Abstract:
An electrical connector comprises an insulating housing ( 1 ) having a plurality of arranging surfaces; a plurality of terminals ( 5, 11 ) having contact sections ( 7, 12 ) placed on the arranging surfaces and connection legs ( 9, 14 ) projecting rearwardly from the housing to form connection portions ( 10, 15 ) in a plane. A terminal ( 5 ) in a row has a plurality of connection legs ( 9 ) spaced laterally while a terminal ( 11 ) in another row has a connection leg ( 14 ) fitted in a space between the connection legs ( 9 ) such that the connection portions ( 10, 15 ) of the terminals ( 5, 11 ) are aligned substantially laterally in the plane.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to electrical connectors in which terminals are arranged in multiple rows. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     FIG. 7 shows such an electrical connector as described above. A housing body  51  is made from an insulative material so as to extend in the direction perpendicular to the sheet. It has a support plate  52  extending forwardly from a vertically middle portion thereof. It also has upper and lower grooves  53  and  54  extending forwardly on the upper and lower surfaces of the support plate  52  and upper and lower apertures  55  and  56  communicating with the upper and lower grooves  53  and  54 , respectively. Strip-like terminals  57  and  58  are inserted into the apertures  55  and  56  from the back or right-hand side of the housing body  51  or held in the molding of the housing body  51  such that the front contact sections  57 A and  58 A are in the grooves  53  and  54 . 
     The terminals  57  and  58  each have a bent section  57 B or  58 B such that the rear connection sections  57 C and  58 C are aligned linearly on a circuit board P. The connection sections  57 C and  58 C are soldered to the corresponding traces of the circuit board P. 
     In use, a mating connector (not shown) is guided into the front section  59 A of a rectangular casing  59  which surrounds the housing body  51  such that the terminals  57  and  58  are connected to the corresponding terminals. 
     However, the rear ends of the two types of terminals for the above electrical connector are disposed at two different positions, presenting the following disadvantages. 
     (1) A large mounting space is necessary to accommodate the two types of terminals, hindering miniaturization of the equipment. 
     (2) It is difficult to provide planarity of the circuit at a junction between the circuit and connection portions. 
     (3) The circuit tends to warp, applying a high stress to either of the connection portions and separating the soldering. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector having a small connection area with a circuit, realizing miniaturization of the equipment and easing the requirement for planarity of the circuit, thus proving reliable soldering. 
     An electrical connector relative to the invention comprises an insulating housing having a plurality of arranging surfaces; a plurality of first and second terminals having at an end contact sections placed on said arranging surfaces and at the other end connection legs projecting from the arranging surfaces to form connection portions situated in a plane. 
     According to the invention, the electrical connector is characterized in that at least one first terminal in an arranging surface has a plurality of connection legs spaced laterally and at least one second terminal in another arranging surface has a connection leg placed between the plurality of connection legs such that the connection portions are aligned substantially in a lateral line. 
     In such a structure, the connection portions of terminals on the arranging surfaces are aligned substantially in a line in a plane so that the terminals are connected to a circuit board, etc., in a short distance in the longitudinal direction of the terminals. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the first and second terminals are power and signal terminals, respectively. The power terminal has two or more connection legs with connection portions soldered to traces of a circuit board. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG.  1 (A) is a top plan view, partially in section, of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG.  1 (B) is a front elevational view of the electrical connector; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 (A); 
     FIG.  3 (A) is a top plan view of a power terminal for the electrical connector; 
     FIG.  3 (B) is a sectional view taken along line  3 B— 3 B of FIG.  3 (A); 
     FIG.  4 (A) is a top plan view, partially cutaway, of a signal terminal along with the power terminal; 
     FIG.  4 (B) is a sectional view taken along line  4 B— 4 B of FIG.  4 (A); 
     FIG.  4 (C) is a sectional view taken along line  4 C— 4 C of FIG.  4 (B); 
     FIG.  5 (A) is a top plan view of a terminal according to another embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG.  5 (B) is a sectional view taken along line  5 B— 5 B of FIG.  5 (A); 
     FIG.  6 (A) is a top plan view of a terminal according to still another embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG.  6 (B) is a sectional view taken along line  6 B— 6 B of FIG.  6 (A); and 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional electrical connector. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-6. 
