JP2006202644A - Shell for electrical connector, electrical connector, and method of manufacturing same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently manufacture an electrical connector having an easily manufacturable electrical connector shell. <P>SOLUTION: A frame 27 having first to fourth shield forming portions 21a to 24a, a first connection portion 25 and a second connection portion 26 is manufactured by punching. The frame 27 is folded to form a receptacle shell 20 having first to fourth shield faces 21 to 24, the first connection portion 25 and the second connection portion 26. The third shield face 23 and fourth shield face 24 of the receptacle shell 20 cross a plane including the first shield face 21 and a plane including the second shield face 22. After a housing 10 is insert-molded so as to hold the receptacle shell 20 embedded, receptacle contacts 30 and receptacle earth contacts 40 are attached, and a receptacle connector 1 is at last cut apart from a pair of carrying holders 80. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connector used for electrically connecting a plurality of boards and the like.

  Generally, an electric device such as a cellular phone has a plurality of substrates therein. In order to transmit and receive various signals between the plurality of substrates, these substrates need to be electrically connected to each other. When electrically connecting a plurality of boards, for example, a board-to-board connector assembly including a plug connector and a receptacle connector that fit together may be used. . In other words, in this case, when the board to which the plug connector is attached and the board to which the receptacle connector is attached are connected, the plug connector and the receptacle connector are electrically connected to each other. Connected to.

  Here, when noise enters the connector from the outside, it may cause malfunction, and when noise is emitted from the connector to the outside, it may cause malfunction of peripheral devices. Therefore, it is preferable to use a connector with a metal shield as a connector used in an electric device such as a mobile phone.

Therefore, various connectors with metal shells have been developed. And the metal shell used for these connectors has a winding structure and a narrowing structure. In a metal shell having a winding structure, a frame is formed by bending a single metal plate, and connection is made by abutting the crimped portions formed on both end faces. Further, in a metal shell having a narrowed structure, a single metal plate is subjected to multiple processes of narrowing, thereby forming a flanged frame. In addition to the metal shell having these structures, a metal shell may be formed by combining two L-shaped metal plates (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Then, these metal shells are incorporated in a housing manufactured separately from them, and contacts are attached to the housing, whereby a connector with a metal shell is completed.
JP-A-10-208816

  However, when manufacturing a thin and small connector, it is difficult to manufacture a metal shell having the above-described winding structure and narrowing structure. In other words, when producing a metal shell having a winding structure, it is necessary to form a crimped portion on both end faces of the metal plate. However, since the height of the metal shell is extremely low, it is very difficult to form the crimped portion. . On the other hand, in the case of producing a metal shell having a narrowed structure, the height of the metal shell is also extremely low, so that it is very difficult to narrow down and the drilling operation after the narrowing is very difficult.

  In addition, when the metal shell is assembled into a separately manufactured housing after the metal shell is manufactured, it is necessary to form a press-fit portion for mounting with respect to the housing in the metal shell. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the size of the metal shell. Furthermore, when manufacturing a small connector in particular, the process of assembling the metal shell into the housing is a very complicated task.

  Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector shell that can be easily manufactured.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can be easily manufactured and includes an easily manufactured electrical connector shell, and a method for manufacturing the electrical connector.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  An electrical connector shell according to the present invention is an integrally molded electrical connector shell that is stamped into a frame shape and then bent, and is opposed to the first shield surface and the first shield surface. Including a second shield surface, a third shield surface intersecting with each of the plane including the first shield surface and the plane including the second shield surface, and the plane including the first shield surface and the second shield surface. A fourth shield surface that intersects each of the planes and faces the third shield surface; a first connecting portion that connects the first shield surface to the third and fourth shield surfaces; and the second shield surface. And a second connecting portion for connecting the third and fourth shield surfaces.

  According to this configuration, since the electrical connector shell can be produced simply by bending the frame body after the frame body is produced by press punching, the shell used for a thin and small electrical connector is used. Even if it exists, it can produce easily. Even when a force in the direction from the outside to the inside of the shell is applied to the third shield surface or the fourth shield surface, the third and fourth shield surfaces are applied to the end portions in the width direction of the first and second shield surfaces. Since it is supported by contact, the third and fourth shield surfaces are less likely to fall inward, and the strength of the shell (strength in the direction intersecting with the third shield surface and the fourth shield surface) increases.

  In the electrical connector shell of the present invention, the first and second shield surfaces may be provided between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.

  According to this configuration, the frame body is disposed between the pair of transport holding portions opposed to each other and connected to the pair of transport holding portions via the connection portions extending outward from both ends thereof. When the electrical connector shell is manufactured by bending, even if the frame is bent so that the first and second shield surfaces are formed, the pair of transport holding portions and the connection portions are connected to them. The positional relationship with the first and second connecting parts connected via the respective parts does not change. Therefore, after producing the shell, it is possible to proceed to the next step in a state in which both end portions of the shell are connected to the pair of holding portions for conveyance through the connection portions. That is, for example, after the shell is manufactured in the bending process, the housing is insert-molded so that the shell is embedded in a state where both ends of the shell are connected to the pair of holding portions for conveyance through the connection portions, respectively. Even when the process proceeds to the insert molding process, it is possible to accurately transport the shell so that the position of the shell with respect to the mold in the insert molding process is appropriate by using the pair of transport holding units.

  In the electrical connector shell of the present invention, at least one of the first to fourth shield surfaces may have a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction intersecting the mounting surface of the substrate on which the electrical connector is mounted.

