Male connector and connector assembly

Abstract

The male connector (10) has a cylindrical cover portion (13) which projects forward and is inserted into and fitted into a fitting cylinder portion (23) which is formed by opening in the female connector (20) from the projecting end (13A) side. At least one induction projection portion (31) which projects forward more than the ring-shaped projecting end (13A) is provided in the cover portion (13).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a male connector and a connector assembly. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the past, an electric connector described in Patent Document 1 is known. The electric connector has a plug connector (male connector) having a fitting portion (cover portion) protruding to one side, and a socket connector (female connector) formed with a fitting opening (fitting cylinder portion) that accommodates the fitting portion. The fitting portion of the plug connector is inserted and fitted into the fitting opening of the socket connector from the protruding end side.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT DOCUMENT

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-198593 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] In the electric connector as in Patent Document 1, when the connector is small, or when sufficient work space cannot be obtained, sometimes it takes time to insert the fitting portion into the fitting opening. In order to avoid such a situation, a structure is considered in which, for example, in a connector assembly in which a frame is fitted to the female connector, a front wall formed with a tapered surface is provided to the frame and disposed in front of the fitting cylinder portion of the female connector, and the cover portion of the male connector is induced toward the fitting cylinder portion of the female connector by the front wall of the frame. However, if the cover portion or the fitting cylinder portion is formed into a shape following the outer shape of the terminal accommodated therein, as described above, in the case of using a terminal having a different outer shape, not only the male connector and the female connector, but also the shape of the frame having the front wall needs to be changed. Therefore, it is desirable to have a male connector that can easily induce the cover portion toward the fitting cylinder portion of the female connector without using an additional member.

[0008] The technology disclosed in this specification is completed based on the above-described situation, and aims to provide a male connector that is easy to fit with a female connector, and a connector assembly having the same.

[0009] SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0010] The male connector disclosed in this specification has a cylindrical cover portion protruding to the front and inserted and fitted into a fitting cylinder portion formed in a female connector from the protruding end side, and at least one induction protrusion protruding to the front from the protruding end that is annular is provided to the cover portion.

[0011] Further, the connector assembly disclosed in the present specification has the male connector and the female connector of the present disclosure, the female connector having a cylindrical fitting cylinder portion into which the cover portion is inserted and fitted, and a recess portion provided on an inner peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder portion to accommodate the inducing projection of the male connector.

[0012] Inventive Effects

[0013] According to the present disclosure, a male connector that is easy to fit with a female connector and a connector assembly having the same can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the connector assembly (fitted state) of the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 is a side sectional view showing the internal situation of the connector assembly (fitted state).

[0016] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the male connector.

[0017] Figure 4 is a side view of the male connector.

[0018] Figure 5 is a front view (fitting surface) of the male connector.

[0019] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the female connector.

[0020] Figure 7 is a side sectional view of the female connector.

[0021] Figure 8 is a front view (fitting surface) of the female connector.

[0022] Figure 9A is a side sectional view showing the situation of the male connector and the female connector in the middle of fitting.

[0023] Figure 9B is a side sectional view showing the situation of the male connector and the female connector in the middle of fitting. Figure 9A

[0024] Figure 9C is a side sectional view showing the situation of the male connector and the female connector when fitting is completed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] [Explanation of Embodiment of the Present Disclosure]

[0026] First, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained.

[0027] ​(1) The male connector of the present disclosure has a cylindrical cover portion that protrudes forward and is inserted into a fitting cylinder portion formed in an opening of a female connector, and at least one induction protrusion that protrudes forward from the protruding end of the cover portion is provided.

[0028] According to the structure described above (1), the cover portion is induced into the fitting cylinder portion by the induction protrusion, and fitting can be easily performed. In addition, by adjusting the protruding length of the induction protrusion, the induction length can be arbitrarily set. The induction can be performed without using other members that constitute the connector assembly, and as a result, a connector assembly that can be applied to terminals of various shapes by simply changing the shapes of the male and female connectors can be provided.

