Connector

Abstract

The invention provides a connector which can properly realize a state that a male terminal can be connected with a female terminal. The movable plate (44) has a peripheral wall section (73) disposed along the inner surface of the cover section (56) of the male housing (42), a plate main body (72) for positioning the tab (45) inside the cover section (56), and a relief section (82) penetrating through the peripheral wall section (73) in the thickness direction. The female housing (12) is disposed inside the peripheral wall section (73). One of the female housing (12) and the cover section (56) has a convex section (28), and the other has a concave section (63). In a state in which the female connector (10) and the male connector (40) are fitted together, the base end side of the protrusion (28) is disposed inside the recess (82), and the tip end side of the protrusion (28) is fitted into the recess (63) in a positioned state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector. Background Art

[0002] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a male connector having a cover, a female connector fitted inside the cover, and a movable plate for positioning the male terminal. The male terminal is protected by a passive plate inside the cover. When the female connector is fitted, it is surrounded by the peripheral wall of the passive plate inside the cover. The female terminal housed inside the female connector is electrically connected to the male terminal. A connector with a movable plate is also disclosed in Patent Document 2. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-146930 Patent Document 2: Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 5-43485 Summary of the invention Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] When the male terminal is engaged, it is introduced into the interior of the female connector by the introduction portion formed on the engagement surface of the female connector and connected to the female terminal. In the case of Patent Document 1, the female connector is arranged inside the movable plate, and the movable plate is arranged inside the cover. In the case of such a structure, due to the accumulation of assembly errors (including assembly tolerances) between the female connector and the movable plate and assembly errors between the movable plate and the cover, the introduction portion of the female connector is offset from the position where the male terminal can be introduced, which may cause interference between the male terminal and the housing portion of the female connector. In addition, in Patent Document 1, the receiving groove of the cover simply receives the guide ribs of the female connector.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can appropriately realize a state in which a male terminal can be connected to a female terminal. Solutions to Solve Problems

[0006] The connector disclosed herein comprises a female connector and a male connector that can be mated with each other, the female connector having a female terminal and a female housing for accommodating the female terminal, the male connector having a male terminal, a male housing for accommodating the male terminal, and a movable plate configured to be movable in a mating direction relative to the male housing, the male terminal having a protruding piece, the male housing having a cover portion for protrudingly configuring the protruding piece, the movable plate having a peripheral wall portion configured along an inner surface of the cover portion, a plate main body for positioning the protruding piece inside the cover portion, and a retreat portion that penetrates the peripheral wall portion in a thickness direction, the female housing being configured inside the peripheral wall portion, one of the female housing and the cover portion having a convex portion and the other having a concave portion, and in a mating state of the female connector and the male connector, a base end side of the convex portion is configured inside the retreat portion, and a top end side of the convex portion is mated with the concave portion in a positioned state. Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector capable of appropriately realizing a state in which a male terminal can be connected to a female terminal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the female connector in the connector according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the female connector in the connector according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the female holder in the connector according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the male connector in the connector according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 This is an exploded perspective view of the male connector in the connector according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the male bracket in the connector according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the movable plate in the connector according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of the male connector in the connector of the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the operating lever is arranged at the standby position relative to the male housing and the movable plate is arranged at the protection position relative to the male housing. Fig. 9 The connector of the first embodiment shows Figure 8 The state shown is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the female connector is arranged inside the peripheral wall portion of the movable plate. Fig.10 It is shown from Fig. 9From the state shown, it is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the operating lever is rotated to the rotation completion position and the movable plate is arranged at the fitting position relative to the male housing. Fig.11 This is a partially sectional front view showing in an enlarged manner a state in which the base end side of the convex portion in the connector of the first embodiment is arranged inside the escape portion and the tip end side of the convex portion is positioned in the concave portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of examples. The connector disclosed in the present invention is configured as follows: (1) A method of manufacturing a female connector and a male connector that can be mated with each other, the female connector having a female terminal and a female housing for accommodating the female terminal, the male connector having a male terminal, a male housing for accommodating the male terminal, and a movable plate configured to be movable in a mating direction relative to the male housing, the male terminal having a protruding piece, the male housing having a cover portion on which the protruding piece is protrudingly arranged, the movable plate having a peripheral wall portion arranged along an inner surface of the cover portion, a plate body for positioning the protruding piece inside the cover portion, and a recessed portion that penetrates the peripheral wall portion in a thickness direction, the female housing being arranged inside the peripheral wall portion, one of the female housing and the cover portion having a convex portion and the other having a concave portion, and in a mating state of the female connector and the male connector, a base end side of the convex portion is arranged inside the recessed portion, and a top end side of the convex portion is mated with the concave portion in a positioned state.

