JP7289907B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector having signal terminals and power terminals and having a movable housing that can move relative to a fixed housing.

Patent Literature 1 listed below describes a board-to-board connector that has signal terminals and power terminals and electrically connects circuit boards to each other. In this board-to-board connector, a socket attached to one circuit board and a plug attached to the other circuit board are fitted to each other, and the socket is a movable connector. . The socket includes a common housing (fixed housing) mounted on one of the circuit boards, and a pair of signal terminal blocks and a pair of power terminal blocks (both movable housings) arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval. ing. A signal terminal block is coupled with a common housing via a number of signal terminals. Also, the pair of power terminal blocks are connected to the common housing via a pair of power terminals, respectively. The signal terminal and the power terminal are provided with an elastically deformable spring portion (elastic portion) so that the signal terminal block and the pair of power terminal blocks can move relative to the common housing. He is trying to absorb the fitting gap of a socket and a plug by this.

JP 2006-85944 A

By the way, with the recent miniaturization of electronic devices, there is a demand for miniaturization of connectors attached to circuit boards. In this regard, if a connector having both a signal terminal and a power terminal is used as in the prior art, compared to the case where a connector having a signal terminal and a connector having a power terminal are attached separately to a circuit board, The installation space of the connector on the top can be saved.

However, in the prior art described above, the signal terminal block (movable housing) is arranged in the middle portion of the common housing (fixed housing) in the terminal arrangement direction, and the power terminal blocks (separate movable housing) is arranged. As a result, the common housing is enlarged in the terminal arrangement direction, and the overall connector structure is enlarged in the terminal arrangement direction.

In view of the above facts, the present invention provides a connector that has signal terminals and power terminals and that has a movable housing that can move relative to a fixed housing, and that can be downsized in the terminal arrangement direction. with the aim of obtaining

A connector according to a first aspect includes a fixed housing fixed to a circuit board, a movable housing disposed so as to be relatively movable with respect to the fixed housing and having a hole through which an object to be connected is inserted/extracted, the fixed housing and the A plurality of signal terminals bridged between the movable housing and arranged in a terminal arrangement direction orthogonal to the insertion/extraction direction of the connection target, and a power supply terminal bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing. and, wherein the signal terminal includes a first connection portion fixed to the circuit board, a first contact portion electrically contacted with the connection object, and the first connection portion and the first contact a first elastic portion positioned between the power terminal, the power terminal includes a second connection portion fixed to the circuit board, and a second contact portion electrically contacted with the connection object. and a second elastic portion located between the second connection portion and the second contact portion, and the movable housing extends through the hole from a direction orthogonal to the insertion/removal direction and the terminal arrangement direction. a pair of side wall portions facing each other on both sides, and a pair of connecting wall portions facing each other across the hole in the terminal arrangement direction and connecting ends of the pair of side wall parts in the terminal arrangement direction, A side surface of the connection wall portion in the terminal arrangement direction is orthogonal to the terminal arrangement direction, the second contact portion is held on a side surface of the connection wall portion in the terminal arrangement direction, and the first contact portion is held by the side surface of the connection wall portion in the terminal arrangement direction. The elastic deformation of the elastic portion and the second elastic portion allows relative movement of the movable housing with respect to the fixed housing.

In the connector of the first aspect, the plurality of signal terminals and the power terminals are bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing, and the first elastic portion possessed by each signal terminal and the second elastic portion possessed by the power terminal are provided. The elastic deformation of the portion allows relative movement of the movable housing with respect to the fixed housing. In this connector, a plurality of signal terminals and power terminals are bridged between a common movable housing and a fixed housing, so compared to a configuration in which a plurality of movable housings are arranged side by side in the terminal arrangement direction. , the arrangement space of the movable housing in the terminal arrangement direction can be reduced. Moreover, in this connector, the second contact portion of the power terminal is held on the side surface of the connecting wall portion of the movable housing in the terminal arrangement direction. As described above, in the connector of the present invention, the overall structure can be miniaturized in the terminal arrangement direction.

A connector according to a second aspect is the connector according to the first aspect, wherein the second contact portion is elastically deformed to one side in the terminal arrangement direction by being electrically contacted with the object to be connected, and the connecting wall portion has a , an accommodating recess that is open in the terminal arrangement direction and accommodates at least a part of the second contact portion is formed.

According to the connector of the second aspect, the second contact portion of the power terminal is elastically deformed to one side in the terminal arrangement direction when electrically contacted with the object to be connected. space on the other side in the terminal arrangement direction. Further, since the connecting wall portion of the movable housing is formed with a recessed portion that opens toward the terminal arrangement direction and accommodates at least a part of the second contact portion, the entire configuration of the connector can be arranged in the terminal arrangement direction. When downsizing, it becomes easier to secure the arrangement space for the second contact portion.

