JPH11354231A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simultaneously attain reduction of mounting area and an increase in the number of terminal by arranging a housing of a circular shape in a plane view and a terminal part for external connection in a radial shape at prescribed circumferential pitch at the outer peripheral edge of the housing. SOLUTION: A socket housing 21 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, a recessed socket part 21a is formed on the one end side and the inside diameter is slightly larger than the outside diameter so that a header housing of a male connector may be fitted and detached. A plurality of female side contact terminals 22 are bent and molded into substantial L- shapes, the one end side 22a is arranged as a connection terminal at the inner peripheral part of the socket housing 21 and the other end side 22b is horizontally extended as an external connection terminal from the outer peripheral part of the socket housing 21. The female side contact terminals 22 are at circumferential pitch 15', the number of connector core becomes '24', the number of core is increased as compared with a square socket, mounting area can be reduced and drawing around of circuit patterns on the side of a mounted substrate is performed by the shortest distance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector used for electrically connecting a board to a board directly or via a cable or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a rectangular shape is generally used as a connector mounted on a mounting board such as a printed wiring board. In particular, in the field of communication devices and information devices that are becoming lighter and thinner, ICs having various functions have been integrated into one chip, and accordingly, ICs having a large number of pins have been frequently used. When such a multi-pin IC is mounted on a mounting board, for example, due to the configuration of the board circuit, each IC may be mounted on a plurality of boards by function. If you do,
A connector is used as a board-to-board electrical connection means. Generally, this type of connector is used in combination with a male connector and a female connector. Further, as a specific usage form, a process of transmitting a data signal between boards is performed by directly mounting a connector on a mounting board or connecting a cable to the connector.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector structure. In the figure, a rectangular socket housing 51 is shown.
The socket part 52 is integrally formed. The socket portion 52 is provided with a ridge 53 along the longitudinal direction of the connector. The socket housing 51 has a plurality of L-shaped contact terminals 54. One end of each contact terminal 54 is disposed vertically to the side surface of the ridge 53, and the other end is disposed so as to extend horizontally from both sides (long sides) of the socket housing 54. I have. Incidentally, a molding resin is used for the socket housing 51 and the contact terminals 5 are formed.
For No. 4, a copper alloy which has been subjected to a gold plating process with a nickel base applied thereto is used.

Generally, in this type of connector, the number of cores (the number of terminals) increases in units of 10 cores, and as the number of cores increases, the longitudinal dimension L of the socket housing 51 also increases. On the other hand, when connecting each mounting board in a stacked state using a connector, the stacking height (gap size) between the boards depends on the height dimension H of the socket housing 51. Therefore, by changing to a connector having a different height dimension H, the stacking height between the substrates can be changed.

FIG. 33 is a plan view showing an example of specific dimensions of a conventional connector. In the figure, as the external dimensions of a 20-core (20 terminals) connector, the housing length is 7.8 mm, the housing width is 4.2 mm, the overall width of the connector including the terminals is 5.6 mm, and the arrangement pitch of the terminals is 0. .5
mm and the terminal width is 0.3 mm.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned conventional connector has the following problems. First, since the basic structure of the entire connector is square,
When this is mounted on a mounting board, the directionality of the connector with respect to the mounting board is restricted. Also, when laying out the circuit pattern on the mounting board, it is necessary to route the circuit pattern avoiding the housing part because the terminal parts (soldering parts) on the connector side are arranged on both sides of the housing. Loss was great. Further, the diameter of the connector is remarkably increased with the increase in the number of cores, and the mounting efficiency is not so good.

[0007]

A connector according to the present invention comprises a housing having a circular shape in a plan view, and a plurality of contact terminals having external connection terminals arranged at a predetermined circumferential pitch on an outer peripheral edge of the housing. Is adopted.

