JP7023789B2 - Electrical connector for circuit board and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric connector for a circuit board attached to a circuit board and a method for manufacturing the same.

In this type of connector, even if the mating with the mating connector such as the mating connector is performed in a state where it is slightly deviated from the normal position along the surface of the circuit board, the connector has a floating structure that absorbs the misalignment. It has been known. As such a connector, for example, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.

The connector of Patent Document 1 is a fixed housing arranged on a circuit board (in Patent Document 1, "printed circuit board side connection portion", hereinafter, the terms used in Patent Document 1 are similarly indicated by ""). It has a movable housing (“connecting portion on the mating connector side”) located above the fixed housing and a terminal (“contact”) connecting both housings. The fixed housing has a rectangular rectangular frame shape, and the lower parts of a plurality of terminals are integrally molded in two rows with the longitudinal direction thereof as the terminal arrangement direction, and the movable housing opens upward at an upper position of the fixed housing. It has a bottomed rectangular cylinder and holds the upper part of the terminal extending upward from the fixed housing by integral molding with the movable housing. The terminal protrudes from the bottom wall of the movable housing and forms a straight elastic portion extending up and down in a range extending to the fixed housing. The terminal forms a contact portion where the exposed portion on the inner peripheral wall of the movable housing is connected to the mating connector, is embedded and held in the fixed housing, is bent in an L shape, and extends laterally from the fixed housing. The portion forms a connection portion for solder connection with the circuit board. Thus, in the terminal, the elastic portion between the fixed housing and the movable housing can be elastically flexed and deformed, and the movable housing can be floated with respect to the fixed housing.

In Patent Document 1, a spacer is attached to the fixed housing. This spacer has a function of regulating the amount of elastic deflection deformation in the elastic portion of the terminal so as not to be excessive. The spacer is attached to each of both ends of the fixed housing in the terminal arrangement direction, has a substantially "π" shape in a plan view, and is fixed to the fixed housing by a metal fitting (“metal holddown”). The spacer has a higher dimension than the fixed housing, and the two pairs of arms are located on the outside in the connector width direction perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction with respect to the elastic part of the two rows of terminals. There is. Thus, the arm portion regulates the amount of excessive elastic deflection deformation of the elastic portion. According to the description of Patent Document 1, the amount of elastic deflection deformation at the elastic portion can be appropriately set by changing the size of the spacer.

JP 2000-260527

However, in Patent Document 1, the spacer fixed to the fixed housing by the metal fitting is used for positioning the fixed housing with respect to the fixing member to which the fixed housing is attached, for example, the housing of the device, that is, for ensuring the mounting position accuracy. Does not contribute. Therefore, the position accuracy between the position of the terminal held in the fixed housing and the fixing member cannot be ensured. This means that when the mating connector such as the mating connector is guided by the fixing member at the time of connecting the connector, the position of the terminal of the mating connector may deviate from the normal position.

Although the spacer regulates the amount of elastic deflection and deformation of the terminal, it does not come into contact with the fixing member to which the fixing housing is attached, so that it does not affect the positioning with respect to the fixing member, and the spacer is further passed through the metal fitting. At the time of attachment to the fixed housing, the position with respect to the fixed housing is not fixed due to the dimensional accuracy of the metal fittings and the play between the fitting holes of the fixed housing, so the spacer is designed so that it can contact the fixing member. However, it becomes a factor that the spacer cannot be positioned with high accuracy with respect to the fixing member.

Further, the spacer is fixed to the fixed housing by metal fittings, so that the number of parts as a connector increases, and as a result, assembly becomes troublesome. Even if the spacer is to be integrally molded with the fixed housing, as can be seen from the figure of Patent Document 1, there is substantially no gap between the spacer and the movable housing in the height direction of the connector, and the mold enters. Since there is no room, it cannot be integrally molded.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides an electric connector for a circuit board, in which not only a movable housing but also a fixed housing can be integrally molded with respect to the terminal, and the fixed housing can be used to position the fixed housing, and a method for manufacturing the same. Make it an issue.

