JP6835687B2 - Electrical connector for circuit board - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a circuit board that is arranged on a mounting surface of a circuit board and is fitted and connected to a mating connector so as to be insertable and removable.

In this type of electric connector, it is desirable that the electric connector and the mating connector to be fitted and connected to each other have a locking function for maintaining the connector fitted state. Further, when the electric connector is used for high-speed signal transmission, it is required to reduce the influence of noise radiated from the terminal of the electric connector on the outside and the influence of noise on the terminal from the outside as much as possible. To.

Patent Document 1 discloses a receptacle connector as a circuit board connector provided with a metal lock member (GCL member) having a locking function. In the receptacle connector, a plurality of terminals forming two terminal rows with the longitudinal direction of the housing as the terminal arrangement direction are arranged and held in the housing. The lock member is arranged between the two terminal rows so as to extend in the terminal arrangement direction over a range including the terminal arrangement range, and separates the two terminal rows. The lock member is formed with a metal locked member (connection portion) provided on a plug connector (electrical connector for a circuit board as a mating connector) and a lockable lock portion at both ends in the terminal arrangement direction. ing. The locked member has two locked arm portions that can be elastically displaced in the connector width direction (the lateral direction of the housing), and the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board to which the plug connector is attached. It is designed to be soldered to.

The locked portion of the locked member enters between the locked arms of the locked member in the connector fitted state, and locks with the protruding locked arm formed on the locked arm. It is designed to do. That is, the lock member and the locked member have a lock structure (hereinafter referred to as "simple lock structure") in which the connector can be pulled out by applying an extraction output equal to or greater than the locking force (locking force). There is. The locked member is solder-connected to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board.

Further, in the receptacle connector, as described above, the lock member extends in the terminal arrangement direction so as to separate the two terminal rows, and the lock member prevents crosstalk between the two terminal rows. There is.

JP-A-2017-103119

However, as described above, in Patent Document 1, the locking member of the receptacle connector and the locked member of the plug connector have a simple locking structure. However, it is locked compared to the lock structure (here referred to as "complete lock structure") in which the connector can be pulled out only by moving one of the locked member and the locked member to the unlocked position. The power is small. Therefore, it is desirable to adopt a completely locked structure in order to ensure the locked state between the connectors.

Further, the receptacle connector of Patent Document 1 does not have a metal shell member, and therefore, on the outside of each terminal row in the connector width direction (the side opposite to the side where the lock member is located). Does not have a metal member. As a result, in the receptacle connector, even if crosstalk between two terminal rows can be prevented, noise radiated from the terminals in each terminal row easily leaks to the outside of the connector, and the terminals are It is easily affected by noise from outside the connector. That is, the receptacle connector and the electronic device adjacent thereto may adversely affect each other.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention is a circuit board capable of more reliably locking the connectors and satisfactorily reducing the influence of noise between the two terminal rows and between the terminal rows and the outside of the connector. The subject is to provide an electrical connector for use.

The electric connector for a circuit board according to the present invention is an electric connector for a circuit board that is arranged on the mounting surface of the circuit board and is fitted and connected to the mating connector so that it can be inserted and removed. A housing made of an electric insulating material extending in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of metal terminals arranged and held in the housing in two rows of terminals with the longitudinal direction as the terminal arrangement direction, and arranged in a housing portion of the housing. A metal lock member that can move along the terminal arrangement direction between a lock position that can prevent the mating connector from being pulled out and an unlocking position that allows the mating connector to be pulled out, and the lock. It has a metal urging portion that urges the member toward the lock position, and a metal shell member that is attached to the housing.

In such an electric connector for a circuit board, in the present invention, the lock member is located between two terminal rows in the connector width direction and is located in a range including at least a part of the terminals in the connector insertion / removal direction. The shell member is formed so as to extend over a range including the terminal arrangement range in the arrangement direction, and the shell member has a side plate portion extending over a range including the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction along the outer surface of the housing and a corresponding circuit part of the circuit board. It has a connecting portion that can be connected to the above, and the lock member and the shell member are characterized in that they are electrically conductive via the urging portion.

In the present invention, the metal lock member is provided between the two terminal rows, and the lock member is electrically grounded to the circuit board via the shell member and the urging portion. Since they are conducting, even if the terminals are used for high-speed signal transmission, crosstalk between the two terminal rows is prevented by the locking member. Further, a side plate portion of the shell member exists on the outside of each terminal row in the connector width direction (the side opposite to the side where the lock member is located), and the terminal row is shielded from the outside by the side plate portion. There is. Therefore, the leakage of noise radiated from the terminals of each terminal row to the outside of the connector and the intrusion of noise from the outside of the connector are satisfactorily prevented by the side plate portion. As a result, the electric connector and the electronic device adjacent to the electric connector do not adversely affect each other in signal transmission.

Further, the lock member has a so-called complete lock structure in which the connector can be pulled out only after receiving an operation of moving from the lock position to the unlock position when the connector is pulled out. The lock strength is higher than that of the lock structure. Therefore, the locked state can be maintained more reliably.

In the present invention, the urging portion may be formed integrally with the shell member. By forming the urging portion integrally with the shell member in this way, the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed as compared with the case where the urging portion is provided as a member separate from the shell member. Further, when the connector is manufactured, the urging portion is also attached at the same time by attaching the shell member to the housing, so that the step of attaching the urging portion to the housing can be omitted, and the connector can be manufactured. It will be easy.

In the present invention, the lock member is made of a metal plate, and the plate surface perpendicular to the plate thickness direction is arranged so as to be parallel to the plate surface of the side plate portion of the shell member facing the outer surface of the housing. It is preferable that it is done. By arranging the lock member made of a metal plate in this way, noise can be shielded over a wide range on the plate surface of the lock member, and the dimension of the lock member in the connector width direction is the plate thickness dimension of the lock member. Therefore, it is possible to avoid increasing the size of the connector in the connector width direction.

In the present invention, as described above, the metal lock member is provided between the two terminal rows, and the lock member is electrically conductive with the shell member via the urging portion. Therefore, even if the terminals are used for high-speed signal transmission, crosstalk between the two terminal rows is prevented by the locking member. Since the terminal row is shielded from the outside by the side plate of the shell member, the leakage of noise radiated from the terminals of each terminal row to the outside of the connector and the intrusion of noise from the outside of the connector are well prevented, and the electric connector and Electronic devices and the like adjacent to this will not adversely affect each other. Further, the lock member has a so-called complete lock structure, and the lock strength can be increased as compared with the conventional simple lock structure, so that the locked state can be maintained more reliably.

