Board connector

Abstract

The present invention suppresses positional deviation of a housing in a process in which the housing is moved toward a circuit board while keeping a constant orientation and placed on the circuit board.　A board connector (10) comprises: a housing (11) that is attached to a front-end portion of a mounting surface (51) of a circuit board (50); and a terminal fitting (40) that is attached to the housing (11). A first elastic locking portion (21) and a second elastic locking portion (26) that is positioned rearward of the first elastic locking portion (21) are formed on a surface of the housing (11) that faces the mounting surface (51). The first elastic locking portion (21) is locked to a front edge portion (50F) of the circuit board (50) while being elastically deformed, thereby restricting separation of the housing (11) from the mounting surface (51). The second elastic locking portion (26) is fitted into a fitting hole (52) of the circuit board (50) such that the locking portion cannot be pulled out.

Description

Board Connector

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic board in which a connector is surface-mounted on a wiring board. The connector includes a holder, a plurality of terminals attached to the holder, and a peg for fixing the holder to the wiring board. The peg is fixed to the wiring board via solder.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-118872

[0004] A mating connector connected to a wire harness is adapted to be fitted into the connector. Therefore, when the wire harness is strongly pulled in a direction away from the wiring board, if the tensile force exceeds the fixing force of the solder, there is a concern that the peg may detach from the wiring board. As a countermeasure for this, it is conceivable to adopt a structure in which an elastically deformable locking portion is formed on the holder and its projection is hooked to the outer edge of the wiring board. When the step of setting the holder on the wiring board is performed by an automatic machine, the holder is translated so as to approach the wiring board while maintaining a constant posture. Therefore, during the movement, the locking portion is elastically deformed by interfering with the outer edge of the wiring board. Accordingly, there is a risk that the holder may be displaced relative to the wiring board due to the elastic restoring force of the locking portion.

[0005] The board connector of the present disclosure has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to suppress displacement of the housing in the process of arranging the housing to approach the circuit board while maintaining a constant posture.

[0006] The connector for a circuit board according to this disclosure comprises a housing attached to the front end of the mounting surface of a circuit board, and terminal fittings attached to the housing, wherein a first elastic locking portion and a second elastic locking portion located behind the first elastic locking portion are formed on the surface of the housing facing the mounting surface, the first elastic locking portion restricts the housing from separating from the mounting surface by locking onto the front edge of the circuit board while elastically deforming, and the second elastic locking portion is fitted into a fitting hole of the circuit board in a non-removing state.

[0007] According to this disclosure, when positioning the housing close to the circuit board while maintaining a constant orientation, displacement of the housing can be suppressed.

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the PCB connector of Example 1 mounted on a circuit board, viewed from an oblique angle above and in front. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the PCB connector mounted on a circuit board, viewed from an oblique angle below and in front. Figure 3 is a side view showing the PCB connector mounted on a circuit board. Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the PCB connector mounted on a circuit board. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the PCB connector viewed from an oblique angle below and in front.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure] Embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described first. Any combination of the following embodiments, insofar as they do not contradict each other, is also included as a form for carrying out the invention. The PCB connector of the Disclosure comprises: (1) a housing attached to the front end of the mounting surface of a circuit board; and a terminal fitting attached to the housing, wherein a first elastic locking portion and a second elastic locking portion located behind the first elastic locking portion are formed on the surface of the housing facing the mounting surface, the first elastic locking portion locks onto the front edge of the circuit board while elastically deforming, thereby restricting the housing from separating from the mounting surface, and the second elastic locking portion is fitted into a fitting hole of the circuit board in a non-removing state.

[0010] According to this disclosure, in the process of moving the housing in parallel to approach the mounting surface, the first elastic locking portion undergoes elastic deformation due to interference with the leading edge of the circuit board. As a result, the elastic restoring force of the first elastic locking portion causes the housing to shift forward, but since the second elastic locking portion is fitted into the fitting hole, the housing does not shift. According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the housing in the process of positioning the housing close to the circuit board while maintaining a constant orientation.

[0011] (2) In (1), it is preferable that the housing has a flattened shape in which the width dimension parallel to the mounting surface is larger than the height dimension perpendicular to the mounting surface, and that the pair of first elastic locking portions are arranged at two locations spaced apart in the width direction. With this configuration, even if the direction of tension from the mating connector to the wire harness fitted into the housing is biased in the width direction, it is possible to suppress the housing from lifting off the mounting surface.

