WO2023162623A1

WO2023162623A1 - Connector

Info

Publication number: WO2023162623A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/003495
Authority: WO
Inventors: 章弘西谷; 健司牧野
Original assignee: 株式会社オートネットワーク技術研究所; 住友電装株式会社; 住友電気工業株式会社
Priority date: 2022-02-24
Filing date: 2023-02-03
Publication date: 2023-08-31
Also published as: JP2023122823A

Abstract

Provided is a connector that can be mounted to a circuit board in a satisfactory manner.　The connector (10) comprises: a housing (12) to be mounted to a circuit board (50); a plurality of terminal pins (22) to be inserted into first through-holes (H1) of the circuit board (50), the plurality of terminal pins (22) being fixed to the housing (12); housing fixing members (40) to be inserted into second through-holes (H2) of the circuit board (50), the housing fixing members (40) being fixed to the housing (12); and an alignment plate (30) for positioning with the plurality of terminal pins (22) passing through the alignment plate (30), the alignment plate (30) being mounted to the housing (12). The alignment plate (30) can be displaced relative to the housing (12) in a state of being mounted to the housing (12).

Description

connector

The present disclosure relates to connectors.

Patent Document 1 discloses an alignment plate that can be attached to a connector housing and has a plurality of positioning holes extending therethrough. A plurality of terminal fittings led out from the connector housing are positioned with respect to the through holes of the printed circuit board by being inserted through the positioning holes.

JP 2014-53144 A

In a connector having an alignment plate, as a means of fixing the connector housing to the printed circuit board, it is conceivable to attach a fixing member having a press-fit portion to the connector housing and press-fit the press-fit portion of the fixing member into the through-hole of the printed circuit board. be done. Also, in this case, the press-fit portion formed on the terminal fitting can be inserted into another through hole. Generally, when designing parts, it is known to increase design tolerances as dimensions increase. Also, the larger the dimensions of the part, the higher the rigidity. Therefore, when the press-fit portion of the fixing member is larger than the press-fit portion of the terminal fitting, the press-fit portion of the fixing member having a large size (that is, the design tolerance is large and the rigidity is high) prevents the connector housing and the printed circuit board from being separated from each other. There is a concern that the press-fit portion of the small-sized terminal fitting will be difficult to be inserted into the through-hole.

The connector of the present disclosure has been completed based on the circumstances as described above, and aims to provide a connector that can be satisfactorily attached to a circuit board.

The connector of the present disclosure is
a housing attached to the circuit board;
a plurality of terminal fittings fixed to the housing and inserted into first through holes of the circuit board;
a housing fixing member fixed to the housing and inserted through a second through hole of the circuit board;
an alignment plate mounted on the housing and positioned with the plurality of terminal fittings penetrating therethrough;
with
The alignment plate can be displaced relative to the housing while attached to the housing.

The connector of the present disclosure can be attached well to the circuit board.

1 is a perspective view of a connector of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alignment plate of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a rear view of the connector of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a side view of a connector of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 8 is a rear view showing the underside of the connector of the present disclosure and the circuit board.

[Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]
First, the embodiments of the present disclosure are listed and described.
The connector of the present disclosure is
(1) It comprises a housing attached to a circuit board, a plurality of terminal fittings, a housing fixing member, and an alignment plate. A plurality of terminal fittings are fixed to the housing and inserted through the first through holes of the circuit board. The housing fixing member is fixed to the housing and inserted through the second through hole of the circuit board. The alignment plate is attached to the housing and positions the plurality of terminal fittings while passing through them. The alignment plate can be displaced relative to the housing while attached to the housing.

According to this configuration, even if there is a difference in design tolerance between the housing fixing member and the terminal fitting, the difference in design tolerance can be absorbed by relatively displacing the alignment plate with respect to the housing. Thereby, the housing fixing member and the plurality of terminal fittings can be inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole, respectively. Therefore, the housing fixing member and the plurality of terminal fittings can be satisfactorily attached to the circuit board.