The electric connector for a circuit board according to the present invention has a terminal having a connection portion for connecting to a circuit board on one end side and a contact portion for contacting a mating connector on the other end side, and a plurality of the terminals. The housing is provided with a housing for holding an arrangement, and the housing has a fixed housing for mounting on a circuit board via the terminal and a movable housing movable with respect to the fixed housing, and the movable housing has a movable housing. Is provided with a fitting portion for fitting with the mating connector with the connector height direction perpendicular to the circuit board as the fitting direction.

In such an electric connector for a circuit board, in the present invention, the terminal is a fixed side held portion held by the fixed housing by integral molding and a movable side held portion held by the movable housing by integral molding. And the fixed-side held portion and the movable-side held portion are connected to each other and have an elastic portion that can be elastically flexed and deformed. A connection portion is provided, and a contact portion is provided on an exposed portion of the held portion on the movable side, and the elastic portion has a connector height at a position inside the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion in the connector width direction. The fixed housing extends in a straight line in the direction, and the fixed housing has a peripheral wall in which a storage space for accommodating the elastic portion is formed, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall and the elastic portion are in non-contact state. The fitting portion of the movable housing is located at a distance in the connector height direction with respect to the peripheral wall, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall is located outside the connector width direction with a gap in the connector width direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion. It is characterized by being.

According to the present invention having such a configuration, the terminal can be integrally molded with the movable housing after being held by the fixed housing by being integrally molded with the fixed housing. Since the fitting part of the movable housing has a gap in the connector height direction from the peripheral wall of the fixed housing and is located on the outside with a gap in the connector width direction with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall, the terminal After being integrally molded with the fixed housing, the movable housing can also be integrally molded with the terminal by inserting a mold at intervals in the connector height direction and the connector width direction.

Therefore, the peripheral wall of the fixed housing and the terminal are in a fixed positional relationship, and the peripheral wall can be made with accurate dimensional accuracy regardless of the size of the size in the connector height direction. By abutting the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall against the fixing member such as the body, the positioning between the terminal and the fixing member can be accurately performed. That is, when the mating connector is fitted to the movable housing, the mating connector may be displaced with respect to the movable housing, but the displacement is not increased or varied by the movable housing and the fixed housing. The deviation of the mating connector with respect to this movable housing can be sufficiently absorbed only by the elastic part of the terminal, and stable connector connection position accuracy can be ensured.

In the present invention, the terminals are provided in two rows at positions facing each other in the connector width direction, and the movable housing is directed from the bottom wall portion of the fitting portion to the circuit board side between the two rows of terminals. It is preferable that the convex wall portion has a protruding wall portion, and the convex wall portion has entered the accommodation space in a state of being in non-contact with the two rows of terminals.

By doing so, even if the bottom wall portion of the fitting recess in which the movable housing receives the mating connection body for fitting with the mating connection body is made thin, that is, the connector height dimension is reduced, the bottom wall portion of the bottom wall is thinned. Strength can be secured. Moreover, since the convex wall portion has entered the accommodation space of the fixed housing, the dimension in the height direction of the connector as a whole does not increase.

In the present invention, the convex wall portion has a regulated portion at the end portion in the terminal arrangement direction, and the fixed housing is located at the end portion in the terminal arrangement direction and is located at the end portion forming a part of the peripheral wall. It has a groove-shaped regulating portion that receives the regulated portion with a gap between the two, and the regulated portion can regulate the movement of the regulated portion in at least one direction in the connector width direction and the terminal arrangement direction. preferable. According to such a form, the regulated portion provided on the convex wall portion of the movable housing is the groove-shaped regulating portion formed on the end wall portion of the peripheral wall of the fixed housing, and at least in the connector width direction and the terminal arrangement direction. The contact is possible in one direction, and excessive movement of the movable housing, that is, excessive elastic deflection deformation amount in the elastic portion of the terminal can be regulated. At that time, since the terminal does not receive any contact force from the fixed housing, the terminal is not damaged.

Further, in the present invention, the convex wall portion has a regulated portion protruding at the intermediate portion position in the terminal arrangement direction, and the fixed housing is located at the end portion in the terminal arrangement direction and forms a part of the peripheral wall. It is also possible that the regulated portion can regulate the movement of the regulated portion in the terminal arrangement direction and the regulated portion can regulate the amount of elastic deflection deformation of the terminal. By doing so, it is possible to regulate the amount of excessive elastic deflection deformation of the terminal.

