Patent Publication Number: US-11043765-B2

Title: Multipolar connector

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/795,296 filed Oct. 27, 2017, and claims benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application 2015-094076 filed May 1, 2015, and to International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2016/061756 filed Apr. 12, 2016, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a multipolar connector, and more particularly to a multipolar connector used for electrically connecting circuit boards to each other. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A small-sized multipolar electrical connector described in Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 2541256 is a known example of a multipolar connector used for electrically connecting circuit boards to each other. This type of multipolar connector (hereinafter referred to as a multipolar connector of the related art) includes an insulating block in which internal terminals called contacts are arranged and a metal shell surrounding the insulating block. Here, a metal shell of a multipolar connector of the related art is attached to an insulating block by inserting a plurality of latch protrusions formed at the lower end of a side surface of the insulating block into a plurality of latch holes formed at the lower end of the metal shell. In addition, in a multipolar connector of the related art, in order to accommodate a force that is applied to a metal shell when connecting circuit boards to each other, a center portion of an upper end portion of the metal shell is bent toward the insulating block so as to be fitted into a recess formed in the top surface of the insulating block. 
     As described above, in a multipolar connector of the related art, a metal shell and an insulating block are fixed to each other at a plurality of positions, such as latch holes and a recess, in order to attach the metal shell to the insulating block and to improve the strength of the multipolar connector. In the case of fixing components to each other at a plurality of positions as described above, in order to securely engage portions of the components to be fixed to each other, high positional accuracy is required for the portions. Accordingly, in a multipolar connector of the related art, since high positional accuracy is required for a portion of a metal shell and a portion of an insulating block that are to be fixed to each other, the manufacturing process becomes complex, and the manufacturing costs increase. 
     SUMMARY 
     Technical Problem 
     It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a multipolar connector capable of easily assembling components thereof without requiring high positional accuracy for portions of the components that are to be fixed to each other. 
     Solution to Problem 
     A multipolar connector according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a multipolar connector for use in electrically connecting a first circuit board and a second circuit board to each other. The multipolar connector includes an external terminal that is fixed to the first circuit board, an insulating member that is placed such that a first surface of the insulating member is in contact with an outer frame portion of the external terminal, the insulating member being fixed to the external terminal as a result of a second surface of the insulating member being pressed by a bending portion of the external terminal toward the outer frame portion, and an internal terminal that is fitted to a groove formed in the insulating member such that a portion of the internal terminal is exposed through the insulating member. The bending portion is a portion that extends from the outer frame portion and that is bent toward the second surface. 
     In the multipolar connector according to the aspect of the present disclosure, the insulating member is placed such that the first surface of the insulating member is in contact with the outer frame portion of the external terminal, and the insulating member is fixed to the external terminal as a result of the second surface of the insulating member being pressed by the bending portion of the external terminal toward the outer frame portion. Such a structure is simpler than that of a multipolar connector of the related art, and when performing assembly, high positional accuracy is not required for a portion of the insulating member and a portion of the external terminal that are to be fixed to each other. 
     Advantageous Effects of Disclosure 
     According to the present disclosure, components can be easily assembled without requiring high positional accuracy for portions of the components that are to be fixed to each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an external perspective view of a multipolar connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an external perspective view of the multipolar connector according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is an external perspective view of an outer frame portion according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is an external perspective view of the outer frame portion according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is an external perspective view of an insulating member according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is an external perspective view of the insulating member according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is an external perspective view of each of internal terminals according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is an external perspective view of each of the internal terminals according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is an external perspective view illustrating the order in which components of the multipolar connector according to the embodiment are assembled. 
         FIG. 10  is an external perspective view illustrating the order in which the components of the multipolar connector according to the embodiment are assembled. 
         FIG. 11  is an external perspective view illustrating the order in which the components of the multipolar connector according to the embodiment are assembled. 
         FIG. 12  is an external perspective view of another connector that is to be connected to the multipolar connector according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is an external perspective view illustrating a method of connecting the multipolar connector according to the embodiment and the other connector to each other. 
