JP7184996B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law (1) Dempa Shimbun, page 3, May 19, 2017 (2) Website, May 19, 2017, http://www. dempa. co. jp/productnews/kobetu/170519/0519_02. htm (Dempa Product News website) (3) Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, page 9, May 24, 2017 (4) Dempa Shimbun, page 7 and 8, May 24, 2017 (5) Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, No. 11 Surface May 26, 2017 (6) Website May 26, 2017 https://www. nikkan. co. jp/articles/view/00429632 (Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun electronic version website) (7) Fuji Sankei Business i. Page 12 June 1, 2017 (8) Website June 1, 2017 http://www. sankeibiz. jp/business/news/170601/bsc1706010500009-n1. htm (SankeiBiz homepage) (9) Website May 24, 2017 http://www. incom. co. jp/s_00109-pm75267. html https://www. incom. co. jp/s_00109_index. html (Incom Co., Ltd. product navigation homepage) (10) Fuji Sankei Business i. Page 25 June 7, 2017 (11) Nikkei AT Page 33 June 11, 2017 (12) Website June 12, 2017 http://www. iriso. co. jp/http://www. iriso. co. jp/press-release-10126series/ (IRISO Electronics Industry Co., Ltd. website) (13) Product Navi (Incom magazine) Page 3 June 27, 2017 (14) Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun Page 10 June 28, 2017 (15) Electronic Device Industry Newspaper, page 10, June 29, 2017

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for inserting and fitting connection objects.

As electrical equipment becomes more compact, connectors are also required to be smaller. However, the more the connector is miniaturized, the smaller the opening area of the insertion port for inserting the object to be connected into the fitting chamber of the housing becomes, making the fitting operation more difficult. For example, in a connector for board-to-board connection as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the smaller the size, the more difficult the fitting operation becomes.

JP 2016-129148, Fig. 1

That is, taking a socket connector and a plug connector, which constitute a connector for board-to-board connection, as an example, the fitting operation of placing the plug connector opposite the socket connector and inserting the plug connector into the insertion opening of the socket connector is as follows. Since the socket connector and the plug connector are hidden by the pair of substrates, it must be done in a state where both connectors cannot be seen. This is because the connectors are located between the boards and are not visible. For this reason, it is difficult to align the socket connector and the plug connector in the conventional connector for board-to-board connection, and this makes the work inefficient. It may be damaged.

This difficulty in mating work is not unique to board-to-board connectors, but is common to connectors in which a connecting object is inserted into a mating chamber through an insertion port of a housing. It is an issue. This is because the smaller the opening area of the insertion port due to the miniaturization of the connector, the more difficult it is to align the object to be connected with the insertion port even if the fitting operation is performed in a visible state.

The present invention was conceived against the background of the prior art as described above. The purpose is to facilitate the fitting operation even if the connector is miniaturized.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention is configured to have the following features.

That is, the present invention provides a housing having an insertion opening into which an object to be connected is inserted with the direction toward the surface of a substrate as an insertion direction, and a fitting chamber into which the object to be connected is inserted from the insertion opening, and the fitting chamber. The housing has an insertion guide surface for guiding the insertion of the connection object into the insertion opening, and the insertion guide surface is adapted to guide the insertion of the connection object into the insertion port. having an inner guide surface extending from the rim of the mouth toward the inside of the fitting chamber, an intermediate guide surface provided outside the inner guide surface, and an outer guide surface provided outside the intermediate guide surface; The inner guide surface and the intermediate guide surface have different shapes, and the intermediate guide surface and the outer guide surface have different shapes.

Since the connector of the present invention has an insertion guide surface that guides the insertion of the object to be connected into the insertion port, even if the insertion position of the object to be connected with respect to the insertion port is misaligned, the insertion guide surface eliminates the positional deviation while connecting. The object can be guided to the insertion port, so that the connection object can be correctly inserted from the insertion port into the fitting chamber.

Specifically, the insertion guide surface includes an inner guide surface extending from the edge of the insertion port toward the interior of the fitting chamber, an intermediate guide surface provided outside the inner guide surface, and an intermediate guide surface provided outside the intermediate guide surface. and an outer guiding surface. The inner guide surface and the intermediate guide surface may have different shapes, and the intermediate guide surface and the outer guide surface may have different shapes. According to this, since the shapes of the two continuous surfaces are different, when the object to be connected is placed on the insertion guide surface and moved, the operator may find it difficult to move from one surface having a different shape to the other surface. It is possible to guide the object to be connected to the insertion port while grasping the change in the posture of the object to be connected with the sense of the hand. In addition, since the insertion guide surface has not only an inner guide surface provided on the rim of the insertion port, but also an intermediate guide surface located outside the inner guide surface and an outer guide surface outside the intermediate guide surface, the housing It is possible to guide the insertion of the object to be connected in a wide range around the insertion opening. Therefore, with the connector of the present invention, even if the overall size of the connector is reduced, it is possible to easily perform the work of fitting objects to be connected.

The shape of the inner guide surface is different from the shape of the intermediate guide surface, and the shape of the intermediate guide surface is different from the shape of the outer guide surface. The "shape" is different, and the "angle" of each surface with respect to the reference line orthogonal to the insertion direction of the connection object or the "angle" of each surface with respect to the reference line parallel to the mounting surface of the board is different. include. Therefore, the inner guide surface, the intermediate guide surface, and the outer guide surface can be configured as inclined surfaces or horizontal surfaces having different angles with respect to any of the reference lines, and flat surfaces and curved surfaces (convex surfaces) having different surface shapes. curved surface, concave curved surface) or stepped surface or the like.

In the present invention, the shape of the inner guide surface, the shape of the intermediate guide surface, and the shape of the outer guide surface may all be different.

