Patent Publication Number: US-8113884-B2

Title: Connector

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is based on, and claims priority from, JP Application Number 2006-289978, filed Oct. 25, 2006, and PCT Application Number PCT/JP07/070,320, filed Oct. 18, 2007, the disclosures of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (i) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector mounted on a printed-circuit board or the like to be used for connecting a plurality of circuit boards electrically. 
     (ii) Description of the Related Art 
     Generally, as such type of connectors, a connector is known to comprise a housing formed so as to be capable of fitting into a connection object, a plurality of terminals formed so as to be capable of electrically connecting the connection object when the connection object fits into the housing, and a shield member provided so as to cover the outer surface of the housing and be capable of attaching to the housing (See Patent Document 1, for example). 
     However, with this connector, a lock piece which extends a direction perpendicular to an attaching direction is provided at the shield member, and the shield member is attached at the housing by inserting the lock piece into a lock portion which is provided at the housing. In this case, it becomes necessary to manufacture the shield member and the housing anew, respectively. Therefore, as a result, it is concerned that this increases the cost of manufacturing connectors.
     Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-251461   

     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
     The present invention was made in view of the above problems and has an object to provide a connector capable of easily forming shield members which are capable of attaching to a housing. 
     Means for Solving the Problems 
     In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a housing formed so as to be capable of fitting into a connection object, a plurality of terminals formed so as to be capable of electrically connecting the connection object when the connection object fits into the housing, a pair of tabular shield members provided so as to cover two surfaces of the outer surface of the housing respectively, the said two surfaces being along the arranged direction of terminals, and a pair of attachment grooves provided at the predetermined end of the said two surfaces respectively, the said attachment grooves formed so as to be capable of inserting and holding the end of the shield members. 
     By this, the end of tabular shield members provided so as to cover two surfaces of the outer surface of the housing respectively are held by the attachment grooves, therefore, it becomes possible to attach the shield member on the housing without providing the lock piece etc. at the shield member. 
     Advantages of the Invention 
     According to the present invention, it becomes possible to attach the shield member on the housing without providing the lock piece etc. at the shield member, therefore, the shield member can be formed easily. Therefore, it becomes possible to manufacture the connector at low cost. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a socket according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the socket; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a socket terminal; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a shield terminal; 
         FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the socket; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a plug according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of the plug; 
         FIG. 8  is a side sectional view of the plug; 
         FIG. 9  is a side sectional view showing an operation when the socket and plug are fitted together; 
         FIG. 10  is a side sectional view showing an operation when the socket and plug are fitted together. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS 
     
         
         
           
               1  . . . socket,  2  . . . plug,  11  . . . a front face portion,  12  . . . a back face portion,  13  . . . the both side face portions in width direction,  16   a  . . . a pair of the first attachment grooves,  17   a  . . . a pair of the second attachment grooves,  30  . . . a plurality of socket terminals,  40  . . . a pair of the first socket side shield members,  50  . . . a pair of the second socket side shield members,  51  . . . a pair of contact pieces. 
           
         
       
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1 to 10  show an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a socket,  FIG. 2  is a plan view of the socket,  FIG. 3  is a side view of a socket terminal,  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a shield terminal,  FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the socket,  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a plug,  FIG. 7  is a plan view of the plug,  FIG. 8  is a side sectional view of the plug,  FIGS. 9 and 10  are a side sectional view showing an operation when the socket and plug are fitted together. 
     This connector comprises a socket  1  as a housing arranged on a first circuit board  100 . The connector is used to connect the circuit boards  100  and  200  electrically each other by fitting the socket  1  into a plug  2  as a connection object arranged on a second circuit board  200 . 
