Patent ID: 7607943
Filing Date: 2009-10-27
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
1. An electrical connector to be attached to a circuit board, comprising: a fitting recess portion with a bottom portion extending in a longitudinal direction of a housing and opens upward for receiving a mating connector; and a contact portion of a terminal arranged on an inner side surface of the fitting recess portion in a longitudinal direction thereof, wherein said housing includes a receptacle groove recessed from the inner side surface in a housing sidewall portion forming the inner side surface for retaining an elastic arm portion of the terminal, the receptacle groove being arranged from an opening position to a bottom portion position of the fitting recess portion; said terminal includes a fitting portion fitted to the housing sidewall portion from above; a connecting portion connected to the fitting portion and extending from an outer surface position of the housing sidewall portion to a position to contact with the circuit board; and the elastic arm portion extending from the fitting portion toward inside the fitting recess portion; said fitting portion is formed in an inverted U character shape along an outer surface and an upper surface of the housing sidewall portion and an interior of the receptacle groove; said elastic arm portion bends and extends from the fitting portion to form a U character shape, and a bent portion thereof reaches a bottom portion of the receptacle groove in a connector fitting direction; said elastic arm portion extends upward inside the receptacle groove from the bent portion, having elasticity in an area up to a free edge thereof, and having the contact portion slightly protruding from the inner side surface of the fitting recess portion; said fitting recess portion forms a space between the inner side surface and an opposite inner side surface for receiving a fitting contact portion of the mating connector; when the connector is fitted, the fitting contact portion of the mating connector presses the contact portion of the terminal toward inside the receptacle groove, and a distal portion of the fitting contact portion in a connector fitting direction enters toward a bottom portion of the fitting recess portion up to a position substantially the same as that of the bent portion of the terminal; and the terminal includes a sub contact portion in at least a part of an area in which the fitting portion extends along the outer surface of the housing sidewall portion, and when the connector is fitted, the sub contact portion contacts with a corresponding portion of the mating terminal.