Substrate connector

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to avoid deterioration in reliability of a connection function of a terminal fitting.　In the present invention, an insertion port (15) for inserting a first terminal fitting (40) and a second terminal fitting (55) into a terminal accommodation chamber (14) is opened on a front surface (10F) of a housing (10). A front member (30) is attached to the housing (10) in a state of covering the insertion port (15). The housing (10) has a closing part (16) for closing the rear end of the terminal accommodation chamber (14). The closing part (16) is formed with a through-hole (17) having an opening area smaller than that of the insertion port (15). The first terminal fitting (40) has a terminal body part (41) accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber (14) and a first substrate connection part (47) inserted into the through-hole (17). The second terminal fitting (55) has the terminal body part (41) and a second substrate connection part (56) inserted into the through-hole (17).

Description

PCB Connectors

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector having a housing and multiple plug terminals, which is mounted on a circuit board. The housing defines multiple spaces separated by walls. The plug terminals are single components that include a main body accommodated in the spaces, legs extending rearward from the main body, and mounting pieces connected to the legs and mounted on a cable. The main body has a box-like shape with a U-shaped cross section. A contact piece that resiliently contacts the relay terminal is located at the front end of the main body.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-192612

[0004] The rear end of the space is open as an insertion port for inserting the main body of the plug terminal. The main body has a U-shaped cross section and is open at the rear end. Therefore, if a foreign object enters the space through the insertion port, the foreign object may enter the inside of the main body of the plug terminal and adhere to the contact piece. If the foreign object adheres to the contact piece, it may interfere with the contact between the relay terminal and the terminal fitting.

[0005] The board connector of the present disclosure was completed based on the above circumstances, and aims to avoid a decrease in the reliability of the connection function of the terminal fittings.

[0006] The board connector of the present disclosure comprises a housing having a terminal accommodating chamber, a terminal fitting attached to the housing, and a front member attached to the housing, wherein an insertion opening is formed on the front surface of the housing for inserting the terminal fitting into the terminal accommodating chamber, the front member is attached to the housing in a state covering the insertion opening, the housing has a blocking portion that closes the rear end of the terminal accommodating chamber, and a through hole whose opening area is smaller than that of the insertion opening is formed in the blocking portion, and the terminal fitting has a terminal main body portion that is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber, a resilient contact piece provided on the terminal main body portion, and a board connection portion that extends rearward from the terminal main body portion and is inserted into the through hole.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the reliability of the connection function of the terminal fitting.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the board connector of the first embodiment, viewed from an obliquely upper front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the board connector, viewed from an obliquely upper rear. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the board connector. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which first terminal fittings and second terminal fittings have been attached to the housing during the process of assembling the board connector. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the housing, viewed from an obliquely upper front. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the front member, viewed from an obliquely upper front. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the front member, viewed from an obliquely upper rear. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the first terminal fitting, viewed from an obliquely upper rear. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second terminal fitting, viewed from an obliquely upper rear.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. Any combination of the following embodiments, provided no contradiction exists, is also included in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The board connector of the present disclosure includes: (1) a housing having terminal accommodating chambers, terminal fittings attached to the housing, and a front member attached to the housing. The housing has an insertion opening on the front surface for inserting the terminal fittings into the terminal accommodating chambers, the front member is attached to the housing so as to cover the insertion opening, the housing has a closing portion closing the rear end of the terminal accommodating chamber, and the closing portion has a through hole whose opening area is smaller than that of the insertion opening. The terminal fittings have a terminal body portion accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber, a resilient contact piece provided on the terminal body portion, and a board connection portion extending rearward from the terminal body portion and inserted into the through hole. According to the configuration of the present disclosure, the rear end of the terminal accommodating chamber is closed by the closing portion. Because the through hole formed in the closing portion has a smaller opening area than the insertion opening, the gap between the through hole and the board connection portion is also small. This prevents foreign matter from entering the terminal accommodating chamber from the rear of the housing and prevents foreign matter from adhering to the resilient contact pieces, thereby preventing a decrease in the reliability of the connecting function of the terminal fittings.

