TWI556511B - Plug connector - Google Patents

Description

Plug connector

The present invention relates to a plug connector that is configured to be mounted such that a terminal end portion of a plate-shaped signal transmission medium protrudes from a conductive case to be inserted into an object side connector.

In general, in various electric appliances and the like, the following operations are widely performed: a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flexible cable (FFC; Flat Flexible Cable) is formed into an elongated plate shape. The end portions of the various plate-shaped signal transmission media are connected to the plug connector, and the plug connector to which the plate-shaped signal transmission medium is connected is inserted into, for example, a socket connection as a target connector mounted on the printed wiring substrate. The inside of the device is fitted and configured to electrically connect.

In this case, the plug connector is generally formed by covering the front and back sides of the insulating base (insulating housing) with a conductive shell, and on the other hand, at the end of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium, to become multi-pole. In the manner of the electrode portion, a connection terminal (contact) exposing a signal line or a ground line (shield line) is formed, and the multi-pole electrode portions are arranged to protrude from the conductive shell, and the two electrical connectors are embedded in each other At the same time, the multi-pole electrode portion on the plug connector side comes into contact with the contact member on the socket connector (target connector) side.

Further, when assembling the plug connector having the above-described configuration, first, the end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium is attached to the insulating base (insulated housing) to become a connection. In the junction state, the insulating substrate to which the plate-like signal transmission medium is connected is attached to the lower half portion of the conductive case, and then the upper half portion of the conductive case is assembled so as to cover from the upper side, In this way, the production of the harness is performed. In addition, since the plate-shaped signal transmission medium in this state may be swayed with respect to the conductive case or the insulating substrate, the fixing state of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium is ensured by fixing means such as a tape. action.

On the other hand, the applicant of the present invention has proposed a connector device which does not require an insulating base (insulating housing) as in the following Patent Document 1. According to the connector device having such a configuration, the insulating base or the like can be omitted, and the productivity of the plug connector can be greatly improved. However, in the plug connector of Patent Document 1, in order to secure the fitting retention with respect to the target connector, it is necessary to rotate the operating lever. That is, when fitting with the socket connector (target connector), the screwing operation is rotatably provided to the operating lever of the plug connector, whereby the two electrical connectors are locked to each other, although For example, a configuration for preventing the electrical connection from being unstable is used even when the force is applied outside the assumption or the environment is assumed to be used. However, in order to perform the rotation operation of the operating lever, there is still a demand for embedding. The possibility of efficiency of cooperation.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-187367

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plug connector which can achieve a good and efficient electrical connection with respect to a target connector with a simple configuration that reduces the number of components.

In order to achieve the above object, the plug connector of the invention of claim 1 is configured such that the end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium is protruded from the conductive case. And inserting the object-side connector and fitting it, wherein the conductive shell is formed to have a medium accommodating space into which the end portion of the slab-shaped signal transmission medium is inserted, and the conductive shell is integrally provided with: The fitting locking portion is engaged with one of the target side connectors while being inserted into the target side connector, and is kept in the insertion fitting state; and the locking releasing portion is released to release the fitting locking portion The manner in which the target connector is engaged is operated.

According to the invention of claim 1, the productivity can be improved by omitting the insulating base (insulating housing) or the like, and the fitting is engaged by the fitting locking portion when the connector is inserted into the target connector. In a part of the connector of the object side, the insertion fitting state can be stably maintained without the conventional operation of the rotation of the operating lever, and even when the force is given or used outside the assumption The electrical connection state can be favorably maintained by the fitting locking portion, and the efficiency of the fitting work can be improved.

Further, in the invention of claim 2, it is preferable that the conductive case is integrally provided with an insertion guide that restricts the direction in which the target connector is inserted.

According to the invention of claim 2, the insertion operation to the target connector can be stably performed by the insertion guide.

Further, in the invention of claim 3, it is preferable that the conductive shell is formed of a bent body of a single conductive metal plate.

According to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to further improve the productivity by reducing the number of components of the conductive shell.

Furthermore, in the invention of claim 4, preferably, the conductive shell is folded back in such a manner that the end portions of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium are overlapped and overlapped; and the folded portion of the conductive shell is formed Inserting the guide portion and on the opposite side of the folded portion of the conductive shell The free end portion is provided with a locking portion arm and a lock releasing arm so as to extend in a cantilever manner, and the front end side of the cantilevered extending portion of the locking portion arm and the lock releasing arm is The fitting locking portion and the lock releasing portion are provided in an elastically displaceable manner.