     As is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the socket  1  comprises a socket side fixed housing  10  which is arranged on the first circuit board  100  side, a movable housing  20  which is provided so as to be movable in the width direction (X direction in the figure) and the back-and-forth direction (Y direction in the figure) with respect to the socket side fixed housing  10 , a plurality of socket terminals  30 , one end of which is held by the socket side fixed housing  10  and the other end of which is held by the movable housing  20 , the socket terminals  30  are formed so as to be elastic deformed in accordance with movement of the movable housing  20  with respect to the socket side fixed housing  10 , a pair of first socket side shield members  40  as shield members which are provided so as to cover two surfaces of the outer surface of the first housing respectively, the said two surfaces are along the arranged direction of socket terminals  30 , more specifically, the said two surfaces are along the width direction, a pair of second socket side shield members  50  as other shield members which are provided so as to cover the other two surfaces of the outer surfaces of the socket side fixed housing  10  respectively, the said other two surfaces are perpendicular to the arranged direction of the socket terminals  30 , in other word, the said other two surfaces are along the back-and-forth direction, and a pair of shield terminals  60  formed so as to be detachable from the first socket side shield members  40  respectively. 
     A socket side fixed housing  10  is made of a synthetic resin molding and is formed a rectangular tube shape of which the upper and bottom faces are open. More specifically, the socket side fixed housing  10  comprises a front face portion  11  and a back face portion  12 , which extend in the width direction respectively, and the both side face portions in width direction  13  which extend in the back-and-forth direction. On the bottom end side of the front face portion  11  and back face portion  12 , a plurality of terminal holes  14  which hold one side of each socket terminal  30  is provided at even intervals with each other. Also, on the both end sides in the arranged direction of the terminal holes  14  (X direction in the figure), a pair of shield terminal holes  15  are provided so as to hold shield terminals  60  respectively. On the both end sides of the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  in the width direction, a pair of the first attaching portions  16  to mount the first socket side shield members  40  are provided. On the top of the first attaching portions  16 , the first attachment groove  16   a  is provided so as to be capable of holding the end in the width direction of the first socket side shield members  40  inserted from above. The first attachment groove  16   a  is formed so as to extend in the width direction. On the bottom of the both side face portions in width direction  13 , a pair of the second attaching portions  17  to mount the second socked side shield members  50  are provided. The second attaching portions  16  are formed so as to protrude outside in the width direction of the socket side fixed housing  10 . On the top of the second attaching portions  17 , the second attachment groove  17   a  is provided so as to be capable of holding the bottom end of the second socket side shield members  50 . The second attachment groove  17   a  is formed so as to extend downward. 
     A movable housing  20  is made of the synthetic resin molding and is formed to a box shape of which the upper face is open. More specifically, the movable housing  20  comprises a front face portion  21 , a back face portion  22 , the both side face portions  23  in the width direction, and a bottom face portion  24 . A fitting portion  25  is provided at the center of the bottom face portion  24 , the fitting portion  25  is formed so as to be protruded upward. Also, on a side wall portion of the front face and the back face side of the fitting portion  25 , a plurality of terminal holes  26  which hold the other side of the socket terminals  30  are formed so as to penetrate through the bottom face portion  24  in the up-and-down direction (Z direction in the figure). Moreover, on the back-and-forth direction both end sides of the bottom face portion  24 , a pair of through-holes  27  is formed so as to be capable of inserting the other end side of the shield terminals  60  in the up-and-down direction, the through-holes  27  are provided so as to be placed at the both end sides in the arranged direction of the socket terminals  30  respectively. 
     The socket terminals  30  are made of a conductive metal plate capable of being elastic deformed and arranged in a line on the both sides in the back-and-forth direction of the socket  1  respectively. As is shown in  FIG. 3 , the socket terminal  30  is formed so that a connection portion  31  extends in the back-and-forth direction, the connection portion  31  is to be connected to the first circuit board  100 . Also, the socket terminals  30  comprises a first straight portion  32  which extends upward from the back end of the connection portion  31 , a bending portion  33  which is bent downward from the upper end of the first straight portion  32 , a second straight portion  34  which extends aslant downward from the bending portion  33 , a third straight portion  35  which extends backward from the bottom end of the second straight portion  34 , a forth straight portion  36  which extends upward from the back end of the third straight portion  35 , and a contact portion  37  which is bent forward from the forth straight portion  36  and extends upward. The socket terminals  30  is capable of being elastic deformed in the width direction and back-and-forth direction with respect to the bending portion  33  as a base point. 
