Patent Description:
In recent years, attention has been drawn to so-called smart clothes that can obtain user's biological data such as the heart rate and the body temperature only by being worn by the user. Such smart clothes have an electrode disposed at a measurement site, and when a wearable device serving as a measurement device is electrically connected to the electrode, biological data can be transmitted to the wearable device.

The electrode and the wearable device can be interconnected by, for instance, use of a connector connected to a flexible conductor drawn from the electrode.

As a connector of this type, for example, <CIT> discloses a connector as illustrated in <FIG>. The connector includes a housing <NUM> and a base member <NUM> that are disposed on the opposite sides of a flexible substrate <NUM> to sandwich the flexible substrate <NUM> therebetween. Tubular portions 4A of contacts <NUM> are passed through contact through-holes 2A of the housing <NUM>, and flanges 4B of the contacts <NUM> are sandwiched between the housing <NUM> and flexible conductors 1A exposed on the top surface of the flexible substrate <NUM>.

In this state, when the base member <NUM> is pushed toward the housing <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, a projection 3A of the base member <NUM> is inserted into a projection accommodating portion 4C of the contact <NUM> with the flexible substrate <NUM> being sandwiched therebetween, and the inner surface of the projection accommodating portion 4C makes contact with the flexible conductor 1A with a predetermined contact force, whereby the contact <NUM> is electrically connected to the flexible conductor 1A.

Further, housing fixing posts 3B formed to project from the base member <NUM> are press-fitted into post accommodating portions 2B of the housing <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, so that the housing <NUM> and the base member <NUM> are fixed to each other.

When fitted to the connector disclosed in <CIT>, a wearable device can be connected to electrodes constituted of the flexible conductors.

However, when the flexible conductors 1A are exposed on the bottom surface of the flexible substrate <NUM>, the connector of <CIT> would be useless in electrically connecting the flexible conductors 1A with the contacts <NUM>.

<CIT> discloses a connector and a connecting method. The connector includes a pushing member having a projection, a support member disposed to contact a lateral surface of the projection, and a contact made of a conductive material and having a support member facing portion facing the support member, a part of the flexible conductor being disposed between the support member and the support member facing portion of the contact, the lateral surface of the projection pressing the part of the flexible conductor against the support member facing portion of the contact via the support member, whereby the contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor.

The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problem and aims at providing a connector that can electrically connecting a contact to a flexible conductor of a connection object regardless of whether the flexible conductor is exposed on the top surface or the bottom surface of the connection object.

A connector according to the present invention is defined in claim <NUM> and comprises:.

Embodiments of this invention are described below based on the appended drawings.

<FIG> shows a connector <NUM> according to Embodiment <NUM>. The connector <NUM> is, for instance, used as a garment-side connector for fitting a wearable device and has a housing <NUM> made of an insulating material. Four plug contacts <NUM> are retained in the housing <NUM>, and a reinforcement sheet <NUM> and a sheet type conductive member <NUM> being superposed on each other are retained by the housing <NUM>. The sheet type conductive member <NUM> constitutes a connection object to which the connector <NUM> is connected.

The four plug contacts <NUM> are arranged in two rows parallel to each other and disposed to project perpendicularly to the sheet type conductive member <NUM>.

For convenience, the reinforcement sheet <NUM> and the sheet type conductive member <NUM> are defined as extending in an XY plane, the arrangement direction of the four plug contacts <NUM> is referred to as "Y direction," and the direction in which the four plug contacts <NUM> project is referred to as "+Z direction. " The Z direction is a fitting direction in which the connector <NUM> is fitted to a counter connector.

<FIG> and <FIG> show exploded perspective views of the connector <NUM>. The connector <NUM> includes a top insulator <NUM> and a bottom insulator <NUM>, and these top and bottom insulators <NUM> and <NUM> constitute the housing <NUM>.

