connector

Abstract

This prevents looseness between the connector and the mating connector when mated, and also improves the ease of work for the operator when inspecting the connector. [Solution] In the connector 10, the housing body 12 is provided with contact pieces 40 and 41 that extend outward from the outer circumference of the housing body 12 with a predetermined extension length in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and whose tips abut against the inner circumference of the mating housing 91 within the mating space 16. The housing 11 is also provided with identification grooves 50 that are provided in the housing 11 at different positions or in different shapes depending on the extension length of the contact pieces 40 and 41.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector that mates with a mating connector. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a connector including a connector main body and a cylindrical hood portion surrounding the outside of the connector main body. In such a connector, a fitting space into which a mating hood of a mating connector is inserted is provided between the outer periphery of the connector main body and the inner periphery of the hood portion. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2024-38633 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In a fitted state with the mating connector, rattling may occur between the connector and the mating connector. Occurrence of such rattling in a fitted connector may, for example, cause abnormal noise accompanying vibration. Such rattling in the fitted state also occurs due to dimensional variations within the range of dimensional tolerances of the connector and the mating connector. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the structure of a connector that can be fitted with a mating connector. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0005] The connector of this disclosure comprises a housing having a housing body that accommodates terminals, a cylindrical hood portion that surrounds the outside of the housing body, and a mating space between the housing body and the hood portion, into which the mating housing of the mating connector is inserted and mated; a contact piece provided on the housing body, extending outward from the outer circumference of the housing body by a predetermined extension length in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, with its tip abutting against the inner circumference of the mating housing in the mating space; and identification grooves provided on the housing at different positions or in different shapes depending on the extension length of the contact piece. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The connector of this disclosure prevents looseness between the connector and the mating connector when mated, and also improves the workability when an operator checks the connector. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector and the mating connector. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of the connector. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a rear view of the connector, seen from the rear. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view of the connector as seen from the side. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken at the AA section position in Figure 2. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at the BB cross-section location in Figure 2. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the mating state with the mating connector at the AA cross-sectional position in Figure 2. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the mating state with the mating connector at the BB cross-sectional position in Figure 2. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a rear view of the connector, seen from the rear. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a rear view of the connector, seen from the rear. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a magnified portion of the inspection jig. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows a connector attached to an inspection jig. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows a connector attached to an inspection jig. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. [1] A connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a housing having a housing body that houses terminals, a cylindrical hood portion that surrounds the outside of the housing body, and a mating space between the housing body and the hood portion, into which a mating housing of a mating connector is inserted and mated; a contact piece provided on the housing body, extending outward from the outer circumference of the housing body by a predetermined extension length in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, with its tip contacting the inner circumference of the mating housing in the mating space; and an identification groove provided on the housing at different positions or in different shapes depending on the extension length of the contact piece.

[0009] In the connector with the above configuration, the mating housing of the mating connector can be inserted into the mating space between the housing body and the hood portion to mate with the mating connector. Furthermore, the housing body has contact pieces that extend outward from the outer circumference of the housing body with a predetermined extension length in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and the tip of the contact piece abuts against the inner circumference of the mating housing within the mating space, thereby fixing the mating housing to the housing body and preventing rattling. In addition, the housing is provided with identification grooves of different positions or shapes according to the extension length of the contact pieces, so that the operator can confirm the difference in the extension length of the contact pieces provided in the housing from the position and shape of the identification pieces, thereby improving the workability when checking the connector.

[0010] In the connector according to [2] and [1], the housing includes a connecting wall portion that connects the housing main body and the hood portion on a rear side and extends in a width direction. The connecting wall portion may include a lead-out cylinder portion that extends rearward from the connecting wall portion and leads out a wire connected to a terminal accommodated in the housing main body, and the identification groove may be provided on the connecting wall portion on a peripheral edge side relative to the lead-out cylinder portion and formed by a rib extending rearward from the connecting wall portion.

[0011] [3] In the connector according to the above [1] or [2], the hood portion includes a pair of peripheral wall portions opposed to each other in a width direction, and includes a finger hook portion provided on a rear side of the pair of peripheral wall portions on which an operator's finger can be hooked, and the rib forming the identification groove may extend rearward from the connecting wall portion at a position inward of the finger hook portion in the width direction. With the above configuration, since the rib forming the identification groove does not protrude outward beyond the finger hook portion, the rib does not become an obstacle when the operator grips the connector.

