JP5276394B2 - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector (1), comprising a plurality of plug terminals (31, 32, 33) formed from wires, and a connector housing with a wall (22), wherein the connection direction E of the socket terminals and the plug terminals is along the outer surface of the substrate (4). Substrate hole insertion holes (31d, 32d, 33d), middle parts (31m, 32m, 33m), inclined parts (31n, 32n, 33n), and terminal connection parts (31c, 32, 33c) are formed in corresponding plug terminals. The inclined parts extend from the middle parts to rear side (E2) of the connection direction (E). In addition, the substrate hole insertion parts and the middle part are connected with the substrate by welding.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector and a substrate.

  An example of a conventional board connector is described in Patent Document 1. In this board connector, the connection direction of both connectors is parallel to the surface of the board (see FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1). A plurality of terminals (pin-shaped terminals) are inserted into the insertion holes of the partition walls, and the terminals are fixed to the circuit board by soldering.

JP 2002-216870 A

  A male terminal having a stopper for preventing slipping as described in Patent Document 1 is manufactured by pressing a metal plate. In general, it takes several months to produce a metal plate press mold, and a large cost is required.

  Therefore, from the viewpoint of shortening the manufacturing time of the connector and reducing the manufacturing cost, when using a male terminal manufactured using a wire, the male terminal is inserted into the housing when the male terminal is pushed by the female terminal. Easy to move along the hole. Therefore, a crack may occur in the solder connection portion of the male terminal and the circuit board. And when such a crack generate | occur | produces, the electrical connection performance of a connector will fall.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of suppressing the occurrence of cracks in a solder connection portion even when a male terminal of a wire is used.

(1) In order to solve the above-described problems, a connector according to the present invention is a connector that is electrically connected to a mating connector having a female terminal and a substrate, and is manufactured using a wire. A female terminal; a male terminal electrically connected to the substrate; and a connector housing having a wall portion supporting the male terminal. The male terminal is inserted into a through-hole formed in the wall, and the connection direction of the female terminal and the male terminal is a direction along the surface of the substrate, and the male terminal is connected to the substrate. and the substrate hole inserting portion to be inserted into the formed substrate hole, the succession from the substrate hole inserting portion, an intermediate portion Ru extending along the surface of the substrate, successively from the intermediate portion, with respect to the connecting direction an inclined portion which Ru extending along a direction inclined, projecting from the wall portion, the a terminal connecting portion to be connected to the female terminals, are formed, the inclined portion from the middle portion, with respect to the connecting direction extends rearward, the substrate hole inserting portion, and the intermediate portion is soldered to the substrate.
Furthermore, the through-hole is formed along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction, and the inclined portion has an insertion portion inserted into the through-hole.

In this configuration, the substrate hole inserting portion inserted into the substrate hole, and a middle portion Ru extending along the surface of the substrate is soldered to the substrate. Therefore, the male terminal is strongly fixed to the substrate as compared with the case where only the substrate hole insertion portion or only the intermediate portion is solder-connected to the substrate.

  The inclined portion is formed along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction, and an intermediate portion is continuously formed from the inclined portion along the surface of the substrate. Therefore, even if the male terminal is pushed in the connecting direction by the female terminal, the force is received by the inclined portion and the intermediate portion.

  With the above configuration, when the connector and the mating connector are connected, the female terminal is caused by friction (friction between the female terminal and the male terminal), displacement (displacement of the female terminal with respect to the male terminal position), or the like. Even if the male terminal is pushed by the force, the force is not easily transmitted directly to the board hole insertion portion. Therefore, even when the male wire terminal is used, the occurrence of cracks in the solder connection portion can be suppressed.

Moreover, according to this structure, the metal terminal press metal mold | die becomes unnecessary by manufacturing a male terminal using a wire. Therefore, the male terminal can be manufactured in a short period of time, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal is reduced.
Furthermore, the through hole into which the male terminal is inserted is formed along a direction inclined with respect to the connecting direction of the female terminal and the male terminal, and the inclined portion is inserted into the through hole. Therefore, even when the male terminal is pressed by the female terminal when the connector and the mating connector are connected, the male terminal is pressed against the inner surface of the through hole. As a result, since the sliding movement of the male terminal along the through hole is suppressed, the male terminal is not easily pushed out from the through hole of the wall portion. Therefore, the force with which the female terminal pushes the male terminal is further less likely to be transmitted to the board hole insertion portion. Further, even when the male terminal is strongly pressed by the female terminal and the male terminal slides along the penetration direction, the force with which the female terminal pushes the male terminal peels off the board hole insertion portion from the board. It acts not in the direction but in the direction in which the substrate hole insertion portion is pressed against the substrate. With the above configuration, the occurrence of cracks in the solder connection portion can be more reliably suppressed.

  Note that the front side in the connection direction means the front side in the traveling direction of the female terminal with respect to the male terminal, and the rear side means the rear side in the traveling direction of the female terminal.

“The slope extends to the rear side with respect to the connection direction” means that the slope is not on the front side but on the rear side from the boundary portion between the slope and the intermediate part with reference to a virtual plane perpendicular to the connection direction. It shows that it extends to.

  The substrate hole may be formed so as to penetrate the substrate, or may not penetrate the substrate. Further, the through hole formed in the connector housing may be formed along the connection direction of the female terminal and the male terminal, or may be formed along a direction inclined with respect to this connection direction. .

  The board hole insertion part may be formed as a tip part of the male terminal, or a tip part may be further provided in a direction different from the board hole insertion part before the board hole insertion part. Good. Further, the electrical connection between the terminal and the substrate may be performed at the substrate hole insertion portion or may be performed at the intermediate portion. Moreover, you may perform in both of these.

