Connector cover and connector assembly

Abstract

A connector cover (5) is provided with a conductive turning cover (31) that is separated from a contact part (3b) of a card (3) at a first position (P1) and faces the contact part (3b) at a second position (P2). The turning cover (31) is provided with: a cover body (31a) that covers the contact part (3b) when positioned at the second position (P2); a shell-contacting part that comes into contact with a shell (30) when positioned at the second position (P2); and a ground-contacting part (50) that, when positioned at the second position (P2), comes into contact with a conductive shield case (3c) which is for grounding and is formed in the card (3). When positioned at the second position (P2), another-side edge (W1), which is positioned on the side opposite to one-side edge of the cover body (31a) that is closer to an insertion port (10a), is either positioned between the contact part (3b) and another edge (W3) which is positioned on the side opposite to one edge (V3) of the card (3), or, compared to the contact part (3b), is positioned closer to the other edge (W3) of the card (3).

Description

Connector cover and connector assembly

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector cover and a connector assembly.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a card edge connector as an electrical connector that electrically connects an internal circuit formed on a card with an internal circuit formed on a board. This card edge connector is provided with a conductive shield case that covers the top, back, and sides of a housing into which a card is inserted and functions as an electromagnetic wave shield to block electromagnetic waves radiated from the internal circuit of the card.

[0003] Chinese Utility Model No. 214754502

[0004] In this card edge connector, the front of the housing where the card is inserted is not covered with a shielding case, so the contact points of the card inserted into the housing remain exposed to the outside, which can lead to electromagnetic waves radiating from the card edge connector (card contact points) leaking to the outside and causing noise to affect external circuits, or external electromagnetic waves entering the contact points and causing noise to affect them.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to provide a connector cover and a connector assembly that can suppress the effects of noise due to electromagnetic waves by covering the contact portions of a card.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a connector cover according to a first aspect of the present invention is a connector cover for covering an electrical connector that electrically connects a plate-shaped connection object and a circuit board, wherein the electrical connector comprises: an insulating housing having a front surface formed with an insertion opening into which one end of the connection object is inserted with a wide surface of the connection object facing the main surface of the circuit board, and a bottom surface facing the main surface of the circuit board; and conductive contacts attached to the housing, the conductive contacts having a board connection portion that connects to the circuit board and a contact portion that comes into contact with a contact portion formed on the connection object inserted into the insertion opening; the connector cover comprises: a conductive shell that covers the outer surface of the housing excluding the bottom surface and the front surface of the housing and is connected to the circuit board; and a conductive rotating cover attached to the shell so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position, being separated from the contact portion of the connection object at the first position and facing the contact portion at the second position, the rotating cover comprising: a cover main body that covers the contact portion when positioned at the second position; and a shell contact portion that comes into contact with the shell when positioned at the second position. and a ground contact portion that comes into contact with a conductive shield case for grounding formed on the connection object when the cover is located at the second position, and when the cover is located at the second position, the other end located opposite to the one end of the cover body closer to the insertion opening is located between the contact portion and the other end located opposite to the one end of the connection object, or is located closer to the other end of the connection object than the contact portion.

[0007] a conductive shell that covers the outer surface of the housing excluding the bottom and front surfaces of the housing and is connected to the circuit board; and a conductive rotating cover that is attached to the shell so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position, the conductive rotating cover being spaced apart from the contact portions of the connection object at the first position and facing the contact portions at the second position, wherein the rotating cover comprises: a cover main body that covers the contact portions when located at the second position; a shell contact portion that contacts the shell when located at the second position; and a ground contact portion that contacts a conductive shield case for grounding formed on the connection object when located at the second position. When positioned in the second position, the other end of the cover body, which is located opposite one end of the cover body closer to the insertion opening, is located between the contact portion and the other end, which is located opposite one end of the connection object, or is located closer to the other end of the connection object than the contact portion.

[0008] According to the present invention, the influence of noise due to electromagnetic waves can be suppressed by covering the contact portion of the card.

[0009] 10 is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a card according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a connector cover (first position) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a connector cover (second position) of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2B is a partial cross-section of the connector assembly and card excluding the housing, taken along line III-III of FIG. 2B. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a shell seen through the shell. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shaft portion of the shell. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a rotating cover attached to the shaft portion of the shell. FIG. 15 is a schematic view of an engaging portion engaging with a card. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a connector assembly in a state where a card is not inserted. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a connector assembly in a state where the rotating cover is in a first position after the card has been released from locking by a bolt. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a connector assembly in a state where the rotating cover is engaged with a card after the card has been released from locking by a bolt. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a connector assembly and a card according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a connector cover (first position) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of the engaging portion of FIG. 10. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a connector assembly (excluding the rotating cover) and a card according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 13B is a perspective view of the connector assembly (including the pivoting cover) and the card of FIG. 13A. FIG.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following embodiments, the terms "have," "include," or "contain" also mean "consist of" or "consist of."

[0011] First Embodiment First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figure 1, an electrical connector 1 electrically connects a substrate 2, which serves as a circuit board, to a card 3, which serves as a plate-like connection object. The electrical connector 1 is mounted on a main surface 2a of the substrate 2 by soldering or the like. Electrodes 2b are formed on the main surface 2a, and the electrical connector 1 connects to the electrodes 2b.

[0012] 2A and 2B, the connector cover 5 is a cover that covers the electrical connector 1. The electrical connector 1 and the connector cover 5 are components of a connector assembly 100, which will be described later.

[0013] In this embodiment, the electrical connector 1, connector cover 5, and connector assembly 100 will be described with reference to a three-axis Cartesian coordinate system consisting of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The plane along the main surface 2a of the substrate 2 is the XY plane, and the normal direction to the main surface 2a is the Z-axis direction. The card 3 is inserted into the electrical connector 1 along the +Y direction.

[0014] The card 3 is, for example, an M.2 (M.2) card. The M.2 standard specifies the form factor and connection terminals for built-in expansion cards for computers. The card 3 has a main body with a rectangular outer edge and wide front and back surfaces 3a. An internal circuit (not shown), such as memory, is formed in the main body. The card 3 has a contact portion 3b, which is an electrode connected to the internal circuit, formed at one end of the main body (the end in the +Y direction in FIG. 1 ). The electrical connector 1 connects to the contact portion 3b, establishing electrical continuity between the electrode 2b of the board 2 and the contact portion 3b of the card 3.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, an array of contact points 3b is formed at the edge of the card 3. In fact, as shown in Fig. 3, the array of contact points 3b is formed in one row at the edge of one wide surface 3a and in another row at the edge of the other wide surface 3a on the back side of the wide surface 3a. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the contact points 3b formed on the wide surface 3a facing in the -Z direction are referred to as contact points 3ba, and the contact points 3b formed on the wide surface 3a facing in the +Z direction are referred to as contact points 3bb.