     The first socket side shield members  40  is made of a conductive metal plate which extends in the width direction of the socket side fixed housing  10  and formed so as to be detachable from the outer surfaces of the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  respectively. More specifically, the width direction both end sides of the first socket side shield members  40  are inserted from above into the first attaching portions  16  of the socket side fixed housing  10  respectively so that the first socket side shield members  40  is attached to cover the outer surface in the width direction of the socket side fixed housing  10 . Also, the first socket side shield members  40  is formed so that the upper end side thereof covers the front face portion  11  or the back face portion  12  of the socket side fixed housing  10  and formed in approximately L-shape so as to extend to the front face portion  21  or the back face portion  22  of the movable housing  20 . In this case, the upper end side of the first socket side shield members  40  covers exposed parts of the socket terminals  30  between the housings  10  and  20  from above. Also, the first socket side shield members  40  can be manufactured easily by a press work of a metal plate, a dimension of which is the same with dimension of the socket side fixed housing  10  in the width direction. Therefore, it is unnecessary to manufacture dies of the first socket side shield members  40  in accordance with dimensions of the socket side fixed housing  10 . 
     The second socket side shield members  50  is made of the conductive metal plate which extends in the back-and-forth direction of the socket side fixed housing  10  and formed so as to cover the outer surfaces of the both side face portions  13  in the width direction respectively. Also, on the both end sides in the back-and-forth direction of the second socket side shield members  50 , a pair of contact pieces  51  is provided so as to respectively touch the first shield members which are provided on the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12 . The contact pieces  51  are formed by bending the back-and-forth direction two end sides of the second socket side shield members  50  toward the width direction. Also, as for the second socket side shield members  50 , the dimension thereof does not change according to the number of terminals, therefore, it can be manufactured easily by using the same mold. 
     Shield terminals  60  are made of the conductive metal plate which is capable of being elastic deformed. As is shown in  FIG. 4 , a ground connect portion  61  capable of electrically connecting to a ground portion (not shown) is formed so as to extend in the back-and-forth direction, the ground portion is provided on the first circuit board  100 . Also, each shield terminals  60  is provided with a first straight portion  62  which extends upward from the back end of the ground connect portion  61 . On the both end sides in the width direction of the first straight portion  62 , second straight portions  63  are provided respectively which extend forward from the first straight portion  62 . Also, on the front end of the second straight portions  63 , first shield conductive portions  64  which touches the first socket side shield members  40  is provided integrally. Moreover, each shield terminal  60  is provided with a first bending portion  65  which is bent downward from the upper end of the first straight portion  62 , a third straight portion  66  which extends aslant downward from the first bending portion  65 , a second bending portion  67  which is bent upward from the bottom end of the third straight portion  66 , and a fourth straight portion  68  which extends aslant upward from the second bending portion  67 . The shield terminals  60  are capable of being elastic deformed in the width direction and the back-and-forth direction with respect to the first and second bending portions  65  and  67  as a base point. Also, on the upper end of the fourth straight portion  68 , a second shield conductive portion  69  which touches the later-described plug side shield member  90  is provided integrally. 
     When the socket terminals  30  are mounted on the socket side fixed housing  10 , the socket terminals  30  are pressed into the terminal holes  14  from below. At this time, as is shown in  FIG. 5 , one end side of the socket terminals  30 , in other word, the upper end side of the connect portion  31  is held by the terminal holes  14 . Also, when the movable housing  20  is pressed in from above with respect to the other end side of the socket terminals  30 , the fourth straight portion  36  and the contact portion  37  of the socket terminals  30  penetrate through the bottom face portion  24  of the movable housing  20  and held by terminal holes  26 . 
     Also, when the first socket side shield members  40  are mounted on the socket  1 , the both end sides in the width direction of the first socket side shield members  40  are inserted into the first attachment grooves  16   a  of the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  from above. In addition, when the second socket side shield members  50  are mounted on the socket  1 , the contact pieces  51  of the second socket side shield members  50  are inserted into the first attachment grooves  16   a  from above. In this case, the contact pieces  51  contact with the first socket side shield members  40  which are mounted on the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  respectively. Also, the second socket side shield members  50  are held by inserting the bottom side of which into the second attachment groove  17   a.    
