JP2013069460A - Connector device and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector device capable of sufficiently coupling a receptacle with a header regardless of the number of terminals, and realizing higher connection reliability, and a manufacturing method thereof.SOLUTION: Posts provided on a header 20 comprises two kinds of posts, i.e., a connecting post 221 with uniform thickness, and a coupling post 222 whose neck part 223 on a base end side is thicker than a head part 224 on a tip side. The connecting post 221 is inserted in a connecting through hole 131, and is electrically connected to a receptacle 10 by elasticity of an elastic film 15 around the connecting through hole 131. The coupling post 222 is inserted in a coupling through hole 132. When the head part 224 passes through the coupling through hole 132, the head part 224 is hooked with a peripheral edge of the coupling through hole 132, so as to mechanically couple the socket 10 with the header 20. A projecting amount of the connecting post 221 from a first face 210 of the header substrate 21 is set larger than that of the neck part 223 of the coupling post 222.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector device including a socket and a header that are mechanically coupled to each other and electrically connected to each other, and a manufacturing method thereof.

  This type of connector device is used for mechanically coupling and electrically connecting a pair of circuit boards, for example. That is, the first circuit board to which the socket is connected and the second circuit board to which the header is connected are electrically connected to each other in a state where the header is coupled to the socket.

  Electronic devices such as mobile phones are required to be further reduced in size and weight, and accordingly, connector devices that are further reduced in thickness for connecting circuit boards in electronic devices have been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In the connector device (board connection connector assembly) described in Patent Document 1, the header (male connector) includes a header board (male side base) and a plurality of header terminals (male side terminals) arranged on the surface of the header board. Post (bump). The post has a circular cross-sectional neck projecting from the surface of the header substrate and a head continuous to the tip of the neck, and is formed in a so-called mushroom shape. The socket (female connector) includes a socket substrate (female base) having a through hole (notch) formed at a position corresponding to each post, and a pad part (female side terminal) formed at the peripheral edge of the through hole. have.

  In this connector device, the post inserted into the through hole is hooked on the periphery of the through hole in the socket to couple the socket and the header, and in this state, the header terminal and the pad portion are electrically connected. Thereby, even if the height of the post is lowered, the socket and the header can be coupled, and thus the connector device can be thinned.

  Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the peripheral portion of the socket substrate through-hole in the socket has elasticity that allows the head of the post to pass through the through-hole. In this configuration, when the post is pushed into the through hole, the peripheral part of the through hole of the socket substrate is elastically deformed, the head of the post passes through the through hole, and the socket and the header are coupled. Therefore, it is relatively easy to connect the socket and the header.

JP 2007-134169 A

  However, in the connector device having the above configuration, all the posts as header terminals are formed in a mushroom shape, and when the socket and the header are coupled, they are caught on the periphery of the through hole. Therefore, depending on the number of terminals, the socket and the header are coupled. Have trouble. That is, when the number of terminals (that is, the number of posts) is small, the mechanical coupling strength between the socket and the header becomes insufficient, and the header may be easily detached from the socket. On the other hand, when the number of terminals is large, the mechanical coupling strength between the socket and the header becomes unnecessarily large, and it may be difficult to remove the header from the socket.

  Further, the connector device is required to have high connection reliability regardless of the mechanical coupling strength between the header and the socket.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above reasons, and provides a connector device that can realize a good coupling between a socket and a header regardless of the number of terminals, and that can realize higher connection reliability, and a method for manufacturing the same. For the purpose.

  The connector device of the present invention includes a socket and a header that are mechanically coupled and electrically connected to each other, and the socket includes a socket substrate having a plurality of through holes penetrating in the thickness direction, and a conductive material. The header is provided at each position corresponding to the through hole on the first surface, which is one surface in the thickness direction of the header substrate and made of a conductive material. The socket substrate has an elastic film having elasticity and formed with the pad portion around the through hole, and the plurality of posts include the socket and the header. A connecting post for electrical connection; a coupling post for mechanically coupling the socket and the header; and a plurality of the through holes corresponding to the connecting posts. And the connection through hole formed at a position corresponding to the connection post, the connection post having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the first surface. Is formed into a uniform shape or a shape that becomes thinner as the distance from the first surface increases, and when the socket and the header are coupled, the elastic membrane is elastically deformed to elastically deform the connection through-hole. The connecting post is inserted through the connecting through hole and electrically connected to the pad portion, and the coupling post is continuous with the neck portion protruding from the first surface and the tip of the neck portion, and is thicker than the neck portion. When the socket and the header are coupled, the elastic membrane is elastically deformed to at least a position where the head passes through the coupling through hole. While expanding the through hole Is inserted into the coupling holes, the protruding amount from the first surface, characterized in that the larger of the connecting post than the neck of the combining post.

  In this connector device, it is preferable that the connection post is formed with a small protrusion amount from the first surface as compared with the coupling post including the head.

  A method for manufacturing a connector device according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing the connector device described above, wherein the step of manufacturing the header corresponds to the first surface of a rigid substrate that is a base of the header substrate. A circuit forming step for forming a conductor pattern on the surface, and a first resist for forming a first resist having an opening for exposing a part of the conductor pattern on the one surface of the rigid substrate after the circuit forming step. And forming the neck portion of the coupling post and the connection post on the conductor pattern by performing plating after the first resist formation step and filling the molding hole with a conductive material. A first plating step, and the first resist so as to cover a portion of the molding hole in which the connection post is formed in the first resist after the first plating step. A second resist forming step for forming a second resist on the dies, and further plating after the second resist forming step to form the head portion continuously with the neck portion outside the molding hole. There is a second plating step and a resist stripping step of stripping the first resist and the second resist after the second plating step.

  In this connector device manufacturing method, in the circuit forming step, it is more desirable to form a portion of the conductor pattern where the coupling post is formed thinner than a portion where the connection post is formed.

