JP7377335B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act (1) Dempa Shimbun, page 3 May 19, 2017 (2) Website May 19, 2017 http://www. dempa. co. jp/productnews/kobetu/170519/0519_02. htm (Denpa Product News Homepage) (3) Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun page 9 May 24, 2017 (4) Dempa Shimbun pages 7 and 8 May 24, 2017 (5) Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun No. 11 (6) Website May 26, 2017 https://www. nikkan. co. jp/articles/view/00429632 (Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun electronic version homepage) (7) Fuji Sankei Business i. Page 12 June 1, 2017 (8) Website June 1, 2017 http://www. sankeibiz. jp/business/news/170601/bsc1706010500009-n1. htm (SankeiBiz homepage) (9) Website May 24, 2017 http://www. incom. co. jp/s_00109-pm75267. html https://www. incom. co. jp/s_00109_index. html (Incom Co., Ltd. product navigation homepage) (10) Fuji Sankei Business i. Page 25 June 7, 2017 (11) Nikkei AT Page 33 June 11, 2017 (12) Website June 12, 2017 http://www. iriso. co. jp/http://www. iriso. co. jp/press-release-10126series/ (Iriso Electronics Co., Ltd. homepage) (13) Product Navi (Incom Magazine) Page 3 June 27, 2017 (14) Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun Page 10 June 28, 2017 (15) Electronic Device Industry Newspaper Page 10 June 29, 2017

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a connector for inserting and fittingly connecting an object to be connected.

As electrical equipment becomes smaller, connectors are also required to be smaller. However, as the size of the connector becomes smaller, the opening area of the insertion port through which the object to be connected is inserted into the fitting chamber of the housing becomes smaller, making the fitting operation more difficult. For example, the smaller the connector for board-to-board connection as shown in Patent Document 1 becomes, the more difficult the fitting operation becomes.

JP2016-129148, Figure 1

That is, to explain a socket connector and a plug connector that constitute a connector for board-to-board connection as an example, the mating operation of placing the plug connector in a position facing the socket connector and inserting the plug connector into the insertion opening of the socket connector is as follows. Since the socket connector and the plug connector are hidden by the pair of boards, both connectors must be installed in a state where both connectors cannot be seen. This is because these connectors are located between the boards and cannot be seen visually. Therefore, with conventional connectors for board-to-board connections, it is difficult to align the socket connector and plug connector for mating and connection, which makes the work inefficient, and if you try to force the mating in a hurry, the connector will be damaged. There is a risk of damage.

Note that this difficulty in mating work is not a problem unique to connectors for board-to-board connections, but is common to connectors in which the mating work is performed by inserting the object to be connected into the mating chamber from the insertion port of the housing. This is a challenge. This is because as the opening area of the insertion port becomes smaller due to miniaturization of the connector, it becomes more difficult to align the object to be connected to the insertion port even if the fitting operation is performed in a visually visible state.

The present invention has been made against the background of the above-mentioned prior art. The purpose is to make the fitting operation easier even when the connector is miniaturized.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following features.

That is, the present invention provides a housing having an insertion port into which a connection object is inserted with the direction toward the surface of the board as an insertion direction, a fitting chamber into which the connection object is inserted from the insertion port, and the fitting chamber. The housing has an insertion guide surface that guides insertion of the connection object into the insertion opening, and the insertion guide surface has a terminal that conductively connects with the connection object inside the housing. It has an inner guide surface extending from the rim of the mouth toward the inside of the fitting chamber, an intermediate guide surface provided outside the inner guide surface, and an outer guide surface provided outside the intermediate guide surface, and The inner guide surface and the intermediate guide surface have different shapes, and the intermediate guide surface and the outer guide surface have different shapes.

Since the connector of the present invention has an insertion guide surface that guides the insertion of the connection object into the insertion port, even if the insertion position of the connection object with respect to the insertion port is misaligned, the insertion guide surface eliminates the misalignment and connects. The object can be guided to the insertion port, and thereby the connection object can be correctly inserted from the insertion port into the fitting chamber.

Specifically, the insertion guide surface includes an inner guide surface extending from the mouth edge of the insertion port toward the inside of the fitting chamber, an intermediate guide surface provided outside the inner guide surface, and an intermediate guide surface provided outside the intermediate guide surface. and an outer guiding surface. The inner guide surface and the intermediate guide surface may have different shapes, and the intermediate guide surface and the outer guide surface may have different shapes. According to this, since the shapes of two consecutive surfaces are different, if a connection target is placed on the insertion guide surface and moved, the operator will have to The user can guide the object to be connected to the insertion port while grasping changes in the posture of the object by feeling at hand. In addition, the insertion guide surface includes not only an inner guide surface provided on the rim of the insertion port, but also an intermediate guide surface located outside the inner guide surface, and an outer guide surface located outside the intermediate guide surface. The insertion of the connection object can be guided in a wide range around the insertion opening. Therefore, with the connector of the present invention, even if the entire connector is miniaturized, it is possible to easily perform the fitting operation of the objects to be connected.

The shape of the inner guide surface and the shape of the intermediate guide surface are different, and the shape of the intermediate guide surface is different from the shape of the outer guide surface, but "different shapes" here means at least the "surface" of each of those surfaces. In cases where the "shape" is different, or the "angle" of each surface with respect to a reference line perpendicular to the insertion direction of the connected object, or the "angle" of each surface with respect to a reference line parallel to the mounting surface of the board is different. include. Therefore, the inner guide surface, the intermediate guide surface, and the outer guide surface can be configured as inclined surfaces or horizontal surfaces having different angles with respect to any of the reference lines, and may also be configured as flat surfaces, curved surfaces (convex surfaces, etc.) with different surface shapes. It can be configured as a curved surface, a concave curved surface) or a stepped surface.

The present invention can be configured such that the shape of the inner guide surface, the shape of the intermediate guide surface, and the shape of the outer guide surface are all different from each other.

