Electrical connector

Abstract

The present application provides an electrical connector capable of preventing misinsertion of an object connector and suppressing deformation of a housing. An electrical connector (1) includes a housing (2) having a plate-shaped body (21), a plurality of terminals (3) held to the plate-shaped body, and a metal housing (4) having a cylindrical shape surrounding the periphery of the plate-shaped body and the terminals, wherein the housing has a fitting opening (40) for fitting the object connector, two or more side walls (41) disposed in a manner along the fitting direction of the object connector, a linking portion (42) linking adjacent side walls among the two or more side walls, and a first branch strip-shaped piece (43) disposed at a position closer to the fitting opening than the linking portion, bent from one side wall (41a) among the adjacent side walls around an axis (J) along the fitting direction, and extending toward the other side wall (41b) among the adjacent side walls, and an edge (E) on the opposite side of the linking portion constitutes a part of the fitting opening.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an electrical connector having a housing that surrounds the periphery of a terminal, and particularly relates to an electrical connector having a housing that prevents misinsertion of an object connector. BACKGROUND

[0002] From the viewpoint of preventing misinsertion of an object connector into a connector, it is known that the shape of a fitting port of each connector is characterized (for example, Patent Literature 1). By thus characterizing the shape of the fitting port, if the shapes of the fitting ports of the respective connectors do not match, the respective connectors cannot be fitted, and thus damage or breakage of the terminals of the connectors that can occur when forcibly inserted can be prevented.

[0003] As a method of characterizing the shape of the fitting port, a technique is known in which a bending piece is provided to a side of the fitting port of the housing of the connector and the shape of the fitting port is made asymmetric by the bending piece (for example, Patent Literature 2).

[0004] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-246114

[0005] Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-152310

[0006] The above-described bending piece is erected in the fitting direction of the connector to a side of the housing that constitutes the fitting port, and is bent so that the tip end portion thereof is orthogonal to the fitting direction, and in the case where the shape or orientation of the fitting port of the object connector does not match, the fitting of the object connector can be prevented by the face that forms the tip end portion, and thus misinsertion can be prevented.

[0007] However, with the above-described bending piece, the object connector is blocked by the face of the tip end portion, and thus there is a problem in that the bending piece itself deforms, and in addition, the housing easily deforms due to the force applied to the bending piece. SUMMARY

[0008] The present application was achieved in order to solve the above-described problems, and has an object to provide an electrical connector that can prevent misinsertion of an object connector and suppress deformation of a housing.

[0009] The electric connector of the present application is characterized by comprising: a housing having a plate-like body; a plurality of terminals held to the plate-like body; and a metal-made shell having a cylindrical shape surrounding the periphery of the plate-like body and the terminals, wherein the shell has: a fitting opening for fitting an object connector; two or more side walls provided in a manner to follow the fitting direction of the object connector; a connecting portion connecting adjacent side walls among the two or more side walls; and a first branch strip provided at a position closer to the fitting opening than the connecting portion, bent from one of the adjacent side walls around an axis in the fitting direction, and extending toward the other of the adjacent side walls, and the edge E of the first branch strip on the side opposite to the connecting portion constitutes a part of the fitting opening.

[0010] According to the present application, an electric connector can be obtained which can prevent misfitting of an object connector and suppress deformation of a shell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a front side perspective view of the electric connector according to the embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 is a back side perspective view of the electric connector according to the embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 is a plan view of the electric connector according to the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of one corner portion of the shell provided with the first and second branch strips, and is a view observed from the outside of the shell.

[0015] Figure 5 is a partial enlarged view of one corner portion of the shell provided with the first and second branch strips, and is a view observed from the inside of the shell.

[0016] Figure 6 is a plan view of the shell according to the modification example 1 of the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 is a plan view of the shell according to the modification example 2 of the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 is a plan view of the shell according to the modification example 3 of the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 9 is a partial enlarged view of a corner portion of the shell according to the modification example of the branch strip, and is a view observed from the inside of the shell.

[0020] Figure 10is a partial enlarged view of a corner portion of a housing involved in a modification example of a branched tape piece, and is a view observed from the outside of the housing.

[0021] Figure 11 is a partial enlarged plan view of a corner portion of a housing involved in a modification example of a branched tape piece.