[0016] An array of contact portions 3ba and an array of contact portions 3bb are formed on card 3. The arrangement pitch of contact portions 3ba and the arrangement pitch of contact portions 3bb are the same, and the positions of contact portions 3ba are shifted by half the arrangement pitch in the arrangement direction (the X-axis direction in FIG. 1 ) from the positions of contact portions 3bb.

[0017] Correspondingly, an array of electrodes 2b is formed on the main surface 2a of the substrate 2, aligned in the X-axis direction, with the same number and arrangement pitch as the contact portions 3b of the card 3. The electrodes 2b are formed in two rows in the Y-axis direction on the card 3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the array of electrodes 2ba is formed as an array of electrodes 2b closer to the −Y direction corresponding to the array of contact portions 3ba, and the array of electrodes 2bb is formed as an array of electrodes 2b closer to the +Y direction corresponding to the array of contact portions 3bb. The arrangement pitch of the electrodes 2ba, 2bb in each row is the same as that of the contact portions 3ba, 3bb, and the positions of the electrodes 2b in the X-axis direction are shifted by half the arrangement pitch in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) between rows.

[0018] The electrical connector 1 connects the electrodes 2b of the substrate 2 to the contact points 3b of the card 3 in a one-to-one relationship. A plurality of electrodes 2c are arranged on the main surface 2a so as to surround the arrangement of the electrodes 2b. The electrodes 2c are, for example, ground electrodes.

[0019] [Electrical Connector] The following describes the configuration of the electrical connector 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the electrical connector 1 includes a housing 10 as a base body, and contacts 11 as terminals that connect electrodes 2b of the board 2 and contact portions 3b of the card 3.

[0020] The housing 10 is made of an insulating material, such as resin. The housing 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the X-axis direction as its longitudinal direction. The housing 10 has a bottom surface F1 (see FIG. 3 ) facing the board 2, a top surface F2 on the opposite side, a front surface F3 facing the card 3 in FIG. 1 , a back surface F4 (see FIG. 4 ) on the opposite side, and two side surfaces F5 at both ends in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction).

[0021] The housing 10 is mounted on the substrate 2 so that the front face F3 faces the -Y direction. An insertion slot 10a is formed on the front face F3 of the housing 10, into which one end of a card 3 on which a contact portion 3b is formed is inserted. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the card 3 is inserted into the insertion slot 10a with its wide surface 3a facing the main surface 2a of the substrate 2. Since the wide surface 3a facing the main surface 2a must be the wide surface 3a on which the contact portion 3ba is formed, a mechanism is provided to prevent the card 3 from being inserted into the insertion slot 10a by aligning the wide surface 3a on which the contact portion 3bb is formed with the main surface 2a. A slit 3e is formed on one end of the card 3 on which the contact portion 3b is formed. The slit 3e is formed at a position offset from the center of the card 3 in the X-axis direction. Meanwhile, a partition 10b is formed in the insertion slot 10a of the housing 10. The partition 10b is formed to match the position of the slit 3e in the X-axis direction. Since the slit 3e is formed offset from the center of the card 3, when the card 3 is turned upside down, the position of the slit 3e and the position of the partition 10b do not match, one end of the card 3 abuts against the partition 10b, and the card 3 cannot be inserted into the insertion slot 10a.

[0022] The contacts 11 are made of a conductive material, such as metal. Specifically, the contacts 11 are formed, for example, by stamping a metal plate. As shown in FIG. 3 , the multiple contacts 11 each include a locking portion 20, a board connection portion 21, and a contact portion 22. While the housing 10 is not shown in FIG. 3 for clarity, the locking portion 20 actually locks into the housing 10. This attaches the contacts 11 to the housing 10. The board connection portion 21 is connected to an electrode 2b of the board 2 by soldering or the like. The contact portion 22 contacts a contact portion 3b of the card 3 inserted into the insertion slot 10a. The contact portion 3b of the card 3 and the electrode 2b of the board 2 are electrically connected via the contacts 11.

[0023] The electrical connector 1 includes a plurality of contacts 11. The contacts 11 are arranged in the X-axis direction to correspond to the arrangement of the contact portions 3b of the card 3 and the arrangement of the electrodes 2b of the board 2. The contacts 11 are arranged in two rows in the X-axis direction, side by side in the Y-axis direction. The number of contacts 11 in each row is the same as the number of contact portions 3ba, 3bb in the arrangement of the contact portions 3ba, 3bb of the card 3, the arrangement pitch is also the same as the arrangement of the contact portions 3ba, 3bb, and the positions of the contacts 11 in each row in the X-axis direction are shifted by half the arrangement pitch.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, of the contacts 11, the contacts 11 in the row closer to the -Y direction are referred to as contacts 11a, and the contacts 11 in the row closer to the +Y direction are referred to as contacts 11b. The contact portion 22 of contact 11a comes into contact with the contact portion 3ba of the contact portions 3b of the card 3 inserted into the insertion slot 10a that is closer to the -Z direction. The contact portion 22 of contact 11b comes into contact with the contact portion 3bb of the contact portions 3b of the card 3 inserted into the insertion slot 10a that is closer to the +Z direction. This forms a transmission line from the contact portion 3ba inserted into the insertion slot 10a closer to the -Z direction, contact 11a, to electrode 2ba, and from the contact portion 3bb inserted into the insertion slot 10a closer to the +Z direction, contact 11b, to electrode 2bb.

[0025] 1 and 3, a shield case 3c, which is an electromagnetic wave shield that covers the internal circuit (not shown) and prevents electromagnetic waves from entering from the outside, is provided on the surface of the card 3 on which the contact portion 3bb is arranged. The shield case 3c is made of a conductive material, for example, a metal.

[0026] 2A and 2B, a semicircular notch 3d (described later) is provided at the other end of the card 3, and the card 3 is secured to the substrate 2 at the notch 3d with a bolt 7. This positions the card 3 approximately parallel to the main surface 2a of the substrate 2.

[0027] 2A, 2B, and 3, the electrical connector 1 shown in Fig. 1 is covered with a connector cover 5. The connector cover 5 includes a shell 30 and a pivotable cover 31.

