Electrical connector and electrical connector set equipped with electrical connector

Abstract

This electric connector comprises: a plurality of internal terminals arranged in a first direction; external terminals arranged around the plurality of internal terminals; a holding member which holds the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals and has a thickness in a height direction crossing the first direction; and a substrate on which the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals are mounted. The holding member has a first terminal holding part for holding a first wall part of the external terminal. The first wall part extends so as to face an outer periphery of the first terminal holding part, and has dips and bumps extending in the height direction and fitted to each other between the first wall part and the first terminal holding part.

Description

Electrical connector and electrical connector set including the electrical connector

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector and an electrical connector set including the electrical connector.

[0002] For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 each disclose an electrical connector set in which a male electrical connector is mated with a female electrical connector.

[0003] JP 2011-154954 A JP 2004-327244 A

[0004] However, due to the heat generated during the reflow process for mounting the electrical connector to the circuit board, the components of the electrical connector made of metal or resin may deform in various directions, which may reduce the flatness of the electrical connector, especially in female electrical connectors with large horizontal dimensions.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical connector that can improve flatness and an electrical connector set that includes the electrical connector.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of internal terminals arranged in a first direction, external terminals arranged around the plurality of internal terminals, a holding member that holds the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals and has a thickness in a height direction that intersects the first direction, and a substrate on which the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals are mounted, wherein the holding member has a first terminal holding portion that holds a first wall portion of the external terminal, the first wall portion extending opposite the outer periphery of the first terminal holding portion, and a concave-convex shape that extends in the height direction and fits into each other is provided between the first wall portion and the first terminal holding portion.

[0007] An electrical connector set according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the electrical connector and a mating electrical connector that mates with the electrical connector.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electrical connector with improved flatness and an electrical connector set including the electrical connector.

[0009] 2A and 2B are side views of the female electrical connector shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are side views of the female electrical connector shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are plan views of the female electrical connector shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are plan views of the female electrical connector shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are plan views of the female electrical connector shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are plan views of the external terminals of the female electrical connector shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are side views ...

[0010] (Summary of embodiment) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical connector comprising: a plurality of internal terminals arranged in a first direction; external terminals arranged around the plurality of internal terminals; a holding member that holds the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals and has a thickness in a height direction intersecting the first direction; and a substrate on which the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals are mounted, wherein the holding member has a first terminal holding portion that holds a first wall portion of the external terminal, the first wall portion extending opposite to the outer periphery of the first terminal holding portion, and a concave-convex shape that extends in the height direction and fits into each other is provided between the first wall portion and the first terminal holding portion.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical connector set as described in the first aspect, wherein the retaining member has a long side extending in the first direction and a short side extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and the height direction, and the uneven shape is provided on the long side.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the connector set according to the first or second aspect, wherein the concave and convex shapes are provided in a plurality at intervals in the first direction.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector set as described in the third aspect, in which the spacing between two adjacent uneven shapes at the ends in the first direction is wider than the spacing at the center in the first direction.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector set as described in the third or fourth aspect, in which, with respect to the spacing between two adjacent uneven shapes, the spacing at the ends in the first direction is narrower than the spacing at the center in the first direction.

[0015] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector set described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the first wall portion has a protrusion protruding toward the first terminal holding portion, the first terminal holding portion has a groove portion that receives the protrusion, and the protrusion and the groove portion each extend in the height direction to form the uneven shape.

[0016] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the connector set according to the sixth aspect, wherein the groove portion is longer in the height direction than the protrusion portion.

[0017] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector set described in the sixth or seventh aspect, in which the upper end of the protrusion in the height direction is located lower than the upper end of the first wall portion in the height direction.

[0018] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector set according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, wherein the protrusion extends to a lower end of the first wall portion in the height direction.

[0019] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector set described in any one of the sixth to ninth aspects, wherein the groove portion extends from the upper end to the lower end in the height direction of the first terminal holding portion.

[0020] According to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a connector set including the electrical connector according to any one of the first to tenth aspects and a mating electrical connector that mates with the electrical connector.

