Thin connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016359249-A1
Application number	US-201615078420-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A thin connector includes a first connector and a second connector both having a flat plate shape, the first connector includes first conductive layers disposed on a first insulating layer and superimposed on one another via an intermediate insulating layer, each first conductive layer has a spring contact array, among the first conductive layers, a first conductive layer closer to the first insulating layer has the spring contact array disposed more frontward in the fitting direction while a first conductive layer farther from the insulating layer has the spring contact array disposed more rearward in the fitting direction, the second connector includes a single second conductive layer disposed on a second insulating layer, the second conductive layer has projection arrays, among the projection arrays, a projection array disposed more frontward in the fitting direction are lower while a projection array disposed more rearward in the fitting direction are higher.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thin connector comprising a first connector having a flat plate shape and a second connector having a flat plate shape, the first connector and the second connector sliding on each other in a fitting direction to be fitted with each other,
wherein the first connector includes a plurality of first conductive layers disposed on a first insulating layer and superimposed on one another via an intermediate insulating layer, wherein each of the first conductive layers has a spring contact array including a plurality of spring contacts arranged in an arrangement direction crossing the fitting direction, wherein, among the plurality of first conductive layers, a first conductive layer closer to the first insulating layer has the spring contact array disposed more frontward in the fitting direction while a first conductive layer farther from the insulating layer has the spring contact array disposed more rearward in the fitting direction, wherein the plurality of spring contacts in the spring contact array have spring properties capable of shifting in the arrangement direction and are provided with mounting portions to be connected to a single first connection subject, wherein the second connector includes a single second conductive layer disposed on a second insulating layer, wherein the second conductive layer has a plurality of projection arrays disposed so as to be shifted from one another in the fitting direction, each of the projection arrays including a plurality of projections arranged in the arrangement direction, wherein, among the plurality of projection arrays, the plurality of projections in a projection array disposed more frontward in the fitting direction have lower heights while the plurality of projections in a projection array disposed more rearward in the fitting direction have higher heights, wherein the plurality of projections in the projection arrays are provided with mounting portions to be connected to a single second connection subject, and wherein, when the first connector and the second connector are fitted with each other with the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer both facing outward, the plurality of spring contacts in each of the spring contact arrays of the first connector are connected to the plurality of projections in a corresponding projection array of the second connector.

2 . The thin connector according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of first conductive layers of the first connector include: a first metallic layer disposed on the first insulating layer; and a second metallic layer disposed on the first metallic layer via the intermediate insulating layer, wherein the first metallic layer has a first spring contact array including a plurality of first spring contacts arranged in the arrangement direction, and the second metallic layer has a second spring contact array including a plurality of second spring contacts arranged in the arrangement direction, the second spring contact array being disposed more rearward in the fitting direction than the first spring contact array of the first metallic layer, wherein the second conductive layer of the second connector has a first projection array including a plurality of first projections arranged in the arrangement direction and a second projection array including a plurality of second projections arranged in the arrangement direction, the second projection array being disposed more frontward in the fitting direction than the first projection array, and the plurality of second projections being lower than the first projections, and wherein, when the first connector and the second connector are fitted with each other, the plurality of first spring contacts of the first connector are connected to the plurality of first projections of the second connector, and the plurality of second spring contacts of the first connector are connected to the plurality of second projections of the second connector.

3 . The thin connector according to claim 2 , wherein, when the first connector and the second connector are fitted with each other, each of the plurality of first spring contacts holds a corresponding first projection at both sides of the first projection, and each of the plurality of second spring contacts holds a corresponding second projection at both sides of the second projection.

4 . The thin connector according to claim 2 , wherein the first connector has a plurality of spring contact protecting portions each extending along the fitting direction between adjacent first spring contacts and between adjacent second spring contacts.

5 . The thin connector according to claim 3 , wherein the first connector has a plurality of spring contact protecting portions each extending along the fitting direction between adjacent first spring contacts and between adjacent second spring contacts.

6 . The thin connector according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first connector and the second connector is provided with a pair of aligning recesses respectively at opposite ends thereof in the arrangement direction, the aligning recesses opening frontward in the fitting direction,
wherein another of the first connector and the second connector is provided with a pair of aligning protrusions respectively at opposite ends thereof in the arrangement direction, the aligning protrusions protruding frontward in the fitting direction, and wherein, when the first connector and the second connector are fitted with each other, the pair of aligning protrusions are caught in the pair of aligning recesses.

7 . The thin connector according to claim 6 , wherein either one of the pair of aligning recesses and the pair of aligning protrusions have overhanging portions overhanging in parallel with the first insulating layer or the second insulating layer, and
wherein the other of the pair of aligning recesses and the pair of aligning protrusions enter between the overhanging portions and the first insulating layer or the second insulating layer when the first connector and the second connector are fitted with each other.

8 . The thin connector according to claim 6 , wherein either one of the pair of aligning recesses and the pair of aligning protrusions have lock portions capable of shifting in the arrangement direction, and
wherein the other of the pair of aligning recesses and the pair of aligning protrusions have lock receiving portions, the lock portions being caught in the lock receiving portions when the first connector and the second connector are fitted with each other.

9 . The thin connector according to claim 7 , wherein either one of the pair of aligning recesses and the pair of aligning protrusions have lock portions capable of shifting in the arrangement direction, and
wherein the other of the pair of aligning recesses and the pair of aligning protrusions have lock receiving portions, the lock portions being caught in the lock receiving portions when the first connector and the second connector are fitted with each other.

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Komoto Tetsuya
• Tatebe Yu

Classifications

• H01R12/721 Primary

  cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits · CPC title

• H01R12/718

  Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing (contacts for abutting H01R12/714) · CPC title

• H01R12/727

  Coupling devices presenting arrays of contacts · CPC title

• H01R12/70 Primary

  Coupling devices · CPC title

• H01R13/05

  Resilient pins or blades (carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15) · CPC title