[0012] [4] In the connector according to any one of the above [1] to [3], the identification groove is a groove into which an identification piece provided on an inspection jig for inspecting the conduction state of the connector is inserted, and the position or shape of the identification piece on the inspection jig may be determined according to the position of the identification groove in the connector to be inspected. With the above configuration, an operator can identify the difference in the extension length of the contact piece by diverting the inspection jig for conducting a continuity test on the connector, thereby reducing the burden when identifying housings having different contact pieces.

[0013] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, a part of the configuration may be shown in an exaggerated or simplified manner.

[0014] In the following description, the direction in which arrow X extends is referred to as "front-rear direction X", the direction in which arrow Y extends is referred to as "width direction Y", and the direction in which arrow Z extends is referred to as "vertical direction Z". Note that, for a plurality of identical members, reference numerals may be provided only to some members and omitted for other members. In the following description, regarding the front-rear direction, the side where the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 face each other at the start of fitting is defined as the front side.

[0015] (First Embodiment) The connector 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a waterproof connector configured to be fittable to a mating housing 91 of a mating connector 90 on the front side. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the connector 10 mainly includes a housing 11 that accommodates terminal fittings, and a retainer 30. Note that in Fig. 1, Fig. 7, and Fig. 8, the rear portion of the mating housing 91 is omitted from illustration.

[0016] The mating connector 90 to be fitted to the connector 10 includes a mating housing 91 as shown in Fig. 1. The mating housing 91 is made of synthetic resin and is a member having a space for holding a plurality of mating terminal fittings inside. The mating housing 91 includes a mating hood portion 92 extending toward the front side. The mating hood portion 92 is a cylindrical part open at the front, and has different inner diameter dimensions in the front-rear direction. Of the mating hood portion 92, the front hood part 93 is a part located on the front side, and the rear hood part 94 is continuously provided with respect to the front hood part 93, and is a part on the side where the mating terminal fittings are accommodated. The rear hood part 94 is thicker than the front hood part 93, and has an inner diameter smaller than that of the front hood part 93.

[0017] The upper part of the peripheral wall of the mating housing 91 is flat, and a mating lock portion 95 for maintaining the mated state with the connector 10 is provided protruding from this wall. In addition, the peripheral wall of the mating housing 91 is provided with a mis-mating prevention rib 96 that extends outward from the outer circumference and also extends in the front-rear direction X. As will be described later, the mis-mating prevention rib 96 is inserted into a rib receiving groove 18 provided in the hood portion 13 of the connector 10, and is a part that prevents incorrect mating orientation of the mating connector 90 with respect to the connector 10.

[0018] The housing 11 of the connector 10 is made of synthetic resin and mainly comprises a columnar housing body 12 and a cylindrical hood portion 13 that surrounds the outside of the housing body 12, as shown in Figures 1 to 5. The connector 10 also has a connecting wall portion 14 (shown in Figure 5) on the rear side, which has wall surfaces extending in the width direction Y and the vertical direction Z, and the housing body 12 and the hood portion 13 are connected by the connecting wall portion 14.

[0019] The housing body 12 is provided with multiple terminal housing sections 15, which are openings extending in the front-to-back direction X, and which house terminal fittings. Each terminal housing section 15 is arranged in a row in the width direction Y so as to correspond to the mating terminal fitting when mated with the mating connector 90. Electrical wires are connected to the terminal fittings housed in the terminal housing sections 15, and these wires are routed out to the outside from the rear side of the housing 11.

[0020] The hood portion 13 has peripheral walls that surround the housing body 12. As shown in Figure 2, when viewed from the front, the hood portion 13 has an outer diameter that is approximately rectangular and has four peripheral walls 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D. In addition, finger rests 45 are provided on the rear side of the left and right side peripheral walls 13C and 13D of the hood portion 13, where the worker's fingers can be placed when gripping the connector 10. As shown in Figure 4, the finger rests 45 are provided on the rear side of the side peripheral walls 13C and 13D of the housing 11, and have a stepped shape that becomes recessed inward as it moves towards the rear in the front-rear direction X. Therefore, the finger rests 45 are recessed most inward at the rear end of the side peripheral walls 13C and 13D.