[0028] [Shell] The shell 30 is made of a conductive material, such as metal. For example, the shell 30 is made by bending a metal plate cut into a predetermined shape. The shell 30 covers the outer surface of the housing 10 except for the bottom surface F1 (see FIG. 3) and the front surface F3 (see FIG. 1) of the housing 10, and is connected to the substrate 2. Note that the shell 30 may also cover a portion of both ends of the front surface F3.

[0029] 2A, 2B, and 4, the shell 30 includes a top plate S1 disposed opposite the top surface F2 of the housing 10, a side plate S2 continuous with the top plate S1 and disposed opposite the side surface F5 of the housing 10, and a back plate S3 continuous with the top plate S1 and disposed opposite the back surface F4 of the housing 10. The top plate S1 covers the top surface F2 of the housing 10. The side plate S2 covers the side surface F5 of the housing 10. The back plate S3 covers the back surface F4 of the housing 10.

[0030] The top plate S1, the side plate S2, and the back plate S3 are provided with board connection portions 30a that connect to the electrodes 2c of the board 2. By connecting the board connection portions 30a to the electrodes 2c, the electrodes 2c of the board 2 and the shell 30 are at the same potential. Since the electrode 2c is arranged so as to surround the electrode 2b, the board connection portions 30a of the shell 30 are also arranged so as to surround the electrode 2b and the contacts 11 connected thereto along the XY plane.

[0031] The top plate S1, side plate S2, and rear plate S3 allow the shell 30 to function as an electromagnetic wave shield covering the top face F2, rear face F4, and side face F5 of the housing of the electrical connector 1. In particular, as shown in Figure 4, the top plate S1, side plate S2, and rear plate S3 are disposed opposite the rear face F4 of the housing 10 and cover the board connecting portions 21 of the contacts 11 extending from the rear face F4. This improves the degree of electromagnetic wave shielding between the contacts 11 extending from the rear face F4 of the housing 10 and the outside world.

[0032] 2A and 2B, the rotating cover 31 is made of a conductive material, such as metal, and is formed by bending a metal plate cut into a predetermined shape, for example.

[0033] The pivotable cover 31 includes a cover body 31a. The cover body 31a is composed of a top panel C1 and two side panels C2 continuous with the top panel C1. One end of the top panel C1 of the cover body 31a, in which one end V3 of the card 3 faces the direction in which it is inserted into the insertion slot 10a, is designated V1, and the other end of the top panel C1 of the cover body 31a located opposite the one end V1 is designated W1. The other end of the top panel C1 of the cover body 31a located opposite the one end V3 of the card 3 is designated W3. As shown in FIG. 3, the top panel C1 is positioned so as to protrude in the -Y direction beyond the top panel S1 of the shell 30. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the cover body 31a is positioned in the second position P2, the other end W1 of the cover body 31a in the -Y direction is positioned between the contact portion 3b of the card 3 and the other end W3 of the card 3 (see FIG. 1; the -Y direction end not shown in FIG. 3). As a result, when the rotating cover 31 is in the second position P2, the contact portion 3b of the card 3 is covered by the upper surface plate C1 of the cover body 31a of the rotating cover 31.

[0034] The other end W2 of the side panel C2 of the cover body 31a is located opposite to one end V2 of the side panel C2 of the cover body 31a. The side panel C2 is positioned so as to protrude in the -Y direction beyond the side panel S2 of the shell 30. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B , the other end (open end) W2 of the side panel C2 of the cover body 31a is located between the contact portion 3b of the card 3 and the other end W3 of the card 3. As a result, when the rotating cover 31 is in the second position P2, the contact portion 3b of the card 3 is covered by the side panel C2 of the cover body 31a of the rotating cover 31 when viewed in the X-axis direction.

[0035] The pivotable cover 31 is attached to the shell 30 so as to be pivotable between a first position P1 shown in Fig. 2A and a second position P2 shown in Fig. 2B. As shown in Fig. 2A, the pivotable cover 31 is spaced apart from the contact portions 3b of the card 3 at the first position P1. As shown in Fig. 2B, the pivotable cover 31 faces the contact portions 3b at the second position P2. The cover body 31a covers the contact portions 3b when the pivotable cover 31 is at least in the second position P2.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5A , shafts 30c are formed on the +Y-direction portion of each side panel S2 of the shell 30 by cutting and raising a portion of the metal plate so that it protrudes outward in the X-axis direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , when the rotating cover 31 is located at the second position P2, it has arms 31b that protrude in the +Y direction from both ends in the X-axis direction, and the ends of the arms 31b are provided with through-holes serving as shafts 31c. As shown in FIG. 5B , the shafts 30c of the shell 30 are fitted into the shafts 31c of the arms 31b of the rotating cover 31. This allows the rotating cover 31 to rotate between the first position P1 (see FIG. 2A ) and the second position P2 (see FIG. 2B ) around the shafts 30c, 31c as rotation axes.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 5A, a convex mating portion 30d is provided on the side panel S2 of the shell 30. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 5B, a through-hole or concave mating portion 31d is provided on the side panel S2 of the rotating cover 31. As shown in Fig. 2B, when the rotating cover 31 is rotated to the second position P2, the mating portion 30d and the mating portion 31d are mated. This mating generates resistance to the rotation of the rotating cover 31 from the second position P2 to the first position P1.

[0038] 2A and 2B , the rotating cover 31 includes an engaging portion 40 as a rotation stopping portion that engages with the card 3 when the rotating cover 31 is located at the second position P2 to limit the rotation of the rotating cover 31 in the direction from the second position P2 to the first position P1. The engaging portion 40 is disposed corresponding to both edge portions in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the wide surface 3a of the card 3. That is, a pair of engaging portions 40 is provided at positions corresponding to both edge portions in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the wide surface 3a of the card 3.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the engagement portion 40 includes a cantilever portion 40a and a claw portion 40b. The base end of the cantilever portion 40a is fixed to the cover main body 31a. Specifically, the cantilever portion 40a is a cantilever that extends in one direction near the edge of the side panel S2 of the cover main body 31a when the pivotable cover 31 is located at the second position P2. When located at the second position P2, the cantilever portion 40a extends in the -Y direction near the edge of the wide surface 3a of the card 3 in the width direction (X-axis direction) along the insertion slot 10a, and is a member that can elastically deform in the X-axis direction. The claw portion 40b is a portion that abuts against the card 3 and is formed at the tip of the cantilever portion 40a.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6 , the claw 40b includes a guide portion 40c and an abutment portion 40d. The guide portion 40c of the claw 40b abuts against the card 3 while rotating from the first position P1 (see FIG. 2A ) to the second position P2 (see FIG. 2B ), causing the cantilever portion 40a to elastically deform outward in the width direction (X-axis direction). This allows the engagement portion 40 of the pivotable cover 31 to move beyond the edge of the card 3 to the second position P2. When the pivotable cover 31 reaches the second position P2, the guide portion 40c no longer abuts against the card 3, and the elastic deformation of the cantilever portion 40a due to abutment against the edge of the card 3 in the width direction is released. This causes the cantilever portion 40a to return to its original X-position, causing the claw 40b to move inward in the X-axis direction so that the claw 40b faces the wide surface 3a of the card 3. As a result, the contact portion 40 d comes into contact with the card 3 .

