JP7426199B2 - movable connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a movable connector, and particularly to a movable connector suitable for large current applications.

A plurality of terminals each having a fixed housing, a movable housing that fits and connects with a connection target, a contact part that makes conductive contact with the connection target, and a movable part that supports the movable housing so as to be displaceable with respect to the fixed housing. A movable connector is known. In a movable connector, the movable part located in the terminal movable space, which is the area between the fixed housing and the movable housing, is elastically deformed, so that the movable housing is displaced relative to the fixed housing, and the movable housing is fitted with the object to be connected. It is constructed to be able to absorb positional deviations caused by

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for movable connectors that can handle large currents. However, when a large current is applied, the conductor resistance of the terminal becomes a problem. In a movable connector, if the cross-sectional area of the terminal is increased in order to lower the conductor resistance of the terminal, the movable part becomes difficult to elastically deform. For this reason, a movable connector in which a movable part is divided is known, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example.

JP2006-286530A, Figure 10

In such a movable connector in which the movable part is divided, in order to lower the conductor resistance, it is necessary to increase the number of movable parts to ensure a cross-sectional area of the movable parts. However, when the number of movable parts increases, the width becomes larger, especially in the terminal arrangement direction, and the movable connector also becomes larger accordingly.

The present invention has been made against the background of the above-mentioned prior art. An object of the present invention is to miniaturize a movable connector having a plurality of movable parts in its terminals.

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

That is, the present invention provides a first housing that is attached to a substrate, a second housing that fits and connects to a connection object, and a terminal that supports the second housing so as to be displaceable with respect to the first housing. In the movable connector, the terminal includes a first housing held part held by the first housing, a second housing held part held by the second housing, and a first housing held part held by the second housing. a movable part that can be elastically deformed between the housing held part and the second housing held part, and a contact part electrically connected to the connection object, and the movable part is connected to the first movable part. the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part, when viewed from the arrangement direction of the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part The movable terminal portions are characterized in that they are arranged without overlapping each other.

The movable connector of the present invention has a structure in which the movable part is divided and the number thereof is increased, so that it can be applied to large currents while ensuring the flexibility of the movable part. In addition, according to the present invention, when viewed from the arrangement direction (terminal arrangement direction) of the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are , are arranged without overlapping each other. Therefore, even if the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are close to each other in the terminal arrangement direction, they are difficult to come into contact with each other. The arrangement can be made as close as possible in the arrangement direction, and the movable connector can be miniaturized.

The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion may be configured to at least partially overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the connection target.

According to the present invention, at least a portion of the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged to overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the connection target. Therefore, the size of the movable connector can be reduced in the terminal arrangement direction by the amount that the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion overlap.

The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion may be arranged so that they do not overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the connection target.

According to the present invention, the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged so as not to overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the connection target. Therefore, no matter which direction the movable part is displaced, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part can be made difficult to come into contact with each other.

The terminal further includes a first board connecting part and a second board connecting part, and the first board connecting part is connected to a first board connecting part in the arrangement direction of the first housing held part. The second board connecting portion is configured to extend from a second side in the arrangement direction of the first housing held portion, which is a side opposite to the first side. can.

According to the present invention, the first board connecting portion extends from the first side of the first housing held portion in the terminal arrangement direction. On the other hand, the second board connecting portion extends from the second side of the first housing held portion in the terminal arrangement direction, which is the opposite side to the first side. Therefore, the first board connecting part and the second board connecting part can be arranged close to each other in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the movable connector can be downsized in the terminal arrangement direction.

The terminal has a connecting portion that connects the contact portion to the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion, and the connecting portion connects the first movable terminal portion to the front side. However, the second movable terminal portion can be configured to be connected to the back surface side.

According to the present invention, the connecting portion connects the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion with their positions shifted on the front side and the back side. Therefore, even in the connection part where the conduction path of the terminal is branched from the contact part to the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part, when viewed from the terminal arrangement direction, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part The movable terminal portions can be arranged without overlapping each other. Therefore, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part can be arranged as close as possible in the terminal arrangement direction over the entire extension direction of both, and the movable connector can be miniaturized.

According to the present invention, the movable connector can be downsized while ensuring the flexibility of the movable part.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including the front, right side, and plan view showing the movable connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including the front, left side, and plan view showing terminals included in the movable connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the terminal shown in FIG. 3, including the back surface, left side surface, and top surface. 4 is a left side view of the terminal in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the terminal in FIG. 3; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view corresponding to line VII-VII in FIG. 1 showing a movable connector according to a second embodiment. FIG. 8 is an external perspective view including a back surface, a left side surface, and a top surface showing terminals provided in the movable connector of FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a plan view of the terminal in FIG. 8;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A socket connector 1 as an embodiment of the "movable connector" of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board P1 (see FIG. 2, etc.) as a "board". The socket connector 1 is fitted and connected to a plug connector (not shown) serving as a "connection object" to establish conductive connection with the circuit board P1.

When "first" and "second" are written in this specification and claims, they are used to distinguish between different constituent elements of the invention, and are used to indicate a specific order or superiority or inferiority. It is not intended for use in In this specification and claims, for convenience, the width direction (left and right direction) of the socket connector 1 is referred to as the direction) is described as the Z direction. The side of the circuit board P1 in the Z direction of the socket connector 1 is referred to as the lower side, and the side of the socket connector 1 is referred to as the upper side. However, these do not limit the direction of fitting and connection of the socket connector 1 etc. or the manner of mounting on the circuit board P1. In the socket connector 1 here, the "terminal arrangement direction" is the X direction, the "terminal extension direction" and the "contact direction with the connection object" are the Y direction, and the "fitting direction of the connection object" is the Z direction. It is arranged so that the "removal direction of the connection target" is directed upward in the Z direction.

