EP2635098A1

EP2635098A1 - Card member and card edge connector

Info

Publication number: EP2635098A1
Application number: EP13156638.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Akira Nagamine
Original assignee: JST Mfg Co Ltd
Current assignee: JST Mfg Co Ltd
Priority date: 2012-02-29
Filing date: 2013-02-25
Publication date: 2013-09-04
Also published as: JP2013182299A; CN103296525A

Abstract

A card member (11) includes: a substrate (12) having a card edge portion (14) on which plural card edge terminals (13) connected with a counterpart connector (31) are formed on at least one side; and a covering member (15) that covers the substrate (12), the covering member (15) having an accommodating portion (18) in which the substrate (12) is accommodated and openings (26) to expose at least the card edge terminals (13), and the accommodating portion (18) being filled with filler. In a card edge connector (10), the card member (11) and a counterpart connector (31) are connected. With these configurations, a card member and a card edge connector with an excellent waterproof effect can be provided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a card member and a card edge connector in which a card edge terminal for connecting with a counterpart connector is formed on a substrate. Specifically, the present invention relates to a card member and a card edge connector in which a card edge terminal is protected against an impact due to dropping and the like, and an excellent waterproof effect can be obtained.

BACKGROUND ART

A card edge substrate and a card edge connector in which a terminal is formed at an end of the substrate to directly connect the substrate and the connector are known for example. Such a card edge substrate and similar parts have been devised to solve various problems in contacting a card edge terminal with a counterpart connector.
For example, JP-A-07-231153 described below discloses a card edge substrate which may reduce abrasion and deformation of a contact of a connector. The card edge substrate disclosed in JP-A-07-231153 has an edge which can be inserted and removed to/from a predetermined connector on at least one end of a base material, and has plural card edge terminals which are electrically connected to plural contacts of the connector on at least one side of the edge. A leading end of the card edge terminal is arranged at a side further inward than an end surface of the edge. The card edge substrate also has a thicker resin layer than the card edge terminal formed in a portion at least on the base material and on an extended line of the card edge terminal. Since the card edge substrate disclosed in JP-A-07-231153 has a thicker resin layer than the upper surface of the card edge terminal, sliding friction occurring during insert/remove operation is increased. In addition, when the insert/remove operation is performed, a contact surface is more preferentially slid with respect to the upper surface of the resin layer than the upper surface of the leading end of the card edge terminal, so that damage on the contact surface caused by the insert/remove operation is reduced.
JP-A-2003-338343 described below discloses a card edge connector in which it is difficult for a contact failure to occur and for foreign matter to adhere to a point of contact of the contact. The card edge connector disclosed in JP-A-2003-338343 includes a card member having plural card edge electrodes on a substrate and a board-side connector having contacts corresponding to the card edge electrodes, and electrically connects the card edge electrodes and the contacts through insertion of the card member into the board-side connector. The card member includes an insulating cover which covers a region in which the card edge electrodes are arrayed, and the insulating cover has an opening to expose at least part of the respective card edge electrodes. In the card edge connector disclosed in JP-A-2003-338343 , the card member includes the insulating cover which covers the region in which the card edge electrodes are arrayed, and the insulating cover has an opening to expose at least part of the respective card edge electrodes, so that the position of the point of contact of each of the contacts is limited to the card edge electrode by the opening in an engaged state, and contact failure is suppressed.
The card edge substrate and the card member are used in various conditions. Under such use conditions, when a portion of the card edge terminal for connecting the card member with the connector contacts with something or the card member is dropped, a large physical force may be applied to the portion of the card edge terminal and deformation or breakage may be caused. In the card edge substrate disclosed in JP-A-07-231153 and the card member disclosed in JP-A-2003-338343 , although their card edge terminals are protected in connecting with counterpart connectors, there is no suggestion about solution for the physical force problem as described above.
In addition, the card edge substrate and the like may be used in harsh environments, such as in an outdoor location, or installed in a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle. In such a case, the ingress of liquid such as rain water into the card edge substrate or the like should be suppressed. For example, JP-A-2011-028993 describes waterproofing of the card edge connector. The card edge connector disclosed in JP-A-2011-028993 includes a terminal connected to an end of a harness, and a housing which holds and electrically connects the harness and an electronic substrate, in which a case accommodating the electronic substrate is assembled with the housing and attached and fixed to the card edge connector. It is fixed with a sealing member provided over the entire circumference of an engaging surface of the housing which is inserted in the case, whereby the card edge connector disclosed in JP-A-2011-028993 prevents the ingress of water into the internal space formed by the housing and the case.
However, the electronic substrate accommodated in the case is not waterproofed in the card edge connector disclosed in JP-A-2011-028993 . As a result, if liquid enters the case due to a defect of the sealing member, the electronic substrate may be exposed to the liquid and may cause a short circuit. The waterproof effect can be obtained after the housing and the case are connected. However, before the connection of the housing and the case, for example, at the time of assembling or replacement, the waterproof effect cannot be obtained.

