Electrical connector

Abstract

A connector 1 comprises: a housing 10 that includes an insertion part 11 into which an FPC 60 is inserted; a lock member 30 that includes hooks 311 to be engaged with the FPC and that is rotatably supported by the housing; a shell 40 that includes an upper plate part 41 covering the housing; and projection pieces 43 that each include a contact section 432 that is in contact with the lock member, and that urge the lock member toward a lock position. The shell is held by the housing so as to sandwich the lock member between the housing and the shell. The projection pieces 43 are located on the side opposite to the FPC with respect to the lock member and project from the upper plate part toward the lock member. The hook and the contact section 432 are located on the same virtual plane VP extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis RC of the lock member.

Description

electrical connectors

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector. For designated countries where incorporation by reference of documents is permitted, the content of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-004032 filed in Japan on January 13, 2023 is incorporated by reference into this specification and made a part of the description of this specification.

[0002] A known connector includes an insulator having an insertion portion into which a cable can be inserted and removed, an actuator rotatably supported by the insulator and locking the cable, and a biasing member that biases the actuator toward a locked position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this connector, a protrusion of the actuator is pressed downward by the biasing member and engages with the cable, thereby locking the cable into the connector.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-34220

[0004] In the above connector, the abutting portion of the biasing member is located above the actuator, while the locking portion of the biasing member is located below the actuator. An elastic portion is interposed between the abutting portion and the locking portion. Therefore, the biasing member must be installed on the outside of the insertion portion of the housing, and the abutment surface of the actuator against which the abutting portion of the biasing member abuts is spaced apart from the protrusion of the actuator. Therefore, the actuator may bend due to the pressure of the biasing member, resulting in insufficient holding force for holding the cable.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can improve the holding force for holding a signal transmission member.

[0006] [1] Aspect 1 of the present invention is an electrical connector comprising: a terminal to which a signal transmission member is electrically connected; an insertion portion into which the signal transmission member is inserted and a housing that holds the terminal; a locking member that has a hook that engages with the signal transmission member and is rotatably supported on the housing; a cover member that has a plate-shaped portion that covers the housing; and a biasing member that has a contact portion that contacts the locking member and biases the locking member toward a locked position where the hook engages with the signal transmission member, wherein the cover member is held on the housing so as to sandwich the locking member between the housing and the cover member, the biasing member is located on the opposite side of the locking member from the signal transmission member and is a first protruding piece that protrudes from the plate-shaped portion toward the housing, the locking member is rotatable between the locked position and an unlocked position where the signal transmission member can be removed from the insertion portion, and the hook and the contact portion are located on the same imaginary plane that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the locking member.

[0007] [2] A second aspect of the present invention may be the electrical connector of the first aspect, wherein the biasing member is integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion.

[0008] [3] Aspect 3 of the present invention is an electrical connector according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the cover member is a shell made of a conductive material, and the shell is integrally formed with the plate-like portion and includes a second protruding piece electrically connected to the signal transmission member.

[0009] [4] Aspect 4 of the present invention is the electrical connector of any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the locking member comprises a pair of locking arms each having the hook at a tip thereof, and the contact portion may be an electrical connector in contact with the locking arms.

[0010] [5] Aspect 5 of the present invention may be an electrical connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the locking member comprises a pair of locking arms each having the hook at a tip thereof, a connecting portion connecting the pair of arms, and an operating portion provided on the connecting portion, and the cover member has a notch or opening that exposes the operating portion.

[0011] [6] A sixth aspect of the present invention may be an electrical connector according to the fifth aspect, wherein the cover member is integrally formed with the plate-like portion and includes a third protruding piece that contacts the connecting portion and urges the locking member toward the locked position.

[0012] [7] Aspect 7 of the present invention may be an electrical connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the biasing member comprises the contact portion which is a free end, a fixed end, and an extension portion which extends between the contact portion and the fixed end, and the contact portion, the extension portion, and the fixed end are located on the opposite side of the locking member from the signal transmission member.

