JP2010251173A - Connector device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector device which can improve productivity and prevent wrong fitting. <P>SOLUTION: The connector device includes: a flexible board 20 which has wiring patterns 42 and 43 electrically connected to a plurality of coaxial cables 60 and can be folded along folding portions 21 to 23; and a plurality of receptacle connectors 50A to 50D mounted on the flexible board 20 and electrically connected to the wiring patterns 42 and 43. The receptacle connectors 50A to 50D are arranged at a position where the receptacle connectors 50A to 50D do not interfere with each other when the flexible board 20 is folded along the folding portions 21 to 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector device having a plurality of connector fitting portions to which a plurality of coaxial cables are electrically connected.

  In portable information processing terminal devices such as mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and notebook personal computers, a coaxial cable connector is used to connect the coaxial cable to a substrate or the like (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). ).

JP 2006-216445 A JP-A-2005-190798

  Some portable information processing terminal devices can be bent via hinges, but in these models, after inserting multiple connectors with coaxial cables through narrow hinges It may be necessary to fit the mating connector. In this insertion and fitting operation, the connectors have to be inserted and fitted one by one, and there is a problem that many man-hours are required and there is a risk of erroneous fitting.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a connector device capable of improving productivity and suppressing erroneous fitting.

  In the present invention, a wiring pattern in which a plurality of coaxial cables are electrically connected is formed, a flexible board that can be bent along a bent portion, and mounted on the flexible board, and electrically connected to the wiring pattern. A plurality of connector fitting portions, wherein the plurality of connector fitting portions are arranged at positions that do not interfere with each other when the flexible substrate is bent along the bent portion. An apparatus is provided.

  In addition, according to the present invention, a wiring pattern in which a plurality of coaxial cables are electrically connected is formed, a flexible board that can be valley-folded along a first bent portion, and mounted on the flexible board, the wiring A plurality of connector fitting portions electrically connected to the pattern, wherein the plurality of connector fitting portions are disposed at mutually asymmetric positions around the first bent portion. A connector device is provided.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, a wiring pattern to which a plurality of coaxial cables are electrically connected is formed, and is mounted on the flexible substrate that can be folded along a bent portion, and is electrically connected to the wiring pattern. A plurality of connector fitting portions connected to each other, wherein the plurality of connector fitting portions are arranged at symmetrical positions around the bent portion. Is done.

  In the present invention, “valley fold” and “mountain fold” are based on the surface of the flexible board on which the connector fitting portion is mounted.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of connector fitting portions are mounted on a flexible substrate, the flexible substrate can be bent along the bent portion, and a plurality of connector fitting portions are formed when the flexible substrate is bent. Since they are arranged at positions where they do not interfere with each other, productivity of insertion and fitting operations can be improved and erroneous fitting of the connector fitting portions can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a connector device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion II in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a flexible substrate of the connector device shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a first modification of the connector device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a second modification of the connector device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a third modification of the connector device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing how the connector device shown in FIG. 1 is folded. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where the connector device shown in FIG. 1 is folded. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state where the connector device shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into the hinge portion. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 1 is fitted to the mating connector. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a fourth modification of the connector device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 12 is positioned on the other circuit board. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a fifth modification of the connector device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a connector device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16: is a schematic plan view which shows the modification of the connector apparatus in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing how the connector device shown in FIG. 15 is folded. 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 15 is folded.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<< first embodiment >>
1 is a plan view showing a connector device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion II in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. It is a top view which shows the flexible substrate of the connector apparatus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connector device 10 </ b> A in the present embodiment is mounted on the flexible substrate 20 on which the wiring patterns 42 and 43 to which the coaxial cable 60 is connected and the wiring patterns 42 and 43 are mounted on the flexible substrate 20. And four receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D (connector fitting portions) that are electrically connected to the coaxial cable 60.

