阅读说明：本技术 连接器 (Connector with a locking member ) 是由 日比野拓马 山崎隆太郎 小林浩 原基也 于 2020-01-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：通过本说明书公开的连接器具备：基板侧壳体(30),固定于基板(90)；基板端子(21),保持于基板侧壳体(30)；电线侧壳体(50),连接于电线的末端；电线端子(41),保持于电线侧壳体(50)；保持部件(70),保持为将基板端子(21)与电线端子(41)电连接的状态,保持部件(70)固定于基板侧壳体(30)和电线侧壳体(50),保持部件(70)的强度形成得比基板侧壳体(30)及电线侧壳体(50)的强度低。(The connector disclosed by the present specification includes: a substrate-side housing (30) fixed to the substrate (90); a substrate terminal (21) held by the substrate-side housing (30); a wire-side housing (50) connected to the end of the wire; a wire terminal (41) held by the wire-side housing (50); and a holding member (70) that holds the substrate terminal (21) and the wire terminal (41) in an electrically connected state, wherein the holding member (70) is fixed to the substrate-side housing (30) and the wire-side housing (50), and the strength of the holding member (70) is lower than the strength of the substrate-side housing (30) and the wire-side housing (50).)

1. A connector is provided with:

a substrate-side housing fixed to the substrate;

a substrate terminal held by the substrate-side housing;

a wire-side housing connected to a terminal of the wire;

a wire terminal held by the wire-side housing; and

a holding member that holds the substrate terminal and the wire terminal in a state of being electrically connected,

the holding member is fixed to the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing,

the strength of the holding member is formed to be lower than the strength of the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing.

2. The connector of claim 1,

the holding member has: a first locked portion fixed to a first locked portion provided in the substrate-side housing; and a second locked portion fixed to a second locking portion provided in the wire-side housing,

the strength of the first locked portion is formed lower than the strength of the first locked portion,

the strength of the second locked portion is formed lower than the strength of the second locking portion.

3. The connector of claim 2,

the first locked portion and the first locking portion can be locked in an extending direction of the electric wire,

the second locked portion and the second locking portion can be locked in an extending direction of the electric wire.

4. The connector according to claim 2 or 3,

the wire-side housing holds the electric wire,

the substrate-side housing has a joint portion that is joined to the substrate,

the joining strength of the base plate and the joining portion is higher than the shear strength of the first to-be-locked portion,

the wire-side housing has a higher holding force for holding the wire than the second locked portion has in shear strength.

5. The connector of claim 4,

the shear strength of the first locked portion is set to be higher than the shear strength of the second locked portion.

6. The connector according to any one of claims 2 to 5,

the electric wire has a pair of covered electric wires and an outer covering the pair of covered electric wires together,

the pair of covered electric wires are arranged in parallel with the electric wire terminal connected to each of the covered electric wires,

the wire terminal has a cylindrical connection cylinder portion connected to the substrate terminal,

the connection cylindrical portion and a terminal locking portion provided to protrude from the wire-side housing are lockable in an extending direction of the wire,

a metal crimping member is crimped to the outer cover,

the crimping member has a pair of projecting pieces projecting in a direction in which the pair of covered electric wires are juxtaposed,

each of the projecting pieces is fitted in a locking recess provided in a recess of the wire-side housing,

the protruding piece and the inner wall of the locking recess can be locked in the extending direction of the electric wire.

Technical Field

The technology disclosed by this specification relates to a connector.

Background

As a connector including a connector for a substrate fixed to a substrate and a connector for a wire provided at a terminal of the wire, a connector described in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2017-76588 (patent document 1) is known. The first housing of the wire connector and the second housing of the substrate connector are fittable to each other. The wire connector is provided with a wire-side locking portion that engages with a substrate-side locking portion provided in the substrate connector. The first housing and the second housing are held in a fitted state by the engagement of the substrate-side locking portion and the wire-side locking portion.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-76588

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the above connector, if the substrate connector is broken when a load is applied to the wires of the wire connector, the entire substrate needs to be replaced. On the other hand, if the electric wire connector is broken, the electric wire connector, including the electric wire, and other connectors connected to the electric wire, etc., need to be replaced. In any case, a large-scale replacement operation is required, and the number of repair operations and the operation cost increase.

In the present specification, a technique for facilitating repair work is disclosed.

Means for solving the problems

The technology disclosed in the present specification relates to a connector including: a substrate-side housing fixed to the substrate; a substrate terminal held by the substrate-side housing; a wire-side housing connected to a terminal of the wire; a wire terminal held by the wire-side housing; and a holding member that holds the substrate terminal and the wire terminal in an electrically connected state, the holding member being fixed to the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing, the holding member being formed to have a strength lower than that of the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing.

