Abstract:
The present invention provides a connector that can reduce a load generated on a second terminal by elastic deformation of a first terminal. The connector comprises a first movable housing movable relative to a first stationary housing disposed on the side of a first substrate, multiple plug terminals elastically deformed as the first movable housing moves, a second movable housing movable relative to a second stationary housing disposed on the side of a second substrate, and multiple socket terminals that are elastically deformed as the second movable housing moves and that are contacted with the respective plug terminals when the second movable housing is fitted to the first movable housing, and therefore, a load generated on the socket terminals by the elastic deformation of the plug terminals can be reduced. Thus, connection reliability between the socket terminals and the second substrate can be improved.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a connector mounted on a print circuit board and the like to be used for electrically connecting a plurality of circuit boards. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    As this type of connectors, a connector comprising a first fixed housing arranged on the side of one of objects to be connected, a movable housing provided movably with respect to the first fixed housing, a plurality of first terminals formed so that one end side is held by the fixed housing and the other end side is held by the movable housing and the terminal is elastically deformed with movement of the movable housing, a second fixed housing arranged on the side of the other of the objects to be connected and formed fittable to the movable housing, and a plurality of second terminals held by the second fixed housing and brought into contact with the other end side of each of the first terminals when the second fixed housing is fitted to the movable housing is known (See Patent Document 1, for example). 
         [0005]    However, with this connector, since each of the second terminals held by the second fixed housing is fixed to the other object to be connected, if the second fixed housing is fitted with the movable housing while each of the first terminals is elastically deformed, a load in the fitting direction is generated in each of the second terminals by a restoring force of each of the first terminals, which might lower connection reliability between each of the second terminals and the other object to be connected. 
         [0006]    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-326651 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention was made in view of the above problems and has an object to provide a connector in which the load generated in the second terminal by the elastic deformation of the first terminal can be reduced. 
       MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS 
       [0008]    In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a first fixed housing arranged on the side of one of objects to be connected, a first movable housing provided movably with respect to the first housing, a plurality of first terminals having one end sides held by the first fixed housing and the other end sides held by the first movable housing and formed to be elastically deformed with movement of the first movable housing, a second fixed housing arranged on the side of the other of the object to be connected, a second movable housing provided movably with respect to the second fixed housing and formed capable of being fitted in the first movable housing, and a plurality of second terminals having one end sides held by the second fixed housing and the other end sides held by the second movable housing, elastically deformed with movement of the second movable housing, and formed so as to be brought into contact with the other end side of each of the first terminals, respectively, when the second movable housing is fitted in the first movable housing. 
         [0009]    By this arrangement, according to the elastic deformation of the first terminals, the second terminals in contact with them are elastically deformed, and the load generated in the second terminals by the elastic deformation of the first terminals can be reduced. 
       ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    According to the present invention, since the load generated in the second terminal by the elastic deformation of the first terminal can be reduced, connection reliability between the second terminal and the other object to be connected can be improved. Also, since the first and second terminals are elastically deformed, a movable range can be made larger and displacement between the one object to be connected and the other object to be connected is absorbed so as to facilitate electric connection. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a plug according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the plug; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a plug terminal; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of the plug; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a socket according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the socket; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a side view of a socket terminal; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side sectional view of the socket; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a side sectional view illustrating an operation when the plug and the socket are fitted together; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a side sectional view illustrating an operation when the plug and the socket are fitted together. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 
       [0000]    
       
           10  first fixed housing 
           14  bottom face portion 
           16  a pair of projecting portions 
           20  first movable housing 
           23  flange 
           30  plural plug terminals 
           50  second fixed housing 
           54  bottom face portion 
           56  a pair of projection portions 
           60  second movable housing 
           64  flange 
           70  plural socket terminals 
           100  first board 
           200  second board 
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0035]      FIGS. 1 to 10  illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, in which  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a plug,  FIG. 2  is a plan view of the plug,  FIG. 3  is a side view of a plug terminal,  FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of the plug,  FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a socket,  FIG. 6  is a plan view of the socket,  FIG. 7  is a side view of a socket terminal,  FIG. 8  is a side sectional view of the socket, and  FIGS. 9 and 10  are side sectional view illustrating an operation when the plug and the socket are fitted together. 
         [0036]    This connector comprises a plug  1  and a socket  2  and used for electrically connecting a first board  100  as one object to be connected which is connected to the plug  1  and a second board  200  as the other object to be connected which is connected to the socket  2 . 
