Floating connector

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a floating connector that can demonstrate good communication performance. The floating connector includes a fixed housing, a movable housing, and a signal terminal. The signal terminal includes a first end portion held by the fixed housing, a second end portion held by the movable housing, and a coupling part coupling the first end portion and the second end portion. The second end portion can follow the movable housing while the coupling part is elastically deformed when the movable housing moves along the first direction. The movable housing has: a second end portion holding part that holds the second end portion; an inner wall part that protrudes from the second end portion holding part and covers the coupling part from the inside along the first direction; and a first outer wall part that protrudes from the second end portion holding part and covers the coupling part from the outside along the first direction.

Description

Floating Connector

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a floating connector including a movable housing, a fixed housing supporting the movable housing, and signal and power contacts mounted across the movable and fixed housings. In this floating connector, the movable housing moves relative to the fixed housing to absorb misalignment between boards and misalignment of the mating position with the mating connector. Furthermore, the portions of each contact held by the movable housing deform so as to move relative to the portions held by the fixed housing as the movable housing moves.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-131161

[0004] It is desirable to obtain good communication performance in a floating connector.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can achieve good communication performance in a floating connector.

[0006] The floating connector of the present disclosure is a floating connector into which a mating connector is mated, and comprises a fixed housing, a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing along a first direction intersecting the mating direction of the mating connector, and a signal terminal bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing, wherein the signal terminal includes a first end held by the fixed housing, a second end held by the movable housing, and a connecting portion connecting the first end and the second end, wherein when the movable housing moves along the first direction, the connecting portion elastically deforms and the second end can follow the movable housing, and the movable housing has a second end holding portion that holds the second end, an inner wall portion that protrudes from the second end holding portion and covers the connecting portion from the inside along the first direction, and a first outer wall portion that protrudes from the second end holding portion and covers the connecting portion from the outside along the first direction.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, good communication performance can be obtained in a floating connector.

[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded front view showing the connector device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded side view showing the connector device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the floating connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a signal terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a power terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the mating connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a signal terminal according to the first embodiment and a mating signal terminal are mated. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a signal terminal according to the first embodiment and a mating signal terminal are mated.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The floating connector of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0011] (1) A floating connector into which a mating connector is mated, comprising: a fixed housing; a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing along a first direction intersecting the mating direction of the mating connector; and a signal terminal bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing, wherein the signal terminal includes a first end held by the fixed housing, a second end held by the movable housing, and a connecting portion connecting the first end and the second end, wherein the connecting portion elastically deforms when the movable housing moves along the first direction, and the second end can follow the movable housing, and the movable housing has a second end holding portion that holds the second end, an inner wall portion that protrudes from the second end holding portion and covers the connecting portion from the inside along the first direction, and a first outer wall portion that protrudes from the second end holding portion and covers the connecting portion from the outside along the first direction.

[0012] In the floating connector of (1), the movable housing has a first outer wall portion, and the first outer wall portion moves when the movable housing moves, so that the first outer wall portion can cover the connecting portion of the signal terminal in a close position even in the moving state. This reduces the air layer around the connecting portion, thereby suppressing impedance mismatch and achieving good communication performance in the connector device.

[0013] (2) In the floating connector of (1), the connecting portion may have a second end-side extending portion that protrudes from the second end-side holding portion toward the fixed housing, and an extending portion that extends from the second end-side extending portion, and the extending portion may contact the inner wall portion. This reduces the air gap around the connecting portion, making it easier to suppress impedance mismatch.

[0014] (3) In the floating connector of (1), the fixed housing may have a first end holding portion that holds the first end, and a second outer wall portion that protrudes from the first end holding portion and covers the connecting portion from the outside along the first direction, and the connecting portion may have a first end side extending portion that protrudes from the first end holding portion toward the movable housing, and the first end side extending portion may contact the second outer wall portion. This makes it possible to reduce the air layer around the connecting portion, thereby making it easier to suppress impedance mismatch.

[0015] (4) In the floating connector of (1), the fixed housing may have a first end holding portion that holds the first end, and a second outer wall portion that protrudes from the first end holding portion and covers the connecting portion from the outside in the first direction, the connecting portion may have a first end-side extending portion that protrudes from the first end-side holding portion toward the movable housing, a second end-side extending portion that protrudes from the second end-side holding portion toward the fixed housing, and an extending portion that extends in a trapezoidal wave shape from the first end-side extending portion to the second end-side extending portion, the first end-side extending portion may contact the second outer wall portion, and the extending portion may contact the inner wall portion. This may reduce the air layer around the connecting portion, making it easier to suppress impedance mismatching.

[0016] (5) In the floating connector of (4), in the mating direction, a tip of the first outer wall portion and a tip of the second outer wall portion may be located at positions corresponding to a tip of the second end-side extending portion, thereby making it possible to make the first outer wall portion as long as possible while minimizing the inhibition of elastic deformation of the connecting portion.

[0017] (6) In the floating connector of any one of (1) to (5), the inner surface of the first outer wall portion facing the signal terminal may be an inclined surface inclined with respect to the mating direction, thereby preventing the connecting portion from coming into strong contact with the first outer wall portion when elastically deforming.

[0018] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the floating connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0019] First Embodiment A connector device according to a first embodiment will be described below.

[0020] <Connector device> The overall configuration of the connector device will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a floating connector 10 according to a first embodiment and a connector device 100 including the same. Figure 2 is an exploded front view showing the connector device 100 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an exploded side view showing the connector device 100 shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 4. In each figure, mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions are shown.

[0021] The connector device 100 includes a connector 10 and a mating connector 80 that mates with the connector 10. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the connector 10 is a floating connector 10. As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, in this embodiment, the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 are described as board connectors that are electrically connected to boards B1 and B2, respectively. When the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 are mated, terminals of the floating connector 10 and terminals of the mating connector 80 are electrically connected. As a result, the boards B1 and B2 to which the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 are connected are electrically connected to each other. The floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 may be connectors other than board connectors.

[0022] The floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 are mated by moving toward each other in a mating direction. In this embodiment, the mating direction is a direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the boards B1 and B2, and is indicated by the Z direction in each figure. Hereinafter, the Z direction may be referred to as the up-down direction. The X and Y directions in each figure are directions perpendicular to the mating direction and are directions along the main surfaces of the boards B1 and B2. Note that the mating direction of the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 may be a direction other than the Z direction.

[0023] <Floating Connector> The floating connector 10 will be described with further reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 9. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the floating connector 10 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a signal terminal 40 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a power terminal 60 according to the first embodiment.

[0024] The floating connector 10 includes a housing and a plurality of signal terminals 40 held by the housing. Here, the floating connector 10 includes a fixed housing 20 and a movable housing 30 as housings. The signal terminals 40 are terminals for signal transmission. In addition to the signal terminals 40, the floating connector 10 also includes a plurality of power terminals 60. The power terminals 60 are terminals for power supply. The fixed housing 20 is fixed to the board B1 via a fixture 70. The movable housing 30 is provided so as to be movable relative to the fixed housing 20. The plurality of signal terminals 40 and the plurality of power terminals 60 are bridged between the fixed housing 20 and the movable housing 30. In this embodiment, the movable housing 30 is supported in a floating state at a predetermined position relative to the fixed housing 20 via the signal terminals 40 and the power terminals 60. In this way, the movable housing 30 is supported so as to be movable relative to the fixed housing 20.

[0025] The movable housing 30 is movable relative to the fixed housing 20 along a first direction that intersects with the mating direction. In this embodiment, the movable housing 30 is movable relative to the fixed housing 20 along a second direction that intersects with the mating direction and the first direction. In this embodiment, the Y direction indicates the first direction, and the X direction indicates the second direction. However, the movable housing 30 only needs to be movable along the first direction, and does not have to be movable along both the first and second directions.

[0026] In this embodiment, the movable housing 30 is movable in both the first direction and the second direction without being restricted by the other. That is, the movable housing 30 is movable relative to the fixed housing 20 not only in the X direction and the Y direction, but also in directions inclined relative to the X direction and the Y direction within the XY plane. The movable housing 30 is movable relative to the fixed housing 20 in any direction within a plane including the first direction and the second direction. It can also be understood that the movement vector indicating the direction and amount of movement of the movable housing 30 can be expressed as the sum of the movement vector in the first direction and the movement vector in the second direction.