[0021] (Overview of the Embodiments) Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electrical connector 4 and an electrical connector set 2 including the electrical connector 4 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience, each figure shows an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other. In this specification, the longitudinal direction, lateral direction, and height direction (thickness direction) of the female electrical connector 4 are defined as the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, respectively.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector set 2 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector set 2 shown in Fig. 1.

[0023] 1, the electrical connector set 2 includes a female electrical connector 4 and a male electrical connector 6. The electrical connector set 2 is configured so that the female electrical connector 4 and the male electrical connector 6 are mated with each other by moving the male electrical connector 6 in a height direction (insertion / removal direction A1) toward the female electrical connector 4 while the male electrical connector 6 faces the female electrical connector 4. In this disclosure, the overall size (particularly the size in the X and Y directions) of the male electrical connector 6 is smaller than the overall size of the female electrical connector 4, and the male electrical connector 6 is configured to be accommodated and fitted within the female electrical connector 4.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows the board 8 on which the female electrical connector 4 is mounted, and does not show the board on which the male electrical connector 6 is mounted.

[0025] [Female Electrical Connector] The configuration of the female electrical connector 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0026] The female electrical connector 4 includes a female holding member (holding member) 11, a female ground terminal (internal terminal) 12, a female signal terminal (internal terminal) 15, and a female external terminal (external terminal) 16. The female holding member 11 is made of an electrically insulating resin, such as a liquid crystal polymer. In a plan view, the female holding member 11 has a rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal and lateral directions. The female holding member 11 includes two female terminal side holding portions (terminal holding portions) 13, 13, two female side support portions 14, 14, and one female terminal center holding portion 13a. The two female terminal side holding portions 13, 13 extend in the longitudinal direction and are spaced apart in the lateral direction. The two female side support portions 14, 14 are arranged spaced apart at both longitudinal ends. The female terminal central holding portion 13 a is disposed between the two female terminal side holding portions 13 and 13 and between the two female terminal side support portions 14 and 14 .

[0027] The female terminal central holding portion 13a has a plurality of concave female signal terminal mounting portions, and the female terminal lateral holding portions 13 have a plurality of concave female ground terminal mounting portions. The female signal terminals 15 are held by mounting them in the female signal terminal mounting portions of the female terminal central holding portion 13a. The female ground terminals 12 are held by mounting them in the female ground terminal mounting portions of the female terminal lateral holding portions 13. The female ground terminals 12 and the female signal terminals 15 are alternately arranged along the terminal arrangement direction (longitudinal direction). The female ground terminals 12 correspond one-to-one to the male ground terminals 22 described below and engage with the corresponding male ground terminals 22 to form an electrical connection. The female signal terminals 15 correspond one-to-one to the male signal terminals 25 described below and engage with the corresponding male signal terminals 25 to form an electrical connection.

[0028] In the female electrical connector 4 shown in Figure 1, a plurality of (e.g., four) female signal terminals 15 are arranged in a row along the terminal arrangement direction (longitudinal direction) as first and second rows in the lateral direction, spaced apart from one another in the lateral direction. This configuration allows many female signal terminals 15 to be arranged in the limited area of ​​the female terminal lateral holding portion 13. The arrangement of the multiple female signal terminals 15 is not limited to two rows, such as the first and second rows, but can be one row, three rows, or more. The number of female signal terminals 15 per row is not limited to four, but can be three or less, or five or more.

[0029] The female signal terminal 15 shown in FIG. 3 is a conductor connected to a signal potential and is formed by bending a conductive rod-shaped member. The female signal terminal 15 transmits, for example, high-frequency signals such as millimeter waves for 5G communication. Phosphor bronze, for example, can be used as the female signal terminal 15. Phosphor bronze is a material that is both conductive and elastically deformable. The surface of the female signal terminal 15 may be gold-plated, for example. The female signal terminal 15 has a female signal mounting portion 15a for mounting on a land electrode of the substrate 8 shown in FIG. 2. The female signal mounting portion 15a is formed at a side end in the short-side direction and at a lower end in the height direction (insertion / removal direction).

