JP6884164B2 - Receptacle connector and tab terminal - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a receptacle connector mounted on a circuit board and a tab terminal used for the receptacle connector.

Conventionally, an electric connector (BtoB connector) has been used to connect circuit boards to each other. The BtoB connector is composed of a receptacle connector mounted on one circuit board and a plug connector mounted on the other circuit board. By inserting and fitting the plug connector into the receptacle connector, the circuit boards can be connected to each other. It is designed to be electrically connected.

Here, the configurations of the conventional electric connectors (receptacle connector and plug connector) will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15.

13A and 13B are perspective views of the electric connector of the prior art, FIG. 13A is a perspective view of the receptacle connector, and FIG. 13B is a perspective view of the plug connector, both of which have the fitting direction on the upper side. Shown in posture.
14A and 14B are schematic views for explaining tab terminals mounted on both end sides of the housing of the receptacle connector of the prior art, and FIG. 14A is a schematic view of the tab terminals viewed from diagonally above. (B) is a schematic view of the tab terminal viewed from above.
15A and 15B are schematic views for explaining tab terminals mounted on both ends of the housing of the receptacle connector of the prior art, and FIG. 15A is a schematic view of the tab terminals viewed from the front. (B) is a schematic view of the tab terminal viewed from the rear.

The receptor connector 200 and the plug connector 300 shown in FIG. 13 are arranged on mounting surfaces of different circuit boards (not shown), and are used for connecting the circuit boards to each other. The receptacle connector 200 and the plug connector 300 are inserted and removed in a direction perpendicular to the surface of each circuit board.

The above-mentioned receptacle connector 200 includes a housing 210 (resin housing 210) formed in a thin substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a plurality of housings 210 held in two rows and arrangements by the housing 210 with the longitudinal direction of the housing 210 as the terminal arrangement direction. The signal terminal (metal signal terminal) 230 and the tab (TAB) terminal (metal tab terminal) 250 held so as to cover the upper ends of the housing 210 on both ends are provided.
The tab terminal 250 has a role of fixing both ends of the receptor connector 200 to the circuit board by soldering, and a tab terminal 350 of the plug connector 300 on the other side is inserted into the tab terminal 250. It plays the role of electrically connecting.
The tab terminal 250 is formed to have a larger size than the signal terminal 230, so that a current larger than the current flowing through the signal terminal 230 can flow. For example, the tab terminal 250 is used as a connection terminal for a power source.

As shown in FIG. 13A, the housing 200 has a bottom wall 211 having a bottom surface parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and an arrangement of signal terminals 230 standing upward from the bottom wall 211. It has a rectangular island-shaped central protrusion 215 extending in the direction, and a frame-shaped peripheral wall 212 that stands upward from the outer peripheral portion of the bottom wall 211 and surrounds the central protrusion 215. The peripheral wall 212 is composed of a pair of side wall portions 212a extending in the arrangement direction of the signal terminals 230 and a pair of end wall portions 212b connecting the ends of the pair of side wall portions 212a.
Then, an annular space that opens upward is formed between the central protrusion 215 and the peripheral wall 212, and this annular space is the corresponding fitting portion (square frame-shaped peripheral wall) of the plug connector 300 on the other side. It is a receiving section for accepting 312).

Further, as shown in FIG. 13A, the tab terminal 250 is attached so as to cover the upper ends of the peripheral wall 212 constituting the housing 100 in the longitudinal direction and on both sides. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the tab terminal 250 is perpendicular to the base portion 251 arranged in contact with the upper end side of the end wall portion 212b from both sides of the base portion 251 toward one side (front). It has a pair of arm portions 252 that bend and extend, a hook portion 253 provided at the upper end of the base portion 251 and a hook portion 254 provided on each of the arm portions 252. Then, the hook portion 253 is attached by covering the upper end portion of the end wall portion 212b of the housing 100, and the hook portion 254 is attached by being covered by the side wall portion 212a of the housing 100. Further, each of the pair of arm portions 252 is provided with an elastic contact piece 255 having an inverted U shape at the upper end portion on the free end side thereof.
Then, the tab terminals 350 provided at both ends of the plug connector 300 are sandwiched by the pair of elastic contact pieces 255 provided on each of the pair of arm portions 252.
The pair of arm portions 252 has leg portions 252a (see FIG. 15A) formed at the lower ends thereof, and the leg portions 252a are soldered to the mounting surface of the circuit board. (The leg portion 252a is a soldering portion).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13B, the plug connector 300 has a resin housing 310 and signal terminals (metal) held in two rows and arrangements by the housing 310 with the longitudinal direction of the housing 310 as the terminal arrangement direction. (Manufactured signal terminal) 330 and tab (TAB) terminals (metal tab terminals) 350 attached to both ends of the housing 310.
The tab terminal 350 has a role of fixing both ends of the plug connector 300 to the circuit board by soldering, and is electrically connected to the tab terminal 250 of the receptor connector 200 on the other side. It plays a role in doing so.