[0013] In the present invention, the hook of the locking member and the contact portion of the biasing member are located on the same imaginary plane extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the locking member, which allows the portion of the locking member with which the contact portion is in contact to be located close to the hook, thereby improving the holding force for holding the signal transmission member of the electrical connector.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector, a wiring board, and a flexible printed wiring board according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from above. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view of a housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged plan view of part III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an end view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a locking member according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from below. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a shell according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from below. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10(a) to 10(c) are cross-sectional views showing the operation of a connector in an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing a state in which a flexible printed wiring board is being inserted into the connector, FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the locking member 30 has locked the flexible printed wiring board, and FIG. 10(c) is a diagram showing a state in which the locking member 30 has been released and the flexible printed wiring board 60 is being extracted from the connector 1.

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

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector 1, a wiring board 50, and a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above.

[0017] 1 , connector 1 in this embodiment is an electrical connector mounted on wiring board 50. Connector 1 electrically connects wiring board 50 to flexible printed wiring board 60 inserted into insertion portion 11 (described below) of housing 10. While wiring board 50 in this embodiment is a rigid board, it is not particularly limited thereto, and a board other than a rigid board may also be used as wiring board 50.

[0018] The flexible printed wiring board 60 includes a plurality of (20 in this example) signal patterns 61 and a pair of ground patterns 62. When the flexible printed wiring board 60 is inserted into the connector 1, each signal pattern 61 comes into contact with a terminal 20 (described later) of the connector 1, while each ground pattern 62 comes into contact with a protruding piece 42 (described later) of the shell 40 of the connector 1.

[0019] The flexible printed wiring board 60 also has a pair of notches 63 near its tip. The pair of notches 63 are formed on both ends of the flexible printed wiring board 60 in the lateral direction (X direction in the figure). The portions of the flexible printed wiring board 60 on the tip side (+Y direction in the figure) of the notches 63 form protrusions 64 that protrude in the lateral direction (X direction in the figure). When the flexible printed wiring board 60 is inserted into the connector 1, hooks 311 (described below) of the locking member 30 of the connector 1 fit into the notches 63, and the hooks 311 and the protrusions 64 engage with each other.

[0020] The number and shape of the wiring patterns of the flexible printed wiring board 60, including the signal pattern 61 and the ground pattern 62, are not particularly limited to those described above and can be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, although the flexible printed wiring board 60 of the present embodiment has wiring patterns on only one side thereof, a flexible printed wiring board inserted into the insertion portion 11 of the connector 1 may have wiring patterns on both sides thereof.

[0021] The flexible printed wiring board 60 corresponds to an example of the "signal transmission member" in the aspects of the present invention. Note that the signal transmission member inserted into the insertion portion 11 of the connector 1 is not limited to the flexible printed wiring board 60 described above, and may be, for example, a flexible flat cable (FFC).

[0022] In this embodiment, the insertion / removal direction of the flexible printed wiring board 60 into the connector 1 (the Y direction in the figure) is substantially parallel to the extension direction of the main surface of the wiring board 50 (the XY plane direction in the figure). However, the insertion / removal direction of the flexible printed wiring board 60 into the connector 1 is not particularly limited to this. For example, the insertion / removal direction of the flexible printed wiring board 60 into the connector 1 may be substantially perpendicular to the extension direction of the main surface of the wiring board 50 (the XY plane direction in the figure).

[0023] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a view showing the housing 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged plan view of part III in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1.

[0024] 2, the connector 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 10, a plurality of (20 in this example) terminals 20, a locking member 30, and a shell 40. This connector 1 is assembled by placing the locking member 30 on the housing 10, which accommodates the terminals 20, and then covering the housing 10 with the shell 40 so as to sandwich the locking member 30. The number of terminals 20 included in the connector 1 is not particularly limited to the above and can be set according to, for example, the number of signal patterns 61 included in the flexible printed wiring board 60.

[0025] The housing 10 is made of an electrically insulating material. While not particularly limited, the housing 10 may be, for example, a molded product made of a resin material. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 , the housing 10 includes an insertion portion 11, a recess 13, a pair of holes 14, and a pair of holding portions 15.