[0029] (2) In the male connector of the present disclosure, a rib that extends in the protruding direction of the cover portion is preferably provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cover portion, and the induction protrusion is formed at the front end of the rib.

[0030] According to the structure described above (2), the strength of the cover portion is improved by the rib, and the cover portion can be easily inserted into the deep part of the fitting cylinder portion.

[0031] (3) In the male connector of the present disclosure, the cover portion preferably has a predetermined thick portion formed with a predetermined wall thickness, and a thin-walled portion formed with a wall thickness smaller than that of the predetermined thick portion, and the rib is disposed at a position adjacent to the thin-walled portion.

[0032] According to the structure described above (3), the vicinity of the thin-walled portion, which is weaker in strength than the predetermined thick portion, is reinforced by the rib. As a result, the male connector can be downsized, and further, the connector assembly can be downsized.

[0033] (4) The connector assembly of the present disclosure is provided with the male connector of the present disclosure and a female connector having a cylindrical fitting cylinder portion into which the cover portion is inserted and fitted, and a recess portion that accommodates the induction protrusion of the male connector is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder portion.

[0034] According to the structure described above (4), by adjusting the depth of the recess portion and the protruding length of the induction protrusion, the size of the connector assembly at the time of fitting can be minimized. In addition, by appropriately designing the position, shape, and size of the induction protrusion and the recess portion for various connectors, misfitting can be prevented.

[0035] (5) The connector assembly of the present disclosure is provided with the male connector of the present disclosure and a female connector having a cylindrical fitting cylinder portion into which the cover portion is inserted and fitted, and a recess portion that accommodates the induction protrusion of the male connector and a groove portion that accommodates the rib are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder portion.

[0036] According to the structure of the above (5), the groove portion formed on the inner peripheral side of the fitting cylinder portion becomes a guide, and the cover portion in which the ribs are formed can be smoothly guided to the depth of the fitting cylinder portion.

[0037] (6) In the connector assembly of the present disclosure, preferably, a tapered surface is formed at the tip of the induction protrusion and the opening end of the fitting cylinder portion.

[0038] According to the structure of the above (6), the induction protrusion can be smoothly guided into the fitting cylinder portion by the tapered surface. In the structure in which the groove portion is provided in the fitting cylinder portion, the induction protrusion can be guided to the groove portion by the tapered surface.

[0039] (7) In the connector assembly of the present disclosure, preferably, the female connector has a lance portion that is elastically deformable, the lance portion prevents the terminal housed inside the fitting cylinder portion from being detached, and the recess portion is disposed in the vicinity of the lance portion in the front view.

[0040] According to the structure of the above (7), by disposing the recess portion in a portion of the female connector in which the strength is relatively high, the influence of the reduction in strength due to the formation of the recess portion can be reduced.

[0041] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]

[0042] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0043] [Embodiments]

[0044] While referring to Figures 1 to 9C Embodiments will be described.

[0045] In the present disclosure, the side of the male connector and the female connector facing each other, that is, the right side of Figure 4 with respect to the male connector, and the left side of Figure 7 with respect to the female connector, is set as the front (the opposite side is set as the back). In addition, in the following description, the upper side of Figure 2 is set as the upper (the opposite side is set as the lower), but each connector and the connector assembly can be used in any posture. In a part of each drawing, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis of the orthogonal coordinate system XYZ are shown, and each axis direction is drawn in the same direction in each drawing. The Z axis direction indicates the up-down direction, the Y axis direction indicates the front-rear direction, and the X axis direction indicates the left-right direction. Furthermore, with respect to a plurality of the same members, sometimes only one member is labeled with a reference numeral, and the reference numerals of the other members are omitted.