Further, the housing 310 has a square frame-shaped peripheral wall 312 and a bottom wall 311. The square frame-shaped peripheral wall 312 has an island-shaped central protrusion 215 of the receptor connector 200 and a peripheral wall surrounding the peripheral wall 312. It is adapted to fit in the space formed between the 212 and the 212.
Then, when the plug connector 300 is fitted into the receptacle connector 200 and fitted, the signal terminal 230 of the receptacle connector 200 comes into contact with the corresponding signal terminal 330 of the plug connector 300 and is electrically connected, and the receptacle connector is connected. The tab terminal 350 of the plug connector 300 is fitted to the tab terminal 250 of the 200 so that it is electrically connected.

In the electric connector (BtoB connector) that connects the circuit boards as described above, the tab terminals are arranged and attached so as to cover the upper ends on both ends of the resin housing, and the current flowing through the signal terminals is used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device capable of passing a large current.

Japanese Patent No. 5792855

By the way, the above-described prior art receptacle connector adopts a configuration in which tab terminals are attached to the housing by arranging them so as to cover the upper end side of the housing at both ends of the resin housing. ..
However, in the above configuration, the thickness dimension of the tab terminal (thickness dimension in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board) is limited, and there arises a problem that the tab terminal cannot be designed in a free shape. Therefore, the tab terminal of the receptacle connector of the above-mentioned conventional technique is arranged in a shape having a sufficiently large size in the spring portion (for example, the elastic contact piece 255 shown in FIG. 15) that comes into contact with the contact portion of the connector on the other side. I couldn't do it, and the spring part was a hard spring that wasn't supple. As a result, the receptacle connector of the prior art has a problem that it cannot be smoothly attached to and detached from the connector on the other side, and the spring portion may be dented by a slight displacement and stable contact may not be obtained. In particular, the receptacle connector mounted on the circuit board used in a mobile device such as a smartphone is extremely miniaturized, so that the above-mentioned problem appears remarkably.
As shown in FIG. 15A, the above-described prior art receptacle connector has a portion that makes electrical contact with the mating side (elastic contact piece 255) and a soldering portion (leg portion at the lower end of the arm portion 252). Since 252a) is close to each other, the solder travels through the terminals and rides on the contact portion, causing a phenomenon in which the contact performance deteriorates.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is a receptacle connector mounted on a circuit board, which can be smoothly attached to and detached from a connector on the other side and repeatedly attached and detached. An object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle connector provided with a tab terminal that is less likely to cause sagging and provides a predetermined contact. Another object of the present invention is to provide a tab terminal mounted on the receptacle connector.

The present invention made to solve the above problems is arranged on the mounting surface of one circuit board and arranged on the mounting surface of another circuit board with the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface as the connector insertion / removal direction. A receptacle connector into which a plug connector is inserted and fitted and connected, and a thin housing formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and a plurality of signal terminals held by the housing with the longitudinal direction of the housing as the terminal arrangement direction. , the outside of the longitudinal-ends of the housing, respectively, Bei example a tab terminal mounted is disposed, the tab terminal, as well as extending in the widthwise direction of the housing, the implementation of the first circuit board It has a bottom surface portion arranged on a surface and at least one pair of elastic contact pieces that rise and extend upward from both end portions in the width direction in the bottom surface portion, and the elastic contact. Pieces are arranged in the longitudinal direction and outside both ends of the housing, respectively, and when the plug connector is inserted, at least one pair of the elastic contact pieces are provided in the connection portion provided in the plug connector. It is characterized in that it comes into contact with the plug connector and elastically displaces in the width direction to sandwich the connection portion provided on the plug connector.

As described above, the tab terminal of the present invention is not arranged and attached so as to cover the upper side of both ends of the resin housing as in the tab terminal of the prior art described above, but is arranged outside both ends of the housing. It is configured to be installed. According to this configuration, the thickness dimension of the tab terminal (thickness dimension in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board) is not limited, and the tab terminal can be designed in a free shape. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to use a tab terminal having a shape having a sufficiently large size for the spring portion that comes into contact with the contact portion of the connector on the other side, and as a result, the tab terminal of the present invention is used. For example, the connector on the other side can be smoothly attached to and detached from the connector, and even if the connector is repeatedly attached and detached, the settling is less likely to occur and the expected contact can be obtained. In addition, by attaching tab terminals in the longitudinal direction of the housing and outside both ends, the heat of temperature rise when a current is applied is higher than that of the conventional technology "a configuration in which the housing is mounted over the upper side (see FIG. 13)". Heat dissipation is improved. That is, according to the present invention, a receptacle connector having better heat dissipation performance than that of the prior art is provided.

Since the tab terminal of the present invention is not arranged so as to cover both ends of the housing, it is possible to provide a bottom surface portion to be arranged on the mounting surface of the circuit board. Further, the present invention has a configuration in which at least a pair of elastic contact pieces that come into contact with the connection portion of the plug connector rise and extend upward from both sides and ends of the bottom surface portion. According to this configuration, the spring portion (elastic contact piece) of the tab terminal is designed to have a larger length dimension than the spring portion (for example, the elastic contact piece 255 shown in FIG. 15) of the conventional tab terminal. This allows the spring portion to be elastically displaced more flexibly than in the prior art.
Further, in the present invention, since at least a pair of elastic contact pieces are connected at the bottom surface (because the metal (bottom surface) connecting the elastic contact pieces is arranged), the spring of the tab terminal of the prior art. Compared to the part, the spring constant increases, and it does not become flat with a slight displacement, and stable contact can be obtained.