Effects of the invention

According to the technique disclosed in the present specification, the repair work can be facilitated.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector for high-speed communication according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the connector for high-speed communication.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector for high-speed communication.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the connector for a substrate.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the holding member to which the wire connector is fitted to the substrate connector, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view of fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the connector for electric wire.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electric wire connector corresponding to the cross-section of fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the electric wire connector corresponding to the line B-B in fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a state before the lower case and the upper case are assembled.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a female terminal and a crimping member are attached to a communication cable.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the holding member corresponding to the cross-section of fig. 3.

Detailed Description

(outline of the present embodiment)

First, an outline of the embodiment disclosed in the present specification will be described.

(1) A connector is provided with: a substrate-side housing fixed to the substrate; a substrate terminal held by the substrate-side housing; a wire-side housing connected to a terminal of the wire; a wire terminal held by the wire-side housing; and a holding member that holds the substrate terminal and the wire terminal in an electrically connected state, the holding member being fixed to the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing, the holding member being formed to have a strength lower than that of the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing.

According to the connector having such a configuration, when a load such as pulling the wire is applied, the holding member having a strength lower than that of the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing is broken. That is, the connector can be repaired by replacing the holding member only by positively breaking the holding member. As a result, the substrate to which the substrate case is fixed and the electric wire to which the electric wire side case is fixed do not need to be replaced, and the repair work can be facilitated.

(2) The holding member may have: a first locked portion fixed to a first locked portion provided in the substrate-side housing; and a second locked portion fixed to a second locking portion provided in the wire-side housing, wherein the first locked portion is formed to have a strength lower than that of the first locking portion, and the second locked portion is formed to have a strength lower than that of the second locking portion.

According to such a configuration, when a load such as pulling the wire is applied, the first locked portion locked with the first locking portion is broken, thereby preventing the first locking portion from being broken. Further, the second locking portion can be prevented from breaking by breaking the second locked portion locked with the second locking portion. Thus, the connector can be repaired by merely replacing the holding member without replacing the substrate to which the substrate-side housing is fixed or the electric wire to which the wire-side housing is fixed.

(3) The first locked portion and the first locking portion may be capable of being locked in an extending direction of the electric wire, and the second locked portion and the second locking portion may be capable of being locked in the extending direction of the electric wire.

According to such a configuration, when a load such as pulling the wire is applied, the first locked portion is sheared by the first locking portion or the second locked portion is sheared by the second locking portion, and the holding member is broken. This prevents the substrate-side case and the wire-side case from being damaged.

In general, the strength associated with the breakage of the member is expressed by shear strength, tensile strength, compressive strength, bending strength, and the like. In the case of the members engaged with each other, one member is scraped and sheared by the other member, and therefore the strength associated with breakage of each locking portion can be determined by the shear strength.

(4) The wire-side housing may hold the wire, the substrate-side housing may have a joint portion that is joined to the substrate, the joint strength of the substrate and the joint portion may be higher than the shear strength of the first locked portion, and the holding force of the wire-side housing that holds the wire may be higher than the shear strength of the second locked portion.

Therefore, according to this configuration, when a load for pulling the wire is applied, the first locked portion is broken before the substrate-side housing is peeled off from the substrate, and the first locked portion are released from engagement with each other. The second locked portion is broken before the electric wire falls off from the electric wire side housing, and the locking between the second locking portion and the second locked portion is released. This prevents the substrate-side case from being peeled off from the substrate or the electric wire from falling off from the wire-side case before the holding member is broken.

(5) The shear strength of the first locked portion may be set to be higher than the shear strength of the second locked portion.

Generally, replacement of the electric wire provided with the wire-side housing can suppress manufacturing costs and working man-hours, as compared with replacement of the substrate to which the substrate-side housing is fixed. That is, according to such a configuration, even if the strength of the first locking portion is lower than that of the first locked portion due to some conditions, the engagement between the wire-side housing and the holding member is released before the engagement between the substrate-side housing and the holding member. This can prevent the substrate-side case fixed to the substrate, which increases the number of working steps and manufacturing cost most, from being damaged.

(6) The electric wire has a pair of covered electric wires and an outer covering collectively covering the pair of covered electric wires, the pair of covered electric wires are arranged in parallel in a state where the electric wire terminal is connected to each of the covered electric wires, the electric wire terminal has a cylindrical connection cylindrical portion connected to the substrate terminal, the connection cylindrical portion and a terminal locking portion provided protrudingly in the electric wire side housing can be locked in an extending direction of the electric wire, a metal crimping member is crimped to the outer covering, the crimping member has a pair of protruding pieces protruding in the arranging direction of the pair of covered electric wires, each protruding piece is fitted to a locking recess provided concavely in the electric wire side housing, and the protruding piece and an inner wall of the locking recess can be locked in the extending direction of the electric wire.

For example, if the wire is pulled in a state where the wire is held by the terminal locking portion that locks the connection cylindrical portion only by the wire-side housing, a load may be applied to only one of the terminal locking portion and the connection cylindrical portion due to the influence of manufacturing tolerances of the wire terminal and the wire-side housing, assembly tolerances of the wire terminal with respect to the wire-side housing, arrangement of the covered wire, and the like. In such a case, the holding force of the electric wire in the wire-side housing is reduced, and the electric wire may fall off from the wire-side housing.

