This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-317749, filed on Dec. 7, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a connecting structure between circuit substrates each having a coaxial connector arranged face-to-face relationship, and a device equipped with the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to coaxially connected structure for opposed wiring substrates, and a device equipped with the same connected structure.
2. Background Art
In recent years, a printed wiring substrate mounted on an electronic apparatus such as wireless transmitter and receiver is fabricated by laminating a needed number of circuit substrates depending on required amount of signal processing. In this case, a coaxial signal connection between laminated printed wiring substrates is performed by using either a stacking connection or cable connection by providing an axial connector on both substrates. The stacking connection is achieved by using two coaxial connectors each of which is provided on the printed wiring substrates, respectively.
However, in case of using the stacking connection, when pluralities of coaxial connectors are provided on both wiring substrates, poor connection tends to be caused due to occurrence of positional displacement between two substrates arranged to be opposed each other in a face-to-face manner. In order to avoid such poor connection, it is necessary to use an expensive connector equipped with a floating function, otherwise, just stop using the pluralities of coaxial connectors.
In contrast, in case of such connection using a connecting cable, an expensive noise filtering member with the good noise shielding performance has to be used. This is because a signal component tends to leak from a coating layer of a cable body to cause noises, and also a signal tends to leak from a connector joint part and an opening for passing the cable therethrough, and thereby causing interference between adjacent signals.
As examples of related technology of the connecting structure for such coaxial connection between two printed wiring substrates via connector joint part, a patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-160437) and a patent document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI-5(1993)-299141) are known.
These documents disclose the connection structure for smoothly and effectively connecting high-frequency signal lines and ground lines of two printed wiring substrates, respectively, intended to fabricate a compact size for a connecting structure of the coaxial connector.
An exemplary object of the invention is to provide a coaxially connected structure for opposed wiring substrates, and a device equipped with the same connected structure to improve inconveniences which is tended to occur in the above-mentioned related technology by achieving effective coupling between the two opposing printed wiring substrates while maintaining a high electromagnetic shielding function.
According to an exemplary aspect of the invention of the present invention, a coaxially connected structure for opposed wiring substrates includes a first substrate equipped with a tab type bracket and a second substrate equipped with a socket type bracket, and further includes first and second ground cases respectively mounted on the first and second substrates to cover them. The first and second ground cases are respectively provided with first and second penetration openings to pass the tab type bracket and the socket type bracket therethrough. Moreover, exposed parts of the tab type bracket and the socket type bracket from the openings are mutually engaged and being fully surrounded with at least one conductive tubular member which has a function to determine a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate.
Exemplary features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings in which:
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings.
In the first exemplary embodiment, a connector structure for a coaxial connection between two opposing printed wiring substrates using single combination of the tab type bracket and the socket type bracket is described. In the second exemplary embodiment, a connector structure for coaxial connection between two face-to-face substrates using plural combinations of the tab type brackets and the socket type brackets is described. In the third exemplary embodiment, other example of a connecting structure between the circuit substrates using the same connecting structure is described.
Hereinafter, the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in accordance with accompanying drawings.
First of all, referring to
First, a basic structure will be described.
The tab type bracket (the male side) 12 mounted on one printed wiring substrate 11 or a first substrate 11 and the socket type bracket (female) 22 mounted on the other printed wiring substrate 21 or a second substrate 21 are coupled to each other to electrically connect the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 which would be mounted within a wireless transmitter and receiver. A coaxial signal connection section is fabricated by surrounding a connection part of the tab type bracket 12 and the socket type bracket 22 with metal such as a first metal tube 13 and a second metal tube 23 so as to secure coaxial signal characteristic. The socket type bracket 22 is provided with a guidance function to receive the tab type bracket 12.
In the structure shown in
Hereinafter, the above mentioned structure is explained more in detail.
First, in
The socket type bracket 22 is protruded toward the tab type bracket 12 from a central part of the second substrate 21 such that it is arranged on a coaxial line of the tab type bracket 12.
The tab type bracket 12 and the socket type bracket 22 are surrounded by the first tube 13 and the second tube 23, respectively. The first tube 13 and the second tube 23 are made of metal member so as to have a shield function for arrival electro-magnetic waves.