[0027] In this embodiment, a plurality of signal terminals 40 and a plurality of power terminals 60 are arranged in the X and Y directions. The power terminals 60 are arranged on both sides of the signal terminals 40 in the X direction. For example, the number of parallel signal terminals 40 in the X direction is 10 or more (75 in this example), and the number of parallel signal terminals 40 in the Y direction is two. On one side and the other side of the signal terminals 40 in the X direction, the power terminals 60 are arranged in two rows in each of the X and Y directions. However, the number of parallel terminals 40, 60 in the X direction and the number of parallel terminals 40, 60 in the Y direction are not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. As in the example embodiment, it is preferable that the number of parallel signal terminals 40 in the X direction be greater than the number of parallel signal terminals 40 in the Y direction.

[0028] A pair of adjacent signal terminals 40 along the X direction are oriented in the same direction. A pair of adjacent signal terminals 40 along the Y direction are oriented in opposite directions. Similarly, a pair of adjacent power terminals 60 along the X direction are oriented in the same direction, and a pair of adjacent power terminals 60 along the Y direction are oriented in opposite directions.

[0029] The fixed housing 20 is molded using an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin. The fixed housing 20 includes a pair of wall portions 21X extending along the X direction and a pair of wall portions 21Y extending along the Y direction. The pair of wall portions 21X and the pair of wall portions 21Y are connected to form the peripheral wall 21. The peripheral wall 21 is open at its top and closed at its bottom. The fixed housing 20 includes a bottom block portion 22 that closes the lower opening of the peripheral wall 21. The bottom block portion 22 has multiple through holes. Therefore, the fixed housing 20 is cylindrically shaped, with the peripheral wall 21 open at its top and multiple through holes in its lower portion, each smaller than the upper opening. The lower portion of the movable housing 30 is positioned above the bottom block portion 22 in the internal space of the peripheral wall 21. The upper portion of the movable housing 30 protrudes upward from the upper opening of the fixed housing 20. In the X and Y directions, the inner surface of the peripheral wall 21 and the outer surface of the movable housing 30 face each other with a gap therebetween. This gap is, for example, the same as the amount of movement of the movable housing 30 in the X and Y directions.

[0030] The fixed housing 20 includes a signal terminal holding portion 23, a power terminal holding portion 24, and a fixture holding portion 29. Here, the signal terminal holding portion 23 and the power terminal holding portion 24 are provided on the bottom block portion 22, and the fixture holding portion 29 is provided on the outer surface of the wall portion 21Y.

[0031] The signal terminal holding portion 23 is a portion that holds the first end 42 of the signal terminal 40. The signal terminal holding portion 23 is a portion located in the middle of the bottom block portion 22 in the X direction, where a holding hole 23H is formed as a through hole. Two holding holes 23H are provided in the Y direction. Each of the two holding holes 23H has a plurality of first hole portions and one second hole portion. In each holding hole 23H, the plurality of first hole portions are aligned in the X direction. A plurality of signal terminals 40 aligned in the X direction are individually passed through the plurality of first hole portions. A second hole portion is located below the plurality of first hole portions. The plurality of first hole portions and the one second hole portion are continuous along the Z direction. A plurality of signal terminals 40 aligned in the X direction are collectively passed through the one second hole portion.

[0032] The power supply terminal holding portion 24 is a portion that holds the first end 61 of the power supply terminal 60. The power supply terminal holding portion 24 is a portion of the bottom block portion 22 that is located outside the signal terminal holding portion 23 in the X direction and that has a holding hole 24H formed as a through hole. A pair of power supply terminal holding portions 24 are provided, spaced apart from each other in the X direction. The signal terminal holding portion 23 is located between the pair of power supply terminal holding portions 24. The number of holding holes 24H is the same as the number of power supply terminals 60. Each holding hole 24H fits individually into one of the power supply terminals 60.

[0033] Here, the portion of the bottom block portion 22 located further outward in the X direction than the pair of power terminal holding portions 24 serves as a housing support portion 25 that supports the lower end of the movable housing 30. The housing support portion 25 is surrounded by the ends of the pair of wall portions 21X along the X direction and the wall portion 21Y.

[0034] The fixture holding portion 29 is a portion that holds the fixture 70. The fixture holding portion 29 is formed in the shape of a slot into which the fixture 70 can be inserted from above.

[0035] The movable housing 30 is molded using an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin. The movable housing 30 is formed in a block shape that is longer in the X direction than in the Y direction. The movable housing 30 includes a signal terminal holder 31 and a power terminal holder 36.

[0036] The signal terminal holding portion 31 is a portion that holds the second ends 48 of the signal terminals 40. The signal terminal holding portion 31 includes a first block portion 32 and a second block portion 33. A plurality of holding holes 32H are formed in the first block portion 32. The second block portion 33 protrudes upward from the upper portion of the first block portion 32. The second block portion 33 is positioned between a pair of signal terminals 40 aligned in the Y direction. A plurality of holding grooves 33G are formed in the outer surface of the second block portion 33 facing outward in the Y direction. The number of the plurality of holding holes 32H and the plurality of holding grooves 33G are the same and correspond one-to-one. Each holding hole 32H and each holding groove 33G are continuous in the Z direction. The lower portions of the second ends 48 of the plurality of signal terminals 40 are individually passed through the plurality of holding holes 32H. The upper portions of the second ends 48 of the plurality of signal terminals 40 are individually received in the plurality of holding grooves 33G.

[0037] Here, the signal terminal holding portion 31 includes a third block portion 34. The third block portion 34 protrudes downward from the lower portion of the first block portion 32. The third block portion 34 is located between a pair of signal terminals 40 aligned in the Y direction. Here, no groove such as the holding groove 33G is formed in the third block portion 34. The outer surface of the third block portion 34 facing outward in the Y direction covers a plurality of signal terminals 40 collectively.

[0038] The power terminal holding portion 36 holds the second end 64 of the power terminal 60. The power terminal holding portion 36 has two holding bodies formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped block. The two holding bodies are spaced apart from each other in the X direction. The signal terminal holding portion 31 is disposed between the two holding bodies. A plurality of holding holes 36H are formed in each holding body. A plurality of power terminals 60 are individually passed through the plurality of holding holes 36H. Here, the holding body has portions that connect to the sides of the first block portion 32 and the third block portion 34. The holding body does not have a portion that connects to the side of the second block portion 33.

[0039] Each retaining hole 36H includes a locking hole portion 36H1 and an accommodating hole portion 36H2. The upper portion of each retaining hole 36H is the locking hole portion 36H1, and the lower portion is the accommodating hole portion 36H2. The locking hole portion 36H1 is a portion that locks a portion of the power terminal 60. The accommodating hole portion 36H2 is a portion that fits another portion of the power terminal 60 without locking. Here, the dimensions of the locking hole portion 36H1 and the accommodating hole portion 36H2 are the same in the X direction. In the Y direction, the dimensions of the accommodating hole portion 36H2 are larger than the dimensions of the locking hole portion 36H1. The upper portion of the locking hole portion 36H1, extending around the periphery of the locking hole portion 36H1, forms a first locking surface 36A. A first locking claw 66A of the power terminal 60 is engaged with the first locking surface 36A. A portion of the lower portion of the locking hole 36H1 that extends around the periphery of the locking hole 36H1 serves as a second locking surface 36B. A second locking claw 66B of the power terminal 60 is engaged with the second locking surface 36B.