[0010] The top end of the protrusion is fitted into the recess in a positioned state, thereby preventing the relative positional deviation between the female housing and the cover. As a result, the male terminal protruding into the cover can be appropriately introduced into the female housing and connected to the female terminal.

[0011] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, it is preferred that, in a width direction orthogonal to a height direction serving as a protruding direction of the protrusion and a recessed direction of the recess, a gap in the width direction that can be formed between an outer surface on the base end side of the protrusion and an inner surface of the retreat portion is set larger than a gap in the width direction that can be formed between an inner surface on the top end side of the protrusion and an inner surface of the recess.

[0012] Since a gap in the width direction can be formed between the outer surface of the base end side of the convex part and the inner surface of the relief part, interference between the convex part and the inner surface of the relief part can be avoided. As a result, the top end side of the convex part can be more appropriately positioned in the concave part in the width direction.

[0013] (3) In the connector described in (1) or (2) above, preferably, in a width direction orthogonal to a height direction which is a protruding direction of the convex portion and a recessed direction of the concave portion, the female housing, the male housing and the movable plate are shaped such that their dimensions in the width direction are longer than those in the height direction, the convex portion is formed on a central side of a long side portion of one of the female housing and the cover portion in the width direction, the recessed portion is formed on a central side of a long side portion of the peripheral wall portion in the width direction, and the concave portion is formed on a central side of a long side portion of the other of the female housing and the cover portion in the width direction.

[0014] Since the fitting parts of the concave and convex parts are formed at the center of the long sides of the female housing and the cover in the width direction, the female housing and the cover can be effectively prevented from being positionally shifted in the width direction with a simple structure.

[0015] (4) In the connector described in (3) above, preferably, the male connector has an operating lever supported to be rotatable relative to the male housing, the operating lever has a cam groove, the male housing has a pin retreat portion on the central side of the short side in the height direction, the peripheral wall portion has a male cam pin on the central side of the short side in the height direction, the male cam pin passes through the pin retreat portion and is arranged inside the cam groove, and the female housing has a female cam pin on the central side of the short side in the height direction that is integrated with the male cam pin.

[0016] Since the female cam pin, the pin retreat portion and the male cam pin are arranged on the central side of the height direction of the short side portion, and the recessed portion, the retreat portion and the convex portion are arranged on the central side of the width direction of the long side portion, the female cam pin, the pin retreat portion and the male cam pin, the recessed portion, the retreat portion and the convex portion can be arranged in a manner that reduces structural constraints on each other.

[0017] (5) In the connector described in any one of (1) to (4) above, preferably, the female housing has a female housing body for holding the female terminal and a female bracket surrounding the female housing body, and the male housing has a male housing body for holding the male terminal and a male bracket surrounding the male housing body, and the convex portion is formed on one of the female bracket and the male bracket, and the concave portion is formed on the other.

[0018] In the structure of (5) above, the top end of the convex part is fitted into the concave part in a positioned state, thereby achieving the fitting state of the connector and the connection state of the female terminal and the male terminal. It is not necessary to form a concave part or a convex part in the female housing body and the male housing body.

[0019] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Hereinafter, specific examples of the connector disclosed in the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the examples, but is indicated by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0020] <Implementation Method 1> The connector of the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a female connector 10 and a male connector 40 that can be mated with each other. Figure 2 As shown, the female connector 10 has a female terminal 11 and a female housing 12. Figure 5 As shown, the male connector 40 has a male terminal 41, a male housing 42, an operating rod 43, and a movable plate 44. In addition, in the following description, with respect to the front-to-back direction, the surface side where the female connector 10 and the male connector 40 are fitted together is referred to as the front side. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction of each figure. The left-right direction is based on the left-right direction when the female connector 10 or the male connector 40 is viewed from the front. In the case of the present embodiment 1, the up-down direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the left-right direction is synonymous with the width direction. Hereinafter, the up-down direction is sometimes referred to as the height direction, and the left-right direction is sometimes referred to as the width direction. The references for the above directions are not necessarily consistent with the references for the directions when the connector is mounted on a vehicle not shown in the figure. Figure 2 and Figure 5 , the front side is indicated by arrow X, the right side is indicated by arrow Y, and the upper side is indicated by arrow Z.

[0021] (Female connector 10) The female terminal 11 is formed integrally by bending a conductive metal plate. Figure 2 As shown, the female terminal 11 is connected to the terminal portion of the electric wire 100. The female terminal 11 has a connecting portion 13 in a cylindrical shape.

[0022] The female housing 12 is made of synthetic resin and includes a female housing body 14 for accommodating the female terminal 11 and a female holder 15 surrounding the outer periphery of the female housing body 14. The female housing body 14 is composed of upper and lower female sub-housings 16.