It is a perspective view of the receptacle connector which concerns on embodiment of this invention and the plug connector which is fitted with it from above, and shows the state before the connector fitting. It is a perspective view which showed the receptacle connector and plug connector of FIG. 1 turned upside down, and is the perspective view which showed the plug connector in the posture which it fitted from below. It is sectional drawing in the plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of the receptacle connector and the plug connector of FIG. 1, and shows the sectional view at the position of the signal terminal in the terminal arrangement direction. It is a perspective view which showed the lock metal fitting of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 in the posture which is held by the receptacle connector of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the plane perpendicular to the connector width direction of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1, and shows the sectional view at the position of the lock metal fitting in the connector width direction. (A) is a cross-sectional view of a locked receptacle connector and a plug connector in a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction, and (B) is an enlarged view of the right half of (A). (A) is a cross-sectional view of the receptacle connector and the plug connector in the unlocked state in a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction, and (B) is an enlarged view of the right half of (A).

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector 1 according to the present embodiment and the plug connector 2 fitted to the receptacle connector 1 from above, and shows a state before the connector is fitted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 of FIG. 1 turned upside down, and is a perspective view showing the plug connector 2 in a posture of being fitted from below.

The receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 which is the mating connector of the receptacle connector 1 in the present embodiment are circuits arranged on the mounting surfaces of different circuit boards B1 and B2 (shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIGS. 1 and 2). It is an electric connector for a board, and constitutes a connector assembly in which a direction perpendicular to the surfaces of the circuit boards B1 and B2 (the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in FIG. 1) is the insertion / removal direction. Regarding the receptacle connector 1, the connector fitting direction with respect to the plug connector 2 is upward (Z1 direction) in FIG. 1, and the connector extraction direction is downward (Z2 direction) in FIG. Regarding the plug connector 2, the connector fitting direction with respect to the receptacle connector 1 is downward (Z2 direction) in FIG. 1, and the connector extraction direction is upward (Z1 direction) in FIG. In the present embodiment, the plug connector 2 will be described as the mating connector, but from the plug connector 2, the receptacle connector 1 will be the mating connector.

As seen in FIG. 1, the receptacle connector 1 is arranged in two rows by the receptacle side housing 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and the receptacle side housing 10 with the longitudinal direction of the receptacle side housing 10 as the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction). A plurality of receptacle terminals 20 arranged and held in a row, a lock metal fitting 30 as a lock member extending along the longitudinal direction and held in the receptacle side housing 10, and the receptacle so as to cover the peripheral wall of the receptacle side housing 10. It has a shell member 40 attached to the side housing 10. The receptacle connector 1 is arranged and mounted on the circuit board B1 in the posture shown in FIG.

The receptacle side housing 10 is made of, for example, an electrically insulating material such as resin, and extends in one direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board B1 as the longitudinal direction (terminal arrangement direction). The receptacle-side housing 10 stands up from the bottom wall 11 (see FIG. 2) parallel to the mounting surface and upward (Z1 direction) from the bottom wall 11 in FIG. 1 and in the terminal arrangement direction. It has a convex protruding wall 12 that extends, and a frame-shaped peripheral wall 13 that stands up from the bottom wall 11 and surrounds the protruding wall 12. The peripheral wall 13 has a pair of side walls 14 extending in the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction) and end portions of the pair of side walls 14 extending in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. It has a pair of end walls 15 for connecting the above. The annular space that opens upward between the protruding wall 12 and the peripheral wall 13 is formed as a receiving portion 16 for receiving the peripheral wall 53 as a fitting portion of the plug connector 2.

The receptacle side housing 10 has a form of holding the receptacle terminal 20, the lock metal fitting 30, and the shell member 40. In order to understand the forms, first, prior to further explanation of the receptacle side housing 10, the receptacle terminal 20 , The lock metal fitting 30 and the shell member 40 will be described.

The plurality of receptacle terminals 20 have a receptacle signal terminal 20S and a receptacle power supply terminal 20P. As seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, the two rows of terminal rows composed of the terminal row located on the Y1 side and the terminal row located on the Y2 side of the receptacle connector 1 are in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction). They are arranged in parallel along the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction) at predetermined intervals. Each terminal row includes a plurality of receptacle signal terminals 20S arranged at equal intervals, and a receptacle power supply arranged one by one on both sides of the array range of the receptacle signal terminals 20S so as to form the same row as the receptacle signal terminals 20S. It consists of terminals 20P.

As seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, the receptacle signal terminal 20S and the receptacle power supply terminal 20P are formed by bending a strip-shaped piece obtained by punching a metal plate in the plate thickness direction. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the receptacle signal terminal 20S has a base portion 21S extending in the connector width direction (see also FIG. 2) and a contact arm portion 22S that is bent at a right angle at one end of the base portion 21S and extends upward. (See also FIG. 1), a held portion 23S extending in an inverted U shape from the other end of the base portion 21S (see also FIG. 1), and outward from the held portion 23S in the connector width direction (in FIG. 3). The right-angled receptacle signal terminal 20S has a connecting portion 24S (see FIG. 2) extending in the Y1 direction and the left-hand receptacle signal terminal 20S in the Y2 direction. In the receptacle signal terminal 20S, the base portion 21S and the held portion 23S are integrally molded and held by the bottom wall 11 and the side wall 14 of the receptacle side housing 10, respectively.

The contact arm portion 22S is housed in a vertical groove portion 12DS formed in a protruding wall 12 of the receptacle side housing 10, and is elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction of the contact arm portion 22S, in other words, in the connector width direction. It has become. At the upper end of the contact arm portion 22S, a contact portion 22AS for contact with the plug signal terminal 60S as a mating terminal provided on the plug connector 2 is formed so as to project outward in the connector width direction. It is located in the receiving unit 16. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the held portion 23S having an inverted U shape (see also FIG. 1) has a side wall of the inner leg portion 23AS located inward in the connector width direction among the two legs. It is exposed from the inner surface of 14, and one lock portion 23BS for locking with the plug signal terminal 60S is formed so as to protrude from the upper portion of the plate surface. Further, as seen in FIG. 3, the connecting portion 24S is located in the connector width direction from the lower end (upper end in FIG. 2) of the outer leg portion 23BS located outside in the connector width direction among the two legs of the held portion 23S. It extends outward to the outside of the receptacle side housing 10 and is solder-connected to the corresponding circuit portion (not shown) of the circuit board B1.

The receptacle power supply terminal 20P has the same basic configuration as the receptacle signal terminal 20S, and has the same shape as the receptacle signal terminal 20S when viewed in the terminal arrangement direction. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the receptacle power supply terminal 20P, the portion corresponding to the receptacle signal terminal 20S is indicated by a reference numeral “P” instead of “S”. The receptacle power supply terminal 20P is different from the receptacle signal terminal 20S in that it has a larger dimension in the terminal width direction (terminal arrangement direction) than the receptacle signal terminal 20S and has two lock portions 23BP. .. The lock portion 23BP has the same shape as the lock portion 23BS of the receptacle signal terminal 20S, and two are arranged in the terminal width direction at the same height position as the lock portion 23BS.