Further, the electric connector for the circuit board of the present invention can be manufactured by the following method according to the present invention.

The method for manufacturing an electric connector for a circuit board according to the present invention includes a terminal having a connection portion for connecting to a circuit board on one end side and a contact portion for contacting a mating connector on the other end side, and a plurality of terminals. The housing includes a housing for holding the terminals in an array, and the housing has a fixed housing for mounting on a circuit board via the terminals and a movable housing movable with respect to the fixed housing. The movable housing is provided with a fitting portion for fitting with the mating connector with the connector height direction perpendicular to the circuit board as the fitting direction.

In the method for manufacturing an electric connector for a circuit board, in the present invention, the fixed side held portion held by the fixed housing by integral molding and the movable side held portion held by the movable housing by integral molding. The fixed-side held portion and the movable-side held portion are connected to each other to have an elastic portion that can be elastically flexed and deformed, and the connection to a portion protruding from the fixed housing from the fixed-side held portion. Along with the provision of a portion, the contact portion is provided on the exposed portion of the held portion on the movable side, and the elastic portion is located in the connector height direction at a position inward from the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion in the connector width direction. A primary mold is used to hold the fixed-side held portion of the terminal on the peripheral wall where the terminal is formed in a straight shape and the accommodating space in which the elastic portion is accommodated is formed. The fixed housing and the terminal are integrally molded by primary molding, and the fitting portion of the movable housing is positioned at a distance in the connector height direction with respect to the peripheral wall in a state where the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall and the elastic portion are not in contact with each other. Then, the secondary molding dies are inserted and arranged at the above intervals so that the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall is located on the outer side in the connector width direction with a gap in the connector width direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion. It is characterized in that the movable housing and the terminal are integrally molded by secondary molding so as to hold the fixed portion.

As described above, in the present invention, the fitting portion of the movable housing has a space between the fitting portion of the movable housing and the peripheral wall of the fixed housing in the connector height direction, and is located outside with a space in the connector width direction with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall. After the fixed housing is integrally molded with the terminal, the mold is inserted at the intervals in the connector height direction and the connector width direction, and the movable housing is also integrated with the terminal. It can be molded, and as a result, the work of assembling the members when the connector is completed is eliminated, the number of members is reduced, the manufacturing can be easily performed, the productivity is improved, and the position accuracy between the members is improved.

Therefore, since it can be integrally molded, the peripheral wall of the fixed housing and the terminal are in a fixed positional relationship, and the peripheral wall can be made with accurate dimensional accuracy regardless of the size of the size in the connector height direction, so that the fixed housing is fixed. By abutting the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall against the fixing member such as the housing of the device to be attached, the positioning between the terminal and the fixing member can be accurately performed. That is, when the mating connector is fitted to the movable housing, the mating connector may be displaced with respect to the movable housing, but the displacement is not increased or varied by the movable housing and the fixed housing. This deviation can be sufficiently absorbed only by the elastic part of the terminal, and an effect that stable connector connection position accuracy can be ensured is obtained.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the connector I and the connector II which is a mating connector as one embodiment of the present invention in the state before fitting them. It is sectional drawing at the terminal position in the terminal arrangement direction which shows the connector I and the connector II of FIG. 1 at the position immediately before fitting. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing procedure of a connector I in the order of steps (i), (ii), (iii), (A) is a sectional view at a terminal position, (B) is a partial plan view seen from above. It is a bottom view which shows the regulation part of the fixed housing of a connector I and the regulated part of a movable housing in an enlarged manner. It is a bottom view which shows the other embodiment of this invention and shows the part corresponding to FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an electric connector I for a circuit board (hereinafter, “connector I”) in the present embodiment and another electric connector II for a circuit board (hereinafter, “connector II”) as a mating connector fitted thereto. It is a perspective view which shows the appearance in the state before fitting. In FIG. 1, the connector I and the connector II are attached to separate circuit boards (not shown) on their lower surfaces in the state shown in FIG. 1, and when used, as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. The connector II is fitted to the connector I from above in an upside down posture. In FIGS. 1 and the following figures, the three-dimensional space coordinates X, Y, and Z are set for the connector I and the connector II in order to clarify the directionality and make it easy to understand. The terminal arrangement direction (connector longitudinal direction) extending along the surface of the circuit board is X, the connector width direction perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction X on the surface parallel to the circuit board surface is Y, and the connector perpendicular to the circuit board surface. The height direction is defined as Z.