[0023] Each female housing 16 is in the shape of a rectangular block. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, each female sub-housing 16 has a plurality of female cavities 17. The female terminal 11 is inserted into the female cavity 17 from the rear and is held. Figure 1 As shown, each female sub-shell 16 has an introduction portion 18 that expands from the front end to the front surface of each female cavity 17. The lower female sub-shell 16 of each female sub-shell 16 has a larger vertical dimension than the upper female sub-shell 16. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , a pair of female side ribs 19 extending in the front-rear direction are protrudingly provided on the upper end sides of the left and right sides of the lower female sub-housing 16. Fig.10As shown, each female sub-housing 16 has a female side locking portion 21 that can be locked to the female bracket 15. Each female side locking portion 21 is protrudingly provided on the lower surface of the lower female sub-housing 16 and the upper surface of the upper female sub-housing 16.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, the female bracket 15 is in the shape of a square tube. The female bracket 15 is in a shape that is longer in the width direction than in the height direction. That is, in the female bracket 15, the width dimensions of the upper wall and the lower wall opposite in the height direction are larger than the height dimensions of the left and right side walls opposite in the width direction. In other words, the upper wall and the lower wall of the female bracket 15 form a pair of long sides 22, and the left and right side walls of the female bracket 15 form a pair of short sides 23.

[0025] The female bracket 15 has a pair of female rib receiving portions 24 extending in the front-rear direction and opening forward on the inner surface of each short side portion 23. The female bracket 15 has a pair of elastically deformable female locking arms 25 protruding from the inner surface of each long side portion 22.

[0026] During assembly, the lower female sub-shell 16 is inserted from the rear into the lower inner side of the female bracket 15. Each female rib 19 is engaged with each female rib receiving portion 24, and the female locking portion 21 is engaged with the lower female locking arm 25, thereby holding the lower female sub-shell 16 by the female bracket 15. Next, the upper female sub-shell 16 is inserted into the upper inner side of the female bracket 15. The upper female sub-shell 16 is superimposed on the lower female sub-shell 16, and the female locking portion 21 is engaged with the upper female locking arm 25, thereby holding the lower female bracket 15 (refer to Figure 1 ).

[0027] like Figure 1 to Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the female bracket 15 has a pair of female cam pins 26 protruding from the center side in the height direction of the outer surface of each short side portion 23. Each female cam pin 26 is in the shape of a plate flat in the front-back direction. In addition, the female bracket 15 has a pair of release portions 27 protruding from the upper end side of the outer surface of each short side portion 23. Each release portion 27 is in the shape of a plate extending in the front-back direction. As described below, each release portion 27 releases the temporary locking state of the operating rod 43.

[0028] In addition, the female bracket 15 has a convex portion 28 protruding from the center side in the width direction of the outer surface of the lower long side portion 22. The convex portion 28 is formed in a rib shape with a rectangular cross section and extending in the front-to-back direction. The front end of the convex portion 28 is located slightly behind the front end edge of the lower long side portion 22. Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the rear end of the convex portion 28 is connected to a protrusion 29 formed at the rear end edge of the lower long side portion 22. The protrusion 29 is in the shape of a rib extending in the width direction at the rear end edge of the lower long side portion 22. The protrusion 29 is exposed and arranged on the rear end side of the female connector 10 (the rear end side when viewed from the female connector 10) when the female connector 10 and the male connector 40 are in the mating state.

[0029] (Male connector 40) The male terminal 41 is formed integrally by bending a conductive metal plate or the like. Figure 5 As shown, the male terminal 41 is connected to the terminal portion of the electric wire 200. The male terminal 41 has a protruding piece 45 protruding forward. When the female connector 10 and the male connector 40 are mated, the protruding piece 45 is guided by the introduction portion 18 and inserted into the interior of the connecting portion 13, so that the male terminal 41 and the female terminal 11 are electrically connected (refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 ).

[0030] The male housing 42 is made of synthetic resin and includes a male housing body 46 that accommodates the male terminal 41 and a male bracket 47 that surrounds the outer periphery of the male housing body 46. The male housing body 46 is composed of a plurality of male sub-housings 48 stacked in the vertical direction.

[0031] like Figure 5 As shown, each male auxiliary housing 48 is formed into a flat block shape that is rectangular in top view. Figure 8 to Figure 10 As shown, each male sub-housing 48 has a plurality of male cavities 49 arranged in the width direction. The male terminal 41 is inserted into the male cavity 49 from the rear and is retained. Each male sub-housing 48 has a pair of male side ribs 51 extending in the front-to-back direction protrudingly provided on the side surfaces on the left and right sides, respectively. The male sub-housings 48 arranged at the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer in each male sub-housing 48 respectively have male side locking portions 52 that can be locked to the male bracket 47. Each male side locking portion 52 is protrudingly provided on the upper surface of the male sub-housing 48 at the uppermost layer and the lower surface of the male sub-housing 48 at the lowermost layer.