In the connector according to the third aspect, in the first aspect or the second aspect, the connecting wall portion has an opening outward in a direction orthogonal to the insertion/removal direction and the terminal arrangement direction, and the second elastic A spring receiving recess is formed to receive at least a portion of the portion.

According to the connector of the third aspect, the connecting wall portion of the movable housing has an opening facing outward in a direction orthogonal to the insertion/removal direction and the terminal arrangement direction, and accommodates a spring that accommodates at least part of the second elastic portion. Since the concave portion is formed, it becomes easier to secure a space for arranging the second elastic portion when downsizing the overall configuration of the connector in the terminal arrangement direction.

As described above, according to the connector according to the present invention, in the structure having the signal terminals and the power terminals and the movable housing being movable relative to the fixed housing, the overall structure is miniaturized in the terminal arrangement direction. can do.

1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention with a stationary housing seen through; 1 is a perspective view of a movable housing according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fixed housing according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a plan view of a connector according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. It is a bottom view of the connector concerning the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cut surface along line F8-F8 of FIG. 5; 1 is a perspective view of a signal terminal according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power terminal according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. It is a front view of a power supply terminal concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of a power supply terminal concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a bottom view of a power supply terminal concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 10 showing a modification of the power terminal;

A connector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14. FIG. For convenience of explanation, the arrow FR shown in each drawing indicates the front of the connector 10 , the arrow LH indicates the left of the connector 10 , and the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the connector 10 . In the following description, the directions relative to the connector 10 are indicated simply using the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions. These orientations are independent of the orientation of connector 10 in use. Also, in each drawing, some reference numerals may be omitted for the purpose of making the drawings easier to read.

(composition)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the connector 10 according to the present embodiment is a so-called movable (floating) connector, and a mating connector 12 (not shown except in FIG. 1) as a connection object is inserted and removed. It has a movable housing 14 and a fixed housing 30 fixed to a circuit board (not shown). The fixed housing 30 has a pair of side walls 30A and 30B arranged on both sides of the movable housing 14 in the bridging direction (direction of arrow Y) orthogonal to the insertion/removal direction (direction of arrow Z) of the mating connector 12. ing.

The connector 10 is spanned between the movable housing 14 and the pair of side walls 30A and 30B along the bridging direction Y, and the terminal arrangement direction (arrow X and a plurality of signal terminals 50 arranged in the direction ), and arranged on both sides of the plurality of signal terminals 50 in the terminal arrangement direction X, between the movable housing 14 and the pair of side wall portions 30A and 30B in the bridging direction Y. and a pair of power supply terminals 70 bridged along.

This connector 10 constitutes a plug (male type) of a connector for board-to-board connection, and a mating connector 12, which is a receptacle (female type), is fixed to a mating circuit board different from the circuit board described above. It is configured to be The mating connector 12 includes a plurality of mating signal terminals (not shown) electrically connected to the plurality of signal terminals 50 and a pair of mating power terminals (not shown) electrically connected to the pair of power terminals 70 . is provided.

The connection target of the connector 10 is not limited to the mating connector 12, and may be a bus bar or a square pin. In this embodiment, the insertion/removal direction Z coincides with the vertical direction of the connector 10, the bridging direction Y coincides with the horizontal direction of the connector 10, and the terminal arrangement direction X coincides with the longitudinal direction of the connector 10 . In the following description, the insertion/removal direction Z may be referred to as the "vertical direction," the bridging direction Y may be referred to as the "left-right direction," and the terminal arrangement direction X may be referred to as the "front-back direction." This connector 10 is formed in a shape symmetrical in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

(About movable housing)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5 to 8, the movable housing 14 has a bottomed substantially rectangular tubular shape (substantially cuboid shape) having a rectangular bottomed hole 16 that opens upward. is formed in The movable housing 14 includes a pair of left and right side wall portions 14A and 14B facing each other in the left and right direction, a pair of front and rear connecting wall portions 14C and 14D connecting both front and rear end portions of the left and right side wall portions 14A and 14B in the left and right direction, A bottom wall portion 14E (see FIG. 8) connects the side wall portions 14A and 14B in the left-right direction and connects the front and rear connection wall portions 14C and 14D in the front-rear direction. The left and right side wall portions 14A and 14B extend in the front-rear direction, and the front and rear connection wall portions 14C and 14D extend in the left-right direction. The bottom wall portion 14E is provided substantially in the lower half portion of the movable housing 14, and is formed thick in the vertical direction. The movable housing 14 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. Note that the movable housing 14 according to the present embodiment is formed in an elongated shape whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction. It's becoming