[0041] Even if a force is applied to the engagement portion 40 to rotate the rotating cover 31 from the second position P2 (see Figure 2B) toward the first position P1 (see Figure 2A), the edge of the card 3 is located in the +Z direction of the abutment portion 40d, so the rotation of the rotating cover 31 toward the first position P1 is restricted.

[0042] 2B and 3, when the pivotable cover 31 is in the second position P2, the top plate C1 and side plate C2 of the pivotable cover 31 cover the contact portions 3b of the card 3 inserted into the insertion port 10a. The shell 30 and the pivotable cover 31 are in contact with each other and are at the same potential. Therefore, the shell 30 and the pivotable cover 31 act as a cover that covers the electrical connector 1, including the contact portions 3b of the card 3. This further improves the connector assembly 100's ability to shield against electromagnetic waves.

[0043] 2A and 2B , a portion of the top plate S1 of the rotating cover 31 is cut and bent inward to form a ground contact portion 50. When the rotating cover 31 is located in the second position P2, the ground contact portion 50 comes into contact with the conductive shield case 3c formed on the card 3. This allows the rotating cover 31 to function as an electromagnetic wave shield at the same potential as the shield case 3c of the card 3.

[0044] 2A and 2B, four ground contact portions 50 are provided at equal intervals in the X-axis direction, which allows the ground contact portions 50 to absorb electromagnetic waves that enter the gap between the shield case 3c and the top plate C1 of the rotating cover 31.

[0045] In this way, the connector cover 5 is connected to the electrode 2c of the board 2 and also contacts the shield case 3c of the card 3 at the ground contact portion 50. Therefore, the electrode 2c, connector cover 5, and ground contact portion 50 are at the same potential. For example, if the electrode 2c is a grounded electrode, the potential of the electrode 2c, connector cover 5, and shield case 3c will be 0. The electrode 2c, connector cover 5, and shield case 3c cover the internal circuit of the card 3, the contact 11 of the electrical connector 1, and the transmission line formed by the electrode 2b, and therefore function as an electromagnetic wave shield for these.

[0046] As described above, the connector assembly 100 according to this embodiment comprises the electrical connector 1 having the housing 10 and the contacts 11, and the connector cover 5 having the shell 30 and the pivotable cover 31, and electrically connects the electrodes 2b of the board 2 with the contact portions 3b of the card 3. Next, the operation of connecting the connector assembly 100 to the card 3 will be described.

[0047] 7, the connector assembly 100 is mounted on the board 2 by soldering or the like. At this stage, the card 3 has not yet been mounted, and the pivotable cover 31 is in the first position P1.

[0048] Next, as shown in Fig. 8, the card 3 is inserted into the insertion slot 10a. In this state, even if the card 3 is inserted parallel to the main surface 2a of the board 2, the elastic force of the contacts 11 causes the one end of the card 3 to be inclined in a direction away from the board 2 relative to the other end inserted into the insertion slot 10a. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 2A, the card 3 is fixed to the board 2 by the bolt 7 at the portion of the notch 3d formed in the card 3. As a result, the card 3 is in a state approximately parallel to the main surface 2a of the board 2.

[0049] From this state, the rotating cover 31 is rotated from the first position P1 shown in Fig. 2A to the second position P2 shown in Fig. 2B to lock the engaging portion 40 to the card 3. This causes the connector cover 5 to cover the electrical connector 1 together with the contact portions 3b of the card 3, completing the electromagnetic shielding of the electrical connector 1. Because the engaging portion 40 is engaged with the card 3, rotation of the connector cover 5 toward the first position P1 is restricted.

[0050] To remove the card 3 from the connector assembly 100, the bolt 7 is simply removed from the board 2. This causes the elastic force of the contacts 11 to rotate the card 3 relative to the board 2, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 9. Because the engaging portion 40 is engaged with the card 3 in this manner, the pivoting cover 31 also rotates together with the card 3. This allows the card 3 to be removed from the connector assembly 100 without having to disengage the card 3 from the engaging portion 40. By removing the card 3 and returning the pivoting cover 31 to the first position P1, the connector assembly 100 returns to the state shown in FIG. 7.

[0051] When the card 3 is to be set again in the connector assembly 100, the operations shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2B are carried out.

[0052] Although not shown, the rotating cover 31 has a shell contact portion that comes into contact with the shell 30 when positioned at the second position P2, similar to the rotating covers 33 and 34 of the embodiments described below.

[0053] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, an electrical connector 8 according to this embodiment electrically connects a substrate 2 serving as a circuit board with a card 4A serving as a plate-shaped connection object. The electrical connector 8 is mounted on a main surface 2a of the substrate 2 by soldering or the like. Electrodes 2b are formed on the main surface 2a, and the electrical connector 8 connects to the electrodes 2b.

[0054] 10, the connector cover 6A is a cover that covers the electrical connector 8. The electrical connector 8 and the connector cover 6A are components of a connector assembly 101, which will be described later.

[0055] Like card 3 (see Figure 1), card 4A is an M.2 card. Card 4A has a main body with a wide surface 4a. One end of the main body (the +Y end in Figure 10) is provided with a contact portion (not shown) corresponding to card 3's contact portion 3b. However, in card 4A, the width of the wide surface 4a in the X-axis direction, excluding the portion where the contact portions (not shown) are formed (the portion where the contact portions are arranged), is larger than the width of card 3's wide surface 3a in the X-axis direction. A shield case 4c, which serves as an electromagnetic shield covering the internal circuitry (not shown) and preventing external electromagnetic waves from entering, is provided on the top surface (the +Z surface) of card 4A. The shield case 4c is made of a conductive material, such as metal. As shown in Figure 10, a semicircular notch 4d is provided at the -Y end of card 4A. Card 4A is secured to board 2 at this notch 4d with a bolt (see Figure 2B). As a result, the card 4A is placed in a state substantially parallel to the main surface 2a of the substrate 2.