However, according to such a configuration, in addition to the locking of the connecting cylindrical portion and the terminal locking portion, the protruding pieces corresponding to the respective covered electric wires are locked to the inner wall of the locking recess. This ensures the holding force of the electric wire in the wire-side housing, and prevents the electric wire from falling off the wire-side housing.

(details of the present embodiment)

The connector disclosed in the present specification is not limited to the following examples, and is disclosed in the claims, and includes all modifications equivalent in meaning and scope to the claims.

< embodiment >

An embodiment of the technology disclosed in the present specification will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 12.

The present embodiment illustrates a high-speed communication connector (an example of a connector) 10 for connecting a circuit board (an example of a substrate) 90 such as an ecu (electronic Control unit) mounted on a vehicle to a communication cable (an example of an electric wire) W connected to a vehicle device (not shown).

(Circuit Board 90)

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the circuit board 90 includes a resin plate 92 on which a conductive pattern, not shown, is formed. At the position of the resin plate 92 where the high-speed communication connector 10 is mounted, a plurality of connection pads 94 are formed in a regular array, and a plurality of anchor pads 96 are arranged in a pair in the left-right direction.

(Cable for communication W)

The communication cable W is formed by collectively surrounding the outer peripheries of a pair of twisted covered electric wires W1 with an insulating outer covering W2. The covered electric wire W1 is a known structure in which the outer periphery of a conductive core wire is covered with an insulating cover having an insulating property. At the end of the outer cover W2, a pair of twisted and untwisted covered electric wires W1 are led out in a state of being arranged in the left-right direction.

(connector for high-speed communication 10)

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the connector 10 for high-speed communication includes: a substrate connector 20 fixed to the circuit substrate 90; an electric wire connector 40 connected to a distal end of the communication cable W; and a holding member 70 for holding the substrate connector 20 and the wire connector 40 in a connected state.

(connector for substrate 20)

As shown in fig. 1 to 6, the board connector 20 includes a plurality of board terminals 21, a board-side housing (an example of a "first housing") 30 that holds the plurality of board terminals 21, and a fixing metal fitting 26 that fixes the board-side housing 30 to the circuit board 90.

(substrate side case 30)

The substrate-side case 30 is formed of synthetic resin. As the synthetic resin constituting the substrate-side case 30, for example, LCP (liquid crystal polymer), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), or the like can be used, and the substrate-side case 30 of the present embodiment is formed of LCP.

The substrate-side housing 30 has a fitting recess 31 into which the holding member 70 is fitted. The fitting recess 31 is formed in a shield shape that is rectangular open toward the front, and the holding member 70 is fitted into the fitting recess 31 through this opening.

A groove 32 into which a lock piece 71 of a holding member 70 described later is inserted from the front is formed in an upper portion of the fitting recess 31. The recessed groove 32 extends in the front-rear direction, and a locking projection (an example of a "first locking portion") 33 projecting downward is formed at a distal end portion of the recessed groove 32.

As shown in fig. 3 and 6, the lock projection 33 is formed such that the rear surface is directed in the vertical direction. The load required for shearing the lock projection 33 in the front-rear direction is set to a shear strength of 176N (newton) to 192N. Here, the shear strength of the locking projection 33 is defined by a load that is endured until the locking projection 33 is broken by scraping the locking projection 33 in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the groove 32. In the present embodiment, the shear strength of the locking protrusion 33 is obtained by multiplying the shear load per unit area of the synthetic resin forming the locking protrusion (substrate-side housing 30)33 by the shear area of the locking protrusion 33.

(substrate terminal 21)

The plurality of board terminals 21 are held on the rear wall 35 of the fitting recess 31 in a state of penetrating in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the two board terminals 21 are held by the rear wall 35 in a state of being aligned in the left-right direction.

The substrate terminal 21 is formed in an elongated shape long in the front-rear direction by a metal having conductivity. The portion of the board terminal 21 protruding forward from the rear wall 35 is a prismatic male connection portion 22 to which the electric wire connector 40 fitted in the fitting recess 31 is connected. The portion of the substrate terminal 21 projecting rearward from the rear wall 35 extends in a crank shape downward, and the portion extending horizontally rearward is a substrate connection portion 23 connected to the connection pad 94 of the circuit substrate 90 by solder.

(fixing fittings 26)

The fixing metal fittings 26 are formed by processing a metal plate material by pressing or the like, and are attached to the side walls 36 on both sides in the left-right direction of the substrate-side case 30, as shown in fig. 1 and 2.

The fixing metal fitting 26 includes: a main body 27 fixed to side walls 36 on both sides in the left-right direction of the substrate-side case 30; and a bonding portion 28 fixed to a fixing pad 96 of the circuit board 90 by solder.