Further , a mounting piece is formed at the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion and at the longitudinal direction / inner end portion of the housing, and the mounting piece is embedded in the longitudinal end portion of the housing. The elastic contact piece rises from both ends in the width direction and extends upward, and is bent in an inverted U shape from the upper end of the standing portion in the width direction and inward. It is desirable that the bent portion is formed so as to have a bent portion extending downward, and a contact portion that comes into contact with the connecting portion provided on the plug connector is formed inside the bent portion.
By configuring the elastic contact piece in this way, the connection portion provided in the plug connector can be sandwiched by a large spring force, a stable connection can be obtained, and repeated attachment / detachment can be withstood.

Further, a guide piece is formed at the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion and at the length direction / outer end portion of the housing, and the guide piece is the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion. A first horizontal piece extending in parallel from the outside to the outside, a first vertical piece that bends upward at a substantially right angle from the end of the first horizontal part, and the first vertical piece. It is desirable to have a bent piece that is bent outward in an inverted U shape and extends downward from the upper end of the piece.

This guide piece positions the corresponding connection portion of the tab terminal of the plug connector between a pair of elastic contact pieces of the tab terminal of the receptacle connector when the plug connector is fitted to the receptacle connector. Can be called in. That is, the guide piece can smoothly fit the receptacle connector and the plug connector.

Further, the end portion of the long side direction, the inside of the a widthwise-central portion of the bottom surface portion and the housing, the mounting pieces are formed, the mounting piece is attached to the longitudinal ends of the housing Further, a pair of rear end arm pieces extending from the central portion of the guide piece in the height direction to both sides in the width direction and both end portions of the rear end arm piece toward the inside. A pair of side arm pieces that bend at a substantially right angle and extend through the outside of the elastic contact piece to the position of the mounting piece are formed, and the elastic contact piece is attached to each of the pair of side arm pieces. It is desirable that a pair of protective pieces are provided so as to be sandwiched from both sides in the longitudinal direction.
As described above, since the present invention is not "a configuration in which the tab terminals are attached so as to cover both ends of the resin housing" unlike the tab terminals of the prior art, the tab terminals made of metal are installed as compared with the conventional technology described above. You can take a lot of space to do it. As a result, in the present invention, the spring portion (elastic contact piece) of the tab terminal can be designed to have a larger dimension than the spring portion of the tab terminal of the prior art.

Further, in the present invention, a plug connector arranged on the mounting surface of one circuit board and arranged on the mounting surface of another circuit board is inserted and fitted with the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface as the connector insertion / removal direction. A tab terminal that is attached to the outside of the longitudinal direction and both ends of the housing of the receptacle connector to be joined, extends in the width direction of the housing, and is a bottom surface portion that is arranged on the mounting surface of the one circuit board. And a pair of elastic contact pieces that rise and extend upward from both end portions in the width direction in the bottom surface portion, and the elastic contact pieces are formed in the longitudinal direction of the housing. Each is arranged on the outside of both ends, and when the plug connector is inserted, a pair of the elastic contact pieces abuts on the connection portion provided on the plug connector and elastically displaces in the width direction. It is characterized in that the connection portion provided in the plug connector is sandwiched.

According to the present invention, the receptacle connector mounted on the circuit board can be smoothly attached to and detached from the connector on the other side, and even if it is repeatedly attached and detached, it is less likely to cause sagging and a predetermined contact can be obtained. It is possible to provide a receptacle connector having a tab terminal to be provided. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tab terminal mounted on the above-mentioned receptacle connector.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a receptacle connector having better heat dissipation performance than that of the prior art, and a tab terminal mounted on the receptacle connector.