According to the present invention, since the shapes of the inner guide surface, the intermediate guide surface, and the outer guide surface are all different, it is possible to vary the posture of the object to be connected in contact with each surface by the difference in shape. Therefore, it is possible to guide the connection object to the insertion opening while grasping the change in the posture of the connection object caused by moving the connection object between the outer guide surface and the insertion opening.

In the present invention, the difference between the shape of the inner guide surface and the shape of the intermediate guide surface and the difference between the shape of the intermediate guide surface and the shape of the outer guide surface are orthogonal to the insertion direction. can be configured to be an angle relative to a reference line where

According to the present invention, the difference in shape between the inner guide surface and the intermediate guide surface is the angle with respect to the reference line, and the difference in shape between the intermediate guide surface and the outer guide surface is the angle with respect to the reference line. It is possible to easily grasp the change in the orientation of the object to be connected due to the difference in the face angle.

The present invention can be configured such that the angle of the intermediate guide surface is smaller than the angle of the inner guide surface and the angle of the outer guide surface.

For example, if the angle of the intermediate guide surface is greater than the angle of the outer guide surface, when the object to be connected is moved from the outer guide surface to the intermediate guide surface, the posture of the object to be connected is greatly tilted, and the insertion opening is affected. As it approaches, the posture cannot be gradually corrected, and it becomes difficult to smoothly guide the object to be connected to the insertion port. Further, if the angle of the intermediate guide surface is larger than the angle of the inner guide surface, a depression with an obtuse internal angle is formed at the boundary between the intermediate guide surface and the inner guide surface, and when the object to be connected moves there, the recess is formed. This makes it difficult to smoothly guide the object to be connected to the insertion opening. In contrast, according to the present invention, since the angle of the outer guide surface is larger than the angle of the intermediate guide surface, it is possible to easily guide the object to be connected to the inner side closer to the insertion port than the outer guide surface. . Further, since the angle of the inner guide surface is larger than the angle of the intermediate guide surface, the object to be connected can be smoothly guided from the intermediate guide surface to the inner guide surface directly connected to the insertion opening. Therefore, according to the connector of the present invention, the object to be connected can be smoothly guided from the outer guide surface to the insertion port.

In the present invention, the intermediate guide surface can be configured to be a flat surface parallel to the substrate.

According to the present invention, since the intermediate guide surface is a flat surface parallel to the substrate, compared to the case where the intermediate guide surface is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the reference line parallel to the substrate, , the movable distance of the object to be connected can be increased, and the allowable range (guiding area) of the positional deviation of the object to be connected with respect to the insertion opening on the intermediate guide surface can be widened. In addition, since the intermediate guide surface is a flat surface parallel to the board surface, the object to be connected can be smoothly guided to the insertion port in the correct posture after being corrected to have no inclination. Furthermore, for example, if the intermediate guide surface is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the substrate, the height of the intermediate guide surface is increased, so that the size of the housing is increased in the height direction. However, in the present invention, since the intermediate guide surface is parallel to the substrate and the height from the substrate is constant, it is possible to suppress an increase in size of the housing in the height direction. In the present invention, "a flat surface parallel to the substrate" means "along the reference line orthogonal to the insertion direction" when the substrate surface and the reference line orthogonal to the insertion direction of the object to be connected are parallel. It can be grasped as "flat surface".

In the present invention, the outer guide surface and the inner guide surface are formed as inclined surfaces having different angles, and the angle of the outer guide surface can be smaller than the angle of the inner guide surface. .

For example, if the outer guide surface is a slanted surface and the moving distance in the horizontal direction of the object to be connected from the outer edge of the outer guide surface to the inner edge (the boundary side with the intermediate guide surface) is set to a constant length, the outer guide surface As the angle of the surface increases, the outer edge side of the outer guide surface becomes higher than the inner edge side, resulting in an increase in size of the housing in the height direction. In contrast, according to the present invention, since the angle of the outer guide surface is smaller than the angle of the inner guide surface, the moving distance of the connection object is secured from the outer edge side to the inner edge side of the outer guide surface, while It is possible to suppress the increase in size of the housing in the height direction by the outer guide surface. In addition, according to the present invention, since the angle of the outer guide surface is smaller than the angle of the inner guide surface, the object to be connected is moved on the gently inclined outer guide surface so that it can be moved roughly toward the insertion port side. After being guided to the inner guide surface, the object to be connected can be quickly inserted into the fitting chamber from the insertion opening on the inner guide surface having a larger inclination angle than the outer guide surface.

According to the present invention, the housing may have a peripheral wall and a protrusion projecting outward from the peripheral wall, and the outer guide surface may be provided on the upper surface of the protrusion.

For example, if the outer guide surface is formed on the upper end surface of the peripheral wall, the outer guide surface must be formed by increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall along the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the object to be connected. becomes larger. However, in the present invention, since the outer guide surface is provided on the upper surface of the protrusion projecting from the peripheral wall, the outer guide surface can be expanded in the direction away from the insertion port without increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall, thereby increasing the position of the object to be connected. The allowable range of deviation can be widened.

According to the present invention, the intermediate guide surface may be provided on the upper surface of the peripheral wall.

In general, the upper surface of the peripheral wall that constitutes the connector housing does not have any particular function, but according to the present invention, the upper surface of the peripheral wall can be effectively used as an intermediate guide surface, so the thickness of the peripheral wall can be increased. The intermediate guide surface can be provided without relying on an enlarged housing, such as providing a protrusion from the peripheral wall.

The present invention further comprises a fixed housing fixed to the substrate, the housing being a movable housing movable with respect to the fixed housing, the terminal comprising a fixed portion to the fixed housing, and the It can be configured to have a fixed portion for the movable housing and a spring portion for movably supporting the movable housing with respect to the fixed housing.