The first substrate 11 is covered with a box-shaped first ground case 14 having a cross section of U-shape such that the entire surface facing the second substrate 21 is covered and shielded. The second substrate 21 is also covered with a box-shaped second ground case 24 having a cross section of U-shape such that the entire surface facing the first substrate 11 is covered and shielded.
These cases 14 and 24 for groundings are formed to be resembled each other for their shape and size, but not exactly the same as shown in
The first case 14 and the second case 24 are further provided with the first tube 13 and the second tube 23, respectively, around the penetration openings 14a and 24a in an integrated manner. In this case, it is preferable to form the first tube 13 and the second tube 23 with a metal member identical to the material of the first case 14 and the second case 24 for groundings.
As a result, the tab type bracket 12 is effectively shielded from an external high frequency noise or the like come from outside including the substrate 21.
Similarly, the socket type bracket 22 is effectively shielded from the external high frequency noise or the like come from outside including the substrate 11.
The first connector module 10 for the tab type bracket 12 and the second connector module 20 for the socket type bracket 22 are coupled each other along a dotted line arrow as shown in
As shown in
In this exemplary embodiment shown in
That is, during engagement of the brackets 12 and 22, even if there is a little difference in center axes or inclination or the like in any one of the brackets 12 and 22, the center position can be put together by shifting either one of the connector modules 10 and 20, and thereby enabling smooth and quick adjustment between the tab type bracket 12 and the socket type brackets 22.
In this first exemplary embodiment, the socket type bracket 22 is composed of two strips of conductive spring members 22A and 22B to pinch the tab type bracket 13. These spring members 22A and 22B are formed by bending a strip of conductive spring member as shown in
By using such structure, it makes easy for adjustment of engaging the first connector module 10 with the tab type bracket 12 and the second connector module 20 with the socket type bracket 22. That is, even if any one of each brackets 12 and 22 tilts to an expanding direction (the horizontal direction in
When one of tip ends of either the bracket 12 or the bracket 22 tilts toward the width direction of the guide unit 220, the tab type bracket 12 is effectively received owing to the width dimensions of the guide unit 220 and two strips of the conductive spring members 22A and 22B under relationship of cooperation among them.
Since the tab type bracket 12 as the connecting pin mentioned above is formed out of a strip of plate member in this first exemplary embodiment, its mechanical strength is increased compared with a conventional needle like connecting pin. Thus the durability of the whole system is substantially increased by avoiding occurrence of many bended connecting pins. Moreover, even if substantial positional displacement occurs in the direction parallel to the plate face of the tab type bracket 12 during the engagement of both brackets 12 and 22, its contact areas are large enough to avoid a poor electrical contact between the tab type bracket 12 and the socket type brackets 22.
The two conductivity spring members 22A and 22B of the socket type bracket 22 is designed to be formed like an isosceles triangle standing on the other substrate 21 such that the spring members 22A and 22B are faced each other. According to such shape and structure, the socket type bracket 22 can be fixed on the other substrate 21 in the stable state, this is because the contact area between the socket type bracket 22 and the second substrate 21 can be enlarged. For this reason, stable operation for insertion and detachment of the tab type bracket 12 is achieved and thereby producing such advantage as increased durability.
As mentioned above,
When engaging the first substrate 11 with the second substrate 21 in
According to this first exemplary embodiment, since the tab type bracket 12 moves along the same axis of the socket type bracket 22 and is engaged smoothly by overlapping the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 by coupling the first case 14 and the second case 24, round trip electrical transmission of a high-frequency signal can be performed mutually. In such condition, since the first tube 13 is engaged with the second tube 23 and the engaged brackets 12 and 22 are surrounded with the double shielding structure by the first tube 13 and the second tube 23, the high shielded state is maintained against arriving high frequency waves and electromagnetic waves.
Moreover, since the first case 14 and the second case 24 for groundings are always interposed between the overlapped two substrates 11 and 21, its shielding effect is efficiently achieved. Therefore, mutual interference of a high-frequency signal can be excluded effectively, and the first tube 13 is engaged with the second tube 23 so that freely inserted and detached. Accordingly, it is possible to carry out connection work between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 efficiently, and achieve an excellent connecting structure between two substrates by using coaxial connectors with improvement of the productivity and the maintainability which are not attained by the related technology.
Next, the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described based on
Although the first exemplary embodiment shows the case equipped with only one coupling set of the tab type bracket 12 and the socket type bracket 22, this second exemplary embodiment has a feature that a plurality of coupling sets of the similar tab type brackets 12 and socket type brackets 22 are used for a coaxially connected device 2 of the opposed first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61.
