Electrical connector for circuit boards and manufacturing method thereof
A connector with stationary housings, a movable housing, and terminals. The terminals have a movable-side retained portion including a contact portion secured in place by unitary molding in a movable-side retaining portion of the movable housing, a stationary-side retained portion secured in place by unitary molding at a location proximate the connecting portion of the terminals in a stationary-side retaining portion of the stationary housing, and a resiliently displaceable resilient portion coupling the movable-side retained portion to the stationary-side retained portion. The resilient portion has a curved apex portion constituting the upper end of the resilient portion outwardly of the movable-side retained portion in the connector-width direction, and lateral open spaces, which are open in the connector-width direction, are formed in a range including at least the apex portion below the above-mentioned movable-side retaining portion positioned above the apex portion.
1. An electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of terminals arranged in an array, each of the plurality of terminals comprising:
a connecting portion at one end for connecting to a mounting surface of a circuit board, and
a contact portion at another end for contacting a counterpart contact member mated therewith;
a stationary housing securing said plurality of terminals in place that is fixedly mounted to the circuit board, and
a movable housing that is separate from said stationary housing and is movable relative to said stationary housing; wherein the counterpart contact member is mated with the movable housing,
wherein the each of the plurality of terminals comprises:
a movable-side retained portion wherein the contact portion is secured in place by unitary molding with the movable housing in a movable-side retaining portion of said movable housing,
a stationary-side retained portion secured in place by the unitary molding with the stationary housing at a location proximate the connecting portion in a stationary-side retaining portion of said stationary housing, and
a resiliently displaceable resilient portion coupling the movable-side retained portion to said stationary-side retained portion; the resilient portion comprising a curved apex portion on an upper end of said resilient portion outwardly of the movable-side retained portion in a connector-width direction perpendicular to the terminal array direction within a plane parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board; and
wherein lateral open spaces are formed in the connector-width direction in a range including at least an apex portion below the movable-side retaining portion that is positioned above the curved apex portion in the terminal array direction such that at least a portion of the curved apex portion of each of the resiliently displaceable resilient portion is exposed by the lateral open spaces along a connector-width direction of the stationary housing.
2. The electrical connector for circuit boards of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of terminals are disposed in two rows facing each other symmetrically in the connector-width direction, and the stationary housing comprises separate members separated in a terminal array direction, the separate members configured to fixedly secure in place each of the two terminal rows respectively.
3. The electrical connector for circuit boards of claim 2 , wherein the stationary housing comprises two stationary housings represented by the separate members that are coupled using connecting fittings extending in the connector-width direction.
4. The electrical connector for circuit boards according to claim 1 wherein, in the resilient portion, at least part of said resilient portion in the connector-width direction is located within the width-wise range of the movable housing.