The connector I is formed as a plug connector, and includes a plurality of terminals and a housing made of an electric insulating material that holds the plurality of terminals in an array. The housing has a fixed housing 10 fixed to the circuit board via terminals, and a movable housing 20 that is separated from the fixed housing 10 and is movable. The terminal 30 is configured as a plurality of terminals 30 made of a metal material that connect the fixed housing 10 and the movable housing 20 (see also FIG. 2).

The fixed housing 10 has a peripheral wall 11 that has a long rectangular frame shape in the terminal arrangement direction X when viewed from the connector height direction Z and extends in the connector height direction Z, and the movable housing 20 described later is inside the peripheral wall 11. A storage space 12 for accommodating a part of the above is formed. The peripheral wall 11 has a pair of side walls 15 along the terminal arrangement direction X and a pair of end walls 13 connecting the side walls 15 to each other. The end wall 13 is formed with a rectangular groove-shaped restricting portion 14 that sinks in the terminal arrangement direction X. The regulation unit 14 forms a part of the accommodation space 12.

As seen in FIG. 2, in the fixed housing 10, the lower end portion 15A of the side wall 15 projects inward, and the lower end portion 15A fixes the fixed-side held portion 31 at the lower end portion of the terminal 30, which will be described in detail later. The terminal 30 is held by being integrally molded with the housing 10, and the terminal 30 is connected to the circuit board at a portion protruding outward from the lower end portion 15A in the connector width direction Y from the fixed side held portion 31 for solder connection. The portion 32 is formed.

As seen in FIG. 2, the movable housing 20 includes a fitting portion 21 located above the fixed housing 10 in the connector height direction Z, and a convex wall portion 24 protruding downward from the fitting portion 21. The lower portion of the convex wall portion 24 enters the accommodation space 12 with a gap between the convex wall portion 24 and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11 of the fixed housing 10. The fitting portion 21 has a short tubular fitting tubular portion 22 and a bottom wall portion 23 forming the bottom portion of the fitting tubular portion 22, and the fitting tubular portion 22 and the bottom wall portion 23. To form a fitting space 21A for fitting with the connector II. The movable housing 20 holds the movable side held portion 33 formed on the upper portion of the terminal 30, which will be described in detail later, by integral molding with the movable housing 20.

The convex wall portion 24 protrudes downward (on the circuit board side) in the connector height direction Z from the center position of the bottom wall portion 23 in the connector width direction Y, extends in the terminal arrangement direction X, and extends in the terminal arrangement direction X. As seen in FIG. 4, both end portions penetrate into the concave groove-shaped regulating portion 14 formed in the fixed housing 10 to form the regulated portion 24A. The regulated portion 24A has a gap from the inner surface of the regulating portion 14 in both the terminal arrangement direction X and the connector width direction Y, and when the movable housing 20 moves excessively in each of these directions, it hits the regulating portion 14. Further movement is restricted in contact.

The terminals 30 are made of a metal strip and are arranged at a plurality of positions at predetermined intervals in the terminal arrangement direction X of the connector I. In FIG. 2, the terminal 30 is made by bending and forming a metal strip obtained by cutting the metal plate material with the connector width direction Y as the plate thickness direction of the metal plate material. That is, since the terminal 30 has the connector width direction Y as the plate thickness direction, the terminal arrangement direction X (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) perpendicular to this forms the plate surface (rolled surface of the metal plate material) of the terminal 30. The dimension in the terminal arrangement direction X is the terminal width, and this plate surface forms a contact surface with the terminal of the connector II.

The terminal 30 has a fixed side held portion 31 formed on the lower end side and held by the fixed housing 10, a movable side held portion 33 formed on the upper end side and held by the movable housing 20, and a fixed side held portion 33. It has a connecting portion 34 that connects the portion 31 and the movable side held portion 33. Most of the connecting portion 34 extends vertically in the vertical direction, which is the connector height direction Z, and the lower portion of the connecting portion 34 is bent in an L shape in the lateral direction (connector width direction Y). It reaches the fixed side held portion 31 via the extending transition portion 34B.