  In this configuration, the inclined portion is formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction, and the terminal connection portion is formed along the connection direction. Therefore, the male terminal is bent at a position between the inclined portion of the male terminal and the terminal connection portion. Further, the “connecting direction of the female terminal and the male terminal” may be equal to a direction (housing connecting direction) in which the mating connector housing and the connector housing are connected, and the terminal connecting direction and the housing connecting direction are It does not have to match. For example, after both connector housings are connected, the terminals may be connected along a direction different from the housing connection direction.

  The connector housing is a member having a wall portion that supports the male terminal, and the connector housing may include a main body portion and a cover housing attached to the main body portion in addition to the wall portion.

  The connector housing may be integrally formed including the wall portion, or the main body portion and the wall portion of the connector housing may be separate articles. In this case, the material of the main body portion and the wall portion may be different or the same. Moreover, the connector may have a board | substrate inside, In this case, the wall part may be attached to the board | substrate, and the wall part may be attached to the main-body part of the connector.

  The substrate may be outside the connector or inside the connector. When the board is outside the connector, the connector housing is preferably configured to be attached to the board. For example, the connector housing is preferably formed with a screw hole or the like.

  (2) In the connector according to the present invention, the substrate hole insertion portion, the intermediate portion, the inclined portion, and the terminal connection portion are in both directions of the connection direction and a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. May be located on one virtual plane parallel to each other.

  According to this configuration, even if the male terminal is pushed in the connecting direction by the female terminal, the force is more reliably received by the inclined portion and the intermediate portion. Therefore, it is possible to reliably suppress the occurrence of cracks in the solder connection portion.

(3) The connector which concerns on this invention WHEREIN: The said inclination part may be extended from the position of the backmost side regarding the said connection direction in the said intermediate part.

  According to this configuration, since the inclined portion is not located in the space above the intermediate portion, the soldering operation of the intermediate portion is facilitated.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the overall configuration of a connector and a mating connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector. 3A and 3B are schematic views of the connector, where FIG. 3A is a plan view, FIG. 3B is a front view, FIG. 3C is a bottom view, FIG. 3D is a right side view, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ of FIG. 3. 5A and 5B are schematic views of a wall portion, where FIG. 5A is a front view, FIG. 5B is a right side view, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B ′ in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main body of the connector housing. 7A and 7B are schematic views of the main body of the connector housing, where FIG. 7A is a plan view, FIG. 7B is a front view, FIG. 7C is a bottom view, FIG. 7D is a right side view, and FIG. It is. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the housing cover. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the substrate. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the substrate. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a substrate with a wall, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a rear view, (e) is a right side view, (F) is CC 'sectional drawing of (b). 12A and 12B are schematic views showing a part of the assembly process of the connector, where FIG. 12A shows a state after the insertion process, and FIG. 12B shows a state after the bending process. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of a substrate with a wall. 14A and 14B are schematic views of a male terminal, in which FIG. 14A is a side view, FIG. 14B is a plan view, and FIG. 14C is a rear view.

  In FIG. 13, oblique lines indicating the cross section are omitted. Further, in FIG. 14, the plan view of (b) corresponds to the G arrow view of (a), and the rear view of (c) corresponds to the H arrow view of (a).

(overall structure)
First, the overall configuration of the electrical connection device will be described with reference to FIG. The electrical connection device according to this embodiment includes a connector 1 and a mating connector 5. The connector 1 functions as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and the electrical connection device having the connector 1 is used in an automobile or the like. The mating connector 5 is electrically connected to a power source (not shown). When the connection between the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 is completed, the electronic component (not shown) on the board 4 inside the connector 1 is connected. The power from the power source is supplied.

  The mating connector 5 includes a mating housing 6 made of synthetic resin and a plurality of female terminals 7. When the connection between the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 is completed, the mating housing 6 is coupled to the connector housing 2 of the connector 1. As a result, the plurality of male terminals (male terminal 31, male terminal 32, male terminal 33) of the connector 1 and the plurality of female terminals 7 of the mating connector 5 are electrically connected, and the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 are connected. Are electrically connected. The plurality of female terminals 7 and the plurality of male terminals are connected along the direction of arrow E shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the direction of arrow E is the connection direction, and for this connection direction E, the E1 side is the front side and the E2 side is the rear side. Note that the front side with respect to the connection direction means the front side in the traveling direction of the plurality of female terminals 7 with respect to the plurality of male terminals, and the rear side means the rear side in the traveling direction of the plurality of female terminals 7. doing.

(connector)
The connector 1 has a plurality of male terminals (a male terminal 31, a male terminal 32, and a male terminal 33) and a connector housing 2 (see FIGS. 1 to 4). A substrate 4 is installed inside the connector 1. The connector 1 is electrically connected to both the external mating connector 5 and the internal substrate 4. Further, the connection direction E of the plurality of female terminals 7 and the plurality of male terminals is a direction along the surface of the substrate 4.

  In the connector 1, each male terminal is attached to the substrate 4 by SMT (Surface Mount Technology) (see FIG. 4), and each male terminal is soldered on the surface side of the substrate 4. Has been. Each male terminal may be attached to the substrate by a pin insertion type. Specifically, the male terminal may be soldered on the back surface side of the substrate after the lead portion (substrate connection portion) has penetrated the substrate. In FIG. 4 and the like, solder is omitted.

(Connector housing)
The connector housing 2 is made of a synthetic resin material, and includes a main body portion 21, a wall portion 22, and a cover housing 26 (see FIG. 4). Moreover, in the connector housing 2, the main-body part 21, the wall part 22, and the cover housing 26 are separate articles. However, these may be formed integrally.

(Wall)
First, the wall portion 22 will be described. The wall portion 22 is a plate-like member that supports a plurality of male terminals. The wall 22 is disposed inside the main body 21 and is attached to the substrate 4 (see FIG. 4). The wall portion 22 has a plurality of through holes (see FIG. 5A). The “plurality of through holes” include a plurality of through holes 23, a plurality of through holes 24, and a plurality of through holes 25. The plurality of through holes are arranged in three rows, the plurality of through holes 23 are arranged in the first row (the uppermost row in FIG. 5A), and the plurality of through holes are arranged in the second row. A plurality of through holes 25 are arranged in the third row of holes 24.