Further, in the invention of claim 5, preferably, the conductive case is integrally provided with a lock stopper and a lock release stopper for restricting excessive displacement of the fitting lock portion and the lock release portion. Pieces.

According to the invention of claim 4 and claim 5, it is possible to prevent the elastic displacement of the fitting lock portion and the lock releasing portion from being excessively performed.

Further, in the invention of claim 6, preferably, the lock stopper includes: a release restricting portion that restricts excessive displacement of the lock portion arm by the lock release portion; and a barely pull-out restricting portion The erroneous displacement of the locking portion arm when the target side connector is to be removed is restricted in a state in which the fitting locking portion is in the engaged state.

According to the configuration of the above-mentioned claim 6, the lock releasing portion of the lock stopper can be excessively displaced by the fitting lock portion and the lock portion arm when the lock release operation is performed, and The locking portion is engaged with the object side connector side, and the erroneous displacement of the fitting locking portion and the locking portion arm when the target connector is erroneously removed can be prevented by forcibly pulling out the restricting portion.

Furthermore, in the invention of claim 7, it is preferable that the conductive shell is integrally provided with a restriction plate in a manner of being respectively engaged with a hole portion and a notch portion formed in the plate-shaped signal transmission medium. The first and second position regulating sheets of the insertion position of the signal transmission medium.

Further, in the invention of claim 8, it is preferable that the first and second position regulating sheets are arranged side by side in the insertion direction of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium.

According to the configuration of the above-mentioned claims 7 and 8, the plate-shaped signal transmission medium inserted into the conductive case can be stably held by the locking action of the first and second position regulating pieces.

As described above, the present invention is integrally provided with the conductive housing having the medium accommodating space inserted into the end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium, and is integrally attached to the target side when the connector is inserted into the object. One of the connectors is configured such that the fitting locking portion that is inserted into the fitting state and the locking releasing portion that is operated to release the engagement state of the fitting locking portion with respect to the target connector are configured to be omitted. The insulating base (insulated case) and the like are improved in productivity, and can be favorably maintained by the fitting locking portion even when the force is applied or assumed to be used in an environment other than assumed. Since it is electrically connected, the electrical connection with respect to the target connector can be favorably maintained with a simple configuration in which the number of components is reduced, and the productivity and reliability of the electrical connector can be improved at a low cost.

10‧‧‧ plug connector

11‧‧‧Electrical shell

11a‧‧‧Upper casing

11b‧‧‧ Lower housing

11c‧‧‧Insert guide (shell joint)

11d, 11e‧‧‧ upper side fixed side panels

11f, 11g‧‧‧ lower side fixed side panels

11h‧‧‧Locking arm

11i‧‧‧Chisel lock

11j‧‧‧Lock stop

11k‧‧‧Receiver bearing

11m‧‧‧Removal arm (lock release)

11n‧‧‧Lock release operation unit (lock release unit)

11p‧‧‧Remove the action board

11q‧‧‧Lock release stopper

11r‧‧‧1st position restriction

11s‧‧‧2nd position restriction

11t‧‧‧ Grounding contacts

20‧‧‧Socket connector (target connector)

21‧‧‧Insulated housing

22‧‧‧ Conductive shell

22a‧‧‧ Grounding contacts

22b‧‧‧Brazing

23‧‧‧Electrical contacts

23a‧‧‧Connecting the foot

PS‧‧‧ plate signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC)

PS1‧‧‧Connecting terminal section (multipole electrode section)

PS2‧‧‧Position hole

PS3‧‧‧ Positioning gap

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view showing a plug connector according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) is to be inserted from the obliquely upper side.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the plug connector in the state of Fig. 1 from the lower front side.

Fig. 3 is a plan explanatory view showing the plug connector of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) is inserted into the inside of the plug connector from the state of Fig. 1 from the obliquely upper side.

Fig. 6 is a perspective explanatory view showing the appearance of the plug connector in the state of Fig. 5 from the obliquely downward side in the front.

Fig. 7 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the conductive case is closed up and down from the state of Fig. 5 from the obliquely upper side in the rear direction.

Fig. 8 is a perspective explanatory view showing the appearance of the plug connector in the state of Fig. 7 from the obliquely lower side of the front side.

Figure 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional explanatory view of the plug connector shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the plug connector shown in Figures 7 and 8.

FIG. 11 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the plug connectors shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 are opposed to each other in a state in which the plug connector shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10 is placed on the socket connector as the target connector.