  According to this configuration, when the electrical connector is mounted on the mounting surface of the substrate, the electrical connector can be fixed to the mounting surface by soldering or the like using the protrusions. Therefore, the peeling strength of the electrical connector from the substrate is improved, and the electrical connector is prevented from peeling from the substrate when the mating connector fitted to the electrical connector is removed. Further, by grounding the shell through the protrusions, the number of ground contact points of the shell can be increased, so that the shell can be reliably grounded.

  An electrical connector according to the present invention includes any one of the above-described electrical connector shells, a housing that is insert-molded so that the electrical connector shell is embedded therein, and is held by the housing. A plurality of terminal fittings that are terminals connected to the mounting surface of the substrate to be mounted and whose other end portions are terminals connected to the mating connector are provided.

  According to this configuration, since the electrical connector shell can be produced simply by bending the frame after producing the frame by press punching, the electrical connector provided with this shell can be made thin and Miniaturization is possible. Even when a force in the direction from the outside to the inside of the shell is applied to the third shield surface or the fourth shield surface, the third and fourth shield surfaces are applied to the end portions in the width direction of the first and second shield surfaces. Since it is supported by contact, the third and fourth shield surfaces are less likely to fall inward, and the strength of the shell (strength in the direction crossing the third shield surface and the fourth shield surface) increases, and the strength of the electrical connector Will improve.

  Moreover, since the housing is insert-molded so that the shell is embedded, the process of incorporating the shell into the housing is not necessary. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the electrical connector is simplified and can be manufactured efficiently. Furthermore, since the shell is embedded in the housing, the thickness of the housing can be reduced without reducing the strength, and the electrical connector can be reduced in size.

  In the electrical connector of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of terminal fittings is a grounding terminal fitting having a shell contact portion that contacts the electrical connector shell, and the one end of the grounding terminal fitting is grounded. May be.

  According to this configuration, since the shell for the electrical connector is grounded via the grounding terminal fitting, the shielding effect by the shell can be obtained.

  In the electrical connector of the present invention, the electrical connector shell may accommodate the mating connector therein.

  According to this configuration, when the mating connector is fitted to the electrical connector, all or most of the mating connector is accommodated in the shell of the electrical connector. Therefore, even when the counterpart connector does not have a shell, the shield effect of the shell of the electrical connector can be obtained in the counterpart connector.

  The electrical connector manufacturing method of the present invention is arranged between a pair of transport holding portions opposed to each other, and the pair of transport holding portions via connection portions extending outward from both ends thereof. A stamping process for producing a frame to be connected by press punching, a first shield surface, a second shield surface facing the first shield surface, a plane including the first shield surface, and the first A third shield surface that intersects each of the planes including two shield surfaces, a fourth plane that intersects each of the planes including the first shield surface and the planes including the second shield surface, and faces the third shield surface. A first connecting portion connecting the shield surface, the first shield surface and the third and fourth shield surfaces and continuing to one of the connecting portions; the second shield surface; and the third and fourth shields. And a bending step of bending the frame body so as to form an integrally formed electrical connector shell having a second connecting portion continuous with the other of the connecting portions, and the electrical connector shell comprising: A plurality of insert molding steps in which the housing is insert-molded so as to be embedded, one end of which becomes a terminal connected to the mounting surface of the substrate on which the electrical connector is mounted, and the other end becomes a terminal connected to the mating connector An assembling step for assembling the terminal fitting to the housing, and a cutting step for cutting at a boundary between the first and second connecting portions and the connecting portion are provided.

  According to this configuration, since the electrical connector shell can be produced simply by bending the frame after producing the frame by press punching, the electrical connector provided with this shell can be made thin and Miniaturization is possible. Even when a force in the direction from the outside to the inside of the shell is applied to the third shield surface or the fourth shield surface, the third and fourth shield surfaces are applied to the end portions in the width direction of the first and second shield surfaces. Since it is supported by contact, the third and fourth shield surfaces are less likely to fall inward, and the strength of the shell (strength in the direction crossing the third shield surface and the fourth shield surface) increases, and the strength of the electrical connector Will improve.

  Moreover, since the housing is insert-molded so that the shell is embedded, the process of incorporating the shell into the housing is not necessary. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the electrical connector is simplified, and an electrical connector that can be efficiently manufactured can be obtained. Furthermore, since the shell is embedded in the housing, the thickness of the housing can be reduced without reducing the strength, and the electrical connector can be reduced in size.

  In the electrical connector manufacturing method of the present invention, in the bending step, the frame body is bent so that the first and second shield surfaces are provided between the first connection portion and the second connection portion. May be.

  According to this configuration, even if the frame body is bent so that the first and second shield surfaces are formed, the pair of transport holding portions and the first and second portions connected to them through the connection portions, respectively. The positional relationship with the two connecting portions does not change. Therefore, after producing the shell, it is possible to proceed to the next step in a state in which both end portions of the shell are connected to the pair of holding portions for conveyance through the connection portions. In other words, after the shell is produced in the bending process, even if the both ends of the shell are connected to the pair of conveyance holding parts via the connection parts, respectively, the pair of conveyance holdings is performed. By using the portion, the shell can be accurately conveyed so that the position of the shell relative to the mold in the insert molding process is appropriate.

  In the electrical connector manufacturing method of the present invention, the cutting step may be performed after the assembly step.

  According to this structure, after a terminal metal fitting is assembled | attached with respect to the housing insert-molded so that a shell may be embedded, a shell is cut | disconnected from a pair of holding | maintenance part for conveyance. Therefore, the terminal fitting can be assembled to the housing in a state where both end portions of the shell are connected to the pair of holding portions for conveyance through the connection portions. Accordingly, the terminal fitting assembly position can be set with reference to the positions of the pair of holding sections for conveyance, so that the terminal fitting can be assembled at an appropriate assembly position with high accuracy.