[0046] [Connector Assembly]

[0047] As shown in Figure 1As shown, the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment is configured to include a male connector 10 and a female connector 20. Figure 2 As shown, the male connector 10 houses the first terminal T100, which is connected to the end of the cable C1, and the female connector 20 houses the second terminal T200, which is connected to the end of the cable C2. Although not shown in the figure, the connector assembly 1 further has a male frame for retaining the male connector 10 and a female frame for retaining the female connector 20. By means of a locking structure provided on the male frame and the female frame, the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 can be maintained in a mating state.

[0048] (Cables and terminals)

[0049] Cables C1 and C2 can, for example, be coaxial cables comprising: an inner conductor; a dielectric material disposed around the outer periphery of the inner conductor; an outer conductor, composed of braided wire or the like, disposed around the outer periphery of the dielectric material; and an insulator covering the outer periphery of the outer conductor. The coaxial terminal connected to the coaxial cable having undergone end treatment is configured, for example, to include: a center contact for connection to the inner conductor; an insulator for retaining the center contact; an outer contact for retaining the insulator; and a metal sleeve crimped to the outer conductor.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the first terminal T100 and the second terminal T200 are exemplified as coaxial terminals having base ends T110 and T210 that are pressed onto the base ends of cables C1 and C2, cylindrical top ends T120 and T220 that fit into the opposite terminal on the top end side, and flanges T130 and T230 that are located between the base ends T110 and T210 and the top ends T120 and T220 and protrude outward in the peripheral direction. The top end T220 of the second terminal T200 is formed in such a way that it fits substantially tightly into the outer peripheral side of the top end T120 of the first terminal T100. When the male connector 10, in which the first terminal T100 is housed in its normal position, and the female connector 20, in which the second terminal T200 is housed in its normal position, are fitted together, as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the top part T120 of the first terminal T100 is inserted into and fitted into the top part T220 of the second terminal T200. For example, the center contact members held inside the top parts T120 and T220 abut against each other, and the two terminals T100 and T200 are electrically connected.

[0051] (Male connector)

[0052] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the male connector 10 has a generally cylindrical cover 13 that protrudes forward from the front surface of the male-side main body 11, which is generally rectangular in shape. Figure 5As shown, the male-side main body 11 is rectangular in the front view, with the vertical direction as the shorter side. The male connector 10 can, for example, use a structure integrally molded from insulating synthetic resin. Figure 2 As shown, a male-side terminal receiving portion 15 with a circular cross-section extending through the male-side main body portion 11 and the cover portion 13 in the front-to-back direction is formed inside the male connector 10. The first terminal T100, which is connected to the end of the cable C1, is inserted and received from the rear of this male-side terminal receiving portion 15.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, a male-side spear-shaped portion 17 is formed on the upper surface of the male-side main body portion 11 in such a way that it protrudes into the interior of the male-side terminal receiving portion 15 in its natural state (see reference). Figure 5 The lance-shaped portion 17 on the convex side is formed as a cantilever with its front end as the free end, allowing it to flex and deform in the upward and downward directions. For example... Figure 2 As shown, when the first terminal T100 is inserted into the male-side terminal receiving portion 15 from the rear and pressed into the normal position, the front surface of the male-side spear-shaped portion 17, which can be flexed and deformed in the up and down direction, abuts against the rear surface of the flange portion T130, restricting the first terminal T100 from moving rearward.

[0054] A male-side stop mounting hole 19 is formed on the lower surface of the male-side main body 11 (see reference). Figure 9A When the first terminal T100 is inserted into the male terminal receiving part 15 from the rear and the stop 50 is inserted into the male stop mounting hole 19, the first terminal T100 is pressed into the correct position and, as described above, is held in the male terminal receiving part 15 in a manner that prevents it from falling out by the male spear-shaped part 17.

[0055] (Cover)

[0056] like Figure 3 As shown, the cover portion 13 protrudes from the male-side main body portion 11 and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with the front-to-back direction (the protruding direction of the cover portion 13) as its axis. A cavity extending through it in the front-to-back direction forms part of the male-side terminal receiving portion 15, and the top portion of the first terminal T100 is received inside the cover portion 13. The cover portion 13 is formed with a predetermined wall thickness to meet the necessary strength requirements. Figure 3 As shown, the outer peripheral surface of the annular protruding end 13A of the cover portion 13 that opens forward is provided with a protruding end cone surface 13T that is inclined towards the inner peripheral side as it faces forward.