(2) The housing fixing member has a protruding fixing portion that is inserted into the second through hole. The alignment plate has boss pins that are inserted into the third through holes of the circuit board to position the alignment plate with respect to the circuit board. The boss pin preferably has a shape extending longer than the projecting end of the fixing portion. According to this configuration, it is possible to determine the positions of the alignment plate and the terminal fitting with respect to the circuit board by inserting the boss pin through the third through hole before the fixing portion is inserted through the second through hole. . As a result, even if the design tolerance of the terminal fittings is smaller than the design tolerance of the housing fixing member, the plurality of terminal fittings can be reliably attached to the circuit board.

(3) In (2), the terminal fitting has a first press-fit portion that is inserted into the first through hole while being elastically deformed, and the fixing portion is elastically deformed with respect to the second through hole. It is preferable to have a second press-fit portion that is inserted through the . According to this configuration, the connector can be attached to the circuit board without using solder.

In (4) and (3), the outer dimensions of the second press-fit portion are preferably larger than the outer dimensions of the first press-fit portion. According to this configuration, the press-fit terminal becomes more difficult to come off from the inserted through-hole (that is, the holding force becomes larger) as the outside dimension increases. Therefore, by making the outer dimensions of the second press-fit portion larger than the outer dimensions of the first press-fit portion, the performance of the housing fixing member for fixing the housing to the circuit board can be enhanced.

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
[Embodiment 1]
A first embodiment embodying the connector 10 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. In the first embodiment, with respect to the front-rear direction, the back side in FIG. 4 is defined as front, and the front side is defined as rear. The front side is the side where the connector 10 is fitted to a mating connector (not shown). Regarding the vertical direction, the directions appearing in FIG. 4 are defined as upward and downward as they are. As for left and right directions, the directions shown in FIG. 4 are defined as left and right.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 10 is constructed by assembling a housing 12, a housing fixing member 40, a plurality of terminal fittings 22, and an alignment plate 30. As shown in FIG. The housing 12 is made of synthetic resin and has a terminal holding portion 13 , a hood portion 14 , a pair of left-right symmetric side wall portions 16 , and a pair of fixing member receiving portions 21 . The terminal holding portion 13 has a rectangular wall shape with the wall thickness direction oriented in the front-rear direction. The hood portion 14 protrudes forward from the outer peripheral edge of the terminal holding portion 13 in the shape of a rectangular tube.

The side wall portions 16 project rearward from both left and right ends of the rear surface of the terminal holding portion 13 with the wall thickness direction facing the left and right direction (direction perpendicular to the terminal holding portion 13). As shown in FIG. 2, each of the side wall portions 16 is formed with a pair of symmetrical locking portions 18 . The locking portion 18 is formed inside the side wall portion 16 in the left-right direction. Each engaging portion 18 has a shape in which the lateral inner surface of the side wall portion 16 is recessed outward in the lateral direction.

A guide groove 20 is formed below the engaging portion 18 of the side wall portion 16 . In one side wall portion 16, two guide grooves 20 are formed side by side in the front-rear direction. In one side wall portion 16, each guide groove 20 has a shape in which the inner side surface in the left-right direction of the side wall portion 16 is recessed outward in the left-right direction, and is formed so as to extend in the up-down direction. The lower end of each guide groove 20 is open downward. The upper end of each guide groove 20 is closed at a position below the engaging portion 18 .

A pair of fixing member receiving portions 21 is provided on each side surface of each side wall portion 16 in the left-right direction. The pair of fixing member receiving portions 21 are provided so as to protrude outward in the left-right direction. An insertion hole 21A is formed through each fixing member receiving portion 21 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 4).