[0021] Inside the housing 11, the space enclosed by the peripheral walls 13A to 13D of the hood portion 13 and the housing body 12 is the mating space 16 into which the mating hood portion 92 of the mating connector 90 is inserted. A lock arm 17 is provided on the upper side within the mating space 16, which engages with the mating lock portion 95 of the mating connector 90. The lock arm 17 is a part that can bend and deform in the vertical direction within the mating space 16, and when the mating lock portion 95 fits into the lock hole, the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 are held in a mated state. The side peripheral walls 13C and 13D of the hood portion 13 are provided with rib receiving grooves 18 that are recessed on the inside and extend in the front-rear direction X. The rib receiving grooves 18 are grooves into which the mis-mating prevention ribs 96 of the mating connector 90, which have already been described, are inserted when mating.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the connecting wall portion 14 is located at the rear of the housing 11 and is the part that connects the hood portion 13 and the housing body 12. The connecting wall portion 14 is equipped with an outlet cylinder portion 19 from which wiring from terminal fittings housed in the terminal housing portion 15 is drawn out. The outlet cylinder portion 19 is a cylindrical part that extends rearward from the connecting wall portion 14 and has an opening that communicates with the terminal housing portion 15 of the housing body 12.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the housing body 12 is fitted with a retainer 30 that prevents the terminal fitting housed in the terminal housing portion 15 from coming loose. The retainer 30 is made of synthetic resin and is a flexible material. The retainer 30 comprises a base portion 31 and an extended piece 32. The base portion 31 is a roughly rectangular plate-like portion in a plan view from above, and is housed and held in the retainer holding portion 24 of the housing body 12 with its thickness direction parallel to the vertical direction Z. The extended piece 32 is a flat plate-like portion that extends upward from the base portion 31, and with its thickness direction parallel to the width direction Y, it also extends in the front-rear direction X.

[0024] The upper part of the base portion 31 is provided with an upwardly protruding retaining projection 33. The retaining projection 33 is a part that prevents the terminal fitting from falling out of the terminal housing portion 15 and prevents excessive downward bending deformation of the terminal fitting when the retainer 30 is housed and held in the retainer holding portion 24 of the housing body 12. The retaining projection 33 extends upward from the base portion 31 and also extends in the front-rear direction X. In this embodiment, two retaining projections 33 are provided on the left and right sides, flanking the extended piece 32.

[0025] In the connector 10 with the above configuration, the mating hood portion 92 of the mating connector 90 is inserted into the mating space 16 provided between the housing body 12 and the hood portion 13, causing the terminals of the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 to come into contact and enter a mated state. At this time, looseness may occur between the mated connector 10 and the mating connector 90. For example, if the inner diameter of the hood portion 13 of the connector 10 is larger than the outer diameter of the mating hood portion 92 of the mating connector 90, looseness will occur between the connector 10 and the mating connector 90. Such looseness in the mated connector 10 may cause abnormal noise due to vibration after assembly into a product. Note that such looseness in the mated state can also be caused by dimensional variations within the dimensional tolerances of the connector 10 and the mating connector 90.

[0026] Therefore, in the connector 10 according to this embodiment, the housing body 12 is provided with contact pieces 40 and 41 that abut against the inner circumference of the mating hood portion 92. By selecting and using housings 11 (housings 11A, 11B, and 11C described later) with different lengths of contact pieces 40 and 41 depending on the gap with the mating connector 90, looseness between the housing 11 and the mating hood portion 92 in the mated state is prevented.

[0027] (Regarding the configuration of the housing itself) Next, the detailed configuration of the housing body 12 will be described. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the housing body 12 includes a rear cylindrical portion 20 that extends forward from the connecting wall portion 14 and is the rear side of the housing body 12, and a front cylindrical portion 21 that extends forward from the rear cylindrical portion 20.