[0057] like Figure 5As shown, the circular cover portion 13 in the front view is formed such that its opening diameter increases as much as possible from the front surface of the male-side main body portion 11, that is, the vertical dimension of the cover portion 13 is close to the vertical dimension of the male-side main body portion 11. The male-side main body portion 11 is formed into a rectangle with the vertical direction as its shorter side in the front view. Therefore, the upper and lower portions of the wall forming the cover portion 13 are thin-walled portions 13C, and the wall thickness of the thin-walled portions 13C is less than the wall thickness of the predetermined thick portion 13B formed with a predetermined wall thickness. The thin-walled portions 13C located at the upper and lower parts of the cover portion 13 extend in the front-back direction (the protruding direction of the cover portion 13).

[0058] (ribs and radiating processes)

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, ribs 30 protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the cover portion 13. In this embodiment, the cover portion 13 has two ribs 30. Figure 5 As shown, the rib 30 is formed by protruding from the vicinity of the thin-walled portion 13C, that is, from a position adjacent to the thin-walled portion 13C on the outer peripheral surface of the cover portion 13, in a left-right direction (tangential direction to the center of the thin-walled portion 13C in the main view), and extending in a front-back direction (the protruding direction of the cover portion 13). Figure 5 As shown, the two ribs 30 are positioned and shaped to be point-symmetrical about the center of the cover 13 when viewed from the front.

[0060] like Figure 4 As shown, the front end of the rib 30 protrudes forward from the cover portion 13, forming an induction protrusion 31. The protrusion length of the induction protrusion 31 from the cover portion 13 can be adjusted arbitrarily according to the size, shape, and application of the connector assembly, but as described later, in order to smoothly guide the cover portion 13 into the fitting sleeve portion 23, it is preferable to set the protrusion length to, for example, 1 mm or more. Figure 4 As shown, the guiding protrusion 31 has a top conical surface 31T on its outer peripheral surface at its top end, forming a head-narrow shape. The guiding protrusion 31 is preferably radially displaceable toward the protruding end 13A.

[0061] (Female connector)

[0062] like Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the female connector 20 has a roughly rectangular fitting tube portion 23, which is slightly smaller than the female main body portion 21, located in front of it. The female main body portion 21 has a cylindrical protrusion at its rear, forming a roughly rectangular shape. Figure 8 As shown, the female-side main body 21 and the female-side terminal housing 25 are rectangular in shape with the vertical direction as the shorter side when viewed from the front. The female connector 20 can use a structure, for example, integrally molded from insulating synthetic resin. Figure 2As shown, a female connector 20 has a female terminal receiving portion 25 with a circular cross-section that extends through the female main body portion 21 and the fitting sleeve portion 23 in the front-rear direction. The second terminal T200, which is connected to the end of the cable C2, is inserted and received from the rear into this female terminal receiving portion 25.

[0063] like Figure 7 As shown, a female spear-shaped portion 27 is formed on the upper surface of the female main body portion 21 in such a way that it protrudes into the interior of the female terminal receiving portion 25 in its natural state (see reference). Figure 8 The spear-shaped portion 27 on the negative side is formed as a cantilever with its front end as the free end, allowing it to flex and deform in the upward and downward directions. For example... Figure 2 As shown, when the second terminal T200 is inserted into the female terminal receiving part 25 from the rear and pressed into the normal position, the front surface of the female spear-shaped part 27, which can be flexed and deformed in the up and down direction, abuts against the rear surface of the flange part T230, restricting the second terminal T200 from moving rearward.