[0040] Here, the movable housing 30 includes a hood portion 37. The hood portion 37 surrounds the second block portion 33 of the signal terminal holding portion 31 and the portion of the power terminal 60 that protrudes above the power terminal holding portion 36. The hood portion 37 has a pair of wall portions 37X extending in the X direction and a pair of wall portions 37Y extending in the Y direction. The pair of wall portions 37X and the pair of wall portions 37Y are connected to form a peripheral wall of the movable housing 30. In the connector device 100, the tip of the mating connector 80 fits inside the hood portion 37. Both ends of the hood portion 37 along the X direction serve as guide receiving portions 38 that receive the guide portion 84 of the mating connector 80. As shown in FIG. 6 , a mating recess 38A into which the guide portion 84 fits is provided below the guide receiving portion 38. The mating recess 38A is a portion surrounded by the X-direction ends of the pair of wall portions 37X, one wall portion 37Y, and the power terminal holding portion 36. Furthermore, protrusions 39 supported by the housing support portion 25 are provided at the four corners of the lower part of the movable housing 30. Here, the pair of wall portions 37X and the pair of wall portions 37Y extend below the fitting recess 38A on the outer side of the power terminal holding portion 36 in the X direction of the movable housing 30. The protrusions 39 are provided on the lower part of the pair of wall portions 37X that are positioned outside the power terminal holding portion 36.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 4, the portion of the wall 21X that extends upward beyond the power terminal holding portion 24 faces the wall 36X of the movable housing 30. The wall 36X is a wall portion that is located further outward in the Y direction than the power terminal 60 among the wall portions that form the accommodating hole 36H2. When the movable housing 30 is in its initial position relative to the fixed housing 20 (a state in which there is no positional deviation with respect to the fixed housing 20, hereinafter referred to as the initial state), the walls 21X and 36X face each other with a distance DY therebetween, as shown in Fig. 4. The distance DY is, for example, the same as the amount of movement of the movable housing 30 in the Y direction.

[0042] Each of the signal terminals 40 and the power terminals 60 is formed into a predetermined shape by pressing (punching and bending) a flat plate made of a conductive material such as metal. The flat plate extends generally in the Z direction while bending in the YZ plane, making its length in the Z direction. The cross section of the flat plate is, for example, rectangular. The shorter dimension of the rectangular cross section is the thickness direction, and the longer dimension is the width direction. Each of the signal terminals 40 and the power terminals 60 is arranged with the width direction of the flat plate aligned with the X direction. Furthermore, the thickness of the flat plate in the Y direction at the portion extending parallel to the Z direction is the plate thickness. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mating direction is the extension direction of the plate material, the first direction (Y direction) is the thickness direction of the plate material, and the second direction (X direction) is the width direction of the plate material.

[0043] The signal terminal 40 includes a first end 42 held by the fixed housing 20, a second end 48 held by the movable housing 30, and a connecting portion 54 connecting the first end 42 and the second end 48. The first end 42 and the second end 48 are spaced apart from each other along the mating direction (here, the Z direction). The connecting portion 54 extends along the mating direction. When the movable housing 30 moves along the X direction or the Y direction, the connecting portion 54 elastically deforms, allowing the second end 48 to follow the movable housing 30.

[0044] The first end 42 has a board connecting portion 43 connected to the board B1 and a first held portion 44 held by the fixed housing 20. The board connecting portion 43 is exposed below the fixed housing 20. The board connecting portion 43 is formed in a shape extending along the main surface of the board B1 so as to be surface mountable to the board B1. The board connecting portion 43 may be formed in a pin shape or the like so as to be connectable to the board B1 via a through-hole. The first held portion 44 is press-fitted and held in the holding hole 23H of the fixed housing 20. The first held portion 44 has press-fit protrusions 45 at two locations along the longitudinal direction of the flat plate. Each press-fit protrusion 45 protrudes outward from both outer edges along the plate width direction (X direction). One of the two press-fit protrusions 45 is provided in a portion that fits within the first hole portion of the holding hole 23H, and the other is provided in a portion that fits within the second hole portion of the holding hole 23H.

[0045] The second end 48 has a terminal portion 49 that connects with a mating signal terminal 85 of the mating connector 80, and a second held portion 51 that is held by the movable housing 30. The terminal portion 49 has a spring-shaped portion 50 that is a leaf spring that is bent in the plate thickness direction. The main portion of the second held portion 51 is lower than the spring-shaped portion 50, and in this case includes the portion that is inserted into the holding hole 32H.

[0046] Of the retaining hole 32H, inner surfaces facing opposite to each other along the plate thickness direction (here, the Y direction) of the signal terminal 40 are referred to as inner surfaces 32A and 32B. Here, the surface that is continuous with the bottom surface of the retaining groove 33G is referred to as inner surface 32A. The distance between the inner surfaces 32A and 32B is greater than the plate thickness of the signal terminal 40. The distance between the inner surfaces 32A and 32B is greater than the dimension of the spring-shaped portion 50 along the Y direction. This prevents the terminal portion 49 having the spring-shaped portion 50 from coming into contact with both the inner surface 32A and the inner surface 32B when passing through the retaining hole 32H.

[0047] The signal terminal 40 and the movable housing 30 are relatively movable in the mating direction. Here, the second held portion 51 does not have a press-fit protrusion that protrudes in the plate width direction and is press-fit into the movable housing 30, like the press-fit protrusion 45 of the first end 42. The second end 48 is held by the movable housing 30 with a holding force that is weaker than the holding force of the first end 42. For example, the first end 42 is held with greater difficulty in moving in the mating direction than the second end 48. For example, the first end 42 may be held by the fixed housing 20 so as not to move in the mating direction even by forces generated when the movable housing 30 moves. In contrast, the second end 48 may be held by the movable housing 30 so as to be movable in the mating direction by forces generated when the movable housing 30 moves.

[0048] The second retained portion 51 bends in the plate thickness direction and contacts both the inner surface 32A and the inner surface 32B. The second retained portion 51, for example, slidably contacts both the inner surface 32A and the inner surface 32B. More specifically, the second retained portion 51 has two bent portions 52. The two bent portions 52 are bent so that the oppositely facing main surfaces are on the inner circumferential side. The second retained portion 51 has two bent portions 52, allowing the second retained portion 51 to contact both the oppositely facing inner surfaces 32A and 32B of the retaining hole 32H, which is larger than the plate thickness. The upper portion of the second retained portion 51 above the two bent portions 52 extends upward while contacting the inner surface 32A or the bottom surface of the retaining groove 33G connected thereto. The portion of the second end 48 from the second retained portion 51 to the spring-shaped portion 50 extends straight upward from the upper end of the second retained portion 51 along the retaining groove 33G. Both sides of this portion in the X direction are separated from the adjacent signal terminal 40 by both side surfaces of the holding groove 33G. The second held portion 51 below the lower bent portion 52 extends downward while contacting the inner surface 32B.

[0049] From one end of the signal terminal 40 to the other, the board connecting portion 43, the first held portion 44, the connecting portion 54, the second held portion 51, and the terminal portion 49 are connected in this order. When assembling the floating connector 10, the signal terminal 40 is passed through the holding holes 23H and 32H in this order, starting from the terminal portion 49. Because the terminal portion 49 is provided with the spring-shaped portion 50, the dimension of the terminal portion 49 in the Y direction is greater than the plate thickness. To allow the terminal portion 49 to pass through, the dimension of each holding hole 23H and 32H in the Y direction is greater than the plate thickness.

[0050] The connecting portion 54 connects the upper end of the first held portion 44 and the lower end of the second held portion 51. The upper end of the first held portion 44 and the lower end of the second held portion 51 are located at the same position along the Y direction. The lower portion of the connecting portion 54 extends straight upward from the upper end of the first held portion 44. The upper portion of the connecting portion 54 extends straight downward from the lower end of the second held portion 51. An elastic portion 55 is provided in the middle portion of the connecting portion 54 along the longitudinal direction.

[0051] The elastic portion 55 extends in a trapezoidal wave shape from the first end 42 to the second end 48. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the trapezoid is an isosceles trapezoid. The trapezoid may have a shape other than an isosceles trapezoid. The elastic portion 55 may have a shape other than a trapezoidal wave shape, such as a stepped shape.