  The present invention has an advantage that good connection between the socket and the header can be realized regardless of the number of terminals, and higher connection reliability can be realized.

The structure of the connector apparatus which concerns on embodiment is shown, (a) is a perspective view of the state which the socket and the header isolate | separated, (b) is a perspective view of the state which the socket and the header couple | bonded. It is a front view which shows the structure of the connector apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the header which concerns on embodiment. The structure of the socket which concerns on embodiment is shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a cross-sectional view. It is a front view which shows the principal part of the header which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which shows the principal part of the header which concerns on a comparative example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the attachment or detachment operation | movement of the connector apparatus which concerns on a comparative example. It is explanatory drawing of the behavior at the time of the attachment or detachment of the connector apparatus which concerns on a comparative example. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the header which concerns on embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector device 1 of the present embodiment includes a socket 10 and a header 20 that are mechanically coupled and electrically connected to each other.

  The socket 10 has a strip-shaped socket substrate 11 that is long in one direction, and a pad portion 12 (see FIG. 4) made of a conductive material. The header 20 includes a strip-shaped header substrate 21 that is long in one direction, and a plurality of posts that are made of a conductive material and are provided on a first surface 210 that is one surface in the thickness direction of the header substrate 21. . There are two types of posts: a connection post 221 that electrically connects the socket 10 and the header 20 and a coupling post 222 that mechanically connects the socket 10 and the header 20 (hereinafter, no particular distinction is made between them). Sometimes referred to simply as “post 22”).

  In the following, the thickness direction of the socket substrate 11 and the header substrate 21 is the vertical direction, the longitudinal direction is the left-right direction, the short direction is the front-rear direction, that is, the top-bottom left-right in FIG. Will be described. However, these directions are not intended to limit the orientation when the connector device 1 is used.

  The header substrate 21 is formed of a rigid substrate made of an insulating material such as a glass epoxy substrate (FR4). In this header substrate 21, a surface (upper surface) facing the socket substrate 11 constitutes a first surface 210 as shown in FIG. 2. The post 22 is formed in a column shape protruding from the first surface 210 of the header substrate 21.

  A plurality of connection posts 221 are provided on the first surface 210 with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, with a plurality of the connection posts 221 arranged in the front-rear direction at a predetermined interval. In the header 20 of the present embodiment, 10 sets (2 sets in total) of connection posts 221 are provided, with 2 sets as one set. Here, the pairs of connection posts 221 adjacent in the left-right direction are arranged so that the positions in the front-rear direction are shifted from each other, and the connection posts 221 are in a so-called staggered arrangement. With this arrangement, it is possible to ensure a relatively large distance between adjacent connection posts 221 while keeping the area of the region where the connection posts 221 are arranged small.

  The connection post 221 is formed to have a uniform thickness over the entire length in the vertical direction (that is, the direction orthogonal to the first surface 210). In this embodiment, the connection post 221 is formed in a columnar shape having a circular cross section along the first surface 210, and the outer diameter thereof is set to a constant value over the entire length.

  On the other hand, one coupling post 222 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the region where the connection post 221 is disposed on the first surface 210. That is, the connection posts 221 are staggered in a region sandwiched between the pair of coupling posts 222 in the longitudinal direction of the first surface 210. Here, each coupling post 222 is disposed at the center of the first surface 210 in the front-rear direction (short direction).

  The coupling post 222 has a neck portion 223 that protrudes from the first surface 210, and a head portion 224 that is thicker than the neck portion 223 that is continuous with the tip of the neck portion 223. Here, the coupling post 222 has a circular cross section along the first surface 210 of each of the neck portion 223 and the head portion 224, and the outer diameter thereof is set larger at the head portion 224 than the neck portion 223. Has been. That is, the coupling post 222 is formed in a so-called mushroom shape by forming the head 224 on the distal end side to be thicker than the neck 223 on the proximal end side. Note that the head 224 is formed in a tapered shape whose outer diameter decreases as the distance from the neck 223 increases. The outer diameter of the neck portion 223 is set larger than the outer diameter of the connection post 221.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the conductor pattern 23 is formed on the first surface 210 of the header substrate 21, and each post 22 is formed on the conductor pattern 23. The conductor pattern 23 penetrates through the circular land portions 231 and 234 formed at positions corresponding to the posts 22, the lead portions 232 and 235 drawn from the land portions 231 and 234, and the front and back surfaces of the header substrate 21. And through-hole portions 233 and 236.

  The lead-out portions 232 continuing to the land portion 231 where the connection posts 221 are formed are extended along the front-rear direction to the end portion closer to the land portion 231 of the front end portion or the rear end portion of the header substrate 21. The tip is continuous with the through-hole portion 233. On the other hand, the lead-out portion 235 that is continuous with the land portion 234 where the coupling post 222 is formed is extended toward two corner portions that are close to the land portion 234 among the four corners of the header substrate 21, and the tips thereof are through-hole portions 236. It is continuous.

  The through-hole portions 233 and 236 are end-surface through-hole structures that electrically connect the conductor patterns 23 on the front and back surfaces of the header substrate 21 by performing conductive plating on the outer peripheral end surface of the header substrate 21. Used when the header 20 is mounted on a circuit board or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the socket substrate 11 has a plurality of through holes penetrating in the thickness direction. This through hole is a hole through which the post 22 of the header 20 is inserted when the socket 10 and the header 20 are joined, and is formed at each position corresponding to the plurality of posts 22. There are two types of through-holes: a connection through-hole 131 formed at a position corresponding to the connection post 221 and a coupling through-hole 132 formed at a position corresponding to the coupling post 222 (hereinafter, each When there is no particular distinction, there is simply “through-hole 13”).

  That is, on one surface in the thickness direction of the socket substrate 11, the connection through holes 131 are staggered in the same manner as the connection posts 221, and the coupling through holes 132 are formed on the left and right sides of the region where the connection through holes 131 are formed. Each one is formed.

