JP7702011B2 - Electrical Connectors - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more specifically to an electrical connector in which multiple movable housings into which connection objects are inserted can be displaced relative to a fixed housing.

The connector described in the following Patent Document 1 comprises a fixed housing fixed to a substrate, a movable housing provided with a plurality of mating chambers (insertion chambers) into which connection objects are inserted, and a plurality of terminals that are respectively bridged between the fixed housing and the movable housing and each of which comes into contact with a connection object inside each insertion chamber. A tapered guide surface is provided on the front side of each insertion chamber in the insertion direction of each connection object, and each guide surface guides each connection object into each insertion chamber. In addition, the movable housing is divided into a plurality of parts, and the elastic deformation of each terminal allows relative displacement with respect to the fixed housing. As a result, the above-mentioned relative displacement absorbs misalignment and vibrations in the insertion position of each connection object, and suppresses sliding between each terminal and each connection object.

Patent No. 5606588

As electronic devices have become smaller in recent years, there is a demand for miniaturization of electronic components such as connectors.

Taking the above into consideration, the present invention aims to provide an electrical connector that can be made smaller in size in the direction in which the movable housing is arranged.

The electrical connector of the first aspect comprises a fixed housing fixed to a substrate, a plurality of movable housings arranged to be displaceable relative to the fixed housing, each of which has an insertion chamber into which a connection object is inserted in an insertion direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction, and a plurality of terminals respectively bridged between the fixed housing and the plurality of movable housings, each of which has a pair of mating connection parts connected to the connection object inside each of the insertion chambers, and each of which has an elastic deformation part that allows the displacement of the plurality of movable housings relative to the fixed housing by elastic deformation. Each of the movable housings has one of the terminals, and the pair of mating connection parts face each other in a bridge direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction and the insertion direction, and the elastic deformation part extends to one side of the bridge direction relative to the pair of mating connection parts, and the dimension of the movable housing in the arrangement direction is smaller than the dimension in the bridge direction.

The electrical connector of the present invention can be made smaller in the direction of arrangement of the movable housing.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a connection object is inserted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a connection target is not inserted. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a cut surface along line F3-F3 in FIG. 2. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a cut surface along line F4-F4 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cut surface shown in FIG. 3 . FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 5 . 1 is a plan view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a perspective view showing a fixed housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a perspective view showing a fixed housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a perspective view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a perspective view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a plan view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a bottom view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing member of the electrical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The electrical connector 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 15. For ease of explanation, the arrow FR in each figure indicates the front of the electrical connector 10, the arrow LH indicates the left of the electrical connector 10, and the arrow UP indicates the top of the electrical connector 10. In the following description, when the directions such as front-back, left-right, and up-down are used, they indicate the directions relative to the electrical connector 10. These directions are unrelated to the directions of the electrical connector 10 when in use. In addition, some symbols may be omitted in each figure to make the drawings easier to read.

(composition)
1 to 7, an electrical connector 10 according to this embodiment is mounted on a substrate 12 and electrically connected to a mating connector 14 (see FIGS. 1 to 4), and includes a fixed housing 20, a plurality (six in this case) of movable housings 50, and a plurality (six in this case) of terminals 90. The mating connector 14 is composed of a plurality (six in this case) of mating terminals 16 formed in a pin shape, and an insulating member 18 that holds the plurality of mating terminals 16. Each of the plurality of mating terminals 16 corresponds to a "connection object" in the present invention.

The fixed housing 20 is fixed to the board 12 using a fixing member 36 (see FIG. 15). The multiple movable housings 50 are arranged in the left-right direction of the electrical connector 10 and are displaceable relative to the fixed housing 20. Each of these movable housings 50 is provided with an insertion chamber 60. Each insertion chamber 60 is configured so that a mating terminal 16 is inserted in an insertion direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the multiple movable housings 50. In addition, on the front side of each insertion chamber 60 in the above-mentioned insertion direction, multiple tapered front and rear guide surfaces 74 and multiple tapered left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide each mating terminal 16 into each insertion chamber 60 are provided. The left and right guide surfaces 80 correspond to the "guide surface" in this invention.

The multiple terminals 90 are bridged between the fixed housing 20 and the multiple movable housings 50. These terminals 90 contact the respective mating terminals 16 inside each insertion chamber 60, and are configured to allow the displacement of the multiple movable housings 50 relative to the fixed housing 20 by their respective elastic deformations.