It is a perspective view of the receptacle connector of embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the receptacle connector of embodiment of this invention, (a) is a schematic view which showed the upper surface of the receptacle connector, and (b) is the schematic diagram which showed the side surface of the receptacle connector. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the receptacle connector of embodiment of this invention, (a) is a schematic diagram which showed the end part of the receptacle connector on the longitudinal direction side, and (b) is a tab terminal | part of a receptacle connector. It is a schematic diagram which showed the cross section of. It is a perspective view of the tab terminal provided in the receptacle connector of the embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the tab terminal provided in the receptacle connector of embodiment of this invention, (a) is a schematic diagram which showed the front end part of the tab terminal, (b) shows the upper surface of the tab terminal. (C) is a schematic view showing the rear end portion of the tab terminal, and (d) is a schematic view showing the side surface portion of the tab terminal. It is a schematic diagram which showed the cross section of the tab terminal provided in the receptacle connector of embodiment of this invention, (a) is a schematic diagram which shows the cross section of the width direction and the central part of a tab terminal, and (b) is a tab. It is a schematic diagram which shows the cross section of the terminal part in the length direction and the central part. It is a perspective view of the plug connector of the embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the plug connector of embodiment of this invention, (a) is a schematic diagram which showed the upper surface of a plug connector, (b) is a schematic diagram which showed the side surface of a plug connector. It is a perspective view of the tab terminal of the plug connector of the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view of the tab terminal viewed from the rear side, and (b) is a perspective view of the tab terminal viewed from the front side. .. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the tab terminal of the plug connector of embodiment of this invention, (a) is a schematic diagram which shows the rear surface of a tab terminal, (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the side surface of a tab terminal. , (C) are schematic views showing the front surface of the tab terminal, (d) is a schematic view showing the upper surface of the tab terminal, and (e) is a schematic view showing the lower surface of the tab terminal. It is a schematic diagram which showed the state by fitting the tab terminal of a plug connector with the tab terminal of the receptacle connector of embodiment of this invention, and is the schematic diagram which (a) was fitted and looked at the state from above. (B) is a schematic view of the fitted state viewed from the rear, and (c) is a schematic view of the fitted state viewed from the side. It is a schematic diagram which showed the cross section in the state which the tab terminal of a plug connector was fitted to the tab terminal of the receptacle connector of this embodiment. It is a perspective view of the electric connector of the prior art, (a) is a perspective view of a receptacle connector, and (b) is a perspective view of a plug connector. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the tab terminal attached to both ends side of the housing of the receptacle connector of the prior art, (a) is a schematic view which looked at the tab terminal from diagonally above, and (b) is a tab terminal. Is a schematic view seen from above. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the tab terminal attached to both ends side of the housing of the receptacle connector of the prior art, (a) is a schematic view which looked at the tab terminal from the front, and (b) is a tab terminal. Is a schematic view seen from the rear.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the electric connector (receptacle connector RC and plug connector PC) according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Here, the receptacle connector RC (see FIG. 1) and the plug connector PC (see FIG. 7) of the present embodiment are respectively arranged on mounting surfaces of different circuit boards (not shown), and the circuit boards are connected to each other. Used for. In both the receptacle connector RC and the plug connector PC, the direction perpendicular to the surface of each circuit board is the insertion / extraction direction.

The present invention is characterized in the configuration of the receptacle connector RC (particularly the tab terminal 50), and the plug connector PC is realized by the configuration of the existing technology. Therefore, in the following, the configuration of the receptacle connector RC (particularly, the tab terminal 50) will be mainly described, and the description of other configurations will be simplified.

First, the configuration of the receptacle connector RC will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

As shown in the figure, the receptacle connector RC is held in two rows by the housing 10 (resin housing 10) formed in a thin substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and the housing 10 with the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 as the terminal arrangement direction. A plurality of signal terminals (metal signal terminals) 30 are provided, and tab terminals (metal tab terminals) 50 are arranged and attached to the outside of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing. ..

Similar to the conventional technique described above, the tab terminal 50 has a role of fixing both ends of the receptacle connector RC by soldering to the circuit board, and a tab terminal 150 of the plug connector PG on the other side is inserted. It is fitted and plays a role of electrically connecting to the tab terminal 150.
The tab terminal 50 is formed to have a larger size than the signal terminal 30, so that a current larger than the current flowing through the signal terminal 30 can flow. For example, the tab terminal 50 is used as a connection terminal for a power source.

Further, the housing 10 has a bottom wall 11 having a bottom surface parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and the housing 10 stands up from the central portion (longitudinal direction / central portion) of the bottom wall 11 and has an array of signal terminals 30. A rectangular convex central protrusion 15 extending in the direction and a rectangular convex side protrusion 12/12 (a pair) that stands up from both sides of the bottom wall 11 in the lateral direction and extends in the arrangement direction of the signal terminals 30. It is equipped with a side protrusion 12).
The side protrusion 12 has a shape in which the lower end portion thereof is cut out along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2B), and the signal terminal 30 is formed in the cutout portion. The outer leg portion 30a (described later) of the above is arranged.
Further, leg pieces 14 that come into contact with the circuit board are provided at both ends of the side protrusions 12.

Then, a groove-shaped space (two parallel groove-shaped spaces) that opens upward is formed between the central protrusion 15 and each side protrusion 12, and this space is the mating side. It is a receiving portion for receiving the corresponding fitting portion (two side walls 102) of the plug connector PG.

Further, the signal terminal 30 housed and held in the housing 10 is formed, for example, by bending a strip-shaped metal plate in the thickness direction thereof. The signal terminal 30 is formed in a horizontal S shape in which an inverted U-shaped portion and a U-shaped portion are connected when viewed in the signal terminal arrangement direction.

Further, the inverted U-shaped portion of the signal terminal 30 is held by the signal terminal holding portion 12a provided on the side protrusion 12 by having the inner leg portion (not shown) and the outer leg portion 30a, and the signal terminal. It is integrally molded and attached to the side protrusion 12 so as to straddle the holding portion 12a. The inner leg (not shown) of the inverted U-shaped portion of the signal terminal 30 is arranged on the inner surface side of the side protrusion 12, and the outer leg 30a of the inverted U-shaped portion cuts the lower end of the side protrusion 12. It is arranged in the notch portion, and the end portion of the outer leg portion 30a is arranged on the outer surface side of the side protrusion portion 12. The outer leg portion 30a is connected to the terminal of the board circuit.

