Patent Application
20240275094
The present disclosure relates to a connector device.
Patent Document 1 discloses a connector device provided with a pair of connectors to be individually mounted on a pair of circuit boards and a plurality of adapters provided between the pair of connectors. A plurality of terminal units each composed of an inner conductor, a dielectric and an outer conductor are mounted in the connector. The adapter is a rod-like member including an inner conductor, a dielectric and an outer conductor. Both end parts of the plurality of adapters are individually connected to the plurality of terminal units. The misalignment of the pair of circuit boards is absorbed by swinging the adapters. The plurality of adapters are held to be integrally swingable by an alignment member.
The alignment member is in the form of a plate parallel to the circuit boards and includes a plurality of through holes for allowing the plurality of adapters to be passed therethrough. On a virtual projection plane parallel to the circuit boards, the alignment member has a size extending over a relatively wide range and board transmission paths formed on the circuit boards and the alignment member partially overlap. The alignment member is made of metal and also has a function of holding the outer conductors of the plurality of adapters at the same potential. Thus, there is a concern that resonance occurs between the board transmission paths and the alignment member made of metal. If resonance occurs, the communication performance of a communication circuit constituted by the board transmission paths, the terminal units and the adapters is reduced.
A connector device of the present disclosure was completed on the basis of the above situation and aims to suppress the occurrence of resonance.
The present disclosure is directed to a connector device with a pair of circuit boards including board transmission paths, the circuit boards being arranged to face each other, a pair of connectors to be individually mounted on the pair of circuit boards, a plurality of adapters including outer conductors, the adapters connecting the pair of connectors, and an electrically conductive member made of metal, the electrically conductive member making a plurality of the outer conductors conductive, the board transmission paths being arranged outside an inclusion region including the plurality of adapters on a virtual projection plane parallel to the circuit boards, and the electrically conductive member being arranged only within the inclusion region on the virtual projection plane.
According to the present disclosure, the occurrence of resonance can be suppressed.
First, embodiments of the present disclosure are listed and described.
A first specific embodiment of a connector device of the present disclosure is described with reference to
As shown in
The first board module 10 is provided with a first circuit board 11 horizontally arranged with a first mounting surface 12 facing up and a first connector 14 mounted on the first mounting surface 12. First board transmission paths 13 are formed outside a rectangular region, where the first connector 14 is arranged, out of the first mounting surface 12.
The first connector 14 is provided with a first housing 15 and six first shield terminals 16 mounted in the first housing 15. The six first shield terminals 16 are aligned and arranged in the front-rear direction and lateral direction in a plan view of the first circuit board 11. The first shield terminals 16 are arranged separately in two left and right rows and three first shield terminals 16 are juxtaposed in the front-rear direction in each row. Each first shield terminal 16 is configured such that a first board-side inner conductor 17 is accommodated in a first board-side dielectric 18 and the first board-side dielectric 18 is surrounded by a first board-side outer conductor 19.
The second board module 20 is provided with a second circuit board 21 horizontally arranged with a second mounting surface 22 facing down and a second connector 24 mounted on the second mounting surface 22. Second board transmission paths 23 are formed outside a rectangular region, where the second connector 24 is arranged, out of the second mounting surface 22.
The second connector 24 is provided with a second housing 25 and six second shield terminals 26 mounted in the second housing 25. The six second shield terminals 26 are aligned and arranged in the front-rear direction and lateral direction in a bottom view of the second circuit board 21. The second shield terminals 26 are arranged separately in two left and right rows and three second shield terminals 26 are juxtaposed in the front-rear direction in each row. Each second shield terminal 26 is configured such that a second board-side inner conductor 27 is accommodated in a second board-side dielectric 28 and the second board-side dielectric 28 is surrounded by a second board-side outer conductor 29.
As shown in
As shown in
The accommodation recess 33 is composed of one central recess 34, a pair of left and right press-fit holes 35 and four groove portions 36. The central recess 34 is arranged in a region surrounded by four through holes 32 adjacent and aligned in the front-rear direction and lateral direction. The pair of press-fit holes 35 are arranged across the central recess 34 in the lateral direction. The four groove portions 36 are arranged to communicate the central recess 34 individually with the four through holes 32 surrounding the central recess 34.