[0030] To suppress electromagnetic interference between two adjacent female signal terminals 15 in the longitudinal direction (i.e., to provide isolation between rows of female signal terminals 15), female ground terminals (internal terminals) 12 are provided. The female ground terminals 12 are disposed between two adjacent female signal terminals 15 in the longitudinal direction and function as female shield terminals. The female signal terminals 15 are mounted and held in, for example, recessed female signal terminal mounting portions. The female signal terminals 15 extend along the short side.

[0031] The female ground terminal 12 is a conductor connected to a ground potential and is formed by bending a conductive rod-shaped member. Phosphor bronze, for example, can be used as the female ground terminal 12. Phosphor bronze is a material that is both conductive and elastically deformable. The surface of the female ground terminal 12 may be gold-plated, for example. The female ground terminal 12 has a female ground mounting portion for mounting to a land electrode of the substrate 8 shown in FIG. 2. The female ground mounting portion is formed on a side end in the longitudinal direction.

[0032] When viewed from the height direction (insertion / removal direction), the female external terminal 16 has a rectangular frame shape that is closed circumferentially to surround the multiple female ground terminals 12 and the multiple female signal terminals 15. In the female external terminal 16 having a rectangular frame shape, the long sides extend in the longitudinal direction and the short sides extend in the lateral direction. Here, the circumferential shape is not necessarily limited to a polygonal circumferential shape, and may be, for example, a circular circumferential shape, an elliptical circumferential shape, or a shape that combines a polygonal circumferential shape and a circular circumferential shape.

[0033] The female external terminal 16 is a conductor connected to ground potential. By being connected to ground potential, the female external terminal 16 shields electromagnetic waves from the outside and unwanted radiation from the female signal terminal 15, making the space surrounded by the female external terminal 16 an electromagnetic wave shielding space. In other words, the female external terminal 16 is a member that surrounds the female signal terminal 15 to electromagnetically shield the female signal terminal 15. For example, phosphor bronze can be used as the female external terminal 16. Phosphor bronze is a material that is both conductive and elastically deformable. The female external terminal 16 is formed, for example, by bending.

[0034] The female external side portions of the corresponding female external terminals 16 are attached to and supported by the female side support portions 14 of the female holding member 11. The female external side portions 32 have a plurality of female external mounting portions for mounting on the ground electrodes of the substrate 8 shown in Fig. 2. The female external mounting portions are formed at the lower end in the height direction (insertion / removal direction).

[0035] The female external terminal 16 has two female external side portions 32 and two female external extension portions 34. The female external side portions 32 are provided on a first side portion and a second side portion in the longitudinal direction, respectively. The female external extension portion 34 extends in the longitudinal direction so as to connect the two female external side portions.

[0036] The female signal terminals 15 of this embodiment transmit high-frequency signals such as millimeter waves, and therefore are prone to interference between terminals. To address this issue, shield terminals are provided, including multiple female ground terminals 12 corresponding to each of the female signal terminals 15 and female external terminals 16 surrounding the multiple female signal terminals 15, to suppress interference. This allows for the realization of an electrical connector 4 and electrical connector set 2 with high shielding properties suitable for transmitting high-frequency signals. The same applies to the male electrical connector 6, which will be described later.

[0037] [Male Electrical Connector] The configuration of the male electrical connector 6 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] 4, the male electrical connector 6 has a male holding member (holding member) 21, a male ground terminal (internal terminal) 22, a male signal terminal (internal terminal, signal terminal) 25, and a male external terminal (external terminal) 26. The male holding member 21 is made of an electrically insulating resin such as a liquid crystal polymer. The male holding member 21 has a rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal and lateral directions.

[0039] The plurality of male ground terminals 22 and the plurality of male signal terminals 25 are held by a male holding member 21. The plurality of male ground terminals 22 and the plurality of male signal terminals 25 are arranged alternately along the terminal arrangement direction (longitudinal direction). The male ground terminals 22 correspond one-to-one to the female ground terminals 12 of the female electrical connector 4 described above, and when the electrical connector set 2 is mated, they engage with the corresponding female ground terminals 12 to form an electrical connection. The male signal terminals 25 correspond one-to-one to the female signal terminals 15 of the female electrical connector 4, and when the electrical connector set 2 is mated, they engage with the corresponding female signal terminals 15 to form an electrical connection.

