Patent Publication Number: US-11646518-B2

Title: Connector with a contact retained in a housing

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/210,733 filed Dec. 5, 2018 which claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-186546, filed on Oct. 1, 2018, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-233161, filed on Dec. 5, 2017. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connector and, more particularly, to a connector having a housing and a plurality of electrically conductive contacts retained in the housing. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Signal processing speeds of electronic circuits are ever-increasing and, accordingly, an electrical connector is required to transmit signals of increasingly higher speed. Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-219101A discloses a connector having a structure in which contacts are inserted into passageways of a housing. A contact portion curved vertically is provided at a distal end of each contact extending through the passageway of the housing. The passageway of the housing is wider than a plate thickness of the contact and sufficiently dimensioned vertically to allow passage of the contact portion. In addition, serrations for press-fitting the contact into the passageway and retaining the contact in the passageway are formed at right and left sides of the contact. 
     In the connector disclosed in JP 2016-219101A, a vertical dimension of the passageway is wider than the plate thickness of the contact. Therefore, one of upper and lower faces of the contact is separated from the housing and, as compared with a case where both the upper and lower faces of the contact are in contact with the housing, the impedance of the contact tends to increase partially to cause an impedance mismatch. Additionally, a region of the contact having the serrations is wider than other portions of the contact, also contributing to the impedance mismatch. The impedance mismatch is disadvantageous for high-speed signal transmission. 
     SUMMARY 
     A connector comprises a housing and a plurality of contacts retained in the housing. Each of the contacts extends in a longitudinal direction and has a retained portion, a contacting portion disposed in front of the retained portion in the longitudinal direction, and a connecting portion disposed behind the retained portion in the longitudinal direction. Each of the contacting portion and the connecting portion are shifted with respect to the retained portion in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The housing is in contact with the retained portion of each of the contacts from both above and below in the vertical direction and from both right and left in a lateral direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: 
         FIG.  1 A  is a front perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  1 B  is a rear perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  2    is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  3    is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  4    is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  5 A  is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  1 A  in a fully assembled state; 
         FIG.  5 B  is a sectional front view of the connector in the fully assembled state taken along arrows A-A of  FIG.  5 A ; 
         FIG.  6 A  is a sectional perspective view of a lid portion of a connector according to another embodiment; 
         FIG.  6 B  is a sectional perspective view of the lid portion placed on a base portion of the connector of  FIG.  6 A ; 
         FIG.  6 C  is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  6 A  in a fully assembled state; 
         FIG.  7    is an exploded sectional perspective view of a connector according to another embodiment; 
         FIG.  8 A  is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  7   ; 
         FIG.  8 B  is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  7    in a fully assembled state; 
         FIG.  9 A  is a sectional perspective view of a connector according to another embodiment; 
         FIG.  9 B  is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  9 A  in a fully assembled state; 
         FIG.  10    is an exploded sectional perspective view of a connector according to another embodiment; 
         FIG.  11    is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  10   ; 
         FIG.  12 A  is a sectional perspective view of the connector of  FIG.  10    in a fully assembled state; 
         FIG.  12 B  is a sectional front view of the connector of  FIG.  10    in the fully assembled state, taken along arrows B-B of  FIG.  12 A ; and 
         FIG.  12 C  is a sectional side view of the connector of  FIG.  10    in the fully assembled state, taken along arrows C-C of  FIG.  12 A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
     A connector  10  according to an embodiment is shown in  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B . The connector  10 , as shown in  FIGS.  1 A and  1 B , includes a housing  20  and a plurality of contacts  30 . The housing  20  is formed from a dielectric material and the contacts  30  are electrically conductive. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1 A and  1 B , the housing  20  has attachment portions  201  for connecting the housing  20  to one end edge of a first circuit board. The attachment portions  201  are provided on both lateral sides of the contacts  30  within the housing  20 . The attachment portion  201  has an attachment recess  202 , and the end edge of the first circuit board is inserted into the attachment recess  202 . A metallic part for attachment is inserted into an attachment hole  203  of the attachment portion  201  to attach the connector  10  to the circuit board. Connection pads arranged with the same pitch as the arrangement pitch of the contacts  30  are formed on the end edge of the circuit board which is inserted into the attachment recess  202 . After the connector  10  is attached to the first circuit board, the contact  30  and the connection pad on the circuit board corresponding to each other are connected together by soldering. 
     A mating opening  204  is formed in the housing  20  of the connector  10 , as shown in  FIG.  1 A . A distal end of a second circuit board different from the first circuit board to which the connector  10  has been attached is inserted into the mating opening  204 . The contact  30  and connection pads on the distal end of the second circuit board corresponding to each other are electrically connected. The first circuit board having the connector  10  attached thereto and the second circuit board having the distal end inserted in the connector  10  are electrically connected together by the contacts  30 . In  FIGS.  1 A and  1 B , a side of the connector  10  at which the mating opening  204  is located is defined as a front F, and a side of the connector  10  at which the attachment portions  201  are located is defined as a back B. 