A pair of front and rear engaging projections 18 projecting outward in the front-rear direction (outside in the terminal arrangement direction X) are formed at the lower end portions of the front and rear connecting wall portions 14C and 14D (both front and rear end portions of the movable housing 14). ing. The front and rear engaging protrusions 18 are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

A plurality of signal terminal insertion grooves 20A extending in the vertical direction are formed at equal intervals in the front-rear direction on the surfaces of the left and right side walls 14A and 14B on the bottomed hole 16 side. These signal terminal insertion grooves 20A are open toward the bottomed hole 16 side and upward. Further, these signal terminal insertion grooves 20A are communicated with a plurality of signal terminal insertion holes 20B penetrating vertically through the bottom wall portion 14E. The lower end portions of the plurality of signal terminal insertion holes 20B are groove-shaped groove portions 20B1 that are open toward the left and right sides of the side wall portions 14A and 14B. The signal terminal insertion groove 20A and the signal terminal insertion hole 20B are formed in an elongated shape with the longitudinal direction extending in the horizontal direction when viewed from the vertical direction, and constitute the signal terminal insertion portion 20. As shown in FIG.

Housing recesses 22 that open outward in the front-rear direction are formed in the center portions in the left-right direction of the front and rear connection wall portions 14C and 14D. The front and rear housing recesses 22 extend vertically and communicate with rectangular through holes 24 formed at the base ends of the engaging projections 18 . The through hole 24 vertically penetrates the base end of the engaging projection 18 . Further, the lower end of each accommodating recess 22 communicates with a pair of left and right elastic portion insertion grooves 26 formed on the lower surface of the movable housing 14 . The left and right elastic portion insertion grooves 26 extend in the left-right direction and open toward both sides in the left-right direction. In addition, spring accommodation recesses 28 are formed on both sides in the left-right direction of substantially lower half portions of the front and rear connecting wall portions 14C and 14D. The pair of left and right spring housing recesses 28 are open outward in the front-rear direction and outward in the left-right direction.

(About fixed housing)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 and 4 to 8, the stationary housing 30 has a substantially rectangular frame shape with a rectangular through hole 32 penetrating vertically. The fixed housing 30 includes a pair of left and right side wall portions 30A and 30B facing each other in the left and right direction, and a pair of front and rear connection wall portions 30C and 30D connecting both front and rear end portions of the left and right side wall portions 30A and 30B in the left and right direction. Ready for unity. The left and right side wall portions 30A and 30B extend in the front-rear direction, and the front and rear connection wall portions 30C and 30D extend in the left-right direction. The fixed housing 30 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. Note that the fixed housing 30 according to the present embodiment is formed in an elongated shape whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction. It's becoming

A substantially lower half portion of the movable housing 14 is inserted inside the through hole 32 of the fixed housing 30 , and a substantially upper half portion of the movable housing 14 is arranged on the upper side (outside) of the fixed housing 30 . . Between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 32 of the fixed housing 30 and the outer peripheral surface of the substantially lower half portion of the movable housing 14, there is a substantially rectangular ring-shaped gap 34 (reference numerals except for Figs. omitted) are formed.

A plurality of signal terminal insertion holes 36 penetrating in the vertical direction are formed in the longitudinally intermediate portions of the left and right side wall portions 30A and 30B at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. Further, power terminal insertion holes 38 are formed vertically through both ends of the left and right side wall portions 30A and 30B in the front-rear direction. The lower end portions of the plurality of signal terminal insertion holes 36 are groove-shaped groove portions 36A that open toward both sides in the left-right direction of the side wall portions 30A and 30B. The front and rear power supply terminal insertion holes 38 are formed in an elongated shape whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

Engagement recesses 40 recessed upward are formed in the lower portions of the intermediate portions in the left-right direction of the front and rear connecting wall portions 30C and 30D. The front and rear engagement protrusions 18 formed on the movable housing 14 are arranged in the front and rear engagement recesses 40 . The upper surface of each engaging projection 18 is in contact with or closely faces the upper surface of each engaging recess 40 . These engaging projections 18 and engaging recesses 40 function as retainers that prevent the movable housing 14 from falling upward from the fixed housing 30 . Between the left and right side surfaces of each engaging projection 18 and the left and right side surfaces of each engaging recess 40, gaps are formed to allow relative movement of the movable housing 14 with respect to the fixed housing 30. there is

Positioning bosses 42 protruding downward are formed on the lower surfaces of the front and rear connecting wall portions 30C and 30D, respectively. The front positioning boss 42 is arranged on the left side with respect to the front engaging recess 40 , and the rear positioning boss 42 is arranged on the right side with respect to the rear engaging recess 40 . These positioning bosses 42 are configured to be fitted into positioning holes formed in the circuit board.