[0032] like Figure 6 As shown, the male bracket 47 is in the shape of a square tube. The male bracket 47 is in a shape that is longer in the width direction than in the height direction. That is, in the male bracket 47, the width dimension of the upper wall and the lower wall opposite in the height direction is larger than the height dimension of the left and right side walls opposite in the width direction. In other words, the upper wall and the lower wall of the male bracket 47 form a pair of long sides 53, and the left and right side walls of the male bracket 47 form a pair of short sides 54.

[0033] The male bracket 47 includes a sub-housing holding portion 55 for holding each male sub-housing 48 and a cover portion 56 protruding forward from the outer peripheral edge of the front surface of the sub-housing holding portion 55. Figure 8As shown, the protrusions 45 of the male terminals 41 held by the male sub-housings 48 are arranged to protrude inside the cover portion 56 .

[0034] like Figure 6 As shown, the male bracket 47 has a plurality of male side rib receiving portions 57 extending in the front-to-back direction and open to the front on the inner surface of each short side portion 54 of the auxiliary housing holding portion 55. Each male side rib receiving portion 57 is formed in a row in the up-down direction at a position corresponding to each male auxiliary housing 48. In addition, the male bracket 47 has a pair of elastically deformable male side locking arms 58 protruding from the inner surface of each long side portion 53 of the auxiliary housing holding portion 55.

[0035] When the male connector 40 is assembled, each male sub-housing 48 is inserted from the rear into the sub-housing holding portion 55 of the male bracket 47 from the state of being integrated in the up-down direction. Each male side rib 51 is fitted into each male side rib receiving portion 57, and the uppermost and lowermost male side locking portions 52 are locked to each male side locking arm 58, thereby the male sub-housing 48 is held as a whole by the sub-housing holding portion 55 of the male bracket 47 (see Figure 8 ).

[0036] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the male bracket 47 is provided with an operation lever lock receiving portion 59 protruding from the upper long side portion 53 of the auxiliary housing holding portion 55. The operation lever lock receiving portion 59 protrudes rearward from the upper long side portion 53 and protrudes upward from the rear end side thereof.

[0037] like Figure 6 As shown, the male bracket 47 is provided with a pair of support shafts 61 protruding from the center side in the height direction of the outer surface of each short side portion 54. The operating rod 43 is rotatably supported by each support shaft 61. The male bracket 47 has a pair of pin retreat portions 62 extending in the front-to-back direction and opening to the front on the center side in the height direction of each short side portion 54 of the cover portion 56. Each pin retreat portion 62 is arranged at a position closer to the front than each support shaft 61. In addition, the male bracket 47 has a pair of temporary stop receiving portions 84 extending in the front-to-back direction and opening to the front on the inner surface of the upper end side of each short side portion 54.

[0038] In addition, the male bracket 47 has a recessed portion 63 formed in a recessed inner surface of the center side of the long side portion 53 in the width direction of the lower side of the cover portion 56. The recessed portion 63 is formed in a recessed inner surface of the center side of the long side portion 53 in the width direction. Specifically, the recessed portion 63 extends in the front-to-back direction and opens to the front on the inner surface of the center side of the long side portion 53 in the width direction. The rear end of the recessed portion 63 is blocked near the front surface of the auxiliary housing retaining portion 55. Fig.11 As shown, the concave portion 63 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape that fits the tip side of the convex portion 28 except for the chamfered portion 64 formed at the opening edge. The tip side of the convex portion 28 is fitted into the concave portion 63 in a state of being positioned therein.

[0039] The operating rod 43 is made of synthetic resin such as Figure 4 As shown, it is assembled on the male bracket 47 from above in a spanning manner. Figure 5 As shown, the operating lever 43 is in the shape of a door-shaped plate, and has a connecting portion 65 extending in the width direction and a pair of arm portions 66 protruding from both ends of the connecting portion 65 in the width direction. Each arm portion 66 has an axial hole 67 for receiving the support shaft 61. A cam groove 68 is provided in a recessed manner on the inner surface of each arm portion 66. The entrance of the cam groove 68 opens at the outer peripheral edge of the arm portion 66. In addition, the operating lever 43 has an operating lever locking portion 69 that can be elastically deformed in the central portion in the width direction of the connecting portion 65. A pair of temporary stop portions 71 ( Figure 5 Only one is shown).