In a conventional connector (floating connector) having a fixed housing and a movable housing, and in which the movable housing is movably supported with respect to the fixed housing by the spring portion of the terminal, an object to be connected is placed in the insertion opening of the movable housing. If the connection object is misaligned, unless the connection object is inserted into the insertion port, the elastic deformation of the spring portion of the terminal cannot move the movable housing to absorb the position deviation of the connection object. That is, until the object to be connected enters the insertion port, the object to be connected must be guided to the insertion port without relying on the movement (displacement) of the movable housing by the spring portion. For this reason, the rim of the insertion port of the movable housing is provided with a guide inclined surface leading to the fitting chamber, but the object to be connected cannot be guided to the guide inclined surface. Therefore, the more the connector is miniaturized, the more difficult it becomes to align the object to be connected with the insertion port, and the more inefficient the fitting operation becomes. be. In contrast, according to the present invention, the object to be connected can be easily guided to the insertion opening of the movable housing by the insertion guiding surface, so that even if the connector is made compact, the object to be connected can be easily aligned with the insertion opening. It is possible to perform the fitting operation efficiently.

In the present invention, the spring portion may be positioned between the movable housing and the fixed housing, and the projecting portion may be configured to cover the upper portion of the spring portion.

According to the present invention, since the protruding portion has a shape that covers the upper part of the spring portion arranged between the movable housing and the fixed housing, the spring portion is protected from contact with foreign matter from the outside. can be done.

In the present invention, the movable housing has a groove-shaped terminal accommodating portion communicating with the fitting chamber, the terminal accommodating portion has a bottom wall forming the groove-shaped bottom surface, and the bottom surface is The bottom surface of the wall is inclined so that the groove depth of the terminal accommodating portion from the fitting chamber is deeper on the insertion port side than on the inner side of the fitting chamber. Between the fitting chambers, it is possible to provide a retraction space portion for avoiding contact with the contact portion of the terminal.

For example, when the bottom wall of the groove-shaped terminal accommodating portion is formed along the vertical direction, the contact portion of the terminal that is displaced into the terminal accommodating portion upon receiving pressure contact with the object to be connected is opposed to the bottom wall. In order to avoid contact, the entire bottom surface of the bottom wall must be formed as far and deep as possible from the fitting chamber, which results in an increase in the size of the movable housing in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the object to be connected. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the terminal accommodating portion is inclined, and the retraction space is formed between the bottom wall and the fitting chamber, so that the terminal can be moved as described above. The contact portion of the terminal can be prevented from coming into contact with the bottom wall without enlarging the housing.

In the present invention, the outer surface of the bottom wall has an outer inclined surface that inclines outward from the substrate side, and the spring portion has an inclined piece portion that extends along the outer inclined surface. can be configured as

As the spring portion provided on the terminal of the floating connector, for example, an inverted U-shaped spring portion having a pair of vertical pieces extending in parallel along the vertical direction and an arc-shaped bent portion connecting the ends of the vertical pieces is used. Are known. If the spring length is short, the spring becomes hard and it becomes difficult to flexibly support the movable housing. Therefore, if the length of the spring is lengthened by extending the pair of vertical pieces in the longitudinal direction, the connector becomes large especially in the height direction. In contrast, according to the present invention, the spring portion has an inclined piece portion that extends obliquely along the inclined surface of the outer surface of the bottom wall of the movable housing. can be lengthened, and the movable housing can also be flexibly supported.

The present invention may further include a fixing bracket for fixing the fixed housing to the substrate, and the fixing bracket may have a mounting portion for a protective cap covering at least the insertion opening.

For example, if the fixed housing itself is provided with a mounting portion for the protective cap, the fixed housing becomes large, and there is a risk that the mounting portion of the fixed housing will be damaged by attaching and detaching the protective cap. In contrast, according to the present invention, there is no need to provide a mounting portion on the fixed housing, and since the fixing bracket is a rigid metal body, the protective cap can be securely mounted, even if the protective cap is detached. The fixing bracket will not be damaged.

In the present invention, the movable housing has a displacement restricting projection projecting outward from the outer peripheral surface, and the fixing fitting has a contact portion that abuts on the displacement restricting projection to stop the movement of the movable housing. can be configured to have

According to the present invention, since the stationary fitting is provided with the abutting portion for restricting the movement of the movable housing, the stationary housing does not need to be provided with such an abutting portion, and the stationary fitting can be effectively used to restrict the displacement of the movable housing.

The present invention can be configured to further include the protection cap attached to the fixture.

According to the present invention, since the protective cap is provided, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering and adhering to the fitting chamber or damaging the terminals during transportation, mounting, or the like.

Further, another present invention for achieving the above object is configured to have the following features.

That is, the present invention comprises a movable housing having a fitting chamber into which an object to be connected is inserted, a frame-shaped fixed housing having a receiving chamber in which the movable housing is arranged, and the movable housing being movable with respect to the fixed housing. and a terminal having a spring portion supported by the fixed housing, wherein the movable housing has a protrusion that protrudes outward so as to cover at least a portion of the upper surface of the fixed housing, and the protrusion is attached to the fixed housing. It has an inclined surface that descends from a position that covers the upper surface of the housing toward the fitting chamber and guides movement of the connection object toward the fitting chamber.

The inclined surface is formed so as to straddle an inner edge of the receiving chamber into which the movable housing is inserted. Further, the inclined surface is formed as an insertion guide surface that guides insertion of the connection object into the fitting chamber. Further, the spring portion is positioned between the movable housing and the fixed housing, and the projecting portion has a shape that covers the upper portion of the spring portion.

According to the present invention, the insertion guide surface can eliminate the deviation of the insertion position of the connection object, and the connection object can be easily fitted, so that the connector can be miniaturized.