  Further, the socket substrate 11 is composed of a rigid substrate 111 and a flexible substrate 112 as shown in FIG. The rigid substrate 111 is made of, for example, a rigid substrate made of stainless steel (SUS material), and a sheet-like flexible substrate 112 is provided on a surface (the lower surface in FIG. 2) of the rigid substrate 111 on the header substrate 21 side. The socket substrate 11 is configured by being attached. The flexible substrate 112 is made of a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) in which a conductive pattern 120 including the pad portion 12 is formed on one surface of a flexible insulating film made of, for example, polyimide resin.

  Here, the flexible substrate 112 has the same size in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction) as the rigid substrate 111, but is larger in the short direction than the rigid substrate 111. Therefore, the flexible substrate 112 is attached to one surface of the rigid substrate 111 (the surface on the header substrate 21 side), so that both ends of the remaining short direction wrap around the back surface of the rigid substrate 111. It is wound around the rigid substrate 111. The rigid substrate 111 may be made of white (silver).

  The through hole 13 is formed in the flexible substrate 112. In this embodiment, each through-hole 13 is formed in a cross shape by a slit extending in the left-right direction and a slit extending in the front-rear direction intersecting at the center of each other. Further, the coupling through-hole 132 of the through-hole 13 is formed so that a circular small hole is continuous with the slit at the intersection of the left-right slit and the front-rear slit. The dimensions of the through-holes 13 in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction are both set larger than the outer diameter of the post 22 corresponding to each through-hole 13.

  The rigid substrate 111 is formed with a plurality of escape holes 14 each opening in a circular shape and penetrating the rigid substrate 111 in the thickness direction. Each escape hole 14 is formed at each position corresponding to the through hole 13 so as to coincide with the center of each through hole 13, and communicates with each through hole 13. Here, the through hole 13 has an opening area smaller than that of the escape hole 14, and the flexible substrate 112 projects into the escape hole 14 from the periphery of each escape hole 14 in the rigid substrate 111. Therefore, in a state where the post 22 of the header 20 is inserted into the through hole 13, the post 22 is inserted into the escape hole 14 through the through hole 13. The inner diameters of the plurality of escape holes 14 are set to be larger than the outer diameters of the posts 22 corresponding to the respective escape holes 14.

  Of the escape holes 14 communicating with the connection through holes 131, some of the escape holes 14 have a smaller inner diameter than the other escape holes 14, and the function of aligning the socket 10 and the header 20 is achieved. have. The escape hole 14 having an alignment function is formed so that the inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the connection post 221. As a result, the escape hole 14 having an alignment function is displaced due to the relative movement of the socket 10 and the header 20 within the surface along the first surface 210 in a state where the connection post 221 is inserted. Is prevented from occurring. In the present embodiment, the escape hole 14 having an alignment function is located farthest from the center of the socket substrate 11 and is symmetrical with respect to the center of the socket substrate 11 (upper left and lower right in FIG. 1). ).

  The conductor pattern 120 is formed on the surface opposite to the rigid substrate 111 in the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 112. The conductor pattern 120 has a pad portion 12 around each through hole 13, and further has a lead portion 121 connected to each pad portion 12 formed around the connection through hole 131. The lead portion 121 is extended along the front-rear direction to the edge nearer to the pad portion 12 of the front end edge or the rear end edge of the flexible substrate 112, and the back surface side of the rigid substrate 111 together with the flexible substrate 112. It wraps around (top side).

  The pad portion 12 formed around the coupling through hole 132 has an arc shape on the outer periphery, whereas the pad portion 12 formed around the connection through hole 131 has an outer periphery shape on the connection through hole. It is a shape along 131.

  Here, the material and thickness dimension of the pad portion 12 are determined so as to have not only conductivity but also elasticity (shape restoration property). Thereby, elasticity is given to at least a portion of the flexible substrate 112 where the pad portion 12 is formed. That is, in this embodiment, the portion of the flexible substrate 112 that protrudes into the escape hole 14 constitutes the elastic film 15 that is made of an elastic material and has the pad portion 12 formed thereon.

  Examples of the material having conductivity and elasticity include copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni). In this embodiment, the pad part 12 which has electroconductivity and elasticity is formed by plating nickel or nickel-type alloy to the copper pattern formed on the one surface of the insulating film. As an example, the thickness dimension is 25 μm for the insulating film, 8 μm for the copper pattern, and 2 μm for the nickel plating, but is not limited to these values.

  Here, when the socket 10 and the header 20 are coupled, the connection post 221 is inserted into the connection through hole 131 while elastically deforming the elastic film 15 to widen the connection through hole 131 (FIG. 7C). reference). In this state, the elastic film 15 around the connection through hole 131 presses the pad portion 12 against the outer peripheral surface of the connection post 221 by its elasticity, so that the connection post 221 is connected to the pad portion 12 around the connection through hole 131. And electrically connected.

  However, the outer diameter of the connection post 221 is set to a constant value over the entire length in the vertical direction as described above. Therefore, the connection post 221 has no portion that is caught by the elastic film 15 in a state of being inserted into the connection through hole 131, and is prevented from coming off from the connection through hole 131 only by a frictional force generated between the connection post 221 and the elastic film 15. Is done.

  On the other hand, the coupling post 222 is inserted into the coupling through-hole 132 while elastically deforming the elastic film 15 to widen the coupling through-hole 132 when the socket 10 and the header 20 are coupled. As described above, the coupling post 222 is formed in a mushroom shape in which the head portion 224 on the distal end side is thicker than the neck portion 223 on the proximal end side.

  Therefore, when the head 224 passes through the coupling through-hole 132 when the coupling post 222 is inserted into the coupling through-hole 132, the elastic film 15 around the coupling through-hole 132 causes the elasticity of the coupling through-hole 132 due to its elasticity. Deforms to narrow the opening. Therefore, the coupling post 222 is prevented from coming off from the coupling through hole 132 by the head portion 224 being caught by the peripheral edge of the coupling through hole 132 in the elastic film 15.

