the corresponding engaged surfaces 38 of the bottom wall 28B, and the lead wire guide member 50 is locked in the vertical direction relative to the rear extension portion 28.

[0053] This reliably prevents the lead wire guide member 50 from falling off the connector body 20 in either the insertion / removal direction or the up / down direction in the above-described received state.

[0054] As shown in Figure 4, when it is desired to route the lead wires 32 upward from the card edge connector 10, as shown in Figure 5, the opening 52 is faced upward and the lead wire guide member 50 is moved upward from below relative to the rear extension 28 of the connector body 20, and the front of the lead wire guide member 50 is placed over the outside of the rear extension 28 through the opening 52.

[0055] As the lead wire guide member 50 moves upward relative to the rear extension 28, the lead wire guide member 50 receives the rear extension 28 at its front portion through the opening 52 from above and below in a direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction.

[0056] In this accepted state, the lead wire 32 extending horizontally from the rear end of the connector body 20 in the insertion / removal direction is bent upward by nearly 90 degrees by the lead wire guide member 50 in the lead wire guide chamber 54, and is guided by the lead wire guide member 50 and taken out toward the top of the lead wire guide member 50.

[0057] When moving the lead wire guide member 50 upward relative to the rear extension 28, the groove 56A of the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 is slid up and down relative to the protrusion 36A of the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 with the front edge 51 of the lead wire guide member 50 abutting against the rear surface of the protrusion 40. As a result, the upward movement of the lead wire guide member 50 relative to the rear extension 28 is guided by the groove 56A and the protrusion 36A. This allows the lead wire guide member 50 to move upward relative to the rear extension 28 smoothly and reliably.

[0058] In this received state, the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 and the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 engage with each other, and the lead wire guide member 50 is locked in the insertion / removal direction relative to the rear extension portion 28. Also, in this received state, the left and right vertical direction locking portions 58 each resiliently abut against the corresponding engaged surfaces 38 of the upper wall 28A, and the lead wire guide member 50 is locked in the vertical direction relative to the rear extension portion 28.

[0059] This reliably prevents the lead wire guide member 50 from falling off the connector body 20 in either the insertion / removal direction or the up / down direction, even in the above-described received state.

[0060] As described above, by reversing the mounting direction of the lead wire guide member 50 relative to the connector body 20 upside down, one lead wire guide member 50 can be used to route the lead wires 32 both downward and upward, eliminating the need to prepare separate lead wire guide members.

[0061] The connector body 20 can be inserted into the PCB 100 either with or without the lead wire guide member 50 attached to the connector body 20. When the connector body 20 is inserted into the PCB 100 with the lead wire guide member 50 attached to the connector body 20, the connector body 20 can be inserted into the PCB 100 by mechanically pushing the connector body 20 into the PCB 100 using the rear surface of the rear wall 50D of the lead wire guide member 50 as a pressing surface.

[0062] Second Embodiment Next, details of the connector main body 20 of a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In Figures 11 and 12, parts corresponding to those in Figures 2 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in Figures 2 and 3, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0063] In embodiment 2, a viewing window 60 is provided on the upper wall 50A of the lead wire guide member 50, which opens toward the lead wire guide chamber 54 when the rear extension portion 28 is received in the front portion of the lead wire guide member 50.

[0064] In embodiment 2, when the rear extension 28 is received in the front portion of the lead wire guide member 50, the operator can check the state of the lead wire 32 in the lead wire guide chamber 54 through the viewing window 60.

[0065] The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the viewing window 60, and therefore provides the same functions and effects as the first embodiment. (Embodiment 3) Next, details of the connector body 20 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In Fig. 13, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 8 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 8, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] In the third embodiment, the upper and lower protrusions 36B are omitted, and the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 is composed only of left and right protrusions 36A extending in the up and down direction.

[0067] The third embodiment shows that the upper and lower protrusions 36B are not essential.

[0068] The third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the upper and lower protrusions 36B are omitted, and therefore the same functions and effects as the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0069] (Embodiment 4) Next, details of the connector main body 20 of embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In Fig. 14, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 8 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in Fig. 8, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] In the fourth embodiment, the insertion / removal direction locked portions 36 are configured by fragmentary ridges provided at the four corners of the rear end of the rear extension portion 28 .

[0071] In the fourth embodiment, the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 does not necessarily have to have the ridges 36A and ridges 36B extending along the entire length of each side of the rear extension portion 28.