In the connector having the above configuration, a housing having a circular shape in a plan view is employed, and external connection terminals of the respective contact terminals are arranged at a predetermined circumferential pitch on the outer peripheral edge of the housing, so that the diameter of the housing is small. It becomes possible to incorporate more contact terminals into the housing. In addition, when mounting each contact terminal on the mounting board by the reflow method, there is no restriction on the direction of the connector with respect to the mounting board or the reflow direction, and after reflow, the soldering points are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral edge of the housing. Therefore, the connector can be mounted with high mounting strength. Further, since the external connection terminal portions are arranged in multiple directions, it is possible to reduce a distance loss due to the routing of the circuit pattern on the mounting board side.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a basic configuration of the connector according to the present invention. The illustrated connector 1 includes a housing 2 and a plurality of contact terminals 3. The housing 2 has a so-called circular structure having a circular shape in a plan view, and a plurality of contact terminals 3 are integrally incorporated in the housing 2. Each of the contact terminals 3 has one end 3a.
Is a terminal portion for external connection, and the external connection terminal portion 3a is connected (soldered) to a circuit pattern of a mounting board (not shown), for example. The individual external connection terminals 3a are radially arranged on the outer peripheral edge of the housing 2 at a predetermined circumferential pitch.

In the connector 1 having the above configuration,
Since the outer peripheral edge of the housing 2 is effectively used as an area where the external connection terminal portions 3a are arranged over the entire area, it is possible to incorporate more contact terminals 3 even in the housing 2 having a small diameter.

More specifically, for example, the outer diameter of the connector 1 according to the present invention is adjusted to the main dimension of the conventional connector (see FIG. 33) as shown in FIG. 5.6m diameter connector including terminals
m, terminal width 0.3mm, circumferential pitch between terminals 15 °
(Corresponding to a terminal pitch of 0.5 mm) and comparing the center positions of both connectors with each other, the following can be easily understood.

First, both connector diameters are 5.6 in one direction.
mm, the number of cores of the conventional connector is “2”.
On the other hand, the number of cores of the connector 1 according to the present invention is "24", which is larger than "0". Further, while the maximum dimension (longitudinal dimension) of the conventional connector is 7.8 mm, the maximum dimension (diameter) of the connector 1 according to the present invention is 5.6 mm, which is shorter than that. Further, due to the difference in the connector shape, in the case of the connector 1 according to the present invention, the hatched portion in the figure becomes an unnecessary area in the mounting area of the conventional connector. That is, by employing the connector 1 according to the present invention, it is possible to simultaneously increase the number of cores and reduce the mounting area.

Further, since the external connection terminal portions 3a are radially arranged on the outer peripheral edge of the housing 2, the circuit board on which the external connection terminal portions 3a are mounted bypasses the housing portion as in the related art. There is no need to run around. Thus, the circuit pattern on the mounting board can be routed with the shortest distance. In addition, since each external connection terminal portion 3a is arranged in multiple directions,
The degree of freedom in routing circuit patterns is also increased.

Further, by arranging the external connection terminals 3a on the outer peripheral edge of the housing 2 at a constant circumferential pitch, when the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting board by the reflow method, the There is no restriction on the directionality of the connector 1, and after reflow, the soldering locations are evenly located on the outer peripheral edge of the housing 2, so that the mounting strength of the connector 1 with respect to the mounting board and the proof stress against external stress are both increased. Can be enhanced. In addition, housing 2
The pitch between the contact terminals 3 is ensured wider at the outer peripheral edge of the connector 1, and the pitch between the external connection terminal portions 3a is further ensured wider. Therefore, the solderability of the connector 1 at the time of board mounting is improved. It can be greatly improved.

In general, a connector used for board-to-board electrical connection is used in a combination of a male connector and a female connector. Therefore, a specific embodiment of a male connector and a female connector adopting the basic configuration of the connector 1 will be described. In each of the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments, the number of cores (the number of terminals) of the connector is indicated as “4”. It is not a limiting element of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates the structure of the male connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 (a) is a plan view and FIG. 3 (b) is a side view. The illustrated male connector 10 includes a header housing 11 and a plurality of male contact terminals 12. The header housing 11 has a substantially spherical shape as a whole, and its lower end is formed in a flat shape. Each male contact terminal 12 has a substantially Z-shape with both ends bent at substantially right angles. One end 12a is disposed on the outer periphery of the header housing 11 as an inter-connector contact terminal. The side 12b is arranged as an external connection terminal portion so as to extend horizontally from the outer peripheral portion of the header housing 11.