Further, in the U-shaped portion of the signal terminal 30, the lower curved portion thereof is curved in a concave shape along the bottom wall 11, and the side surface of the central protrusion 15 is formed from the lower position of the signal terminal holding portion 12a of the side convex portion 12. It spans the position. The portion forming the free end side of the U-shaped portion is located on the side surface of the central protrusion 15, and is an elastic contact piece.
Further, the signal terminals 30 are similarly held by both of the two side convex portions 12 located opposite to each other, are positioned symmetrically with respect to the central protrusion 15 in the connector width direction, and are regularly spaced in the longitudinal direction. It is arranged.
Since the configuration of the signal terminal 30 and the structure of the housing 10 to which the signal terminal 30 is attached are existing technologies, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the configuration of the tab terminal 50 of the receptacle connector RC will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 described above.
Note that FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tab terminal provided on the receptacle connector of the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 5 is a schematic view for explaining a tab terminal provided in the receptacle connector of the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a cross section of a tab terminal provided in the receptacle connector of the present embodiment.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the tab terminal 50 extends in the width direction of the housing 10 and has a bottom surface portion 51 and a bottom surface portion arranged on a mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown). The 51 has a pair of elastic contact pieces 52 that rise and extend upward from both end portions in the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the elastic contact piece 52 is a standing portion 52a that rises from both sides and ends of the bottom surface portion 51 in the width direction and extends upward. It has a bent portion 52b that is bent in an inverted U shape in the width direction and inward from the upper end and extends downward (a pair of elastic contact pieces 52 and a bottom portion 51 are formed in a symmetrical and symmetrical shape. Has been).
Further, on the inside of the bent portion 52b (in the width direction and inside of the housing 10), a contact portion 52c (contact portion 52c protruding substantially in a dome shape) is formed in contact with the tab terminal 150 provided on the plug connector PG. There is.
The contact portion 52c of one elastic contact piece 52 and the contact portion 52c of the other elastic contact piece 52 are arranged so as to face each other, and the corresponding connection portion (tab terminal 150) of the plug connector PC is provided. ) Is spaced apart by the same dimension (or slightly smaller dimension) as the dimension in the width direction.

Further, the tab terminal 50 extends in parallel from the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion 51 and from the length direction / outer end portion (center portion in the width direction) toward the outside and upward. A guide piece 53 is provided which is bent at a substantially right angle and extended, and is bent in an inverted U shape from the upper end thereof in the length direction and outward (see FIGS. 3 to 5).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B, the guide piece 53 is the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion 51 and the outside end portion (center portion in the width direction) in the length direction / outside. A horizontal piece 53a (horizontal piece 53a parallel to the bottom surface 51) and a vertical piece 53b that rises by bending upward at a substantially right angle from the end of the horizontal piece 53a. And the bent piece 53c which is bent in an inverted U shape from the upper end of the vertical piece 53b to the outside (outside in the length direction of the housing 10) and extends vertically downward, and the bent piece 53c from the lower end to the outside of the bent piece 53c. It has a leg piece portion 53d extending in the direction (outside in the length direction of the housing 10).
The leg piece portion 53d is arranged at the same height as the bottom surface portion 51 so as to come into contact with the mounting surface of the circuit board.
Further, the upper end portion of the guide piece 53 is designed to have the same height dimension as the upper end portion of the elastic contact piece 52 (dimension in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board) (FIG. 5A). , (D)).

Then, when the plug connector PC is fitted to the receptacle connector RC, the guide piece 53 connects the tab terminal 150 of the plug connector PC to the area between the pair of elastic contact pieces 52 of the tab terminal 50 of the receptacle connector RC. In addition, it plays a role of aligning and calling. That is, by providing the guide piece 53, the receptacle connector RC and the plug connector PC can be smoothly fitted.

Further, the tab terminal 50 extends in parallel from the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion 51 and from the length direction / inner end portion (center portion in the width direction) toward the inside and upward. A mounting piece 54 is provided which is bent at a substantially right angle to stand up and extend (see FIGS. 4 to 6).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B, the mounting piece 54 extends parallel to the inside of the bottom surface portion 51 in the width direction / center portion and in the length direction / inside end portion. An L-shape having a horizontal piece 54a (horizontal piece 54a parallel to the bottom surface 51) and a vertical piece 54b that bends upward at a substantially right angle from the end of the horizontal piece 54a and rises. The vertical piece 54b is attached to the end (longitudinal end) of the housing 10. For example, the vertical piece portion 54b is embedded in the end portion (longitudinal end portion) of the housing 10 by integral molding (embedded in resin).
A through hole 54b1 is formed in the vertical piece portion 54b shown in the drawing.