     Additionally, when the shield terminals  60  are mounted on the socket  1 , the shield terminals  60  are pressed into shield terminal holes  15  from below. At this time, the top end side of the ground connect portion  61  and the top end side of the second straight portions  63  are held by the shield terminal holes  15  and the first shield conductive portion  64  touches the first socket side shield members  40 . Also, the shield terminals  60  are held in a state that the fourth straight portion  68  and the second shield conductive portion  69  penetrate upward through through-holes  27  of the movable housing  20 . In this case, the outer surfaces in the width direction and back-and-forth direction of the socket side fixed housing  10  are covered by the shield members  40 ,  50 , thus, it will be capable of reducing the effect of electromagnetic wave to the socket terminals  30  from the outside. Also, the first and the second shield conductive portions  64 ,  69  of the shield terminals  60  are arranged on the both end sides in the arranged direction of the socket terminals  30  so as to completely prevent the shield contact portions  64 ,  69  from obstructing springy deformation of the socket terminals  30 . 
     Next, a composition of the plug  2  is explained. As is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the plug  2  is provided with a plug side fixed housing  70  arranged at the second circuit board  200  side, a plurality of plug terminals  80  formed so as to be held by the plug side fixed housing  70 , and a pair of plug side shield members  90  formed so as to cover the outer surfaces in the width direction of the plug side fixed housing  70  respectively. 
     The plug side fixed housing  70  is made of the synthetic resin molding and is formed to a box shape of which the upper face is open. More specifically, the plug side fixed housing  70  comprises a front face portion  71 , a back face portion  72 , both side face portions  73  in the width direction, and a bottom face portion  74 . The plug side fixed housing  70  is provided so as to be movable with respect to the socket side fixed housing  10  of the socket  1  and formed so as to be capable of fitting into the movable housing  20 . Also, at the bottom end sides and the inner wall portions of the front face portion  71  and the back face portion  72  of the plug side fixed housing  70 , a plurality of the terminal holes  75  which hold the plug terminals  80  are provided at even intervals each other respectively. Moreover, on the upper end sides of the front face portion  71  and the back face portion  72 , attaching portions  76  are formed respectively so on which the plug side shield members  90  are mounted. The attaching portions  76  comprise a first attachment groove  76   a  formed so as to be capable of inserting the center part of the upper side of the plug side shield member  90  from below and holding it, and a pair of the second attachment grooves  76   b  formed so as to be capable of inserting the both sides in the width direction of top of the plug side shield member  90  from below and holding them. The first attachment groove  76   a  is provided so as to be located under the second attachment grooves  76   b.    
     The plug terminals  80  are made of the conductive metal plate and arranged in a line on the both sides in back-and-forth direction of the plug  2 . As is shown in  FIG. 8 , the plug terminals  80  are formed so that a connect portion  81  extends in the back-and-forth direction, the connect portion  81  is to be connected to the second circuit board  200 . A contact portion  82  which extends upward is provided at one end side of the connect portion  81 . 
     Plug side shield members  90  are made of a conductive metal plate which extends in the width direction of the plug side fixed housing  70 , the upper end side thereof are pressed into the mounting grooves  76  of the plug side fixed housing  70  from the below so that the plug side shield members  90  are mounted on to cover the outer surfaces of the plug side fixed housing  70  in the width direction. Also, at the bottom end side of the width direction both end sides of the plug side shield members  90 , a ground connect portion  91  capable of electrically connecting to a ground portion (not shown) is formed so as to extend in the back-and-forth direction, the ground connect portion  91  is provided on the second circuit board  200 . 
     When the plug terminals  80  are mounted on the plug side fixed housing  70 , the plug terminals  80  are pressed into the terminal holes  75 . At this time, as is shown in  FIG. 8 , the connect portion  81  and contact portion  82  of the plug terminals  80  are held by the terminal holes  75  of the plug side fixed housing  70 . Also, when the plug side shield members  90  are mounted on the plug side fixed housing  70 , the upper side of the plug side shield members  90  are inserted into the attachment grooves  76   a ,  76   b  from below. In this case, the width direction of the plug side fixed housing  70 , in other word, the outer surfaces of the front face portion  71  and the back face portion  72  are covered by the plug side shield members  90 , thus, it becomes capable of reducing the effect of electromagnetic wave to the plug terminals  80  from the outside. 