  A male terminal is inserted into each through hole in the wall portion 22. Specifically, the male terminal 31 is inserted into the through hole 23, the male terminal 32 is inserted into the through hole 24, and the male terminal 33 is inserted into the through hole 25 (see FIG. 4).

  Moreover, the through-hole 23, the through-hole 24, and the through-hole 25 are not arrange | positioned on the straight line along the up-down direction in Fig.5 (a). For example, when attention is paid to the through holes at the left ends, the through holes 24 are located to the left with respect to the positions of the through holes 23, and the through holes 25 are located to the left of the positions of the through holes 24. doing. Therefore, in a state where a plurality of male terminals are inserted into the wall portion 22, the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 do not overlap in plan view (top view) (see FIG. 11A).

  In addition, three rows of groove portions 22d are formed on both surfaces of the wall portion 22 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). Each of the groove portions 22d is composed of two upper and lower inclined surfaces, and each inclined surface is inclined 45 degrees with respect to the direction along the surface of the substrate 4. Each of the plurality of through-holes is formed so as to open at the position of the groove 22d on both surfaces (front surface and rear surface) of the wall portion 22 (see FIG. 5C).

  The through hole 23, the through hole 24, and the through hole 25 are formed to support the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33, respectively. Moreover, the through-hole 23, the through-hole 24, and the through-hole 25 are formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E of the female terminal 7 and the male terminal (refer FIG.4 and FIG.5 (c)). ). The shape of each through hole is a quadrangle over the entire length. Of the inner surfaces of the through holes, the upper inner surface (upper side in FIG. 13) is defined as a contact surface (contact surface 23s, contact surface 24s, contact surface 25s) (see FIG. 13).

  FIG. 5C shows only the BB ′ cross section of FIG. 5A (that is, only the cross section of the through hole 25). However, as shown in FIG. The shape of 24 is the same as that of the through hole 25 in FIG.

  Further, in the connector 1, the surface on the E1 side of the wall portion 22 is covered with the connector housing 2, so that it is not exposed to the outside of the connector 1.

(About through holes)
The through hole will be described in more detail. In addition to not being parallel to the connection direction E, the formation direction of the through holes (through hole 23, through hole 24, and through hole 25) is preferably not perpendicular to the connection direction E. That is, the angle between the formation direction of the through hole and the connection direction E (hereinafter, this angle is referred to as the formation angle; see angle α in FIG. 5C) is in the range of 1 to 89 degrees. Is desirable. In the present embodiment, the formation angle is 45 degrees.

  When the formation angle is close to 0 degrees, the connection direction E and the formation direction of the through hole substantially coincide with each other, so that the male terminal is easily pulled out. On the other hand, when the formation angle is close to 90 degrees, it is difficult to insert the male terminal. Further, when the forming angle is close to 90 degrees, the length of the insertion portion of the male terminal (the portion inserted into the wall portion) becomes long, so that the wall portion is arranged in the height direction (vertical direction in FIG. 5B). It will be necessary to make it longer. As a result, the connector becomes large. From the above, it is more desirable that the formation angle of the through hole is in the range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees. The formation angle of the through hole may be 0 degree or 90 degrees.

(Main body)
Next, the main body 21 will be described. An internal space 21s is formed inside the main body 21 (see FIGS. 4, 7B, and 7C). The wall 22 and the substrate 4 are accommodated in the internal space 21s.

  The main body 21 is formed with an opening 21 b that serves as a connection port when connected to the mating connector 5. In addition, a tip portion 21c having a substantially square cross section is formed at the tip portion of the main body portion 21, and the opening 21b is formed inside the tip portion 21c (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

  Further, the main body portion 21 is formed with a top plate portion 21f, two side wall portions 21w, and a side wall portion 21v. The two side wall portions 21w are arranged along the connection direction E, and the side wall portion 21v is arranged on the E1 side. Further, a portion parallel to the substrate 4 is formed on the E1 side of the top plate portion 21f, and an inclined portion is formed closer to the E2 side than this parallel portion. The inclined portion is formed so as to move away from the substrate 4 toward the E2 side.

  The internal space 21s is formed inside the top plate portion 21f, the two side wall portions 21w, and the side wall portion 21v. Moreover, the part (part in which the wall part 22 and the board | substrate 4 are accommodated) in which internal space 21s is formed among the main-body parts 21 is opened toward the downward direction (refer FIG.7 (c)). Further, the two side wall portions 21w and the side wall portion 21v are formed with protruding portions 21g (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The protruding part 21g protrudes in the direction along the surface of the substrate 4 from the two side wall parts 21w and the side wall part 21v. The positional relationship between the cover housing 26 described later and the main body portion 21 is determined by the protruding portion 21g.

(Cover housing)
Next, the cover housing 26 will be described. The cover housing 26 is a lid member that is attached to the main body 21. The cover housing 26 includes a bottom plate part 26b, a side wall part 26v, and two side wall parts 26w (see FIG. 8). The two side wall parts 26w are arrange | positioned along the connection direction E, and the side wall part 26v is arrange | positioned at the E1 side.

  In a state where the cover housing 26 is attached to the main body portion 21, the outer surfaces of the side wall portion 21v and the two side wall portions 21w and the inner surfaces of the side wall portion 26v and the two side wall portions 26w face each other (FIG. 2, FIG. ) Etc.). Further, in this state, the end portions of the side wall portion 26v and the two side wall portions 26w of the cover housing 26 are opposed to the protruding portion 21g of the main body portion 21, so that the movement of the cover housing 26 relative to the main body portion 21 is caused by the protruding portion 21g. Is limited.