SUMMARY

Taking the foregoing into account, the present invention provides a card member and a card edge connector including the card member and a counterpart connector. In the card member in which a card edge terminal is provided on a substrate, the substrate of the card member is covered with a covering member and filler is filled inside the covering member, so that a card edge portion is protected and an excellent waterproof effect can be obtained.
The present invention is also directed to provide another card member and a card edge connector including the card member and a counterpart connector. In the card member in which a card edge terminal is provided on a substrate, the substrate of the card member is integrally molded with a covering member using synthetic resin material, so that a card edge portion is protected and an excellent waterproof effect can be obtained.
A card member according to a first aspect of the invention includes: a substrate having a card edge portion on which plural card edge terminals connected with a counterpart connector are formed on at least one side; and a covering member that covers the substrate. The covering member has an opening to expose at least the card edge terminals and an accommodating portion in which the substrate is accommodated. The accommodating portion is filled with filler.
A card member according to a second aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the first aspect, the covering member is formed by connecting a front case on which the opening is provided and a rear case on which the accommodating portion is provided, the front case has a space through which the card edge portion protrudes, each of the card edge terminals of the card edge portion protruding from the space is arranged corresponding to the opening, and a filler inlet for injecting the filler is formed at a portion where the front case and the rear case are connected.
A card member according to a third aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the first or second aspect, the covering member includes a protective portion formed so as to cover an end surface of the card edge portion.
A card member according to a fourth aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the third aspect, the covering member includes a partition wall portion extending from the protective portion at a position corresponding to each of the gaps of the card edge terminals.
A card member according to a fifth aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the fourth aspect, the partition wall portions are alternately formed on both sides of the substrate.
A card member according to a sixth aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the fourth or fifth aspect, a surface of each of the card edge terminals is plated with tin.
A card member according to a seventh aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the first aspect, the accommodating portion includes a guide portion for guiding and positioning the substrate.
A card member according to an eighth aspect of the invention includes: a substrate having a card edge portion on which plural card edge terminals connected with a counterpart connector are formed on at least one side; and a covering member that covers the substrate. The covering member is integrally molded with the substrate using synthetic resin material to have an opening to expose at least the card edge terminals.
A card member according to a ninth aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the eighth aspect, the covering member includes a protective portion formed so as to cover an end surface of the card edge portion.
A card member according to a tenth aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the ninth aspect, the covering member includes a partition wall portion extending from the protective portion at a position corresponding to each of the gaps of the card edge terminals.
A card member according to an eleventh aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the tenth aspect, the partition wall portions are alternately formed on both sides of the substrate.
A card member according to a twelfth aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the tenth or eleventh aspect, a surface of each of the card edge terminals is plated with tin.
A card edge connector according to a thirteenth aspect of the invention includes the card member according to any of the first to twelfth aspects connected with the counterpart connector.
A card edge connector according to a fourteenth aspect of the invention is configured so that, in the card member according to the thirteenth aspect, an annular sealing portion is formed in the covering member of the card member at a portion contacting with the counterpart connector, so that the covering member is fluid-tightly connected with the counterpart connector.
With the card member of the first aspect, the filler is filled inside the covering member accommodating the substrate having the card edge terminals, so that the substrate surface of the card member is prevented from contacting with liquid and a high waterproof effect can be obtained.
With the card member of the second aspect, the covering member is formed separately of the front case and the rear case, the substrate is arranged in the cases and thereafter the filler is injected from the filler inlet formed at the cases. The card member may thus be easily formed. The space formed in the front case can allow the card edge portion of the substrate to protrude from the front case.
With the card member of the third aspect, the card edge portion of the substrate is covered with the protective portion, so that an impact due to dropping can be softened. In addition, since the protective portion is provided at the card edge portion of the substrate, damage to the substrate can be prevented by contacting with the contact of the counterpart connector while the card edge terminals are connected with the counterpart connector.
With the card member of the fourth aspect, since the partition wall portions are formed between the card edge terminals, the opening through which the card edge terminals are exposed is surrounded by the partition wall portions, the protective portion, and the covering member, so that the opening is formed by being partitioned for each of the card edge terminals. The card member of the fourth aspect can therefore enhance the strength of the portion defining the opening and more effectively suppress the impact due to dropping or damage when connecting. Furthermore, in a case where liquid enters the opening, since the card edge terminals are partitioned for each portion, the liquid that enters one compartment is prevented from contacting with the card edge terminals in the other compartments, so that a short circuit of the substrate can be prevented.