         [0037]    At the plug  1 , a first fixed housing  10  arranged on the side of the first board  100 , a first movable housing  20  provided movably in a width direction (X direction in the figure), a front-and-rear direction (Y direction in the figure), and a vertical direction (Z direction in the figure) with respect to the first fixed housing  10 , a plurality of plug terminals  30  having one end sides held by the first fixed housing  10  and the other end side held by the first movable housing  20  and formed so as to be elastically deformed with movement of the first movable housing  20  with respect to the first fixed housing  10 , and a pair of first stopper members  40  for regulating the movement of the first movable housing  20  are provided. 
         [0038]    The first fixed housing  10  is made of a molding of a synthetic resin in a boxed shape with an upper face opened. That is, at the first fixed housing  10 , a front face portion  11 , a back face portion  12 , width-direction both side face portions  13  and a bottom face portion  14 , in which the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  have a plurality of terminal holes  15  for holding the plug terminals  30 , a pair of projection portions  16  projecting outward of the first fixed housing  10  at both end sides of an alignment direction (the X direction in the figure) of the terminal holes  15 , and a pair of recess portions  17  formed at the upper part on both end sides in the width direction are provided, respectively. At the upper part of each side face portion  13 , an engagement portion  18  for engaging the first movable housing  20  is provided, respectively. 
         [0039]    The first movable housing  20  is made of a molding of a synthetic resin, and a box-shaped housing body  21  with an upper face opened is provided. On a width-direction side wall portion of the housing body  11 , a plurality of terminal holes  22  holding each of the plug terminals  30  are formed to extend vertically and to penetrate a bottom face  21   a  of the housing body  21 . On a front face and a rear face of the housing body  21 , a flange  23  extending outward of the first movable housing  20  is provided, respectively, and a projection  24  engaged with the engagement portion  18  of the first fixed housing  10  is provided on both side faces in the width direction of the housing body  21 , respectively. 
         [0040]    The plug terminal  30  is made of an elastically deformable conductive metal plate and one row each is arranged, respectively, on both sides of the front and rear direction of the plug  1 . The plug terminal  30  is, as shown in  FIG. 3 , formed so that a connection portion  31  connected to the first board  100  extends rearward. Also, at the plug terminal  30 , a first straight portion  32  extending diagonally upward from the rear end of the connection portion  31 , a bent portion  33  bent upward from the upper end of the first straight portion  32 , a second straight portion  34  extending rearward from the bent portion  33 , and a contact portion  35  extending upward from the second straight portion  34  are provided, and the plug terminal  30  is elastically deformed in the width direction, front and rear direction, and vertical direction with the bent portion  33  as the base point. 
         [0041]    The stopper member  40  is formed so as to extend in the front and rear direction (Y direction in the figure) by bending work of a metal plate, and a regulating portion body  41  formed substantially in the U-shape so that one end side and the other end side are opposed to each other and a pair of board connection portion  42  extending forward or rearward, respectively, from the both ends in the front and rear direction of the regulating portion body  41  are provided. The regulating portion body  41  is formed capable of being pressed into the recess portion  17  of the first fixed housing  10 , and when the regulating portion body  41  is pressed into the recess portion  17 , each of the board connection portions  42  is brought into contact with the first board  100 . 
         [0042]    Here, when the plug terminal  30  is to be mounted on the first fixed housing  10 , the plug terminal  30  is pressed into the terminal hole  15  from above. At this time, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the upper end side of the first straight portion  32  of the plug terminal  30  is held by the terminal hole  15  of the first fixed housing  10 . Also, when the first movable housing  20  is pressed into the plug terminals  30  from above, the contact portion  35  of the plug terminal  30  penetrates the bottom face  21   a  of the housing body  21  and held in the terminal hole  22  of the first movable housing  20 . In this case, the projection  24  of the first movable housing  20  is arranged in the engagement portion  18  of the first fixed housing  10 , and movement of the projection  24 , that is, the first movable housing  20  in the front and rear direction and downward is regulated by the engagement portion  18  within a predetermined range. When the first stopper member  40  is pressed into the recess portion  17  of the first fixed housing  10 , the upper part of the engagement portion  18  is covered by the regulating portion body  41 , and movement of the first movable housing  20  in the width direction and upward is regulated within a predetermined range. 
         [0043]    In this case, the connection portion  31  of each plug terminal  30  projects in the front and rear direction of the first fixed housing  10 , respectively, and each projection portion  16  projects outward from the connection portion  31  of each plug terminal  30 . Also, the one end side of each plug terminal  30 , that is, the first straight portion  32 , the bent portion  33 , and the second straight portion  34  are covered by the flange  23  of the first movable housing  20  above and by the bottom face portion  14  of the first fixed housing  10  below. 