The arrow X shown in each figure indicates the bridging direction (bridging direction) of the multiple terminals 90 between the fixed housing 20 and the multiple movable housings 50, the arrow Y indicates the arrangement direction of the multiple movable housings 50 and the multiple terminals 90 (the longitudinal direction of the fixed housing 20), the arrow Z indicates the insertion/removal direction of each mating terminal 16 into each insertion chamber 60, and the arrow Z1 indicates the insertion direction of each mating terminal 16 into each insertion chamber 60. The above bridging direction X coincides with the front-rear direction of the electrical connector 10, the above arrangement direction Y coincides with the left-right direction of the electrical connector 10, the above insertion/removal direction Z coincides with the up-down direction of the electrical connector 10, and the above insertion direction Z1 coincides with the bottom of the electrical connector 10. In the following description, the bridging direction X may be referred to as the "front-rear direction", the arrangement direction Y may be referred to as the "left-right direction", and the insertion/removal direction Z may be referred to as the "up-down direction".

(Regarding fixed housing)
1 to 9, the fixed housing 20 is formed in a box shape with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) and its lower side open. The fixed housing 20 is manufactured from an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and includes a front wall 20A, a rear wall 20B, a left wall 20C, a right wall 20D, and an upper wall 20E. The front wall 20A and the rear wall 20B face each other in the front-rear direction, the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D face each other in the left-right direction, and the upper wall 20E connects the upper ends of the front wall 20A, the rear wall 20B, the left wall 20C, and the right wall 20D in the front-rear and left-right directions.

At the front side of the upper wall 20E, an elongated rectangular opening 22 is formed with a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction. At the upper surface side of the edge of this opening 22, an inclined surface 24 is formed, which is inclined downward toward the opening 22. At the right edge of the opening 22, a right end inclined surface 26 is formed, which extends leftward and downward from a position further downward than the inclined surface 24. At the left edge of the opening 22, a left end inclined surface 28 is formed, which extends rightward and downward from near the lower end of the inclined surface 24. The upper end of the right end inclined surface 26 is located slightly lower than the lower end of the left end inclined surface 28. The right end inclined surface 26 corresponds to the "fourth inclined surface" in this invention, and the left end inclined surface 28 corresponds to the "fifth inclined surface" in this invention. Hereinafter, the right end inclined surface 26 is referred to as the "fourth inclined surface 26", and the left end inclined surface 28 is referred to as the "fifth inclined surface 28".

Cylindrical positioning bosses 30 for positioning the fixed housing 20 on the substrate 12 are formed on the undersides of the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D. These positioning bosses 30 are fitted into circular positioning holes (not shown) formed in the substrate 12. Left and right legs 32 that protrude outward in the left-right direction are formed on the lower parts of the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D. Fixing grooves 34 are formed in each of these legs 32. The fixing groove 34 formed in the left leg 32 opens to the left, upward, and downward, and the fixing groove 34 formed in the right leg 32 opens to the right, upward, and downward. These fixing grooves 34 correspond to fixing members 36.

The fixing members 36 (see FIG. 15) are, for example, metal plates punched into a predetermined shape and bent, and are attached to the left and right legs 32, respectively. Each fixing member 36 is composed of a housing fixing part 36A formed in a rectangular plate shape with the plate thickness direction being in the left-right direction, and a board fixing part 36B extending outward in the left-right direction from the lower end of the housing fixing part 36A. The housing fixing part 36A is fitted into the fixing groove 34. At both front and rear ends of the housing fixing part 36A, a plurality of claw parts 37 protruding in both front and rear directions are formed in a line in the vertical direction. These claw parts 37 bite into the inner surface of the fixing groove 34, so that the housing fixing part 36A is held by the leg 32. The board fixing part 36B is arranged below the leg 32 and is fixed to the board 12 by means of soldering or the like.

A cutout 38 is formed at the bottom of the front wall 20A by cutting it out from the lower side. This cutout 38 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. The lower end of the rear wall 20B is disposed at a distance from the board 12 upward, and a gap 40 is formed between the lower end of the rear wall 20B and the board 12. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of (six here) terminal fixing grooves 42 extending in the vertical direction are formed side by side in the left-right direction on the front surface of the rear wall 20B (the surface facing the front wall 20A). These terminal fixing grooves 42 are formed so that the rear side is wider in the left-right direction than the front side, and correspond to the terminals 90. Also, a plurality of (six here) protruding portions 44 protruding downward are formed side by side in the arrangement direction on the lower surface of the rear part of the upper wall 20E. The plurality of protruding portions 44 and the plurality of terminal fixing grooves 42 are arranged in the left-right direction.