[0064] like Figure 7 As shown, a female-side stop body mounting hole 29 is formed on the lower surface of the female-side main body 21. When the second terminal T200 is inserted into the female-side terminal receiving part 25 from the rear and the stop body 50 is inserted into the female-side stop body mounting hole 29, the second terminal T200 is pressed into the correct position and, as described above, is held in the female-side terminal receiving part 25 in a manner that prevents it from falling out by the female-side spear-shaped part 27.

[0065] (fitting cylinder part)

[0066] like Figure 8 As shown, the fitting cylinder portion 23 located in front of the female-side main body portion 21 is formed as follows: it is open at the front and its shape, when viewed from the front, is a rectangle that is slightly smaller than the female-side main body portion 21. Inside the fitting cylinder portion 23, there is a cavity with a roughly circular cross-section that extends through the front-rear direction; this cavity forms part of the female-side terminal receiving portion 25. The inner periphery of the fitting cylinder portion 23 is formed to fit substantially tightly into the outer periphery of the cover portion 13 of the aforementioned male connector 10.

[0067] (grooves and recesses)

[0068] like Figure 6 As shown, a groove 40 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the fitting cylindrical portion 23. The groove 40 extends in the front-rear direction and accommodates the guiding protrusion 31 and rib 30 of the aforementioned male connector 10. Figure 8 As shown, the groove 40 is recessed in the left-right direction (parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the fitting cylinder 23 and the female body 21) on the inner circumferential surface of the fitting cylinder 23.

[0069] like Figure 7As shown, the groove 40 extends to a position further back than the portion of the inner circumference of the fitting cylinder 23 that fits into the outer circumference of the cover 13, forming a recess 41. The extension length of the groove 40, i.e. the depth of the recess 41, is set according to the protrusion length of the guide protrusion 31, etc., but preferably it is set to have some leeway to accommodate the length of the guide protrusion 31.

[0070] like Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the two slots 40 corresponding to the two ribs 30 of the male connector 10 are configured to be point-symmetrical about the center of the opening of the fitting cylinder portion 23 when viewed from the front. One of the two slots 40 ( Figure 8 The groove 40 (shown in the upper right corner) is positioned adjacent to the lance-shaped portion 27 on the negative side when viewed from the front. The recess 41 formed at the rear end of the groove 40 is positioned near the lance-shaped portion 27 on the negative side, i.e., at the periphery.

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, a cylindrical conical surface 23T that is inclined toward the inner periphery as it faces rearward is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the opening end of the fitting cylindrical portion 23, which includes the groove portion 40. In the following description, the conical surface provided at the opening end of the groove portion 40 in the cylindrical conical surface 23T is sometimes referred to as the groove conical surface 40T.

[0072] (Matching of male and female connectors)

[0073] Next, regarding the mating operation of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20, while referring to... Figures 9A to 9C An explanation will be given on the one hand. Furthermore, in... Figures 9A to 9C For ease of reading, the diagrams of terminals T100 and T200 housed in male connector 10 and female connector 20 are omitted. However, in reality, male connector 10 and female connector 20 are engaged with terminals T100 and T200 housed in their proper positions.

[0074] like Figure 9A As shown, the protruding end 13A of the front side of the male connector 10, i.e., the cover portion 13, is positioned opposite the opening end of the front side of the female connector 20, i.e., the fitting cylinder portion 23, bringing the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 closer together. First, the guiding protrusion 31 abuts against the opening end of the fitting cylinder portion 23. The tip cone surface 31T of the guiding protrusion 31 is guided by the cylinder cone surface 23T of the opening end of the fitting cylinder portion 23, especially the groove cone surface 40T, guiding the male connector 10 to a position directly opposite the female connector 20. In this way, the guiding protrusion 31 is first inserted into the groove 40, thereby not only enabling the relative positioning of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20, but also preventing mating with the wrong connector (preventing misconnection).

