Electric connector mounting body, first connector, second connector, module, and module connection body

Abstract

The invention provides an electric connector mounting body, a first connector, a second connector, a module and a module connecting body which can easily perform replacement work of the electric connector mounting body. First connectors (2, 4) provided in an electrical connector attachment body (1) can be fitted and connected to counterpart second connectors (203, 205) provided in a counterpart electrical connector attachment body (101), and second connectors (3, 5) can be fitted and connected to counterpart first connectors (202, 204) provided in another counterpart electrical connector attachment body (201). The first connectors (2, 4) do not have portions that abut against counterpart second connectors (203, 205) from the front and rear, and the second connectors (3, 5) do not have portions that abut against counterpart first connectors (202, 204) from the front and rear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric connector installation body capable of being connected in plurality, a first connector and a second connector provided on the electric connector installation body, a module having the electric connector installation body, and a module connection body connecting a plurality of modules. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a module connection body obtained by connecting a plurality of modules (connector components) arranged on a guide rail. All modules are formed into the same structure and are mounted on the guide rail from above. In patent document 1, by installing adjacent modules in sequence, a plurality of modules are connected with the length direction of the guide rail as the connection direction.

[0003] In each module, a circuit substrate is housed in a housing, and a plurality of terminals including signal terminals and power terminals are mounted on the circuit substrate in an arranged state. The signal terminal and the power terminal have a male contact portion (blade contact) on one end side in the above-mentioned connection direction, and a female contact portion (spring arm) on the other end side. The male contact portion is formed as a plate with the terminal arrangement direction as the plate thickness direction, and the female contact portion is formed as a pair of plate-shaped arms that can be elastically deformed in the terminal arrangement direction. On the side surface on the same side as the male contact portion (herein referred to as the "male side surface" for the sake of convenience of explanation) of the two side surfaces of the housing (surfaces at right angles to the connection direction), the male contact portion protrudes (refer to Patent Document 1 Figure 5 ), on the side surface on the same side as the female contact portion (herein referred to as the "female side surface" for convenience of explanation), the female contact portion is accommodated in a groove portion extending in the vertical direction (refer to Patent Document 1 Figure 6 ).

[0004] When another module is mounted on the rail adjacent to a module already mounted on the rail, the male contact on the other module enters between a pair of arms of the female contact on one module, and the male contact is clamped by the pair of arms. As a result, the terminals are connected to each other, and the modules are connected to each other. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: European Patent No. 1173902 Summary of the invention

[0006] In Patent Document 1, a groove portion for receiving a female contact portion of a power terminal is covered by a plate-shaped cover portion at a middle position in the vertical direction on the female side surface of the housing (see Patent Document 1). Figure 6). The female contact portion of the power terminal is received in the groove portion just below the cover portion. Therefore, when a plurality of modules are connected, in any two adjacent modules, the cover portion of one module exists above the male contact portion of the other module connected to the female contact portion of the module on the one side. Therefore, when more than three modules are connected, even if one wants to pull out upward only one module in the middle position, that is, a module other than the modules at the two end positions (herein referred to as the "middle module" for the sake of convenience), the male contact portion of the power terminal of the middle module will interfere with the cover portion of the adjacent module from below, and thus the middle module cannot be pulled out.

[0007] Therefore, if only one intermediate module needs to be replaced, all modules on the male contact side relative to the intermediate module need to be temporarily unplugged before unplugging the intermediate module. In addition, after the intermediate module is replaced, all modules on the male contact side must be reconnected. As such, in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the replacement operation of the intermediate module is very troublesome and the operation efficiency is significantly reduced.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to provide an electric connector mounting body, a first connector, a second connector, a module, and a module connection body, which enable easy replacement of the electric connector mounting body.

[0009] (1) The electric connector mounting body of the present invention includes a circuit board and a pair of electric connectors mounted on a mounting surface of the circuit board, and can be connected in a plurality of pairs with one predetermined direction as a connection direction.

[0010] On the basis of the above-mentioned electrical connector mounting body, the present invention is characterized in that the electrical connector mounting body can be mated and connected with each of the adjacent counterpart electrical connector mounting bodies on both sides in the connecting direction in a direction toward the front in a front-to-back direction at a right angle to the connecting direction as the mating direction, and the electrical connector constituting the electrical connector pair has: a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals are arranged in a terminal arrangement direction in a direction at a right angle to the front-to-back direction and the connecting direction; and a housing for holding the plurality of terminals, the electrical connector pair has a first connector and a second connector as the electrical connector, the first connector being mounted to one side of the circuit substrate in the connecting direction, and the second connector being mounted to the other side of the circuit substrate in the connecting direction, the first connector being mated and connected with the counterpart second connector provided on the counterpart electrical connector mounting body, the second connector being mated and connected with the counterpart first connector provided on other counterpart electrical connector mounting bodies, the first connector having no portion abutting against the counterpart second connector from the front and rear, and the second connector having no portion abutting against the counterpart first connector from the front and rear.

[0011] In the electric connector installation body of the present invention, the first connector does not have a portion that abuts against the second connector of the other party from the front and the back, and the second connector does not have a portion that abuts against the first connector of the other party from the front and the back. Therefore, when more than three electric connector installation bodies are connected, when it is necessary to replace only the electric connector installation body in the middle position in the connection direction, the first connector and the second connector of the electric connector installation body can be simply pulled out without interfering with the second connector of the other party and the first connector of the other party electric connector installation body on both sides of the electric connector installation body. In addition, after that, the new electric connector installation body can be inserted between the above-mentioned other party electric connector installation bodies without interfering with the first connector of the other party and the first connector of the other party electric connector installation body on both sides. Therefore, when replacing the electric connector installation body in the middle position, it is not necessary to disassemble and assemble the remaining electric connector installation bodies, so the replacement operation of the electric connector installation body becomes simple and the operation efficiency is improved.

[0012] (2) Based on the invention of (1), it may be that the first connector has a first terminal as the terminal and a first shell as the shell for holding the first terminal, the second connector has a second terminal as the terminal and a second shell as the shell for holding the second terminal, the first shell has a first locking portion that can be locked with the other second shell of the other second connector in the connection direction, and the second shell has a second locking portion that can be locked with the other first shell of the other first connector in the connection direction.

[0013] In the invention of (2), the first housing can be locked to the second housing of the other party in the connection direction by the first locking portion, and the second housing can be locked to the first housing of the other party in the connection direction by the second locking portion. Therefore, when the electrical connector mounting body is in a state of being connected to the electrical connector mounting bodies of the other party on both sides in the connection direction, the position of the electrical connector mounting body relative to each electrical connector mounting body of the other party in the connection direction is limited within a prescribed allowable range. As a result, a stable electrical contact state between the electrical connector mounting body and each electrical connector mounting body of the other party can be well ensured.

