JP2020098863A - Connector assembly, connector pair of connector assembly, and manufacturing method of connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a connector assembly capable of ensuring good electrical connection of a first wiring sheet and a second wiring sheet, without requiring any special cleaning step at the time of manufacture.SOLUTION: A connector assembly 10 includes a first connector 20 having a reception part 22, a first wiring sheet 50 having two first deformable parts 528 provided, respectively, with a first contact 546, a second wiring sheet 60 having two second deformable parts 628 provided, respectively, with a second contact 646, and a second connector 70 having a received part 76. The two first deformable parts 528 are extending, respectively, to the opposite sides in the lateral direction, and the two second deformable parts 628 are extending, respectively, toward each other in the lateral direction. The received part 76 is received in the reception part 22. A first contact 546 and a second contact 646 are rubbed against each other in a step of assembling the connector assembly 10, and located in the reception part 22 in contact with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

The present invention relates to a connector assembly including a first connector, a first wiring sheet, a second wiring sheet, and a second connector.

This type of connector assembly is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-242242.

Referring to FIG. 21, the connector assembly 90 of Patent Document 1 includes a support plate (first connector) 92, a flexible printed circuit board (first wiring sheet) 94, a flexible printed circuit board (second wiring sheet) 96, An elastic sheet (second connector) 98 and a holding plate 99 are provided. Two holes 922 are formed in the first connector 92, and two holes 982 corresponding to the holes 922 are formed in the second connector 98. The first wiring sheet 94 has two holes 942 respectively corresponding to the holes 922 and a plurality of wiring patterns 948. The second wiring sheet 96 is formed with two holes 962 corresponding to the holes 922 and a plurality of wiring patterns 968 corresponding to the wiring patterns 948, respectively. The holding plate 99 has two locking pieces 992 respectively corresponding to the holes 922.

When assembling the connector assembly 90, each of the locking pieces 992 of the holding plate 99 is bent after passing through the corresponding holes 982, 962, 942 and 922, so that the first wiring sheet 94 and the first wiring sheet 94. The two wiring sheets 96 are in close contact with each other (not shown). At this time, the terminals 949 of the wiring pattern 948 are in contact with the terminals 969 of the wiring pattern 968, respectively. As a result, the first wiring sheet 94 and the second wiring sheet 96 are electrically connected to each other.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-172168

Generally, when the terminals of two wiring sheets are brought into contact with each other, good electrical connection between the two wiring sheets can be obtained due to contaminants attached to the terminals or foreign matters such as an oxide film formed on the terminals. You may not get it. Therefore, when the connector assembly is assembled as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to perform a cleaning process for removing foreign matter on each of the first wiring sheet and the second wiring sheet before the assembly process. There is. However, such a cleaning process increases the number of manufacturing steps of the connector assembly. That is, the time and cost required to manufacture the connector assembly are increased.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly that can achieve good electrical connection between the first wiring sheet and the second wiring sheet without performing a special cleaning step during manufacturing.

The present invention provides, as a first method of manufacturing a connector assembly,
A preparation step of preparing a first connector, a first wiring sheet, a second wiring sheet, and a second connector, wherein the first connector has a receiving portion, and the first wiring sheet is , Two first supporting portions extending in the lateral direction, a first connecting portion connecting the two first supporting portions to each other in a vertical direction orthogonal to the lateral direction, and the first connecting portion to the lateral direction. Has two first deformable portions respectively extending on both sides, and a first contact point provided on the first deformable portion, and the second wiring sheet has two first deformable portions extending in the lateral direction. A second support part, two second connection parts that connect the two second support parts to each other in the longitudinal direction, two second deformable parts that extend from the second connection part toward each other, and A second contact provided on a second deformable portion, the second connector has a receiving portion, and at least one of the receiving portion and the receiving portion is elastically deformable. A preparatory step in which a flexible elastic part is provided,
A step of arranging the first connector, the first wiring sheet, the second wiring sheet, and the second connector so as to be arranged in this order from the bottom in a vertical direction orthogonal to the lateral direction. The two first deformable parts are positioned above the receiving part while the contact points are directed upward, and the two second deformable parts are two first deformable parts while the second contact point is directed downward. Arranging the receiving part and the receiving part on the receiving part through the first deformable part and the second deformable part, respectively.
The second connector is moved downward, and the received portion pushes the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion downward, whereby the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion. And pressing the inside of the receiving portion while deforming the portion,
Deformation of the second deformable portion ends in the middle of the pushing step, and then the first deformable portion moves downward relative to the second deformable portion,
When the pressing step is completed, the first contact and the second contact are located inside the receiving portion and are in contact with each other, and the contact between the first contact and the second contact is: A method of manufacturing a connector assembly that is maintained by the elastic force of the elastic portion is provided.

The present invention also provides a first manufacturing method as a second manufacturing method of a connector assembly,
The first connector includes a holding member and an elastic member,
The elastic member is held by the holding member,
The holding member has a recess,
The receiving portion is formed from the concave portion and the elastic member that functions as the elastic portion,
The elastic member has at least two protrusions and an elastic support portion,
The two protrusions are located at least partially inside the recess, and face each other in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction,
The elastic support portion provides a method of manufacturing a connector assembly that supports each of the protrusions.

The present invention also provides, as a first connector assembly,
The first connector has a receiving portion,
The first wiring sheet has two first supporting portions, a first connecting portion, two first deformable portions, and a first contact point,
Each of the first support portions extends in the lateral direction,
The first connecting portion connects the two first supporting portions to each other in a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction,
The two first deformable portions extend from the first connecting portion to both sides in the lateral direction,
The first contact is provided on the first deformable portion,
The second wiring sheet has two second supporting portions, two second connecting portions, two second deformable portions, and second contact points,
Each of the second support portions extends along the lateral direction,
Each of the second connecting portions connects the two second supporting portions to each other in the vertical direction,
The two second deformable portions respectively extend from the two second connecting portions toward each other,
The second contact is provided on the second deformable portion,
The second connector has a receiving portion,
At least one of the receiving portion and the received portion is provided with an elastic portion that is elastically deformable,
The first connector, the first wiring sheet, the second wiring sheet and the second connector are arranged in this order from the bottom in the vertical direction orthogonal to both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction,
The received portion is received inside the receiving portion and pushes the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion,
The first contact and the second contact are located inside the receiving portion and are in contact with each other, and the contact between the first contact and the second contact is maintained by the elastic force of the elastic portion. A connector assembly is provided.

The present invention also provides, as the second connector assembly, the first connector assembly,
The lateral end of each of the second deformable parts is located inside the receiving part and is provided above the first connecting part.

The present invention also provides, as a third connector assembly, a first or second connector assembly,
The first connector has two protrusions and a first floor,
Each of the protrusions protrudes upward from the first floor,
The receiver is located between the two protrusions in the lateral direction,
The second connector has a second floor,
The receiving portion projects downward from the second floor portion,
The first floor and the second floor provide a connector assembly that is separated from each other in the vertical direction.

The present invention also provides, as a fourth connector assembly, any one of the first to third connector assemblies,
The first connector includes a holding member and an elastic member,
The elastic member is held by the holding member,
The holding member has a recess,
The receiving portion is formed from the concave portion and the elastic member that functions as the elastic portion,
The elastic member has at least two protrusions and an elastic support portion,
The two protrusions are located at least partially inside the recess and face each other in the lateral direction,
The elastic support portion supports each of the protrusions,
The received portion provides a connector assembly that is sandwiched between the two protrusions in the lateral direction via the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion.

