JP5458042B2 - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connector having terminals formed by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction.

  As this type of electrical connector, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The terminal of the connector of Patent Document 1 has a substantially S-shape formed by connecting a U-shaped portion formed by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction and an inverted U-shaped portion, and an inverted U-shape. The portion has a held portion that is attached to and held by the peripheral wall of the housing from above, and the U-shaped portion has a contact portion that contacts a mating terminal of the mating connector. On the other hand, the mating connector is similarly made by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction, and a contact portion is provided at the U-shaped portion, and the other side of the U-shaped portion is laterally extended. Extending in the direction, this is the connection. In the connector of the present invention, when the mating connector is fitted from above, the contact portion is pressed in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction by the mating terminal, and the contact portion is elastically displaced. Contact with the mating terminal with a predetermined contact pressure. In the mating state of the connector, this mating connector has a U-shaped portion that enters the U-shaped portion of the terminal, and a connecting portion that extends in the lateral direction is close to the inverted U-shaped portion of the terminal. Located. Therefore, the U-shaped portion and the connecting portion of the mating terminal are positioned so as to overlap each other in two layers above the U-shaped portion and the inverted U-shaped portion of the terminal of the connector.

JP2007-035291

  This type of connector is attached to the circuit board such that the bottom wall of the housing is in contact with or facing the circuit board. Electronic components including connectors are required to have a low profile because the circuit boards are stacked while attached to the circuit board. That is, it is important that the above-described connector has a small height in the fitting direction. Therefore, it is important for the terminal, which is the largest element that determines the height, to shorten the elastic arm portion extending in the fitting direction while ensuring the contact pressure at the contact portion. However, this type of connector is required to have a long contact movement range (length) between contact portions of both connectors, that is, a so-called effective fitting length, from the start to completion of connector fitting. Therefore, simply because the connector is required to have a low profile, the elastic arm cannot simply be shortened. As a result, it is necessary to realize a low profile in other parts.

  When it becomes a part other than the elastic arm part extending in the fitting direction, it means a part extending in a direction perpendicular to the elastic arm part. In the example of Patent Document 1, these portions are a bent lower portion of the U-shaped portion and a bent upper portion of the inverted U-shaped portion. However, since the mating terminals are positioned so as to overlap each other in two layers above these parts, the dimensions of these parts are more than two sheets thick, and a gap that prevents both terminals from colliding is taken into account. More than the above dimensions are necessary, and it is difficult to realize a low profile here. In the meantime, if the plate thickness is reduced, the strength of the terminal is reduced accordingly, and many cannot be expected.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can reduce the height of the connector without shortening the fitting length of the connector and suppressing the strength reduction of the terminal.

  An electrical connector according to the present invention has a housing made of an electrically insulating material, and a terminal formed by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction thereof and held by the housing, and is fitted with a mating connector In this state, the terminal contacts the mating terminal.

  In such an electrical connector, in the present invention, the terminal has a facing region in which at least a part of the terminal faces the corresponding portion of the mating terminal with the plate thickness direction as the mating direction with the mating connector, Thus, the present invention is characterized in that the plate thickness range in the facing region has an engaging portion positioned so as to form an overlapping portion with the plate thickness range of the corresponding portion of the mating terminal in the fitting direction.

  In the connector of the present invention having such a configuration, in the state immediately before mating with the mating connector, the facing area of the terminal is opposed to the corresponding portion of the mating terminal with the mating direction as the thickness direction. When the mating connector is fitted, the engaging portion provided in the facing region of the terminal of the connector of the present invention is positioned and meshed with the corresponding portion of the mating terminal so as to overlap in the plate thickness direction. That is, the height is reduced by the overlap amount. Even if such an engaging portion is formed, the thickness of the original plate remains around it, so that the strength in the facing region does not decrease so much. In addition to this, the engagement portion engages (engages) with the corresponding portion of the mating terminal, whereby the strength at the time of contact at the contact portion of the terminal can be improved. That is, when an external force such as squeezing in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction is applied to the terminal at the time of contact, the plate thickness surfaces at the engaging portion can be brought into contact with each other and regulated. , The strength is improved.