According to the present invention, since the shapes of the inner guide surface, the intermediate guide surface, and the outer guide surface are all different, the posture of the connection object that comes into contact with each surface can be made different depending on the shape. Therefore, it is possible to guide the connection target to the insertion port while grasping the change in the posture of the connection target that occurs when the connection target is moved between the outer guiding surface and the insertion port.

Regarding the present invention, the difference between the shape of the inner guide surface and the shape of the intermediate guide surface and the difference between the shape of the intermediate guide surface and the shape of the outer guide surface are perpendicular to the insertion direction. It can be configured so that it is an angle with respect to a reference line.

According to the present invention, the difference in shape between the inner guide surface and the intermediate guide surface is the angle with respect to the reference line, and the difference in shape between the intermediate guide surface and the outer guide surface is the angle with respect to the reference line. Changes in the posture of the objects to be connected can be easily understood based on the difference in surface angle.

The present invention can be configured such that the angle of the intermediate guide surface is smaller than the angle of the inner guide surface and the angle of the outer guide surface.

For example, if the angle of the intermediate guide surface is larger than the angle of the outer guide surface, when the object to be connected is moved from the outer guide surface to the intermediate guide surface, the posture of the object to be connected will be tilted significantly, and the object will not fit into the insertion slot. It is not possible to gradually correct the posture as the object approaches, and it becomes difficult to smoothly guide the object to be connected to the insertion port. Furthermore, if the angle of the intermediate guiding surface is larger than the angle of the inner guiding surface, a recess with an obtuse internal angle will be created at the boundary between the intermediate guiding surface and the inner guiding surface, and when the connected object moves there, It gets caught, making it difficult to smoothly guide the object to be connected to the insertion slot. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the angle of the outer guiding surface is larger than the angle of the intermediate guiding surface, it is possible to easily guide the connection object to the inner side, which is closer to the insertion port than the outer guiding surface. . Furthermore, since the angle of the inner guide surface is larger than the angle of the intermediate guide surface, the object to be connected can be smoothly guided from the intermediate guide surface to the inner guide surface directly connected to the insertion port. Therefore, according to the connector of the present invention, the object to be connected can be smoothly guided from the outer guiding surface to the insertion port.

The present invention can be configured such that the intermediate guiding surface is a flat surface parallel to the substrate.

According to the present invention, since the intermediate guiding surface is a flat surface parallel to the substrate, the intermediate guiding surface is a flat surface parallel to the substrate, so that the intermediate guiding surface is a flat surface parallel to the substrate. The distance over which the connection object can be moved can be increased, and the permissible range (guidance area) of the positional deviation of the connection object with respect to the insertion port on the intermediate guiding surface can be expanded. Further, since the intermediate guide surface is a flat surface parallel to the substrate surface, the object to be connected can be corrected to a non-inclined posture and then smoothly guided to the insertion port in the correct posture. Further, for example, if the intermediate guide surface is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the substrate, the intermediate guide surface will have a height, so that the housing will also increase in size in the height direction. However, in the present invention, since the intermediate guide surface is parallel to the substrate and the height from the substrate is constant, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the housing in the height direction. In addition, in the present invention, "a flat surface parallel to the board" means "a flat surface along the reference line perpendicular to the insertion direction" when the board surface and the reference line perpendicular to the insertion direction of the connection target are parallel. It can be understood as a "flat surface".

In the present invention, the outer guide surface and the inner guide surface may be formed as inclined surfaces having different angles, and the angle of the outer guide surface may be smaller than the angle of the inner guide surface. .

For example, if the outer guiding surface is an inclined surface and the horizontal movement distance of the connected object from the outer edge of the outer guiding surface to the inner edge (boundary side with the intermediate guiding surface) is set to a constant length, the outer guiding surface The larger the angle of the surface is, the higher the outer edge of the outer guiding surface is relative to the inner edge of the outer guiding surface, resulting in an increase in the size of the housing in the height direction. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the angle of the outer guiding surface is smaller than the angle of the inner guiding surface, while securing the moving distance of the connection target from the outer edge side to the inner edge side of the outer guiding surface, The outer guide surface can prevent the housing from increasing in size in the height direction. Further, according to the present invention, since the angle of the outer guiding surface is smaller than the angle of the inner guiding surface, by moving the object to be connected on the outer guiding surface with a gentle slope, it is first roughly moved toward the insertion port side. After guiding the connection object to the inner guide surface, which has a larger angle of inclination than the outer guide surface, the object to be connected can be quickly inserted into the fitting chamber through the insertion opening.

The present invention can be configured such that the housing has a peripheral wall and a protrusion projecting outward from the peripheral wall, and the outer guiding surface is provided on an upper surface of the protrusion.

For example, if an outer guiding surface is formed on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall, the outer guiding surface must be formed by increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall in the direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the connection object. It becomes large. However, in the present invention, since the outer guide surface is provided on the upper surface of the protrusion that protrudes from the peripheral wall, the outer guide surface can be expanded in the direction away from the insertion port without increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall, and the position of the connection object can be expanded. The allowable range of deviation can be expanded.

The present invention can be configured such that the intermediate guide surface is provided on the upper surface of the peripheral wall.

Generally, the upper surface of the peripheral wall that constitutes the connector housing does not have any special function, but according to the present invention, the upper surface of the peripheral wall can be effectively used as an intermediate guiding surface, so the thickness of the peripheral wall can be increased. The intermediate guide surface can be provided without relying on increasing the size of the housing, such as by providing a protrusion from the peripheral wall.

The present invention further includes a fixed housing fixed to the substrate, the housing being a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing, and the terminal having a fixed portion relative to the fixed housing, and a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing. The movable housing may be configured to include a fixing portion to the movable housing, and a spring portion movably supporting the movable housing with respect to the fixed housing.