[0075] like Figure 9BAs shown, when the male connector 10 is further pressed towards the female connector 20 from the state where the guide protrusion 31 is inserted into the groove 40, the cover 13 enters the interior of the fitting cylinder 23 from the protruding end 13A. Here, by pre-inserting the guide protrusion 31 into the groove 40, the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are aligned, and the rib 30 extending in the front-back direction (insertion direction of the cover 13) connected to the guide protrusion 31 is guided along the groove 40, so the cover 13 is smoothly inserted into the fitting cylinder 23. Even if there are some deviations, the cover 13 is guided by the cylindrical conical surface 23T of the fitting cylinder 23 through the protruding end conical surface 13T of the cover 13 (see reference). Figure 9A Thus, the cover portion 13 is induced into the fitting tube portion 23.

[0076] like Figure 9C As shown, when the cover 13 is pressed into the depth of the fitting cylinder 23, the guiding protrusion 31 is received in the recess 41, and the fitting operation is completed. Here, by the rib 30 extending in the front-rear direction of the cover 13 being guided along the groove 40, it can be smoothly pressed into the depth of the female connector 20 while suppressing the rotation of the male connector 10, etc.

[0077] As described above, when the cover portion 13 of the male connector 10 is inserted into and fitted into the fitting sleeve portion 23 of the female connector 20, as Figure 2 As shown, terminals T100 and T200, housed inside the male connector 10 and female connector 20, are electrically connected. As described above, in the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, the male connector 10 and female connector 20 are locked in a mating state by a locking structure provided on their respective assembled frames.

[0078] (Effects of this implementation method)

[0079] The effects of this implementation method will be explained next.

[0080] The male connector 10 of this embodiment has a cylindrical cover portion 13 that protrudes forward and is inserted from the protruding end 13A side into the fitting cylindrical portion 23 formed in the opening of the female connector 20. At least one guiding protrusion 31 protruding forward from the annular protruding end 13A is provided on the cover portion 13.

[0081] According to the male connector 10 of this embodiment, the cover portion 13 is easily inserted into the fitting sleeve portion 23 by means of the guiding protrusion 31. In addition, the insertion length can be arbitrarily set by adjusting the protrusion length of the guiding protrusion 31. In this way, insertion can be achieved without the use of other components constituting the connector assembly 1 (such as the female frame that holds the female connector 20). As a result, a connector assembly 1 can be provided that can be adapted to terminals with different shapes simply by changing the shapes of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20.

[0082] Furthermore, the male connector 10 of this disclosure is preferably applicable to, for example, male connectors that house coaxial terminals. Coaxial terminals are available in various shapes because, according to this disclosure, they can easily accommodate such shape changes.

[0083] In addition, in the male connector 10 of this embodiment, a rib 30 extending in the protruding direction (front-back direction) of the cover 13 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cover 13, and an induction protrusion 31 is disposed at the front end of the rib 30.

[0084] According to such a male connector 10, the strength of the cover 13 is increased by the rib 30, and the cover 13 can be easily and smoothly inserted into the depth of the fitting tube 23.

[0085] Furthermore, in the male connector 10 of this embodiment, a plurality of ribs 30 and the aforementioned guiding protrusions 31 are provided at positions that are point-symmetrical about the center of the cover portion 13 when viewed from the main view.

[0086] When configured in this way, the multiple guiding protrusions 31 are positioned separately from each other, thereby more reliably guiding the cover portion 13 into the fitting cylinder portion 23. In addition, the multiple ribs 30 are positioned separately from each other, thereby providing a strength enhancement effect based on the ribs 30 over a wide area of ​​the cover portion 13.

[0087] In addition, in the male connector 10 of this embodiment, the cover portion 13 has a predetermined thick portion 13B formed with a predetermined wall thickness and a thin wall portion 13C formed with a wall thickness less than that of the predetermined thick portion 13B, and the rib 30 is disposed at a position adjacent to the thin wall portion 13C.

[0088] According to this male connector 10, in the cover portion, the vicinity of the thin-walled portion 13C, which has a lower strength than the predetermined thickness portion 13B, is reinforced by ribs 30. As a result, the male connector 10 can be miniaturized, and consequently, the connector assembly 1 can be miniaturized.