(Regarding signal terminals)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 and 5 to 9, the plurality of signal terminals 50 are manufactured by punching out a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape. It constitutes terminal rows 52A and 52B. Each of the left and right terminal rows 52A and 52B has a structure in which a plurality of signal terminals 50 are arranged at regular intervals in the front-rear direction. The plurality of signal terminals 50 of the left terminal row 52A and the plurality of signal terminals 50 of the right terminal row 52B are formed in the same shape, but are arranged in opposite directions in the horizontal direction. ing. A plurality of signal terminals 50 included in the left terminal row 52A are spanned between the left side wall portion 30A of the fixed housing 30 and the movable housing 14 along the left-right direction, and are included in the right terminal row 52B. The plurality of signal terminals 50 span between the side wall portion 30B on the right side of the fixed housing 30 and the movable housing 14 along the left-right direction. 9 shows one signal terminal 50 of the left terminal row 52A and one signal terminal 50 of the right terminal row 52B.

Each signal terminal 50 is held by the movable housing 14 and is electrically contacted with a mating signal terminal provided on the mating connector 12 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction. A first elastic portion 50B that is elastically deformable and extends laterally outward from 50A, and a laterally outwardly extending end portion of the first elastic portion 50B opposite to the first contact portion 50A. and a first connection portion 50C held by the fixed housing 30 and fixed to the circuit board.

The first contact portion 50A is formed in the shape of a long plate whose plate thickness direction is the front-rear direction and whose longitudinal direction is the vertical direction. there is A substantially lower half portion of the first contact portion 50A serves as a first holding portion 50A1 inserted (press-fitted) into the signal terminal insertion hole 20B of the movable housing 14. As shown in FIG. The first holding portion 50A1 is formed with a plurality of claw portions 54 protruding toward the center in the left-right direction of the movable housing 14 and arranged vertically. The first holding portion 50A1 is held by the movable housing 14 by the plurality of claw portions 54 biting into the inner peripheral surface of the signal terminal insertion hole 20B.

A substantially upper half portion of the first contact portion 50A is formed into a pair of left and right first contact elastic portions 50A2 and 50A3 divided in the horizontal direction by a slit 55 extending in the vertical direction. These first contact elastic portions 50A2 and 50A3 are inserted into the signal terminal insertion grooves 20A of the movable housing 14 and are elastically deformable in the lateral direction. The laterally outer first contact elastic portion 50A2 extends upward beyond the laterally central first contact elastic portion 50A3. First contact portions 56 and 58 protruding into the bottomed hole 16 of the movable housing 14 are formed at upper ends of the left and right first contact elastic portions 50A2 and 50A3, respectively. These first contact portions 56 and 58 are brought into contact with mating signal terminals provided on the mating connector 12 . As a result, the signal terminal 50 is electrically connected to the mating signal terminal. Even if one of the first contact portions 56, 58 is damaged, this electrical connection is ensured by the other of the first contact portions 56, 58.

The first connection portion 50C includes a first press-fit portion 50C1 inserted (press-fitted) into the signal terminal insertion hole 36 of the fixed housing 30 from below, and extending laterally outward from the lower end of the first press-fit portion 50C1. , and a first connection piece 50C2 inserted into the groove-shaped portion 36A of the signal terminal insertion hole 36, and formed in a substantially L shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. A claw portion 60 protruding toward the center of the fixed housing 30 in the left-right direction is formed on the upper portion of the first press-fitting portion 50C1. The first press-fitting portion 50C1 is held in the fixed housing 30 by hooking the claw portion 60 on the inner peripheral surface of the signal terminal insertion hole 36 . The first connection piece 50C2 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the fixed housing 30. As shown in FIG. The first connection piece 50C2 is configured to be fixed (electrically connected) to the circuit board by means of soldering or the like.

The first elastic portion 50B forms an intermediate portion in the left-right direction of the signal terminal 50, and integrally extends outward in the left-right direction from the lower end of the first contact portion 50A. 50 C of said 1st connection parts are extended integrally from the edge part on the opposite side to 50 A of 1st contact parts in this 1st elastic part 50B. The first elastic portion 50B is a first spring portion 50B1 that is curved upward (in the direction in which the mating connector 12 is pulled out) in the middle in the left-right direction. The first spring portion 50B1 has an inverted U shape with an open lower side when viewed from the front-rear direction.