  In the electrical connector manufacturing method of the present invention, the assembly step may be performed after the cutting step.

  According to this configuration, after the shell is separated from the pair of transport holding portions, the terminal fitting is assembled to the housing that is insert-molded so that the shell is embedded. Accordingly, by setting the assembly position of the terminal fitting with reference to the outer shape of the housing, it is only necessary to provide a feeding device as a single unit of the housing, so that the terminal fitting assembly device can be miniaturized.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 (a) is a plan view, FIG. 2 (b) is a front view, and FIG. 2 (c) and FIG. It is sectional drawing in the XX line and YY line of Fig.2 (a).

  The receptacle connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a housing 10, a receptacle shell (reset shell) 20, a receptacle contact (reset contact) 30, and a receptacle ground contact (reset ground contact) 40. is doing. The receptacle connector 1 of the present embodiment is a thin and small connector having a height of about 1 mm. In the present invention, since a very thin shell can be formed, it is more useful if applied to such a thin and small connector.

  The housing 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member formed of an insulating resin, and a plug connector 2 (see FIG. 4) is fitted at the center thereof as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A. A substantially rectangular fitting hole 11 is formed. Accordingly, one end surface (the upper end surface in FIG. 1) of the housing 10 is annular. A projecting portion 12 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that projects upward in the inside of the fitting hole 11 is formed on the bottom surface of the fitting hole 11. Here, since the cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction of the protruding portion 12 is smaller than the area of the bottom surface of the fitting hole 11, an annular fitting groove 13 is formed between the outer peripheral portion of the housing 10 and the protruding portion 12. .

  In addition, at the lower end of the pair of outer peripheral portions 10a on the long side of the housing 10, the mounting position of the recess contact 30 and the recess ground contact 40 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D, through holes 15 extending in the horizontal direction for attaching the recess contact 30 and the recess ground contact 40 to the housing 10 are formed. A press-fit groove 16 that communicates with the through hole 15 and extends in the vertical direction is formed in the vicinity of the central portion in the width direction of the outer peripheral portion 10a.

  A plurality of openings 17 arranged at equal intervals are formed on the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion 10 a of the housing 10. The opening 17 is disposed so as to correspond to the attachment position of the contact, and communicates with the press-fitting groove 16. Therefore, in FIG. 1, the upper end portions of the press-fit portion 31 of the recess contact 30 and the press-fit portion 41 of the recess ground contact 40 (see FIGS. 2C and 2D) can be seen inside the opening 17. .

  Then, the elastic piece portions 32 and 42 of the recess contact 30 and the recess ground contact 40 attached to the housing 10 are located at positions corresponding to the contact attachment positions on the outer peripheral surface of the projecting portion 12 (FIG. 2C). A plurality of concave portions 18 extending in the vertical direction in which the vicinity of the tip in FIG. 2D is disposed are formed.

  The riser shell 20 is formed of a conductive material, and is a substantially cylindrical member of an integrally formed die that is press-punched into a frame shape and then bent (see FIG. 3B). Here, when the housing 10 is molded, the housing 10 is insert-molded so as to be embedded. Therefore, the housing 10 and the riser shell 20 are integrally formed. The detailed configuration of the riser shell 20 will be described in detail later.

  The receptacle contact 30 is a signal terminal fitting formed of a conductive material made of a copper alloy such as brass. As shown in FIG. 2 (c), the recess contact 30 is a press-fit portion 31 that is press-fitted into the housing 10, and a tip portion thereof becomes a terminal connected to the plug connector 2, and the plug connector 2 is fitted. And a lead portion 34 serving as a terminal connected to the mounting surface of the substrate on which the receptacle connector 1 is mounted.

  The press-fit portion 31 is a substantially rod-shaped protrusion, and is a portion that is press-fit into the press-fit groove 16 formed in the outer peripheral portion 10 a of the housing 10. Accordingly, the cross-sectional area of the press-fit portion 31 in the horizontal direction is substantially the same as the cross-sectional area of the press-fit groove 16. Further, the press-fit portion 31 has a length that does not protrude from the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion 10 a of the housing 10 when the recess contact 30 is attached to the housing 10.

  The elastic piece portion 32 is a substantially C-shaped protrusion extending from the base of the press-fit portion 31, and the vicinity of the tip thereof is substantially parallel to the press-fit portion 31. The vicinity of the tip of the elastic piece 32 has a spring property in a direction close to the press-fit portion 31. Therefore, when a force in a direction away from the press-fit portion 31 is applied to the distal end portion of the elastic piece portion 32 from the outside, the distal end portion is biased in a direction close to the press-fit portion 31. That is, when the plug connector 2 is fitted to the receptacle connector 1, the elastic connector portion 32 holds the plug connector 2 while expanding in a direction away from the press-fit portion 31 by the contact of the plug connector 2 ( (See FIG. 5).

  The lead portion 34 is a substantially rod-shaped portion that extends in the direction opposite to the extending direction of the elastic piece portion 32 from the base of the press-fit portion 31 and extends substantially at right angles to the press-fit portion 31. Therefore, the lead portion 34 and the portion of the elastic piece portion 32 close to the press-fit portion 31 are arranged substantially in a straight line. Moreover, the lead part 34 is fixed to the mounting surface of the board on which the receptacle connector 1 is mounted by soldering or the like. Thus, in the recess contact 30, the press-fit portion 31, the elastic piece portion 32, and the lead portion 34 are arranged on substantially the same plane.

