Connector

Abstract

The present invention prevents, in a connector having a housing and a terminal inserted therein, liquid in contact with a liquid adhesion portion of a connection part or the like from reaching a protected portion of a contact part or the like.　A terminal 20 of a connector 10 has a held portion 20b, which is held by a housing 30. The held portion 20b has a pair of plate surfaces 21, 21. Each plate surface 21 has a proximal surface 24 located in proximity to a wall surface of the housing 30. At least one plate surface 21 of the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21 has a capillary action suppression surface 25. The capillary action suppression surface 25 means a surface separated from the wall surface of the housing 30 and provided so as to isolate a liquid adhesion portion 20a and a protected portion 20c of the plate surface.

Description

connector

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors.

[0002] In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, terminals are inserted into terminal grooves provided in the housing, and the terminals are held by the housing. The connector assembled as described above is mounted by soldering the connection portions of the terminals to a circuit board.

[0003] JP 2013-110122 A

[0004] In connectors like the one described above, there are tiny gaps between the terminals and the walls of the terminal grooves. Therefore, liquid foreign matter, such as flux contained in the solder paste or coating agents on the board, can penetrate these tiny gaps through the connection and creep up to the contact points due to capillary action. This can result in foreign matter adhering to the contact points and causing poor contact. Furthermore, if the connector is a movable connector, foreign matter can adhere to the middle elastic part of the terminal, reducing its movable force.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the first aspect of the present disclosure is to prevent liquid that comes into contact with a liquid-adhering portion, such as a connection portion, from reaching a protected portion, such as a contact portion, in a connector in which terminals are inserted into a housing.

[0006] The connector of the first aspect comprises a terminal portion consisting of at least one terminal, and a housing, wherein the terminal has a liquid-adhering portion to which liquid adheres, a protected portion to be protected from liquid adhesion, and a held portion that is provided between the liquid-adhering portion and the protected portion and is held by the housing, and the held portion has a pair of plate surfaces, each of which has a proximity surface that is close to a wall surface of the housing, and at least one of the pair of plate surfaces has a capillary action suppression surface that is a surface that is separated from the wall surface of the housing and is provided within the plate surface so as to isolate the liquid-adhering portion and the protected portion.

[0007] In this aspect, the connector includes a terminal portion consisting of at least one terminal, and a housing. The terminal has a retained portion that is retained in the housing. The retained portion has a pair of plate surfaces. Each plate surface has a proximity surface that is adjacent to a wall surface of the housing. Therefore, during the process of inserting the terminal into the housing, the wall surface of the housing can properly guide the terminal.

[0008] When a terminal is inserted into a housing, a small gap forms between the terminal's plate surface and the housing wall. The terminal also has a liquid-adhering portion where liquid adheres and a protected portion that must be protected from liquid adhesion. Therefore, liquids such as flux contained in solder paste or coating agents on the substrate can penetrate the gap through the liquid-adhering portion and potentially reach the contact portion, intermediate elastic portion, and other protected portions by capillary action. As a result, foreign matter may adhere to the contact portion, causing poor contact, or foreign matter may adhere to the intermediate elastic portion, reducing the movable force. Therefore, in this embodiment, at least one of the pair of plate surfaces has a capillary action-suppressing surface. The capillary action-suppressing surface refers to a surface (separating surface) separated from the housing wall surface and configured to isolate the liquid-adhering portion from the protected portion within the plate surface. Therefore, even if capillary action occurs in a portion of the plate surface closer to the liquid adhesion portion than the capillary action suppression surface, capillary action does not occur in the capillary action suppression surface, so the liquid can be prevented from reaching the protected portion as a foreign body. As a result, on at least one of the pair of plate surfaces, liquid that has come into contact with the liquid adhesion portion is prevented from reaching the protected portion through the gap between the plate surface and the housing.

[0009] In the embodiments described below, the protected portion is a contact portion, but the protected portion in this embodiment is not limited to this. The protected portion in this embodiment may be any portion that needs to be protected from liquid adhesion, and may be, for example, an intermediate elastic portion. The intermediate elastic portion refers to a portion of the terminal formed between the contact portion and a portion (held portion) of the terminal that is held by a housing fixed to an attachment object (e.g., a circuit board), and is formed to easily elastically deform so as to allow displacement of the contact portion relative to the held portion. For example, in a connector having a fixed housing and a movable housing, the intermediate elastic portion is a portion that is easily elastically deformed so as to allow relative displacement of the movable housing relative to the fixed housing. However, even if the terminal has an intermediate elastic portion, the connector does not necessarily have a movable housing. In the embodiments described below, the terminal is manufactured by punching a plate material and does not have a curved portion (a portion where the plate material is bent), but the terminal in this embodiment is not limited to this. In the embodiments described below, each of the pair of plate surfaces is flat, but the plate surfaces in this embodiment are not limited to this.