  Here, since the coupling through hole 132 is formed with a circular small hole at the intersection of both slits as described above, the coupling post 222 is inserted in the coupling through hole 132 in the coupled state. The neck 223 is inserted into the small hole of the through hole 132 for use.

  Further, when the coupling post 222 is inserted into the coupling through-hole 132, the elastic film 15 around the coupling through-hole 132 presses the pad portion 12 against the outer peripheral surface of the neck 223, so that the coupling post 222 is coupled. The pad portion 12 around the through hole 132 is electrically connected. However, in this embodiment, since the lead part 121 is not connected to the pad part 12 around the coupling through hole 132, the coupling post 222 does not contribute to the electrical connection between the socket 10 and the header 20.

  Further, when the coupling between the socket 10 and the header 20 is released, the coupling post 222 is pulled out from the coupling through hole 132 while elastically deforming the elastic film 15 to widen the coupling through hole 132. At this time, although the head 224 is caught by the peripheral edge of the coupling through-hole 132 in the elastic membrane 15, if the elastic membrane 15 is pulled out with a certain large force, the elastic membrane 15 is elastically deformed so that the head 224 passes through the coupling through-hole 132. To do.

  That is, when connecting the socket 10 and the header 20, the user may press the socket substrate 11 against the header substrate 21 from above after aligning the positions of the through holes 13 and the posts 22. Thereby, the connection post 221 is inserted into the connection through hole 131 and the socket 10 and the header 20 are electrically connected. Further, the head portion 224 of the coupling post 222 is caught by the peripheral edge of the coupling through hole 132 in the elastic film 15 to prevent the coupling post 222 from coming off from the coupling through hole 132, thereby mechanically coupling the socket 10 and the header 20. .

  On the other hand, when releasing the connection between the socket 10 and the header 20, the user may pull the socket substrate 11 upward from the header substrate 21. As a result, the coupling post 222 is pulled out from the coupling through hole 132 to release the mechanical coupling between the socket 10 and the header 20, and the connection post 221 is pulled out from the connection through hole 131 to The electrical connection with the header 20 is released.

  Therefore, the connector device 1 having the above configuration has an advantage that the attaching / detaching operation between the socket 10 and the header 20 is simplified.

  In the connector device 1 having the above-described configuration, for example, the socket 10 is connected to a first circuit board (not shown), and the header 20 is connected to a second circuit board (not shown). Used to mechanically couple and electrically connect the second circuit boards. As an example, the second circuit board is a motherboard of a computer (not shown), and the first circuit board is connected to a camera (not shown). When the socket 10 and the header 20 are coupled, The camera is connected.

  The first circuit board is made of a flexible printed circuit board, and the lead part 121 of the conductor pattern 120 of the socket board 11 is connected to the circuit pattern formed on the upper surface side thereof. The second circuit board is made of a rigid board, and the header 20 is surface-mounted by soldering the through-hole portions 233 and 236 of the header board 21 to the circuit pattern formed on the upper surface side thereof. As a result, the header 20 is fixed to the first circuit board and electrically connected at the same time.

  By the way, in the connector device 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the connection post 221 has a protruding amount (height dimension) from the first surface 210 of the head 224 of the coupling post 222. It is set larger than the excluded neck portion 223. In FIG. 5, the height dimension of the connection post 221 is represented as h1, and the height dimension of the neck portion 223 is represented as h2. Here, as an example, the height dimension h1 of the connection post 221 is set to 254 μm, and the height dimension h2 of the neck portion 223 is set to 234 μm, but these numerical values can be changed as appropriate.

  Further, as will be described in detail later, in the present embodiment, the connection post 221 and the neck portion 223 have the same amount of protrusion from the surfaces of the land portions 231 and 234, and the first and second 231 and 234 have a thickness dimension. The amount of protrusion from one surface 210 is different. That is, the land portion 231 in which the connection post 221 is formed is thicker than the land portion 234 in which the coupling post 222 is formed, and the connection post 221 is equivalent to the difference in thickness between the land portions 231 and 234. The amount of protrusion from the first surface 210 is larger than that of the neck portion 223. Here, as an example, the protruding amount of the connection post 221 and the neck portion 223 from the land portions 231 and 234 are both set to 224 μm, the land portion 231 has a thickness of 30 μm, and the land portion 234 has a thickness of 10 μm. These numerical values can be appropriately changed.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the height dimension (first surface) of both of the connection posts 221 is reduced so that the height dimension h1 of the connection post 221 is smaller than the height dimension h3 of the coupling post 222 including the head portion 224. The protrusion amount from 210) is set. That is, the connection post 221 is formed lower than the entire connection post 222 and higher than the neck 223 (h2 <h1 <h3).

  Thereby, the connector apparatus 1 can implement | achieve high connection reliability compared with the case where the protrusion amount (height dimension) from the 1st surface 210 is smaller in the connection post 221 than the neck part 223 of the coupling post 222. There is an advantage.

  Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 6, by comparing the configuration of this embodiment with a configuration in which the protruding amount from the first surface 210 is smaller in the connection post 221 than the neck portion 223 of the coupling post 222 as a comparative example, The reason why high connection reliability can be realized with the configuration of this embodiment will be described. 6A shows a case where the height h1 of the connection post 221 from the first surface 210 is 195 μm and the height h2 of the neck 223 is 249 μm, and FIG. 6A shows the height h1 of the coupling post 221. (B) shows a case where is 225 μm and the height dimension h2 of the neck portion 223 is 249 μm. In the example of FIG. 6, the land portions 231 and 234 both have a thickness dimension of 25 μm.

  Here, in the comparative example of FIG. 6A or FIG. 6B in which the height dimension h1 of the connection post 221 is smaller than the height dimension h2 of the neck portion 223, as shown in FIG. 20 is attached and detached.