The present invention also provides, as a fifth connector assembly, a fourth connector assembly,
The elastic member provides a connector assembly that is a metal spring.

The present invention also provides, as the first connector pair,
There is provided a connector pair including two connectors which can be respectively used as a first connector and a second connector of the connector assembly according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

The present invention also provides, as the second connector pair,
A connector pair comprising a first connector and a second connector,
The first connector has two protrusions and a first floor,
Each of the projecting portions projects upward in the vertical direction from the first floor portion,
The receiving portion is located between the two protruding portions in a lateral direction orthogonal to the vertical direction,
The second connector has a receiving portion and a second floor portion,
The receiving portion projects downward from the second floor portion,
At least one of the receiving portion and the received portion is provided with an elastic portion that is elastically deformable,
The receiving portion is capable of receiving the receiving portion,
When the receiving portion is received by the receiving portion, the first floor portion and the second floor portion provide a pair of connectors that are separated from each other in the vertical direction.

The present invention also provides, as the third connector pair, a second connector pair,
The first connector includes a holding member and an elastic member,
The elastic member is held by the holding member,
The holding member has a recess,
The receiving portion is formed from the concave portion and the elastic member that functions as the elastic portion,
The elastic member has at least two protrusions and an elastic support portion,
The two protrusions are located at least partially inside the recess and face each other in the lateral direction,
The elastic support portion supports each of the protrusions,
When the received portion is received by the receiving portion, the received portion provides a connector pair located between the two protrusions in the lateral direction.

The present invention also provides, as the fourth connector pair, a third connector pair,
The elastic member provides a pair of connectors that are metal springs.

According to the present invention, as a result of the arranging step, the two first deformable portions are positioned above the receiving portion while the first contact points upward, and the two second deformable portions move the second contact point downward. Are located on the two first deformable portions, respectively. According to this arrangement, when the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion are pushed downward in the pushing step, the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion have the first contact point and the second contact point. Deform while contacting each other. Particularly, according to the present invention, the deformation of the second deformable portion ends in the middle of the pushing step, and then the first deformable portion moves downward relative to the second deformable portion. At this time, the first contact moves downward while being rubbed against the second contact, whereby each of the first contact and the second contact is cleaned. That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector assembly in which good electrical connection between the first wiring sheet and the second wiring sheet can be obtained without performing a special cleaning step during manufacturing.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in the assembled state. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a manufacturing method for assembling the connector assembly of FIG. 2 from the connector assembly of FIG. 1. It is a top view which shows the 1st connector of the connector assembly of FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the first connector of FIG. 4. One of the elastic members is enlarged and drawn. It is sectional drawing which shows the 1st connector of FIG. 4 along a VI-VI line. It is a top view which shows the 1st wiring sheet of the connector assembly of FIG. A virtual boundary line between the first connecting portion and the first deformable portion is drawn by a broken line. It is a bottom view which shows the 1st wiring sheet of FIG. A virtual boundary line between the first connecting portion and the first deformable portion is drawn by a broken line. It is a top view which shows the 2nd wiring sheet of the connector assembly of FIG. A virtual boundary line between the second connecting portion and the second deformable portion is drawn by a broken line. It is a bottom view which shows the 2nd wiring sheet of FIG. A virtual boundary line between the second connecting portion and the second deformable portion is drawn by a broken line. It is a bottom view which shows the 2nd connector of the connector assembly of FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in an arrangement step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector assembly of FIG. 12 along a line XIII-XIII. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a part (a portion surrounded by a broken line A) of the connector assembly of FIG. 13. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector assembly of FIG. 13 in a pressing step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3. The edges of the first wiring sheet and the edges of the second wiring sheet are not drawn. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a part (a part surrounded by a broken line B) of the connector assembly of FIG. 15. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector assembly of FIG. 15 when the pushing step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3 proceeds. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a part (a portion surrounded by a broken line C) of the connector assembly of FIG. 17. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector assembly of FIG. 17 at the time of the end of the pushing process of the manufacturing method of FIG. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing a part (a portion surrounded by a broken line D) of the connector assembly of FIG. 19. It is an exploded perspective view showing a connector assembly of patent documents 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a connector assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first connector 20, a first wiring sheet 50, a second wiring sheet 60, and a second connector 70. There is. The connector assembly 10 is an assembly for electrically connecting the first wiring sheet 50 and the second wiring sheet 60 to each other. Referring to FIG. 3, the connector assembly 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the present embodiment is subjected to at least three manufacturing steps of a preparation step (STEP1), an arrangement step (STEP2), and a pressing step (STEP3). Manufactured. Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of the connector assembly 10 of the present embodiment will be described in the order of starting the manufacturing process.

Referring to FIG. 1, first, in a preparation step (see FIG. 3 ), the first connector 20, the first wiring sheet 50, the second wiring sheet 60, and the second connector 70 are prepared. The structure of each member when prepared in the preparation step will be described below.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6, the first connector 20 according to the present embodiment includes a base member 30B made of an insulator, a holding member 30 made of an insulator, and four elastic members made of metal ( Elastic portion) 40. The base member 30B has a flat plate shape parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane). The holding member 30 is attached on the base member 30B in the vertical direction (Z direction). Each of the elastic members 40 is held by the holding member 30 and the base member 30B. The first connector 20 of this embodiment is formed of the above-mentioned members. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the base member 30B may be provided as needed. When the base member 30B is not provided, each elastic member 40 may be held only by the holding member 30. On the other hand, the first connector 20 may further include another member.

The holding member 30 of the present embodiment has a bottom portion 32, a first floor portion 322, six projecting portions 34, and four concave portions 36. The bottom portion 32 has a flat plate shape parallel to the XY plane. The first floor portion 322 is formed on the bottom portion 32. More specifically, the first floor portion 322 is the upper surface (the +Z side surface) of the bottom portion 32, and is a plane parallel to the XY plane. The six protrusions 34 are divided into two rows in the vertical direction (X direction) orthogonal to the Z direction. The two rows of the protruding portions 34 are arranged side by side with the first floor portion 322 in the X direction. The three protrusions 34 in each row are arranged in the lateral direction (Y direction) orthogonal to both the X direction and the Z direction. The first floor portion 322 is provided between the two protruding portions 34 that are adjacent to each other in the Y direction. Each of the protrusions 34 protrudes upward (+Z direction) in the Z direction from the first floor 322.

Each of the recesses 36 is a space located between two adjacent protrusions 34 in the Y direction. According to the present embodiment, the six protrusions 34 are arranged in a 2×3 matrix, and the four recesses 36 are formed by this arrangement. However, as long as the holding member 30 has one or more recesses 36, the number and arrangement of the protrusions 34 are not limited to the present embodiment.

The three protrusions 34 in each row are composed of an end protrusion (protrusion) 34A, an end protrusion (protrusion) 34B, and an intermediate protrusion (protrusion) 34C. The end protruding portion 34A and the end protruding portion 34B are located at both ends of each row in the Y direction. The intermediate protruding portion 34C is located in the middle between the end protruding portion 34A and the end protruding portion 34B in the Y direction.