[0012] (3) In (2), the housing preferably has a support wall portion whose wall thickness direction is parallel to the mounting surface and through which the terminal fitting passes, and a rectangular tubular hood portion that protrudes forward from the support wall portion, and the pair of first elastic locking portions preferably protrude from the lower surface of the side wall portion that constitutes the hood portion. With this configuration, the side wall portion extends perpendicular to the mounting surface from the bottom wall portion that constitutes the hood portion, so it is difficult for the housing to deform against external forces that lift it up. Therefore, the reliability of the holding force by the first elastic locking portion is high.

[0013] (4) In (1) to (3), the housing preferably has a support wall portion whose wall thickness direction is parallel to the mounting surface and through which the terminal fitting passes, and a rectangular tubular hood portion protruding forward from the support wall portion, and the second elastic locking portion protruding from the lower surface of the support wall portion. With this configuration, since the wall thickness direction of the support wall portion is parallel to the mounting surface, it is less likely to deform when subjected to vertical external forces compared to the hood portion. Since the second elastic locking portion is connected to the lower surface of the support wall portion, the reliability of the housing movement restriction function by the second elastic locking portion is high.

[0014] (5) In (1) to (3), the housing has a support wall portion whose wall thickness direction is parallel to the mounting surface and through which the terminal fitting passes, and a rectangular tubular hood portion that protrudes forward from the support wall portion, and a mating connector connected to the wire harness is fitted into the hood portion from the front of the housing, the exit position of the wire harness at the mating connector is in front of the front end of the hood portion, and a peg is attached to the housing which is fixed to the mounting surface by solder, and the first elastic locking portion is preferably positioned in front of the front end of the peg. With this configuration, when the wire harness is pulled in a direction away from the mounting surface, the tensile force is received by the first elastic locking piece which is located in front of the peg. This reduces the peeling force acting on the fixing portion between the mounting surface and the peg.

[0015] [Details of Embodiments of the Disclosure] [Example 1] A substrate connector 10 of Example 1, embodying the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims are included. In Example 1, the front-to-back direction is defined as the F direction in Figures 1 to 5. The up-and-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figures 1 to 5. The left-to-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figures 1, 2, and 5. The left-to-right direction and the width direction are used synonymously. The up-and-down direction and the height direction are used synonymously.

[0016] The board connector 10 of this embodiment 1 is a connector attached to the front end of a horizontally arranged circuit board 50. The circuit board 50 has a mounting surface 51 facing upward. The circuit board 50 has a fitting hole 52 that penetrates the circuit board 50 in the vertical direction. In a plan view of the circuit board 50 from above, the fitting hole 52 has an ellipse or oblong shape with its major axis oriented in the left-right direction and its minor axis oriented in the front-back direction. The fitting hole 52 is located behind the front edge 50F of the circuit board 50. A first elastic locking portion 21, which will be described later, is designed to lock onto the front edge 50F of the circuit board 50.

[0017] The PCB connector 10 is constructed by assembling a housing 11, a pair of left and right pegs 35 for fixing the housing 11 to the mounting surface 51, and a plurality of terminal fittings 40 attached to the housing 11.

[0018] The housing 11 is a single component made of synthetic resin. The housing 11 has a flattened rectangular shape with a height dimension in the vertical direction being smaller than its width dimension in the horizontal direction. The housing 11 has a support wall portion 12, a hood portion 14, and a press-fit portion 19. The support wall portion 12 is a portion whose wall thickness direction is oriented in the front-rear direction. The support wall portion 12 has a plurality of press-fit holes 13 formed therein that penetrate the support wall portion 12 in the front-rear direction. The hood portion 14 is a rectangular tubular portion that protrudes forward from the outer peripheral edge of the support wall portion 12. The hood portion 14 has a bottom wall portion 15, a pair of left and right side wall portions 16 rising from both left and right side edges of the bottom wall portion 15, and an upper wall portion 17 connecting the upper end edges of the left and right side wall portions 16. The side wall portions 16 have a protective wall portion 18 that extends rearward from the support wall portion 12.

[0019] Each of the left and right side wall portions 16 has a pair of press-fit portions 19 spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The press-fit portions 19 are located at the front and rear ends of the side wall portion 16. The press-fit portions 19 protrude outward in the width direction from the outer surface of the side wall portion 16. Therefore, the portion of the side wall portion 16 in which the press-fit portions 19 are formed has a greater thickness in the width direction than the portion in which the press-fit portions 19 are not formed.

[0020] A pair of press-fit portions 19 are fitted with pegs 35 by press-fitting. The pegs 35 are single components made by bending a metal plate. The pegs 35 have a substrate fixing portion 36 that is fixed to the mounting surface 51 via solder (not shown), and a plate-shaped fixing portion 37 that rises upward from the substrate fixing portion 36. The pegs 35 are attached to the housing 11 by dropping them into the pair of press-fit portions 19 from above. In detail, both the front and rear ends of the plate-shaped fixing portion 37 are press-fitted into the front and rear pair of press-fit portions 19, and the pegs 35 are fixed to the housing 11 by this press-fitting. The front end 35F of the substrate fixing portion 36 is located behind the front end 14F of the hood portion 14.