The fixed-side held portion 31 is embedded and held in the lower end portion 15A of the side wall 15 of the fixed housing 10 by integral molding with the fixed housing 10, and is slightly bent in a crank shape in the lower end portion 15A of the fixed housing 10. The connection portion 32 on the tip side protruding from the fixed side held portion 31 is located at a position in contact with the circuit board.

As described above, most of the connecting portion 34 has a straight shape and extends in the connector height direction Z, and this straight portion forms the elastic portion 34A. The elastic portion 34A is elastically deformable, the lower half portion of the elastic portion 34A is located in the accommodation space 12 of the fixed housing 10, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11 (side wall 15) and the movable housing 20. It is arranged in a non-contact state with an interval to the convex wall portion 24 of the above.

The movable side held portion 33 is formed in a portion above the connecting portion 34, and is held by the movable housing 20 by integral molding with the movable housing 20. The movable side held portion 33 penetrates the bottom wall portion 23 of the movable housing 20 downward, and goes around the upper end surface through the inner wall surface of the fitting tubular portion 22 and forms an inverted U shape upward. It extends to the upper part of the outer wall surface. The movable side held portion 33 is positioned substantially on the same surface as the inner wall surface, the upper end surface, and the outer wall surface of the fitting cylindrical portion 22, and is immersed in the fitting tubular portion 22 by the plate thickness of the terminal. It is integrally molded with the fitting cylindrical portion 22 in a state or in a slightly protruding state. The exposed surface of the movable side held portion 33 located on the inner wall surface of the fitting cylindrical portion 22 forms a contact portion 33A that is in contact with the corresponding terminal of the connector II.

Thus, the peripheral wall 11 of the fixed housing 10 that holds the terminal 30 on the lower end side and the fitting portion 21 of the movable housing 20 that holds the terminal 30 on the upper end side are separated from each other in the connector height direction Z to form a gap, and the connector is formed. An interval is also formed in the width direction Y.

Next, the manufacturing procedure of the connector I having such a form will be briefly described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, (A) is a cross-sectional view of a member in each process on a YZ plane parallel to the connector width direction Y and the connector height direction Z, and (B) is a partial range in the terminal arrangement direction X. It is a plan view seen from above along the height direction Z of the connector with respect to. In FIGS. (A) and (B), the states (i), (ii), and (iii) are shown in the order of processes.

First, the bent terminal portions 30P attached to the carrier (not shown) are prepared in two rows (in the figure, the position where the terminal portion 30P is to be separated from the carrier is indicated by S). ) (See FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B) state (i)). The terminal portion to which the carrier is still attached is represented by adding a reference numeral P to the corresponding portion in FIG.

Next, the terminal portion 30P is arranged in the primary molding die M1 for primary molding, as seen in the state (ii) of FIG. 3 (A). The primary forming die M1 is composed of an upper primary die M1A, a side primary die M1B, and a lower primary die M1C having the shape shown in the state (ii) of FIG. 3 (A), and is in the state (ii). By holding the connection portion 32P and the transition portion 34BP of the terminal portion 30P set at the position, the terminal portion 30P is maintained at the primary forming position. In this way, the fixed housing 10 is integrally molded with the fixed side held portion 31P of the terminal portion 30P in the primary molding die M1 (see also the state (ii) in FIG. 3B).

Next, the primary forming mold M1, that is, the upper primary mold M1A, the side primary mold M1B, and the lower primary mold M1C are removed, and the fixed housing 10 is attached as shown in the state (iii) of FIG. 3 (A). The primary molded product of the terminal portion 30P is arranged in the secondary molding die M2. As seen in the state (iii) of FIG. 3A, the secondary forming mold M2 is composed of an upper secondary mold M2A, a side secondary mold M2B, and a lower secondary mold M2C, and has a terminal portion. By holding the connection portion 32P and the elastic portion 34AP of 30P, the primary molded product is held at the secondary molding position. In this way, the movable housing 20 is integrally molded with the movable side held portion 33P of the terminal portion 30P for the primary molded product by the secondary molding die M2, and then the secondary molding die M2, that is, the upper part. The secondary mold M2A, the side secondary mold M2B, and the lower secondary mold M2C are removed to obtain the connector I as a finished product.