Each of the protrusions 34 has a housing 342. The accommodating portion 342 is a space formed inside the projecting portion 34, and is open in the upper direction and the Y direction. Each of the end protruding portion 34A and the end protruding portion 34B has one accommodation portion 342 that is opened inward in the Y direction. On the other hand, the intermediate protruding portion 34C has two housing portions 342 that are open on both sides in the Y direction. The end projecting portion 34A and the end projecting portion 34B have mirror-symmetrical shapes with respect to the XZ plane. The intermediate protrusion 34C has a mirror-symmetrical shape with respect to the XZ plane. One of the two accommodating portions 342 of the intermediate protruding portion 34C faces the accommodating portion 342 of the end protruding portion 34A across the recess 36 in the Y direction, and the one of the two accommodating portions 342 of the intermediate protruding portion 34C is disposed. The other of the two faces the accommodating portion 342 of the end protruding portion 34B in the Y direction with the recess 36 interposed therebetween.

The four elastic members 40 are arranged so as to correspond to the recesses 36, respectively. 4 to 6, the four elastic members 40 have the same shape. Each of the elastic members 40 has an elastic support portion 44 and four protrusions 48. The elastic support portion 44 supports each of the protrusions 48.

The elastic support portion 44 has a held portion 442 and four spring portions 448 corresponding to the four protrusions 48, respectively. The held portion 442 is sandwiched between the bottom portion 32 and the base member 30B in the Z direction, and extends along the Y direction as a whole. Two of the four spring portions 448 are provided on one of both ends of the held portion 442 in the Y direction and are arranged in the X direction. The other two of the four spring portions 448 are provided on the other of both ends of the held portion 442 in the Y direction and are arranged in the X direction. Each of the spring portions 448 extends upward from the held portion 442 and supports the corresponding protruding portion 48. Two of the four protrusions 48 face the other two of the four protrusions 48 in the Y direction. Each of the spring portions 448 is elastically deformable. Each of the protrusions 48 protrudes inward in the Y direction from the spring portion 448, and is movable in the Y direction as the spring portion 448 elastically deforms.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the first connector 20 of the present embodiment has four receiving portions 22 corresponding to the four recesses 36, respectively. The receiving portions 22 have the same structure as each other. Each of the receiving portions 22 is formed of a concave portion 36 and an elastic member 40, and is located between the two protruding portions 34 in the Y direction. Each of the protrusions 48 of the elastic member 40 is partially located inside the accommodating portion 342 and partially inside the recess 36. Further, each of the receiving portions 22 is provided with a first floor portion 322. The first floor portion 322 is located at the lower end (end on the −Z side) of the receiving portion 22.

Referring to FIG. 1, the recess 36 of the receiving portion 22 is a portion for partially receiving the second connector 70 together with a part of the first wiring sheet 50 and a part of the second wiring sheet 60. The elastic member 40 of the receiving portion 22 is a portion for sandwiching the portion received by the recess 36 in the Y direction by the elastic force. The structure of the first connector 20 can be variously modified as long as the receiving portion 22 that functions as described above is provided. For example, the first connector 20 may have at least one receiving portion 22. When the first connector 20 has only one receiving portion 22, it only needs to have two protruding portions 34.

Each of the protrusions 34 may be formed of an elastic body. In this case, the protrusions 34 may have the same shape as each other. Moreover, in this case, the first connector 20 may not include the elastic member 40. That is, each of the receiving portions 22 may be formed only from the corresponding concave portion 36. Referring to FIG. 5, each elastic member 40 may have only two protrusions 48. More specifically, the two spring portions 448 arranged side by side in the X direction in FIG. 5 may be one portion connected to each other in the X direction. Further, the two protrusions 48 arranged side by side in the X direction in FIG. 5 may be one portion connected to each other in the X direction. That is, each elastic member 40 may have at least two protrusions 48. The two protrusions 48 may be located at least partially inside the recess 36, and may face each other in the Y direction.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the first wiring sheet 50 of the present embodiment includes a first insulating sheet 52 made of an insulator and eight first conductive patterns 54 made of a conductor. There is. The first insulating sheet 52 is a thin sheet extending parallel to the XY plane. The first conductive pattern 54 is formed on the upper surface of the first insulating sheet 52.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, the first wiring sheet 50 of the present embodiment is an FPC (flexible printed circuits) including a first insulating sheet 52 and a first conductive pattern 54. The FPC of the first wiring sheet 50 has flexibility and can be bent without breaking. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first wiring sheet 50 may include another member. For example, the first wiring sheet 50 may include a first reinforcing plate (not shown) that reinforces the flexible FPC of the first wiring sheet 50 and supports the FPC so as to extend on a plane.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the first wiring sheet 50 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes two first end portions 522, three first support portions 524, four first connection portions 526, and eight first end portions 522. It has a first deformable portion 528 and six first slits 532. Each of the first end portion 522, the first support portion 524, the first connecting portion 526, and the first deformable portion 528 is a part of the first insulating sheet 52. Each of the first slits 532 is a hole formed in the first insulating sheet 52, and penetrates the first insulating sheet 52 in the Z direction.

The two first end portions 522 are respectively located at both end portions in the Y direction of the first wiring sheet 50. Each of the first slits 532 is located between the two first end portions 522 in the Y direction. The six first slits 532 are divided into two rows in the X direction. The three first slits 532 in each row are arranged in the Y direction. According to the present embodiment, in each row, first slit 532 located in the middle portion in the Y direction has an H shape. On the other hand, in each row, the two first slits 532 respectively located at both ends in the Y direction have C-shapes arranged so as to face each other. However, the shape of the first slit 532 is not limited to this embodiment, and can be variously modified. For example, in each row, instead of the first slit 532 located at the intermediate portion in the Y direction, two C-shaped slits arranged so as to face opposite sides may be provided.

Each of the first slits 532 is located between two of the first support parts 524 in the X direction. Specifically, the three first support portions 524 extend between the two first end portions 522 in parallel with each other along the Y direction. Two of the first support portions 524 extend so as to sandwich the two rows of the first slits 532 in the X direction, and the other one of the first support portions 524 has two rows in the X direction. And extends so as to be sandwiched between the first slits 532. Each of the first connecting portions 526 is located between two first slits 532 adjacent to each other in the Y direction. Each of the first connecting portions 526 extends along the X direction between two first supporting portions 524 adjacent to each other in the X direction, and connects the two first supporting portions 524 to each other in the X direction. ..

The eight first deformable portions 528 are divided into four pairs of first deformable portions 528 corresponding to the four first connecting portions 526, respectively. The first deformable portion 528 of each pair is composed of two first deformable portions 528. Each of the first connecting portions 526 is located between the corresponding two first deformable portions 528 in the Y direction. The two first deformable portions 528 of each pair of the first deformable portions 528 extend from the corresponding first connecting portion 526 to both sides in the Y direction. In other words, the two first deformable portions 528 corresponding to the first connecting portions 526 respectively project from the first connecting portions 526 on both sides in the Y direction.

Each of the first deformable portions 528 formed as described above has a rectangular shape in the XY plane and is surrounded by one of the first slits 532 from three sides. Further, each of the first deformable portions 528 is separated from the first support portion 524. In detail, each of the first deformable portions 528 is almost separated from the first support portion 524 by one of the first slits 532, while being separated from each other by one of the first connecting portions 526. , The first support portion 524. In other words, the first slits 532 are formed between each of the first deformable portions 528 and the first support portion 524, whereby each of the first deformable portions 528 has one first slit. It is connected to the first supporting portion 524 only by the first connecting portion 526. Each of the first deformable portions 528 arranged in this manner is relatively deformable with respect to the corresponding first connecting portion 526.