The four plug contacts <NUM> are retained in the top insulator <NUM>. The reinforcement sheet <NUM> is disposed on the bottom surface of the top insulator <NUM> on the -Z direction side, and the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is disposed on the -Z direction side of the reinforcement sheet <NUM>. Further, the bottom insulator <NUM> is disposed on the -Z direction side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>. The bottom insulator <NUM> is provided with four inner contacts <NUM>. The four inner contacts <NUM> separately correspond to the four plug contacts <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the top insulator <NUM> includes a recessed portion 16A opening in the +Z direction and four contact through-holes 16B formed within the recessed portion 16A. The recessed portion 16A constitutes a counter connector accommodating portion in which a part of a counter connector (not shown) is to be accommodated, and the four contact through-holes 16B correspond to the four plug contacts <NUM>. On a surface of the top insulator <NUM> facing the -Z direction, a plurality of bosses 16C are formed to project in the -Z direction.

As shown in <FIG>, the bottom insulator <NUM> includes a flat plate portion 17A, and the flat plate portion 17A is provided with four circular recessed portions 17B opening in the +Z direction. The four recessed portions 17B correspond to the four plug contacts <NUM>. The four recessed portions 17B are each provided with an inner contact <NUM>.

Further, the flat plate portion 17A is provided with a plurality of through-holes 17C corresponding to the bosses 16C of the top insulator <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the inner contact <NUM> is formed from a projection 18A whose outer peripheral surface is entirely covered with a conductive layer, the projection 18A being made of the insulating material constituting the bottom insulator <NUM>. That is, the projection 18A projects from the recessed portion 17B in the +Z direction along a fitting axis C, and the lateral surface of the projection 18A surrounding the fitting axis C and the top surface thereof facing the +Z direction are entirely covered with a continuous conductive layer.

The conductive layer can be formed by subjecting the outer peripheral surface of the projection 18A of the bottom insulator <NUM> made of the insulating material to, for instance, electroless plating.

The lateral surface of the projection 18A is provided with: two first protrusion portions 18B disposed on the opposite sides in the X direction across the fitting axis C; and four second protrusion portions 18C disposed at <NUM>-degree intervals about the fitting axis C and each spaced from an adjacent first protrusion portion 18B at a <NUM>-degree interval about the fitting axis C.

As shown in <FIG>, the two first protrusion portions 18B protrude separately in the +X direction and in the -X direction. The four second protrusion portions 18C protrude separately in a direction inclined <NUM> degrees from the +X direction toward the +Y direction, a direction inclined <NUM> degrees from the +X direction toward the -Y direction, a direction inclined <NUM> degrees from the -X direction toward the +Y direction, and a direction inclined <NUM> degrees from the -X direction toward the -Y direction.

The two first protrusion portions 18B are disposed at the same distance from the fitting axis C, and likewise, the four second protrusion portions 18C are disposed at the same distance from the fitting axis C.

In an XY plane, a first distance R1 from the fitting axis C to the tip of each first protrusion portion 18B is set larger than a second distance R2 from the fitting axis C to the tip of each second protrusion portion 18C.

The tips of the two first protrusion portions 18B and the tips of the four second protrusion portions 18C are covered with the conductive layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the projection 18A. The conductive layer covering the tips of the two first protrusion portions 18B forms two contacting portions P1, and the conductive layer covering the tips of the four second protrusion portions 18C forms four pressing portions P2.

The four plug contacts <NUM> are made of a conductive material such as metal, and are to be connected to corresponding contacts of a counter connector (not shown) when a part of the counter connector is accommodated in the recessed portion 16A of the top insulator <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, The plug contact <NUM> has a tubular portion 13A in the shape of a cylindrical tube extending in the Z direction along the fitting axis C and a flange 13B extending along an XY plane from the -Z directional end of the tubular portion 13A. As shown in <FIG>, the tubular portion 13A is provided in its interior with a recessed portion 13C opening toward the -Z direction.

The fitting axis C is an axis passing through the center of the tubular portion 13A and extending in the direction in which the connector <NUM> and a counter connector are fitted to each other.

While the tubular portion 13A has the shape of a cylindrical tube, the cross section thereof is not limited to a circle and may be any of various shapes such as an ellipse and a polygon as long as the tubular portion 13A has the recessed portion 13C in its interior.

The four plug contacts <NUM> can be each used as a terminal for transmitting electric signals.

The sheet type conductive member <NUM> has a multilayer structure in which a plurality of wiring layers each formed of a flexible conductor and a plurality of insulating layers are laminated.