The housing fixing member 40 is formed by punching a conductive metal plate. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing fixing member 40 has two fixing portions 40A. Each fixing part 40</b>A protrudes downward and is arranged side by side in the front-rear direction at the lower end of the housing fixing member 40 . The fixed portion 40A has a second press-fit portion 40D. A pair of elastic contact pieces 40B and a bending space 40C arranged between the elastic contact pieces 40B are formed in the second press-fit portion 40D. The pair of elastic contact pieces 40B are configured to protrude away from each other in the front-rear direction. The pair of elastic contact pieces 40B of the fixed portion 40A are inserted into the second through holes H2 (see FIG. 8) of the circuit board 50 to advance into the bending space 40C, thereby narrowing the front-to-rear dimension. It is designed to be elastically deformable. That is, the fixed portion 40A has a second press-fit portion 40D that is inserted into the second through hole H2 while being elastically deformed. The housing fixing member 40 is oriented along the outer surface of the side wall portion 16 while the second press-fit portion 40D protrudes downward, and is press-fitted into the insertion holes 21A of the fixing member receiving portions 21 of the housing 12 from below. be. The housing fixing member 40 is thus fixed to the housing 12 . Each second press-fit portion 40D of the housing fixing member 40 press-fitted into the insertion hole 21A of each fixing member receiving portion 21 protrudes downward from the lower end of the side wall portion 16 (see FIG. 5).

The terminal fitting 22 is formed by bending an elongated metal material into an L shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 22 has a through portion 23 extending in the front-rear direction, and a substrate connecting portion 24 extending downward from the rear end of the through portion 23 at a right angle. The dimension in the horizontal direction of the through portion 23 is smaller than the dimension in the vertical direction. The dimension in the left-right direction of the board connection portion 24 is smaller than the dimension in the front-rear direction. A notch (not shown) is formed in the penetrating portion 23 or the substrate connecting portion 24 so as to be recessed in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. The upper end portion (base end portion) of the board connecting portion 24 continues to the rear end of the through portion 23 . A first press-fit portion 25 that is inserted into the first through hole H1 (see FIG. 8) of the circuit board 50 is provided at the lower end portion (tip portion) of the board connection portion 24 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the first press-fit portion 25 is formed with a pair of elastic contact pieces 25A and a deflection space 25B arranged between the elastic contact pieces 25A. The pair of elastic contact pieces 25A are configured to protrude away from each other in the front-rear direction. The pair of elastic contact pieces 25A can be elastically deformed so as to narrow the front-to-rear dimension by advancing into the bending space 25B. The maximum width dimension (maximum dimension in the front-rear direction) of the elastic contact piece 25A is smaller than the maximum width dimension (maximum dimension in the front-rear direction) of the elastic contact piece 40B. Further, the maximum width dimension (maximum dimension in the left-right direction) of the elastic contact piece 25A is smaller than the maximum width dimension (maximum dimension in the left-right direction) of the elastic contact piece 40B (see FIG. 8). In other words, the outer dimensions of the second press-fit portion 40D are larger than the outer dimensions of the first press-fit portion 25 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 22 is fixed to the terminal holding portion 13 with the penetrating portion 23 penetrating the terminal holding portion 13 in the front-rear direction. When the plurality of terminal fittings 22 are attached and fixed to the housing 12, the through portions 23 are arranged parallel to each other, and the board connection portions 24 are arranged parallel to each other. A front end portion of the penetrating portion 23 protrudes into the receptacle 14 from the front surface of the terminal holding portion 13 (not shown).

The rear end portion of the through portion 23 and the board connection portion 24 are entirely exposed behind the terminal holding portion 13 . The first press-fit portion 25 of the board connecting portion 24 protrudes downward from the lower edge of the side wall portion 16 (see FIG. 5). The first press-fit portion 25 is inserted through the first through hole H1 of the circuit board 50 and elastically contacts the first through hole H1.