Next, the configuration of the lock metal fitting 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the lock metal fitting 30 of the receptacle connector 1 of FIG. 1 in a posture of being held by the receptacle connector of FIG. The lock metal fitting 30 extends in the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction), and as will be described later, moves in the upper right direction by receiving the unlock operation toward the upper right (X1 direction) in FIG. It has become. In the present embodiment, the upper right (X1 direction) in FIG. 4, that is, the front in the moving direction of the lock metal fitting 30 at the time of unlocking is referred to as "forward", and the lower left (X2 direction) in FIG. 4 is referred to as "rear". That is.

The lock metal fitting 30 is made by cutting a rod-shaped metal member extending in the front-rear direction (terminal arrangement direction). As seen in FIG. 3, the lock fitting 30 is located at the center position of the receptacle connector 1 in the connector width direction, in other words, between two terminal rows, and is a receptacle signal in the connector insertion / removal direction. It is located in a range including a part of the terminal 20. Further, the lock metal fitting 30 is formed larger than the receptacle housing 10 in the front-rear direction, and includes a terminal arrangement range in the front-rear direction. The lock metal fitting 30 may be formed in a size within a range including the entire receptacle signal terminal 20 in the connector insertion / removal direction.

The lock metal fitting 30 has a front large recess 31A and a front large recess 31A that are sunk in a square shape from both side surfaces (a surface perpendicular to the Y-axis direction) at a position near the front end in the front half of the lock metal fitting 30. A small front recess 32A that is recessed in an L shape is formed from both side surfaces at a rear position. On the other hand, in the latter half of the lock metal fitting 30, there is a rear large recess 31B that is sunk in a square shape from both side surfaces at a position near the rear end, and an L-shape from both side surfaces at a position in front of the rear large recess 31B. A sunken rear small recess 32B is formed. The front large recess 31A and the rear large recess 31B (collectively referred to as "large recesses 31A and 31B" when it is not necessary to distinguish them) have the same shape as each other, and the lock protrusions 33A and 33B described later in the front-rear direction. Except for the position of, it is open upward. Further, the front small recess 32A and the rear small recess 32B (collectively referred to as "small recesses 32A and 32B" when it is not necessary to distinguish them) have the same shape as each other, and the supported portion 34A described later in the front-rear direction. , 34B, except for the position, it is open upward. The small recesses 32A and 32B are formed smaller than the large recesses 31A and 31B in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction.

Further, the lock metal fitting 30 projects from the upper portion of the front edge portions 31A-1 and 31B-1 (edge portions extending in the vertical direction) to the rear among the edge portions forming the large recesses 31A and 31B, and the large recesses 31A, It has lock protrusions 33A and 33B (front lock protrusion 33A, rear lock protrusion 33B) located in 31B. Each of the lock protrusions 33A and 33B has an oblique edge that inclines downward as the upper edge moves backward, and the lower edge extends in a direction (front-back direction) substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction. It is formed in the shape of a hook and can be locked with the locked metal fitting 70 as a mating locking metal fitting provided on the plug connector 2 (see FIGS. 6A and 6B).

Further, the lock metal fitting 30 is composed of the horizontal portions 34A-1, 34B-1 forming the upper edge portion and the vertical portions 34A-2, 34B-2 forming the front edge portion among the edge portions forming the small recesses 32A and 32B. It has inverted L-shaped supported portions 34A and 34B (front supported portion 34A, rear supported portion 34B). The supported portions 34A and 34B are locked downward with respect to the corresponding portions (front support portion 12A-1 and rear support portion 12C-2 described later) of the receptacle side housing 10 from the receptacle side housing 10. This is a part for preventing the lock metal fitting 30 from falling off downward.

The lateral portions 34A-1 and 34B-1 of the supported portions 34A and 34B abut on the lock position side regulating portions 12A-3 and 12C-3 of the receptacle side housing 10 to be described later, and the locking metal fittings 30 are directed backward. It also has a function as a locked position-side regulated part subject to movement restrictions (see also FIGS. 5 and 6 (A) and 6 (B)). Further, the vertical portions 34A-2 and 34B-2 of the supported portions 34A and 34B abut on the unlocking position side restricting portions 12B-2 and 12C-4 described later of the receptacle side housing 10 and lock toward the front. It also has a function as a regulated portion on the unlocked position side that is restricted from moving the metal fitting 30 (see also FIGS. 7A and 7B).

Further, the lock metal fitting 30 further has an applied portion 35 extending upward at the rear end position and an unlocking operation portion 36 extending upward at the front end position. The urging portion 35 comes into contact with the urging portion 45 of the shell member 40 described later, and receives an urging force (spring force) directed backward from the urging portion 45, that is, toward the lock position described later. It has become like. The unlock operation unit 36 is located in front of the lock protrusions 33A and 33B and the applied portion 35, that is, on the unlock position side, and as will be described later, the unlock operation is directed forward during the unlock operation. It is designed to receive power.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shell member 40 is made by punching a metal plate into a predetermined shape and then bending it in the plate thickness direction. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the shell member 40 includes an upper plate portion 41 that covers both end walls 15 of the receptacle side housing 10 and the upper surface of the end portion of the side wall 14 in the terminal arrangement direction, and the upper plate portion 41 in the connector width direction. A side plate portion 42 that is bent downward at a right angle at both end edges of the portion 41 and extends in the terminal arrangement direction to cover the side wall 14 and is held by the receptacle side housing 10, and both end edges of the side plate portion 42 in the terminal arrangement direction. The inner end plate portion 43 (see FIG. 2) that is bent inward in the connector width direction to cover the end wall surfaces (planes perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction) of both end walls 15 and the upper plate in the connector width direction. The outer end plate portion 44 that is bent downward at a right angle at the side end edge (side edge extending in the connector width direction) of the upper plate portion 41 at a position near both ends of the portion 41 and extends to cover the outer surface of the inner end plate portion 43. And an urging portion 45 extending from the inner end plate portion 43 and located behind the outer end plate portion 44. The shell member 40 also has a function as a shield member.

The upper plate portion 41 has a substantially U-shape when viewed from above, with an end portion 41A covering the upper surface of the end wall 15 and a side portion 41B covering the ends of the two side walls 14. Two end mounting pieces 46 are formed which are bent downward from the inner side edge (the side edge extending in the connector width direction) of the end portion 41A in the terminal arrangement direction and extend to the lower part of the end wall 15. Further, a contact piece 47 that is bent downward and extends to a position closer to the upper end of the side wall 14 is formed from the inner side edge (side edge extending in the terminal arrangement direction) inside the side portion 41B in the connector width direction.

The side plate portion 42 extends along the outer surface of the side wall 14 in the terminal arrangement direction over the entire area of the side wall 14. That is, the side plate portion 42 is provided so as to include the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction. The side plate portion 42 has a lower edge portion cut out outside the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction, and a mounting groove portion for press-fitting mounting to the corresponding portion (mounting portion 14B described later) of the receptacle side housing 10. The 42A is formed, and connecting portions 42B to be solder-connected to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board B1 are formed on both outer sides of the mounting groove portion 42A. By soldering the connecting portion 42B, the shell member 40 is electrically grounded.