As shown in <FIG>, four contact arrangement regions 15A used to arrange the four plug contacts <NUM> are defined on the top surface, facing the +Z direction, of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>. A wiring layer 15B is exposed toward the +Z direction in each of the four contact arrangement regions 15A, while an insulating layer 15C is exposed in a region other than the four contact arrangement regions 15A.

The sheet type conductive member <NUM> is provided with four cross-shaped cuts 15D formed separately in the four contact arrangement regions 15A and penetrating the sheet type conductive member <NUM> in the Z direction. Each cut 15D is arranged such that the lines of the cross extend in the X direction and the Y direction. Since the cuts 15D penetrate the sheet type conductive member <NUM> in the Z direction, the cuts 15D are seen also on the bottom surface, facing the -Z direction, of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> in the positions corresponding to the four contact arrangement regions 15A as shown in <FIG>.

On the bottom surface, facing the -Z direction, of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, a wiring layer 15E is exposed toward the -Z direction in the positions corresponding to the four contact arrangement regions 15A, while an insulating layer 15F is exposed in a region other than the regions corresponding to the four contact arrangement regions 15A.

Further, the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is provided at its peripheral portion with a plurality of through-holes <NUM> corresponding to the bosses 16C of the top insulator <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

The first distance R1 from the fitting axis C of the inner contact <NUM> to the tip of each first protrusion portion 18B as shown in <FIG> is set slightly larger than the radius of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>, and the second distance R2 from the fitting axis C of the inner contact <NUM> to the tip of each second protrusion portion 18C is set slightly larger than the value obtained by subtracting the thickness of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> from the radius of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the reinforcement sheet <NUM> is provided to reinforce a mounting object (not shown) such as a garment on which the connector <NUM> is to be mounted. The reinforcement sheet <NUM> is made of an insulating material and provided at its center with an opening 14A. Further, a plurality of notches 14B corresponding to the bosses 16C of the top insulator <NUM> are formed along the periphery of the opening 14A of the reinforcement sheet <NUM>.

The four contact through-holes 16B of the top insulator <NUM>, the four plug contacts <NUM>, the four contact arrangement regions 15A of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, and the four inner contacts <NUM> of the bottom insulator <NUM> are arranged to align with one another in the Z direction.

The bosses 16C of the top insulator <NUM>, the notches 14B of the reinforcement sheet <NUM>, the through-holes <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, and the through-holes 17C of the bottom insulator <NUM> are arranged to align with one another in the Z direction.

When the connector <NUM> is assembled, first, the bosses 16C of the top insulator <NUM> are inserted into the notches 14B of the reinforcement sheet <NUM>. At this time, the four contact through-holes 16B of the top insulator <NUM> are situated inside the opening 14A of the reinforcement sheet <NUM>.

Subsequently, the tubular portions 13A of the plug contacts <NUM> are inserted into the four contact through-holes 16B of the top insulator <NUM> correspondingly from the -Z direction, and the bottom insulator <NUM> is pressed against the top insulator <NUM> in the +Z direction with the sheet type conductive member <NUM> being sandwiched therebetween.

At this time, the flange 13B of each plug contact <NUM> is situated above the corresponding contact arrangement region 15A of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, and each inner contact <NUM> formed on the bottom insulator <NUM> is inserted into the recessed portion 13C of the corresponding plug contact <NUM> while pushing the corresponding contact arrangement region 15A of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>.

Since the cross-shaped cuts 15D are formed separately in the four contact arrangement regions 15A of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, the four inner contacts <NUM> are each inserted into the recessed portion 13C of the corresponding plug contact <NUM> while opening the cut 15D of the corresponding contact arrangement region 15A.

When the bottom insulator <NUM> is pressed against the top insulator <NUM>, the bosses 16C of the top insulator <NUM> sequentially pass through the notches 14B of the reinforcement sheet <NUM>, the through-holes <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, and the through-holes 17C of the bottom insulator <NUM>. Then, the ends of the bosses 16C projecting on the -Z directional side of the bottom insulator <NUM> are heated and deformed as shown in <FIG>, whereby the top insulator <NUM> and the bottom insulator <NUM> are fixed to each other. Thus, the assembling operation of the connector <NUM> is completed.

Note that the plug contacts <NUM> are fixed to the top insulator <NUM> and the bottom insulator <NUM> because their flanges 13B are sandwiched between the top insulator <NUM> and the bottom insulator <NUM>.