[0010] A connector according to a second aspect is the connector of the first aspect, wherein both of the pair of plate surfaces have capillary action suppression surfaces.

[0011] In this aspect, both of the pair of plate surfaces have capillary action suppression surfaces, which prevents liquid that comes into contact with the liquid adhesion portion on both of the pair of plate surfaces from flowing through the gap between the plate surface and the housing and reaching the protected portion.

[0012] A third aspect of the connector is the second aspect, wherein the terminal has a pair of plate end faces, at least one of the pair of plate end faces has a capillary action suppression surface, and the capillary action suppression surface of the at least one plate end face connects the capillary action suppression surface of one of the pair of plate faces to the capillary action suppression surface of the other of the pair of plate faces.

[0013] In this aspect, the terminal has a pair of plate end surfaces. At least one of the pair of plate end surfaces has a capillary action-suppressing surface. The capillary action-suppressing surface of the at least one plate end surface connects the capillary action-suppressing surface of one of the pair of plate surfaces to the capillary action-suppressing surface of the other of the pair of plate surfaces. Therefore, compared to an aspect in which the capillary action-suppressing surface of one plate surface and the capillary action-suppressing surface of the other plate surface are not connected by the capillary action-suppressing surface of the plate end surfaces, liquid is prevented from reaching the protected portion.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the connector is the second aspect, wherein the terminal has a pair of plate end faces, both of which have capillary action suppression surfaces, and the capillary action suppression surfaces on both plate end faces connect the capillary action suppression surface on one of the pair of plate faces to the capillary action suppression surface on the other of the pair of plate faces.

[0015] In this aspect, the terminal has a pair of plate end surfaces. Both of the pair of plate end surfaces have capillary action-suppressing surfaces. The capillary action-suppressing surfaces of both plate end surfaces connect the capillary action-suppressing surface of one of the pair of plate surfaces to the capillary action-suppressing surface of the other of the pair of plate surfaces. In other words, capillary action-suppressing surfaces are formed on all of the pair of plate surfaces and the pair of plate end surfaces, and they are connected to each other. This further prevents liquid from reaching the protected portion.

[0016] The connector of the fifth aspect is any of the second to fourth aspects, in which the capillary action suppression surface of one of the pair of plate surfaces and the capillary action suppression surface of the other of the pair of plate surfaces are provided at different positions in the direction along the plate surfaces.

[0017] In this aspect, the capillary action suppressing surface on one plate surface and the capillary action suppressing surface on the other plate surface are provided at different positions in the direction along the plate surfaces. Therefore, the space facing the capillary action suppressing surface on one plate surface and the space facing the capillary action suppressing surface on the other plate surface can be provided at different positions in the direction along the plate surfaces. As a result, it is easy to ensure the strength of the housing.

[0018] A sixth aspect of the connector is the fifth aspect, wherein the terminal portion includes at least one first terminal and at least one second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal are adjacent to each other so that the other plate surface of the first terminal faces one plate surface of the second terminal, and the capillary action suppressing surface of the other plate surface of the first terminal and the capillary action suppressing surface of the one plate surface of the second terminal face an integral space formed in the housing.

[0019] In this aspect, the terminal portion includes at least one first terminal and at least one second terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal are adjacent to each other such that the other plate surface of the first terminal faces one plate surface of the second terminal. The capillary action-suppressing surface on the other plate surface of the first terminal and the capillary action-suppressing surface on the one plate surface of the second terminal face a common space formed in the housing. Therefore, compared to an aspect in which the capillary action-suppressing surface on the other plate surface of the first terminal and the capillary action-suppressing surface on the one plate surface of the second terminal face separate spaces, it is easier to ensure the strength of the mold for forming the space.

[0020] In the embodiment described below, the capillary action suppressing surface on one plate surface of the first terminal is located at the same position in the insertion direction as the capillary action suppressing surface on the other plate surface of the second terminal. In the embodiment described below, no part of the housing is present between the capillary action suppressing surface on one plate surface of the first terminal and the capillary action suppressing surface on the other plate surface of the second terminal.

[0021] The connector of the seventh aspect is any of the first to sixth aspects, in which the terminal portion includes a plurality of terminals, the housing is a space formed by a first mold to form a space into which the plurality of terminals are inserted, and has an expanded space having a dimension larger than the thickness of the terminal in the thickness direction of the terminal, and the terminal has an exposed portion exposed to the expanded space.