Fig. 12 is a plan explanatory view showing the plug connector shown in Fig. 11.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along the line XIII-XIII in Figure 12 .

FIG. 14 is an external perspective view showing the electrical connector device in which the plug connector in the state of FIG. 11 is inserted into the receptacle connector as the target connector from the obliquely upper side in the front direction.

Fig. 15 is a plan explanatory view showing the electrical connector device shown in Fig. 14.

Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVI in Figure 15.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[About electrical connector device]

In the plug connector 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, a board-shaped signal transmission medium PS composed of a flexible circuit board (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC) is connected. At the end of the end, by connecting the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS in this manner As shown in FIGS. 11 to 16 , the plug connector 10 of the end portion is inserted into the receptacle connector 20 as the target connector in a substantially horizontal direction to be fitted, thereby constituting an electrical connector device.

The socket connector 20 as the target connector described above is used by being soldered to a state in which a wiring pattern formed on a printed wiring board (not shown) is used, and is passed through the plug connector 10 and the socket connector. The electrical connector device 20 is configured such that the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS is electrically connected to the printed wiring board side.

Hereinafter, the direction in which the surface of the printed wiring board extends is referred to as "horizontal direction", and the direction perpendicular to the surface of the printed wiring board is referred to as "height direction". In the plug connector 10, the end edge portion on the front end side in the insertion direction with respect to the socket connector 20 is referred to as a "front end edge portion", and the plate-like signal transmission medium on the opposite side is provided. The edge portion on the side where the end portion of the body PS is inserted and joined is referred to as a "rear edge portion". Further, in the receptacle connector 20, the end edge portion on the side where the plug connector 10 is inserted at the time of fitting is referred to as a "front end edge portion", and the end edge portion on the opposite side is referred to as a "rear end edge portion". . Further, the plug connector 10 and the receptacle connector 20 are extended in an elongated manner, and the extending direction is referred to as "the longitudinal direction of the connector".

Further, the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS extending from the rear edge portion of the plug connector 10 to the rear side is connected by the above-mentioned "longitudinal direction of the connector" as the "plate width direction", and It is composed of a plate-like member extending in a direction perpendicular to the "plate width direction", and a plurality of signal lines and ground lines (shield lines) are formed in a multi-pole shape along the "plate width direction". The way is arranged adjacently.

[About plug connector]

The plug connector 10 of the present invention constituting the electrical connector on one side of the above-described electrical connector device does not have an insulating base (insulating housing) made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin provided in a general electrical connector. In the medium accommodating space formed in the conductive casing 11 for blocking electromagnetic noise or the like, the end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS is inserted and fixed.

The conductive case 11 at this time is formed by a bent body formed by appropriately bending a single conductive metal plate, and is provided with a terminal which is configured to sandwich the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) from the upper and lower sides. Part of the integral structure of the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b is formed. The detailed structure of the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b will be described below.

On the other hand, the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS has a plurality of signal lines and ground lines in the width direction of the board as described above to form a multipole inside the flexible insulating covering material. In the insulating covering member of the present embodiment, an insulating cover film which is adhered to the above-described signal line and ground line so as to constitute a lower layer is used, and is further formed from the insulating cover film. The upper layer is laminated in the form of a shielded strip.

Further, in the above-described insulating covering member, a certain portion of the front end edge side of the medium accommodating space inserted into the plug connector 10 is peeled off, thereby forming a multipolar electrode portion. That is, in the end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS, a plurality of ground lines are exposed to the upper side, and a plurality of signal lines are exposed to the lower side, and the signal lines are provided by the signal lines The exposed portion of the ground line forms a multipole electrode portion composed of a plurality of connection terminal portions (contact portions) PS1. In addition, in addition to the connection terminal portions PS1 The area (non-exposed side portion) is covered with an insulating covering material.

The end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS having the plurality of connection terminal portions PS1 as described above is inserted and fixed in the inside of the above-mentioned conductive casing 11, and in the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS In the fixed state, as shown in FIG. 6, the connection terminal portion (multipole electrode portion) PS1 is disposed so as to protrude forward from the front edge of the conductive case 11, and is inserted into the socket as the target connector. The connector 20 is internally electrically connected.