[0040] The operating rod 43 can rotate between the temporary stop position and the formal stop position relative to the male bracket 47 with the support shaft 61 embedded in the shaft hole 67 as the center. In the temporary stop position, the temporary stop portion 71 is stopped by the temporary stop receiving portion 84 of the male bracket 47, limiting the rotation of the operating rod 43 to the formal stop position. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the connecting portion 65 is arranged at a position above the front end of the male housing 42. Fig.10 As shown, the connection portion 65 is arranged at a position rearward and upward of the rear end of the male housing 42, and the operating lever lock portion 69 is locked to the operating lever lock receiving portion 59. Thus, the operating lever 43 is held in a state where rotation to the permanent locking position is restricted.

[0041] The moving plate 44 is made of synthetic resin and is plate-shaped and box-shaped as a whole. Figure 7 As shown, the movable plate 44 has a plate body 72 arranged with the plate surface facing the front-to-back direction and a peripheral wall portion 73 arranged with the plate surface facing the radial direction (up-down direction and left-right direction). When the movable plate 44 is arranged inside the cover portion 56, it can be in a protective position (see FIG. 1 ) relative to the male housing 42 in the front-to-back direction. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 ) and the mating position (refer to Fig.10 )

[0042] The plate body 72 is in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, and is arranged to cover the inside of the cover portion 56. Figure 7 As shown, the plate body 72 has a plurality of positioning holes 74 penetrating in the front-rear direction (thickness direction). The protruding pieces 45 of the male terminals 41 protruding into the cover portion 56 are inserted through the positioning holes 74 in a positioned state.

[0043] The peripheral wall portion 73 is in the shape of a square tube and is disposed along the inner surface of the cover portion 56. Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the peripheral wall portion 73 is in a shape that is longer in the width direction than in the height direction. That is, in the peripheral wall portion 73, the width of the upper wall and the lower wall facing each other in the height direction is larger than the height of the left and right side walls facing each other in the width direction. In other words, the upper wall and the lower wall of the peripheral wall portion 73 form a pair of long sides 75, and the left and right side walls of the peripheral wall portion 73 form a pair of short sides 76.

[0044] The peripheral wall portion 73 has a pair of male cam pins 77 protruding from the center side in the height direction of the outer surface of each short side portion 76. Each male cam pin 77 has an inner space 78 that is cylindrical in shape and open to the front. The peripheral wall portion 73 has a pair of pin introduction portions 79 extending in the front-back direction and open to the front at the center side in the height direction of each short side portion 76. Each pin introduction portion 79 communicates with the inner space 78 of each male cam pin 77. In addition, the peripheral wall portion 73 has a pair of release introduction portions 81 extending in the front-back direction and open to the front at the upper end side of each short side portion 76.

[0045] like Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the peripheral wall portion 73 has a recessed portion 82 extending in the front-to-back direction and opening forward at the center of the width direction of the lower long side portion 75. The recessed portion 82 penetrates the lower long side portion 75 in the up-down direction (the thickness direction of the lower long side portion 75). The rear end of the recessed portion 82 is blocked near the front surface of the plate body 72. Figure 4 and Fig.11 As shown, when the movable plate 44 is arranged inside the cover 56, the relief portion 82 communicates with the recess 63 in the vertical direction. The width dimension of the relief portion 82 is larger than the width dimension of the convex portion 28 and larger than the width dimension of the recess 63 except the chamfered portion 64.

[0046] (Connector assembly and fitting work) Next, an example of the connector assembly and fitting operation will be described. When assembling the female connector 10 and the male connector 40, first, the female terminals 11 and the male terminals 41 are connected to the terminal ends of the corresponding electric wires 100 and 200. In this state, the female terminals 11 are inserted into the female cavities 17, and the female sub-housings 16 are accommodated in the female brackets 15. Thus, the assembly of the female connector 10 is completed (see Figure 1 ).

[0047] Regarding the male connector 40, first, the operating rod 43 is supported at the temporary stop position relative to the male housing 42. At the temporary stop position, each temporary stop portion 71 is stopped at each temporary stop receiving portion 84, and the entrance of each cam groove 68 is connected to each pin retreat portion 62 and opened toward the front.

[0048] Then, the movable plate 44 is inserted into the interior of the cover 56. Here, each male cam pin 77 enters each pin retreat portion 62 and fits into the entrance of each cam groove 68. As a result, the movable plate 44 is arranged in the protection position relative to the male housing 42. In the protection position, the plate body 72 is arranged away from the auxiliary housing holding portion 55 toward the opening end side of the cover 56, and the opening ends of the peripheral wall portion 73 and the cover 56 are aligned at the same position in the front-to-back direction (refer to Figure 8 In addition, the retreat portion 82 is connected to the recessed portion 63 along the front-rear direction, and each release introduction portion 81 is connected to each temporary stop receiving portion 84 (refer to Figure 4 ).