[0072] Embodiment 4 is the same as Embodiment 1 except that the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 is configured as a fragmentary protrusion, and therefore provides the same functions and effects as Embodiment 1. (Embodiment 5) Next, details of the lead wire guide member 50 of Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to Figure 15. Note that in Figure 15, parts corresponding to those in Figure 10 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in Figure 10, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0073] In the fifth embodiment, the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 of the lead wire guide member 50 is configured by a slit 62. The slit 62 is provided so as to extend linearly in the vertical direction on the inner surface of each of the left wall 50B and the right wall 50C of the lead wire guide member 50. Each slit 62 is open at the lower edge of the corresponding left wall 50B or right wall 50C, and, similar to the groove 56A in the first embodiment, is fitted into the protrusion 36A of the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

[0074] The fifth embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 is configured by the slit 62, and therefore the same functions and effects as the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0075] (Embodiment 6) Next, the lead wire guide member 50 of embodiment 5 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 16 to 20. In Figures 16 to 20, parts corresponding to those in Figures 2 to 9 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in Figures 2 to 20, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0076] In the sixth embodiment, the card edge connector 10 is designed for use with double-sided printed circuit boards, and the terminals 24 are aligned in two rows, one above the other, on the connector body 20 .

[0077] The fourth embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 is configured by a fragmentary ridge, and therefore the same functions and effects as the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0078] 16 to 18 show the attached state of the lead wire guide member 50 when it is desired to take out the lead wires 32 downward, and Fig. 19 and Fig. 20 show the attached state of the lead wire guide member 50 when it is desired to take out the lead wires 32 upward.

[0079] The present invention has been described above in terms of preferred embodiments. However, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The insertion / removal direction locked portion 36 may be a groove or slit, and the insertion / removal direction locking portion 56 may be a protrusion. The electrical connector is not limited to a card edge connector, and may be any of various relay connectors. Furthermore, not all of the components shown in the above embodiments are necessarily required, and appropriate selection and discarding may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0080] 10: Card edge connector 20: Connector body 22: Connector housing 24: Terminal 26: Terminal accommodating portion 28: Rear extension portion 28A: Upper wall 28B: Lower wall 28C: Left wall 28D: Right wall 30: Flange portion 32: Lead wire 36: Insertion / removal direction locked portion 36A: Protrusion 36B: Protrusion 37: Opposing surface 38: Vertical direction locked portion (engaged surface) 40: Protrusion 50: Lead wire guide member 50A: Upper wall 50B: Left wall 50C: Right wall 50D: Rear wall 51: Front edge 52: Opening 54: Lead wire guide chamber 56: Insertion / removal direction locking portion 56A: Groove 56B: Groove 57: Opposing surface 58: Vertical locking portion (sprung claw) 60: Viewing window 62: Slit 100: Printed circuit board (PCB) 102: Conductive portion

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a connector body and a lead wire guide member detachably attached to the rear of the connector body for guiding lead wires extending from the rear end of the connector body in the insertion direction, The connector body has a rear extension that extends backward from the rear and surrounds the lead wire, forming at least a partially cylindrical body. The lead wire guide member has an opening at its front for receiving the rear extension from an upward or downward direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction of the connector body. An electrical connector in which, when the rear extension is received at the front of the lead wire guide member, insertion / removal direction locking portion and insertion / removal direction locked portion are provided on the lead wire guide member and the rear extension, respectively, for locking the lead wire guide member and the rear extension with respect to each other in the insertion / removal direction.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the insertion / removal direction locking portion and the insertion / removal direction locked portion include opposing surfaces that face each other in the insertion / removal direction.

3. The lead wire guide member includes an upper wall, a left wall and a right wall extending parallel to each other, and a rear wall joined to the rear edges of the upper wall, the left wall and the right wall and substantially perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction, the front and bottom sides are open, and in a state in which the front part receives the rear extension, a lead wire guide chamber is defined between the front part and the rear end of the rear extension by the upper wall, the left wall, the right wall and the rear wall, with the bottom open.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein the upper wall is provided with a viewing window that opens toward the lead wire guide chamber.

5. The rear extension includes the left wall and the right wall of the lead wire guide member, respectively, facing the left wall and the right wall. The insertion / removal direction locking portion includes grooves or slits provided on the left wall and the right wall of the lead wire guide member so as to extend in the vertical direction. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein the insertion / removal direction locking portion includes a projection extending vertically on each of the left and right walls of the rear extension so as to allow the insertion / removal direction locking portion to engage slidably in the vertical direction.

6. The rear extension includes an upper wall facing the upper wall of the lead wire guide member and a lower wall. The insertion / removal direction locking portion includes a groove provided on the upper wall of the lead wire guide member so as to extend in the left-right direction. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein the insertion / removal direction locking portion includes a projection extending in the left-right direction on each of the upper and lower walls of the rear extension portion for the insertion / removal direction locking portion to engage with the insertion / removal direction locking portion.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein, when the rear extension is received on the front of the lead wire guide member, vertical locking portion and vertical locking portion are provided on the lead wire guide member and the rear extension, respectively, for locking the lead wire guide member and the rear extension together in the vertical direction.

8. The aforementioned vertical locking portion includes a resilient claw provided on the lead wire guide member. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein the vertical locking portion includes an engaging surface provided on the rear extension for the elastic claw to contact.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the rear extension is received at the front of the lead wire guide member, a projection that abuts against the front end of the lead wire guide member is provided on the rear extension.