Movable connector

A movable connector with which an insertion force of a connection object that places a load on a solder portion can be reduced, that has a floating function, and that can be reduced in size is provided. As a result of a pushing operation in which an operation housing is pushed into a fixed housing, a relay terminal is conductively connected to a substrate connection terminal, which is in conductive contact with a substrate, and a pin terminal, which is disposed in a movable housing and serves as the connection object, in the movable housing. Accordingly, the overall size of the movable connector can be reduced. In addition, the insertion force applied to the pin terminal is not applied to the solder portion by which the movable connector is fixed to the substrate, so that conduction failure does not occur.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connector having a floating function.

2. Description of the Related Art

A bottom entry connector is an example of a known connector that connects a connection object to a circuit on a substrate (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-146289, FIG. 3). This type of connector includes a terminal that comes into conductive contact with a connection object (for example, a pin terminal of an electric element) and a housing that holds the terminal. A surface of the housing that opposes the substrate has an insertion opening that communicates with a through hole in the substrate. To conductively connect the connection object to the connector, the connection object is inserted into the housing through the through hole and the insertion opening in the housing from the back of the substrate, and is brought into conductive contact with a contact portion of the terminal in the housing.

The connector according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-146289 includes a female type terminal (10) including a box-shaped first female terminal (11) and a box-shaped second female terminal (12) that are arranged next to each other. The first female terminal (11) is in conductive contact with a first male type terminal (3) mounted on a substrate. The second female terminal (12) is in conductive contact with a second male type terminal (4) that is inserted through a through hole in the substrate. Since the first female terminal (11) and the second female terminal (12) of the female type terminal (10) are box-shaped, the overall size of the connector including them is large. Also, the first female terminal (11) and the second female terminal (12) are arranged side by side along the substrate, and this also increases the size of the connector. This connector also includes a coupling spring (20) that couples the first female terminal (11) and the second female terminal (12) to each other and that provides a floating function. When the connector is vibrated, the first female terminal (11) and the second female terminal (12) are independently movable. However, since the coupling spring (20) is S-shaped, the spring length thereof cannot be easily increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in light of the above-described related art. An object of the present invention is to provide a movable connector that has a floating function and that can be reduced in size.

To achieve the above-described object, the present invention has the following characteristics.

A movable connector according to the present invention includes a fixed housing to be fixed to a substrate; a movable housing disposed in the fixed housing and into which a connection object is to be inserted; a substrate connection terminal including a substrate connection portion to be soldered to the substrate, a support spring that supports the movable housing so that the movable housing is movable with respect to the fixed housing, and an inner contact section disposed in the movable housing; an operation housing that is combined with the movable housing as a result of a pushing operation in which the operation housing is pushed into an interior space of the fixed housing; and a relay terminal that moves together with the operation housing in the pushing operation and comes into conductive contact with the connection object and the inner contact section of the substrate connection terminal in the movable housing.

According to present invention, the relay terminal can be brought into conductive contact with the connection object and the inner contact section of the substrate connection terminal in the movable housing. Therefore, the overall size of the connector can be made smaller than the connector according to the related art in which the above-described first female terminal and the second female terminal are arranged in parallel. In addition, since the relay terminal is brought into conductive contact with the connection object and the inner contact section of the substrate connection terminal as a result of the pushing operation of the operation housing, the relay terminal can be easily brought into conductive contact with the connection object. In addition, since the connection object can be placed in the movable housing without being in conductive contact with the relay terminal before the pushing operation, the connector can be formed as a zero insertion force (ZIF) connector. Furthermore, since the relay terminal is moved and brought into conductive contact with the connection object placed in the movable housing as a result of the pushing operation of the operation housing, the insertion force applied to the connection object is not applied to the solder portion by which the movable connector is fixed to the substrate. Accordingly, conduction failure does not occur.

The interior space of the fixed housing according to the present invention may include a housing accommodating section that accommodates the movable housing and the operation housing and a support spring accommodating section in which the support spring extends.

According to present invention, since the support spring accommodating section may be provided separately from the housing accommodating section that accommodates the movable housing and the operation housing, the spring length can be increased without making the shape of the support spring complex.