  That is, when connecting the socket 10 and the header 20, the user aligns the socket 10 and the header 20 separated from each other as shown in FIG. 7A, and approaches the header 20 and the socket 10 toward each other. Apply the power of. At this time, first, the head 224 of the coupling post 222 is inserted into the coupling through-hole 132 while elastically deforming the elastic film 15 as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the head portion 224 of the coupling post 222 passes through the coupling through hole 132, the neck portion 223 is inserted into the coupling through hole 132, and the connection post 221 is made of an elastic membrane. 15 is inserted into the connection through hole 131 while being elastically deformed.

  On the other hand, when the connection between the socket 10 and the header 20 is released, the user applies forces in directions away from each other to the header 20 and the socket 10 as shown in FIG. At this time, first, the connection post 221 that is not caught is pulled out from the connection through hole 131, and then the head 224 of the connection post 222 is caught on the periphery of the connection through hole 132 as shown in FIG. It will be. Finally, the head 224 of the coupling post 222 passes through the coupling through-hole 132 while elastically deforming the elastic film 15, and the socket 10 and the header 20 are separated as shown in FIG. It becomes a state.

  In the configurations of these comparative examples, when the socket 10 and the header 20 were actually attached and detached, the behavior shown in FIG. 8 was confirmed. 8A corresponds to the configuration of FIG. 6A, FIG. 8B corresponds to the configuration of FIG. 6B, the relative movement amount (horizontal axis) of the header 20 and the socket 10, and the socket 10 (Or header 20) shows the relationship with the load (vertical axis). In FIG. 8, the load in the direction in which the socket 10 is pressed against the header 20 is represented as positive (plus), and the load in the direction in which the socket 10 is separated from the header 20 is represented as negative (minus). FIG. 8 shows data obtained in each of the first to tenth times and data obtained in each of the 20th and 30th times when the header 20 and the socket 10 are repeatedly attached and detached 30 times. Further, in FIG. 8, when the connection between the socket 10 and the header 20 is released, an average position (movement amount) where the electrical connection between the two is released is indicated by a straight line L1.

  First, in the configuration of FIG. 6A in which the height dimension h1 of the connection post 221 is less than 80% of the height dimension h2 of the neck portion 223, the behavior shown in FIG. 8A was confirmed. . In FIG. 8A, the peak of the load (insertion force) generated when the socket 10 and the header 20 are coupled is one, whereas the peak of the load (extraction force) generated when the coupling is released is There are two. That is, at the time of coupling, the head 224 of the coupling post 222 passes through the coupling through hole 132, and at the same time, friction is generated between the connection post 221 and the periphery of the connection through hole 131, so that the insertion force is reduced to one. Two peaks occur. On the other hand, when the coupling is released, the head 224 of the coupling post 222 passes through the coupling through hole 132 after the connection post 221 has come out of the connection through hole 131. Therefore, when the head 224 of the coupling post 222 passes through the coupling through hole 132 after the first peak occurs in the removal force due to friction between the coupling post 221 and the periphery of the coupling through hole 131. A second peak occurs in the extraction force.

  Furthermore, in the configuration of FIG. 6A, when the socket 10 and the header 20 are uncoupled, the head 224 of the coupling post 222 is before the second peak of the extraction force that passes through the coupling through hole 132. Thus, the connection post 221 is removed from the connection through hole 131. That is, when the connection between the socket 10 and the header 20 is released, the electrical connection by the connection post 221 is released before the mechanical connection by the connection post 222 is released.

  Further, in the configuration of FIG. 6B in which the height dimension h1 of the connection post 221 is about 90% of the height dimension h2 of the neck portion 223, the behavior shown in FIG. 8B was confirmed. In FIG. 8 (b), there is one insertion force peak and two extraction force peaks, which is the same as in FIG. 8 (a), but the electrical connection between the socket 10 and the header 20 is the same. The released position is close to the position where the mechanical coupling between the two is released. That is, as compared with the case of FIG. 8A, the position at which the connection post 221 is removed from the connection through hole 131 has two extraction forces that allow the head 224 of the connection post 222 to pass through the connection through hole 132. Although it is before the peak of the eye, it is released at a position near the second peak.

  As described above, in any of the comparative examples of FIGS. 6A and 6B, the connection post 221 is connected before the head 224 of the connection post 222 passes through the connection through hole 132. It will come out of the through hole 131. Therefore, in these comparative examples, although the header 10 and the socket 20 are mechanically coupled, the electrical connection between the two may be released. In particular, the connection post 221 may receive a force in the direction of coming out of the bonding through hole 131 due to the elasticity of the elastic film 15, so that such a force releases the electrical connection between the header 10 and the socket 20. There is a possibility of acting on.

  In contrast to these comparative examples, as shown in FIG. 5, in the connector device 1 of this embodiment in which the connection post 221 is higher than the neck 223, the head 224 of the coupling post 222 passes through the coupling through hole 132. At the same time or later, the connection post 221 comes out of the connection through hole 131. Therefore, when the connection between the socket 10 and the header 20 is released, the electrical connection by the connection post 221 is released at the same time as or after the mechanical connection by the connection post 222 is released. Become.

  Further, in this connector device 1, since the connecting post 221 has a smaller amount of protrusion from the first surface 210 than the entire coupling post 222, the head 224 passes through the coupling through hole 132 at substantially the same time. The connection post 221 comes out of the connection through hole 131. Therefore, an extraction force due to friction between the connection post 221 and the periphery of the connection through hole 131 and an extraction force when the head 224 of the connection post 222 passes through the connection through hole 132 are generated substantially simultaneously. The peak of the extraction force that occurs when the coupling is released is also one.

  According to the connector device 1 of the present embodiment described above, the post 22 provided on the header 20 is connected between the connection post 221 that electrically connects the socket 10 and the header 20 and between the socket 10 and the header 20. It is divided into a coupling post 222 for mechanical coupling. Therefore, the mechanical coupling strength between the socket 10 and the header 20 is adjusted to an appropriate size by adjusting the number of coupling posts 222 regardless of the number of terminals (that is, the number of connection posts 221). A good coupling between the 10-header 20 can be realized.