(About the power terminal)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, 5 to 8, and 10 to 13, the pair of power terminals 70 are manufactured by punching out a conductive metal plate and bending the plate. It is. The pair of power terminals 70 are arranged on both sides in the front-rear direction with respect to the plurality of signal terminals 50 . The pair of power supply terminals 70 are formed in the same shape and are arranged in opposite directions in the front-rear direction. Each power supply terminal 70 is formed in an elongated shape whose longitudinal direction is the horizontal direction when viewed from the vertical direction, and is bridged between the pair of side wall portions 30A and 30B. A middle portion in the left-right direction of each power supply terminal 70 is held by an end portion in the front-rear direction of the movable housing 14 . In addition, each power terminal 70 has a second elastic portion 70B that is elastically deformable at a portion located between the movable housing 14 and the pair of side wall portions 30A and 30B. In this embodiment, the vertical dimension of each power supply terminal 70 is set slightly shorter than the horizontal dimension of each power supply terminal 70, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vertical dimension of each power terminal 70 can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the connector 10, and each power terminal 70 is oriented vertically (insertion/extraction direction Z) when viewed from the front-rear direction (terminal arrangement direction X). It may be configured to be formed in an elongated shape with a long side.

A second contact portion 70</b>A is provided in a laterally intermediate portion (laterally central portion) of each power supply terminal 70 . The second contact portion 70</b>A is electrically contacted with a mating power terminal provided on the mating connector 12 and elastically deforms toward the plurality of signal terminals 50 . Each power supply terminal 70 includes a pair of second elastic portions 70B extending from the second contact portion 70A to both sides in the left and right direction, and the left and right second elastic portions 70B on opposite sides of the second contact portion 70A. and a pair of left and right second connection portions 70C extending outward in the front-rear direction from the end portions of the first and second connection portions 70C. The left and right second connection portions 70C are held by the fixed housing 30 and fixed to the circuit board. The second contact portion 70A corresponds to the "contact portion" of the invention, and the second connection portion 70C corresponds to the "connection portion" of the invention. A specific description will be given below.

The second contact portion 70A is formed in a long plate shape with the front-rear direction as the plate thickness direction and the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction. The second contact portion 70A has a plate thickness dimension along the front-rear direction set smaller than a width dimension along the left-right direction. A part of the second contact portion 70A (most portion except left and right second contact portions 71A1 and 71B1 described later) is housed in the housing recess 22 of the movable housing 14 . A lower portion of the second contact portion 70A serves as a second holding portion 70A1. The second holding portion 70A1 is inserted (press-fitted) into the lower portion of the housing recess 22 of the movable housing 14 . The second holding portion 70A1 is formed with a plurality of claw portions 72 that protrude to both sides in the left-right direction and are aligned in the up-down direction. The second holding portion 70A1 is held by the movable housing 14 by the plurality of claw portions 72 biting into the left and right side surfaces of the housing recess 22 .

A vertically intermediate portion and an upper portion of the second contact portion 70A serve as a second contact elastic portion 70A2 that is elastically deformable in the front-rear direction. The second contact elastic portion 70A2 extends from the middle portion in the vertical direction to the upper portion of the housing recess 22 . The second contact elastic portion 70A2 is formed such that the width in the left-right direction slightly decreases toward the upper side, and is arranged in a non-contact state with the left and right side surfaces of the housing recess 22. As shown in FIG. A bent portion 74 is formed between the second contact elastic portion 70A2 and the second holding portion 70A1. It is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction. As a result, between the second contact elastic portion 70A2 and the bottom surface of the housing recess 22, there is a space for the second contact elastic portion 70A2 to elastically deform toward the plurality of signal terminals 50 (center side in the front-rear direction of the movable housing 14). A gap 22A (see FIG. 8) is formed.

The upper portion of the second contact elastic portion 70A2 is divided into a pair of left and right divided portions 71A and 71B by a slit 76 extending in the vertical direction. Second contact portions 71A1 and 71B1 that protrude outward in the front-rear direction in a substantially arc shape are provided on the upper portions of the left and right divided portions 71A and 71B. These second contact portions 71 A 1 and 71 B 1 protrude outward in the front-rear direction of the housing recess 22 and come into contact with mating power terminals provided on the mating connector 12 . As a result, the power terminal 70 is electrically connected to the mating power terminal. Even if one of the second contact portions 71A1 and 71B1 is damaged, this electrical connection is ensured by the other of the second contact portions 71A1 and 71B1. The configuration in which the upper portion of the second contact elastic portion 70A2 is divided by the slit 76 into the left and right divided portions 71A and 71B (the left and right second contact portions 71A1 and 71B1) is not limited to the configuration in which the slit 76 is omitted. good too.