(substrate)
The substrate 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The substrate 4 is a printed circuit board (printed wiring board). In the present embodiment, the substrate 4 is a rigid substrate (a substrate using a hard insulator base; glass composite substrate, glass epoxy substrate, etc.). In addition to a rigid substrate, the substrate may be a flexible substrate (thin using a flexible and flexible insulator base material; polyimide film, polyester film, etc.), or a rigid flexible substrate (a hard material and a flexible material). Or a combination of these.

A plurality of substrate through holes (substrate holes) 42 are formed in the substrate 4 (see FIG. 9). Further, a metal film 43 is formed on the surface of the substrate 4 around the openings of the respective substrate through holes 42. Metal film 43, the opening of the substrate through hole 42, and extends rearward (E2 side) along the connecting direction E. Furthermore, a metal film is also formed on the inner wall surface of each substrate through hole 42. A plurality of substrate terminals 41 are disposed on the surface of the substrate 4. An electronic component (not shown) such as a capacitor is disposed on the substrate 4.

  As described above, the wall portion 22 is attached to the substrate 4. 10 and 11 show a state in which the wall portion 22 is attached to the substrate 4. Further, in the connector 1, the connection portion (periphery of the intermediate portion) between the substrate 4 and the plurality of male terminals is covered with the connector housing 2, so that it is not exposed to the outside of the connector 1.

(Male terminal)
The connector 1 has a plurality of male terminals, and each male terminal is manufactured using a wire. The “plurality of male terminals” includes three types of male terminals: a plurality of male terminals 31, a plurality of male terminals 32, and a plurality of male terminals 33. The male terminal 31 is inserted into the through hole 23, the male terminal 32 is inserted into the through hole 24, and the male terminal 33 is inserted into the through hole 25 (see FIG. 4 and the like). In the connector 1, the number of male terminals 31, male terminals 32, and male terminals 33 is twelve. Further, each male terminal is electrically connected to the female terminal 7 of the mating connector 5 and further electrically connected to the substrate 4.

  The male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 have different lengths, the male terminal 31 being the longest and the male terminal 33 being the shortest (see FIG. 4 and the like).

  The male terminal 31 is formed with a terminal connection portion 31c, an inclined portion 31n, an intermediate portion 31m, and a substrate hole insertion portion 31d (see FIGS. 4, 12B, and 13). Similarly to the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32 is also provided with a terminal connection portion 32c, an inclined portion 32n, an intermediate portion 32m, and a board hole insertion portion 32d. The male terminal 33 is also formed with a terminal connection portion 33c, an inclined portion 33n, an intermediate portion 33m, and a board hole insertion portion 33d.

  Next, each part of the male terminal will be described. Since the functions and shapes of the respective parts of the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 are the same, the male terminal 31 will be mainly described below unless otherwise specified. The description about 33 is omitted.

The substrate hole insertion portion 31d is a portion that is inserted into the plurality of substrate through holes 42 formed in the substrate 4 (see FIGS. 4 and 13). The tip of the substrate hole insertion portion 31d is inserted into the substrate through hole 42. Further, substrate hole insertion section 31d, relative to the direction along the surface of the substrate 4, are formed on so that extend vertically. The substrate hole insertion portion 31d is solder-connected to the metal film on the inner wall surface of the substrate through hole 42.

Intermediate portion 31m is continuous from the substrate hole inserting portion 31d, a portion of Ru extending along the surface of the substrate 4. The intermediate portion 31m is solder-connected to the metal film 43 of the substrate 4.

Inclined portion 31n is continuous from the intermediate portion 31m, a portion Ru extending along a direction inclined with respect to the connecting direction E. The inclined portion 31n is formed such that the distance from the substrate 4 increases as the distance from the intermediate portion 31m increases. The inclined portion 31n has an insertion portion 31b that is inserted into the through hole 23 (see FIG. 13). That is, the insertion part 31b is a part of the inclined part 31n. Similarly, for the male terminal 32 and the male terminal 33, the inclined portion 32 n has an insertion portion 32 b inserted into the through hole 24, and the inclined portion 33 n is inserted into the through hole 25. have.

  The insertion portion 31b is inserted into the through hole 23 and contacts the inner surface of the through hole 23 (see FIGS. 4 and 12B). And the insertion part 31b is arrange | positioned along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E inside the through-hole 23 (refer FIG.4 and FIG.12 (b)).

  The terminal connection part 31c is a part which protrudes from the wall part 22 and is connected to the female terminal 7 (refer FIG.4 and FIG.12 (b)). The terminal connection portion 31c is formed continuously from the inclined portion 31n. Further, the terminal connection portion 31 c is arranged in the connector 1 so that the axial direction thereof is along the connection direction E. That is, the male terminal 31 is formed along the connection direction E on the rear side (E2 side) of the wall part 22 in the connection direction.

  Further, as described above, the substrate hole insertion portion 31 d and the intermediate portion 31 m are solder-connected to the substrate 4.

In addition, the inclined portion 31n extends from a position on the most rear side in the connection direction E in the intermediate portion 31m. Further, the inclined portion 31n extends rearward with respect to the connection direction E from the intermediate portion 31m. Here, the inclined portion 31n “ extends backward in the connection direction” means that the inclined portion is based on a virtual plane perpendicular to the connection direction E (see the plane S in FIGS. 10 and 14A). It shows that the inclined portion 31n extends from the boundary portion between 31n and the intermediate portion 31m not to the front side but to the rear side (located in the rear region) (see FIG. 14A). The "extend and the rear side with respect to the connecting direction" inclination portion is not included in "extending Ru direction perpendicular to the connection direction E" that inclined portion.