  The coaxial cable 60 connected to the flexible substrate 20 is, for example, MCX (Micro Coaxial Cable), and as shown in FIG. 2, a central conductor 61 and an insulating layer 62 disposed on the outer periphery of the central conductor 61. And an outer conductor 63 disposed on the outer periphery of the insulating layer 42 and an outer covering layer 64 covering them. The center conductor 61 and the outer conductor 63 are made of a material having excellent conductivity such as a metal material, for example, and the outer conductor 63 is arranged coaxially with the center conductor 61 with the insulating layer 62 interposed therebetween. On the other hand, the insulating layer 62 and the outer covering layer 64 are made of a material having excellent electrical insulation, such as a resin material.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible substrate 20 of the present embodiment includes a base film 41, wiring patterns 42 and 43, and a coverlay film 44.

  The base film 41 is made of, for example, a material having electrical insulation and flexibility such as polyimide resin or polyester resin. The wiring patterns 42 and 43 are configured by forming a predetermined circuit pattern on the copper foil laminated on the base film 41 using a photolithography technique. The coverlay film 44 is made of, for example, a resin film coated with an adhesive. The coverlay film 44 is laminated on the base film 41 so as to cover the wiring patterns 42 and 43 through an adhesive layer. The resin film of the coverlay film 44 is made of the same material as the base film 41.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible substrate 20 of the present embodiment includes three bent portions 21 to 23 formed along the connection direction of the coaxial cable 60. Since the wiring patterns 42 and 43 are not formed in these bent portions 21 to 23, the flexible substrate 20 can be bent along the bent portions 21 to 23.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, along the first and third bent portions 21 and 23, the surface in the drawing (the surface on which the first to fourth receptacle connectors 50A to 50D are mounted). ) The flexible substrate 20 can be folded (valley folded) so as to match each other. In addition, the flexible substrate 20 is folded along the second bent portion 22 so that the back surfaces (the surfaces on which the first to fourth receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are not mounted) in FIG. ) Is possible.

  As will be described later, since the first and second receptacle connectors 50A and 50B are interposed between the bent flexible substrate 20 when the first bent portion 21 is valley-folded, the first One bent portion 21 has a width substantially equal to the height of the receptacle-type connectors 50 </ b> A and 50 </ b> B, and is wider than the second bent portion 22.

  Similarly, when the third bent portion 23 is also valley-folded, the third and fourth receptacle-type connectors 50C and 50D are interposed between the bent flexible substrate 20, and therefore the third bent portion 23 has a width substantially equal to the height of the receptacle type connectors 50C and 50D.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible substrate 20 is divided into four regions 20A to 20D by the first to third bent portions 21 to 23, and the signal wiring pattern 42 and the ground are formed in each region 20A to 20D. A (GND) wiring pattern 43 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the signal wiring pattern 42 extends linearly from one end (the lower end in FIGS. 1 and 4) of the flexible substrate 20 to the mounting position of the receptacle type connectors 50 </ b> A to 50 </ b> D in each region 20 </ b> A to 20 </ b> D. Furthermore, it is formed so as to branch at its tip. On the other hand, the ground wiring pattern 43 is formed over almost the entire area of each of the regions 20A to 20D except for the signal wiring pattern 42. As shown in FIG. 2, at one end of the flexible substrate 20, the outer conductor 63 of the coaxial cable 60 is connected to the ground wiring pattern 43, and the inner conductor 61 of the coaxial cable 60 is connected to the signal wiring pattern 63.

  As shown in FIG. 1, four receptacle-type connectors 50 </ b> A to 50 </ b> D are mounted in the regions 20 </ b> A to 20 </ b> D of the flexible substrate 20, respectively. The receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D are SMT (Surface Mount Technology) type coaxial cable connectors. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, a cylindrical ground (GND) terminal 51 and the ground terminal 51 are connected to each other. A pair of signal terminals 52 disposed substantially at the center, and a ground terminal 51 and an insulating plate 53 that holds the signal terminal 52 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the signal terminals 52 of the receptacle type connectors 50 </ b> A to 50 </ b> D are respectively connected to the signal wiring pattern 42 of the flexible substrate 20. On the other hand, the ground terminals 51 of the receptacle type connectors 50 </ b> A to 50 </ b> D are respectively connected to the ground wiring pattern 43 of the flexible substrate 20. Accordingly, the signal terminals 52 of the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50d are electrically connected to the center conductor 61 of the coaxial cable 60 via the signal wiring pattern 42, and the ground terminals 51 of the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are These are electrically connected to the outer conductor 63 of the coaxial cable 60 via the ground wiring pattern 43.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the first receptacle-type connector 50A is arranged at the upper end side in the drawing in the first region 20A, while the second receptacle-type connector 50B is shown in the second region 20B in the drawing. The first receptacle connector 50 </ b> A and the second receptacle connector 50 </ b> B are arranged at positions that are asymmetric with respect to the first bent portion 21.