First embodiment [Figures 1 to 6]

Configuration of socket connector 1 [Figures 1 to 6]

As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the socket connector 1 includes a fixed housing 2 as a "first housing", a movable housing 3 as a "second housing", and a plurality of terminals 4. This socket connector 1 is mounted on an upper surface P2 serving as a "board surface" which is one surface of a circuit board P1 arranged along the X direction and the Y direction. The socket connector 1 is configured such that the movable housing 3 is movable relative to the fixed housing 2. The plug connector is configured such that its fitting direction with the socket connector 1 is downward in the Z direction approaching the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1, and the plug connector is fitted from above the socket connector 1 so that the respective contacts are electrically connected to each other. has been done.

Fixed housing 2

The fixed housing 2 is formed of a resin molded body. As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the fixed housing 2 is formed in the shape of a hollow rectangular parallelepiped that is shortest in the Z direction and slightly longer in the X direction than in the Y direction. The fixed housing 2 is arranged on the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1. The fixed housing 2 is fixed to the circuit board P1 by a fixing fitting 5 which is formed by folding a plate into two and is L-shaped when viewed from the front. The fixed housing 2 has fixing fitting attachment portions 2b each extending in the Z direction in a groove shape at four corner positions in a plan view. The fixing fitting 5 is fixed to the fixed housing 2 by press-fitting the L-shaped plate piece on one side from the lower end side of the fixing fitting attachment part 2b, and fixing the plate piece on the other side of the L-shape by soldering or the like. It is configured to be fixed to the circuit board P1.

The hollow fixed housing 2 has an accommodation space 2a therebetween and is attached to the circuit board P1 between the hollow fixed housing 2 and the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1. The movable housing 3 and the terminals 4 are accommodated in the accommodation space 2a. As will be described later, the terminal 4 includes a movable portion 4a that is accommodated in the accommodation space 2a and supports the movable housing 3 so as to be movable relative to the fixed housing 2 (see FIG. 3, etc.).

The fixed housing 2 constitutes a hollow rectangular parallelepiped-shaped exterior and includes a flat front wall part 2c, a rear wall part 2d, side walls 2e, 2e, and top wall parts 2f, 2f that surround the housing space 2a. It has The front wall portion 2c located at the front in the Y direction and the rear wall portion 2d located at the rear in the Y direction both extend along the X direction and the Z direction. The horizontal wall portions 2e, 2e located on the left and right outer sides in the X direction are both along the Y direction and the Z direction, and connect the front wall portion 2c and the rear wall portion 2d. Upper wall portions 2f and 2f located at the front and rear in the Y direction are connected to the upper end of the front wall portion 2c and the upper end of the rear wall portion 2d, respectively. The upper wall portions 2f, 2f both extend along the X direction and the Y direction, and both connect the left and right horizontal wall portions 2e, 2e.

An upper surface opening 2g having a rectangular periphery in plan view is formed on the upper surface of the fixed housing 2. The periphery of the upper surface opening 2g is constituted by front and rear upper walls 2f, 2f and left and right horizontal walls 2e, 2e. The upper part of the movable housing 3 accommodated in the accommodation space 2a is exposed to the outside through the upper surface opening 2g. The fixed housing 2 restricts the displacement of the movable housing 3 in the Y direction by the front and rear upper walls 2f, 2f that form the periphery of the top opening 2g, and the left and right lateral walls that form the periphery of the top opening 2g. The portions 2e, 2e restrict displacement of the movable housing 3 in the X direction. Furthermore, the fixed housing 2 restricts displacement of the movable housing 3 upward in the Z direction, that is, in the direction in which the plug connector is removed, which is the opposite direction to the direction in which the plug connector is fitted, by the upper walls 2f, 2f.

On the inner surface (accommodation space 2a) side of the front wall portion 2c and the rear wall portion 2d, a low back terminal piece holding portion 2hA (see FIG. 7) and a high back side terminal piece holding portion 2hB (see FIG. 7) are provided. It is formed. The low back terminal piece holding portion 2hA and the high back terminal piece holding portion 2hB both have a function of holding the terminal 4. The low back terminal piece holding portion 2hA and the high back terminal piece holding portion 2hB are both formed in the shape of a groove extending upward from the lower end in the Z direction along the X direction. The low back terminal piece holding portion 2hA is located in front of the high back terminal piece holding portion 2hB in the Y direction.

The lower ends of the front wall portion 2c and the rear wall portion 2d are spaced apart from the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1 in a region where the low back terminal piece holding portion 2hA and the high back side terminal piece holding portion 2hB are formed. That is, the external space and the accommodation space 2a communicate with each other below the low back terminal piece holding part 2hA and the high back terminal piece holding part 2hB.

A plurality of such low-back side terminal piece holding parts 2hA and high-back side terminal piece holding parts 2hB are formed side by side along the X direction on each of the front wall part 2c and the rear wall part 2d. In this embodiment, since the socket connector 1 has two terminals 4 at the front and rear, the low back terminal piece holding part 2hA and the high back side terminal piece holding part 2hB also have a front wall part 2c and a rear wall part 2d. Two are formed in each.