First, the structure of the coaxial signal connection section in a wireless transmitter and receiver in this second exemplary embodiment is shown in
The first connector module 50 is provided with a plurality of tab type brackets 12, and it is also equipped with a first case 54 for groundings so as to cover the surface of the first substrate 51 which is facing the other substrate 61. The first case 54 is provided with a plurality of cylinder shaped metal tubes 53 each having a male-type circular shape so as to surround the tab type brackets 12, respectively.
The second connector module 60 is provided with a plurality of socket type brackets 22, and it is also equipped with a second case 64 for groundings so as to cover the surface of the second substrate 61 which is facing the first substrate 51. The second case 64 is provided with a plurality of cylinder shaped metal tubes 63 each having a female-type circular shape so as to surround the socket type brackets 22, respectively.
The state of prior to coupling of the coaxial signal connection section is shown in
The first case 54 and the second case 64 for groundings in the first connector module 50 and the second connector module 60 become a standard guide respectively, and all each joints where a plurality of positions are properly placed at right positions.
When the first tubes (male mold) 53 of the first connector module 50 is inserted into the second tubes (circle shape female) 63 with the concave shape protruded from the ground case 64 of the second connector module 60, the tab type brackets 12 installed in the printed wiring substrate 51 is guided into the socket type brackets 22 installed in the printed wiring substrate 61, and a plurality of positions are engaged at the same time and smoothly as shown in
More specific structure will be explained in detail hereinafter.
First, in
Each of the tab type brackets 12 is surrounded by each of first tubes 53 having electromagnetic shielding function to shelter an arrival radio wave like in the first case of
The first connector module 50 includes the above-mentioned first case 54 mounted on the first substrate 51, the first tubes 53 supported by the first case 54, and the tab type brackets 12 as connecting pins arranged in the first tubes 53, respectively.
Each of the socket type brackets 22 to be engaged with each of the tab type brackets 12 is surrounded by each of second tubes 63 having electromagnetic shielding function to shelter an arrival radio wave like in the case of
The second connector module 60 includes the above-mentioned second case 64 mounted on the second substrate 61, the second tubes 63 supported by the second case 64, and the socket type brackets 22 as pinching spring members arranged in the second tubes 63 to receive the connecting pins, respectively.
The external diameter of each of the first tubes 53 is designed to be smaller than the inner diameter of each of the second tubes 63 such that each of the first tubes 53 is engaged into the second tubes 63 so as to be freely inserted and detached on the identical axis line.
Since each of the tab type brackets 12 is engaged with each of the socket type bracket 22 so as to be an interlocking state, both brackets 12 and 22 are respectively surrounded with a double shielded structure like in the case of the first exemplary embodiment mentioned above, and thereby the electromagnetic shielding are performed effectively and certainly. Needless to say, the first tube 63 and the second tube 63 are freely inserted and detached each other.
In
Both of the first case 54 and the second case 64 are resemble each other in its shape and size but not identical to enable easy coupling structure such that when the first case 54 and the second case 64 are overlapped to electrically connecting the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61, each of the tab type brackets 12 is arranged on the identical axis corresponding to each of the socket type bracket 22. For this reason, coupling process between the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61 can be carried out smoothly and quickly.
Moreover, in the double shielding structure including the first tubes 53 and the second tubes 63, a space gap 563 is provided between the outer surface of the first tube 53 and the inner surface of the second tube 63 like the ground case shown in
The shape and its structure of each of the brackets 12 and 22, and the shape and its engaging structure of the first tubes 53 and the second tubes 63, and its advantages are the same as the case of the first exemplary embodiment disclosed in
The second exemplary embodiment has the same advantage of the first exemplary embodiment mentioned above. Moreover, at the time of connecting circuit side faces of the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61, even if the number of the coaxial coupling points is more than one, it is possible to carry out the coupling process quickly and efficiently while maintaining the high shielded state in the same manner in the case of using a single combination of brackets 12 and 22 mentioned above, and provide an excellent coaxially connected device 2 for substrates with improvement of the productivity and the maintainability which are not achieved by the related technology.
Next, the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described based on
Here, an identical reference numeral will be used about constructional element identical with each constructional element in the second exemplary embodiment.