[0010] (2) Preferably, the terminal body has a rectangular cylindrical shape with both front and rear ends open, the board connection portion is connected flush with the rear end of one of the four plate portions constituting the terminal body, and the inner surface of the terminal accommodating chamber and the inner surface of the through hole form a flush, continuous sliding surface. With this configuration, the board connection portion inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber slides against the sliding surface and is smoothly inserted into the through hole.

[0011] (3) In (2), it is preferable that, of the four plate portions constituting the terminal body, the plate portion opposite the sliding contact surface side has a press-fit protrusion formed thereon for pressing against the inner wall portion of the terminal accommodating chamber. With this configuration, when the terminal fitting is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber, the press-fit protrusion presses against the inner wall portion of the terminal accommodating chamber, and the resulting reaction force presses the terminal body and the board connecting portion against the sliding contact surface. This allows the board connecting portion to be securely inserted into the through hole.

[0012] (4) In (1) to (3), it is preferable that a tapered guide surface be formed on the opening edge of the through hole on the front surface of the blocking portion to guide the rear end of the board connection portion into the through hole. With this configuration, the board connection portion can be reliably inserted into the through hole.

[0013] (5) In (1) to (3), it is preferable that the front member has a front wall portion facing the front end portion of the terminal body portion from the front, a pair of side wall portions extending rearward from both widthwise ends of the front wall portion, and a pair of bottom wall portions connected to the front wall portion and the pair of side wall portions, and the front member is engaged with the housing at the pair of side wall portions and the pair of bottom wall portions. With this configuration, both widthwise ends of the front member are less likely to deform because the front wall portion, side wall portions, and bottom wall portions are connected. Therefore, the front member can be securely attached to the housing.

[0014] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] [Example 1] A board connector A according to Example 1 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In Example 1, the front-to-back direction is defined as the F direction in Figures 1 to 9. The up-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figures 1 to 9. The left-to-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figures 1, 2, and 5 to 9.

[0015] The board connector A of the first embodiment is a connector to be mounted on an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) 60, which is a type of circuit board. The area of ​​the FPC 60 where the board connector A is mounted is strengthened by a reinforcing plate 62 to suppress bending deformation. In the first embodiment, the mounting surface 61 of the FPC 60 is arranged horizontally facing upward.

[0016] The board connector A is constructed by assembling a synthetic resin housing 10, a synthetic resin front member 30, a plurality of first terminal fittings 40, and a plurality of second terminal fittings 55. The housing 10 is a single component having a terminal accommodating portion 11 and a pair of protective walls 12. The pair of protective walls 12 extend rearward from both left and right edges of the rear surface of the terminal accommodating portion 11. The housing 10 is fixed to the mounting surface 61 of the FPC 60 via pegs 13.

[0017] A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 14 are formed within the terminal accommodating portion 11. The terminal accommodating chambers 14 are elongated spaces extending in the front-to-rear direction and are divided into two levels, upper and lower, arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction. The cross-sectional shape of the terminal accommodating chambers 14 when the terminal accommodating portion 11 is cut perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is rectangular. The front ends of the terminal accommodating chambers 14 open as insertion openings 15 on the front surface 10F of the housing 10 (terminal accommodating portion 11). The opening shape of the insertion opening 15 on the front surface 10F of the housing 10 (terminal accommodating portion 11) is rectangular.

[0018] A wall-shaped blocking portion 16 with its thickness oriented in the front-rear direction is formed at the rear end of the terminal accommodating portion 11. The blocking portion 16 constitutes the entire rear surface of the terminal accommodating portion 11 and covers the rear ends of all of the terminal accommodating chambers 14. Specifically, the entire rear end of the terminal accommodating chambers 14, excluding the lower edge, is blocked by the blocking portion 16. The blocking portion 16 has multiple through holes 17 that individually communicate with the rear ends of the terminal accommodating chambers 14. The through holes 17 have slit-like shapes elongated in the left-right direction. The opening area of ​​the through holes 17 on the rear surface of the housing 10 (blocking portion 16) is smaller than the opening area of ​​the terminal accommodating chambers 14 and the insertion opening 15 on the front surface 10F of the housing 10. In a rear view of the housing 10, the through holes 17 are located at the lower edge of the terminal accommodating chambers 14. The area of ​​the rear end of the terminal accommodating chambers 14 blocked by the blocking portion 16 is the area other than the area where the through holes 17 are formed.