The substrate connection terminal according to the present invention may include a first contact piece that comes into pressure contact with the relay terminal in the pushing operation.

According to present invention, the first contact piece of the substrate connection terminal comes into pressure contact with the relay terminal. Therefore, even when the movable connector is vibrated or receives an impact, the conductive contact between the first contact piece and the relay terminal can be reliably maintained due to the contact pressure applied by the first contact piece. The first contact piece may be formed as a cantilever-shaped contact spring.

The relay terminal according to the present invention may include a second contact piece that comes into pressure contact with the connection object and the substrate connection terminal in the pushing operation.

According to present invention, the second contact piece of the relay terminal comes into pressure contact with both the connection object and the substrate connection terminal. Therefore, even when the movable connector is vibrated or receives an impact, the conductive contact between the second contact piece and each of the connection object and the substrate connection terminal can be reliably maintained due to the contact pressure applied by the second contact piece. The second contact piece may be formed as a cantilever-shaped contact spring.

The second contact piece according to the present invention may include a first contact portion that comes into conductive contact with the connection object; a second contact portion that comes into pressure contact with the substrate connection terminal; and a spring portion that connects the first contact portion to the second contact portion and exerts a reaction force that presses the first contact portion against the connection object when the second contact portion comes into pressure contact with the substrate connection terminal.

According to present invention, the first contact portion can be pressed against the connection object by using the reaction force generated when the second contact portion comes into pressure contact with the substrate connection terminal. Thus, the contact pressure between the first contact portion and the connection object can be increased.

The relay terminal according to the present invention may include a projection, and the operation housing may have a retaining groove in which the projection is retained in a movable manner with a gap provided therebetween. The relay terminal may be movable with respect to the operation housing over a range defined by the gap.

According to present invention, the relay terminal is not fixed to the operation housing, and is movable. Therefore, even when the substrate connection terminal or the connection object comes into contact with the relay terminal in a displaced manner, the relay terminal is capable of moving so as to absorb the displacement. Thus, the connection reliability of the conductive contact can be increased.

The substrate connection terminal according to the present invention may include a first base portion held by the movable housing, and the relay terminal may include a second base portion held by the operation housing. The first base portion and the second base portion may be arranged in a pushing direction in which the operation housing is pushed in the pushing operation.

According to present invention, the first base portion of the substrate connection terminal and the second base portion of the relay terminal are arranged in the pushing direction. In other words, the substrate connection terminal and the relay terminal are arranged in series in the pushing direction. Therefore, the dimension of the movable connector in a direction that crosses the pushing direction can be reduced.

The operation housing and the movable housing according to the present invention may include temporarily-fitted-state retaining portions that restrain a movement of the operation housing in a pushing direction in which the operation housing is pushed in the pushing operation and a pulling direction that is opposite to the pushing direction in a temporarily fitted state before the operation housing and the movable housing are combined together in a completely fitted state.

According to present invention, the temporarily-fitted-state retaining portions restrain the operation housing from being pushed into or pulled out of the movable housing. Therefore, the operation housing can be prevented from falling, for example, in the temporarily fitted state.

The operation housing and the movable housing according to the present invention include completely-fitted-state retaining portions that restrain a movement of the operation housing in a pulling direction in which the operation housing is pulled out of the movable housing in a completely fitted state in which the operation housing and the movable housing are combined together.

According to present invention, the completely-fitted-state retaining portions restrain the operation housing from being pulled out of the movable housing in the completely fitted state. Thus, the completely fitted state can be reliably maintained.

The movable connector of the present invention is structured such that the relay terminal is brought into conductive contact with the connection object and the inner contact section of the substrate connection terminal in the movable housing. Therefore, the overall size of the movable connector can be made smaller than the connector according to the related art. In addition, the insertion force applied to the connection object is not applied to the solder portion by which the movable connector is fixed to the substrate, so that the reliability of conductive connection can be increased. In addition, the spring length can be increased without making the shape of the support spring complex, so that a floating function for softly supporting the movable housing can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Bottom entry movable connectors1according to the embodiments will be described. In this specification, claims, and drawings, the direction in which terminals of the movable connector1illustrated inFIG. 1are arranged (left-right direction) is defined as an X direction, a depth direction of the movable connector1(front-back direction) is defined as a Y direction, and a height direction of the movable connector1(up-down direction) is defined as a Z direction. The definitions of the left-right, front-back, and up-down directions do not limit the direction in which the movable connector according to the present invention is mounted or used.