The main body 27 is formed in a flat plate shape long in the front-rear direction. The front end and the rear end of the main body 27 are press-fitted and fixed from above to the accessory fixing portions 37 provided at the front and rear ends of the side walls 36, respectively. Thereby, the fixing metal fitting 26 is fixed to the substrate-side housing 30.

The joining portion 28 is formed in a flat plate shape and extends in the left-right direction, which is a direction away from the substrate-side case 30, from the lower edge of the main body portion 27.

As shown in fig. 2 and 5, the joint 28 has a plurality of through holes 28A penetrating in the vertical direction and slits 29 formed between the through holes 28A. A plurality of (4 in the present embodiment) through holes 28A are formed at intervals in the front-rear direction. The slit 29 extends in the left-right direction. When the bonding portion 28 is fixed to the fixed pad 96, the solder enters the through hole 28A and the slit 29. Thereby, the bonding strength of the fixing metal fitting 26, and even the substrate-side case 30, with respect to the circuit substrate 90 is increased. The bonding strength of the substrate-side case 30 to the circuit substrate 90 is defined by a load that is withstood until the bonding portion 28 of the two fixing fittings 26 is peeled off from the circuit substrate 90. The substrate-side case 30 in the present embodiment has a bonding strength of 150N to 250N with respect to the circuit substrate 90.

(connector for electric wire 40)

As shown in fig. 6 to 9, the electric wire connector 40 includes: two female terminals (an example of a "wire terminal") 41 connected to two covered wires W1 in the communication cable W, respectively; a wire-side housing 50 that holds the communication cable W together with the two female terminals 41; the crimping member 65 is crimped to the communication cable W.

(female terminal 41)

The female terminal 41 is formed by processing a metal plate material by pressing or the like. The female terminal 41 has: an electric wire connection portion 42 connected to the covered electric wire W1 by crimping; the square cylindrical connecting cylinder 43 is connected to the board terminal 21 of the board connector 20.

The wire connection portion 42 is electrically connected to the covered wire W1 by being crimped to the core wire and the insulating cover of the covered wire W1.

As shown in fig. 3, the male connection portion 22 of the board terminal 21 can be inserted into the connection cylindrical portion 43 from the front. An elastic contact piece 44 that elastically contacts the male connector 22 is provided inside the connection tube 43. Therefore, if the male connection portion 22 enters the connection cylinder portion 43 from the front, the male connection portion 22 elastically contacts the elastic contact piece 44, thereby electrically connecting the female terminal 41 and the board terminal 21.

(wire side case 50)

The wire-side housing 50 is formed of a synthetic resin. As the synthetic resin constituting the wire-side case 50, for example, LCP (liquid crystal polymer), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), PC (polycarbonate), or the like can be used, and the wire-side case 50 of the present embodiment is formed of PBT.

As shown in fig. 7 to 10, the wire-side housing 50 includes: a lower housing 51 on which the two female terminals 41 are mounted; the upper case 55 is assembled to the lower case 51 by covering the two female terminals 41 from above.

The lower case 51 has: a bottom wall 52 on which two female terminals 41 are placed side by side in the left-right direction; the pair of outer side walls 53 extend upward from the side edges on both sides in the left-right direction of the bottom wall 52.

Each outer wall 53 is divided into front and rear portions, and locking hooks 54 protruding inward from each other are formed at the upper end edges of the outer walls 53.

The upper case 55 has: a top wall 56 for covering the upper portions of the two female terminals 41 placed on the lower housing 51; a pair of inner side walls 57 extending downward from side edges on both sides in the left-right direction of the top wall 56; the partition wall 58 extends downward from the center in the lateral direction of the top wall 56.

As shown in fig. 4 and 7, an engagement projection (an example of the "second locking portion") 59 having a rectangular shape in a plan view and projecting upward is formed on an upper portion of the top wall 56. The locking projection 59 is inclined so as to be separated from the upper case 55 as the front surface is closer to the rear, and extends in the vertical direction so as to be separated from the upper case 55 as the rear surface.

The load (shear strength) required for shearing the locking projection 59 in the front-rear direction is set to 130N or more. Here, the shear strength of the locking projection 59 is defined by a load that the locking projection 59 is subjected to until the locking projection 59 breaks by scraping the locking projection 59 from the rear in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the shear strength of the locking protrusion 59 is obtained by multiplying the shear load per unit area of the synthetic resin forming the locking protrusion (upper case 55)59 by the shear area of the locking protrusion 59.

When the upper case 55 is assembled to the lower case 51 to form the wire-side case 50, the pair of inner side walls 57 are disposed inside the outer side wall 53 of the lower case 51. As shown in fig. 10, a locking step portion 57A that is locked in the vertical direction with the locking hook 54 of the outer wall 53 is formed at the upper end edge of each inner wall 57, and the upper case 55 and the lower case 51 are held in an assembled state by locking the locking step portion 57A and the locking hook 54 in the vertical direction.