[0022] In this embodiment, the terminal portion has a plurality of terminals. The housing is a space formed by a first mold for forming a space into which the plurality of terminals are inserted, and has an expanded space having a dimension larger than the thickness of the terminals in the thickness direction of the terminals. Here, the terminals have exposed portions exposed to the expanded space. Therefore, the expanded space can be made larger than in an embodiment in which the terminals do not have exposed portions. As a result, it is easy to ensure the strength of the mold.

[0023] The connector of the eighth aspect is any of the first to seventh aspects, in which the housing is a second mold that is inserted from a direction different from the direction in which a first mold is inserted to form a space into which the terminal is inserted, and has an anti-tilt space that is a space formed by the second mold to prevent tilting of the first mold by supporting the first mold, and the capillary action suppression surface faces the anti-tilt space.

[0024] In this embodiment, the housing has a tilt prevention space. The tilt prevention space is a space formed by a second mold. The second mold is a mold inserted from a direction different from the direction in which the first mold for forming the space into which the terminal is inserted is inserted, and is a mold for preventing tilting of the first mold by supporting the first mold. The capillary action suppressing surface faces the tilt prevention space. Therefore, the second mold for preventing tilting of the first terminal can also be used to form the space for providing the capillary action suppressing surface.

[0025] 3A is an exploded perspective view of a connector. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a connector (cross-section perpendicular to the front-rear direction). FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken at the position of an adjacent wall adjacent to one plate surface of a terminal. FIG. 5B is a view of the terminal seen from one plate surface side. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken at the position of an adjacent wall adjacent to the other plate surface of the terminal. FIG. 6B is a view of the terminal seen from the other plate surface side. FIG. 4C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 4. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 3. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 3. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 3. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 3. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 3. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 3. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view (cross-section at the same position as FIG. 9) showing a first mold and a second mold used in molding a housing. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to a modified example. FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to a modified example (a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4).

[0026] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the connector according to the present disclosure will be described.

[0027] In each drawing, the arrow X direction indicates one side (front side) in the front-rear direction of the connector, the arrow Y direction indicates one side in the width direction of the connector, and the arrow Z direction indicates the upper side in the up-down direction of the connector. In this embodiment, in the process of mounting the connector on the board, the downward direction of the connector coincides with the direction of gravity.

[0028] (Connector 10) FIGS. 1 and 2 show a connector 10 according to this embodiment.

[0029] 1, the connector 10 includes a terminal section 20 formed of at least one terminal 20, a housing 30 that holds the terminal section 20, and a reinforcing section 40 formed of a pair of reinforcing members 41. For simplicity, the terminal 20 and the terminal section 20 are denoted by the same reference numeral.

[0030] The connector 10 is configured to be connectable to a mating connector (not shown) as a connection object. The connection direction between the connector 10 and the mating connector is the Z direction, and the mating connector is connected to the connector 10 from above. The connector 10 is attached to the top surface of a substrate (not shown) as an attachment object. The thickness direction of the substrate is oriented in the Z direction.

[0031] (Terminal Portion 20) As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the terminal portion 20 includes a plurality of terminals 20.

[0032] The plurality of terminals 20 are configured with a plurality (large number) of one-side terminals 20 arranged on one widthwise side (+Y direction side) with the X direction as the arrangement direction, and a plurality (large number) of other-side terminals 20 arranged on the other widthwise side (-Y direction side) with the X direction as the arrangement direction. A pair of terminals 20 is configured with a one-side terminal 20 and an other-side terminal 20, and it can also be understood that the pair of terminals 20 is arranged in large numbers with the X direction as the arrangement direction. The one-side terminal 20 and the other-side terminal 20 constituting the pair of terminals 20 are located at the same position in the arrangement direction. As shown in FIG. 3 , the pair of terminals 20 are arranged with their respective contact portions 20c facing inward in the widthwise direction and their respective connection portions 20a facing outward in the widthwise direction.

[0033] The multiple terminals 20 constituting the terminal portion 20 generally have the same structure. However, as shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the terminals 20 include first terminals 20A and second terminals 20B. The first terminals 20A and second terminals 20B have the same structure for the most part. Specifically, the first terminals 20A and second terminals 20B differ from each other in the structure of the contact portion 20c. The first terminals 20A and second terminals 20B are arranged alternately along the arrangement direction. Hereinafter, when no particular distinction is made, they will simply be referred to as terminals 20.

