阅读说明：本技术 连接器 (Connector with a locking member ) 是由 中村弘树 舛永贵司 于 2020-01-31 设计创作，主要内容包括：在本发明的插塞连接器(3)中,信号触点导体(40)具有：接触部(41),与对方连接器的信号触点导体(20)接触；连接部(42),供连接同轴缆线(SC)的信号线(SC1)；及中间部(43),位于接触部(41)与连接部(42)之间；且所述插塞连接器(3)可为以抑制信号触点导体(40)与接地触点导体(60)之间的特性阻抗相应于接触部(41)与连接部(42)之间的位置而变化的方式,中间部(43)的面积及距离的其中至少一个根据接触部(41)与连接部(42)之间的位置而变化。(In the plug connector (3) of the present invention, the signal contact conductor (40) has: a contact portion (41) which is in contact with a signal contact conductor (20) of a counterpart connector; a connection unit (42) to which a signal line (SC1) of a coaxial cable (SC) is connected; and an intermediate portion (43) located between the contact portion (41) and the connection portion (42); and the plug connector (3) may be such that at least one of the area and the distance of the intermediate portion (43) varies in accordance with the position between the contact portion (41) and the connection portion (42) in such a manner that the characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor (40) and the ground contact conductor (60) is suppressed from varying in accordance with the position between the contact portion (41) and the connection portion (42).)

1. A connector, which is attached to a terminal portion, from which a signal line and a shield line are partially exposed by removing an insulating coating, in a coaxial cable having the signal line and the shield line, a dielectric layer interposed between the signal line and the shield line, and the insulating coating covering the shield line, and which is connected to a counterpart connector attached to a wiring board, the connector comprising:

a signal contact conductor that is electrically connected to the signal line;

a ground contact conductor that is electrically connected to the shield line; and

an insulating housing sandwiched between the signal contact conductor and the ground contact conductor; and is

The signal contact conductor has:

a contact portion that contacts with a signal contact conductor of the counterpart connector;

a connection portion for connecting the signal line; and

an intermediate portion that connects the contact portion and the connection portion; and is

At least one of an area and a distance of the signal contact conductor facing the ground contact conductor is changed so as to suppress a characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor and the ground contact conductor from changing according to a position in a direction connecting the contact portion and the connection portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a width of the intermediate portion varies depending on a position in a direction linking the contact portion and the connection portion.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein the ground contact conductor has:

a fitting portion fitted to the ground contact conductor of the mating connector;

a clamping portion that holds a portion of the terminal portion of the coaxial cable from which the insulating coating is removed and that is in contact with the shielded wire; and

a cylindrical portion that holds the housing between the fitting portion and the clamping portion; and is

The contact portion is located in the fitting portion, the connecting portion is located in the barrel portion,

the fitting portion and the barrel portion have a gap therebetween, and the portion of the intermediate portion located in the gap is provided with a widened portion having a width greater than either one of the portion of the intermediate portion located in the fitting portion and the portion located in the barrel portion.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the connecting portion has a width greater than a width of the intermediate portion, and

the housing is configured to form a cavity between the connection portion and the ground contact conductor.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the housing has an opening for ultrasonically bonding a signal line to the connecting portion, and at least a part of the cavity is constituted by the opening.

6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a distance of the intermediate portion from the ground contact conductor varies along a direction joining the contact portion and the connection portion.

7. The connector of claim 6, wherein the intermediate portion has a projection that is at a shorter distance from the ground contact conductor than a base portion of the contact portion.

8. The connector of claim 6, wherein the intermediate portion has a recess that is a longer distance from the ground contact conductor than a base of the contact portion.

9. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the connecting portion has a connecting main face for connecting the signal line,

the intermediate portion has an intermediate main face contiguous with the connecting main face,

the signal contact conductor is bent at a boundary portion between the intermediate portion and the connecting portion such that the connecting main surface is recessed with respect to the intermediate main surface.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a coaxial connector including: a contact connected to a center conductor of the coaxial cable; a resin body for housing the contacts; and a metal housing covering the main body for accommodating the contact.

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2013-157113

Disclosure of Invention

[ problems to be solved by the invention ]

In recent years, further improvement in reliability in transmission of high-frequency signals has been demanded for connectors. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a connector effective in improving stability of characteristic impedance in a transmission path of a high-frequency signal.

[ means for solving problems ]

A connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a coaxial cable including a signal line and a shield line, a dielectric layer interposed between the signal line and the shield line, and an insulating coating covering the shield line, is mounted on a terminal portion where the insulating coating is removed to expose the signal line and the shield line partially, and is connected to a counterpart connector mounted on a wiring board, and includes: a signal contact conductor that is electrically connected to the signal line; a ground contact conductor that is electrically connected to the shield line; and an insulating housing sandwiched between the signal contact conductor and the ground contact conductor; and the signal contact conductor has: a contact portion that contacts with a signal contact conductor of the counterpart connector; a connection portion for connecting the signal line; and an intermediate portion connecting the contact portion and the connection portion; and at least one of an area and a distance of the signal contact conductor facing the ground contact conductor is changed so as to suppress a characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor and the ground contact conductor from changing according to a position in a direction connecting the contact portion and the connection portion.

According to the connector, a change in characteristic impedance from the connecting portion to the contact portion is suppressed by at least one of an area and a distance of the signal contact conductor facing the ground contact conductor. Therefore, it is effective to improve the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path for the high-frequency signal.

The intermediate portion may be configured as follows: its width varies depending on the position in the direction linking the contact portion and the connection portion. That is, a connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a coaxial cable including a signal line and a shield line, a dielectric layer interposed between the signal line and the shield line, and an insulating coating covering the shield line, is attached to a terminal portion where the insulating coating is removed and the signal line and the shield line are partially exposed, and is connected to a counterpart connector attached to a wiring board, and includes: a signal contact conductor which is conducted with the signal line; a ground contact conductor which is electrically connected to the shield line; and an insulating housing sandwiched between the signal contact conductor and the ground contact conductor; and the signal contact conductor has: a contact portion which is in contact with a signal contact conductor of a counterpart connector; a connection part for connecting the signal line; and an intermediate portion connecting the contact portion and the connection portion; and the width of the intermediate portion varies according to the position in the direction linking the contact portion and the connection portion in such a manner as to suppress variation in characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor and the ground contact conductor according to the position in the direction.

According to the connector, a characteristic impedance change from the connecting portion to the contact portion is suppressed by the width of the intermediate portion. Therefore, it is effective to improve the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path for the high-frequency signal.

The ground contact conductor may also have: a fitting portion fitted to the ground contact conductor of the counterpart connector; a clamping portion that holds a portion of the terminal portion of the coaxial cable from which the insulating coating is removed and that is in contact with the shielded wire; and a barrel portion holding the housing between the fitting portion and the holding portion; the contact part is positioned in the embedding part, and the connecting part is positioned in the barrel part; the fitting portion and the cylindrical portion may have a gap therebetween, and a portion of the intermediate portion located in the gap may have a wider portion having a width larger than any one of a portion of the intermediate portion located in the fitting portion and a portion of the intermediate portion located in the cylindrical portion. The amount of metal on the ground contact conductor side is smaller between the fitting portion and the barrel portion than in the barrel portion and the like. Therefore, the characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor and the ground contact conductor tends to be higher than that in the cylindrical portion or the like. In contrast, by providing the widened portion in the intermediate portion, the characteristic impedance can be suppressed from increasing in the path from the connecting portion to the contact portion.

The width of the connecting portion may be larger than the width of the intermediate portion, and the housing may be configured in such a manner that a cavity is formed between the connecting portion and the ground contact conductor. In this case, the width of the connection portion is increased, thereby improving the workability of connection of the signal line to the connection portion. On the other hand, if the width of the connection portion becomes large, the characteristic impedance at the connection portion becomes low. In contrast, the housing forms a cavity between the connection portion and the ground contact conductor, and the dielectric constant between the connection portion and the ground contact conductor is reduced. Therefore, the characteristic impedance can be prevented from being lowered due to the increase in the width of the connection portion. Therefore, both workability of connection of the signal lines and suppression of characteristic impedance variation can be achieved.

The housing may have an opening for ultrasonically bonding the signal line to the connecting portion, and at least a portion of the cavity may be constituted by the opening. In this case, the opening for ultrasonic bonding contributes to both suppression of a change in characteristic impedance and improvement in workability of ultrasonic bonding. Therefore, both the workability of connection of the signal lines and the suppression of characteristic impedance variation can be achieved more reliably.