First Embodiment (FIGS.1to10)

Structure of Movable Connector1

The movable connector1includes a housing2, which is a molded body made of a rigid resin. The housing2includes a fixed housing3, a movable housing4, and an operation housing5. Reference numeral6denotes substrate connection terminals formed of metal pieces, and7denotes relay terminals formed of metal pieces. The substrate connection terminals6are fixed to the fixed housing3and the movable housing4. The relay terminals7are held by the operation housing5. Fixed Housing3

The fixed housing3is mounted on a substrate P (FIG. 9). The fixed housing3is box-shaped, and includes a tubular wall3aand a top portion3bthat covers a front section in the Y direction at the top end of the tubular wall3a.The fixed housing3defines an interior space3ctherein.

The tubular wall3aincludes left and right side walls3a1having engagement recesses3dat the bottom ends thereof. The engagement recesses3dengage with engagement projections4h(described below) of the movable housing4. The tubular wall3aalso includes a front wall3a2and a back wall3a3. The front wall3a2has groove-shaped terminal fixing portions3eon the inner side thereof. The terminal fixing portions3eretain fixed-housing fixing portions6b(described below) of the substrate connection terminals6in the X direction (FIG. 4).

The top portion3bcovers support springs6k(described below) of the substrate connection terminals6from above to protect the support springs6kby preventing them from being exposed to the outside. The opening at the top end of the tubular wall3awhere the top portion3bis not formed serves as an insertion opening3fin which the operation housing5is inserted. The insertion opening3fis larger than the outer periphery of the operation housing5.

In the interior space3cof the fixed housing3having the above-described structure, the section below the top portion3bserves as a support spring accommodating section3c1in which the support springs6kof the substrate connection terminals6extend and which allows elastic deformation of the support springs6k.The section below the insertion opening3fserves as a housing accommodating section3c2that accommodates the operation housing5and the movable housing4. Thus, in the interior space3cof the fixed housing3, a plurality of accommodating sections, which are the support spring accommodating section3c1and the housing accommodating section3c2, are arranged next to each other in the Y direction. Since the interior space3cincludes the support spring accommodating section3c1separately from the housing accommodating section3c2, the support spring accommodating section3c1can be used as a space in which the support springs6kextend, bend, and move. Thus, the spring length of the support springs6kcan be increased without making the shape of the support springs6kcomplex.

A fixing piece3gthat is soldered to the substrate P is attached to the back wall3a3of the fixed housing3. The fixing piece3gis fixed to the substrate P by a solder portion (not shown).

Similar to the fixed housing3, the movable housing4is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof is the X direction, and includes a front wall4a1, a back wall4a2, and left and right side walls4a3. Two partition walls4a4that extend in the Y direction are formed between the front wall4a1and the back wall4a2. Thus, the movable housing4includes three connection chambers4bthat are partitioned from each other in the X direction. Each connection chamber4breceives a pin terminal8, which serves as a “connection object”, and serves as a space in which the pin terminal8comes into conductive contact with a pair of contact portions7c(described below) of a corresponding one of the relay terminals7.

Insertion slits4care formed in the front wall4a1. The insertion slits4cconnect the connection chambers4bto the outside of the movable housing4in the Y direction, and accommodate horizontally bent portions6fof the support springs6kof the substrate connection terminals6. The front wall4a1has groove-shaped terminal fixing portions4don the inner side thereof (FIG. 8). The terminal fixing portions4dretain movable-housing fixing portions6h(described below) of the substrate connection terminals6in the X direction.

Long groove-shaped recesses4ethat extend in the Z direction are formed in the left and right side walls4a3(FIGS. 1 and 7). Engagement steps4e1, which serve as “temporarily-fitted-state retaining portions” of the movable housing4, are formed at the top edges of the recesses4e(FIG. 7).