[0028] The rear cylindrical portion 20 has a smooth sealing surface 22 formed around its entire circumference, and a sealing member 23 is attached to this sealing surface 22. The sealing member 23 is an annular member and is made of, for example, silicone rubber. When the connector 10 is mated with the mating connector 90, as will be described later, the outer circumference of the sealing member 23 adheres tightly to the inner circumference of the mating housing 91, thereby sealing the gap between the housing body 12 and the mating housing 91.

[0029] As shown in Figure 6, the front cylindrical portion 21 is provided with a terminal housing portion 15, which is an opening extending in the front-rear direction X and which houses terminal fittings. This terminal housing portion 15 extends to the rear cylindrical portion 20 and communicates with the opening of the lead-out cylindrical portion 19 described earlier.

[0030] The front cylindrical portion 21 is provided with a retainer holding portion 24, which is an opening extending in the front-rear direction X and houses the retainer 30. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the retainer holding portion 24 includes a base opening 25 that houses the base portion 31 of the retainer 30, and an upper opening 26 that extends upward from the base opening 25 and houses the extended piece 32 of the retainer 30.

[0031] The base opening 25 is an opening that widens into the front cylindrical portion 21 according to the shape of the base portion 31 of the retainer 30, and its inner width dimension in the vertical direction Z corresponds to the thickness dimension of the base portion 31. The upper opening 26 is an opening that widens into the front cylindrical portion 21 according to the shape of the extension piece 32 of the retainer 30. The inner width dimension of the upper opening 26 in the width direction Y corresponds to the thickness dimension of the extension piece 32.

[0032] In the front cylindrical portion 21, the base opening 25 and the terminal housing portion 15 are connected, and the retaining projection 33 provided on the base portion 31 can be inserted into the terminal housing portion 15 from below. As shown in Figure 6, when the retaining projection 33 of the retainer 30 is inserted into the terminal housing portion 15, the terminal fitting housed in the terminal housing portion 15 is supported from below by the retaining projection 33, preventing it from coming out of the terminal housing portion 15.

[0033] (Regarding the configuration of the contact section) As already explained, the housing body 12 is provided with a pair of first contact pieces 40 extending outward from the outer circumference, and a pair of second contact pieces 41 extending outward from the outer circumference at a different angle from the first contact pieces 40. As shown in Figure 5, the pair of first contact pieces 40 are portions that extend upward and downward from the housing body 12 by a predetermined extension length. The pair of first contact pieces 40 also extend in the front-rear direction X within the fitting space 16, with the thickness direction parallel to the width direction Y. In this embodiment, the tip side of the pair of first contact pieces 40 is provided with a chamfered portion 40A whose height increases as it moves from the front end to the rear.

[0034] As shown in Figure 6, the pair of second contact pieces 41 are portions that extend to the left and right in the width direction Y relative to the housing body 12. The pair of second contact pieces 41 also extend in the front-rear direction X within the fitting space 16, with their thickness direction parallel to the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the tip side of the pair of second contact pieces 41 is provided with a chamfered portion 41A whose height increases as it moves from the front end to the rear.

[0035] Furthermore, the extension lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 from the housing body 12 are determined according to the inner diameter dimension of the mating hood portion 92 of the mating connector 90 to be mated. In this embodiment, housing 11A shown in Figures 1 to 8 is the housing with the largest extension lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41. In Figures 5 and 6, the extension lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 are indicated as "L1" and "L2", respectively. Housing 11B shown in Figure 9 is the housing 11 with the second largest extension lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41, and the extension lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 are smaller than the extension lengths L1 and L2 shown in Figures 5 and 6. Furthermore, the housing 11C shown in Figure 10 is the housing 11 with the smallest extended length of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41, and the extended length of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 is the smallest among the three housings 11A to 11C.

[0036] For example, for a mating connector 90 whose mating hood portion 92 has the widest inner diameter, housing 11A with the longest extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 will be used. On the other hand, for a mating connector 90 whose mating hood portion 92 has the narrowest inner diameter, housing 11C with the shortest extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 will be used. In other words, depending on the gap with the mating connector 90, the most suitable housing 11A to 11C will be selected from among the multiple housings 11A to 11C.