[0019] The upper surface of the through hole 17 is lower than the upper surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 14. The lower surface of the through hole 17 is at the same height as the lower surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 14. The lower surface of the through hole 17 is flush with the lower surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 14. The inner surface (lower surface) of the terminal accommodating chamber 14 and the inner surface (lower surface) of the through hole 17 form a sliding surface 18 consisting of a flush, continuous plane. A tapered guide surface 19 is formed at the upper edge of the opening edge of the through hole 17 on the front surface of the blocking portion 16 (the surface facing the terminal accommodating chamber 14), which is inclined so as to become higher toward the front.

[0020] A pair of left and right mating recesses 20 and a pair of left and right guide ribs 21 are formed on both the left and right outer surfaces of the terminal accommodating portion 11. The pair of mating recesses 20 are shallowly recessed portions on the outer surface of the terminal accommodating portion 11. The pair of guide ribs 21 are portions that extend linearly forward from the rear end edge of the mating recess 20. A first locking protrusion 22 is formed in each mating recess 20. A pair of left and right second locking protrusions 23 are formed on the underside of the terminal accommodating portion 11.

[0021] The front member 30 is a single component having a front wall 31, a pair of left and right side wall portions 32, and a pair of left and right bottom wall portions 33. The front wall 31 has a wall thickness direction oriented in the front-to-rear direction. The front wall 31 is formed with a plurality of connection holes 34 penetrating the front wall 31 in the front-to-rear direction. The plurality of connection holes 34 are arranged so as to individually communicate with the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 14. In a front view of the front member 30, the opening area of ​​the connection holes 34 is smaller than the opening area of ​​the terminal accommodating chambers 14 (insertion openings 15) on the front surface 10F of the housing 10. The connection holes 34 are adapted to receive tabs of mating terminals (not shown) inserted from the front of the housing 10.

[0022] The pair of left and right side wall portions 32, with their wall thickness direction oriented in the left-right direction, extend rearward in a cantilevered manner from both left and right edges of the front wall portion 31. The side wall portions 32 are elastically deformable so as to tilt left and right. A first locking portion 35 and a guide groove 37 are formed at the rear end of each side wall portion 32. The pair of bottom wall portions 33, with their wall thickness direction oriented in the up-down direction, extend rearward in a cantilevered manner from both left and right ends of the lower edge of the front wall portion 31. One of the left and right side edges of the bottom wall portion 33 is connected at a right angle to the lower edge of the side wall portion 32. The bottom wall portion 33 is elastically deformable so as to tilt up and down. A second locking portion 36 is formed at the rear end of the bottom wall portion 33.

[0023] The first terminal fitting 40 is a single component formed by bending, hammering, etc., a piece of metal plate material that has been punched into a predetermined shape. The first terminal fitting 40 is a female terminal having a terminal body 41 that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction and a first board connecting portion 47 that extends rearward from the rear end of the terminal body 41.

[0024] The terminal body 41 has an overall rectangular cylindrical shape with both front and rear ends open. The terminal body 41 includes a lower plate 42, a pair of left and right side plate portions 43, and an upper plate portion 44. The lower plate portion 42 is elongated in the front-to-rear direction, with its thickness oriented vertically. The pair of left and right side plate portions 43 extend upward from both left and right edges of the lower plate portion 42. The upper plate portion 44 extends parallel to the lower plate portion 42 from the upper edge of the right side plate portion 43. A resilient contact piece 45 is provided inside the terminal body 41. The resilient contact piece 45 resiliently contacts the tab of a mating terminal (not shown) inserted into the terminal body 41 from the front of the first terminal fitting 40. The upper plate portion 44 is formed with a press-fit protrusion 46. The press-fit protrusion 46 is formed by hammering a portion of the upper plate portion 44 upward. The press-fit protrusion 46 is disposed at a position rearward of the center of the upper plate portion 44 in the front-rear direction.