Further, both side edge portions in the board width direction of the above-described board-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS are on the both sides of the above-mentioned connection terminal portion (multipole electrode portion) PS1 The positioning hole portion PS2 is provided separately, and the positioning notch portion PS3 is provided in a portion corresponding to the slightly rear side of the positioning hole portion PS2. The positioning hole portion PS2 is formed of a rectangular hole having a rectangular shape formed by penetrating the insulating covering member of the plate-shaped signal transmitting medium PS, and is formed as a conductive shell of the plug connector 10 as described below. The first position regulating piece 11r of the 11 is inserted into the positioning hole portion PS2 of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS in an intrusive manner, thereby being engaged.

Further, the positioning notch portion PS3 is arranged side by side at a position slightly separated from the positioning hole portion PS2 in the insertion direction of the plug connector 10, and the positioning notch portion PS3 is in the plate-shaped signal transmission medium. Both side edge portions in the width direction of the PS are formed by notch portions that are cut toward the center of the connector in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The second position regulating piece 11s formed in the conductive case 11 of the plug connector 10 as described below is provided in the positioning notch portion PS3, and the second position regulating piece 11s on the side of the conductive case 11 is inserted into the plate shape. The notch space of the positioning notch portion PS3 on the signal transmission medium PS side is engaged with the end edge portion of the notch space forming the positioning notch portion PS3.

As described above, the first position regulating piece 11r and the second position regulating piece 11s provided on the plug connector 10 side are respectively engaged with the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3 provided on the side of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS. Thereby, the entirety of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS is held at a predetermined position determined in advance.

[About conductive shell]

As described above, the conductive case 11 is composed of a conductive metal plate-like member that sandwiches the end portions of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS from above and below, and the upper case 11a and the lower case 11b. Reconciliation composition. The front end edge portions of the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b are connected by the insertion guide portions 11c and 11c formed by a pair of strip-shaped members disposed at both side portions in the longitudinal direction of the connector. One. The insertion guide portions 11c and 11c are formed to rotate the U shape by 90 in a side view between the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b. The rear shape is extended in such a manner as to be folded back into a curved shape having a substantially "C" shape.

On the other hand, in correspondence with the insertion guide portions 11c and 11c provided in the folded portion of the above-described conductive case 11, the edge portion of the socket connector 20 which is the target connector is formed as an inclined surface. A guide receiving portion (not shown) is formed, and the plug connector 10 is inserted. When the socket connector 20 is fitted, the insertion guides 11c and 11c abut against the guide receiving portion, and the insertion direction of the plug connector 10 is restricted to a predetermined direction for guiding.

Further, as described above, the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b are integrally coupled through the pair of insertion guide portions 11c and 11c, and the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b face each other. A medium accommodating space for inserting a plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS is formed.

Here, the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b are configured to be opened and closed around the insertion guide portions 11c and 11c. More specifically, the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b are in an open state in an initial state in which the free edge portions on the opposite sides of the insertion guide portions 11c and 11c are separated from each other in the vertical direction, and are close to each other. The composition of the swing between the occluded states. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, in the medium accommodating space between the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b which are in an open state which is the initial state of the conductive casing 11, a plate-shaped signal transmission medium ( The FPC, FFC) PS is inserted from the side of the connection terminal portion PS1.

On the other hand, as described above, the insertion guide portions 11c, 11c are disposed on both side portions in the front end side portion of the conductive case 11, and the portions between the two insertion guide portions 11c, 11c are interposed therebetween. The horizontally long opening portion through which the connection terminal portion PS1 of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS penetrates is formed so as to extend in a long and thin direction along the longitudinal direction of the connector. With respect to the horizontally long opening portion provided in the front edge portion of the conductive shell 11 in this manner, the portion opposite to the opposite side, that is, the portion on the rear end side in the medium accommodating space, is long for the connector An insertion opening portion through which the plate width of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS including the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3 of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS is integrally formed is formed so as to extend in the lateral direction.

Further, the connection terminal portion PS1 of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS is inserted into the medium accommodating space through the insertion opening portion on the rear side of the conductive casing 11, and further forward to the front side. The connection terminal portion PS1 of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS is inserted so as to protrude toward the front side by the horizontally long opening portion. In other words, the horizontally-shaped opening portion of the conductive shell 11 is formed in the front end portion of the plate-side signal transmission medium PS inserted into the final side of the medium accommodating space, and the medium that has been inserted into the conductive shell 11 Body containment The plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS in the space is housed in the medium accommodating space including the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3, and the connection terminal portion PS1 is exposed from the horizontally long opening portion toward the outer side. Composition.