When the contact of the counterpart connector is connected with the card edge terminals, the card edge terminals receive a strong pressing force from the contact, so that the substrate on which the card edge terminals are provided may be deformed. With the card member of the fifth aspect, the partition wall portions are alternately formed on a front face and a rear face, so that the partition wall portions are provided at the opposite side of each of the card edge terminals contacting the contact. The partition wall portions may thus receive the pressing force on one side to prevent the deformation of the substrate.
With the card member of the sixth aspect, the surface of each of the card edge terminals is plated with tin, so that manufacturing cost can be decreased compared to gold-plating, which has been used for card edge terminals in the related art. A whisker, which has been the problem of tin-plating, is prevented from contacting with the other card edge terminals due to the partition wall portions formed at the opening, so that a short circuit of the substrate can be prevented.
With the card member of the seventh aspect, the substrate can be easily inserted and positioned in the covering member, and the movement of the substrate can be suppressed when the filler is injected into the covering member.
With the card member of the eighth aspect, in the substrate having the card edge terminals, the card edge portion on which each of the card edge terminals being a contacting portion connected with the counterpart connector is formed is exposed and the other portion of the substrate is integrally molded using the synthetic resin material. The substrate surface of the card member is thus prevented from contacting with liquid and a high waterproof effect can be obtained.
With the card member of the ninth aspect, the card edge portion of the substrate is covered with the protective portion, so that an impact due to dropping can be softened. In addition, since the protective portion is provided at the card edge portion of the substrate, damage to the substrate can be prevented by contacting with the contact of the counterpart connector while the card edge terminals are connected with the counterpart connector.
With the card member of the tenth aspect, since the partition wall portions are formed between the card edge terminals, the opening through which the card edge terminals are exposed is surrounded by the partition wall portions, the protective portion, and the covering member, so that the opening is formed by being partitioned for each of the card edge terminals. The card member of the tenth aspect can therefore enhance the strength of the portion defining the opening and suppress the impact due to dropping or damage when connecting more effectively. Furthermore, in a case where liquid enters the opening, since the card edge terminals are partitioned for each portion, the liquid that enters one compartment is prevented from contacting with the card edge terminals in the other compartments, so that a short circuit of the substrate can be prevented.
When the contact of the counterpart connector is connected with the card edge terminals, the card edge terminals receive a strong pressing force from the contact, so that the substrate on which the card edge terminals are provided may be deformed. With the card member of the eleventh aspect, the partition wall portions are alternately formed on a front face and a rear face, so that the partition wall portions are provided at the opposite side of each of the card edge terminals contacting with the contact. The partition wall portions may thus receive the pressing force on one side to prevent the deformation of the substrate.
With the card member of the twelfth aspect, the surface of each of the card edge terminals is plated with tin, so that manufacturing cost can be decreased compared to gold-plating, which has been used for card edge terminals in the related art. A whisker, which has been the problem of tin-plating, is prevented from contacting with the other card edge terminals due to the partition wall portions formed at the opening, so that a short circuit of the substrate can be prevented.
With the card edge connector of the thirteenth aspect, a card edge connector which exhibits the effect of any of the card members of the first to twelfth aspects can be obtained.
With the card edge connector of the fourteenth aspect, the card member and the counterpart connector are fluid-tightly connected with each other, so that the waterproof property of the card edge connector can be enhanced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a card edge connector according to Embodiment 1.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge connector according to Embodiment 1.
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a card member according to Embodiment 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a front case of the card member.
Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the card member.
Figs. 6A and 6B are sectional views illustrating a connecting step of the card edge connector.
Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged view illustrating a connecting state of the card member and a contact.
Fig. 8A is an enlarged schematic view illustrating a connecting state of the card member and the contact according to Embodiment 1, and Fig. 8B is an enlarged schematic view corresponding to Fig. 8A illustrating an example in related art.
Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a card edge connector according to Embodiment 2.
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a card member according to Embodiment 2.
Fig. 11 is a partially enlarged view of the card member.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view illustrating a manufacturing step of the card member according to Embodiment 2.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below only exemplify a card member and a card edge connector for the purpose of embodying the technical idea of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. The present invention is also applicable to other embodiments included in the scope of claims.