In conventional connectors (floating connectors) that have a fixed housing and a movable housing, and in which the movable housing is movably supported relative to the fixed housing by the spring portion of the terminal, the object to be connected is not connected to the insertion port of the movable housing. If the connection object is misaligned, the movable housing cannot be moved by elastic deformation of the spring portion of the terminal to absorb the displacement of the connection object unless the connection object is inserted into the insertion port. In other words, until the object to be connected enters the insertion port, the object to be connected must be guided to the insertion port without relying on movement (displacement) of the movable housing by the spring portion. For this reason, although the insertion opening of the movable housing is provided with a guiding slope leading to the fitting chamber on the edge thereof, the object to be connected cannot be guided to the guiding slope. Therefore, the smaller the connector becomes, the more difficult it becomes to align the object to be connected with the insertion port, making the mating process inefficient, and if you try to force the mating process, there is a risk that the spring part will be plastically deformed. be. In contrast, according to the present invention, the insertion guide surface allows the object to be connected to be easily guided to the insertion port of the movable housing, so even if the connector is miniaturized, the object to be connected can be easily aligned with the insertion port. The fitting operation can be carried out efficiently.

In the present invention, the spring portion may be located between the movable housing and the fixed housing, and the protruding portion may be configured to cover above the spring portion.

According to the present invention, since the protruding part is shaped to cover the upper part of the spring part disposed between the movable housing and the fixed housing, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from coming into contact with the spring part from the outside and protect the spring part. I can do it.

Regarding the present invention, the movable housing has a groove-shaped terminal accommodating portion communicating with the fitting chamber, the terminal accommodating portion has a bottom wall forming the groove-shaped bottom surface, and the terminal accommodating portion has a bottom wall forming the groove-shaped bottom surface, and The bottom surface of the wall has an inclined shape such that the groove depth from the fitting chamber of the terminal accommodating portion is deeper on the insertion opening side than on the back side of the fitting chamber, and The fitting chamber may be configured to have an evacuation space between the fitting chambers to avoid contact with the contact portion of the terminal.

For example, if the bottom wall of the groove-shaped terminal accommodating part is formed along the vertical direction, the contact part of the terminal that is displaced into the terminal accommodating part by receiving the pressing contact of the connection object will be against the bottom wall. In order to avoid contact, the entire bottom surface of the bottom wall must be formed as deeply and as far away from the fitting chamber as possible, which would increase the size of the movable housing in the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the connection object. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the terminal accommodating portion is inclined, and a retraction space is formed between the bottom wall and the fitting chamber, so that the movable portion is movable as described above. The contact portion of the terminal can be prevented from coming into contact with the bottom wall without increasing the size of the housing.

In the present invention, the outer surface of the bottom wall has an outer inclined surface that slopes outward from the substrate side, and the spring portion has an inclined piece portion that extends along the outer inclined surface. It can be configured as follows.

As the spring part provided in the terminal of the floating connector, for example, an inverted U-shaped spring part having a pair of vertical pieces extending in parallel along the vertical direction and an arc-shaped bent part connecting the ends of the vertical pieces is used. Are known. If the spring length of the spring portion is short, the spring becomes hard and it becomes difficult to support the movable housing flexibly. Therefore, if the pair of vertical pieces are extended along the length direction to increase the spring length, there is a problem that the connector becomes large, especially in the height direction. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the spring part has the inclined piece part extending obliquely along the inclined surface of the outer surface of the bottom wall of the movable housing, the spring part can be extended without stretching the spring part in the height direction. can be made longer, and the movable housing can also be supported flexibly.

The present invention may further include a fixture for fixing the stationary housing to the substrate, and the fixture may be configured to have at least a mounting portion for a protective cap that covers the insertion opening.

For example, if the fixed housing itself is provided with a mounting portion for the protective cap, the fixed housing will become larger, and there is a risk that the mounting portion of the fixed housing will be damaged when the protective cap is attached or removed. On the other hand, according to the present invention, there is no need to provide a mounting part on the fixed housing, and since the fixing fitting is a rigid metal body, the protective cap can be securely mounted, and even when the protective cap is attached or removed. The fixing metal fittings will not be damaged.

In the present invention, the movable housing has a displacement regulating protrusion projecting outward from an outer circumferential surface, and the fixing fitting has an abutting portion that comes into contact with the displacement regulating protrusion to stop the movement of the movable housing. It can be configured to have

According to the present invention, since the fixed metal fitting is provided with a contact portion for regulating the movement of the movable housing, it is not necessary to provide such a contact portion on the fixed housing, and the fixed metal fitting can be effectively used for regulating the displacement of the movable housing.

The present invention can be configured to further include the protective cap attached to the fixture.

According to the present invention, since the protective cap is provided, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering and adhering to the fitting chamber and damaging the terminals during transportation, mounting, etc.

Furthermore, another present invention that achieves the above object is configured as having the following features.

That is, the present invention provides a movable housing having a fitting chamber into which a connection object is inserted, a frame-shaped fixed housing having a housing chamber in which the movable housing is placed, and the movable housing being movable with respect to the fixed housing. The movable housing has a protruding part that protrudes outward so as to cover at least a part of the upper surface of the fixed housing, and the protruding part is connected to the fixed housing. The housing has an inclined surface that descends toward the fitting chamber from a position covering the upper surface of the housing and guides movement of the connection object toward the fitting chamber.

The inclined surface is formed to straddle an inner edge of the storage chamber into which the movable housing is inserted. Further, the inclined surface is formed as an insertion guiding surface that guides insertion of the connection object into the fitting chamber. Furthermore, the spring part is located between the movable housing and the fixed housing, and the protrusion part has a shape that covers above the spring part.