[0025] The first board connection portion 47 extends rearward from the rear end of the lower plate portion 42. The upper plate portion 44, on which the press-fit protrusion 46 is formed, and the lower plate portion 42, which is continuous with the first board connection portion 47, are arranged to face each other in a direction (vertical direction) parallel to the protruding direction (upward) of the press-fit protrusion 46. The first board connection portion 47 has a first extension portion 48 extending flush with the rear end of the lower plate portion 42, a first leg portion 49 extending downward from the rear end of the first extension portion 48, and a first mounting portion 50 extending rearward from the lower end of the first leg 49. Because the first extension portion 48 extends flush with the lower plate portion 42 and the first leg portion 49 and the first mounting portion 50 are arranged lower than the first extension portion 48, the first board connection portion 47 does not exist within the opening region of the opening 51 at the rear end of the terminal body 41 in a rear view. The first mounting portion 50 is adapted to be welded to the lands on the mounting surface 61 of the FPC 60 by reflow soldering.

[0026] The second terminal fitting 55 is a single component formed by bending, hammering, etc., a piece of metal plate punched into a predetermined shape, similar to the first terminal fitting 40. The second terminal fitting 55 has a terminal body 41 having the same configuration as the terminal body 41 of the first terminal fitting 40, and a second board connecting portion 56.

[0027] The second board connection portion 56 extends rearward from the rear end of the lower plate portion 42. The upper plate portion 44, on which the press-fit projection 46 is formed, and the lower plate portion 42, which is continuous with the second board connection portion 56, are arranged to face each other in a direction (vertical direction) parallel to the protruding direction (upward) of the press-fit projection 46. The second board connection portion 56 has a second extension portion 57 extending flush with the rear end of the lower plate portion 42, a second leg portion 58 extending downward from the rear end of the second extension portion 57, and a second mounting portion 59 extending rearward from the lower end of the second leg portion 58. Because the second extension portion 57 extends flush with the lower plate portion 42 and the second leg portion 58 and the second mounting portion 59 are arranged lower than the second extension portion 57, the second board connection portion 56 does not exist within the opening region of the opening 51 at the rear end of the terminal body 41 in a rear view. The second mounting portion 59 is adapted to be welded to the land on the mounting surface 61 of the FPC 60 by reflow soldering.

[0028] Next, the assembly process of the board connector A of this embodiment 1 will be described. Before assembly, the first terminal fitting 40 has a pre-formed terminal body 41 and a first board connection portion 47 that extends linearly rearward from the terminal body 41, as shown in Figure 4. Before assembly, the second terminal fitting 55 also has a pre-formed terminal body 41 and a second board connection portion 56 that extends linearly rearward from the terminal body 41.

[0029] During assembly, the first terminal fitting 40 is inserted into the upper terminal accommodating chamber 14 from the front of the housing 10, and the linearly extending first board connecting portion 47 is inserted into the through-hole 17. During the process of inserting the terminal body 41 into the terminal accommodating chamber 14, the press-fit protrusion 46 slides against the upper wall surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 14 while pressing against it. During this process, a reaction force caused by the pressing of the press-fit protrusion 46 acts downward on the terminal body 41, so that the terminal body 41 and the first board connecting portion 47 slide against the sliding surface 18 while being pressed against it.

[0030] The sliding surface 18 is flat, and the rear end of the sliding surface 18 forms the lower surface of the through hole 17, so that the rear end of the first board connecting portion 47 is smoothly inserted into the through hole 17. Furthermore, even if the rear end of the first board connecting portion 47 is raised upward, the rear end of the first board connecting portion 47 will be guided into the through hole 17 by sliding against the guide surface 19. When the rear end of the terminal body 41 abuts against the front surface of the closing portion 16, the insertion of the first terminal fitting 40 is completed. The press-fit projection 46 presses against the upper wall surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 14 so as to dig into it, thereby holding the terminal body 41 of the first terminal fitting 40 in the terminal accommodating chamber 14 in a state where it will not come out of the terminal accommodating chamber 14.