[0089] Furthermore, in the male connector 10 of this embodiment, the rib 30 is formed protruding from near the thin-walled portion 13C in a tangential direction toward the cover portion 13, which is the center of the thin-walled portion 13C in the main view. In this way, a particularly large reinforcement effect can be obtained by means of the rib 30.

[0090] In addition, the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment includes a male connector 10 and a female connector 20. The female connector 20 has a cover portion 13 that is inserted into and fitted into a cylindrical fitting portion 23. A recess 41 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 23, and the guide protrusion 31 of the male connector 10 is accommodated in the recess 41.

[0091] According to the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, by adjusting the depth of the recess 41 and the protrusion length of the guide protrusion 31, the size of the connector assembly 1 during mating can be minimized. Furthermore, by appropriately designing the position, shape, and dimensions of the guide protrusion 31 and the recess 41 in various connectors, mis-connection can be prevented.

[0092] In addition, the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment includes the male connector 10 and female connector 20 of this disclosure. The female connector 20 has a cylindrical fitting portion 23 into which the cover portion 13 is inserted and fitted. The inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 23 is provided with a recess 41 for accommodating the guiding protrusion 31 of the male connector 10 and a groove 40 for accommodating the rib 30.

[0093] According to the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, the groove 40 formed on the inner peripheral side of the fitting cylinder portion 23 serves as a guide, which can smoothly guide the cover portion 13 into the depth of the fitting cylinder portion 23.

[0094] In addition, in the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, a top cone surface 31T and a cylinder cone surface 23T (cone surface) are formed at the top of the inducing protrusion 31 and the opening end of the fitting cylinder 23.

[0095] According to this connector assembly 1, the guide protrusion 31 can be smoothly guided into the fitting cylinder portion 23 via the top conical surface 31T and the cylindrical conical surface 23T. Furthermore, the conical surface guides the rib 30 connected to the guide protrusion 31 into the groove 40 of the fitting cylinder portion 23. In addition, in this embodiment, a protruding end conical surface 13T is also provided at the protruding end 13A of the cover portion 13. This further facilitates the insertion of the cover portion 13 into the fitting cylinder portion 23.

[0096] In addition, in the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, the female connector 20 has a flexible and deformable female spear-shaped portion 27 (spear-shaped portion), the female spear-shaped portion 27 has a second terminal T200 (terminal) housed inside the fitting cylinder portion 23 to prevent it from falling off, and the recess 41 is disposed near the female spear-shaped portion 27.

[0097] In the connector, the area near the spear-shaped portion is designed to have increased strength compared to other parts in order to allow for flexural deformation. According to the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, by providing a recess 41 in the portion of the female connector 20 with relatively high strength, the effect of strength reduction caused by the recess 41 can be reduced.

[0098] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0099] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and the accompanying drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the technology disclosed in this specification.

[0100] (1) In the above embodiment, a structure is described in which two ribs with guiding protrusions are formed in the cover portion and two grooves connected to the recesses are formed in the fitting cylinder portion. However, the number of guiding protrusions and ribs, and the number of recesses and grooves are arbitrary. There may be one or more of these. When multiple are provided, it is preferable to provide them at a position that is symmetrical about the center point when viewed from the front. In addition, when multiple ribs and grooves are provided, it is not necessary to form guiding protrusions at the top of all ribs, or to form recesses at the rear end of all grooves.

[0101] (2) In the above embodiments, a structure in which the male connector and the female connector each house one terminal has been described, but it is not limited thereto. The male connector and the female connector may each house multiple terminals. The terminals housed in the male and female connectors and limited to coaxial terminals as described in the above embodiments may also be terminals of various shapes.

