Patent Application
20050101163
This application claims priority to prior Japanese patent application JP 2003-381853, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a connector requiring impedance matching for electric characteristics, e.g., an increase in speed of LVDS, TMDS, PCI express transmission, etc., and more particularly relates to a connector having a joining portion joined to a substrate by soldering, etc., and a fitting portion coming in contact with a partner side connector, FPC or PCB.
A connector is shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2001-511300 (corresp. to WO98/35408), hereinafter called Reference 1, as the connector for connecting substrates to each other. The connector shown in Reference 1 is a connector for connecting two substrates so as to be perpendicular to each other and has a large-sized structure.
A socket connector and a plug connector are arranged in each of the mutual substrates to connect the substrates to each other. The substrates are connected by fitting these connectors to each other.
However, it is required that the connector for connecting printed boards to each other satisfies characteristics at high frequency in a field in which an electric signal becomes a high frequency wave. Further, the request of high density mounting is more and more increased. Therefore, a reduction in the pitch of a contact is also required.
In the conventional high speed signal transmission connector, the pitch between terminals as the distance between signal contacts as a pair must be increased to a certain extent for the purpose of electric characteristics such as matching of impedance at a differential transmission time. Therefore, there is a defect in that the connector is large-sized.
Further, in the connector of this kind, there is also an example in which the distance between the signal contacts as a pair is increased by arranging a dummy terminal for positively flowing no electric current between the signal contacts as a pair, and impedance is matched. However, a useless terminal or contact is correspondingly inserted so that there is a defect in that the connector becomes expensive.
On the other hand, there is a case opposed to the reduction in pitch as impedance characteristics among the electric characteristics. There is a defect in that the pitch of the connector is increased and the size of the connector itself is increased when the electric characteristics are preferentially set.
Further, there is a defect in that no electric characteristics are matched when the pitch is reversely preferentially reduced.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector able to match impedance without setting the connector to be large-sized.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cheaply manufactured connector able to match impedance in the connector without changing the pitch of a soldering portion as a terminal portion of the contact.
According to the present invention, there is provided a connector which includes a contact group and an insulator for holding the contact group. In the present invention, the contact group has a signal contact and a ground contact, and the signal contact is arranged adjacently to both sides or one side of the ground contact. Each of the signal contact and the ground contact has a contact portion connected to a partner side contact and also has a terminal portion connected to a connecting object. The pitch intervals between the terminal portions of the respective contacts of the contact group are equally set. The contact portion of the signal contact approaches or is separated with respect to the contact portion of the ground contact.
Here, in the present invention, the connecting object is constructed by a substrate, FPC, silicon, etc., and the terminal portion of the contact is constructed by a portion coming in contact with this object. Further, the same pitch interval shows a mountable state in the same condition with respect to soldering and line connection to the object. For example, this state is set to a state of the same height direction and the same width direction of a grounding portion or the corresponding directions, a state in which the tips are arranged properly, etc.
In the present invention, there is provided a connector in which the pitch interval between the contact portions of the adjacent signal contacts is widened with respect to the pitch interval between the terminal portions by widening the width of the contact portion of the signal contact toward the ground contact side instead of the construction in which the contact portion of the signal contact approaches the contact portion of the ground contact.
Here, in the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting object is a wiring board, and the terminal portion is a soldering portion soldered to this wiring board.
According to the present invention, there is provided a connector which includes a contact group and an insulator for holding the contact group. In the present invention, the contact group contains two ground contacts and a pair of signal contacts arranged between the two ground contacts. The each contact has a contact portion connected to a partner side contact and also has a terminal portion connected to a connecting object. The contact group is arranged so as to equally set the pitch interval between the terminal portions of the respective contacts. The contact portion of each of the pair of signal contacts approaches the contact portion of the partner side so that the pitch interval between the contact portions of the pair of signal contacts is set to be narrower than the pitch interval between the terminal portions.
Here, in the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting object is a wiring board, and the terminal portion is a soldering portion soldered to this wiring board.
According to the present invention, there is provided a connector in which pitch interval between the contact portions of the pair of signal contacts is set to be narrower than the pitch interval between the terminal portions by widening the width of the contact portion of each signal contact toward the signal contact side instead of the construction in which the contact portion of each of the pair of signal contacts approaches.