  In the present invention, the engaging portion is formed by a recessed space that is submerged in the plate thickness direction, even though it is formed by a window-like through-hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction or a notch-shaped through space in the side edge. It is good to be. If the engaging portion is a through space, the corresponding portion of the mating terminal can enter the through space as much as the plate thickness, so that the amount of overlap increases and the contribution of miniaturization of the connector increases. However, the formation of a through-hole allows for a slight decrease in strength in the surrounding area, so the amount of overlap is small when downsizing is not so demanded, but the strength can be reduced by using an immersive space. Securing can be prioritized.

  In this invention, the plate | board surface form of the site | part in which an engaging part is formed can be determined by the relationship with the other party terminal, and the engaging part should be formed by processing the flat board surface site | part of a terminal. Alternatively, it may be formed by processing the bent plate surface portion of the terminal.

  In the present invention, the height of the connector can be reduced even if the facing area does not overlap with the corresponding portion of the mating terminal in the thickness direction.

  In such a case, the terminal has a facing area in which at least a part of the terminal faces the corresponding part of the mating terminal with the plate thickness direction as the mating direction with the mating connector, and the facing area is mated with the mating terminal. It is possible to form an immersive cavity submerged in the thickness direction or a notch-shaped through-hole in a window or side edge penetrating in the thickness direction at a position corresponding to the direction. .

  In the connector having such a configuration, even if the corresponding portion of the terminal of the mating connector is close to the same level as the upper surface of the terminal of the connector of the present invention, the above-mentioned amount is the same as the depth of the immersion cavity. A gap can be ensured between the corresponding portion of the mating terminal and a collision at the time of connector fitting is avoided, and the height of the connector can be reduced by the amount that can be brought close as described above.

  In the present invention, as described above, a terminal made by bending a metal strip in the plate thickness direction is opposed to the counterpart terminal in the connector fitting direction, the corresponding portion of the counterpart terminal, and the fitting direction. Because it has an engagement part that overlaps in the plate thickness direction, it is a connector for this overlap while ensuring an effective fitting length without shortening the elastic arm part or thinning the plate thickness. Low profile can be achieved. In addition, since the engaging portion engages with the mating terminal while overlapping in the plate thickness direction, the mating terminal can be engaged not only in the fitting direction but also on the plate thickness surface, and the strength at the time of contact between the terminals is increased. improves. Furthermore, in the present invention, even if the overlapping portion does not have the overlapping portion, the corresponding portion can be formed in the facing region only by forming an immersion space and a through space in a portion corresponding to the corresponding portion of the mating terminal. In addition, the gap can be secured even when close to each other so that they do not collide with each other, and the height of the connector can be reduced by the amount close to each other.

It is a perspective view showing the whole connector of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the mating connector of the connector of FIG. 1 in a posture in which the fitting state is reversed upside down. It is sectional drawing in the state just before fitting of the connector of FIG. 1 and the other party connector of FIG. It is a perspective view which extracts and shows one terminal from both the connectors of FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of completion of fitting of both the connectors of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the terminal of the connector of this invention of FIG. It is a perspective view of the other form about the terminal of the connector of this invention. It is a perspective view of the further another form about the terminal of the connector of the present invention.

  Embodiments of an electrical connector according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 and 2 are perspective views showing the overall appearance of the connector and the mating connector according to this embodiment, with the fitting side facing upward. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1 and the mating connector before connector fitting, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing one terminal of both connectors of FIG. The mating connector shown in FIG. 2 is turned upside down as shown in FIG. 3 when the connector is fitted, and the fitting side is directed downward.

  The connector 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a connector that is attached to a circuit board (not shown) at its bottom wall, and has a frame-like fitting portion that fits into the receiving recess of the mating connector. And, when the fitting portion is fitted into the receiving recess, the connectors are fitted and connected. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 includes a synthetic resin housing 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and a plurality of metal terminals arranged and held in the housing 10 by integral molding in the longitudinal direction of the housing 10. 20.

  The housing 10 has a bottom wall 11 facing the circuit board and a peripheral wall 12 rising from the bottom wall 11, and is surrounded by the bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12 and opens upward in FIGS. 1 and 3. The space to be formed is formed as a receiving recess 15 that receives the protruding wall portion 32 of the housing 30 of the mating connector 2 in the connector fitting state. The peripheral wall 12 has two side walls 13 that face each other and extend in the longitudinal direction, and an end wall 14 that connects the side walls 13 to each other, and the side walls 13 hold the terminals 20 in an array.