As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the partition 58 is formed to be long in the front-rear direction, and is disposed between the two female terminals 41 placed on the lower case 51 when the wire-side case 50 is formed. Then, in the wire-side housing 50, a terminal housing portion 60 for housing the two female terminals 41 separately is formed by the partition wall 58.

As shown in fig. 8, a terminal retaining portion 61 protruding toward the female terminal 41 is formed on the top wall 56 of each terminal receiving portion 60. The terminal locking portion 61 is disposed behind the connecting cylinder portion 43 of the female terminal 41 accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 60. Therefore, the terminal locking portion 61 is locked to the connecting tube portion 43 of the female terminal 41 in the front-rear direction, and the female terminal 41 is held in the terminal housing portion 60 in a state of preventing the rotation.

In other words, each covered electric wire W1 is held by the wire-side housing 50 via the female terminal 41.

The locking force of the terminal locking portion 61 with respect to the connecting cylinder portion 43 is about 149N (newtons). Here, the locking force of the terminal locking portion 61 is defined by a load that the terminal locking portion 61 withstands until the terminal locking portion 61 is broken by scraping the terminal locking portion 61 in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the locking force of the terminal locking portion 61 is obtained by multiplying the shear load per unit area of the synthetic resin forming the terminal locking portion (upper case 55)61 by the shear area of the terminal locking portion 61.

As shown in fig. 7 and 9, a part of each inner wall 57 of the upper case 55 is a thick portion 62 having a thickness dimension in the left-right direction thicker than the inner walls 57 on both sides. The thick portion 62 is disposed between the front and rear divided outer walls 53 of the lower case 51.

The thick portion 62 has a locking recess 63 penetrating in the left-right direction. The locking recess 63 is recessed upward from the lower end of the thick portion 62 in a rectangular shape.

(pressure-bonding member 65)

As shown in fig. 11, the crimping member 65 is formed by processing a metal plate material by pressing or the like. The pressure contact member 65 includes: an outer fitting portion 66 crimped to an outer cover W2 of the communication cable W; the extending locking portion 67 is formed continuously with the front of the external fitting portion 66.

The outer fitting portion 66 is annular and is pressed against the outer periphery of the outer cover W2 at the end of the outer cover W2. The outer fitting portion 66 has a slit 66A extending in the circumferential direction, and when the outer fitting portion 66 is pressed against the outer cover W2, the edge of the slit 66A bites into the outer cover W2. Thereby, the crimp member 65 is firmly fixed to the communication cable W.

The extension locking portion 67 is formed to extend forward from the lower edge of the outer fitting portion 66, and includes a pair of projecting pieces 68 that can be fitted into the locking recesses 63 of the wire-side housing 50.

The pair of projecting pieces 68 are formed so as to project in the left-right direction, which is the arrangement direction of the pair of covered electric wires W1. Each of the projecting pieces 68 is folded back at the front end thereof in two. When the female terminal 41 is housed in the terminal housing portion 60, as shown in fig. 9, each projecting piece 68 is fitted from below into the locking recess 63 in a state that it can be locked in the front-rear direction with the thick portion 62 (inner wall on the rear side) behind the locking recess 63. Here, for example, due to the manufacturing tolerances of the female terminal 41 and the wire-side housing 50, the assembly tolerance of the female terminal 41 with respect to the wire-side housing 50, the arrangement of the covered wires W1, and the like, the connecting cylindrical portions 43 of the two female terminals 41 may not be in uniform contact with the terminal retaining portions 61 when the communication cable W is pulled. In this case, the protruding piece 68 is locked to the thick portion 62, and thereby the female terminal 41 and the communication cable W are held by the wire-side housing 50.

The locking force of the thick portion 62 to the projecting piece 68 is set to 133N or more. The locking force of the thick portion 62 is defined by a load that the thick portion 62 can withstand until the thick portion 62 breaks by scraping the thick portion 62 in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the locking force of the thick portion 62 is obtained by multiplying the shear load per unit area of the synthetic resin forming the thick portion (upper case 55)62 by the shear area of the thick portion 62.

That is, the female terminal 41 and the communication cable W in the wire-side housing 50 are held by either or both of the engagement between the connecting tube 43 and the terminal engagement portion 61 and the engagement between the projecting piece 68 and the thick portion 62. The holding force of the communication cable W in the wire-side housing 50 is determined by the locking force of the connecting cylindrical portion 43 and the two terminal locking portions 61 of the female terminal 41 crimped to the two covered wires W1, the locking force of the two projecting pieces 68 and the two thick-walled portions 62 of the crimp member 65 crimped to the outer cover W2, or a combination thereof. In the present embodiment, the holding force of the communication cable W in the wire-side case 50 is set to at least 155N or more.

(holding member 70)

The holding member 70 is made of synthetic resin. As the synthetic resin constituting the holding member 70, for example, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), PC (polycarbonate), or the like can be used, and the holding member 70 of the present embodiment is formed of PBT.