The four second protrusion portions 18C of the inner contact <NUM> each protrude in a direction inclined <NUM> degrees with respect to the X direction and the Y direction in an XY plane as shown in <FIG>, and the four cuts 15D of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> are each arranged such that the lines of the cross extend in the X direction and the Y direction as shown in <FIG>.

Accordingly, when the inner contact <NUM> of the bottom insulator <NUM> is inserted into the recessed portion 13C of the corresponding plug contact <NUM> while opening the cut 15D of the corresponding contact arrangement region 15A of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, parts of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> adjacent to the cross-shaped cut 15D are pushed into the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> by the inner contact <NUM> and sandwiched between the pressing portions P2 formed at the tips of the four second protrusion portions 18C of the inner contact <NUM> and the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

Meanwhile, the two first protrusion portions 18B of the inner contact <NUM> are to be situated inside the opened cut 15D of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> when the inner contact <NUM> is inserted in the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> because the first protrusion portions 18B protrude separately in the +X direction and the -X direction in an XY plane. Accordingly, the contacting portions P1 formed at the tips of the two first protrusion portions 18B of the inner contact <NUM> directly face the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

Since the first distance R1 from the fitting axis C of the inner contact <NUM> to the tip of each first protrusion portion 18B is set slightly larger than the radius of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>, when the inner contact <NUM> is inserted in the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>, pushing forces of the tip of the first protrusion portion 18B of the inner contact <NUM> and the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> act on each other. Consequently, at least one of the first protrusion portion 18B or the plug contact <NUM> deforms, and as shown in <FIG>, the pair of contacting portions P1 formed at the tips of the two first protrusion portions 18B of the inner contact <NUM> are pressed against the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>, whereby the inner contact <NUM> is electrically connected to the plug contact <NUM>.

In addition, since the second distance R2 from the fitting axis C of the inner contact <NUM> to the tip of each second protrusion portion 18C is set slightly larger than the value obtained by subtracting the thickness of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> from the radius of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>, when the inner contact <NUM> is inserted in the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>, pushing forces of the tip of the second protrusion portion 18C of the inner contact <NUM> and the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> act on each other. Consequently, at least one of the second protrusion portion 18C, the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, or the plug contact <NUM> deforms, and as shown in <FIG>, the sheet type conductive member <NUM> sandwiched between the pressing portions P2 formed at the tips of the second protrusion portions 18C of the inner contact <NUM> and the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> is pressed against the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> by the pressing portions P2.

In the same manner, the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is pressed against the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> by the four pressing portions P2 formed at the tips of the four second protrusion portions 18C of the inner contact <NUM>.

In the meantime, as shown in <FIG>, the wiring layer 15B is exposed in the contact arrangement regions 15A on the top surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, and the wiring layer 15E is exposed in the positions corresponding to the contact arrangement regions 15A on the bottom surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>.

Accordingly, the wiring layer 15B on the top surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> makes contact with the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> at a predetermined contact pressure, while the wiring layer 15E on the bottom surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> makes contact with the pressing portions P2 of the inner contact <NUM> at a predetermined contact pressure.

Consequently, the wiring layer 15B exposed on the top surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is electrically connected to the plug contact <NUM> directly, and the wiring layer 15E exposed on the bottom surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is electrically connected to the plug contact <NUM> via the inner contact <NUM>. In other words, both the wiring layers 15B and 15E are connected the plug contact <NUM>.

Thus, with the connector <NUM>, both the wiring layer 15B formed of a flexible conductor disposed on the top surface side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the wiring layer 15E formed of a flexible conductor disposed on the bottom surface side of the same can be electrically connected to one plug contact <NUM> by use of the inner contact <NUM>.

Therefore, when the connector <NUM> is connected to a sheet type conductive member having a flexible conductor exposed only on the top surface side, the plug contact <NUM> can be electrically connected to the flexible conductor on the top surface side of the sheet type conductive member, and when the connector <NUM> is connected to a sheet type conductive member having a flexible conductor exposed only on the bottom surface side, the plug contact <NUM> can be electrically connected to the flexible conductor on the bottom surface side of the sheet type conductive member.