The alignment plate 30 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 3 , the alignment plate 30 has a plate body 31 , a pair of symmetrical side plate portions 34 , and a pair of boss pins 38 . The plate main body 31 has a flat plate shape with the plate thickness direction oriented in the vertical direction (the direction parallel to the length direction of the board connecting portion 24). The plate main body 31 has a rectangular shape with long sides oriented in the horizontal direction. The plate main body 31 is formed with a plurality of positioning holes 32 through which the plurality of board connecting portions 24 are individually inserted. By inserting the board connecting portion 24 into the positioning hole 32, the positions of the board connecting portion 24 and the plate main body 31 are determined.

The pair of left and right side plate portions 34 have a form that rises upward at right angles from the left and right side edges of the plate body 31 . The side plate portion 34 can be elastically deformed in the left-right direction with the lower end connected to the plate body 31 as a fulcrum. An upper end portion of each side plate portion 34 is formed with a locking projection 36 projecting outward in the left-right direction.

A guide rib 37 protruding outward in the left-right direction is provided at each of the front end portion and the rear end portion of each side plate portion 34 . The lower ends of the guide ribs 37 are flush with the lower surface of the plate body 31 . The upper end of the guide rib 37 extends to a position below the locking projection 36 . The guide rib 37 extends long in a direction parallel to the length direction of the board connecting portion 24 . The guide ribs 37 can be fitted into the guide grooves 20 .

The pair of boss pins 38 are cylindrical and extend vertically. Each boss pin 38 extends downward from the lower surface of each of the left and right ends of the plate body 31 . The position of each boss pin 38 in the front-rear direction is different from each other (see FIG. 5).

The alignment plate 30 is attached to the side wall portion 16 of the housing 12 with the board connecting portion 24 passing through the positioning hole 32 (see FIG. 1). Thereby, the alignment plate 30 positions the relative positions of the substrate connecting portions 24 . Specifically, each locking protrusion 36 is locked to each locking portion 18, and each guide rib 37 is fitted to each guide groove 20 (see FIG. 4). In this state, each boss pin 38 is arranged to extend longer than the lower end (protruding end) of the first press-fit portion 25, and the lower end (protruding end) of the second press-fit portion 40D of the fixing portion 40A. It is in a state of being extended to the lower side (see FIG. 4).

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a gap G1 is formed between each side plate portion 34 and the side wall portion 16 in the left-right direction. A gap G2 is formed between the locking projection 36 and the locking portion 18 in the left-right direction. A gap G3 is formed between each guide rib 37 and each guide groove 20 in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. 6 and 7, the right side plate portion 34 and the right side wall portion 16 are shown. Since the left side plate portion 34 and the left side wall portion 16 are the same, illustration thereof is omitted. These gaps G1, G2, and G3 allow the alignment plate 30 to be displaced relative to the housing 12 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction in a state where the alignment plate 30 is attached to the housing 12 . As a result, when the alignment plate 30 is displaced relative to the housing 12 , the board connecting portion 24 positioned relative to the plate body 31 is also displaced relative to the housing 12 together with the alignment plate 30 . The direction of relative displacement between the substrate connecting portion 24 and the alignment plate 30 is a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the substrate connecting portion 24 in the alignment plate 30 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the circuit board 50 on which the connector 10 thus formed has a plurality of first through holes H1, a plurality of second through holes H2, and two third through holes H3 extending in the board thickness direction. formed through. A pair of elastic contact pieces 25A of the first press-fit portion 25 are inserted into the first through holes H1 in an elastically deformed state. When the first press-fit portion 25 is inserted into the first through hole H1, the pair of elastic contact pieces 25A are elastically deformed so as to approach each other. As a result, each elastic contact piece 25A of the first press-fit portion 25 elastically contacts the inner surface of the first through hole H1.

The second press-fit portion 40D is inserted through the second through hole H2. When the second press-fit portion 40D is inserted into the second through hole H2, the pair of elastic contact pieces 40B are elastically deformed toward each other and elastically contact the inner surface of the second through hole H2. Thereby, the state in which the housing 12 is attached and fixed to the circuit board 50 is maintained. One boss pin 38 is inserted through each third through hole H3. The position of the alignment plate 30 with respect to the circuit board 50 is determined by inserting the boss pin 38 into each third through hole H3.