The electrically conductive member 40 is a single component formed, such as by bending a press-worked plate made of metal and stamped into a predetermined shape by press-working. The electrically conductive member 40 has a front-rear symmetrical and bilaterally symmetrical shape. As shown in
Two front resilient contact portions 46 are cantilevered forward from the front end edges of the side plate portions 44. The two front resilient contact portions 46 are spaced apart in the lateral direction, and bent into a chevron shape to bulge toward sides opposite to each other in a plan view. Two rear resilient contact portions 46 are cantilevered rearward from the rear end edges of the side plate portions 44. The two rear resilient contact portions 46 are spaced apart in the lateral direction, and bent into a chevron shape to bulge toward sides opposite to each other in a plan view. A top part of the chevron shape of the resilient contact portion 46 functions as a contact point portion 47 to be brought into contact with a relay outer conductor 63 of the adapter 60 to be described later. The resilient contact portion 46 can be resiliently displaced in the lateral direction with a boundary with the side plate portion 44 (base end part connected to the side plate portion 44) as a fulcrum.
Since the electrically conductive member 40 is made of the metal plate material stamped into the predetermined shape, cut surfaces 48 produced at the time of stamping (see
The press-fit portion 50 is at a right angle to the upper plate portion 45 and cantilevered downward from the extending end edge of the upper plate portion 45. The press-fit portion 50 is formed with a retaining projection 51 by cutting and raising a part of the press-fit portion 50. One press-fit portion 50 is linked to two front and rear resilient contact portions 46 via the linking portion 43.
The electrically conductive member 40 is assembled with the alignment member 31 while being accommodated in the accommodation recess 33. Specifically, the base portion 41 is accommodated in the central recess 34, the resilient contact portions 46 are accommodated in the groove portions 36 and the press-fit portions 50 are press-fit into the press-fit holes 35. The retaining projections 51 of the press-fit portions 50 bite into the inner wall surfaces of the press-fit holes 35, whereby the electrically conductive member 40 is held assembled with the alignment member 31.
The contact point portions 47 of the front resilient contact portions 46 formed in the front electrically conductive member 40 are arranged in the front through holes 32. The contact point portions 47 of the rear resilient contact portions 46 formed in the rear electrically conductive member 40 are arranged in the rear through holes 32. The contact point portions 47 of the rear resilient contact portions 46 formed in the front electrically conductive member 40 and the contact point portions 47 of the front resilient contact portions 46 formed in the rear electrically conductive member 40 are arranged in the central through holes 32 in the front-rear direction.
As shown in
The six adapters 60 are assembled with the alignment member 31 by being individually inserted into the respective through holes 32 from below. At this time, since the cut surfaces 48 on the lower end edges of the contact point portions 47 of the electrically conductive members 40 are arranged at the positions more distant from the adapters 60 than from the contact point portions 47, the outer peripheral surfaces of the relay outer conductors 63 are not damaged by the edges of the cut surfaces 48. The alignment member 31 is held at a predetermined height not to be displaced downward with respect to the adapters 60 by the contact of hole edge parts of the through holes 32 with the step portions 64. The adapters 60 are restricted from being separated downward from the alignment member 31 by locking the locking projections 65 to the hole edge parts of the through holes 32. The six adapters 60 are coupled to be integrally swingable in the front-rear direction and lateral direction by being attached to the alignment member 31.
In each through hole 32, the contact point portion 47 is resiliently in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the relay outer conductor 63. By the resilient deformation of the resilient contact portion 46, a predetermined contact pressure is ensured between the contact point portion 47 and the relay outer conductor 63. The two relay outer conductors 63 passed through the front through holes 32 and the two relay outer conductors 63 passed through the central through holes 32 in the front-rear direction are made conductive and held at the same potential via the front electrically conductive member 40. The two relay outer conductors 63 passed through the rear through holes 32 and the two relay outer conductors 63 passed through the central through holes 32 in the front-rear direction are made conductive and held at the same potential via the rear electrically conductive member 40. In this way, all the six relay outer conductors 63 are held at the same potential by the two electrically conductive members 40.