     In FIGS.  1 (A),  1 (B), and  2 , an insulative housing  1  extends laterally and is surrounded by a metal guiding tubular member  2 . The housing  1  has a body section  1 A, a support plate  1 B extend forwardly from the body section  1 A, and a fixing section  1 C projecting laterally from the body section  1 A. A fixing hole  1 D is provided in the fixing section  1 C to screw the housing  1  to a circuit board. As best shown in FIG.  1 (B), the support plate  1 B is provided at substantially a half of the thickness of the housing body and has grooves  3 A and  3 B on upper and lower surfaces thereof for receiving narrow signal terminals and wide power terminals, respectively. The width of the power terminal grooves  3 A is approximately twice the width of the signal terminal grooves  3 B. The power and signal terminal grooves  3 A and  3 B are arranged at predetermined intervals in a half of the upper surface, and the other half and the entire lower surface of the support plate  1 B, respectively. A receiving space is formed between the guiding tubular member  2  and the support plate  1 B for receiving a mating connector (not shown). 
     In FIGS.  3 (A) and (B), a power terminal  5  is made by stamping and forming from a metal sheet so as to provide a flat contact section  7  at an end and a connection section or legs  9  at the other end. The front end of the contact section  7  is divided into two tapered portions  7 A and  7 B. The protruded tapered portion  7 A causes a spark before connection to a mating connector. Projections  8  are provided on an intermediate section  8  for engagement with the housing  1 . As best shown in FIG.  3 (B), the connection legs  9  are bent such that the rear ends  10  are disposed at a position at substantially a half of the thickness of the support plate  1 B. The contact section  7  is not necessarily flat but may be curved so as to provide flexibility. 
     In FIGS.  4 (A)-(C), similarly to the power terminal  5 , the signal terminal  11  is made by forming a strip of metal sheet such that it has a flat contact section  12  at an end and a connection portion  15  at the other end. As best shown in FIG.  4 (C), the contact section  12  and the intermediate section  13  are narrower than the power terminal  5  so that they are fitted in a space between the connection legs  10  of the power terminal  5 . The signal terminal  11  is provided with a connection leg  14  which is as wide as the connection legs  9  of the power terminal  5  and is bent to form a connection portion  15 . As best shown in FIGS.  4 (B) and (C), the connection portion  15  is aligned with the connection portions  10  of the power terminal  5  in the same plane when the contact portion  12  of the signal terminal  11  is placed in the groove  3 B in the lower surface of the support plate  1 B. 
     When the contact portions  7  and  12  of the power and signal terminals  5  and  11  are placed in the grooves  3 A and  3 B of the support plate  1 B, the intermediate sections  8  and  13  are supported by the housing body  1 A which is molded integrally with the support plate  1 B such that the connection legs  9  and  14  project rearwardly from the body section  1 A to provide the connection portions  10  and  15 . 
     In use, the connection portions  10  and  15  of the power and signal terminals  5  and  11  are soldered to the corresponding traces of a circuit board P. Since the connections portions  10  and  15  are aligned in a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the terminals, the connecting area in the longitudinal direction is reduced, thus minimizing the area which requires planarity. Even if the circuit board is warped, it has little influence on the soldering in the narrow area. It is only necessary that the connection portions  10  and  15  are aligned substantially in a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Even if they are arranged in a zigzag fashion but portions thereof are overlapped widthwise, the above result is produced. 
     Alternatively, the power terminal may have three leg members as shown in FIG. 5, four leg members as shown in FIG. 6, or more. It is essential that the connection portion of a signal terminal provided corresponding to the power terminal is placed between the connection portions of the power terminal and aligned substantially in a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the terminals. All of the terminal used may be signal terminals. 
     Since the connection portion of a terminal in a row is fitted in a space between connection portions of a terminal in another row and the connection portions of both the terminals are aligned in the same plane and substantially in a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the terminals, it is possible to solder the connection portions in an area which is narrow in the longitudinal direction. 
     Consequently, it is possible to make miniaturization of the equipment and high planarity of a circuit on a circuit board. Even if the circuit is warped or flexed, it has little influence on the soldering, thus increasing the reliability.