Movable housing 3

The movable housing 3 is formed of a resin molded body. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the movable housing 3 is formed into a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape that is longer in the X direction than in other directions, corresponding to the fixed housing 2. The movable housing 3 is disposed so as to be displaceable with respect to the fixed housing 2, and is configured to fit into and connect with a plug connector.

The movable housing 3 constitutes a hollow rectangular parallelepiped-shaped exterior, and has a flat front wall 3c, a back wall 3d, side walls 3e, 3e, and a top wall 3f. The front wall 3c located at the front in the Y direction and the back wall 3d located at the rear in the Y direction are along the X direction and the Z direction so as to face each other. Side walls 3e, 3e located on both the left and right outer sides in the X direction are along the Y direction and the Z direction so as to face each other, and connect the front wall 3c and the back wall 3d. The top wall 3f located above in the Z direction is connected to the upper end of the front wall 3c, the upper end of the rear wall 3d, and the upper ends of the side walls 3e, 3e.

The upper portions of the front wall 3c, the rear wall 3d, and the side walls 3e, 3e protrude above the upper surface opening 2g formed on the upper surface of the fixed housing 2. Since the front wall 3c and the back wall 3d come into contact with the front and rear upper walls 2f and 2f, which constitute the periphery of the upper surface opening 2g, respectively, excessive displacement of the movable housing 3 in the Y direction with respect to the fixed housing 2 is prevented. regulated. Similarly, excessive displacement of the movable housing 3 in the X direction with respect to the fixed housing 2 is restricted by the side walls 3e, 3e coming into contact with the left and right side walls 2e, 2e forming the periphery of the top opening 2g, respectively. ing.

Furthermore, the movable housing 3 of this embodiment has a partition wall 3g extending along the Y direction and the Z direction so as to connect the opposing front wall 3c and back wall 3d. A fitting chamber 3h for a plug connector is formed inside the movable housing 3 (see FIG. 2, etc.), and an opening formed at the upper end of the fitting chamber 3h serves as an insertion opening 3i for the plug connector. There is. In this embodiment, the partition wall 3g divides the internal space of the movable housing 3 into two at the center in the X direction, and the movable housing 3 has two fitting chambers 3h and two insertion ports 3i along the X direction. ing.

An insertion guide surface 3j, which is an inclined surface in the shape of an inverted square pyramid, is formed between the upper ends of both the top wall 3f and the partition wall 3g and the lower ends (insertion port 3i) of both the top wall 3f and the partition wall 3g. There is. The insertion guiding surface 3j is a portion that guides the plug connector that fits into the movable housing 3 toward the insertion opening 3i and drops it into the fitting chamber 3h.

As shown in FIG. 2, the movable housing 3 has a movable engagement portion 3a. The movable side engaging portion 3a has a function of restricting displacement of the movable housing 3 relative to the fixed housing 2 in the Z direction upward, that is, in the removal direction of the plug connector, by contacting the upper wall portion 2f of the fixed housing 2. are doing.

The movable engaging portion 3a has a heat radiation portion 3b through which heat within the accommodation space 2a convects to the external space. As a result, not only does the heat within the housing space 2a move between the housing space 2a and the external space by thermal conduction, but also the heated air within the housing space 2a moves directly to the external space through convection through the heat radiating portion 3b. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the heat within the accommodation space 2a can be dissipated to the outside of the socket connector 1 through the heat dissipation portion 3b.

On the inner surfaces (fitting chamber 3h) of the front wall 3c and the back wall 3d, movable terminal holding portions 3k are formed along the X direction, and are formed by grooves extending upward from their lower ends in the Z direction. The movable terminal holding portion 3k has a function of holding the terminal 4.

A plurality of such movable terminal holding parts 3k are formed in line along the X direction on each of the front wall 3c and the back wall 3d. In this embodiment, since the socket connector 1 has two terminals 4 on the front and back, two movable terminal holding parts 3k are also formed on the front wall 3c and the back wall 3d, respectively.

terminal 4

The socket connector 1 of this embodiment has two terminals 4 at the front and rear, respectively. All of these four terminals 4 have the same shape. Each of the four terminals 4 is arranged symmetrically about the centerline of the socket connector 1 in the X direction, and is also arranged symmetrically about the centerline in the Y direction. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, etc., these multiple terminals 4 are attached to the socket connector 1 so that the board width direction is the X direction and the board surface is along the Y direction and the Z direction. ing. Therefore, the plurality of terminals 4 are all arranged in the X direction and mainly extend in the Y direction. Here, one terminal 4 disposed on the rear side of the socket connector 1 in the Y direction will be described. The terminal 4 disposed on the front side of the socket connector 1 in the Y direction is similar to the terminal 4 disposed on the rear side except that the front-back positional relationship is opposite.

The terminal 4 is an electrical conductor made of a conductive metal piece. The terminal 4 has an elastically deformable movable part 4a. The terminal 4 supports the movable housing 3 so as to be movable relative to the fixed housing 2. In this embodiment, the terminal 4 includes a contact terminal piece 10 as a "contact part", a plurality, for example, three low-back side terminal pieces 20, and a plurality, for example, two high-back side terminal pieces 30. Consists of three types of terminal pieces. The movable portion 4a is formed on both the high back terminal piece 30 and the low back terminal piece 20. The number of movable parts 4a may be one or more for each of the low-back terminal piece 20 and the high-back terminal piece 30.