According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate misalignment of the insertion position of the connection target by the insertion guide surface, and the fitting operation of the connection target can be easily performed, so that the connector can be miniaturized.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including the front, right side, and plan view of a socket connector according to one embodiment. A plan view of the socket connector of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of the socket connector in FIG. 1; 2 is a right side view of the socket connector in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2 of the socket connector in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 3 of the socket connector in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including the front, right side, and plane of a plug connector that fits into the socket connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the fitting process of the socket connector of FIG. 1 and the plug connector of FIG. 7; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the action of the insertion guiding surface of the socket connector of FIG. 1; 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5 showing a state in which a protective cap is attached to the socket connector of FIG. 1; FIG.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the connector of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, an example will be shown in which the connector of the present invention is applied to a socket connector 1 that is a connector for board-to-board connection and has a floating function, but the connector of the present invention is not limited thereto.

The terms "first" and "second" described in this specification and claims are used to distinguish different components of the invention or embodiments, and indicate a specific order or superiority. It is not used for this purpose. In addition, in this specification and the claims, for convenience of explanation, the width direction and left-right direction of the socket connector 1 will be described as the X direction, the depth direction and front-back direction as the Y direction, and the height direction and vertical direction as the Z direction. , they do not limit the mounting method or usage method of the socket connector 1.

socket connector 1

By fitting and connecting the socket connector 1 with the plug connector 2 which is the "connection target", the circuit of the first board P1 on which the socket connector 1 is mounted and the circuit of the second board P2 on which the plug connector 2 is mounted are connected. (Fig. 8). That is, both the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 function as board-to-board connection connectors.

The socket connector 1 includes a housing 3, a plurality of terminals 4, and a fixture 5. The housing 3 includes a fixed housing 6 mounted on the first substrate P1 and a movable housing 7 movably supported by the terminals 4 relative to the fixed housing 6. That is, the socket connector 1 is configured as a floating connector in which the movable housing 7 is movable with respect to the fixed housing 6 in a three-dimensional direction combining the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction.

Fixed housing 6
The fixed housing 6 is formed of a frame-shaped peripheral wall 8. The peripheral wall 8 includes a pair of first side walls 8a extending along the terminal arrangement direction (X direction) of the plurality of terminals 4 arranged in parallel on the socket connector 1, and opposing ends of the pair of first side walls 8a. It has a pair of second side walls 8b extending so as to connect therebetween. A housing chamber 8c for the movable housing 7 is formed inside the peripheral wall 8 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

A plurality of terminal fixing portions 8a1 extending along the height direction Z of the fixed housing 6 and arranged in parallel along the terminal arrangement direction (X direction) are formed on each of the pair of first side walls 8a. (Fig. 1, Fig. 6). One end side of the terminal 4 is press-fitted into each terminal fixing portion 8a1, whereby the one end side of the terminal 4 is fixed to the fixed housing 6. An inner inclined surface 8a2 is formed on the inner surface of the first side wall 8a. The inner inclined surface 8a2 is inclined from the upper end of the terminal fixing portion 8a1 to the upper end of the first side wall 8a. By forming the inner inclined surface 8a2, a contact relief portion 8a3 consisting of a gap space is formed between the inner inclined surface 8a2 and the spring portion 4c of the terminal 4, which will be described later. This prevents the amount of displacement from being obstructed.

A recess 8b1 is formed in each of the pair of second side walls 8b, in which a displacement regulating protrusion 9b1 of the movable housing 7, which will be described later, is arranged (FIGS. 1, 4, and 5). Further, a fixing portion 8b2 is formed on the second side wall 8b to fix the fixing metal fitting 5 by press fitting, so that the fixed housing 6 is firmly held by the fixing metal fitting 5 (FIG. 4).

Movable housing 7
The movable housing 7 has a frame-shaped peripheral wall 9. The peripheral wall 9 includes a pair of first side walls 9a extending along the terminal arrangement direction (X direction) of the plurality of terminals 4, and a pair extending so as to connect opposing ends of the pair of first side walls 9a. (FIG. 5, FIG. 6). A fitting chamber 9c for the plug connector 2 is formed inside the peripheral wall 9 (FIG. 1), and an opening of the fitting chamber 9c serves as an insertion opening 9c1 for the plug connector 2.

The pair of first side walls 9a each have a function as a terminal accommodating wall in the movable housing 7, and are formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to the center line along the longitudinal direction of the movable housing 7. The first side wall 9a includes a plurality of terminal fixing parts 9a1, each of which press-fits and fixes a movable housing fixing part 4d of a terminal 4, which will be described later, in the plate width direction (X direction), and a plurality of terminals communicating with the fitting chamber 9c. The holding grooves 9a2 are formed side by side in the terminal arrangement direction X.

The terminal holding groove 9a2 as a "terminal accommodating section" includes a pair of opposing side walls 9a3, a bottom wall 9a4 connecting the pair of side walls 9a3 at a position opposite to the fitting chamber 9c side, and a terminal 4 described later. An opening 9a5 that allows the contact portion 4f to move between the fitting chamber 9c and the terminal holding groove 9a2, and a slit-shaped substrate side opening 9a6 facing the first substrate P1 are formed.

The bottom wall 9a4 has a lower vertical surface 9a7 extending in the vertical direction, an inner inclined surface 9a8 inclined so that the distance from the fitting chamber 9c gradually increases in the height direction Z, and a lower vertical surface 9a8 extending in height from the inner inclined surface 9a8. It is formed by an upper vertical surface 9a9 extending in the horizontal direction Z. The inner inclined surface 9a8 is inclined in the direction of displacement of the contact portion 4f in order to prevent the contact portion 4f of the terminal 4, which is displaced toward the bottom wall 9a4 in response to the press contact of the plug connector 2, from contacting the bottom wall 9a4. It is formed to do so. A space between the bottom wall 9a4 having the inner inclined surface 9a8 and the fitting chamber 9c is a retraction space 9a10 that avoids contact with the contact portion 4f. An outer inclined surface 9a11 is formed on the outer surface of the movable housing 7 corresponding to the inner inclined surface 9a8 of the bottom wall 9a4, the technical significance of which will be described later.