[0022] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0023] 1… electrical connector; 2… housing; 20… base; 21… plate-shaped body; 3… terminal; 4… housing; 40… fitting opening; 41… side wall; 41a… one side wall; 41b… the other side wall; 42… connecting portion; 43… first branched tape piece; 44… second branched tape piece; 45… cutout portion; 451… first cutout; 452… second cutout; 46… locking hole; 47… hook portion; 47a… opening; 47b… hook; 48… guide piece; 49a… protrusion; 49b… recess. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] [Embodiment]

[0025] [Structure]

[0026] Figure 1 is a front side perspective view of an electrical connector involved in the present embodiment. Figure 2 is a back side perspective view of an electrical connector involved in the present embodiment. Figure 3 is a plan view of an electrical connector involved in the present embodiment.

[0027] In the following embodiments, for the convenience of explanation, the long side direction (the arrangement direction of the terminals) of the electrical connector 1 is set as the X (X1X2) direction, the short side direction (the opposite direction of the terminals) is set as the Y (Y1Y2) direction, and the height direction (the fitting and pulling-out direction) is set as the Z (Z1Z2) direction. The Z2 direction is the fitting direction, and the Z1 direction is the pulling-out direction. Further, each direction is used for explaining the relative positional relationship of the parts constituting the electrical connector, and does not indicate an absolute direction. In the height direction, there are cases where the Z1 side is relatively referred to as the upper side, the upper side, the upper, and the Z2 side is relatively referred to as the lower side, the lower side, the lower, or the bottom side.

[0028] Here, the electrical connector 1 is a receptacle connector mounted to a substrate not shown. The electrical connector 1 has a housing 2, a plurality of terminals 3, and a housing 4 made of metal. The electrical connector 1 fits an object connector not shown inside the housing 4 via the fitting opening 40 of the housing 4, and in the inside thereof, the two connectors are electrically connected by the terminals 3 held by the housing 2 contacting the terminals of the object connector. Further, the electrical connector 1 of the present embodiment is configured so that the fitting direction is perpendicular to the substrate, but can be horizontal to the substrate.

[0029] The housing 2 is, for example, resin-made, and has a base 20 and a plate-shaped body 21. The base 20 is a flat substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped stage to be placed on a substrate. Here, the base 20 is formed in a stepped shape in the up-down direction. The plate-shaped body 21 is plate-shaped, and is erected in a manner to extend upward (Zl direction) from the base 20 in a state where a face thereof is orthogonal to the Y direction. A plurality of terminals 3 are arranged on both faces of the plate-shaped body 21. Here, five terminals 3 are arranged on one single face of the plate-shaped body 21, and five terminals 3 are arranged on the other single face.

[0030] The terminal 3 is an electrically conductive body to be brought into contact with a terminal of an object connector to be electrically connected therewith, and to be electrically connected with a circuit on a substrate. The terminal 3 is held by the housing 2. For example, the terminal 3 has a substantially L shape, one side of the L shape is held by the plate-shaped body 21, and the other side is exposed from a lower portion of the base 20 and extends in the X direction to be electrically connected with the circuit on the substrate. That is, one side of the L shape is a contact portion to be brought into contact with a terminal of an object connector, and the other side of the L shape is a mounting portion to be mounted to a substrate. The terminal 3 can be fitted to and held by the plate-shaped body 21, for example, by being press-fitted to a hole or the like provided in the plate-shaped body 21, or can be held by the plate-shaped body 21 by being partially embedded by insert molding or the like. A plurality of terminals 3 are arranged in the X direction to constitute first and second terminal columns. The first terminal column on the Y2 direction side and the second terminal column on the Yl direction side are opposed to each other in the Y direction with the plate-shaped body 21 interposed therebetween. In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of preventing crosstalk, the plurality of terminals 3 are arranged in a zigzag manner with the terminals 3 of the other terminal column positioned between the terminals 3 in each terminal column.

[0031] The housing 4 is a metal member having a cylindrical shape to surround the periphery of the plate-shaped body 21 and the terminals 3. The housing 4 has a fitting opening 40, two or more side walls 41, a connecting portion 42, a first branch strip 43, a second branch strip 44, a cutout portion 45, a locking hole 46, a hook portion 47, and a guide piece 48.