The distance between the intermediate portion and the ground contact conductor may vary along the direction connecting the contact portion and the connection portion. In this case, the characteristic impedance change from the connection portion to the contact portion is suppressed by the change in the distance between the intermediate portion and the ground contact conductor. Therefore, it is effective to improve the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path for the high-frequency signal.

The intermediate portion may have a convex portion whose distance from the ground contact conductor is shorter than the base portion of the contact portion. In this case, the convex portion can suppress a change in characteristic impedance from the connection portion to the contact portion, and stability can be improved.

The intermediate portion may have a recess that is at a longer distance from the ground contact conductor than the base of the contact portion. In this case, the concave portion can suppress a change in characteristic impedance from the connection portion to the contact portion, and stability can be improved.

The connecting portion may have a connecting main surface for connecting the signal line, the intermediate portion may have an intermediate main surface continuous with the connecting main surface, and the signal contact conductor may be bent at a boundary portion between the intermediate portion and the connecting portion in such a manner that the connecting main surface is recessed with respect to the intermediate main surface. In this case, the characteristic impedance can be more reliably suppressed from varying by adjusting the balance between the distance between the connection portion and the ground contact conductor and the distance between the signal line connected to the connection portion and the ground contact conductor.

[ Effect of the invention ]

According to the present disclosure, a connector effective in improving stability of characteristic impedance in a transmission path of a high-frequency signal can be provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a receptacle connector included in the connector assembly of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of the receptacle connector of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a ground contact conductor included in the receptacle connector.

Fig. 5 is a view showing signal contact conductors included in the receptacle connector, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a right side view, and (c) is a left side view.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plug connector included in the connector assembly of fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view along line VII-VII of the plug connector of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the plug connector of fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a signal contact conductor included in the plug connector.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a housing included in the plug connector.

Fig. 11 is a bottom view of the housing of fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a view for explaining a fitting state of the connector assembly, and is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII in fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of a plug connector of a modification.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a signal contact conductor included in a plug connector of a modified example.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a signal contact conductor included in a plug connector of a modified example.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a signal contact conductor included in a plug connector of a modified example.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a signal contact conductor included in a plug connector of a modification.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a signal contact conductor included in a plug connector of a modified example.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a signal contact conductor included in a plug connector of a modified example.

Detailed Description

The embodiments of the present disclosure described below will be described, but the present disclosure should not be limited to the following. In the following description, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

[ outline of connector Assembly ]

An outline of the connector assembly will be described with reference to fig. 1. As shown in fig. 1, the connector assembly 1 includes a receptacle connector 2 and a plug connector 3. The connector assembly 1 is a connector for electrically connecting a cable-like signal transmission medium to a circuit of a wiring board, and is, for example, an RF (Radio Frequency) connector. The signal transmission medium is a medium for transmitting signals of various electronic devices such as a mobile phone, and is, for example, a coaxial cable SC. The wiring board is, for example, a printed wiring board PB. That is, the connector assembly 1 of the present embodiment is a coaxial type connector that electrically connects the coaxial cable SC to the circuit of the printed wiring board PB. In the connector assembly 1, a plug connector 3 mounted on a terminal portion of a coaxial cable SC is fitted to a receptacle connector 2 mounted on a printed wiring board PB, whereby the coaxial cable SC and a circuit of the printed wiring board PB are electrically connected (details will be described later).

In the following description, the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC is referred to as "X direction", the fitting direction of the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 when the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are fitted is referred to as "Z direction", and the direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Z direction is referred to as "Y direction". In the Z direction, for example, the plug connector 3 side in the state shown in fig. 1 is referred to as "up", and the receptacle connector 2 side is referred to as "down". In particular, in the explanation of the plug connector 3, the end of the coaxial cable SC to which the plug connector 3 is attached is referred to as a "front end" and the opposite end is referred to as a "rear end (base end)" in the X direction in some cases.

[ socket connector ]

Details of the receptacle connector 2 will be described with reference to fig. 2 to 5. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the receptacle connector 2 includes: ground contact conductor 10, signal contact conductor 20, and housing 30. The receptacle connector 2 is mounted on the printed wiring board PB by, for example, soldering (see fig. 1).

(ground contact conductor)

The ground contact conductor 10 is a member for grounding formed of a thin plate-like metal member, for example. The ground contact conductor 10 is disposed so as to surround a contact portion 21 (details will be described later) of the signal contact conductor 20. As shown in fig. 4, the ground contact conductor 10 includes: a ground body 11 (body) formed in a cylindrical shape (tube shape); and an external terminal portion 12 extending outward from one end edge (lower end in fig. 4) of the grounding body portion 11 in the Z direction.

The ground body 11 is a cylindrical member and extends in the vertical direction (Z direction) along the central axis C. That is, the central axis C direction of the ground main body 11 corresponds to the vertical direction (Z direction). The ground body 11 is connected to a ground contact conductor (described below) of the plug connector 3 from the other end edge (upper end in fig. 4) in the Z direction. On the outer peripheral surface of the ground body portion 11, a groove 11a for fitting with the plug connector 3 is provided along the circumferential direction.

As shown in fig. 4, the external terminal portions 12 are flat plate-like members extending in the horizontal direction (XY direction). The external terminal portion 12 extends outward from the lower end portion of the ground main body portion 11. The external terminal portions 12 include a pair of terminal portions 121 and 122 that are provided to face each other in the Y direction with a center axis C of the ground body portion 11 extending in the up-down direction interposed therebetween. The pair of terminal portions 121 and 122 protrude outward so as to be spaced apart from the center axis C. The terminal portions 121 and 122 are substantially rectangular and are connected to the lower end of the ground main body portion 11 so that the longitudinal directions thereof are along the X direction while being spaced apart from each other with the center axis C interposed therebetween. Therefore, an opposing surface 121a of the terminal portion 121 opposing the terminal portion 122 and an opposing surface 122a of the terminal portion 122 opposing the terminal portion 121 extend in the X direction below the grounding body portion 11, respectively. Between the facing surface 121a and the facing surface 122a, a space S1 extending along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the terminal portions 121 and 122 is formed, and the space S1 is filled with an insulating member forming the below-described case 30.

The facing surface 121a of the terminal portion 121 extends substantially in the vertical direction (Z direction), but a tilted portion 121b tilted with respect to the vertical direction is formed at a part thereof. The inclined portion 121b is inclined so that a part of the opposing surface 121a of the terminal portion 121 is cut off toward the upper surface 121u side. Similarly to the inclined portion 121b, an inclined portion 122b inclined with respect to the vertical direction is formed in a part of the facing surface 122a of the terminal portion 122. The inclined portion 122b is inclined so that a part of the opposing surface 122a of the terminal portion 122 is cut off toward the upper surface 122u side. By providing the inclined portions 121b and 122b, the adhesion between the ground contact conductor 10 and the housing 30 described below can be improved. Details will be described below.

The ground contact conductor 10 may be manufactured by punching and bending a thin plate-like metal material, for example, or may be manufactured by a method different from the above-described method. The ground contact conductor 10 is soldered to a ground conductive path (not shown) for ground connection formed on the printed wiring board PB (see fig. 1).

(Signal contact conductor)

The signal contact conductor 20 is a conductor for signal transmission formed of a thin plate-like metal member, for example.

As shown in fig. 5, the signal contact conductor 20 has: a contact portion 21 formed in a cylindrical shape; and a lead portion 22 extending outward from a lower end, which is one end edge in the Z direction, of the contact portion 21.

The contact portion 21 has a substantially cylindrical shape and extends in the vertical direction (Z direction) along the central axis C. The contact portion 21 has an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the ground body portion 11 of the ground contact conductor 10. The contact portion 21 has a slit 211 extending along the extending direction of the central axis C (vertical direction: Z direction). The slot 211 extends to both ends of the cylindrical contact portion 21 in the Z direction. Therefore, the contact portion 21 has a substantially C-shape having the groove 211 in a plan view along a plane orthogonal to the central axis C. The contact portion 21 is connected to a signal contact conductor (described below) of the plug connector 3 from the other end edge (upper end in fig. 5).

The lead portion 22 is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the horizontal direction (XY direction). The lead portion 22 extends outward from the lower end portion of the contact portion 21, i.e., in a direction away from the central axis C. In the example shown in fig. 5, the lead portions 22 extend in the-X direction with respect to the central axis C so that the X direction is the longitudinal direction. The extending direction of the main surface of the lead portion 22 is set to be a horizontal direction, and is not limited to the horizontal direction as long as it is a direction intersecting at least the central axis C.

The lead portion 22 includes a 1 st region 221, a 2 nd region 222, and a 3 rd region 223 arranged in this order from a portion close to the contact portion 21 in the extending direction (X direction). The 1 st region 221 is a region connected to the contact portion 21. The 3 rd region 223 is a region of the lead portion 22 including an end portion opposite to the end portion biased against the contact portion 21. The 2 nd region 222 is a region sandwiched between the 1 st region 221 and the 3 rd region 223.