Further, in the upper end case portions 11a and the lower case 11b of the above-described conductive case 11, the both end portions of the connector in the longitudinal direction are provided with fixing means for the two cases 11a, 11b. More specifically, a pair of upper side fixed side plates 11d, 11e are provided at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the connector, respectively, on both side edge portions of the upper casing 11a side, and are respectively provided at both side ends of the lower casing 11b side. In the edge portion, a pair of lower side fixing side plates 11f and 11g are provided at positions corresponding to the upper side fixing side plates 11d and 11e. The upper and lower fixed side plates 11d to 11g are formed by bending the end edges of the upper case 11a and the lower case 11b in the longitudinal direction of the connector toward the lower side and the upper side, respectively, to form a substantially right-angled plate-like piece.

Further, as described above, the insertion guide portion 11c is bent so as to overlap the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b so as to rotate the "U" shape by 90 in a side view. When the conductive shell 11 is in a closed state, the upper side fixing side plates 11d and 11e overlap the inner side portions of the lower side fixing side plates 11f and 11g. At this time, the engaging projections provided on the upper fixed side plate 11d and the lower fixed side plate 11g are fitted into the engaging holes provided in the upper fixed side plate 11e and the lower fixed side plate 11f, whereby the upper casing 11a and the lower casing are fitted. The body 11b is firmly fixed, and the medium accommodating space is formed between the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b by fixing the above-described closed state.

Further, in the rear end edge portion of the connector of the lower casing 11b, that is, the opposite side portion of the insertion guide portion 11c of the folded portion of the conductive casing 11, the locking portion composed of a pair of strip-shaped members is used. Arms 11h, 11h, from the side portions of the long side of the connector toward the front of the connector The square side extends in a cantilever manner. Each of the lock portion arms 11h is formed of an elongated strip-shaped member, and the fitting lock portion 11i is integrally provided at a free end portion of the distal end side extending to the vicinity of the insertion guide portion 11c. The fitting locking portion 11i is formed by pressing and locking the locking portion arm 11h and the conductive shell 11 of the fitting locking portion 11i.

At this time, each of the fitting lock portions 11i is bent at a substantially right angle to the free end portion of the connector distal end side (front end side) of the lock portion arm 11h, and is formed toward the longitudinal direction of the connector. The outside side protrudes. Each of the fitting locking portions 11i is formed in a substantially triangular shape in a plan view, and has an inclined guiding side portion that continuously widens from the front side toward the rear side, and has a leading edge portion from the inclined guiding portion. The top portion of the top portion is formed in a straight line shape that is lowered substantially linearly downward. Also, insert the plug connector. When the socket connector 20 that is the target connector is fitted, the inclined guiding edge portion of the fitting locking portion 11i abuts against the locking locking portion provided on the socket connector 20 side (omitted from the figure) In this case, the entire fitting locking portion 11i is elastically displaced against the elasticity of the locking portion arm 11h, and then returned to the original position, whereby the fitting locking portion 11i holds the side portion in a straight line, and the card is held. The lock lock portion (not shown) provided on the side of the socket connector 20 is engaged, thereby maintaining the fitting state of the two connectors 10, 20.

At this time, in particular, as shown in FIG. 6, the above-described conductive case 11 is integrally provided with a lock stopper 11j for restricting the amount of elastic displacement of the fitting lock portion 11i. The lock stopper 11j is provided at a midway position in the extending direction of the lock portion arm 11h that supports the fitting lock portion 11i, and is protruded downward from the lower edge portion of the lock portion arm 11h. A member is formed. On the other hand, in the above-described lock stopper 11j, the stopper receiving portion formed by the notch in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view is provided at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the connector of the lower casing 11b. 11k, and becomes a space in the inside of the stopper receiving portion 11k to accommodate the lock stopper 11j. The composition.

In other words, the above-described lock stopper 11j restricts excessive displacement and erroneous displacement of the fitting lock portion 11i by the position restricting action when being accommodated in the stopper receiving portion 11k, so that the lock stopper 11j is The restraining action of the fitting locking portion 11i is performed in both the longitudinal direction of the connector and the two directions orthogonal thereto. In other words, when the lock portion 11h is pressed too far toward the center of the connector by the lock release portion 11n, the lock member 11j abuts against the center of the connector toward the connector. The receiving portion 11k is positionally restricted in the same direction. Further, in a state where the fitting locking portion 11i is in the engaged state, when the plug connector 10 is reluctantly pulled out from the receptacle connector 20 as the target connector, the lock stopper 11j faces the front of the connector The side abuts against the stopper receiving portion 11k, thereby performing positional restriction in the same direction.