As described above, the tab terminal 50 of the present embodiment is not attached so as to cover the upper end portion of the resin housing as in the tab terminal of the prior art, but is attached to the end portion of the housing 10 inside the tab terminal 50. The mounting piece 54 (vertical piece 54b) provided at the end can be mounted by burying the mounting piece 54 (vertical piece 54b).
Therefore, a large installation space for the metal tab terminal 50 can be taken as compared with the above-mentioned conventional technique. As a result, in the present embodiment, the spring portion (elastic contact piece 52) of the tab terminal 50 that comes into contact with the mating terminal can be designed to have a larger dimension than the spring portion of the tab terminal of the prior art. Compared with, stable contact with the terminal on the other side is possible. Further, by enlarging the spring portion (elastic contact piece 52) of the tab terminal 50, it is possible to pass a large current as compared with the tab terminal of the prior art.
Further, in the present embodiment, the tab terminals 150 are attached to the outside of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 10, so that the current can be compared with the conventional "configuration of covering the upper side of the housing (see FIG. 13)". The heat dissipation of the temperature rise heat at the time of application is improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the tab terminal 50 of the present embodiment has a pair of rear end arm pieces 55 extending from the central portion of the guide piece 53 in the height direction of the bent piece portion 53c to both sides in the width direction. And, at the end of each rear end arm piece 55, the mounting piece 54 (vertical piece 54b) is bent inward at a substantially right angle and passes through the outside of the elastic contact piece 52 (width direction / outside of the housing 10). A pair of side arm pieces 56 extending to the position are provided.
Further, each of the pair of side arm pieces 56 has a pair of inverted U-shaped protective pieces 57 and 57 arranged so as to sandwich the elastic contact piece 52 from both sides in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction of the housing 10). Is provided. That is, as shown in FIG. 5B, the tab terminal 50 is provided with four protective pieces 57.
The protective piece 57 is separated from the elastic contact piece 52 by a predetermined dimension, extends in an inverted U shape from the upper end portion of the side arm piece 56, and its free end has the same height as the bottom surface portion 51. It is located in position (the free end is in contact with the circuit board).
As shown in FIG. 4, each of the pair of side arm pieces 56 is formed with leg portions 56a extending downward on the central portion and the lower end side in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction of the housing 10), respectively. Has been done. The legs 56a are soldered to the mounting surface of the circuit board (the legs 56a are soldered portions).

By providing the protective piece 57 in this way, the receptacle connector RC can be firmly mounted on the circuit board. Further, by providing the rear end arm piece 55, the side arm piece 56, and the protective piece 57, the elastic contact piece 52 may be caused by an operator's mistake during the work of fitting the receptacle connector RC and the plug connector PC. It is possible to prevent the vehicle from colliding with other parts that are not expected.

Next, the configuration of the plug connector PG, which is the terminal on the other side of the receptacle connector RC, will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

Note that FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the plug connector of the present embodiment. 8A and 8B are schematic views for explaining the plug connector of the present embodiment, in which FIG. 8A is a schematic view showing the upper surface of the plug connector, and FIG. 8B is a schematic view showing the side surface of the plug connector. is there. 9A and 9B are perspective views of the tab terminal of the plug connector of the present embodiment, in which FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the tab terminal viewed from the rear side, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the tab terminal viewed from the front side. Is. 10A and 10B are schematic views for explaining the tab terminal of the plug connector of the present embodiment, in which FIG. 10A is a schematic view showing the rear surface of the tab terminal, and FIG. 10B is a schematic view showing the side surface of the tab terminal. (C) is a schematic view showing the front surface of the tab terminal, (d) is a schematic view showing the upper surface of the tab terminal, and (e) is a schematic view showing the lower surface of the tab terminal.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the plug connector PG has a resin housing 100 and a plurality of signal terminals (made of metal) held in two rows by the housing 100 with the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 as the terminal arrangement direction. It has a signal terminal) 130 and a tab terminal (metal tab terminal) 150 that is attached so as to cover both ends of the housing 100 in the longitudinal direction.
The tab terminal 150 has a role of fixing both ends of the plug connector PG to the circuit board by soldering, and is electrically connected to the tab terminal 250 of the receptor connector 200 on the other side. It plays a role in doing so.

Further, the housing 100 has a bottom wall 101 having a bottom surface parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a rectangular protrusion extending upward from both sides in the longitudinal direction of the bottom wall 101 and extending in the arrangement direction of the signal terminals 130. It is provided with a pair of side walls 102 and an end wall 103 (a pair of end walls 103) connecting both ends of the pair of side walls 102 in the longitudinal direction.

Further, the side wall 103 holds a plurality of signal terminals 130 (signal terminals 130 for connecting to the corresponding signal terminals 30 of the receptacle connector RC) with the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 as the terminal arrangement direction.
Further, a tab terminal 150 is attached to the end wall 103 of the housing 100 so as to cover the outer peripheral portion thereof (attached by integral molding).