         FIG. 14  is an external perspective view illustrating a state in which the multipolar connector according to the embodiment and the other connector are connected to each other. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a fitted state when the multipolar connector according to the embodiment and the other connector are connected to each other. 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which one of the internal terminals of the multipolar connector according to the embodiment and one of internal terminals of the other connector are in contact with each other. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In a multipolar connector  10 , a direction in which an insulating member  16  is mounted on an external terminal  12  will hereinafter be referred to as the vertical direction. The direction in which a plurality of internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  of the multipolar connector  10  are aligned will hereinafter be referred to as the transverse direction, and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the transverse direction will hereinafter be referred to as the depth direction. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the direction including the transverse direction and the depth direction, will hereinafter be referred to as the horizontal direction. 
     (Configuration of Multipolar Connector, See  FIGS. 1 to 8 ) 
     The multipolar connector  10  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted onto, for example, a flexible wiring board including wiring lines or a circuit board such as a printed circuit board and includes, as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the external terminal  12 , the plurality of internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c , and the insulating member  16 . 
     The external terminal  12  is a conductor connected to a ground potential. The external terminal  12  is fabricated by bending a single metal plate made of, for example, phosphor bronze. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the external terminal  12  includes an outer frame portion  20 , bending portions  24   a  and  24   b , and connecting portions  26   a  to  26   c.    
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the outer frame portion  20  includes a framework portion  21  and guide portions  22   a  to  22   d . The framework portion  21  is a belt-shaped conductor that extends around a central axis extending in the vertical direction. When viewed from above, the framework portion  21  has an annular shape that follows the outer edge of a rectangle having the front and rear long sides extending in the transverse direction. However, a portion of the front long side of the framework portion  21  is cut out, and thus, the framework portion  21  does not have a perfect annular shape. An end portion located on the left side of the cutout portion of the framework portion  21  will hereinafter be referred to as an end portion  21   a , and an end portion located on the right side of the cutout portion will hereinafter be referred to as an end portion  21   b . Note that, when the framework portion  21  is viewed from above, the four corner portions of the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21  are rounded. 
     The guide portion  22   a  is provided at the lower end of the left rear corner of the framework portion  21 . The guide portion  22   a  has a fan-like shape extending downward and outward from the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21 . Here, when the cross section of the guide portion  22   a  is viewed in the horizontal direction, the guide portion  22   a  extends toward the inside of the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21  and then extends downward while gently curving outward. As a result, a projecting portion P 1  that projects toward the inner periphery side is formed at the left rear corner of the outer frame portion  20 . 
     The guide portion  22   b  is provided at the lower end of the right rear corner of the framework portion  21 . The guide portion  22   b  has a fan-like shape extending downward and outward from the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21 . Here, when the cross section of the guide portion  22   b  is viewed in the horizontal direction, the guide portion  22   b  extends toward the inside of the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21  and then extends downward while gently curving outward. As a result, a projecting portion P 2  that projects toward the inner periphery side is formed at the right rear corner of the outer frame portion  20 . 
     The guide portion  22   c  is provided at the lower end of the left front corner of the framework portion  21 . The guide portion  22   c  has a fan-like shape extending downward and outward from the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21 . Here, when the cross section of the guide portion  22   c  is viewed in the horizontal direction, the guide portion  22   c  extends toward the inside of the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21  and then extends downward while gently curving outward. As a result, a projecting portion P 3  that projects toward the inner periphery side is formed at the left front corner of the outer frame portion  20 . 
     The guide portion  22   d  is provided at the lower end of the right front corner of the framework portion  21 . The guide portion  22   d  has a fan-like shape extending downward and outward from the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21 . Here, when the cross section of the guide portion  22   d  is viewed in the horizontal direction, the guide portion  22   d  extends toward the inside of the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21  and then extends downward while gently curving outward. As a result, a projecting portion P 4  that projects toward the inner periphery side is formed at the right front corner of the outer frame portion  20 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the bending portion  24   a  is connected to the upper end of the left short side of the framework portion  21 . When the insulating member  16 , which will be described later, is mounted on the outer frame portion  20 , the bending portion  24   a  is bent toward the inside of the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21 , that is, to the right side. 
     The bending portion  24   b  is connected to the upper end of the right short side of the framework portion  21 . When the insulating member  16 , which will be described later, is mounted on the outer frame portion  20 , the bending portion  24   b  is bent toward the inside of the rectangle formed by the framework portion  21 , that is, to the left side. 