The connector I completed in this way forms an accommodation space 12 in which the elastic portion 34A of the terminal 30 is accommodated in a non-contact state with the peripheral wall 11 inside the peripheral wall 11 of the fixed housing 10, and the movable housing 20 is formed. The fitting portion 21 is located at a distance from the peripheral wall 11 in the connector height direction Z, and the inner peripheral surface 11A of the peripheral wall 11 is spaced from the outer peripheral surface 21B of the fitting portion 21 in the connector width direction Y in the connector width direction Y. It is located on the outside. With such a structure, the above-mentioned primary molding and secondary molding are possible. That is, in the primary molding, as seen in the state (ii) of FIG. 3 (A), the upper primary mold M1A can enter the area to be the accommodation space 12 from above, and the lateral primary mold can be entered. Together with the mold M1B and the lower primary mold M1C, the fixed housing 10 can be integrally molded while holding the terminal portion 30P. Further, in the secondary molding, as seen in the state (iii) of FIG. 3 (A), the lower secondary mold M2C enters the accommodation space 12 from below and the side secondary mold M2B is lateral. It is possible to hold the elastic portion 34AP of the terminal portion 30P with the lower secondary mold M2C, and in such a state, the movable housing 20 is integrally molded together with the upper secondary mold M2A. Make it possible.

Next, the connector II as a mating connector fitted to the connector I will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, but since the mating connector II does not have the characteristics of the present invention. , Only the points related to the connector I will be briefly described. Connector II is made as a receptacle connector. The connector II has a housing 40 and a terminal 50, and the housing 40 has a peripheral wall 41 having an inner peripheral surface that fits on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 21 of the movable housing 20 of the connector I, and FIG. It has an inner protrusion 43 that rises from the bottom wall 42 located at the lower end of the peripheral wall 41, forms an island in the peripheral wall 41, and fits in the fitting space 21A of the movable housing 20. Here, also in the connector II, the terminal arrangement direction is X, the connector width direction is Y, and the connector height direction is Z, as in the case of the connector I. Each of these directions X, Y, Z coincides with X, Y, Z in the connector I in a state where the connector II is fitted to the connector I.

The plurality of terminals 50 are arranged and held in the terminal arrangement direction X by the housing 40. Unlike the terminal 30 in the connector I, the terminal 50 is made by punching a metal plate material in the plate thickness direction as shown in FIG. 2, and has a plate surface perpendicular to the punching direction with respect to the metal plate material (FIG. 2). The surface parallel to the paper surface) is maintained as it is. The punched surface of the terminal 50 in the plate thickness direction is a contact surface of the connector I with respect to the terminal 30.

As seen in FIG. 2, the terminal 50 has a base 51 located on the circuit board side, a mounting leg 52 extending from the base 51 toward the connector I in the connector height direction Z, and the mounting leg 52. The curved contact arm portion 53, which extends from the base 51 and forms an inverted U shape in combination with the mounting leg portion 52, extends from the base 51 to the outside of the housing 40 and is solder-connected to the circuit board. It has a connecting portion 54. As seen in FIG. 2, the terminal 50 is press-fitted from the bottom wall 42 side into the terminal holding groove 41A formed by penetrating the peripheral wall 41 of the housing 40 in the connector height direction Z, and the mounting leg portion is formed. The locking projection 52A provided on the edge of the 52 bites into the terminal holding groove 41A to prevent it from coming off. Further, the curved contact arm portion 53 has elasticity and can be elastically flexed and deformed in the connector width direction Y, and a contact portion 53A protruding in the direction of the mounting leg portion 52 is formed at the free end thereof. There is. The contact portion 53A is a portion that elastically contacts the contact portion 33A of the terminal 30 of the connector I.

Such a form of the connector II is fitted and connected to the connector I in the following manner.

First, the connector I and the connector II are attached to their respective circuit boards (not shown). In the connector I, the connection part 32 of the terminal 30 is solder-connected to the corresponding circuit part of the circuit board, and in the connector II, the connection part 54 of the terminal 50 is solder-connected to the corresponding circuit part of another circuit board. do.