     The connector which is composed as above is used to connect the pair of the circuit boards  100 ,  200  electrically. As is shown in  FIG. 9 , when the plug  2  connected to the second circuit board  200  is arranged above the socket  1  connected to the first circuit board  100 , and if the plug  2  is moved downward so that the plug side fixed housing  70  fits into the fitting portion  25  of the movable housing of the socket  1 , the contact portion  82  of the plug terminals  80  touches the contact portion  37  of the socket terminals  30  respectively. In this case, as is shown in  FIG. 10 , the first shield conductive portion  64  of the shield terminals  60  touches the first socket side shield member  40 , and the second shield conductive members  69  touches the plug side shield members  90 . At this time, if either one of the socket side fixed housing  10  or the plug side fixed housing  70  moves in the width direction or back-and-forth direction with respect to the other, the socket terminals  30  and shield terminals  60  erastically deform by the said movement and a relative positional shift of the fixed housings  10 ,  70  will be allowed. 
     Also, to change the number of the terminals  30 ,  80  without changing intervals between the terminals  30  and  80 , it becomes necessary to make the dimensions larger in the width direction, more specifically, the terminal arranged direction of the housings  10 ,  20 ,  70 . In this case, by mounting the first shield members  40  and plug side shield members  90  according to dimensions thereof on the housings  10 ,  70  respectively, it becomes capable of covering the shield members  40 ,  90  of the terminals  30 ,  80  respectively and reducing the effect of electromagnetic wave to the terminals  30  and  80  from the outside. 
     As such, according to the connector of the present embodiment, the connector comprises the socket  1  formed so as to be capable of fitting into the plug  2 , a plurality of socket terminals  30  formed so as to be capable of electrically connecting the plug  2  when the plug  2  fits into the socket  1 , the pair of tabular first socket side shield members  40  provided so as to cover the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  of the socket  1  respectively, and the pair of the first attachment grooves  16   a  provided at the both ends in the width direction of the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  respectively, the first attachment grooves  16   a  formed so as to be capable of inserting and holding the both ends in the width direction of the first socket side shield members  40 . Therefore, it becomes possible to attach the first socket side shield members  40  on the socket  1  without providing the lock piece etc. at the first socket side shield members  40 . Thus, the first socket side shield members  40  can be formed easily, it becomes possible to manufacture the connector at low cost. 
     Also, the connector further comprises the pair of the second socket side shield members  50  provided so as to cover the both side face portions in width direction  13  of the socket  1  respectively, and a pair of the second attachment grooves  17   a  provided at the bottom of the both side face portions in width direction  13  respectively, the second attachment grooves  17   a  formed so as to be capable of inserting and holding the bottom end of the second socket side shield members  50 . Thus, for example, in case the dimension of the socket  1  in the arranged direction of the socket terminals  30  varies from the number of terminals, it becomes possible to mount the first shield members  40  which are formed in accordance with the dimension of the socket  1  in the arranged direction on the front face portion  11  and the back face portion  12  respectively, and to mount the second shield members  50 , without alteration of the dimension of which, on the both side face portions in width direction  13  respectively. Therefore, even in case the dimension of the socket  1  in the arranged direction of the socket terminals  30  varies from the number of terminals, it becomes possible to form the shield members easily than the case that the outer surface of the socket  1  is covered by one shield member, so it becomes possible to manufacture the shield members at low cost. 
     Additionally, the first socket side shield members  40  and the second socket side shield members  50  are formed so as to contact with each other, thus, it becomes to ensure an electrical connection between the shield members  40 ,  50 . 
     Moreover, the above embodiment is nothing but an example and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the shield members  40 ,  50  are formed so as to be capable of inserting from above of the socket  1 , however, they can be formed so as to be capable of inserting from below of the socket  1  by providing the attachment grooves  76   a ,  76   b  of the plug  2  on the socket side fixed housing  10 . 
     Also, in the above embodiment, the contact pieces  51  are provided on the second socket side shield members, however, they can be provided on the first socket side shield members.