  Next, as is often seen in FIG. 4, the terminal 20 is formed by bending a metal plate strip in the thickness direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal 20 has a short direction (left and right in FIG. 1). Are held in the respective side walls 13 of the housing 10 in a state of being arranged in two rows and being arranged in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 20 is positioned on the side of the receiving recess 15 among the inverted U-shaped held portion 21 held by the side wall 13 and the two legs of the held portion 21. One leg portion 21A (hereinafter referred to as “inner leg portion 21A”) extends from the lower end of the inner leg portion 21A in the short direction through a bent transition portion 26, and the corresponding circuit of the circuit board. And a connection part 24 for soldering to the part. As is often seen in FIG. 3, the terminal 20 is held by the side wall 13 by the integral molding with the housing 10 at the held portion 21 and the transition portion 26.

  The held portion 21 is buried in the side wall 13 so as to straddle the side wall 13 of the housing 10 from above. In the held portion 21, the inner plate surface and side edges of the inverted U-shaped portion are held by the side wall 13, and the outer plate surface of the inverted U-shaped portion is exposed from the side wall 13. The dimension of the held portion 21 in the short direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the housing 10 is such that a contact portion 42B and a lock portion, which will be described later, of the terminal 40 of the mating connector 2 (hereinafter referred to as “mating terminal 40”). It is slightly larger than the distance from 41A-1 (see FIG. 3). That is, the plate surface of the inner leg portion 21A located on the receiving recess 15 side of the inner leg portion 21A of the held portion 21 is a portion closer to the bottom wall 11 (lower position in FIG. 1), and the connector A contact portion 21A-1 is formed in contact with the corresponding contact portion 42B of the mating terminal 40 of the mating connector 2 with contact pressure in the fitted state. The contact portion 21A-1 is slightly immersed, and also has a function of locking the contact portion 42B when the contact portion 42B contacts the contact portion 42B. Further, the plate surface of the outer leg portion 21B, which is located away from the receiving recess 15 of the other leg portion 21B (hereinafter referred to as "outer leg portion 21B") of the held portion 21, is positioned closer to the bottom wall 11 ( The lower portion in FIG. 2 is recessed to form a recess, and the recess functions as a locked portion 21B-1 that engages with the lock portion 41A-1 of the mating terminal 40.

  A curved upper plate portion 21C that connects the inner leg portion 21A and the outer leg portion 21B of the held portion 21 that forms the inverted U-shaped portion is a plate surface while being close to the corresponding portion of the mating terminal 40 in the connector fitting direction. The opposing area | region which mutually opposes is comprised, The immersion space is formed in the upper surface as the engaging part 25 locally. The engagement portion 25 formed as an immersion space is a bent upper plate portion 21C as shown in FIG. 4 in the most part of the terminal width direction, leaving both side edges, and in the terminal longitudinal direction. It is formed in a region extending to the position close to the contact portion 21A-1 and the locked portion 21B-1. The engaging portion 25 is formed by immersing by pressing the terminal in the plate thickness direction so as to allow the corresponding portion of the mating terminal to enter when the connector is fitted. This is determined in consideration of the required entry amount of the corresponding portion and the strength around the engaging portion 25. In the present embodiment, the plate thickness is partially reduced at the engaging portion, but the strength is not lowered so much because the original plate thickness portion remains around the engaging portion.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the connection portion 24 of the terminal 20 is located at substantially the same height as the lower surface of the bottom wall 11 of the housing 10, and solder connection with the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board is possible. It is possible.