(Regarding the movable housing)
1 to 7 and 10 to 13, the multiple movable housings 50 are formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the vertical direction (insertion/removal direction Z) as the longitudinal direction, and the dimension in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) is set to be smaller than the dimension in the front-rear direction (bridge direction X). These movable housings 50 are all formed in the same shape, and are accommodated inside the fixed housing 20 lined up in the left-right direction. The horizontal dimension of the multiple movable housings 50 is set so that slight gaps are secured between each other and between the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D of the fixed housing 20.

A front projection 52 that projects forward and downward is formed at the front end of the lower part of each movable housing 50. The front side of the lower part of this front projection 52 is beveled at an angle. This front projection 52 is inserted into the notch 38 of the fixed housing 20. A pair of left and right rear legs 54 that project downward are formed at both left and right ends of the rear end of the lower part of each movable housing 50. The amount of projection of the left and right rear legs 54 from the lower surface of each movable housing 50 is set to be equal to the amount of projection of the front projection 52 from the lower surface of each movable housing 50. The vertical dimension of each movable housing 50 is set to be slightly smaller than the distance from the lower surface of the upper wall 20E of the fixed housing 20 to the upper surface of the substrate 12.

The front surface of each movable housing 50 faces closely against the front wall 20A of the fixed housing 20. A rear protrusion 56 protruding toward the rear side is formed on the upper part of each movable housing 50. As a result, the front-rear dimension of each movable housing 50 is enlarged at the upper part of each movable housing 50. A vertical groove 58 extending in the up-down direction is formed on the rear surface of the rear protrusion 56. This vertical groove 58 opens upward and backward. The convex portion 44 of the fixed housing 20 is inserted into this vertical groove 58. The convex portion 44 and the front wall 20A of the fixed housing 20 limit the front-rear displacement of each movable housing 50 relative to the fixed housing 20 within a predetermined (constant) range. In addition, the left-right dimension of the convex portion 44 is set slightly smaller than the left-right dimension of the vertical groove 58, so that the left-right displacement of each movable housing 50 relative to the fixed housing 20 is limited within a predetermined (constant) range. In other words, each movable housing 50 can be displaced relative to the fixed housing 20 within a predetermined (constant) range in all directions, front to back, left to right, up to down.

An insertion chamber (terminal fitting chamber) 60 extending in the vertical direction is formed in the approximate center of each movable housing 50 when viewed in the vertical direction. The insertion chamber 60 is rectangular when viewed in the vertical direction and opens at the bottom surface of each movable housing 50. As shown in FIG. 13, a groove portion 62 recessed toward the front side is formed in the front and right corner of the insertion chamber 60, and a groove portion 64 recessed toward the left side is formed in the rear and left corner of the insertion chamber 60. In addition, a top wall 66 is provided at the upper end of the insertion chamber 60, and an insertion opening 68 having a rectangular shape when viewed in the vertical direction is formed in the center of the top wall 66.

A lateral protrusion 70 is formed on the left side of the upper part of the movable housing 50 above the insertion opening 68, protruding in a step to the left (one side in the arrangement direction Y). Also, a lateral recess 72 is formed on the right side of the upper part of the movable housing 50 above the insertion opening 68, recessed in a step to the left. Therefore, the upper part of the movable housing 50 is formed in a roughly crank shape when viewed in the front-to-rear direction. The lower surface of the lateral protrusion 70 is a step surface 70A facing downward, and the lower surface of the lateral recess 72 is a step surface 72A facing upward. This step surface 72A is located slightly below the step surface 70A.

In addition, above the insertion opening 68, a tapered front-rear guide surface (bridge direction guide surface) 74 and a left-right guide surface (arrangement direction guide surface) 80 are provided on the upper portion of each movable housing 50 to guide the mating terminal 16 to the insertion opening 68 (insertion chamber 60). The front-rear guide surface 74 is composed of a front inclined surface 76 that extends downward from the front end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68, and a rear inclined surface 78 that extends downward from the rear end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68. The front inclined surface 76 and the rear inclined surface 78 face each other in the front-rear direction (bridge direction X), and are tapered so as to approach each other toward the insertion opening 68 side. The upper end of the front inclined surface 76 and the upper end of the rear inclined surface 78 are located at the same height and are disposed at the upper end of the movable housing 50.