         [0044]    Next, construction of the socket  2  will be described. At the socket  2 , a second fixed housing  50  arranged on the second board  200  side, a second movable housing  60  provided movably in the width direction (X direction in the figure), the front and rear direction (Y direction in the figure), and the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure) with respect to the second fixed housing  50 , a plurality of socket terminals  70  as second terminals having one end side held by the second fixed housing  50  and the other end side held by the second movable housing  60  and formed so as to be elastically deformed with movement of the second movable housing  60  with respect to the second fixed housing  50 , and a pair of second stopper members  80  regulating movement of the second movable housing  60  in the width direction, the front and rear direction, and the vertical direction are provided. 
         [0045]    The second fixed housing  50  is formed by parts in the same shape as those of the first fixed housing  10 . In this case, at the second fixed housing  50 , a front face portion  51 , a back face portion  52 , a side face portion  53 , a bottom face portion  54 , each terminal hole  55 , each projection portion  56 , each groove portion  57 , and an engagement portion  58  similar to the front face portion  11 , the back face portion  12 , the side face portion  13 , the bottom face portion  14 , each terminal hole  15 , each projection portion  16 , each recess portion  17  and the engagement portion  18  of the first fixed housing  10  are provided. 
         [0046]    The second movable housing  60  is made of a molding of a synthetic resin, and a housing body  61  in the boxed shape with an upper face opened is provided. At the center on the bottom face of the housing body  61 , a fitting portion  62  projecting upward and formed fittable to the housing body  21  of the first movable housing  20  is provided, and a front face and a rear face of the fitting portion  62  are formed so that a plurality of terminal holes  63  holding each socket terminal  70  penetrate the bottom face portion of the housing body  61  vertically. On the front face and the rear face of the housing body  61 , a flange  64  extending outward of the second movable housing  60  is provided, respectively, and on both the side faces in the width direction of the housing body  61 , a projection  65  engaged with the engagement portion  58  of the second fixed housing  50  is provided, respectively. 
         [0047]    The socket terminal  70  is made of a conductive metal plate capable of elastic deformation, and one row each is arranged, respectively, on both sides of the socket  2  in the front and rear direction. The socket terminal  70  is, as shown in  FIG. 7 , formed so that a connection portion  71  connected to the second board  200  extends rearward. The socket terminal  70  has a first straight portion  72  extending diagonally upward from the rear end of the connection portion  71 , a bent portion  73  bent upward from the upper end of the first straight portion  72 , a second straight portion  74  extending rearward from the bent portion  73 , a third straight portion  75  extending upward from the rear end of the second straight portion  74 , a fourth straight portion  76  extending forward from the upper end of the third straight portion  75 , and a contact portion  77  bent forward from the fourth straight portion  76  and extending downward are provided, and the plug terminal  30  is elastically deformed in the width direction, the front and rear direction, and the vertical direction with the bent portion  73  as a base point. 
         [0048]    Each of the second stopper members  80  is formed by the parts in the same shape as the first stopper member  40 , and at the second stopper member  80 , a regulating portion body  81  and a pair of board connection portion  82  similar to the regulating portion body  41  of the first stopper member  40  and each board connection portion  42  are provided. 
         [0049]    Here, in order to mount the socket terminals  70  at the second fixed housing  50 , the socket terminals  70  are pressed into the terminal holes  55  from above. At this time, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the upper end side of the first straight portion  72  of the socket terminal  70  is held by the terminal hole  55  of the second fixed housing  50 . Also, when the second movable housing  60  is pressed into the socket terminals  70  from above, the third straight portion  75  of the socket terminal  70  is held by the terminal hole  63  of the second movable housing  60 . In this case, the projection  65  of the second movable housing  60  is arranged in the engagement portion  58  of the second fixed housing  50 , and movement of the projection  65 , that is, the second movable housing  60  in the front and rear direction and downward is regulated in a predetermined range by the engagement portion  58 . When the second stopper member  80  is pressed into the groove portion  57  of the second fixed housing  50 , the upper part of the engagement portion  58  is covered by the regulating portion body  81 , and movement of the second movable housing  60  in the width direction and upward is regulated in a predetermined range. 
         [0050]    In this case, the connection portion  71  of each socket terminal  70  projects in the front and rear direction of the second fixed housing  50 , and each projection portion  56  projects outward from the connection portion  31  of each plug terminal  30 . Also, the one end side of each socket terminal  70 , that is, the first straight portion  72 , the bent portion  73 , and the second straight portion  74  are covered by the flange  64  of the second movable housing  60  at the upper part and by the bottom face portion  54  of the second fixed housing  50  at the lower part. 