[0014] (3) Based on the invention of (1) or (2), it may be that the first connector has a first terminal as the terminal and a first shell as the shell for holding the first terminal, the second connector has a second terminal as the terminal and a second shell as the shell for holding the second terminal, the first shell has a first abutting portion that can abut against the other party's second shell in the terminal arrangement direction, and the second shell has a second abutting portion that can abut against the other party's first connector in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0015] In the invention of (3), the first housing can abut against the second housing of the other party in the terminal arrangement direction through the first abutment portion, and the second housing can abut against the first housing of the other party in the terminal arrangement direction through the second abutment portion. Therefore, when the electrical connector mounting body is in a state of being connected to the electrical connector mounting bodies of the other party on both sides in the connection direction, the position of the electrical connector mounting body relative to each electrical connector mounting body of the other party in the terminal arrangement direction is limited to a prescribed allowable range. As a result, a stable electrical contact state between the electrical connector mounting body and each electrical connector mounting body of the other party can be well ensured.

[0016] (4) Based on any one of the inventions (1) to (3), the electrical connector pair may be provided in a plurality of types, and in at least one specific electrical connector pair, the terminal is in a shape obtained by bending a metal plate member along the plate thickness direction, and has a contact portion for contacting a counterpart terminal provided on a counterpart electrical connector mounting body, and the contact portion can contact the counterpart terminal with a plate surface intersecting the connection direction as a contact surface.

[0017] In the invention of (4), the contact portion of the terminal uses the plate surface intersecting the connection direction as the contact surface, so the area of ​​the contact surface can be ensured to be sufficiently large, and the size of the contact portion in the connection direction can be reduced. Therefore, in the housing, the depth of the recess for accommodating the contact portion, that is, the size in the connection direction can be reduced, so the housing can be formed into a simple shape and sufficient strength of the housing can be ensured.

[0018] (5) Based on the invention of (4), it may be that the plurality of terminals of the electrical connector arranged on one side of the specific electrical connector pair include power terminals and signal terminals, the power terminal includes a power contact portion, the power contact portion serving as the contact portion capable of contacting the counterpart terminal corresponding to the power terminal, and the signal terminal includes a signal contact portion, the signal contact portion serving as the contact portion capable of contacting the counterpart terminal corresponding to the signal terminal, the power contact portion is formed to extend in the front-to-back direction, the front end of the power contact portion is located forward of the signal contact portion, and the rear end of the power contact portion is located rearward of the signal contact portion.

[0019] According to the specifications of the electrical connectors, in the middle of the mating action of the electrical connectors, it is sometimes required that the power terminals contact each other before the signal terminals contact each other. In the invention of (5), in the terminal of the electrical connector on one side, the front end of the power contact portion extending in the front-to-back direction is located in front of the signal contact portion, and the rear end is located behind the signal contact portion. Therefore, in the case where the contact portions of the plurality of counterpart terminals provided in the counterpart electrical connector are formed at the same position in the front-to-back direction, in the middle of the mating action of the electrical connectors, the power contact portions contact each other before the signal contact portions contact each other. In this way, in the invention of (5), it is possible to cope well with the requirements of the above-mentioned specifications.

[0020] (6) Based on the invention of (4) or (5), it may be that the contact portion of the terminal of the electrical connector provided on at least one of the specific electrical connector pair is formed extending in the front-to-back direction at a position close to one end side in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, and the terminal has a free end portion which is continuous with the rear end of the contact portion and extends to the free end of the one end side, and in the free end portion, the connecting portion connected to the rear end of the contact portion is bent in a manner having a component in a direction toward the opposite side of the contact surface in the connecting direction.

[0021] Thus, in the invention of (6), in the free end of the terminal, the connection portion connected to the rear end of the contact portion is bent in a manner having a component in the direction opposite to the contact surface in the connection direction. Therefore, when the other electrical connector is engaged from the free end side of the electrical connector of the one party, in the middle of the engagement action, the other terminal of the other electrical connector reliably contacts the contact portion without interfering with the free end. As a result, it is possible to effectively avoid the damage caused by the bending of a part of the terminal due to the interference between the other terminal and the free end of the terminal after the engagement action starts.

[0022] (7) In the invention according to any one of (1) to (6), the electrical connector pair may be provided in a plurality of types, the housing of the electrical connector of one of at least one specific electrical connector pair includes a fixed housing and a movable housing, the terminal is mounted on the fixed housing and the movable housing, the fixed housing is fixed to the circuit substrate via the terminal, the terminal includes an elastic portion, the elastic portion is elastically deformable between a fixed side retained portion held by the fixed housing and a movable side retained portion held by the movable housing, and the movable housing is movable relative to the fixed housing by elastic deformation of the elastic portion.

[0023] Thus, in the invention of (7), the above-mentioned one electrical connector is configured as a so-called floating connector in which the movable housing can move relative to the fixed housing. Therefore, even if the relative position of the electrical connector of at least one of the electrical connector pairs and the counterpart electrical connector of the counterpart electrical connector mounting body corresponding to the electrical connector is deviated from the regular position, the above-mentioned movable housing can be moved (floated) in the direction to absorb the deviation, so that the terminals of all the electrical connectors can be reliably contacted with the terminals of the counterpart electrical connector.

[0024] (8) In the invention of (7), the fixed housing may have a fixed side limiting portion that can be locked with the other movable housing in the connection direction. In this way, by providing the fixed limiting portion on the fixed housing, the movement of the movable housing in the connection direction is limited within a specified range. Therefore, it is possible to avoid excessive deformation of the elastic portion of the terminal due to excessive movement of the movable housing in the connection direction.

[0025] (9) In the invention of (7) or (8), the movable housing may include a movable side restriction portion that protrudes toward the mounting surface of the circuit substrate and can abut against the mounting surface. In this way, by providing the movable side restriction portion on the movable housing, the movable side restriction portion abuts against the mounting surface of the circuit substrate and is restricted in position in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, thereby stabilizing the position of the movable housing and, in turn, stabilizing the position of the terminal.

[0026] (10) In the invention of any one of (7) to (9), the terminal may include a power terminal and a signal terminal, the power terminal being formed larger than the signal terminal in the terminal arrangement direction, and the elastic portion of the power terminal being formed longer than the elastic portion of the signal terminal. Since a large current usually flows in the power terminal, its dimension in the terminal arrangement direction, i.e., the terminal width dimension, is often formed larger than that of the signal terminal to increase the cross-sectional area. In the case where the elastic portion is formed on both the power terminal and the signal terminal, assuming that the lengths of the elastic portions of the two terminals are equal, the elastic portion of the power terminal having a larger terminal width dimension is more difficult to elastically deform than the elastic portion of the signal terminal. In the invention of (10), the elastic portion of the power terminal is formed longer than the elastic portion of the signal terminal, and therefore, it is easy to elastically deform even if the terminal width dimension increases. As a result, the elastic portion of the power terminal and the elastic portion of the signal terminal can be elastically deformed in a manner having the same degree of spring characteristics, thereby enabling the movable housing to float smoothly.

[0027] (11) The first connector of the present invention is characterized in that the first connector is provided in the electrical connector mounting body of any one of the inventions (1) to (10).

[0028] (12) The second connector of the present invention is characterized in that the second connector is provided in the electrical connector mounting body of any one of the inventions (1) to (10).

[0029] (13) A module of the present invention is characterized by comprising: the electric connector assembly according to any one of the inventions (1) to (10); and a housing for housing the electric connector assembly.

[0030] (14) The module connection body of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of modules according to the invention of (13) are connected to the module connection body.