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the tab terminal 150 is a pair of the upper wall portion 151 and the upper wall portion 151 bent downward from both sides in the width direction (width direction of the housing 100). The side wall portions 152 and 152, the front wall portion 153 that is bent downward from the inside in the length direction of the upper wall portion 151 (the length direction of the housing 100), and the lower end portion of the front wall portion 153. It is provided with a bottom wall portion 154 extending from the outside to the outside and in a direction extending in a direction parallel to the upper wall portion 151.
Then, for example, in the tab terminal 150, the inner side surface of the upper wall portion 151 is embedded in the upper end portion of the end wall 103, the inner side surface of the side wall portion 152 is embedded in the side end portion of the end wall 103, and the front wall portion 153. The inner side surface is embedded in the inner end portion of the end wall 103, and the inner side surface of the bottom wall portion 154 is embedded in the lower end portion of the end wall 103, so that the inner side surface is attached to the end wall 103 of the housing 100.

Next, a state in which the tab terminal of the plug connector is fitted to the tab terminal of the receptacle connector of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

Here, FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a state in which the tab terminal of the plug connector is fitted to the tab terminal of the receptacle connector of the present embodiment, and (a) is fitted and the state is viewed from above. It is a schematic diagram, (b) is a schematic view which was fitted and the state was seen from the rear, (c) is a schematic diagram which was fitted and the state was seen from the side.
Further, FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing a cross section in a state where the tab terminal of the plug connector is fitted to the tab terminal of the receptacle connector of the present embodiment.
In FIGS. 11 and 12, the housings 10 and 100 are omitted in order to make the drawings easier to see.

When the plug connector PC is fitted into the receptacle connector RC of the present embodiment and fitted, a groove-like space (two parallel ones) formed by the central protrusion 15 of the receptacle connector RC and each side protrusion 12 is formed. The corresponding fitting portions (two side walls 102) of the plug connector PG on the other side are fitted into the groove-shaped space), and each signal terminal 30 of the receptacle connector RC becomes a corresponding signal terminal of the plug connector PC. Connect with 130.

Further, when the plug connector PC is fitted and fitted into the receptacle connector RC, the guide piece 53 of the receptacle connector RC makes a pair of elastic contacts of the tab terminal 150 of the plug connector PC and the tab terminal 50 of the receptacle connector RC. In the area between the pieces 52, the tab terminal 50 of the receptacle connector RC and the tab terminal 150 of the plug connector PG can be fitted by aligning and calling in, and as shown in FIG.
Then, when the plug connector PC is fitted into the displacement connector RC and fitted, as shown in FIG. 12, a pair of elastic contact pieces 52 abuts on the tab terminals 150 provided on the plug connector PC, and the housing 10 The tab terminal 150 provided on the plug connector PC is sandwiched by elastic displacement in the width direction of the plug connector PC. Specifically, the contact portion 52c of the pair of elastic contact pieces 52 sandwiches the side wall portion 152 of the tab terminal 150 provided on the plug connector PC.

As described above, the tab terminal 50 of the present embodiment is not configured to be arranged and attached so as to cover both ends of the resin housing as in the tab terminal of the above-mentioned conventional technique, but is attached to both ends of the housing 10. A configuration is adopted in which a mounting piece 54 provided inside the tab terminal 50 is mounted. According to this configuration, a large space for installing the metal tab terminal 50 can be taken as compared with the above-mentioned conventional technique. As a result, in the present embodiment, the spring portion (elastic contact piece 52) of the tab terminal 50 can be designed to have a larger dimension than the spring portion of the tab terminal of the prior art. That is, according to the present embodiment, the spring portion in contact with the mating terminal can be elastically displaced flexibly, and the attachment and detachment from the mating terminal becomes smooth.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the pair of elastic contact pieces 52 are connected by the bottom surface portion 51 (because the metal (bottom surface portion 51) connecting the elastic contact pieces 52 is arranged), the conventional method. Compared to the spring part of the tab terminal of the technology, the spring constant is increased, and stable contact can be obtained without being worn out by a slight displacement.
Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the tab terminal 50 of the present embodiment has a portion that is in electrical contact with the mating side (elastic contact piece 52) and a soldered portion (leg portion 56a at the lower end of the side arm piece 56). ) Are physically separated from each other, so that the phenomenon that the solder travels through the terminals and gets on the contact portion does not occur as in the tab terminal 250 (see FIG. 15A) described above. .. That is, the tab terminal 50 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the possibility of deterioration of contact performance due to soldering is reduced as compared with the tab terminal 250 of the above-mentioned conventional technique.
Further, in the present embodiment, by enlarging the spring portion (elastic contact piece 52) of the tab terminal 50, a large current can be passed as compared with the tab terminal of the prior art. Further, in the present embodiment, the tab terminals 150 are attached to the outside of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 10, so that the current can be compared with the conventional "configuration of covering the upper side of the housing (see FIG. 13)". The heat dissipation of the temperature rise heat at the time of application is improved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the receptacle connector RC mounted on the circuit board can be smoothly attached to and detached from the connector on the other side, and even if it is repeatedly attached and detached, it will be worn out. It is possible to provide a receptacle connector RC provided with a tab terminal 50 which is less likely to cause a problem and allows a predetermined contact to be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, the tab terminal 50 is configured to have a pair of elastic contact pieces 52 that rise and extend upward from both end portions in the width direction of the bottom surface portion 51. It is not limited to. Two or more pairs of elastic contact pieces 52 may be provided on the tab terminal 50. That is, the tab terminal 50 may have a configuration having at least one pair of elastic contact pieces that rise and extend upward from both end portions in the width direction of the bottom surface portion.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the mounting piece 54 of the tab terminal 50 is horizontally extending in the width direction / central portion of the bottom surface portion 51 and in parallel from the length direction / inner end portion toward the inside. It had an L-shape having a piece 54a and a vertical piece 54b that bends upward at a substantially right angle from the end of the horizontal piece 54a and rises, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this. .. The mounting piece 54 may have a configuration in which only the horizontal piece portion 54a is provided and the vertical piece portion 54b is not provided. In this case, the horizontal piece 54a of the mounting piece 54 is embedded in the end (longitudinal end) of the housing 10.