The width (length along the Y direction) of the lead portion 22 varies depending on the position in the extending direction in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the 1 st region 221, the 2 nd region 222, and the 3 rd region 223 have different widths in adjacent regions. Specifically, the 1 st region 221 and the 3 rd region 223 are formed as regions having a narrower width than the 2 nd region 222. The 1 st region 221 includes 2 regions 221a and 221b having different widths in order from a portion close to the contact portion 21. The region 221a is a region narrower than the region 221b, and is a minimum portion having the narrowest width in the lead portion 22. The 2 nd region 222 includes the largest portion of the lead portion 22 having the widest width. As shown in fig. 5(a), the width of the lead portion 22 gradually decreases from the maximum portion of the 2 nd region 222 that is to be wide toward the contact portion 21, that is, from the maximum portion of the 2 nd region 222 toward the regions 221b and 221a of the 1 st region 221. Further, the maximum portion of the 2 nd region 222 where the width is formed is smaller in the width of the lead portion 22 as it goes to the 3 rd region 223.

The change in width according to the position of the lead portion 22 in the longitudinal direction can suppress a decrease in the characteristic impedance of the receptacle connector 2. In the high frequency region, impedance matching of the connector is required. In the receptacle connector 2, the characteristic impedance of each portion changes depending on the shape of the ground contact conductor 10, the shape of the signal contact conductor 20, and the distance between the ground contact conductor 10 and the signal contact conductor 20. As described above, by configuring the lead portions such that the width thereof changes depending on the position in the extending direction, the characteristic impedance can be finely adjusted, and the change in the characteristic impedance can be reduced. When the extending direction of the main surface of the lead portion 22 is a direction intersecting the central axis C, the characteristic impedance can be more preferably adjusted according to the change in width. As described in the above embodiment, the change in width along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the lead portion 22 may be stepwise, and for example, the following configuration may be adopted: the lead portion 22 is tapered and gradually changes in width.

The 2 nd region 222 of the lead portion 22 is provided with a through hole 225. As shown in fig. 5a, the through-hole 225 extends along the extending direction (X direction) of the lead portion 22. The through-hole 225 has a region 225a, and the diameter of the region 225a is reduced near the center in the extending direction. However, the shape of the through-hole 225 is not particularly limited. The width (length along the Y direction) of the through-hole 225 may be set to about 30% to 70% of the width of the maximum portion of the 2 nd region 222, and may be appropriately changed. A part of the housing 30 described below enters the through hole 225. The through-hole 225 is provided at a position overlapping the ground body portion 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 when viewed in a direction along the center axis C (see fig. 3). This suppresses a decrease in the characteristic impedance of the receptacle connector 2.

The contact portion 21 and the lead portion 22 are connected by providing the 1 st region 221 of the lead portion 22 to the lower (-Z side) edge of the contact portion 21. Around the connection portion 212 of the contact portion 21 and the lead portion 22, 2 notched portions 213 arranged so as to sandwich the connection portion 212 are provided. As shown in fig. 3 and 5 c, the lower surface 21s of the contact portion 21 and the lower surface 22s of the lead portion 22 are formed so as to form the same plane (XY plane). As shown in fig. 5 c, the notch 213 forms an opening that communicates the inside and outside of the contact portion 21 above the height position of the end surface provided below in the vertical direction (Z direction) of the contact portion 21 and the lead portion 22.

The signal contact conductor 20 can be manufactured by bending a metal plate, for example. A metal plate having a shape corresponding to the signal contact conductor 20 is prepared, the metal plate is bent at the connection portion 212 between the lead portion 22 and the contact portion 21, and the region where the contact portion 21 is formed is bent into a cylindrical shape, whereby the signal contact conductor 20 can be obtained.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the signal contact conductor 20 is disposed such that the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 is located inside the ground body portion 11 of the ground contact conductor 10. At this time, the lead portion 22 connected to the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 is disposed in the space S1, and the space S1 is provided between the terminal portions 121 and 122 of the ground contact conductor 10 and extends in the longitudinal direction (X direction). At this time, the lower surfaces 121s and 122s of the terminal portions 121 and 122 of the ground contact conductor 10 are arranged so as to form the same plane (XY plane) as the lower surface 21s of the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 and the lower surface 22s of the lead portion 22 of the signal contact conductor 20. The housing 30 is formed by integrating the ground contact conductor 10 and the signal contact conductor 20 by injecting an insulating resin described below into the mold set in the above state.

The shapes of the contact portion 21 and the lead portion 22 can be changed. The contact portion 21 and the lead portion 22 may be formed by combining a plurality of members, instead of being formed from one metal plate.

(case)

The case 30 is an insulating member mounted on the printed wiring board PB.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the housing 30 is provided to fill the space S1 between the terminal portions 121 and 122 included in the external terminal portion 12 of the ground contact conductor 10. As shown in fig. 2, upper surface 30u of case 30 provided between terminal portions 121 and 122 is substantially flush with upper surfaces 121u and 122u of terminal portions 121 and 122, and lower surface 30s of case 30 is substantially flush with lower surfaces 121s and 122s of terminal portions 121 and 122.

As shown in fig. 3, the housing 30 is also connected to the lower end of the ground body 11 of the ground contact conductor 10. Thereby, both the ground body portion 11 and the external terminal portion 12 of the ground contact conductor 10 are connected to the housing 30. Further, the housing 30 is connected to inclined portions 121b and 122b provided on the facing surfaces 121a and 122a of the terminal portions 121 and 122, respectively. This increases the contact area between the housing 30 and the terminal portions 121 and 122, thereby improving the adhesion between the housing 30 and the ground contact conductor 10.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the housing 30 is provided so as to contact the lower end of the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 and fill the periphery of the lead portion 22 except for the lower surface 22 s. At this time, a part of the case 30 also enters the through-hole 225 provided in the 2 nd region 222 of the lead portion 22, and fills the through-hole 225. As a result, the adhesion between the housing 30 and the signal contact conductor 20 is improved. In addition, the end portion of the lead portion 22 of the signal contact conductor 20 opposite to the contact portion 21, that is, the end portion of the 3 rd region 223 is not covered with the case 30 and is exposed to the outside.

The housing 30 is also formed to enter the inside of the contact portion 21 and the outside of the contact portion 21 and to be the inside of the ground body portion 11. The case 30 is provided so as to cover the periphery of the connection portion 212 with the contact portion 21 and the lower end of the contact portion 21. As shown in fig. 3, the upper surface 31u of the housing 30 inside the ground main body portion 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 and outside the contact portion 21 is substantially the same as the upper surface 30u of the housing 30 provided between the terminal portions 121 and 122. On the other hand, the upper surface 32u of the case 30 inside the contact portion 21 is lower in position (height) from the lower surface 30s in the vertical direction (Z direction) than the upper surfaces 30u and 31 u. That is, the height of upper surface 32u is located closer to the bottom surface (lower surface 30s) of case 30 facing printed wiring board PB than the height of upper surfaces 30u and 31u in the vertical direction (Z direction). In this way, by setting the height of the upper surface 32u of the housing 30 inside the contact portion 21 to be lower than the height of the upper surfaces 30u and 31u, it is possible to prevent the electrical connectivity from being lowered particularly when the outer peripheral surface of the contact portion 21 remains with the insulating material and is connected to the mating connector.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, a portion of the upper surface 31u of the housing 30 inside the ground body 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 and outside the contact portion 21 has a recess 33 having a surface height position lower than that of the upper surface 31 u. The concave portion 33 is formed around the slot 211 provided in the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20, and is formed in a region continuous from the slot 211. The height of the surface of the recess 33 is set to be the same as the height of the upper surface 32u of the housing 30 inside the contact portion 21. The shape and size of the recess 33 are not particularly limited. However, the shape and size of the recess 33 may be set in such a manner that: the height of the surface of the housing 30 around at least the groove 211 at the outer side of the contact portion 21 is substantially the same as the height of the upper surface 32u of the housing 30 at the inner side of the contact portion 21. Note that, the same height includes not only the same case, but also a case where the difference in height between upper surface 32u and concave portion 33 is smaller than the difference in height between upper surface 31u and upper surface 32 u.

[ Assembly procedure of socket connector ]

The assembling steps of the receptacle connector 2 will be explained. First, the ground contact conductor 10 and the signal contact conductor 20 are prepared. As described above, the ground contact conductor 10 and the signal contact conductor 20 can be manufactured by, for example, punching and bending a plate material made of a metal material.