Here, in the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting object is a wiring board, and the terminal portion is a soldering portion soldered to this wiring board.
According to the present invention, there is provided a connector which includes a contact group and an insulator for holding the contact group. In the present invention, the contact group has a signal contact and a ground contact. The each contact has a contact portion connected to a partner side contact and also has a terminal portion connected to a connecting object. The pitch interval between the terminal portions of the respective contacts and the pitch interval between the contact portions are set to be equal to each other. The contact portion of the signal contact is arranged so as to be shifted from the contact portion of the ground contact in the direction crossing the pitch direction.
Here, in the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting object is a wiring board, and the terminal portion is a soldering portion soldered to this wiring board.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a connector which has the following construction. Namely, the connector is a plug connector, and the contact portion of the contact group is arranged so as to have a contact outside in the direction crossing the fitting direction of the connector. The partner side connector is a receptacle connector, and the contact portion of the partner side contact group has a contact inside in the direction crossing the fitting direction of the connector. The contact portions come in contact with each other in the crossing direction.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a connector which has the following construction. Namely, the connector is a receptacle connector, and the contact portion of the contact group is arranged so as to have a contact inside in the direction crossing the fitting direction of the connector. The partner side connector is a plug connector, and the contact portion of the partner side contact group has a contact outside in the direction crossing the fitting direction of the connector. The contact portions come in contact with each other in the crossing direction.
Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8, a plug connector 21 has an insulator 29 of a long box type, a plug contact 31 and two shield plates 33 of the plug side.
The insulator 29 has a wall portion 23 for surrounding four sides of the insulator 29 in a long rectangular shape in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction as a fitting direction, a bottom plate 25 arranged on one end side in this fitting direction, and a rectangular fitting hole portion 27 long in the second direction at the center.
Each plug contact 31 is arranged in parallel with the second direction as the length direction of the connector on an opposite face which is long in the second direction and is opposed to a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions inside the wall portion 23.
The two shield plates 33 of the plug side are respectively arranged so as to be opposed to the outside face of the long wall portion 23.
Each plug contact 31 has an elongated shape, and each tip portion of the plug contact 31 arranged on the opposite face is bent so as to be directed to the third direction as a mutual outside direction. The plug contact 31 has a contact portion 37, a support portion 39 and a terminal portion 41. The contact portion 37 is arranged from the tip portion of the plug contact 31 to the bottom plate 25 along the inside face 35 of the wall portion. The support portion 39 is perpendicularly bent in the third direction in this bottom plate 25 and is extended outside. The terminal portion 41 is projected from the outer face of the bottom plate 25 of the insulator 29, and is bent slantingly downward and is further bent upward and is extended so as to be approximately located on the same face along the exterior of the bottom plate face as the second direction.
The shield plate 33 has a projecting portion 34 and comes in contact with a shield plate of a receptacle connector described later. Reference numeral 45 designates a pulling hole in mold.
The receptacle connector 51 has an insulator 53 of a box type having a rectangular shape with a crossbar and long in a second direction (called the second direction similarly to the plug connector) perpendicular to a first direction (called the first direction similarly to the plug connector) as the fitting direction. The insulator 53 has a rectangular outer wall portion 55 long in the second direction, a central wall 57 and a bottom plate 59. The central wall 57 has a T-character shape in section and rises along the first direction at the center in a third direction (called the second direction similarly to the plug connector) perpendicular to each of the first and second directions. The bottom plate 59 is arranged on one end side in the first direction. Rectangular fitting hole portions 61 are arranged on both sides of the central wall 57. Receptacle contacts 63 are respectively arranged in parallel with the second direction on both the sides of the central wall 57 of the insulator 53. A shield plate 65 of the receptacle side having an inverse U-shape in section is arranged across the outside face via the upper face from the inside face of the long insulator 53.