[Embodiment 1]

With reference to Figs. 1 to 8, a card edge connector 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the card edge connector 10 includes a card member 11 and a counterpart connector 31 to which the card member 11 is connected.
With reference to Figs. 2 to 5, the card member 11 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the card member 11 includes: a substrate 12 on which circuit wiring or the like is printed and plural card edge terminals 13 contacting with contacts 38 (refer to Fig. 6) provided in the counterpart connector 31 are formed at one end; and a covering member 15 having an accommodating portion 18 in which the substrate 12 is accommodated and openings 26 through which the card edge terminals 13 are exposed, and formed of insulating material. Inside the covering member 15, filler 30 is filled (refer to Fig. 6).
As illustrated in Fig. 3, the substrate 12, on which a circuit board printed on a front face or a rear face thereof, an integrated circuit, and the like are mounted, includes a card edge portion 14 on which the card edge terminals 13 being contacted and electrically connected with the contacts 38 of the counterpart connector 31 are formed at an end thereof. The card edge terminals 13 are formed of conductive material conducting with circuit wiring or the like formed on the substrate 12, and arranged with predetermined intervals. The card edge terminals 13 are formed of the same material as that of the circuit wiring or the like, and for example, formed in a copper wiring pattern whose surface is tin-plated. The substrate may be formed having wiring on both faces, or using a multilayer laminate substrate laminating plural substrates as one unit.
As illustrated in Fig. 3, the covering member 15 includes a rear case 16 having the accommodating portion 18 in which the substrate 12 is accommodated and a front case 22 engaged with the rear case 16. The openings 26 through which the card edge portion 14 is exposed are provided in the front case 22. The rear case 16 and the front case 22 are formed of insulating material.
The rear case 16 is formed in a low-height box-shape having an opening 17 on one side and the other side being closed. Inside of the box is the accommodating portion 18 in which the substrate 12 is accommodated, and a guide portion (not illustrated) for guiding and positioning the substrate 12 to be accommodated is formed inside the box. On the outer side of the rear case 16, plural engaging protrusions 19 used for guiding or positioning in connecting with the counterpart connector 31 are formed. In addition, a locking portion 20 locked with the counterpart connector 31 is formed in the middle portion of the rear case 16, and a hole communicating with the accommodating portion 18 is formed on the locking portion 20. The hole is a filler inlet 21 for injecting the filler 30 into the covering member. The box-shaped rear case 16 has curved side surfaces as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but the invention is not limited thereto. The rear case 16 may be formed in a rectangular box shape.
As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the front case 22 includes an engagement portion 28 to be engaged with the rear case 16, a protective portion 23 protecting the card edge terminals 13, and plural annular waterproof lips 29 formed on a portion, connected to the counterpart connector 31, of the front case 22 (refer to Fig. 2). The front case 22 has a blocking surface 24 formed between the base end of the front case 22 and the portion on which the protective portion 23 is formed. The blocking surface 24 has a space 25 through which the card edge portion 14 of the substrate 12 protrudes.
The protective portion 23 is integrally formed with the front case 22 so as to cover an end surface of the card edge portion 14 of the substrate 12, so that the end surface of the card edge portion 14 protruding from the space 25; that is, a side inserted into the counterpart connector 31 and both adjacent end surfaces of the card edge portion 14 are entirely covered and protected. Covering the end surface of the card edge portion 14 means that the protective portion 23 is formed with the same thickness as that of the substrate 12 to cover the substrate 12. The thickness of the protective portion 23 may be slightly larger than that of the end surface. The protective portion 23 is formed to have a thickness in a direction parallel to the substrate surface, and the outer surface of this thickened portion may be curved at the corners or tapered to have a wedge shape. Since the card edge portion 14 of the substrate 12 is thus covered with the protective portion 23, an impact due to dropping can be softened, and damage to the substrate may be prevented by contacting with the contacts 38 of the counterpart connector 31 while the card edge terminals 13 are connected with the counterpart connector 31.