The side walls4a3have lock arms4fthat extend in the Z direction so as to oppose the respective recesses4e. Long groove-shaped guide portions4g,which extend in the Z direction, are formed between each recess4eand side surfaces of the corresponding lock arm4fthat oppose each other in the Y direction (FIG. 1).

The engagement projections4hare formed at the front and back ends of the bottom edge of each side wall4a3. When the movable housing4is excessively moved in the interior space3cof the fixed housing3in the Y or Z direction, the engagement projections4hengage with the above-described engagement recesses3din the fixed housing3to serve as stoppers for stopping the movement.

Each connection chamber4bhas a sheath-shaped portion4ithat receives a thin-plate-shaped movement restricting piece7d(described below) of the corresponding relay terminal7. Each connection chamber4balso has an insertion hole4jfor receiving the connection object in the bottom surface thereof. The insertion hole4jhas a tapered portion4k,which guides insertion of the pin terminal8, at the entrance thereof.

Similar to the fixed housing3and the movable housing4, the operation housing5is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof is the X direction, and includes a front wall5a1, a back wall5a2, left and right side walls5a3, and a top wall5a4. Two partition walls5a5are formed between the front wall5a1and the back wall5a2(FIG. 7). The partition walls5a5extend in the Y direction and project slightly downward in the Z direction from the bottom surface of the top wall5a4. Retaining grooves5bthat extend in the Y direction are formed in proximal end portions of the partition walls5a5and inner surfaces of the left and right side walls5a3that oppose the proximal end portions in the X direction. Projections7eof the relay terminals7are inserted in the retaining grooves5b.

Each of the left and right side walls5a3has two stopper pieces5cthat extend downward in the Z direction from the side adjacent to the top wall5a4(FIGS. 1 and 7). The stopper pieces5cserve as “temporarily-fitted-state retaining portions” of the operation housing5. The stopper pieces5cextend into the guide portions4gon both sides of the above-described lock arms4fof the movable housing4. The stopper pieces5cmove along the guide portions4gto guide the movement of the operation housing5in the Z direction. When the operation housing5is pulled in a direction away from the movable housing4in a temporarily fitted state (FIGS. 2 and 6 to 9) in which the operation housing5and the movable housing4are not yet completely fitted together, engagement lugs5c1of the stopper pieces5ccome into contact with the engagement steps4e1of the movable housing4and prevent the operation housing5from being pulled out of the movable housing4(FIG. 7).

Each side wall5a3also has a locking projection5d. The locking projection5dhas an engagement surface5d1that engages with an engagement lug4f1of the corresponding lock arm4fof the movable housing4in the completely fitted state in which the operation housing5is completely fitted to the movable housing4as a result of a pushing operation in which the operation housing5is pushed into the interior space3cof the fixed housing3. The completely fitted state illustrated inFIG. 10is maintained by the engagement between the engagement lug4f1and the engagement surface5d1in the pulling direction. The locking projection5dand the engagement surface5d1thereof serve as “completely-fitted-state retaining portions” of the operation housing5, and the lock arm4fand the engagement lug4f1thereof serve as “completely-fitted-state retaining portions” of the movable housing4.

The locking projection5dalso has an inclined surface5d2. In the above-described temporarily fitted state (FIGS. 2 and 6 to 9), the inclined surface5d2is in contact with an inclined surface4f2provided at the top end of the lock arm4f,and restricts the pushing operation of the operation housing5to maintain the temporarily fitted state. To fit the operation housing5to the movable housing4, the operation housing5in the temporarily fitted state is pushed into the interior space3cof the fixed housing3. As a result of the pushing operation, the inclined surface5d2of the locking projection5dpushes the inclined surface4f2of the lock arm4fin the Z direction, and the lock arm4fis outwardly bent due to the inclined surfaces5d2and4f2that are in contact with each other. When the locking projection5dpasses the engagement lug4f1of the lock arm4f,the lock arm4freturns from the bent state, and the engagement surface5d1of the locking projection5dengages with the engagement lug4f1of the lock arm4f.Thus, the operation housing5and the movable housing4are set to the completely fitted state.