     The connector  10  is mirror symmetric with respect to a horizontal plane across a center between top and bottom. Only the upper half structure will be described below. Accordingly, in  FIG.  2   , only the upper half is shown in a disassembled state, and the lower half is shown in an assembled state. 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , the housing  20  has a base portion  21  and a pair of lid portions  22 . The base portion  21  is positioned in a region between the upper and lower two rows of contacts  30 . The pair of lid portions  22  hold the upper and lower rows of contacts  30  to the base portion  21  from above and below. The upper row of contacts  30  is held from above and below between the base portion  21  and the upper lid portion  22 . The lower row of contacts  30  is held from above and below between the base portion  21  and the lower lid portion  22 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , the contact  30  has a shape extending in a longitudinal direction. The contact  30  has a retained portion  31  in a central section and has a contacting portion  32  and a connecting portion  33  in front of and behind the retained portion  31 , respectively, in the longitudinal direction. The retained portion  31  is a portion which is retained by the housing  20 . Each of the contacting portion  32  and the connecting portion  33  has a portion shifted in a vertical direction with respect to the retained portion  31 , the vertical direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A notched portion  311  for positioning the contact  30  with respect to the housing  20  is provided in the retained portion  31  of the contact  30 . The notched portion  311 , however, does not impair maintaining the adverse effect of an impedance mismatch to a high-speed signal transmitted by the contact  30  within an acceptable range. 
     A plurality of contact positioning grooves  211  are formed in the base portion  21  of the housing  20 , as shown in  FIG.  2   , and a plurality of protruding portions  212  are formed between the contact positioning grooves  211 . A boss  213  for attaching the lid portion  22  is provided on the base portion  21 . A plurality of opening portions  221  which each protruding portion  212  enters and a hole  222  which the boss  213  enters are formed in the lid portion  22 . 
     The contacts  30  are positioned in the contact positioning grooves  211  of the base portion  21 , as shown in  FIG.  3   . As shown in  FIG.  4   , the lid portion  22  is placed on the base portion  21 . When the lid portion  22  is placed thereon, the boss  213  of the base portion  21  enters the hole  222  of the lid portion  22 . Simultaneously, each of the plurality of protruding portions  212  provided in the base portion  21  enters each of the plurality of opening portions  221  of the lid portion  22 . 
     After the lid portion  22  is placed on the base portion  21 , as shown in  FIG.  4   , the boss  213  of the base portion  21  and a region within an ellipse R shown in  FIG.  4    are heat-staked. Thereupon, the boss  213  and the protruding portions  212  of the base portion  21  are staked to the hole  222  and the opening portions  221  of the lid portion  22 . In other embodiment, other methods of staking such as ultrasonic staking may be performed. Alternatively, the base portion  21  and the lid portion  22  may be welded together by using ultrasound or a laser. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , the housing  20  composed of the base portion  21  and the lid portion  22  comes into contact with the retained portions  31  of the contacts  30  from both above and below in the vertical direction and from both right and left in a lateral direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction. The contacts  30  are thus retained in the housing  20 . As compared with a connector in which the passageway is wider than the thickness of the contact, the impedance of the contact  30  can be lowered and the connector  10  of the present embodiment is suitable for high-speed signal transmission. Further, it is unnecessary for the contacts  30  to have serrations for press-fitting. 
     Other embodiments of the connector  10  are described in greater detail below. In each of the below embodiments, like reference numbers refer to like elements, even if the element has a difference in shape or the like, and only the differences from the embodiment described above with reference to  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B  will be described in greater detail. 
     A connector  11  according to another embodiment is shown in  FIGS.  6 A- 6 C . A contact supporting portion  224  having a contact supporting groove  223  formed therein for supporting the contact  30  is provided inside the lid portion  22  of the connector  11 . The opening portions  221  are formed in positions in front of and behind the contact supporting portion  224 . The protruding portions  212  which enter the opening portions  221  of the lid portion  22  are so provided in the base portion  21  in positions in front of and behind the contact supporting portions  224  as to correspond to the opening portions  221 . 
     In the connector  10  of  FIGS.  1 A- 5 B , the contacts  30  are first placed on the base portion  21 , as shown in  FIG.  3   , and then the lid portion  22  is placed thereon. In contrast, in the connector  11 , the contact supporting portion  224  is provided in the lid portion  22 , and the contacts  30  are first supported on the lid portion  22 , as shown in  FIG.  6 A . Thereafter, the lid portion  22  supporting the contacts  30  is placed on the base portion  21 . As shown in  FIG.  6 B , the boss  213  of the base portion  21  enters the hole  222  of the lid portion  22 . In addition, simultaneously, each of the plurality of protruding portions  212  of the base portion  21  enters each of the plurality of opening portions  221  of the lid portion  22 . Thereafter, the boss  213  of the base portion  21  and a region within the ellipse R in  FIG.  6 B  are heat-staked and the boss  213  and the protruding portions  212  of the base portion  21  are staked to the hole  222  and the opening portions  221  of the lid portion  22 . In the fully assembled connector  11  shown in  FIG.  6 C , the housing  20  composed of the base portion  21  and the lid portion  22  comes into contact with the retained portions  31  of the contacts  30  from both above and below and from both right and left to retain the contacts  30  in the housing  20 . 