  That is, regardless of the number of terminals (that is, the number of connection posts 221), if the number of connection posts 222 is reduced, the mechanical connection strength between the socket 10 and the header 20 is reduced, and the header 20 is removed from the socket 10. It becomes easy to come off. On the other hand, if the number of coupling posts 222 is increased, the mechanical coupling strength between the socket 10 and the header 20 is increased, and the header 20 is less likely to be detached from the socket 10.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the electrical connection by the connection post 221 is released at the same time as or after the mechanical connection by the connection post 222 is released from the socket 10 and the header 20. Therefore, there is an advantage that high connection reliability can be realized. In short, the connector device 1 of the present embodiment has a connection post before the head 224 of the coupling post 222 passes through the coupling through hole 132 as in the comparative example of FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). 221 does not come out of the connection through hole 131. Therefore, the connector device 1 according to the present embodiment does not release the electrical connection between the header 10 and the socket 20 and the connection is reliable. Increases nature.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the connection post 221 has a smaller amount of protrusion from the first surface 210 than the coupling post 222 including the head 224, and the head 224 passes through the coupling through-hole 132. At substantially the same time, the connection post 221 comes out of the connection through hole 131. That is, the extraction force due to the friction between the connection post 221 and the periphery of the connection through hole 131 and the extraction force when the head 224 of the connection post 222 passes through the connection through hole 132 are overlapped. Therefore, the peak of the extraction force necessary for releasing the coupling increases. Therefore, once the header 10 and the socket 20 are coupled, the coupling is not easily released, resulting in an increase in connection reliability. In addition to this, not only the insertion force that occurs when the socket 10 and the header 20 are coupled, but also the removal force that occurs when the coupling is released, there is one peak, so that the behavior at the time of attachment / detachment is improved. There is also an advantage.

  Further, since the connecting post 221 has a smaller amount of protrusion from the first surface 210 than the entire connecting post 222, the connecting post 221 is connected before the connecting post 221 when connecting the socket 10 and the header 20. The head 224 of the post 222 is inserted into the through hole 13. Thereby, it can be avoided that the connection post 221 is connected to the pad portion 12 in a state where the relative positions of the socket 10 and the header 20 in the plane along the first surface 210 are shifted. In short, since the connection post 221 is inserted into the through hole 13 after the connection post 222, the relative positions of the socket 10 and the header 20 are aligned and the connection post 222 is inserted into the connection through hole 132. After that, the socket 10 and the header 20 are electrically connected.

  In addition, a plurality of connecting posts 221 are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction of the first surface 210, and the coupling posts 222 are provided in the center of the first surface 210 in the short direction, so a small number The coupling post 222 can secure the coupling strength between the socket 10 and the header 20. That is, since the coupling post 222 is provided at the center in the short direction of the first surface 210, the socket 10-header 20 is mechanically coupled at one position in the short direction of the first surface 210. And a stable coupled state can be realized.

  In addition, the header 20 and the socket 10 are mechanically coupled by the head portion 224 being hooked on the periphery of the coupling through-hole 132 in the elastic membrane 15, so that the coupling strength between the socket 10 and the header 20 is the elastic membrane. It can be adjusted by 15 elasticity or the like. In addition, since the contact pressure between the pad portion 12 and the connection post 221 is secured by the elastic film 15 around the connection through hole 131, the contact pressure at the electrical connection portion between the socket 10 and the header 20 is as follows. It can be adjusted by the elasticity of the elastic film 15 or the like. Therefore, in the connector device 1, a desired coupling strength and a desired contact pressure can be ensured regardless of the height of the socket 10 and the header 20, so that the socket 10 and the header 20 can be reduced in height. Can do.

  In addition, since the socket 10 and the header 20 are not relatively moved in the plane along the first surface 210 during the socket 10-header 20 attachment / detachment operation, the socket 10 and the header 20 in the plane along the first surface 210 are not moved. The connector device 1 can be downsized.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the connector apparatus 1 of this embodiment mentioned above is demonstrated. Here, first, a method for manufacturing the header 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the operator forms the conductor pattern 23 on one surface (corresponding to the first surface 210) of the rigid substrate 30 that is the basis of the header substrate 21, as shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b). (Circuit forming step). In this circuit formation process, an operator penetrates in a thickness direction on a cut line which is an outer peripheral edge of the header substrate 21 in the rigid substrate 30 in order to form the through-hole portions 233 and 236 having an end surface through-hole structure. Form a through hole. Further, the operator performs plating (for example, electroless copper plating) on the through hole, thereby forming through hole plating to be the through hole portions 233 and 236 on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole.

  By the way, in the circuit forming process described above, the worker has a thickness dimension depending on a part so that at least the land portion 231 where the connection post 221 is formed is thicker than the land portion 234 where the coupling post 222 is formed. Different conductor patterns 23 are formed.

  Specifically, the worker first forms the conductor pattern 23 having a constant thickness on one surface of the rigid substrate 30, and then the connection post 221 is included in the conductor pattern 23 as shown in FIG. A resist film 36 that covers a portion corresponding to the land portion 231 to be formed is formed. The resist film 36 is made of a negative dry film in the same manner as the first resist 31 to be described later, and corresponds to at least the land portion 234 where the coupling post 222 is formed in the conductor pattern 23 by using a photolithography technique. The part is formed to be exposed.

