Electrical connector

Abstract

In the present invention, a receptacle connector (1A) engages with a plug connector. The receptacle connector (1A) is provided with: a conductive receptacle contact (10) that is connected to a circuit board; an insulating receptacle housing (11) that retains the receptacle contact (10); a conductive receptacle shell (12) that at least partially covers the outer periphery of the receptacle housing (11); and a conductive contact member (13) that is provided separately from the receptacle shell (12) and is retained by the receptacle housing (11). The contact member (13) is provided with a first contact section (13c) that, when the electrical connector and the plug connector engage, is in contact with a plug shell of the plug connector and deforms elastically.

Description

electrical connectors

[0001] The present invention relates to electrical connectors.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connector that includes a conductive shell for the purpose of blocking the ingress and egress of electromagnetic waves between the inside and outside of the connector.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-92291

[0004] In the electrical connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cantilever spring that contacts the conductive shell of the mating connector is integrally formed with the shell. Because the cantilever spring is formed by cutting out a portion of the shell, the shape of the cantilever spring is subject to restrictions such as the area where the cantilever spring is formed and the thickness of that area. These restrictions can make it difficult to adjust the strength of the elastic force generated by the cantilever spring to appropriately set the contact pressure when mated with the mating connector.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that allows for easy adjustment of contact pressure when mated with a mating connector.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the electrical connector of the present invention is an electrical connector that mates with a mating connector, and comprises: conductive contacts connected to a circuit board; an insulating housing that holds the contacts; a conductive shell that at least partially covers the outer periphery of the housing; and a conductive contact member that is provided separately from the shell and held by the housing, wherein the contact member has a first contact portion that comes into contact with a conductive ground member of the mating connector and elastically deforms when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated.

[0007] According to the present invention, the contact pressure when mated with the mating connector can be easily adjusted.

[0008] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1A and 1B, taken along line VII-VII of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 14A and 14B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 15A and 15B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 16A and 16B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 17A and 17B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 18A and 18B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6; 19A and 19B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 19B and 19B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 20A and 20B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 21A and 21B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 22A and 22B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 23A and 23B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 24A and 24B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 25A and 25B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7; 26A and 26B are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector of FIG. 7;

[0009] 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."

[0010] First Embodiment First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a receptacle connector 1A will be described with reference to Figures 1A to 5B, a plug connector 2 will be described with reference to Figure 6, and an electrical connector pair 50 will be described with reference to Figures 7A and 7B. In this embodiment, the receptacle connector 1A corresponds to an electrical connector, and the plug connector 2 corresponds to a mating connector. The receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are so-called board-to-board connectors that connect circuit boards 3, 4 together.

[0011] In the following description, the direction in which the relative displacement between the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 changes when they are mated or unmated will be referred to as the "connector mating direction." In each drawing, the connector mating direction is shown as the Z-axis direction.

[0012] The receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are rectangular, flat connectors whose thickness direction is the connector mating direction and whose longitudinal direction is the X-axis direction. Therefore, in the following description, the X-axis direction will be referred to as the "connector longitudinal direction" and the Y-axis direction as the "connector short-side direction." In this embodiment, the connector short-side direction corresponds to the orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the connector mating direction and the connector long-side direction.

[0013] [Receptacle Connector] First, the receptacle connector 1A will be described. The receptacle connector 1A shown in Figures 1A and 1B is mounted on the mounting surface 3a of a circuit board 3. The circuit board 3 is a printed wiring board or a flexible printed circuit board. The normal direction of the circuit board 3 is the Z-axis direction, which coincides with the connector mating direction. The receptacle connector 1A mates with the mating plug connector 2 shown in Figure 6, and electrically connects the circuit board 3 and the plug connector 2 as shown in Figure 7B.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the receptacle connector 1A includes a conductive receptacle contact 10, an insulating receptacle housing 11, a conductive receptacle shell 12, and a pair of conductive contact members 13.

[0015] 1B, the receptacle contacts 10 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the connector, which is a direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the connector corresponds to the arrangement direction of the receptacle contacts 10. The receptacle contacts 10 are arranged in two rows, with the receptacle contacts 10 in one row and the receptacle contacts 10 in the other row facing back to back along the short direction of the connector (see FIGS. 7A and 7B).