[0056] The electrical connector 8 electrically connects the electrodes 2b of the substrate 2 to the contact portions (not shown) of the card 4A. The number and arrangement pitch of the contact portions (not shown) of the card 4A are the same as those of the contact portions 3b of the card 3. Therefore, the number and arrangement pitch of the electrodes 2b formed on the main surface 2a of the substrate 2 are also the same as those of the first embodiment. Also as in the first embodiment, a plurality of electrodes 2c are arranged on the main surface 2a to surround the arrangement of the electrodes 2b.

[0057] [Electrical Connector] The following describes the configuration of the electrical connector 8. As shown in Fig. 11, the electrical connector 8 includes a housing 13 as a base body, and contacts 11 as terminals that connect the electrodes 2b of the board 2 with contact portions (not shown) of the card 4A.

[0058] The housing 13 is made of an insulating material, such as resin. Like the housing 10 (see FIG. 1), the housing 13 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the X-axis direction as its longitudinal direction, and has a bottom surface, a top surface, a front surface F3, a back surface, and two side surfaces. The housing 13 is mounted on the board 2 so that the front surface F3 faces the -Y direction. The front surface F3 of the housing 13 is formed with an insertion opening 13a into which one end of a card 4A, on which a contact portion (not shown) is formed, is inserted. The insertion opening 13a of the housing 13 is provided with a partition portion 13b to prevent erroneous insertion of the card 4A.

[0059] The contacts 11 are made of a conductive material, such as metal, and are engaged with the housing 13 to electrically connect the electrodes 2b of the board 2 with contact portions (not shown) of the card 4A. The number and arrangement of the contacts 11 in the electrical connector 8 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0060] 10 and 11, the electrical connector 8 is covered by a connector cover 6A. The connector cover 6A includes a shell 32 and a pivotable cover 33.

[0061] The shell 32 is made of a conductive material, such as a metal plate, and is similar to the shell 30 (see FIG. 2A ) in that it covers the outer surface of the housing 13 except for the bottom surface and front surface F3 of the housing 13 and is connected to the substrate 2. The shell 32 is also similar to the shell 30 in that it includes a top plate S1 that covers the top surface of the housing 13, side plates S2 that cover the side surfaces of the housing 13, and a back plate S3 (see FIG. 3 ) that covers the back surface of the housing 13, and in that the top plate S1, side plates S2, and back plate S3 are provided with substrate connection portions 32a that connect to electrodes 2c of the substrate 2. The shell 32 is also similar to the shell 30 shown in FIG. 5A , in that it includes a shaft portion 30c and a fitting portion 30d.

[0062] The pivotable cover 33 includes a cover body 33a formed by a top plate C1 and a side plate C2. The cover body 33a is the same as the cover body 31a (see FIG. 2A). However, the top plate C1 of the pivotable cover 33 is wider in the X-axis direction than the top plate C1 of the pivotable cover 31 (see FIG. 2A) to match the size of the wide surface 4a of the card 4A. The side plate C2 has a step C3 to match the shape of the wide surface 4a of the card 4A.

[0063] 11, the rotating cover 33 has an arm 33b and a shaft 33c, and the shaft 33c is fitted with the shaft 32c of the shell 32, and the rotating cover 33 can be turned about the shaft 33c between a first position P1 (see FIG. 11) and a second position P2 (see FIG. 10). The arm 33b of the rotating cover 33 is provided with a fitting portion 33d that fits with the fitting portion 32d of the shell 32 when the rotating cover 33 is located at the second position P2.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 11 , the pivotable cover 33 is the same as the pivotable cover 31 (see FIG. 2A ) according to the first embodiment in that it includes a ground contact portion 50 that contacts the shield case 4c of the card 4A. The pivotable cover 33 also includes a shell contact portion 60 that contacts the top plate S1 of the shell 32. As shown in FIG. 12 , the top plate C1 of the pivotable cover 33 has an end portion in the +Y direction bent inward, and a portion of the bent portion is cut and raised to project downward, thereby forming elastic shell contact portions 60. Five shell contact portions 60 are provided along the X-axis direction. This allows the pivotable cover 33 to be connected to the shell 32 and function as a leak-free, equipotential electromagnetic wave shield.

[0065] 10 and 11, the rotating cover 33 has engagement portions 41 as rotation stoppers at positions corresponding to both edge portions in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the wide surface 4a of the card 4A. The engagement portions 41 of the rotating cover 33 engage with the card 4A to limit the rotation of the rotating cover 33 in the direction from the second position P2 toward the first position P1, as with the engagement portions 40 (see FIG. 2A) according to the first embodiment described above.

[0066] 12, the engaging portion 41 includes a cantilever portion 41a and a claw portion 41b. The cantilever portion 41a is a cantilever extending in one direction from the edge of the side panel C2 of the rotating cover 33. The cantilever portion 41a is elastically deformable in the X-axis direction. The claw portion 41b is provided at the tip of the cantilever portion 41a so as to abut against the card 4A.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 12 , the engagement portion 41 is connected to the side panel C2 of the main body via a connecting portion 42. The connecting portion 42 is located toward the center of the side panel C2 of the rotating cover 33, not at the end in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 12 , and is folded back inward from the end in the −Z direction. One end of the cantilever portion 41a is connected to the connecting portion 42 and extends in the −Y direction in FIG. 12 . That is, the base end of the cantilever portion 41a is fixed to the edge of the side panel C2 that faces the substrate 2 when the cantilever portion 41a is located at the second position P2. In this way, the position of one end of the cantilever portion 41a can be shifted in the +Y direction, thereby ensuring the spring length of the cantilever portion 41a and increasing the amount of displacement in the X-axis direction.

[0068] The cantilever portion 41a is connected to the side plate C2 of the rotating cover 33 via the connecting portion 42. Therefore, deformation of the cantilever portion 41a can be prevented from causing deformation of the side plate C2.

[0069] 12, while the pivotable cover 33 pivots from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the engaging portion 41 abuts against the edge of the wide surface 4a of the card 4A in the width direction (X-axis direction) along the insertion slot 10a, causing the engaging portion 41 to elastically deform outward in the width direction of the card 4A. When the pivotable cover 33 reaches the second position P2, the engaging portion 41 is released from its elastic deformation caused by abutting against the edge of the wide surface 4a of the card 4A in the width direction, and moves inward in the width direction of the card 4A, facing the wide surface 4a of the card 4A. This operation is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0070] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, an electrical connector 8 according to this embodiment electrically connects a circuit board 2 to a card 4B, which is a plate-shaped connection object. The electrical connector 8 is mounted on a main surface 2a of the board 2 by soldering or the like. Electrodes 2b (see Figure 1) are formed on the main surface 2a, and the electrical connector 8 connects to the electrodes 2b.