A displacement regulating protrusion 9b1 that is inserted into the recess 8b1 of the fixed housing 6 described above is formed on the pair of second side walls 9b. The displacement regulating protrusion 9b1 is formed as a columnar protrusion that protrudes laterally from the second side wall 9b. A fixing fitting insertion groove 9b2 is formed above the displacement regulating projection 9b1 (FIG. 5). The displacement regulating protrusion 9b1 can face and abut the recess 8b1 downward in the Y direction and the Z direction, and can face a horizontal piece 5c as a "contact part" of the fixing fitting 5, which will be described later, in an upward direction in the Z direction. Since the movable housing 7 can be brought into contact with the opposing portions in each direction, excessive displacement of the movable housing 7 is restricted.

Insertion guide surface 10
An insertion guiding surface 10 is formed on the movable housing 7. Specifically, the insertion guide surface 10 is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 and a protrusion 9e that projects outward from the upper end of the outer peripheral surface 9d of the peripheral wall 9 in the shape of an outward flange. The insertion guide surface 10 of this embodiment includes an inner guide surface 10a, an intermediate guide surface 10b, and an outer guide surface 10c. The insertion guide surface 10 composed of the plurality of surfaces 10a, 10b, and 10c is a continuous surface extending in a direction intersecting the insertion direction (Z direction) of the plug connector 2, which is the object to be connected, into the fitting chamber 9c. It is formed as. By forming the insertion guide surface 10 as a continuous surface including not only the inner guide surface 10a leading to the fitting chamber 9c but also the intermediate guide surface 10b and the outer guide surface 10c on its outer periphery, a wide area around the insertion opening 9c1 is formed. The insertion of the plug connector 2 can be guided within this range, and the fitting operation can be easily performed.

The inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c are aligned with respect to a line (reference line L (FIG. 6)) perpendicular to the insertion direction (Z direction) of the plug connector 2 into the fitting chamber 9c. They are all formed with different angles. In other words, they are formed at different angles with respect to a line (reference line L) parallel to the surface (mounting surface) of the first substrate P1 on which the socket connector 1 is mounted. Note that these "reference lines L" are the same as the horizontal line in this embodiment.

The inner guide surface 10a is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9. Specifically, it is formed at the edge of the insertion opening 9c1 of the fitting chamber 9c. The inner guiding surface 10a includes a pair of longitudinal inner guiding surfaces 10a1 along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the socket connector 1 and a pair of short inner guiding surfaces 10a2 along the lateral direction (Y direction) of the socket connector 1. have. The angle θ1 (FIG. 6) that the inner guiding surface 10a is inclined with respect to the reference line L is the part where the inner guiding surface 10a guides the plug connector 2 by dropping it into the fitting chamber 9c from the insertion opening 9c1. The angle (0 degree) of the guiding surface 10b with respect to the reference line L is larger than the angle θ2 of the outer guiding surface 10c. Since the inner guiding surface 10a is a steep slope with an acute angle, the distance of movement in the X direction and the Y direction is short, so that the plug connector 2 can be smoothly dropped into the fitting chamber 9c. Moreover, the inner guide surface 10a is formed as a flat surface, and the slope is less steep and steeper than when it is formed as a curved surface. Therefore, the plug connector 2 can be smoothly moved into the fitting chamber 9c along a certain slope.

The intermediate guide surface 10b is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9. Specifically, it is formed as a surface that bends and extends from the upper edge of the inner guide surface 10a. The intermediate guiding surface 10b has a longitudinal intermediate guiding surface 10b1 along the longitudinal direction of the socket connector 1, and a short intermediate guiding surface 10b2 along the lateral direction of the socket connector 1. The intermediate guide surface 10b makes an angle of 0 degrees with respect to the reference line L, and the angle is smaller than that of the inner guide surface 10a and the outer guide surface 10c. Since the angle with respect to the reference line L is 0 degrees, the intermediate guide surface 10b is formed as a horizontal surface with no inclination. Since the intermediate guiding surface 10b is a horizontal surface, the plug connector 2 placed there assumes a posture with no inclination with respect to the reference line L. The non-inclined posture of the plug connector 2 and the second board P2 on which it is mounted can be easily grasped by the operator who performs the fitting operation. Then, by moving the second board P2 (plug connector 2) from a position with no inclination, if the plug connector 2 feels like it is riding on the inclined surface, it will be moved to the outer guiding surface 10c on the opposite side from the insertion opening 9c1. You can feel what you are doing and know that you should correct the direction of movement in the opposite direction. On the other hand, if the plug connector 2 drops diagonally or falls without tilting by moving the second board P2 from a position with no tilt, it is easy to move it toward the inner guiding surface 10a. It can be grasped by this feeling that it can be inserted into the fitting chamber 9c.

The outer guiding surface 10c is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 and the upper surface of the protrusion 9e projecting from the peripheral wall 9. Specifically, the outer guiding surface 10c has a longitudinal outer guiding surface 10c1 along the longitudinal direction of the socket connector 1, and a short outer guiding surface 10c2 along the lateral direction of the socket connector 1. The short outer guide surface 10c2 has the shape of an inclined surface that slopes down toward the fitting chamber 9c and is formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 9e, and the longitudinal outer guide surface 10c1 is formed on the peripheral wall 9 on the inner side of the protrusion 9e. is formed on the top surface of. The longitudinal outer guide surface 10c1 and the shorter outer guide surface 10c2 are both formed as surfaces that are bent and extend from the outer edge of the intermediate guide surface 10b. The angle θ2 (FIG. 6) that the outer guide surface 10c makes with respect to the reference line L is larger than the angle (0 degree) of the intermediate guide surface 10b with respect to the reference line L, and smaller than the angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a. That is, the outer guide surface 10c is formed as a gentler slope than the inner guide surface 10a. Therefore, by moving the plug connector 2 placed here along the outer guiding surface 10c in a tilted position, it can be guided to the adjacent intermediate guiding surface 10b which is not tilted.