  The mating connector 2 to be fitted to the connector 1 according to the present embodiment as described above is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) as described in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the connector 1 of this embodiment is a connector that is fitted and connected from above, and a housing 30 made of synthetic resin having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and the housing as shown in FIG. 2. 30 and a plurality of metal counterpart terminals 40 arranged and held in the housing 30 in the longitudinal direction. When the mating connector 2 is fitted to the connector 1, it is lowered downward with respect to the connector 1 as shown in FIG. Is as already described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 30 faces a surface of a circuit board that is a mounting target surface and extends in the terminal direction in the longitudinal direction and extends in the longitudinal direction and the bottom wall 31. And a peripheral wall 33 that stands up from the bottom wall 31 and surrounds the protruding wall portion 32. The peripheral wall 33 includes two side walls 34 that extend in the longitudinal direction so as to face each other, and two end walls 35 that connect ends of the two side walls 34 and extend in a short direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. And have. A square annular space opened upward between the peripheral wall 33 and the protruding wall portion 32 is formed as a receiving recess 36 for receiving the fitting portion of the connector 1 described above. Both the side walls 34 hold the mating terminals 40 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. The housing 30 will be described again later in connection with the mating terminal 40 held by the housing 30.

  The mating terminal 40 is formed by bending a metal plate strip in the thickness direction, and has a substantially horizontal S shape in which a U-shaped portion and an inverted U-shaped portion are connected. It is held by the side wall 34 of the housing 30 in a state of being symmetrical with respect to the portion 32 and arranged in two rows. As shown in FIG. 3, the mating terminal 40 is held by a U-shaped held portion 41 held by the side wall 34 of the housing 30 (appears in an inverted U shape because of the vertically inverted posture in FIG. 2). An elastic arm portion 42 extending downward at a position near the protruding wall portion 32 in the short direction of the housing 30 and having a free end at the lower end, and extending in the short direction facing the bottom wall 31 of the housing 30 A base portion 43 that connects one leg portion (an inner leg portion 41A described later) and the elastic arm portion 42 at the upper end position of FIG. 3 and the other leg portion (an outer leg described later) of the held portion 41. Part 41B) extending out of the housing 30 and connected to a corresponding circuit on a circuit board (not shown) by soldering. The base portion 43 forms a facing area where the plate surfaces face each other while being close to the corresponding portion of the terminal 20 in the connector fitting direction. As often seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mating terminal 40 is held by the held portion 41 by integral molding with the housing 30. Needless to say, the connecting portion 44 only needs to extend to the extent that soldering is possible. In this embodiment, the terminal is integrally molded with the housing 30. However, the terminal may be incorporated into the housing by press-fitting into the side wall.

  As is often seen in FIG. 3, the held portion 41 has a U-shape as described above, and has one leg portion 41 </ b> A (hereinafter referred to as “inner leg portion 41 </ b> A”) extending along the inner surface of the side wall 34. ) And the other leg 41B (hereinafter referred to as “outer leg 41B”) located near the outer surface of the side wall 34. The inner leg 41 </ b> A is formed with a lock portion 41 </ b> A- 1 that protrudes into the receiving recess 36 of the housing 30 so as to face a contact portion 42 </ b> B described later at a position near the upper end. The lock portion 41A-1 is engaged with the locked portion 21B-1 formed in the terminal 20 of the above-described mating connector 1, thereby maintaining the connector fitting state and the locked portion 21B-. The contact portion 42B is also assisted by contacting and electrically conducting at the time of locking with 1.

  2 and 3, the held portion 41 is formed by integral molding on the side wall 34 so that a part of the held portion 41 is buried in the side wall 34 and the side wall 34 is straddled from below in FIG. Is retained. In the held portion 41, the inner plate surface and the side edge of the inner leg portion 41 </ b> A are held in contact with the side wall 34. On the other hand, the outer leg portion 41B has the lower half portion buried in the side wall 34 in FIG. 3, and the upper half portion is exposed on the outer plate surface. In the part that forms the bottom of the U-shaped part in FIG. 3 and connects the inner leg 41A and the outer leg 41B, the outer surface of the inner part is exposed and the outer part is completely buried in the side wall 34. From the upper end of the outer leg portion 41B, a connecting portion 44 extends outward from the housing 30 in a lateral direction through a bent portion. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connecting portion 44 is located at substantially the same height as the lower surface of the bottom wall 31, and can be soldered to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board.

