US-12627089-B2 - Connector and electronic device

Abstract

A connector includes a first insulator, a second insulator, and a contact. The first insulator is formed in a rectangular shape and includes a pair of first side walls and a bottom wall. The second insulator extends along a longitudinal direction of the first insulator. The second insulator is partially positioned in a space surrounded by the pair of first side walls and the bottom wall and is movable relative to the first insulator. The contact is mounted on the first side walls of the first insulator and on the second insulator and includes an elastic portion. The elastic portion is located between the first insulator and the second insulator and connects the first insulator and the second insulator to each other. The second insulator and the elastic portion are spaced apart from the first insulator and face the bottom wall in a non-fitted state.

Inventors

• Genta Yamazaki

Assignees

• KYOCERA CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20220202

Priority Date

20210204

Claims (14)

1. 1 . A connector comprising: a first insulator formed in a rectangular shape and comprising a pair of first side walls and a bottom wall; a second insulator extending along a longitudinal direction of the first insulator, the second insulator being partially positioned in a space surrounded by the pair of first side walls and the bottom wall and being movable relative to the first insulator; and a contact mounted on the first side walls of the first insulator and on the second insulator and comprising an elastic portion, the elastic portion being located between the first insulator and the second insulator and connecting the first insulator and the second insulator to each other, wherein the second insulator and the elastic portion are spaced apart from the first insulator and face the bottom wall in a non-fitted state in which the second insulator and a connection target are not fitted to each other, and wherein an end portion of the elastic portion on the bottom wall side is located closer to the bottom wall side than an end portion of the second insulator on the bottom wall side, the bottom wall comprises a contact portion facing the second insulator, the second insulator comprises a bottom portion positioned in the space of the first insulator and facing the contact portion, and a retain protrusion formed at an end portion of the bottom portion in the longitudinal direction of the first insulator, a bottom surface of the retain protrusion on the bottom wall side has a first surface formed on the same surface as a portion of the bottom portion facing the contact portion, and a second surface located on a side opposite to the bottom wall with respect to the first surface and substantially parallel to the first surface.
2. 2 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall comprises: a recess formed by recessing the bottom wall further toward a side opposite to another side on which the second insulator is present than a contact surface of the contact portion, the contact surface facing the second insulator.
3. 3 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the recess is formed between the first side walls and the contact portion and faces the elastic portion.
4. 4 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein a bottom surface of the recess is continuously formed, and wherein the recess is positioned between a circuit board on which the connector is mounted and the elastic portion.
5. 5 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein a depth of the recess is larger than a distance between an end portion of the second insulator on the bottom wall side and an end portion of the elastic portion on the bottom wall side in a fitting direction in which the second insulator and the connection target are fitted to each other.
6. 6 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic portion comprises a first extension portion extending upward on the first insulator side, a first folded portion extending from the first extension portion and folded back in an inverted U-shape, a second extension portion extending obliquely downward from the first folded portion toward the second insulator, a second folded portion extending from the second extension portion and folded back in a U-shape, and a third extension portion extending upward from the second folded portion to the second insulator.
7. 7 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the first insulator comprises a pair of second side walls perpendicular to the pair of first side walls and forming an outer peripheral wall together with the first side walls, and wherein the retain protrusion faces the pair of first side walls and the pair of second side walls in the non-fitted state.
8. 8 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the retain protrusion faces a bottom surface of the bottom wall of the first insulator, the bottom surface being flush with the contact portion, in the non-fitted state.
9. 9 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the bottom surface of the retain protrusion is flush with the portion of the bottom portion.
10. 10 . An electronic device comprising: the connector according to claim 1 .
11. 11 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the bottom surface of the retain protrusion is disposed outward of the first surface in the longitudinal direction.
12. 12 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the bottom surface of the retain protrusion is disposed further away from the bottom wall than the first surface.
13. 13 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein a height of the pair of first side walls of the first insulator is less than a height of the elastic portion of the contact.
14. 14 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of first side walls of the first insulator comprises an inclined surface facing an inclined extension of the elastic portion of the contact, the inclined surface oriented approximately parallel to the inclined extension of the elastic portion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-016954, filed Feb. 4, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a connector and an electronic device. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In the related art, a connector having a floating structure is known as an example of a technique for improving the reliability of connection with a connection target, the floating structure accommodating the positional deviation between a connection target and a connector by allowing a movable insulator, which is a portion of the connector, to move even during and after fitting the connector and the connection target together. Patent Literature 1 discloses an electrical connector for a circuit board capable of increasing the amount of elastic deformation of an elastic portion of a terminal while ensuring a reduction in height by reducing a heightwise dimension of the connector in a state where the terminal is securely held on a stationary housing and a movable housing by integral molding. Such an electrical connector for a circuit board has a floating structure. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 6727103 SUMMARY In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a connector includes a first insulator, a second insulator, and a contact. The first insulator is formed in a rectangular shape and includes a pair of first side walls and a bottom wall. The second insulator extends along a longitudinal direction of the first insulator. The second insulator is partially positioned in a space surrounded by the pair of first side walls and the bottom wall and is movable relative to the first insulator. The contact is mounted on the first side walls of the first insulator and on the second insulator and includes an elastic portion. The elastic portion is located between the first insulator and the second insulator and connects the first insulator and the second insulator to each other. The second insulator and the elastic portion are spaced apart from the first insulator and face the bottom wall in a non-fitted state in which the second insulator and a connection target are not fitted to each other. An end portion of the elastic portion on the bottom wall side is located further toward the bottom wall side than an end portion of the second insulator on the bottom wall side. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes the above-described connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment in a state of being connected to a connection target when viewed from the top surface of the connector. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the connector according to the embodiment in a state of being separated from the connection target when viewed from the top surface of the connector. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of only the connector illustrated in FIG. 1 when viewed from the top surface. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 3 when viewed from the top surface. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line V-V of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion VII that is surrounded by a dashed line illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of the connection target when viewed from the top surface, the connection target being configured to be connected to the connector illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the connection target illustrated in FIG. 9 when viewed from the top surface. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 1. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS In a connector having a floating structure, a sufficient movable amount of a movable insulator along a fitting direction in which the connector and a connection target are fitted to each other is desirably obtained. Patent Literature 1 in which the electrical connector for a circuit board is described focuses mainly on movement of a movable insulator along a direction perpendicular to a fitting direction, that is, for example, in a direction parallel to the circuit board. If the movable insulator moves in the fitting direction in the electrical connector for a circuit board described in Patent Literature 1, components of the connector, such as a contact and the movable insulator, may possibly come into contact with the circuit board. As a result, problems such as deformation and breakage may possibly occur in the contact. Such a problem may possibly cause deterioration of the connector's movable characteristics, which are due to its floating structure. When the contact comes into contact with the circuit board, an electrical failure such as a short-circuit may