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1, the third receptacle-type connector 50C is disposed on the lower end side in the drawing in the third region 20C, whereas the fourth receptacle-type connector 50D is provided in the fourth region 20D. The third receptacle-type connector 50C and the fourth receptacle-type connector 50D are arranged at asymmetric positions with respect to the third bent portion 23 as a center.

  By adopting such an arrangement, when the flexible board 20 is bent, the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D do not interfere with each other, and the connector device 10A at the time of folding can be thinned. Further, since there is no mutual interference between the receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D, it is possible to prevent damage to the receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D. Incidentally, the structure of this 1st Embodiment can make the dimension of the depth direction of 10 A of connector apparatuses small compared with the structure of 2nd Embodiment mentioned later.

  The first to fourth receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are not particularly limited to the above as long as the mating connectors are fitted from the vertical direction to the main surface of the flexible substrate 20, but are not particularly limited. An SMT type low-profile RF connector is preferable in order to ensure a good attenuation characteristic and to reduce the thickness of the connector device when folded. Alternatively, the connector mounted on the flexible board 20 may be a plug-type connector, and the plug-type connector may be mounted on the other circuit board.

  Further, the number and arrangement of the receptacle type connectors are not particularly limited to the above as long as the receptacle type connectors do not interfere with each other when the flexible substrate is bent. 5 to 7 are schematic plan views showing modifications of the connector device according to this embodiment.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the third receptacle type connector 50C is arranged on the upper end side in the drawing in the third region 20C, and the fourth receptacle type connector 50D is placed on the lower end side in the drawing in the fourth region 20D. By arranging, the third receptacle type connector 50C and the fourth receptacle type connector 50D are arranged at asymmetric positions with respect to the third bent portion 23.

  In the example shown in FIG. 6, the first receptacle connector 50A is arranged at the center of the first region 20A, and the second and third receptacle connectors 50B and 50C are arranged at both ends of the second region 20B. The first receptacle-type connector 50A and the second and third receptacle-type connectors 50B and 50C are arranged at positions that are asymmetric with respect to the first bent portion 21.

  Similarly, a fourth receptacle-type connector 50D is arranged at the center of the third region 20C, and fifth and sixth receptacle-type connectors 50E, 50F are arranged at both ends of the fourth region 20D. The fourth receptacle-type connector 50D and the fifth and sixth receptacle-type connectors 50E and 50F are disposed at positions that are asymmetric with respect to the bent portion 23.

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, in addition to the first to third bent portions 21 to 23, a fourth bent portion 24 that can be folded in a mountain and a fifth bent portion 25 that can be folded in a valley are flexible substrate 20. Is formed. The fourth and fifth bent portions 24 and 25 divide the fifth region 20E and the sixth region 20F.

  In the first to fourth regions 20A to 20D, the first to fourth receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are arranged as in the case of FIG. Further, a fifth receptacle type connector 50E is arranged on the upper side in the drawing of the fifth region 20E, and a sixth receptacle type connector 50F is arranged on the lower side in the drawing of the sixth region 20F. The fifth receptacle-type connector 50E and the sixth receptacle-type connector 50F are disposed asymmetrically with respect to the bent portion 25.

  Thus, by alternately arranging the bent portions of the valley folds and the bent portions of the mountain folds, the number of receptacle-type connectors can be increased, and the productivity of the insertion work is further improved. The fifth and sixth receptacle connectors 50E and 50F have the same structure as the first to fourth receptacle connectors 50A to 50D.

  Next, after inserting the connector device 10A shown in FIG. 1 into the hinge portion 80 of the portable information processing terminal device, a series of operations for fitting the receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D to the mating connector 71, This will be described with reference to FIGS.