[0052] The elastic portion 55 can also be considered to have two offset portions 55A, 55B and an intermediate portion 55C therebetween. The offset portions 55A, 55B offset the position of the signal terminal 40, which extends straight in the Z direction, along the Y direction. Of the two offset portions 55A, 55B, the one located closer to the first end 42 is referred to as the first offset portion 55A, and the one located closer to the second end 48 is referred to as the second offset portion 55B. The position of the connecting portion 54 extending in the Z direction from the first end 42 to the second end 48 is shifted from the outer side to the inner side in the Y direction by the first offset portion 55A, and from the inner side to the outer side in the Y direction by the second offset portion 55B. The offset amount of the first offset portion 55A and the offset amount of the second offset portion 55B along the Y direction are the same. Furthermore, the first offset portion 55A and the second offset portion 55B are provided to have slopes of the same angle.

[0053] The first offset portion 55A is provided in the same direction as the offset portion of the second held portion 51. The offset amount of the first offset portion 55A and the offset amount of the offset portion of the second held portion 51 are the same along the Y direction. Here, the offset portions of the first offset portion 55A and the second held portion are provided to have slopes with similar angles. The slope of the first offset portion 55A may be provided to be steeper than the slope of the offset portion of the second held portion 51.

[0054] The fixed housing 20 and the movable housing 30 each have a retaining hole 23H, 32H through which the signal terminal 40 passes. The retaining hole 32H of the movable housing 30 is located on an extension of the first hole portion of the retaining hole 23H of the fixed housing 20. The first hole portion of the retaining hole 23H of the fixed housing 20 and the retaining hole 32H of the movable housing 30 have the same shape and size in the XY plane, excluding the guide surface. The first hole portion of the retaining hole 23H and the retaining hole 32H are located at the same position in the XY plane and overlap when viewed from the mating direction. For example, the size of the first hole portion of the retaining hole 23H and the retaining hole 32H in the X direction is approximately the same as (e.g., the same as or slightly smaller than) the width of the portion of the flat plate without the press-fit protrusion 45. The size of the first hole portion of the retaining hole 23H and the retaining hole 32H in the Y direction is the same as the offset amount of the second retained portion 51 and the elastic portion 55 in the Y direction.

[0055] The power terminal 60 has a conductor cross-sectional area larger than that of the signal terminal 40. The power terminal 60 is also held in a press-fit state in the fixed housing 20. Like the signal terminal 40, the power terminal 60 also has a first end 61 held in the fixed housing 20, a second end 64 held in the movable housing 30, and a connecting portion 67 connecting the first end 61 and the second end 64.

[0056] The first end 61 of the power supply terminal 60 is longer in the Y direction than the first end 42 of the signal terminal 40. The first end 61 of the power supply terminal 60 also has three orthogonal bent portions, and the portion between the first and third orthogonal bent portions fits into the holding hole 24H of the power supply terminal holding portion 24. The first end 61 has a board connecting portion 62 and a held portion 63. Here, a press-fit protrusion 63A is formed on the held portion 63, and the held portion 63 is press-fitted into the power supply terminal holding portion 24 of the fixed housing 20 and held therein.

[0057] The second end 64 of the power terminal 60 has a larger dimension in the plate thickness direction than the first end 61. For example, the flat plate constituting the power terminal 60 is folded and stacked at the second end 64 to increase the dimension in the plate thickness direction. Of the two layers of plate material constituting the second end 64, the plate material located on the outer side in the Y direction is referred to as the outer plate portion 64B, and the plate material located on the inner side in the Y direction is referred to as the inner plate portion 64C. In this example, the lower part of the inner plate portion 64C is connected to the connecting portion 67. The lower part of the outer plate portion 64B may also be connected to the connecting portion 67. For example, the second end 64 is inserted and held in the holding hole 36H of the power terminal holding portion 36 of the movable housing 30. The tip of the second end 64 is a tab terminal portion 65 that connects to the mating power terminal 90, and the portion closer to the first end 61 than the tab terminal portion 65 is a held portion 66 that is held by the movable housing 30.

[0058] The tab terminal portion 65 extends straight in the Z direction in the initial state. The mating power terminal 90 is provided with a spring-shaped portion 94, while the power terminal 60 does not have a spring-shaped portion. However, the power terminal 60 may also have a spring-shaped portion.

[0059] The held portion 66 is provided with a first locking claw 66A and a second locking claw 66B. The first locking claw 66A and the second locking claw 66B are provided on the outer plate portion 64B. The first locking claw 66A and the second locking claw 66B are spaced apart in the Z direction.

[0060] The first locking claw 66A is located above the second locking claw 66B. The first locking claw 66A is provided in the middle portion of the outer plate portion 64B in the Z direction. The first locking claw 66A is formed by cutting and raising a portion of the middle portion of the outer plate portion 64B in the X direction in the Y direction. The first locking claw 66A locks with the first locking surface 36A. The first locking claw 66A locks with one side (here, the upper side) of the movable housing 30 along the fitting direction. The first locking claw 66A is provided so that it can elastically deform and pass through the locking hole portion 36H1.

[0061] The second locking claw 66B is provided on the lower end of the outer plate portion 64B. The second locking claw 66B is formed by bending the entire lower end of the outer plate portion 64B in the Y direction. The second locking claw 66B locks with the second locking surface 36B. Note that there may or may not be a gap between the second locking claw 66B and the second locking surface 36B in the mating direction, as long as the second locking claw 66B faces the second locking surface 36B so as to be able to lock with the second locking surface 36B from the other side in the mating direction. The second locking claw 66B locks with the movable housing 30 on the other side in the mating direction (here, the lower side). For example, if the power terminal 60 is tilted in the X direction (here, the left-right direction) with respect to the mating direction (here, the up-down direction), the second locking claw 66B abuts against the second locking surface 36B from below, preventing further tilting of the power terminal 60, thereby preventing excessive tilting of the power terminal 60. A portion of the power terminal holding portion 36 of the movable housing 30 is disposed between the first locking claw 66A and the second locking claw 66B.

[0062] The fixed housing 20 also supports the movable housing 30 from the other side (here, the lower side) along the mating direction. For example, the fixed housing 20 supports the movable housing 30 from below by abutting against the protrusion 39 of the movable housing 30 from below. The fixed housing 20 restricts downward movement of the movable housing 30.

[0063] As the power terminal 60 is inserted into the locking hole 36H1 from the tip of the tab terminal portion 65, the first locking claw 66A comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the lower opening of the locking hole 36H1 (here, the second locking surface 36B) and deforms, contracting. Once the first locking claw 66A passes through the locking hole 36H1, it resiliently returns to its original position and locks with the first locking surface 36A. Note that a gap between the first locking claw 66A and the first locking surface 36A in the mating direction may or may not exist, as long as the first locking claw 66A faces the first locking surface 36A so as to be able to lock with the first locking surface 36A. When the movable housing 30 moves upward relative to the first locking claw 66A, the first locking claw 66A abuts against the first locking surface 36A, thereby preventing further upward movement of the movable housing 30.

[0064] The power terminal 60 is held by the power terminal holding portion 36 so as to be movable along the X direction. When the movable housing 30 moves in the X direction, the connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 does not deform, and the second end 64 of the power terminal 60 does not move with the movable housing 30. When the movable housing 30 moves in the X direction, the power terminal 60 and the mating power terminal 90 can be connected while allowing for positional misalignment.

[0065] When the movable housing 30 moves in the Y direction, the connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 deforms, allowing the second end 64 to move with the movable housing 30. The connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 is also provided with an elastic portion 68. The elastic portion 68 extends in a trapezoidal wave shape in the mating direction, similar to the elastic portion 55. Furthermore, a slit 69 extending along the extension direction of the power terminal 60 is formed in the middle portion of the flat plate in the extension direction. This divides the flat plate in the middle portion of the extension direction of the power terminal 60 in the plate width direction. Here, two parallel slits 69 are formed in one flat plate, dividing it into three parts. Alternatively, one slit may be formed in one flat plate, dividing it into two parts. Alternatively, three or more parallel slits 69 may be formed in one flat plate, dividing it into four or more parts. The slit 69 is formed throughout the entire connecting portion 67 in the extension direction. The slit 69 also reaches a part of the first end 61 and a part of the second end 64 .

[0066] The dimension of the connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 along the Y direction is smaller than the dimension along the X direction. The dimension of the connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 along the X direction is the sum of the three sections divided by the slits 69, and is the plate width dimension. The dimension of the connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 along the Y direction is the plate thickness dimension. For this reason, the connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 is more likely to deform in the Y direction than in the X direction. Furthermore, here, the provision of the elastic portion 68 makes the connecting portion 67 of the power terminal 60 more likely to deform in the Y direction.