[0102] (3) In the above embodiments, the case where the male connector's cover has a generally cylindrical shape and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a cylindrical cavity inside, and the female connector's fitting cylinder has a generally cuboid shape and is formed into a square cylinder shape with a cylindrical cavity inside, has been described. However, these are only examples, and the cover and fitting cylinder may also be formed into cylindrical shapes different from those described above. For example, the fitting cylinder may also be formed into a cylindrical shape with a generally cylindrical shape and a cylindrical cavity inside.

[0103] (4) The male and female main body portions may also have shapes different from those described in the above embodiments. Furthermore, while the male and female main body portions for mounting the stop body were described in the above embodiments, this structure is not a limitation. The male and female connectors in the above embodiments are based on the premise that the frames have a locking structure with each other, and do not have a locking structure. This structure is not a limitation; the male and female connectors may also have a locking structure that engages them in a mating state.

[0104] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0105] 1: Connector assembly

[0106] 10: Male connector

[0107] 11: Main body on the sunny side

[0108] 13: Cover

[0109] 13A: Protruding end

[0110] 13B: Pre-determined thickness

[0111] 13C: Thin-walled portion

[0112] 13T: Protruding end cone surface

[0113] 15: Male-side terminal storage section

[0114] 17: Spear-shaped part on the lateral side

[0115] 19: Male-side stop body mounting hole

[0116] 20: Female connector

[0117] 21: Main body on the yin side

[0118] 23: Fitting barrel

[0119] 23T: Conical surface of the cylinder

[0120] 25: Female-side terminal storage section

[0121] 27: Spear-shaped part on the genital side

[0122] 29: Mounting hole for the female stop body

[0123] 30: Ribs

[0124] 31: Inducing protrusion

[0125] 31T: Top conical surface

[0126] 40: Groove

[0127] 40T: Conical surface of the groove

[0128] 41: concave part

[0129] 50: Stopper

[0130] C1, C2: Cables

[0131] T100: Terminal 1

[0132] T200: Terminal 2

[0133] T110, T210: Base end

[0134] T120, T220: Top part

[0135] T130, T230: Flange portion

Claims

1. A male connector having: a male-side main body portion having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape; and a cylindrical cover portion protruding forward from a front surface of the male-side main body portion and inserted and fitted into a fitting cylinder portion formed in a female connector from a protruding end side, wherein at least one inducement protrusion protruding forward from the protruding end side in a ring shape is provided in the cover portion, wherein the male-side main body portion forms a rectangle in which a vertical direction is a short side and a horizontal direction is a long side in a front view, wherein a rib is provided protruding on an outer peripheral surface of the cover portion, the rib extending in a protruding direction of the cover portion, wherein the inducement protrusion is formed at a front end of the rib, wherein the rib and the inducement protrusion of a left-right pair are respectively located at different heights in a vertical direction and at positions lower than an upper end of an inner peripheral surface of the cover portion and higher than a lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the cover portion.

2. The male connector according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion has a predetermined thick portion formed with a predetermined wall thickness and a thin-walled portion formed with a wall thickness smaller than that of the predetermined thick portion, and the rib is disposed at a position adjacent to the thin-walled portion.

3. A connector assembly, comprising: a female connector and the male connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the female connector has a cylindrical fitting cylinder portion into which the cover portion is inserted and fitted, and a recess portion is provided on an inner peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder portion to accommodate the inducement protrusion of the male connector.

4. A connector assembly, comprising: a female connector and the male connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the female connector has a cylindrical fitting cylinder portion into which the cover portion is inserted and fitted, and a recess portion to accommodate the inducement protrusion of the male connector and a groove portion to accommodate the rib are provided on an inner peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder portion.

5. The connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein a tapered surface is formed at a top end of the inducement protrusion and an opening end of the fitting cylinder portion.

6. The connector assembly according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the female connector has a lance-shaped portion that is elastically deformable, the lance-shaped portion preventing a terminal accommodated inside the fitting cylinder portion from being released, and the recess portion is disposed in the vicinity of the lance-shaped portion. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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