The contact terminal piece 10 has a flat plate shape extending approximately along the XZ plane. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, etc., the contact terminal piece 10 includes a movable side held part 11 as a "second housing held part", a front contact piece 12, and a rear contact piece 13. ing. In this embodiment, two front contact pieces 12 and one rear contact piece 13 are connected to one movable side held part 11 .

The movable held part 11 is located on the lower end side of the contact terminal piece 10. The movable side held part 11 is a part for fixing the contact terminal piece 10 to the movable housing 3. The movable side held part 11 has a flat plate shape along the XZ plane, and is formed into a rectangular shape that is longer in the X direction than in the Z direction when viewed from the front. The movable held part 11 has press-fit protrusions 11a that protrude outward from both left and right edges, respectively. The press-fit protrusion 11a is fixed to the movable terminal holding portion 3k by press-fitting when the contact terminal piece 10 is attached to the movable housing 3 and accommodated in the fitting chamber 3h.

The terminal 4 has a connecting surface 14A as a "connecting part" and a connecting back surface 14B as a "connecting part". The connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B have the function of connecting the contact terminal piece 10 to the low back terminal piece 20 and the high back terminal piece 30. The connecting surface 14A is formed on the front side of the movable held part 11, and the connecting back surface 14B is formed on the back side of the movable held part 11. The connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B are both formed as planes extending along the XZ plane. The connecting surface 14A connects the low back terminal piece 20 to the front side of the movable held part 11 as the "front side", and the connecting back surface 14B connects the high back terminal piece 30 to the front side of the movable side held part 11 as the "back side". It is connected to the back surface of the movable side held part 11.

According to this embodiment, the connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B connect the low-back terminal piece 20 and the high-back terminal piece 30 to the front and back surfaces of the movable held part 11 with their positions shifted. There is. The terminal 4 has a conductive path branched from the contact terminal piece 10 into a low-back terminal piece 20 and a high-back terminal piece 30 by the connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B. Therefore, also on the connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B, the low back terminal pieces 20 and the high back terminal pieces 30 can be arranged without overlapping each other when viewed from the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the low-back terminal piece 20 and the high-back terminal piece 30 can be arranged as close as possible in the X direction, which is the terminal arrangement direction, over the entire Y direction, which is the direction of extension of both, and the socket connector 1 can be made smaller.

The front contact piece 12 has a front elastic arm 12a and a front contact portion 12b. The front elastic arm 12a extends upward from the movable held portion 11 with an inclination forward in the Y direction along the insertion direction of the plug connector. The front elastic arm 12a movably supports a front contact portion 12b connected to its tip (upper) end. The front elastic arm 12a is configured to press the front contact portion 12b into contact with the terminal of the plug connector from the rear to the front in the Y direction. The front contact pieces 12 of this embodiment extend upward one by one from the upper end of the movable side held part 11 and from positions shifted left and right from the center in the X direction.

The front contact portion 12b is bent into a mountain shape that protrudes forward in the Y direction when viewed from the side. That is, the front contact portion 12b is formed as a rolled surface, and the plate surface is configured to come into contact with the terminal of the plug connector on the rolled surface. The front contact portion 12b is arranged such that the top portion that contacts the terminal of the plug connector projects further forward in the Y direction than the insertion opening 3i of the movable housing 3 in plan view.

The rear contact piece 13 has the same configuration as the front contact piece 12, and is provided adjacently between the two front contact pieces 12 arranged in the X direction. The tip (upper) end of the rear contact piece 13 is located below the tip (upper) end of the front contact piece 12. The rear contact piece 13 has a rear elastic arm 13a and a rear contact portion 13b. The rear elastic arm 13a extends upward from the movable side held portion 11 along the insertion direction of the plug connector with a larger inclination toward the front in the Y direction than the front elastic arm 12a. The rear elastic arm 13a movably supports a rear contact portion 13b connected to its tip (upper) end. The rear elastic arm 13a is configured to press the rear contact portion 13b into contact with the terminal of the plug connector from the rear to the front in the Y direction.

The rear contact portion 13b is bent into a mountain shape that protrudes forward in the Y direction when viewed from the side. That is, the rear contact portion 13b is formed as a rolled surface, and the plate surface is configured to come into contact with the terminal of the plug connector on the rolled surface. The rear contact portion 13b is arranged such that the top portion that contacts the terminal of the plug connector projects further forward in the Y direction than the insertion opening 3i of the movable housing 3 in plan view.

The low back terminal piece 20 includes a movable housing side base 21, a low back movable part 22 as a "first movable terminal part", and a fixed side held part 23 as a "first housing held part". and a board connection part 24 as a "first board connection part". The low-back side terminal piece 20 is formed by punching a flat conductive metal piece into a long and thin plate shape and then bending it to form a single component with different functions for each part. There is.

The low back terminal piece 20 is a portion that can be elastically deformed when the plug connector is fitted into the movable housing 3. On the other hand, the contact terminal piece 10 requires a predetermined contact pressure with respect to the terminal of the plug connector to be electrically connected. Therefore, the low back terminal piece 20 is formed with a thinner plate thickness than the contact terminal piece 10. The low back terminal piece 20 of this embodiment has a thickness of 70 to 80% of that of the contact terminal piece 10.