     A connector  12  according to another embodiment is shown in  FIGS.  7 ,  8 A, and  8 B . As shown in  FIG.  7   , the contact positioning grooves  211  are also formed in the base portion  21 , like the base portion  21  in the connectors  10 ,  11 . However, the protruding portion  212  or the boss  213  for staking the lid portion  22 , which are provided in the base portion  21  in the connectors  10 ,  11 , is not provided in the base portion  21  in the connector  12 . In the connector  12 , the contacts  30  are positioned in the base portion  21  as shown in  FIG.  8 A , and the retained portions  31  of the contacts  30  and a region of the base portion  21  having the retained portions  31  positioned therein are covered with the lid portion  22  formed by overmolding, as shown in  FIG.  8 B . Even when the lid portion  22  is formed by overmolding in this manner, the housing  20  composed of the base portion  21  and the lid portion  22  comes into contact with the retained portions  31  of the contacts  30  from both above and below and from both right and left to retain the contacts  30  in the housing  20 . 
     A connector  13  according to another embodiment is shown in  FIGS.  9 A and  9 B . In the connector  13 , the base portion  21  and the contact  30  are identical to those in the connector  12 . In the connector  13 , in the base portion  21  having the same shape as in the connector  12 , the contact  30  is positioned as shown in  FIG.  9 A . Thereafter, a dielectric adhesive is applied to the retained portions  31  of the contacts  30  and the region of the base portion  21  having the retained portions  31  positioned therein. Then, as shown in  FIG.  9 B , the lid portion  22  is formed by a curing of the adhesive in the region where the adhesive has been applied. Even in a case where the lid portion  22  is formed by an adhesive, the housing  20  composed of the base portions  21  and the lid portion  22  comes into contact with the retained portions  31  of the contacts  30  from both above and below and from both right and left to retain the contacts  30  in the housing  20 . 
     A connector  14  according to another embodiment is shown in  FIGS.  10 - 12 C . As shown in  FIG.  10   , the base portion  21  and the lid portion  22  constituting the housing  20  and the upper and lower two rows of contacts  30  are shown; only the upper lid portion  22  is shown, but the upper and lower lid portions  22  are members having the same shape. A lid portion which is identical to the upper lid portion  22  shown in  FIG.  10    in an upside-down attitude is used as the lower lid portion. 
     In the connector  14 , after the contacts  30  are placed on the base portion  21 , the lid portion  22  is slid in a direction of an arrow X shown in  FIG.  11   , and thereby attached to the base portion  21  such that the contacts  30  are held between the lid portion  22  and the base portion  21 . A fitting portion  225  for attachment to the base portion  21  is formed at a leading end of the lid portion  22  in the direction of the arrow X shown in  FIG.  11   . In order to correspond to the fitting portion  255 , two fitting grooves  214  corresponding to the upper and lower lid portions  22 , respectively, for receiving the fitting portion  225  are formed in the base portion  21 . A fitting portion  226  for attachment to the base portion  21  is also formed at a trailing end of the lid portion  22  in the direction of the arrow X. 
     In order to correspond to the fitting portion  226 , a fitting groove  215  for receiving the fitting portion  226  is formed in the base portion  21  of the connector  14 , as shown in  FIG.  11   . The fitting portions  226  of both the upper and lower lid portions  22  enter the fitting groove  215 . The lid portion  22  has passageways  227  which the connecting portions  33  of the contacts  30  penetrate when the lid portion  22  is slid in the direction of the arrow X. In order to correspond to the passageway  227 , the connecting portion  33  has a different shape from the connecting portion  33  of the contact  30  in the connector  10 . In the connector  14 , the contacts  30  are placed on the base portion  21 , then the lid portion  22  is slid in the direction of the arrow X and the fitting portions  225 ,  226  of the lid portion  22  are fitted into the fitting grooves  214 ,  215  of the base portion  21 . The lid portion  22  is thereby supported on the base portion  21 . 
     The connector  14  is shown fully assembled in  FIGS.  12 A- 12 C . The contacts  30  are placed on the base portion  21 , and then the lid portion  22  is slid in the direction of the arrow X. The lid portion  22  is supported on the base portion  21  such that the contacts  30  are held between the lid portion  22  and the base portion  21 , as shown in  FIG.  12 C . As shown in  FIG.  12 B , the housing  20  composed of the base portion  21  and the lid portion  22  comes into contact with the retained portions  31  of the contacts  30  from both above and below and from both right and left to retain the contacts  30  in the housing  20 . 
     In all of the embodiments described above, the contacts  30  are arranged laterally and in upper and lower rows in positions where the contacts  30  overlap with each other vertically. In other embodiments, the contacts  30  may not be arranged in upper and lower rows but arranged only laterally in one row. For contacts  30  arranged only laterally, a housing that is in contact with the retained portion  31  of the contact  30  from both above and below and from both right and left can be constituted. Alternatively, for contacts  30  arranged only laterally, a housing may be formed by integral molding, such as insert molding, with the contacts  30 .