The top wall5a4serves as a pushing operation surface in the pushing operation of the operation housing5. To facilitate the pushing operation even when the movable connector1is small, the top wall5a4is formed to have a flat surface over the entire area thereof. When the operation housing5and the movable housing4are in the completely fitted state, the top wall5a4is positioned to be flush with the top portion3bof the fixed housing3. When the top wall5a4is positioned so as to project from the top portion3bof the fixed housing3, it means that the operation housing5and the movable housing4are not yet completely fitted together. Therefore, whether or not the completely fitted state is established can be determined by visually checking the position of the top wall5a4.

The substrate connection terminals6are arranged in parallel in the X direction in the movable connector1. The substrate connection terminals6have the same shape. More specifically, each substrate connection terminal6includes a substrate connection portion6a,the fixed-housing fixing portion6b,an outer vertical portion6c,an acutely bent portion6d,an inner vertical portion6e,the horizontally bent portion6f,a base portion6gthat serves as a “first base portion”, the movable-housing fixing portions6h,a pair of elastic arms6i,and a pair of contact portions6j.

The substrate connection portion6ais conductively connected to a circuit on the substrate P by being fixed to the substrate P by a solder portion P1(FIG. 9). The fixed-housing fixing portion6bis press-fitted to and held by a corresponding one of the terminal fixing portions3eon the inner surface of the front wall3a2of the fixed housing3, so that one end of the substrate connection terminal6is fixed to the fixed housing3. The outer vertical portion6c,the acutely bent portion6d,the inner vertical portion6e,and the horizontally bent portion6fconstitute the support spring6kthat elastically supports the movable housing4and the operation housing5so that the movable housing4and the operation housing5are movable with respect to the fixed housing3. The support spring6kis bent in an inverted U-shape in the support spring accommodating section3c1of the fixed housing3, and enables the movable housing4and the operation housing5to move in the X, Y, and Z directions by being elastically deformed in the X, Y, and Z directions in the support spring accommodating section3c1. The horizontally bent portion6flinearly extends in the Y direction above a corresponding one of the above-described insertion slits4cin the movable housing4. The base portion6gincludes a pair of plate pieces6g1that extend in the X direction and oppose each other in the Y direction and a plate piece6g2that extends in the Y direction and connects the plate pieces6g1. The front plate piece6g1has a plurality of press-fitting projections on side edges thereof, the press-fitting projections being press-fitted to the terminal fixing portions4dof the movable housing. The press-fitting projections serve as the movable-housing fixing portions6h. The plate pieces6g1are connected to proximal ends of the elastic arms6iat the top edges thereof. The elastic arms6ifunction as spring pieces that support the contact portions6j,which are bent in a sideways V-shape, in a movable manner, and exert a contact pressure for bringing the contact portions6jinto pressure contact with the corresponding relay terminal7. The elastic arms6iand the contact portions6jserve as “inner contact sections” and “first contact pieces” according to the present invention. The contact portions6jcome into pressure contact with a base portion7aof the relay terminal7so as to clamp the base portion7ain the Y direction.

As illustrated in the enlarged view ofFIG. 5, each relay terminal7includes the base portion7a,which serves as a “second base portion”, a pair of elastic arms7b,the pair of contact portions7c,the movement restricting piece7d,and the projections7e.

The base portion7ahas a rectangular tubular shape, and is capable of being inserted into the base portion6gof the corresponding substrate connection terminal6in a nested manner. The base portion7aincludes a pair of plate pieces7a1that extend in the X direction. The plate pieces7a1are connected to proximal ends of the elastic arms7b,which extend downward in the Z direction, at the bottom edges thereof. The elastic arms7bfunction as spring pieces that support the contact portions7c,which are bent in a sideways V-shape, in a movable manner, and exert a contact pressure for bringing the contact portions7cinto pressure contact with the pin terminal8, which serves as a connection object. The elastic arms7band the contact portions7cserve as contact pieces. The contact portions7ccome into pressure contact with the pin terminal8so as to clamp the pin terminal8in the Y direction.