[0067] Before the floating connector 10 is connected to the mating connector 80, the movable housing 30 is positioned in an initial state. Here, in the initial state, the position of the movable housing 30 in the X and Y directions is, for example, a position where the center of the movable housing 30 coincides with the center of the peripheral wall 21 of the fixed housing 20. Also, in the initial state, the position of the movable housing 30 in the Z direction is, for example, a position where the lower part of the movable housing 30 is supported by the fixed housing 20. Such positioning is performed, for example, as follows.

[0068] The signal terminals 40 fit into the retaining holes 32H and the retaining grooves 33G, thereby positioning the movable housing 30 in the X and Y directions. The power terminals 60 engage with the locking holes 36H1, thereby positioning the movable housing 30 in the Y and Z directions. The lower part of the movable housing 30 is supported by the fixed housing 20, thereby positioning the movable housing 30 in the Z direction. In other words, the positioning of the movable housing 30 in the X direction is determined mainly by the signal terminals 40. The upward positioning of the movable housing 30 in the Z direction is determined mainly by the first locking claws 66A only.

[0069] <Regarding the Mating Connector> The mating connector 80 will be described with further reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the mating connector 80 shown in Fig. 1.

[0070] The mating connector 80 has a mating housing 81, a plurality of mating signal terminals 85, and a plurality of mating power terminals 90. The mating signal terminals 85 are terminals for signal transmission. The mating power terminals 90 are terminals for power supply. The mating connector 80 is fixed to the board B2 with a fixture 87, similar to the floating connector 10. The mating housing 81 holds the plurality of mating terminals 85, 90 in the same arrangement as the plurality of terminals 40, 60. The mating housing 81 has a signal terminal holding portion 82 that holds the mating signal terminals 85, a power terminal holding portion 83 that holds the mating power terminals 90, and a guide portion 84 that contacts the guide receiver 38. A second holding groove 82G is formed in the signal terminal holding portion 82 of the mating housing 81. The signal terminal holding portion 31 of the movable housing 30 is mated with the signal terminal holding portion 82 of the mating connector 80, and the power terminals 60 of the floating connector 10 are mated with the mating power terminals 90 of the mating connector 80. Before these are fitted together, the guide receiving portion 38 and the guide portion 84 come into contact with each other, thereby correcting misalignment in the X and Y directions.

[0071] The guide portions 84 are provided on both ends of the movable housing 30 in the X direction. Two power terminal holding portions 83 are located between the two guide portions 84, and one signal terminal holding portion 82 is located between the two power terminal holding portions 83. The guide portions 84 are the parts that first come into contact with the floating connector 10 when the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80, which are located apart from each other, approach each other in the mating direction. By providing the guide portions 84, any misalignment between the movable housing 30 of the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 in the X direction and Y direction is corrected before the terminals come into contact with each other.

[0072] The mating signal terminal 85 is press-fitted into the holding hole of the signal terminal holding portion 82. The mating signal terminal 85 has a spring-shaped portion 86.

[0073] The mating power terminal 90 has a spring-shaped portion 94 and is formed in a cylindrical shape into which the second end 64 of the power terminal 60 is inserted. The mating power terminal 90 is press-fitted into the holding hole 83H of the power terminal holding portion 83. The mating power terminal 90 has a board connecting portion 91, a cylindrical portion 92, a spring contact portion 95A, and a fixed contact portion 96. The board connecting portion 91 connects the mating power terminal 90 to the board B2. The cylindrical portion 92 surrounds the periphery of the power terminal 60. The cylindrical portion 92 is formed by bending the plate material that constitutes the mating power terminal 90 into a cylindrical shape. In this example, the cylindrical portion 92 is a rectangular cylindrical shape. The cylindrical portion 92 may have other rectangular cylindrical shapes, a cylindrical shape, or the like. The cylindrical portion 92 has a pair of wall portions 92X extending in the X direction and a pair of wall portions 92Y extending in the Y direction. Press-fit protrusions 93 are provided on the outer surfaces of the pair of wall portions 92Y for press-fitting into the power terminal holding portion 83. One of the pair of walls 92X is made up of two layers of overlapping plate material. Of the two layers of plate material, the one located on the inside of the tubular portion 92 is referred to as an inner plate portion 92X1, and the other located on the outside is referred to as an outer plate portion 92X2.

[0074] A portion of the inner plate portion 92X1 is cut and raised toward the inside of the cylindrical portion 92 to form a spring-shaped portion 94. The spring-shaped portion 94 is curved so that the intermediate portion in the Z direction is closest to the other of the pair of wall portions 92X. The plate portion constituting the spring-shaped portion 94 is curved so that the intermediate portion in the X direction (here, the center portion) is located more inward in the cylindrical portion 92 than both end portions in the X direction. The inner surface of the spring-shaped portion 94 is a curved surface that is curved when viewed from the fitting direction. A spring contact portion 95A is provided on the curved surface. The spring contact portion 95A is a portion that comes into contact with and is electrically connected to the power terminal 60. The portion of the curved surface that protrudes most inward of the cylindrical portion 92 is the spring contact portion 95A.

[0075] In the mating power supply terminal 90, of the pair of wall portions 92X, the wall portion 92X facing the spring-shaped portion 94 is provided with a convex fixed contact portion 96 that protrudes toward the spring-shaped portion 94. The spring contact portion 95A and the fixed contact portion 96 are provided at a distance from each other in the Y direction. Because the fixed contact portion 96 is a convex portion, the tab terminal portion 65 can be firmly clamped between the convex fixed contact portion 96 and the spring contact portion 95A.

[0076] Furthermore, in the mating power terminal 90, a cut-and-raised piece 97 may be formed on a portion of the outer plate portion 92X2 that faces a portion of the inner plate portion 92X1 that includes the spring contact portion 95A. When the power terminal 60 is not connected, the distance in the Y direction between the spring contact portion 95A and the fixed contact portion 96 is smaller than the thickness of the tab terminal 65 (here, the thickness of two overlapping plates). When the fixed contact portion 96 and the spring contact portion 95A clamp the tab terminal 65, the spring-shaped portion 94 bends toward the outer plate portion 92X2. At this time, the cut-and-raised piece 97 prevents the spring-shaped portion 94 from bending too far toward the outer plate portion 92X2.

[0077] <Mating Between Floating Connector and Mating Connector> When connecting the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80, the worker moves the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 relative to each other in the mating direction. Here, the boards B1 and B2 are moved relative to each other in the mating direction.

[0078] When the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 approach each other, if there is no misalignment in the X and Y directions between the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80, the signal terminal holding portions 31, 82 will fit together as they are, and the power terminal holding portions 36, 83 will fit together, without the movable housing 30 moving. As a result, the signal terminals 40, 85 will be electrically connected to each other, and the power terminals 60, 90 will be electrically connected to each other.

[0079] When the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 approach each other, if there is a misalignment between the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 in the X or Y direction, the guide portion 84 of the mating connector 80 contacts and is guided by the guide receiving portion 38 of the floating connector 10, and the movable housing 30 moves in the direction of the misalignment. Here, one side of one guide portion 84 facing outward in the X direction and two side surfaces facing outward in the Y direction each have a guide surface inclined with respect to the Z direction at their respective tips. The guide surfaces facing outward in the X direction of the two guide portions 84 form a pair of guide surfaces in the X direction. Furthermore, the guide surfaces facing outward in the Y direction of the two guide portions 84 form two pairs of guide surfaces in the Y direction. Below, the correction of misalignment in the X and Y directions will be described in more detail. If there is a misalignment between the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 in both the X and Y directions, the misalignment in both the X and Y directions is corrected.

[0080] <Regarding correction of misalignment in the X direction> When the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 are misaligned in the X direction, one of a pair of guide surfaces in the X direction of the mating connector 80 comes into contact with the tip of one of the pair of wall portions 37Y of the movable housing 30. As a result, the movable housing 30 receives a force in the X direction from the mating connector 80, and the movable housing 30 moves in the X direction.