[0034] The terminals 20 do not have any curved portions. A curved portion is a portion formed by bending a plate material. Therefore, the thickness direction of the terminals 20 faces a specific direction at any part of the terminals 20. The terminals 20 are arranged with their thickness direction facing the arrangement direction (X direction).

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 20 has a connection portion 20a that is connected to the board, and a contact portion 20c that comes into contact with a contact portion of a terminal of a mating connector.

[0036] The connection portion 20a is joined to the upper surface of the substrate by soldering. After being soldered to the upper surface of the substrate, the connection portion 20a may be covered with a coating agent. This prevents short circuits between adjacent terminals 20. The connection portion 20a is the portion to which liquid such as flux contained in the solder paste or a coating agent on the substrate adheres. Hereinafter, the connection portion 20a may be referred to as the liquid adhering portion 20a.

[0037] The contact portion 20c is composed of at least one elastic contact portion 20c1. In this embodiment, the contact portion 20c is composed of two elastic contact portions 20c1. Each elastic contact portion 20c1 is configured so that the contact point with the terminal of the mating connector can be elastically displaced.

[0038] The terminal 20 has a held portion 20b that is held by the housing 30. The held portion 20b is formed between the connecting portion 20a and the contact portion 20c.

[0039] The held portion 20b has a main body portion 20b1 and a press-fit protrusion portion 20b2. The main body portion 20b1 has a generally rectangular shape. The press-fit protrusion portion 20b2 has a shape that protrudes upward from the main body portion 20b1. The outer plate end of the press-fit protrusion 20b2 in the width direction is positioned on the same line as the outer plate end of the main body portion 20b1 of the held portion 20b in the width direction. The press-fit protrusion 20b2 has a protrusion 29 (see FIG. 5B ). This allows the press-fit protrusion 20b2 to be sandwiched between the housing 30 in the width direction. The protrusion 29 is formed on the inner plate end of the press-fit protrusion 20b2 in the width direction. This makes it easier to press the outer plate end of the press-fit protrusion 20b2 against the wall surface of the housing 30. When the outer plate end of the press-fit protrusion 20b2 in the width direction is pressed against the wall surface of the housing 30, the terminal 20 is in the position and posture as designed.

[0040] The main body portion 20b1 has a protrusion 28. The protrusion 28 is formed on a plate end of the main body portion 20b1 on the inner side in the width direction. As a result, the main body portion 20b1 of the held portion 20b is sandwiched in the width direction by the housing 30. Specifically, the main body portion 20b1 of the held portion 20b is sandwiched between the width direction side walls 32 and the central wall 33 of the housing 30. It is the upper part of the main body portion 20b1 that is sandwiched between the width direction side walls 32 and the central wall 33 of the housing 30, and the protrusion 28 is formed on the upper part of the main body portion 20b1.

[0041] The main body portion 20b1 has a clamped portion 26 that is clamped by the housing 30 in the plate thickness direction (X direction). The plate thickness of the clamped portion 26 is the same as the plate thickness of the portion of the main body portion 20b1 other than the clamped portion 26. A portion of the main body portion 20b1 is press-fit into the clamping groove 39 of the housing 30, so that the portion functions as the clamped portion 26. The position of the clamped portion 26 is near the lower end of the main body portion 20b1. The position of the clamped portion 26 is also near the outer side in the width direction of the main body portion 20b1. This accurately determines the position of the connection portion 20a of the terminal 20 relative to the housing 30 in the front-to-rear direction. The clamped portion 26 is formed in a portion that is expanded outward in the width direction beyond the outer plate end surface 22 of the main body portion 20b1 in the width direction.

[0042] (Housing 30) The housing 30 is a molded part made of synthetic resin by injection molding. The housing 30 is composed of a single molded part. The housing 30 has a structure that is generally symmetrical in both the front-rear direction and the width direction. The housing 30 holds the terminal portion 20 and the reinforcing portion 40.

[0043] 3, the housing 30 has a receiving space 56 for receiving a part of a connection object. The receiving space 56 is formed by a mold with the downward insertion direction.

[0044] 4, the housing 30 has a plurality of partition walls 31A arranged between two adjacent terminals 20 among the plurality of terminals 20 arranged in the arrangement direction (X direction). The housing 30 also has one side wall 31B arranged on one side of the terminal 20 closest to one side (+X direction) of the plurality of terminals 20 arranged in the arrangement direction, and another side wall 31B arranged on the other side of the terminal 20 closest to the other side of the arrangement direction.

[0045] The one side wall 31B, the plurality of partition walls 31A, and the other side wall 31B are all walls adjacent to the terminals 20 in the arrangement direction. Hereinafter, the one side wall 31B, the plurality of partition walls 31A, and the other side wall 31B may be referred to as a plurality of adjacent walls 31.