As shown in fig. 3, 4, and 12, the holding member 70 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape that is long in the front-rear direction and penetrates in the front-rear direction. The holding member 70 is fitted inside the fitting recess 31 in the substrate-side case 30 in a state where the rear end portion protrudes from the substrate-side case 30.

When the wire-side housing 50 is fitted into the connector housing 74 from behind and the holding member 70 is fitted into the fitting recess 31 of the substrate-side housing 30, the male connection portion 22 of the substrate terminal 21 enters the connection tube portion 43 of the female terminal 41. Thereby, the substrate terminal 21 and the female terminal 41 are electrically connected.

A lock piece 71 that can be elastically displaced in the vertical direction is formed on the upper portion of the holding member 70. The lock piece 71 is formed to extend in a slightly cantilevered manner in an obliquely upward direction from the center portion in the front-rear direction of the holding member 70 toward the rear.

A locking projection 72 projecting upward is formed on the upper surface of the locking piece 71. The locked projection 72 is inclined so as to be separated from the holding member 70 as the front surface is closer to the rear, and extends in the vertical direction so as to be separated from the holding member 70 as the rear surface is separated.

The locked projection 72 interferes with the locking projection 33 in the process of fitting the holding member 70 into the fitting recess 31, and passes over the locking projection 33 by the downward elastic displacement of the locking piece 71. As shown in fig. 3, when the holding member 70 is disposed at the regular fitting position in the fitting recess 31, the lock projection 33 and the lock projection 72 can be locked in the front-rear direction. That is, the locked protrusion 72 and the locking protrusion 33 are fixed by being locked in the front-rear direction by the locked protrusion 72 and the locking protrusion 33, and the holding member 70 is held in a state of being fitted to the substrate-side housing 30, and the substrate terminal 21 and the female terminal 41 are held in a state of being electrically connected.

The load (shear strength) required for shearing the locking projection 72 in the front-rear direction is set to 138N to 150N. Here, the shear strength of the locked protrusion 72 is defined by a load that is endured until the locked protrusion 72 is broken by scraping the locked protrusion 72 in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the shear strength of the protrusion to be locked 72 is obtained by multiplying the shear load per unit area of the synthetic resin forming the protrusion to be locked 72 (the holding member 70) by the shear area of the protrusion to be locked 72.

That is, the strength of the to-be-locked protrusion 72 is lower than that of the locking protrusion 33. Therefore, for example, if a large rearward load acts on the holding member 70, the to-be-locked projection 72 is sheared and broken by the locking projection 33.

On the other hand, the holding member 70 is provided with a connector housing 74 into which the wire connector 40 is fitted.

As shown in fig. 3 and 6, the connector receiving portion 74 is opened in a rectangular shape in the front-rear direction, and the wire-side housing 50 is fitted from an opening at the rear of the connector receiving portion 74. When the wire-side housing 50 is fitted in the connector receiving portion 74, the wire-side housing 50 is completely received in the connector receiving portion 74.

A connector locking piece 75 capable of being elastically displaced in the vertical direction is formed on the upper portion of the connector housing portion 74. The connector locking piece 75 is formed to extend in a cantilever shape slightly in an obliquely downward direction as it goes forward.

A locked portion 76 that locks with the locking projection 59 of the wire-side housing 50 in the front-rear direction is formed at the lower portion of the front end of the connector locking piece 75. The front surface of the engaged portion 76 is a vertical surface extending in the vertical direction.

The locked portion 76 interferes with the locking projection 59 in the process of fitting the wire-side housing 50 to the connector receiving portion 74, and the connector locking piece 75 elastically displaces upward to pass over the locking projection 59. As shown in fig. 3, when the wire-side housing 50 is disposed at the regular fitting position of the connector housing 74, the engaged portion 76 can be engaged with the rear surface of the engaging projection 59 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the front surface of the engaged portion 76 and the rear surface of the locking projection 59 are locked in the front-rear direction, so that the engaged portion 76 and the locking projection 59 are fixed and the holding member 70 is held in a state of being fitted to the wire-side housing 50.

That is, the holding member 70 is held in a state in which the board terminal 21 and the female terminal 41 are electrically connected by fixing the wire-side housing 50 in a state of being fitted in the connector housing portion 74 and fixing the holding member 70 in a state of being fitted in the fitting recess 31.

However, when an excessive load is applied from the front, the connector locking piece 75 is bent, buckled, deformed, and then sheared in the front-rear direction, in the locked portion 76.

The load (shear strength) required for shearing the clamped part 76 of the connector clamping piece 75 in the front-back direction after buckling is set to be more than 109N and less than 129N. Here, the shear strength of the engaged portion 76 is defined by a load that is endured until the engaged portion 76 is broken by shearing the engaged portion 76 in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the shear strength of the engaged part 76 is obtained by multiplying the shear load per unit area of the synthetic resin forming the engaged part 76 (the holding member 70) by the shear area of the engaged part 76.