[0049] In addition, each male terminal 41 is inserted into each male cavity 49, and each male sub-housing 48 is accommodated in the sub-housing holding portion 55 of the male bracket 47. The top end side of the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 is inside the cover portion 56, reaches the plate body 72 and is fitted into each positioning hole 74, and the passive plate 44 is protected (refer to Figure 8 ). Thus, the assembly of the male connector 40 is completed.

[0050] When the female connector 10 and the male connector 40 are mated, the female housing 12 is inserted into the cover 56. The female housing 12 is arranged inside the peripheral wall 73, and the passive plate 44 surrounds the outer periphery (see Fig. 9 ). The front surface of each female sub-housing 16 (the front surface when viewed from the female connector 10) is opposed to the plate body 72 in a contactable manner. Each lead-in portion 18 is connected to each positioning hole 74. When the movable plate 44 is located in the protection position as described above, each female terminal 11 is arranged away from the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 and maintains a state of not contacting each male terminal 41.

[0051] Each release portion 27 enters each temporary stop receiving portion 84 through each release introduction portion 81, and interferes with each temporary stop portion 71 stopped by each temporary stop receiving portion 84. Each temporary stop portion 71 is pressed by each release portion 27 and elastically deforms outward, thereby releasing the stop with each temporary stop receiving portion 84. As a result, the operating lever 43 becomes rotatable toward the formal stop position.

[0052] In addition, if the female housing 12 is disposed inside the peripheral wall portion 73, each female cam pin 26 enters the internal space 78 of each male cam pin 77 through each pin introduction portion 79. As a result, each female cam pin 26 and each male cam pin 77 are combined with each other to form a single body. In addition, if the female housing 12 is disposed inside the peripheral wall portion 73, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 and Fig.11As shown, the convex portion 28 is fitted into the concave portion 63 via the relief portion 82. Specifically, the base end side portion of the convex portion 28, in the case of the first embodiment, is arranged inside the relief portion 82, and the top end side portion of the convex portion 28, in the case of the first embodiment, is fitted into the concave portion 63 in a positioned state.

[0053] like Fig.11 As shown, a gap (W1) in the width direction is formed between the left and right surfaces (surfaces facing opposite sides in the width direction) of the lower half of the protrusion 28 and the left and right surfaces (surfaces facing each other in the width direction) of the recess 63, or no gap (W1=0 (zero)). A gap (W2) in the width direction that is larger than the gap (W1) in the width direction is formed between the left and right surfaces (surfaces facing each other in the width direction) of the upper half of the protrusion 28 and the left and right surfaces (surfaces facing each other in the width direction) of the retreat portion 82 (W1<W2). Thus, the left and right surfaces of the upper half of the protrusion 28 and the left and right surfaces of the retreat portion 82 can maintain a state of not contacting each other. In addition, the front end of the protrusion 28 (the front end when viewed from the female connector 10) and the inner end of the retreat portion 82 (the rear end when viewed from the male connector 40) are opposed to each other in a contacting manner.

[0054] In this way, the lower half of the protrusion 28 is engaged with the recess 63 in a positioned state, thereby limiting the relative position deviation between the female bracket 15 and the male bracket 47 regardless of the assembly error (including assembly tolerance) that can be formed between the respective brackets of the female bracket 15 and the male bracket 47 and the movable plate 44.

[0055] In a state where the female housing 12 is disposed inside the peripheral wall portion 73, the operating lever 43 is moved in the opposite direction while the connecting portion 65 is held. Fig. 9 The operating lever 43 rotates in the direction of arrow A. During the rotation of the operating lever 43, the male cam pins 77 combined with the female cam pins 26 slide on the groove surfaces of the cam grooves 68, and the movable plate 44 and the female housing 12 move toward the fitting position together.

[0056] When the movable plate 44 starts to move toward the mating position, the top end side of the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 protrudes from each positioning hole 74. The top end side of the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 protruding from each positioning hole 74 enters each female cavity 17 through each introduction portion 18. Since each female cavity 17 accommodates each female terminal 11, the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 is inserted into the interior of the connecting portion 13 of each female terminal 11. As it moves toward the mating position, the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 is deeply inserted into the interior of the connecting portion 13 of each female terminal 11. Fig.10As shown in the figure, when the movable plate 44 reaches the mating position, the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 is inserted into the interior of the connecting portion 13 at a regular depth, and each female terminal 11 and each male terminal 41 are electrically connected. In addition, the operating rod 43 also reaches the formal locking position, and the operating rod locking portion 69 is locked in the operating rod locking receiving portion 59. Thus, the rotation of the operating rod 43 is restricted, and the female connector 10 and the male connector 40 are kept in the mating state.