The movable housing side base portion 21 is a part for connecting the low back side terminal piece 20 to the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base portion 21 is located at the front end of the low back side terminal piece 20. The movable housing side base 21 has a flat plate shape along the XZ plane, and is formed into a rectangular shape that is longer in the Z direction than in the X direction when viewed from the front. The movable housing side base 21 is arranged so that the plate surface on the back side faces the connecting surface 14A of the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base 21 is joined to the connecting surface 14A by laser welding, resistance welding, or the like. As a result, the movable housing side base portion 21 is joined to the movable side held portion 11 of the contact terminal piece 10.

In the socket connector 1, the contact terminal piece 10 and the low back side terminal piece 20 need only be electrically connected. Therefore, the method of connecting the contact terminal piece 10 and the low back terminal piece 20 is not limited to welding. For example, in the socket connector 1, both the contact terminal piece 10 and the low back side terminal piece 20 are press-fitted into the movable side terminal holding part 3k that holds the terminal 4, so that the contact terminal piece 10 and the low back side terminal piece 20 The terminal piece 20 may be configured to be electrically connected.

The low-back side movable part 22 is the movable part 4a that the low-back side terminal piece 20 has. The low back side movable part 22 extends between the fixed side held part 23 and the movable side held part 11. The low back movable portion 22 has a floating function to support the movable housing 3 so as to be movable in three dimensions with respect to the fixed housing 2. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, etc., the low-back movable portion 22 includes, in order from the side closest to the fixed side held portion 23, a first vertical piece portion 22a, a first bent portion 22b, and a second bent portion 22b. It has a vertical piece part 22c, a second bent part 22d, a first front and rear piece part 22e, and a third bent part 22f.

The first vertical piece portion 22a extends diagonally upward from the fixed side held portion 23 on the front side in the Y direction. The first bent portion 22b is curved into an inverted U-shape in a side view at the upper end of the first vertical piece portion 22a. The second vertical piece portion 22c extends diagonally downward from the first bent portion 22b on the front side in the Y direction. The second bent portion 22d is curved toward the front in the Y direction at the lower end of the second vertical piece portion 22c. The first front and rear pieces 22e extend forward in the Y direction from the second bent portion 22d. The third bent portion 22f is curved upward at the front end of the first front and rear piece portion 22e in the Y direction.

In the low-back side movable part 22, the stress upon elastic deformation is higher in the first bent part 22b, than in the first vertical piece part 22a, the second vertical piece part 22c, and the first front and rear part 22e. It is easy to concentrate on the second bent portion 22d and the third bent portion 22f. However, in the present embodiment, the plate widths of the first bent portion 22b, the second bent portion 22d, and the third bent portion 22f are the same as those of the first vertical piece 22a, the second vertical piece 22c, and the first It is formed wider than the plate width of the front and rear pieces 22e. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, stress caused when the low-back side movable portion 22 is elastically deformed is easily dispersed.

The fixed side held part 23 is a part for fixing the low back side terminal piece 20 to the fixed housing 2. The fixed side held part 23 extends along the Z direction between the lower end of the first vertical piece part 22a and the front end of the board connecting part 24. Press-fit protrusions 23a that protrude outward in the X direction are formed on both side edges of the fixed side held portion 23 in the plate width direction (X direction). The press-fit protrusion 23a is press-fitted into and bit into the low-back terminal piece holding portion 2hA provided on the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2, whereby the low-back terminal piece 20 is fixed to the fixed housing 2. (See Figure 7).

The board connection part 24 is located in a portion including one end of the low-back terminal piece 20, and is a part for electrically connecting the low-back terminal piece 20 to the circuit of the circuit board P1 and fixing it to the circuit board P1. . One end (rear end) side of the board connecting portion 24 protrudes rearward in the Y direction from below the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2 when the low-back terminal piece 20 is attached to the fixed housing 2. (See Figure 2). A soldering part is mainly composed of the lower plate surface of the board connecting part 24 and the upper surface of the circuit board P1 (see FIG. 2).

The high back side terminal piece 30 includes a movable housing side base 31, a high back side movable part 32 as a "second movable terminal part", and a fixed side held part 33 as a "first housing held part". and a board connection part 34 as a "second board connection part". The high-back side terminal piece 30 is formed by punching a flat conductive metal piece into a long and thin plate shape and then bending the material to form a single component with different functions for each part. There is.

Like the low back terminal piece 20, the high back terminal piece 30 is a part that can be elastically deformed when the plug connector is fitted into the movable housing 3. Therefore, the high back terminal piece 30 is also formed with a thinner plate thickness than the contact terminal piece 10. The high back terminal piece 30 of this embodiment has a thickness of 70 to 80% of the contact terminal piece 10, similar to the low back terminal piece 20.

The movable housing side base portion 31 is a part for connecting the high back side terminal piece 30 to the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base portion 31 is located at the front end of the high back side terminal piece 30. The movable housing side base 31 has a flat plate shape along the XZ plane, and is formed into a rectangular shape that is longer in the Z direction than in the X direction when viewed from the front. The movable housing side base portion 31 is arranged such that the front plate surface faces the connecting back surface 14B of the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base 31 is joined to the connecting back surface 14B by laser welding, resistance welding, or the like. As a result, the movable housing side base portion 31 is joined to the movable side held portion 11 of the contact terminal piece 10.

In the socket connector 1, it is sufficient that the contact terminal piece 10 and the high back side terminal piece 30 are electrically connected. Therefore, the method of connecting the contact terminal piece 10 and the high back side terminal piece 30 is not limited to welding. For example, in the socket connector 1, both the contact terminal piece 10 and the high back side terminal piece 30 are press-fitted into the movable side terminal holding part 3k that holds the terminal 4, so that the contact terminal piece 10 and the high back side terminal piece 30 The terminal piece 30 may be configured to be electrically connected.