  The ground contact 40 is a ground terminal fitting formed of a conductive material made of a copper alloy such as brass. As shown in FIG. 2 (d), the recess ground contact 40 is a press-fit portion 41 that is press-fitted into the housing 10, and a tip end portion of which is a terminal connected to the plug connector 2, and the plug connector 2 is fitted therein. In this case, the elastic piece portion 42 for holding the plug connector 2, the shell contact portion 43 that comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the receptacle shell 20, and the terminal that is connected to the mounting surface of the substrate on which the receptacle connector 1 is mounted And a lead portion 44.

  The shapes of the press-fit portion 41, the elastic piece portion 42, and the lead portion 44 of the recess contact 40 are substantially the same as the shapes of the press-fit portion 31, the elastic piece portion 32, and the lead portion 34 of the recess contact 30, respectively. The detailed explanation is omitted. The shell contact portion 43 is a substantially rod-shaped protrusion that protrudes from the lead portion 44 substantially parallel to the press-fit portion 41. Therefore, when the recess contact 40 is attached to the housing 10, as shown in FIG. 2D, the shell contact portion 43, inward from the outer peripheral surface of the receptacle connector 1 (housing 10), The press-fit portion 41 and the elastic piece portion 42 are arranged in this order. The press-fit portion 41, the elastic piece portion 42, the shell contact portion 43, and the lead portion 44 are disposed on substantially the same plane, and the press-fit portion 41, the vicinity of the tip of the elastic piece portion 42, and the shell contact portion 43 are in the same direction. It protrudes toward and is almost parallel.

  Further, the recess contact 30 and the recess ground contact 40 are both substantially plate-like members, and when these are attached to the housing 10, the through holes 15 of the housing 10 are formed from the distal end portions of the elastic pieces 32 and 42. The press-fit portions 31 and 41 are press-fit into the press-fit grooves 16. At this time, the elastic piece portions 32 and 42 are disposed in the fitting groove 13 between the outer peripheral portion 10 a of the housing 10 and the protruding portion 12, and the lead portions 34 and 44 protrude to the outside of the housing 10. To do. Moreover, as shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2 (d), the shell contact part 43 of the receptacle earth contact 40 is contacting the outer peripheral surface of the receptacle shell 20 in the outer side of the receptacle connector 1, and a receptacle connector is received. 1 is visible from the outside.

  As described above, in the receptacle connector 1, the 10 receptacle contacts 30 are attached to each of the pair of outer peripheral portions 10 a on the long side of the housing 10, and the two receptacle grounds are sandwiched therebetween. A contact 40 is attached. Accordingly, the receptacle connector 1 includes 20 recess contacts 30 and four recess ground contacts 40. Note that the arrangement and number of the recess contacts 30 and the recess ground contacts 40 attached to the receptacle connector 1 can be changed. Therefore, by changing the attachment positions of the recess contact 30 and the recess ground contact 40 in the receptacle connector 1, the position of the recess ground contact 40 for grounding the recess shell 20 can be arbitrarily changed.

  Here, since the shell contact portion 43 of the receptacle contact 40 can be seen from the outside of the receptacle connector 1 from above and from the side, the receptacle contact 40 can be seen from the appearance of the receptacle connector 1. Can be easily confirmed. Therefore, it is possible to easily distinguish the recessed contact 30 and the recessed ground contact 40 of the receptacle connector 1 by image recognition or the like (visibility is improved). Therefore, when there is an inspection process for the receptacle connector 1, this inspection process has the following advantages.

  In the inspection process for confirming that the receptacle contact 30 and the receptacle earth contact 40 are not mistakenly attached to the receptacle connector 1, both from the top and from the side in an automated process such as image recognition instead of visual inspection. There is an advantage that the position of the recess contact 40 can be easily specified.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the riser shell will be described with reference to FIG. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the structure of the riser shell. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the frame body before the press bending process, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the riser shell after the press bending process. In practice, before and after the press bending step, the frame and the riser shell are connected to a pair of conveyance holding portions.

  When the riser shell 20 is manufactured, first, a frame body 27 having a shape as shown in FIG. 3A is manufactured by press punching. The frame 27 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member, and has an opening 27a at the center thereof. The frame body 27 includes first to fourth shield forming portions 21 a to 24 a, a first connecting portion 25, and a second connecting portion 26.

  The first shield forming portion 21a and the second shield forming portion 22a both have a rectangular shape with the same size, and are arranged in parallel to each other. The third shield forming portion 23a and the fourth shield forming portion 24a both have a rectangular shape with the same size, and are arranged in parallel to each other. Here, in the present embodiment, the lengths of the first shield forming portion 21a and the second shield forming portion 22a are shorter than the lengths of the third shield forming portion 23a and the fourth shield forming portion 24a.

  Moreover, the 1st connection part 25 is continuously extended in the width direction outer side of the 1st shield formation part 21a. And both the length direction both ends of the 1st connection part 25 are following each one end part of the 3rd shield formation part 23a and the 4th shield formation part 24a. On the other hand, the 2nd connection part 26 is continuously extended in the width direction outer side of the 2nd shield formation part 22a. Then, both end portions of the second connecting portion 26 are continuous with the other end portions of the third shield forming portion 23a and the fourth shield forming portion 24a.

  Accordingly, the outer peripheral portion of the frame body 27 is formed by the third shield forming portion 23a, the fourth shield forming portion 24a, the first connecting portion 25, and the second connecting portion 26. The first shield forming portion 21a extends from the inner end in the width direction of the first connecting portion 25 toward the second connecting portion 26 in the opening 27a of the frame 27, and the second shield forming portion 22 a extends from the inner end in the width direction of the second connecting portion 26 toward the first connecting portion 25 in the opening 27 a of the frame body 27. That is, the first connecting part 25 and the second connecting part 26 are arranged outside the first and second shield forming parts 21a and 22a, and between the third shield forming part 23a and the fourth shield forming part 24a. Arranged between.