     The connecting portion  26   a  is a portion that projects frontward from the upper end of the end portion  21   a  of the framework portion  21  and that has a rectangular shape. The connecting portion  26   b  is a portion that projects frontward from the upper end of the end portion  21   b  of the framework portion  21  and that has a rectangular shape. The connecting portion  26   c  is provided at the center of the upper end of the rear long side of the framework portion  21 . The connecting portion  26   c  is a portion that projects rearward from the upper end of the framework portion  21  and that has a rectangular shape. 
     The insulating member  16  is an insulating member that is placed and fixed onto the outer frame portion  20  and serves to insulate the outer frame portion  20  from the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  and hold the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c . As illustrated in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , when viewed from above, the insulating member  16  has a substantially rectangular shape. However, a recess E 1  is formed by cutting out a portion of the left side of the rectangle, which is formed by the insulating member  16 , toward the inside of the insulating member  16 , and a recess E 2  is formed by cutting out a portion of the right side of the rectangle toward the inside of the insulating member  16 . More specifically, the recesses E 1  and E 2  are formed by forming steps that reduce the thickness of the insulating member  16  in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the left and right sides of the rectangle formed by the insulating member  16 . When the above-mentioned bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  are bent toward the inside of the insulating member  16 , the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  are fitted into upper portions of the recesses E 1  and E 2 , respectively. By forming the recesses E 1  and E 2  in the insulating member  16  such that the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  are partially fitted into the recesses E 1  and E 2 , respectively, the height of the multipolar connector  10  can be reduced. Note that the steps formed of the recesses E 1  and E 2  in the top surface of the insulating member  16  are not necessary. In addition, a plurality of grooves G 1  to G 3  each extending in the depth direction are formed in the insulating member  16 . The three grooves G 1  to G 3  are arranged in the order of the groove G 1 , the groove G 2 , and the groove G 3  from the left side to the right side. Note that the grooves G 1  to G 3  extend through the insulating member  16  in the vertical direction. 
     Each of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  is a conductor that is connected to a signal potential or a ground potential. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are arranged in this order from the left side and fitted into the grooves G 1  to G 3 , respectively, of the insulating member  16 . In addition, the internal terminals  14   a  and  14   c , which are positioned at the opposite ends in the transverse direction, are each signal terminals to which a signal is applied, and the internal terminal  14   b  is a ground terminal that is connected to the ground potential. Accordingly, the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are arranged such that the signal terminals and the ground terminal are alternately arranged. In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , each of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  is fabricated by bending a single bar-shaped conductor and made of, for example, a copper-based material such as phosphor bronze. The internal terminal  14   a  can be divided into a contact portion  30   a  and a connecting portion  32   a . The internal terminal  14   b  can be divided into a contact portion  30   b  and a connecting portion  32   b . The internal terminal  14   c  can be divided into a contact portion  30   c  and a connecting portion  32   c.    
     When the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are viewed in the direction toward the right side, each of the contact portions  30   a  to  30   c  is formed in a U shape having a cavity that is open downward. The front and rear end portions of each of the contact portions  30   a  to  30   c  are bent so as to slightly extend in the depth direction. 
     The connecting portions  32   a  to  32   c  are connected to the front end portions of the contact portions  30   a  to  30   c , respectively and each has an L shape when the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are viewed in the direction toward the left or right side. More specifically, the connecting portions  32   a  to  32   c  extend upward from the front end portions of the contact portions  30   a  to  30   c , respectively and are then bent so as to extend frontward. Thus, the connecting portions  32   a  to  32   c  extend frontward from the contact portions  30   a  to  30   c , respectively. The thicknesses of upward-extending portions of the connecting portions  32   a  to  32   c  are larger than those of the other portions of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c , respectively. 
     The multipolar connector  10 , which has the above-described configuration, is mounted onto a circuit board. More specifically, the multipolar connector  10  is mounted onto the circuit board by connecting, with solder, the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  and the connecting portions  26   a  to  26   c  to land electrodes formed on or in the circuit board. 