  In the male terminal 31, all of the board hole insertion part 31d, the intermediate part 31m, the inclined part 31n, and the terminal connection part 31c are perpendicular to the one virtual plane R (the connection direction E and the surface of the board 4). (See plane R in FIGS. 10 and 14) parallel to both directions. Similarly, the male terminal 32 and the male terminal 33 are located on the virtual plane R. In this embodiment, when attention is paid to one male terminal, the entire male terminal is located on the virtual plane R, but the form of the male terminal is not limited to this, Only a part may be located on the virtual plane R, and the other part may not be located on the virtual plane R (see FIG. 16).

  In the present configuration, the inclined portion 31n is formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E, and the terminal connection portion 31c is formed along the connection direction E. In this connection, the male terminal 31 is bent at a position between the inclined portion 31n of the male terminal 31 and the terminal connection portion 31c. In the state where the male terminal 31 is attached to the substrate 4, the angle of the inclined portion 31 n with respect to the surface of the substrate 4 is equal to the formation angle (angle α) of the through hole 23.

(Assembly method)
Next, a method for assembling the connector 1 will be described. First, the connector housing 2 is formed by injection molding (connector housing forming step). In this step, a plurality of through holes (through hole 23, through hole 24, and through hole 25) are formed in the wall portion 22 along the direction inclined in the connection direction E.

  Next, a wire material (wired male terminal) as a material for the male terminal is prepared. Specifically, a metal wire wound on a reel (wire aggregate; not shown) is cut to cut the wire (cutting step). At this time, wire rods having three types of lengths (the lengths of the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33) are formed. And the front-end | tip part of the both ends of the obtained wire is sharpened by press work (press process).

  The three types of metal wires that have undergone the cutting process and the pressing process become a linear male terminal 31p, a linear male terminal 32p, and a linear male terminal 33p, respectively (see FIG. 12A). Further, the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p correspond to the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 before bending, respectively. Note that there is no need for a pressing step.

  Next, the wire (the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p) is inserted into the through holes (the through hole 23, the through hole 24, and the through hole 25) of the wall portion 22. (Insertion step; see FIG. 12A). At this time, each of the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p is pressed into the through hole (pressed with a strong pressure).

  Next, a bending process is performed with respect to the linear male terminal 31p, the linear male terminal 32p, and the linear male terminal 33p (bending process). Specifically, the linear male terminal 31p shown in FIG. 12B will be described. The linear male terminal 31p is bent at three locations D1, D2, and D3 shown in FIG. 12B. To implement. By this bending step, a substrate hole insertion portion 31d, an intermediate portion 31m, an inclined portion 31n (insertion portion 31b), and a terminal connection portion 31c are formed. Bending is similarly performed on the linear male terminal 32p and the linear male terminal 33p. A male terminal is manufactured through the cutting step and the bending step.

  FIG. 12B shows a state in which a plurality of male terminals are attached to the wall portion 22. The wall portion in this state is referred to as a “wall portion with a male terminal”. The direction of the terminal connection portion is the direction along the connection direction E in a state where the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the main body portion 21 by bending the male terminal on the terminal connection portion side (D1 portion) of the wall portion 22. It becomes.

  In addition, when the male terminal is bent at the position of D3 in FIG. 12B, the direction of the board hole insertion portion is directed to the surface of the board 4 in a state where the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the main body portion 21. The direction is perpendicular to the direction along.

  In the present embodiment, the male terminal is bent at three locations D1, D2, and D3, but is not limited to such a bending method. For example, the male terminal is bent at only one location (D1) in the vicinity of the wall portion 22, but the male terminal may be bent at two locations sandwiching the wall portion 22.

  Next, the wall portion with the male terminal is attached to the substrate 4 (substrate attachment step). The substrate in this state is referred to as a “walled substrate” (see FIGS. 10 and 11). As this attachment method, both may be adhered by an adhesive, or both may be fixed by screwing. Moreover, a recessed part and a convex part may be formed in both, and both may be fixed by these connection.

  The solder connection between the plurality of male terminals and the substrate in the substrate mounting step will be described in more detail. First, a solder paste is printed on the surface of the substrate 4 (the surface of the metal film 43). Then, on the solder paste, a plurality of male terminals are arranged on the surface of the substrate 4 using an automatic mounting machine (mounter or inserter) (the substrate hole insertion portion is inserted into the substrate through hole 42). Then, the substrate 4 on which the wall portion and the male terminal are mounted is passed through a reflow furnace and heated to about 250 degrees Celsius, thereby melting the solder and soldering the male terminal to the surface of the substrate 4. Thereafter, cooling is performed.

  Next, the main body 21 is attached to the substrate with the wall, and then the cover housing 26 is attached to the main body 21 (housing assembly process). The connector 1 is obtained after the housing assembly process. As described above, the assembly of the connector 1 is completed.

  Note that these steps may be performed in a plurality of stages. For example, after carrying out to the bending process in the above order, it is shipped in the state of a wall portion with a male terminal, and the remaining assembly processes (board mounting process and housing assembly process) are performed in other assembly companies. Good. In addition, an operator may perform part or all of the above steps (connector housing forming step, cutting step, pressing step, inserting step, bending step, board attaching step, housing assembling step) manually. It may be performed automatically using an automatic machine.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the male terminal of the connector 1 is manufactured using a wire, it is not necessary to press the metal plate. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the metal plate pressing metal mold becomes unnecessary, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal can be reduced. In addition, since a metal plate pressing metal mold is not required, the metal mold manufacturing period is unnecessary, and the manufacturing time of the entire connector can be shortened.