An example of the procedure for attaching the connector 10 to the circuit board 50 will be described. First, one boss pin 38 is inserted through each third through hole H3. Each boss pin 38 extends below the lower end of the first press-fit portion 25 and below the lower end of the second press-fit portion 40D, so the first press-fit portion 25 and the second press-fit portion 40D. It is inserted through each third through hole H3 earlier than. Thereby, the positions of the alignment plate 30 and the circuit board 50 are determined before the first press-fit portion 25 and the second press-fit portion 40D are inserted into the first through hole H1 and the second through hole H2. Along with this, the positions of the first press-fit portion 25 inserted through the positioning hole 32 of the alignment plate 30 and the first through hole H1 are also determined.

Next, the first press-fit portion 25 and the second press-fit portion 40D are inserted through the first through hole H1 and the second through hole H2. The positions of the first press-fit portion 25 and the first through hole H1 are already determined. Therefore, even if the housing 12 is displaced in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction with respect to the circuit board 50, the positions of the first press-fit portion 25 and the first through hole H1 are kept fixed.

The alignment plate 30 can be displaced relative to the housing 12 in the front-back direction and the left-right direction. Therefore, for example, when the position of the second through hole H2 with respect to the first through hole H1 or the diameter of the second through hole H2 is deviated within the design tolerance, the first press-fit portion 25 and the first through hole H1 are not aligned. , the housing 12 alone can be displaced with respect to the circuit board 50 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction (that is, the direction along the surface of the circuit board 50). Further, in the terminal fitting 22, the lateral dimension of the through portion 23 is smaller than the vertical dimension, and the lateral dimension of the board connecting portion 24 is smaller than the longitudinal dimension. A notch (not shown) is provided in the terminal fitting 22 . As a result, the terminal fittings 22 are easily elastically deformed, so that only the housing 12 is easily displaced with respect to the circuit board 50 .

Thus, the positions of the second press-fit portion 40D and the second through-hole H2 can be determined while maintaining the determined positions of the first press-fit portion 25 and the first through-hole H1. Then, when the positions of the second press-fit portion 40D and the second through hole H2 are determined, the first press-fit portion 25 is pushed into the first through hole H1, and the second press-fit portion 40D is pushed into the second through hole H2. to bring the lower end of each side wall portion 16 into contact with the upper surface of the circuit board 50 . The connector 10 is thus attached to the circuit board 50 .

Next, the action of Embodiment 1 will be described.

A connector 10 of the present disclosure includes a housing 12 attached to a circuit board 50, a plurality of terminal fittings 22, a housing fixing member 40, and an alignment plate 30. A plurality of terminal fittings 22 are fixed to the housing 12 and inserted through the first through holes H1 of the circuit board 50 . The housing fixing member 40 is fixed to the housing 12 and inserted through the second through hole H2 of the circuit board 50 . The alignment plate 30 is attached to the housing 12 and positions the plurality of terminal fittings 22 while passing through them. The alignment plate 30 can be displaced relative to the housing 12 while attached to the housing 12 . With this configuration, even if there is a difference in design tolerance between the housing fixing member 40 and the terminal fitting 22 , the difference in design tolerance can be absorbed by displacing the alignment plate 30 relative to the housing 12 . Thereby, the housing fixing member 40 and the plurality of terminal fittings 22 can be inserted through the first through hole H1 and the second through hole H2, respectively. Therefore, the housing fixing member 40 and the plurality of terminal fittings 22 can be satisfactorily attached to the circuit board 50 .