     (Assembly of Multipolar Connector, See  FIG. 9  to  FIG. 11 ) 
     Assembly of the multipolar connector  10  will now be described with reference to the drawings. 
     First, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are inserted into the grooves G 1  to G 3 , which are formed in the insulating member  16 , from the upper side of the insulating member  16 . Here, the upward-extending portions of the connecting portions  32   a  to  32   c  of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are pressed into the groove G 1  to groove G 3 , respectively, and accordingly, the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are fixed to the insulating member  16 . 
     Next, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the insulating member  16 , to which the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  have been fixed, is placed onto the upper end of the framework portion  21  of the outer frame portion  20  such that the bottom surface of the insulating member  16  is in contact with the outer frame portion  20  of the external terminal  12 . In this case, the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  of the external terminal  12  that project upward from the upper end of the framework portion  21  of the outer frame portion  20  when the multipolar connector  10  is viewed from above, are respectively fitted into the recesses E 1  and E 2 , which are formed by cutting out portions of the insulating member  16  toward the inside of the insulating member  16 . In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  pass through cutout portions that are formed in the side surfaces of the insulating member  16  in the transverse direction and project from the lower side toward the upper side of the insulating member  16 . 
     Finally, as illustrated in  FIG. 11 , to-be-bent portions of the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  projecting upward are bent toward the inside of the outer frame portion  20 . As a result, the to-be-bent portions of the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  press the top surface of the insulating member  16  downward. As a result of the bottom surface of the insulating member  16  being in contact with the upper end of the framework portion  21  of the outer frame portion  20 , the insulating member  16  is restrained by the outer frame portion  20  from being displaced. As a result of the top and bottom surfaces of the insulating member  16  being sandwiched between the to-be-bent portions of the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  of the external terminal  12  and the outer frame portion  20  of the external terminal, the insulating member  16  is fixed in place relative to the external terminal  12 . Therefore, the insulating member  16  can be fixed onto the external terminal  12  by only bending the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  of the external terminal  12  and without performing insert molding in which the insulating member  16  that is fixed to the external terminal  12  is formed by supplying a resin material to a metal mold in which the external terminal  12  is disposed. In the manner described above, manufacture of the multipolar connector  10  such as that illustrated in  FIG. 1  is completed. 
     (Configuration of Another Connector, See  FIG. 12 ) 
     Another connector  50  that is connected to the multipolar connector  10  will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that directions used for describing the other connector  50  are based on the multipolar connector  10  directions. More specifically, the vertical direction, the transverse direction, and the depth direction of the multipolar connector  10  when the multipolar connector  10  is connected to the other connector  50  match the vertical direction, the transverse direction, and the depth direction, respectively, of the other connector  50 . 
     Similar to the multipolar connector  10 , the other connector  50  is mounted onto a flexible wiring board including wiring lines or a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board, and includes an external terminal  52 , internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c , and an insulating member  66  as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . 
     The external terminal  52  is a conductor that is connected to a ground potential and is fabricated by bending a single metal plate made of, for example, phosphor bronze. In addition, the external terminal  52  can be divided into a bottom surface portion  54  that is fixed onto a circuit board or the like and an inner frame portion  56  that is connected to the multipolar connector  10 . 
     The bottom surface portion  54  has a flat plate-like shape extending in the horizontal direction, and when the other connector  50  is viewed in the vertical direction, the bottom surface portion  54  has a rectangular shape having the front and rear long sides extending in the transverse direction. However, a portion in the vicinity of the center of the rear long side of the bottom surface portion  54  is cut out. This cutout portion E 3  extends to the lower end of the inner frame portion  56 , which will be described below, and the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c  extend from the cutout portion E 3 . 
     The inner frame portion  56  is positioned substantially at the center of the top surface of the bottom surface portion  54  in the horizontal direction. In addition, the inner frame portion  56  is a belt-shaped conductor that extends around a central axis extending in the vertical direction. When the other connector  50  is viewed in the vertical direction of the inner frame portion  56 , the inner frame portion  56  has an annular shape resembling a rectangle. Recesses Q 1  to Q 4  each extending in the horizontal direction are formed in the corners of the rectangle that is formed by the inner frame portion  56  such that each of the recesses Q 1  to Q 4  is located substantially at the center of the corresponding corner in the vertical direction. Note that the long sides of the rectangle formed by the bottom surface portion  54  and the long sides of the rectangle formed by the inner frame portion  56  are parallel to one another. 