When mounting the male connector 10 on the mounting board 13, the external connection terminal portions 12b of each male contact terminal 12 and the corresponding land (not shown) on the mounting board 13 are aligned. The mounting board 13
The male connector 10 is set on the upper side, and both are soldered in this state by, for example, a reflow method.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the structure of the female connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a side sectional view, and FIG. 4B is a plan view. The illustrated female connector 20 includes a socket housing 21 and a plurality of female contact terminals 22. The socket housing 21 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a concave socket portion 21a formed at one end thereof. The inner diameter of the socket portion 21a is
The outer diameter of the header housing 11 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the header housing 11 so that the header housing 11 can be fitted and removed. Each female contact terminal 22 is bent and formed into a substantially L-shape, and one end side 22a is disposed on the inner peripheral portion of the socket housing 21 as a connector contact terminal portion.
The other end side 22b is arranged as an external connection terminal portion so as to extend horizontally from the outer peripheral portion of the socket housing 21.

When the female connector 20 is mounted on the mounting substrate 23, the external connection terminal portions 22b of the respective female contact terminals 22 and the corresponding lands (not shown) on the mounting substrate 23 are aligned. The mounting board 23
The female connector 20 is set thereon, and in this state, both are soldered by, for example, a reflow method.

Here, when the two mounting boards 13 and 23 are electrically connected using the male connector 10 and the female connector 20, the male connector 1 mounted on the mounting board 13 is used.
0 and the female connector 23 mounted on another mounting board 23 are coaxially opposed to each other, and the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 is fitted to the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20 along the axial direction. At this time, by aligning the positions of both terminals in the circumferential direction, the inter-socket contact terminal portion 12a of the male contact terminal 12 and the inter-socket contact terminal portion 22a of the female contact terminal 22 come into contact with the fitting force between the connectors. Held in state.

As a result, since the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are electrically connected, the two mounting boards 13 and 23 can be electrically connected via these connectors. The male connector 10 and the female connector 2
In the first embodiment, the fitting direction can be freely changed by 360 ° in the unit of the arrangement pitch of the terminals, whereas the fitting direction of 0 is conventionally a maximum of two directions.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the structure of a male connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Is a plan view, FIG. 5B is a side view, and FIG. 6 is a side sectional view. The illustrated male connector 10 is characterized in that the inter-connector contact terminal portion 12a of the male contact terminal 12 has a spring property as compared with the above-described first embodiment. Specifically, each male contact terminal 12 is bent into a substantially S-shape, and the inter-connector contact terminal portion 12a at one end thereof is formed along the housing spherical surface while slightly bulging from the outer peripheral portion of the header housing 11. It is arranged. On the other hand, a clearance groove 11a is formed in a narrow portion near the lower end of the header housing 11, and the inside curved portion of the male contact terminal 12 is fitted into the clearance groove 11a.

In contrast to the male connector 10 according to the second embodiment, for example, the female connector 20 described in the first embodiment is used.
When fitting (see FIG. 4), the male connector 10 mounted on the mounting board 13 and the female connector 20 mounted on another mounting board 23 are coaxially opposed to each other as shown in FIG. Then, from this state, the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 is fitted to the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20 as shown in FIG.

At this time, contact between the female contact terminal 22 and the inter-connector contact terminal portion 22a causes the inter-connector contact terminal portion 12a of the male contact terminal 12 to be elastically deformed inward, and has a reaction force (spring property). The inter-connector contact terminal portion 12a of the male contact terminal 12 is brought into pressure contact with the inter-connector contact terminal portion 22a of the female contact terminal 22.