[0040] 4, a plurality of (e.g., four) male ground terminals 22 and a plurality of (e.g., four) male signal terminals 25 are arranged alternately along the terminal arrangement direction (longitudinal direction). The male ground terminals 22 and the male signal terminals 25 are arranged in a first row and a second row in the lateral direction, spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction.

[0041] The male signal terminal 25 is a conductor connected to a signal potential and is formed by bending a conductive rod-shaped member. Phosphor bronze, for example, can be used as the male signal terminal 25. Phosphor bronze is a material that is both conductive and elastically deformable. The surface of the male signal terminal 25 may be gold-plated, for example. The male signal terminal 25 has a male signal mounting portion 25a for mounting on a land electrode of a circuit board (not shown). The male signal mounting portion 25a is formed at a side end in the short-side direction and at the lower end in the height direction (insertion / removal direction). The male signal terminal 25 extends along the short-side direction.

[0042] In order to suppress electromagnetic interference between two adjacent male signal terminals 25 in the terminal arrangement direction (longitudinal direction) (i.e., to provide isolation between rows of male signal terminals 25), male ground terminals 22 are provided. The male ground terminals 22 are disposed between two adjacent male signal terminals 25 in the longitudinal direction and function as male shield terminals. The male ground terminals 22 extend along the lateral direction.

[0043] The male ground terminal 22 is a conductor connected to a ground potential and is fabricated by bending a conductive rod-shaped material or punching a conductive plate-shaped material. Phosphor bronze, for example, can be used as the male ground terminal 22. Phosphor bronze is a material that is both conductive and elastically deformable. The surface of the male ground terminal 22 may be gold-plated, for example. The male ground terminal 22 has a male ground mounting portion 22a for mounting on a ground electrode of a circuit board (not shown). The male ground mounting portion 22a is formed at a side end in the short-side direction and at the bottom end in the height direction (insertion / removal direction).

[0044] When viewed from the height direction (insertion / removal direction), two male external terminals 26 are arranged spaced apart at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The male external terminals 26 are attached to and supported by the male holding member 21. The male external terminals 26 have multiple male external mounting portions for mounting on ground electrodes of a circuit board (not shown). The male external mounting portions are formed at the lower end in the height direction (insertion / removal direction).

[0045] The male external terminals 26 are conductors connected to ground potential. By being connected to ground potential, the male external terminals 26 shield electromagnetic waves from the outside and unwanted radiation from the male signal terminals 25, thereby enabling the space surrounded by the male external terminals 26 to serve as an electromagnetic wave-shielding space. In other words, the male external terminals 26 are components that surround the male signal terminals 25 to electromagnetically shield the male signal terminals 25. Phosphor bronze, for example, can be used as the male external terminals 26. Phosphor bronze is a material that is both electrically conductive and elastically deformable. The male external terminals 26 are formed, for example, by bending.

[0046] [Improving the Flatness of Female Electrical Connectors] When manufacturing the electrical connectors 4, 6, heating is performed in a reflow process for solder mounting, which causes each component to thermally expand and deform in various directions, easily reducing the flatness of the electrical connectors 4, 6. The reduction in flatness is particularly noticeable in the female electrical connector 4, which has large dimensions in the X and Y directions.

[0047] In contrast, in the electrical connector 4 of this embodiment, by providing an uneven shape extending in the Z-axis direction between the female holding member 11 and the female external terminal 16 and fitting them together, distortion in the Z-axis direction relative to the XY plane can be suppressed, and the flatness of the electrical connector 4 can be improved.

[0048] The detailed configuration of the female electrical connector 4 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0049] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the female electrical connector 4. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are side views of the electrical connector 4, with Fig. 6 showing the side as viewed in the +Y direction and Fig. 7 showing the side as viewed in the -Y direction. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the electrical connector 4 with the female external terminals 16 removed, and Fig. 9 is a plan view of the female external terminals 16.

[0050] 5 to 9, the electrical connector 4 has a plurality of grooves 40, 42 in the female holding member 11 and protrusions 50, 52 in the female external terminals 16 as concave and convex shapes for improving flatness relative to the XY plane. When the female external terminals 16 are held by the female holding member 11, the protrusions 50 are positioned in the grooves 40 and the protrusions 52 are positioned in the grooves 42 (FIG. 8). The grooves 40, 42 and the protrusions 50, 52 each extend in the Z-axis direction, and when the female holding member 11 or the female external terminals 16 are heated in the reflow process, deformation in the Z-axis direction relative to the XY plane can be suppressed, thereby improving the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0051] In particular, in the electrical connector 4 of this embodiment, the resin female holding member 11 and the metal female external terminals 16 deform in different directions when heated. Specifically, as shown by the dotted line (11A) in Figure 6, when the resin female holding member 11 is heated, its central portion in the X-axis direction deforms so as to move in the +Z-axis direction relative to both ends in the X-axis direction (deforms in an upward convex shape). On the other hand, as shown by the dotted line (16A) in Figure 7, when the metal female external terminals 16 are heated, its central portion in the X-axis direction deforms so as to move in the -Z-axis direction relative to both ends in the X-axis direction (deforms in a downward convex shape). In this way, the female holding member 11 and the female external terminals 16 deform in opposite directions when heated, which makes it easy for the flatness of the electrical connector 4 to decrease.

[0052] In contrast, by holding the external terminals 16 on the holding member 11 with the grooves 40, 42 extending in the Z-axis direction and the protrusions 50, 52 engaged with each other, the deformation of the female holding member 11 and the female external terminals 16 in opposite directions is inhibited. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the female holding member 11 and the female external terminals 16 and improve the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0053] As shown in Figures 5 and 8, grooves 40, 42 are provided in the female terminal lateral holding portions 13, 13 of the female holding member 11. Groove 40 is provided on the outer periphery of the female terminal lateral holding portion 13 on the -Y direction side of the pair of female terminal lateral holding portions 13, 13, and groove 42 (Figure 8) is provided on the outer periphery of the female terminal lateral holding portion 13 on the +Y direction side. Grooves 40, 42 are each recessed inward toward the center of the female holding member 11 and extend in the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, grooves 40, 42 each extend the entire height of the female terminal lateral holding portion 13 and are open at the upper and lower ends of the female terminal lateral holding portion 13.

[0054] Since the grooves 40, 42 extend from the upper end to the lower end in the height direction of the female terminal side holding portion 13, it becomes easier to maintain the protrusions 50, 52 positioned in the grooves 40, 42, and the uneven shape can stably achieve the effect of improving flatness.

[0055] 8, the grooves 40 and 42 are each provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the number of grooves 42 is greater than the number of grooves 40, and the grooves 42 are provided more densely than the grooves 40.

[0056] As shown in Figures 5 to 7 and 9, the protrusions 50, 52 are each provided on the female external extension portion 34 of the female external terminal 16. The protrusion 50 is provided on the inner periphery of the female external extension portion 34 on the -Y direction side of the pair of female external extension portions 34, and the protrusion 52 is provided on the inner periphery of the female external extension portion 34 on the +Y direction side. The protrusions 50, 52 each protrude inward toward the center of the female holding member 11 and extend in the Z-axis direction. As shown in Figure 5, the protrusions 50, 52 in this embodiment each extend from a position below the upper end of the female external extension portion 34 in the height direction to the lower end of the female external extension portion 34 and are open at the lower end of the female external extension portion 34.

[0057] In this way, the upper ends of the protrusions 50, 52 in the height direction are located lower than the upper end of the female external extension portion 34. As shown in Figure 7, when the female external terminal 16 tries to deform convexly downward, the distance between the upper ends of the protrusions 50, 52 can be prevented from becoming too close to each other compared to when the protrusions 50, 52 extend up to the upper end of the female external extension portion 34. This makes it difficult for the protrusions 50, 52 to escape from the grooves 40, 42, and the effect of improving flatness due to the uneven shape can be stably exerted.

[0058] The protrusions 50, 52 also extend to the lower end in the height direction of the knife external extension portion 34. As shown in Figure 6, when the insulating knife holding member 11 tries to deform convexly upward, the width of the grooves 40, 42 tends to narrow at the lower end, and therefore the force holding the protrusions 50, 52 at the lower end sides of the grooves 40, 42 becomes stronger. In contrast, by making the protrusions 50, 52 longer downward, the grooves 40, 42 can hold the protrusions 50, 52 more firmly, thereby enhancing the effect of improving flatness.

[0059] Because the female external terminal 16 of this embodiment is a metal plate, the protrusions 50, 52 are formed, for example, by pressing the female external extension portion 34 from the outside toward the inside. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, recesses corresponding to the shapes of the protrusions 50, 52 are formed on the opposite sides of the protrusions 50, 52. For convenience, in Figures 6 and 7, the reference numerals of the protrusions 50, 52 are used to denote the recesses corresponding to the protrusions 50, 52.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 6, the female ground mounting portion 12a of the female ground terminal 12 is disposed between two adjacent protrusions 50. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 7, the female ground mounting portion 12a of the female ground terminal 12 is disposed between two adjacent protrusions 52.

[0061] The lower ends of the protrusions 50, 52 shown in Figures 6 and 7 are mounting portions that are mounted on the land electrodes of the circuit board 8 shown in Figure 2, similar to the female ground mounting portion 12a. By providing the protrusions 50, 52 on the female external extension portion 34 to form an uneven shape, the surface area of ​​the female external extension portion 34 is increased compared to when the female external extension portion 34 has a flat shape, and flux buildup can be suppressed.

[0062] 9, the protrusions 50, 52 are each provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the number of protrusions 52 is greater than the number of protrusions 50, and the protrusions 52 are provided more densely than the protrusions 50.

[0063] 8 and 9, the same number of grooves 40 and protrusions 50 are provided at the same intervals so that one protrusion 50 corresponds to one groove 40. Similarly, the same number of grooves 42 and protrusions 52 are provided at the same intervals so that one protrusion 52 corresponds to one groove 42.

[0064] In this embodiment, six grooves 40 correspond to six protrusions 50 , and seven grooves 42 correspond to seven protrusions 52 .

[0065] Figures 10 and 11 are side views showing the state before the external terminal 16 is moved to the holding member 11 in the insertion / removal direction A1 and held therein, with Figure 10 showing the side view as viewed in the +Y direction and Figure 11 showing the side view as viewed in the -Y direction.

[0066] As shown in Figure 10, the multiple grooves 40 and the multiple protrusions 50 are each arranged at equal intervals along the X-axis direction, and the spacing D1 at the center in the X-axis direction is set shorter than the spacing D2 at both ends in the X-axis direction.

[0067] As shown in Figure 11, the multiple grooves 42 and the multiple protrusions 52 are each arranged at equal intervals along the X-axis direction, and the distance D3 between the center in the X-axis direction is set longer than the distance D4 between both ends in the X-axis direction.

[0068] 10 and 11, the positions of the recessed and protruding portions along the X-axis direction can be varied on each of the long sides of the electrical connector 4. This makes it easier to prevent deformation of the electrical connector 4 as a whole, and further improves the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0069] 10 and 11, the length H1 of the grooves 40, 42 is set to be longer than the length H2 of the protrusions 50, 52. This makes it difficult for the protrusions 50, 52 to escape from the grooves 40, 42 even if deformation occurs during the reflow process, and the uneven shape can stably provide the effect of improving flatness.

[0070] [Summary] As described above, in the electrical connector 4 of this embodiment, a concave-convex shape that extends in the Z-axis direction and fits into the retaining member 11 and the female external terminal 16 is provided between the retaining member 11 and the female external terminal 16, thereby suppressing deformation of the retaining member 11 and the female external terminal 16 caused by heating during the reflow process and improving the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0071] In this embodiment, grooves 40, 42 are provided on the outer periphery of the holding member 11, and protrusions 50, 52 are provided on the inner periphery of the female external terminal 16, and the grooves 40, 42 and protrusions 50, 52 form an uneven shape. As a result, when, for example, a metal female external terminal 16 is press-formed to form an uneven shape, it is only necessary to provide the protrusions 50, 52 on the inside of the female external terminal 16, so the horizontal dimension of the female external terminal 16 can be made smaller than when protrusions are provided on the outside, and the electrical connector 6 can be made smaller.

[0072] In this embodiment, the electrical connector 4 has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides, and the grooves 40, 42 and the protrusions 50, 52 are provided as uneven shapes on the long sides, not on the short sides, thereby enhancing the effect of improving the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0073] (Actions and Effects) An electrical connector 4 according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of female signal terminals 15 (internal terminals) arranged in the X-axis direction (first direction), female external terminals 16 (external terminals) arranged around the plurality of female signal terminals 15, a female holding member 11 (holding member) that holds the plurality of female signal terminals 15 and the female external terminals 16 and has a thickness in the Z-axis direction (height direction) that intersects the X-axis direction, and a substrate 8 on which the plurality of female signal terminals 15 and the female external terminals 16 are mounted, the female holding member 11 having a female terminal lateral holding portion 13 (first terminal holding portion) that holds the female external extension portion 34 (first wall portion) of the female external terminal 16, the female external extension portion 34 extending opposite the outer periphery of the female terminal lateral holding portion 13, and having recessed and projecting shapes (grooves 40, 42, protrusions 50, 52) that extend in the Z-axis direction and fit together between the female external extension portion 34 and the female terminal lateral holding portion 13.

[0074] With this configuration, even if the female holding member 11 and the female external terminals 16 attempt to thermally deform in different directions during the reflow process for mounting the female signal terminals 15 and the female external terminals 16 on the substrate 8, the thermal deformation can be suppressed by the uneven shape extending in the Z-axis direction, thereby improving the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0075] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the female holding member 11 has a long side extending in the X-axis direction (first direction) and a short side extending in the Y-axis direction (second direction) that intersects the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction (height direction), and the uneven shapes (grooves 40, 42 and protrusions 50, 52) are provided on the long sides. With this configuration, providing the uneven shapes on the long sides of the female holding member 11 is more effective in improving the flatness of the electrical connector 4 than providing the uneven shapes on the short sides.

[0076] In one embodiment, the electrical connector 4 has a plurality of recessed and projecting portions (grooves 40, 42 and protrusions 50, 52) spaced apart in the X-axis direction (first direction). This configuration further improves the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0077] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the distance D2 between two adjacent concave and convex shapes at the ends in the X-axis direction (first direction) is wider than the distance D1 at the center in the X-axis direction. This configuration improves the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0078] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the distance D4 between two adjacent concave and convex shapes at the ends in the X-axis direction (first direction) is narrower than the distance D3 at the center in the X-axis direction. This configuration improves the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0079] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the female external extension 34 (first wall) has protrusions 50, 52 that protrude toward the female terminal lateral holding portion 13 (first terminal holding portion), and the female terminal lateral holding portion 13 has grooves 40, 42 that receive the protrusions 50, 52, and the protrusions 50, 52 and the grooves 40, 42 each extend in the Z-axis direction (height direction) to form an uneven shape. With this configuration, by providing the protrusions 50, 52 on the female external extension 34, when the protrusions 50, 52 are formed on the female external terminal 16 of a metal plate by press working, for example, the lateral dimension of the female external terminal 16 can be reduced without causing the female external terminal 16 to protrude outward, thereby enabling the electrical connector 4 to be made more compact.

[0080] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the grooves 40, 42 are longer in the Z-axis direction (height direction) than the protrusions 50, 52. This configuration makes it difficult for the protrusions 50, 52 to escape from the grooves 40, 42, making it easier to more stably achieve the effect of improving the flatness of the electrical connector 4.

[0081] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the upper ends of the protrusions 50, 52 in the Z-axis direction (height direction) are positioned lower than the upper end of the female external extension portion 34 (first wall portion) in the Z-axis direction. With this configuration, when the female external terminal 16 attempts to deform convexly downward, the distance between the upper ends of the protrusions 50, 52 is prevented from becoming too close, making it difficult for the protrusions 50, 52 to escape from the grooves 40, 42.

[0082] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the protrusions 50, 52 extend to the lower end of the female external extension portion 34 (first wall portion) in the Z-axis direction (height direction). With this configuration, when the insulating female holding member 11 attempts to deform convexly upward, the width of the grooves 40, 42 tends to narrow at the lower ends, thereby increasing the force holding the protrusions 50, 52 at the lower ends of the grooves 40, 42. In contrast, by extending the protrusions 50, 52 downward, the protrusions 50, 52 can be held more firmly, thereby enhancing the effect of improving flatness.

[0083] In one embodiment of the electrical connector 4, the grooves 40, 42 extend from the upper end to the lower end in the Z-axis direction (height direction) of the female terminal lateral holding portion 13 (first terminal holding portion). With this configuration, the grooves 40, 42 are made longer, which makes it easier to maintain the protrusions 50, 52 positioned in the grooves 40, 42, and the flatness improvement effect can be stably achieved.

[0084] An electrical connector set 2 according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a female electrical connector 4 and a male electrical connector 6 (mating electrical connector) that mates with the electrical connector 4. This configuration can improve the flatness of the electrical connector 4 and the electrical connector set 2 that includes it.

[0085] Although the present disclosure has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, in the embodiments, grooves 40, 42 are provided in the scalpel holding member 11 and protrusions 50, 52 are provided in the female external terminal 16 as uneven shapes for improving flatness. However, this is not limiting. Protrusions may be provided in the scalpel holding member 11 and grooves may be provided in the female external terminal. In other words, it is sufficient to provide uneven shapes extending in the Z-axis direction (height direction) and fitting together between the scalpel holding member 11 and the female external terminal 16.

[0086] In addition, in the embodiment, a case where a concave-convex shape for improving flatness is provided on a pair of long sides of the electrical connector 4 has been described, but similar concave-convex shapes may also be provided on a pair of short sides of the electrical connector 4.

[0087] Although the present disclosure has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications should be understood to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart therefrom. Furthermore, changes in the combination and order of elements in each embodiment may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0088] The present disclosure is applicable to any electrical connector and an electrical connector set including the same.

[0089] 2 Electrical connector set 4 Female electrical connector 6 Male electrical connector (mating electrical connector) 8 Board 11 Female holding member 13 Female terminal side holding portion (first terminal holding portion) 15 Female signal terminal 16 Female external terminal 34 Female external extension portion (first wall portion)

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of internal terminals arranged in a first direction; external terminals arranged around the plurality of internal terminals; a retaining member that holds the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals and has a thickness in a height direction that intersects with the first direction; and a substrate on which the plurality of internal terminals and the external terminals are mounted, wherein the retaining member has a first terminal retaining portion that retains a first wall portion of the external terminal, the first wall portion extending opposite to the outer periphery of the first terminal retaining portion, and a concave-convex shape that extends in the height direction and fits into each other is provided between the first wall portion and the first terminal retaining portion.

2. An electrical connector as described in claim 1, wherein the retaining member has a long side extending in the first direction and a short side extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and the height direction, and the uneven shape is provided on the long side.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of said concave and convex shapes are provided at intervals in said first direction.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein the spacing between two adjacent concave and convex shapes at the ends in the first direction is wider than the spacing at the center in the first direction.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the distance between two adjacent concave and convex shapes at the ends in the first direction is narrower than the distance at the center in the first direction.

6. An electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first wall portion has a protrusion that protrudes toward the first terminal holding portion, the first terminal holding portion has a groove that receives the protrusion, and the protrusion and the groove each extend in the height direction to form the uneven shape.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein the groove is longer in the height direction than the protrusion.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the upper end of the protrusion in the height direction is positioned lower than the upper end of the first wall in the height direction.

9. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the protrusion extends to the lower end of the first wall portion in the height direction.

10. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the groove portion extends from the upper end to the lower end in the height direction of the first terminal holding portion.

11. An electrical connector set comprising: the electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10; and a mating electrical connector that mates with the electrical connector.

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