JP2012151066A - Connector and manufacturing method of connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the material and processing costs, improve the connector fitting, and reduce damage to an electronic component when a connector is fitted.SOLUTION: A connector includes: a metal core substrate 2 having connector terminals 3a, 3b formed by parts of a metal plate 3; a substrate 10 which is fixed so that its mount surface 20 where electronic components are mounted serves as an opposite surface of the metal core substrate 2 and a space is formed between itself and the metal core substrate 2; and a housing part 30 which is produced by insert molding with the substrate 10 and the metal core substrate 2 used as insert components and has a resin sealing part 31 sealing the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 and connector hood parts 32a, 32b disposed at outer peripheries of the connector terminals 3a, 3b.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector using a part of a metal plate of a metal core substrate as a connector terminal, and a method for manufacturing the connector.

  In recent years, the evolution of car electronics has been dizzying, and the mounting of electronic components on vehicles will continue to increase. Along with this, there is a concern about an increase in the occupation ratio of the in-vehicle space of electronic components, and there is a strong demand for downsizing of electronic components. There is a demand for miniaturization of a connector which is one of electronic components, and a connector incorporating a metal core substrate has been proposed.

  As this type of conventional connector, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the connector 50 includes a metal core substrate 51, an electronic component 60 mounted on the metal core substrate 51, and a case 70 assembled on the outer periphery of the metal core substrate 51 on which the electronic component 60 is mounted. I have.

  The metal core substrate 51 includes a metal plate 52, insulating layers 53 disposed on both surfaces thereof, and conductive pattern portions 54 disposed on the surfaces of the upper and lower insulating layers 53. The metal plate 52 includes a main plate portion 52a and a plurality of connector terminals 52b that are separated or integrally disposed at the left and right ends of the main plate portion 52a. In the case where the main plate portion 52a and the connector terminal 52b are separately disposed, insulation is ensured by the insulating layer 53 entering between them.

  The case 70 includes a case protection portion 71 that covers a place where the electronic component 60 is mounted, and a connector hood portion 72 that is disposed on the outer periphery of the connector terminal 52b. The connector terminal 52b and the connector hood portion 72 constitute an external connection connector 73. The mating connector 80 is fitted to the connector 73.

  According to the above conventional example, the metal core substrate 51 has high mechanical strength and excellent heat dissipation and shielding properties. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a strength reinforcing structure, a heat radiating member, or a shield structure, or a part thereof is omitted. Therefore, the connector 50 can be downsized. Since a part of the metal plate 52 of the metal core substrate 51 is used as the connector terminal 52b, it becomes a connector terminal for large current. Here, if connector terminals (clip terminals, press-fit terminals) for large current are attached to the substrate by soldering or press-fitting, the size of the connector increases, so that the connector 50 can also be reduced in size.

JP 2006-253428 A

  However, since the conventional connector 50 has a structure in which the case 70 is assembled to the metal core substrate 51, the case 70 is necessary as an accessory and an assembling process is necessary. Therefore, there has been a problem that material costs and processing costs increase due to an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the assembly process. Further, since there is a possibility that rattling occurs between the metal core substrate 51 and the case 70, the positional accuracy between the metal core substrate 51 and the case 70 is low. If the positional accuracy between the metal core substrate 51 and the case 70 is low, the connector terminals 52b and the connector hood 72 are not in an appropriate positional relationship, which causes a connector fitting failure. Furthermore, although the fitting force of the mating connector 80 is received by the metal core substrate 51, there is a problem that the electronic component 60 mounted on the metal core substrate 51 is easily affected by the fitting force.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and aims to reduce material costs and processing costs, improve connector fitting performance, and reduce damage to electronic components during connector fitting. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector and a method for manufacturing the connector.

  The present invention provides a metal core substrate having a part of a metal plate as a connector terminal, a substrate fixed with a gap to the metal core substrate with a surface on which an electronic component is mounted as an opposing surface of the metal core substrate, the substrate, and the substrate Produced by insert molding using a metal core substrate as an insert part, and comprising a resin sealing portion for sealing the metal core substrate and the substrate, and a housing portion having a connector hood portion arranged on the outer periphery of the connector terminal This is a featured connector.

  It is preferable that a potting portion filled between the metal core substrate and the substrate is provided. It is preferable that the metal core substrate and the substrate are fixed via leads that electrically connect the circuit portion on the metal core substrate side and the circuit portion on the substrate side.