[0032] The fitting opening 40 is an opening for fitting an object connector, and becomes an entrance to the inside of the housing 4 when the object connector is fitted, and becomes an exit to the outside of the housing 4 when the object connector is pulled out. That is, the fitting opening 40 is located in the upper portion of the electrical connector 1, and specifically, in a position higher than the upper edge of the plate-shaped body 21. The fitting opening 40 of this embodiment has a pentagonal shape formed by cutting one corner of a rectangular shape, and is an asymmetric shape in the X direction and the Y direction.

[0033] Here, the two or more side walls 41 are four side walls 41, and surround the periphery of the plate-shaped body 21 in a square tube shape. Each side wall 41 surrounds the periphery of the plate-shaped body 21 in a manner along the Z2 direction as the fitting direction. Specifically, the periphery of the plate-shaped body 21 is surrounded by a pair of side walls 41a parallel to the ZX plane, and a pair of side walls 41b parallel to the ZY plane connecting between the end portions of the side walls 41a. That is, the side wall 41a on the Y2 direction side is adjacent to the side wall 41b on the X1 side on the X1 direction side, and is adjacent to the side wall 41b on the X2 side on the X2 direction side. The side wall 41a on the Y1 direction side is adjacent to the side wall 41b on the X1 side on the X1 direction side, and is adjacent to the side wall 41b on the X2 side on the X2 direction side. The housing of the object connector is fitted to the inside space between the four side walls 41 and the plate-shaped body 21. Further, "along the fitting direction" means parallel or substantially parallel to the fitting direction. In one example, substantially parallel to the fitting direction means a direction within a range of -5° to 5° with respect to the fitting direction.

[0034] A pair of fixing pieces 41c extending downward is provided at the lower end of the side wall 41b, and the housing 4 is fixedly erected on the base 20 by press-fitting to the pair of holes 20a of the base 20. In addition, the lower end of the fixing piece 41c is exposed from the base 20, and can be electrically connected to the circuit on the board.

[0035] The joint portion 42 is a portion that joins the adjacent side walls 41a, 41b among the two or more side walls 41. Here, the joint portion 42 is provided at the four corners of the housing 4. The joint portion 42 joins the adjacent side walls 41a, 41b at a position lower than the central height of the side wall 41, for example, at at least one or more corners of the housing 4, and joins the adjacent side walls 41a, 41b throughout the up-and-down direction at the remaining corners.

[0036] Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of one corner of the housing 4 provided with the branched band-shaped pieces 43, 44, and is a view from the outside of the housing 4. Figure 5 is a partial enlarged view of one corner of the housing 4 provided with the branched band-shaped pieces 43, 44, and is a view from the inside of the housing 4.

[0037] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the first branch strip 43 and the second branch strip 44 are strip bodies provided at positions closer to the fitting opening 40 than the connecting portion 42 and branched from the side wall 41. The first branch strip 43 is bent from one of the adjacent side walls 41a, 41b, 41a around an axis J along the fitting direction, and extends toward the other of the adjacent side walls 41a, 41b. The axis J is parallel or substantially parallel to the fitting direction. The second branch strip 44 is bent from the other of the adjacent side walls 41a, 41b around an axis J along the fitting direction, and extends toward one of the adjacent side walls 41a, 41b. For the first branch strip 43 and the second branch strip 44, the edge E on the side opposite to the connecting portion 42 constitutes a part of the fitting opening 40. That is, each of the branch strips 43, 44 constitutes an asymmetric shape of the fitting opening 40. The gap between the front end of the first branch strip 43 and the front end of the second branch strip 44 is equal to or less than the thickness of the first branch strip 43 or the second branch strip 44.

[0038] The width W1 of the first branch strip 43 as the length in the fitting direction is equal to or more than the length LI (W1 / L1≥1). The width W1 of the first branch strip 43 as the length in the fitting direction is greater than the thickness of the first branch strip 43. Further, the direction of the thickness is a direction orthogonal to the width direction of W1 and the length direction of LI, and the thickness is equal or approximately equal to the side wall 41a.