  8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 1 is folded, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 1 is folded, and FIG. 10 is a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 1 is fitted to the mating connector.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the flexible substrate 20 is valley-folded along the first and third bent portions 21 and 23, and the flexible substrate 20 is folded in a mountain along the second bent portion 22. To do. During this folding, the first receptacle connector 50A and the second receptacle connector 50B do not interfere with each other, and the third receptacle connector 50C and the fourth receptacle connector 50D are not connected to each other. They do not interfere with each other.

  This folding reduces the width of the connector device 10A to about ¼, so that the connector device 10A can pass through the narrow inner hole 81 of the hinge portion 80 as shown in FIG. Thus, in this embodiment, since several receptacle type | mold connectors 50A-50D can be collectively inserted in the hinge part 80, the productivity improvement of insertion work can be aimed at.

  When the connector device 10A passes through the hinge portion 80, the folded flexible substrate 20 is expanded, and then, as shown in FIG. 11, the plug-type connector 71 provided on the other circuit board 70 or the like is connected to the first to first connectors. The fourth receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D are respectively fitted. 11 shows only one plug-type connector 71 on the circuit board 70, the actual circuit board 70 has a number corresponding to the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D mounted on the connector device 10A. (Four in this example) plug-type connectors 71 are mounted.

  At this time, the first to fourth receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are directly mounted on the flexible substrate 20, and the positional relationship between the connectors 50A to 50D is defined, so that the productivity of the fitting work can be improved. In addition to achieving this, it is possible to suppress erroneous fitting.

  FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a fourth modification of the connector device in the present embodiment, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 12 is positioned on the other circuit board, and FIG. 14 is a connector in the present embodiment. It is a top view which shows the 5th modification of an apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 12, guide holes 26 may be formed at both upper ends of the flexible substrate 20. In this case, after the folded flexible board 20 is expanded, as shown in FIG. 13, guide pins 72 provided on the other circuit board 70 are inserted into the guide holes 26. Accordingly, the folded flexible substrate 20 can be forcibly expanded, and the plurality of receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D can be easily positioned with respect to the plug-type connector 71. Is further improved. As shown in FIG. 13, the guide pin 72 has a tapered shape, so that the positioning operation is further facilitated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, a cutout 27 may be formed in one upper end portion of the flexible substrate 20 instead of the guide hole 26. In this case, the connector device 10A is temporarily fixed to the circuit board 70 by engaging the notch 27 with the guide pin, and then the guide pin 72 is inserted into the guide hole 26, so that the four receptacle-type connectors are inserted. 50A to 50D are positioned with respect to the plug-type connector 71.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the plurality of receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are mounted on the flexible substrate 20, and the flexible substrate 20 can be bent along the bent portions 21 to 23. Since the plurality of receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are arranged at positions where they do not interfere with each other when the board 20 is bent, the productivity of insertion and fitting operations is improved, and the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are erroneously fitted. Can be suppressed.

<< Second Embodiment >>
FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a connector device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, the number of bent portions and the arrangement of the receptacle-type connectors are different from those in the first embodiment, but other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. Only the differences from the first embodiment of the connector device according to the second embodiment will be described below, and portions having the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

  The connector device 10B in the present embodiment includes a flexible substrate 30 and four receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D.

  As shown in FIG. 15, unlike the first embodiment, the flexible substrate 30 has only one bent portion 31, and the back surface (first to fourth receptacles) in the drawing along the bent portion 31. The flexible substrate 30 can be folded (mountainly folded) so that the mold connectors 50 </ b> A to 50 </ b> D are not mounted. Further, the flexible substrate 30 is partitioned into two regions 30A and 30B by the bent portion 31.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, two receptacle connectors 50A and 50B are mounted in the first region 30A, and two receptacle connectors 50C and 50D are also mounted in the second region 30B. Has been. That is, the first receptacle-type connector 50A and the third receptacle-type connector 50C are arranged at target positions with respect to the bent portion 31, and the second receptacle-type connector 50B and the fourth receptacle-type connector 50D. Are also arranged at target positions with the bent portion 31 as the center.

  By arranging the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D as described above and folding the flexible substrate 30 at the folding portion 31, the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D do not interfere with each other when the flexible substrate 30 is folded. Therefore, damage to the receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D can be prevented. In this embodiment, since a plurality of receptacle type connectors are mounted in the same region, the mounting density of the receptacle type connectors can be increased. Incidentally, the structure of the second embodiment has a smaller cross-sectional area of the connector device 10B when folded compared to the structure of the first embodiment.