  Here, in FIG. 3A, a boundary 28a between the first connecting portion 25 and the first shield forming portion 21a, and a boundary 28b between the first connecting portion 25 and the third shield forming portion 23a and the fourth shield forming portion 24a. 28c, a boundary 28d between the second connecting portion 26 and the second shield forming portion 22a, and boundaries 28e and 28f between the second connecting portion 26, the third shield forming portion 23a, and the fourth shield forming portion 24a are shown by broken lines. And bend lines (indicated by the same reference numerals as the boundaries 28a to 28f) in the press bending process.

  The third shield forming portion 23a is disposed on the opposite side of the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 with respect to the folding lines 28b and 28e, and the fourth shield forming portion 24a is connected to the folding lines 28c and 28f. On the other hand, it is arranged on the opposite side to the first connecting part 25 and the second connecting part 26.

  Further, two reinforcing tabs 23b and 24b projecting into the opening 27a are formed in the vicinity of both end portions of the third shield forming portion 23a and the fourth shield forming portion 24a. Here, the reinforcing tabs 23b and 24b are formed toward the respective end portions of the first shield forming portion 21a and the second shield forming portion 22a, and the tips thereof, the first shield forming portion 21a and the second shield forming portion are formed. A slight gap is formed between each end of the portion 22a.

  Then, in the press bending process, when the frame body 27 is bent in the same direction (upward in FIG. 3) along the folding lines 28a to 28f, the riser shell 20 is produced as shown in FIG. 3 (b). The The riser shell 20 is a substantially cylindrical member surrounded on four sides by four shield surfaces.

  The riser shell 20 intersects each of the first shield surface 21, the second shield surface 22 facing the first shield surface 21, the plane including the first shield surface 21, and the plane including the second shield surface 22. A shield surface 23, a fourth shield surface 24 that intersects each of the plane including the first shield surface 21 and the plane including the second shield surface 22 and faces the third shield surface 23; A first connecting portion 25 that connects the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24; and a second connecting portion 26 that connects the second shield surface 22 to the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24. is doing. In addition, the 1st-4th shield formation parts 21a-24a in the frame 27 before a press bending process are bent with respect to the 1st connection part 25 and the 2nd connection part 26 in a press bending process, and thereby 1st to 1st. It becomes the 4th shield surfaces 21-24.

  The first to fourth shield surfaces 21 to 24 are all substantially perpendicular to the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26, and their upper end portions (first and second in the frame body 27). The portions that were the inner ends in the width direction of the shield forming portions 21a and 22a and the portions that were the outer end portions in the width direction of the third and fourth shield forming portions 23a and 24a) are arranged on substantially the same plane. The

  Here, as described above, in the frame body 27, the first and second shield forming portions 21 a and 22 a are disposed between the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26. Accordingly, the first and second shield forming portions 21a and 22a are bent upward along the folding lines 28a and 28d on the inner sides in the width direction of the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26, respectively. The second shield surfaces 21 and 22 are formed. Therefore, the first and second shield surfaces 21 and 22 are disposed between the first connection part 25 and the second connection part 26.

  On the other hand, in the frame 27, the third shield forming portion 23a is disposed on the opposite side of the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 with respect to the folding lines 28b and 28e, and the fourth shield forming portion 24a is The first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 are disposed on the opposite side of the folding lines 28c and 28f. Accordingly, the third shield forming portion 23a becomes the third shield surface 23 by being bent upward along the fold lines 28b and 28e at both ends in the length direction of the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26. . Similarly, the fourth shield forming portion 24a is bent upward along the folding lines 28c and 28f at both ends in the length direction of the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26, so that the fourth shield surface 24 and Become.

  Therefore, in the riser shell 20, both end portions of the third shield surface 23 are disposed on the outer side between the first shield surface 21 and the second shield surface 22. That is, the third shield surface 23 intersects both the plane including the first shield surface 21 and the plane including the second shield surface 22 substantially perpendicularly. In the same manner, both end portions of the fourth shield surface 24 are disposed outside the first shield surface 21 and the second shield surface 22. That is, the fourth shield surface 24 intersects both the plane including the first shield surface 21 and the plane including the second shield surface 22 substantially perpendicularly.

  Further, a slight gap is formed between both end portions of the first shield surface 21 and the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24, and both end portions of the second shield surface 22 and the third shield surface are formed. A slight gap is formed between the second shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24. Therefore, when a force directed from the outside to the inside is applied to the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24, the first shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24 may be inclined to the inside even if the first shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24 are inclined to the inside. Since it contacts both ends of the shield surface 21 and the second shield surface 22, the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24 can only fall inward by the gap.

  In addition, in the state where the riser shell 20 is manufactured, both end portions of the first shield surface 21 and the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24, and both end portions of the second shield surface 22 and the third shield surface. When no gap is formed between the second shield surface 24 and the fourth shield surface 24, the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24 can be applied even when a force directed inward from the outside is applied. The shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24 hardly fall inward. Therefore, in a state where the riser shell 20 is manufactured, both end portions of the first shield surface 21 are in contact with the third shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24, and both end portions of the second shield surface 22 and the third shield surface 22 are in contact with each other. More preferably, the shield surface 23 and the fourth shield surface 24 are in contact with each other.