The left and right guide surfaces 80 include a left inclined surface 82 that extends downward from the left end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68, and a right inclined surface 84 that extends downward from the right end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68. The left inclined surface 82 and the right inclined surface 84 face each other in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) and are tapered so as to approach each other toward the insertion opening 68 side. The upper end of the left inclined surface 82 is located below the upper ends of the front inclined surface 76 and the rear inclined surface 78, and the upper end of the right inclined surface 84 is located below the upper end of the left inclined surface 82. The upper end of the right inclined surface 84 is connected to the step surface 72A of the side recess 72 described above. Furthermore, an outer inclined surface 86 is formed on the upper part of the movable housing 50, extending downward from the upper end of the left inclined surface 82 to the left side and downward. This outer inclined surface 86 is formed on the lateral protrusion 70 described above. The lower end of this outer inclined surface 86 is located slightly above the upper end of the right inclined surface 84.

The left inclined surface 82 corresponds to the "first inclined surface" in the present invention, the right inclined surface 84 corresponds to the "second inclined surface" in the present invention, and the outer inclined surface 86 corresponds to the "third inclined surface" in the present invention. Hereinafter, the left inclined surface 82 will be referred to as the "first inclined surface 82," the right inclined surface 84 will be referred to as the "second inclined surface 84," and the outer inclined surface 86 will be referred to as the "third inclined surface 86."

(About terminals)
The terminals 90 (see FIG. 14 ) are, for example, formed by punching and bending a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape, and are formed into an elongated shape with the longitudinal direction being the front-rear direction (bridge direction X). Each terminal 90 is integrally provided with a fixed portion 90A fixed to the fixed housing 20, a board connection portion 90B extending from the fixed portion 90A and connecting to the board 12, a movable-side fixed portion 90C fixed to the movable housing 50, a pair of front and rear mating connection portions 90D1, 90D2 extending from the movable-side fixed portion 90C and connecting to the mating terminal 16, and an elastic deformation portion 90E bridged between the fixed portion 90A and the movable-side fixed portion 90C.

The fixed portion 90A is formed in a plate shape with the plate thickness direction being in the front-to-rear direction, and is fitted from below into the left and right fixed grooves 34 formed in the fixed housing 20. A plurality of claws 91 protruding to both sides in the left and right direction are formed in a line in the vertical direction at both left and right ends of the fixed portion 90A. These claws 91 bite into the inner surface of the fixed grooves 34, thereby holding the fixed portion 90A in the fixed housing 20. The board connection portion 90B extends to the rear side of the rear wall 20B through the gap 40 between the lower end of the rear wall 20B of the fixed housing 20 and the board 12, and is fixed (electrically connected) to the board 12 by means of soldering or the like.

The movable side fixed part 90C has a front wall 90C1 and a rear wall 90C2 facing each other in the front-rear direction, and a right wall 90C3 connecting the right ends of the front wall 90C1 and the rear wall 90C2 in the front-rear direction, and is generally U-shaped (generally C-shaped) with the left side open when viewed in the vertical direction. This movable side fixed part 90C is fitted into the insertion chamber 60 of the movable housing 50 from the lower side. At the left end of the rear wall 90C2, a plurality of claws 93 protruding to the left side are formed in a vertical line, and at the front end of the right wall 90C3, a plurality of claws 92 protruding forward are formed in a vertical line. The plurality of claws 92 are inserted into a groove 62 formed in the front and right corner of the insertion chamber 60 and bite into the inner surface of the groove 62, and the plurality of claws 93 are inserted into a groove 64 formed in the rear and left corner of the insertion chamber 60 and bite into the inner surface of the groove 64. This holds the movable side fixed part 90C in the movable housing 50.

The pair of front and rear mating connection parts 90D1, 90D2 extend upward from the upper ends of the front wall 90C1 and rear wall 90C2 of the movable fixed part 90C. Contact parts CP1, CP2 bent so as to approach each other are formed in the vertical middle parts of the mating connection parts 90D1, 90D2. The mating terminal 16 inserted into the insertion chamber 60 is inserted between the mating connection parts 90D1, 90D2 including these contact parts CP1, CP2. As a result, each contact part CP1, CP2 comes into contact with the mating terminal 16, and the terminal 90 is electrically connected to the mating terminal 16 within the insertion chamber 60.