[0021] The terminal fitting 40 is a single component formed by bending a long, slender metal member. The terminal fitting 40 has a terminal connection portion 41 that extends in the front-rear direction, and a terminal connection portion 42 that extends downward from the rear end of the terminal connection portion 41. In a side view of the terminal fitting 40, the terminal connection portion 42 is bent into an L-shape. The terminal fitting 40 is attached to the support wall portion 12 by press-fitting the terminal connection portion 41 into the press-fit hole 13 from the rear of the housing 11. The front end portion of the terminal connection portion 41 is housed within the hood portion 14. The rear end portion of the terminal connection portion 41 and the entire terminal connection portion 42 are exposed behind the support wall portion 12 and are positioned between a pair of left and right protective wall portions 18.

[0022] On the surface 20 (lower surface) of the housing 11 facing the mounting surface 51, a pair of symmetrical first elastic locking portions 21 and one second elastic locking portion 26 are integrally formed. The pair of first elastic locking portions 21 are located at the front end of the housing 11 and at both the left and right ends of the housing 11. The pair of first elastic locking portions 21 are cantilevered portions that extend downward from the front end of the side wall portion 16 constituting the hood portion 14 and from the lower surface of the front press-fit portion 19. The first elastic locking portion 21 has a prismatic leg portion 22 and a locking projection 23 that protrudes rearward from the lower end of the leg portion 22. A tapered first guide surface 24 that slopes upward toward the rear is formed on the lower surface of the locking projection 23. The upper surface of the locking projection 23 functions as a horizontal first locking surface 25.

[0023] The second elastic locking portion 26 is located behind the front end 14F of the housing 11 (hood portion 14) and in the center of the housing 11 in the left-right direction. The first elastic locking portion 21 is a portion that extends downward in a cantilevered manner from the lower surface of the support wall portion 12. The second elastic locking portion 26 is composed of a pair of front-to-back symmetrical elastic pieces 27. The pair of elastic pieces 27 are arranged facing each other with a deflection allowance space 28 between them. The surface of the elastic piece 27 that does not face the deflection allowance space 28 is defined as the outer peripheral surface. The plan view shape of the outer peripheral surface is an arc shape. The upper end region of the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece 27 is defined as the fitting surface 29. The radius of curvature of the fitting surface 29 is set to be the same as or slightly smaller than half the minor axis of the fitting hole 52 of the circuit board 50.

[0024] A second guide surface 30 is formed on the lower end region of the outer circumferential surface of the elastic piece 27, inclined such that the radius of curvature in a side view gradually decreases downwards. The radius of curvature of the elastic piece 27 is maximum at the upper end of the second guide surface 30. The maximum radius of curvature of the second guide surface 30 is greater than the radius of curvature of the fitting surface 29. The maximum radius of curvature of the second guide surface 30 is set to be the same as or smaller than half the major axis of the fitting hole 52. Due to the difference in the radius of curvature between the fitting surface 29 and the second guide surface 30, a horizontally upward-facing second locking surface 31 is formed on the elastic piece 27 (between the fitting surface 29 and the second guide surface 30).

[0025] The following describes the process of attaching the PCB connector 10 to the circuit board 50. First, the assembly of the PCB connector 10 is completed by attaching the peg 35 and terminal fitting 40 to the housing 11. Next, the PCB connector 10 is placed on the mounting surface 51 of the circuit board 50 using an automated machine (not shown). Specifically, the PCB connector 10, held by the chuck or fingers of the automated machine, is lowered from above the circuit board 50 while maintaining a fixed position (the same position as when it was placed on the mounting surface 51).

[0026] During the process of lowering the PCB connector 10, the first guide surface 24 of the first elastic locking portion 21 interferes with the front edge 50F of the circuit board 50, causing the first elastic locking portion 21 to elastically deform forward. In parallel with this, the front and rear second guide surfaces 30 of the second elastic locking portion 26 interfere with the opening edge of the fitting hole 52 on the mounting surface 51, causing the front and rear elastic pieces 27 to elastically deform in such a way that they narrow the deflection allowable space 28. At this time, the elastic restoring force of the first elastic locking portion 21 causes the PCB connector 10 to attempt to displace forward relative to the circuit board 50. However, since the second guide surface 30 of the front elastic piece 27 is in contact with the opening edge of the fitting hole 52 on the mounting surface 51 from the rear, there is no risk of the PCB connector 10 being displaced forward relative to the circuit board 50.