[0031] The present invention can provide an electric connector mounting body, a first connector, a second connector, a module, and a module connection body, which enable easy replacement of the electric connector mounting body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a module connection body according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 (A) indicates the state before a module is connected. Figure 1 (B) indicates that all modules are connected. Figure 2 (A) and (B) are three-dimensional diagrams of the module monomer. Figure 2 (C) is a diagram showing the connection portion of two adjacent modules as viewed in the front-to-back direction. Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing only the electrical connector assembly provided on the module connection body. Figure 3 (A) indicates the state before an electrical connector assembly is inserted into the connection. Figure 3 (B) indicates a state where all electrical connector assemblies are connected. Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a female connector for control mounted on a circuit board. Figure 4 (A) shows the state observed from the other end side of the circuit substrate. Figure 4 (B) shows a state viewed from one end side of the circuit board. Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the components constituting the control female connector in isolation. Figure 6 (A) is a three-dimensional view of the signal female terminal of the control female connector. Figure 6 (B) is a three-dimensional view of the power female terminal of the control female connector. Figure 6 (C) is a front view of the control female connector. Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the control female connector on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. Figure 7(A) represents a cross section at the position of the fixed side restriction portion, Figure 7 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the movable side restriction portion. Figure 8 This is a perspective view of a male control connector mounted on a circuit board. Figure 8 (A) shows the state observed from one end side of the circuit board. Figure 8 (B) shows a state viewed from the other end side of the circuit board. Fig. 9 This is a perspective view showing the components constituting the control male connector in isolation. Fig.10 (A) is a three-dimensional view of the signal male terminal of the control male connector. Fig.10 (B) is a three-dimensional view of the power male terminal of the control male connector. Fig.10 (C) is a front view of the control male connector. Fig.11 This is a cross-sectional view of the control male connector on a surface that is perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. Fig.11 (A) represents the cross section at the location of the signal male terminal, Fig.11 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power male terminal. Fig.12 (A) and (B) are three-dimensional views of a male power connector mounted on a circuit board. Fig.12 (C) is a perspective view of the power male terminal of the power male connector. Fig.13 (A) and (B) are three-dimensional views of a female connector for power supply mounted on a circuit board. Fig.13 (C) is a perspective view of the power female terminal of the power female connector. Fig.14 It is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction just before the mating connection action begins. Fig.14 (A) represents a cross section at the position of the signal terminal of the control electrical connector pair, Fig.14 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power supply terminal of the control connector pair. Fig.15 It is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction in the middle of the mating connection action. Fig.15 (A) represents a cross section at the position of the signal terminal of the control electrical connector pair, Fig.15 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power supply terminal of the control connector pair. Fig.16 It is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly in the mating connection state on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. Fig.16 (A) represents a cross section at the position of the signal terminal of the control electrical connector pair, Fig.16 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power supply terminal of the control connector pair. Fig.17 2 is a diagram showing the mating connection state of the control male connector and the control female connector. Fig.17 (A) is a stereogram, Fig.17 (B) is an enlarged view of the locking portion. Fig.18 1 is a diagram showing the mating connection state of the power supply male connector and the power supply female connector. Fig.17 (A) is a stereogram, Fig.17 (B) is an enlarged view of the locking portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 (A) and (B) are three-dimensional views of a module connection body according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) shows a state before a module is to be connected, and (B) shows a state where all modules are connected. The module connection body according to this embodiment is formed by a plurality of modules in a predetermined direction ( Figure 1 The module connection body of this embodiment is used, for example, in a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling a servo motor provided in a robot or the like via a servo amplifier.

[0035] The module connection body of this embodiment has three modules with the same structure, specifically, module I, module II, and module III. In this embodiment, module II is arranged on the X1 side in the connection direction (X-axis direction) with respect to module I, and module III is arranged on the X2 side. That is, in the connection direction, module II, module I, and module III are arranged in this order from the X1 side.

[0036] Modules I to III are detachably connected in the front-rear direction ( Figure 1 Specifically, modules I to III are fitted to the guide rail from the rear side (Y2 side) through a mounting portion (not shown) provided at the front portion (the portion on the Y1 side) of the modules I to III. In addition, each of the modules I to III is fitted and connected to the adjacent module while being mounted on the guide rail.

[0037] Figure 1(A) shows the state before module I is inserted between module II and module III which have been installed on the guide rail (not shown), in other words, the state before module I is connected to modules II and III. Figure 1 (B) shows a state where the module I is mounted on the rail together with the modules II and III. In other words, it shows a state where the module I is fitted and connected to the modules II and III to connect the modules I to III.

[0038] Next, the structure of each of modules I to III will be described. Figure 2 (A) and (B) are three-dimensional diagrams of the module I monomer. Figure 2 (C) is a diagram of the connection portion of two adjacent modules I and II observed along the front-to-back direction. Figure 2 As shown in (A) and (B), the module 1 has an electrical connector mounting body 1 (refer to Figure 3 (A), (B)) and a housing 6 for accommodating an electric connector mounting body 101. Module II has an electric connector mounting body 101 (see Figure 3 (A), (B)) and the housing 106 (refer to Figure 1 Module III has an electric connector mounting body 201 as a counterpart electric connector mounting body (see Figure 3 (A), (B)) and the housing 206 (refer to Figure 1 (A), (B)).

[0039] Hereinafter, the electrical connector assembly 1, the electrical connector assembly 101, and the electrical connector assembly 201 are referred to as "connector assembly 1", "connector assembly 101", and "connector assembly 201", respectively. In the present embodiment, all modules I to III have the same structure, and therefore, the structure of module I is described, and the description of the structures of modules II and III is omitted. Here, for module II, the portion corresponding to module I is marked with a symbol obtained by adding "100" to the symbol in module I, and for module III, the portion corresponding to module I is marked with a symbol obtained by adding "200" to the symbol in module I.

[0040] Figure 3 (A) and (B) are perspective views showing modules I, II, and III without housings 6, 106, and 206. That is, Figure 3 (A) is a perspective view showing only the connector mounting body 1, 101, 201, Figure 3 (A) shows the state immediately before the connector mounting body 1 is connected to the connector mounting bodies 101, 201, Figure 3(B) shows a state where all the connector mounting bodies 1, 101, 201 are connected. Figure 3 In (A) and (B), the circuit boards provided in the connector mounting bodies 1, 101, and 201 are indicated as P1, P2, and P3, respectively.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown in (A) and (B), the connector assembly 1 includes a circuit board P1, a control connector pair, and a power connector pair, wherein the circuit board P1 is configured so that the board surface is at right angles to the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction), and the control connector pair is a portion (Z2 side) mounted on the mounting surface (board surface on the Y2 side) of the circuit board P1. Figure 3 The power supply connector pair is a portion of the Z1 side mounted on the mounting surface of the circuit board P1 ( Figure 3 The control connector pair is mainly used to supply control signals to a servo amplifier, etc., and the power connector pair is mainly used to supply power to a servo motor, etc. In addition, the control connector pair includes a control female connector 2 as a first connector and a control male connector 3 as a second connector. The power connector pair includes a power male connector 4 as a first connector and a power female connector 5 as a second connector.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown in (A) and (B), the control female connector 2 is provided on the X1 side (one side) of the circuit substrate P1 in the connection direction, and the control male connector 3 is provided on the X2 side (the other side) of the circuit substrate P1 in the connection direction. The control female connector 2 and the control male connector 3 are electrically connected through a circuit portion (not shown) formed on the circuit substrate P1. In addition, the power supply male connector 4 is provided on the X1 side (one side) of the circuit substrate P1 in the connection direction, and the power supply female connector 5 is provided on the X2 side (the other side) of the circuit substrate P1 in the connection direction. The power supply male connector 4 and the power supply female connector 5 are electrically connected through a circuit portion (not shown) formed on the circuit substrate P1.