The first insulating sheet 52 of the present embodiment has the structure described above. However, the structure of the first insulating sheet 52 is not limited to this embodiment, and can be variously modified. For example, the first insulating sheet 52 may have at least one first connecting portion 526. When the first insulating sheet 52 has only one first connecting portion 526, the first insulating sheet 52 includes two first supporting portions 524 connected to each other by the first connecting portion 526 and a first connecting portion 524. It suffices to have two first deformable portions 528 extending from the portion 526. That is, the first wiring sheet 50 only needs to have two first supporting portions 524, one first connecting portion 526, and two deformable first deformable portions 528.

Referring to FIG. 1, the four first connecting portions 526 are provided corresponding to the four receiving portions 22 of the first connector 20, respectively. More specifically, the first wiring sheet 50 can be arranged above the first connector 20 such that the first connecting portions 526 are located directly above the receiving portions 22, respectively. When the first wiring sheet 50 is arranged in this way, the two first deformable portions 528 corresponding to the respective first connecting portions 526 are located above the corresponding receiving portions 22. That is, the first wiring sheet 50 of the present embodiment has one first connecting portion 526 and two (a pair of) first deformable portions 528 for each of the receiving portions 22, The first connecting portion 526 connects the two first deformable portions 528 to each other in the Y direction.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7, each of the first conductive patterns 54 has a first terminal portion 542, a first pattern portion 544, and a first contact 546. Each of the first terminal portions 542 is arranged at the first end portion 522 of the first insulating sheet 52, and is connected to a first object (not shown) when the connector assembly 10 is used. Each of the first contact points 546 is arranged over the two first deformable portions 528 that form a pair. Each of the first pattern portions 544 connects the first terminal portion 542 and the first contact 546 to each other. The illustrated first terminal portion 542 and first pattern portion 544 are exposed upward. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first terminal portion 542 and the first pattern portion 544 may be covered with a resist.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the eight first contact points 546 are divided into four first contact point pairs 546P corresponding to the four pairs of first deformable portions 528, respectively. Each of the first contact pairs 546P is composed of two first contacts 546. Each of the first contact point pairs 546P is formed on the upper surface of the corresponding first connecting portion 526 and the upper surface of the corresponding two first deformable portions 528. The two first contact points 546 in each of the first contact point pair 546P are respectively located on both sides in the X direction of the corresponding first connecting portion 526 and the corresponding two first deformable portions 528. The two first contact points 546 in each of the first contact point pair 546P are separated from each other in the X direction and extend parallel to each other along the Y direction.

As described above, the first wiring sheet 50 according to the present embodiment includes the plurality of first contact point pairs 546P (that is, the plurality of pairs of first contact points 546) provided in the plurality of pairs of the first deformable portions 528, respectively. Have However, the arrangement of the first contact points 546 in each of the first deformable portions 528 is not limited to the present embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the two first contact points 546 in each of the first contact point pair 546P may be separated from each other in the Y direction and extend parallel to each other along the X direction. Further, the first deformable portions 528 of each pair may be provided with only one first contact 546 instead of the first contact pair 546P. That is, each of the first deformable portions 528 may be provided with at least one first contact 546.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 9 and 10, the second wiring sheet 60 of the present embodiment includes a second insulating sheet 62 made of an insulator and eight second conductive patterns 64 made of a conductor. There is. The second insulating sheet 62 is a thin sheet extending parallel to the XY plane. The second conductive pattern 64 is formed on the lower surface (the surface on the −Z side) of the second insulating sheet 62.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 10, the second wiring sheet 60 of the present embodiment is an FPC including a second insulating sheet 62 and a second conductive pattern 64. The FPC of the second wiring sheet 60 has flexibility and can be bent without breaking. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second wiring sheet 60 may include another member. For example, the second wiring sheet 60 may include a second reinforcing plate (not shown) that reinforces the flexible FPC of the second wiring sheet 60 and supports the FPC so as to extend on a plane.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the second wiring sheet 60 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes two second end portions 622, three second support portions 624, six second connecting portions 626, and eight second end portions 622. It has a second deformable portion 628 and four second slits 632. Each of the second end portion 622, the second support portion 624, the second connecting portion 626, and the second deformable portion 628 is a part of the second insulating sheet 62. Each of the second slits 632 is a hole formed in the second insulating sheet 62, and penetrates the second insulating sheet 62 in the Z direction.

The two second end portions 622 are located at both end portions in the Y direction of the second wiring sheet 60, respectively. Each of the second slits 632 is located between the two second end portions 622 in the Y direction. The four second slits 632 are divided into two rows in the X direction. The two second slits 632 in each row are arranged in the Y direction. According to this embodiment, each of the second slits 632 has an H shape. However, the shape of the second slit 632 is not limited to this embodiment, and can be variously modified. For example, instead of each of the first slits 532 of the present embodiment, two C-shaped slits arranged so as to face opposite sides may be provided.

Each of the second slits 632 is located between two of the second support portions 624 in the X direction and between two of the second connecting portions 626 in the Y direction. Specifically, the three second support parts 624 extend in parallel with each other along the Y direction between the two second end parts 622. Two of the second supporting portions 624 extend so as to sandwich the two rows of the second slits 632 in the X direction, and the other one of the second supporting portions 624 has two rows of the second supporting portions 624 in the X direction. It extends so as to be sandwiched between the second slits 632. Each of the second connecting portions 626 is located between two second slits 632 that are adjacent to each other in the Y direction, or is located outside the second slit 632 in the Y direction. Each of the second connecting portions 626 extends along the X direction between two second supporting portions 624 adjacent to each other in the X direction, and connects the two second supporting portions 624 to each other in the X direction. ..

In the present embodiment, four of the six second connecting portions 626 are the inner ends of the two second end portions 622 in the Y direction, and the four second slits 632 are sandwiched between them in the Y direction. It has been extended. The other two of the six second connecting portions 626 extend so as to be sandwiched between the two second slits 632 and the other two second slits 632 in the Y direction. The second connecting portions 626 are provided as described above, and thus, each of the second slits 632 is provided so as to correspond to two of the second connecting portions 626.

The eight second deformable portions 628 are divided into four pairs of second deformable portions 628 corresponding to the four second slits 632. The second deformable portion 628 of each pair is composed of two second deformable portions 628. The two second deformable portions 628 of each pair of the second deformable portions 628 extend from the corresponding two second connecting portions 626 in the Y direction toward each other. In other words, the two second deformable portions 628 corresponding to the respective second slits 632 respectively project from two of the second connecting portions 626 in the Y direction toward each other.

Each of the second deformable portions 628 formed as described above has a rectangular shape in the XY plane and is surrounded by the corresponding second slits 632 from three sides. Each of the second deformable portions 628 has a tip 628E in the Y direction. Each of the tips 628E is located at the inner end in the Y direction of the second deformable portion 628, and is located inside the corresponding second slit 632.