  Then, the operator performs etching on a portion of the conductor pattern 23 exposed from the resist film 36, so that the thickness dimension of this portion is smaller than the portion covered with the resist film 36, as shown in FIG. 9B. The resist film 36 is peeled off. In this way, the worker forms the land portions 231 and 234 having different thickness dimensions. That is, the land portion 234 where the coupling post 222 is formed is processed to be thinner than the land portion 231 where the connection post 221 is formed. Note that the method of making the land portion 231 thicker than the land portion 234 is not limited to the above-described etching method. For example, when the land portion 234 is physically polished or the conductor pattern 23 is formed on the rigid substrate 30, the thickness dimension is increased. It is also possible to change the method.

  Then, the operator forms a first resist 31 (see FIG. 9E) used for forming the post 22 on the conductor pattern 23 by plating on one surface of the rigid substrate 30 (first Resist forming step). In the first resist forming step, the operator applies the center of each of the land portions 231 and 234 to the first resist 31 formed on the surface of the rigid substrate 30 on the side on which the post 22 is to be formed using photolithography technology. A forming hole having a circular shape that exposes the portion is formed.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9C, the first resist 31 is laminated on a rigid substrate 30, and is formed from a negative dry film 32 that can be patterned into a desired shape by exposure and development. It is formed. In the present embodiment, the worker laminates three dry films 32 each having a thickness of 75 μm. Although not shown in FIG. 9, a dry film having a thickness of, for example, 30 μm is laminated on the back surface of the rigid substrate 30.

  As shown in FIG. 9D, the operator irradiates light (ultraviolet light) after laminating a mask 33 having an opening formed on the dry film 32 (exposure). Thereafter, the operator removes the portion of the dry film 32 where light is blocked by the mask 33 (portion other than the opening) by development, thereby forming a molding hole 34 as shown in FIG. A first resist 31 is formed.

  After the resist formation step, the operator performs acidic degreasing, soft etching using sodium persulfate (50 g / L), and sulfuric acid treatment using sulfuric acid (diluted by 10 wt%) to remove copper oxide. , Improve the adhesion of plating.

  Thereafter, the operator deposits a metal material (copper here) on the surfaces of the land portions 231 and 234 by performing electrolytic copper (Cu) plating (first plating step). In the first plating step, as shown in FIG. 9 (f), the connection hole 221 and the neck portion 223 of the coupling post 222 are formed by filling the molding hole 34 in the first resist 31 with a metal material. . At this time, the operator adjusts the thickness dimension of the copper plating (that is, the height dimension of the connection post 221) to 224 μm ± 10% by managing the current value and time.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 9G, the operator forms the second resist 35 on the first resist 31 so as to cover the portion of the molding hole 34 in which the connection post 221 is formed. (Second resist formation step). In the second resist formation step, the operator forms the second resist 35 by sticking a mask tape on the first resist 31.

  Thereafter, the operator further performs electrolytic copper plating to form the head portion 224 of the coupling post 222 outside the molding hole 34 as shown in FIG. 9 (h) (second plating step). That is, except for the portion covered with the second resist 35, copper plating is performed until the metal material overflows from the opening surface of the molding hole 34, so that the portion filled in the molding hole 34 of the metal material is the neck portion. 223, the portion overflowing from the molding hole 34 becomes the head 224.

  After the head 224 of the coupling post 222 is formed in the second plating step, the operator removes the first resist 31 and the second resist 35 as shown in FIG. Process). Thereafter, the worker performs nickel plating and gold (Au) plating on the post 22 formed on the rigid substrate 30.

  Finally, the operator cuts out each header board 21 from the rigid board 30 (dicing process). In this dicing process, the header substrate 21 is cut along a cut line connecting through holes in the rigid substrate 30 to form through hole portions 233 and 236 having an end face through hole structure.

  In the first and second plating steps, it is desirable to use insoluble electrode copper plating instead of soluble electrode copper plating generally used as electrolytic copper plating. That is, in soluble electrode copper plating using a soluble electrode (copper electrode plate), the shape of the electrode changes with plating, and the height of the post 22 formed may vary. In contrast, insoluble electrode copper plating normally uses an iridium oxide electrode, and plating is performed while replenishing copper ions with a chemical solution, so that the shape of the electrode does not change, and thus variations in the height of the post 22 can be reduced. There are advantages.

  Moreover, as a manufacturing method of the header 20, in order to stabilize the shape of the head 224 of the coupling post 222, the following method may be employed.

  That is, in the second resist formation step, the operator forms a head molding hole (not shown) having a larger opening area than the molding hole 34 and communicating with the molding hole 34 in the second resist 35. In the second plating step, the operator performs copper plating so that the metal material does not overflow from the opening surface of the head molding hole. Thereby, the part overflowing from the opening surface of the shaping | molding hole 34 among metal materials in a 2nd plating process will be settled in a head shaping | molding hole. Therefore, the shape of the head 224 in the plane along the first surface 210 can be regulated by the opening shape of the head molding hole, and the shape of the head 224 is stabilized.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the socket 10 will be described.

  The operator first forms the through hole 13 in the insulating film that is the basis of the flexible substrate 112 (through hole forming step). Then, an operator forms the conductor pattern 120 containing the pad part 12 by plating on one surface of an insulating film (pad plating process). By this pad plating step, the elastic film 15 to which the elasticity by the pad portion 12 is imparted is formed around the through hole 13 in the flexible substrate 112.

  Then, the operator wraps the flexible substrate 112 around the rigid substrate 111 in which the escape hole 14 is formed, and attaches the flexible substrate 112 to the rigid substrate 111 with an adhesive, thereby forming the socket 10.

  According to the manufacturing method of the connector device 1 described above, the connection post 221 and the neck portion 223 of the coupling post 222 can be formed by the first resist forming step and the first plating step. Furthermore, the head portion 224 of the coupling post 222 can be formed by the subsequent second resist formation step and second plating step.

  In short, the posts 22 having different shapes are formed simultaneously during the series of manufacturing steps until the middle (formation of the connection post 221 and formation of the neck portion 223 of the coupling post 222). Therefore, even if it is the connector apparatus 1 which has the post | mailbox 22 from which a shape mutually differs, compared with the case where these post | mailboxes 22 are manufactured completely separately, a man-hour can be reduced and the simplification of a manufacturing method can be aimed at. .