That is, the strength of the engaged portion 76 is lower than the strength of the engaging projection 59. Therefore, for example, if an excessive load acts on the wire-side housing 50 in the rearward direction, the engaged portions 76 are sheared and broken by the engaging projections 59 after buckling of the connector engaging pieces 75.

That is, the strength of the high-speed communication connector 10 according to the present embodiment decreases in the order of the bonding strength between the circuit board 90 and the board connector 20, the holding strength of the communication cable W in the wire connector 40, the locking strength between the board connector 20 and the holding member 70, and the locking strength between the wire connector 40 and the holding member 70.

The present embodiment has the above-described configuration, and the operation and effect of the connector 10 for high-speed communication will be described below.

For example, in the case of a connector including a connector for a substrate fixed to a circuit board and a connector for an electric wire connected to a terminal end of the electric wire, if the connector for a substrate is broken when the electric wire is strongly pulled, the entire circuit board needs to be replaced. On the other hand, if the electric wire connector is broken, the electric wire connector needs to be replaced including not only the electric wire connector but also the electric wire and other connectors connected to the electric wire. In any case, a large-scale replacement operation is required, and the number of repair operations and the operation cost increase.

Therefore, the present inventors have studied to solve the above problems and found the structure of the present embodiment. That is, the connector 10 for high-speed communication according to the present embodiment includes the substrate-side housing 30 fixed to the circuit substrate 90, the substrate terminal 21 held by the substrate-side housing 30, the wire-side housing 50 connected to the end of the communication cable (wire) W, the female terminal (wire terminal) 41 held by the wire-side housing 50, and the holding member 70 held in a state in which the substrate terminal 21 and the female terminal 41 are electrically connected to each other, and the holding member 70 is fixed to the substrate-side housing 30 and the wire-side housing 50, and the strength of the holding member 70 is made lower than the strength of the substrate-side housing 30 and the wire-side housing 50.

Therefore, according to the high-speed communication connector 10 of the present embodiment, when a load is applied to the communication cable W so as to pull the communication cable W rearward, the holding member 70 having a strength lower than those of the substrate-side housing 30 and the wire-side housing 50 is broken. That is, by actively breaking the holding member 70, the high-speed communication connector 10 can be repaired by merely replacing the holding member 70 without replacing the communication cable W that connects the circuit board 90 to which the substrate-side housing 30 is fixed and the wire-side housing 50.

That is, according to the present embodiment, the repair work of the high-speed communication connector 10 can be easily performed in a short time.

The holding member 70 of the present embodiment includes a locking piece (first locked portion) 71 fixed to a locking protrusion (first locked portion) 33 provided on the substrate-side housing 30 and a connector locking piece (second locked portion) 75 fixed to a locking protrusion (second locked portion) 59 provided on the wire-side housing 50, and the strength of the locking piece 71 is formed lower than that of the locking protrusion 33 and the strength of the locking protrusion 59 is formed lower than that of the connector locking piece 75.

The lock piece 71 and the lock projection 33 of the present embodiment are engageable with each other in the front-rear direction, which is the extending direction of the communication cable W, and the connector engagement piece 75 and the engagement projection 59 are engageable with each other in the front-rear direction, which is the extending direction of the communication cable W.

That is, when a load is applied to the communication cable W to pull the communication cable W rearward, the lock piece 71 fixed to the lock projection 33 is sheared and broken by the lock projection 33. This can prevent the lock projection 33 from being broken. Then, the connector locking piece 75 fixed to the locking projection 59 is cut by the locking projection 59 and broken. This can prevent the locking projection 59 from being broken. That is, the high-speed communication connector 10 can be repaired by replacing the holding member 70 without replacing the communication cable W that connects the circuit board 90 to which the substrate-side housing 30 is fixed and the wire-side housing 50.

The wire-side housing 50 of the present embodiment holds the communication cable W, the substrate-side housing 30 has the joint portion 28 joined to the circuit board 90, the joint strength between the circuit board 90 and the joint portion 28 is higher than the shear strength of the locking piece 71, and the holding force of the wire-side housing 50 holding the communication cable W is higher than the shear strength of the connector locking piece 75.

Here, the strength associated with the breakage of the member is generally expressed by shear strength, tensile strength, compressive strength, bending strength, and the like. In the case of the members engaged with each other, one member is scraped and sheared by the other member, and therefore the strength of the members to be broken is determined by the shearing strength.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when a load is applied to the communication cable W to pull the communication cable W rearward, the lock piece 71 is broken and the lock projection 33 and the lock piece 71 are unlocked before the substrate side case 30 is peeled off from the circuit substrate 90. Before the communication cable W is detached from the wire-side housing 50, the connector locking piece 75 is broken, and the locking of the locking projection 59 and the connector locking piece 75 is released. This prevents the substrate-side case 30 from being peeled off from the circuit substrate 90 or the communication cable W from falling off from the wire-side case 50 before the holding member 70 is broken.