[0016] Each receptacle contact 10 is made of a conductive and elastic material, and is formed, for example, by stamping a metal plate into a rectangular shape. The receptacle contact 10 connects to a signal electrode 3b formed on the mounting surface 3a of the circuit board 3, and also connects to a plug contact 20 of the plug connector 2 (described later) (see FIGS. 7A and 7B).

[0017] As shown in Figures 1A, 7A, and 7B, the receptacle contacts 10 are connected to the circuit board 3. The receptacle contacts 10 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the connector. As shown in Figure 1B, the receptacle connector 1A includes, as receptacle contacts 10, signal terminals 10A for signal transmission and power terminals 10B for power supply. Two power terminals 10B are arranged at each end of the connector in the longitudinal direction, and the receptacle contacts 10 are arranged so that the signal terminals 10A are sandwiched between them. When the receptacle connector 1A is mated with the plug connector 2 (see Figure 6), the signal terminals 10A come into contact with signal terminals 20A of the plug connector 2, and the power terminals 10B come into contact with power terminals 20B of the plug connector 2.

[0018] 2, the receptacle housing 11 is a rectangular member that is molded from, for example, resin, has insulating properties, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the connector. The receptacle housing 11 forms the base of the receptacle connector 1A. The other members of the receptacle connector 1A are held in the receptacle housing 11.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1B and 2, the receptacle housing 11 holds a plurality of receptacle contacts 10. The receptacle housing 11 has a recess 11a that mates with a protrusion 21a (see Figure 6) of the plug housing 21, which will be described later. A convex land 11b surrounded by the recess 11a is provided in the center of the receptacle housing 11. The receptacle contacts 10 are held in the receptacle housing 11 by press-fitting or insert molding, with the receptacle contacts 10 positioned between the recess 11a and the land 11b. This forms two rows of receptacle contacts 10 aligned along the longitudinal direction of the connector. The receptacle contacts 10 and plug contacts 20 are connected by mating the protrusion 21a with the recess 11a (see Figures 7A and 7B).

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the receptacle housing 11 is provided with holding portions 11c at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the connector, at edges in the lateral direction of the connector, for receiving and holding the contact members 13.

[0021] 1A and 1B, the receptacle shell 12 is a conductive member held in the receptacle housing 11. The receptacle shell 12 includes a frame-shaped portion 12a, a pair of side surfaces 12b facing each other in the short direction of the connector, a pair of side surfaces 12c facing each other in the long direction of the connector, and an insertion piece 12d. The frame-shaped portion 12a is a plate-shaped portion of a rectangular frame that constitutes the main body of the receptacle shell 12.

[0022] 1A and 1B, the frame-shaped portion 12a covers a portion of the upper surface of the receptacle housing 11. The pair of side portions 12b are plate-shaped portions that are continuous with both ends of the frame-shaped portion 12a in the connector's short direction and bent from the frame-shaped portion 12a toward the mounting surface 3a of the circuit board 3. The pair of side portions 12c are plate-shaped portions that are continuous with both ends of the frame-shaped portion 12a in the connector's long direction and bent from the frame-shaped portion 12a toward the mounting surface 3a of the circuit board 3. Ends of the pair of side portions 12c that face the circuit board 3 are provided with board connection portions 12e that connect to the ground electrode 3c (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) on the mounting surface 3a.

[0023] The insertion pieces 12d are provided on both ends of the inner frame of the frame-shaped portion 12a in the longitudinal direction of the connector. The insertion pieces 12d are inserted into the receptacle housing 11, thereby holding the receptacle shell 12 in the receptacle housing 11.

[0024] When viewed in the connector mating direction, the receptacle shell 12 covers the outer periphery of the receptacle housing 11. The receptacle shell 12 is grounded to the circuit board 3 and functions as an electromagnetic shield for the receptacle connector 1A. When viewed in the connector mating direction, the side surface portions 12b and 12c of the receptacle shell 12 are disposed opposite the side surfaces of the receptacle housing 11, thereby covering the outer periphery of the receptacle housing 11.