  In addition, according to the manufacturing method described above, in the circuit formation step, the portion of the conductor pattern 23 where the coupling post 222 is formed is formed in advance thinner than the portion where the connection post 221 is formed. That is, the land portion 231 that becomes the base of the connection post 221 is made thicker than the land portion 234 that becomes the base of the connection post 222, so that the connection post 221 and the connection post 222 having different height dimensions can be formed. The neck portion 223 can be formed in one first plating step. Therefore, even if the posts 22 have different amounts of protrusion from the first surface 210, they can be formed at the same time, and man-hours can be reduced as compared with the case where these posts are manufactured completely separately. Can be simplified.

  By the way, in the said embodiment, although the socket board | substrate 11 is a 2 layer structure of the rigid board | substrate 111 and the flexible board | substrate 112, it may be not only this example but a 1 layer structure. That is, the socket substrate 11 may be a single substrate, and only the portion around the through hole 13 may be formed thin so that flexibility is imparted. In this configuration, the process of attaching the flexible substrate 112 to the rigid substrate 111 is not necessary, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  In the above embodiment, the pad 12 around the coupling through-hole 132 is provided to ensure the elasticity of the elastic film 15 and contributes to the electrical connection between the socket 10 and the header 20. Although not limited to this example. That is, the lead portion 121 is connected to the pad portion 12 around the coupling through-hole 132, and the coupling post 222 is inserted into the coupling through-hole 132 and contributes to the electrical connection between the socket 10 and the header 20. It may be a configuration.

  Even in this case, the mechanical coupling strength between the socket 10 and the header 20 can be adjusted to an appropriate size by adjusting the number of the coupling posts 222 regardless of the number of the connection posts 221. Thus, by using the coupling posts 222 for electrical connection, the number of the connection posts 221 can be reduced, and the connector device 1 can be further miniaturized.

  Furthermore, the post 22 is not limited to a columnar shape with a circular cross section, and may have another shape such as a prismatic shape with a polygonal cross section. Here, even if the connecting post 221 does not have a uniform thickness over the entire length in the vertical direction as in the above embodiment, the contact pressure with the pad portion 12 can be ensured when the connecting post 221 is inserted into the connecting through hole 131. Any shape is acceptable. That is, the connecting post 221 does not have to be thick at the tip end like the coupling post 222, and may have a tapered shape that becomes thinner as it is away from the first surface 210 in a direction orthogonal to the first surface 210. Good.

  The shape of the through hole 13 is not limited to a cross shape, and may be a hole shape formed by intersecting three or more slits at the center of each other, a circular shape, a star shape, or the like. Further, the through hole 13 may be formed by a notch formed in the elastic film 15 and opened with the deformation of the elastic film 15 only when the socket 10 and the header 20 are coupled. The elasticity of the elastic film 15 can also be adjusted by the shape of the through hole 13.

  In addition, the material and dimension of each part of the connector apparatus 1 illustrated in the said embodiment are examples, Comprising: It can change suitably according to a required function and performance.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector apparatus 10 Socket 11 Socket board 12 Pad part 15 Elastic film 20 Header 21 Header board 131 Connection through hole 132 Connection through hole 210 1st surface 221 Connection post 222 Connection post 223 Neck part 224 Head

Claims (4)

A socket and a header mechanically coupled to each other and electrically connected;
The socket has a socket substrate formed with a plurality of through holes penetrating in the thickness direction, and a pad portion made of a conductive material,
The header includes a header substrate and a columnar post provided at each position corresponding to the through hole on the first surface that is made of a conductive material and is one surface in the thickness direction of the header substrate,
The socket substrate has elasticity and an elastic film formed with the pad portion around the through hole,
The plurality of posts includes a connection post that electrically connects the socket and the header, and a coupling post that mechanically couples the socket and the header;
The plurality of through holes include a connection through hole formed at a position corresponding to the connection post, and a coupling through hole formed at a position corresponding to the coupling post,
The connection post is formed in a shape having a uniform thickness in a direction orthogonal to the first surface or a shape that becomes thinner as the distance from the first surface increases, and the socket and the header are coupled to each other. When the elastic membrane is elastically deformed, the connecting through hole is expanded while expanding the connecting through hole, and electrically connected to the pad portion,
The coupling post has a neck projecting from the first surface and a head that is continuous with the tip of the neck and is thicker than the neck. When the socket and the header are coupled, The elastic membrane is elastically deformed to widen the coupling through-hole at least until the head passes through the coupling through-hole, and is inserted into the coupling through-hole.
The connector device is characterized in that the protruding amount from the first surface is larger in the connecting post than in the neck portion of the coupling post.   2. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the connection post is formed so that a protruding amount from the first surface is smaller than that of the coupling post including the head. It is a manufacturing method of the connector device according to claim 1 or 2,
As a process of manufacturing the header,
A circuit forming step of forming a conductor pattern on one surface corresponding to the first surface of the rigid substrate that is the basis of the header substrate;
A first resist forming step of forming a first resist having a molding hole that exposes a part of the conductor pattern on the one surface of the rigid substrate after the circuit forming step;
A first plating step of forming the neck portion of the coupling post and the connection post on the conductor pattern by performing plating after the first resist forming step and filling the molding hole with a conductive material. When,
Second resist formation for forming a second resist on the first resist so as to cover a portion of the molding hole in which the connection post is formed in the first resist after the first plating step Process,
A second plating step of forming the head continuously with the neck portion outside the molding hole by further plating after the second resist forming step;
A method of manufacturing a connector device, comprising: a resist stripping step of stripping the first resist and the second resist after the second plating step. 4. The connector device according to claim 3, wherein, in the circuit forming step, a portion of the conductor pattern where the coupling post is formed is formed thinner than a portion where the connection post is formed. 5. Production method.

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