[0037] In the connector 10 according to this embodiment, identification grooves 50 are provided in the housing 11 at different positions according to the extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41, so that an operator can visually determine the difference in the extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the connecting wall portion 14 is provided with ribs extending to the rear. As shown in Figure 3, among the ribs provided on the connecting wall portion 14, a first rib 51 and a second rib 52, which form the identification groove 50, extend to the rear on the periphery of the connecting wall portion 14. The first rib 51 extends to the rear above the connecting wall portion 14 and inclined inward from top to bottom. The lower tip 51A of the first rib 51 extends inward in the width direction Y. The second rib 52 extends to the rear below the connecting wall portion 14 and bends outward in the width direction Y. The upper tip 52A of the second rib 52 extends inward in the width direction Y.

[0039] In the first and second ribs 51 and 52, an identification groove 50 is formed by the gap in the vertical direction Z between the respective ends 51A and 52A. The gap dimension in the vertical direction Z between the respective ends 51A and 52A of the first and second ribs 51 and 52, i.e., the inner width dimension of the identification groove 50, is the same for all housings 11A to 11C. As shown in Figure 3, the first and second ribs 51 and 52 are provided outside (at the periphery) of the outlet cylinder portion 19 in the connecting wall portion 14.

[0040] Furthermore, the height dimension LA in the vertical direction Z from the base of the housing 11 (specifically, the connecting wall portion 14) to the tip 51A of the first rib 51 corresponds to the extended length of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41, as previously described. In the housing 11A shown in Figure 3, the height dimension in the vertical direction Z from the base of the housing 11A to the tip 51A of the first rib 51 is LA, which is the smallest (lowest) dimension among the three housings 11A, 11B, and 11C. In the housing 11B shown in Figure 9, the height dimension LB in the vertical direction Z from the base to the tip 51A of the first rib 51 is an intermediate size (height) dimension among the three housings 11A, 11B, and 11C. In the housing 11C shown in Figure 10, the height dimension LC in the vertical direction Z from the base to the tip 51A of the first rib 51 is the largest (highest) dimension among the three housings 11A, 11B, and 11C.

[0041] Due to the difference in the position of the identification groove 50 provided in the housing 11, the worker can visually inspect the identification groove 50 provided in the finger grip portion 45 and recognize the extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 provided inside the selected connector 10, even before assembling the connector 10.

[0042] (Regarding the assembly of the retainer to the housing body) In assembling the connector 10 with the above configuration, the worker selects a housing 11 that provides the optimal extension length of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 from the position of the identification groove 50, according to the inner diameter dimension of the mating hood portion 92 of the mating connector 90, prior to assembling the connector 10. In this example, an example of assembling the connector 10 with housing 11A selected will be described.

[0043] Next, the terminal fittings are placed in the terminal housing section 15 of the housing body 12 of the selected housing 11A, and the sealing member 23 is attached to the sealing surface 22 of the rear cylindrical section 20. Then, the retainer 30 is inserted from the front side of the housing 11A into the openings 25 and 26 of the retainer holding section 24. At this time, the retaining projection 33 of the retainer 30 is positioned below the terminal housing section 15, preventing the terminal fittings from falling out forward within the terminal housing section 15, and suppressing excessive bending deformation of the terminal fittings in the vertical Z direction.

[0044] (Regarding mating with the other connector) Next, using Figures 7 and 8, the procedure for mating the connector 10, which has the terminal fittings and retainer 30 assembled, with the mating connector 90 will be explained. The mating hood portion 92 of the mating connector 90 is inserted into the mating space 16 formed between the housing body 12 and the hood portion 13, thereby partially mating the connector 10 with respect to the mating connector 90. In the partially mated state, as the front portion 93 of the hood enters the mating space 16, the front portion 93 of the hood passes over the tips of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41.

[0045] As the insertion of the mating housing 91 into the mating space 16 continues, the inner circumference of the rear portion 94 of the hood faces the tips of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41. The rear portion 94 of the hood has a smaller inner diameter than the front portion 93 of the hood, and as the rear portion 94 of the hood is inserted into the mating space 16, its inner circumference comes into contact with the tips of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41. As already explained, since the housing 11A is selected according to the inner diameter of the mating connector 90 (more precisely, the rear portion 94 of the hood), the tips of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 will always come into contact with the inner circumference of the rear portion 94 of the hood.