Next, after the ground contact conductor 10 and the signal contact conductor 20 are set in a mold, an insulating material (e.g., an insulating resin) is injected into the mold and cooled to be solidified. That is, by manufacturing the housing 30 by insert molding, the receptacle connector 2 in which the ground contact conductor 10, the signal contact conductor 20, and the housing 30 are integrally molded can be manufactured.

The insulating material injected into the mold fills the space S1 between the terminal portions 121 and 122 of the ground contact conductor 10 and also enters the through-hole 225 provided in the lead portion 22 of the signal contact conductor 20 disposed in the space S1. Further, the signal contact conductor 20 also enters the inside of the contact portion 21 through a notch portion 213 provided below the contact portion 21. As a result, the insulating material inside the contact portion 21 and the insulating material outside the contact portion 21 are molded in an integrated state.

In addition, in manufacturing the receptacle connector 2, after the signal contact conductor 20 is set in the mold, when the insulating material is injected, the parts in the mold can be brought into contact with the outside of the slot 211 of the signal contact conductor 20, specifically, the region in the housing 30 where the recess 33 is formed. With this configuration, the signal contact conductor 20 can be accurately positioned. Further, the injected insulating material is prevented from leaking from the portion where the mold abuts.

[ plug connector ]

Next, details of the plug connector 3 will be described with reference to fig. 6 to 12. As shown in fig. 6 to 8, the plug connector 3 includes: signal contact conductor 40, ground contact conductor 60, and insulative housing 50. The plug connector 3 is mounted on the terminal portion TP of the coaxial cable SC.

The coaxial cable SC is a wire used in a small-sized terminal such as a mobile phone, for example, to transmit a high-frequency signal between various signal processing elements (e.g., an antenna, a control chip for controlling the antenna, a substrate, etc.) incorporated in the terminal. As shown in fig. 7, the coaxial cable SC includes: a signal line SC1 including a conductor; a shield line SC3 provided around the signal line SC1 and including a conductor; a dielectric layer SC2 sandwiched between the signal line SC1 and the shield line SC 3; and an insulating coating SC4 covering shield wire SC 3.

The plug connector 3 is mounted on the terminal portion TP where the signal line SC1 and the shield line SC3 are partially exposed. More specifically, the plug connector 3 is mounted on the terminal portion TP subjected to the process of removing the insulating coating SC4, the shield wire SC3, and the dielectric layer SC2, in such a manner that the exposed portion of the signal wire SC1 and the exposed portion of the shield wire SC3 are arranged in this order from the front end. In the plug connector 3 mounted on the terminal portion TP, the signal contact conductor 40 is electrically connected to the signal line SC1, the ground contact conductor 60 is electrically connected to the shield line SC3, and the housing 50 is sandwiched between the signal contact conductor 40 and the ground contact conductor 60.

The plug connector 3 mounted on the terminal portion TP is connected to the receptacle connector 2 mounted on the printed wiring board PB. Specifically, the plug connector 3 is mounted on the receptacle connector 2 along the thickness direction (Z direction) of the printed wiring board PB. If the plug connector 3 is mounted in the receptacle connector 2, the signal contact conductors 40 are electrically connected to the signal contact conductors 20 of the receptacle connector 2 and the ground contact conductors 60 are electrically connected to the ground contact conductors 10 of the receptacle connector 2. The plug connector 3 mounted on the receptacle connector 2 is detachable from the receptacle connector 2 along the thickness direction (Z direction) of the printed wiring board PB.

Hereinafter, specific configurations of the ground contact conductor 60, the signal contact conductor 40, and the housing 50 will be described in order.

(ground contact conductor)

As shown in fig. 6, the ground contact conductor 60 is formed of, for example, a thin plate-like metal material, and has a 1 st portion 60A, a 2 nd portion 60B, and a connecting portion 60C. The 1 st segment 60A has a fitting portion 61 and 2 arm portions 62. The fitting portion 61 is fitted to the ground contact conductor 10 of the receptacle connector 2. For example, the fitting portion 61 is cylindrical (cylindrical) and is fitted to the outer periphery of the ground body 11. The center axis of the fitting portion 61 is substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC.

At one end (hereinafter referred to as "tip") in the central axial direction of the fitting portion 61, a narrowed portion 611 having a locally narrowed inner diameter is formed as shown in fig. 7. The narrowed portion 611 is fitted in a groove 11a of the ground body 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 of the receptacle connector 2 (see fig. 12). At the other end (hereinafter referred to as "base end") in the center axial direction of the fitting portion 61, as shown in fig. 6, a plurality of notch portions 612 are formed, which are arranged in the circumferential direction of the fitting portion 61. The plurality of notches 612 are fitted with a plurality of projections 512 (described below) of the housing 50, respectively. The "cylindrical shape" is not necessarily limited to a cylindrical shape. For example, the "cylinder" may be a polygonal cylinder. The "cylindrical shape" includes a half cylindrical shape in which a part of the circumferential direction is cut. For example, the fitting portion 61 has a semi-cylindrical shape in which a portion closer to the coaxial cable SC is cut off.

The 2 arm portions 62 are connected to both ends of the circumferential fitting portion 61, respectively, and extend outward of the fitting portion 61 in a state of facing each other. The 2 arm portions 62 are each along the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC.

The 2 nd part 60B includes a lid 63, a clip 64, and a barrel 65. The lid 63 covers the base end of the lower cap fitting portion 61 without overlapping the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 61. Specifically, the lid 63 is substantially flat over the entire area, and is not folded over or the like at its peripheral edge so as to overlap the fitting portion 61. Hereinafter, a surface of the lid 63 facing the base end of the fitting portion 61 is referred to as an "inner surface", and a surface opposite to the inner surface is referred to as an "outer surface".

As shown in fig. 7, the clamping portion 64 holds a portion of the terminal portion TP of the coaxial cable SC from which the insulating coating SC4 is removed (hereinafter referred to as "a holding target portion of the terminal portion TP") and contacts the shield wire SC 3. For example, the clamping portion 64 is aligned with the fitting portion 61 along the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC.

For example, the clamp 64 includes a clamp base 641 and 2 clamp arms 642 as shown in fig. 6. The clamp base 641 is a plate-shaped portion connected to the cover 63. In addition, the term "connected" as used herein includes a case where the two are connected via another part in addition to a case where the two are directly connected.

The 2 clamp arms 642 are connected to both side surfaces in the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC in the peripheral edge of the clamp base 641, and protrude from the inner surface of the clamp base 641 (the surface connected to the inner surface of the cover 63). The 2 clamp arms 642 face each other with the holding target portion of the terminal portion TP interposed therebetween, and are bent so as to wrap the holding target portion of the terminal portion TP between the clamp base 641 and come into contact with the shield wire SC 3.

The clamping portion 64 is located at the end of the ground contact conductor 60 farthest from the fitting portion 61. More specifically, in the ground contact conductor 60, 2 holding arms 642 are located at the end portion farthest from the center axis of the fitting portion 61. In other words, the ground contact conductor 60 does not have a portion that contacts the insulating coating SC4 at a position further from the center axis of the fitting portion 61 than the 2 grip arms 642.

The cylindrical portion 65 holds the housing 50 between the fitting portion 61 and the clamping portion 64. The housing 50 has: a 1 st part 51 housed in the fitting portion 61; and a 2 nd portion 52 disposed between the 2 arm portions 62. The barrel portion 65 holds the 2 nd part 52 together with the 2 arm portions 62.

For example, the cartridge portion 65 includes a cartridge base 651 and 2 cartridge arms 652. The cylinder base 651 is a plate-like portion sandwiched between the cover 63 and the clamp base 641, and is connected to these members.

The 2 cylindrical arms 652 are connected to both side surfaces of the circumferential edge of the cylindrical base 651 in the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC, and protrude from the inner surface of the cylindrical base 651 (the surface connected to the inner surface of the cover 63). The 2 cylinder arms 652 face each other with the 2 arm portions 62 and the 2 nd portion 52 interposed therebetween, and are bent so as to enclose the 2 arm portions 62 and the 2 nd portion 52 with the cylinder base 651. Hereinafter, a portion between the bent portion of the cylinder arm 652 and the cylinder base 651 is referred to as "a base portion of the cylinder arm 652", and a portion closer to the distal end side than the bent portion is referred to as "a distal end portion of the cylinder arm 652".

As shown in fig. 6, a base portion of the cylinder arm 652 is formed with a contact claw portion 654 protruding inward. The contact claw 654 presses the arm portion 62 toward the 2 nd portion 52. This strengthens the electrical connection between the cylindrical portion 65 and the arm portion 62.