[0046] The housing 30 has a terminal insertion space (reference numeral omitted) into which the terminal 20 is inserted. The terminal insertion space is formed between two adjacent adjacent walls 31 among the plurality of adjacent walls 31. One terminal insertion space is provided corresponding to one terminal 20. The terminal 20 is inserted into the terminal insertion space from the lower side of the housing 30, with the insertion direction being the up-down direction. The X dimension of the terminal insertion space is slightly larger than the plate thickness of the terminal 20. This allows the terminal 20 to be smoothly inserted into the terminal insertion space. A pair of adjacent walls 31 adjacent to one terminal 20 forms a small gap between the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21 of the terminal 20.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 8 and other figures, the housing 30 has an expanded space 53 that is a space connected to the multiple terminal insertion spaces. The expanded space 53 is provided at the center of the width of the housing 30, at a position corresponding to the lower portions of the multiple terminal insertion spaces. As shown in Fig. 8, the expanded space 53 is connected to the inner portions of each terminal insertion space in the width direction.

[0048] 14, the terminal insertion space and the expanded space 53 are formed by a first mold 81 (core pin) that is punched downward relative to the molded product (housing 30). Of the first mold 81, the portion that forms the expanded space 53 and the portion that forms the multiple terminal insertion spaces are integrally formed.

[0049] 9 and other figures, a part of the held portion 20b of the terminal 20 is exposed in the expanded space 53. In other words, the held portion 20b of the terminal 20 has an exposed portion 27 exposed in the expanded space 53. In the exposed portion 27 of the held portion 20b, in addition to the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21, a plate end surface 22 on the inner side in the width direction becomes a surface (separated surface) separated from the wall surface of the housing 30. For this reason, capillary action does not occur in the exposed portion 27.

[0050] 3, the housing 30 has a pair of widthwise side walls 32 and a central wall 33. The upper portions of the retained portions 20b of the terminals 20 are press-fitted between the widthwise side walls 32 and the central wall 33. The lower end of the central wall 33 is aligned vertically with the upper end of the expanded space 53.

[0051] The widthwise sidewalls 32 have upper and lower portions 32 a and 32 b. The widthwise inner surface of the lower portion 32 b of the widthwise sidewalls 32 is formed widthwise outward of the widthwise inner surface of the upper portion 32 a of the widthwise sidewalls 32. As a result, the widthwise outer plate end surfaces 22 of the held portions 20 b of the terminals 20 are in contact with or close to the upper portion 32 a of the widthwise sidewalls 32, but are spaced apart from the lower portion 32 b of the widthwise sidewalls 32 (see FIG. 3 ).

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7 , the housing 30 has suppression spaces 51, 52 for suppressing capillary action. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 6A , the suppression spaces 51, 52 are through-holes that open to the widthwise sidewall 32 and reach the expanded space 53. The suppression spaces 51, 52 are formed by a second mold 82 (see FIG. 14 , slide pin) with its insertion direction facing inward in the widthwise direction. The second mold 82 also functions to prevent the first mold 81 from tilting by supporting it. The second mold 82 includes a second mold 82 inserted from one widthwise side and a second mold 82 inserted from the other widthwise side. Hereinafter, the suppression spaces 51, 52 may be referred to as tilt prevention spaces 51, 52. As shown in FIG. 4 , the formation of the suppression spaces 51, 52 results in a structure in which a portion of the adjacent wall 31 is missing at a specific position in the Z direction. Therefore, the suppression spaces 51, 52 prevent a wall of the housing 30 from existing between two adjacent terminals 20. The portions of the plate surface 21 of the terminal 20 that face the suppression spaces 51, 52 form a surface (separation surface) that is separated from the wall surface of the housing 30. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, this separation surface is formed from one plate end to the other plate end of the plate surface 21. As a result, this separation surface is provided so as to separate the liquid adhering portion 20a and the protected portion 20c within the plate surface 21. This separation surface is called a capillary phenomenon suppression surface 25.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, a tapered surface 34t is formed near the openings of the suppression spaces 51 and 52.

[0054] The multiple suppression spaces 51, 52 are composed of multiple first suppression spaces 51 and multiple second suppression spaces 52. The multiple first suppression spaces 51 are arranged side by side in the X direction at the same position in the Z direction. The multiple second suppression spaces 52 are arranged side by side in the X direction at the same position in the Z direction. The positions in the Z direction of the multiple second suppression spaces 52 are on the +Z direction side (upper side) of the positions in the Z direction of the multiple first suppression spaces 51.