[0043] Figure 4 (A) and (B) are perspective views of the control female connector 2 mounted on the circuit board P1. Figure 4 (A) shows the state viewed from the X1 side, Figure 4 (B) shows the state viewed from the X2 side. Figure 4In (A) and (B), only a part of the circuit substrate P1 is shown, specifically, only the part around the control female connector 2 is shown. The control female connector 2 has: a plurality of female terminals 21, 22 as first terminals; housings 23, 24 as first housings for holding the plurality of female terminals 21, 22; and metal fittings 25 held at both ends of the fixed housing 23. In addition, the female terminals 21, 22 have a plurality of signal female terminals 21 as first terminals for signals and a plurality of power female terminals 22 as first terminals for power. The housings 23, 24 have a fixed housing 23 fixed to the circuit substrate P1 via the female terminals 21, 22 and a movable housing 24 movable relative to the fixed housing 23.

[0044] Figure 5 It is a perspective view showing each member constituting the control female connector 2 in isolation. Figure 6 (A) is a three-dimensional view of the signal female terminal 21. Figure 6 (B) is a three-dimensional view of the power female terminal 22, Figure 6 (C) is a front view of the control female connector 2. Figure 7 (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views taken at a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of the control female connector 2. Figure 7 (A) shows a cross section at the position of the signal female terminal 21, Figure 7 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power supply female terminal 22 .

[0045] like Figure 4 (A), (B), Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown in (C), the plurality of signal female terminals 21 and the plurality of power female terminals 22 are arranged in a direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the connection direction (X-axis direction) and the front-back direction (Y-axis direction) as the terminal arrangement direction. Specifically, ten signal female terminals 21 are provided in the half on the Z2 side of the control female connector 2, and two power female terminals 22 are provided in the half on the Z1 side.

[0046] The female signal terminal 21 is made by bending a metal strip in the direction of the plate thickness. Figure 4 As shown in (A), a portion of the female signal terminal 21 is received and held in the receiving portions 23A-1 and 24B (the fixed side receiving portion 23A-1 and the movable side receiving portion 24B) formed in the housings 23 and 24. The female signal terminal 21 is viewed from the front ( Figures 4 to 7 The lower part of the middle) is pressed into and installed in the storage part 23A-1, 24B. Figure 6As shown in (A), the signal female terminal 21 has: a signal connecting portion 21A arranged on one end side of the signal female terminal 21; a fixed side retained portion 21B continuous and extending from the signal connecting portion 21A; two signal contact arm portions 21C arranged on the other end side of the signal female terminal 21; a movable side retained portion 21D continuous and extending from the signal contact arm portions 21C; and an elastic portion 21E arranged between the fixed side retained portion 21B and the movable side retained portion 21D and capable of elastic deformation.

[0047] The signal connection portion 21A extends toward the X2 side in the connection direction and can be connected by welding to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit substrate P1. The fixed side held portion 21B is bent at the end of the X1 side of the signal connection portion 21A and extends backward (to the Y2 side), and is pressed into and held in the fixed side storage portion 23A-1 of the fixed housing 23 by the edges on both sides in the terminal width direction, that is, the same direction as the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction).

[0048] The two signal contact arms 21C are located closer to the X1 side and the Y2 side (rear side) than the signal connection portion 21A along the front-rear direction ( Figures 4 to 7 The signal contact arm 21C is elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction, that is, the connection direction (X-axis direction). The signal contact arm 21C is formed with a signal contact portion 21C-1 that is bent so as to protrude toward the X1 side at its rear end portion, and the signal contact portion 21C-1 can contact the signal male terminal 131 of the control male connector 103 (the second connector of the other party) as the other connector (see Fig.16 In this embodiment, by providing a plurality of (two in this embodiment) signal contact arm portions 21C with a smaller terminal width, the signal contact arm portion 21C is more easily elastically deformed than when providing a single signal contact arm portion with a larger terminal width.

[0049] The movable side held portion 21D extends forward (toward the Y1 side) from the front end of the signal contact arm portion 21C and is pressed into and held in the movable side receiving portion 24B of the movable housing 24 by the edges on both sides in the terminal width direction. Figure 6 As shown in (A), the elastic portion 21E is roughly crank-shaped when viewed along the terminal width direction, and connects the rear end of the fixed side held portion 21B with the front end of the movable side held portion 21D. The elastic portion 21E can be elastically deformed in the connection direction (X-axis direction), the front-back direction (Y-axis direction), and the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction), and the movable housing 24 is allowed to move (float) relative to the fixed housing 23 through the elastic deformation of the elastic portion 21E.

[0050] In this embodiment, slits 21E-1 that penetrate the elastic part 21E at the center of the elastic part 21E in the terminal width direction and extend in the length direction of the elastic part 21E are formed at multiple locations in the length direction. By forming the slits 21E-1, portions with a smaller terminal width dimension can be formed on both sides of the slits 21E-1 in the terminal width direction. As a result, the elastic part 21E is more likely to be elastically deformed than when no slits are provided on the elastic part.

[0051] The power supply female terminal 22 is made by bending a metal strip in the plate thickness direction in the same manner as the signal female terminal 21, and a portion of the power supply female terminal 22 is received and held in a receiving portion (a fixed side receiving portion (not shown) and a movable side receiving portion 24C) formed in the housings 23 and 24. Figures 4 to 7 Press and install it into the power female terminal storage part. Figure 6 As shown in (B), the power female terminal 22 has a similar shape to the signal female terminal 21, and has: a power connection portion 22A arranged on one end side of the power female terminal 22; a fixed side retained portion 22B continuous and extending from the power connection portion 22A; three power contact arm portions 22C arranged on the other end side of the power female terminal 22; a movable side retained portion 22D continuous and extending from the power contact arm portion 22C; and an elastic portion 22E that is arranged between the fixed side retained portion 22B and the movable side retained portion 22D and can be elastically deformed.

[0052] Here, the power supply female terminal 22 is described with the portion different from the signal female terminal 21 as the center. The power supply female terminal 22 is formed to be wider than the signal female terminal 21, that is, it is formed with a terminal width dimension larger than the signal female terminal 21. In addition, the width of the fixed side held portion 22B, the movable side held portion 22D, and the elastic portion 22E is wider than the remaining portions of the power supply female terminal 22. Slits 22E-1 that penetrate the elastic portion 22E at multiple locations in the terminal width direction of the elastic portion 22E and extend in the length direction of the elastic portion 22E are formed at multiple locations in the length direction.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the elastic portion 22E of the power female terminal 22 is formed longer than the elastic portion 21E of the signal female terminal 21. Therefore, the elastic portion 22E of the power female terminal 22 is easy to be elastically deformed even if the terminal width dimension is increased. As a result, the elastic portion 22E of the power female terminal 22 and the elastic portion 21E of the signal female terminal 21 can be elastically deformed in a manner having the same degree of spring characteristics, so that the movable housing 24 can float smoothly.