The protective portion 23 has the openings 26 formed therein to expose the card edge terminals 13, and the card edge terminals 13 contact the contacts 38 of the counterpart connector 31 through the openings 26. At the openings 26, partition wall portions 27 are formed to be positioned between the card edge terminals 13. The partition wall portions 27 extend from the protective portion 23 to the blocking surface 24 of the front case 22. The openings 26 are partitioned by the blocking surface 24, the partition wall portions 27, and the protective portion 23, so that one opening 26 is provided for each one of the card edge terminals 13. By forming the partition wall portions 27 as described above, strength of the portion defining the openings 26 may be enhanced, and an impact due to dropping or damage when connecting may be suppressed more effectively. Furthermore, in a case where liquid enters the openings 26, since the card edge terminals 13 are partitioned for each portion, the liquid that enters one compartment is prevented from contacting with the card edge terminals 13 in the other compartments, so that a short circuit of the substrate can be prevented.
The partition wall portions 27 are formed on the upper side and the lower side of the protective portion 23. Specifically, partition wall portions 27a formed on the upper side and partition wall portions 27b formed on the lower side are alternately provided (hereinafter, the upper and lower partition wall portions 27a and 27b are simply referred to as partition wall portions 27 in some cases). In other words, a lower partition wall portion 27b is formed between two adjacent upper partition wall portions 27a, the same applies to other portions, so that the partition wall portions 27a and the partition wall portions 27b are alternately formed. As a result, the card edge terminals 13 are also alternately formed with respect to the upper side and the lower side of the substrate 12. The partition wall portions 27 are formed to vertically stand on each of the substrate surfaces when the substrate 12 is fitted, and the partition wall portions 27 on the opposite side thereof are provided to contact the substrate surface. The portion contacting the substrate surface is preferably contacting it as closely as possible to clear the gap between the partition wall portions 27 and the substrate surface. This structure prevents a whisker, which has been the problem of plating the surface of each of the card edge terminals 13 with tin, from contacting with the other card edge terminals 13 due to the partition wall portions 27 thus provided, so that a short circuit of the substrate 12 can be prevented.
The engagement portion 28 is formed to have a size and a shape fitted into the opening 17 of the rear case 16. A notch 28a is formed at a position corresponding to the filler inlet 21 formed in the rear case 16 so as not to prevent the injection of the filler 30.
To assemble the card member 11, first, the substrate 12 is inserted in the rear case 16 as illustrated in Fig. 3. If the substrate 12 is inserted along the guide portion (not illustrated) formed within the rear case 16, the insertion as well as positioning can be easily performed. Subsequently, the front case 22 is fitted into the rear case 16. Specifically, the engagement portion 28 of the front case 22 is fitted into the opening 17 of the rear case 16 while causing the card edge portion 14 of the substrate 12 to protrude from the space 25 formed on the blocking surface 24 of the front case 22. When the rear case 16 and the front case 22 are completely connected, the filler 30 is injected through the filler inlet 21 of the rear case 16 and the inside of the covering member 15 including the rear case 16 and the front case 22 is filled with the filler 30. Specifically, the filler is injected in a state where the card member is erected. When the filler is injected, inside air is discharged from the space 25 of the front case, so that it is difficult for air bubbles or the like to be generated in the filler. As a result, the card member 11 is completed.