The high back side movable part 32 is the movable part 4a that the high back side terminal piece 30 has. The high back side movable part 32 extends between the fixed side held part 33 and the movable side held part 11. The high back side movable part 32 has a floating function to support the movable housing 3 so as to be movable in three-dimensional directions relative to the fixed housing 2. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, etc., the high back side movable part 32 includes, in order from the side closest to the fixed side held part 33, a first vertical piece part 32a, a first bent part 32b, and a second bent part 32b. It has a vertical piece part 32c, a second bent part 32d, a first front and rear piece part 32e, and a third bent part 32f.

The first vertical piece portion 32a extends diagonally upward from the fixed side held portion 33 on the front side in the Y direction. The first bent portion 32b is curved into an inverted U-shape in a side view at the upper end of the first vertical piece portion 32a. The second vertical piece portion 32c extends diagonally downward from the first bent portion 32b on the front side in the Y direction. The second bent portion 32d is curved toward the front in the Y direction at the lower end of the second vertical piece portion 32c. The first front and rear pieces 32e extend forward in the Y direction from the second bent portion 32d. The third bent portion 32f is curved upward at the front end of the first front and rear piece portion 32e in the Y direction.

In the high back side movable part 32, the stress upon elastic deformation is higher in the first bent part 32b, than in the first vertical piece part 32a, the second vertical piece part 32c, and the first front and rear piece parts 32e. It is easy to concentrate on the second bent portion 32d and the third bent portion 32f. However, in this embodiment, the plate widths of the first bent portion 32b, the second bent portion 32d, and the third bent portion 32f are the same as those of the first vertical piece 32a, the second vertical piece 32c, and the first It is formed wider than the plate width of the front and rear pieces 32e. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, stress caused when the high-back side movable portion 32 is elastically deformed is easily dispersed.

In particular, in the movable part 4a of the terminal 4, if a spring length is ensured to facilitate elastic deformation, that part will become soft, but the electrical resistance will increase. In order to cope with this, the plate width of the movable part 4a may be formed to be thicker for parts that are longer in the extending direction of the movable part 4a, that is, in the Y and Z directions, and for parts that are shorter in the Y and Z directions of the movable part 4a. As for the part, the plate width of the movable part 4a may be formed to be narrow. By doing so, the electrical resistance becomes smaller in the longer portion of the movable portion 4a in the extending direction, and the spring becomes softer in the shorter portion of the movable portion 4a in the extending direction. Thereby, in the movable part 4a, it is possible to equalize both the ease of elastic deformation and the electrical resistance, regardless of the part.

Furthermore, the portions where the low-back terminal piece 20 and the high-back terminal piece 30 face each other may also be formed to have different plate widths. For example, in the first vertical piece 22a and the first vertical piece 32a, the first vertical piece 22a, which is shorter in the direction of extension, is thinner, and the longer first vertical piece 32a is thicker. You can leave it there. In the first front and rear pieces 22e and the first front and rear pieces 32e, the first front and rear pieces 22e, which are longer in the direction of extension, are thicker, and the shorter first front and rear pieces 32e are thinner. Also good. Since the second vertical piece portion 22c and the second vertical piece portion 32c have the same length in the extending direction, the plate width may also be the same thickness.

In addition, regarding the movable housing side base 21 and the movable housing side base 31, the longer movable housing side base 21 may be formed thicker and the shorter movable housing side base 31 may be formed thinner.

The fixed side held part 33 is a part for fixing the high back side terminal piece 30 to the fixed housing 2. The fixed side held part 33 extends along the Z direction between the lower end of the first vertical piece part 32a and the front end of the board connecting part 34. Press-fit protrusions 33a that protrude outward in the X direction are formed on both side edges of the fixed side held portion 33 in the plate width direction (X direction). The high back terminal piece 30 is fixed to the fixed housing 2 by press-fitting and biting the press-fit protrusion 33a into the high back terminal piece holding portion 2hB provided on the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2. (See Figure 7).

The board connecting portion 34 is located in a portion including one end of the high back side terminal piece 30, and is a part for electrically connecting the high back side terminal piece 30 to the circuit of the circuit board P1 and fixing it to the circuit board P1. . One end (rear end) side of the board connecting portion 34 protrudes rearward in the Y direction from below the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2 when the high back side terminal piece 30 is attached to the fixed housing 2. (See Figure 2). A soldering section is mainly composed of the lower plate surface of the board connecting section 34 and the upper surface of the circuit board P1 (see FIG. 2).

As described above, the low back terminal piece 20 has the same configuration as the high back terminal piece 30 and is similar in shape. In a side view, the low-back terminal pieces 20 extend so that the portions other than the board connecting portions extend along the high-back terminal pieces 30 and do not overlap with each other.