[0081] When the movable housing 30 moves in the X direction due to the force from the guide portion 84, the second end 48 of the signal terminal 40 receives the force from the movable housing 30 at the contact surface with the movable housing 30. This causes the elastic portion 55 of the signal terminal 40 to elastically deform, and the second end 48 of the signal terminal 40 moves following the movable housing 30.

[0082] Meanwhile, the movable housing 30 is also movable in the X direction relative to a portion of the power terminal 60 that includes the second end 64. Here, the dimension of the locking hole 36H1 in the X direction is larger than the dimension of the held portion 66. Even if the movable housing 30 moves in the X direction, the second end 64 of the power terminal 60 is not in contact with the movable housing 30 and is therefore not subjected to force from the movable housing 30. Therefore, although the power terminal holding portion 36 of the movable housing 30 moves in the X direction, the second end 64 of the power terminal 60 does not move.

[0083] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 , the power terminal 60 includes a pair of first outer surfaces 64A facing opposite each other in the X direction. The movable housing 30 includes a pair of first inner surfaces 36C covering the pair of first outer surfaces 64A, respectively. For example, in the X direction, the inner surfaces of the retaining holes 36H of the movable housing 30 are the first inner surfaces 36C, and the outer surfaces of the portions of the power terminal 60 that fit into the retaining holes 36H are the first outer surfaces 64A. In the initial state, the opposing surfaces of the pair of first outer surfaces 64A and the pair of first inner surfaces 36C are spaced apart from each other. The distance DX1 shown in FIG. 6 is the distance between the opposing first outer surfaces 64A and first inner surfaces 36C in the initial state.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 6 , the movable housing 30 includes a pair of second outer surfaces 37YA facing opposite each other along the X direction. The fixed housing 20 includes a pair of second inner surfaces 21YA covering the pair of second outer surfaces 37YA, respectively. For example, the second outer surfaces 37YA are outer surfaces of the wall portion 37Y, and the second inner surfaces 21YA are inner surfaces of the wall portion 21Y. In the initial state, opposing surfaces of the pair of second outer surfaces 37YA and the pair of second inner surfaces 21YA are spaced apart from each other. The distance DX2 shown in FIG. 6 is the distance between the opposing second outer surfaces 37YA and second inner surfaces 21YA in the initial state.

[0085] The distance DX2 is, for example, the amount of movement of the movable housing 30 on one side in the X direction relative to the fixed housing 20. Even at the other end in the X direction (not shown), the outer surface of the wall 37Y of the movable housing 30 faces the inner surface of the wall 21Y of the fixed housing 20 across the distance DX2. In the initial state, the movable housing 30 can move by the distance DX2 on both sides in the X direction.

[0086] 6 is the distance between the inner surfaces of the pair of wall portions 92Y of the tubular portion 92. The distance DX3 is approximately equal to the sum of the dimension of the tab terminal portion 65 in the X direction and twice the dimension of the distance DX1. For example, if there is a small clearance between the movable housing 30 and the mating housing 81 in the X direction, the distance DX3 may be slightly smaller than the sum of the dimension of the tab terminal portion 65 in the X direction and twice the dimension of the distance DX1 by the amount of the clearance. This clearance may be equal to or smaller than one-tenth of the distance DX1.

[0087] In this embodiment, the distance DX1 is the same as the distance DX2. This allows the movable housing 30 to move relative to the power terminal 60 in the X direction by the same amount as the movable amount of the movable housing 30 relative to the fixed housing 20. As a result, when the movable housing 30 moves in the X direction relative to the fixed housing 20, the amount of movement of the second end 64 of the power terminal 60 is substantially zero. This means that the second end 64 of the power terminal 60 does not need to deform in the X direction so as to follow the movable housing 30. This allows for a reduction in the mating force.

[0088] The spring contact portion 95A of the mating power terminal 90 and the tab terminal portion 65 of the power terminal 60 are in point-to-surface contact (point-surface contact). Here, when misalignment in the X direction is corrected, the position of the tab terminal portion 65 of the power terminal 60 along the X direction within the tubular portion 92 of the mating power terminal 90 may change. In this case, regardless of the position of the tab terminal portion 65 along the X direction within the tubular portion 92, approximately the same portion of the spring contact portion 95A contacts the tab terminal portion 65 of the power terminal 60. On the other hand, when misalignment in the X direction is corrected, the portion of the tab terminal portion 65 that contacts the spring contact portion 95A may change.

[0089] As described above, if there is misalignment between the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 in the X direction, the movable housing 30 and the second ends 48 of the signal terminals 40 move to correct the misalignment. The second ends 64 of the power terminals 60 do not move, and are connected to the mating power terminals 90 while allowing for misalignment.

[0090] <Regarding Correction of Positional Misalignment in the Y Direction> When the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 are misaligned in the Y direction, of the two pairs of guide surfaces in the Y direction of the mating connector 80, the two guide surfaces on one side along the Y direction come into contact with the tip of one of the pair of wall portions 37X of the movable housing 30. As a result, the movable housing 30 receives a force in the Y direction from the mating connector 80. As a result, the movable housing 30 moves in the Y direction relative to the fixed housing 20.

[0091] When the movable housing 30 moves in the Y direction due to the force from the guide portion 84, the second ends 48 of the signal terminals 40 and the second ends 64 of the power terminals 60 receive a force from the movable housing 30 at their contact surfaces with the movable housing 30. For example, when the movable housing 30 moves right from the state shown in FIG. 4 , the left and right power terminals 60 each receive a rightward force from the inner surfaces of the locking holes 36H1 that face right in the Y direction. Similarly, when the movable housing 30 moves right from the state shown in FIG. 5 , the right signal terminal 40 receives a rightward force from the inner surface 32B and the bottom surface of the retaining groove 33G. The left signal terminal 40 receives a rightward force from the inner surface 32A. As a result, the elastic portions 55 of the signal terminals 40 and the elastic portions 68 of the power terminals 60 elastically deform, causing the second ends 48 of the signal terminals 40 and the second ends 64 of the power terminals 60 to move in accordance with the movable housing 30. This corrects the positional deviation between the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 along the Y direction.

[0092] If there is misalignment in the X or Y direction between the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80, the misalignment is corrected as described above. When the floating connector 10 and the mating connector 80 move closer in the mating direction after the misalignment in the X and Y directions has been corrected, the signal terminal holding portions 31, 82 mate with each other, and the power terminal holding portions 36, 83 mate with each other. As a result, the signal terminals 40, 85 are electrically connected to each other, and the power terminals 60, 90 are electrically connected to each other.

[0093] The spring-shaped portion 86 of the mating signal terminal 85 comes into contact between the spring-shaped portion 50 and the second held portion 51 of the signal terminal 40. The distance between the spring-shaped portion 50 of the signal terminal 40 and the second held portion 51 is longer than the length of the spring-shaped portion 86 of the mating signal terminal 85. If the positions of the boards B1 and B2 are misaligned in the Z direction, the position at which the spring-shaped portion 86 of the mating signal terminal 85 comes into contact with the signal terminal 40 along the Z direction changes. In addition, the tab terminal portion 65 of the power terminal 60 extends linearly. The insertion amount of the tab terminal portion 65 of the power terminal 60 into the tubular portion 92 of the mating power terminal 90 is changeable. If the positions of the boards B1 and B2 are misaligned in the Z direction, the insertion amount of the power terminal 60 into the mating power terminal 90 changes. As a result, misalignment in the Z direction is also absorbed.

[0094] <Regarding the Signal Terminal and Its Surrounding Structure> The signal terminal 40 and its surrounding structure will be described with further reference to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 are explanatory diagrams showing a state in which the signal terminal 40 according to the first embodiment is mated with a mating signal terminal 85. Fig. 11 shows a state in which the movable housing 30 is mated while remaining in its initial position, and Fig. 12 shows a state in which the movable housing 30 has moved to the right side of the drawing and is mated.