The base portion7aalso includes a pair of plate pieces7a2that extend in the Y direction and oppose each other in the X direction. The thin-plate-shaped movement restricting piece7d,which extends downward in the Z direction, is formed on the left plate piece7a2. The movement restricting piece7dis inserted in the corresponding sheath-shaped portion4iof the movable housing4, so that the relay terminal7is prevented from moving excessively with respect to the movable housing4and falling. The projections7e,which are bent in the X direction in the shape of outwardly projecting flanges, are formed at the top edges of the plate pieces7a2. The projections7eare inserted in the respective retaining grooves5bin the operation housing5. The projections7eare retained in the retaining grooves5bwith gaps therebetween so that the relay terminal7is movable with respect to the movable housing4. The projections7eand the retaining grooves5bserve as movable retaining portions that are provided on the relay terminal7and the movable housing4and retain the relay terminal7such that the relay terminal7is movable with respect to the movable housing4.

Thus, the relay terminal7is retained without being fixed to the operation housing5by inserting the projections7einto the retaining grooves5bin the operation housing5. As illustrated in the enlarged view ofFIG. 2, gaps5b1that extend in the X direction and gaps5b2that extend in the Z direction are formed between the projections7eand the retaining grooves5b.As illustrated inFIG. 6, gaps5b3that extend in the Y direction are also provided, so that the projections7eare movable in the Y direction along the retaining grooves5b.Thus, the relay terminal7is attached to the operation housing5with clearances that enable the relay terminal7to move in the X, Y, and Z directions. The movement restricting piece7dand the sheath-shaped portion4ialso have gaps therebetween that extend in the X, Y, and Z directions. However, the sheath-shaped portion4ifunctions as a stopper that prevents the movement restricting piece7dfrom moving excessively forward in the Y direction.

Operation and Effects of Movable Connector1

The operation and effects of the above-described movable connector1according to the first embodiment will now be described.

Assembly of Movable Connector1

To assemble the movable connector1, the movable-housing fixing portions6hof the substrate connection terminals6are fixed to the terminal fixing portions4dof the movable housing4, and the relay terminals7are attached to the operation housing5. Then, the operation housing5is attached to the movable housing4from above. At this time, the front wall5a1and the back wall5a2of the operation housing5are respectively guided along the front wall4a1and the back wall4a2of the movable housing4, so that the operation housing5can be smoothly attached to the movable housing4.

When the engagement lugs5c1of the stopper pieces5cof the operation housing5slide over the engagement steps4e1of the movable housing4, the stopper pieces5creturn from the bent state, and thereby provide a click sensation. Thus, the temporarily fitted state is established in which the engagement lugs5c1are engaged with the engagement steps4e1in the pulling direction of the operation housing5so that the operation housing5is prevented from being pulled out. In the temporarily fitted state, the two stopper pieces5cat each side of the operation housing5are placed in the corresponding guide portions4g,and the corresponding lock arm4fof the movable housing4is placed between the two stopper pieces5c,so that the operation housing5and the movable housing4are guided to move straight in the Z direction. In addition, the movement restricting piece7dof each relay terminal7is inserted in the corresponding sheath-shaped portion4iof the movable housing4, so that the operation housing5can be smoothly attached to the movable housing4without causing each relay terminal7to fall therefrom.

Next, the operation housing5is inserted into the interior space3cof the fixed housing3so that the operation housing5projects from the insertion opening3f.Also, the fixed-housing fixing portions6bof the substrate connection terminals6are press-fitted to the terminal fixing portions3eof the fixed housing3. The assembly of the movable connector1is completed by attaching the fixed housing3in the above-described manner. The movable connector1is mounted on the substrate P by soldering the fixing piece3gand the substrate connection portions6aof the substrate connection terminals6to the substrate P.

Conductive Connection between Movable Connector1and Connection Object

The operation and effects of conductive connection between the movable connector1and each pin terminal8will now be described.

Each pin terminal8is inserted into the movable connector1through a through hole P2from the back of the substrate P. Each insertion hole4jin the movable housing4has the tapered portion4k.Therefore, even when the central axis of the pin terminal8is displaced from the axis of the corresponding insertion hole4j,the tapered portion4kguides the pin terminal8to correct the insertion direction thereof.