In addition, the shear strength of the locking piece 71 in the present embodiment is set to be higher than that of the connector locking piece 75.

In general, replacement of the communication cable W provided with the wire-side housing 50 can reduce the manufacturing cost and the number of steps compared to replacement of the circuit board 90 to which the substrate-side housing 30 is fixed.

That is, according to the present embodiment, even if the lock projection 33 is broken before the lock piece 71 due to some conditions, the locking between the wire-side housing 50 and the holding member 70 is released before the locking between the substrate-side housing 30 and the holding member 70. This prevents the substrate-side case 30 from being damaged, and thus prevents the substrate-side case 30 fixed to the circuit board 90, which increases the number of working steps and the manufacturing cost most, from being broken.

The communication cable W includes a pair of covered electric wires W1 and an outer covering W2 collectively covering the pair of covered electric wires W1, and the pair of covered electric wires W1 are arranged in the left-right direction in a state where the female terminal 41 is connected to each of the covered electric wires W1. The female terminal 41 has a cylindrical connection cylindrical portion 43 connected to the board terminal 21 held by the board-side housing 30, and the connection cylindrical portion 43 and a terminal engagement portion 61 provided to protrude from the wire-side housing 50 can be engaged with each other in the front-rear direction. A metal crimp member 65 is crimped to the outer cover W2, the crimp member 65 includes a pair of projecting pieces 68 projecting in the left-right direction, each projecting piece 68 is fitted into a locking recess 63 recessed in the wire-side housing 50, and the projecting piece 68 and the thick portion 62 (inner wall of the locking recess 63) can be locked in the front-rear direction.

For example, if the communication cable W is pulled while the communication cable W is held in the terminal locking portion 61 that locks the connection cylindrical portion 43 only by the wire-side housing 50, a load may be applied to only one of the terminal locking portion 61 and the connection cylindrical portion 43 due to the manufacturing tolerance of the female terminal 41 and the wire-side housing 50, the assembly tolerance of the female terminal 41 with respect to the wire-side housing 50, the arrangement of the covered wires W1, and the like.

In such a case, the holding force of the communication cable W in the wire-side case 50 is reduced, and the communication cable W may fall off from the wire-side case 50.

However, according to the present embodiment, even when a load is applied to only one of the female terminals 41, the protruding piece 68 is locked with the thick portion 62. This ensures the holding force of the communication cable W in the wire-side case 50, and prevents the communication cable W from coming off the wire-side case 50.

< other embodiment >

The technology disclosed in the present specification is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and includes various embodiments as follows, for example.

(1) In the above embodiment, the wire-side housing 50 is completely accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 74 of the holding member 70. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the holding member may be configured to have a short shape in the front-rear direction as long as the substrate-side housing and the wire-side housing can be fixed by the holding member.

(2) In the above embodiment, the holding member 70 and the substrate-side housing 30 are fixed by the lock pieces 71 being locked in the front-rear direction with the lock projections 33. The connector locking piece 75 and the locking projection 59 are locked in the front-rear direction, and the holding member 70 and the wire-side housing 50 are fixed to each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the locking structure of the holding member and the substrate-side housing and the locking structure of the holding member and the wire-side housing may be interchanged, and the locking piece and the connector locking piece may be configured so as not to be easily elastically displaced. The holding member may be press-fitted and fixed to the substrate-side housing, or may be fixed to each other by an elastic member or the like in close contact with the holding member and the wire-side housing.

(3) In the above embodiment, the substrate connector 20 is fixed to the circuit board 90. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the substrate connector may be fixed to a resin plate having no conductive pattern or the like.

(4) In the above embodiment, the connector 10 for high-speed communication without a shield member is shown as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the technology disclosed in the present specification may be applied to various connectors such as a high-speed communication connector and a power supply connector having a shield member.

Description of the reference numerals

10: connector for high-speed communication

20: connector for substrate

21: substrate terminal

22: male connecting portion

23: substrate connecting part

26: fixing fitting

27: main body part

28: joint part

28A: through hole

29: slit

30: substrate-side housing

31: fitting recess

32: groove

33: locking projection

35: rear wall

36: side wall

37: accessory fixing part

40: connector for electric wire

41: female terminal

42: electric wire connecting part

43: connecting cylinder part

44: elastic contact piece

50: wire side housing

51: lower casing

52: bottom wall

53: outer side wall

54: fastening hook

55: upper shell

56: roof wall

57: inner side wall

57A: locking step part

58: partition wall

59: locking protrusion

60: terminal housing part

61: terminal clamping part

62: thick wall part

63: locking recess

65: crimping member

66: outer embedded part

66A: slit

67: extending out of the card

68: projecting piece

70: holding member

71: locking plate

72: locked protrusion

74: connector housing part

75: connector locking piece

76: locked part

90: circuit board

92: resin plate

94: connection pad

96: fixed welding pad

W1: coated electric wire

W2: outer coating

W: cable for communication