As described above, the filler 30 is filled inside the covering member 15 accommodating the substrate 12 having the card edge terminals 13, so that the substrate surface of the card member 11 is prevented from contacting with liquid and a high waterproof effect can be obtained. In addition, the card edge terminals 13 are formed in a copper wiring pattern whose surface is tin-plated in Embodiment 1, so that manufacturing cost can be decreased compared to gold-plating, which has been used for card edge terminals in the related art.
Hereinafter, the connection of the card member 11 to the counterpart connector 31 will be described. The counterpart connector 31 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 6A. The counterpart connector 31 includes a housing 32 formed in a tubular shape having on one side a connecting port 33 to which the card member 11 is connected and having on the other side an insertion port 34 thorough which wires 37 are inserted. The housing 32 includes respective components of the counterpart connector 31. A locking mechanism 36 to which the locking portion 20 formed in the card member 11 is fixed is provided on an upper part of the housing 32. Furthermore, engagement grooves 35 to be engaged with the engaging protrusions 19 formed on the outer side of the card member 11 are formed on the outer side of the housing 32, corresponding to the engaging protrusions 19 of the card member 11.
In the housing 32, the wires 37 connected to external devices, the contacts 38 connected to the wires 37 and contacting with the card edge terminals 13 of the card member 11, a retainer 39 supporting and fixing the contacts 38 in the housing 32, a wire seal 40 for fixing the wires 37 in the housing 32 and preventing ingress of liquid from the wire 37 side, a wire seal cover 41 for fixing the wire seal 40, and a seal ring 42 to be fluid-tightly connected with the card member 11 are provided. The contacts 38 are alternately provided so as to correspond to the card edge terminals 13 of the card member 11.
The counterpart connector 31 is connected with the card member 11 as follows: the card edge portion 14 of the card member 11 is directed to the connecting port 33 of the housing 32 and inserted therein while aligning the positions of the engagement grooves 35 of the housing 32 and the engaging protrusions 19 of the card member 11; the contacts 38 are caused to contact the card edge terminals 13; and the locking mechanism 36 of the housing 32 and the locking portion 20 of the card member 11 are locked with each other. During this process, the partition wall portions 27 of the card member 11 also function as a guide to accurately cause the contacts 38 to contact the card edge terminals 13 when the contacts 38 of the counterpart connector 31 are fitted. With the card edge connector 10 assembled as described above, the card member 11 is fluid-tightly connected with the counterpart connector 31 while having the waterproof property itself, so that an excellent waterproof property can be obtained.
The state where the contacts 38 of the counterpart connector 31 contact the card edge terminals 13 of the card member 11 will be described below with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. As illustrated in Fig. 7, in the state where the contacts 38 contact the card edge terminals 13, the partition wall portions 27 are provided on the opposite side of the respective contacts 38. Accordingly, as illustrated in Figs. 8A and 8B, pressing force P from each of the contacting contacts 38 is applied to the card edge terminals 13 and the substrate portion or terminal portion of each of the card edge terminals 13 will be deformed due to the pressing force P. As illustrated in Fig. 8B, if the card edge terminals 13 are formed in parallel with each other on the upper side and the lower side as in the related art, the pressing force P is applied from both sides to the portions where the card edge terminals 13 are formed, so that a deformation amount D becomes large.
As illustrated in Fig. 8A, the card edge terminals 13 are alternately provided on the upper side and the lower side in Embodiment 1 and the partition wall portions 27 are formed between the respective card edge terminals 13. The pressing force P applied to the card terminals 13 is thus received by the partition wall portions 27 formed on the opposite side of the card terminals 13, so that the deformation amount D of the portions where the pressing force P is applied can be decreased. As a result, contact failure due to the deformation of the card edge terminals 13 can be suppressed.