The elastic deformation portion (spring portion) 90E constitutes the longitudinal intermediate portion of the terminal 90, and is disposed below the rear protrusion 56 of the movable housing 50 within the fixed housing 20. The elastic deformation portion 90E is composed of a fixed side vertical extension portion 90E1 extending upward from the upper end of the fixed portion 90A, an upper side horizontal extension portion 90E2 extending forward and slightly upward from the upper end of the fixed side vertical extension portion 90E1, a movable side vertical extension portion 90E3 extending downward from the front end of the upper side horizontal extension portion 90E2, and a lower side horizontal extension portion 90E4 extending forward from the lower end of the movable side vertical extension portion 90E3. The front end portion of the lower side horizontal extension portion 90E4 is bent upward and is integrally connected to the lower end of the rear wall 90C2 of the movable side fixed portion 90C. The elastic deformation of this elastic deformation portion 90E allows the movable housing 50 to move relative to the fixed housing 20 in all directions, front to back, left to right, up to down.

Here, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, in a pair of movable housings 50 adjacent in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "adjacent movable housings 50"), the lateral protrusion 70 of the right-side movable housing 50 fits inside the lateral recess 72 of the left-side movable housing 50. In other words, the adjacent movable housings 50 partially overlap when viewed from the insertion direction Z1 (insertion/removal direction Z). Note that hereinafter, of the pair of movable housings 50 adjacent in the left-right direction, the right-side movable housing 50 may be referred to as the "right-adjacent movable housing 50" and the left-side movable housing 50 may be referred to as the "left-adjacent movable housing 50".

In addition, in this embodiment, a part of the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in the left adjacent movable housing 50 (i.e., one of the adjacent movable housings 50) is formed on the right adjacent movable housing 50 (i.e., the other of the adjacent movable housings 50). In detail, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in the left adjacent movable housing 50 include a first inclined surface 82 and a second inclined surface 84 formed on the left adjacent movable housing 50, and a third inclined surface 86 formed on the right adjacent movable housing 50 on the front side (upper side; arrow UP side) of the insertion direction Z1 relative to the second inclined surface 84 of the left adjacent movable housing 50. This third inclined surface 86 faces the first inclined surface 82 of the left adjacent movable housing 50 in the arrangement direction Y. When viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left and the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the right partially overlap each other.

5, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in the right-end (rightmost) movable housing 50 (corresponding to the "movable housing located at one end in the arrangement direction" in the present invention) are composed of the first inclined surface 82 and the second inclined surface 84 formed in the right-end movable housing 50, and the fourth inclined surface 26 formed in the fixed housing 20 on the front side of the insertion direction Z1 relative to the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50. This fourth inclined surface 26 faces the first inclined surface 82 of the right-end movable housing 50 in the arrangement direction Y. In other words, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in the right-end movable housing 50 are composed of a part of the right-end movable housing 50 and a part of the fixed housing 20. Also, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50 and the fourth inclined surface 26 partially overlap each other.

5 and 6, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in the left-end (leftmost) movable housing 50 (corresponding to the "movable housing located at the other end of the arrangement direction" in this invention) are composed of a first inclined surface 82 and a second inclined surface 84 formed in the left-end movable housing 50, a third inclined surface 86 formed in the movable housing 50 adjacent to the right of the left-end movable housing 50, and a fifth inclined surface 28 formed in the fixed housing 20 on the front side of the first inclined surface 82 of the left-end movable housing 50 in the insertion direction Z1. In other words, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in the left-end movable housing 50 are composed of a part of the left-end movable housing 50, a part of the movable housing 50 adjacent to the right of the left-end movable housing 50, and a part of the fixed housing 20. When viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the first inclined surface 82 and the fifth inclined surface 28 of the leftmost movable housing 50 partially overlap.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a movable gap 94 (reference numeral omitted in figures other than FIG. 6) is formed between adjacent movable housings 50, which allows relative displacement between them along the insertion direction Z1 (i.e., relative displacement between adjacent movable housings 50 in the insertion/removal direction Z). This movable gap 94 is formed between the step surface 72A (see FIGS. 10 to 13; reference numeral omitted in FIG. 6) of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left and the step surface 70A (see FIGS. 10 to 13; reference numeral omitted in FIG. 6) of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the right.