As described above, the inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c all have different angles with respect to the reference line L. Therefore, when the plug connector 2 is placed on the socket connector 1 (movable housing 7), the operator can grasp the approximate position of the plug connector 2 with a sense of the position of the second board P2 on which the plug connector 2 is mounted. can do. The manner in which the plug connector 2 contacts the insertion guide surface 10 is, for example, when it contacts only the outer guide surface 10c, when it contacts the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b, when it contacts only the intermediate guide surface 10b, There are various cases in which the plug connector 2 contacts only the inner guiding surface 10a, and the posture that the plug connector 2 takes in each case is different. Therefore, by moving the second board P2 in various directions (X direction, Y direction) along the reference line L from the position where the plug connector 2 first contacts the insertion guide surface 10, the intermediate guide surface 10b described above can be moved. By obtaining a horizontal position at , and moving the second board P2 so as to drop it through the inner guide surface 10a, even if the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are not directly visible, you can correctly connect them by feeling at hand. It can be fitted.

The insertion guide surface 10 as described above is formed in a frame shape along the top surface shape of the movable housing 7, and in this embodiment, it is formed in a square frame shape. Therefore, even if the plug connector 2 is misaligned in any direction in the radial direction (X direction and Y direction) around the insertion opening 9c1, it can be brought into contact with the insertion guide surface 10, so the plug connector 2 can be reliably inserted. It can be guided to the insertion port 9c1.

terminal 4
The plurality of terminals 4 are all formed in the same shape and are formed by bending a conductive metal piece. Each terminal 4 extends in an inverted U-shape, including a board connecting part 4a soldered to the first board P1 and a fixed housing fixing part 4b fixed by press fitting to the terminal fixing part 8a1 of the fixed housing 6. A spring portion 4c, a movable housing fixing portion 4d that is press-fitted into the terminal fixing portion 9a1 of the movable housing 7 in the plate width direction (X direction), an elastic arm 4e extending in a U-shape, and an elastic arm 4e. It has a contact portion 4f bent in a mountain shape from the upper end toward the fitting chamber 9c.

The spring portion 4c serves as a spring that supports the movable housing 7 so as to be displaceable in a three-dimensional direction combining the width direction (X direction), depth direction (Y direction), and height direction (Z direction) with respect to the fixed housing 6. It is formed. The spring portion 4c has an outer extension portion 4c1 connected to the fixed housing fixing portion 4b, a bent portion 4c2, and an inner inclined piece portion 4c3.

The outer extension portion 4c1 is located opposite to the contact escape portion 8a3 formed on the inner inclined surface 8a2 of the first side wall 8a of the fixed housing 6, and even if the movable housing 7 is elastically deformed outward in the Y direction, It is made not to come into contact with the inner inclined surface 8a2. Furthermore, the half of the curved portion of the bent portion 4c2 on the movable housing 7 side is covered by the protruding portion 9e of the movable housing 7, and is protected from contact with foreign objects (conductors, dust, etc.) from the outside. The inner inclined piece portion 4c3 extends obliquely along the outer inclined surface 9a11 of the movable housing 7 through a certain gap. Therefore, even if the movable housing 7 is elastically deformed outward in the Y direction, the inner inclined piece portion 4c3 does not come into contact with the outer inclined surface 9a11, and does not inhibit the natural elastic deformation of the spring portion 4c.

The elastic arm 4e has a U-shaped lower bent portion 4e1 and an extension portion 4e2 extending upward from the lower bent portion 4e1. The extension portion 4e2 is arranged inside the terminal holding groove 9a2 of the movable housing 7. The upper side of the extension part 4e2 is adjacent to the evacuation space part 9a10. Therefore, even if the contact portion 4f comes into pressure contact with the plug connector 2 and enters the inside of the terminal holding groove 9a2, the extension portion 4e2 is only displaced toward the evacuation space portion 9a10 and comes into contact with the bottom surface of the bottom wall 9a4. Never. Thereby, the contact portion 4f can press into contact with the plug connector 2 with contact pressure based on the spring structure of the elastic arm 4e and the contact portion 4f.

Fixing bracket 5
The fixing fittings 5 are provided on the pair of second side walls 8b of the fixed housing 6, respectively. Each fixture 5 includes a board fixing part 5a, a press-fitting part 5b that is press-fitted into the fixing part 8b2 of the second side wall 8b, and a horizontal piece extending along the length direction (Y direction) of the second side wall 8b. 5c.

The horizontal piece portion 5c is inserted into the fixing fitting insertion groove 9b2 of the movable housing 7 through a gap. Further, the locking piece 11a of the protective cap 11 is locked to the horizontal piece 5c as shown in FIG. That is, the horizontal piece portion 5c functions as a “mounting portion” for the protective cap 11. Therefore, there is no need to provide an "attachment part" to the fixed housing 6, and since the fixing bracket 5 is a rigid metal body, the protective cap 11 can be reliably attached, and even if the protective cap 11 is attached or removed, the fixing bracket 5 does not need to be provided. 5 will not be damaged. By providing the socket connector 1 with the protective cap 11, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering and adhering to the fitting chamber 9c and damaging the terminals 4 during transportation, mounting, etc. Furthermore, the protective cap 11 can be used as a suction point when the socket connector 1 is transferred by an automatic machine during mounting on the first board P1.

Further, the horizontal piece portion 5c is located opposite to the displacement regulating protrusion 9b1 of the movable housing 7, and serves as a “contact portion” that stops the movable housing 7 from being excessively displaced upward in the height direction (Z direction). functions as Therefore, there is no need to provide a "contact part" on the fixed housing 6, and the fixed fitting 5 can be effectively used for regulating the displacement of the movable housing 7.