[0027] As the PCB connector 10 descends further from this state, the locking projection 23 passes the front edge 50F of the circuit board 50, causing the first elastic locking portion 21 to elastically return to its rearward position, and the first locking surface 25 of the locking projection 23 enters a locking state in which it abuts against the lower surface of the circuit board 50 or approaches and faces the lower surface of the circuit board 50 from below. At the same time, as the second guide surface 30 passes the fitting hole 52, both the front and rear second elastic locking portions 26 elastically return to their rearward position, and both the front and rear second locking surfaces 31 enter a locking state in which they abut against the lower surface of the circuit board 50 or approaches and faces the lower surface of the circuit board 50 from below. The locking action of the first elastic locking portion 21 and the second elastic locking portion 26 restricts the PCB connector 10 (housing 11) from moving upward relative to the mounting surface 51.

[0028] With the above steps completed, the process of placing the board connector 10 on the mounting surface 51 is finished. Next, the circuit board 50 and the board connector 10 are placed in a reflow oven (not shown) and heated to fix the peg 35 to the mounting surface 51 and connect the terminal connection portion 42 of the terminal fitting 40 to the mounting surface 51.

[0029] With the board connector 10 mounted on the circuit board 50, the mating connector 60 is fitted into the hood portion 14 from the front of the housing 11. A wire harness 61 connected to the mating terminal (not shown) of the mating connector 60 is led out from the rear surface 60R of the mating connector 60 (the outer surface opposite to the mating surface 29 for the board connector 10). When the wire harness 61 is pulled upward (in the direction away from the mounting surface 51), if the tensile force exceeds the fixing force of the solder fixing portion between the peg 35 and the mounting surface 51, there is a concern that the solder fixing portion will break and the board connector 10 will come off the circuit board 50. However, in this embodiment 1, the PCB connector 10 has a first elastic locking portion 21 formed on the housing 11 that locks onto the front edge portion 50F of the circuit board 50, and a second elastic locking portion 26 that locks onto the fitting hole 52 of the circuit board 50, so there is no risk of the PCB connector 10 detaching from the mounting surface 51.

[0030] The PCB connector 10 of this embodiment 1 comprises a housing 11 attached to the front end of the mounting surface 51 of the circuit board 50, and a terminal fitting 40 attached to the housing 11. On the surface 20 of the housing 11 facing the mounting surface 51, a first elastic locking portion 21 and a second elastic locking portion 26 located behind the first elastic locking portion 21 are formed. The first elastic locking portion 21 locks onto the front edge portion 50F of the circuit board 50 while elastically deforming, thereby restricting the housing 11 from separating from the mounting surface 51. The second elastic locking portion 26 is fitted into the fitting hole 52 of the circuit board 50 in a non-removing state.

[0031] In the PCB connector 10 of this embodiment 1, during the process of moving the housing 11 parallel to the mounting surface 51, the first elastic locking portion 21 undergoes elastic deformation due to interference with the leading edge portion 50F of the circuit board 50, causing the housing 11 to shift forward due to the elastic restoring force of the first elastic locking portion 21. However, since the second elastic locking portion 26 is fitted into the fitting hole 52, the housing 11 does not shift position. In the process of positioning the housing 11 close to the circuit board 50 while maintaining a constant posture, the displacement of the housing 11 can be suppressed.

[0032] The housing 11 has a flattened shape in which the width dimension parallel to the mounting surface 51 is larger than the height dimension perpendicular to the mounting surface 51. The pair of first elastic locking parts 21 are arranged at two locations spaced apart in the width direction. With this configuration, even if the pulling direction from the mating connector 60 fitted into the housing 11 (hood part 14) to the wire harness 61 is biased in the width direction (left-right direction), the housing 11 can be prevented from lifting away from the mounting surface 51.

[0033] The housing 11 has a support wall portion 12 through which the terminal fitting 40 passes, with the wall thickness direction parallel to the mounting surface 51, and a rectangular tubular hood portion 14 protruding forward from the support wall portion 12. A pair of first elastic locking portions 21 protrude from the lower surface of the side wall portion 16 that constitutes the hood portion 14. With this configuration, the side wall portion 16 extends perpendicular to the mounting surface 51 from the bottom wall portion 15 that constitutes the hood portion 14, so it is difficult for the housing 11 to deform under external forces that would cause it to lift up. Therefore, the reliability of the holding force by the first elastic locking portions 21 is high.