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

In the electrical connector 10 having the above configuration, a plurality of movable housings 50 are arranged so as to be displaceable with respect to the fixed housing 20 fixed to the substrate 12. Then, the mating terminals 16 are inserted into the insertion chambers 60 provided in each movable housing 50 in the insertion direction Z1 perpendicular to the arrangement direction Y of each movable housing 50. A plurality of tapered left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide each mating terminal 16 into each insertion chamber 60 are provided on the front side of the insertion direction Z1 for each insertion chamber 60. In addition, a plurality of terminals 90 are bridged between the fixed housing 20 and the plurality of movable housings 50. These terminals 90 contact each mating terminal 16 inside each insertion chamber 60, and allow the relative displacement of the plurality of movable housings 50 with respect to the fixed housing 20 by their respective elastic deformations. As a result, the above-mentioned relative displacement absorbs the positional deviation and vibration of the insertion position of each mating terminal 16, and the sliding between each terminal 90 and each mating terminal 16 can be suppressed.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the movable housings 50 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction Y partially overlap each other when viewed from the insertion direction Z1 of the mating terminals 16. In addition, a part (outer inclined surface 86) of the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in one of the adjacent movable housings 50 is formed on the other adjacent movable housing 50 (the movable housing 50 on the right). This makes it easier to secure space for the left and right guide surfaces 80 even when narrowing the pitch of the arrangement intervals of the terminals 90 (i.e., narrowing the pitch of the insertion chambers 60), so that the electrical connector 10 can be made smaller in size in the arrangement direction Y while ensuring a sufficient amount of guidance of the mating terminals 16 by the left and right guide surfaces 80. As a result, it is possible to make the electronic device in which the electrical connector 10 is provided smaller.

In this embodiment, the left-right guide surface 80 that guides the mating terminal 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in one of the movable housings 50 adjacent in the arrangement direction Y (left-right direction) (the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left) is configured to include a first inclined surface 82, a second inclined surface 84, and a third inclined surface 86. The first inclined surface 82 and the second inclined surface 84 are formed in the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left and face each other in the arrangement direction Y. The third inclined surface 86 is formed in the adjacent movable housing 50 on the right and is disposed on the near side in the insertion direction Z1 with respect to the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left. The third inclined surface 86 guides the mating terminal 16 to the second inclined surface 84, and the second inclined surface 84 guides the mating terminal 16 to the insertion chamber 60. In this way, the insertion chamber 60 into which the mating terminal 16 is guided and the second inclined surface 84 are formed in the same movable housing 50 (the movable housing 50 on the left), so the mating terminal 16 is guided stably into the insertion chamber 60.

In other words, for example, if the second inclined surface 84 of the movable housing 50 on the left side is omitted (eliminated) and the third inclined surface 86 of the movable housing 50 on the right side is extended downward (to the lower end side of the omitted second inclined surface 84), the left and right guide surfaces 80 can be formed only by the first inclined surface 82 and the third inclined surface 86. However, in that case, the mating terminal 16 is guided directly from the third inclined surface 86 of the movable housing 50 on the right side to the insertion chamber 60 of the movable housing 50 on the left side, and the third inclined surface 86 and the insertion chamber 60 are displaced relative to each other, which may cause the guidance of the mating terminal 16 to the insertion chamber 60 to become unstable, but this can be avoided in this embodiment.

Moreover, in this embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the movable housing 50 on the left and the third inclined surface 86 of the movable housing 50 on the right partially overlap. This prevents gaps, steps, etc. from being formed between the second inclined surface 84 and the third inclined surface 86 when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, thereby preventing the mating terminal 16 from being damaged by getting caught in the gaps, steps, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chamber 60 of the right-end movable housing 50 include a fourth inclined surface 26 formed on the fixed housing 20 on the front side of the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50 in the insertion direction Z1. Therefore, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chamber 60 of the right-end movable housing 50 can be expanded in the arrangement direction Y by the above-mentioned fourth inclined surface 26.

In addition, in this embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50 and the fourth inclined surface 26 of the fixed housing 20 partially overlap. This prevents gaps, steps, etc. from being formed between the second inclined surface 84 and the fourth inclined surface 26 when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, thereby preventing the mating terminal 16 from being damaged by getting caught in the gaps, steps, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chamber 60 of the left-most movable housing 50 are configured to include a fifth inclined surface 28 formed on the fixed housing 20 on the front side in the insertion direction Z1 relative to the first inclined surface 82 formed on the left-most movable housing 50. Therefore, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chamber 60 of the left-most movable housing 50 can be expanded in the arrangement direction Y by the fifth inclined surface 28.