[0025] 1B and 2, notches 12f are provided in the side surface portion 12b of the receptacle shell 12. A plurality of the notches 12f are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the connector.

[0026] The receptacle shell 12 is formed by bending a single plate-like member. As shown in Figure 3A, the plate-like member has a thickness of d1. The receptacle shell 12 is a cover member for the receptacle connector 1A, and as will be described later, also functions as a guide member that guides the mating plug connector 2 to the mating position. For this reason, the receptacle shell 12 is formed from a material with a strength that makes it difficult for the receptacle shell 12 to deform due to external forces and has a plate thickness of d1.

[0027] 1B, 2, and 3A, a pair of contact members 13 are provided separately from the receptacle shell 12 and are held in the receptacle housing 11. Each contact member 13 includes a main body portion 13a, a board connection portion 13b, and a first contact portion 13c. The main body portion 13a is a plate-shaped member extending in the longitudinal direction of the connector. The board connection portions 13b are provided at both ends of the main body portion 13a in the longitudinal direction of the connector and are connected to the ground electrode 3c of the circuit board 3 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B).

[0028] The first contact portion 13c is connected to the edge of the main body 13a in the -Z direction and is bent around the X axis to extend in the +Z direction as a whole. The width of the first contact portion 13c in the connector longitudinal direction gradually narrows from the base end connected to the main body 13a toward the tip. When mated with the plug connector 2, the first contact portion 13c comes into contact with a plug shell (ground member) 22 (see FIG. 6) of the plug connector 2, which will be described later, and elastically deforms.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3B , the first contact portion 13c includes a base end portion 30, an extension portion 31, an abutment portion 32, and a tip portion 33. One end of the base end portion 30 is connected to the edge of the main body portion 13a in the −Z direction, and is bent around the X axis from one end to the other end in a direction away from the circuit board 3. The extension portion 31 has one end connected to the other end of the base end portion 30 and extends from one end at an angle with respect to the +Z direction so as to move away from the board connection portion 13b and the main body portion 13a. The abutment portion 32 has one end connected to the other end of the extension portion 31 and is bent around the X axis from one end to the other end. The tip portion 33 has one end connected to the other end of the abutment portion 32 and extends from one end to the other end in a direction approaching the main body portion 13a.

[0030] 3B, the first contact portion 13c has a shape extending from the base end 30 to the tip end 33, and is therefore capable of elastic deformation around the X axis with the base end 30 as a fixed end. When the plug shell 22 of the plug connector 2 comes into contact with the abutment portion 32, the first contact portion 13c elastically deforms in a direction in which the tip end 33 approaches the main body portion 13a, and this elastic force generates contact pressure between the first contact portion 13c and the plug shell 22 (see FIG. 7B).

[0031] 3B , in the first contact portion 13c, the length of the extension portion 31 is defined as L. Furthermore, the thickness of the metal plate material constituting the contact member 13 is defined as d2. By changing the length L and the thickness d2, it is possible to adjust the contact pressure generated between the first contact portion 13c and the plug shell 22.

[0032] A plurality of first contact portions 13c are provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the connector. The first contact portions 13c are arranged along the mounting surface 3a of the circuit board 3. This ensures that the contact pressure generated when the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are mated is uniform along the longitudinal direction of the connector.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 1A, the receptacle shell 12, together with the receptacle housing 11, covers the contact member 13. As shown in Fig. 4A, the abutting portion 32 of the first contact portion 13c protrudes outward from the receptacle shell 12 through the cutout 12f of the receptacle shell 12 to come into contact with the mating plug connector 2. At this time, the tip portion 33 is accommodated inside the receptacle shell 12 so as not to come into contact with the plug connector 2.

[0034] 4B , in the case of a conventional receptacle shell 60 in which the functions of the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are realized by a single plate-like member, the functions of the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are realized by a common member. In this case, if the plate thickness is increased to ensure the strength of the receptacle shell 12, which functions as a guide member for the plug connector 2, the mounting area of ​​the receptacle connector 1A increases accordingly, and the plate thickness of the first contact portions 13c that come into contact with the plug connector 2 also increases. With this configuration, if plastic deformation of the first contact portions 13c is to be suppressed and the necessary elastic force is to be applied to the first contact portions 13c, the first contact portions 13c must have a length that provides an appropriate contact pressure, which makes it difficult to further reduce the size of the receptacle connector 1A.