In this state, as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 1, the connector II is turned upside down and fitted to the movable housing 20 of the connector I. The peripheral wall 41 of the connector II is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 21 of the movable housing 20 of the connector I, and the inner protruding wall portion 43 of the connector II is fitted to the fitting space 21A of the movable housing 20. When the connector II is fitted into the movable housing 20 of the connector I in this way, the contact portion 53A of the terminal 50 of the connector II elastically contacts the contact portion 33A of the terminal 30 of the connector I. Thus, the two circuit boards are electrically connected by the connector I and the connector II.

The mating of the connector II to the connector I may deviate from the normal position in either one or both of the terminal arrangement direction X and the connector width direction Y from the start of mating, and when the mating is attempted after mating. There is. In either case, it occurs when the circuit board on the connector I side and the circuit board on the connector II side deviate from the normal positions. However, in the present embodiment, the fixed housing 10 and the movable housing 20 of the connector I have a linear elastic portion 34A provided at the terminal 30 connecting the two so that the fixed housing 10 and the movable housing 20 can be elastically flexed and deformed. Whether it is the terminal arrangement direction X or the connector width direction Y, it is absorbed by the elastic deflection deformation of the elastic portion 34A. That is, the connector I functions as a so-called floating connector, and it becomes possible to deal with such a situation.

However, when the displacement amount causes an excessive elastic deflection deformation amount in the elastic portion 34A, it is preferable to set an upper limit for the elastic deflection deformation amount. In the present embodiment, the convex wall portion 24 is provided so as to project downward from the bottom wall portion 23 of the fitting portion 21 of the movable housing 20, and the end portion of the convex wall portion 24 in the terminal arrangement direction X is the regulated portion 24A. It is formed as a sword and enters the concave groove-shaped regulation portion 14 of the fixed housing 10. With such a configuration, when an excessive amount of elastic deflection deformation is about to occur in the elastic portion 34A of the terminal 30, the regulated portion 24A abuts on the regulating portion 14 in the terminal arrangement direction X or the connector width direction Y, and the terminal 30 The elastic portion 34A of the above is protected without causing an excessive amount of elastic deflection deformation.

The present invention is not limited to the forms shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and can be modified. For example, the amount of movement of the movable housing 20 with respect to the fixed housing 10 is regulated by providing the regulated portion 24A at the end of the convex wall portion 24 of the movable housing 20, and regulating the amount of elastic deformation of the elastic portion 34A of the terminal 30. By providing the regulated portion 24B on the convex wall portion 24, it is possible to regulate the amount of movement of the movable housing 20. For example, as seen in FIG. 5, a part of the lower surface of the convex wall portion 24 protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 23 of the movable housing 20, further protruding downward in the connector height direction Z, and the convex wall in the connector width direction. If another regulated portion 24B protruding from the portion 24 is provided close to the regulated portion 14 of the fixed housing 10, the regulated portion 24B is located within the range of the regulated portion 24B in the terminal arrangement direction X. Excessive elastic deflection deformation of the elastic portion 34A of the terminal 30 in the connector width direction Y is restricted, and further, the restricting portion 14 abuts on the regulated portion 24A even in the terminal arrangement direction X, so that the terminal arrangement direction X is movable. Excessive movement of the housing 20 can be regulated.

According to the present invention as described above, since the fixed housing 10 and the movable housing 20 of the connector I can be integrally molded with the terminal 30, the peripheral wall 11 and the terminal 30 of the fixed housing 10 have a constant positional relationship, and the peripheral wall 11 has a constant positional relationship. Since it can be made with accurate dimensional accuracy regardless of the size in the height direction of the connector, the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11 is brought into contact with a fixing member such as a housing of a device to which the fixed housing 10 is fixedly attached. , The positioning between the terminal 30 and the fixing member can be performed accurately. That is, when the connector II as the mating connector is fitted to the movable housing 20, the mating connector may be misaligned with respect to the movable housing 20, but the misalignment is increased by the movable housing 20 and the fixed housing 10. There is no variation, and this deviation can be sufficiently absorbed only by the elastic portion 34A of the terminal 30, and stable connector connection position accuracy can be ensured.