The left and right second connection portions 70C include a second press-fit portion 70C1 inserted (press-fitted) into the power terminal insertion hole 38 of the fixed housing 30 from below, and extending laterally outward from the lower end of the second press-fit portion 70C1. It has a protruded second connection piece 70C2, and is formed in a substantially L shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. A plurality of claw portions 78 projecting to both sides in the front-rear direction are formed in a line in the up-down direction on the upper portion of the second press-fitting portion 70C1. The second press-fit portion 70C1 is held in the fixed housing 30 by the claw portions 78 biting into the inner peripheral surface of the power terminal insertion hole 38. As shown in FIG. The left and right second connection pieces 70C2 protrude outward from the fixed housing 30 in the left-right direction. These second connection portions 70C are configured to be fixed (electrically connected) to the circuit board by means such as soldering.

The left and right second elastic portions 70B integrally extend from the lower end of the second holding portion 70A1 of the second contact portion 70A to both sides in the left and right direction. Left and right second connection portions 70C are integrally extended from the ends of the second elastic portions 70B opposite to the second contact portion 70A. The ends of the left and right second elastic portions 70B on the second contact portion 70A side are inserted into the left and right elastic portion insertion grooves 26 formed in the lower surface of the movable housing 14 . Further, the left-right intermediate portions of the left and right second elastic portions 70B are formed as second spring portions 70B1 that are bent upward (in the removal direction of the mating connector 12) to form a convex shape. These second spring portions 70B1 have an inverted U shape with an open lower side when viewed from the front-rear direction. Parts of the left and right second elastic portions 70B (approximately half portions on the second contact portion 70A side) are accommodated in the left and right spring accommodating recesses 28 of the movable housing 14 .

(Action and effect)
Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

In the connector 10 configured as described above, a plurality of signal terminals 50 and a pair of power terminals 70 are bridged between the pair of side wall portions 30A and 30B of the fixed housing 30 and the movable housing 14 . The plurality of signal terminals 50 are arranged in the front-rear direction (terminal arrangement direction X) orthogonal to the vertical direction (insertion/removal direction Z) and the horizontal direction (transmission direction Y). It has a possible first elastic portion 50B. The pair of power terminals 70 are arranged on both sides in the terminal arrangement direction X with respect to the plurality of signal terminals 50 and span between the pair of side wall portions 30A and 30B. These power supply terminals 70 are held at the ends of the movable housing 14 in the terminal arrangement direction X at intermediate portions in the bridging direction Y, and are positioned between the pair of side wall portions 30A and 30B and the movable housing 14. have elastically deformable second elastic portions 70B.

In this connector 10, the first elastic portion 50B of each signal terminal 50 and the pair of second elastic portions 70B of each power terminal 70 are elastically deformed, so that the movable housing 14 can move relative to the fixed housing 30. Permissible. As a result, misalignment between the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 can be absorbed.

Moreover, since this connector 10 has both the signal terminal 50 and the power terminal 70, compared to the case where the connector having the signal terminal and the connector having the power terminal are attached separately to the circuit board, the The installation space of the connector 10 can be saved, and the assembly work of the connector 10 to the circuit board can be simplified.

Furthermore, in this connector 10, the plurality of signal terminals 50 and the pair of power terminals 70 are bridged between the common movable housing 14 and the fixed housing 30, so that the plurality of movable housings extend in the terminal arrangement direction X. As compared with the configuration in which the terminals are arranged side by side, the arrangement space of the movable housing 14 in the terminal arrangement direction X can be reduced. Moreover, since each power supply terminal 70 is formed in an elongated shape with its longitudinal direction extending in the bridging direction Y when viewed from the insertion/removal direction Z, the arrangement space of each power supply terminal 70 in the terminal arrangement direction X can be reduced. . As described above, the connector 10 according to the present embodiment can be downsized in the terminal arrangement direction X as a whole.