(effect)
Next, effects obtained by the connector 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The connector 1 is electrically connected to the mating connector 5 having a plurality of female terminals 7 and the substrate 4, and is manufactured using a wire, and is connected to the plurality of female terminals 7 and the substrate 4. A plurality of male terminals (a male terminal 31, a male terminal 32, and a male terminal 33) that are electrically connected to each other and a connector housing 2 having a wall portion 22 that supports the plurality of male terminals are provided. The plurality of male terminals are inserted into a plurality of through holes (through hole 23, through hole 24, and through hole 25) formed in the wall portion 22, and the connection direction E between the female terminal 7 and the male terminal is determined by the surface of the substrate 4. In each male terminal, a substrate hole insertion portion (substrate hole insertion portion 31d, substrate hole insertion portion 32d, or a hole inserted into a substrate through hole (substrate hole) 42 formed in the substrate, or the substrate hole inserting portion 33d), continuously from the substrate hole inserting portion, an intermediate portion which Ru extending along the surface of the substrate 4 (the intermediate portion 31m, the intermediate portion 32m, or intermediate portion 33m), successively from the intermediate portion, connecting direction inclined portion Ru extending along a direction inclined with respect to E (the inclined portion 31n, the inclined portion 32n, or the inclined portions 33n) and the terminal connecting portion to be connected from the wall 22 protrude into the female terminal (terminal Connection part 31c, terminal connection part 32c, or terminal connection part 33c), Is formed, the inclined portion, the intermediate portion and extends rearward (E2 side) with respect to the connecting direction E, substrate hole inserting portion, and the intermediate portion is soldered to the substrate 4.

In this configuration, the substrate hole inserting portion inserted into the substrate through hole 42, and a middle portion Ru extending along the surface of the substrate 4 is soldered to the substrate 4. Therefore, the male terminal is firmly fixed to the substrate 4 as compared with the case where only the substrate hole insertion portion or only the intermediate portion is solder-connected to the substrate 4.

  In addition, inclined portions are formed along the direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E, and intermediate portions are continuously formed from the respective inclined portions along the surface of the substrate 4. Therefore, even if the male terminal is pushed in the connection direction E by the female terminal 7, the force is received by the inclined portion and the intermediate portion.

  And by the above structure, when connecting the connector 1 and the other party connector 5, it originates in friction (friction of the female terminal 7 and a male terminal), position shift (position shift of the female terminal 7 with respect to a male terminal position), etc. Even if the male terminal is pushed by the female terminal 7, the force is not easily transmitted directly to the board hole insertion portion. Therefore, even when the male wire terminal is used, the occurrence of cracks in the solder connection portion can be suppressed.

  Moreover, according to this structure, the metal terminal press metal mold | die becomes unnecessary by manufacturing a male terminal using a wire. Therefore, the male terminal can be manufactured in a short period of time, and the manufacturing cost of the male terminal is reduced.

  In the connector 1, the board hole insertion part, the intermediate part, the inclined part, and the terminal connection part of each male terminal are parallel to both the connection direction E and the direction perpendicular to the surface of the board 4, It is located on one virtual plane R.

  According to this configuration, even when the male terminal is pushed in the connection direction E by the female terminal 7, the force is more reliably received by the inclined portion and the intermediate portion. Therefore, it is possible to reliably suppress the occurrence of cracks in the solder connection portion.

In the connector 1, each inclined portion extends from a position on the most rear side (E2 side) with respect to the connection direction E in the intermediate portion.

  According to this configuration, since the inclined portion is not located in the space above the intermediate portion, the soldering operation of the intermediate portion is facilitated.

  In the connector 1, each through hole is formed along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E, and each inclined portion is an insertion portion (insertion portion 31b, insertion portion 32b) inserted into the through hole. Or an insertion portion 33b).

  In this configuration, each through hole into which the male terminal is inserted is formed along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction E of the female terminal 7 and the male terminal, and each through hole has an inclined portion. Inserted. Therefore, even when the male terminal is pushed by the female terminal 7 when the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 are connected, the male terminal is the inner surface of the through hole (contact surface 23s, contact surface 24s, contact surface 25s). Pressed against. As a result, since the sliding movement of the male terminal along the through hole is suppressed, the male terminal is hardly pushed out from the through hole of the wall portion 22. Therefore, the force with which the female terminal 7 pushes the male terminal is further less likely to be transmitted to the board hole insertion portion. Further, even when the male terminal is strongly pressed by the female terminal 7 and the male terminal slides along the penetration direction, the force with which the female terminal 7 pushes the male terminal is applied to the board hole insertion portion and the board 4. It acts in the direction of pressing the substrate hole insertion portion against the substrate 4, not in the direction of peeling from the substrate 4. With the above configuration, the occurrence of cracks in the solder connection portion can be more reliably suppressed.

  The crack suppression by the connector 1 will be described more specifically. In the male terminal, an intermediate portion is formed continuously from the inclined portion, and the board hole insertion portion is formed further on the tip side of the intermediate portion. Therefore, even when the male terminal is pressed with a strong force by the female terminal, the force acts around the intermediate portion before the substrate hole insertion portion, and the substrate hole insertion portion (substrate hole insertion portion 31d). Further, the influence is hardly exerted on the solder connection portions around the substrate hole insertion portion 32d and the substrate hole insertion portion 33d). Therefore, the generation of cracks is reliably prevented in the vicinity of the substrate hole insertion portion. In this way, the electrical connection performance of the connector is maintained.

  Further, according to the connector 1, not only when the male terminal is pushed by the female terminal, but also when the load is concentrated on the board hole insertion portion due to the influence of vibration or heat in the environment where the connector 1 is installed. The occurrence of cracks in the solder portion can be prevented.

  Further, in the connector 1, the male terminal is difficult to come off in the direction pushed by the female terminal 7 when the two connectors are connected, that is, the E1 side in the connection direction E. For example, if the male terminal is bent on the E1 side of the wall portion 22, the male terminal is hardly pulled out to the E2 side in the connection direction E.

  In addition, according to the connector 1, the male terminal (male terminal 31, male terminal 32, male) is changed from the through hole (through hole 23, through hole 24, through hole 25) by a simple means of bending the male terminal. A structure in which the terminal 33) is difficult to be removed can be realized.