[0039] The width W2 of the second branch strip 44 as the length in the fitting direction is equal to or more than the length L2 (W2 / L2≥1). The width W2 of the second branch strip 44 as the length in the fitting direction is greater than the thickness of the second branch strip 44. Further, the direction of the thickness is a direction orthogonal to the width direction of W2 and the length direction of L2, and the thickness is equal or approximately equal to the side wall 41b. In addition, if the deformation of the first branch strip 43 or the second branch strip 44 can be suppressed, the width W1 (W2) with respect to the length LI (L2) is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that 1≤W1 (W1) / LI (L2)≤3, and more preferable that 1≤W1 (W1) / LI (L2)≤2. In addition, compared with the prior art, the first branch strip 43 and / or the second branch strip 44 not only have the deformation suppression effect with respect to the force in the Zl direction, but also have the deformation suppression effect with respect to the force in the X direction and / or the Y direction.

[0040] The cutout portion 45 is provided at the side wall 41 at a position closer to the fitting port 40 than the connecting portion 42, and causes the first branch strip 43 and the second branch strip 44 to branch from the side wall 41. The cutout portion 45 has a first cutout 451 that extends across one side wall 41a and the other side wall 41b in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction, and a second cutout 452 that extends from the first cutout 451 in the same direction as the fitting direction to the fitting port 40. The first cutout 451 and the second cutout 452 communicate, and thus the respective branch strips 43 and 44 can branch from the respective side walls 41a and 41b. In the present embodiment, the first cutout 451 is provided across the adjoining side walls 41a and 41b at a corner of the housing 4, and the second cutout 452 is provided at a corner of the housing 4 at which the branch strips 43 and 44 are provided. The cutout portion 45 is provided at a position closer to the fitting port 40 than the lock hole 46. That is, the cutout portion 45 is provided at a position higher than the position at which the lock hole 46 is provided (at the Zl side).

[0041] The lock hole 46 is a hole provided at the side wall 41 for locking the object connector. When the object connector is fitted, the hook of the object connector is inserted into the lock hole 46, and thus the object connector can be locked. Here, the lock hole 46 is provided at the central portion of the pair of side walls 41b.

[0042] The hook portion 47 is provided at the side wall 41, and contacts the housing of the object connector. In the present embodiment, the hook portion 47 has an opening 47a provided at the central portion of the pair of side walls 41a, and a hook 47b that extends upward from the lower end of the side of the opening 47a and bulges outward at the front end. When the object connector is fitted to the electrical connector 1, the hook 47b contacts the housing of the object connector, and thus the object connector can be connected, for example, to ground.

[0043] The guide piece 48 is provided at least a portion of the upper edge of the side wall 41 that constitutes the fitting port 40. The guide piece 48 is provided so as to expand outward from the fitting port 40, and guides the object connector, making it easy to fit the object connector.

[0044] In the present embodiment, the housing 4 in the shape of a square tube can be manufactured by bending a single long strip of sheet metal multiple times. In addition, before the bending process, the cutout portion 45 is formed by a cutting device, and after the bending process, the respective branch strips 43 and 44 are bent around the axis J, and thus the shape of the fitting port 40 becomes a pentagonal shape with one corner of a rectangle cut out. A protrusion 49a that bulges toward the Z direction at the front end is provided at one end portion of the single long strip of sheet metal, and a recess 49b that is the same shape as the protrusion 49a is provided at the other end portion, and the protrusion 49a and the recess 49b can be fitted to constitute the housing 4.

[0045] [Effects]

[0046] (1) The electric connector 1 of the embodiment has: a housing 2 having a plate-shaped body 21; a plurality of terminals 3 held to the plate-shaped body 21; and a metal-made shell 4 having a cylindrical shape that surrounds the periphery of the plate-shaped body 21 and the terminals 3, wherein the shell 4 has: a fitting opening 40 into which an object connector is fitted; two or more side walls 41 that are provided in a manner to follow the fitting direction of the object connector; a linking portion 42 that links adjacent side walls 41 among the two or more side walls 41; and a first branch strip 43 that is provided at a position closer to the fitting opening 40 than the linking portion 42, is bent from one side wall 41a among the adjacent side walls 41 around an axis J that follows the fitting direction, and extends toward the other side wall 41b among the adjacent side walls 41, and an edge E of the first branch strip 43 on the side opposite to the linking portion 42 constitutes a part of the fitting opening 40.