[0031] Next, the second terminal fitting 55 is inserted from the front of the housing 10 into the lower terminal accommodating chamber 14, and the linearly extending second board connecting portion 56 is inserted into the through hole 17. During the process of inserting the terminal body 41 into the terminal accommodating chamber 14, the press-fit protrusion 46 slides against the inner wall surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 14 while being pressed against it. As with the first terminal fitting 40, the terminal body 41 and the second board connecting portion 56 slide against the sliding surface 18 while being pressed against it, and the second board connecting portion 56 is inserted into the through hole 17. When the rear end of the terminal body 41 abuts against the front surface of the closing portion 16, the insertion of the second terminal fitting 55 is completed. The press-fit protrusion 46 presses against the upper wall surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 14 so as to dig into it, thereby holding the terminal body 41 of the second terminal fitting 55 in the terminal accommodating chamber 14 in a retained state.

[0032] Next, the front member 30 is assembled to the housing 10. During assembly, the front member 30 is brought close to the front of the housing 10, and the left and right side wall portions 32 are fitted into the fitting recesses 20, and the guide grooves 37 are fitted into the guide ribs 21. By fitting the side wall portions 32 into the fitting recesses 20, the front member 30 is positioned in the left-right direction relative to the housing 10, and the posture of the front member 30 in the left-right direction is stabilized. By fitting the guide grooves 37 into the guide ribs 21, the front member 30 is positioned in the up-down direction relative to the housing 10, and the posture of the front member 30 in the up-down direction is stabilized.

[0033] As the front member 30 is assembled in this state, the left and right bottom wall portions 33 come into sliding contact with the underside of the housing 10. Toward the end of the assembly process, the first locking portions 35 of the side wall portions 32 interfere with the first locking projections 22, causing the left and right side wall portions 32 to temporarily elastically deform and spread apart, and the second locking portions 36 of the bottom wall portion 33 interfere with the second locking projections 23, causing the bottom wall portion 33 to temporarily elastically deform downward.

[0034] When the front member 30 reaches the correct assembly position, the front wall portion 31 abuts against the front surface 10F of the housing 10, covering the insertion opening 15. The left and right side wall portions 32 elastically return to their original position, causing the first locking portions 35 to engage with the first locking projections 22, and the left and right bottom wall portions 33 elastically return to their original position, causing the second locking portions 36 to engage with the second locking projections 23. These engagements hold the front member 30 in a prevented state in which it is prevented from coming off the housing 10 in the forward direction.

[0035] After the front member 30 is assembled to the housing 10, the first board connection portion 47, which is in a straight line, is bent to form the first leg portion 49 and the first mounting portion 50. The second board connection portion 56, which is in a straight line, is bent to form the second leg portion 58 and the second mounting portion 59. The bending of the first board connection portion 47 and the second board connection portion 56 may be performed before the front member 30 is assembled to the housing 10. This completes the assembly of the board connector A.

[0036] When the assembled board connector A is viewed from the rear, the terminal accommodating chambers 14 are almost entirely covered by the blocking portion 16. The openings 51 of the terminal body portions 41 of the first terminal fittings 40 and the second terminal fittings 55 are entirely covered from the rear by the blocking portion 16. A through hole 17 communicating with the terminal accommodating chamber 14 is formed in the blocking portion 16, but the opening area of ​​the through hole 17 is sufficiently small compared to the cross-sectional area of ​​the terminal accommodating chamber 14, and the through hole 17 is mostly blocked by the first board connecting portion 47 and the second board connecting portion 56. Therefore, there is no risk of foreign matter (not shown) or potting material (not shown) from outside the housing 10 passing through the through hole 17 and entering the terminal accommodating chambers 14 or the terminal body portions 41.