[0054] In this embodiment, if Figure 6As shown in FIG. 2(C), when the female terminals 21 and 22 are mounted to the housings 23 and 24, the signal contact portion 21C-1 and the power contact portion 22C-1 are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0055] The fixed housing 23 is made of an electrically insulating material such as resin. Figure 4 (A), (B) and Figure 5 As shown, it has: a side wall 23A extending along the terminal arrangement direction; an end wall 23B extending toward the X2 side in the connection direction from both ends of the side wall 23A in the terminal arrangement direction; a fixed side limiting portion 23C extending toward the X1 side from the rear end of the side wall 23A; and a metal fitting retaining portion 23D protruding outward from the front end of the end wall 23B in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0056] In the side wall 23A, a fixed side receiving portion 23A-1 (see FIG. 2A ) for receiving and holding the female signal terminal 21 is formed in the substantially half portion on the Z2 side in the terminal arrangement direction. Figure 7 (A)), a fixed side power supply storage portion (not shown) for storing and holding the power supply female terminal 22 is formed in approximately half of the Z1 side of the terminal arrangement direction. The fixed side storage portion 23A-1 and the fixed side power supply storage portion are recessed from the surface of the X1 side of the side wall 23A and formed as the front end ( Figure 7 The groove portion (see Figure 7 (A)). The fixed-side power supply storage portion is formed larger than the fixed-side storage portion 23A-1 in the terminal arrangement direction, that is, it is formed to be wider than the fixed-side storage portion 23A-1.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, the fixed side restriction portion 23C is formed in the same range as the side wall 23A in the terminal arrangement direction, and is substantially in the shape of a horizontal L-shaped hook when viewed along the terminal arrangement direction. The fixed side restriction portion 23C is formed by extending forward ( Figure 5 The protruding portion (below) of the movable housing 24 can be locked with the movable side restricted portion 24F provided on the movable housing 24 in the connection direction, and the movement of the movable housing 24 exceeding a predetermined amount is restricted. The metal fitting holding portion 23D presses the metal fitting 25 into and holds it in the groove extending in the front-rear direction.

[0058] The movable housing 24 is made of an electrically insulating material such as resin, and has: a side wall 24A extending in the terminal arrangement direction; and an end wall 24H located at both ends of the movable housing 24 in the terminal arrangement direction and connected by the side wall 24A. Figure 4As shown in (A), in the side wall 24A, a movable side storage portion 24B for storing and holding the signal female terminal 21 is formed in approximately half of the Z2 side of the terminal arrangement direction, and a movable side storage portion 24C for storing and holding the power female terminal 22 is formed in approximately half of the Z1 side of the terminal arrangement direction.

[0059] like Figure 7 As shown in (A), the movable side storage portion 24B is formed from the side surface ( Figure 7 The left surface in (A)), the front end surface ( Figure 7 The lower surface of (A) and the side surface of X2 ( Figure 7 The movable side storage portion 24C is also formed in the same shape as the movable side storage portion 24B when viewed along the terminal arrangement direction, but it is formed larger than the movable side storage portion 24B in the terminal arrangement direction, that is, it is formed to be wider than the movable side storage portion 24B.

[0060] like Figure 4 As shown in (A), the side wall 24A has a step portion protruding from the surface on the X1 side of the side wall 24A and extending in the front-to-back direction at a position outside the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction, and the step portion is formed as a female side abutment portion 24D serving as a first abutment portion. The edge portion of the female side abutment portion 24D located on the inner side in the terminal arrangement direction extends linearly over the entire range in the front-to-back direction. The female side abutment portion 24D can be locked by abutting at the above-mentioned edge with the male side abutment portion 133E of the control male connector 103 provided as the counterpart connector in the terminal arrangement direction (refer to Fig.17 (B)).

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, the recess 24E that receives the fixed side limiting portion 23C is formed on the X2 side portion of the side wall 24A in a manner that it is immersed from the rear surface of the side wall 24A (the surface on the Y2 side) and extends along the terminal arrangement direction. The recess 24E has a shape that matches the fixed side limiting portion 23C of the fixed housing 23, that is, it is immersed in a roughly horizontal L shape when viewed along the terminal arrangement direction. The edge of the X2 side of the side wall 24A, that is, the portion that extends along the recess 24E in the terminal arrangement direction and stands up to the rear (Y2 side) constitutes the movable side restricted portion 24F. The movable side restricted portion 24F can be locked to the fixed side limiting portion 23C of the fixed housing 23 in the connection direction. The movable housing 24 is restricted from moving more than a specified amount in the connection direction by its movable side restricted portion 24F being locked with the fixed side limiting portion 23C. As a result, the movable-side restricted portion 24F is restricted within a predetermined range in the connection direction, thereby preventing the elastic portions 21E and 22E of the female terminals 21 and 22 from being excessively deformed due to excessive movement of the movable housing 24 in the connection direction.

[0062] The side wall 24A has a protruding movable side restriction portion 24G at a position near both ends in the terminal arrangement direction, and the movable side restriction portion 24G protrudes from the front surface (surface on the Y1 side) of the side wall 24A toward the front, that is, toward the mounting surface of the circuit substrate P1. The movable side restriction portion 24G can abut against the mounting surface. By setting the movable side restriction portion 24G in this way, the position in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) can be restricted, so that the position of the movable housing 24 can be stabilized, and the position of the female terminals 21 and 22 can be stabilized.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown in (A), the substantially half portion of the end wall 24H on the X1 side in the connection direction is formed as a female side locking portion 24I as a first locking portion that protrudes toward the X1 side compared to the side wall 23A and extends in the front-to-back direction. The female side locking portion 24I extends uniformly over the entire range in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction), and its cross-sectional shape on a surface perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is substantially an L-shaped hook. Figure 7 As shown in (A) and (B), at the front end portion of the female side locking portion 24I on the X1 side in the connection direction, the portion protruding inward in the terminal arrangement direction can be locked with the male side locking portion 133D of the control male connector 103 provided as the counterpart connector in the connection direction (refer to Fig.17 In addition, if Figure 4 As shown in (A) and (B) of the drawings, a recess 24J is formed inside the substantially L-shaped inner edge of the female locking portion 24I. The recess 24J opens inward in the terminal arrangement direction and extends through in the up-down direction.

[0064] The metal member 25 is made by bending a metal plate member in the plate thickness direction, and has a held portion 25A and a fixing portion 25B. The held portion 25A has a plate surface at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction and extends in the front-to-back direction ( Figure 5 The fixing portion 25B extends in the vertical direction of the holding portion 25A. Figure 5 The held portion 25A is bent from the rear ( Figure 5 The metal member holding portion 23D is pressed into the upper portion of the circuit board P1, and its both side edges (edges extending in the front-rear direction) are held by the metal member holding portion 23D. The fixing portion 25B is fixed to the corresponding portion of the circuit board P1 by welding.