[0047] Thus, it is possible to prevent the erroneous insertion of the object connector and suppress the deformation of the shell 4. That is, the edge E of the first branch strip 43 constitutes a part of the fitting opening 40, so even if an object connector that does not match the shape of the fitting opening 40 or an object connector whose fitting direction is different is erroneously inserted, the object connector can be blocked by the edge E instead of the face of the first branch strip 43. Thus, it is possible to prevent the damage or breakage of the terminals 3 caused by the erroneous insertion of the object connector. Also, in a conventional electric connector that has a fitting opening 40 of a shell 4 that is erected in the fitting direction and a bent strip that is bent in a manner that the front end portion thereof is orthogonal to the fitting direction, the erroneously inserted object connector is blocked by the face of the bent strip that forms the front end portion, so deformation is likely to occur in the bent strip. In contrast, in the embodiment, the first branch strip 43 is bent around an axis that follows the fitting direction of the object connector, so the force applied in the fitting direction is received by the edge E of the first branch strip 43, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the first branch strip 43 or the entire shell 4, and thus it is possible to suppress the deformation of the shell 4.

[0048] (2) The width of the first branch strip 43, which is the length of the first branch strip 43 in the fitting direction, is equal to or greater than the length of the extension from one side wall 41a to the other side wall 41b. Thus, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the first branch strip 43 or the entire shell 4, and thus it is possible to suppress the deformation of the shell 4.

[0049] (3) The width of the first branch strip 43, which is the length of the first branch strip 43 in the fitting direction, is greater than the thickness of the first branch strip 43. Thus, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the first branch strip 43 or the entire shell 4, and thus it is possible to suppress the deformation of the shell 4.

[0050] (4) The housing 4 has a second branch strip 44 provided at a position closer to the fitting port 40 than the connecting portion 42, bent from the other side wall 41b among the adjacent side walls 41 about an axis J along the fitting direction, and extended toward one side wall 41a among the adjacent side walls 41, the edge E of the second branch strip 44 on the side opposite to the connecting portion 42 constituting a part of the fitting port 40.

[0051] Thus, the length of one branch strip can be shortened, and the effectiveness of the prevention of the erroneous insertion of the target connector can be improved. That is, since the length from either face of one branch strip to the front end can be shortened, the moment of force applied to the branch strip in the fitting direction when the target connector is forcibly fitted can be reduced, and the deformation of the housing 4 can be suppressed.

[0052] (5) The gap between the front end of the first branch strip 43 and the front end of the second branch strip 44 is equal to or less than the thickness of either the first branch strip 43 or the second branch strip 44. Thus, even if an excessive force is applied to the edge E of either the first branch strip 43 or the second branch strip 44 and either of the first branch strip 43 and the second branch strip 44 is deformed, the other branch strip abuts against it, and further deformation can be suppressed.

[0053] (6) The housing 4 has a guide piece 48 erected on the upper edge of the side wall 41 constituting the fitting port 40 in such a manner that the fitting port 40 expands outward, and the first branch strip 43 is provided at a position closer to the connecting portion 42 than the guide piece 48. Thus, the target connector can be guided toward the fitting port 40.

[0054] (7) The housing 4 has a cutout portion 45 provided at a position closer to the fitting port 40 than the connecting portion 42 and branching the first branch strip 43 from the side wall 41, and a locking hole 46 provided at one side wall 41a or the other side wall 41b and locking the target connector, and the cutout portion 45 is provided at a position closer to the fitting port 40 than the locking hole 46. Thus, the rigidity of the housing 4 can be maintained, and the deformation of the housing 4 can be suppressed.

[0055] (8) The cutout portion 45 has a first cutout 451 extending across one side wall 41a and the other side wall 41b in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction, and a second cutout 452 extending from the first cutout 451 to the fitting port 40 in the same direction as the fitting direction. Thus, the first branch strip can be formed. Further, by providing the second cutout at the corner of the housing, the first branch strip and the second branch strip can be formed.

[0056] [Other Embodiments]

[0057] The present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes other embodiments described below. In addition, the present application includes a configuration in which all or any one of the above-described embodiment and the other embodiments described below are combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present application, and modifications thereof are included in the present application.

[0058] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the group of the first branch strap 43, the second branch strap 44, the cutout portion 45, and the connecting portion 42 is provided at one corner portion of the housing 4, but as shown in Figure 6 , the group can be provided at the opposite corner portion of the housing 4. In addition, as shown in Figure 7 , the group can be provided at the corner portions located at both ends of the side wall 41a, or as shown in Figure 8 , the group can be provided at the corner portions located at both ends of the side wall 41b. In this way, the number of the group and / or the place where the group is provided are arbitrary.