The axial length of the cylindrical portion 65 of the coaxial cable SC (the width of the cylindrical arm 652) can be set so as to create a gap GP1 between the housing 50 and the clip portion 64. In this case, the arm portion 62 may be configured to further hold the dielectric layer SC2 and the shield wire SC3 between the case 50 and the clip portion 64 (the gap GP 1). In this case, the ground contact conductor 60 may further include a holding claw 653. The holding claw 653 protrudes inward from the cylindrical portion 65 between the housing 50 and the clamping portion 64, and presses the shielded wire SC3 toward the dielectric layer SC 2. The holding claw 653 may be located between the housing 50 and the clamping portion 64 so as to be biased toward the clamping portion 64. In other words, the distance from the gripping portion 64 to the holding pawl 653 can be smaller than the distance from the housing 50 to the holding pawl 653. For example, the holding claw 653 is formed at the tip end of each cylinder arm 652 (closer to the base end of the coaxial cable SC).

The ground contact conductor 60 may have a gap GP2 between the fitting portion 61 and the barrel portion 65 (i.e., between the fitting portion 61 and the barrel arm 652). Further, the ground contact conductor 60 may have a gap GP3 between the barrel portion 65 and the clip portion 64 (i.e., between the barrel arm 652 and the clip arm 642).

The joining portion 60C joins the 1 st portion 60A and the 2 nd portion 60B. For example, the connecting portion 60C connects the proximal end of the fitting portion 61 to the cap portion 63 at the end in the extending direction (-X direction) of the coaxial cable SC. Before assembling the plug connector 3, the connection portion 60C connects the 1 st portion 60A and the 2 nd portion 60B in a state where the cover portion 63 is along the center axis of the fitting portion 61. The coupling portion 60C is bent substantially at a right angle so that the lid portion 63 is orthogonal to the central axis of the fitting portion 61 and the base end of the fitting portion 61 is covered in the assembly of the plug connector 3.

(Signal contact conductor)

As shown in fig. 9, the signal contact conductor 40 is formed of, for example, a thin plate-like metal member and is accommodated in the ground contact conductor 60. As shown in fig. 7 to 9, the signal contact conductor 40 includes: contact portion 41, connection portion 42, intermediate portion 43, and extension portions 44, 45. The contact portion 41 is positioned in the fitting portion 61 and contacts the signal contact conductor 20 of the receptacle connector 2.

For example, the contact portion 41 includes a contact base 411 and 2 contact arms 412. The contact base 411 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the center axis of the fitting portion 61. The 2 contact arms 412 are connected to both side surfaces of the contact base 411 in the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC, and protrude toward the tip of the fitting portion 61. The 2 contact arms 412 face each other, and hold the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 (see fig. 12) in a state where the fitting portion 61 is fitted to the ground body portion 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 of the receptacle connector 2.

The connection portion 42 is located inside the space surrounded by the cylindrical portion 65 and is connected to a signal line SC 1. The connecting portion 42 is a flat plate-like portion arranged perpendicular to the central axis of the fitting portion 61. As shown in fig. 7, the connecting portion 42 has a 1 st main surface 421 facing the cylinder base 651 of the cylinder portion 65 and a 2 nd main surface 422 on the opposite side of the 1 st main surface 421. The signal line SC1 is connected to the 1 st main surface 421 (connection main surface). Specific examples of the connection method of the signal line SC1 include welding, caulking, ultrasonic bonding, and the like. For example, the signal line SC1 is connected to the 1 st main surface 421 by ultrasonic bonding.

The intermediate portion 43 is a flat plate-like portion that connects the contact base 411 of the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. As shown in fig. 7, the intermediate portion 43 has a 1 st main surface 431 opposed to the cover 63 and the cylinder base 651, and a 2 nd main surface 432 opposite to the 1 st main surface 431. First major face 431 (intermediate major face) is continuous with first major face 421, and second major face 432 is continuous with second major face 422. The intermediate portion 43 connects the contact base 411 and the connection portion 42 so as to extend from the inside of the fitting portion 61 to the inside of the cylindrical portion 65, i.e., so as to extend in the direction of connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42.

The width of the intermediate portion 43 varies depending on the position in the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. The width here means a length in a direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the axial direction of the coaxial cable SC. The width of the intermediate portion 43 is set so as to suppress a change in characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor 40 and the ground contact conductor 60 according to the position in the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. When the width of the intermediate portion 43 is constant, the characteristic impedance between the intermediate portion 43 and the ground contact conductor 60 varies depending on the position in the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. For example, the characteristic impedance becomes lower at a position closer to the ground contact conductor 60. Further, the characteristic impedance also becomes lower at a position surrounded by more metal of the ground contact conductor 60. As described above, at the position where the characteristic impedance is lowered due to the relationship with the ground contact conductor 60, the width of the intermediate portion 43 is increased as compared with the position where the characteristic impedance is raised.

For example, in the gap GP2 (the gap between the fitting section 61 and the barrel section 65), the amount of metal (for example, the amount of metal per unit length) of the ground contact conductor 60 surrounding the intermediate section 43 is smaller than the amount of metal inside the space surrounded by the barrel section 65 (because the barrel arm 652 is not present). Therefore, the portion of the intermediate portion 43 located in the gap GP2 is provided with the widened portion 433 having a width wider than any one of the portion of the intermediate portion 43 located in the cylindrical body portion 65 and the portion located in the fitting portion 61.

The width of the connecting portion 42 is larger than the width of the intermediate portion 43. The width of the connecting portion 42 may be larger than the maximum value of the width of the intermediate portion 43 (for example, the width of the widened portion 433), as long as it is larger than at least the average value of the widths of the intermediate portions 43. In addition, in order to accurately define the average value of the width of the intermediate portion 43, etc., it is necessary to specify the boundary between the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42 and the boundary between the connection portion 42 and the intermediate portion 43, but since the contact portion 41, the connection portion 42, and the intermediate portion 43 are formed by one metal member, there is no visible boundary. Therefore, an edge 412a of the contact arm 412 adjacent to the connection portion 42 is defined as a boundary between the contact portion 41 and the intermediate portion 43 (see fig. 9). An edge 42a of a portion having the same width as the portion to which the signal line SC1 is connected, which is close to the contact portion 41, is defined as a boundary between the intermediate portion 43 and the connection portion 42. In addition, the portions having the same width include portions to which corners are chamfered or the like.

The signal contact conductor 40 may be bent at a boundary portion (a portion near the boundary) between the intermediate portion 43 and the connection portion 42 such that the 1 st main surface 421 (connection main surface) is recessed with respect to the 1 st main surface 431 (intermediate main surface).

The extension portion 44 is a flat plate-like portion that extends in a direction opposite to the direction from the contact base 411 toward the intermediate portion 43. The extension portion 45 is a flat plate-like portion that extends in a direction opposite to the direction from the contact portion 42 toward the intermediate portion 43. The extension portions 44 and 45 function as holding margins of the housing 50.

(case)

As shown in fig. 7, the housing 50 holds the signal contact conductor 40 and is accommodated in the ground contact conductor 60. For example, the housing 50 has a 1 st portion 51 and a 2 nd portion 52. The 1 st part 51 is housed in the fitting portion 61, and holds the contact portion 41 and a part of the intermediate portion 43 biased against the contact portion 41.

The 1 st part 51 has a recess 511 for exposing the contact portion 41 toward the tip of the fitting portion 61. Thereby, the contact portion 41 can be brought into contact with the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 of the receptacle connector 2. Further, the outer diameter of the tip portion of the 1 st part 51 (the portion closer to the tip of the fitting portion 61) is smaller than the inner diameter of the fitting portion 61. Thereby, the ground body 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 can be introduced between the fitting portion 61 and the 1 st portion 51.

The 2 nd part 52 protrudes from the 1 st part 51 in the direction (X direction) in which the 2 nd arm part 62 extends, while holding the connecting part 42 and a part of the intermediate part 43 located in the vicinity of the connecting part 42. At least a portion of the 2 nd part 52 is held by the barrel portion 65 together with the 2 arms 62 as described.

The 2 nd portion 52 may be configured to form a cavity between the connection 42 and the ground contact conductor 60. The 2 nd portion 52 has an opening for ultrasonic bonding of the signal line to the connecting portion 42, through which at least a part of the cavity is constituted. The 2 nd portion 52 may have an opening on both the 1 st principal surface 421 side and the opposite side to the 1 st principal surface 421. The opening here means an opening that exposes at least a part of the 1 st main surface 421 or the 2 nd main surface 422 of the connection portion 42 to the outside of the case 50.