That is, the socket connector 1 of this embodiment has a structure in which the movable part 4a is divided and the number thereof is increased, so that it can be applied to large currents while ensuring the flexibility of the movable part 4a. There is. In addition, according to the present embodiment, from the viewpoint from the arrangement direction of the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32, that is, from the side view, the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are , are arranged without overlapping each other. Therefore, even if the low-back side movable section 22 and the high-back side movable section 32 are close to each other in the arrangement direction, that is, the X direction, they are unlikely to come into contact with each other. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the low-back movable portion 22 and the high-back movable portion 32 can be arranged as close as possible to each other in the arrangement direction, and the socket connector 1 can be miniaturized.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are arranged so as not to overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the plug connector, that is, when viewed from above. For example, the low-back side movable parts 22 and the high-back side movable parts 32 are alternately arranged at equal intervals along the X direction, as shown in FIG. In this way, the adjacent low-back side movable section 22 and high-back side movable section 32 are arranged so as not to overlap in any of the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. Therefore, according to the socket connector 1 of this embodiment, the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 can be made difficult to come into contact with each other, no matter which direction the movable part 4a is displaced.

The low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 may be arranged so as to be as close to each other as possible in the respective arrangement directions, that is, in the X direction, as long as they do not overlap each other in plan view. By doing so, the socket connector 1 can be made smaller in the X direction while the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are in a state where it is difficult for them to come into contact with each other.

Second embodiment [Figures 7 to 9]

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a socket connector 101 as a second embodiment of the "movable connector" of the present invention will be mainly described with respect to parts that are different in configuration from the socket connector 1 described above. That is, unless otherwise specified, the socket connector 101 can achieve the same effects as the socket connector 1 described above.

Configuration of socket connector 101 [Figures 7 to 9]

The socket connector 101 of this embodiment includes a fixed housing 2 as a "first housing", a movable housing 3 as a "second housing", and a plurality of terminals 104. The fixed housing 2 and the movable housing 3 are the same for the socket connector 1 and the socket connector 101.

terminal 104

In the socket connector 101 of this embodiment, four terminals 104 having the same shape are arranged in the same manner as the terminals 4. Therefore, one terminal 104 disposed on the rear side of the socket connector 101 in the Y direction will be described here.

The terminal 104 has an elastically deformable movable part 104a. In this embodiment, the terminal 104 includes a contact terminal piece 10 as a "contact part", a plurality, for example, five low-back side terminal pieces 120, and a plurality, for example, five high-back side terminal pieces 130. Consists of three types of terminal pieces. The movable portion 104a is formed on both the high back terminal piece 130 and the low back terminal piece 120. The low back terminal piece 120 includes a movable housing side base 21, a low back movable part 22 as a "first movable terminal part", and a fixed side held part 23 as a "first housing held part". and a board connection part 124 as a "first board connection part". The high back side terminal piece 130 includes a movable housing side base 31, a high back side movable part 32 as a "second movable terminal part", and a fixed side held part 33 as a "first housing held part". and a board connection part 134 as a "second board connection part".

In this way, the terminal 104 has the low back terminal piece 120 having the board connecting part 124, the high back terminal piece 130 having the board connecting part 134, and the low back terminal piece 120 and the high back side The terminal piece 130 is the same as the terminal 4 except that each terminal piece 130 is composed of five pieces.

In this embodiment, at least a portion of the low-back side movable section 22 and the high-back side movable section 32 are arranged to overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the plug connector, that is, when viewed from above. Therefore, the socket connector 101 can be moved in the arrangement direction of the low back side movable part 22 and the high back side movable part 32, that is, in the X direction, by the amount that the low back side movable part 22 and the high back side movable part 32 overlap. Can be made smaller.

For example, the five low-back movable parts 22 and the five high-back movable parts 32 are both arranged at equal intervals along the X direction, as shown in FIG. All five of the low-back side movable parts 22 and the high-back side movable parts 32 are arranged so as to completely overlap each other without protruding from each other in the X direction in a plan view. Therefore, although the socket connector 101 is configured to have two movable parts 104a, the low-back movable part 22 and the high-back movable part 32, the width in the X direction, which is the arrangement direction of these parts, is the same as that of one movable part. The length is the same as that of the configuration 104a. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the socket connector 101 can be downsized while ensuring flexibility by the divided movable portion 104a.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are arranged so as to completely overlap each other without protruding from each other in the X direction in plan view, the board connecting part 124 and This will interfere with the board connection section 134.

On the other hand, in the socket connector 101, the board connecting portion 124 extending from the low-back side movable portion 22 extends from the left side of the fixed side held portion 23 as the “first side in the arrangement direction”. There is. On the other hand, the board connecting portion 134 extending from the high-back movable portion 32 serves as the “second side in the arrangement direction” of the fixed side held portion 33, which is the opposite side to the “first side”. It extends from the right side of. Therefore, the board connecting portion 124 and the board connecting portion 134 can be arranged close to each other in the arrangement direction, that is, in the X direction. Therefore, the socket connector 101 can be downsized in the arrangement direction of the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32, that is, in the X direction.

In addition, in this embodiment, it is sufficient that the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap in a plan view, and in a side view, the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 overlap. This does not exclude that at least a portion of the high back side movable portions 32 overlap.

Variant

In the first embodiment, the terminal 4 is composed of three types of terminal pieces: a contact terminal piece 10, a low-back terminal piece 20, and a high-back terminal piece 30. However, the contact terminal piece 10 and one of the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 may be formed as a single component that is combined in advance. This also applies to the second embodiment.