1 is an external perspective view including a front, a right side, and a plan of a socket connector according to one embodiment; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the socket connector of FIG. 1; 2 is a front view of the socket connector of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the socket connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the socket connector of FIG. 1 taken along line VV of FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the socket connector of FIG. 1 taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3; FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including the front, right side, and plane of a plug connector that fits with the socket connector of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a fitting process of the socket connector of FIG. 1 and the plug connector of FIG. 7; FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the action of the insertion guide surface of the socket connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5 showing a state in which a protective cap is attached to the socket connector of FIG. 1;

An embodiment of the connector of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, an example in which the connector of the present invention is applied to a socket connector 1 that is a connector for board-to-board connection and has a floating function will be shown, but the connector of the present invention is not limited to this.

The terms "first" and "second" described in this specification and claims are used to distinguish different components of the invention and embodiments, and indicate a specific order and superiority. It is not used for In this specification and the scope of claims, for convenience of explanation, the width direction/left/right direction of the socket connector 1 will be described as the X direction, the depth direction/front-back direction as the Y direction, and the height direction/vertical direction as the Z direction. , they do not limit how the socket connector 1 is mounted or used.

Socket connector 1

The socket connector 1 is fitted and connected to the plug connector 2, which is a "connection object", so that the circuit of the first board P1 on which the socket connector 1 is mounted and the circuit of the second board P2 on which the plug connector 2 is mounted. and are electrically connected (FIG. 8). That is, both the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 function as connectors for board-to-board connection.

A socket connector 1 includes a housing 3 , a plurality of terminals 4 and a fixture 5 . The housing 3 is composed of a fixed housing 6 mounted on the first board P1 and a movable housing 7 movably supported with respect to the fixed housing 6 by the terminals 4 . That is, the socket connector 1 is configured as a floating connector in which the movable housing 7 can move in three-dimensional directions combining the X, Y and Z directions with respect to the fixed housing 6 .

Fixed housing 6
The stationary housing 6 is formed of a frame-shaped peripheral wall 8 . The peripheral wall 8 includes a pair of first side walls 8a extending along the terminal arrangement direction (X direction) of the plurality of terminals 4 arranged in parallel on the socket connector 1, and opposing ends of the pair of first side walls 8a. It has a pair of second side walls 8b extending so as to connect between them. A receiving chamber 8c for the movable housing 7 is formed inside the peripheral wall 8 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

A plurality of terminal fixing portions 8a1 extending along the height direction Z of the fixed housing 6 and arranged in parallel along the terminal arrangement direction (X direction) are formed on each of the pair of first side walls 8a. (Fig. 1, Fig. 6). One end of the terminal 4 is press-fitted into each terminal fixing portion 8 a 1 , thereby fixing the one end of the terminal 4 to the fixed housing 6 . An inner inclined surface 8a2 is formed on the inner surface of the first side wall 8a so as to incline from the upper end of the terminal fixing portion 8a1 to the upper end of the first side wall 8a. By forming the inner inclined surface 8a2, a contact relief portion 8a3, which is a clearance space, is formed between the inner inclined surface 8a2 and a spring portion 4c of the terminal 4, which will be described later. displacement is not hindered.

Each of the pair of second side walls 8b is formed with a concave portion 8b1 in which a displacement restricting projection 9b1 of the movable housing 7, which will be described later, is arranged (FIGS. 1, 4, and 5). The second side wall 8b is formed with a fixing portion 8b2 for fixing the fixture 5 by press-fitting, whereby the fixed housing 6 is firmly held by the fixture 5 (FIG. 4).

movable housing 7
The movable housing 7 has a frame-shaped peripheral wall 9 . The peripheral wall 9 includes a pair of first side walls 9a extending along the terminal arrangement direction (X direction) of the plurality of terminals 4, and a pair of side walls 9a extending so as to connect the opposing ends of the pair of first side walls 9a. second sidewall 9b (FIGS. 5 and 6). A fitting chamber 9c for the plug connector 2 is formed inside the peripheral wall 9 (FIG. 1).

The pair of first side walls 9a respectively function as terminal housing walls in the movable housing 7, and are formed symmetrically with respect to the center line along the longitudinal direction of the movable housing 7. As shown in FIG. The first side wall 9a has a plurality of terminal fixing portions 9a1 for press-fitting and fixing a movable housing fixing portion 4d of the terminal 4 to be described later in the plate width direction (X direction), and a plurality of terminals communicating with the fitting chamber 9c. The holding grooves 9a2 are formed side by side in the terminal arrangement direction X. As shown in FIG.

The terminal holding groove 9a2 as a "terminal accommodating portion" includes a pair of side walls 9a3 facing each other, a bottom wall 9a4 connecting the pair of side walls 9a3 at a position opposite to the fitting chamber 9c side, and a terminal 4 to be described later. An opening 9a5 for allowing the contact portion 4f to move between the fitting chamber 9c and the terminal holding groove 9a2, and a slit-shaped board side opening 9a6 facing the first board P1 are formed.

The bottom wall 9a4 includes a lower vertical surface 9a7 extending in the vertical direction, an inner inclined surface 9a8 inclined so that the distance from the fitting chamber 9c gradually increases in the height direction Z, and an inner inclined surface 9a8 extending from the inner inclined surface 9a8. It is formed by an upper longitudinal surface 9a9 extending in the longitudinal direction Z. The inner inclined surface 9a8 is inclined in the displacement direction of the contact portion 4f in order to prevent the contact portion 4f of the terminal 4, which is displaced toward the bottom wall 9a4 due to the pressing contact of the plug connector 2, from coming into contact with the bottom wall 9a4. is formed to Between the bottom wall 9a4 having such an inner inclined surface 9a8 and the fitting chamber 9c is a retraction space portion 9a10 for avoiding contact with the contact portion 4f. An outer inclined surface 9a11 is formed on the outer surface portion of the movable housing 7 corresponding to the portion of the inner inclined surface 9a8 of the bottom wall 9a4, the technical significance of which will be described later.