The third exemplary embodiment shown in
Hereinafter, this will be described.
In
A first case 54 for the groundings is provided with a plurality of first penetration openings 54a for the tab type brackets 12 protruded from the first substrate 51 and being designed to cover the entire one surface thereof. A second case 64 for the groundings is provided with a plurality of second penetration openings 64a for the socket type brackets 22 protruded from the second substrate 61 and being designed to cover the entire one surface thereof.
Each of a plurality of the first tubes 53 is made of conductive member and which is designed to have a function to determine the distance between the opposed substrates 51 and 61. Each of the first tube 53 further has a function to entirely cover around both the brackets 12 and 22 which are engaged with each other when the two substrates 51 and 61 are overlapped each other. In
When the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61 are arranged with face-to-face condition by coupling both first case 54 and the second case 64 for groundings, corresponding each tab type bracket 12 and socket type bracket 22 will be engaged smoothly like the case of the second exemplary embodiment mentioned above, both of the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61 are mutually united smoothly. That is, even in this third exemplary embodiment, substantially the same advantages of the second exemplary embodiment can be obtained to achieve the above-mentioned objective.
The second case 64 for the groundings is provided with a plurality of concave receiving parts 64C at a plurality of second penetration openings 64a, respectively, for receiving the first tubes 53 as shown in
A plurality of second penetration openings 64a for socket type brackets mentioned above are placed in the central part of the concave receiving part 64C, and they are arranged on each axis line identical with each of the brackets 12 and 22.
For this reason, even if a positional displacement between tab type brackets 12 and the socket type brackets 22 occurs during the overlapping process of the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61, an adjustment for shifting either the first case 54 or the second case 64 somewhat in left and right can be performed during the overlapping process. Thus the mutual laminated operation for the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 61 can be carried out smoothly and quickly.
Other structures and its operational advantages are the same as the second exemplary embodiment mentioned above.
In the third exemplary embodiment, although the tab type brackets 12 are provided on the first substrate 51 while the socket type brackets 22 are provided on the second substrate 61, the tab type brackets 12 may be provided on the second substrate 61 while the socket type brackets 22 may be provided on the first substrate 51. Such interchangeable manner can be also applied to the first exemplary embodiment and the second exemplary embodiment mentioned above.
Although the third exemplary embodiment is based on the second exemplary embodiment by using the shielding structure around each above-mentioned plurality of brackets 12 and 22, each of the brackets shown in
Moreover, in the foregoing exemplary embodiments, the first tube 13 (or 53) and the first ground case 14 (or 54) can be fabricated either by in an integrated manner from the beginning or by combining separated components for the first tube and the first case. The second tube 23 (or 63) and the second case 24 (or 64) are also fabricated in either way, i.e., they are integrated from the beginning or combined after processing separated components.
According to the exemplary embodiments mentioned above, inexpensive connecting structure can be realized by using surrounding metal members (the metal tubes 53 and 63) and connection members (combination of the tab type bracket 12 and the socket type bracket 22) fabricated by a sheet metal forming method. Such connecting structure acts as a coaxial connector having coaxial signal characteristic and signal shielding function. Furthermore, positional displacement at a joint portion (the connected part of the tab type bracket 12 and the socket type bracket 22) can be prevented and enabling concurrent connections at a plurality of connecting positions by giving the role of guiding function to the metallic members (the socket type bracket 22 and the metal tubes 53 and 63).
Although the tab type bracket (the male side) 12 is made to have a shape like a plate in each exemplary embodiment mentioned above, that shape may be a circle stick or a square bar shape. Although each shape of the metal tubes 13, 23, 53 and 63 is a circle shape for either function types of male or female, it may be a square shape. Moreover, number of concurrent connecting positions may be three or more.
In these exemplary embodiments, although the tubes 13, 23, 53 and 63 and ground cases 14, 24, 54 and 64 are made of metal member, those may be made of other material having the same function of metal, such as conductive plastic and a plastic tube having metalized inner wall. Moreover, although the socket type bracket (female) is made to have a shape of a triangle, it may be the other socket shapes.
And in these exemplary embodiments, although the guiding function is obtained by the combinational structure of the metal tubes 13, 23, 53 and 63 (by inserting a cylinder-shaped member (male type) into a hole-shaped member (female type), such guiding function can be made by using other shapes or other members.