  Further, in the manufacture of the connector 1, since the male terminal is manufactured from the wire without using the metal plate pressing mold, it is more flexible than the case where the male terminal is manufactured by pressing the metal plate. Connector specifications can be changed.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since a male terminal is made from a wire, no scrap is generated when manufacturing the male terminal. Therefore, useless material costs can be reduced. In many cases, scrap is plated, and in that case, the transaction price of the scrap becomes low. Therefore, it is desirable from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost that the amount of generated scrap is reduced.

  As described above, the manufacturing cost of the connector according to the present embodiment is lower than that in the case where the male terminal is manufactured by pressing the metal plate. This cost reduction effect becomes more prominent as the number of poles (number of male terminals) increases.

  As described above, the connector 1 is a type of connector in which the connection direction E is the same as the direction along the surface of the substrate 4. In such a type of connector, it is conceivable that the male terminal is bent vertically at one place (see the male terminal 931 according to the reference example shown in the broken line part in FIG. 12B). Compared to such a male terminal 931, in the connector 1 of this embodiment, the terminal length of the male terminal 31 is shortened (the same applies to the male terminal 32 and the male terminal 33). Therefore, compared with the male terminal 931, the electrical resistance of the male terminal is reduced, and the amount of heat generated at the male terminal is reduced, so that a decrease in connector performance can be prevented. In addition, by shortening the terminal length of the male terminal, the delay of the high-frequency electrical signal can be reduced when the male terminal is a signal transmission terminal.

  In addition, when the through hole is formed along the connection direction E, in order to suppress the movement of the male terminal manufactured from the wire, the wall portion is thickened and the through hole is lengthened, and the action of the friction force Need to be increased. On the other hand, according to this configuration, with respect to the connection direction E, the inner surface (contact surface 23s, contact surface 24s, contact) of the through hole is formed on the E1 side of the terminal connection portion (terminal connection portion 31c, terminal connection portion 32c, terminal connection portion 33c). Since the surface 25s) is positioned, the movement of the male terminal is more significantly suppressed by the through-holes in the wall than in the case where the through-hole formation direction coincides with the connection direction E. Therefore, according to this configuration, the movement of the male terminal can be suppressed without increasing the thickness of the wall portion.

  In the above-described embodiment, the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the connection direction in the side view (see FIG. 4), but the inclined portion is inclined with respect to the connection direction in the plan view (top view). (Refer to a second modification described later). Similarly, the through hole may be inclined with respect to the connection direction in plan view.

Note that the board hole insertion part, the intermediate part, the inclined part, and the terminal connection part may not be located on the virtual plane R (see a second modification described later). Further, the inclined portion may not extend from the position on the most rear side (E2 side) in the connection direction in the intermediate portion, and may extend from the position on the most front side (E1 side) of the intermediate portion (described later). (Refer to the first modified example).

(First modification)
Next, a first modification of the above embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the above embodiment. FIGS. 15A and 15B are schematic views of a male terminal according to a first modification, where FIG. 15A is a side view, FIG. 15B is a plan view, and FIG. 15C is a rear view. In FIG. 15, the plan view of (b) corresponds to the G arrow view of (a), and the rear view of (c) corresponds to the H arrow view of (a). Further, in FIG. 15, the portions denoted by reference numerals 131, 131d, 131m, 131n, 131b, and 131c correspond to the portions denoted by reference numerals 31, 31d, 31m, 31n, 31b, and 31c, respectively, in the above-described embodiment. To do. In addition, although the male terminal 131 corresponding to said male terminal 31 is demonstrated here, since the male terminal corresponding to said male terminal 32 and male terminal 33 is formed similarly to the male terminal 131, it demonstrates. Is omitted.

In the male terminal 131 according to this modification, the inclined portion 131n extends from a position on the most front side (E1 side) with respect to the connection direction E in the intermediate portion 131m. The male terminal may be formed in this way.

(Second modification)
Next, a second modification of the above embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the above embodiment. 16A and 16B are schematic views of a male terminal according to a second modification, in which FIG. 16A is a side view, FIG. 16B is a plan view, and FIG. 16C is a rear view. In FIG. 16, the plan view of (b) corresponds to the G arrow view of (a), and the rear view of (c) corresponds to the H arrow view of (a). Further, in FIG. 16, the portions denoted by reference numerals 231, 231 d, 231 m, 231 n, 231 b, and 231 c correspond to the portions denoted by reference numerals 31, 31 d, 31 m, 31 n, 31 b, and 31 c, respectively, in the above embodiment. To do. Here, the male terminal 231 corresponding to the male terminal 31 will be described. However, the male terminals corresponding to the male terminal 32 and the male terminal 33 are also formed in the same manner as the male terminal 231, and thus described. Is omitted.

  In the male terminal 231 according to this modification, the board hole insertion part 231d, the intermediate part 231m, the inclined part 231n, and the terminal connection part 231c are not arranged on one virtual plane R. Specifically, the inclined portion 231n is disposed to be inclined with respect to the virtual plane R, and the terminal connection portion 231c and the intermediate portion 231m are not on one plane but on two virtual planes R, respectively. Is arranged (see FIG. 16B). The male terminal may be formed in this way.

( Reference example )
Next, a reference example in which the above-described embodiment is changed will be described with a focus on differences from the above-described embodiment. In addition, about the part similar to said embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to a figure and the description is abbreviate | omitted. FIG. 17 is a schematic side view of a wall portion with a male terminal according to the present reference example . In FIG. 17, the hatched lines indicating the cross section are omitted.

In this reference example , a plurality of through holes (through holes 423, through holes 424, and through holes 425) are formed in the wall portion 422, and these through holes are formed along the connection direction E. . Similarly to the above embodiment, it is assumed that the through hole 423, the through hole 424, and the through hole 425 are not arranged on a straight line along the vertical direction in FIG. Therefore, in a state where a plurality of male terminals are inserted into the wall 422, the male terminal 31, the male terminal 32, and the male terminal 33 do not overlap in plan view (top view).