Each receptacle contact 63 has an elongated shape and includes a contact portion 67, a spring portion 69, a vertical support portion 71, a horizontal support portion 73 and a terminal portion 75. The contact portion 67 has an elbowed shape and is opposed to both the sides of the central wall 57, and has a perpendicular shape by inside bending the tip portion of each contact 31 arranged in parallel with the second direction as the length direction. The spring portion 69 is formed in an S-character shape toward the central wall 57 from this contact portion 67. The vertical support portion 71 is lowered and extended in the first direction along the central wall 57 from the base portion of the spring portion 69. The horizontal support portion 73 is bent toward the outside from the lower end of the vertical support portion 71 and is extended to a groove arranged in the bottom plate 59 along the third direction. The terminal portion 75 is bent and exposed with respect to the bottom plate 59 from the horizontal support portion 73, and is extended in the third direction as the horizontal direction.
The shield plate 65 has a U-shape in section having an outside portion 77 arranged on the outside face of the outer wall portion 55 opposed to the third direction, an inside portion 79 arranged on the inside face, and a connecting portion 81 covering the upper face and connecting the outside portion 77 and the inside portion 79. In fitting, the inside portion 79 of the shield plate 65 of this receptacle connector 51 comes in contact with the projecting portion 43 of the shield plate 33 of the plug connector 21.
As shown in
Referring to
Namely, the contact portions of the signal contacts 31c, 31d approach and are separated with respect to the contact portions 37 of ground contacts 31b, 31e by converting a pitch size in the pitch direction. At this time, the contact portions 37 of the signal contacts 31c, 31d approach and are separated with respect to the ground contacts 31b, 31e by changing the pitch size. In this case, the terminal portions 41 of the ground contact and the signal contact have the same arrangement and the pitch internal between the contact portions of the ground contacts 31b, 31e (31f, 31g) adjacent to each other is constructed so as to be widened or narrowed with respect to the distance between the terminal portions.
Concretely, in the plug contact 31 in the first embodiment of the present invention, the support portion 39 is slantingly bent on the right-hand side with respect to the third direction as the direction perpendicular to the pitch direction of the contact about contacts 31a, 31d, 31g, and is slantingly bent on the left-hand side with respect to the third direction about contacts 31c, 31f. Thus, the pitch between the contact portions 37 of the respective contacts 31 is changed and the pitch is increased in the direction separated from each other with respect to the contact portions 37 of signal contacts 31a, 31c, 31d, 31g. In contrast to this, a pitch converting portion 83 formed so as to narrow the pitch is arranged with respect to ground contacts 31b, 31e, 31e about the contact portions 37 of the signal contacts 31a, 31c, 31d, 31g.
Thus, impedance can be matched.
Referring to
Namely, the contact portions 67 of signal contacts 63c, 20d approach and are separated with respect to the contact portions of ground contacts 63b, 93e by converting the pitch size in the pitch direction. At this time, the contact portion 67 approaches and is separated with respect to the ground contacts 63b, 93e by changing the pitch size. In this case, the terminal portions 75 of the ground contact and the signal contact have the same arrangement. The pitch interval between the contact portions 67 of the ground contacts adjacent to each other is constructed so as to be widened or narrowed with respect to the distance between the terminal portions 75.
Concretely, in the receptacle contact 63 in the first embodiment of the present invention, the support portion 73 is slantingly bent on the right-hand side with respect to the third direction as a direction perpendicular to the pitch direction about contacts 63a, 63d, 63g, and is slantingly bent on the left-hand side with respect to the third direction about contacts 63c, 63f. Thus, the pitch between the contact portions 67 of the respective contacts 63 is changed, and the pitch is increased in the direction separated from each other with respect to the contact portions 37 of the signal contacts 63a, 63c, 63d, 63g. In contrast to this, since ground contacts 63b, 63e, 63h are bidirectionally formed in the third direction, i.e., is straightly formed, the contact portions 67 of the signal contacts 63a, 63c, 63d, 63g have a pitch converting portion 85 formed so as to narrow the pitch with respect to the ground contacts 63b, 63e, 63h. Thus, impedance can be matched.
A plug connector and a receptacle connector in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention will next be explained with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12. The connector in the second embodiment has a construction similar to that of the connector in the first embodiment except that the shapes of a plug contact and a receptacle contact in the second embodiment are different from those in the first embodiment. Accordingly, only each contact will be explained.