[0046] As insertion into the mating space 16 of the mating connector 90 continues, the contact between the inner circumference of the rear portion 94 of the hood and the tips of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 is maintained, and the terminal fitting held by the housing body 12 comes into contact with the mating terminal fitting of the mating connector 90, resulting in a mated state. In the mated state, the mating lock portion 95 of the mating connector 90 engages with the lock arm 17 of the connector 10, thereby maintaining the mated state between the connector 10 and the mating connector 90.

[0047] Furthermore, in the mating state, the inner circumference of the front portion 93 of the mating connector 90 abuts against the projection 23A of the sealing member 23, and the gap between the mating hood portion 92 of the mating connector 90 and the housing body 12 is sealed.

[0048] Next, a method for identifying connector 10 using an inspection jig for assembling a harness (not shown) to connector 10 and performing a continuity test will be described. Figure 11 shows the continuity test jig. In the continuity test, with connector 10 mounted on the continuity test jig, the test connector corresponding to the mating connector 90 is mated to connector 10 and power is supplied to check whether connector 10 has continuity.

[0049] The inspection jig 80 includes a positioning frame 81 on which the connector 10 is mounted. The positioning frame 81A shown in Figures 11 and 12 is for housing 11A. The positioning frame 81B shown in Figure 13 is for housing 11B. As shown in Figure 11, the positioning frame 81A is a box-shaped part with an opening at the top, and has a connector mounting section inside that expands according to the external shape of the connector 10. In addition, the opposing side walls of the positioning frame 81A have notches 82 formed, which are cut out from the top to the bottom.

[0050] In the positioning frame 81A, an identification piece 83 is provided inside one of the notches 82 for identifying the extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 provided on the housing 11. The position of the identification piece 83 inside the notch 82 is determined according to the position of the identification groove 50 provided on the connector 10 to be inspected. Specifically, the positioning frame 81A shown in Figures 11 and 12 corresponds to the housing 11A, and the position of the identification piece 83 inside the notch 82 is such that it is inserted into the identification groove 50 provided on the housing 11A when the connector 10 is mounted in the connector mounting section. On the other hand, the positioning frame 81B shown in Figure 13 corresponds to the housing 11B, and the position of the identification piece 83 inside the notch 82 is such that it is inserted into the identification groove 50 provided on the housing 11B, compared to the positioning frame 81A shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0051] As shown in Figure 12, when attaching the connector 10 to the positioning frame 81, the connector 10 is tilted approximately 90 degrees vertically and then attached to the connector mounting portion of the positioning frame 81A. At this time, the connector 10 is inserted into the connector mounting portion with the connecting wall portion 14 facing the notch portion 82 where the identification piece 83 is provided, and the opening of the mating housing 91 facing the other notch portion 82. When the correct connector 10 (in this example, the connector 10 with housing 11A) is attached to the positioning frame 81A, the positions of the identification groove 50 and the identification piece 83 align in the vertical direction Z of the connector 10, and the identification piece 83 can be inserted into the identification groove 50 and the connector 10 can be pushed into the inside of the connector mounting portion. If the wrong connector 10 (in this example, a connector 10 with housings 11B and 11C) is mounted on the positioning frame 81A, the identification groove 50 and the identification piece 83 will not align in the width direction Y, causing the identification piece 83 to interfere with the connector 10, and preventing the connector 10 from being pushed into the connector mounting section.

[0052] Therefore, by preparing inspection jigs corresponding to each housing 11A to 11C, the worker can recognize, before the continuity test, if a connector 10 with first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 that are different from the intended extension length has been mixed in.

[0053] (Effects of the embodiment) The connector 10 according to this embodiment, as described above, provides the following effects. In the connector 10, the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 extend outward from the outer circumference of the housing body 12 with a predetermined extension length in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction X. The tips of these pieces abut against the inner circumference of the mating housing 91 within the mating space 16, thereby fixing the mating housing 91 to the housing body 12 and preventing looseness between the two housings. Furthermore, the housing 11 is provided with identification grooves 50 at different positions corresponding to the extension lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41. This allows the worker to confirm the extension lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41 from the position of the identification grooves 50, improving the workability when inspecting the housing 11 of the connector 10.