Thus, even if the fitting state (fitting) between the connectors is not set tight, the two contact terminal portions 12a and 22a between the connectors are surely brought into contact, and the contact state is stably maintained. be able to. In addition, since the insertion force and the removal force at the time of fitting and disengaging the connectors can be reduced, the connectors can be easily inserted and removed.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are views for explaining the structure of the female connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9A is a side sectional view and FIG. 9B is a plan view. In the illustrated female connector 20, the inter-connector contact terminal portion 22 a of the female-side contact terminal 22 is particularly different from the first embodiment described above.
It is characterized by having spring properties. Specifically, the inter-connector contact terminal portions 22 of each of the male contact terminals 12 are provided.
a is bent inwardly to form a bend. A guide hole 21b is formed in the inner peripheral portion of the socket housing 21.
The guide holes 21b are provided in the male contact terminals 12a.
Is fitted.

In contrast to the female connector 20 according to the second embodiment, for example, the male connector 10 described in the first embodiment is used.
When fitting (see FIG. 3), the male connector 10 mounted on the mounting board 13 and the female connector 20 mounted on another mounting board 23 are coaxially opposed to each other as shown in FIG. From this state, the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 is fitted into the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20.

At this time, the contact between the connector terminals 22a of the female contact terminals 22 is elastically deformed outward due to the contact of the male contact terminals 12 with the contact terminal portions 12a between the connectors. The inter-connector contact terminal portion 22a of the female contact terminal 22 is brought into pressure contact with the inter-connector contact terminal portion 12a of the male contact terminal 12.

As a result, the contact terminals 12a and 22a between the connectors can be reliably brought into contact with each other in the same manner as described above, and the contact state can be stably maintained. And the removal force can be reduced.

In this case, one of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 has the inter-connector contact terminal portion 1.
Although the configuration in which the 2a or 22a has a spring property has been described, the same effect can be obtained even if both of the inter-connector contact terminal portions 12a and 22a have a spring property.

The gap size (stacking height) between the mounting boards 13 and 23 in a state where the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are fitted to each other is shown in FIG. 11 according to the gap size. By changing the height dimension Ha of the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20, the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 remains the same,
The size of the gap between the substrates can be arbitrarily changed.

Further, as a connector mounting method for the mounting boards 13 and 23, in addition to the surface mounting type described above, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), the external connection terminal portion 12b of the male connector 10 is provided. Is inserted into a through-hole (not shown) of the mounting board 13, and the external connection terminal 22 b of the female connector 20 is inserted into a through-hole (not shown) of the mounting board 23 and soldered, that is, so-called pin insertion. It is also possible to adopt a type.

FIG. 13 is a view for explaining a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a side sectional view of a female connector, (b) is a side sectional view of a male connector, and (c). FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of the female connector. First, FIG.
In the configuration of the female connector 20 shown in (a) and (c), in comparison with the first and second embodiments described above, in particular, a convex shaft contact portion 24 is provided on the central axis of the socket housing 21. There is a characteristic in the point.

The shaft contact portion 24 includes a shaft portion 24a and a shaft contact terminal 24b. Shaft 2
4a has a circular cross section, and the socket housing 21
And are formed integrally. One end of the shaft portion 24a is disposed so as to protrude from the socket portion 21a. The shaft contact terminal 24b is formed by bending into an approximately L-shape. One end of the shaft contact terminal 24b is arranged vertically to the outer peripheral portion of the shaft portion 24a, and the other end side extends horizontally from the center of the socket housing 21 toward the outer peripheral portion. It is arranged in a state of being put out. The shaft 24a may be inserted into the socket housing 21 as a separate component.

On the other hand, in the configuration of the male connector 10 shown in FIG. 13B, in comparison with the above-described first and second embodiments, in particular, the female connector 10 is disposed on the central axis of the header housing 11. It is characterized in that a concave shaft hole contact portion 14 which can be fitted and detached from the 20 shaft contact portions 24 is provided.

The shaft hole contact portion 14 is
a and a shaft hole contact terminal 14b.
The shaft hole 14a has a circular shape in a plan view, and is formed integrally with the header housing 11. The shaft hole contact terminal 14b is provided corresponding to the shaft contact terminal 24b. One end of the shaft hole contact terminal 14b is arranged perpendicular to the inner peripheral portion of the shaft hole portion 14a, and the other end side is the outer peripheral portion of the header housing 11. It is arranged in a state of extending horizontally from.

FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing a fitted state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 14, the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 is fitted into the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20, and at the same time, the shaft contact portion 24 of the female connector 20 is inserted into the shaft hole contact portion 14 of the male connector 10.
Is inserted. In this state, the shaft contact portion 24
The shaft contact terminal 24b and the shaft hole contact terminal 14b of the shaft hole contact portion 14 are in contact with each other, thereby electrically connecting the contact terminals to each other (conductive state).
Has been obtained.

As described above, in the connector configuration according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the male connector 10 and the female connector 2
When 0 is fitted, an electrical connection state can be obtained even on the central axis of both connectors, so that the number of cores of the connector can be increased. Further, conventionally, a board-to-board connector and a coaxial connector are separately used, but by adopting the connector configuration of the third embodiment, they can be integrated.

FIGS. 15A and 15B are views for explaining a modified example of the connector according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15A is a side sectional view of a female connector, and FIG. 15B is a side sectional view of a male connector. is there. First, in the configuration of the female connector 20 shown in FIG. 15A, a cylindrical shaft portion 24c, a coaxial receiving pin 24d fitted into the shaft portion 24c, and the coaxial receiving pin 2c.
The external contact coaxial terminal 24e connected to one end of 4d constitutes the shaft contact portion 24.

The shaft 24c is arranged on the center axis of the socket housing 21. The shaft portion 24c may be formed integrally with the socket housing 21 or may be inserted into the socket housing 21 as a separate component. The coaxial receiving pin 24d has a cylindrical shape smaller in diameter than the shaft portion 24c, and is fitted into the inner peripheral portion of the shaft portion 24c. The external connection coaxial terminal 24e is
It is arranged so as to extend horizontally from the connection portion with 4d toward the outer peripheral portion of the housing.

On the other hand, in the male connector 10 shown in FIG. 15B, the shaft hole 14c and the shaft hole 14c are formed.
The shaft hole contact portion 14 is constituted by a coaxial pin 14d which is provided coaxially in the position c. An external connection terminal 14e is connected to one end of the coaxial pin 14d.

The shaft hole portion 14c has a circular shape in plan view and is formed integrally with the header housing 11. The pin dimensions of the coaxial pin 14d are appropriately set so as to fit into the coaxial receiving pin 24d. The external connection terminal 14e is disposed so as to extend horizontally from a connection portion with the coaxial pin 14d toward the outer peripheral portion of the housing.

FIG. 16 is a side sectional view showing a fitted state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 according to a modification of the third embodiment. In FIG. 16, the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 is fitted into the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20, and at the same time, the shaft contact 2 of the female connector 20 is inserted into the shaft hole contact 14 of the male connector 10.
4 is inserted. In this state, the shaft contact 2
The coaxial pin 14d of the shaft hole contact portion 14 is fitted into the coaxial receiving pin 24d of No. 4 so that the pins come into contact with each other.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are views for explaining a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17A is a plan view of a male connector, FIG. 17B is a side view of the male connector, and FIG. FIG. 3D is a partial cross-sectional view (AA cross section) of the connector, (d) is a side cross-sectional view of the female connector, (e) is a plan view of the female connector, and (f) is a partial cross-sectional view (BB cross section) of the female connector. is there.

In FIG. 17, a key groove 15 is integrally formed on the spherical surface of the header housing 11 of the male connector 10. On the other hand, the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20 is formed integrally with a key 25 that can be fitted to the key groove 15 on the inner peripheral surface thereof. The key groove 15 and the key 25 serve as positioning means for regulating a fitting position in a circumferential direction when the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are fitted.

That is, the male connector 10 and the female connector 2
0, when the position of the key groove 15 of the male connector 10 and the position of the key 25 of the female connector 20 are shifted in the circumferential direction, the key 25 of the female connector 20
Therefore, the two connectors cannot be fitted properly. On the other hand, when the positions of the key groove 15 and the key 25 match in the circumferential direction,
Since the key 25 fits into the key groove 15, both connectors can be fitted properly.