[0095] The movable housing 30 has a second end retaining portion 31A, an inner wall portion 34W, and a first outer wall portion 35W. The second end retaining portion 31A retains the second end 48 of the signal terminal 40. Here, the portion of the signal terminal retaining portion 31 of the movable housing 30 where the retaining hole 32H is formed is the second end retaining portion 31A. The inner wall portion 34W protrudes from the second end retaining portion 31A and covers the connecting portion 54 of the signal terminal 40 from the inside along the first direction. Here, the wall portion including the outer surface of the third block portion 34 of the movable housing 30 on the outside in the Y direction is the inner wall portion 34W. The first outer wall portion 35W protrudes from the second end retaining portion 31A and covers the connecting portion 54 from the outside along the first direction. The first outer wall portion 35W is provided to face the inner wall portion 34W in the Y direction.

[0096] The first outer wall portion 35W protrudes downward from the outer portion of the lower opening periphery of the retaining hole 32H along the Y direction. The surface of the first outer wall portion 35W facing inward in the Y direction is the inner surface that faces the signal terminal 40. The inner surface of the first outer wall portion 35W is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the fitting direction. The inner surface of the first outer wall portion 35W is an inclined surface that gradually narrows toward the opening of the retaining hole 32H.

[0097] As described above, the signal terminals 40 are individually passed through the retaining holes 32H. In contrast, no wall is provided between the inner wall portion 34W and the first outer wall portion 35W to separate the signal terminals 40 lined up in the X direction. Therefore, the space between the inner wall portion 34W and the first outer wall portion 35W is a space through which the signal terminals 40 lined up in the X direction are collectively passed.

[0098] The connecting portion 54 has a second end extending portion 54A that protrudes from the second end holding portion 31A toward the fixed housing 20, and an intermediate extending portion 54C that extends from the second end extending portion 54A toward the inner wall portion 34W. The intermediate extending portion 54C contacts the inner wall portion 34W. In this case, the second end extending portion 54A is the portion of the connecting portion 54 above the elastic portion 55. In this case, the intermediate extending portion 54C is the intermediate portion 55C of the elastic portion 55 and the offset portion 55B above it. In the initial state, the intermediate portion 55C is closer to being parallel to the mating direction than the offset portions 55A and 55B.

[0099] When the movable housing 30 is in an initial state, the intermediate portion 55C of the intermediate extending portion 54C contacts the inner wall portion 34W. A part of the intermediate portion 55C on the offset portion 55B side contacts the inner wall portion 34W. A part of the intermediate portion 55C on the offset portion 55A side is separated from the inner wall portion 34W in the Y direction and does not contact the inner wall portion 34W.

[0100] The inner wall portion 34W has an upper wall portion 34W1, an intermediate wall portion 34W2, and a lower wall portion 34W3. The outer surfaces of the upper wall portion 34W1 and the lower wall portion 34W3 are planes extending parallel to the XZ plane. The outer surface of the upper wall portion 34W1 protrudes outward in the Y direction beyond the outer surface of the lower wall portion 34W3. The outer surface of the intermediate wall portion 34W2 is a surface inclined with respect to the XZ plane and connects the outer surfaces of the upper wall portion 34W1 and the lower wall portion 34W3. An intermediate portion 55C contacts the lower portion of the upper wall portion 34W1. The lower end of the upper wall portion 34W1 protrudes downward beyond the lower end of the first outer wall portion 35W. The intermediate portion 55C contacts the portion of the upper wall portion 34W1 that protrudes downward beyond the lower end of the first outer wall portion 35W. The outer surface of the intermediate wall portion 34W2 is spaced inward in the Y direction from the upper end to the lower end relative to the intermediate portion 55C.

[0101] The fixed housing 20 has a first end holding portion 23A that holds the first end 42, and a second outer wall portion 21X1 that protrudes from the first end holding portion 23A and covers the connecting portion 54 from the outside along the first direction. Here, the first end holding portion 23A is the portion of the signal terminal holding portion 23 of the fixed housing 20 where the first hole portion of the holding hole 23H is formed. Additionally, the second outer wall portion 21X1 is the portion of the wall portion 21X that is located at the top of the middle portion in the X direction.

[0102] The second outer wall portion 21X1 has a lower wall portion 21X2 and an upper wall portion 21X3. The lower wall portion 21X2 is located below the upper wall portion 21X3. The lower wall portion 21X2 protrudes upward from a portion of the periphery of the first hole portion of the retaining hole 23H that is located on the outer side in the Y direction. The upper end of the upper wall portion 21X3 is the tip of the second outer wall portion 21X1. The inner and outer surfaces of the lower wall portion 21X2 along the Y direction extend parallel to the XZ plane. The inner and outer surfaces of the upper wall portion 21X3 along the Y direction are inclined with respect to the XZ plane. The inner and outer surfaces of the upper wall portion 21X3 along the Y direction gradually protrude outward in the Y direction from the lower end to the upper end.

[0103] The connecting portion 54 has a first end-side extending portion 54B that protrudes from the first end holding portion 23A. In this case, the first end-side extending portion 54B is the portion that extends downward from the offset portion 55A and extends upward beyond the holding hole 23H.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 5 , when the movable housing 30 is in the initial state, the first end extension portion 54B contacts the second outer wall portion 21X1. Here, the first end extension portion 54B contacts the inner surface of the lower wall portion 21X2. Here, the entire first end extension portion 54B contacts the inner surface of the lower wall portion 21X2. The offset portion 55A extends inward in the Y direction so as to move away from the inner surface of the lower wall portion 21X2. The inner surface of the retaining hole 23H that is located outward in the Y direction is flush with the inner surface of the lower wall portion 21X2, and the signal terminal 40 also contacts this inner surface of the retaining hole 23H.

[0105] In the mating direction, the tip (here, the lower end) of the first outer wall portion 35W and the tip (here, the upper end of the upper wall portion 21X3) of the second outer wall portion 21X1 are located at positions corresponding to the tip of the second-end-side extending portion 54A. The lower end of the first outer wall portion 35W and the upper end of the upper wall portion 21X3 are spaced apart in the Z direction. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 11 , when the movable housing 30 is in its initial state, the upper end of the upper wall portion 21X3 is located further outward in the Y direction than the lower end of the first outer wall portion 35W. As shown in FIG. 12 , when the movable housing 30 has moved nearly its maximum in the Y direction, the upper end of the upper wall portion 21X3 on the side to which the movable housing 30 has moved (the right side of the drawing) is located at approximately the same position in the Y direction as the lower end of the first outer wall portion 35W.

[0106] The upper end of the upper wall portion 21X3 of the second outer wall portion 21X1 is located higher than the lower end of the upper wall portion 34W1 of the inner wall portion 34W. The second outer wall portion 21X1 faces the lower part of the upper wall portion 34W1 of the inner wall portion 34W, the middle wall portion 34W2, and the lower wall portion 34W3. The upper end of the upper wall portion 21X3 of the second outer wall portion 21X1 may be located lower than the tip of the second end-side extending portion 54A.

[0107] Figure 12 shows a state in which the movable housing 30 has moved nearly to the right in the Y direction. When the movable housing 30 moves to the right in the Y direction from the initial position in Figure 5 as shown in Figure 12, the outer surface of the signal terminal 40 facing left and the portion in contact with the movable housing 30 receive a rightward force from the movable housing 30. Specifically, in the signal terminal 40 on the right side of the drawing, the portion continuing above the upper bent portion 52 and the upper part of the middle portion 55C receive a rightward force from the movable housing 30. In addition, in the signal terminal 40 on the left side of the drawing, the portion continuing below the lower bent portion 52 receives a rightward force from the movable housing 30.

[0108] As shown in Figure 12 , in the signal terminal 40 on the side where the movable housing 30 has moved (the right side of the drawing), the upper portion of the intermediate portion 55C that contacts the inner wall 34W and the portion above it remain in contact with the movable housing 30 and do not deform significantly. Similarly, in the signal terminal 40 on the right side of the drawing in Figure 12 , the first-end extending portion 54B that contacts the lower wall 21X2 and the portion below it remain in contact with the fixed housing 20 and do not deform significantly. In the signal terminal 40 on the right side of the drawing in Figure 12 , the portion of the intermediate portion 55C between the upper portion that contacts the inner wall 34W and the first-end extending portion 54B that contacts the lower wall 21X2 mainly elastically deforms. In the signal terminal 40 on the right side of the drawing in Figure 12 , the portion of the intermediate portion 55C below the portion that contacts the inner wall 34W deforms to conform to the intermediate wall 34W2.