Further, each of the second deformable portions 628 is separated from the second support portion 624. Specifically, each of the second deformable portions 628 is substantially separated from the second support portion 624 by the corresponding second slit 632, while the second deformable portion 628 is separated from the second support portion 624 by one of the second connecting portions 626. It is connected to the support portion 624. In other words, the second slits 632 are formed between each of the second deformable portions 628 and the second support portion 624, whereby each of the second deformable portions 628 has one first slit. It is connected to the second supporting portion 624 only by the second connecting portion 626. Each of the second deformable portions 628 formed in this way is relatively deformable with respect to the corresponding second connecting portion 626.

The second insulating sheet 62 of the present embodiment has the structure described above. However, the structure of the second insulating sheet 62 is not limited to this embodiment, and can be variously modified. For example, the second insulating sheet 62 may have two or more second connecting portions 626. When the second insulating sheet 62 has only two second connecting portions 626, the second insulating sheet 62 has two second supporting portions 624 connected to each other by two second connecting portions 626 and two second supporting portions 624. It suffices to have two second deformable portions 628 that extend from one of the second connecting portions 626 to each other. That is, the second wiring sheet 60 only needs to have two second support portions 624, two second connection portions 626, and two deformable second deformable portions 628.

Referring to FIG. 1, the four second slits 632 are provided corresponding to the four receiving portions 22 of the first connector 20, respectively. More specifically, the second wiring sheet 60 can be arranged above the first connector 20 such that the second slits 632 are located directly above the receiving portions 22, respectively. When the second wiring sheet 60 is arranged in this way, the two second deformable portions 628 corresponding to the respective second slits 632 are located above the corresponding receiving portions 22. That is, the second wiring sheet 60 of the present embodiment includes two (one pair) second connecting portions 626 and two (one pair) second deformable portions 628 for each of the receiving portions 22. The two second deformable portions 628 respectively project from the two second connecting portions 626 toward each other in the Y direction.

Referring to FIG. 10, each of the second conductive patterns 64 has a second terminal portion 642, a second pattern portion 644, and a second contact 646. Each of the second terminal portions 642 is disposed on the second end portion 622 of the second insulating sheet 62, and is connected to a second object (not shown) when the connector assembly 10 (see FIG. 1) is used. It Each of the second contacts 646 includes two contacts respectively disposed on the two second deformable portions 628 forming a pair. That is, each of the second contacts 646 is divided into two contacts that sandwich the second slit 632 in the Y direction. Each of the second pattern portions 644 connects the second terminal portion 642 and the second contact 646 to each other. The illustrated second terminal portion 642 and second pattern portion 644 are exposed downward. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the second terminal portion 642 and the second pattern portion 644 may be covered with a resist.

Referring to FIG. 10, in the present embodiment, the eight second contact points 646 are divided into four second contact point pairs 646P respectively corresponding to the four pairs of second deformable portions 628. Each of the second contact pairs 646P is composed of two second contacts 646. Each of the second contact point pairs 646P is formed on the upper surface of the corresponding two second deformable portions 628. The two second contact points 646 in each of the second contact point pairs 646P are located on both sides in the X direction of the corresponding pair of second deformable portions 628, respectively. The two second contact points 646 in each of the second contact point pair 646P are separated from each other in the X direction and extend parallel to each other along the Y direction.

As described above, the second wiring sheet 60 according to the present embodiment has the plurality of second contact point pairs 646P (that is, the plurality of pairs of second contact points 646) provided on the plurality of pairs of the second deformable portions 628, respectively. Have However, the arrangement of the second contact 646 in each of the second deformable portions 628 is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the two second contact points 646 in each of the second contact point pair 646P may be separated from each other in the Y direction and extend parallel to each other along the X direction. Further, the second deformable portion 628 of each pair may be provided with only one second contact 646 instead of the second contact pair 646P. That is, at least one second contact 646 may be provided in each of the second deformable portions 628.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 11 and 12, the second connector 70 of the present embodiment is made of an insulating material, and includes a main portion 72, a second floor portion 722, eight passage holes 724, and six receiving portions. It has a space 74 and four receiving portions 76. The main portion 72 has a flat plate shape parallel to the XY plane. The second floor portion 722 is formed on the main portion 72. More specifically, the second floor portion 722 is the lower surface of the main portion 72 and is a plane parallel to the XY plane. That is, the second connector 70 has the main portion 72 in which the second floor portion 722 is formed. Each of the passage holes 724 is a hole that penetrates the main portion 72 in the Z direction. Each of the receiving spaces 74 is a space located below the main portion 72. Each of the receiving portions 76 projects downward from the second floor portion 722. The second connector 70 of the present embodiment is a single member in which the above-mentioned portion is formed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second connector 70 may include a plurality of members.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 11, the six receiving spaces 74 correspond to the six projecting portions 34 of the first connector 20 and are arranged similarly to the projecting portions 34. More specifically, the receiving space 74 is divided into two rows in the X direction. The two rows of receiving spaces 74 are arranged side by side with the second floor portion 722 in between in the X direction. The three receiving spaces 74 in each row are arranged in the Y direction. Each of the receiving portions 76 is located between two receiving spaces 74 adjacent to each other in the Y direction.

The three receiving spaces 74 in each row are composed of an end receiving space (receiving space) 74A, an end receiving space (receiving space) 74B, and an intermediate receiving space (receiving space) 74C. The end receiving space 74A and the end receiving space 74B are located at both ends of each row in the Y direction. The intermediate receiving space 74C is located in the middle between the end receiving space 74A and the end receiving space 74B in the Y direction. The shape of each receiving space 74 in the XY plane corresponds to the shape of the corresponding protrusion 34 in the XY plane, and the size of each receiving space 74 in the XY plane is the size of the corresponding protrusion 34 in the XY plane. Greater than. However, the shape and size of the receiving space 74 are not particularly limited, and the number and arrangement of the receiving spaces 74 are also not particularly limited, as long as the receiving spaces 74 can respectively receive the protrusions 34.

The four receiving portions 76 are provided corresponding to the four receiving portions 22 (recesses 36) of the first connector 20, respectively. More specifically, the second connector 70 can be arranged above the first connector 20 such that the receiving portions 76 are located directly above the receiving portions 22, respectively. The shape of each of the received portions 76 in the XY plane corresponds to the shape of the corresponding recess 36 in the XY plane, and the size of each of the received portions 76 in the XY plane is the size of the corresponding recess 36 in the XY plane. Smaller than. In particular, each of the receiving portions 76 of the present embodiment has a rectangular shape in the XY plane. However, the shape and size of the received portions 76 are not particularly limited, and the number and arrangement of the received portions 76 are not particularly limited, as long as the recesses 36 can receive the received portions 76.

Referring to FIG. 1, the recessed portion 36 of the receiving portion 22 of the first connector 20 defines the receiving portion 76 of the second connector 70, the first deformable portion 528 of the first wiring sheet 50 and the first deformable portion 528 of the second wiring sheet 60. 2 is a part for receiving the deformable part 628 together. The elastic portion 40 of the receiving portion 22 is a portion for sandwiching the received portion 76, the first deformable portion 528, and the second deformable portion 628 received in the recess 36 in the Y direction by the elastic force. According to the present embodiment, the receiving portion 22 is provided with the elastic portion 40, while the received portion 76 is not provided with the elastic portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the receiving portion 76 may be provided with the elastic portion, while the receiving portion 22 may not be provided with the elastic portion 40. Further, each of the receiving portion 22 and the received portion 76 may be provided with an elastic portion.

Summarizing the above description with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the method of manufacturing the connector assembly 10 according to the present embodiment includes a first connector 20, a first wiring sheet 50, a second wiring sheet 60, In the preparatory step of preparing the second connector 70, the first connector 20 has a receiving portion 22, and the first wiring sheet 50 has two first supporting portions 524 extending along the Y direction. A first connecting portion 526 connecting the two first supporting portions 524 to each other in the X direction, two first deformable portions 528 extending from the first connecting portion 526 to both sides in the Y direction, and a first deformable portion. The second wiring sheet 60 has the first contact point 546 provided on the 528, and the second wiring sheet 60 has two second support portions 624 extending in the Y direction and two second support portions 624 in the X direction. Two second connecting portions 626 that connect to each other, two second deformable portions 628 that extend from the second connecting portion 626 toward each other, and a second contact point 646 provided on the second deformable portion 628 (see FIG. 10). ) And the second connector 70 has a receiving portion 76, and at least one of the receiving portion 22 and the receiving portion 76 is provided with an elastically deformable elastic portion. It has a process.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 12, in the arrangement process subsequent to the preparation process, the first connector 20, the first wiring sheet 50, the second wiring sheet 60, and the second connector 70 are arranged in this order from the bottom in the Z direction. Will be placed. The first connector 20 is placed, for example, on an upper surface parallel to the XY plane of a workbench (not shown), and is temporarily held so as not to move. Each of the first wiring sheet 50, the second wiring sheet 60, and the second connector 70 is arranged so as to extend parallel to the XY plane. According to the present embodiment, the first wiring sheet 50 is placed on the first connector 20, the second wiring sheet 60 is placed on the first wiring sheet 50, and the second connector 70 is 2 Placed on the wiring sheet 60. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first wiring sheet 50, the second wiring sheet 60, and the second connector 70 may be arranged at a distance from each other in the Z direction.

Referring to FIG. 13, each of the receiving portions 22 and the corresponding two first deformable portions 528, the corresponding two second deformable portions 628, and the corresponding received objects are subjected to the placement process (see FIG. 3). The parts 76 are arranged in a line along the Z direction. Referring to FIG. 14, at this time, each of the first conductive patterns 54 of the first wiring sheet 50 faces upward, and each of the second conductive patterns 64 of the second wiring sheet 60 faces downward. .. In particular, according to the present embodiment, each of the second contacts 646 comes into contact with the corresponding first contact 546 in the Z direction by the disposing process. However, each of the second contact points 646 may face the corresponding first contact point 546 apart from the corresponding first contact point 546 in the Z direction.

Summarizing the above description, in the method of manufacturing the connector assembly 10 according to the present embodiment, the first connector 20, the first wiring sheet 50, the second wiring sheet 60, and the second connector 70 are arranged from the bottom in the Z direction. In the arranging step (see FIG. 3) of arranging in order, the two first deformable portions 528 are positioned above the receiving portion 22 while the first contact points 546 are directed upward, and the second contact points 646 are moved downward. The two second deformable portions 628 are respectively positioned above the two first deformable portions 528, and the received portion 76 is received via the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628. An arranging step of arranging on the portion 22 is provided.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 13, as a result of the arranging process of the present embodiment, four sets each including the receiving portion 22 are formed. Each set includes one receiving portion 22, one first connecting portion 526 corresponding to the receiving portion 22, and two first deformable portions 528 connected to both sides of the first connecting portion 526 in the Y direction. And two second connecting portions 626 corresponding to the receiving portion 22, two second deformable portions 628 respectively connected to the two second connecting portions 626 in the Y direction, and a received portion 76. Has been done.

According to the present embodiment, in the pushing step that follows the arranging step, by moving the second connector 70 downward, the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628 are deformed in each of the four sets. As a result, the connector assembly 10 is assembled. The pushing step will be described below, focusing on one of the four sets formed by the placing step. The following description holds for all four sets.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, the second connector 70 is moved downward following the placement process (see FIG. 3). When the second connector 70 is moved downward, the first connecting portion 526 of the first wiring sheet 50 and the end portions of the two second deformable portions 628 of the second wiring sheet 60 on the inner side in the Y direction are moved to the second connector. It is pushed downward by the receiving portion 76 of 70. The first connecting portion 526 pushed by the received portion 76 moves downward together with the Y-direction inner end portions of the received portion 76 and the first deformable portion 528. As a result, the Y-direction outer end portions of the two first deformable portions 528 hit the upper surface of the protrusion 34, respectively, and the two first deformable portions 528 are provided on both side surfaces of the received portion 76 in the Y direction. As they approach each other, they begin to deform. Further, the two second deformable portions 628 start to deform by pressing the inner ends in the Y direction against both side surfaces of the received portion 76 in the Y direction.

When the second connector 70 is continuously moved downward, the first connecting portion 526 is continuously moved downward together with the first end portion 522 and the first deformable portion 528 and is located below the protrusion 48 of the elastic member 40. (See Figure 15). At this time, the two first deformable portions 528 and the two second deformable portions 628 are sandwiched by the two protrusions 48 in the Y direction together with the received portion 76, whereby the first deformable portion 528 of the first deformable portion 528. Each of them is pressed against the side surface of the received portion 76 in the Y direction via the corresponding second deformable portion 628. Each of the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628 is pushed into the receiving portion 22 of the first connector 20 together with the received portion 76 while deforming in this way. Referring to FIG. 16, at this time, each of the first contact points 546 is pressed against the corresponding second contact point 646 by the elastic force of the elastic member 40.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, when the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628 are in the process of being deformed, the end of the first deformable portion 528 on the Y direction outer side of the first connector 20. It projects above the upper end (the end on the +Z side), so that the second connecting portion 626 is located above the first connector 20. Specifically, the second connecting portion 626 is separated from the upper surface of the protruding portion 34 of the first connector 20, and is located above the first connector 20 together with the second end portion 622.

Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, when the second connector 70 is further moved downward, the first connecting portion 526 is further moved downward together with the first end portion 522 and the first deformable portion 528, and the first connecting portion 526 is moved downward. The entire deformable portion 528 is located inside the receiving portion 22. During this movement, the second deformable portion 628 receives a downward force from the side surface of the received portion 76 in the Y direction, and moves downward together with the first deformable portion 528. As a result, the second connecting portion 626 moves downward together with the second end portion 622 and abuts the upper surface of the protruding portion 34. At this time, the deformation and movement of the second deformable portion 628 are completed. Referring to FIG. 18, at this time, each of the tips 628E of the second deformable portions 628 is located inside the receiving portion 22, and each of the first contact points 546 is corresponded by the elastic force of the elastic member 40. The second contact 646 is pressed.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, if the second connector 70 is further moved downward, the first connecting portion 526 is further moved downward together with the first end portion 522 and the first deformable portion 528, and the first connecting portion 526 is moved downward. It hits the first floor 322 of the connector 20. At this time, the deformation and movement of the first deformable portion 528 is completed. During the above movement, the second wiring sheet 60 does not move including the second deformable portion 628. Referring to FIG. 20, during the above movement, each of the first contacts 546 moves downward while being pressed against the corresponding second contact 646 by the elastic force of the elastic member 40. That is, the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 corresponding to each other are rubbed against each other, so that the contaminants attached to the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 and the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 are formed. Foreign matter such as the removed oxide film is removed. That is, each of the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 is wiped.

Summarizing the above description, in the method of manufacturing the connector assembly 10 according to the present embodiment, the second connector 70 is moved downward, and the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628 are moved by the received portion 76. There is a pushing step (see FIG. 3) of pushing downward and pushing the inside of the receiving portion 22 while deforming the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628. In particular, the deformation of the second deformable portion 628 ends in the middle of the pushing step, and then the first deformable portion 528 moves downward relative to the second deformable portion 628.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, according to the present embodiment, as a result of the disposing step (see FIG. 3 ), the two first deformable portions 528 have the first contact point 546 directed upward and the receiving portion 22 of the receiving portion 22. The two second deformable portions 628 located above are respectively located above the two first deformable portions 528 with the second contact points 646 facing downward. According to this arrangement, when the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628 are pushed downward in the pushing step, the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628 have the first contact point. The 546 and the second contact 646 are deformed while contacting each other.

With reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, in particular, according to the present embodiment, the deformation and downward movement of the second deformable portion 628 are terminated in the middle of the pushing step, and thereafter, the first deformable portion 528 is It moves downward relative to the second deformable portion 628. At this time, the first contact 546 moves downward while being rubbed against the second contact 646, whereby each of the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 is cleaned. That is, according to the present embodiment, there is provided the connector assembly 10 in which good electrical connection between the first wiring sheet 50 and the second wiring sheet 60 can be obtained without performing a special cleaning process during manufacturing. it can.

Referring to FIG. 20, when the pushing step (see FIG. 3) is completed, the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 are located inside the receiving portion 22 together with the received portion 76 and are in contact with each other. As a result, the first conductive pattern 54 of the first wiring sheet 50 is connected to the second conductive pattern 64 of the second wiring sheet 60, and the first wiring sheet 50 is electrically connected to the second wiring sheet 60. .. Further, the two protrusions 48 of the elastic member 40 sandwich the first contact point 546, the second contact point 646 and the receiving portion 76 in the Y direction, whereby the first contact point 546 is pressed against the second contact point 646. Has been. That is, the elastic member 40 of the present embodiment functions as an elastic portion that presses the first contact 546 against the second contact 646 by the elastic force, and the contact between the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 is elastic. It is maintained by the elastic force of the part 40.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 17, each of the protrusions 34 of the first connector 20 is received in the corresponding receiving space 74 of the second connector 70 by the pushing step (see FIG. 3) of the present embodiment. According to the present embodiment, each of the projecting portions 34 received in the receiving space 74 is exposed outside the XY plane and is visible from the outside (see FIG. 2 ). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the second connector 70 may have a wall portion (not shown) that surrounds the receiving space 74 in the XY plane. That is, each of the protruding portions 34 received in the receiving space 74 may be surrounded by the wall portion of the second connector 70 in the XY plane.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 20, according to the present embodiment, the contact portion between the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 can be visually recognized through the passage hole 724 of the second connector 70. However, the passage hole 724 may be provided if necessary.

Referring to FIG. 2, when the pushing process (see FIG. 3) is completed, the connector assembly 10 is assembled. At this time, the first connector 20, the first wiring sheet 50, the second wiring sheet 60, and the second connector 70 are arranged in this order from the bottom in the Z direction. Referring to FIG. 20, the receiving part 76 is received inside the receiving part 22 and pushes the first deformable part 528 and the second deformable part 628. The first contact 546 and the second contact 646 are located inside the receiving portion 22 and contact each other, and the contact between the first contact 546 and the second contact 646 is maintained by the elastic force of the elastic portion 40. Has been done. The tip 628E of each of the second deformable portions 628 in the Y direction is located inside the receiving portion 22 and above the first connecting portion 526.

According to the present embodiment, the received portion 76 is sandwiched between the two protruding portions 48 of the elastic member 40 in the Y direction via the first deformable portion 528 and the second deformable portion 628. That is, the elastic member 40 provided in the receiving portion 22 functions as an elastic portion. In other words, the receiving portion 22 is provided with the elastic portion 40 that is elastically deformable. However, as described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that at least one of the receiving portion 22 and the received portion 76 is provided with an elastic portion capable of elastic deformation.

The elastic member 40 of the present embodiment is a metal spring, and can reliably hold the received portion 76, the first deformable portion 528, and the second deformable portion 628. However, the elastic member 40 can be formed in various structures from various materials as needed.

According to the present embodiment, the first connector 20 has at least two protrusions 34. The two protrusions 34 of the first connector 20 are lined up in the Y direction, and the receiving portion 76 of the second connector 70 is located between the two protrusions 34 in the Y direction. Further, each of the projecting portions 34 projects upward from the first floor portion 322 of the first connector 20, and the received portion 76 projects downward from the second floor portion 722 of the second connector 70.

With the above structure, the first floor portion 322 and the second floor portion 722 have the thickness of the first wiring sheet 50 (size in the Z direction of FIG. 1) and the thickness of the second wiring sheet 60 (FIG. 1) in the Z direction. They are separated from each other with a distance larger than the total value (total thickness) of 1 in the Z direction). In other words, the first floor portion 322 and the second floor portion 722 are separated from each other with a gap in the Z direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the second connector 70, each of the receiving spaces 74 may be a receiving hole that penetrates the main portion 72 in the Z direction, and each of the receiving portions 76 may have two receiving holes of the main portion 72. It may be a site located between them. In this case, the first floor portion 322 and the second floor portion 722 may be separated from each other in the Z direction with a distance corresponding to the total thickness of the first wiring sheet 50 and the second wiring sheet 60.

Referring to FIG. 19, according to the present embodiment, first end 522 of first wiring sheet 50 and second end 622 of second wiring sheet 60 are separated from each other in the Z direction. That is, each first terminal portion 542 of the first conductive pattern 54 of the first wiring sheet 50 is located below and apart from the corresponding second terminal portion 642 of the second conductive pattern 64 of the second wiring sheet 60. There is. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each of the first terminal portions 542 may be pressed against the corresponding second terminal portion 642 via an insulator, for example.

Referring to FIG. 2, the connector assembly 10 of the present embodiment includes a connector pair 12 including a first connector 20 and a second connector 70. According to this embodiment, the receiving portion 22 of the first connector 20 can receive the receiving portion 76 of the second connector 70, respectively. With this structure, the connector pair 12 can electrically connect the first wiring sheet 50 and the second wiring sheet 60 to each other. Further, each of the first connector 20 and the second connector 70 has various parts already described.