[0055] The lower end of the second suppression space 52 is located above the upper end of the first suppression space 51. Therefore, the suppression spaces 51 and 52 do not exist in the cross-sectional position shown in Figure 10 (see Figure 7).

[0056] As shown in Figures 2, 12, and 13, the housing 30 has multiple bottomed spaces 54, 55 that open outward in the width direction. The bottomed spaces 54, 55 are formed by a third mold (slide pin, not shown) whose insertion direction is inward in the width direction. The third mold also functions to prevent the first mold 81 from tilting by supporting it. There are two types of third mold: one that is inserted from one width direction side and one that is inserted from the other width direction side. Hereinafter, the bottomed spaces 54, 55 may be referred to as tilt prevention spaces 54, 55. The portion of the plate surface 21 of the retained portion 20b of the terminal 20 that faces the suppression spaces 51, 52 forms a surface (separation surface) that is separated from the wall surface of the housing 30. However, this separation surface does not extend from one end of the plate surface 21 to the other end. Therefore, this separating surface does not separate the liquid adhering portion 20a from the portion to be protected 20c within the plate surface 21. Near the openings of the bottomed spaces 54, 55, a tapered surface 34t is formed.

[0057] The multiple bottomed spaces 54, 55 are composed of multiple first bottomed spaces 54 and multiple second bottomed spaces 55. The multiple first bottomed spaces 54 are arranged side by side in the X direction at the same position in the Z direction. The multiple second bottomed spaces 55 are arranged side by side in the X direction at the same position in the Z direction. The positions of the multiple second bottomed spaces 55 in the Z direction are on the +Z direction side (upper side) of the positions of the multiple first bottomed spaces 54 in the Z direction.

[0058] The multiple bottomed spaces 54, 55 are formed above the multiple suppression spaces 51, 52. The first suppression space 51, the second suppression space 52, the first bottomed space 54, and the second bottomed space 55 are all spaced the same distance apart in the up-down direction.

[0059] (Reinforcing portion 40) The pair of reinforcing members 41 constituting the reinforcing portion 40 have the same structure. Hereinafter, they will be simply referred to as reinforcing members 41 unless otherwise specified.

[0060] The reinforcing member 41 has a held portion 41a that is held by the housing 30. The held portion 41a is held by the housing 30 by press-fitting.

[0061] The reinforcing member 41 has a joint 41b to be joined to a substrate as an attachment object. The joint 41b is joined to the substrate by soldering. The thickness direction of the joint 41b is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (Z direction).

[0062] <Operation and Effect> Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described.

[0063] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the connector 10 includes a terminal portion 20 composed of at least one terminal 20, and a housing 30. As shown in Fig. 7, the terminal 20 has a held portion 20b that is held by the housing 30. The held portion 20b has a pair of plate surfaces 21, 21. Each plate surface 21 has a proximity surface 24 that is adjacent to a wall surface of the housing 30. Therefore, in the process of inserting the terminal 20 into the housing 30, the wall surface of the housing 30 can properly guide the terminal 20.

[0064] When the terminal 20 is inserted into the housing 30, a small gap is formed between the plate surface 21 of the terminal 20 and the wall surface of the housing 30. The terminal 20 also has a liquid-adhering portion 20a to which liquid adheres and a protected portion 20c to be protected from liquid adhesion. Therefore, liquids such as flux contained in solder paste or coating agents on the substrate may enter the gap through the liquid-adhering portion 20a and reach the protected portion 20c, such as the contact portion 20c and the intermediate elastic portion, by capillary action. As a result, foreign matter may adhere to the contact portion 20c, causing poor contact, or foreign matter may adhere to the intermediate elastic portion, reducing the movable force. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5(B), 6(B), and 7, at least one of the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21 has a capillary action suppression surface 25. The capillary action suppression surface 25 refers to a surface (separation surface) separated from the wall surface of the housing 30, and is provided so as to separate the liquid adhesion portion 20 a from the protected portion 20 c within the plate surface. Therefore, even if capillary action occurs in a portion of the plate surface 21 closer to the liquid adhesion portion 20 a than the capillary action suppression surface 25, capillary action does not occur on the capillary action suppression surface 25, and therefore it is possible to suppress the liquid from reaching the protected portion 20 c as foreign matter. As a result, on at least one plate surface 21 of the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21, the liquid that has come into contact with the liquid adhesion portion 20 a is suppressed from flowing through the gap between the plate surface 21 and the housing 30 and reaching the protected portion 20 c.

[0065] 9 and 11 , in this embodiment, both of the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21 have capillary action suppression surfaces 25. Therefore, on both of the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21, the liquid that has come into contact with the liquid adhesion portion 20 a is prevented from flowing through the gap between the plate surface 21 and the housing 30 and reaching the protected portion 20 c.

[0066] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B , the terminal 20 has a pair of plate end surfaces 22. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 , at least one of the pair of plate end surfaces 22 has a capillary action suppressing surface 25. The capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the at least one plate end surface 22 connects the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of one of the pair of plate surfaces 21 to the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the other of the pair of plate surfaces 21. Therefore, compared to an embodiment in which the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of one plate surface 21 and the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the other plate surface 21 are not connected by the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the plate end surface 22, the liquid is prevented from reaching the protected portion 20 c.

[0067] 8 to 11, in this embodiment, both of the pair of plate end faces 22 have capillary action suppression surfaces 25. The capillary action suppression surfaces 25 of both plate end faces 22 connect the capillary action suppression surface 25 of one of the pair of plate faces 21 to the capillary action suppression surface 25 of the other of the pair of plate faces 21. In other words, the capillary action suppression surfaces 25 are formed on all of the pair of plate faces 21 and the pair of plate end faces 22, and they are connected to each other. This further prevents liquid from reaching the protected portion 20c.

[0068] 9 and 11 , in this embodiment, the capillary action suppression surface 25 of one plate surface 21 and the capillary action suppression surface 25 of the other plate surface 21 are provided at different positions in the direction (Z direction) along the plate surface 21. Therefore, the spaces 51, 52 facing the capillary action suppression surface 25 of one plate surface 21 and the spaces 51, 52 facing the capillary action suppression surface 25 of the other plate surface 21 can be provided at different positions in the direction (Z direction) along the plate surface 21. As a result, the strength of the housing 30 can be easily ensured.

[0069] 7 , the terminal portion 20 includes at least one first terminal 20A and at least one second terminal 20B. The first terminal 20A and the second terminal 20B are adjacent to each other such that the other plate surface 21 of the first terminal 20A faces one plate surface 21 of the second terminal 20B. The capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the other plate surface 21 of the first terminal 20A and the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the one plate surface 21 of the second terminal 20B face integrated spaces 51, 52 formed in the housing 30. Therefore, compared to an embodiment in which the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the other plate surface 21 of the first terminal 20A and the capillary action suppressing surface 25 of the one plate surface 21 of the second terminal 20B face separate spaces, it is easier to ensure the strength of a mold for forming the spaces 51, 52. In this embodiment, the capillary action suppressing surface 25 on one plate surface 21 of the first terminal 20A is located at the same position in the insertion direction as the capillary action suppressing surface 25 on the other plate surface 21 of the second terminal 20B.

[0070] In this embodiment, the terminal portion 20 includes a plurality of terminals 20. The housing 30 is formed by a first mold 81 (see FIG. 14 ) for forming a space into which the plurality of terminals 20 are inserted, and includes an expanded space 53 having a dimension greater than the thickness of the terminals 20 in the thickness direction (X direction) of the terminals 20. Here, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 , the terminals 20 have exposed portions 27 exposed in the expanded space 53. Therefore, compared to an embodiment in which the terminals 20 do not have exposed portions 27, the expanded space 53 can be made larger in the width direction. As a result, it is easy to ensure the strength of the first mold 81.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 , the housing 30 has anti-tilt spaces 51 and 52. The anti-tilt spaces 51 and 52 are spaces 51 and 52 formed by a second mold 82 (see FIG. 14 ). The second mold 82 is inserted from a direction (outside in the width direction) different from the direction (+Z direction) in which the first mold 81 is inserted to form the space into which the terminal 20 is inserted. The second mold 82 supports the first mold 81 to prevent the first mold 81 from tilting. The capillary action suppressing surface 25 faces the anti-tilt spaces 51 and 52. Therefore, the second mold 82, which prevents the first terminal 20A from tilting, can also be used to form the spaces 51 and 52 for providing the capillary action suppressing surface 25.

[0072] [Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment] Although the preferred embodiment of the connector of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The following explanation is a supplementary explanation just to be sure.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the contact portion is configured such that the contact point is elastically displaceable. However, the contact portion of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the contact point may be configured such that it is not displaceable.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the insertion direction of the terminals into the housing is perpendicular to the surface of the board and away from the board, but the insertion direction of the terminals in the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the housing 30 is formed from a single molded part. However, the housing of the present disclosure is not limited to this and may be formed by assembling two or more molded parts.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the reinforcing portion 40 is configured by a pair of reinforcing members 41. However, the reinforcing portion of the present disclosure is not limited to this. Also, although the connector 10 includes the reinforcing portion 40, the connector of the present disclosure does not necessarily need to include a reinforcing portion.