Referring to
Namely, the contact portions 37 of signal contacts 87c, 87d approach and are separated with respect to the contact portions 37 of ground contacts 87b, 87e by converting the pitch size in the pitch direction. At this time, the contact portion 37 approaches and is separated with respect to the ground contacts 87b, 87e by changing the pitch size. In this case, the terminal portions 41 as soldering portions have the same arrangement. The pitch interval between the contact portions of the ground contacts adjacent to each other is constructed so as to be widened or narrowed with respect to the distance between the terminal portions 41.
In the plug contact in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention, the support portion 39 is slantingly bent on the right-hand side with respect to the third direction equal to the extending direction of the contact and perpendicular to the first and second directions about the contact 87c, and is slantingly bent on the left-hand side with respect to the third direction about the contact 87d. Thus, the pitch between the contact portions 37 of the respective contacts 87 is changed, and the pitch is reduced in the direction approaching each other with respect to the contact portions 37 of the signal contacts 87c, 87d. In contrast to this, a pitch converting portion 89 formed so as to widen the pitch is arranged with respect to the ground contacts 87b, 87e about the contact portions 37 of the signal contacts 87c, 87d. Thus, impedance can be controlled and matched.
Referring to
In the receptacle contact 91, the contact portions 67 of signal contacts 91c, 91d approach and are separated with respect to the contact portions 67 of ground contacts 91b, 91d by converting the pitch size in the pitch direction. At this time, the contact portion 67 approaches and is separated with respect to the ground contacts 91b, 91e by changing the pitch size. In this case, the terminal portions have the same arrangement. The pitch interval between the contact portions 67 of the ground contacts 91b, 91e adjacent to each other is constructed so as to be widened or narrowed with respect to the distance between the terminal portions 75 as soldering portions.
Concretely, in the receptacle contact 91 in the second embodiment of the present invention, the support portion 73 is slantingly bent on the right-hand side with respect to the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions and approximately equal to the extending direction of the connector about the contact 91d, and is slantingly bent on the left-hand side with respect to the third direction about the contact 91c so that a pitch converting portion 90 is formed. Thus, the pitch between the contact portions 41 of the respective contacts 91 is changed, and the pitch is reduced in the direction approaching each other with respect to the contact portions 37 of signal contacts 91c, 91d. In contact to this, since the ground contacts 91b, 91e are straightly formed along the third direction, the contact portions 67 of the signal contacts 91c, 91d are formed so as to widen the pitch with respect to the ground contacts 91b, 91e. Thus, impedance can be controlled and matched.
A plug connector and a receptacle connector in a third embodiment of the present invention will next be explained with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16. The connector in the third embodiment has a construction similar to that of the connector in each of the first and second embodiments except that the shapes of a plug contact and a receptacle contact in the third embodiment are different from those in each of the first and second embodiments. Accordingly, similar to the second embodiment, only each contact will be explained.
Referring to
Namely, the contact portions 37 of signal contacts 93c, 93d are separated and approach with respect to the contact portions 37 of ground contacts 93b, 93e by widening and narrowing the contact width in the pitch direction. Thus, the contact portion 37 is separated and approaches by widening and narrowing the width of the signal contacts 93c, 93d or the ground contacts 93b, 93e. The pitch between the contact portions adjacent to each other is constructed so as to be widened and narrowed with respect to the pitch interval between the terminal portions.
Concretely, in the plug contact 93 in the third embodiment of the present invention, the contact portion 37 is eccentrically formed so as to be widened on the right-hand side in the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions with respect to the contact portion 37b of the contact 93c, and is eccentrically formed so as to be widened on the left-hand side in the third direction with respect to the contact portion 37c of the contact 93d. Thus, the pitch between the contact portions 37 of the respective contacts 93 is changed, and the pitch is reduced in the direction approaching each other with respect to the contact portions 37c, 37d of the signal contacts 93c, 93d. In contrast to this, a pitch converting portion 16 formed so as to widen the pitch is arranged with respect to the contact portions 37a of the ground contacts 93b, 93e about the contact portions 37c, 37d of the signal contacts 93c, 93d. Thus, impedance can be controlled and matched.
Referring to
Namely, the contact portions 67b, 67c of signal contacts 97c, 97d are separated and approach with respect to the contact portions 67a, 67d of ground contacts 97b, 97e by widening and narrowing the contact width in the pitch direction. Thus, the contact portions 67a, 67b, 67c, 67d are separated and approach by widening and narrowing the width of the signal contacts 97c, 97d or the ground contacts 97b, 97e. The pitch interval between the contact portions 67c, 67d adjacent to each other is constructed so as to be widened and narrowed with respect to the pitch interval between the terminal portions 75 as soldering portions.