     Each of the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c  is a conductor that is connected to a signal potential or a ground potential. In the present embodiment, the internal terminals  64   a  and  64   c , which are positioned at the opposite ends in the transverse direction, are each signal terminals to which a signal is applied. The internal terminal  64   b  is a ground terminal that is connected to the ground potential. Accordingly, the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c  are arranged such that the signal terminals and the ground terminal are alternately arranged. In addition, each of the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c  is fabricated by bending a single bar-shaped conductor and made of, for example, a copper-based material such as phosphor bronze. The internal terminal  64   a  includes a contact portion  70   a  and a connecting portion  72   a . The internal terminal  64   b  includes a contact portion  70   b  and a connecting portion  72   b . The internal terminal  64   c  includes a contact portion  70   c  and a connecting portion  72   c.    
     The contact portions  70   a  to  70   c  are positioned in an area inside the inner frame portion  56  of the external terminal  52 . In addition, when the other connector  50  is viewed in the direction toward the left or right side, each of the contact portions  70   a  to  70   c  is formed in a U shape having a cavity that is open downward. 
     The connecting portions  72   a  to  72   c  are connected to the rear end portions of the contact portions  70   a  to  70   c , respectively and extend rearward. Accordingly, the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c  extend toward the rear side of the external terminal  52  from the cutout portion E 3  of the external terminal  52 . 
     The insulating member  66  is an insulating member that is provided for the external terminal  52  and formed by performing insert molding or the like and serves to insulate the external terminal  52  from the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c  and hold the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c . The insulating member  66  is shaped so as to follow the bottom surfaces of the internal terminals  64   a  to  64   c . Note that the material of the insulating member  66  is, for example, a liquid crystal polymer. 
     (Mounting of Multipolar Connector onto Other Connector, See  FIG. 13  to  FIG. 16 ) 
     When connecting the multipolar connector  10  to the other connector  50 , as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the multipolar connector  10  is pressed against the other connector  50  in a connecting direction such that the bottom surface of the multipolar connector  10  faces the top surface of the other connector  50 . As a result, manufacture of a connector set such as that illustrated in  FIG. 14  is completed. In this case, as illustrated in  FIG. 15 , the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame portion  20  of the multipolar connector  10  is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner frame portion  56  of the other connector  50 . Along with this, the projecting portions P 1  to P 4  of the multipolar connector  10  engage the recesses Q 1  to Q 4 , respectively, of the other connector  50 , so that the multipolar connector  10  is fixed to the other connector  50 . In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 16 , the contact portion  70   a  of the internal terminal  64   a  of the other connector  50  is disposed in the cavity of the contact portion  30   a  of the internal terminal  14   a  of the multipolar connector  10 . The contact portion  70   b  of the internal terminal  64   b  of the other connector  50  is disposed in the cavity of the contact portion  30   b  of the internal terminal  14   b  of the multipolar connector  10 . The contact portion  70   c  of the internal terminal  64   c  of the other connector  50  is disposed in the cavity of the contact portion  30   c  of the internal terminal  14   c  of the multipolar connector  10 . This enables transmission of signals between the multipolar connector  10  and the other connector  50 . 
     Advantageous Effects 
     In the multipolar connector  10 , the insulating member  16  is placed such that the bottom surface of the insulating member  16  is in contact with the outer frame portion  20  of the external terminal  12 , and the top surface of the insulating member  16  is pressed by the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  of the external terminal  12  toward the outer frame portion  20 . As a result, the insulating member  16  is fixed to the external terminal. Such a structure is simpler than that of a multipolar connector of the related art, and when performing assembly, high positional accuracy is not required for a portion of the insulating member  16  and a portion of the external terminal  12  that are to be fixed to each other. 