  In addition, the reinforcing tabs 23b and 24b formed on the third shield forming portion 23a and the fourth shield forming portion 24a of the frame body 27 are formed in a recessed shell as shown in FIG. 20 at the lower end. That is, the reinforcing tabs 23b and 24b protrude in a direction intersecting the mounting surface of the board on which the receptacle connector 1 having the receptacle shell 20 and the housing 10 insert-molded so as to be embedded therein. .

  Here, the reinforcing tabs 23b and 24b are fixed to the mounting surface by soldering when the receptacle connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface of the board. Therefore, in this case, the receptacle connector 1 has a recess connector 30 as compared with the case where only the lead portion 34 of the recess contact 30 and the lead portion 44 of the recess ground contact 40 are fixed to the mounting surface of the substrate by soldering. The peel strength from the mounting surface of the substrate of the pectal connector 1 increases.

  In the present embodiment, the reinforcing tabs 23b and 24b are used for fixing to the mounting surface of the substrate and are grounded by being connected to a grounding portion (ground pattern) on the substrate. Accordingly, the riser shell 20 is grounded not only via the shell contact portion 43 of the recess ground contact 40 but also via the reinforcing tabs 23b and 24b.

  On the other hand, the plug connector 2 fitted to the receptacle connector 1 has a housing 50 and a plug contact 60 as shown in FIG. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the configuration of the plug connector fitted to the receptacle connector of FIG. 1, FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a front view, and FIG. ) Is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG.

  The housing 50 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member formed of an insulating resin, and the projecting portion 12 of the receptacle connector 1 is inserted into the center portion when the housing 50 is fitted to the receptacle connector 1. A substantially rectangular fitting hole 51 is formed. Accordingly, one end surface of the housing 50 (the upper end surface in FIG. 4C) is annular. The outer shape of the housing 50 is substantially the same as the outer shape of the fitting groove 13 formed between the outer peripheral portion of the housing 10 of the receptacle connector 1 and the protruding portion 12. Further, the size of the fitting hole 51 is substantially the same as the horizontal sectional area of the protruding portion 12. Accordingly, the annular outer peripheral portion of the housing 50 of the plug connector 2 can be fitted into the fitting groove 13 of the receptacle connector 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, the plug contact 60 is attached at the end of the pair of outer peripheral portions 50a on the long side of the housing 50 (the end on the front side in FIG. 4A). A press-fit groove 55 for attaching the plug contact 60 to the housing 50 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (c), the plug contact 60 has a press-fit portion 61 that is press-fitted into the housing 50, and the elastic pieces 32 and 42 abut against the press-fit connector 1 when fitted into the receptacle connector 1. A contact portion 62 serving as a terminal connected to the pectal connector 1 and a lead portion 64 serving as a terminal connected to the mounting surface of the substrate on which the plug connector 2 is mounted are provided at the tip portion.

  The plug contact 60 has a substantially L shape. That is, the portion bent substantially perpendicularly from the substantially rod-shaped lead portion 64 becomes the contact portion 62, and the portion bent from the front end portion of the contact portion 62 into a substantially U shape in the direction close to the lead portion 64 is press-fitted. Part 61. As described above, in the plug contact 60, the press-fit portion 61, the contact portion 62, and the lead portion 64 are arranged on substantially the same plane.

  Thus, in the plug connector 2, twelve plug contacts 60 are attached to each of the pair of outer peripheral portions 50 a on the long side of the housing 50. Therefore, the plug connector 2 includes 24 plug contacts 60.

  In the present embodiment, in the receptacle connector 1, the shape of the recess contact 30 that is a signal terminal fitting is different from the shape of the recess ground contact 40 that is a grounding terminal fitting. The plug contact 60 having the same shape is used for both the signal terminal fitting connected to the contact 30 and the grounding terminal fitting connected to the recess ground contact 40.

  Next, a state in which the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 included in the board-to-board connector assembly are fitted will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a fitting state between the receptacle connector and the plug connector. FIG. 5A shows a state at the mounting position of the recess contact, and FIG. 5B shows a state at the mounting position of the recess contact.

  When the annular outer peripheral portion of one end face of the housing 50 of the plug connector 2 is inserted into the fitting groove 13 of the housing 10 of the receptacle connector 1, the elasticity of the receptacle contact 30 and the receptacle ground contact 40 of the receptacle connector 1. The pieces 32 and 42 are fitted while abutting against the abutting portion 62 of the plug contact 60 of the plug connector 2. When the plug connector 2 is properly fitted to the receptacle connector 1, most of the plug connector 2 is accommodated in the receptacle shell 20 of the receptacle connector 1.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5A, the lead portion 34 of the receptacle contact 30 of the receptacle connector 1 and the lead portion 64 of the plug contact 60 of the plug connector 2 are electrically connected. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, the lead portion 44 of the recess ground contact 40 of the receptacle connector 1 and the lead portion 64 of the plug contact 60 of the plug connector 2 are electrically connected. Since the shell contact portion 43 of the recess contact 40 is in contact with the recess shell 20, when the lead portion 44 and the lead portion 64 of the plug contact 60 connected to the recess contact 40 are grounded, the recess shell 20. Is also grounded.

  Next, a manufacturing method of the receptacle connector 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing each process when the receptacle connector is manufactured.

  First, in the press punching process, as shown in FIG. 6A, a frame body 27 having the first shield forming portions 21a to 24a, the first connecting portion 25, and the second connecting portion 26 is manufactured by press punching. The Here, the frame body 27 is disposed between a pair of conveyance holding portions 80 facing each other, and a pair of conveyance holding portions is formed by connecting portions 80a extending outward from both ends of the frame body 27, respectively. 80. Further, the pair of transport holding portions 80 are formed with openings 80b into which protrusions (not shown) of the transport device are inserted.

