Circuit board cable connector with more than one mounting configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11509082-B2
Application number	US-202117335110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2021
Priority date	Jun 11, 2020
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

To provide a connector for which cost can be reduced. A first connector 1 includes first metal members 10A that function as terminals and second metal members 10B that function as reinforcing brackets. Each first metal member 10A and second metal member 10B include a main body part 11, a first edge part 15, a second edge part 16, and a third edge part 17. A first edge part 15 of the first metal member 10A is positioned on the upper side of the main body part 11 that is the side that receives the mating connector. The second metal member 10B is retained in a different orientation from the first metal member 10A. The first edge part 15 of the second metal member 10B is positioned below the main body part 11 of the second metal member 10B and can be attached to a first circuit board B1 arranged on the lower side of the first connector 1. The third edge part 17 of the second metal member 10B is positioned more in the Y1 direction than the main body part 11 of the second metal member 10B and can be attached to the second circuit board B2 arranged in the Y1 direction with respect to the first connector 1.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector, comprising:
first metal members that function as terminals;
second metal members that function as reinforcing brackets; and
a housing that retains the first metal members and the second metal members, wherein
the connector connects with a mating connector in a first axis direction,
each of the first metal members and second metal members include a main body part, a first edge part, a second edge part, and a third edge part,
the main body part of the first metal member includes a portion in contact with a mating terminal,
the first edge part of the first metal member is positioned in a first direction that is one direction in the first axis direction from the main body part,
the second edge part of the first metal member is positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction that is in the first axis direction from the main body part and can be connected to a first circuit board arranged in the second direction of the connector,
the third edge part of the first metal member is positioned in a third direction that is one direction in a second axial direction orthogonal to the first axis direction from the main body part and can be connected to a second circuit board arranged in the third direction of the connector,
the second metal member is retained in a different orientation from the first metal member,
the first edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the second direction from the main body part of the second metal member and can be attached to the first circuit board arranged in the second direction with respect to the connector,
the third edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the third direction from the main body part of the second metal member and can be attached to the second circuit board arranged in the third direction in respect to the connector, and
the second edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the first direction from the main body part of the second metal member.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the first metal member and the second metal member have the same shape in at least one of the main body part, the first edge part, the second edge part, or the third edge part.

3. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the relative positions of the main body part, the first edge part, the second edge part, and the third edge part regarding the second metal member are the same as the relative positions of the main body part, the first edge part, the second edge part, and the third edge part regarding the first metal member.

4. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the first metal member and the second metal member have substantially the same shape.

5. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the main body part of the first metal member and the main body part of the second metal member both have a first extending part and a second extending part that is connected to the first extending part and extends in a direction intersecting the first extending part,
the first edge part is formed on the first extending part, and
the second edge part and the third edge part are formed on the second extending part.

6. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the first edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the second direction from the main body part of the second metal member and can be attached to the first circuit board arranged in the second direction with respect to the connector, and
the second edge part of the first metal member and the first edge part of the second metal member are separated in the second axis direction.

7. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the third edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the third direction from the main body part of the second metal member and can be attached to the second circuit board arranged in the third direction in respect to the connector, and
the third edge part of the first metal member and the third edge part of the second metal member are separated in the first axis direction.

8. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
a first retaining hole and a second retaining hole are formed in the housing into which the first metal member and the second metal member are respectively inserted,
the first metal member can be inserted into the first retaining hole in the first direction, and
the second metal member can be inserted into the second retaining hole in the second direction.

9. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first metal member and the second metal member has an extending part that extends in the second axis direction,
the housing has a first stopper part that is positioned in the first direction with respect to the extending part of the first metal member and restricts movement of the first metal member, and
the housing has a second stopper part that is positioned in the second direction with respect to the extending part of the second metal member and restricts movement of the second metal member.

10. A connector, comprising:
first metal members that function as terminals;
second metal members that function as reinforcing brackets; and
a housing that retains the first metal members and the second metal members, wherein
the connector connects with a mating connector in a first axis direction,
each of the first metal members and second metal members include a main body part, a first edge part, a second edge part, and a third edge part,
the main body part of the first metal member includes a portion in contact with a mating terminal,
the first edge part of the first metal member is positioned in a first direction that is one direction in the first axis direction from the main body part,
the second edge part of the first metal member is positioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction that is in the first axis direction from the main body part and can be connected to a first circuit board arranged in the second direction of the connector,
the third edge part of the first metal member is positioned in a third direction that is one direction in a second axial direction orthogonal to the first axis direction from the main body part and can be connected to a second circuit board arranged in the third direction of the connector,
the second metal member is retained in a different orientation from the first metal member,
the first edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the third direction from the main body part of the second metal member and can be attached to the second circuit board arranged in the third direction in respect to the connector,
the third edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the second direction with respect to the main body part of the second metal member and can be attached to the first circuit board arranged in the second direction with respect to the connector, and
the second edge part of the second metal member is positioned in the fourth direction that is opposite to the third direction in the second axis direction from the main body part of the second metal member.

11. A connector assembly, comprising:
a first connector; and
a second connector that mates with the first connector in a first direction, where the connector includes:
first metal members that function as terminals;
second metal members that function as reinforcing brackets; and
a housing that retains the first metal members and the second metal members, wherein
each of the first metal members and second metal members include a main body part, a first edge part, a second edge part, and a third edge part,
the main body part of the first metal member includes a

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Ishikawa Atsushi
• Matsumoto Ayako
• Watanabe Ryosuke

Classifications

• H01R12/75 Primary

  connecting to cables except for flat or ribbon cables · CPC title

• H01R12/57 Primary

  surface mounting terminals · CPC title

• H01R13/02

  Contact members · CPC title

• H01R4/18

  by crimping {(H01R4/01, H01R4/2495 take precedence; for coaxial cables H01R9/0518)} · CPC title

• H01R13/40

  Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members · CPC title