Method of manufacturing a board-to-board connector for electrically connecting two circuit boards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9787044-B2
Application number	US-201514944274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a board-to-board connector capable of preventing a short-circuit from occurring between contacts when connectors are fitted to each other. Pin-shaped male-side contact portions protrude from one surface of a male-side insulating film, and male-side terminal portions are provided on the other surface of said male-side insulating film. This makes it possible to prevent a short-circuit from occurring between adjacent female-side contacts by the male-side contacts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a male connector of a board-to-board connector that comprises a male connector which is mounted on a first substrate, and a female connector which is mounted on a second substrate and which can be fitted to the male connector, the board-to-board connector electrically connecting between the first substrate and the second substrate,
the male connector having:
a male-side insulating film;
a plurality of male-side contacts which are provided on said male-side insulating film; and
a male-side reinforcing member which is provided on said male-side insulating film,
each of the male-side contacts having a male-side terminal portion which is connected to the first substrate, and a pin-shaped male-side contact portion which is formed continuously with said male-side terminal portion such that said male-side contact portion protrudes from one surface of said male-side insulating film and can be brought into contact with a corresponding one of female-side contacts of the female connector,
a plurality of said male-side contact portions being arrayed on the one surface of said male-side insulating film,
a plurality of said male-side terminal portions being arrayed on the other surface of said male-side insulating film, and
said male-side reinforcing member having a male-side reinforcing member main body portion which is arranged along the plurality of said male-side terminal portions on the other surface;
wherein the method includes:
a thin film processing step for providing a metal thin film on the other surface of said male-side insulating film;
a patterning step for etching said metal thin film and forming the plurality of said male-side terminal portions and said male-side reinforcing member main body portion after said thin film processing step;
a through-hole-forming step for forming, on said male-side insulating film by performing an etching process, through-holes which pass through to said male-side terminal portions after said patterning step; and
a contact-portion-forming step for forming said pin-shaped male-side contact portions at the positions of said through-holes after said through-hole-forming step.

2. The method for manufacturing a male connector of a board-to-board connector according to claim 1 , wherein:
the female connector has
a female-side insulating film, and
a plurality of said female-side contacts provided on said female-side insulating film;
each of the female-side contacts has a female-side contact portion which is provided on one surface of said female-side insulating film and which can be brought into contact with a corresponding one of said male-side contact portions, and a female-side terminal portion which is formed continuously with said female-side contact portion such that said female-side terminal portion protrudes from the other surface of said female-side insulating film, said female-side terminal portion being connected to the second substrate;
a plurality of said female-side contact portions are arrayed on the one surface of said female-side insulating film; and
a plurality of said female-side terminal portions are arrayed on the other surface of said female-side insulating film.

3. The method for manufacturing a male connector of a board-to-board connector according to claim 2 ,
said male-side reinforcing member having:
fixing portions that are formed continuously with said male-side reinforcing member main body portion, and that are arranged on both end portions of the other surface of said male-side insulating film in the direction in which the plurality of said male-side contact portions are arrayed; and
protruding portions that are formed continuously with said fixing portions, and that are arranged on both end portions of the one surface of said male-side insulating film in the direction in which the plurality of said male-side contact portions are arrayed, and
the female connector having protruding-portion-supporting members that are arranged on both end portions of the one surface of said female-side insulating film in the direction in which the plurality of said female-side contact portions are arrayed, and that have protruding-portion-receiving holes for guiding said protruding portions toward the second substrate,
wherein the method includes:
a thin film processing step for providing a metal thin film on the other surface of said male-side insulating film;
a patterning step for etching said metal thin film and forming the plurality of said male-side terminal portions, said male-side reinforcing member main body portion, and said fixing portions after said thin film processing step;
a through-hole-forming step for forming, on said male-side insulating film by performing an etching process, through-holes which pass through to said male-side terminal portions and protruding-portion through-holes which pass through to said fixing portions after said patterning step; and
a contact-portion-forming step for forming said pin-shaped male-side contact portions at the positions of said through-holes, and forming said protruding portions at the positions of said protruding-portion through-holes, after said through-hole-forming step.

4. The method for manufacturing a male connector of a board-to-board connector according to claim 3 ,
each of the female-side contact portions being elastically deformed, when said protruding portions are inserted in said protruding-portion-receiving holes of the female connector, to thereby sandwich each of the corresponding male-side contact portions in a prescribed direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of said female-side insulating film, whereby a prescribed contact force is generated between said female-side contact portion and said male-side contact portion,
wherein the method includes:
a thin film processing step for providing a metal thin film on the other surface of said male-side insulating film;
a patterning step for etching said metal thin film and forming the plurality of said male-side terminal portions, said male-side reinforcing member main body portion, and said fixing portions after said thin film processing step;
a through-hole-forming step for forming, on said male-side insulating film by performing an etching process, through-holes which pass through to said male-side terminal portions and protruding-portion through-holes which pass through to said fixing portions after said patterning step; and
a contact-portion-forming step for forming said pin-shaped male-side contact portions at the positions of said through-holes, and forming said protruding portions at the positions of said protruding-portion through-holes, after said through-hole-forming step.

5. The method for manufacturing a male connector of a board-to-board connector according to claim 1 ,
the board-to-board connector comprising a male connector which is mounted on a first substrate, and a female connector which is mounted on a second substrate and which can be fitted to the male connector, the board-to-board connector electrically connecting between the first substrate and the second substrate,
the male connector having:
a male-side insulating film;
a plurality of male-side contacts which are provided on said male-side insulating film; and
a male-side reinforcing member which is provided on said male-side insulating film,
each of the male-side contacts having a male-side terminal portion which is connected to the first substrate, and a pin-shaped male-side contact portion which is formed continuously with said male-side terminal portion such that said male-side contact portion protrudes from one surface of said male-side insulating film and can be brought into contact with a corresponding one of female-side contacts of the female connector,
a plurality of said male-side c

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Hashiguchi Osamu

Classifications

• H05K1/00

  Printed circuits · CPC title

• H01R43/205 Primary

  with a panel or printed circuit board · CPC title

• Y10T29/49204

  Contact or terminal manufacturing · CPC title

• H01R12/73 Primary

  connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R13/04

  Pins or blades for co-operation with sockets · CPC title