  In FIG. 6, the pair of conveyance holding units 80 holds only one frame 27, but actually, the pair of conveyance holding units 80 extends in the extending direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 6). ) Holds a plurality of frame bodies 27 arranged at a predetermined interval.

  In the press bending process, as shown in FIG. 6B, the first to fourth shield forming portions 21 a to 24 a are bent with respect to the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26, thereby forming a riser shell. 20 is produced. Here, both sides of the riser shell 20 are connected to the pair of holding holders 80 via the connecting portion 80a. In the press bending process, the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 are paired with each other. The positional relationship (distance between the two) with the transport holding unit 80 does not change. Therefore, since the interval between the pair of conveyance holding portions 80 does not change, when the transition from the press bending process to the insert molding process is performed, the pair of conveyance holding portions 80 are used to form the pair of conveyance holding portions 80. Even when the held riser shell 20 is conveyed into a mold for insert molding, the riser shell 20 can be accurately placed at an appropriate position in the mold.

  Thereafter, in the insert molding process, as shown in FIG. 6C, the housing 10 is insert-molded so that the recess shell 20 is embedded. Then, in the stitching process, as shown in FIG. 6D, the recess contact 30 and the recess ground contact 40 are attached to the housing 10. When the receptacle connector 1 in a state of being connected to the pair of conveyance holding portions 80 is manufactured in this way, in the cutting step, as shown in FIG. In addition, the receptacle connector 1 is cut along the boundary between the second connecting portion 26 and the connecting portion 80a, and the receptacle connector 1 is cut off from the pair of transport holding portions 80.

  As described above, the receptacle connector 1 according to the present embodiment is manufactured by merely performing press bending on the frame 27 after the frame 27 is manufactured by press punching. It has. Therefore, the receptacle connector 1 can be reduced in thickness and size. Further, even when a force in the direction from the outside to the inside of the riser shell 20 is applied to the third shield surface or the fourth shield surface, the third and fourth shield surfaces are at the end portions in the width direction of the first and second shield surfaces. Since it is supported by abutting, the third and fourth shield surfaces are difficult to fall inward, and the strength of the riser shell 20 (strength in the direction intersecting with the third shield surface and the fourth shield surface) is increased, and the receptacle is received. The strength of the tall connector 1 is improved.

  Moreover, in the receptacle connector 1, since the housing 10 is insert-molded so that the receptacle shell 20 is embedded, the process of incorporating the receptacle shell 20 into the housing 10 becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the receptacle connector 1 is simplified and can be manufactured efficiently. Furthermore, since the receptacle shell 20 is embedded in the housing 10, the housing 10 can be thinned without reducing the strength, and the receptacle connector 1 can be miniaturized.

  In the press bending process, the frame body 27 is bent so that the first and second shield surfaces 21 and 22 are provided between the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26. The positional relationship between the portion 80 and the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 connected to them via the connecting portion 80a does not change. Accordingly, even after the riser shell 20 is produced in the bending process, even if the both ends of the riser shell 20 are connected to the pair of conveyance holding parts 80 via the connection parts 80a, respectively, Can be accurately conveyed so that the position of the riser shell 20 relative to the mold in the insert molding process is appropriate.

  In addition, the recess ground contact 40 has a shell contact portion 43 that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the recess shell 20, and the lead portion 44 is grounded. Accordingly, since the riser shell 20 is grounded via the riser contact 40, the shielding effect of the riser shell 20 can be obtained.

  Further, since the projections 23b and 24b are formed on the third and fourth shield surfaces 23 and 24 of the riser shell 20, when the receptacle connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface of the substrate, the projections 23b, Using 24b, the receptacle connector 1 can be fixed to the mounting surface by soldering or the like. Accordingly, the peel strength of the receptacle connector 1 from the substrate is improved. Therefore, when the plug connector 2 fitted to the receptacle connector 1 is removed, the receptacle connector 1 is prevented from peeling off from the substrate. Further, by grounding the riser shell 20 via the projections 23b and 24b, the number of grounding points of the riser shell 20 can be increased, so that the riser shell 20 can be reliably grounded.

  Further, when the plug connector 2 is fitted to the receptacle connector 1, most of the plug connector 2 is accommodated in the receptacle shell 20 of the receptacle connector 1. Therefore, even when the plug connector 2 does not include a shell, the plug connector 2 can obtain a shielding effect by the recess shell 20 of the receptacle connector 1.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the receptacle connector 1 of this Embodiment, it performs in order of a press punching process, a press bending process, an insert molding process, a stitching process, and a cutting process. That is, after the receptacle contact 30 and the receptacle ground contact 40 are assembled to the housing 10 that is insert-molded so that the receptacle shell 20 is embedded, the receptacle shell 20 is separated from the pair of holding portions 80 for conveyance. Therefore, the receptacle contact 30 and the receptacle ground contact 40 can be assembled to the housing 10 with both ends of the receptacle shell 20 connected to the pair of conveyance holding portions 80 via the connection portions 80a. Therefore, the contact assembly position can be set with reference to the position of the opening 80b of the pair of holding portions 80 for conveyance, so that the recess contact 30 and the recess ground contact 40 can be accurately assembled to the proper assembly position.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims. . For example, in the above-described embodiment, in the riser shell 20, the first and second shield surfaces 21 and 22 are disposed between the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26. It may be changed. Therefore, in the riser shell 20, one of the first and second shield forming portions 21a and 22a may not be disposed between the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26, or the first and second Both of the two shield forming portions 21 a and 22 a may not be disposed between the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26. However, in this case, when the press bending process is performed in a state where the riser shell 20 is held by the pair of transfer holding portions 80 as in the present embodiment, the interval between the pair of transfer holding portions 80 is increased. There is a risk of change.