The housing fixing member 40 has a projecting fixing portion 40A that is inserted into the second through hole H2. The alignment plate 30 has boss pins 38 that are inserted into the third through holes H3 of the circuit board 50 to position the alignment plate 30 with respect to the circuit board 50 . The boss pin 38 has a shape extending longer than the protruding end of the fixed portion 40A. According to this configuration, the boss pin 38 is inserted through the third through hole H3 before the fixing portion 40A is inserted through the second through hole H2, so that the alignment plate 30 and the terminal fitting 22 are aligned with respect to the circuit board 50. position can be determined. Accordingly, even if the design tolerance of the terminal fittings 22 is smaller than the design tolerance of the housing fixing member 40, the plurality of terminal fittings 22 can be securely attached to the circuit board 50. FIG.

The terminal fitting 22 has a first press-fit portion 25 that is inserted into the first through hole H1 while being elastically deformed, and the fixing portion 40A is inserted into the second through hole H2 while being elastically deformed. It has a second press-fit portion 40D that is attached. According to this configuration, the connector 10 can be attached to the circuit board 50 without using solder.

The outer dimensions of the second press-fit portion 40D are larger than the outer dimensions of the first press-fit portion 25. The larger the outer dimensions of the press-fit terminal, the more difficult it is to come off the inserted through-hole (that is, the larger the holding force). Therefore, by making the outer dimensions of the second press-fit portion 40D larger than the outer dimensions of the first press-fit portion 25, the performance of the housing fixing member 40 for fixing the housing 12 to the circuit board 50 can be enhanced.

The external dimensions of the portion (second press-fit portion 40D) of the housing fixing member 40 that is inserted through the second through hole H2 are the same as the portion of the terminal fitting 22 that is inserted through the first through hole H1 (first press-fit portion 40D). 25).

[Other embodiments]
It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed this time, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims. be.

Unlike the first embodiment, the boss pins may be provided in the housing instead of being provided in the alignment plate. Alternatively, the configuration may be such that the boss pin is not provided.

Unlike the first embodiment, the first press-fit portion may not be provided, and the board connection portion may be inserted through the through hole and fixed to the circuit board using solder. Further, it may be configured such that the fixing portion is inserted through the through hole and fixed to the circuit board using solder without providing the second press-fit portion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Connector 12... Housing 13... Terminal holding part 14... Hood part 15... Flange part 16... Side wall part 18... Locking part 20... Guide groove 21... Fixed member receiving part 21A... Insertion hole 22... Terminal fitting 23... Through part 24 Board connection portion 25 First press-fit portion 25A Elastic contact piece 25B Deflection space 30 Alignment plate 31 Plate main body 32 Positioning hole 34 Side plate portion 36 Engagement projection 37 Guide rib 38 Boss pin 40 Housing fixing member 40A Fixing portion 40B Elastic contact piece 40C Deflection space 40D Second press-fit portion 50 Circuit boards G1, G2, G3 Gap H1 First through hole H2 Second through hole H3 Third through hole

Claims

a housing attached to the circuit board;
a plurality of terminal fittings fixed to the housing and inserted into first through holes of the circuit board;
a housing fixing member fixed to the housing and inserted through a second through hole of the circuit board;
an alignment plate mounted on the housing and positioned with the plurality of terminal fittings penetrating therethrough;
with
The connector, wherein the alignment plate is capable of relatively displacing with respect to the housing when attached to the housing.
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the alignment plate has boss pins that are inserted into third through holes of the circuit board to position the alignment plate with respect to the circuit board.
The housing fixing member has a projecting fixing portion that is inserted into the second through hole,
3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the boss pin has a shape extending longer than the projecting end of the fixing portion.
The housing fixing member has a projecting fixing portion that is inserted into the second through hole,
The plurality of terminal fittings have first press-fit portions that are inserted into the first through holes in an elastically deformed state,
4. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing portion has a second press-fit portion that is inserted into the second through hole in an elastically deformed state.
A portion of the housing fixing member that is inserted through the second through hole has an outer dimension larger than that of a portion of the terminal fitting that is inserted through the first through hole. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims.