JP2015115297A - Substrate built-in connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate built-in connector capable of reducing a stress applied on a connection part between a substrate and a terminal, and of compactifying the entire connector.SOLUTION: A substrate built-in connector 1 comprises: a flexible substrate 10; a terminal pin 20 whose base end side is connected with the flexible substrate 10; a housing 30 at which a front end side of the terminal pin 20 is located, and provided with a fitting part 312 to which a partner side connector 90 is fitted; and a cover member 40 connected with the housing 30, and covering at least a part where the base end side of the terminal pin 20 is connected in the flexible substrate 10.

Description

  The present invention relates to a board built-in connector on which a board is mounted.

  As such a board built-in connector, a connector described in Patent Document 1 is known. Such a connector has a terminal connected to a built-in board by soldering.

JP 2010-140775 A

  In a connector as described in Patent Document 1, it is required to reduce stress applied to a connection portion between a substrate and a terminal in order to improve reliability. It is also required to suppress the increase in size of the connector due to the substrate.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a board built-in connector that can reduce the stress applied to the connecting portion between the board and the terminal and can be made compact as a whole.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a board built-in connector according to the present invention includes a flexible board, a terminal pin connected to the flexible board at a base end side, and a fitting in which a distal end side of the terminal pin is located and a mating connector is fitted. And a cover member connected to the housing and covering at least a portion of the flexible substrate to which the base end side of the terminal pin is connected.

  A through hole through which the terminal pin is inserted is formed in the housing, and the terminal pin is located in a space between the housing and the cover member and cannot pass through the through hole. The restriction member may be fixed.

  A plurality of the terminal pins may be connected to the one regulating member.

  The flexible substrate may be arranged in a bent state, and the cover member may be deformable so as to have a shape along the bent flexible substrate.

  The board built-in connector according to the present invention has a structure in which terminal pins are connected to a flexible board. When the mating connector (terminal included) is connected to the terminal pin, the stress generated in the connection portion between the flexible substrate and the terminal pin can be reduced due to the deformation of the flexible substrate. In addition, since a flexible substrate is employed as the substrate, the degree of freedom of arrangement of the substrate is improved (it can be bent and arranged), so that the whole can be made compact.

  If the said restriction member is being fixed to the terminal pin, when the other party connector once fitted is pulled out, it will be suppressed that a terminal pin and the flexible substrate connected to this are pulled largely.

  A plurality of terminal pins may be connected to one restricting member, and the restricting member may function as a member for maintaining the distance between the terminal pins.

  By adopting a structure in which the cover member is deformed into a shape matched to the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate is stable even when the flexible substrate is arranged in a bent state.

1 is an external view of a board built-in connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing (the AA sectional view taken on the line in FIG. 1) of the board built-in connector concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is an external view of a housing. It is an external view of a cover member. It is the figure which showed the set of a flexible substrate and a terminal pin (a control member is included). It is the figure which showed the state which positioned the flexible substrate and the terminal pin group shown in FIG. 5 with respect to the cover member. It is the figure which showed the flexible substrate in which multiple bending places exist (a mounting component is abbreviate | omitted).

  Hereinafter, a board built-in connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the term “axial direction” refers to the direction along the fitting direction of the connector. In addition, the side that mates with the counterpart connector 90 is referred to as a distal end (side), and the opposite is referred to as a proximal end (side). A board built-in connector 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a flexible board 10, terminal pins 20, a housing 30, and a cover member 40.

  The flexible substrate 10 is a substrate in which a conductive pattern is formed on a base material (base material) that can be bent and deformed, and a circuit is constructed by mounting various electronic components on the substrate. In the flexible substrate 10 according to this embodiment, one surface is a mounting surface 11 on which various electronic components are mounted, and the other surface is a flat non-mounting surface 12 on which various electronic components are not mounted. Since the function of the flexible substrate 10 (function of the constructed circuit) is not limited to a specific one, description thereof is omitted.

  Terminal pins 20 are connected to the flexible substrate 10. Specifically, the base end side (one side end portion) of the terminal pin 20 is soldered to a land which is a part of a circuit constructed on the flexible substrate 10. That is, the terminal pin 20 is electrically connected to a circuit built on the flexible substrate 10. The terminal pin 20 has an axis orthogonal to the surface on one side of the flexible substrate 10 (base material). In the present embodiment, a plurality of terminal pins 20 connected to the flexible substrate 10 are provided. In addition, a plurality of positioning holes 13 which are through holes are formed in each corner (near the corner) of the flexible substrate 10 in the present embodiment.

  One restricting member 21 is fixed to each terminal pin 20. The regulating member 21 is a block-shaped member made of an insulating material. In the present embodiment, the regulating member 21 is fixed so as to be located on the proximal end side of each terminal pin 20. The fixing method of the terminal pin 20 with respect to the regulating member 21 is not limited to a specific method. It may be fixed by press fitting or the like, or an adhesive or the like may be used. By providing the regulating member 21, the terminal pins 20 connected to the flexible substrate 10 are maintained in a state where they are erected at a predetermined interval.

  The housing 30 shown in FIG. 3 is a member in which a fitting portion 312 to which the mating connector 90 is fitted is formed. An opening 311 into which the mating connector 90 is inserted is formed on one surface (front end side wall portion 31) orthogonal to the axial direction. The opening 311 and the space inside the opening 311 serve as a fitting portion 312 into which the mating connector 90 is fitted. A through hole 321 through which each terminal pin 20 passes is formed on the other side surface (base end side wall portion 32 forming the inner bottom surface of the fitting portion 312).

  A locking projection 331 and a locking hole 332 are formed on both side wall portions 33 along the axial direction. The locking protrusion 331 is a protrusion that protrudes outward in the width direction from the side wall portions 33. The locking hole 332 is a through hole formed in the side wall portions 33. The cover member 40, which will be described in detail later, is connected to the housing 30 by the locking protrusions 331 and the locking holes 332.

  Further, the distal end side wall portion 31 in the housing 30 includes a portion 313 protruding upward. Similarly, the side wall portions 33 of the housing 30 include a portion 333 projecting upward and a portion 334 projecting rearward. The locking hole 332 described above is formed in a portion 333 that protrudes upward from the side wall portions 33.

  The cover member 40 shown in FIG. 4 is a member for holding the flexible substrate 10 at a predetermined position while maintaining the flexible substrate 10 in a predetermined shape. The cover member 40 in the present embodiment has a plate-like first portion 41 and a second portion 42. The first portion 41 and the second portion 42 are connected via a hinge portion 43. By this hinge part 43, the angle which the 1st part 41 and the 2nd part 42 make can be changed. Lock pieces 411 projecting along the axial direction are formed on both sides of the first portion 41 in the width direction. Lock protrusions 421 protruding in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction are formed on both sides of the second portion 42 in the width direction.

  On one surface of the first portion 41 and the second portion 42, a standing guide wall 44 is formed. The area surrounded by the guide wall 44 is large enough to allow the flexible substrate 10 to be inserted. In the present embodiment, a plurality of positioning protrusions 441 are formed at each corner (near the corner) of the region surrounded by the guide wall 44.

  The board built-in connector 1 having the above configuration can be assembled as follows, for example. First, a set (see FIG. 5) in which the flexible substrate 10 and the terminal pins 20 (regulating members 21) are integrated is obtained. That is, the terminal pin 20 is connected to the flexible substrate 10 on which a predetermined electronic component (circuit) is mounted (the electronic component and the terminal pin 20 may be mounted at the same time). The regulating member 21 may be fixed to the terminal pin 20 before the terminal pin 20 is connected to the flexible substrate 10, or may be fixed to the terminal pin 20 after the terminal pin 20 is connected to the flexible substrate 10. May be.

  The set of the flexible substrate 10 and the terminal pin 20 is positioned with respect to the cover member 40 (see FIG. 6). Specifically, the non-mounting surface 12 of the flexible substrate 10 is brought into contact with the cover member 40, the flexible substrate 10 is inserted into the guide wall 44, and the positioning protrusion 441 provided on the cover member 40 is inserted into the flexible substrate. 10 is passed through the positioning hole 13 formed in the base plate 10. More preferably, after the positioning protrusion 441 is passed through the positioning hole 13, the positioning protrusion 441 is crushed by heat or vibration so that the flexible substrate 10 does not move in the axial direction of the positioning protrusion 441.

  The cover member 40 in which the set of the flexible substrate 10 and the terminal pin 20 is positioned is attached to the housing 30. Specifically, the lock piece 411 of the cover member 40 is hooked on the locking protrusion 331 of the housing 30, and the lock protrusion 421 of the cover member 40 is fitted into the locking hole 332 of the housing 30. As a result, the hinge portion 43 is bent, and the cover member 40 is connected to the housing 30 in a state where the angle formed by the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 is approximately 90 degrees. When the cover member 40 is deformed in this manner, the flexible substrate 10 located on the inner side (housing 30 side) is also deformed into a shape along the cover member 40 (see FIG. 2). That is, the cover member 40 can be deformed by the hinge portion 43 so as to have a shape along the bent flexible substrate 10.

  When the cover member 40 is attached to the housing 30, the guide wall 44 of the cover member 40 enters inside the protruding portions 313, 333, and 334 of the housing 30 (see FIG. 2). Due to such a structure, entry of dust or the like into the space between the housing 30 and the cover member 40 (the space in which the flexible substrate 10 is accommodated) is prevented. That is, when assembling the board built-in connector 1, the guide wall 44 not only serves as a part that exhibits a function for facilitating insertion (guide) and positioning (not to move in the plane direction) of the flexible board 10. Also, it functions as a part that prevents entry of dust into the space in which the flexible substrate 10 is accommodated.

  Further, when the cover member 40 is attached in this way, the terminal pins 20 connected to the flexible substrate 10 are passed through the through holes 321 formed in the housing 30. Thereby, the front end side (part of predetermined length from a front end) of the through-hole 321 is located in the fitting part 312 in which the other party connector 90 fits.

  By combining the members in this manner, the board built-in connector 1 is completed. The flexible substrate 10 is disposed in the connector in a state where the flexible substrate 10 is bent by the cover member 40 (refers to a state in which the conductive pattern is bent with a curvature that does not cause disconnection). Specifically, the flexible substrate 10 in the present embodiment is arranged in a substantially “L” shape. The terminal pin 20 extends in a direction orthogonal to the mounting surface 11 of the flexible substrate 10, passes through the through hole 321 formed in the housing 30, and is in a state where the distal end side is located at the fitting portion 312.

  In the board built-in connector 1, the terminal pins 20 are connected to a part of the flexible board 10 that is in contact with the first part 41 of the cover member 40. The first portion 41 of the cover member 40 is positioned so as to be orthogonal to the axial direction (the fitting direction of the mating connector 90). Therefore, when the mating connector 90 is fitted, the terminal pin 20 is pushed in the fitting direction. However, the terminal pin is positioned by the first portion 41 of the cover member 40 positioned so as to be orthogonal to the direction. 20 and the flexible substrate 10 are supported.

  Further, in the board built-in connector 1, the regulating member 21 fixed to the terminal pin 20 is located in a space between the housing 30 and the cover member 40. The restriction member 21 is formed in a shape that cannot pass through the through hole 321 formed in the housing 30. Therefore, when the mating connector 90 once fitted is pulled out, the terminal pin 20 is pulled toward the distal end side. However, since the regulating member 21 is hooked on the proximal end side wall portion 32 of the housing 30, the terminal pin 20 is large. Pulling to the tip side is prevented. Such a function is used when the board built-in connector 1 is used for an application in which the mating connector 90 may be released even after the mating connector 90 is once mated (the mating connector 90 may be inserted and removed). It is advantageous.