[0065] Figure 8 (A) and (B) are perspective views of the control male connector 3 mounted on the circuit board P1. Figure 8 (A) shows the state viewed from the X2 side, Figure 8(B) shows the state viewed from the X1 side. Figure 8 In (A) and (B), only a portion of the circuit board P1 is shown, specifically, only the portion around the male connector 3 for control is shown. Figure 8 As shown in (A), a protrusion P1A is formed by partially protruding the end of the circuit board P1 on the X2 side. The protrusion P1A supports the X2 side portion of the control male connector 3 from the front (Y1 side).

[0066] The control male connector 3 includes: a plurality of male terminals 31, 32 as second terminals; a housing 33 as a second housing for holding the plurality of male terminals 31, 32; and metal fittings 34 held at both ends of the housing 33. In addition, the male terminals 31, 32 include a plurality of signal male terminals 31 as second terminals for signals and a plurality of power male terminals 32 as second terminals for power.

[0067] Fig. 9 It is a perspective view showing each member constituting the control male connector 3 in isolation. Fig.10 (A) is a three-dimensional view of the signal male terminal 31, Fig.10 (B) is a three-dimensional view of the power male terminal 32, Fig.10 (C) is a front view of the control male connector 3. Fig.11 (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of the control male connector 3. Fig.11 (A) shows a cross section at the position of the signal male terminal 31, Fig.11 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power supply male terminal 32 .

[0068] like Figure 8 (A), (B), Fig. 9 as well as Fig.10 As shown in (C), the plurality of signal male terminals 31 and the plurality of power male terminals 32 are arranged in a direction (Z-axis direction) that is perpendicular to the connection direction (X-axis direction) and the front-back direction (Y-axis direction). Specifically, Figure 8 As shown in (A), ten signal male terminals 31 are provided on the half on the Z2 side of the control male connector 3, and two power male terminals 32 are provided on the half on the Z1 side.

[0069] like Figure 8 As shown in (A), the signal male terminal 31 is made by bending a metal strip sheet in the plate thickness direction, and is formed by being bent from the front ( Figure 8 to Figure 11 The housing 33B is pressed into the housing 33 and held therein. Fig.10As shown in (A), the signal male terminal 31 has: a signal connecting portion 31A arranged on one end side of the signal male terminal 31; a signal contact portion 31B arranged on the other end side of the signal male terminal 31; a retained portion 31C arranged between the signal connecting portion 31A and the signal contact portion 31B in the length direction of the signal male terminal 31; a front transition portion 31D arranged between the signal connecting portion 31A and the retained portion 31C; a rear transition portion 31E arranged between the signal contact portion 31B and the retained portion 31C; and a free end portion 31F extending from the rear end of the signal contact portion 31B.

[0070] The signal connection portion 31A extends toward the X1 side in the connection direction (X-axis direction) and can be soldered to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit substrate P1. The signal contact portion 31B is located behind the signal connection portion 31A ( Figure 8 (A) in the upper part) along the front-to-back direction ( Figure 8 The signal contact portion 31B is located closer to the X2 side than other parts of the signal male terminal 31, and its X2 side plate surface is used as a contact surface, and can contact the signal female terminal 221 provided on the control female connector 202 (the first counterpart connector) as the counterpart connector (refer to Fig.16 (A)).

[0071] In the present embodiment, the plate surface on the X2 side, in other words, the plate surface at right angles to the connection direction, is used as the contact surface in the signal contact portion 31B, so that the area of ​​the contact surface can be ensured to be sufficiently large. In addition, the size of the signal contact portion 31B in the connection direction is the plate thickness of the signal contact portion 31B, so that the size of the signal contact portion 31B in the connection direction can be reduced. Therefore, in the housing 33, the depth of the recess for accommodating the signal contact portion 31B, that is, the size in the connection direction can be reduced, so that the housing 33 can be formed into a simple shape and sufficient strength of the housing 33 can be ensured.

[0072] The held portion 31C is located between the signal connection portion 31A and the signal contact portion 31B in the connection direction, and is also located between the signal connection portion 31A and the signal contact portion 31B in the front-back direction. The held portion 31C is pressed into and held in the housing portion 33B of the housing 33 by its edges on both sides in the terminal width direction, that is, in the same direction (Z-axis direction) as the terminal arrangement direction.

[0073] The front transition portion 31D is bent into a substantially horizontal L-shape when viewed along the terminal width direction, and the front end ( Figure 8The rear transition portion 31E extends in the connection direction (X-axis direction) and connects the front end of the signal contact portion 31B to the rear end of the held portion 31C. The free end portion 31F is a portion that is continuous with the rear end of the signal contact portion 31B and extends to the free end of one end side of the signal male terminal 31. The connection portion of the free end portion 31F that is connected to the rear end of the signal contact portion 31B is bent in the X1 direction, i.e., the connection direction, to the side opposite to the contact surface of the signal contact portion 31B, and its overall shape is roughly L-shaped when viewed along the terminal width direction.

[0074] like Fig.11 As shown in (A), the rear end (free end) of the free end portion 31F is located in the housing portion 33B, so that when the control female connector 202 (refer to Figure 3 During the mating operation of (A) and (B)), the signal female terminal of the control female connector 202 does not abut (interfere) with the rear end of the free end 31F. Therefore, it is possible to effectively avoid the signal male terminal 31 from being damaged by buckling due to the interference between the signal female terminal and the rear end of the free end 31F after the mating operation starts.

[0075] The power male terminal 32 is similar to the signal male terminal 31 and is made by bending a metal strip in the direction of the plate thickness. Figure 8 As shown in (A), it is housed and held in the housing portion 33C formed in the housing 33. The power male terminal 32 is located from the front ( Figure 8 to Figure 11 The power male terminal 32 is similar in shape to the signal male terminal 31, such as Fig.10 As shown in (B), it has: a power connection portion 32A arranged on one end side of the signal male terminal 32; a power contact portion 32B arranged on the other end side of the signal male terminal 32; a retained portion 32C arranged between the signal connection portion 32A and the power contact portion 32B in the length direction of the power male terminal 32; a front transition portion 32D arranged between the power connection portion 32A and the retained portion 32C; a rear transition portion 32E arranged between the power contact portion 32B and the retained portion 32C; and a free end portion 32F extending from the rear end of the power contact portion 32B.

[0076] Here, the power male terminal 32 will be described with the portion different from the signal male terminal 31 as the center. The power male terminal 32 is formed to be wider than the signal male terminal 31, that is, it is formed with a terminal width dimension larger than the signal male terminal 31. In addition, the power contact portion 32B, the held portion 32C, and the rear transition portion 32E are wider than the remaining portions of the power male terminal 32. The connection portion of the free end portion 32F connected to the rear end of the power contact portion 32B is bent in the X1 direction and extends in a manner that is inclined upward as it moves toward the X1 side (see also Fig.11 (B)).

[0077] like Fig.11 As shown in (B), the rear end (free end) of the free end portion 32F is located in the receiving portion 33C, so that when the control female connector 202 (refer to Figure 3 During the mating operation of (A) and (B)), the power supply female terminal of the control female connector 202 does not abut (interfere) with the rear end of the free end portion 32F. Therefore, it is possible to effectively avoid the power supply male terminal 32 from being damaged by the bending of a part thereof due to the interference between the power supply female terminal and the rear end of the free end portion 32F after the mating operation starts.