[0026] 2 and 4, the insertion portion 11 is a recess that opens to the front surface 101 of the housing 10. The insertion portion 11 extends along the width direction of the connector 1 (the X direction in the drawings).

[0027] The insertion portion 11 has a plurality of grooves 111 (20 in this example). Each groove 111 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the connector 1 (Y direction in the figure). The grooves 111 are equally spaced along the width direction of the connector 1 (X direction in the figure) and are aligned parallel to one another. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4 , through holes 12 are formed on the extensions of the grooves 111. The through holes 12 penetrate the housing 10 and open to the rear surface 102 of the housing 10. Terminals 20 are inserted into the respective grooves 111 and through holes 12.

[0028] 2 and 3 , the recess 13 is a generally U-shaped recess formed in the top surface 103 of the housing 10. The recess 13 has a shape corresponding to the locking member 30, and the locking member 30 is inserted into the recess 13 to be held in the housing 10. The recess 13 includes a main body 131 and a pair of extensions 132.

[0029] The main body 131 extends in the width direction of the connector 1 (the X direction in the figure). The connecting portion 32 and the operating portion 33 (described later) of the locking member 30 are inserted into the main body 131. A support surface 134 is formed on the bottom of the main body 131. The support surface 134 has a semicircular cross-sectional shape corresponding to the semicircular column portion 321 (described later) of the locking member 30 (see FIG. 6 ). The locking member 30 is rotatably held in the housing 10 around the center RC of the semicircular column portion 321. The main body 131 also has an opening on the rear surface 102 of the housing 10 so that the operating portion 33 (described later) of the locking member 30 can protrude rearward.

[0030] A pair of extension portions 132 extend from both ends of the main body portion 131 toward the front of the connector 1 (the -Y direction in the figure). A lock arm 31 (described below) of the locking member 30 is inserted into each of the extension portions 132. Furthermore, a through hole 133 is formed in the bottom of each extension portion 132 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 described below). Each through hole 133 penetrates the housing 10 and opens into the insertion portion 11. A hook 311 (described below) of the locking member 30 is positioned within the insertion portion 11 of the housing 10 via this through hole 133.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pair of holes 14 are arranged near both ends of the insertion portion 11. Specifically, each hole 14 is arranged so as to be located between the outermost groove 111 in the insertion portion 11 and the through-hole 133 of the recess 13 in the width direction of the connector 1 (X direction in the figures). Each hole 14 opens to the top surface 103 of the housing 10 and penetrates the housing 10 so as to open to the insertion portion 11 of the housing 10 (see Figure 8 described below). A protruding piece 42 (described below) of the shell 40 is inserted into this pair of holes 14. The number and positions of the holes 14 are not particularly limited to those described above and can be set depending on the number and positions of the ground patterns 62 of the flexible printed wiring board 60.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pair of retaining portions 15 are formed on both side surfaces 104 of the housing 10. Each retaining portion 15 is configured as a recess having two grooves 151 facing each other. Each groove 151 penetrates the housing 10 in the up-down direction of the connector 1 (the Z direction in the figure). The side plate portions 45 of the shell 40 are press-fitted into these grooves 151, thereby retaining (fixing) the shell 40 to the housing 10.

[0033] Each terminal 20 is made of a conductive material. Although not particularly limited, the terminal 20 is made of, for example, a metal material. As shown in FIG. 4 , the terminal 20 includes a fixed portion 21, an elastic portion 22, and a contact portion 23. The terminal 20 is formed by processing a metal plate, and the fixed portion 21, elastic portion 22, and contact portion 23 are integrally formed. The terminals 20 are inserted into the grooves 111 of the insertion portion 11 of the housing 10 described above.