     In addition, in the multipolar connector  10 , as described above, the top surface of the insulating member  16  is pressed by the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  of the external terminal  12  toward the outer frame portion  20 . This indicates that, in the multipolar connector  10 , the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  are located on the side on which a board is disposed, that is, provided on a surface of the multipolar connector  10  that is opposite to a contact surface of the multipolar connector  10  when connecting the multipolar connector  10  to the other connector  50 . Therefore, when connecting the multipolar connector  10  and the other connector  50  to each other, the bent portions  24   a  and  24   b  will not be in contact with the other connector  50 , and thus, it is not necessary to make the shape of the other connector  50  correspond to the bent portions  24   a  and  24   b . In other words, by forming the bent portions  24   a  and  24   b  on the surface of the multipolar connector  10  that is opposite to the contact surface when connecting the multipolar connector  10  to the other connector  50 , some leeway can be given to the shape of the other connector  50 . 
     In addition, in the multipolar connector  10 , since the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  are provided on the side on which a board is disposed, the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  can be utilized as portions of the multipolar connector  10  that are soldered onto a circuit board. As a result, the multipolar connector  10  can be further strongly fixed onto a circuit board compared with the case where only the connecting portions  26   a  to  26   c  are utilized as portions of the multipolar connector  10  that are soldered onto a circuit board. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the insulating member  16  has the recesses E 1  and E 2  into which the bending portions  24   a  and  24   b  of the external terminal  12  are fitted when the insulating member  16  is placed on the outer frame portion  20  of the external terminal  12 . In this case, when the multipolar connector  10  is viewed from above, the insulating member  16  projects outward from the outer frame portion  20 . As a result of the insulating member  16  being provided so as to project outward from the outer frame portion  20  as described above, the inner periphery side of the outer frame portion  20  is covered with the insulating member  16 . As a result of the inner periphery side of the outer frame portion  20  being covered with the insulating member  16 , the multipolar connector  10  can be easily picked up by performing air suction. More specifically, when picking up and transporting the multipolar connector  10 , an end portion of an arm of a pickup apparatus is pressed against the external terminal  12  in the vertical direction so as to suction the multipolar connector  10 , and the multipolar connector  10  is transported. In this case, if there is a gap on the inner periphery side of the outer frame portion  20  when viewed in the vertical direction, air leaks from the gap when the pickup apparatus starts suctioning, and thus, it becomes difficult for the multipolar connector  10  to be suctioned onto the end portion of the arm of the pickup apparatus. However, in the multipolar connector  10 , since the inner periphery side of the outer frame portion  20  is covered with the insulating member  16 , air leakage is less likely to occur when the pickup apparatus performs suctioning. As a result, the multipolar connector  10  can be suctioned onto the end portion of the arm of the pickup apparatus, and the multipolar connector  10  can be easily picked up. 
     When the outer frame portion  20  of the multipolar connector  10  is viewed from above, the outer frame portion  20  has a partially cut-away annular shape. As a result of the outer frame portion  20  being partially cut away, the outer frame portion  20  is likely to be widened in the horizontal direction when connecting the multipolar connector  10  to the other connector  50 . Therefore, even in the case where the multipolar connector  10  is pressed against the other connector  50  in a direction that is displaced from the vertical direction, the outer frame portion  20  may be widened in the horizontal direction, and thus, the multipolar connector  10  can be firmly pressed against the other connector  50 . 
     The thicknesses of the upward-extending portions of the connecting portions  32   a  to  32   c , which are included in the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c , respectively, of the multipolar connector  10 , are larger than those of the other portions of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c , respectively. Here, when the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are inserted into the grooves G 1  to G 3 , respectively, of the insulating member  16 , the portions of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  that are thicker than the other portions of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  are pressed into the grooves G 1  to G 3 , respectively. However, a clearance is formed between each of the other portions of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  and a corresponding one of the grooves G 1  to G 3 . The clearances enable the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  to move to some extent. Therefore, the stress that is generated when connecting the multipolar connector  10  and the other connector  50  to each other can be reduced, and the occurrence of breakage of the internal terminals  14   a  to  14   c  can be suppressed. 
     Other Embodiments 
     The multipolar connector according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the materials, sizes, specific shapes, and the like of the components are arbitrary. In addition, the number of the internal terminals is not limited to three and may be two or may be four or more. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     As described above, the present disclosure is useful in a multipolar connector, and in particular, the present disclosure has an advantage of easily assembling components without requiring high positional accuracy for portions of the components that are to be fixed to each other.