Therefore, on the male connector 10 side, the position of each male contact terminal 12 is set on the basis of the position of the key groove 15, and correspondingly, the female connector 20 is set.
On the other hand, the position of each female contact terminal 22 is set on the basis of the position of the key 25. Thus, when the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are mated, the contact terminals 12 and 22 of both connectors can be accurately aligned only by fitting the key 25 into the key groove 15, and at the same time. It is possible to prevent erroneous insertion of the connectors.

In each of the first to fourth embodiments, the vertical connector structure in which the board-to-board is laminated and electrically connected is described. It is also possible to adopt a horizontal connector structure in which the electrical connection is made in a horizontal state.

FIGS. 18 (a) and 18 (b) illustrate the structure of the connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention in the case of a horizontal type. FIG. 18 (a) shows the structure of a male connector, and FIG. 18 (b) shows the structure of a female connector. Is shown. First, in the male connector 10 of FIG. 18 (a), a base 16 is formed integrally with a substantially spherical header housing 11, and a plurality of male contact terminals 12 are assembled in such a manner that the base 16 is inserted. ing. One end 12a of each male contact terminal 12 is
It is bent into a substantially S-shape along the spherical surface of the header housing 11, thereby giving the connector contact terminal portion 12a an appropriate spring property. The other end 12b of each of the male contact terminals 12 is bent at substantially right angles in the vertical and horizontal directions as external connection terminal portions, respectively.
In addition, the respective terminal portions are arranged on the same plane as the lower surface of the base 16.

The male connector 10 having the above configuration is mounted on the mounting board 13.
When mounting on the mounting board 13, the external connection terminal portions 12 b of the respective male contact terminals 12 and the corresponding lands (not shown) on the mounting board 13 are aligned. 10 is set, and in this state, both are soldered by, for example, a reflow method. This allows
On the mounting board 13, the spherical header housing 1
1 is mounted horizontally.

On the other hand, in the female connector 20 shown in FIG. 18B, a plurality of female contact terminals 22 are incorporated in a socket housing 21 having a substantially cylindrical shape. One end 22a of each female contact terminal 22 is arranged on the inner peripheral portion of the socket housing 21 as a connector contact terminal portion. The other end 22b of each female contact terminal 22 is bent into a predetermined shape on the end surface of the socket housing 21 as an external connection terminal portion, and each end portion is connected to the peripheral surface of the socket housing 21. They are arranged on the same plane.

The female connector 20 having the above configuration is mounted on the mounting board 23.
When mounting on the mounting board 23, the external connection terminal portions 22b of the female contact terminals 22 and the corresponding lands (not shown) on the mounting board 23 are aligned. 20 is set, and in this state, both are soldered by, for example, a reflow method. This allows
On the mounting board 23, the cylindrical socket housing 21 is mounted horizontally.

Here, the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 is mounted on the one mounting board 13 in the horizontal direction, and the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20 is mounted on the other mounting board 23 in the horizontal direction. By fitting the male connectors 10 to the female connectors 20, it becomes possible to electrically connect the mounting boards 13, 23 side by side.

FIG. 19 shows another example of a structure in which the female connector 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is of a horizontal type.
2a is bent inward to provide a spring property, and the external connection terminal portions 22b of each female contact terminal 22 are provided.
Are bent at substantially right angles in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively, and the terminal ends thereof are arranged on the same plane.

FIG. 20 shows an example of a structure in which the male connector 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is of a horizontal type and its mounting form is a pin insertion type, and FIG. 21 is a second embodiment of the present invention. This shows an example of a structure in which the female connector 20 according to the embodiment is of a horizontal type and the mounting mode is a pin insertion type.

Further, in the first to third embodiments, the header housing 11 of the male connector 10 has a spherical shape. However, other than this, for example, as shown in FIGS. Header housing 11 or a cylindrical header housing (not shown) may be employed.

FIG. 22 (a) shows the male connector 10
2 shows an example of a connector structure in which the housing shape is made hemispherical and the inter-connector contact terminal portion 22a of the male contact terminal 22 is curved along the spherical surface (R shape).
FIG. 22B shows the male connector 10 having a hemispherical housing shape, and the inter-connector contact terminal portion 22a of the male contact terminal 22 bulging outward from the spherical surface of the header housing 11 to have a spring property. FIG. 22C shows an example of a connector structure in which the external connection terminal portion 22b of the male contact terminal 22 is of a pin insertion type.