In the receptacle contact 97 in the third embodiment of the present invention, the contact portion 67 is widened in the right-hand side width in the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions with respect to the contact portion 67b of the contact 97c, and is widened in the left-hand side width in the third direction with respect to the contact portion 67c of the contact 97d. Thus, the pitch between the contact portions 67 of the respective contacts 97 is changed, and the pitch is reduced in the direction approaching each other with respect to the contact portions 67c, 67d of the signal contacts 97c, 97d. In contrast to this, since the ground contacts 97b, 97e are formed with no eccentricity, a pitch converting portion 99 is formed in the contact portions 67 of the signal contacts 97c, 97d so as to widen the pitch with respect to the ground contacts 97b, 97e. Thus, impedance can be controlled and matched.
A plug connector and a receptacle connector in a fourth embodiment of the present invention will next be explained with reference to
Referring to
The contact portion 37e, 37f or 37d of the signal contact 101 is shifted and arranged in the direction crossing the pitch direction with respect to the contact portion 37d, 37e or 37f of the ground contact 101 so that the contact portion 37e, 37f or 37d approaches and is separated from the contact portion 37d, 37e or 37f.
In the plug contact 101 in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the contact portions 37e, 37f are formed so as to be located outside in the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions with respect to the contact portion 37d of the contact 101. Thus, a pitch converting portion 103 is arranged and formed such that the pitches between the contact portions 37d and 37e and the contact portions 37d and 37f of the respective contacts 101 are changed, and the pitches are not changed in the direction approaching each other with respect to the contact portions of the signal contacts or the ground contacts, and are widened with respect to the contact portions 37d, 37e and the contact portions 37d, 37f of the signal contacts and the ground contacts. Thus, impedance can be controlled and matched.
Effects similar to those in the contact of the connector of the fourth embodiment of the present invention can be also obtained when the plate thickness of the contact in the direction crossing the pitch direction can be increased and decreased in the contact portion of the signal contact with respect to the contact portion of the ground contact as a modified example.
As explained above, in the connectors in the embodiments of the present invention, the description has been made in the case of the connector having the soldering terminal portion in the contact mounted to the printed wiring board. However, a structure for fixing the contact to a through hole may be also used. Further, a flexible wiring board or a flexible flat cable may be also used instead of the mounted printed wiring board. Further, an arranging structure in a wiring board of an electronic device, etc. may be also used.
Further, in the connectors in the embodiments of the present invention, the printed wiring board or FPC, etc. may be also used instead of the connector on the connecting partner side of one connector (the contact is constructed by a spring contact portion). When the partner is the board or the connector, the perpendicular boards can be constructed so as to be connected to each other. Further, the terminal portion of the contact is of a type for soldering the terminal portion to the board, but the cable may be also connected by a structure for press-attaching or press-contacting the terminal portion.
Further, in the connectors in the embodiments of the present invention, when the partner side connector is used in a part for setting an electric signal to a high frequency wave in the printed wiring board, impedance can be matched without increasing the size of the connector by converting the pitch of the contact portions of the connectors without changing the pitch of the terminal portion, e.g., the soldering portion.
Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector able to control impedance within the connector by performing conversion for narrowing a signal contact or a pair of signal contacts used in high speed transmission by widening the distance of a fitting portion (contact portion and stub portion) of the connectors in the pitch direction and the opposite direction within each connector (on the plug side and the receptacle side).
Further, in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector in which the pitch of the terminal, e.g., the soldering portion can be narrowed at the same pitch as the signal contact and the ground contact, and the connector itself is small in size and is cheaply manufactured without arranging the terminal flowing no electricity therethrough.
As explained above, the connector in the present invention can be applied to connection for the high frequency transmission of an electronic part, an electric part, etc. as well as a plug connector and a socket connector arranged for the connection between boards and transmitting a high frequency wave.
While this invention has thus far been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be readily possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners without departing from the scope of this invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 381853/2003 | Nov 2003 | JP | national |