Fitting Connection between Socket Connector 1 and Plug Connector 2 Next, the fitting connection between the socket connector 1 and plug connector 2 having the above connector structure will be described.

First, the connector structure of the plug connector 2 will be briefly explained. The plug connector 2 is mounted on the second board P2, and has a housing 2a and a plurality of terminals 2b, as shown in FIG. The housing 2a has a plate-shaped fitting connection part 2a1 that is inserted into the fitting chamber 9c, and the fitting connection part 2a1 has a surface on one side along the longitudinal direction (Y direction) and a surface on the other side. , terminal holding grooves 2a2 extending in the height direction (Z direction) of the housing 2a are formed in parallel along the width direction (Y direction). A contact portion 2b1 of the terminal 2b is arranged in each terminal holding groove 2a2.

When fitting and connecting such a plug connector 2 to the socket connector 1, as shown in FIG. Position them facing each other. Then, by bringing the second board P2 closer to the first board P1, the plug connector 2 comes into contact with the socket connector 1. At this time, if the distal end surface 2a3 of the housing 2a of the plug connector 2 is displaced and in contact with the guide area 10R of the insertion guide surface 10 including the insertion port 9c1, the insertion guide surface 10 guides the plug connector 2 into the insertion port 9c1. can be induced to However, even if the distal end surface two a3 comes off the insertion guide surface 10, the second substrate P2 can be moved in the X direction and the Y direction to be located in the guide region 10R of the insertion guide surface 10.

The most ideal position for the tip surface 2a3 to come into contact with the movable housing 7 is a position inside the inner guiding surface 10a in the X and Y directions, that is, a position inside the insertion opening 9c1. However, the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 for board-to-board connection tend to become smaller, and the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are sandwiched between the first board P1 and the second board P2, and the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are connected from the outside. It is extremely difficult for the operator to accurately align the position when the operator cannot see the In many cases, the distal end surface 2a3 not only shifts in position in the plane directions of the X and Y directions, but also rotates around the axes in the X, Y, and Z directions, that is, the posture of the plug connector 2 changes. Often slopes diagonally.

Here, FIG. 9 shows the contact position of the tip end surface 2a3 with the upper surface of the movable housing 7 with a chain double-dashed line. For example, when the distal end surface two a3 contacts the insertion guide surface 10 at the contact position C1, the distal end surface two a3 sequentially contacts the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b. This is the same whether the attitude of the tip surface 2a3 at the time of contact is horizontal or inclined. This is because the posture of the tip surface 2a3 is corrected by contact between the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b. Then, the tip surface 2a3 slides on the inclined outer guide surface 10c and can be guided to the contact position C2 where the entire surface thereof contacts the intermediate guide surface 10b. When the tip end surface 2a3 comes into contact with the flat, horizontal intermediate guiding surface 10b, the plug connector 2 and the second board P2 are corrected to a non-inclined posture, and the operator can feel the change in the posture at hand. can. After that, when the second substrate P2 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction, the contact area of the tip surface 2a3 with the intermediate guiding surface 10b decreases, while the area covering the insertion opening 9c1 increases, the intermediate guiding surface 10b increases. The support balance is disrupted, and part or the entirety of the tip surface 2a3 falls from the inner guiding surface 10a to the inside of the insertion port 9c1, so that the entire fitting connection portion 2a1 can be inserted into the fitting chamber 9c. .

Also, for example, when the distal end surface 2a3 rotates around the Z-direction axis and comes into contact with the insertion guiding surface 10 at the contact position C3 shown in FIG. 9, the plug connector 2 is induced. That is, when the tip surface 2a3 contacts the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b, the tip surface 2a3 slides on the outer guide surface 10c, contacts the intermediate guide surface 10b as shown at contact position C4, and connects the plug connector 2. The second substrate P2 is corrected to a posture without inclination. In this state, when the second substrate P2 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction to the contact position C5, the support balance by the intermediate guide surface 10b is lost, and the tip surface 2a3 is moved through the inner guide surface 10a. It falls into the insertion opening 9c1, thereby allowing the entire fitting connection portion 2a1 to be inserted into the fitting chamber 9c.

Effects of the socket connector 1 As described above, according to the socket connector 1, even if the insertion position of the plug connector 2 with respect to the insertion opening 9c1 is shifted, the insertion guiding surface 10 guides it to the insertion opening 9c1 while eliminating the positional shift. This allows the fitting connection portion 2a1 of the plug connector 2 to be correctly inserted into the fitting chamber 9c from the insertion opening 9c1. Therefore, since the fitting operation can be easily performed in this way, the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 can be miniaturized. Further, in addition to the effects already described, the socket connector 1 can have the following effects.

In the insertion guide surface 10 of the socket connector 1, since the angles of the inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c with respect to the reference line L are all different, the posture when the tip surface 2a3 of the plug connector 2 makes contact is different. can be set.

Since the angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c with respect to the reference line L is larger than the angle (0 degree) of the horizontal and flat intermediate guide surface 10b with respect to the reference line L, the plug is placed closer to the insertion port 9c1 than the outer guide surface 10c. The connector 2 can be easily guided. In addition, since the angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a is larger than the angle (0 degree) of the intermediate guide surface 10b with respect to the reference line L, the plug connector 2 is inserted from the intermediate guide surface 10b to the inner guide surface 10a directly connected to the insertion port 9c1. It can be guided smoothly.

Since the intermediate guiding surface 10b is a flat surface parallel to the first board P1, the distance over which the plug connector 2 can move in the horizontal direction can be increased compared to the case where the intermediate guiding surface 10b is an inclined surface. This makes it possible to widen the permissible range (guidance area) of the positional deviation of the plug connector 2 on the intermediate guiding surface 10b. Further, if the intermediate guide surface 10b is an inclined surface, the movable housing 7 becomes larger in the height direction (Z direction) because a height is generated between the inner edge side and the outer edge side of the intermediate guide surface 10b. However, in the embodiment, since the intermediate guide surface 10b is a horizontal surface, it is possible to suppress the movable housing 7 from increasing in size.