[0071] 13A and 13B, the connector cover 6B is a cover that covers the electrical connector 8. The electrical connector 8 and the connector cover 6B are components of a connector assembly 102, which will be described later.

[0072] Like card 4A (see FIG. 10), card 4B is an M.2 card. Card 4B has a main body with a wide surface 4a. One end V3 (the +Y end in FIGS. 13A and 13B) of the main body is provided with a contact portion (not shown) corresponding to contact portion 3b of card 4B (see FIG. 1). Card 4B has the same width in the X-axis direction of the wide surface 4a as card 4A, excluding the portion where the contact portion (not shown) is formed (the portion where the contact portions are arranged). Card 4B is also similar to card 4A in that the top surface (the +Z surface) of card 4B is provided with a shield case 4c, which is an electromagnetic wave shield that covers the internal circuitry (not shown) and prevents the intrusion of external electromagnetic waves. Card 4B also has a semicircular notch 4d at the -Y end, where a bolt 7 fastens to board 2.

[0073] The card 4B has six RF (Radio Frequency) connectors 4f as connector portions that mate with mating connectors. The RF connectors 4f are arranged along the X-axis direction on the edge (other end W3) of the card 4B in the -Y direction. Three RF connectors 4f are provided on each side of a notch 4d formed in the wide surface 4a. The RF connectors 4f are connectors mounted on the wide surface 4a and connect to a mating connector attached to the end of a coaxial cable (not shown), for example.

[0074] The electrical connector 8 electrically connects the electrodes 2b of the substrate 2 to the contact portions (not shown) of the card 4B. The number and arrangement pitch of the contact portions (not shown) of the card 4B are the same as those of the contact portions 3b of the card 4A (see FIG. 10). Therefore, the number and arrangement pitch of the electrodes 2b formed on the main surface 2a of the substrate 2 are also the same as those of the first embodiment. The arrangement of a plurality of electrodes 2c on the main surface 2a so as to surround the arrangement of the electrodes 2b is also the same as in the first embodiment.

[0075] 13B, the electrical connector 8 is covered by a connector cover 6B. The connector cover 6B includes a shell 32 and a pivotable cover 34.

[0076] The shell 32 is the same as that in the second embodiment. The pivotable cover 34 includes a cover body 34a formed of a top plate C1 and a side plate C2. The cover body 34a is the same as the cover body 33a (see FIG. 10) in that the top plate C1 is wider in the X-axis direction than the top plate C1 of the pivotable cover 31 (see FIG. 2A) to match the size of the wide surface 4a of the card 4B, and that the side plate C2 has a step C3 to match the shape of the wide surface 4a of the card 4B.

[0077] 13B and 14, the rotating cover 34 has an arm 34b and a shaft 34c. The shaft 34c is fitted with the shaft 32c of the shell 32, and the rotating cover 34 can be turned about the shaft 34c between a first position P1 and a second position P2 (see FIG. 13B). The arm 34b of the rotating cover 34 is provided with a fitting portion 34d that fits with the fitting portion 32d of the shell 32 when the rotating cover 34 is located at the second position P2.

[0078] As shown in Figures 13B and 14, the rotating cover 34 is similar to the rotating cover 33 according to the second embodiment in that it includes a ground contact portion 50 that contacts the shield case 4c of the card 4B. Also, as shown in Figure 14, the rotating cover 34 includes a shell contact portion 61 that contacts the top plate S1 of the shell 32. As shown in Figure 14, the top plate C1 of the rotating cover 34 has an end portion facing the +Y direction bent inward, and a portion of the bent portion is cut and raised to project downward, thereby forming the elastic shell contact portion 61. Five shell contact portions 61 are provided along the X-axis direction. This allows the rotating cover 34 to function as an electromagnetic wave shield at the same potential as the shell 32.

[0079] As described above, the card 4B is fixed to the board 2 via the bolt 7 as a fastener. The rotating cover 34 has a rotation stopper 15 on its edge in the -Y direction. When the rotating cover 34 is located at the second position P2, the rotation stopper 15 is fixed to the board 2 via the bolt 7 as a fastener, and limits the rotation of the rotating cover 34 in the direction toward the first position P1.

[0080] The rotation preventing portion 15 includes a stopper 16 as a suppressing portion that suppresses separation of the mating connector mated with the RF connector 4f from the RF connector 4f when the rotation preventing portion 15 is fixed to the substrate 2 via the bolt 7. When the rotating cover 34 is located at the second position P2, the stopper 16 covers the mating connector mated with the RF connector 4f in the Z-axis direction and restricts movement of the mating connector in the +Z direction. At this time, the stopper 16 may be in contact with the mating connector.

[0081] As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, when the pivotable cover 34 is positioned in the second position P2, the other end W1, which is located opposite to one end V1 of the cover body 34a closer to the insertion port 13a, is positioned closer to the other end W3 of the card 4B than the contact portion 3b.

[0082] (1) As described above in detail, the connector cover 5 according to the above embodiment covers the electrical connector 1 that electrically connects the card 3, which is a plate-shaped connection object, to the board 2, which is a circuit board. The electrical connector 1 includes an insulating housing 10 having a front surface F3 with an insertion opening 10a formed therein, through which one end of the card 3 is inserted with the wide surface 3a of the card 3 facing the main surface 2a of the board 2, and a bottom surface F1 facing the main surface 2a of the board 2, and conductive contacts 11 attached to the housing 10, each having a board connection portion 21 that connects to the board 2 and a contact portion 22 that comes into contact with a contact portion 3b formed on the card 3 inserted into the insertion opening 10a.

[0083] The connector cover 5 includes a conductive shell 30 that covers the outer surface of the housing 10 except for the bottom surface F1 and the front surface F3 of the housing 10 and is connected to the board 2, and a conductive pivotable cover 31 that is attached to the shell 30 so as to be pivotable between a first position P1 and a second position P2, and that is spaced apart from the contact portions 3b of the card 3 at the first position P1 and faces the contact portions 3b at the second position P2. The pivotable cover 31 includes a cover main body 31a that covers the contact portions 3b when located at the second position P2, a shell contact portion 60 that contacts the shell 30 when located at the second position P2, and a ground contact portion 50 that contacts a conductive shield case 4c for grounding formed on the card 3 when located at the second position P2. In the above embodiment, when the cover body 31a is positioned at the second position P2, the other end W1 of the cover body 31a, which is located opposite the one end V1 of the cover body 31a closer to the insertion port 10a, is located between the contact portion 3b and the other end W3 of the card 3, which is located opposite the one end V3 of the card 3, or is located closer to the other end W3 of the card 3 than the contact portion 3b. Therefore, the pivotable cover 31 can cover the contact portion 3b of the card 3 and can prevent electromagnetic waves from passing between the pivotable cover 31 and the shell 30 and between the pivotable cover 31 and the card 3. This makes it possible to more reliably block the ingress and egress of electromagnetic waves from the outside. The other end W1 and the other end (open end) W2 of the cover body 31a may be located outward (in the -Y direction) from the other end W3 of the card 3, as long as the pivotable cover 31 can cover the contact portion 3b of the card 3.