1 Socket connector (movable connector)
2 Fixed housing (first housing)
2a Accommodation space 2b Fixing bracket attachment part 2c Front wall part 2d Rear wall part 2e Side wall part 2f Upper wall part 2g Top opening part 2hA Low back side terminal piece holding part 2hB High back side terminal piece holding part 3 Movable housing (second housing)
3a Movable side engaging part 3b Heat dissipation part 3c Front wall 3d Rear wall 3e Side wall 3f Top wall 3g Partition wall 3h Fitting chamber 3i Insertion port 3j Insertion guiding surface 3k Movable side terminal holding part 4 Terminal 4a Movable part 5 Fixed metal fittings 10 Contact Terminal piece (contact part)
11 Movable side held part (second housing held part)
11a Press-fit projection 12 Front contact piece 12a Front elastic arm 12b Front contact part 13 Rear contact piece 13a Rear elastic arm 13b Rear contact part 14A Connection surface (connection part)
14B Back side of connection (connection part)
20 Low back side terminal piece 21 Movable housing side base 22 Low back side movable part (first movable terminal part)
22a First vertical piece 22b First bent part 22c Second vertical piece 22d Second bent part 22e First front and rear pieces 22f Third bent part 23 Fixed side held part (first housing held part)
23a Press-fit protrusion 24 Board connection part (first board connection part)
30 High back side terminal piece 31 Movable housing side base 32 High back side movable part (second movable terminal part)
32a First vertical piece 32b First bent part 32c Second vertical piece 32d Second bent part 32e First front and rear pieces 32f Third bent part 33 Fixed side held part (first housing held part)
33a Press-fit protrusion 34 Board connection part (second board connection part)
101 Socket connector (movable connector)
104 Terminal 104a Movable part 120 Low back side terminal piece 124 Board connection part (first board connection part)
130 High back side terminal piece 134 Board connection part (second board connection part)
P1 Circuit board P2 Top surface (board surface)
X Width direction, left/right direction Y Depth direction, front/rear direction (first direction)
Z Height direction, vertical direction

Claims (8)

a first housing;
a second housing displaceable relative to the first housing;
A movable connector having a terminal that displaceably supports the second housing with respect to the first housing,
The terminal is
a first housing held portion held by the first housing;
a second housing held portion held by the second housing;
a movable part that can be elastically deformed between the first housing held part and the second housing held part;
It has a contact part that makes a conductive connection with the object to be connected,
The movable part has a first movable terminal part and a second movable terminal part,
The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged in a first direction that is a direction intersecting the connection direction with the connection target object,
The movable connector is characterized in that the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged without overlapping each other when viewed from the first direction. a first housing;
a second housing displaceable relative to the first housing;
A movable connector having a terminal that displaceably supports the second housing with respect to the first housing,
The terminal is
a first housing held portion held by the first housing;
a second housing held portion held by the second housing;
a movable part that can be elastically deformed between the first housing held part and the second housing held part;
It has a contact part that makes a conductive connection with the object to be connected,
The movable part has a first movable terminal part and a second movable terminal part,
The first movable terminal portion is arranged along the second movable terminal portion without overlapping each other, as viewed from the terminal arrangement direction, which is the direction in which the terminals are arranged. Movable connector. a first housing;
a second housing displaceable relative to the first housing;
A movable connector having a terminal that displaceably supports the second housing with respect to the first housing,
The terminal is
a first housing held portion held by the first housing;
a second housing held portion held by the second housing;
a movable part that can be elastically deformed between the first housing held part and the second housing held part;
It has a contact part that makes a conductive connection with the object to be connected,
The movable part has a first movable terminal part and a second movable terminal part,
The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged in a first direction that is a direction intersecting the connection direction with the connection target object,
In the viewpoint from the first direction, there is a space between the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part in the extending direction of the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part. A movable connector characterized in that a space is formed that extends seamlessly along the length of the connector. a first housing;
a second housing displaceable relative to the first housing;
A movable connector having a terminal that displaceably supports the second housing with respect to the first housing,
The terminal is
a first housing held portion held by the first housing;
a second housing held portion held by the second housing;
a movable part that can be elastically deformed between the first housing held part and the second housing held part;
It has a contact part that makes a conductive connection with the object to be connected,
The movable part has a first movable terminal part and a second movable terminal part,
When viewed from the terminal arrangement direction, which is the direction in which the terminals are arranged, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are arranged without overlapping each other,
The terminal has a connecting part that connects the contact part to the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part,
The movable connector is characterized in that the connecting portion connects the first movable terminal portion to the front side and connects the second movable terminal portion to the back side. Any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are arranged so as to at least partially overlap when viewed from the connection direction with the connection target object. The movable connector described in item 1. The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged so as not to overlap when viewed from the connection direction with the connection target object. Movable connector as described. a first housing;
a second housing displaceable relative to the first housing;
A movable connector having a terminal that displaceably supports the second housing with respect to the first housing,
The terminal is
a first housing held portion held by the first housing;
a second housing held portion held by the second housing;
a movable part that can be elastically deformed between the first housing held part and the second housing held part;
It has a contact part that makes a conductive connection with the object to be connected,
The movable part has a first movable terminal part and a second movable terminal part,
When viewed from the terminal arrangement direction, which is the direction in which the terminals are arranged, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are arranged without overlapping each other,
The terminal further includes a first board connection portion;
a second board connection part;
The first board connecting portion extends from a first side of the first housing held portion in the terminal arrangement direction,
The second board connecting portion extends from a second side of the first housing held portion in the terminal arrangement direction, which is the opposite side to the first side;
The first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are arranged so that at least a part thereof overlaps when viewed from the connection direction with the connection target object.
Movable connector. The movable connector according to claim 1, wherein the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are formed as separate parts.

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