Further, in this connector 10 , a second contact portion 70</b>A provided at an intermediate portion in the bridging direction of the power supply terminal 70 is held at an end portion in the terminal arrangement direction X of the movable housing 14 . Since the second contact portion 70A is electrically contacted with the mating power supply terminal provided on the mating connector 12 and elastically deforms toward the plurality of signal terminals 50, the second contact portion 70A is elastically deformed. There is no need to secure a space on the side opposite to the plurality of signal terminals 50 (outside the terminal arrangement direction X). In addition, since the pair of second elastic portions 70B of the power supply terminal 70 extends from the second contact portion 70A to both sides in the bridging direction Y, the pair of second elastic portions 70B in the terminal arrangement direction X It is possible to set a small installation space. Further, the pair of second connection portions 70C of the power supply terminal 70 are arranged outside the terminal arrangement direction X (the plurality of signal terminals 50 (opposite side). Since the extending direction of the pair of second connection portions 70C is set in this way, the pair of second connection portions 70C is the end portion of the pair of second elastic portions 70B opposite to the second contact portion 70A. The second contact portion 70</b>A and the pair of second elastic portions 70</b>B can be arranged closer to the signal terminals 50 , compared to the configuration in which the second contact portion 70</b>A and the pair of second elastic portions 70</b>B extend toward the signal terminals 50 . As a result, the size of the movable housing 14 in which the second contact portion 70A is held at the end in the terminal arrangement direction X can be reduced in the terminal arrangement direction X. As shown in FIG. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the overall configuration of the connector 10 can be further miniaturized in the terminal arrangement direction X. FIG.

Further, in the connector 10, the pair of second elastic portions 70B of the power terminal 70 extend from the second contact portion 70A to both sides in the bridging direction Y (branched to both sides in the bridging direction Y). ing). Accordingly, for example, compared to a configuration in which the pair of second elastic portions 70B of the power supply terminal 70 are branched in the terminal arrangement direction X on one side of the bridging direction Y with respect to the second contact portion 70A, each of the second elastic portions 70B The portion 70B is easily elastically deformed.

Further, in this connector 10, a housing recess 22 that opens outward in the terminal arrangement direction X is formed at the end of the movable housing 14 in the terminal arrangement direction X. As shown in FIG. Most of the second contact portion 70A of the power terminal 70 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 22 . As a result, when miniaturizing the overall configuration of the connector 10 in the terminal arrangement direction X, it becomes easier to secure the arrangement space for the second contact portion 70A.

Moreover, in this connector 10, a pair of spring accommodating recesses 28 are formed at the ends of the movable housing 14 in the terminal arranging direction X and open outward in the terminal arranging direction X and in the bridging direction Y. . A part of the pair of second elastic portions 70B of the power terminal 70 is accommodated in the pair of spring accommodation recesses 28 . As a result, when miniaturizing the overall configuration of the connector 10 in the terminal arrangement direction X, it becomes easier to secure the arrangement space for the pair of second elastic portions 70B.

In other words, the housing recess 22 and the pair of spring housing recesses 28 are formed in the dead space that serves as the arrangement space for the movable housing 14, and the second contact portion 70A and the pair of second elastic portions 70B are formed in these recesses 22 and 28. , the overall configuration of the connector 10 can be further miniaturized in the terminal arrangement direction X. As shown in FIG.

Further, in the connector 10, the second contact portion 70A of the power terminal 70 is formed in a plate shape whose plate thickness dimension along the terminal arrangement direction X is smaller than its width dimension along the bridging direction Y. As shown in FIG. Since a current larger than that of the signal terminal 50 flows through the power supply terminal 70 having the second contact portion 70A, it is required to secure a large cross-sectional area. In this respect, according to the present embodiment, the dimension of the second contact portion 70A in the terminal arrangement direction X can be set small while ensuring the cross-sectional area of the second contact portion 70A with the above-described width dimension. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the overall configuration of the connector 10 can be further miniaturized in the terminal arrangement direction X.

Further, in the connector 10, the pair of second elastic portions 70B of the power terminal 70 has a second spring portion 70B1 that is convex and bent in the removal direction (upward) of the movable housing 14. As shown in FIG. This makes it easier to elastically deform the pair of second elastic portions 70B while setting the dimension of the pair of second elastic portions 70B in the terminal arrangement direction X small.