[0059] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, two branch straps 43 and 44 are provided, but one branch strap 50 can be provided. Figure 9 is a partial enlarged view of a corner portion of the housing 4 related to a modification example of the branch strap, and is a view observed from the inside of the housing 4. Figure 10 is a partial enlarged view of a corner portion of the housing 4 related to a modification example of the branch strap, and is a view observed from the outside of the housing 4. Figure 11 is a partial enlarged plan view of a corner portion of the housing 4 related to a modification example of the branch strap. The structure different from the above-described embodiment of the branch strap 50 and the cutout portion 45 is described, and the description of the same structure is omitted.

[0060] As shown in Figures 9 to 11 , the branch strap 50 is one, and is configured such that the front end thereof extends from the side wall 41a to be able to abut on the other side wall 41b adjacent thereto. This configuration also prevents the erroneous insertion of the object connector, and can suppress the deformation of the housing 4. In addition, even if the object connector is forcibly inserted in a prying manner, the front end of the branch strap 50 abuts on the inner face of the side wall 41b, and thus the deformation of the inner face and the like above can be prevented. The length of the extension direction of the branch strap 50 can be equal to or more than the width of the branch strap 50, or can be less than the width of the branch strap 50. The front end of the branch strap 50 is inclined in a manner of following the side wall 41b. Thus, even if the object connector is forcibly inserted in a prying manner, the front end of the branch strap 50 abuts on the inner face of the side wall 41b, and thus the stress applied to the branch strap 50 at the time of the erroneous insertion can be dispersed to the side wall 41b having higher rigidity than the branch strap 50, and thus the deformation of the housing 4 can be suppressed. Furthermore, this inclination can be formed by press working or the like.

[0061] For the cutout portion 45, the position where the second cutout 452 is provided is different from the above-described embodiment. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the second cutout 452 is provided on the corner of the housing 4, and in contrast, the second cutout 452 of the present modification is provided on the side wall 41b. Therefore, the cutout portion 45 becomes L-shaped, and the branch belt-shaped piece 50 branches from the side wall 41.

[0062] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the electrical connector 1 is a receptacle connector, but the electrical connector 1 can also be a plug connector.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising: a housing having a plate-shaped body; a plurality of terminals held to the plate-shaped body; and a metal shell having a cylindrical shape surrounding the plate-shaped body and the terminals, wherein the shell has: a fitting opening for fitting an object connector; two or more side walls disposed in a fitting direction of the object connector; a connecting portion connecting adjacent side walls among the two or more side walls; and a first branch strip disposed at a position closer to the fitting opening than the connecting portion, bent from one of the adjacent side walls around an axis in the fitting direction, and extending toward the other of the adjacent side walls, and an edge of the first branch strip on a side opposite to the connecting portion constitutes a part of the fitting opening, the shell has a second branch strip disposed at a position closer to the fitting opening than the connecting portion, bent from the other of the adjacent side walls around the axis in the fitting direction, and extending toward the one of the adjacent side walls, and an edge of the second branch strip on a side opposite to the connecting portion constitutes a part of the fitting opening.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a width of the first branch strip as a length in the fitting direction is longer than a length of the first branch strip extending from the one of the side walls toward the other of the side walls.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a width of the first branch strip as a length in the fitting direction is larger than a thickness of the first branch strip.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a gap between a leading end of the first branch strip and a leading end of the second branch strip is equal to or smaller than a thickness of the first branch strip or the second branch strip.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the shell has a guide piece standing on an upper edge of the side wall constituting the fitting opening in a manner expanding outward from the fitting opening, and the first branch strip is disposed at a position closer to the connecting portion than the guide piece.

6. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shell has: a cutout portion provided at a position closer to the fitting opening than the connecting portion and branching the first branch strip from the side wall; and a locking hole provided at the one of the side walls or the other of the side walls and locking the object connector, the cutout portion is provided at a position closer to the fitting opening than the locking hole.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein the cutout portion has: a first cutout extending across the one of the side walls and the other of the side walls in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction; and a second cutout extending from the first cutout in the same direction as the fitting direction to the fitting opening. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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