The two inner end plate portions 43 are located at intermediate positions in the same direction toward the inward in the connector width direction, specifically, side edges (edge portions extending in the vertical direction) of the end wall grooves 17B and 17C of the end wall 15 described later. ), And the tips (inner ends) are located at intervals. The urging portion 45 is formed by two elastic pieces 45A and 45B that are folded outward from the inner end of each inner end plate portion 43 in the connector width direction and then further folded inward in the connector width direction. Has been done. The elastic pieces 45A and 45B extend toward the upper part of the tip portion (inner end edge) at different positions in the vertical direction and inward in the connector width direction so as to approach each other. (See also FIGS. 6 (A) and 7 (A)). The tip piece 45A-1 of the elastic piece 45A faces the inner edge of the other elastic piece 45B, and the tip piece 45B-1 of the elastic piece 45B is at a position below the tip piece 45A-1 and is elastic of the other. It extends so as to face the inner edge of the piece 45A. Further, below the tip pieces 45A-1 and 45B-1, an accommodating portion 45C for accommodating the rear end portion of the lock fitting 30 is formed.

Returning to the description of the receptacle side housing 10. As seen in FIG. 2, the bottom wall 11 of the receptacle side housing 10 is located near the center in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) and is vertically adjacent to the bottom groove 17A of the lock metal fitting accommodating groove 17, which will be described later. A bottom hole portion 11B that penetrates, and a bottom recess 11C that is adjacent to the bottom hole portion 11B in the connector width direction and is submerged from the bottom surface (upper surface in FIG. 2) of the bottom wall 11 and is opened outward in the connector width direction. Is symmetrical with respect to the center line extending in the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction) through the center in the connector width direction, and a plurality of arrangements are formed at the same positions as the corresponding receptacle terminals 20 at equal intervals in the terminal arrangement direction. Has been done. The plurality of bottom hole portions 11B have a signal terminal bottom hole portion 11BS located corresponding to the receptacle signal terminal 20S and a power supply terminal bottom hole portion 11BP located corresponding to the receptacle power supply terminal 20P. .. The plurality of bottom recesses 11C have a signal terminal bottom recess 11CS located corresponding to the receptacle signal terminal 20S and a power supply terminal bottom recess 11CP located corresponding to the receptacle power supply terminal 20P. The bottom hole portion 11BP for the power supply terminal and the bottom recess 11CP for the power supply terminal have larger width dimensions (dimensions in the terminal arrangement direction) than the bottom hole portion 11BS for the signal terminal and the bottom recess 11CS for the signal terminal, respectively. The bottom hole portion 11B accommodates a part of the base portion 21 of the receptacle terminal 20, and the bottom recess 11C accommodates the connection portion 24 of the receptacle terminal 20.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the protrusion 12 has a vertical groove portion 12D that sinks from both side surfaces 12E of the protrusion 12 and extends in the vertical direction at a position corresponding to the receptacle terminal 20 in the terminal arrangement direction. Multiple arrangements are formed in the terminal arrangement direction. The plurality of flutes 12D have a flute 12DS for signal terminals located corresponding to the receptacle signal terminal 20S and a flute 12DP for power terminals located corresponding to the receptacle power terminal 20P, and the power supply thereof. The vertical groove portion 12DP for terminals has a larger width than the vertical groove portion 12DS for signal terminals.

The side wall 14 is formed with lateral recesses 14A immersed from the inner surface on both outer sides of the inner surface (wall surface forming the receiving portion 16) of the side wall 14 on both outer sides of the terminal arrangement range. The side recess 14A accommodates the contact piece 47 of the shell member 40. Further, the side wall 14 is formed on both outer sides of the terminal arrangement range, with mounting portions 14B press-fitted into the mounting groove portion 42A of the shell member 40 protruding from the outer surface of the lower portion of the side wall 14.

The end wall 15 is recessed from the inner surface (wall surface forming the receiving portion 16) of the end wall 15 at both side positions in the connector width direction of the end wall groove portions 17B and 17C of the lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17, which will be described later, and is vertically oriented. An end recess 15A extending into the shape is formed. The end recess 15A accommodates the end mounting piece 46 of the shell member 40.

Further, the receptacle side housing 10 has a slit shape in which the lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17 as an accommodating portion for accommodating the lock metal fitting 30 extends at a central position in the connector width direction at a right angle to the connector width direction. , It is formed so as to extend over the entire area of the receptacle side housing 10 in the terminal arrangement direction. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17 has a shape symmetrical in the terminal arrangement direction (symmetrical in FIG. 5).

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the receptacle connector 1 of FIG. 1 in a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction, and shows a cross section at a position of the lock metal fitting 30 in the connector width direction. In FIG. 5, the right side is the front side and the left side is the rear side. The lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17 is formed by communicating with a groove portion or a hole portion for accommodating each portion of the lock metal fitting 30.

As seen in FIG. 5, the lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17 has a bottom groove portion 17A (see FIG. 2) for accommodating the lower portion of the lock metal fitting 30, and a front portion for accommodating a part of the front end side portion of the lock metal fitting. It has an end wall groove portion 17B, a rear end wall groove portion 17C for accommodating a part of the rear end side portion of the lock metal fitting, and a protruding wall groove portion 17D for accommodating an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the lock metal fitting 30. There is.

As seen in FIG. 2, the bottom groove portion 17A extends along the bottom wall 11 through the entire area in the terminal arrangement direction in the same direction. Further, the bottom groove portion 17A penetrates in the vertical direction in a range corresponding to the receiving portion 16 in the terminal arrangement direction, that is, in a range between the protruding wall 12 and the end wall 15, and communicates with the receiving portion 16. There is. As seen in FIG. 5, the front end wall groove 17B is the end wall 15 located in the front (right end side in FIG. 5) in the terminal arrangement direction, and the rear end wall groove 17C is in the terminal arrangement direction. The end wall 15 located behind (on the left end side in FIG. 5) extends in the vertical direction and penetrates in the wall thickness direction (terminal arrangement direction) of each end wall 15. The upper inner wall surface (the surface perpendicular to the vertical direction) of the front end wall groove portion 17B and the rear end wall groove portion 17C respectively abuts on the upper edge of the lock metal fitting 30 and restricts the movement of the lock metal fitting 30 upward. It functions as a regulatory surface 17B-1 and 17C-1.