         [0051]    The connector constructed as above is used for electrically connecting the pair of boards  100 ,  200 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , when the plug  1  connected to the first board  100  is arranged at the upper part of the socket  2  connected to the second board  200 , by moving the plug  1  downward so as to fit the housing body  21  of the first movable housing  20  in the fitting portion  62  of the second movable housing  60 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , the contact portion  77  of each socket terminal  70  is brought into contact with the contact portion  35  of the plug terminal  30 . Here, when either one of the first fixed housing  10  and the second fixed housing  50  is moved in the width direction, the front and rear direction or the vertical direction with respect to the other, the terminals  30 ,  70  are elastically deformed, and relative displacement of the fixed housings  10 ,  50  is absorbed. 
         [0052]    As mentioned above, according to the connector of this embodiment, the connector comprises the first fixed housing  10  arranged on the first board  100  side, the first movable housing  20  provided movably with respect to the first fixed housing  10 , the plurality of plug terminals  30  having one end side held by the first fixed housing  10  and the other end side held by the first movable housing  20  and formed so as to be elastically deformed with movement of the first movable housing  20 , the second fixed housing  50  arranged on the second board  200  side, the second movable housing  60  provided movably with respect to the second fixed housing  50  and formed fittable into the first movable housing  20 , and the plurality of socket terminals  70  having one end side held by the second fixed housing  50  and the other end side held by the second movable housing  60  and formed so as to be elastically deformed with movement of the second movable housing  60  and to be brought into contact with the other end sides of the plug terminals  30 , respectively, when the second movable housing  60  is fitted in the first movable housing  20 , and when either one of the terminals  30 ,  70  is elastically deformed, the other is also elastically deformed, and a load generated in the socket terminal  70  due to the elastic deformation of the plug terminal  30  can be reduced, and connection reliability between the socket terminal  70  and the second board  200  can be improved. Also, since the terminals  30 ,  70  are elastically deformed, a movable range can be made wider and displacement between the first board  100  and the second board can be absorbed so as to facilitate electric connection. 
         [0053]    Also, since the flange  23  extending in the direction (Y direction in the figure) crossing the fitting direction (Z direction in the figure) with the second movable housing  60  is provided at the first movable housing  20  so as to cover the one end side of the plug terminals  30  with the other end side held, the one end side of the plug terminals  30  is not exposed to the fitting direction and the terminals  30 ,  70  are not in contact with each other when the first movable housing  20  and the second movable housing  60  are not fitted with each other completely. Therefore, when the first movable housing  20  and the second movable housing  60  are not fitted with each other completely, displacement between the plug  1  and the socket  2  which might cause defective contact can be surely prevented. 
         [0054]    Moreover, since the flange  64  extending in the direction (Y direction in the figure) crossing the fitting direction (Z direction in the figure) with the first movable housing  20  is provided at the second movable housing  60  so as to cover the one end side of the socket terminals  70  with the other end side held, the one end side of the socket terminals  70  is not exposed to the fitting direction and the terminals  30 ,  70  are not in contact with each other when the first movable housing  20  and the second movable housing  60  are not fitted with each other completely. Therefore, when the first movable housing  20  and the second movable housing  60  are not fitted with each other completely, displacement between the plug  1  and the socket  2  which might cause defective contact can be surely prevented. 
         [0055]    Since the first fixed housing  10  and the second fixed housing  50  are formed by parts in the same shape, common parts can be used for the plug  1  and the socket  2 . Therefore, the number of types of parts can be reduced in manufacture of the connector, which can reduce the manufacturing cost. 
         [0056]    Moreover, since the bottom face portion  14  covering the one end side of the plug terminals  30  from the board  100  side is provided at the first fixed housing  10 , the one end side of the plug terminals  30  is not brought into contact with the first board  100 , and short-circuit to the first board  100  when the plug terminals  30  are elastically deformed can be surely prevented. 
         [0057]    Also, since the bottom face portion  54  covering the one end side of the socket terminals  70  from the second board  200  side is provided at the second fixed housing  50 , the one end side of the socket terminals  70  is not brought into contact with the second board  200 , and short-circuit to the second board  200  when the socket terminals  70  are elastically deformed can be surely prevented. 
         [0058]    Moreover, since the projection portion  16  projecting outward from the connection portion  31  between the plug terminals  30  and the first board  100  is provided at the first fixed housing  10 , when the first movable housing  20  and the second movable housing are prying-fitted, pressing of the connection portion  31  of each plug terminal  30  onto the first board  100  side can be absorbed by the projection portion  16 , and damage of the connection portion  31  of each plug terminal  30  caused by pressing can be prevented. 
         [0059]    Also, since the projection portion  56  projecting outward from the connection portion  71  between the socket terminals  70  and the second board  200  is provided at the second fixed housing  50 , when the first movable housing  20  and the second movable housing  60  are prying-fitted, pressing of the connection portion  71  of each socket terminal  70  onto the second board  200  side can be absorbed by the projection portion  56 , and damage of the connection portion  71  of each socket terminal  70  caused by pressing can be prevented.