[0078] In addition, if Fig.10 As shown in (C), the power contact portion 32B is in the front-to-back direction ( Fig.10 In other words, the front end ( Fig.10 The lower end of (C) is located forward of the front end of the signal contact portion 31B, and its rear end ( Fig.10 The upper end in (C) is located behind the rear end of the signal contact portion 31B.

[0079] The housing 33 is made of an electrically insulating material such as resin. Figure 8 (A), (B) and Fig. 9 As shown, it has: a side wall 33A extending in the terminal arrangement direction; an end wall 33F extending from both ends of the side wall 33A in the terminal arrangement direction toward the X1 side in the connection direction; an extension 33G extending from the outer surface of the end wall 33F in the terminal arrangement direction; and a metal member holding portion 33H, the metal member holding portion 33H protruding outward from the outer surface of the front end of the end wall 33F in the terminal arrangement direction at a position closer to the X1 side than the extension 33G. In the side wall 33A, a storage portion 33B (refer to Fig.11 (A)), a receiving portion 33C for receiving and holding the power male terminal 32 is formed in approximately half of the Z1 side of the terminal arrangement direction (refer to Fig.11(B)).

[0080] like Fig.11 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , the storage portion 33B and the storage portion 33C are formed from the front surface ( Fig.11 The lower surface of (A) and (B) and the surface on the X2 side are sunken, and when viewed along the terminal arrangement direction, a substantially L-shaped recess is formed. The storage portion 33C is formed larger than the storage portion 33B in the terminal arrangement direction, that is, it is formed to be wider than the storage portion 33B.

[0081] The side wall 33A has male-side locking portions 33D as second locking portions at both end sides in the terminal arrangement direction. Figure 8 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , in the male side locking portion 33D, the portion of the side wall 33A in the thickness direction (X-axis direction), that is, the X2 side in the connection direction, is formed as a protrusion that protrudes outward along the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction) and extends in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction). The male side locking portion 33D extends uniformly in a straight line over the entire range in the front-to-back direction. The male side locking portion 33D can be connected to the control female connector 202 (see FIG. 1 ) provided as the counterpart connector. Figure 3 The female side locking parts of (A) and (B) are locked in the connection direction. Figure 8 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , a recess 33I is formed between the male locking portion 33D and the extending portion 33G. The recess 33I is open to the outside in the terminal arrangement direction and extends in a vertically penetrating manner.

[0082] In addition, the side wall 33A has a protrusion protruding from the surface of the X2 side of the side wall 33A and extending in the front-to-back direction at a position outside the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction, and the protrusion constitutes a male side abutment portion 33E as a second abutment portion. The edge portion of the male side abutment portion 33E located at the outermost side in the terminal arrangement direction extends linearly over the entire range in the front-to-back direction. The male side abutment portion 33E can be connected to the control female connector 202 (see FIG. 2 ) provided as the counterpart connector through the above-mentioned edge. Figure 3 The female side contact parts (A) and (B)) of the terminal are contacted and locked in the terminal arrangement direction. The metal fitting holding part 33H presses the metal fitting 34 into and holds it in the groove part extending in the front-rear direction.

[0083] The metal member 34 is made by bending a metal plate member in the plate thickness direction, and has a held portion 34A and a fixing portion 34B. The held portion 34A has a plate surface at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction and extends in the front-to-back direction ( Fig. 9 The fixing portion 34B extends in the vertical direction of the holding portion 34A. Fig. 9The held portion 34A is bent at the lower end of the terminal and extends outward in the terminal arrangement direction. Fig. 9 The metal member holding portion 33H is pressed into the upper portion of the circuit board P1, and its both side edges (edges extending in the front-rear direction) are held by the metal member holding portion 33H. The fixing portion 34B is fixed to the corresponding portion of the circuit board P1 by welding.

[0084] Fig.12 (A) and (B) are perspective views of a power supply male connector 4 mounted on a circuit board P1. Fig.12 (A) shows the state viewed from the X1 side, Fig.12 (B) shows the state viewed from the X2 side. Fig.12 (C) is a perspective view of the power supply male terminal 41 of the power supply male connector 4, which shows the state viewed from the X1 side. Fig.12 In (A) and (B), only a part of the circuit board P1 is shown, specifically, only the part around the power supply male connector 4 is shown.

[0085] like Fig.12 As shown in (A) and (B), when the power male connector 4 is mounted on the circuit substrate P1, the end portion on the X1 side in the connection direction (X-axis direction) protrudes toward the X1 side from the end edge of the circuit substrate P1. The power male connector 4 includes: a plurality of power male terminals 41 as first terminals; a housing 42 as a first housing for holding the plurality of power male terminals 41; and metal fittings 43 held at both ends of the housing 42.

[0086] like Fig.12 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , the plurality of power male terminals 41 are arranged in a direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the connection direction (X-axis direction) and the front-back direction (Y-axis direction). Specifically, five power male terminals 41 are arranged at equal intervals. Fig.12 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 4 , the power male terminal 41 is accommodated and held in a power male terminal accommodating portion 42A formed in the housing 42 .

[0087] like Fig.12 As shown in (C), the power male terminal 41 is made by bending a metal strip sheet in the plate thickness direction so that two sheets overlap in the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction), and has a base 41A, a held portion 41B, a power connection portion 41C, a power contact portion 41D, and a connecting portion 41E. The base 41A is formed as a plate-like portion at right angles to the Z-axis direction, and two are provided in a state where they are spaced apart and opposed to each other in the Z-axis direction. The held portion 41B is formed from the front end portion ( Fig.12 The lower end portion of (C) of the part protrudes forward, and from the rear end portion of the part ( Fig.12 The power male terminal 41 is pressed into the power male terminal receiving portion 42A formed in the housing 42 from the X2 side and is held by the held portion 41B.

[0088] The power connection part 41C extends forward from the front end of the base 41A and is provided at three positions in the connection direction (X-axis direction). The connection part between the front end of the base 41A and the power connection part 41C is bent into a crank shape, thereby forming a power connection part 41C in which two plate-like parts are in surface contact and overlap. The power connection part 41C is inserted into the corresponding circuit part of the hole formed in the circuit substrate P1 and can be connected to the corresponding circuit part by welding.

[0089] The power contact portion 41D extends from the base 41A toward the X1 side. The end of the base 41A on the X1 side and the connecting portion of the power contact portion 41D are bent into a crank shape, thereby forming a power contact portion 41D in which two plate-shaped portions are in surface contact and overlap. The outer plate surface of the power contact portion 41D is configured as a contact surface with the other terminal (the power female terminal 151 provided in the power female connector 105) (refer to Fig.18 (B)). The connecting portion 41E connects the rear end portions of the two base portions 41A to each other at two locations in the connecting direction (X-axis direction).

[0090] The housing 42 is made of an electrically insulating material such as resin. Fig.12 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 4 , the outer shape is roughly rectangular with the terminal arrangement direction as the length direction. The power male terminal storage portion 42A for storing and holding the power male terminal 41 is formed in the housing 42 along the terminal arrangement direction. The power male terminal storage portion 42A is formed as a hole portion with a roughly quadrilateral cross-section that extends along the connection direction (X-axis direction) and penetrates the housing 42. Fig.12 As shown in (B), a slit 42A-1 extending in the connection direction (X-axis direction) within the range on the X2 side is formed on the front wall portion (the wall portion facing the circuit board P1) of the housing 42 forming the power male terminal storage portion 42A.