  The elastic arm portion 42 extends downward along the protruding wall portion 32 of the housing 30 through a transition portion 45 bent between the elastic arm portion 42 and the base portion 43, and its thickness direction It is possible to elastically displace in the short direction by bending at. The elastic arm portion 42 is inclined toward the side wall 34 toward the lower end portion on the free end side. When the connector is fitted, the terminal 20 of the connector 1 described above enters the inverted U-shaped portion in FIG. 3 so that the elastic arm portion 42 contacts the terminal 20 toward the lower end portion. And it inclines in the direction which increases the amount of interference with the terminal 20. In the elastic arm portion 42, a slope portion 42A is formed by processing a portion near the lower end edge in FIG. 3 so as to reduce the plate thickness toward the lower end edge. Since the elastic arm portion 42 is inclined as described above and approaches the inner leg portion 41A downward, the slope portion 42A and the non-slope portion positioned at the upper end thereof are formed by the formation of the slope portion 42A. And the boundary area forms a contact portion 42B. In a direction perpendicular to the connector fitting (lateral direction in FIG. 3), the contact portion 42B has an interference amount δ with the terminal 20, and the interference amount δ is within a range corresponding to the inclined surface portion 42A. The surface of the contact portion of the terminal 20 having the position is located. As seen in FIG. 3, a chamfered portion 42C is formed at the lower end edge of the slope portion 42A in order to make it lower in height. The chamfered portion 42C may be round or flat. In the present invention, the slope portion 42A may be round or flat, and may be formed within a short distance from the upper edge of the elastic arm portion 42, so that the terminal 20 described above can be guided. It is preferable to form it in the smallest possible range.

  Here, the housing 30 will be described again. In FIG. 3, a terminal arrangement groove 37 for accommodating the inverted U-shaped portion of the mating terminal 40 is formed on the inner surface of the receiving recess 36 of the housing 30. The terminal arrangement groove 37 includes a bottom wall side groove portion 37A formed on the bottom wall for the base portion 43 of the mating terminal 40, and a protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B formed on the protruding wall portion 32 for the elastic arm portion. These two groove portions 37A and 37B are formed in communication with each other. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a lateral groove portion 37C shallower than the protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B is formed on both sides of the protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B, and the opposite side groove portions 37C are opposed to each other. A restricting portion 38 that restricts the corresponding portion of the connector in a direction orthogonal to the terminal arrangement direction is formed. Thus, the elastic arm portion 42 is positioned between the side groove portions 37C and can be elastically displaced inwardly (in the groove bottom direction) of the protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B in the fitted state with the connector 1 described above. It has become. A part of the elastic arm portion 42 enters the protruding wall portion side groove portion 37 </ b> B in the fitting state, but the contact portion 42 </ b> B and the vicinity thereof provide sufficient contact pressure with the terminal 20 of the connector 1. In the secured state, it is located outside the lateral groove portion 37C. In the present embodiment, the restricting portions 38 are formed on both sides of the protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B. However, the restricting portion 38 is not formed on each protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B, and a plurality of protruding portions are formed. It is preferable that each of the wall side groove portions is formed only with respect to any two or more protruding wall portion side groove portions. By doing so, the position of the mating connector can be reliably regulated by the regulating parts formed on the protruding wall part at two or more positions having a distance in the longitudinal direction. The restricting portion may be formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the protruding wall portion.

  The slope portion 42A formed on the lower edge in FIG. 3 of the elastic arm portion 42 of the mating terminal 40 can be appropriately formed by locally crushing the material with a tool. It is also possible to remove typical materials.

  Hereinafter, the fitting operation between the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 will be described. First, the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 are soldered to corresponding circuit portions of the corresponding circuit boards. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the connector 1 is arranged so that the receiving recess 15 is opened upward, and the mating connector 2 is placed above the connector 1 so that the receiving recess 36 is opened downward. Bring to position. When the mating connector 2 is moved downward, the mating connector 2 receives the fitting portion of the connector 1 into the receiving recess 36 of the mating connector 2 while being regulated by the regulating portion 38 formed on the protruding wall portion 32. .