When the pin terminal8is further inserted, as illustrated inFIG. 9, the pin terminal8stops before coming into contact with the contact portions7cof the relay terminal7. At this position, the pin terminal8is brought into conductive contact with and fitted to the movable connector1. In this manner, the pin terminal8is inserted to a normal fitting position without contact with the substrate connection terminal6or the relay terminal7. Thus, the movable connector1is a zero insertion force (ZIF) connector that does not receive an insertion force applied to the pin terminal8. Accordingly, the insertion force applied to the pin terminal8is not applied to solder portions by which the movable connector1is fixed to the substrate P, more specifically, the solder portion (not shown) on the fixing piece3gand the solder portion P1on the substrate connection portion6aof each substrate connection terminal6. As a result, formation of cracks and separation of the movable connector1from the substrate P due to the insertion force can be prevented.

Next, the top wall5a4of the operation housing5that projects upward from the top portion3bof the fixed housing3is pushed to move the operation housing5into the interior space3cof the fixed housing3. Accordingly, first, the pair of contact portions7cof the relay terminal7come into pressure contact with the pin terminal8so as to clamp the pin terminal8in the Y direction. Shortly after that, the pair of contact portions6jof the substrate connection terminal6come into pressure contact with the elastic arms7bof the relay terminal7. Accordingly, the elastic arms7bare pressed toward the axis of the pin terminal8by the contact portions6j,so that the contact pressure between the pin terminal8and the contact portions7cis increased. Therefore, the contact portions7cof the relay terminal7are moved downward in the Z direction while being pressed against the pin terminal8at a large contact pressure. At this time, foreign matter on the surface of the pin terminal8can be removed by the contact portions7c(wiping effect). Thus, the contact portions7ccan be conductively connected to the pin terminal8in such a state that the foreign matter is removed.

When the operation housing5is further pushed, the engagement lugs4f1of the lock arms4fof the movable housing4slide over the locking projections5dof the operation housing5, and the lock arms4freturn from the bent state to provide a click sensation. Accordingly, the engagement lugs4f1are engaged with the engagement surfaces5d1of the locking projections5din the pulling direction of the operation housing5, so that the operation housing5is prevented from being pulled out. Thus, the operation housing5and the movable housing4are completely fitted to each other, and the pin terminal8is fitted (conductively connected) to the movable connector1, as illustrated inFIG. 10. As described above, simply by pushing the operation housing5in the temporarily fitted state, the movable connector1can be conductively connected to the pin terminal8, and the operation housing5and the movable housing4can be set to the completely fitted state.

In the completely fitted state, each relay terminal7is in conductive contact with the pin terminal8and the pair of contact portions6jof the corresponding substrate connection terminal6in the corresponding connection chamber4bof the movable housing4. Accordingly, the overall size of the movable connector1can be made smaller than a connector according to the related art in which a first female terminal and a second female terminal are arranged in parallel.

In the above-described pushing operation of the operation housing5, the operation housing5is ideally pushed straight toward the substrate P. However, since the movable connector1is small and the area of the top wall5a4, which serves as the pushing operation surface, is even smaller, it is very difficult to push the top wall5a4at the center. Therefore, the top wall5a4is normally pushed obliquely at a position displaced from the center. However, even when a pushing force is applied so as to tilt the operation housing5and the movable housing4, since the support springs6kof the substrate connection terminals6are soft and elastically deformable, each pin terminal8can be fitted while allowing displacements of the operation housing5and the movable housing4in the tilted state.

Unlike a spring according to the related art, each support spring6khas an inverted U-shape in the support spring accommodating section3c1, which is obtained by dividing the interior space3cof the fixed housing3. Thus, each support spring6khas a simple shape and a long spring length. Therefore, a floating function of softly supporting the movable housing4and the operation housing5can be realized.

The elastic arms7bof each relay terminal7extend in the Z direction so that the pair of contact portions7cof the relay terminal7are positioned inside the base portion6gof the corresponding substrate connection terminal6. The elastic arms6iof each substrate connection terminal6extend from the base portion6gso that the pair of contact portions6jof the substrate connection terminal6come into pressure contact with the base portion7a(plate pieces7a1) of the corresponding relay terminal7so as to clamp the base portion7ain the Y direction from the outside. Thus, the relay terminal7, which is in conductive contact with the pin terminal8, is conductively connected to the substrate connection terminal6. In addition, since the pair of contact portions6jof the substrate connection terminal6come into pressure contact with the relay terminal7, the substrate connection terminal6can be retained so that it is not displaced relative to the relay terminal7even when the movable housing4is moved due to, for example, vibration. Accordingly, the position at which the contact portions7cof the relay terminal7are in contact with the pin terminal8can be maintained, and reduction in connection reliability due to fine sliding abrasion of the contact portions7cand the pin terminal8can be prevented.