  The board built-in connector 1 in the present embodiment has a plurality of terminal pins 20. The plurality of terminal pins 20 are connected to one regulating member 21. In other words, the plurality of terminal pins 20 are connected by the regulating member 21. Because of this structure, the spacing between the terminal pins 20 is maintained by the regulating member 21. If the distance between the terminal pins 20 is maintained, assembly workability is improved. Thus, the regulating member 21 not only prevents the terminal pins 20 from being pulled greatly when the counterpart connector 90 is pulled out, but also serves as a member for maintaining the spacing between the terminal pins 20. Function.

  Since the board built-in connector 1 according to the present embodiment described above has a structure in which the terminal pins 20 are connected to the flexible board 10, when the mating connector 90 (terminals included) is connected to the terminal pins 20, the flexible board is provided. By the deformation of 10, the stress generated in the connection portion between the flexible substrate 10 and the terminal pin 20 can be reduced. In particular, in this embodiment, since the flexible substrate 10 is arranged in a bent state, the stress generated in the connection portion between the flexible substrate and the terminal pins 20 is easily absorbed by the bent portion of the flexible substrate 10.

  In addition, since the flexible substrate 10 is employed as the substrate, the flexible substrate 10 can be bent and disposed, and the degree of freedom of substrate placement is improved. As a result, the entire connector becomes compact. That is, in the board built-in connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the flexible board 10 is arranged in a substantially “L” shape (the bent portion is one place), but is not limited to such a structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a flexible substrate 10a having a plurality of bent portions may be employed (the dotted line portion is a bent portion). That is, when using a substrate (so-called rigid substrate) having a base material formed of a hard material, the larger the substrate, the larger the connector, but the flexible substrate 10 is used as in this embodiment, and the arrangement thereof is increased. By adjusting the shape (bent portion), the increase in size of the connector accompanying the increase in size of the substrate can be suppressed. When the flexible substrate 10a as shown in FIG. 7 is employed, it is necessary to set the shapes of the housing 30 and the cover member 40 in accordance with the flexible substrate 10a. For example, the height of the guide wall 44 may be increased to increase the space between the housing 30 and the cover member 40 in the axial direction.

  Further, since the flexible substrate 10 and the cover member 40 are in close contact with each other, the heat dissipation performance through the cover member 40 is excellent. In order to improve the heat dissipation performance, a structure (such as a fin) for increasing the area of the outer surface of the cover member 40 (the surface serving as the outer surface of the board built-in connector 1) may be provided.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described in detail, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment at all, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

  In the board built-in connector 1 according to the above-described embodiment, it has been described that all of the plurality of terminal pins 20 are fixed to the single regulating member 21, but a plurality of regulating members 21 may be provided. That is, it is good also as a structure provided with the regulating member fixed to two or more terminal pins with a certain of several terminal pins, and another regulating member fixed to two or more terminal pins. Moreover, if it is to prevent the terminal pin from being pulled when releasing the mating with the mating connector, each terminal pin has one regulating member that cannot pass through the through hole. It may be a fixed configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board built-in connector 10 Flexible board 11 Mounting surface 12 Non-mounting surface 20 Terminal pin 21 Restriction member 30 Housing 312 Fitting part 321 Through-hole 40 Cover member 41 1st part 42 2nd part 43 Hinge part 90 Counterpart connector

Claims (4)

A flexible substrate;
A terminal pin having a base end connected to the flexible substrate;
A housing in which a distal end side of the terminal pin is located and a fitting portion into which a mating connector is fitted; and
A cover member that is connected to the housing and covers at least a portion of the flexible substrate to which a base end side of the terminal pin is connected;
A board built-in connector, comprising: The housing has a through hole through which the terminal pin is inserted,
2. The board built-in according to claim 1, wherein a regulation member that is positioned in a space between the housing and the cover member and cannot pass through the through hole is fixed to the terminal pin. connector.   The board built-in connector according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the terminal pins are connected to one of the restricting members. The flexible substrate is arranged in a bent state,
The board built-in connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cover member is deformable so as to have a shape along the bent flexible board.

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