A pair of second side walls 9b are formed with displacement restricting projections 9b1 that are inserted into the concave portions 8b1 of the fixed housing 6 described above. The displacement restricting protrusion 9b1 is formed as a columnar protrusion protruding laterally from the second side wall 9b. A fixing fitting insertion groove 9b2 is formed on the displacement regulating projection 9b1 (FIG. 5). The displacement regulating protrusion 9b1 faces downward in the Y and Z directions and is capable of coming into contact with the concave portion 8b1, and faces upward in the Z direction and faces a horizontal piece portion 5c as a "contact portion" of the fixture 5, which will be described later. Therefore, excessive displacement of the movable housing 7 is restricted by contact with the opposing portions in each direction.

Insertion guide surface 10
An insertion guide surface 10 is formed on the movable housing 7 . Specifically, the insertion guide surface 10 is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 and a protruding portion 9e that protrudes outward from the upper end of the outer peripheral surface 9d of the peripheral wall 9 in a flange shape. The insertion guide surface 10 of this embodiment is composed of an inner guide surface 10a, an intermediate guide surface 10b, and an outer guide surface 10c. The insertion guide surface 10 composed of the plurality of surfaces 10a, 10b, and 10c is a continuous surface extending in a direction intersecting the insertion direction (Z direction) of the plug connector 2, which is an object to be connected, into the fitting chamber 9c. is formed as The insertion guide surface 10 is formed not only by an inner guide surface 10a communicating with the fitting chamber 9c, but also by forming an intermediate guide surface 10b and an outer guide surface 10c on the outer circumference of the inner guide surface 10a. The insertion of the plug connector 2 can be guided within the range, and the fitting operation can be easily performed.

The inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c are aligned with respect to a line (reference line L (FIG. 6)) orthogonal to the insertion direction (Z direction) of the plug connector 2 into the fitting chamber 9c. All angles are formed differently. In other words, the angles formed with respect to a line (reference line L) parallel to the surface (mounting surface) of the first substrate P1 on which the socket connector 1 is mounted are formed at different angles. These "reference lines L" are the same as horizontal lines in this embodiment.

The inner guide surface 10 a is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 . Specifically, it is formed at the edge of the insertion opening 9c1 of the fitting chamber 9c. The inner guide surfaces 10a include a pair of longitudinal inner guide surfaces 10a1 along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the socket connector 1 and a pair of short inner guide surfaces 10a2 along the transverse direction (Y direction) of the socket connector 1. have. The inclination angle θ1 (FIG. 6) of the inner guide surface 10a with respect to the reference line L is a portion where the inner guide surface 10a guides the plug connector 2 from the insertion opening 9c1 into the fitting chamber 9c. The angle (0 degrees) of the guide surface 10b with respect to the reference line L is formed to be larger than the angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c. Since the inner guide surface 10a is a steep slope with an acute angle, the moving distance in the X and Y directions is short, so that the plug connector 2 can be smoothly dropped into the fitting chamber 9c. In addition, the inner guide surface 10a is formed as a flat surface, and the inclination is less steep than when it is formed as a curved surface. Therefore, the plug connector 2 can be smoothly moved to the fitting chamber 9c along a certain inclined plane.

The intermediate guide surface 10b is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9. As shown in FIG. Specifically, it is formed as a surface that bends and extends from the upper edge of the inner guide surface 10a. The middle guide surface 10b has a longitudinal middle guide surface 10b1 along the longitudinal direction of the socket connector 1 and a short middle guide side surface 10b2 along the width direction of the socket connector 1 . The intermediate guide surface 10b makes an angle of 0 degrees with respect to the reference line L, which is smaller than the inner guide surface 10a and the outer guide surface 10c. Since the angle with respect to the reference line L is 0 degrees, the intermediate guide surface 10b is formed as a horizontal plane without inclination. Since the intermediate guide surface 10b is a horizontal surface, the plug connector 2 placed here assumes a posture that is not tilted with respect to the reference line L. As shown in FIG. The straight posture of the plug connector 2 and the second board P2 on which it is mounted is easy for the worker who performs the fitting operation to grasp. Then, by moving the second board P2 (plug connector 2) from the non-tilted posture, if the feeling that the plug connector 2 rides on the inclined surface is obtained, it moves to the outer guide surface 10c on the side opposite to the insertion opening 9c1. You can feel what you are moving, and know that you should correct the direction of movement in the opposite direction. On the other hand, if the plug connector 2 drops obliquely or drops without tilting by moving the second board P2 from the non-tilted posture, it means that the plug connector 2 is being moved toward the inner guide surface 10a. , and it can be seen that it can be inserted into the fitting chamber 9c.

The outer guide surface 10c is formed on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 and the upper surface of the protrusion 9e that protrudes from the peripheral wall 9. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the outer guide surface 10c has a longitudinal outer guide surface 10c1 along the longitudinal direction of the socket connector 1 and a lateral outer guide surface 10c2 along the transverse direction of the socket connector 1. The laterally outer guide surface 10c2 is formed on the upper surface of the protruding portion 9e in the shape of an inclined surface that descends toward the fitting chamber 9c, and the longitudinally outer guide surface 10c1 is formed on the peripheral wall 9 inside the protruding portion 9e. is formed on the top surface of the Both the longitudinal outer guide surface 10c1 and the lateral outer guide surface 10c2 are formed as surfaces that bend and extend from the outer edge of the intermediate guide surface 10b. The angle θ2 (FIG. 6) formed by the outer guide surface 10c with respect to the reference line L is larger than the angle (0 degrees) of the intermediate guide surface 10b with respect to the reference line L, and is smaller than the angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a. That is, the outer guide surface 10c is formed as a gentler slope than the inner guide surface 10a. Therefore, the plug connector 2 placed here can be guided to the adjacent non-tilted intermediate guide surface 10b by moving it along the outer guide surface 10c in an inclined posture.

The inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c all have different angles with respect to the reference line L as described above. Therefore, when the plug connector 2 is placed on the socket connector 1 (movable housing 7), the operator can grasp the approximate position of the plug connector 2 by the posture of the second board P2 on which the plug connector 2 is mounted. can do. The manner in which the plug connector 2 contacts the insertion guide surface 10 includes, for example, contact only with the outer guide surface 10c, contact with the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b, and contact only with the intermediate guide surface 10b. Although there are various cases, such as the case where the plug connector 2 abuts only on the inner guide surface 10a, the posture taken by the plug connector 2 differs in each case. Therefore, by moving the second substrate P2 in various directions (X direction, Y direction) along the reference line L from the position where the plug connector 2 first contacts the insertion guide surface 10, the above-described intermediate guide surface 10b can be moved. By moving the second board P2 so as to drop it through the inner guide surface 10a from there, the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 can be correctly detected through the sense of hand even if they are not directly visible. can be mated.

The insertion guide surface 10 as described above is formed in a frame shape along the upper surface shape of the movable housing 7, and is formed in a rectangular frame shape in this embodiment. Therefore, even if the plug connector 2 is displaced in any direction in the radial direction (X direction and Y direction) about the insertion opening 9c1, the plug connector 2 can be brought into contact with the insertion guide surface 10. It can be guided to the insertion port 9c1.

terminal 4
The plurality of terminals 4 are all formed in the same shape, and are formed by bending conductive metal pieces. Each terminal 4 has a substrate connection portion 4a soldered to the first substrate P1, a fixed housing fixing portion 4b fixed by press-fitting to the terminal fixing portion 8a1 of the fixed housing 6, and extends in an inverted U shape. A spring portion 4c, a movable housing fixing portion 4d fixed by press-fitting to the terminal fixing portion 9a1 of the movable housing 7 in the plate width direction (X direction), an elastic arm 4e extending in a U shape, and an elastic arm 4e. It has a contact portion 4f bent in a mountain shape from the upper end toward the fitting chamber 9c.

The spring portion 4c serves as a spring that supports the movable housing 7 with respect to the fixed housing 6 so as to be displaceable in three-dimensional directions combining the width direction (X direction), the depth direction (Y direction), and the height direction (Z direction). formed. The spring portion 4c has an outer extension portion 4c1 connected to the stationary housing fixing portion 4b, a bent portion 4c2, and an inner inclined piece portion 4c3.

The outer extending portion 4c1 is located opposite to a contact relief portion 8a3 formed on the inner inclined surface 8a2 of the first side wall 8a of the fixed housing 6, so that even if the movable housing 7 is elastically deformed outward in the Y direction, It is kept out of contact with the inner inclined surface 8a2. A half of the curved portion of the bent portion 4c2 on the side of the movable housing 7 is covered with the projecting portion 9e of the movable housing 7, and is protected from contact with foreign substances (conductors, dust, etc.) from the outside. The inner inclined piece portion 4c3 extends along the outer inclined surface 9a11 of the movable housing 7 with a certain gap therebetween. Therefore, even if the movable housing 7 is elastically deformed outward in the Y direction, the inner inclined piece portion 4c3 does not come into contact with the outer inclined surface 9a11, so that the natural elastic deformation of the spring portion 4c is not hindered.

The elastic arm 4e has a U-shaped lower bent portion 4e1 and an extension portion 4e2 extending upward from the lower bent portion 4e1. The extending portion 4e2 is arranged inside the terminal holding groove 9a2 of the movable housing 7. As shown in FIG. The upper side of the extending portion 4e2 is adjacent to the evacuation space portion 9a10. Therefore, even if the contact portion 4f presses into contact with the plug connector 2 and enters the terminal holding groove 9a2, the extension portion 4e2 only displaces toward the retraction space portion 9a10 and contacts the bottom surface of the bottom wall 9a4. never. Thereby, the contact portion 4f can press-contact with the plug connector 2 by the contact pressure based on the spring structure of the elastic arm 4e and the contact portion 4f.

Fixing bracket 5
The fixing brackets 5 are provided on the pair of second side walls 8b of the fixed housing 6, respectively. Each fixing bracket 5 includes a substrate fixing portion 5a, a press-fit portion 5b press-fitted and fixed to the fixing portion 8b2 of the second side wall 8b, and a horizontal piece extending along the length direction (Y direction) of the second side wall 8b. and a portion 5c.

The horizontal piece 5c is inserted into the fixing fitting insertion groove 9b2 of the movable housing 7 with a gap therebetween. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the locking piece 11a of the protective cap 11 is locked to the lateral piece 5c. That is, the lateral piece 5c functions as a “mounting portion” for the protective cap 11. As shown in FIG. Therefore, there is no need to provide a "mounting portion" on the fixed housing 6, and since the fixing metal fitting 5 is a rigid metal body, the protective cap 11 can be securely mounted, and even if the protective cap 11 is detached, the fixing metal fitting can be removed. 5 will never break. By providing the socket connector 1 with the protective cap 11, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering and adhering to the fitting chamber 9c and damaging the terminals 4 during transportation, mounting, and the like. In addition, the protective cap 11 can be used as a suction point when the socket connector 1 is transferred by an automatic machine during mounting on the first substrate P1.

Further, the lateral piece 5c is positioned facing the displacement restricting protrusion 9b1 of the movable housing 7, and is a "contact portion" that stops excessive upward displacement of the movable housing 7 in the height direction (Z direction). function as Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the fixed housing 6 with an "abutting portion", and the fixing metal fittings 5 can be effectively used for restricting the displacement of the movable housing 7. FIG.

Fitting connection between the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 Next, fitting connection between the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 having the connector structure as described above will be described.