[0034] The fixing portion 21 has a locking portion 211 at its rear side (the +Y direction side in the figure). The locking portion 211 is press-fitted into the through-hole 12 of the housing 10, thereby holding (fixing) the terminal 20 to the housing 10. The fixing portion 21 also has a board connection portion 212 at its front side (the -Y direction side in the figure). The board connection portion 212 is joined to the signal pattern (wiring pattern) of the wiring board 50 by soldering or the like, thereby electrically connecting the terminal 20 to the wiring board 50.

[0035] The elastic portion 22 branches upward (in the +Z direction in the figure) from the center of the fixed portion 21 and extends in a generally L-shape. The contact portion 23 is connected to the other end of the elastic portion 22 so as to protrude from the groove 111 into the space of the insertion portion 11. That is, the elastic portion 22 is interposed between the contact portion 23 and the fixed portion 21, and the contact portion 23 is movable due to elastic deformation of the elastic portion 22. Therefore, when the flexible printed wiring board 60 is inserted into the connector 1, the contact portion 23 of the terminal 20 comes into contact with the signal pattern 61 of the flexible printed wiring board 60, and the flexible printed wiring board 60 and the terminal 20 are electrically connected.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking member 30 in this embodiment as seen from below, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

[0037] The locking member 30 is made of an electrically insulating material. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the locking member 30 includes a pair of locking arms 31, a connecting portion 32, and an operating portion 33. The locking member 30 has a generally U-shape corresponding to the shape of the recess 13 of the housing 10. Although not particularly limited, for example, the locking member 30 is a molded product made of a resin material, and the locking arms 31, connecting portion 32, and operating portion 33 are integrally formed.

[0038] The pair of locking arms 31 extend along the front-rear direction of the connector 1 (the Y direction in the figure). Each locking arm 31 has a hook 311 at its tip. The hook 311 protrudes downward (the −Z direction in the figure) from a main body 312 of the locking arm 31. The pair of locking arms 31 are inserted into the extension portions 132 of the recess 13 of the housing 10 described above. As shown in FIG. 6 , each hook 311 is inserted into the through-hole 133 of the extension portion 132 described above. When the flexible printed wiring board 60 is inserted into the connector 1, the hook 311 enters the notch 63 of the flexible printed wiring board 60 and engages with the protrusion 64 of the flexible printed wiring board 60.

[0039] 2 and 5, the rear ends of the pair of locking arms 31 are connected to a connecting portion 32. That is, the connecting portion 32 is interposed between the pair of locking arms 31, and the locking arms 31 are connected to both ends of the connecting portion 32, connecting the locking arms 31 to each other. The connecting portion 32 is also provided with an operating portion 33 that enables an operator to operate the connector 1. The operating portion 33 protrudes from the center of the connecting portion 32 toward the rear (+Y direction in the figure) and upward (+Z direction in the figure) of the connecting portion 32. The connecting portion 32 and the operating portion 33 are inserted into the main body portion 131 of the recess 13 of the housing 10 described above.

[0040] 5 and 6, the connecting portion 32 has a semi-cylindrical portion 321 on its bottom surface. This semi-cylindrical portion 321 has a semi-circular cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the shape of the support surface 134 of the housing 10. Therefore, the locking member 30 is held in the housing 10 so as to be rotatable around the center RC of this semi-cylindrical portion 321.

[0041] In this embodiment, the locking member 30 can rotate between a locked position and an unlocked position. The locked position is a position where the connector 1 locks the flexible printed wiring board 60 and prevents the flexible printed wiring board 60 from being pulled out of the connector 1 (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 10B described below). When the locking member 30 is in this locked position, the hooks 311 enter the notches 63 of the flexible printed wiring board 60 and engage with the protrusions 64. In contrast, the unlocked position is a position where the lock by the connector 1 is released and the flexible printed wiring board 60 can be pulled out of the insertion portion 11 of the housing 10 (see FIG. 10C described below). When the locking member 30 is in this unlocked position, the hooks 311 disengage from the notches 63 of the flexible printed wiring board 60 and the engagement between the hooks 311 and the protrusions 64 is released.

[0042] The locking arm 31 of the locking member 30 abuts against the bottom surface of the extension portion 132 of the recess 13 of the housing 10, thereby restricting the rotation of the locking member 30 at the locked position. On the other hand, the operating portion 33 of the locking member 30 abuts against the bottom surface of the main body portion 131 of the recess 13 of the housing 10, thereby restricting the rotation of the locking member 30 at the unlocked position.

[0043] 7 is a perspective view of the shell 40 in the embodiment of the present invention as seen from below, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 1, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of the connector 1 in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] The shell 40 is made of a conductive material. While not particularly limited, the shell 40 is made of, for example, a metal material. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 , the shell 40 includes an upper plate portion 41, a pair of side plate portions 45, and a back plate portion 46. The upper plate portion 41 of the shell 40 corresponds to an example of a "plate-shaped portion" in the present invention. The shell 40 is formed by processing a metal plate material, and the upper plate portion 41, the side plate portions 45, and the back plate portion 46 are integrally formed.

[0045] This shell 40 functions as an electromagnetic wave shield because the shell 40 is conductive and covers the housing 10 that holds the terminals 20. Furthermore, as described above, when the locking member 30 is placed in the recess 13 of the housing 10, the shell 40 covers the top surface 103 of the housing 10 and sandwiches the locking member 30 between the housing 10 and the shell 40, so the shell 40 also has the function of holding the locking member 30.

[0046] The upper plate portion 41 is a plate-like portion that extends substantially parallel to the width direction (X direction in the drawing) of the connector 1 and the front-rear direction (Y direction in the drawing) of the connector 1. When the shell 40 is attached to the housing 10, the upper plate portion 41 covers the upper surface 103 of the housing 10.

[0047] The pair of side plate portions 45 extend downward (in the −Z direction in the figure) from both edges of the top plate portion 41 that are aligned along the width direction (the X direction in the figure) of the connector 1. The back plate portion 46 also extends downward (in the −Z direction in the figure) from an edge at the rear (the +Y direction in the figure) of the connector 1. When the shell 40 is attached to the housing 10, the side plate portions 45 and the back plate portion 46 cover the side surfaces 104 and the back surface 102 of the housing 10, respectively.

[0048] The side plate portion 45 and the back plate portion 46 have protrusions 451 and 461 at their tips, respectively. These protrusions 451 and 461 are joined to the ground pattern (wiring pattern) of the wiring board 50 by soldering or the like, thereby electrically connecting the shell 40 to the wiring board 50. Furthermore, the top plate portion 41 and the back plate portion 46 are continuously formed with notches 401 for exposing the operating portion 33 of the locking member 30 described above from the shell 40. Although not particularly shown, instead of the notches 401, openings for exposing the operating portion 33 from the shell 40 may be continuously formed in the top plate portion 41 and the back plate portion 46.

[0049] Furthermore, the shell 40 of this embodiment has three types of protruding pieces 42 to 44 that protrude downward from the upper plate portion 41. All of the protruding pieces 42 to 44 are formed integrally with the upper plate portion 41. In other words, all of the protruding pieces 42 to 44 constitute a part of the shell 40.

[0050] The protruding piece 42 corresponds to an example of a "second protruding piece" in this aspect of the present invention, the protruding piece 43 corresponds to an example of a "first protruding piece" in this aspect of the present invention, and the protruding piece 44 corresponds to an example of a "third protruding piece" in this aspect of the present invention. Note that either one of the protruding pieces 42, 44 may be omitted, or both of the protruding pieces 42, 44 may be omitted.

[0051] The protruding piece 42 is a contact piece that comes into contact with a ground pattern 62 of the flexible printed wiring board 60 when the flexible printed wiring board 60 is inserted into the connector 1 .

[0052] The protruding piece 42 is disposed on the upper plate portion 41 of the shell 40 at a position corresponding to the hole 14 of the housing 10. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the protruding piece 42 includes a fixed end 421, a bent portion 422, a contact portion 423, and an extending portion 424.

[0053] The protruding piece 42 is connected at its fixed end 421 to the front edge (-Y direction in the figure) of the upper plate portion 41. The protruding piece 42 is bent at a bent portion 422 and extends toward the rear (+Y direction in the figure) and downward (-Z direction in the figure) of the connector 1, allowing it to be elastically deformed. The protruding piece 42 also has a contact portion 423 at its tip. An extension portion 424 extends between the contact portion 423 and the bent portion 422, and the bent portion 422 and the contact portion 423 are connected by the extension portion 424. In other words, the protruding piece 42 is a cantilevered spring piece that is elastically deformable with the contact portion 423 as its free end.

[0054] When the shell 40 is attached to the housing 10, the protruding piece 42 is inserted into the hole 14 of the housing 10. When the flexible printed wiring board 60 is inserted into the connector 1, the protruding piece 42 is elastically deformed, and the contact portion 423 of the protruding piece 42 comes into contact with the ground pattern 62 described above.

[0055] In contrast, the protruding pieces 43, 44 are both contact pieces that come into contact with the locking member 30 and urge the locking member 30 toward the above-mentioned locked position. The protruding pieces 43, 44 are located on the opposite side of the locking member 30 from the flexible printed wiring board 60. In other words, the protruding pieces 43, 44 are located above the locking member 30 (in the +Z direction in the figure).

[0056] The protruding piece 43 is disposed on the upper plate portion 41 of the shell 40 at a position corresponding to the locking arm 31 of the locking member 30. As shown in Fig. 7 and the above-described Fig. 6, the protruding piece 43 includes a fixed end 431, a contact portion 432, and an extending portion 433.

[0057] The protruding piece 43 is connected to the edge of the opening 411 of the upper plate portion 41 at its fixed end 431. The protruding piece 43 extends from the fixed end 431 toward the front of the connector 1 (the −Y direction in the figure). The protruding piece 43 has a contact portion 432 at its tip that protrudes downward (the −Z direction in the figure). The contact portion 432 contacts the upper surface of the main body portion 312 of the locking arm 31 (the surface on the +Z direction side in the figure). An extension portion 433 extends between the fixed end 431 and the contact portion 432, and this extension portion 433 connects the fixed end 431 and the contact portion 432. In other words, the protruding piece 43 is a spring piece with a cantilever support structure that is elastically deformable with the contact portion 432 as its free end, and presses the locking member 30 downward (the −Z direction in the figure), urging the locking member 30 toward the above-described locked position.

[0058] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, the hook 311 of the locking member 30 and the contact portion 432 of the protruding piece 43 of the shell 40 are located on the same imaginary plane VP. This imaginary plane VP extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation center RC of the rotation of the locking member 30 relative to the housing 10. In this manner, in this embodiment, since the hook 311 and the contact portion 432 are located on the same imaginary plane VP, the portion 313 of the locking member 30 with which the contact portion 432 is in contact (see Fig. 6) can be positioned near the hook 311.

[0059] The protruding piece 44 is disposed on the upper plate portion 41 of the shell 40 at a position corresponding to the connecting portion 32 of the locking member 30. That is, the protruding piece 44 is disposed closer to the center of the upper plate portion 41 in the width direction of the shell 40 (the X direction in the figure) than the protruding piece 43. As shown in FIG. 7 and the above-described FIG. 4, the protruding piece 44 includes a fixed end 441, a contact portion 442, and an extending portion 443.

[0060] The protruding piece 44 is connected at its fixed end 441 to the edge of the opening 412 of the upper plate portion 41. The protruding piece 44 extends from the fixed end 441 toward the rear of the connector 1 (the +Y direction in the figure). The protruding piece 44 has a contact portion 442 at its tip that protrudes downward (the -Z direction in the figure). The contact portion 442 contacts the upper surface (the surface on the +Z direction side in the figure) of the connecting portion 32 of the locking arm 31. The portion of the connecting portion 32 with which the contact portion 442 contacts is a portion forward of the rotation center RC (the -Y direction in the figure) in the front-rear direction of the connector 1 (the Y direction in the figure). An extension portion 443 extends between the fixed end 441 and the contact portion 442, and the extension portion 443 connects the fixed end 441 and the contact portion 442. That is, this protruding piece 44 is a spring piece with a cantilever support structure that is elastically deformable with the contact portion 442 as the free end, and presses the locking member 30 downward (in the -Z direction in the figure), urging the locking member 30 toward the above-mentioned locked position.

[0061] The operation of inserting and removing the flexible printed wiring board 60 into the connector 1 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 10(a) to 10(c).

[0062] Figures 10(a) to 10(c) are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 10(a) is a view showing a state in which a flexible printed wiring board 60 is being inserted into the connector 1, Figure 10(b) is a view showing a state in which the locking member 30 has locked the flexible printed wiring board 60, and Figure 10(c) is a view showing a state in which the locking member 30 has been unlocked and the flexible printed wiring board 60 is being removed from the connector 1. Figures 10(a) to 10(c) are cross-sectional views corresponding to Figure 6 described above.

[0063] 10A , when inserting the flexible printed wiring board 60 into the connector 1, the worker first inserts the flexible printed wiring board 60 into the insertion portion 11 of the housing 10 of the connector 1 and brings the tip of the flexible printed wiring board 60 into contact with the hook 311 of the locking member 30. When the flexible printed wiring board 60 is further pushed into the insertion portion 11 from this state, the locking member 30 rotates clockwise in the figure against the biasing force of the protruding pieces 43, 44 of the shell 40, and the hook 311 of the locking member 30 is pushed up and rides onto the protruding portion 64 of the flexible printed wiring board 60.

[0064] 10( a), when the flexible printed wiring board 60 is further pushed into the insertion portion 11, as shown in FIG. 10( b), the hook 311 of the locking member 30 climbs over the protrusion 64 of the flexible printed wiring board 60, and then the locking member 30 rotates counterclockwise in the figure due to the biasing force of the protrusions 43, 44 of the shell 40, and the hook 311 enters the notch 63 of the flexible printed wiring board 60. In other words, the locking member 30 is constantly biased toward the "locked position" by the biasing force of the protrusions 43, 44. As a result, the hook 311 engages with the protrusion 64, and the flexible printed wiring board 60 is locked by the locking member 30.

[0065] 10C, when removing the flexible printed wiring board 60 from the connector 1, the operator presses the operation portion 33 of the locking member 30 downward (in the −Z direction in the figure). This pressing causes the locking member 30 to rotate clockwise in the figure against the biasing force of the protruding pieces 43, 44 of the shell 40, and the hook 311 of the locking member 30 moves above the notch 63 of the flexible printed wiring board 60, thereby releasing the lock of the flexible printed wiring board 60 by the locking member 30. In other words, pressing the operation portion 33 causes the locking member 30 to move to the “unlock position.”

[0066] In this state, the worker can remove the flexible printed wiring board 60 from the connector 1 by pulling the flexible printed wiring board 60 toward the outside of the housing 10 .

[0067] As described above, in this embodiment, the hook 311 of the locking member 30 and the contact portion 432 of the protruding piece 43 are located on the same imaginary plane VP that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis RC of the locking member 30. Therefore, the portion 313 of the locking member 30 with which the contact portion 432 is in contact can be located near the hook 311, thereby improving the holding force of the connector 1 to hold the flexible printed wiring board 60.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protruding piece 43 is integrally formed with the shell 40, which also reduces the number of parts in the connector 1. In particular, the shell 40 functions as an electromagnetic shield, which further reduces the number of parts in the connector 1.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the shell 40 is held by the housing 10 so that the locking member 30 is sandwiched between the housing 10 and the shell 40, so that the locking member 30 is sufficiently prevented from coming off the housing 10.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the protruding piece 43, the connector 1 is provided with the protruding piece 44 as a member for biasing the locking member 30, so that the biasing force of the locking member 30 can be reinforced and stabilized.

[0071] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, the elements disclosed in the above embodiments are intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0072] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the protruding piece 43 is formed integrally with the shell 40, but if the protruding piece 43 is located on the opposite side of the locking member 30 from the flexible printed wiring board 60, the protruding piece 43 may be a separate member independent of the shell 40, and the protruding piece 43 may be joined to the shell 40.