As described above, the lock stopper 11j in the present embodiment is provided with a release restricting portion that restricts excessive displacement of the lock portion arm 11h when the lock is released, and the receptacle connector 20 that is restricted in the lock state. The configuration of the unrestricted displacement of the lock portion arm 11h at the time of retraction is reluctantly pulled out.

On the other hand, the releasing portion arms 11m and 11m formed of a pair of plate-shaped members are the insertion guide portions 11c of the connector rear end edge portion of the upper casing 11a, that is, the folded portion of the conductive casing 11. The both side portions of the connector on the opposite side in the longitudinal direction extend in a cantilever manner toward the front side of the connector. Each of the releasing portion arms 11m is formed of an elongated strip-shaped member and is disposed to be elastically displaced in the longitudinal direction of the connector. The lock release operation portion 11n is integrally provided at a free end portion of the distal end side of the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the connector of the release portion arm 11m. The lock release operation portion 11n constitutes the release portion arm 11m that supports the lock release operation portion 11n and the "lock release portion" of the present invention, and is stamped and electrically conductive. A metal plate material is integrally formed.

At this time, the lock release operation portion 11n is disposed to face the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the connector with respect to the above-described lock portion arm 11h, and protrudes from the lock release operation portion 11n toward the connector center side. The front end edge portion of the release actuating plate 11p is disposed so as to be close to the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the connector with respect to the portion of the above-described lock portion arm 11h.

Further, when the pair of lock release operation portions 11n and 11n on the both sides in the longitudinal direction of the connector are held between the thumb and the index finger of the operator, for example, the two lock release operation portions 11n are When the manner in which the 11n approaches each other is pushed toward the center of the connector, the distal end portion of the release actuation plate 11p of the lock release operation portion 11n is pushed into the connector center side of the lock portion arm 11h. Further, with the elastic displacement of the lock portion arm 11h at this time, the fitting locking portion 11i moves toward the center of the connector, and the fitting locking portion 11i is locked from the lock connector portion of the socket connector 20 (omitted The illustration shows that the lock is released. In the above-described lock release state, the plug connector 10 is in a state of being detachable from the receptacle connector 20.

On the other hand, in association with the above-described lock release operation portion 11n, the lock release stopper 11q that restricts the elastic displacement amount of the lock release operation portion 11n is integrally provided to the conductive case 11. The lock release stopper 11q is provided in the same manner as the upper side fixed side plate 11e as shown in Fig. 5, and is formed from both end portions of the upper casing 11a in the longitudinal direction of the connector toward the substantially right angle. The plate-shaped member formed by the bending is formed in an arrangement relationship with respect to the inner side opposite surface of the above-described lock release operation portion 11n from the longitudinal direction of the connector.

When the lock release operation portion 11n is pushed in toward the center of the connector, the lock release operation portion 11n is brought into contact with the lock release operation portion 11n before the amount of press-fitting of the lock release operation portion 11n is excessive. In the positional relationship of the lock release stopper 11q, the lock release operation portion is restricted Excessive elastic displacement of the 11n press-in operation.

Further, in the upper casing 11a of the conductive casing 11, the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3 of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS inserted into the plug connector 10 as described above are formed. The first position regulating piece 11r and the second position regulating piece 11s are integrally formed at the corresponding positions. The first position regulating piece 11r and the second position regulating piece 11s are formed such that one of the upper casings 11a is cut at a substantially right angle toward the inner side of the connector, that is, the first position regulating piece. The 11r and the second position regulating piece 11s are engaged with the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3 provided on the side of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS when the conductive case 11 is closed, whereby the plate-shaped signal transmission medium The overall PS is kept at the predetermined position.

Further, a plurality of (five) ground contacts 11t are formed in the upper casing 11a of the conductive casing 11. Each of the ground contacts 11t is formed in a cantilever shape from the upper casing 11a by a cutting process so as to be formed toward the lower side of the medium accommodating space. Each of the ground contacts 11t is placed in contact with the ground terminal of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS, and is grounded when the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS is inserted into the final position.

[About the socket connector]

On the other hand, the receptacle connector 20 constituting the other target connector in the electrical connector device has an insulating case 21 formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 16, and The conductive shell 22 covering the outer surface of the insulating case 21 to block electromagnetic wave noise or the like from the outside is provided.

In the insulating case 21, a plurality of conductive contacts 23 are arranged at a proper pitch in a multi-pole manner along the longitudinal direction of the connector. Each of the conductive contacts 23 is bent The elastic beam-shaped metal material is formed and arranged to extend in the front-rear direction in the groove portion provided in the insulating case 21. The respective conductive contacts 23 are formed such that adjacent ones have substantially the same shape with each other.