RC ... Receptacle connector 10 ... Housing 11 ... Bottom wall 12 ... Side protrusion 12a ... Signal terminal holding part 15 ... Central protrusion 30 ... Signal terminal 50 ... Tab terminal 51 ... Bottom part 52 ... Elastic contact piece 52a ... Standing part 52b ... Bending part 52c ... Contact part 53 ... Guide piece 53a ... Horizontal piece 53b ... Vertical piece 53c ... Bending piece 53d ... Leg 54 ... Mounting piece 54a ... Horizontal piece 54b ... Vertical piece 54b1 ... Through hole 55 ... Rear end arm piece 56 ... Side arm piece 57 ... Protective piece

PG ... Plug connector 100 ... Housing 101 ... Bottom wall 102 ... Side wall 103 ... End wall 130 ... Signal terminal 150 ... Tab terminal 151 ... Upper wall part 152 ... Side wall part 153 ... Front wall part 154 ... Bottom wall part

Claims (5)

A receptacle connector that is placed on the mounting surface of one circuit board and has a connector insertion / extraction direction that is perpendicular to the mounting surface, and a plug connector that is placed on the mounting surface of another circuit board is inserted and fitted. And
A thin, substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing and
A plurality of signal terminals held by the housing with the longitudinal direction of the housing as the terminal arrangement direction,
Outside of the longitudinal-ends of the housing, respectively, Bei example a tab terminal mounted is disposed,
The tab terminal is
A bottom surface portion extending in the width direction of the housing and arranged on the mounting surface of the one circuit board.
It has at least one pair of elastic contact pieces that rise and extend upward from both end portions in the width direction in the bottom surface portion, and the elastic contact pieces are the longitudinal direction and both ends of the housing. Each is placed on the outside of the part,
When the plug connector is inserted, at least one pair of the elastic contact pieces abuts on the connection portion provided on the plug connector and is elastically displaced in the width direction to sandwich the connection portion provided on the plug connector. Receptacle connector characterized by being designed to. A mounting piece is formed at the widthwise / central portion of the bottom surface portion and at the longitudinal / inner end portion of the housing, and the mounting piece is embedded in the longitudinal end portion of the housing.
The elastic contact piece rises from both end portions in the width direction and extends upward, and is bent in an inverted U shape from the upper end of the standing portion in the width direction and inward. It has a bent portion that extends downward and has a bent portion.
The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein said inner bent portions, wherein the contact portion is formed in contact with the connecting portion provided in the plug connector. A guide piece is formed at the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion and at the longitudinal direction / outer end portion of the housing.
The guide piece is bent at a substantially right angle from the end portion of the first horizontal portion to the first horizontal piece portion extending in parallel from the width direction / center portion of the bottom surface portion toward the outside. It is characterized by having a first vertical piece portion that stands up, and a bent piece portion that is bent outward in an inverted U shape from the upper end of the first vertical piece portion and extends downward. The receptacle connector according to claim 1. At the end of the long-side direction, the inside of the a widthwise-central portion of the bottom surface portion and the housing, the attachment piece is formed, the mounting piece is attached to the longitudinal ends of the housing ,
Further, a pair of rear end arm pieces extending from the central portion of the guide piece in the height direction to both sides in the width direction and both end portions of the rear end arm piece at substantially right angles inward. A pair of side arm pieces that bend and extend outside the elastic contact piece to the position of the mounting piece are formed.
The third aspect of claim 3, wherein each of the pair of side arm pieces is provided with a pair of protective pieces arranged so as to sandwich the elastic contact piece from both sides in the longitudinal direction. Receptacle connector. A receptacle connector that is placed on the mounting surface of one circuit board and has a connector insertion / extraction direction that is perpendicular to the mounting surface, and a plug connector that is placed on the mounting surface of another circuit board is inserted and fitted. It is a tab terminal that can be attached to the outside of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing.
A bottom surface portion extending in the width direction of the housing and arranged on the mounting surface of the one circuit board.
It has a pair of elastic contact pieces that rise and extend upward from both end portions in the width direction in the bottom surface portion, and the elastic contact pieces are the longitudinal direction and both end portions of the housing. Each is located on the outside of
When the plug connector is inserted, the pair of elastic contact pieces abuts on the connection portion provided on the plug connector and elastically displaces in the width direction to sandwich the connection portion provided on the plug connector. A tab terminal characterized by being designed like this.

Images