Further, when the connector <NUM> is connected to a sheet type conductive member having flexible conductors exposed on both the top and bottom surface sides like the sheet type conductive member <NUM> in Embodiment <NUM>, the plug contact <NUM> can be electrically connected to both the flexible conductor on the top surface side and the flexible conductor on the bottom surface side of the sheet type conductive member. For instance, in the case of using, as the connection object, a sheet type conductive member having a multilayer structure in which flexible conductors each constituting a shielding layer are exposed separately on the top and bottom surface sides and another flexible conductor constituting a signal wiring layer is disposed between those shielding layers while being insulated from both of the shielding layers, when the plug contact <NUM> connected to the shielding layers on the top and bottom surface sides is connected to a ground potential, a shielding effect with respect to the signal wiring layer is demonstrated, and highly accurate signal transmission can be carried out with the influence of disturbance caused by electromagnetic waves and the like being minimized.

While the reinforcement sheet <NUM> is disposed between the bottom insulator <NUM> and the top insulator <NUM> in the connector <NUM> of Embodiment <NUM>, the reinforcement sheet <NUM> may be omitted when it is not necessary to reinforce the mounting object such as a garment on which the connector <NUM> is to be mounted.

While the inner contact <NUM> used in the connector <NUM> of Embodiment <NUM> has the two first protrusion portions 18B and the four second protrusion portions 18C, the invention is not limited thereto.

<FIG> and <FIG> show an inner contact <NUM> used in a connector according to Embodiment <NUM>. This inner contact <NUM> includes four first protrusion portions 28B and four second protrusion portions 28C that are arranged on the lateral side of a projection 28A projecting in the +Z direction along the fitting axis C.

The four first protrusion portions 28B are arranged at <NUM>-degree intervals about the fitting axis C in an XY plane.

The four second protrusion portions 28C are also arranged at <NUM>-degree intervals about the fitting axis C in an XY plane but are situated in rotational positions that are <NUM> degrees off from the four first protrusion portions 28B about the fitting axis C. That is, each second protrusion portion 28C is spaced from an adjacent first protrusion portion 28B at a <NUM>-degree interval about the fitting axis C.

As with the inner contact <NUM> in Embodiment <NUM>, an outer peripheral surface of the projection 28A is entirely covered with a conductive layer, the conductive layer covering the tips of the four first protrusion portions 28B forms four contacting portions P1, and the conductive layer covering the tips of the four second protrusion portions 28C forms four pressing portions P2.

In an XY plane, a distance from the fitting axis C to the tip of each first protrusion portion 28B and a distance from the fitting axis C to the tip of each second protrusion portion 28C are the same as the first distance R1 from the fitting axis C to the tip of each first protrusion portion 18B and the second distance R2 from the fitting axis C to the tip of each second protrusion portion 18C in the inner contact <NUM> shown in <FIG>, respectively.

When the inner contact <NUM> thus configured is inserted into the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> while pushing the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, the four contacting portions P1 are pressed against the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> so that the inner contact <NUM> is electrically connected to the plug contact <NUM>, and the sheet type conductive member <NUM> pushed in the recessed portion 13C is pressed against the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> by the four pressing portions P2 of the inner contact <NUM>.

Thus, likewise, both the wiring layer 15B disposed on the top surface side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the wiring layer 15E disposed on the bottom surface side of the same can be electrically connected to the plug contact <NUM> even when the inner contact <NUM> is replaced by the inner contact <NUM> shown in <FIG> and <FIG> in the connector <NUM> according to Embodiment <NUM>.

<FIG> show an inner contact <NUM> used in a connector according to Embodiment <NUM>. This inner contact <NUM> includes three first protrusion portions 38B and three second protrusion portions 38C that are arranged on the lateral side of a projection 38A projecting in the +Z direction along the fitting axis C.

The three first protrusion portions 38B are arranged at <NUM>-degree intervals about the fitting axis C in an XY plane.

The three second protrusion portions 38C are also arranged at <NUM>-degree intervals about the fitting axis C in an XY plane but are situated in rotational positions that are <NUM> degrees off from the three first protrusion portions 38B about the fitting axis C. That is, each second protrusion portion 38C is spaced from an adjacent first protrusion portion 38B at a <NUM>-degree interval about the fitting axis C.