On the other hand, at the end side portion of each of the conductive contacts 23, a connecting leg portion 23a which is formed in a stepped shape toward the lower side is provided, and the connecting leg portion 23a is welded and formed to be omitted The printed wiring pattern (conductive circuit) for signal transmission on the printed wiring board is electrically connected. At this time, the welding joint is performed in the same manner as the direction in which the multipoles are arranged.

Further, a contact portion (not shown) is provided on the end side portion of each of the above-described conductive contacts 23, and the contact portions are elastically contacted to the plug connector fitted to the receptacle connector 20 from the lower side. The arrangement relationship of the connection terminals of the connection terminal portion PS1 of 10 is a structure for forming a signal transmission circuit that reaches the printed wiring board from the contact portion through the connection leg portion.

Further, a plurality of ground contacts 22a are provided on the upper side portion of the conductive case 22 so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the connector. Each of the ground contacts 22a is formed to be folded back from the edge portion on the front side of the conductive case 22 toward the inner side (lower side) of the connector, and is elastically contacted with the plug fitted to the socket connector 20. The upper portion of the upper housing 11a of the connector 10 is constructed.

Further, a pair of pressers 22b, 22b are provided at both end portions of the conductive shell 22 in the longitudinal direction of the connector, from the lower end edge of each presser 22b toward the longitudinal direction of the connector. The board connecting portion that extends substantially horizontally is soldered and joined to the ground printed wiring pattern (conductive circuit) formed on the printed wiring board, and is electrically connected, thereby forming the conductive shell 22 to the printed wiring board. The ground circuit is grounded and the socket connector 20 is fixed as a whole.

In the plug connector 10 of the above-described embodiment, first, the end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS is passed through the upper end of the conductive casing 11 in which the upper casing 11a and the lower casing 11b are in an open state. The side is inserted into the opening and inserted into the medium accommodating space (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Then, the upper case 11a and the lower case 11b of the conductive case 11 are in a closed state (see FIGS. 7 to 10), and the first position regulating piece 11r and the second position provided on the plug connector 10 side are provided. The restriction piece 11s is engaged with the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3 on the side of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS to hold the entire plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS at a predetermined predetermined position. At this time, since the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3 provided in the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS are arranged side by side in the insertion direction of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS, they are inserted into the conductive case 11 The plate-shaped signal transmission medium PS is stably held by the locking action of the positioning hole portion PS2 and the positioning notch portion PS3.

The plug connector 10 to which the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS is connected as described above is inserted into the socket connector 20 as the target connector (see FIGS. 11 to 16). . As described above, in the plug connector 10 of the present embodiment, the insulating base (insulating housing) or the like is omitted, and the productivity can be improved by the reduction in the number of components.

Further, the insertion operation of the plug connector 10 with respect to the above-described receptacle connector 20 can be stably performed by the restriction guiding action of the insertion direction by the insertion guide portion 11c. Further, when the socket connector 20 is inserted into the socket connector 20, the fitting locking portion 11i is engaged with a portion of the socket connector 20, so that the conventional operation lever rotation operation is not performed. Stablely maintain the insertion fitting state. Further, even when an external external force is applied to the electrical connector device or used under an assumed environment, the electric power can be favorably maintained by fitting the locking portion. The electrical connection state in the connector device can also improve the efficiency of the fitting work.

On the other hand, in the plug connector 10 of the present embodiment, since the entire conductive case 11 is formed of a single bent body of a conductive metal plate, the number of parts can be reduced in the conductive case 11 itself. Can improve productivity.

Further, in the present embodiment, by the lock stopper 11j and the lock release stopper 11q, it is possible to prevent the elastic displacement of the fitting lock portion 11i and the lock release operation portion 11n from being excessively performed. More specifically, when the lock release operation portion 11n is pushed into the connector center side, the lock release operation portion 11n is brought into contact with the lock release stopper 11q in the same direction, and the lock stopper is locked. The release restricting portion of 11j abuts against the stopper receiving portion 11k toward the center of the connector. In this manner, it is possible to restrict the excessive displacement of the fitting locking portion 11i and the locking portion arm 11h when the lock releasing operation is performed.