[Embodiment 2]

In Embodiment 1, the card member 11 of the card edge connector 10 is described such that the covering member 15 covering the substrate 12 is formed by the rear case 16 and the front case 22 and the filler 30 is filled inside the covering member 15. A card member 11A of a card edge connector 10A in Embodiment 2 will now be described such that the covering member 15A covering the substrate 12 is integrally formed by molding. With respect to the card edge connector 10A of Embodiment 2, the same components as those of the card edge connector 10 of Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.
The card edge connector 10A according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. As illustrated in Fig. 9, the card edge connector 10A includes the card member 11A and the counterpart connector 31 to which the card member 11A is connected. The connecting state of the card member 11A and the counterpart connector 31 is the same as that of the card edge connector 10 of Embodiment 1 illustrated in Fig. 1.
First, the card member 11A according to Embodiment 2 will be described. As illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the card member 11A includes: the substrate 12 on which circuit wiring or the like is printed and plural card edge terminals 13 contacting with contacts 38 provided in the counterpart connector are formed at one end; and a covering member 15A integrally molded using insulating material to have openings 26A through which the card edge terminals 13 formed on the substrate 12 are exposed. The substrate 12 is the same as that in Embodiment 1, so that detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.
As illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, the covering member 15A is formed in a low-height rectangular parallelepiped shape so as to cover the substrate 12. Plural engaging protrusions 19A used for guiding or positioning in connecting with the counterpart connector 31 are formed on the outer side of the covering member 15A, and a locking portion 20A locked with the counterpart connector 31 is formed in the middle portion of the covering member 15A.
Plural annular waterproof lips 29A are formed on the covering member 15A at a portion where a protective portion 23A to protect the card edge terminals 13 and the counterpart connector 31 are connected (refer to Fig. 9). The covering member 15A has a blocking surface 24A formed between the base end of the covering member 15A and the portion on which the protective portion 23A is formed, and the card edge portion protrudes from the blocking surface 24A.
The protective portion 23A is integrally formed with the covering member 15A so as to cover the end surface of the card edge portion 14 of the substrate 12, so that the end surface of the card edge portion 14 protruding from the blocking surface 24A, that is, a side inserted into the counterpart connector 31 and both adjacent side surfaces of the card edge portion 14 are entirely covered and protected. Covering the end surface of the card edge portion 14 means that the protective portion 23A is formed with the same thickness as that of the substrate 12 to cover the substrate 12. The thickness of the protective portion 23A may be slightly larger than that of the end surface. The protective portion 23A is formed to have a thickness in a direction parallel to the substrate surface, and the outer surface of this thickened portion may be curved at the corners or tapered to have a wedge shape. Since the card edge portion 14 of the substrate 12 is thus covered with the protective portion 23A, an impact due to dropping can be softened. In addition, since the protective portion 23A is provided on the card edge portion 14 of the substrate 12, damage to the substrate 12 may be prevented by contacting with the contacts 38 of the counterpart connector 31 while the card edge terminals 13 are connected with the counterpart connector 31.
The protective portion 23A has the openings 26A formed therein to expose the card edge terminals 13, and the card edge terminals 13 contact the contacts 38 of the counterpart connector 31 through the openings 26A. At the openings 26A, partition wall portions 27A are formed to be positioned between the card edge terminals 13. The partition wall portions 27A extend from the protective portion 23A to the blocking surface 24A. The openings 26A are partitioned by the blocking surface 24A, the partition wall portions 27A, and the protective portion 23A, so that one opening 26A is provided for each one of the card edge terminals 13. By forming the partition wall portions 27A as described above, strength of the portion defining the openings 26A may be enhanced, and an impact due to dropping or damage when connecting may be suppressed more effectively. Furthermore, in a case where liquid enters the openings 26A, since the card edge terminals 13 are partitioned for each portion, the liquid that enters one compartment is prevented from contacting with the card edge terminals 13 in the other compartments, so that a short circuit of the substrate 12 can be prevented.
The partition wall portions 27A are formed on the upper side and the lower side of the protective portion 23A. Specifically, partition wall portions 27Aa formed on the upper side and partition wall portions 27Ab formed on the lower side are alternately provided (hereinafter, the upper and lower partition wall portions 27Aa and 27Ab are simply referred to as partition wall portions 27A in some cases). In other words, a lower partition wall portion 27Ab is formed between two adjacent upper partition wall portions 27Aa, the same applies to other portions, so that the partition wall portions 27Aa and the partition wall portions 27Ab are alternately formed. As a result, the card edge terminals 13 are also alternately formed with respect to the upper side and the lower side of the substrate 12. The partition wall portions 27A are formed to closely contact the substrate 12, so that there is no gap between the partition wall portions 27A and the substrate surface. This structure prevents a whisker, which has been the problem of plating the surface of each of the card edge terminals 13 with tin, from contacting with the other card edge terminals 13 due to the partition wall portions 27A provided to closely contact the substrate 12, so that a short circuit of the substrate 12 can be prevented.
As illustrated in Fig. 12, in manufacturing the card member 11A, separated upper and lower dies 43 and 44 having a space S cut out in a shape of the card member are formed, the substrate 12 is arranged between the dies 43 and 44 combined, and the insulating material is injected into the space S defined by the dies 43 and 44 for molding, so that the card member 11A is integrally formed. The molding is a known technique, so detailed description thereof is not provided herein.
As described above, with the card member 11A of Embodiment 2, in the substrate having the card edge terminals 13, the card edge portion 14 on which each of the card edge terminals 13 being a contacting portion connected with the counterpart connector 31 is formed is exposed and the other portion of the substrate is integrally molded using synthetic resin material. The substrate surface of the card member 11A is thus prevented from contacting with liquid and a high waterproof effect can be obtained.
The configuration of the counterpart connector 31 and the connection between the card member 11A and the counterpart connector 31 according to Embodiment 2 are the same as those in Embodiment 1, so detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.
With the card edge connector 10A of Embodiment 2 assembled as described above, the card member 11A is fluid-tightly connected with the counterpart connector 31 while having the waterproof property itself, so that an excellent waterproof property can be obtained.