[0037] The board connector A of the first embodiment includes a housing 10 having terminal accommodating chambers 14, first terminal fittings 40 and second terminal fittings 55 attached to the housing 10, and a front member 30 attached to the housing 10. An insertion opening 15 for inserting the first terminal fittings 40 and second terminal fittings 55 into the terminal accommodating chambers 14 is formed in a front surface 10F of the housing 10. The front member 30 is attached to the housing 10 in a state covering the insertion opening 15. The housing 10 has a closing portion 16 that partially closes the rear end of the terminal accommodating chamber 14. A through hole 17 having an opening area smaller than that of the insertion opening 15 is formed in the closing portion 16.

[0038] The first terminal fitting 40 has a terminal body 41 accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 14, a resilient contact piece 45 provided on the terminal body 41, and a first board connecting portion 47 extending rearward from the terminal body 41 and inserted into the through hole 17. The second terminal fitting 55 has the terminal body 41 accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 14, the resilient contact piece 45 provided on the terminal body 41, and a second board connecting portion 56 extending rearward from the terminal body 41 and inserted into the through hole 17.

[0039] In the board connector A of the first embodiment, the rear ends of the terminal accommodating chambers 14 are closed by the closing portion 16. The through holes 17 formed in the closing portion 16 have a smaller opening area than the insertion openings 15, so the gap between the through holes 17 and the board connection portions is also small. This makes it possible to suppress the intrusion of foreign matter into the terminal accommodating chambers 14 from the rear of the housing 10 and to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the resilient contact pieces 45. This makes it possible to avoid a decrease in the reliability of the connection function between the first terminal fittings 40 and the second terminal fittings 55.

[0040] The terminal body 41 has a rectangular cylindrical shape with both ends open. The front ends of the first board connection portion 47 and the second board connection portion 56 are flush with the rear end of one of the four plates (the lower plate 42, the left and right side plates 43, and the upper plate 44) that make up the terminal body 41. The inner surface (lower surface) of the terminal accommodating chamber 14 and the inner surface (lower surface) of the through hole 17 form a flush, continuous sliding surface 18. With this configuration, the first board connection portion 47 and the second board connection portion 56 inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 14 slide against the flush, continuous sliding surface 18, allowing them to smoothly pass through the through hole 17.

[0041] Of the four plate portions (lower plate portion 42, left and right side plate portions 43, and upper plate portion 44) that make up the terminal body 41, the plate portion (upper plate portion 44) opposite the sliding contact surface 18 is formed with a press-fit protrusion 46 that presses against the inner wall portion of the terminal accommodating chamber 14 from the sliding contact surface 18 side. During the process of inserting the first terminal fitting 40 into the terminal accommodating chamber 14, the press-fit protrusion 46 presses against the inner wall portion of the terminal accommodating chamber 14, and the resulting reaction force presses the terminal body 41 and the first board connecting portion 47 against the sliding contact surface 18. This allows the first board connecting portion 47 to be securely inserted into the through hole 17. The second terminal fitting 55 also has a press-fit protrusion 46 of the same shape as the first terminal fitting 40, allowing the second board connecting portion 56 to be securely inserted into the through hole 17.

[0042] A tapered guide surface 19 is formed on the opening edge of the through hole 17 on the front surface of the blocking portion 16, which guides the rear end of the first board connection portion 47 and the rear end of the second board connection portion 56 into the through hole 17. With this configuration, the first board connection portion 47 and the second board connection portion 56 can be inserted into the through hole 17 smoothly and reliably.

[0043] The front member 30 has a front wall 31, a pair of left and right side wall portions 32, and a pair of left and right bottom wall portions 33. The front wall 31 faces the front end of the terminal main body 41 from the front. The pair of side wall portions 32 extend rearward from both widthwise edges of the front wall 31. The pair of bottom wall portions 33 are connected to the front wall 31 and the pair of side wall portions 32. The front member 30 is engaged with the first locking projections 22 and the second locking projections 23 of the housing 10 at the first locking portions 35 of the pair of side wall portions 32 and the second locking portions 36 of the pair of bottom wall portions 33. With this configuration, both widthwise ends of the front member 30 are less likely to deform because the front wall 31, the side wall portions 32, and the bottom wall portions 33 are connected. This allows the front member 30 to be securely attached to the housing 10.