  Other embodiments of the present invention include a component mounting process for mounting an electronic component on a substrate, a connector terminal manufacturing process for processing a part of a metal plate of a metal core substrate as a connector terminal, a component mounting process, and a connector terminal manufacturing process. The substrate is fixed integrally after the inter-substrate fixing step, in which both the substrates are fixed at intervals with the surface on which the electronic component of the substrate is mounted as the opposing surface of the metal core substrate. Insert molding step of performing insert molding using a metal core substrate as an insert component and producing a housing portion having a resin hood for sealing the metal core substrate and the substrate and a connector hood portion of the connector terminal. It is the connector manufacturing method characterized.

  It is preferable to perform a potting filling step of filling a potting material between the metal core substrate and the substrate to form a potting portion between the inter-substrate fixing step and the insert molding step.

  According to the present invention, the case and the assembly process thereof can be eliminated, and the material cost and the processing cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts and the assembly process. In addition, since the housing part is manufactured by insert molding using a metal core substrate or the like as an insert part, there is no backlash between the housing part and the metal core substrate, and the positional accuracy between the housing part and the metal core substrate is high. The positional accuracy between the connector hood and connector terminals is increased. Furthermore, when the mating connector is fitted, the fitting force is received by the metal core board. However, since the electronic component is mounted on the board instead of the metal core board, it is difficult to be adversely affected by the fitting force when the connector is fitted. From the above, it is possible to reduce material costs and processing costs, improve connector fitting performance, and reduce damage to electronic components during connector fitting.

1 is an overall perspective view of a connector showing a case transparently according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. One Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a)-(c) is sectional drawing which shows each manufacturing process of a connector. It is sectional drawing of the connector of a prior art example, and a mating connector.

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

  1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector 1 includes a metal core substrate 2, a substrate 10 arranged in parallel with the metal core substrate 2 at intervals, and a plurality of electronic components 20 mounted on the substrate 10. A potting portion 21 filled between the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 and a housing portion 30 formed by insert molding using the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 as insert parts are provided.

  The metal core substrate 2 includes, for example, a metal plate 3 made of copper or copper alloy, insulating layers 4 arranged on both surfaces of the metal plate 3, and circuit units arranged on the surfaces of the upper and lower insulating layers 4 by printing or the like. Each conductive pattern portion (not shown). The thickness of the metal plate 3 is about 0.4 to 0.64 mm. A plurality of connector terminals 3a and 3b are formed on the left and right ends of the metal plate 3 by punching. Both surfaces of each connector terminal 3a, 3b are not covered with the insulating layer 4 and are exposed to the outside.

  The substrate 10 is made of a glass epoxy resin material. A conductive pattern portion (not shown) which is a circuit portion disposed by printing or the like is disposed on the surface of the substrate 10. Each electronic component 20 is electrically connected to the conductive pattern portion. The substrate 10 is fixed to the metal core substrate 2 by a plurality of leads 22 with the surface on which the electronic component 20 is mounted facing the metal core substrate 2.

  The plurality of lead portions 22 are arranged near the four corners of the substrate 10. Each lead 22 is fixed to each through hole (not shown) of the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 by reflow soldering or press fitting. The conductive pattern portion (not shown) of the metal core substrate 2 and the conductive pattern portion (not shown) of the substrate 10 are electrically connected by leads 22. In addition, you may fix between the metal core board | substrate 2 and the board | substrate 10 via a clip lead. The clip lead is fixed to the clip portion by reflow soldering.

  The potting part 21 is formed using an underfill or an epoxy resin as a potting material. The plurality of electronic components 20 are all embedded in the potting unit 21.

  The housing portion 30 is manufactured by insert molding using an integrated product of the substrate 10, the electronic component 20, the potting portion 21, and the metal core substrate 2 as an insert component.

  The housing portion 30 includes a resin sealing portion 31 that seals the outer periphery of the substrate 10, the electronic component 20, the potting portion 21, and the metal core substrate 2 except for the connector terminals 3a and 3b, and the outer periphery of the connector terminals 3a and 3b. Connector hood portions 32a and 32b are arranged so as to surround. The connector terminals 3a and 3b and the connector hood portions 32a and 32b constitute external connectors 33A and 33B, respectively. Each mating connector (not shown) is fitted to each connector 33A, 33B.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the connector 1 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the electronic component 20 is mounted on the substrate 10 (component mounting step). Specifically, solder and a conductive paste or a mixture of a solder paste and a conductive paste is screen-printed on a desired portion of the conductive pattern portion of the substrate 10 or applied in an appropriate amount by a solder dispenser. Then, the electronic component 20 is mounted by mounting the electronic component 20 on the screen printing position or application application position with a mounter or the like.

  Further, the metal plate 3 of the metal core substrate 2 is punched to produce a plurality of connector terminals 3a and 3b on both ends of the metal plate 3 (connector terminal production process).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the surface of the substrate 10 on which the electronic component 20 is mounted is used as the opposing surface of the metal core substrate 2, and the two substrates 2 and 10 are spaced apart via a plurality of lead portions 22. Fixing (inter-substrate fixing process). Each lead portion 22 is fixed to the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 by reflow soldering or press fitting, respectively.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, a potting material is filled between the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 to produce a potting portion 21 (potting filling step).