Next, a connector structure according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate the structure of the male connector 10 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23A is a plan view and FIG. 23B is a side view. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG.

In the illustrated male connector 10, the header housing 11 has a spherical head 110 and a base 11 extending from the lower end of the head 110 in a skirt-spreading manner.
1. Four circumferential grooves 110a (see FIG. 24) are formed in the lower spherical surface of the head portion 110 in the circumferential direction thereof in parallel. Further, inside the header housing 11, there is provided a round hole 110b for passing the male contact terminal 12 described later. Each round hole 1
One end of 10b is open to the corresponding circumferential groove 110a, and the other end is open to the bottom surface of the header housing 11.

Further, the male contact terminals 12 each having a circular cross section are fitted into each of the round holes 110b. One end 12a of each male contact terminal 12 is wound around the outer periphery of the head portion 110 of the head housing 11 as a connector contact terminal portion. These contact terminals 12a between the connectors are formed in circumferential grooves 110a on the outer periphery of the head 110.
And in this state, a predetermined clearance gap G (see FIG. 24) between the inter-connector contact terminal portion 12a and the peripheral groove 110a.
Is secured. On the other hand, each male contact terminal 1
The other end 12b of the second 2 is disposed as a terminal for external connection, extending horizontally from the bottom surface of the base 11 of the header housing 11.

FIG. 26 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the female connector 20 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated female connector 20 includes a socket housing 21 and a plurality of female contact terminals 22 incorporated in the socket housing 21. The socket housing 21 is formed with a socket portion 21 a corresponding to the shape (spherical shape) of the head portion 110 of the male connector 10. On the other hand, one end 2 of each female contact terminal 22
Reference numeral 2a is disposed on the inner peripheral portion of the socket 21a as a contact terminal between connectors. These inter-connector contact terminal portions 22a are engaged with the inner peripheral portion of the socket portion 21a in a form corresponding to the arrangement of the inter-connector contact terminal portions 12a of the male contact terminal 12. The other end 22b of each female contact terminal 22 is arranged as an external connection terminal portion in a state of extending horizontally from the end surface of the socket housing 21.

FIG. 27 is a side sectional view showing a fitted state of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown, when the head housing 11 of the male connector 10 is fitted to the socket housing 21 of the female connector 20, the female contact terminal 22 and the male contact terminal 12 are connected to each other at the fitting portion. A state is reached in which the connectors are in annular contact with each other via 22a and 12a, and an electrical connection between the connectors is obtained in this state.

At this time, the inter-connector contact terminal portion 12a of the male contact terminal 12 is wound around the outer peripheral portion of the head housing 11, and the female contact terminal 22
Contact terminal portion 22a of the socket housing 2
1, the electrical connection between the connectors is maintained even when the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are relatively rotated about the Z axis in the figure. be able to.

Next, the usage of the connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 28 shows a usage form of the connector according to the first or second embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated example, a substrate 30 for a COB (chip-on-board) type liquid crystal display (LCD) and a main body for driving the substrate 30 The male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are used as electrical connection means between the side board 31 and the side connector 31.

FIG. 29 shows another usage of the connector according to the first or second embodiment of the present invention.
The male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are used as electrical connection means between the C package 32 and the main body side substrate 33. In this case, the female connector 20 is connected to the IC package 32 only by changing the lead shape of the IC package 32.
Can be molded integrally with the resin. Also, the mounting efficiency can be improved as compared with the case where a general rectangular IC socket is used.

FIG. 30 shows a use mode of the connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated example, the cable 35 pulled out from the rectangular connector 34 is connected to the female connector 20.
Of the female connector 2
0 is fitted to the male connector 10 mounted on the mounting board 36 so that the rectangular connector 34 and the mounting board 36 are electrically connected. In this case, there is no restriction on the insertion direction of the connector, and the degree of freedom in cable wiring is increased.