The protruding wall groove portion 17D penetrates the lower portion of the protruding wall 12 in the front-rear direction and communicates with the bottom groove portion 17A. The protrusion wall groove portion 17D has a front protrusion wall hole portion 17D-1 that penetrates the protrusion wall 12 in the vertical direction at a position near the front end of the protrusion wall 12, and the protrusion wall 12 up and down at a position near the rear end of the protrusion wall 12. It has a rear protruding wall hole 17D-2 that penetrates in the direction. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the front pit 17D-1 and the rear pit 17D-2 have a T-shaped cross section, and the front pit 17D-1 is the lock fitting 30. The front supported portion 34A of the above is accommodated, and the rear protruding wall hole portion 17D-2 accommodates the rear supported portion 34B of the lock metal fitting 30.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the protruding wall 12 has a central island-shaped portion 12A located between the front protruding wall hole 17D-1 and the rear protruding wall hole 17D-2 at the center position in the terminal arrangement direction. An anterior island-shaped portion 12B located in front of the front pit hole 17D-1 and a rear island-shaped portion 12C located behind the rear pit 17D-2 are formed.

The central island-shaped portion 12A has a front support portion 12A-1 projecting forward and rearward at the lower portion, and a rear lock release position side regulating portion 12A-2. Further, the front island-shaped portion 12B has an upper wall portion 12B-1 extending forward at the upper portion and a front locking release position side restricting portion 12B-2 projecting rearward at the lower portion, and has a cross section. The overall shape is crank-shaped. Further, the rear island-shaped portion 12C has an upper wall portion 12C-1 extending rearward at the upper portion and a rear support portion 12C-2 projecting forward at the lower portion, and the cross-sectional shape as a whole is as a whole. The front island-shaped portion 12B has a crank shape in which the cross-sectional shape is reversed left and right. The upper inner wall surface (the surface perpendicular to the vertical direction) of the central island-shaped portion 12A, the front island-shaped portion 12B, and the rear island-shaped portion 12C, respectively, abuts on the upper edge of the lock metal fitting 30 and faces upward. It functions as a regulating surface 12A-4, 12B-3, 12C-4 that regulates the movement of the metal fitting 30.

The lower part of the front pit hole 17D-1 is narrowed by the front support portion 12A-1 and the front lock release position side regulation portion 12B-2 that project close to each other in the terminal arrangement direction, and has a T-shape as a whole. I'm doing it. Further, the rear protrusion hole portion 17D-2 is narrowed at the lower portion by the rear support portion 12C-2 and the rear lock release position side regulation portion 12A-2 that project close to each other in the terminal arrangement direction, and is T-shaped as a whole. It is in the shape.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the front support portion 12A-1 is locked to the front supported portion 34A of the lock fitting 30, and the rear support portion 12C-2 is the rear supported portion 34B of the lock fitting 30. By locking to, it functions as a support portion for preventing the lock fitting 30 from falling off from the receptacle side housing 10.

The front end portion of the upper portion of the central island-shaped portion 12A abuts on the lateral portion 34A-1 of the front supported portion 34A of the lock fitting 30 to restrict the rearward movement of the lock fitting 30 in the terminal arrangement direction. It functions as the position control unit 12A-3. The upper front end of the rear island-shaped portion 12C abuts on the lateral portion 34B-1 of the supported portion 34B of the lock fitting 30 to restrict the rearward movement of the lock fitting 30 in the terminal arrangement direction. It functions as a regulation unit 12C-3.

The receptacle connector 1 having the above configuration is assembled as follows. First, the receptacle side housing 10 and the plurality of receptacle terminals 20 (receptacle signal terminal 20S and the receptacle power supply terminal 20P) arranged in two rows are integrally molded to hold the receptacle terminals 20 in an array in the receptacle side housing 10. As a result, a part of the base portion 21 of the receptacle terminal 20 is held by the bottom wall 11, and the held portion 23 of the receptacle terminal 20 is held by the side wall 14. Further, the contact arm portion 22 is elastically displaceably housed in the vertical groove portion 12D of the protruding wall 12, and the connecting portion 24 is exposed and located in the bottom recess 11C of the bottom wall 11.

Next, the shell member 40 is attached to the receptacle side housing 10 from above. At this time, the mounting portion 14B of the side wall 14 of the receptacle side housing 10 is press-fitted into the mounting groove portion 42A of the side plate portion 42 of the shell member 40. Further, the contact piece 47 is housed in the side recess 14A of the side wall 14, and the end mounting piece 46 is housed in the end recess 15A of the end wall 15.

In the present embodiment, since the urging portion 45 is formed as a part of the shell member 40, the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the urging portion is a member separate from the shell member. Can be suppressed. Further, when the connector is manufactured, the urging portion 45 is also attached at the same time by attaching the shell member 40 to the receptacle side housing 10, so that the step of attaching the urging portion to the receptacle side housing 10 can be omitted, and the connector. Is easy to manufacture. However, it is not essential to form the urging part integrally with the shell member, and when there is little need to reduce the manufacturing cost of the connector or simplify the manufacturing process, the urging part is separated from the shell member. It may be provided as an urging member.

Further, as follows, the lock metal fitting 30 is accommodated in the lock metal fitting accommodating groove 17 from below the receptacle side housing 10. At this time, the locked metal fittings 30 are placed on the receptacle side so that the supported portions 34A and 34B of the lock metal fitting 30 are at the same positions as the protruding wall holes 12D-1 and 12D-2 of the receptacle side housing 10 in the terminal arrangement direction, respectively. It is located below the housing 10. Then, the lock metal fitting 30 is moved upward so that the supported portions 34A and 34B enter the protruding wall holes 17D-1 and 17D-2, respectively.

When the lock metal fitting 30 is accommodated, the urged portion 35 moves the tip pieces 45A-1 and 45B-1 of the urging portion 45 upward while the lock metal fitting 30 moves upward in the lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17. The elastic pieces 45A and 45B are elastically deformed forward by pressing toward the front. Then, when the lateral portions 34A-1 and 34B-1 of the supported portions 34A and 34B of the lock metal fitting 30 are brought above the front support portion 12A-1 and the rear support portion 12C-2, the elastic pieces 45A, The restoring force of 45B pushes the applied portion 35 back. As a result, the lock fitting 30 is brought to the lock position. At this time, the lateral portions 34A-1 and 34B-1 of the supported portions 34A and 34B of the lock metal fitting 30 come into contact with the lock position side regulating portions 12A-3 and 12C-3 of the receptacle side housing 10 from the front, respectively. The movement of the lock fitting 30 toward the rear is restricted, and the lock fitting is surely maintained in the locked position.

Further, at the locked position, the lateral portions 34A-1 and 34B-1 of the supported portions 34A and 34B are brought directly above the front support portion 12A-1 and the rear support portion 12C-2, respectively. Therefore, as seen in FIG. 5, each lateral portion 34A-1, 34B-1 is lockably supported downward with respect to the front support portion 12A-1 and the rear support portion 12C-2, and the receptacle. The lock fitting 30 is prevented from falling off from the side housing 10. Further, the lock protrusions 33A and 33B of the lock metal fitting 30 project rearward from the front end wall and the protrusion 12 of the receptacle side housing 10, respectively, and are located in the receiving portion 16. By attaching the lock metal fitting 30 and the shell member 40 to the receptacle side housing 10 in this way, the receptacle connector 1 is completed.

As described above, the lock metal fitting 30 has a “lock position” (FIGS. 5 and 6) capable of preventing the plug connector 2 from being pulled out by receiving a rearward urging force from the urging portion 45 of the shell member 40. It is located at the position shown in (A) and (B). Further, as will be described later, the lock metal fitting 30 receives a forward unlocking operation force that opposes the urging force during the unlocking operation, so that the plug connector 2 can be pulled out at the “unlocking position”. It is brought to (the position shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B). In this way, the lock metal fitting 30 can move between the lock position and the unlock position in the front-rear direction (terminal arrangement direction). That is, the lock metal fitting 30 has a so-called complete lock structure in which the connector can be pulled out only after receiving an operation of moving from the lock position to the unlock position when the connector is pulled out. The lock strength is higher than that of the lock structure. Therefore, the locked state can be maintained more reliably.

In the present embodiment, as seen in FIG. 5, since the lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17 of the receptacle side housing 10 has a symmetrical shape, the posture of the lock metal fitting 30 is reversed left and right as shown in FIG. As for the posture, it can be accommodated in the lock metal fitting accommodating groove portion 17. In this case, the unlock position restricting portions 12B-2 and 12A-2 function as support portions, and the support portions 12A-1 and 12C-2 function as unlock position restricting portions.

In the present embodiment, the urging portion 45 of the shell member 40 that urges the urged portion 35 of the lock fitting 30 rearward is in direct contact with the urged portion 35, and as a result, the lock fitting 30 and the urging portion 45 It is electrically conductive with the shell member 40 via the urging portion 45. Further, the shell member 40 is grounded to the circuit board B1 at the connecting portion 42B. Therefore, even if the receptacle connector 1 is used for high-speed signal transmission, crosstalk between the two terminal rows of the receptacle terminals 20 is prevented by the lock fitting 30 located between the two terminal rows. To. Further, in the present embodiment, the side plate portion 42 of the shell member 40 exists on the outside of each terminal row in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) (the side opposite to the side where the lock metal fitting 30 is located). The two terminal rows are shielded from the outside by the side plate portion 42. Therefore, the leakage of noise radiated from the receptacle terminals 20 of the two terminal rows to the outside of the connector and the intrusion of noise from the outside of the connector are well shielded by the side plate portion 42. As a result, the receptacle connector 1 and the electronic device or the like (not shown) arranged adjacent to the receptacle connector 1 do not adversely affect each other electrically.

Here, examples of the signal transmission format when the receptacle connector 1 is used for high-speed signal transmission include a so-called differential signal transmission format and a pseudo-coaxial format. In the differential signal transmission format, some terminals of the plurality of receptacle signal terminals 20S may be used as ground terminals instead of signal terminals in one or both terminal rows. For example, from the terminal on one end side to the terminal on the other end side of the terminal row, the terminal type is set so as to include the order of the ground terminal, signal terminal, and signal terminal, and a pair of adjacent signal terminals are used for high-speed differential signals. To transmit. As a result, the pair of signal terminals are located on the ground terminals adjacent to both sides of the pair of signal terminals in the terminal arrangement direction, the lock fitting 30 located inside in the connector width direction, and outside in the connector width direction. It is in a state of being surrounded and shielded by the side plate portion 42 of the located shell member 40. That is, when the receptacle connector 1 is viewed along the Z2 direction, the pair of signal terminals are surrounded by adjacent ground terminals in the terminal arrangement direction and by the lock fitting 30 and the side plate portion 42 in the connector width direction. Become.

Further, also in the pseudo-coaxial type, as in the above-mentioned differential signal transmission type, some terminals of the plurality of receptacle signal terminals 20S are used as ground terminals, but in this pseudo-coaxial type, one end of the terminal row is used. From the terminal on the side to the terminal on the other end, the type of terminal is set so as to include the order of the ground terminal and the signal terminal. As a result, one signal terminal is a ground terminal located adjacent to both sides of the signal terminal in the terminal arrangement direction, a lock fitting 30 located inside in the connector width direction, and a shell located outside in the connector width direction. It is surrounded by the side plate portion 42 of the member 40 and is shielded, and a pseudo-coaxial structure is formed. That is, when the receptacle connector 1 is viewed along the Z2 direction, the signal terminals are surrounded by adjacent ground terminals in the terminal arrangement direction and by the lock fitting 30 and the side plate portion 42 in the connector width direction.

Even when the differential signal transmission type or the pseudo-coaxial type is adopted for the receptacle connector 1 in this way, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the signal terminals are substantially shielded, prevent crosstalk, and radiate from the signal terminals. It is possible to satisfactorily block the leakage of noise to the outside of the connector and the intrusion of noise from the outside of the connector.

As described above, the urging portion may be provided as an urging member separate from the shell member, but in this case, the urging member is the urging portion of the lock fitting and the outer end of the shell member. It is necessary to be electrically conductive with both plates.

In the present embodiment, the lock metal fitting 30 is made by cutting a rod-shaped metal member, but instead of this, the lock metal fitting is, for example, punching or bending a metal plate member. May be made by. When the lock metal fitting is made of a metal plate member, it is preferable that the lock metal fitting is arranged so that the plate surface (the surface perpendicular to the plate thickness surface) is perpendicular to the connector width direction. .. By arranging the lock metal fittings in this way, noise can be shielded over a wide range on the plate surface of the lock metal fittings, and the size of the lock metal fittings in the connector width direction is the plate thickness dimension of the lock metal fittings. The size of the connector in the connector width direction can be reduced.

Next, the configuration of the plug connector 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7. The plug connector 2 has a plug-side housing 50 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and plug terminals as a plurality of mating terminals held in two rows by the plug-side housing 50 with the longitudinal direction of the plug-side housing 50 as the terminal arrangement direction. It has 60 and two locked metal fittings 70 held by the end wall 55 described later of the plug-side housing 50. The plug connector 2 is formed by integrally molding the plug-side housing 50 so as to hold the plurality of plug terminals 60 and the locked metal fittings 70. The plug connector 2 is arranged and mounted on the circuit board B2 in the posture shown in FIG. 2, and is fitted and connected to the receptacle connector 1 in the upside-down posture as shown in FIG.

The plug-side housing 50 is made of, for example, an electrically insulating material such as resin, and extends in one direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board as the longitudinal direction (terminal arrangement direction). The plug-side housing 50 has a bottom wall 51 (see FIG. 1) parallel to the mounting surface and a frame-shaped fitting portion that rises upward from the bottom wall 51 as shown in FIG. It has a peripheral wall 53 as a. The peripheral wall 53 has a pair of side walls 54 extending in the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction) and end portions of the pair of side walls 54 extending in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. It has a pair of end walls 55 that connect the two. The space surrounded by the peripheral wall 53 and opening upward (Z2 direction) in FIG. 2 is formed as a receiving portion 56 for receiving the protruding wall 12 of the receptacle connector 1. Further, the end wall 55 is formed with an end groove portion 55A penetrating in the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) at the center position in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction). As can be seen in FIG. 2, in the end groove portion 55A, the lower portions of the inner wall surfaces facing each other in the connector width direction are connected at the inner position (position on the receiving portion 56 side) in the terminal arrangement direction.

The plug-side housing 50 has a form of holding the plug terminal 60 and the locked metal fitting 70. In order to understand the form, first, prior to further explanation of the plug-side housing 50, the plug terminal 60 and the locked metal fitting 70 are covered. The lock metal fitting 70 will be described.

The plug terminal 60 is made by bending a strip-shaped piece obtained by punching a metal plate in the plate thickness direction. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, the plug terminals 60 are integrally molded and held on each side wall 54 of the plug side housing 50, and the side wall 54 is held at equal intervals with the longitudinal direction of the side wall 54 as the terminal arrangement direction. It is arranged without any. In the present embodiment, the plurality of plug terminals 60 have a plug signal terminal 60S and a plug power supply terminal 60P arranged so as to correspond to the receptacle signal terminal 20S and the receptacle power supply terminal 20P, respectively. That is, one plug power supply terminal 60P is arranged on both outer sides of the arrangement range of the plug signal terminal 60S.

As seen in FIG. 3, the plug signal terminal 60S has a straight connection portion 61S extending outward in the connector width direction at a position substantially the same height as the bottom wall 51 of the plug side housing 50, and the connection portion 61S. Has a held portion 62S that is continuously bent downward (upward in FIG. 2) and extends in a U shape (inverted U shape in FIG. 2) and is buried and held in the side wall 54. There is.

In the U-shaped held portion 62S, the foot portion located inside in the connector width direction is formed as a contact leg portion 62AS for contact with the receptacle terminal 20 of the receptacle connector 1, and the leg portion located outside is formed. Is formed as a lock leg portion 62BS for locking with the receptacle terminal 20. The contact leg 62AS extends along the inner surface of the side wall 54 (the surface forming the receiving portion 56) so that the plate surface of the contact leg 62AS forms the same surface as the inner surface of the side wall 54. And it is exposed to the receiving part 56. On the other hand, the lock leg 62B extends along the outer surface of the side wall 54, and is exposed so that the plate surface of the lock leg 62BS forms the same surface as the outer surface of the side wall 54. A lock step portion 62B-1S for locking with the lock portion 23AS of the receptacle signal terminal 20S of the receptacle connector 1 is formed on the exposed plate surface of the lock leg portion 62BS.

The plug power supply terminal 60P has the same basic configuration as the plug signal terminal 60S, and has the same shape as the plug signal terminal 60S when viewed in the terminal arrangement direction. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the plug power supply terminal 60P, the portion corresponding to the plug signal terminal 60S is indicated by a reference numeral “P” instead of “S”. The plug power supply terminal 60P is different from the plug signal terminal 60S in that the size in the terminal width direction (terminal arrangement direction) is larger than that of the plug signal terminal 60S. The lock stage portion 62B-1P is formed at the same height as the lock stage portion 62B-1S of the plug signal terminal 60S.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, one locked metal fitting 70 is arranged on each side of the end groove portion 55A in the connector width direction, and is held by the end wall 55 by integral molding. These locked metal fittings 70 have shapes symmetrical to each other in the connector width direction, and are formed by bending a metal plate member in the plate thickness direction. As seen in FIG. 2, each locked metal fitting 70 has a base portion 71 extending along the bottom surface of the plug-side housing 50 (see FIG. 1) and an upper portion above the end portion of the base portion 71 in the connector width direction (FIG. 1). One upright portion 72 that stands up (downward), a protrusion 70A that protrudes inward in the connector width direction from the upper part of the upright portion 72, that is, toward the end groove portion 55A, and outside the connector width direction of the base 71. It has a side plate portion 76 that stands up from one end and faces the upright portion 72 in the connector width direction. The locked metal fitting 70 has a substantially U-shape when viewed in the terminal arrangement direction by the base portion 71, the upright portion 72, and the side plate portion 76.

The base 71 has a connecting portion 71A extending outward in the terminal arrangement direction and the connector width direction. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connection portion 71A extends outside the plug-side housing 50 and is solder-connected to a corresponding circuit portion (not shown) on the mounting surface of the circuit board B2. It has become. Further, in the present embodiment, as seen in FIG. 1, the bottom surface of the base 71 (the top surface in FIG. 1) is exposed from the bottom surface of the plug-side housing 50 over the entire area, so that the connection portion in the base 71 is exposed. Parts other than 71A can also be solder-connected to the corresponding parts on the mounting surface.

The protrusion 70A protrudes from the inner wall surface 55A-1 (the surface perpendicular to the connector width direction) of the end groove 55A in a state where the locked metal fitting 70 is held by the end wall 55 of the plug-side housing 50. It is located within 55A. The inner end of the protrusion 70A in the terminal arrangement direction is formed as the inner locked portion 73, and the outer end of the protrusion 70A in the terminal arrangement direction is the outer locked portion 74. Is formed as.

Further, the side plate portion 76 has a plate surface exposed from the side surface of the end wall 55 of the plug-side housing 50 (a surface perpendicular to the connector width direction) to protect the side surface of the end wall 55. Further, the side plate portion 76 is a plate surface exposed from the side surface of the end wall 55 in the connector fitted state, and comes into contact with the contact piece 47 of the shell member 40 of the receptacle connector 1 to be electrically conductive. There is.

As can be seen in FIG. 6A, in the present embodiment, the outer locked portion 74 of the locked metal fitting 70 located in the front (right side in FIG. 6A) is the front locking protrusion of the locking metal fitting 30. It is locked to 33A, and the inner locked portion 73 of the locked metal fitting 70 located at the rear (left in FIG. 6A) is locked to the rear locking protrusion 33B of the locking metal fitting 30. .. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the inner locked portion 73 of the locked metal fitting 70 located in the front and the outer locked portion 74 of the locked metal fitting 70 located in the rear are not used. As described above, the lock metal fitting 30 can be provided in a posture in which the posture shown in FIG. 5 is reversed left and right. In that case, the lock metal fitting 70 located in the front is locked inside. The outer locked portion 74 of the locked metal fitting 70 located behind the portion 73 and the locked metal fitting 70 will be used as the locked portion.

Next, the connector fitting operation of the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7. First, the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are attached to the corresponding circuit boards B1 and B2 by solder connection. Next, as seen in FIG. 1, the receptacle connector 1 is in a posture in which the receiving portion 16 faces upward, and the plug connector 2 is placed below the receiving portion 56 (see FIG. 2) above the receptacle connector 1. The posture should be facing.