[0077] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , the capillary action suppression surface 25 of one plate surface 21 and the capillary action suppression surface 25 of the other plate surface 21 are provided at different positions in the direction along the plate surface 21 (Z direction). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a connector 110 according to a modified example shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 may be configured. In the connector 110, a plurality of first suppression spaces 51 and a plurality of second suppression spaces 52 are formed at the same position in the vertical direction of the connector. Therefore, the capillary action suppression surface 25 of one plate surface 21 and the capillary action suppression surface 25 of the other plate surface 21 are provided at the same position in the direction along the plate surface 21 (Z direction).

[0078] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 and other figures, the tilt prevention spaces 51, 52 are provided so as to face both of the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21 of the terminal 20. Therefore, the first mold 81 can be supported from both sides by the second mold 82. As a result, tilting of the first mold 81 can be more reliably prevented. However, the tilt prevention spaces of the present disclosure are not limited to this, and may be provided so as to face only one of the pair of plate surfaces 21, 21 of the terminal 20. Even in this case, the effect of preventing tilting of the first mold 81 is achieved to a certain extent.

[0079] 14, for simplicity, the first mold 81 and the like are depicted as being formed from one part, but the first mold and the second mold of the present disclosure are not limited to this and may each be formed from a plurality of parts.

[0080] 10,110 Connector 20 Terminal (terminal part) 20A First terminal 20B Second terminal 20a Connecting part (liquid attachment part) 20b Holding part 20c Contact part (protected part) 21 Plate surface 22 Plate end surface 24 Proximal surface 25 Capillary phenomenon suppression surface 27 Exposed part 30 Housing 31A Partition wall (adjacent wall) 31B Side wall (adjacent wall) 51, 52 Suppression space (tilting prevention space) 51 First suppression space (tilting prevention space) 52 Second suppression space (tilting prevention space) 53 Expansion space 54, 55 Bottomed space (tilting prevention space) 54 First bottomed space (tilting prevention space) 55 Second bottomed space (tilting prevention space) 81 First mold 82 Second mold

Claims

1. A connector comprising: a terminal portion consisting of at least one terminal; and a housing, wherein the terminal has: a liquid adhering portion to which liquid adheres, a protected portion to be protected from the adhesion of liquid, and a held portion provided between the liquid adhering portion and the protected portion and held by the housing, wherein the held portion has a pair of plate surfaces, each plate surface having an adjacent surface that is adjacent to a wall surface of the housing, and at least one of the pair of plate surfaces has a capillary action suppressing surface that is a surface separated from the wall surface of the housing and is provided so as to isolate the liquid adhering portion and the protected portion within the plate surface.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein both of the pair of plate surfaces have capillary action suppressing surfaces.

3. A connector as described in claim 2, wherein the terminal has a pair of plate end faces, at least one of the pair of plate end faces has a capillary action suppressing surface, and the capillary action suppressing surface of the at least one plate end face connects the capillary action suppressing surface of one of the pair of plate faces to the capillary action suppressing surface of the other of the pair of plate faces.

4. A connector as described in claim 2, wherein the terminal has a pair of plate end faces, both of the pair of plate end faces have capillary action suppressing surfaces, and the capillary action suppressing surfaces of both of the plate end faces connect the capillary action suppressing surface of one of the pair of plate faces to the capillary action suppressing surface of the other of the pair of plate faces.

5. A connector as described in claim 2, wherein the capillary action suppression surface of one of the pair of plate surfaces and the capillary action suppression surface of the other of the pair of plate surfaces are provided at different positions in a direction along the plate surfaces.

6. The connector as described in claim 5, wherein the terminal portion includes at least one first terminal and at least one second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal are adjacent to each other such that the other plate surface of the first terminal faces one plate surface of the second terminal, and the capillary action suppressing surface of the other plate surface of the first terminal and the capillary action suppressing surface of the one plate surface of the second terminal face an integral space formed in the housing.

7. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein the terminal portion includes a plurality of terminals, the housing has an expanded space formed by a first mold for forming a space into which the plurality of terminals are inserted, the expanded space having a dimension greater than the thickness of the terminals in the thickness direction of the terminals, and the terminals have exposed portions exposed to the expanded space.

8. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein the housing has a second mold inserted from a direction different from the direction in which a first mold for forming a space into which the terminals are inserted is inserted, and has an anti-tilt space which is a space formed by the second mold for preventing tilting of the first mold by supporting the first mold, and the capillary action suppression surface faces the anti-tilt space.

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