The present invention can be employed as mounted structural section of signal processing in all telecommunications sectors of manufacturing industry and its related fields.
In the related technology described in each patent document mentioned above, although the miniaturization is possible, space around the connector joint part is not enough, thus attachment and detachment operation is not smooth, and when the connecting pin has an inclination or the like at tip end, it has inconvenience such as it is damaged or broken quickly by pressing operation at the time of connection operation.
The structure for an adjustment become complicated in the mutual connection structure of the substrate equipped with a plurality of connection points, and there is a trouble such as poor productivity due to the complexity of the structure and it takes time and effort for the coupling operations.
In the present invention, a solution method mentioned above is provided in order to provide either a coaxially connected structure for opposed wiring substrates or a coaxially connected device for opposed wiring substrates, which connects two substrates efficiently while maintaining high shielded state, and aiming at improving productivity and maintainability.
That is, the present invention includes the tab type bracket 12 protruded from the first substrate 11 and the socket type bracket 22 protruded from the second substrate 21 so as to be engaged with the tab type bracket 12. Each of these brackets 12 and 22 is separately surrounded by the first and second metal tubes 13 and 23 to be shielded from arrival radio wave. These tubes 13 and 23 are separately supported by the ground cases 14 and 24 mounted on the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21, respectively. When the tab type bracket 12 is engaged with the socket type bracket 22, the first tube 14 is coupled to the second tube 24 so as to be freely inserted and detached in the second tube 24, and thereby providing the double shielding structure around the brackets.
The ground case 24 has a penetration opening for the socket type brackets protruded from the second substrate and being mounted on the second substrate so as to cover the entire one principal surface thereof.
And it is characterized in that the first tubular member is connected to at least one of the first opening formed on the first substrate and the second opening formed on the second substrate so as to surround a joint portion of the tab type bracket and the socket type bracket. The first tubular member has a function to determine a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate and being made of an electrically conductive material so as to electromagnetically shielding entire of the tab type bracket and the socket type bracket by electrically coupling the first tubular member with both of the first and second ground cases.
Moreover, in order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a coaxially connected device of opposed wiring substrates according to the present invention includes that a plurality of the tab type brackets which are connecting pins protruded from the first substrate and the socket type brackets which correspond to those tab type brackets with spring function which are protruded from a plurality of positions of the second substrate and being engaged with the tab type brackets, respectively. It is also equipped with the first ground case mounted on the first substrate so as to cover entire one principal surface of the first substrate and being provided with a plurality of penetration openings for the tab type brackets protruded from the first substrate.
The second ground case is further included in the present invention such that the second ground case is provided with a plurality of penetration openings for socket type brackets protruded from the second substrate and being mounted on the second substrate so as to cover the entire one principal surface thereof.
And it is characterized in that a group of the first tubular members are connected to at least one group of the first openings formed on the first substrate and the second openings formed on the second substrate so as to surround joint portions of the tab type brackets and the socket type brackets. Each of the first tubular members has a function to determine a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate and being made of an electrically conductive material so as to electromagnetically shielding entire of the tab type brackets and the socket type brackets by electrically coupling the first tubular members with both of the first and second ground cases.
One of advantages of the present invention is that, since the tab type bracket of the first substrate moves along the same axis of the socket type bracket of the second substrate and they are engaged smoothly by overlapping the both substrates by coupling the ground cases, and the first tube is engaged with the second tube while the engaged brackets are surrounded with the double shielding structure by the first and second tubes, the high shielded state is maintained against arriving high frequency waves and electromagnetic waves. Moreover, since the ground cases are always interposed between the overlapped substrates, its shielding effect is efficiently achieved. Therefore, mutual interference of a high-frequency signal can be excluded effectively, and the first tube is engaged with the second tube so that freely inserted and detached. Accordingly, a coaxially connected structure for opposed wiring substrates or a coaxially connected device for opposed wiring substrates according to the present invention, it is possible to carry out connection work with each other of the two substrates efficiently, and achieve an excellent connecting structure between two substrates with coaxial connectors with improvement of the productivity and the maintainability which are not attained by the related technology.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, the invention is not limited to these embodiments. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.
Further, it is the inventor's intention to retain all equivalents of the claimed invention even if the claims are amended during prosecution.
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2007-317749 | Dec 2007 | JP | national |
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20090149040 A1 | Jun 2009 | US |