Further, in the engaged state of the fitting locking portion 11i, when the plug connector 10 is reluctantly pulled out from the socket connector (target connector) 20, the removal of the lock stopper 11j is restricted. The portion abuts against the stopper receiving portion 11k toward the front side of the connector, thereby restricting the position in the same direction, thereby limiting the so-called fitting locking portion 11i and the locking portion arm 11h at the time of barely pulling out Excessive displacement.

Further, in the conductive case 11 used in the present embodiment, since the entire upper case 11a and the lower case 11b are integrally formed, a plurality of conductive cases 11 can be used, for example, by a carrier or the like. 11. In the intermediate step of continuously connecting, the manufacturing of the conductive shell 11 can be performed in this manner, so that extremely efficient manufacturing can be performed.

Although the invention completed by the inventors of the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, the present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without departing from the gist thereof. Various modifications are made within the scope.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the positioning notch portion PS3 provided in the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS has a notched shape that is recessed toward the inner side in the plate width direction, but may be The shape in which the outer width of the plate protrudes outward may be a columnar shape protruding in the direction of the plate thickness or a shape of a concave hole.

Further, although the ground terminal in the above-described embodiment is formed on one surface of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC) PS, it may of course be configured to be disposed outside the signal terminal or other arrangement relationship. . In addition, it is also possible to eliminate the configuration of only the signal terminals of the ground terminal.

Further, in the above embodiment, the horizontal connector type plug connector is applied to the present invention, but the present invention is also applicable to the vertical fitting type plug connector.

As described above, the present embodiment can be widely applied to various types of electrical connectors used in various types of electric machines.

10‧‧‧ plug connector

11‧‧‧Electrical shell

11a‧‧‧Upper casing

11b‧‧‧ Lower housing

11c‧‧‧Insert guide (shell joint)

11d, 11e‧‧‧ upper side fixed side panels

11f, 11g‧‧‧ lower side fixed side panels

11h‧‧‧Locking arm

11i‧‧‧Chisel lock

11m‧‧‧Removal arm (lock release)

11n‧‧‧Lock release operation unit (lock release unit)

11p‧‧‧Remove the action board

11q‧‧‧Lock release stopper

11r‧‧‧1st position restriction

11s‧‧‧2nd position restriction

11t‧‧‧ Grounding contacts

PS‧‧‧ plate signal transmission medium (FPC, FFC)

PS1‧‧‧Connecting terminal section (multipole electrode section)

PS2‧‧‧Position hole

PS3‧‧‧ Positioning gap

Claims (8)

A plug connector is configured to be inserted into a target connector in a state in which a terminal end portion of a plate-shaped signal transmission medium is protruded from a conductive case, and is characterized in that the conductive case is formed to be provided a medium accommodating space into which a terminal end portion of the plate-shaped signal transmission medium is inserted; and the conductive case is integrally provided with a fitting locking portion that is engaged with the object when the connector is inserted into the target connector One of the square connectors is kept in the inserted fitting state; and the lock releasing portion is operated to release the engagement state of the fitting locking portion with respect to the target connector. The plug connector of claim 1, wherein the conductive case is integrally provided with an insertion guide that restricts a direction in which the target connector is inserted. The plug connector of claim 1, wherein the conductive shell is formed by a bent body of a single conductive metal plate. The plug connector of claim 1, wherein the conductive shell is folded back in such a manner that a terminal portion of the plate-shaped signal transmitting medium is overlapped; and the folded portion of the conductive shell is formed The insertion guide portion is provided, and the lock portion arm and the lock release arm are provided in a cantilever-like manner at a free end edge portion opposite to the folded portion of the conductive case, and the lock arm is provided at the lock portion And the front end side of the cantilevered extending portion of the lock releasing arm is provided with the fitting locking portion and the lock releasing portion so as to be elastically displaceable. The plug connector of claim 1, wherein the conductive case is integrally provided with a lock stopper and a lock for restricting excessive displacement of the fitting lock portion and the lock release portion Stop the stopper. The plug connector of claim 5, wherein the lock stopper includes: a release restricting portion that restricts excessive displacement of the lock portion arm by the lock release portion; and a barely pull-out restricting portion The erroneous displacement of the locking portion arm when the target side connector is to be removed is restricted in a state in which the fitting locking portion is in the engaged state. The plug connector of claim 1, wherein the conductive shell is integrally provided with a restriction plate in a manner of being respectively engaged with a hole portion and a notch portion formed in the plate-shaped signal transmission medium. The first and second position regulating sheets of the insertion position of the signal transmission medium. The plug connector of claim 7, wherein the first and second position restricting sheets are arranged side by side in the insertion direction of the plate-shaped signal transmitting medium.