First, the connector structure of the plug connector 2 will be briefly described. The plug connector 2 is mounted on the second board P2 and has a housing 2a and a plurality of terminals 2b as shown in FIG. The housing 2a has a plate-shaped fitting connection portion 2a1 that is inserted into the fitting chamber 9c. , terminal holding grooves 2a2 extending in the height direction (Z direction) of the housing 2a are formed in parallel along the width direction (Y direction). A contact portion 2b1 of the terminal 2b is arranged in each terminal holding groove 2a2.

When fitting and connecting such a plug connector 2 to the socket connector 1, as shown in FIG. Position them opposite each other. By moving the second substrate P2 close to the first substrate P1, the plug connector 2 is brought into contact with the socket connector 1. As shown in FIG. At this time, if the distal end face 2a3 of the housing 2a of the plug connector 2 is in contact with the guide region 10R of the insertion guide surface 10 including the insertion opening 9c1, the insertion guide surface 10 moves the plug connector 2 toward the insertion opening 9c1. can be induced to However, even if the tip end surface 2a3 deviates from the insertion guide surface 10, the second substrate P2 can be moved in the X and Y directions to be positioned in the guide region 10R of the insertion guide surface 10. FIG.

The most ideal position when the tip surface 2a3 contacts the movable housing 7 is the position inside the inner guide surface 10a in the X and Y directions, that is, the position inside the insertion opening 9c1. However, there is a tendency for the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 for board-to-board connection to be miniaturized. It is extremely difficult for the operator to perform accurate alignment without seeing the . In many cases, the tip surface 2a3 is not only displaced in the plane directions of the X and Y directions, but also rotates around the axes in the X, Y, and Z directions. It often slopes diagonally.

Here, FIG. 9 shows the contact position of the tip surface 2a3 with respect to the upper surface of the movable housing 7 by a chain double-dashed line. For example, when the tip surface 2a3 contacts the insertion guide surface 10 at the contact position C1, the tip surface 2a3 sequentially contacts the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b. This is the same regardless of whether the contact posture of the tip surface 2a3 is horizontal or inclined. This is because the posture of the tip surface 2a3 is corrected by the contact between the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b. Then, the tip surface 2a3 slides on the inclined outer guide surface 10c and can be guided to the contact position C2 where the entire surface contacts the intermediate guide surface 10b. When the front end face 2a3 is flat and comes into contact with the horizontal intermediate guide face 10b, the plug connector 2 and the second substrate P2 are corrected to a non-tilted posture, and the operator can feel the change in the posture. can. Then, when the second substrate P2 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction, the contact area of the tip surface 2a3 with the intermediate guide surface 10b decreases, while the area covering the insertion opening 9c1 increases. The support balance is lost, and part or the entire surface of the tip surface 2a3 falls from the inner guide surface 10a to the inside of the insertion port 9c1, so that the entire fitting connection portion 2a1 can be inserted into the fitting chamber 9c. .

Also, for example, when the tip surface 2a3 rotates around the Z axis and contacts the insertion guide surface 10 at the contact position C3 shown in FIG. 2 is induced. That is, when the tip surface 2a3 contacts the outer guide surface 10c and the intermediate guide surface 10b, the tip surface 2a3 slides on the outer guide surface 10c, contacts the intermediate guide surface 10b as indicated by contact position C4, and contacts the plug connector 2. The second substrate P2 is corrected to a non-tilted posture. In this state, when the second substrate P2 is moved in the X and Y directions to the position of the contact position C5, the support balance by the intermediate guide surface 10b is lost, and the tip end surface 2a3 is pushed through the inner guide surface 10a. It drops into the insertion opening 9c1, whereby the entire fitting connection portion 2a1 can be inserted into the fitting chamber 9c.

As described above, according to the socket connector 1 , even if the insertion position of the plug connector 2 with respect to the insertion opening 9c1 is deviated, the insertion guiding surface 10 eliminates the positional deviation and guides the plug connector to the insertion opening 9c1. As a result, the fitting connection portion 2a1 of the plug connector 2 can be correctly inserted from the insertion opening 9c1 into the fitting chamber 9c. Therefore, since the fitting work can be easily performed in this manner, the size of the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 can be reduced. In addition to the effects already described, the socket connector 1 can have the following effects.

In the insertion guide surface 10 of the socket connector 1, since the inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c all have different angles with respect to the reference line L, the postures when the tip surface 2a3 of the plug connector 2 comes into contact with each other are different. can let

Since the angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c with respect to the reference line L is larger than the angle (0 degrees) of the horizontal and flat intermediate guide surface 10b with respect to the reference line L, the plug is positioned closer to the insertion opening 9c1 than the outer guide surface 10c. The connector 2 can be easily guided. Further, since the angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a is larger than the angle (0 degrees) of the intermediate guide surface 10b with respect to the reference line L, the plug connector 2 is moved from the intermediate guide surface 10b to the inner guide surface 10a directly connected to the insertion opening 9c1. It can be guided smoothly.

Since the intermediate guide surface 10b is a flat surface parallel to the first substrate P1, it is possible to increase the distance that the plug connector 2 can move in the horizontal direction as compared with the case where the intermediate guide surface 10b is an inclined surface. It is possible to widen the allowable range (guiding area) of the positional deviation of the plug connector 2 on the intermediate guiding surface 10b. In addition, if the intermediate guide surface 10b is a slanted surface, the inner edge side and the outer edge side of the intermediate guide surface 10b have a height, so that the movable housing 7 becomes large in the height direction (Z direction). However, in the above-described embodiment, since the intermediate guide surface 10b is a horizontal surface, an increase in size of the movable housing 7 can be suppressed.