  As a result, the held portion 21 having the inverted U shape of the terminal 20 of the connector 1 is in a rounded portion at the upper end thereof and abuts against the inclined surface portion 42A of the mating terminal 40 of the mating connector 2, thereby While guiding in the fitting direction, the space between the contact portion 42B and the lock portion 41A-1 of the mating terminal 40 of the mating connector 2 is expanded to enter the mating direction. In the present embodiment, an engagement portion 25 is formed as an immersion space in the curved upper plate portion 21 </ b> C positioned at the upper end of the held portion 21 in an inverted U shape. Accordingly, when the mating with the mating connector progresses, the dimension in the terminal width direction of the base portion 43 corresponding to the mating terminal 40 is smaller than the dimension in the terminal width direction of the engagement portion 25, so that a part of the plate thickness of the base portion. Enters the engaging portion 25. Therefore, the bent upper plate portion 21C of the terminal 20 and the base portion 43 of the mating terminal 40 are positioned in the connector fitting direction so that the mutual plate thicknesses are overlapped. In the state where the fitting has advanced to a position having such an overlapping range, the contact portion 42B of the mating terminal 40 is pressed toward the protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B of the terminal arrangement groove 37, whereby the elastic arm portion. 42 is elastically displaced so as to enter the protruding wall portion side groove portion 37B. As the approach of the held portion 21 of the connector 1 further proceeds, the contact portion 42B comes into contact with the corresponding contact portion 21A-1 of the held portion 21 with contact pressure and is locked, while the lock portion 41A-1 Engages with the locked portion 21B-1 of the held portion 21 in the vertical direction. As a result, the terminals of the connectors are electrically connected and locked to each other, and the fitting connection between the connectors is completed as seen in FIG. When the mating is completed, the plate thickness range at the engagement portion 25 forms a portion facing the plate thickness range of the corresponding portion of the mating terminal. When an external force in the terminal arrangement direction acts on the terminal, The contact strength is ensured, thereby ensuring the strength at the time of contact.

  In the terminal 20 of this embodiment, the connecting portion 24 extends from the inner leg portion 21A of the inverted U-shaped held portion 21 as shown in FIG. It is good also as extending from the part 21B.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, and various modifications are possible. In the above-described form, the engaging portion 25 of the terminal 20 is formed as an immersive cavity by locally reducing the thickness of the terminal. However, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to form the engaging portion 25 as a through space by penetrating the engaging portion 25 in a window shape in the plate thickness direction. In this case, if there is no problem in the strength around the engaging portion 25, the corresponding portions of the mating terminal are all inserted into the through space, so that the reduction in the height of the connector is improved accordingly.

  In FIG. 8, in addition to the engaging portion 25 as the immersion space in FIG. 5, the engaging portion 25 ′ is also provided in the connecting portion 24 that forms the flat plate shape of the terminal 20. The engaging portion 25 ′ is formed as an immersion recess, and receives the held portion 41 as a facing area as a corresponding portion of the mating terminal 40 for a part of the plate thickness. In FIG. 8, the engaging portion 25 is used as an immersion space, but it goes without saying that the through space shown in FIG. 7 may be used.

  Further, in the present invention, although not shown, the immersion space or the through space as the engaging portion may be formed not on the center position but on one or both outer edges in the width direction of the terminal.

  According to the present invention, not only when the plate thickness overlaps in the mating direction with the corresponding portion of the mating terminal in the engagement portion formed as an immersion space or a penetration space, Even when the corresponding portion of the mating terminal comes close to the upper surface of the engaging portion, the height of the connector can be reduced. Normally, the terminal is only allowed to be fitted to a position where a gap is formed in order to prevent collision with the mating terminal when the connector is fitted. However, if the engaging portion as in the present invention is provided, even if the mating terminal comes close in the fitting direction, the above-mentioned gap is sufficiently formed by the engaging portion formed as an immersion space or a through space. This is because it can be secured.

1 connector 2 mating connector 10 housing
20 terminal 25 engaging part 25 'engaging part 40 mating terminal

Claims (5)

A housing made of an electrically insulating material, and a terminal formed by bending a metal strip in the plate thickness direction and held by the housing; In the electrical connector that contacts,
The terminal has a facing area in which at least a part of the terminal faces the corresponding portion of the mating terminal with the thickness direction as the mating direction with the mating connector, and the thickness range in the facing area in the mated state An electrical connector comprising: an engaging portion positioned so as to form an overlapping portion in the mating direction with the thickness range of the corresponding portion of the mating terminal.   The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is formed by a window-like through-hole penetrating in a plate thickness direction or a notch-like through space at a side edge.   The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is formed by an immersion cavity that is submerged in the thickness direction.   The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is formed by processing a flat plate surface portion of the terminal.   The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is formed by processing a bent plate surface portion of the terminal.

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