The connector device A of the first embodiment is provided with the first circuit board 11 including the first board transmission paths 13, the second circuit board 21 including the second board transmission paths 23 and arranged to face the first circuit board 11, and the first and second connectors 14, 24 individually mounted on the first and second circuit boards 11, 21. The connector device A further includes the plurality of adapters 60 including the relay outer conductors 63 and connecting the first and second connectors 14, 24, and the electrically conductive members 40 made of metal for making the plurality of relay outer conductors 63 conductive with each other.
In a plan view of the first circuit board 11 and the relay module 30, a plane parallel to the first mounting surface 12 is defined as a virtual projection plane S.
Unlike the first embodiment, if electrically conductive members and first board transmission paths are arranged to overlap on the virtual projection plane S, a minimum height difference between the first board transmission paths and the electrically conductive members in a height direction orthogonal to the virtual projection plane S is a shortest distance between the electrically conductive members and the first board transmission paths. In contrast, in the first embodiment, a shortest distance L between the electrically conductive members 40 and the first board transmission paths 13, i.e. a distance L connecting a point T of the first transmission path 13 and a point C of the electrically conductive member 40, is larger than a minimum height difference H between the first board transmission paths 13 and the electrically conductive members 40. Since the electrically conductive members 40 are arranged at positions separated from the first board transmission paths 13 on the virtual projection plane S and in the height direction, the occurrence of resonance between the first board transmission paths 13 and the electrically conductive members 40, which are metal components, can be suppressed. Although not shown, the second board transmission paths 23 of the second circuit board 21 are also arranged only outside the inclusion region R on the virtual projection plane S. Thus, the occurrence of resonance between the second board transmission paths 23 and the electrically conductive members 40 can be suppressed.
The plurality of adapters 60 are aligned and arranged side by side along two front-rear direction and lateral direction perpendicular to each other, i.e. X and Y directions in
The connector device A is provided with the electrically nonconductive alignment member 31 for integrally swingably holding the plurality of adapters 60. The electrically conductive members 40 are attached to the alignment member 31. According to this configuration, since the electrically conductive members 40 need not have a function of integrally swingably holding the plurality of adapters 60, the electrically conductive members 40 could be suppressed to a minimum necessary size.
The electrically conductive member 40 is a single component including the resilient contact portions 46 to be brought into resilient contact with the relay outer conductors 63, the press-fit portions 50 to be press-fit into the alignment member 31 and the linking portions 43 linking the resilient contact portions 46 and the press-fit portions 50. According to this configuration, since the press-fit portions 50 are separated from the resilient contact portions 46 via the linking portions 43, it can be suppressed that stress generated in the resilient contact portion 46 is applied to the press-fit portions 50 when the resilient contact portion 46 is resiliently deformed by resiliently contacting the relay outer conductor 63. In this way, the electrically conductive member 40 can be reliably assembled with the alignment member 31.
The electrically conductive member 40 is made from the press-worked plate having the cut surface 48 exposed on the outer peripheral edge. The alignment member 31 includes the through holes 32, through which the adapters 60 are passed. The resilient contact portions 46 are arranged along the hole edges of the through holes 32. The resilient contact portion 46 is formed with the bent portion 49. The bent portion 49 is formed by bending the cut surface 48 away from the outer peripheral surface of the relay outer conductor 63 of the adapter 60 in a radial direction of the through hole 32. According to this configuration, the outer peripheral surface of the relay outer conductor 63 can be prevented from being damaged by the edge of the cut surface 48 of the resilient contact portion 46.