[0054] In the connector 10, the first and second ribs 51 and 52 that form the identification groove 50 do not extend beyond the finger grip portion 45, so that the first and second ribs 51 and 52 do not get in the way when an operator grips the connector 10.

[0055] By using the inspection jig 80, which is used to perform a continuity test on the connector 10, it is possible to identify the difference in the extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41, thereby reducing the burden on the worker when identifying housings with different contact pieces.

[0056] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically. In the above embodiment, the identification grooves 50 were provided at different positions according to the difference in the extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41. Alternatively, the identification grooves 50 may have different shapes according to the difference in the extended lengths of the first and second contact pieces 40 and 41. In this case as well, the positioning frame 81 of the inspection jig 80 may be provided with identification pieces 83 having shapes corresponding to the differences in the identification grooves 50.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the identification groove 50 was formed by first and second ribs 51 and 52 extending rearward from the connecting wall portion 14, and was provided at the rear of the housing 11. The identification groove 50 only needs to be provided in a position that can be recognized from the outside in the hood portion 13, and may be provided at a position other than the rear of the housing 11.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the first and second ribs 51 and 52 that form the identification groove 50 were located inward from the finger grip portion 45 in the width direction Y and extended rearward from the connecting wall portion 14. Alternatively, in a configuration in which the connector 10 does not have a finger grip portion 45, the position of the first and second ribs 51 and 52 on the connecting wall portion 14 may be any position.

[0059] In the above embodiment, an identification piece 83 was provided on the inspection jig 80 for continuity testing. Alternatively, the position of the identification groove 50 provided in the housing 11 may be identified by a jig different from the one used for continuity testing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10: Connector 11A, 11B, 11C: Housing 12: Housing body 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D: Peripheral wall 13: Food Department 14: Connecting wall section 15: Terminal housing section 16: Fitting space 17: Lock Arm 18: Rib support groove 19: Lead-out cylinder part 20: Rear side cylinder part 21: Front side cylinder part 22: Sealing surface 23: Sealing material 23A: Protrusion 24: Retainer holding part 25: Base opening 26: Upper opening 30: Retainer 31: Base section 32: Extension piece 33: Retaining protrusion 40: 1st contact piece 40A: Chamfered section 41:Second contact piece 41A: Chamfered section 45: Finger rest part 50: Identification groove 51: First Rib 51A: Tip 51A:Tip 52: Second Rib 80: Inspection fixtures 81: Positioning frame 82: Notch 83: Identification piece 90: Mating connector 91: Opponent Housing 92: Opponent's Food Department 93: Front part of the hood 94: Rear of the hood 95: Mating lock part 96: Rib to prevent mis-fitting L1,L2: Extension length LA, LB, LC: Height dimensions

Claims

1. A housing having a housing body that accommodates terminals, a cylindrical hood portion that surrounds the outside of the housing body, and a space between the housing body and the hood portion, which is a mating space into which the mating housing of the mating connector is inserted and fitted, A contact piece is provided on the housing body, extending outward from the outer circumference of the housing body with a predetermined extension length in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and its tip abuts against the inner circumference of the mating housing within the fitting space, A connector comprising: identification grooves provided in the housing at different positions or in different shapes depending on the extension length of the contact piece.

2. The housing comprises a connecting wall that extends in the width direction and connects the housing body and the hood portion at the rear. The aforementioned connecting wall portion is It includes an outlet cylinder portion that extends rearward from the connecting wall portion and provides wiring for connection to terminals housed in the housing body, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the identification groove is provided on the connecting wall portion on the peripheral side of the outlet cylinder portion and is formed by a rib extending rearward from the connecting wall portion.

3. The hood portion comprises a pair of peripheral wall portions facing each other in the width direction, The pair of peripheral wall portions are provided on the rear side and include finger rests on which the worker's fingers can be placed, The connector according to claim 2, wherein the rib forming the identification groove extends rearward from the connecting wall portion in the width direction, inward from the finger grip portion.

4. The identification groove is a groove into which an identification piece provided in an inspection jig for inspecting the conductivity state of the connector is inserted. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the position or shape of the identification piece on the inspection jig is determined according to the position of the identification groove in the connector to be inspected.

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