For example, the 2 nd portion 52 has a concave portion 521 (see fig. 10) exposing the 1 st main surface 421 toward the cylinder base 651. Thus, in the 2 nd portion 52, an opening OP1 (see fig. 7) is formed so that a part of the 1 st main surface 421 is exposed to the outside of the case 50. The recess 521 is also open to the opposite side of the 1 st part 51 (closer to the base end of the coaxial cable SC) in the 2 nd part 52. The opening OP1 is used to press the signal line SC1 against the 1 st principal surface 421 by a tool for ultrasonic bonding. A cavity CC1 is formed between the 1 st main surface 421 and the cylinder base 651 through the opening OP 1.

In addition, a through-hole 523 (see fig. 11) is formed in the portion of the 2 nd portion 52 constituting the bottom surface of the recess 521 so as to expose the 2 nd main surface 422 toward the tip end of the arm 62. Thus, in the 2 nd portion 52, an opening OP2 is formed so that a part of the 2 nd main surface 422 is exposed outside the case 50. The opening OP2 is used to press a tool for supporting the connecting portion 42 against the 2 nd main surface 422 from the opposite side of the tool for ultrasonic bonding. A cavity CC2 is formed between the 2 nd main surface 422 and the distal end of the cylindrical arm 652 through the opening OP 2.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, a plurality of projections 512 arranged in the circumferential direction are provided on the outer periphery of the base end portion of the 1 st portion 51 (the portion on the base end side of the fitting portion 61). As described above, the plurality of projections 512 are fitted into the plurality of notches 612 of the fitting portion 61 (see fig. 6). The protruding portion 512 fitted into the notch portion 612 may protrude outward from the peripheral edge of the cover 63 (see fig. 12). In other words, the protruding amount of the cover portion 63 with respect to the outer periphery of the fitting portion 61 may be smaller than the protruding amount of the protrusion 512 with respect to the outer periphery of the fitting portion 61.

[ Assembly procedure of plug connector ]

The assembling steps of the plug connector 3 will be explained. First, the signal contact conductor 40 is prepared, and after the signal contact conductor 40 is set in a mold, an insulating material (for example, an insulating resin) is injected into the mold and cooled to be solidified. That is, the housing 50 is manufactured by insert molding while the signal contact conductor 40 is held. Next, the ground contact conductor 60 is prepared, and the housing 50 is provided on the ground contact conductor 60 so that the plurality of projections 512 are fitted into the plurality of notches 612 of the fitting portion 61, respectively. The signal contact conductor 40 and the ground contact conductor 60 can be manufactured by punching a metal member having a specific shape out of a thin metal plate and subjecting the metal member to plastic working such as bending. As described above, the ground contact conductor 60 is in a state in which the 1 st portion 60A and the 2 nd portion 60B are connected by the connecting portion 60C in a state in which the lid portion 63 is along the central axis of the fitting portion 61. In addition, neither the 2 barrel arms 652 nor the 2 clamp arms 642 are flexed.

Next, the signal wire SC1 is ultrasonically bonded to the 1 st main surface 421 of the connecting portion 42 at the opening OP1 of the case 50. Specifically, a tool for supporting the connection portion 42 is inserted into the opening OP2 and is brought into contact with the 2 nd main surface 422, and a tool for ultrasonic bonding is inserted into the opening OP1 and is brought into contact with the signal line SC1 and the 1 st main surface 421. In this state, ultrasonic waves are applied to the signal wire SC1 by a tool for ultrasonic bonding, melting of plating or the like is generated, and the signal wire SC1 is bonded to the 1 st principal surface 421.

Next, the coupling portion 60C is bent and the proximal end of the fitting portion 61 is covered with a lid portion 63. At this time, 2 arm portions 62 and the 2 nd portion 52 of the housing 50 are accommodated in 2 cylinder arms 652, and the holding target portion of the terminal portion TP is accommodated in 2 clamp arms 642.

Next, the 2 clamp arms 642 are flexed so as to wrap the holding target portion of the terminal portion TP between the clamp base 641, and the 2 cylinder arms 652 are flexed so as to wrap the 2 arm portion 62 and the 2 nd portion 52 between the cylinder base 651. In the above, the assembly step of the plug connector 3 is completed.

[ Effect ]

Next, the operation and effects of the connector assembly 1 will be described.

(socket connector)

In the receptacle connector 2 included in the connector assembly 1, the ground contact conductor 10 includes: a cylindrical ground body 11 extending along a central axis C which is a specific axis; and an external terminal portion 12 provided at one end edge of the ground main body portion 11 along the direction of the central axis C. In addition, in the receptacle connector 2, the signal contact conductor 20 has: a contact portion 21 extending along the direction of the central axis C inside the ground body portion 11 and contacting a signal contact conductor (a contact conductor of a mating connector) of the plug connector 3; and a substantially flat plate-like lead portion 22 extending in an extending direction intersecting the direction of the central axis C from one end edge of the contact portion 21 in the direction of the central axis C (an end edge of the ground main body portion 11 on the same side as the side on which the external terminal portion 12 is provided). The pair of main surfaces of the lead portion 22 extends so as to intersect the direction of the central axis C, and the width thereof varies depending on the position in the extending direction. High-precision impedance matching of the connector is required in a high-frequency region. As in the receptacle connector 2, the width of the lead portion 22 is changed depending on the position in the extending direction, so that the characteristic impedance can be finely adjusted, and the change in the characteristic impedance can be reduced. Further, since the pair of main surfaces extend so as to intersect with the axial direction, the height of the receptacle connector 2 can be reduced. Further, the characteristic impedance can be preferably adjusted by changing the width of the lead portion 22 extending so that the pair of main surfaces intersect with the axial direction, depending on the position in the extending direction.

In addition, a region 221a, which is a minimum portion where the width of the lead portion 22 is minimum, is provided at a position of the lead portion 22 closest to the contact portion 21, and a 2 nd region 222, which includes a maximum portion where the width of the lead portion 22 is maximum, is provided at a position spaced apart from the minimum portion in the extending direction. The width of the lead portion 22 gradually increases from the minimum portion toward the maximum portion. If the width of the lead portion 22 at the position closest to the contact portion 21 among the lead portions 22 is increased, the characteristic impedance is decreased by the influence of the ground contact conductor 10, and therefore, the variation width of the characteristic impedance may be increased. In contrast, by minimizing the width of the lead portion 22 in the above-described region as described above, the change in the characteristic impedance with respect to the contact portion 21 can be reduced. Further, by providing the maximum portion and the minimum portion of the lead portion 22, which have the largest width, at a distance from each other and gradually changing the width, it is possible to reduce the change in characteristic impedance resulting from the change in width of the lead portion 22. The width change to achieve the above-described effect may be a stepwise change or may be a gradual change.

In addition, a through hole 225 is provided in the largest portion of the lead portion 22, and a part of the case 30 enters the inside of the through hole 225. In consideration of the wide area of the lead portion 22, there is a possibility that the characteristic impedance may be lowered. In contrast, by providing the through-hole 225 at the maximum portion where the width is formed, the decrease in the characteristic impedance in the above-described region can be suppressed. Further, a part of the housing 30 enters the through hole 225, thereby improving the adhesion between the housing 30 and the signal contact conductor 20.

The through-hole 225 is provided at a position overlapping the ground body 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 when viewed from the direction of the center axis C. Since the position where the ground main body portion 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 overlaps the lead portion 22 of the signal contact conductor 20 is a region where the two are close to each other, there is a possibility that the characteristic impedance is lowered. In contrast, by providing the through-hole 225 for the lead portion 22, the signal contact conductor 20 close to the ground main body portion 11 of the ground contact conductor 10 can be reduced, and therefore, a decrease in characteristic impedance can be suppressed.

In addition, the receptacle connector 2 includes: a signal contact conductor 20 and a ground contact conductor 10, and a housing 30 that integrates the signal contact conductor 20 and the ground contact conductor 10 and insulates them from each other. Further, the ground contact conductor 10 includes: a cylindrical ground body 11 extending along a specific center axis C; and an external terminal portion 12 provided at one end edge of the ground body portion 11 in the direction of the center axis C. The signal contact conductor 20 has: a substantially cylindrical contact portion 21 extending along the center axis C direction inside the ground body portion 11, having a slot 211 extending in the center axis C direction, and contacting the signal contact conductor 40 of the plug connector 3 (mating connector); and a lead portion 22 extending in an extending direction intersecting the direction of the central axis C from one end edge of the contact portion 21 in the direction of the central axis C (the end edge on the same side as the side of the grounding body portion 11 on which the external terminal portion 12 is provided). The housing 30 is in contact with an end edge of the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 on which the lead portion 22 is provided, and enters between the contact portion 21 and the ground main body portion 11 and inside the contact portion 21, and the height of the surface along the center axis C direction inside the contact portion 21 is located closer to the bottom surface of the housing 30 facing the printed wiring board PB than the height of the surface along the center axis C direction between the contact portion 21 and the ground main body portion 11. With the above configuration, even if burrs or the like are generated due to the material constituting the housing 30 when the housing 30 is formed by insert molding as described above, the risk of the burrs affecting the counterpart contact conductor due to contact therebetween can be reduced. Therefore, the occurrence of the connection failure resulting from the molding of the housing 30 can be suppressed.