A second specific embodiment of the connector device of the present disclosure is described with reference to
As shown in
As shown in
The electrically conductive member 76 is a single component formed by bending a metal plate material having a predetermined shape. As shown in
Two front resilient contact portions 83 are cantilevered forward from the front end edges of the side plate portions 80. The two front resilient contact portions 83 are spaced apart in the lateral direction, and bent into a chevron shape to bulge toward sides opposite to each other in a plan view. Two rear resilient contact portions 83 are cantilevered rearward from the rear end edges of the side plate portions 80. The two rear resilient contact portions 83 are spaced apart in the lateral direction, and bent into a chevron shape to bulge toward sides opposite to each other in a plan view. A top part of the chevron shape of the resilient contact portion 83 functions as a contact point portion 84 to be brought into contact with a relay outer conductor. The resilient contact portion 83 can be resiliently displaced in the lateral direction with a boundary with the side plate portion 80 (base end part connected to the side plate portion 80) as a fulcrum.
A lower end part of the contact point portion 84 is formed with a bent portion 85 bent toward a side opposite to a contact surface of the contact point portion 84 with the adapter 60. By forming the bent portion 85, a cut surface 86 is arranged at a position retracted toward a side opposite to the adapter 60 across the contact point portion 84 in a plan view. When the adapter 60 is inserted into the through hole 72 from below, the edge of the cut surface 86 does not damage the outer peripheral surface of the adapter 60.
The electrically conductive member 76 is assembled with the alignment member 71 by being fit into the accommodation recess 73. Specifically, the press-fit portions 82 are press-fit into the press-fit holes 74, and the resilient contact portions 83 are accommodated into the groove portions 75. The tips of the press-fit portions 82 are hooked to the inner wall surfaces of the press-fit holes 74, whereby the electrically conductive member 76 is held assembled with the alignment member 71.
The contact point portions 84 of the front resilient contact portions 83 formed in the front electrically conductive member 76 are arranged in the front through holes 72. The contact point portions 84 of the rear resilient contact portions 83 formed in the rear electrically conductive member 76 are arranged in the rear through holes 72. The contact point portions 84 of the rear resilient contact portions 83 formed in the front electrically conductive member 76 and the contact point portions 84 of the front resilient contact portions 83 formed in the rear electrically conductive member 76 are arranged in the central through holes 72 in the front-rear direction.
A third specific embodiment of the connector device of the present disclosure is described with reference to
A relay module 90 of the third embodiment is provided with one alignment member 31, one electrically conductive member 91 and six adapters 60. The alignment member 31 and the adapters 60 are the same components as those of the first embodiment.
The electrically conductive member 91 is a single component formed by bending a metal plate material having a predetermined shape, and has a front-rear symmetrical and bilaterally symmetrical shape. As shown in
The electrically conductive member 91 is assembled with the alignment member 31 as in the first embodiment. Specifically, base portions 41 and the end plate portions 95 are accommodated into central recesses 34, resilient contact portions 46 are accommodated in groove portions 36 and press-fit portions 50 are press-fit into press-fit holes 35. Retaining projections 51 of the press-fit portions 50 bite into the inner walls of the press-fit holes 35, whereby the electrically conductive member 91 is held assembled with the alignment member 31. As in the first embodiment, one contact point portion 47 is arranged in each of two front through holes 32 and two rear through holes 32. Two contact point portions 47 are arranged in each of two central through holes 32 in the front-rear direction.
The present invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiments, but is represented by claims. The present invention is intended to include all changes in the scope of claims and in the meaning and scope of equivalents and also include the following embodiments.
Although the electrically conductive member(s) is/are arranged between adjacent ones of the adapters in the above first embodiment, the electrically conductive members may be arranged not between adjacent ones of the adapters, but between the adapters and the boundary of the inclusion region.
Although the electrically conductive member(s) is/are attached to the alignment member in the above first embodiment, the plurality of adapters may be made integrally swingable by directly coupling the electrically conductive member(s) to the adapters without using the alignment member.
Although the region surrounded by the outer peripheral edge of the alignment member is the inclusion region in the above first embodiment, the inclusion region may be a rectangular region circumscribing the six adapters or may be a region surrounded by the outer peripheral edge of the first housing on the virtual projection plane.
Although six adapters are provided in the above first embodiment, five or less or seven or more adapters may be provided.
Although the plurality of adapters are aligned and arranged in the front-rear direction and lateral direction in the above first embodiment, the plurality of adapters may be randomly arranged.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-104504 | Jun 2021 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2022/022629 | 6/3/2022 | WO |