FIG. 31 shows another use of the connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
7. Cables 39 and 40 pulled out from receiver 38
Are respectively connected to the female contact terminals 22 of the female connector 20, and the female connector 20 is fitted to the male connector 10 mounted on the mounting board 41 to electrically connect the microphone 37, the receiver 38 and the mounting board 41. I try to connect. In this case, the female connector 20 is
Is rotatable, so that the microphone 37 and the receiver 38 can be freely routed.

[0068]

As described above, according to the connector of the present invention, a housing having a circular shape in a plan view is employed, and external connection terminal portions of the respective contact terminals are formed on the outer peripheral edge of the housing at a predetermined circumferential pitch. By arranging, it is possible to incorporate more contact terminals into a small-diameter housing, so that it is possible to simultaneously increase the number of cores (number of terminals) and reduce the mounting area of the connector. Become. In addition, when mounting each contact terminal on the mounting board by the reflow method, there is no restriction on the direction of the connector with respect to the mounting board or the reflow direction, and after reflow, the soldering points are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral edge of the housing. Therefore, the connector can be mounted with high mounting strength. Furthermore, since the external connection terminal portions are arranged in multiple directions, it is possible to route the circuit pattern on the mounting board side with the shortest distance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a basic configuration of a connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a dimensional comparison diagram of the connector according to the present invention and a conventional connector.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the male connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the female connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view (1) of a male connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view (No. 2) of the male connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a combination of connectors according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a fitted state of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a female connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a view showing another combination of the connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of changing the height dimension of the female connector.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example corresponding to a pin insertion type.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a fitted state of the connector of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a view showing a modification of the connector according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a view showing a fitted state of the connector of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence to a horizontal connector (part 1)
It is.

FIG. 19 shows an example of correspondence to a horizontal connector (part 2).
It is.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence to a horizontal connector (part 3)
It is.

FIG. 21 shows an example of correspondence to a horizontal connector (part 4).
It is.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing another example of the shape of the header housing.

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a male connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

24 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram of a female connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a view showing a fitted state of the connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a diagram (No. 1) illustrating a usage form of the connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating a usage form of the connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a view (No. 3) showing a usage form of the connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a view (No. 4) showing a usage form of the connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector structure.

FIG. 33 is a plan view showing an example of dimensions of a conventional connector.

[Description of Signs] 1 Connector 2 Housing 3 Contact terminal 3a Terminal part for external connection 10 Male connector 11 Header housing 12 Male contact terminal 12a, 22a
Connector contact terminal portion 12b, 22b External connection terminal portion 14 Shaft hole contact portion 15 Key groove 20 Female connector 21 Socket housing 22 Female side contact terminal 24 Shaft contact portion 25 Key

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A connector comprising: a housing having a circular shape in a plan view; and a plurality of contact terminals having external connection terminals arranged at a predetermined circumferential pitch on an outer peripheral edge of the housing. 2. A male connector having a substantially spherical, substantially hemispherical or substantially cylindrical header housing, and a plurality of male side contact terminals having an inter-connector contact terminal disposed on an outer peripheral portion of the header housing. A female connector having a substantially cylindrical socket housing into which the header housing of the male connector can be fitted and detached, and a plurality of female contact terminals in which an inter-connector contact terminal portion is arranged on an inner peripheral portion of the socket housing. The connector of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a combination. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the male connector and the female connector has a resilient contact terminal portion between the connectors. 4. A convex shaft contact portion is provided on a central axis of a socket housing of the female connector, and a concave shape is formed on the central axis of a header housing of the male connector so as to be able to be fitted and detached from the convex shaft contact portion. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the shaft hole contact portion is provided. 5. The connector according to claim 2, further comprising positioning means for restricting a circumferential fitting position between said male connector and said female connector. 6. The connector contact terminal portion of the male contact terminal is wound around the outer periphery of the header housing, and the connector contact terminal portion of the female contact terminal is correspondingly wound on the inner periphery of the socket housing. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector is engaged with the connector.