In addition, the following aspects can be provided: in at least a partial region continuous from the slot 211 between the contact portion 21 and the ground main body portion 11, the height of the surface of the housing 30 along the central axis C direction is the same as the height of the surface along the central axis C direction inside the contact portion 21. In the case where the housing 30 is formed by insert molding, a material constituting the housing 30, such as a resin material, moves inside and outside the groove 211 during molding. Therefore, burrs and the like may be generated due to the movement of the material inside and outside the groove 211. With the above-described configuration, by setting the height of the housing 30 in the region continuous from the slot 211 to the same height as the inside of the contact portion 21, even if burrs or the like are generated around the slot 211, the risk of the burrs affecting the signal contact conductor 40 (counterpart signal contact conductor) of the plug connector 3 due to contact therebetween can be reduced. Therefore, the occurrence of the connection failure resulting from the molding of the housing 30 can be further suppressed. In addition, in manufacturing the receptacle connector 2, after the signal contact conductor 20 is set in the mold, the signal contact conductor 20 can be accurately positioned in the mold by bringing the parts in the mold into contact with the outside of the slot 211 at the time of injecting the insulating material. Further, since the parts in the mold abut on the outside of the groove 211, the insulating material from the above-mentioned portions can be prevented from leaking.

Further, at the end edge of the contact portion 21 of the signal contact conductor 20 where the lead portion 22 is provided, a notch portion 213 is provided continuously with the lead portion 22, and at the notch portion 213, the case 30 between the contact portion 21 and the ground main body portion 11 is continuous with the case 30 inside the contact portion 21. Since the contact portion 21 and the ground body portion 11 and the housing 30 inside the contact portion 21 are continuous with each other through the notch portion 213, the contact between the housing 30 and the ground contact conductor 10 and the signal contact conductor 20 can be improved. Therefore, breakage of the receptacle connector 2 can be prevented.

(plug connector)

In the plug connector 3, the ground contact conductor 60 has: a fitting portion 61 fitted to the ground contact conductor 10 of the receptacle connector 2; and a clamping portion 64 for holding a portion of the terminal portion TP of the coaxial cable SC from which the insulating coating SC4 is removed and contacting the shielded wire SC 3; the clamping portion 64 is located at the end of the ground contact conductor 60 farthest from the fitting portion 61. If a part of the ground contact conductor 60 faces the shield wire SC3 through the insulating cover SC4, the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path of the high-frequency signal is lowered due to the capacitance of the part. In contrast, according to the plug connector 3, since the clip portion 64 that comes into contact with the shielded wire SC3 is located at the end farthest from the fitting portion 61, the portion of the ground contact conductor 60 that faces the shielded wire SC3 through the insulating cover SC4 can be reduced. Therefore, it is effective to improve the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path of the high-frequency signal.

The ground contact conductor 60 may further include a barrel portion 65 for holding the housing 50 between the fitting portion 61 and the clamping portion 64, and the barrel portion 65 may be configured to further hold the dielectric layer SC2 and the shield wire SC 3. In the configuration in which the clamping portion 64 is located at the end farthest from the fitting portion 61, it is difficult to separately provide a portion (hereinafter referred to as "sheath clamping") that holds the coaxial cable SC from the outside of the insulating coating SC 4. In contrast, with the structure in which the cylindrical portion 65 further holds the dielectric layer SC2 and the shield wire SC3 between the housing 50 and the clamping portion 64, the connection portion between the ground contact conductor 60 and the coaxial cable SC can be reinforced by the cylindrical portion 65 instead of being clamped by the sheath.

The ground contact conductor 60 may further have a holding claw 653, and the claw 653 protrudes inward from the cylindrical body 65 to press the coaxial cable SC toward the dielectric layer SC 2. In this case, the reinforcing effect of the connection portion between the ground contact conductor 60 and the coaxial cable SC by the cylindrical portion 65 can be further improved. In addition, the cylindrical portion 65 and the shield line SC3 can be more reliably conducted, and the characteristic impedance can be further improved.

The holding claw 653 may be located between the housing 50 and the clamping portion 64 so as to be biased toward the clamping portion 64. In this case, the reinforcing effect can be further enhanced by the holding claw 653, and the cylindrical portion 65 and the shield wire SC3 can be more reliably conducted.

The case 50 may have openings OP1, OP2 for ultrasonic bonding of the signal wire SC1 at the connection portion 42. With the configuration in which the signal wire SC1 is ultrasonically bonded to the connection portion 42, the posture of the bonded signal wire SC1 is more stable than that of soldering or the like, and therefore, the stability of the characteristic impedance can be further improved. Since thermal damage to the dielectric layer SC2 is smaller when bonding than when soldering or the like is performed, the exposed length of the signal line SC1 can be shortened and the tip of the dielectric layer SC2 can be brought close to the connection portion 42. Therefore, the holding margin of the dielectric layer SC2 and the shield wire SC3 by the cylindrical body portion 65 can be made longer, and the reinforcing effect by the cylindrical body portion 65 can be further improved.

The ground contact conductor 60 may further include a lid 63 that covers one end of the fitting portion 61 without overlapping the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 61. In this case, the lid 63 does not overlap the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 61, and thus a portion where electrostatic capacitance is likely to occur can be further reduced. Therefore, it is more effective in improving the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path of the high-frequency signal.

In the signal contact conductor 40, the width of the intermediate portion 43 changes depending on the position between the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42 so that the change in the characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor 40 and the ground contact conductor 60 according to the position between the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42 can be suppressed. In this case, the characteristic impedance change from the connection portion 42 to the contact portion 41 is suppressed by the width of the intermediate portion 43. Therefore, it is effective to improve the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path of the high-frequency signal.

The widened portion 433 may be provided in a portion of the intermediate portion 43 located in the gap GP2 between the fitting portion 61 and the barrel portion 65, the widened portion having a width wider than any one of the portion of the intermediate portion 43 located in the fitting portion 61 and the portion located in the barrel portion 65. Between the fitting portion 61 and the barrel portion 65, the amount of metal on the ground contact conductor 60 side is smaller than that in the barrel portion 65. Therefore, the characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor 40 and the ground contact conductor 60 tends to be higher than that in the barrel portion 65. In contrast, by providing the widened portion 433 in the intermediate portion 43, the characteristic impedance can be prevented from increasing in the path from the connection portion 42 to the contact base 411.

The width of the connecting portion 42 may be made larger than the width of the intermediate portion 43, and the housing 50 may form cavities CC1, CC2 between the connecting portion 42 and the ground contact conductor 60. In this case, the width of the connection portion 42 is increased, thereby improving the workability of connection of the signal line SC1 to the connection portion 42. On the other hand, if the width of the connection portion 42 becomes large, the characteristic impedance of the connection portion 42 becomes low. In contrast, cavities CC1 and CC2 are formed between the connection portion 42 and the ground contact conductor 60 by the housing 50, and the dielectric constant between the connection portion 42 and the ground contact conductor 60 is lowered. Therefore, the characteristic impedance can be prevented from being lowered due to the increase in the width of the connection portion 42. Therefore, both the workability of connection of the signal line SC1 and the suppression of characteristic impedance variation can be achieved.

At least a part of the cavities CC1, CC2 may be constituted by openings OP1, OP2 for ultrasonically bonding the signal wire SC1 at the connection portion 42. In this case, the openings OP1 and OP2 contribute to both suppression of characteristic impedance change and improvement of workability of ultrasonic bonding. Therefore, both the workability of connection of the signal line SC1 and the suppression of characteristic impedance variation can be more reliably achieved.

It is possible that the connecting portion 42 has a 1 st principal surface 421 for connecting the signal line SC1, the intermediate portion 43 has a 1 st principal surface 431 connected to the 1 st principal surface 421, and the signal contact conductor 40 is bent at the boundary portion between the intermediate portion 43 and the connecting portion 42 in such a manner that the 1 st principal surface 421 is recessed with respect to the 1 st principal surface 431. In this case, since the balance between the interval between the connection portion 42 and the ground contact conductor 60 and the interval between the signal line SC1 connected to the connection portion 42 and the ground contact conductor 60 is adjusted, the characteristic impedance change can be more reliably suppressed.

(variation of plug connector)

A plug connector 3A according to a modification will be described with reference to fig. 13 and 14.