With regard to the arrangement of the substrate connection terminal6and the relay terminal7, the relay terminal7, which is small enough to be insertable into the base portion6gof the substrate connection terminal6, is arranged so as to overlap the substrate connection terminal6in the Z direction, as described above. Accordingly, the dimension of the movable connector1in the Z direction can be reduced. The elastic arms6iand the pair of contact portions6jof the substrate connection terminal6and the elastic arms7band the pair of contact portions7cof the relay terminal7extend from the edges of the base portions6gand7athat extend in the X direction, and oppose each other in the Y direction. Accordingly, compared to the case in which they do not oppose each other, the substrate connection terminal6and the relay terminal7can be arranged with smaller gaps therebetween. Thus, the dimension of the movable connector1in the Y direction can also be reduced.

If, for example, the projections7eof the relay terminal7are press-fitted and fixed to the retaining grooves5bin the operation housing5, the central axis of the relay terminal7will be displaced from the midpoint between the contact portions6jof the substrate connection terminal6in the Y direction unless the projections7eare press-fitted to the retaining grooves5bat an accurate position. In such a case, a large load is placed on one of the contact portions6jand one of the elastic arms6iof the substrate connection terminal6, and there is a risk that fatigue of that elastic arm6iwill lead to a reduction in connection reliability. However, the relay terminal7is held in a movable manner, and is not fixed to the operation housing5. Therefore, when the contact portions6jof the substrate connection terminal6come into pressure contact of the relay terminal7, the relay terminal7can be reliably arranged so that the central axis thereof coincides with the midpoint between the contact portions6j.

Second Embodiment (FIGS.11to14)

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that each substrate connection terminal6does not include the pair of elastic arms6iand the pair of contact portions6j.The second embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that each relay terminal7includes acutely bent portions7f,which serve as “spring portions”, and a pair of terminal connection contact portions7g,which serve as “second contact portions”. The acutely bent portions7fextend from the pair of contact portions7c,and are bent. The terminal connection contact portions7gextend from the acutely bent portions7fand come into conductive contact with the base portion6g(plate pieces6g1) of the corresponding substrate connection terminal6. Other structures, operation, and effects of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, only the differences will be described.

In the first embodiment, the elastic arms6iand the contact portions6jof each substrate connection terminal6are brought into conductive contact with the corresponding relay terminal7. In the second embodiment, the acutely bent portions7fand the terminal connection contact portions7gof each relay terminal7are brought into conductive contact with the corresponding substrate connection terminal6. The elastic arms7b,the contact portions7c,the acutely bent portions7f,and the terminal connection contact portions7gof the relay terminal7according to the present embodiment serve as “second contact pieces” according to the present invention.

In the movable connector1according to the second embodiment, when the operation housing5in the temporarily fitted state illustrated inFIG. 13is pushed, the contact portions7cof the relay terminal7come into pressure contact with the pin terminal8and the terminal connection contact portions7gcome into pressure contact with the base portion6gof the substrate connection terminal6at substantially the same time. When the terminal connection contact portions7gcome into pressure contact with the base portion6g,the acutely bent portions7fexert a reaction force that presses the contact portions7cagainst the pin terminals8. Thus, the contact portions7care in pressure contact with the pin terminal8at a large contact pressure, so that the position at which the contact portions7care in contact with the pin terminal8can be reliably maintained even when the movable housing4is moved due to, for example, vibration. The terminal connection contact portions7gare also in pressure contact with the base portion6gat a large contact pressure. This also contributes to maintaining the position at which the contact portions7care in contact with the pin terminal8when the movable housing4is moved due to, for example, vibration. Therefore, reduction in connection reliability due to fine sliding abrasion of the contact portions7cand the pin terminal8can be prevented.