In the embodiment, since the inclination angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a, the movement distance of the plug connector 2 from the outer edge side to the inner edge side of the outer guide surface 10c is secured, while The outer guide surface 10c can prevent the movable housing 7 from increasing in size in the height direction (Z direction). In addition, since the inclination angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a, by moving the plug connector 2 on the outer guide surface 10c with a gentle slope, it is first roughly moved toward the insertion port 9c1 side. Then, the plug connector 2 can be inserted into the fitting chamber 9c through the insertion opening 9c1 through the inner guide surface 10a having a larger inclination angle than the outer guide surface 10c.

In the embodiment, the shorter outer guide surface 10c2 of the outer guide surface 10c is provided on the upper surface of the protrusion 9e, so the outer guide surface 10c is expanded in the direction away from the insertion port 9c1 without increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall 9. Therefore, the allowable range of displacement of the plug connector 2 can be widened.

In the embodiment, since the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 has the intermediate guiding surface 10b and the longitudinal outer guiding surface 10c1, the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 can be effectively utilized, and the movable housing 7 can be made large enough to increase the thickness of the peripheral wall 9. The intermediate guide surface 10b can be provided without depending on the structure.

Modification The socket connector 1 according to the embodiment described above can be implemented in a modification, so one example will be described.

In the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the longitudinal outer guiding surface 10c1 is provided on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9, but it may also be formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 9e or over the upper surface of the protrusion 9e and the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9. good. Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, an example has been shown in which the short side outer guiding surface 10c2 is provided on the upper surface of the protruding portion 9e, but it may be formed over the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9. Further, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the longitudinal outer guiding surface 10c1 is formed shorter in the inclination direction than the shorter outer guiding surface 10c2, but they may be the same, or conversely, the shorter outer guiding surface 10c2 may be shorter. .

In the embodiment described above, an example has been shown in which the intermediate guiding surface 10b is provided on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9, but it may be formed over the upper surface of the protrusion 9e.

In the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the inclination angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a, but the inclination angle of the outer guide surface 10c may be increased or even if the inclination angle is the same. good. Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the intermediate guide surface 10b is a non-slanted surface, but it may be formed as an inclined surface that descends toward the inner guide surface 10a.

In the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c are all formed as flat surfaces, but they may be formed as curved surfaces.

In the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the socket connector 1 is a floating connector, but a socket connector without a floating function may be provided with the same configuration as the insertion guide surface 10 of the movable housing 7.

1 Socket connector (connector)
2 Plug connector 2a Housing 2a1 Fitting connection part 2a2 Terminal holding groove 2a3 Tip surface 2b Terminal 2b1 Contact part 3 Housing 4 Terminal 4a Board fixing part 4b Fixing part for fixed housing (fixing part)
4c Spring part 4c1 Outer extension part 4c2 Bent part 4c3 Inner inclined piece part (inclined piece part)
4d Fixed part for movable housing (fixed part)
4e Elastic arm 4e1 Lower bending part 4e2 Extension part 4f Contact part 5 Fixing bracket 5a Board fixing part 5b Press-fitting part 5c Horizontal piece part (installation part, contact part)
6 Fixed housing 7 Movable housing 8 Peripheral wall (fixed housing)
8a First side wall 8a1 Terminal fixing part 8a2 Inner inclined surface 8a3 Contact relief part 8b Second side wall 8b1 Recessed part 8b2 Fixed part 8c Accommodation chamber 9 Peripheral wall (movable housing)
9a First side wall 9a1 Terminal fixing part 9a2 Terminal holding groove (terminal accommodating part)
9a3 Side wall 9a4 Bottom wall 9a5 Opening 9a6 Board side opening 9a7 Lower vertical surface 9a8 Inner slope 9a9 Upper vertical surface 9a10 Evacuation space 9a11 Outer slope 9b Second side wall 9b1 Displacement regulating protrusion 9b2 Fixing fitting insertion groove 9c Fitting Joint chamber 9c1 Insertion port 9d Outer surface 9e Projection part (eaves part)
10 Insertion guide surface 10a Inner guide surface 10a1 Longitudinal inner guide surface 10a2 Short inner guide surface 10b Intermediate guide surface 10b1 Longitudinal intermediate guide surface 10b2 Short intermediate guide surface 10c Outer guide surface 10c1 Longitudinal outer guide surface 10c2 Short outer guide surface 10R Guidance area 11 Protective cap 11a Locking piece L Reference line θ1, θ2 Angle P1 First board P2 Second board

Claims (6)

a fixed housing;
a movable housing that is movable with respect to the fixed housing and has a fitting chamber that fits with a connection target;
A connector having a fixing fitting for fixing the fixed housing to a board,
The movable housing is
has a protrusion that protrudes outward;
The protruding portion is
having a guiding surface that guides the connection object to the fitting chamber;
The fixing metal fittings are
having an abutment portion that regulates displacement of the movable housing;
The connector is characterized in that the contact portion is provided at a position overlapping the protrusion in the fitting direction of the connection object. The guide surface is formed on the upper surface of the protrusion,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is provided at a position overlapping the guide surface in the fitting direction. The guide surface has an inner guide surface, an intermediate guide surface, and an outer guide surface continuously formed,
The outer guide surface is formed on the upper surface of the protrusion,
3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is provided at a position overlapping the outer guide surface in the fitting direction. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the movable housing has a fixing fitting insertion groove into which the abutment part is inserted below the protrusion in the fitting direction. The movable housing has a displacement regulating portion that regulates displacement with respect to the fixed housing,
5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the abutting portion is located between the protruding portion and the displacement regulating portion. The connector has a plurality of terminals that are electrically connected to the connection target,
6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is located outward in a terminal arrangement direction in which the plurality of terminals are arranged.

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