  In the above-described embodiment, the protrusions 23b and 24b are formed on the third and fourth shield surfaces 23 and 24 of the riser shell 20, but the protrusions 23b and 24b may not be formed. Moreover, even when the protrusion is formed on the shield surface, the effect similar to that of the present embodiment can be obtained if any one of the first to fourth shield surfaces 21 to 24 has the protrusion. it can.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the frame body 27, the third shield forming portion 23a is disposed on the opposite side of the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26 with respect to the folding lines 28b and 28e. The third shield surface 23 is formed by being bent upward with respect to the first connecting portion 25 and the second connecting portion 26. In the frame 27, the third shield forming portion 23a is bent. It is arranged on the same side as the first connecting part 25 and the second connecting part 26 with respect to the lines 28b and 28e, and is bent upward with respect to the first connecting part 25 and the second connecting part 26, so that the third The shield surface 23 may be formed. The same applies to the fourth shield forming portion 24a and the fourth shield surface 24.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, in the manufacturing method of the receptacle connector 1, the press punching process, the press bending process, the insert molding process, the assembling process (stitching process), and the cutting process are performed in this order. The order of the process and the cutting process can be changed. That is, in the manufacturing method of the receptacle connector 1, the press punching process, the press bending process, the insert molding process, the cutting process, and the assembly process may be performed in this order.

  In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the receptacle connector 1 provided with the receptacle shell 20 and the receptacle earth contact 40 for grounding it is described, the shell and the earth contact for grounding it are provided. Even if it is a plug connector, the effect similar to this Embodiment can be acquired.

1 is an external perspective view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the configuration of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1, FIG. 2A is a plan view, FIG. 2B is a front view, and FIGS. 2C and 2D are FIG. Is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX and YY. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a frame body before the press bending process, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the rise shell after the press bending process. It is a figure which shows the structure of the plug connector fitted to the receptacle connector of FIG. 1, FIG.4 (a) is a top view, FIG.4 (b) is a front view, FIG.4 (c) is FIG.4 (a). It is sectional drawing in the XX line. It is a figure which shows the fitting state of a receptacle connector and a plug connector. It is a figure which shows each process in case a receptacle connector is manufactured.

Explanation of symbols

1 Receptacle connector (electrical connector)
2 Plug connector (mating connector)
10 Housing 20 Rise shell (shell for electrical connector)
21-24 First to fourth shield surfaces 25 First connecting portion 26 Second connecting portion 27 Frame 30 Recessed contact (terminal fitting)
31 Press-fit part 32 Elastic piece part 34 Lead part 40 Recess earth contact (terminal fitting; terminal fitting for grounding)
41 Press-fit part 42 Elastic piece part 43 Shell contact part 44 Lead part

Claims (10)

An integrally molded electrical connector shell that has been punched into a frame and then bent.
A first shield surface;
A second shield surface facing the first shield surface;
A third shield surface intersecting each of the plane including the first shield surface and the plane including the second shield surface;
A fourth shield surface that intersects each of the plane including the first shield surface and the plane including the second shield surface and faces the third shield surface;
A first connecting portion that connects the first shield surface and the third and fourth shield surfaces;
An electrical connector shell, comprising: a second connecting portion that connects the second shield surface and the third and fourth shield surfaces.   2. The electrical connector shell according to claim 1, wherein the first and second shield surfaces are provided between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.   The at least one of the said 1st-4th shield surface has the projection part which protrudes in the direction which cross | intersects the attachment surface of the board | substrate with which an electrical connector is mounted, The Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Shell for electrical connector. The electrical connector shell according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A housing that is insert-molded so that the electrical connector shell is embedded;
A plurality of terminal fittings held by the housing, one end of which is a terminal connected to the mounting surface of the substrate on which the electrical connector is mounted, and the other end of which is a terminal connected to the mating connector. An electrical connector characterized by being. At least one of the plurality of terminal fittings is a grounding terminal fitting having a shell contact portion that contacts the electrical connector shell,
The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein the one end portion of the ground terminal fitting is grounded.   The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the electrical connector shell can accommodate a mating connector therein. A frame that is disposed between a pair of conveying holders facing each other and that is connected to the pair of conveying holders via connecting portions that extend outward from both ends thereof, and is stamped. Press punching process to be produced by,
A first shield surface, a second shield surface facing the first shield surface, a third shield surface intersecting each of a plane including the first shield surface and a plane including the second shield surface, A fourth shield surface that intersects each of the plane including the first shield surface and the plane including the second shield surface and faces the third shield surface; the first shield surface; the third and fourth shield surfaces; A first connecting part that is continuous with one of the connecting parts, a second connecting part that connects the second shield surface and the third and fourth shield surfaces and is continuous with the other of the connecting parts, A bending step of bending the frame so as to form an integrally molded electrical connector shell having:
An insert molding step of insert molding the housing so that the electrical connector shell is embedded;
An assembling step of assembling a plurality of terminal fittings whose one end becomes a terminal connected to the mounting surface of the substrate on which the electrical connector is mounted and whose other end becomes a terminal connected to the counterpart connector;
A method of manufacturing an electrical connector, comprising: a cutting step of cutting at a boundary between the first and second connecting portions and the connecting portion.   The said frame is bent in the said bending process so that the said 1st and 2nd shield surface may be provided between the said 1st connection part and the said 2nd connection part, The Claim 7 characterized by the above-mentioned. Manufacturing method of electrical connector.   The method of manufacturing an electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein the cutting step is performed after the assembly step.   The method of manufacturing an electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein the assembly step is performed after the cutting step.

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