<Supplementary explanation of the embodiment>
In the above embodiment, the upper end of the second contact portion 70A of the power terminal 70 is provided with a pair of second contact portions 71A1 and 71B1 arranged in the left-right direction (spanning direction Y). is not limited to For example, like a power terminal 70' (modification) shown in FIG. 14, a pair of second contact portions 71C1 and 71D1 arranged in the vertical direction (insertion/removal direction Z) is provided at the upper end portion of the second contact portion 70A'. It may be configured as

In this power terminal 70', the configuration of the second contact elastic portion 70A1' of the second contact portion 70A' is different from that of the power terminal 70 according to the above-described embodiment, but the configuration other than that is the same as that of the power terminal 70. It is said that The second contact elastic portion 70A1' of the power supply terminal 70' is formed with a substantially inverted U-shaped slit (opening) 73 when viewed from the front-rear direction (the terminal arrangement direction X). As a result, the second contact elastic portion 70A1′ is divided into an outer divided portion 71C having a substantially inverted U shape when viewed in the front-rear direction, and an inner divided portion 71D arranged inside the outer divided portion 71C. there is

Second contact portions 71C1 and 71D1 that protrude outward in the front-rear direction in a substantially arc shape are provided at the upper end portions of the outer divided portion 71C and the inner divided portion 71D. These second contact portions 71C1 and 71D1 are arranged in the vertical direction (insertion/removal direction Y) and protrude outward of the housing recess 22 in the front-rear direction. When these second contact portions 71C1 and 71D1 are brought into contact with the mating power terminals provided on the mating connector 12, the power terminals 70' are electrically connected to the mating power terminals. Even if one of the second contact portions 71C1 and 71D1 is damaged, this electrical connection is ensured by the other of the second contact portions 71C1 and 71D1.

Moreover, in this power terminal 70′, when the mating connector 12 is inserted (connected) to the connector 10, the second contact portion 71C1 on the upper side is connected to the mating power terminal before the second contact portion 71D1 on the lower side. sliding contact with. As a result, even if an oxide film is formed on the surface of the mating power terminal, for example, the oxide film can be scraped off by the sliding contact described above. can be conducted well.

In the above-described embodiment, the pair of second elastic portions 70B of the power supply terminal 70 are configured to extend from the second connection portion 70A to both sides in the spanning direction Y. may be branched (divided) into a plurality of elastic portions (spring portions) arranged in the terminal arrangement direction X, respectively. In other words, the power terminal according to the present invention may have at least a pair of second elastic portions extending from the second contact portion (contact portion) to both sides in the bridging direction.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the pair of second elastic portions 70B are configured to form a convex curve in the direction of removal of the movable housing 14, but this is not limiting, and the shape of the pair of second elastic portions may be changed as appropriate. It is possible. In the above-described embodiment, the second contact portion 70A is formed in a plate-like shape in which the plate thickness dimension along the terminal arrangement direction X is smaller than the width dimension along the bridging direction Y. However, the shape of the second contact portion (the contact portion of the power supply terminal) can be changed as appropriate.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the accommodation recess 22 and the pair of spring accommodation recesses 28 are formed at the ends of the movable housing 14 in the terminal arrangement direction X. One or both of the accommodation recesses may be omitted.

In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, it goes without saying that the scope of rights of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

10 connector 12 mating connector (object to be connected)
14 movable housing 14A, 14B side wall 14C, 14D connecting wall 16 bottomed hole (hole)
22 accommodation recess 28 spring accommodation recess 30 fixed housing 50 signal terminal 50A first contact portion 50B first elastic portion 50C first connection portion 70 power supply terminal 70A second contact portion 70B second elastic portion 70C second connection portion X terminal arrangement direction Y bridging direction (direction perpendicular to insertion/removal direction and terminal arrangement direction)
Z insertion/removal direction

Claims (2)

a fixed housing fixed to the circuit board;
a movable housing arranged so as to be relatively movable with respect to the fixed housing, into which a connection object is inserted/extracted;
a plurality of signal terminals bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing and arranged in a terminal arrangement direction orthogonal to the insertion/extraction direction of the connection object;
a power terminal bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing;
The signal terminal is
a first connecting portion fixed to the circuit board;
a first contact portion that is in electrical contact with the object to be connected;
a first elastic portion positioned between the first connection portion and the first contact portion;
The power terminal is
a second connecting portion fixed to the circuit board;
a second contact portion that is in electrical contact with the object to be connected;
a second elastic portion located between the second connection portion and the second contact portion and extending in a direction orthogonal to the terminal arrangement direction when viewed from the insertion/removal direction ;
Elastic deformation of the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion allows relative movement of the movable housing with respect to the fixed housing,
The movable housing is formed with a spring accommodating recess that opens outward in the orthogonal direction and accommodates at least a portion of the second elastic portion ,
The spring housing recess is recessed in the orthogonal direction from a surface of the movable housing facing the first elastic portion in the orthogonal direction.
A connector characterized by: the second contact portion is electrically contacted with the connection object and elastically deformed to one side in the terminal arrangement direction;
2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein said movable housing is formed with a housing recess that opens in said terminal arrangement direction and houses at least part of said second contact portion.

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