Claims

A card member comprising:
a substrate having a card edge portion on which plural card edge terminals connected with a counterpart connector are formed on at least one side; and

a covering member that covers the substrate,

the covering member having an accommodating portion in which the substrate is accommodated and an opening to expose at least the card edge terminals, and

the accommodating portion being filled with filler.
The card member according to claim 1, wherein
the covering member is formed by connecting a front case on which the opening is provided and a rear case on which the accommodating portion is provided,
the front case has a space through which the card edge portion protrudes, each of the card edge terminals of the card edge portion protruding from the space is arranged corresponding to the opening, and
a filler inlet for injecting the filler is formed at a portion where the front case and the rear case are connected.
The card member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the covering member includes a protective portion formed so as to cover an end surface of the card edge portion.
The card member according to claim 3, wherein the covering member includes a partition wall portion extending from the protective portion at a position corresponding to each of the gaps of the card edge terminals.
The card member according to claim 4, wherein the partition wall portions are alternately formed on both sides of the substrate.
The card member according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a surface of each of the card edge terminals is plated with tin.
The card member according to claim 1, wherein the accommodating portion includes a guide portion for guiding and positioning the substrate.
A card member comprising:
a substrate having a card edge portion on which plural card edge terminals connected with a counterpart connector are formed on at least one side; and

a covering member that covers the substrate,

the covering member being integrally molded with the substrate using synthetic resin material to have an opening to expose at least the card edge terminals.
The card member according to claim 8, wherein the covering member includes a protective portion formed so as to cover an end surface of the card edge portion.
The card member according to claim 9, wherein the covering member includes a partition wall portion extending from the protective portion at a position corresponding to each of the gaps of the card edge terminals.
The card member according to claim 10, wherein the partition wall portions are alternately formed on both sides of the substrate.
The card member according to claim 10 or 11, wherein a surface of each of the card edge terminals is plated with tin.
A card edge connector comprising:
the card member according to any one of claims 1 to 12 connected with the counterpart connector.
The card edge connector according to claim 13, wherein an annular sealing portion is formed in the covering member of the card member at a portion contacting with the counterpart connector, so that the covering member is fluid-tightly connected with the counterpart connector.