10 Fixed housing 30 Terminals 11 Peripheral wall 31 Fixed side held part 12 Accommodation space 32 Connection part 14 Restricted part 33 Movable side held part 20 Movable housing 33A Contact part 21 Fitting part 34A Elastic part 23 Bottom wall part X Terminal arrangement direction 24 Convex wall part Y Connector width direction 24A Restricted part Z Connector height direction 24B Restricted part

Claims (4)

It is provided with a terminal having a connection portion for connecting to a circuit board on one end side and a contact portion for contacting a mating connector on the other end side, and a housing for holding a plurality of the terminals in an array. The housing has a fixed housing for mounting on the circuit board via the terminal and a movable housing that is movable with respect to the fixed housing, and the movable housing has a connector height direction perpendicular to the circuit board. In the electric connector for a circuit board provided with a fitting portion for fitting with the mating body with the above as the fitting direction.
The terminals are provided in two rows at positions facing each other in the connector width direction, and are held by the fixed-side held portion held by the fixed housing by integral molding and by the movable housing by integral molding. It has a movable side held portion, an elastic portion that connects the fixed side held portion and the movable side held portion and is elastically flexible and deformable, and a fixed housing from the fixed side held portion. The connection portion is provided on the portion protruding from the connector, and the contact portion is provided on the exposed portion of the movable side held portion, and the elastic portion is inward of the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion in the connector width direction. It extends straight in the height direction of the connector at the position of
The fixed housing has a peripheral wall in which a storage space for accommodating the elastic portion is formed.
The inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall and the elastic portion are arranged so as to be in a non-contact state.
The fitting portion of the movable housing is located at a distance in the connector height direction with respect to the peripheral wall, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall is located outside the connector width direction with a gap in the connector width direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion. Ori,
The movable housing has a convex wall portion that protrudes from the bottom wall portion of the fitting portion toward the circuit board side between the two rows of terminals, and the convex wall portion is in a non-contact state with the two rows of terminals. Entering the above containment space ,
An electric connector for a circuit board, which is characterized by this. The convex wall portion has a regulated portion at the end portion in the terminal arrangement direction, and the fixed housing is located at the end portion in the terminal arrangement direction and is located between the regulated portion and the end wall portion forming a part of the peripheral wall. Claim 1 that the regulated portion has a groove-shaped restricting portion that receives the regulated portion with a gap, and the regulated portion can regulate the movement of the regulated portion in at least one direction in the connector width direction and the terminal arrangement direction. Electrical connector for circuit board described in. The convex wall portion has a regulated portion protruding at an intermediate position in the terminal arrangement direction, and the fixed housing has a regulating portion located at the end portion in the terminal arrangement direction and forming a part of the peripheral wall. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1 , wherein the movement of the regulated portion in the terminal arrangement direction and the regulated portion can regulate the amount of elastic deflection deformation of the terminal. It is provided with a terminal having a connection portion for connecting to a circuit board on one end side and a contact portion for contacting a mating connector on the other end side, and a housing for holding a plurality of the terminals in an array. The housing has a fixed housing for mounting on the circuit board via the terminal and a movable housing that is movable with respect to the fixed housing, and the movable housing has a connector height direction perpendicular to the circuit board. In the method for manufacturing an electric connector for a circuit board, which is provided with a fitting portion for fitting with the mating body in the fitting direction.
The fixed-side held portion held by the fixed housing by integral molding, the movable-side held portion held by the movable housing by integral molding, the fixed-side held portion and the movable-side held portion. It has an elastic portion that is elastically flexible and deformable, and the connection portion is provided at a portion protruding from the fixed housing from the fixed side held portion, and an exposed portion of the movable side held portion. The contact portion is provided in the above, and the elastic portion forms a terminal extending in a straight line in the connector height direction at a position inward from the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion in the connector width direction. In the peripheral wall where the accommodation space for accommodating the elastic portion is formed, the fixed housing and the terminal are integrally molded by primary molding using a primary mold so as to hold the fixed side held portion of the terminal, and the peripheral wall is formed. In a state where the inner peripheral surface of the movable housing and the elastic portion are not in contact with each other, the fitting portion of the movable housing is located at a distance in the connector height direction with respect to the peripheral wall, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall is on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion. On the other hand, the movable housing and the terminal are provided so as to hold the movable side fixed portion by inserting and arranging the secondary molding dies at the above intervals so that they are located on the outer side in the connector width direction with a gap in the connector width direction. A method for manufacturing an electric connector for a circuit board, which is characterized by being integrally molded by the next molding.

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