As with the inner contact <NUM> in Embodiment <NUM>, an outer peripheral surface of the projection 38A is entirely covered with a conductive layer, the conductive layer covering the tips of the three first protrusion portions 38B forms three contacting portions P1, and the conductive layer covering the tips of the three second protrusion portions 38C forms three pressing portions P2.

In an XY plane, a distance from the fitting axis C to the tip of each first protrusion portion 38B and a distance from the fitting axis C to the tip of each second protrusion portion 38C are the same as the first distance R1 from the fitting axis C to the tip of each first protrusion portion 18B and the second distance R2 from the fitting axis C to the tip of each second protrusion portion 18C in the inner contact <NUM> shown in <FIG>, respectively.

While the sheet type conductive member <NUM> shown in <FIG> has a cross-shaped cut 15D in each contact arrangement region 15A, for the inner contact <NUM> in Embodiment <NUM>, it is preferable to use a sheet type conductive member with a Y-shaped cut having three cut lines extending from the center of the contact arrangement region 15A at <NUM>-degree intervals, instead of the cross-shaped cut 15D. Furthermore, preferably, the orientations of the inner contact <NUM> and the corresponding Y-shaped cut are adjusted such that the three first protrusion portions 38B of the inner contact <NUM> overlap the three cut lines of the Y-shaped cut.

With this configuration, when the inner contact <NUM> is inserted into the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> while opening the Y-shaped cut of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, the three contacting portions P1 formed at the tips of the three first protrusion portions 38B of the inner contact <NUM> are situated inside the opened cut and make contact with the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>, and parts of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> adjacent to the cut are sandwiched between the three pressing portions P2 formed at the tips of the three second protrusion portions 38C of the inner contact <NUM> and the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM>.

Accordingly, the inner contact <NUM> is electrically connected to the plug contact <NUM>, and the sheet type conductive member <NUM> pushed in the recessed portion 13C is pressed against the inner surface of the recessed portion 13C of the plug contact <NUM> by the three pressing portions P2 of the inner contact <NUM>.

Thus, likewise, both the wiring layer 15B disposed on the top surface side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the wiring layer 15E disposed on the bottom surface side of the same can be electrically connected to the plug contact <NUM> even when the inner contact <NUM> is replaced by the inner contact <NUM> shown in <FIG> in the connector <NUM> according to Embodiment <NUM>.

In Embodiments <NUM> to <NUM> above, the plug contacts <NUM> disposed in the contact arrangement regions 15A of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> each make contact with both the wiring layer 15B exposed on the top surface side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the wiring layer 15E exposed on the bottom surface side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>; however, for instance, it is also possible to connect only the wiring layer 15E exposed on the bottom surface side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> to the plug contacts <NUM> disposed in the contact arrangement regions 15A.

While the sheet type conductive member <NUM> used in Embodiments <NUM> to <NUM> above has a multilayer structure, the invention is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that a conductive member has a flexible conductor exposed on at least one surface of the conductive member.

While the two layers of flexible conductors, namely, the wiring layer 15B and the wiring layer 15E, of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> are connected to one plug contact <NUM> in Embodiments <NUM> to <NUM> above, the invention is not limited thereto, and three or more layers of flexible conductors can be connected to one plug contact <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A connector comprising:
a plug contact (<NUM>) having a conductive property, having a tubular shape, and including a recessed portion (13C) extending along a fitting axis (C); and
an inner contact (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) constituted of a projection (18A, 28A, 38A) that is inserted in the recessed portion and has an outer peripheral surface entirely covered with a conductive layer,
wherein the inner contact has a contacting portion (P1) making contact with the plug contact within the recessed portion and a pressing portion (P2) situated in a rotational position different from the contacting portion about the fitting axis, and
a part of a connection object (<NUM>) of sheet type having a flexible conductor (15B, 15E) exposed on at least one surface of the connection object is sandwiched between the pressing portion and an inner surface of the recessed portion in a direction perpendicular to the fitting axis, the inner surface of the recessed portion makes contact with a top surface of the connection object, and the pressing portion makes contact with a bottom surface of the connection object, whereby the plug contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor directly when the flexible conductor is exposed on the top surface of the connection object, and the plug contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor via the inner contact when the flexible conductor is exposed on the bottom surface of the connection object.