For example, the first connector 20 has two protrusions 34 arranged in the Y direction. The receiving portion 22 is formed of a concave portion 36 and an elastic member 40 (see FIG. 1) that functions as an elastic portion, and is located between the two protruding portions 34 in the Y direction. When the receiving portion 76 is received by the receiving portion 22 without the first wiring sheet 50 and the second wiring sheet 60, the receiving portion 76 has two protrusions 48 of the elastic member 40 in the Y direction (see FIG. 1)) with a slight gap between them. With this structure, the connector pair 12 can electrically and reliably connect the first wiring sheet 50 and the second wiring sheet 60 to each other. When the receiving part 76 is received by the receiving part 22, the first floor 322 of the first connector 20 and the second floor 722 of the second connector 70 are separated from each other in the Z direction.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the connector pair 12 may include two connectors that can be used as the first connector 20 and the second connector 70, respectively. For example, when the receiving portion 76 is received by the receiving portion 22, the receiving portion 76 is sandwiched by the two protruding portions 48 (see FIG. 1) of the elastic member 40 in the Y direction so that the two receiving portions 76 project. It may be located between the parts 48.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Connector assembly 12 Connector pair 20 1st connector 22 Receptive part 30B Base member 30 Holding member 32 Bottom part 322 1st floor part 34 Projection part 34A, 34B End projection part (projection part)
34C Intermediate projection (projection)
342 Housing portion 36 Recessed portion 40 Elastic member (elastic portion)
44 elastic support part 442 held part 448 spring part 48 protrusion part 50 first wiring sheet 52 first insulating sheet 522 first end part 524 first support part 526 first connecting part 528 first deformable part 532 first slit 54 1st conductive pattern 542 1st terminal part 544 1st pattern part 546 1st contact point 546P 1st contact point pair 60 2nd wiring sheet 62 2nd insulating sheet 622 2nd end part 624 2nd support part 626 2nd connection part 628th 2 Deformable part 628E Tip 632 Second slit 64 Second conductive pattern 642 Second terminal part 644 Second pattern part 646 Second contact point 646P Second contact point pair 70 Second connector 72 Main part 722 Second floor part 724 Through hole 74 Receptive space 74A, 74B Edge receiving space (receptive space)
74C Intermediate reception space (reception space)
76 Receptive part

Claims (11)

A method of manufacturing a connector assembly, comprising:
A preparation step of preparing a first connector, a first wiring sheet, a second wiring sheet, and a second connector, wherein the first connector has a receiving portion, and the first wiring sheet is , Two first supporting portions extending in the lateral direction, a first connecting portion connecting the two first supporting portions to each other in a vertical direction orthogonal to the lateral direction, and the first connecting portion to the lateral direction. Has two first deformable portions respectively extending on both sides, and a first contact point provided on the first deformable portion, and the second wiring sheet has two first deformable portions extending in the lateral direction. A second support part, two second connection parts that connect the two second support parts to each other in the longitudinal direction, two second deformable parts that extend from the second connection part toward each other, and A second contact provided on a second deformable portion, the second connector has a receiving portion, and at least one of the receiving portion and the receiving portion is elastically deformable. A preparatory step in which a flexible elastic part is provided,
A step of arranging the first connector, the first wiring sheet, the second wiring sheet, and the second connector so as to be arranged in this order from the bottom in a vertical direction orthogonal to the lateral direction. The two first deformable parts are positioned above the receiving part while the contact points are directed upward, and the two second deformable parts are two first deformable parts while the second contact point is directed downward. Arranging the receiving part and the receiving part on the receiving part through the first deformable part and the second deformable part, respectively.
The second connector is moved downward, and the received portion pushes the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion downward, whereby the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion. And pressing the inside of the receiving portion while deforming the portion,
Deformation of the second deformable portion ends in the middle of the pushing step, and then the first deformable portion moves downward relative to the second deformable portion,
When the pressing step is completed, the first contact and the second contact are located inside the receiving portion and are in contact with each other, and the contact between the first contact and the second contact is: A method of manufacturing a connector assembly maintained by the elastic force of the elastic portion. A method of manufacturing a connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein
The first connector includes a holding member and an elastic member,
The elastic member is held by the holding member,
The holding member has a recess,
The receiving portion is formed from the concave portion and the elastic member that functions as the elastic portion,
The elastic member has at least two protrusions and an elastic support portion,
The two protrusions are located at least partially inside the recess, and face each other in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction,
The method of manufacturing a connector assembly, wherein the elastic support portion supports each of the protrusions. A connector assembly including a first connector, a first wiring sheet, a second wiring sheet, and a second connector,
The first connector has a receiving portion,
The first wiring sheet has two first supporting portions, a first connecting portion, two first deformable portions, and a first contact point,
Each of the first support portions extends in the lateral direction,
The first connecting portion connects the two first supporting portions to each other in a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction,
The two first deformable portions extend from the first connecting portion to both sides in the lateral direction,
The first contact is provided on the first deformable portion,
The second wiring sheet has two second supporting portions, two second connecting portions, two second deformable portions, and second contact points,
Each of the second support portions extends along the lateral direction,
Each of the second connecting portions connects the two second supporting portions to each other in the vertical direction,
The two second deformable portions respectively extend from the two second connecting portions toward each other,
The second contact is provided on the second deformable portion,
The second connector has a receiving portion,
At least one of the receiving portion and the received portion is provided with an elastic portion that is elastically deformable,
The first connector, the first wiring sheet, the second wiring sheet and the second connector are arranged in this order from the bottom in the vertical direction orthogonal to both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction,
The received portion is received inside the receiving portion and pushes the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion,
The first contact and the second contact are located inside the receiving portion and are in contact with each other, and the contact between the first contact and the second contact is maintained by the elastic force of the elastic portion. Connector assembly. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein
A connector assembly in which a tip of each of the second deformable portions in the lateral direction is located inside the receiving portion and above the first connecting portion. The connector assembly according to claim 3 or 4, wherein
The first connector has two protrusions and a first floor,
Each of the protrusions protrudes upward from the first floor,
The receiver is located between the two protrusions in the lateral direction,
The second connector has a second floor,
The receiving portion projects downward from the second floor portion,
The first floor portion and the second floor portion are separated from each other in the vertical direction. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein:
The first connector includes a holding member and an elastic member,
The elastic member is held by the holding member,
The holding member has a recess,
The receiving portion is formed from the concave portion and the elastic member that functions as the elastic portion,
The elastic member has at least two protrusions and an elastic support portion,
The two protrusions are located at least partially inside the recess and face each other in the lateral direction,
The elastic support portion supports each of the protrusions,
The connector assembly in which the received portion is sandwiched between the two projecting portions via the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion in the lateral direction. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein
The connector assembly in which the elastic member is a metal spring. A connector pair comprising two connectors each of which can be used as the first connector and the second connector of the connector assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 7. A connector pair comprising a first connector and a second connector,
The first connector has two protrusions and a first floor,
Each of the projecting portions projects upward in the vertical direction from the first floor portion,
The receiving portion is located between the two protruding portions in a lateral direction orthogonal to the vertical direction,
The second connector has a receiving portion and a second floor portion,
The receiving portion projects downward from the second floor portion,
At least one of the receiving portion and the received portion is provided with an elastic portion that is elastically deformable,
The receiving portion is capable of receiving the receiving portion,
A connector pair in which the first floor portion and the second floor portion are separated from each other in the up-down direction when the receiving portion is received by the receiving portion. The connector pair according to claim 9, wherein
The first connector includes a holding member and an elastic member,
The elastic member is held by the holding member,
The holding member has a recess,
The receiving portion is formed from the concave portion and the elastic member that functions as the elastic portion,
The elastic member has at least two protrusions and an elastic support portion,
The two protrusions are located at least partially inside the recess and face each other in the lateral direction,
The elastic support portion supports each of the protrusions,
A connector pair, wherein when the received portion is received by the receiving portion, the received portion is located between the two protrusions in the lateral direction. The connector pair according to claim 10, wherein
The elastic member is a connector pair that is a metal spring.

Images