[0084] (2) Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the rotating cover 31 includes the engaging portion 40 as a rotation stopper that limits the rotation of the rotating cover 31 in the direction from the second position P2 to the first position P1 when the rotating cover 31 is located at the second position P2. This prevents the rotating cover 31 from accidentally coming off the card 3.

[0085] (3) According to the above embodiment, the engaging portion 40 has a base end fixed to the cover body 31a, and includes an elastically deformable cantilever portion 40a disposed so as to extend in the direction in which the card 3 is inserted or removed near (opposing) an edge of the wide surface 3a of the card 3 in the width direction (X-axis direction) along the insertion opening 10a when the rotating cover 31 is positioned at the second position P2, and a claw portion 40b formed at the tip of the cantilever portion 40a. When the rotating cover 31 rotates from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the claw portion 40b of the engaging portion 40 a abuts against the edge of the card 3 in the width direction. At this time, the cantilever portion 40a elastically deforms outward in the width direction of the card 3, and the rotating cover 31 reaches the second position P2. Then, the elastic deformation of the cantilever beam portion 40a caused by contact with the widthwise edge of the card 3 is released, and the claw portion 40b faces the wide faces 3a, 4a of the card 3. In this way, the connector cover 5 can be engaged with the card 3 and prevented from opening (the pivoting cover 31 can be prevented from pivoting from the second position P2 toward the first position P1).

[0086] (4) Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the engaging portions 40 are disposed in correspondence with both widthwise edge portions of the wide surface 3a of the card 3. By providing the engaging portions 40 in correspondence with both widthwise edge portions of the card 3 in this manner, the pivotable cover 31 can be more reliably locked to the card 3.

[0087] (5) According to the second embodiment, the cover body 33a includes an upper surface plate C1 that faces the upper surface F2 of the housing 10 and a pair of side surfaces C2 that face the pair of side surfaces F5 of the housing 10. The base end of the cantilever portion 41a is fixed to an edge of the side surface plate C2 that faces the substrate 2 when the cantilever portion 41a is located at the second position P2. This increases the spring length of the cantilever portion 41a, thereby increasing the amount of displacement in the X-axis direction.

[0088] (6) Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, when the rotation stopper 15 is located at the second position P2, it is fixed to the board 2 via the bolt 7 that fixes the card 4B to the board 2, thereby restricting the rotation of the rotating cover 34. In this way, the rotation stopper 15 is not limited to the cantilever-shaped engaging portion 40 or the like.

[0089] (7) According to the third embodiment, the card 4B includes an RF connector 4f that mates with a mating connector (not shown). The rotation stopper 15 includes a stopper 16 that serves as a suppression unit that suppresses separation of the mating connector mated with the RF connector 4f when the card 4B is fixed to the board 2 via the bolt 7 that secures the card 4B to the board 2. This configuration can further strengthen the connection between the RF connector 4f formed on the card 4B and the mating connector.

[0090] (8) According to the above embodiment, the shell 30 is connected to the electrode 2c, which is the ground electrode of the substrate 2. In this way, the potential of the shell 30 and the rotating cover 31 can be set to zero, allowing them to function as a stronger electromagnetic shield.

[0091] (9) Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the shell 30 includes a top plate S1 that covers the top surface F2 of the housing 10, a side plate S2 that covers the side surface F5 of the housing 10, and a back plate S3 that covers the back surface F4 of the housing 10. The top plate S1, the side plate S2, and the back plate S3 cover the board connecting portions 21 of the contacts 11 arranged on the back surface F4 of the housing 10. This provides strong shielding from electromagnetic waves entering and emitting between the contacts 11 arranged on the back surface F4 of the housing 10 and the outside world.

[0092] (10) The connector assembly 100 according to the above embodiment includes a housing 10, contacts 11, a shell 30, and a pivotable cover 31. The housing 10 is an insulating member having a front surface F3 formed with an insertion opening 10a through which one end of the card 3 is inserted with the wide surface 4a of the card 3 facing the main surface 2a of the board 2, and a bottom surface F1 (see FIG. 3 ) facing the main surface 2a of the board 2. The contacts 11 are conductive members attached to the housing 10 and have board connection portions 21 that connect to the board 2 and contact portions 22 that come into contact with contact portions 3b formed on the card 3 inserted into the insertion opening 10a. The shell 30 is a conductive member that covers the outer surface of the housing 10 except for the bottom surface F1 and the front surface F3 of the housing 10 and is connected to the board 2. The pivotable cover 31 is attached to the shell 30 so as to be pivotable between a first position P1 and a second position P2. The pivotable cover 31 is a conductive member that is spaced apart from the contact portion 3b of the card 3 in the first position P1 and faces the contact portion 3b in the second position P2. The pivotable cover 31 includes a cover main body 31a that covers the contact portion 3b when positioned at the second position P2, a shell contact portion 60 that contacts the shell 30 when positioned at the second position P2, and a ground contact portion 50 that contacts a conductive shield case 4c for grounding formed on the card 3 when positioned at the second position P2. When positioned at the second position P2, the other end W1 of the cover main body 31a, which is opposite to the one end closer to the insertion slot 10a, is positioned between the contact portion 3b and the other end W3 of the card 3, which is opposite to the one end V3 of the card 3, or is positioned closer to the other end W3 of the card 3 than the contact portion 3b. Therefore, the rotating cover 33 can cover the contact portion 3b of the card 4A, and can also prevent electromagnetic waves from passing between the rotating cover 31 and the shells 30, 32, and between the rotating cover 31 and the card 3. This makes it possible to more firmly block the ingress and egress of electromagnetic waves from the outside.

[0093] In the above embodiment, cards 3, 4A, and 4B are M.2 cards. However, this is not limiting. They may be cards of other standards (e.g., SD) or communication cards with built-in wireless antennas.

[0094] This invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain this invention and do not limit the scope of this invention. That is, the scope of this invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of this invention.