  The number of receptacle type connectors is not particularly limited to the above. FIG. 16 is a schematic plan view showing a modification of the connector device according to the present embodiment. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 16, three receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50C are arranged in the first region 30A of the flexible substrate 30, and three receptacle-type connectors 50D to 50F are arranged also in the second region 30B. Has been.

  Next, after inserting the connector device 10B shown in FIG. 15 into the hinge portion 80, a series of operations for fitting the receptacle type connectors 50A to 50d to the mating connector will be described with reference to FIGS. explain.

  17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 15 is folded, and FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connector device shown in FIG. 15 is folded.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the flexible substrate 30 is folded in a mountain along the bent portion 31. At the time of this folding, the flexible substrate 30 is folded so that the back surfaces on which the receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D are not mounted are aligned, so that the first to fourth receptacle type connectors 50A to 50D do not interfere with each other. .

  This folding reduces the width of the connector device 10B to about ½, so that the connector device 10B can pass through the narrow inner hole 81 of the hinge portion 80. Thus, in this embodiment, since several receptacle type | mold connectors 50A-50D can be collectively inserted in the hinge part 80, the productivity improvement of insertion work can be aimed at.

  When the connector device 10B passes through the hinge portion 80, the folded flexible substrate 30 is spread, and the first to fourth receptacle connectors 50A to 50D are fitted to the mating plug connectors.

  At this time, the first to fourth receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are directly mounted on the flexible board 30 and the positional relationship between the connectors 50A to 50D is defined, so that the productivity of the fitting work can be improved. In addition to achieving this, it is possible to suppress erroneous fitting.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the plurality of receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are mounted on the flexible substrate 30, and the flexible substrate 30 can be bent along the bent portion 31. Since the plurality of receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are arranged at positions where they do not interfere with each other when the connector is bent, the productivity of the insertion and fitting operations is improved, and the receptacle-type connectors 50A to 50D are erroneously fitted. Can be suppressed.

  The embodiment described above is described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and is not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10A-10D ... Connector apparatus 20 ... Flexible substrate 20A-20F ... 1st-6th area | region 21-25 ... 1st-5th bending part 26 ... Guide hole 27 ... Notch 30 ... Flexible substrate 30A, 30B ... 1st DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 and 2nd area 31 ... Bending part 41 ... Base film 42 ... Signal wiring pattern 43 ... Ground wiring pattern 44 ... Coverlay 50A-50F ... 1st-6th receptacle type connector 51 ... Ground terminal 52 ... Signal terminal 53 Insulating plate 60 ... Coaxial cable 61 ... Center conductor 62 ... Insulating layer 63 ... Outer conductor 64 ... Outer coating layer 70 ... Circuit board 71 ... Plug type connector 72 ... Guide pin 80 ... Hinge 81 ... Inner hole

Claims (5)

A wiring pattern in which a plurality of coaxial cables are electrically connected is formed, and a flexible substrate that can be bent along the bent portion;
A plurality of connector fitting portions mounted on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the wiring pattern;
The connector device, wherein the plurality of connector fitting portions are arranged at positions that do not interfere with each other when the flexible substrate is bent along the bent portion. A wiring pattern in which a plurality of coaxial cables are electrically connected is formed, and a flexible substrate that can be valley-folded along the first bent portion;
A plurality of connector fitting portions mounted on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the wiring pattern;
The connector device, wherein the plurality of connector fitting portions are arranged at positions asymmetric with respect to the first bent portion. The connector device according to claim 2,
The flexible substrate can be further folded along the second bent portion,
The connector device, wherein the first bent portion and the second bent portion are alternately arranged. A wiring pattern in which a plurality of coaxial cables are electrically connected is formed, and a flexible substrate that can be folded along a bent portion;
A plurality of connector fitting portions mounted on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the wiring pattern;
The connector device, wherein the plurality of connector fitting portions are mutually arranged at symmetrical positions around the bent portion. The connector device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The flexible board has guide holes or notches formed at both ends, and the connector device is characterized in that:

Images