[0109] Furthermore, when the movable housing 30 has moved nearly to its maximum extent in the Y direction, the signal terminal 40 on the side opposite to the side to which the movable housing 30 has moved (the left side of the drawing) retains its contact with the movable housing 30, with the portion of the signal terminal 40 that fits within the retaining hole 32H of the movable housing 30 and its upper portion remaining in contact with the movable housing 30 and not significantly deforming. Similarly, the signal terminal 40 on the left side of the drawing in FIG. 12 retains its contact with the fixed housing 20, with the portion of the signal terminal 40 that fits within the retaining hole 23H of the fixed housing 20 and its lower portion remaining in contact with the fixed housing 20 and not significantly deforming. In the signal terminal 40 on the left side of the drawing in FIG. 12, the portion between the portion that fits within the retaining hole 23H and the portion that fits within the retaining hole 32H primarily undergoes elastic deformation. In the signal terminal 40 on the left side of the drawing in FIG. 12, the second end-side extension portion 54A deforms to conform to the inclined surface of the first outer wall portion 35W. Furthermore, the contact between the intermediate portion 55C and the upper wall portion 34W1 may be released. Furthermore, the contact state between the first end extension portion 54B and the lower wall portion 21X2 can be released.

[0110] <Effects, etc.> In the floating connector 10 configured as described above, the movable housing 30 includes the first outer wall portion 35W. This allows the first outer wall portion 35W to move when the movable housing 30 moves, enabling the first outer wall portion 35W to closely cover the connecting portion 54 of the signal terminal 40, even in the moving state. This reduces the air gap around the connecting portion 54, suppressing impedance mismatch and achieving good communication performance in the connector device. Specifically, the impedance of a terminal is more likely to be reduced when it is covered with a resin layer than when it is covered with an air gap. Therefore, by covering portions of the signal terminal 40 where impedance increases with a resin layer as much as possible, the increase in impedance can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the floating connector 10, when the movable housing 30 moves and the signal terminal 40 deforms as shown in FIG. 12 , the relationship between the signal terminal 40 and the surrounding resin portion and air gap changes from its initial state, which may affect the impedance. Even when the signal terminal 40 deforms in this way, the present disclosure makes it easy to suppress impedance mismatch.

[0111] Furthermore, the connecting portion 54 has a second end extending portion 54A that protrudes from the second end holding portion 31A toward the fixed housing 20, and an intermediate extending portion 54C (extending portion) that extends from the second end extending portion 54A toward the inner wall portion 34W, and the intermediate extending portion 54C (extending portion) comes into contact with the inner wall portion 34W. This makes it possible to reduce the air layer around the connecting portion 54, making it easier to suppress impedance mismatching.

[0112] Furthermore, the first end extension 54B comes into contact with the second outer wall 21X1, which reduces the air space around the connecting portion 54, making it easier to suppress impedance mismatching.

[0113] In addition, the first end extending portion 54B contacts the second outer wall portion 21X1, and the extending portion contacts the inner wall portion 34W. This reduces the air layer around the connecting portion 54, making it easier to suppress impedance mismatching.

[0114] In addition, in the fitting direction, the tip of the first outer wall portion 35W and the tip of the second outer wall portion 21X1 are located at positions corresponding to the tip of the second end-side extending portion 54A. This allows the first outer wall portion 35W to be as long as possible while minimizing the inhibition of elastic deformation of the connecting portion 54.

[0115] Furthermore, the inner surface of the first outer wall portion 35W that faces the signal terminal 40 is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the fitting direction, which makes it possible to prevent the connecting portion 54 from coming into strong contact with the first outer wall portion 35W when it deforms.

[0116] [Note] Although the second outer wall portion 21X1 has been described above as being provided, this is not a required configuration. The second outer wall portion 21X1 does not have to be provided. In this case, the first outer wall portion 35W may extend to the position of the first end retaining portion 23A.

[0117] The configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0118] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Connector (floating connector) 20 Fixed housing 21 Peripheral wall 21X, 21Y, 36X, 37X, 37Y, 92X, 92Y Wall portion 21X1 Second outer wall portion 21X2 Lower wall portion 21X3 Upper wall portion 21YA Second inner surface 22 Bottom block portion 23, 31, 82 Signal terminal holding portion 23A First end holding portion 23H, 24H, 32H, 36H, 83H Holding hole 24, 36, 83 Power terminal holding portion 25 Housing support portion 29 Fixture holding portion 30 Movable housing 31A Second end holding portion 32 First block portion 32A, 32B Inner surface 33 Second block portion 33G Holding groove 34 Third block portion 34W Inner wall portion 34W1 Upper wall portion 34W2 Intermediate wall portion 34W3 Lower wall portion 35W First outer wall portion 36A First locking surface 36B Second locking surface 36C First inner surface 36H1 Locking hole portion 36H2 Accommodation hole portion 37 Hood portion 37YA Second outer surface 38 Guide receiving portion 39 Projection portion 40 Signal terminal 42, 61 First end portion 43, 62, 91 Board connection part 44 First held part 45, 63A, 93 Press-fit protrusion 48, 64 Second end part 49 Terminal part 50 Spring-shaped part 51 Second held part 52 Bent part 54, 67 Connecting part 54A Second end side extension part 54B First end side extension part 54C Intermediate extension part (extension part) 55 Elastic part 55A, 55B Offset portion 55C Intermediate portion 60 Power terminal 64A First outer surface 65 Tab terminal portion 66 Held portion 66A First locking claw 66B Second locking claw 68 Elastic portion 69 Slit 70, 87 Fixing device 80 Mating connector 81 Mating housing 84 Guide portion 85 Mating signal terminal 90 Mating power terminal 92 Cylindrical portion 92X1 Inner plate portion 92X2 Outer plate portion 94 Spring-shaped portion 95A Spring contact portion 96 Fixed contact portion 97 Cut-and-raised piece 100 Connector device B1, B2 Board

Claims

1. A floating connector into which a mating connector is mated, comprising: a fixed housing; a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing along a first direction intersecting the mating direction of the mating connector; and a signal terminal bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing, wherein the signal terminal includes a first end held by the fixed housing, a second end held by the movable housing, and a connecting portion connecting the first end and the second end, wherein the connecting portion is elastically deformed when the movable housing moves along the first direction so that the second end can follow the movable housing, and the movable housing has a second end holding portion which holds the second end, an inner wall portion protruding from the second end holding portion and covering the connecting portion from the inside along the first direction, and a first outer wall portion protruding from the second end holding portion and covering the connecting portion from the outside along the first direction.

2. A floating connector as described in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion has a second end side extending portion that protrudes from the second end holding portion toward the fixed housing, and an extending portion that extends from the second end side extending portion, and the extending portion contacts the inner wall portion.

3. A floating connector as described in claim 1, wherein the fixed housing has a first end holding portion that holds the first end, and a second outer wall portion that protrudes from the first end holding portion and covers the connecting portion from the outside along the first direction, the connecting portion has a first end side extending portion that protrudes from the first end holding portion toward the movable housing, and the first end side extending portion contacts the second outer wall portion.

4. A floating connector as described in claim 1, wherein the fixed housing has a first end retaining portion that retains the first end, and a second outer wall portion that protrudes from the first end retaining portion and covers the connecting portion from the outside along the first direction, and the connecting portion has a first end side extending portion that protrudes from the first end retaining portion toward the movable housing, a second end side extending portion that protrudes from the second end retaining portion toward the fixed housing, and an extending portion that extends in a trapezoidal wave shape from the first end side extending portion to the second end side extending portion, and the first end side extending portion contacts the second outer wall portion and the extending portion contacts the inner wall portion.

5. A floating connector as described in claim 4, wherein, in the mating direction, the tip of the first outer wall portion and the tip of the second outer wall portion are located at positions corresponding to the tip of the second end side extension portion.

6. A floating connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inner surface of the first outer wall portion facing the signal terminal is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the mating direction.

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