[0044] Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, but is defined by the claims. The present invention includes all modifications within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, including the following embodiments. In Example 1, the inner surface of the terminal accommodating chamber and the inner surface of the through hole may be connected in a stepped manner or via an inclined surface. In Example 1, the terminal body may have a shape other than a rectangular tube. In Example 1, the front end of the board connection portion may be connected in a stepped manner to the rear end of the plate portion constituting the terminal body. In Example 1, the terminal body may not have a press-fit protrusion. In this case, a lance formed in the terminal accommodating chamber may prevent the terminal body from being pulled out. In Example 1, the circuit board to which the board connection portion is connected is not limited to an FPC (flexible circuit board), but may also be a non-flexible circuit board.

[0045] A...Board connector 10...Housing 10F...Front surface of housing 11...Terminal accommodating portion 12...Protective wall portion 13...Peg 14...Terminal accommodating chamber 15...Insertion opening 16...Blocking portion 17...Through hole 18...Sliding surface 19...Guiding surface 20...Fitting recess 21...Guide rib 22...First locking protrusion 23...Second locking protrusion 30...Front member 31...Front wall portion 32...Side wall portion 33...Bottom wall portion 34...Connection hole 35...First locking portion 36...Second locking portion 37...Guide groove 40...First terminal fitting (terminal fitting) 41...Terminal main body portion 42...Lower plate portion (plate portion constituting the terminal accommodating chamber, any one of the plate portions) 43...Side plate portion (plate portion constituting the terminal accommodating chamber) 44...Upper plate portion (plate portion constituting the terminal accommodating chamber, plate portion opposite to the sliding surface side) 45...Resilient contact piece 46...Press-fit protrusion 47...First board connection portion (board connection portion) 48...First extension portion 49...First leg portion 50...First mounting portion 51...Opening 55...Second terminal metal fitting (terminal metal fitting) 56...Second board connection portion (board connection portion) 57...Second extension portion 58...Second leg portion 59...Second mounting portion 60...FPC 61...Mounting surface 62...Reinforcing plate

Claims

1. A connector for a board comprising: a housing having a terminal accommodating chamber; a terminal fitting attached to the housing; and a front member attached to the housing, wherein the front surface of the housing has an insertion opening for inserting the terminal fitting into the terminal accommodating chamber, the front member is attached to the housing in a state covering the insertion opening, the housing has a blocking portion that closes the rear end of the terminal accommodating chamber, and a through hole having an opening area smaller than that of the insertion opening is formed in the blocking portion, and the terminal fitting has a terminal main body portion accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber, a resilient contact piece provided on the terminal main body portion, and a board connection portion extending rearward from the terminal main body portion and inserted into the through hole.

2. A connector for circuit boards as described in claim 1, wherein the terminal body is in the shape of a square tube with both front and rear ends open, the board connection portion is connected flush with the rear end of any one of the four plate portions that make up the terminal body, and the inner surface of the terminal accommodating chamber and the inner surface of the through hole form a continuous flush sliding surface.

3. A board connector as described in claim 2, wherein the plate portion opposite the sliding surface side of the four plate portions constituting the terminal main body has a press-fit protrusion formed thereon for pressing against the inner wall portion of the terminal accommodating chamber.

4. A connector for a board as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a tapered guiding surface is formed on the opening edge of the through hole on the front surface of the blocking portion to guide the rear end of the board connection portion into the through hole.

5. A connector for a circuit board as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front member has a front wall portion facing the front end portion of the terminal main body portion from the front, a pair of side wall portions extending rearward from both widthwise ends of the front wall portion, and a pair of bottom wall portions connected to the front wall portion and the pair of side wall portions, and the front member is engaged with the housing at the pair of side wall portions and the pair of bottom wall portions.

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