[0095] In addition, this application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-26543 filed on February 26, 2024, and the entire specification, claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-26543 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0096] The present invention can be applied to an electrical connector that electrically connects a plate-like connection object and a circuit board.

[0097] 1 Electrical connector, 2 Board (circuit board), 2a Main surface, 2b, 2ba, 2bb Electrode, 2c Electrode, 3 Card (connection object), 3a Wide surface, 3b, 3ba, 3bb Contact portion, 3c Shield case, 3d Notch, 3e Slit, 4A, 4B Card (connection object), 4a Wide surface, 4c Shield case, 4d Notch, 4f RF connector, 5, 6A, 6B Connector cover, 7 Bolt (fastener), 8 Electrical connector, 10 Housing, 10a Insertion port, 10b Partition portion, 11, 11a, 11b Contact, 13 Housing, 13a Insertion port, 13b Partition portion, 15 Rotation stop portion, 16 Stopper, 20 Locking portion, 21 Board connection portion, 22 Contact portion, 30 Shell, 30a Board connection portion, 30c Shaft portion, 30d, fitting portion, 31, Pivoting cover, 31a, Cover body, 31b, Arm portion, 31c, Shaft portion, 31d, fitting portion, 32, Shell, 32a, Board connection portion, 32c, Shaft portion, 32d, fitting portion, 33, Pivoting cover, 33a, Cover body, 33b, Arm portion, 33c, Shaft portion, 33d, fitting portion, 34, Pivoting cover, 34a, Cover body, 34b, Arm portion, 34c, Shaft portion, 34d, fitting portion, 40, Engagement portion (rotation stop portion), 40a, Cantilever portion, 40b, Claw portion, 40c, Guide portion, 40d, Contact portion, 41, Engagement portion, 41a, Cantilever portion, 41b, Claw portion, 41c, Guide portion, 41d, Contact portion, 42, Connection portion, 50, Ground contact portion, 60, 61 Shell contact portion, 100, 101, 102 Connector assembly, C1 top plate, C2 side plate, C3 step, F1 bottom, F2 top, F3 front, F4 back, F5 side, P1 first position, P2 second position, S1 top plate, S2 side plate, S3 back plate, V1 one end, V2 one end, V3 one end, W1 Other end (open end), W2 Other end (open end), W3 Other end

Claims

1. A connector cover for covering an electrical connector that electrically connects a plate-shaped connection object and a circuit board, wherein the electrical connector comprises: an insulating housing having a front surface formed with an insertion opening into which one end of the connection object is inserted with the wider surface of the connection object facing the main surface of the circuit board, and a bottom surface facing the main surface of the circuit board; and conductive contacts attached to the housing, the conductive contacts having a board connection portion that connects to the circuit board and a contact portion that comes into contact with a contact portion formed on the connection object inserted into the insertion opening; the connector cover comprises: a conductive shell that covers the outer surface of the housing excluding the bottom surface and the front surface of the housing and is connected to the circuit board; and a conductive rotating cover attached to the shell so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position, being separated from the contact portion of the connection object in the first position and facing the contact portion in the second position; the rotating cover comprises: a cover main body that covers the contact portion when positioned at the second position; and a shell contact portion that comes into contact with the shell when positioned at the second position. a ground contact portion that comes into contact with a conductive shield case for grounding formed on the connection object when the cover is located at the second position, and when the cover is located at the second position, the other end of the cover body located opposite to the one end closer to the insertion opening is located between the contact portion and the other end located opposite to the one end of the connection object, or is located closer to the other end of the connection object than the contact portion.

2. The connector cover according to claim 1, wherein the rotating cover is provided with a rotation stopper that limits rotation of the rotating cover in the direction from the second position to the first position when the rotating cover is located at the second position.

3. The connector cover according to claim 2, wherein the rotation stopper comprises: an elastically deformable cantilever portion whose base end is fixed to the cover body; and which is arranged to extend in the direction in which the connection object is inserted or removed near the edge in the width direction along the insertion opening on the wide surface of the connection object when the rotating cover is located at the second position; and a claw portion formed at the tip of the cantilever portion; while the rotating cover rotates from the first position to the second position, the cantilever portion elastically deforms outward in the width direction of the connection object due to the claw portion abutting against the edge, and when the rotating cover reaches the second position, the elastic deformation of the cantilever portion due to the abutment against the edge in the width direction of the connection object is released and the claw portion faces the wide surface of the connection object.

4. The connector cover according to claim 3, wherein the rotation stopper is disposed to correspond to both edge portions in the width direction of the wide surface of the connection object.

5. A connector cover as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the cover body comprises an upper surface plate facing the upper surface of the housing and a pair of side surfaces facing a pair of side surfaces of the housing, and the base end of the cantilever portion is fixed to an edge of the side surface plate facing the circuit board when the cantilever portion is in the second position.

6. The connector cover according to claim 2, wherein when the rotation stopper is located in the second position, it is fixed to the circuit board via a fastener that fixes the connection object to the circuit board, thereby restricting the rotation of the rotating cover.

7. A connector cover as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the connection object comprises a connector portion that mates with a mating connector, and the rotation stop portion comprises a suppression portion that suppresses separation of the mating connector engaged with the connector portion when the connection object is fixed to the circuit board via a fastener that fixes the connection object to the circuit board.

8. The connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the shell is connected to a ground electrode of the circuit board.

9. A connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the shell comprises a top plate covering the top surface of the housing, side plates covering the sides of the housing, and a back plate covering the back surface of the housing, and the top plate, side plates and back plate cover the board connection portions of the contacts arranged on the back surface of the housing.

10. An insulating housing having a front surface formed with an insertion opening through which one end of a plate-shaped connection object is inserted with the wider surface of the object facing the main surface of a circuit board, and a bottom surface facing the main surface of the circuit board; a conductive contact attached to the housing, the conductive contact having a board connection portion connected to the circuit board and a contact portion contacting a contact portion formed on the connection object inserted into the insertion opening; a conductive shell covering the outer surface of the housing excluding the bottom surface and the front surface of the housing and connected to the circuit board; and a conductive rotating cover attached to the shell so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position, being separated from the contact portion of the connection object at the first position and facing the contact portion at the second position, the rotating cover comprising: a cover main body covering the contact portion when positioned at the second position; a shell contact portion contacting the shell when positioned at the second position; and a ground contact portion contacting a conductive shield case for grounding formed on the connection object when positioned at the second position. When the cover body is located in the second position, the other end thereof opposite to the one end of the cover body closer to the insertion opening is located between the contact portion and the other end opposite to the one end of the object to be connected, or is located closer to the other end of the object to be connected than the contact portion.

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