As shown in fig. 13, the plug connector 3A includes: signal contact conductor 40A, ground contact conductor 60, and insulating housing 50. The plug connector 3A has a different shape of the signal contact conductor 40A than the plug connector 3. The plug connector 3A is also mounted on a terminal portion TP where the signal line SC1 and the shield line SC3 are partially exposed, similarly to the plug connector 3. At the plug connector 3A mounted at the terminal portion TP, the signal contact conductor 40A is also conducted with the signal line SC 1.

The signal contact conductor 40A of the plug connector 3A has, similarly to the signal contact conductor 40: contact portion 41, connection portion 42, intermediate portion 43, and extension portions 44 and 45 (see fig. 14). The contact portion 41, the connection portion 42, and the extension portions 44 and 45 of the signal contact conductor 40A have the same shape as the signal contact conductor 40, but the intermediate portion 43 has a different shape from the signal contact conductor 40.

As shown in fig. 13, the intermediate portion 43 of the signal contact conductor 40A has a 1 st principal surface 431 and a 2 nd principal surface 432 opposite to the 1 st principal surface 431 in the Z direction. The distance between the intermediate portion 43 and the ground contact conductor 60 in the Z direction changes along the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. Specifically, the intermediate portion 43 has a convex portion 435 in which the 1 st main surface 431 is convex along the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. The convex portion 435 is formed in a concave shape on the 2 nd main surface 432. As a result, as shown in fig. 13, the distance in the Z direction between the signal contact conductor 40A and the ground contact conductor 60 at the projecting portion 435 is shorter than the contact base 411 which is the base of the contact portion 41. The convex portion 435 faces the connection cover portion 63 of the ground contact conductor 60 and the region of the cylindrical base 651 of the cylindrical portion 65. The distance between the facing surface 69 of the ground contact conductor 60 and the 1 st major surface 431 of the projecting portion 435 of the signal contact conductor 40A is shorter than that of the contact base 411 which is the base of the contact portion 41. The projection 435 is provided with no irregularities or the like in the width direction (Y direction) of the intermediate portion 43, and is at the same distance in the Y direction as the ground contact conductor 60.

The convex portion 435 of the intermediate portion 43 is set so as to suppress a change in characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor 40A and the ground contact conductor 60 according to the position in the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. When the distance between the intermediate portion 43 and the ground contact conductor 60 in the Z direction is constant, the characteristic impedance between the intermediate portion 43 and the ground contact conductor 60 may vary depending on the position in the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42. In this regard, in the signal contact conductor 40 of the plug connector 3 described in the above embodiment, the width (length along the Y direction) of the intermediate portion 43 is changed, thereby suppressing the change in characteristic impedance. On the other hand, in the plug connector 3A of the modified example, the change in characteristic impedance is suppressed by adjusting the distance in the Z direction between the intermediate portion of the signal contact conductor 40A and the ground contact conductor 60. For example, at a position where the characteristic impedance becomes high due to the relationship with the ground contact conductor 60, the distance between the 1 st main surface 431 of the intermediate portion 43 and the ground contact conductor 60 in the Z direction is adjusted to be shorter than at a position where the characteristic impedance becomes low due to the provision of the convex portion 435, thereby reducing the characteristic impedance.

In this way, the distance between the intermediate portion 43 of the signal contact conductor 40A of the plug connector 3A and the ground contact conductor in the Z direction along the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42 can be changed. With such a configuration, a change in characteristic impedance from the contact portion 41 to the connection portion 42 is suppressed by a change in the distance between the intermediate portion 43 (particularly, the 1 st principal surface 431) and the ground contact conductor 60 in the Z direction. Therefore, it is effective to improve the stability of the characteristic impedance of the transmission path for the high-frequency signal.

In addition, in the case of having the projecting portion 435 shorter in the Z direction than the base portion of the contact portion 41 with respect to the ground contact conductor 60, the characteristic impedance can be lowered at the projecting portion 435. Therefore, the convex portion 435 is effective for adjustment for the purpose of reducing the characteristic impedance.

In addition, in contrast to the convex portion 435, providing a concave portion in which the 1 st main surface 431 and the 2 nd main surface 432 are concave and convex in the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42 is also effective in adjusting the characteristic impedance. The signal contact conductor 40B shown in fig. 15 has a recess 436 between the projection 435 and the connection portion 42. In the recess 436, the distance between the 1 st main surface 431 and the ground contact conductor 60 in the Z direction is longer than that of the contact base 411 which is the base of the contact portion 41. In this way, when the recess 436 having a longer distance in the Z direction from the ground contact conductor 60 than the base of the contact portion 41 is provided, the characteristic impedance can be improved at the recess 436. Therefore, the concave part 436 is effective for adjustment for the purpose of improving the characteristic impedance.

The signal contact conductor 40C shown in fig. 16 has only the recess 436 in the intermediate portion 43. In this way, only the concave part 436 may be provided to suppress a change in characteristic impedance.

In the signal contact conductors 40A to 40C, the width (length in the Y direction) of the intermediate portion 43 is set to be the same along the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42, but the distance from the ground contact conductor 60 in the Z direction can be adjusted by the convex portion 435 or the concave portion 436. Thus, in the signal contact conductors 40A to 40C, the characteristic impedance can be adjusted without changing the width of the intermediate portion 43.

On the other hand, as in the plug connector 3 described in the above embodiment, adjustment of the characteristic impedance by changing the width (length in the Y direction) of the intermediate portion 43 and the characteristic impedance by providing the convex portion 435 or the concave portion 436 can be combined. The signal contact conductor 40D shown in fig. 17 has a projection 435 at the intermediate portion 43. Further, the intermediate portion 43 is provided with a widened portion 433 having a width (length in the Y direction) wider than any one of a portion of the intermediate portion 43 located in the cylindrical portion 65 and a portion located in the fitting portion 61. In the signal contact conductor 40D, the widened portion 433 overlaps the projection 435, so that the projection 435 has a so-called wide shape.

In the signal contact conductor 40E shown in fig. 18, the intermediate portion 43 is provided with the convex portion 435 and the concave portion 436. The intermediate portion 43 is provided with a widened portion 433, and the widened portion 433 overlaps with the convex portion 435 and the concave portion 436. Therefore, in the signal contact conductor 40E, the convex portion 435 and the concave portion 436 are both formed in a so-called wide shape. Further, in the signal contact conductor 40F shown in fig. 19, a recess 436 is provided in the intermediate portion 43. Further, the intermediate portion 43 is provided with a widened portion 433, and the widened portion 433 overlaps with the recessed portion 436. Therefore, in the signal contact conductor 40F, the convex portion 435 and the concave portion 436 are both formed in a so-called wide shape.

As described above, adjustment of characteristic impedance due to change in width (length along the Y direction) by providing the widened portion 433 or the like and adjustment of characteristic impedance due to change in distance from the ground contact conductor 60 in the Z direction by providing the convex portion 435, the concave portion 436, or the like can be used in combination. That is, the following configuration is adopted: in order to suppress the change in the characteristic impedance between the signal contact conductor 40 and the ground contact conductor 60 depending on the position between the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42, at least one of the area and the distance of the signal contact conductor facing the ground contact conductor 60 depending on the position between the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42 is changed, and the stability of the characteristic impedance in the transmission path of the high-frequency signal can be improved.

The positions where the convex 435 and the concave 436 are provided may be appropriately changed in consideration of the change in characteristic impedance. The difference in distance in the Z direction from the ground contact conductor 60 when compared with the contact base 411, which is the base of the contact portion 41, or when compared with the main portion of the intermediate portion 43, can be appropriately changed for the convex portion 435 and the concave portion 436. The lengths of the convex portions 435 and the concave portions 436 along the direction (X direction) connecting the contact portion 41 and the connection portion 42 may be appropriately changed, and the lengths of the convex portions 435 and the concave portions 436 in the Z direction may be changed. The positional relationship with the widened portion 433 may be changed as appropriate.

Description of the symbols

1 … connector assembly, 2 … socket connector, 3a … plug connector, 10 … ground contact conductor, 11 … ground body portion, 12 … external terminal portion, 20 … signal contact conductor, 21 … contact portion, 22 … lead portion, 30 … housing, 33 … recess, 40A-40F … signal contact conductor, 41 … contact portion, 42 … connection portion, 43 … intermediate portion, 50 … housing, 60 … ground contact conductor, 3661 tabling portion, 63 … cover portion, 64 … clamping portion, 65 … barrel portion, 421,431, … first main surface, 433 … widening portion, CC … cavity, OP … opening, SC … coaxial cable, SC … signal line, SC … shield line, SC … dielectric layer, SC … insulating layer, and TP … terminal portion.