[0073] Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the protruding piece 44 is formed integrally with the shell 40, but if the protruding piece 44 is located on the opposite side of the locking member 30 from the flexible printed wiring board 60, the protruding piece 44 may be a separate member independent of the shell 40, and the protruding piece 44 may be joined to the shell 40.

[0074] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the housing 10 is covered with a shell 40 made of a conductive material in order to provide the connector 1 with an electromagnetic wave shielding function, but instead of the shell 40, the housing 10 may be covered with a cover member made of a non-conductive material such as a resin material.

[0075] In this case, the protruding piece 43 may be formed integrally with the cover member, or the protruding piece 43 may be a separate member independent of the cover member and joined to the cover member. Similarly, the protruding piece 44 may be formed integrally with the cover member, or the protruding piece 44 may be a separate member independent of the cover member and joined to the cover member.

[0076] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Connector 10...Housing 101...Front surface 102...Rear surface 103...Top surface 104...Side surface 11...Insertion portion 111...Groove 12...Through hole 13...Recess 131...Main body portion 132...Extending portion 133...Through hole 134...Support surface 14...Hole portion 15...Retaining portion 151...Groove 20...Terminal 21...Fixing portion 211...Latching portion 212...Board connection portion 22...Elastic portion 23...Contact portion 30...Locking member 31...Lock arm 311...Hook 312...Main body portion 313...Part where protruding piece contacts 32...Coupling portion 321...Semi-cylindrical portion RC...Rotation center 33...Operation portion 40...Shell 401...Notch 41...Upper plate portion 411, 412...Opening 42...Protruding piece 421...Fixed end 422...Bent portion 423...Contact portion 424...Extending portion 43...Protruding piece 431...Fixed end 432...Contact portion 433...Extending portion 44...Protruding piece 441...Fixed end 442...Contact portion 443...Extending portion 45...Side plate portion 451...Protrusion 46...Back plate portion 461...Protrusion 50...Wiring board 60...Flexible printed wiring board 61...Signal pattern 62...Ground pattern 63...Notch 64...Protruding portion VP...Virtual plane

Claims

1. A terminal to which a signal transmission member is electrically connected; a housing having an insertion portion into which the signal transmission member is inserted and holding the terminal; a lock member provided with a hook that engages with the signal transmission member and rotatably supported on the housing; a cover member having a plate-shaped portion that covers the housing; a biasing member having a contact portion in contact with the locking member and biasing the locking member toward a locking position in which the hook engages with the signal transmitting member, the cover member is held by the housing such that the lock member is sandwiched between the housing and the cover member, the biasing member is a first protruding piece that is located on an opposite side of the locking member from the signal transmission member and protrudes from the plate-like portion toward the locking member, the locking member is rotatable between the locked position and an unlocked position at which the signal transmitting member can be removed from the insertion portion; An electrical connector in which the hook and the contact portion are located on the same imaginary plane extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the locking member.

2. 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, The biasing member is integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion of the electrical connector.

3. 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, the cover member is a shell made of a conductive material, The shell is integrally formed with the plate-like portion, and is an electrical connector having a second protruding piece electrically connected to the signal transmission member.

4. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The locking member includes a pair of locking arms each having the hook at a tip thereof, The contact portion is an electrical connector that contacts the lock arm.

5. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The locking member is A pair of lock arms each having the hook at a tip thereof; A connecting portion that connects the pair of arms; An operation unit provided on the connecting portion, The cover member is an electrical connector having a notch or an opening for exposing the operating portion.

6. 6. The electrical connector of claim 5, The cover member is integrally formed with the plate-shaped portion, and the cover member has a third protruding piece that contacts the connecting portion to urge the locking member toward the locked position.

7. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The biasing member is The contact portion is a free end; A fixed end and an extension portion extending between the contact portion and the fixed end, The contact portion, the extension portion, and the fixed end are located on the opposite side of the locking member from the signal transmission member.