[0057] As described above, in the case of the first embodiment, the top end side of the convex portion 28 is fitted into the concave portion 63 in a positioned state, thereby limiting the relative positional deviation between the female bracket 15 and the male bracket 47, and further limiting the relative positional deviation between the female housing 12 and the male housing 42. Each male terminal 41 is accommodated in the male housing 42, and each lead-in portion 18 is formed in the female housing 12. Therefore, the protrusion 45 of each male terminal 41 is appropriately introduced into each lead-in portion 18, so that the state of electrical connection of each female terminal 11 and each male terminal 41 is achieved with good reliability.

[0058] In particular, in the case of the first embodiment, the width-direction gap (W2) that can be formed between the outer surface of the base end side of the convex portion 28 and the inner surface of the relief portion 82 is set to be larger than the width-direction gap (W1) that can be formed between the outer surface of the tip side of the convex portion 28 and the inner surface of the recess 63 (W1<W2). Therefore, the interference between the convex portion 28 and the inner surface of the relief portion 82 can be avoided, and the state in which the tip side of the convex portion 28 is positioned in the recess 63 in the width direction can be more appropriately achieved. In addition, in the case of the first embodiment, the female housing 12, the male housing 42, and the movable plate 44 are shaped in a shape that is longer in the width direction than in the height direction. Moreover, the convex portion 28 is formed on the central side of the long side 22 in the female housing 12 in the width direction, the relief portion 82 is formed on the central side of the long side 75 in the peripheral wall portion 73 in the width direction, and the recess 63 is formed on the central side of the long side 53 in the cover portion 56 of the male housing 42 in the width direction. That is, the fitting portion between the recess 63 and the projection 28 is formed at the center side of the long sides 22 and 53 in the female housing 12 and the cover 56 in the width direction, so that the female housing 12 and the cover 56 can be effectively prevented from being positionally offset in the width direction with a simple structure.

[0059] In addition, the male connector 40 has an operating lever 43 supported to be rotatable relative to the male housing 42, and the operating lever 43 has a pair of cam grooves 68. The male housing 42 has a pair of pin relief portions 62 at the center side in the height direction of the short side portion 54. The peripheral wall portion 73 has a pair of male cam pins 77 disposed inside the cam grooves 68 through the pin relief portions 62 at the center side in the height direction of the short side portion 76. The female housing 12 has a pair of female cam pins 26 combined with the male cam pins 77 at the center side in the height direction of the short side portion 23.

[0060] That is, in the case of the first embodiment, each of the female cam pins 26, each of the pin relief portions 62, and each of the male cam pins 77 are arranged on the center side in the height direction of the short sides 23, 54, 76, and the recessed portion 63, the relief portion 82, and the convex portion 28 are arranged on the center side in the width direction of the long sides 53, 75, 22. Therefore, each of the female cam pins 26, each of the pin relief portions 62, each of the male cam pins 77, the recessed portion 63, the relief portion 82, and the convex portion 28 can be arranged in a manner that reduces structural constraints on each other.

[0061] In addition, the female housing 12 includes a female housing body 14 that holds the female terminal 11 and a female bracket 15 that surrounds the female housing body 14. The male housing 42 includes a male housing body 46 that holds the male terminal 41 and a male bracket 47 that surrounds the male housing body 46. Moreover, a convex portion 28 is formed on the female bracket 15, and a concave portion 63 is formed on the male bracket 47. In the above structure, the top end side of the convex portion 28 is fitted into the concave portion 63 in a positioned state, thereby achieving the fitting state of the connector and the connection state of the female terminal 11 and the male terminal 41. It is not necessary to form the concave portion 63 or the convex portion 28 on the female housing body 14 and the male housing body 46.

[0062] [Other embodiments of the present disclosure] The first embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as an example in all aspects and not restrictive. In the case of the above-mentioned first embodiment, the recessed portion is formed in the cover portion, and the convex portion is formed in the female housing. In contrast, according to another embodiment, the convex portion may be formed in the cover portion, and the recessed portion may be formed in the female housing. In the case of the first embodiment, the recess is formed in the male bracket and the projection is formed in the female bracket. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the recess may be formed in the male housing body or the female housing body and the projection may be formed in the female housing body or the male housing body. In the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the female housing is composed of a female housing body and a female bracket, and the male housing is composed of a male housing body and a male bracket. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the female housing can also be integrally formed without distinguishing between the female housing body and the female bracket, and the male housing can also be integrally formed without distinguishing between the male housing body and the male bracket. In the case of the first embodiment, the female housing body is composed of a plurality of female sub-housings, and the male housing body is composed of a plurality of male sub-housings. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the female housing body may be integrally formed, and the male housing body may also be integrally formed. In the case of the first embodiment, the male connector has an operating rod, and the movable plate moves inside the cover by rotating the operating rod. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the male connector may not have an operating rod, and the movable plate may be pressed by the female housing to move inside the cover. In the case of the first embodiment, the recessed portion is open on the inner surface of the long side of the cover portion, and is in a bottomed shape blocked by the outer surface of the long side of the cover portion. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the recessed portion may also be in a bottomless shape that penetrates the corresponding wall in the female housing or the cover portion in the thickness direction. Description of Reference Numerals