  And the E1 side of the terminal connection part 31c, the terminal connection part 32c, and the terminal connection part 33c of a plurality of male terminals (male terminal 31, male terminal 32, and male terminal 33) is a plurality of penetrations. Inserted into the hole. The wall portion and the through hole may be formed in this way.

In addition, about said 1st modification thru | or a 2nd modification, it can also utilize combining two or three among these arbitrarily.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

  You may utilize the connector which concerns on this invention as an ECU connection connector of a motor vehicle. The application of the connector of the present invention is not limited to ECU connection, but can be used as another power supply connection or relay connector. Moreover, you may utilize the connector which concerns on this invention as a connection connector with respect to ECU for EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection; fuel injection control). The present invention can be applied to both waterproof connectors and non-waterproof connectors.

  Moreover, in said embodiment, although the wall part is comprised so that a several male terminal can be supported, a wall part may support only one male terminal. Moreover, although the plurality of through holes are arranged in three rows on the wall portion, the plurality of through holes may be arranged in a row on the wall portion.

  In the above-described embodiment, each through hole is formed along one straight line, but the through hole may be formed along a curve.

  Further, the plurality of male terminals may be used for power supply connection or signal transmission, or may be used for both.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the substrate 4 is disposed inside the connector 1, but the configuration of the connector is not limited to this, for example, the substrate is not inside the connector, but other than the connector. The connector may be arranged in the apparatus, and the connector may be a relay connection between the counterpart connector for power supply and another apparatus having a substrate. For example, the connector may be as shown in FIG. In FIG. 18, portions denoted by reference numerals 501, 502, 521, 521 c, and 522 correspond to portions denoted by 1, 2, 21, 21 c, and 22 in FIG. 1. Moreover, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the part similar to FIG. A connector 501 shown in FIG. 18 has a connector housing 502 and a plurality of male terminals. The connector housing 502 has a main body 521 and a wall 522 (the cover housing is not provided). The main body portion 521 includes an accommodating portion that accommodates the wall portion 522 and a distal end portion 521c. The substrate 4 is disposed outside the connector housing 502, not inside the connector housing 502. Further, the surface of the wall portion 522 on the E1 side is exposed without being covered with the connector housing 502, and the connection portions between the plurality of male terminals and the substrate are also exposed without being covered with the connector housing 502. ing.

It is a side schematic diagram showing the whole composition of the connector concerning one embodiment of the present invention, and the other party connector. It is a perspective view of a connector. It is the schematic of a connector, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a right view, (e) is a rear view. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. 3. It is the schematic of a wall part, (a) is a front view, (b) is a right view, (c) is B-B 'sectional drawing of (a). It is a perspective view of the main-body part of a connector housing. It is the schematic of the main-body part of a connector housing, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a right view, (e) is a rear view. It is a perspective view of a housing cover. It is a perspective view of a board | substrate. It is a perspective view which shows the state by which the wall part with a male terminal was attached to the board | substrate. It is the schematic of a board | substrate with a wall part, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a rear view, (e) is a right view, (f) is It is CC 'sectional drawing of (b). It is the schematic which shows a part of assembly process of a connector, (a) shows the state after an insertion process, (b) shows the state after a bending process. It is a side schematic diagram of a substrate with a wall. It is the schematic of a male terminal, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a rear view. It is the schematic of the male terminal which concerns on a 1st modification, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a rear view. It is the schematic of the male terminal which concerns on a 2nd modification, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a rear view. It is a side schematic diagram of a wall part with a male terminal concerning a reference example . It is the side schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the connector which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, and the other party connector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 2 Connector housing 21 Main-body part 21b Opening part 21c Tip part 21f Top plate part 21g Protrusion part 21s Internal space 21v Side wall part 21w Side wall part 22 Wall part 22d Groove parts 23, 24, 25 Through-holes 23s, 24s, 25s Contact surface 26 Cover housing 26b Bottom plate portion 26v Side wall portion 26w Side wall portions 31, 32, 33 Male terminals 31b, 32b, 33b Insertion portions 31c, 32c, 33c Terminal connection portions 31d, 32d, 33d Substrate hole insertion portions 31m, 32m, 33m Intermediate portion 31n , 32n, 33n Inclined portion 4 Substrate 41 Substrate terminal 42 Substrate through hole (substrate hole)
43 Metal film 5 Mating connector 6 Mating housing 7 Female terminal

Claims (3)

A connector electrically connected to a mating connector and a substrate having female terminals,
Manufactured using wire, the female terminal, and a male terminal electrically connected to the substrate;
A connector housing having a wall portion for supporting the male terminal,
The male terminal is inserted into a through hole formed in the wall portion,
The connection direction of the female terminal and the male terminal is a direction along the surface of the substrate,
Wherein the male terminal includes a board hole inserting portion to be inserted into a substrate hole which is formed on the substrate, said continuously from the substrate hole inserting portion, an intermediate portion which Ru extending along the surface of the substrate, from said intermediate portion continuous, an inclined portion which Ru extending along a direction inclined with respect to the connecting direction, protrudes from the wall portion, and the terminal connecting portion to be connected to the female terminals, are formed,
The inclined portion extends rearward from the intermediate portion with respect to the connection direction,
The board hole insertion part and the intermediate part are solder-connected to the board ,
The through hole is formed along a direction inclined with respect to the connection direction,
The inclined portion has an insertion portion to be inserted into the through hole .   The board hole insertion part, the intermediate part, the inclined part, and the terminal connection part are on one virtual plane parallel to both the connection direction and the direction perpendicular to the surface of the board. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is located. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion extends from a position on the most rear side in the connection direction in the intermediate portion.

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