[0035] 4A , in the receptacle connector 1A, the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are formed from separate members. In the receptacle connector 1A according to the present embodiment, the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are formed from plate-like members having different thicknesses. In this way, the thicknesses of the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 can be made different, so that the thickness d1 of the member constituting the receptacle shell 12 is set to a thickness that provides appropriate strength to perform the guide function, and the thickness d2 of the member constituting the contact members 13 is set to a thickness thinner than the thickness of the receptacle shell 12 that provides appropriate elasticity.

[0036] The receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 may be made of different materials. For example, phosphor bronze may be used as the material for the receptacle shell 12, and a Corson alloy, which is softer than phosphor bronze, may be used as the material for the contact members 13 that generate contact pressure with the plug connector 2 when mated with the plug connector 2. However, the materials for the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are not limited to this combination.

[0037] 5A, the size of the notch 12f need only be large enough for the first contact portion 13c to pass through, and the gap M1 between the notch 12f and the first contact portion 13c need only be large enough to take into account processing tolerances and assembly accuracy. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 5B, in a conventional receptacle shell 60 in which the portion corresponding to the receptacle shell 12 and the portion corresponding to the first contact portion 13c are formed from a single metal member, the tool used for punching requires strength, resulting in a larger gap M2 corresponding to the gap M1. In the receptacle connector 1A according to the present embodiment, by making the gap M1 between the notch 12f and the first contact portion 13c smaller than M2, the area of ​​the opening connecting the space in which the receptacle contacts 10 are arranged to the outside of the receptacle shell 12 can be reduced compared to conventional receptacle connectors, thereby improving the electromagnetic shielding effect of the receptacle shell 12.

[0038] [Plug Connector] Next, the plug connector 2 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, the plug connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 4a of the circuit board 4. In Fig. 6, the mounting surface 4a is shown as facing the -Z direction. The normal direction of the circuit board 4 coincides with the connector fitting direction. The plug connector 2 electrically connects the circuit board 4 and the receptacle connector 1A (see Figs. 1A to 5B).

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6 , the plug connector 2 includes a plurality of conductive plug contacts 20 , an insulating plug housing 21 , and a conductive plug shell 22 .

[0040] 6, the plug contacts 20 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the connector, which is a direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction. That is, the longitudinal direction of the connector corresponds to the arrangement direction of the plug contacts 20.

[0041] The plug contacts 20 are each made of a conductive and elastic material, and are formed, for example, by punching a metal plate into a rectangular shape and then bending it. Specifically, the plug contacts 20 are formed by bending a rectangular metal plate into an L-shape, with one end of the L-shape folded back toward the other end.

[0042] The plug connector 2 has plug contacts 20, which include signal terminals 20A for signal transmission and power terminals 20B for power supply. In each row of the plug contacts 20, the signal terminals 20A are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the connector. Two power terminals 20B are arranged at each end of the connector in the longitudinal direction, with the signal terminals 20A sandwiched between them. The signal terminals 20A are terminals for transmitting signals. The power terminals 20B are terminals for supplying power. Since the power terminals 20B supply power, their width in the longitudinal direction of the connector is larger than that of the signal terminals 20A. When the plug connector 2 is mated with the receptacle connector 1A, the signal terminals 20A come into contact with the signal terminals 10A of the receptacle connector 1A, and the power terminals 20B come into contact with the power terminals 10B of the receptacle connector 1A.

[0043] 6, the plug housing 21 is made of, for example, resin and has insulating properties. The plug housing 21 holds the plug contacts 20 and is a rectangular member when viewed in the connector mating direction. The plug housing 21 includes a protrusion 21a that mates with the recess 11a of the receptacle housing 11, and a recess 21b that mates with the land 11b of the receptacle housing 11.

[0044] 6, the plug shell 22 is a conductive member held in the plug housing 21. The plug shell 22 is formed, for example, by drawing a plate-shaped member to have no seams. The plug shell 22 is grounded to the circuit board 4 and functions as an electromagnetic shield for the plug connector 2.