Moreover, in this embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the first inclined surface 82 of the left-end movable housing 50 and the fifth inclined surface 28 of the fixed housing 20 partially overlap. This makes it possible to prevent gaps, steps, etc. from being formed between the first inclined surface 82 and the fifth inclined surface 28 when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, thereby preventing the mating terminal 16 from being damaged by getting caught in the gaps, steps, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, a movable gap 94 is formed between adjacent movable housings 50, which allows relative displacement between the two along the insertion direction Z1. This allows adjacent movable housings 50 to be displaced independently of each other along the insertion direction Z1 of the mating terminals 16, making it easier to absorb misalignment of the insertion position of each mating terminal 16, vibration, etc.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, all of the multiple movable housings 50 are formed to have the same shape. This makes it possible to manufacture multiple movable housings 50 using the same molding die, for example, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.

In addition, in this embodiment, the multiple terminals 90 have a longitudinal direction in the bridge direction X, which is perpendicular to the array direction Y when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, and the longitudinal middle portion of each terminal 90 is an elastic deformation portion 90E that can be elastically deformed. Therefore, the dimensions of each terminal 90 in the array direction Y can be set small while ensuring a sufficient amount of elastic deformation of each terminal 90.

<Supplementary explanation of the embodiment>
In the above embodiment, the multiple movable housings 50 are all formed in the same shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the rightmost movable housing 50 may be formed in a shape different from the other movable housings 50. In this case, for example, the second inclined surface 84 of the rightmost movable housing 50 may be extended upward, thereby eliminating the fourth inclined surface 26 of the fixed housing 20.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the fixed housing 20 is configured to have the fifth inclined surface 28, but this is not limited thereto, and the fixed housing 20 may be configured not to have the fifth inclined surface 28.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the second inclined surface 84 of the movable housing 50 on the left side and the third inclined surface 86 of the movable housing 50 on the right side are configured to partially overlap when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the second inclined surface 84 of the movable housing 50 on the left side and the third inclined surface 86 of the movable housing 50 on the right side may be configured to be adjacent to each other without any gap when viewed from the insertion direction Z1. The same applies to the relationship between the second inclined surface 84 of the rightmost movable housing 50 and the fourth inclined surface 26 of the fixed housing 20, and the relationship between the first inclined surface 82 of the leftmost movable housing 50 and the fifth inclined surface 28 of the fixed housing 20.

In the above embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chamber 60 provided in the movable housing 50 on the left side include the first inclined surface 82, the second inclined surface 84, and the third inclined surface 86, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the second inclined surface 84 of the movable housing 50 on the left side may be omitted, and the third inclined surface 86 of the movable housing 50 on the right side may be extended downward (to the lower end side of the second inclined surface 84 omitted above), so that the left and right guide surfaces 80 are formed only by the first inclined surface 82 and the third inclined surface 86.

10 Electrical connector 12 Board 16 Mating terminal (connection object)
20 Fixed housing 50 Movable housing 60 Insertion chamber 90 Terminal 90D1, 90D2 Mating connection portion 90E Elastic deformation portion X Bridge direction Y Arrangement direction Z1 Insertion direction

Claims (4)

a fixed housing fixed to the substrate;
a plurality of movable housings arranged displaceably with respect to the fixed housing, and into which connection objects are inserted in an insertion direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of an insertion chamber provided in each of the movable housings; a plurality of terminals respectively bridged between the fixed housing and the plurality of movable housings, each having a mating connection portion connected to each of the connection objects within each of the insertion chambers, and each having an elastic deformation portion that allows the displacement of the plurality of movable housings with respect to the fixed housing by elastic deformation;
Equipped with
The dimensions of the plurality of movable housings in the arrangement direction are set so as to ensure gaps between the movable housings,
No part of the fixed housing is interposed between the plurality of movable housings,
the fixed housing includes an upper wall having an opening that opens toward a front side in the insertion direction,
An inclined surface is formed on the edge of the opening,
The movable housing is positioned further back in the insertion direction than the opening, and an end of the movable housing in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction and the insertion direction faces a portion of the fixed housing where the inclined surface is formed in the insertion direction. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable housings are all formed to have the same shape. An electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the longitudinal direction of each of the terminals is the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, and the longitudinal intermediate portion of each of the terminals is the elastic deformation portion. 4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the movable housings each have an inclined surface formed on a front side of the insertion chamber in the insertion direction.