[0063] 10…Female connector 11…Female terminal 12…Female housing 13…Connection 14…Female housing main body 15…Female bracket 16…Female housing 17…Vaginal cavity 18…Introduction 19…Vaginal ribs 21…Female side locking part 22…Long side of the female bracket of the female housing 23…Short side of the female bracket of the female housing 24…Vaginal rib receiving part 25… Female locking arm 26…Female cam pin 27…Lifting Department 28…convex part 29…Protrusion 40…Male connector 41…Male terminal 42…Male housing 43…Operation lever 44…Moving plate 45…Tab 46…Male housing body 47…Male bracket 48…Male housing 49…Male cavity 51…yang side rib 52…Male side locking portion 53 ... the long side of the male bracket (including the cover) of the male housing 54 ... short side of the male bracket (including the cover) of the male housing 55...Sub-housing holding portion 56…Hood 57…Male side rib receiving portion 58…Male locking arm 59…Lever lock receiving portion 61…Support 62…Sales concession department 63…concave 64…Chamfered part 65…Connection 66…Arm 67…Shaft hole 68…Cam groove 69…Lever lock 71…Temporary stop 72… Plate body 73…Surrounding wall 74…Positioning hole 75…long side of the peripheral wall of the moving plate 76 ... short side of the peripheral wall of the moving plate 77…Male cam pin 78…Interior Space 79…Pin guide 81…Release the lead-in section 82…Retreat 84…Temporary card acceptance department 100…Wire connected to female terminal 200…Wire connected to male terminal W1... can be formed between the inner surface of the tip side of the convex portion and the inner surface of the concave portion The gap in the width direction W2 ... can be formed between the outer surface of the base end side of the convex portion and the inner surface of the relief portion The gap in the width direction

Claims

1. A connector, A female connector and a male connector are provided which can be mated with each other. The female connector comprises a female terminal and a female housing for accommodating the female terminal. The male connector includes a male terminal, a male housing for housing the male terminal, and a movable plate configured to be movable in a mating direction relative to the male housing. The male terminal has a tab, The male housing has a cover portion on which the protrusion is protrudingly arranged. The movable plate includes a peripheral wall portion arranged along the inner surface of the cover portion, a plate body for positioning the protruding piece inside the cover portion, and a relief portion penetrating the peripheral wall portion in the thickness direction. The female housing is arranged inside the peripheral wall portion. One of the female housing and the cover has a convex portion and the other has a concave portion. In the fitted state of the female connector and the male connector, the base end side of the convex portion is arranged inside the escape portion, and the tip end side of the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion in a positioned state.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: In the width direction orthogonal to the height direction which is the protruding direction of the convex portion and the recessed direction of the concave portion, a gap in the width direction that can be formed between the outer surface of the base end side of the convex portion and the inner surface of the retreat portion is set to be larger than a gap in the width direction that can be formed between the inner surface of the top end side of the convex portion and the inner surface of the concave portion.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: In the width direction orthogonal to the height direction which is the protruding direction of the convex part and the concave direction of the concave part, the female housing, the male housing and the movable plate are shaped such that the dimension in the width direction is longer than that in the height direction. The convex portion is formed on the center side of the long side of the one of the female housing and the cover in the width direction. The relief portion is formed on the central side of the long side of the peripheral wall portion in the width direction. The recessed portion is formed at a center side of the other long side portion of the female housing and the cover portion in the width direction.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein: The male connector has an operating lever supported so as to be rotatable relative to the male housing. The operating lever has a cam groove, The male housing has a pin relief portion at the center side of the short side in the height direction. The peripheral wall portion has a male cam pin at the center side of the short side portion in the height direction, the male cam pin passing through the pin escape portion and arranged inside the cam groove, The female housing includes a female cam pin that is combined with the male cam pin at a center side of a short side portion in the height direction.

5. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The female housing has a female housing body for holding the female terminal and a female bracket surrounding the female housing body. The male housing includes a male housing body for holding the male terminal and a male bracket surrounding the male housing body. The convex portion is formed on one of the female bracket and the male bracket, and the concave portion is formed on the other of the female bracket.

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