[0034] The second elastic locking portion 26 protrudes from the lower surface of the support wall portion 12. With this configuration, the support wall portion 12 is oriented parallel to the mounting surface 51 in the wall thickness direction, so it is less prone to deformation when subjected to vertical external forces compared to the hood portion 14. Since the second elastic locking portion 26 is connected to the lower surface of the support wall portion 12, the reliability of the movement restriction function of the housing 11 by the second elastic locking portion 26 is high.

[0035] The mating connector 60 connected to the wire harness 61 is fitted into the hood portion 14 from the front of the housing 11. The exit position of the wire harness 61 on the mating connector 60 (the back surface 60R of the mating connector 60) is in front of the front end 14F of the hood portion 14. A peg 35 is attached to the housing 11, which is fixed to the mounting surface 51 via solder. The first elastic locking portion 21 is positioned in front of the front end 35F of the peg 35. With this configuration, when the wire harness 61 is pulled away from the mounting surface 51, the PCB connector 10 attempts to be lifted using the rear end of the housing 11 (the rear end on the lower surface of the protective wall portion 18) as a fulcrum. However, the tensile force acting on the wire harness 61 is absorbed by the first elastic locking piece located in front of the peg 35. This reduces the peeling force acting on the fixing portion between the mounting surface 51 and the peg 35.

[0036] [Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, but is shown in the claims. The present invention includes the meaning of equivalents to the claims and all modifications within the claims, and also includes the following embodiments. The first elastic locking portion may be located only in the center in the width direction. The first elastic locking portion may be located in three or more locations spaced apart in the width direction. The first elastic locking portion may be located closer to the center than both ends in the width direction of the housing. The second elastic locking portion may be located in multiple locations spaced apart in the width direction. The first elastic locking portion may be located in areas of the hood portion other than the lower surface of the side wall portion. The second elastic locking portion may be formed in areas other than the support wall portion. The second elastic locking portion may consist of a pair of elastic pieces divided into left and right halves, or of three or more elastic pieces. The first elastic locking portion may be located at the same position as the front end of the peg in the front-rear direction, or at a position behind the front end of the peg.

[0037] 10... Connector for circuit board 11... Housing 12... Support wall 13... Press-fit hole 14... Hood 14F... Front end of hood 15... Bottom wall 16... Side wall 17... Top wall 18... Protective wall 19... Press-fit part 20... Opposing surface 21... First elastic locking part 22... Leg 23... Locking projection 24... First guide surface 25... First locking surface 26... Second elastic locking part 27... Elastic piece 28... Allowable deflection space 29... Mating surface 30... Second guide surface 31... Second locking surface 35... Peg 35F... Front end of peg 36... Circuit board fixing part 37... Plate-shaped fixing part 40... Terminal fitting 41... Terminal connection part 42... Terminal connection part 50... Circuit board 50F... Front edge of circuit board 51... Mounting surface 52...Mating hole 60...Mating connector 60R...Back of mating connector 61...Wire harness

Claims

1. A circuit board connector comprising: a housing attached to the front end of the mounting surface of a circuit board; and terminal fittings attached to the housing, wherein a first elastic locking portion and a second elastic locking portion located behind the first elastic locking portion are formed on the surface of the housing facing the mounting surface, the first elastic locking portion restricts the housing from separating from the mounting surface by locking onto the front edge of the circuit board while elastically deforming, and the second elastic locking portion is fitted into a fitting hole of the circuit board in a non-removable state.

2. The connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a flattened shape in which the dimension in the width direction parallel to the mounting surface is larger than the dimension in the height direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, and a pair of the first elastic locking portions are arranged at two locations spaced apart in the width direction.

3. The connector for a circuit board according to claim 2, wherein the housing has a support wall portion whose wall thickness direction is parallel to the mounting surface and through which the terminal fitting passes, and a rectangular tubular hood portion that protrudes forward from the support wall portion, and the pair of first elastic locking portions protrude from the lower surface of the side wall portion constituting the hood portion.

4. The connector for a circuit board according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing has a support wall portion whose wall thickness direction is parallel to the mounting surface and through which the terminal fitting passes, and a rectangular tubular hood portion protruding forward from the support wall portion, and the second elastic locking portion protrudes from the lower surface of the support wall portion.

5. The connector for a circuit board according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing has a support wall portion whose wall thickness direction is parallel to the mounting surface and through which the terminal fitting passes, and a rectangular tubular hood portion protruding forward from the support wall portion, the mating connector connected to the wire harness is fitted into the hood portion from the front of the housing, the exit position of the wire harness in the mating connector is in front of the front end of the hood portion, a peg is attached to the housing which is fixed to the mounting surface by solder, and the first elastic locking portion is positioned in front of the front end of the peg.

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