Next, while maintaining the posture of FIG. 1, the plug connector 2 is lowered to allow the protruding wall 12 of the receptacle connector 1 to enter the receiving portion 56 of the plug connector 2 from below, and the peripheral wall 53 of the plug connector 2 is inserted into the receptacle. It is made to enter the receiving portion 16 of the connector 1 from above. As a result, the contact leg portion 62A of the plug terminal 60 of the plug connector 2 comes into contact with the contact portion 22A of the receptacle terminal 20 of the receptacle connector 1 with contact pressure. Further, the side plate portion 76 of the locked metal fitting 70 of the plug connector 2 comes into contact with the contact piece 47 of the shell member 40 of the corresponding receptacle connector 1 with contact pressure.

Further, in the connector fitting process, the locked portions 74 and 73 of the two locked metal fittings 70 provided on the plug connector 2 are at the upper edges (inclined) of the lock protrusions 33A and 33B of the lock metal fitting 30 at the locked positions, respectively. It abuts on the edge) and presses the lock protrusions 33A and 33B with a pressing force toward the front (to the right in FIGS. 6A and 6B) in the terminal arrangement direction. When the lock protrusions 33A and 33B receive the pressing force, the lock metal fitting 30 moves forward and is brought to the unlocked position (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). At this time, the movement of the lock fitting 30 is permitted by the elastic deformation (compression) of the urging portion 45 pressed against the urging portion 35 of the lock fitting 30.

As described above, by bringing the lock fitting 30 to the unlocked position, further lowering of the plug connector 2 is allowed. Then, as seen in FIG. 6 (A), the outer locked portion 74 of the locked metal fitting 70 in the front (right in FIG. 7 (A)) and the rear (left in FIG. 6 (A)). When the inner locked portion 73 of the locked metal fitting 70 reaches a position lower than the lock protrusions 33A and 33B of the lock metal fitting 30, the lock protrusions 33A and 33B are released from the above-mentioned pressing force. As a result, the urging portion 45 is restored to the rear so as to reduce the amount of elastic deformation, and returns to the original locked position. As shown in FIG. 6A, the lock protrusions 33A and 33B that have returned to the locked positions are located above the corresponding locked portions 74 and 73, respectively, with respect to the locked portions 74 and 73. It is positioned so that it can be locked in the connector extraction direction (upward) and is locked. In this way, the terminals 20 and 60 are connected to each other, the contact piece 47 and the side plate portion 76 are connected to each other, and the lock metal fittings 30 and 70 are locked to complete the connector fitting operation.

Next, the connector extraction operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. When the plug connector 2 in the connector fitted state with the receptacle connector 1 is pulled out, as shown in FIG. 7B, the unlocking operation portion 36 and the shell member 40 of the lock metal fitting 30 of the receptacle connector 1 The jig P is inserted from above between the outer end plate portion 44 and the lock release operation. The jig P has a plate-shaped portion having a plate thickness direction in the front-rear direction, and the plate thickness dimension thereof is larger than the distance between the unlocking operation portion 36 and the outer end plate portion 44. Therefore, when the jig P is inserted from above, when the unlocking operation unit 36 receives the pressing force from the jig P directed forward as the unlocking operation force, the urging portion 45 of the shell member 40 The elastic pieces 45A and 45B are pressed against the applied portion 35 of the lock metal fitting 30 and elastically deform forward. In this way, the lock fitting 30 moves forward against the rearward urging force from the shell member 40 and is brought to the unlocked position. At this time, the vertical portions 34A-2 and 34B-2 of the supported portions 34A and 34B of the lock metal fitting 30 abut from the rear on the unlock position side regulating portions 12B-3 and 12A-2 of the receptacle side housing 10, respectively. The movement of the lock fitting 30 toward the front is restricted, and the lock fitting is surely maintained in the unlocked position.

When the lock fitting 30 is brought to the unlocked position, as seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the lock protrusions 33A and 33B and the locked portions 74 and 73 of the locked fitting 70 of the plug connector 2 The lockable lock state of is released. Then, by lifting the plug connector 2 in the connector extraction direction (upward), the plug connector 2 is easily extracted, and the connector extraction operation is completed.

In the present embodiment, since the unlocking operation portion 36 of the lock fitting 30 is located in front of the urging portion 45 (on the unlocking position side), the lock fitting 30 is the urging portion during the unlocking operation. The urging force from 45 (backward force) and the unlocking operation force (forward force) that opposes the urging force receive a tensile force in the front-rear direction, so that the force is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Deflection deformation in the direction (vertical direction and connector width direction) is less likely to occur. As a result, the lock metal fitting 30 can be smoothly moved to the unlocked position, and the locked state of the lock protrusions 33A and 33B and the locked portions 74 and 73 of the plug connector 2 can be reliably released. Further, it is possible to prevent the lock metal fitting 30 itself from being damaged due to the bending deformation of the lock metal fitting 30. Further, in order to prevent bending deformation, it is not necessary to increase the size of the lock metal fitting 30 in a direction perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction to secure the strength of the lock metal fitting 30 itself, so that it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the connector. it can.

In the present embodiment, the above-mentioned unlocking operation is performed using a jig, but it is not essential to use the jig. For example, the unlocking operation unit 36 is picked up with a finger and pulled forward. You may perform the unlock operation with.

In the present embodiment, the lock metal fitting 30 which is a metal member is used as the lock member, but instead of this, for example, the lock member can be made by molding a material such as resin.

1 Receptacle connector 30 Lock bracket (lock member)
2 Plug connector 40 Shell member 10 Receptacle side housing 42 Side plate 17 Lock bracket accommodating groove (accommodation) 42B Connection 20 Receptacle terminal 45 Biasing

Claims (3)

An electrical connector for a circuit board that is placed on the mounting surface of the circuit board and is fitted and connected to the mating connector so that it can be inserted and removed.
A housing made of electrical insulation that extends in one direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction as the longitudinal direction.
A plurality of metal terminals arranged and held in the housing in two rows of terminals with the longitudinal direction as the terminal arrangement direction,
Made of metal that is placed in the housing of the housing and can move along the terminal arrangement direction between the lock position that can prevent the mating connector from being pulled out and the unlocking position that allows the mating connector to be pulled out. Lock member and
A metal urging portion that urges the lock member toward the lock position, and
In an electrical connector for a circuit board having a metal shell member attached to the housing,
The lock member is located between the two rows of terminals in the connector width direction, is located in a range including at least a part of the terminals in the connector insertion / removal direction, and covers a range including the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction. It is formed by extending
The shell member has a side plate portion extending along the outer surface of the housing in the terminal arrangement direction over a range including the terminal arrangement range, and a connection portion that can be connected to a corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board.
An electric connector for a circuit board, wherein the lock member and the shell member are electrically conductive via the urging portion. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the urging portion is integrally formed with the shell member. Claim 1 or claim 1, wherein the lock member is made of a metal plate, and the plate surface perpendicular to the plate thickness direction is arranged so as to be parallel to the plate surface of the side plate portion of the shell member. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 2.

Images