[0045] [Mating Operation] Next, a description will be given of the mating operation between the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2. When the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are separated from each other, as shown in Fig. 7A, they are mated by being aligned so that the outer edge of the receptacle shell 12 of the receptacle connector 1A fits into the space surrounded by the plug shell 22 of the plug connector 2. During mating, the inner surface of the plug shell 22 comes into contact with the abutment portion 32 of the first contact portion 13c, causing the first contact portion 13c to elastically deform.

[0046] When the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are mated, the electrical connector pair 50 assumes the state shown in Fig. 7B. In this state, the first contact portion 13c constituting the contact member 13 of the receptacle connector 1A is in an elastically deformed state and abuts against the inner surface of the plug shell 22. This generates the necessary contact pressure between the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2, maintaining the mated state between the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2.

[0047] In this state, the receptacle contacts 10 of the receptacle connector 1A come into contact with the plug contacts 20 of the plug connector 2, establishing an electrical connection between the circuit boards 3 and 4, enabling signal transmission and power supply.

[0048] [Removal Operation] Next, a description will be given of the removal operation of the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2. When the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are pulled apart in the connector fitting direction in the state shown in Fig. 7B, it becomes possible to remove the plug connector 2 from the receptacle connector 1A, as shown in Fig. 7A. During removal, the elastic deformation of the first contact portion 13c is released.

[0049] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a receptacle connector 1B will be described with reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10. The receptacle connector 1B is connected to a plug connector 2 (see Figure 6).

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the appearance of the receptacle connector 1B is the same as that of the receptacle connector 1A shown in FIG. 1A, but the receptacle connector 1B has a pair of conductive contact members 14 instead of the pair of conductive contact members 13.

[0051] The contact member 14 is similar to the contact member 13 in that it is provided separately from the receptacle shell 12 and held in the receptacle housing 11, and each has a main body portion 13a, a board connection portion 13b, and a first contact portion 13c.

[0052] The contact member 14 includes a second contact portion 14a. The second contact portion 14a is connected to the main body portion 13a between the first contact portions 13c in the longitudinal direction of the connector. The second contact portion 14a has a shape similar to that of the first contact portion 13c and protrudes away from the main body portion 13a in the Y-axis direction, but its protrusion (length) from the main body portion 13a in the Y-axis direction is shorter than that of the first contact portion 13c. As shown in FIG. 10 , when mated with a mating connector, the second contact portion 14a elastically deforms and contacts the plug shell 22 (see FIG. 6 ). Specifically, the second contact portion 14a contacts the inner surface of the plug shell 22.

[0053] The second contact portions 14a allow the receptacle shell 12 held in the receptacle housing 11 to make stronger contact with the contact members 14, thereby enhancing the electromagnetic shielding effect of the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 14. Since multiple second contact portions 14a are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the connector, the electromagnetic shielding effect is uniform along the longitudinal direction of the connector.

[0054] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a receptacle connector 1C will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. The receptacle connector 1C is connected to a plug connector 2 (see Figure 6).

[0055] As shown in FIG. 11, the receptacle connector 1C includes a receptacle shell 12A in place of the receptacle shell 12 in the receptacle connectors 1A and 1B, and a pair of conductive contact members 15 in place of the contact members 13.

[0056] The receptacle shell 12A has a notch 12g instead of the notch 12f. The notch 12g is an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is the longitudinal direction of the connector. The notch 12g is provided at a position corresponding to a contact portion 42, which will be described later.

[0057] The pair of contact members 15 are similar to the contact members 13 in that they are provided separately from the receptacle shell 12 and held in the receptacle housing 11, and each has a main body portion 13a and a board connection portion 13b.

[0058] The contact member 15 includes a first contact portion 15c instead of the first contact portion 13c. The first contact portion 15c is elastically deformed to come into contact with the plug shell 22, just like the first contact portion 13c.

[0059] The first contact portion 15c is connected to the edge of the main body 13a in the -Z direction. When mated with the plug connector 2, the first contact portion 15c comes into contact with a plug shell 22 of the plug connector 2, which will be described later, and is elastically deformed.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 11 , the first contact portion 15c includes a base end portion 40, extension portions 41A and 41B, a contact portion 42, and a tip portion 43. One end of the base end portion 40 is connected to the edge of the main body portion 13a in the −Z direction. One end of the extension portion 41A is continuous with the base end portion 40 and extends in the +X direction. One end of the extension portion 41B is continuous with the base end portion 40 and extends in the −X direction. The contact portion 42 is a portion whose one end is continuous with the other ends of the extension portions 41A and 41B and is bent from one end to the other around the Z axis. One end of the tip portion 33 is continuous with the other end of the contact portion 42 and extends from one end to the other in a direction approaching the main body portion 13a. The abutment portion 42 has a slope on the edge in the Z-axis direction, which acts as a guide surface for the plug shell 22 when mating and removing, making it easier for the first contact portion 15c to deform in the direction approaching the main body portion 13a.

[0061] 11 , the first contact portion 15c has a shape extending from the base end 40 to the tip end 43, and is therefore capable of elastic deformation with the base end 40 as a fixed end. When the plug shell 22 of the plug connector 2 comes into contact with the abutment portion 42, the first contact portion 15c elastically deforms in a direction in which the tip end 43 approaches the main body 13a, and this elastic force generates contact pressure between the first contact portion 15c and the plug shell 22.

[0062] A plurality of first contact portions 15c are provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the connector, and extend in a direction along the mounting surface 3a of the circuit board 3. This makes the contact pressure generated between the first contact portions 15c and the plug shell 22 uniform along the longitudinal direction of the connector.

[0063] 12 , the receptacle shell 12, together with the receptacle housing 11, covers the contact member 15. In the first contact portion 13c, the abutting portion 42 protrudes outward from the notch 12g of the receptacle shell 12 to come into contact with the mating plug connector 2. The tip portion 43 of the first contact portion 13c is accommodated inside the receptacle shell 12A so as not to come into contact with the plug connector 2.

[0064] In this way, the receptacle connector 1C according to the third embodiment has first contact portion 15c shaped to extend along the longitudinal direction of the connector, thereby ensuring a sufficient spring length and enabling a lower profile compared to the receptacle connectors 1A and 1B according to the first and second embodiments. Note that the contact member 15 may be provided with the second contact portion 14a provided on the contact member 14 according to the second embodiment.

[0065] [Summary] (1) As described above in detail, the receptacle connector 1A according to the above embodiment is an electrical connector that mates with a mating plug connector 2. The receptacle connector 1A includes conductive receptacle contacts 10 connected to a circuit board 3, an insulating receptacle housing 11 that holds the receptacle contacts 10, a conductive receptacle shell 12 that at least partially covers the outer periphery of the receptacle housing 11, and a conductive contact member 13 that is provided separately from the receptacle shell 12 and held by the receptacle housing 11. The contact member 13 includes a first contact portion 13c that contacts and elastically deforms with the conductive plug shell 22 of the plug connector 2 when the electrical connector and the plug connector 2 are mated. With this configuration, the receptacle shell 12 and the contact member 13 are provided separately, and the size of one can be designed without being restricted by the size of the other, making it easy to adjust the contact pressure when mated with the plug connector 2.

[0066] (2) In the above embodiment, the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are configured as separate members. This allows the sizes of the receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 to be designed independently, making it easy to adjust the strength of the elastic force that generates contact pressure when mated with the plug connector 2.

[0067] (3) The receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are made of plate-like members with different thicknesses. This also makes it easy to adjust the strength of the elastic force that generates contact pressure when mated with the plug connector 2.

[0068] (4) The receptacle shell 12 and the contact members 13 are made of different materials. This also makes it possible to easily adjust the strength of the elastic force that generates contact pressure when mated with the plug connector 2.

[0069] (5) The contact member 14 is provided with a second contact portion 14a that contacts the receptacle shell 12. This allows the contact member 14 to have the same potential as the receptacle shell 12, which is grounded to the circuit board 3, thereby improving the ability of the contact member 14 to act as an electromagnetic shield.

[0070] (6) The second contact portion 14a is elastically deformed to come into contact with the receptacle shell 12. This allows the contact member 14 and the receptacle shell 12 to come into contact with each other with a stronger force.

[0071] (7) The contact members 13 include board connecting portions 13b that are connected to the circuit board 3. This allows the contact members 13 to be securely fixed to the circuit board 3 and to be grounded to the circuit board 3, allowing the contact members 13 to function as electromagnetic shielding members for the receptacle connector 1A.

[0072] (8) The receptacle shell 12 covers the contact members 13. Also, notches 12f are formed in the receptacle shell 12. The first contact portions 13c protrude outward from the notches 12f and come into contact with the plug connector 2. In this manner, the receptacle shell 12 can protect the protruding first contact portions 13c.

[0073] (9) The first contact portion 13c extends in a direction along the mounting surface 3a of the circuit board 3. This allows the contact pressure generated when the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are mated to be uniform along the longitudinal direction of the connectors.

[0074] Although the first contact portion 13c is a member extending in a direction away from the circuit board 3, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be a member extending in a direction toward the circuit board 3.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the receptacle shell 12 and the contact member 13 are configured from separate plate-like members, but this is not limiting. A single plate-like member may be processed to provide portions with different plate thicknesses, and the receptacle shell 12 and the contact member 13 may be formed from the portions with different plate thicknesses.

[0076] Furthermore, the contact member 13 does not have to be electrically conductive, and may be made of an insulating material such as resin.

[0077] Furthermore, the plug connector 2 may be provided with a member corresponding to the contact member 13 separate from the plug shell 22 .

[0078] In the above embodiment, the receptacle connector 1A and the plug connector 2 are connectors that connect the circuit boards 3 and 4. However, this is not limited to this, and these connectors may be, for example, a receptacle connector and a plug connector that connect a board and a cable.

[0079] 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.

[0080] In addition, this application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-64814 filed on April 12, 2024, and the entire specification, claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-64814 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0081] The present invention can be applied to an electrical connector that connects with a mating connector.

[0082] 1A, 1B, 1C Receptacle connector (electrical connector), 2 Plug connector (mating connector), 3 Circuit board, 3a Mounting surface, 3b Signal electrode, 3c Ground electrode, 4 Circuit board, 4a Mounting surface, 4b Signal electrode, 4c Ground electrode, 10 Receptacle contact (contact), 10A Signal terminal, 10B Power terminal, 11 Receptacle housing (housing), 11a Recess, 11b Land portion, 11c Holding portion, 12, 12A Receptacle shell (shell), 12a Frame-shaped portion, 12b, 12c Side portion, 12d Insertion piece, 12e Board connection portion, 12f, 12g Notch, 13 Contact member, 13a Main body portion, 13b Board connection portion, 13c First contact portion, 14 Contact member, 14a Second contact portion, 15 Contact member, 15c First contact portion, 20 plug contact, 20A signal terminal, 20B power terminal, 21 plug housing, 21a convex portion, 21b concave portion, 22 plug shell (grounding member), 30 base end portion, 31 extension portion, 32 abutting portion, 33 tip portion, 40 base end portion, 41A, 41B extension portion, 42 abutting portion, 43 tip portion, 50 electrical connector pair, 60 receptacle shell

Claims

1. An electrical connector that mates with a mating connector, comprising: conductive contacts connected to a circuit board; an insulating housing that holds the contacts; a conductive shell that at least partially covers the outer periphery of the housing; and a conductive contact member that is provided separately from the shell and is held by the housing, wherein the contact member has a first contact portion that comes into contact with a conductive ground member of the mating connector and elastically deforms when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the shell and the contact members are constructed of separate members.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein the shell and the contact member are formed of plate-like members having different thicknesses.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein the shell and the contact members are made of different materials.

5. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the contact member is provided with a second contact portion that contacts the shell.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the second contact portion elastically deforms to come into contact with the shell.

7. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the contact member comprises a board connection portion that is connected to the circuit board.

8. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the shell covers the contact member, a notch is formed in the shell, and the first contact portion protrudes outward from the notch to make contact with the mating connector.

9. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first contact portion extends in a direction along the mounting surface of the circuit board.

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