In the above-described embodiment, the inclination angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a. The outer guide surface 10c can prevent the movable housing 7 from increasing in size in the height direction (Z direction). In addition, since the inclination angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a, the plug connector 2 is moved on the gently inclined outer guide surface 10c so that the plug connector 2 is first roughly moved toward the insertion opening 9c1. , the plug connector 2 can be quickly inserted into the fitting chamber 9c from the insertion opening 9c1 through the inner guide surface 10a having a larger inclination angle than the outer guide surface 10c.

In the above-described embodiment, since the lateral guide surface 10c2 of the outer guide surface 10c is provided on the upper surface of the projecting portion 9e, the outer guide surface 10c is expanded in the direction away from the insertion opening 9c1 without increasing the thickness of the peripheral wall 9. and the allowable range of misalignment of the plug connector 2 can be widened.

In the above-described embodiment, since the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 has the intermediate guide surface 10b and the longitudinally outer guide surface 10c1, the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 can be effectively utilized. The intermediate guiding surface 10b can be provided without relying on the technology.

Modifications Since the socket connector 1 according to the above-described embodiment can be implemented in modifications, one example thereof will be described.

In the above-described embodiment, the longitudinal outer guide surface 10c1 is provided on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9, but it may be formed on the upper surface of the projecting portion 9e or may be formed over the upper surface of the projecting portion 9e and the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9. good. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the lateral guide surface 10c2 is provided on the upper surface of the protruding portion 9e was shown, but it may be formed over the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 as well. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the longitudinal outer guide surface 10c1 is formed shorter in the direction of inclination than the transverse outer guide surface 10c2 is shown, but they may be the same, and conversely, the lateral outer guide surface 10c2 may be shortened. .

Although the intermediate guide surface 10b is provided on the upper surface of the peripheral wall 9 in the above embodiment, it may be formed over the upper surface of the projecting portion 9e.

In the above embodiment, the inclination angle θ2 of the outer guide surface 10c is made smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the inner guide surface 10a. good. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the intermediate guide surface 10b is a non-inclined surface has been shown, but it may be formed as an inclined surface that descends toward the inner guide surface 10a.

In the above embodiment, an example in which all of the inner guide surface 10a, the intermediate guide surface 10b, and the outer guide surface 10c are formed as flat surfaces has been shown, but they may be formed as curved surfaces.

In the above-described embodiment, the socket connector 1 is a floating connector, but a socket connector that does not have a floating function may be provided with the same configuration as the insertion guide surface 10 of the movable housing 7 .

1 socket connector (connector)
2 plug connector 2a housing 2a1 fitting connection portion 2a2 terminal holding groove 2a3 tip surface 2b terminal 2b1 contact portion 3 housing 4 terminal 4a board fixing portion 4b fixing portion for fixed housing (fixing portion)
4c spring portion 4c1 outer extension portion 4c2 bending portion 4c3 inner inclined piece portion (inclined piece portion)
4d fixed part for movable housing (fixed part)
4e elastic arm 4e1 lower bent portion 4e2 extended portion 4f contact portion 5 fixing bracket 5a substrate fixing portion 5b press-fit portion 5c horizontal piece portion (mounting portion, contact portion)
6 fixed housing 7 movable housing 8 peripheral wall (fixed housing)
8a First side wall 8a1 Terminal fixing portion 8a2 Inner inclined surface 8a3 Contact relief portion 8b Second side wall 8b1 Recessed portion 8b2 Fixed portion 8c Storage chamber 9 Peripheral wall (movable housing)
9a First side wall 9a1 Terminal fixing portion 9a2 Terminal holding groove (terminal accommodating portion)
9a3 Side wall 9a4 Bottom wall 9a5 Opening 9a6 Board-side opening 9a7 Lower vertical surface 9a8 Inner inclined surface 9a9 Upper vertical surface 9a10 Retreat space 9a11 Outer inclined surface 9b Second side wall 9b1 Displacement control projection 9b2 Insertion groove for fixing bracket 9c Fitting Joint chamber 9c1 Insertion opening 9d Peripheral surface 9e Protruding part (eaves part)
10 Insertion guide surface 10a Inner guide surface 10a1 Inner longitudinal guide surface 10a2 Inner short guide surface 10b Intermediate guide surface 10b1 Intermediate longitudinal guide surface 10b2 Intermediate shorter guide surface 10c Outer guide surface 10c1 Outer longitudinal guide surface 10c2 Outer short guide surface 10R Induction region 11 Protective cap 11a Locking piece L Reference line θ1, θ2 Angle P1 First substrate P2 Second substrate X Width direction, left-right direction Y Depth direction, front-back direction Z Height direction, up-down direction

Claims (4)

a fixed housing;
A connector having a movable housing movable with respect to the fixed housing,
Furthermore, it has a fixing bracket for fixing the fixed housing to the substrate,
the fixing bracket has a mounting portion for restricting displacement of the movable housing and a protective cap can be attached thereto;
the movable housing has a displacement regulating projection capable of coming into contact with the mounting portion;
A connector according to claim 1, wherein said displacement restricting projection is provided in a state of being in contact with said protection cap. a fixed housing;
A connector having a movable housing movable with respect to the fixed housing,
Furthermore, it has a fixing bracket for fixing the fixed housing to the substrate,
the fixing bracket has a mounting portion for restricting displacement of the movable housing and a protective cap can be attached thereto;
The connector, wherein the mounting portion is exposed on a side surface of the connector, and the protective cap can be locked from the outside. a fixed housing;
A connector having a movable housing movable with respect to the fixed housing,
Furthermore, it has a fixing bracket for fixing the fixed housing to the substrate,
the fixing bracket has a mounting portion for restricting displacement of the movable housing and a protective cap can be attached thereto;
The movable housing has a displacement restricting projection capable of coming into contact with the mounting portion,
The connector, wherein the mounting portion protrudes laterally beyond the displacement restricting projection. Furthermore, having a protective cap attached to the fixing bracket,
4. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said protective cap has a suction portion for transferring said connector.

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