  Next, insert molding is performed with a thermoplastic resin using an integrated product of the substrate 10, the electronic component 20, the potting portion 21, and the metal core substrate 2 as an insert component, and the housing portion 30 is manufactured (insert molding step). Thus, the manufacture of the connector 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is completed.

  As described above, the metal core substrate 2 having a part of the metal plate 3 as the connector terminals 3a and 3b and the surface on which the electronic component 20 is mounted are fixed to the metal core substrate 2 with an interval facing the metal core substrate 2. The substrate 10, the resin sealing portion 31 that seals the outer periphery of the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10, and the connector hood portion 32 a of the connector terminals 3 a and 3 b are manufactured by insert molding using the substrate 10 and the metal core substrate 2 as insert parts. , 32b. Therefore, it is not necessary to assemble the case to the metal core substrate 2 as in the conventional example, the case and the case assembling process can be eliminated, and the material cost and the processing cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts and the assembling process. it can. Further, since the housing part 30 is produced by insert molding using the metal core substrate 2 or the like as an insert part, no play occurs between the housing part 30 and the metal core substrate 2 or the like, and the positional accuracy between the housing part 30 and the metal core substrate 2 is not generated. Is expensive. Thereby, the positional accuracy between the connector hood parts 32a and 32b of the housing part 30 and the connector terminals 3a and 3b is high, and the connector fitting system is improved. Further, when the mating connector (not shown) is fitted, the fitting force is received by the metal core board 2, but the electronic component 20 is mounted on the board 10 instead of the metal core board 2. Hard to be adversely affected by combined forces. From the above, it is possible to reduce material costs and processing costs, improve connector fitting performance, and reduce damage to the electronic component 20 during connector fitting.

  The space between the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 is filled with a potting portion 21. Therefore, the rigidity as the structure is improved. Further, since the potting portion 21 is filled around the electronic component 20 or the like, the waterproofness and dustproofness of the electronic component 20 and the like are improved. Furthermore, since the molding resin does not flow around the electronic component 20 at the time of insert molding, it is possible to prevent problems caused by the electronic component 20 receiving the injection molding pressure. Furthermore, at the time of insert molding, the molding resin does not flow around the electronic component 20 and flows on the metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 surface side on which the electronic component 20 is not mounted, that is, on the surface side without unevenness. The fluidity of the resin is good and the moldability is improved.

  The metal core substrate 2 and the substrate 10 are fixed via leads 22 that electrically connect a conductive pattern portion (not shown) on the metal core substrate 2 side and a conductive pattern portion (not shown) on the substrate 10 side. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide means for electrically connecting the conductive pattern portion (not shown) on the metal core substrate 2 side and the conductive pattern portion (not shown) on the substrate 10 side.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 2 Metal core board 3 Metal plate 3a, 3b Connector terminal 10 Board | substrate 20 Electronic component 21 Potting part 22 Lead 30 Housing part 31 Resin sealing part 32a, 32b Connector hood part

Claims (5)

A metal core substrate with a part of the metal plate as a connector terminal;
A substrate mounted with an interval on the metal core substrate as an opposing surface of the metal core substrate with the surface on which the electronic component is mounted;
A housing part having a resin sealing part for sealing the metal core board and the board and a connector hood part arranged on the outer periphery of the connector terminal, which is produced by insert molding using the board and the metal core board as an insert part. A connector characterized by comprising. The connector according to claim 1,
A connector comprising a potting portion filled between the metal core substrate and the substrate. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The connector, wherein the metal core substrate and the substrate are fixed via leads that electrically connect the circuit portion on the metal core substrate side and the circuit portion on the substrate side. Component mounting process for mounting electronic components on the board;
A connector terminal manufacturing process for processing a part of the metal plate of the metal core substrate as a connector terminal;
After the component mounting step and the connector terminal manufacturing step, the inter-substrate fixing step of fixing both the substrates at intervals with the surface on which the electronic component of the substrate is mounted as the opposing surface of the metal core substrate,
After the inter-substrate fixing step, insert molding is performed using the metal core substrate on which the substrate is integrally fixed as an insert component, and the metal core substrate and the resin sealing portion that seals the substrate and the connector hood portion of the connector terminal An insert molding process for producing a housing part having a connector. The connector manufacturing method according to claim 4,
A connector manufacturing method comprising performing a potting filling step of filling a potting material between the metal core substrate and the substrate to form a potting portion between the inter-substrate fixing step and the insert molding step.

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