[0091] As described above, the power male terminal 41 is pressed into the power male terminal receiving portion 42A from the X2 side in the connection direction and is held by the held portion 41B. Fig.12 As shown in (A), when the power male terminal 41 is installed in the power male terminal receiving portion 42A, the power contact portion 41D protrudes from the power male terminal receiving portion 42A toward the X1 side. Fig.12 As shown in (B), the power connection portion 41C enters the slit 42A- 1 of the housing 42 from the X2 side and extends forward from the front surface of the housing 42 .

[0092] The end of the X1 side of the housing 42 has a male-side locking portion 42B as a first locking portion at both end sides in the terminal arrangement direction. The male-side locking portion 42B is arranged to protrude toward the X1 side at the two outer sides of the arrangement range of the power male terminal 41 and extend in the front-to-back direction. The male-side locking portion 42B extends uniformly over the entire range in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction), and its cross-sectional shape on the surface perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is roughly L-shaped hook-shaped. At the front end of the X1 side of the male-side locking portion 42B in the connection direction, the portion protruding inward in the terminal arrangement direction can be locked in the connection direction with the female-side locking portion 152C provided on the power female connector 105 serving as the counterpart connector (refer to Fig.18 In addition, if Fig.12 As shown in (A) and (B), a recess 42D is formed inside the substantially L-shaped inner edge of the male locking portion 42B. The recess 42D opens inward in the terminal arrangement direction and extends through in the up-down direction.

[0093] At the end of the housing 42 on the X2 side, metal fitting holding portions 42C for holding the metal fittings 43 are formed on both end surfaces in the terminal arrangement direction. The metal fitting holding portions 42C press-fit and hold the metal fittings 43 into grooves extending in the front-rear direction.

[0094] The metal member 43 is formed by punching a metal plate member in the direction of the plate thickness, and is in the shape of a plate having a plate surface at a right angle to the terminal arrangement direction. The metal member 43 has a retained portion 43A and two fixing portions 43B extending forward from the front end of the retained portion 43A. The retained portion 43A is pressed into the metal member retaining portion 42C from the rear, and its two side edges (edges extending in the front-to-back direction) are retained by the metal member retaining portion 42C. The fixing portion 43B is inserted into a corresponding portion of a hole formed in the circuit substrate P1, and can be fixed to the corresponding portion by welding.

[0095] Fig.13 (A) and (B) are perspective views of a power supply female connector 5 mounted on a circuit board P1. Fig.13 (A) shows the state viewed from the X2 side, Fig.13 (B) shows the state viewed from the X1 side. Fig.13 (C) is a perspective view of the power supply male and female terminals 51 of the power supply female connector 5, which shows the state viewed from the X2 side. Fig.13 In (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , only a part of the circuit board P1 is shown, specifically, only the part around the power supply female connector 5 is shown.

[0096] like Fig.13As shown in (A) and (B), when the power supply female connector 5 is mounted on the circuit substrate P1, the end portion on the X2 side in the connection direction (X-axis direction) protrudes toward the X2 side from the end edge of the circuit substrate P1. The power supply female connector 5 includes: a plurality of power supply female terminals 51 as second terminals; a housing 52 as a second housing for holding the plurality of power supply female terminals 51; and metal fittings 53 held at both ends of the housing 52.

[0097] like Fig.13 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , the plurality of power female terminals 51 are arranged in a direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the connection direction (X-axis direction) and the front-back direction (Y-axis direction). Specifically, five power female terminals 51 are arranged at equal intervals. Fig.13 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 5 , the power supply female terminal 51 is accommodated and held in an accommodation portion 52B formed in the housing 52 .

[0098] like Fig.13 As shown in (C), the power female terminal 51 is made by bending a metal strip sheet in the direction of the plate thickness so that two sheets overlap in the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction), and has a base 51A, a retained portion 51B, a power connection portion 51C, an extension portion 51D, a power contact arm portion 51E, and a connecting portion 51F. The base 51A is formed as a plate-like portion that is at right angles to the Z-axis direction, and two are provided in a state where they are spaced apart and opposed to each other in the Z-axis direction. The two bases 51A are bent into a crank shape at the middle position in the connecting direction (X-axis direction), and the interval between the bases 51A on the X2 side is larger than the interval between the bases 51A on the X1 side. The retained portion 51B is formed from the front end portion ( Fig.13 The lower end portion of (C) of the part protrudes forward, and from the rear end portion of the part ( Fig.13 The power supply female terminal 51 is pressed into the storage portion 52B formed in the housing 52 from the X1 side and is held by the held portion 51B.

[0099] The power connection part 51C extends forward from the front edge of the base 51A and is provided at three positions in the connection direction (X-axis direction). The front end of the base 51A and the connection part of the power connection part 51C are bent into a crank shape, thereby forming a power connection part 51C obtained by two plate-like parts in surface contact and overlap. The power connection part 51C is inserted into the corresponding circuit part of the hole formed in the circuit substrate P1 and can be connected to the corresponding circuit part by welding.

[0100] The extension portion 51D extends toward the X2 side without being bent from the base portion 51A. The power contact arm portion 51E is bent back at the front end of the extension portion 51D and extends backward, and is elastically deformable in the terminal arrangement direction. The two power contact arm portions 51E are located between the two extension portions 51D in the terminal arrangement direction. In the power contact arm portion 51E, in the front-to-back direction ( Fig.13 A power contact portion 51E-1 is formed at the middle position in the vertical direction (in the vertical direction of (C)) and is bent and protruded in a manner close to each other in the terminal arrangement direction. The two power contact portions 51E-1 are aligned with the power contact portion 241D (refer to Figure 1 The connecting portion 51F connects the rear end portions of the two base portions 51A to each other at two locations within the range of the X1 side of the base portion 51A.

[0101] The housing 52 is made of an electrically insulating material such as resin. Fig.13 As shown in (A) and (B), it is configured as a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the terminal arrangement direction as the length direction. The end of the housing 52 on the X2 side, specifically, the portion of the housing 52 that extends to the X2 side of the end edge of the circuit substrate P1 is slightly smaller than the other portions of the housing 52 in the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction). At this end, a receiving groove portion 52A that receives the power contact portion 241D of the power male terminal 241 is formed at a position between the power female terminals 51 in the terminal arrangement direction. The receiving groove portion 52A penetrates in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) and is open to the X2 side, and can receive the power contact portion 241D from either the front (Y1 side) or the rear (Y2 side).

[0102] The housing 52B for housing and holding the power supply female terminal 51 is formed in the housing 52 along the terminal arrangement direction. The housing 52B is formed as a hole extending in the connection direction (X-axis direction) over almost the entire range of the housing 52. Fig.13 As shown in (B), the storage portion 52B is open on the X1 side in the connection direction (refer to Fig.13 (B)), on the other hand, it is closed on the X2 side ( Fig.13 In addition, if Fig.12 As shown in (A), an opening 52B-1 opening to both sides in the terminal arrangement direction is formed in the portion on the X2 side of the storage portion 52B, specifically, in the portion corresponding to the receiving groove portion 52A power male terminal storage portion in the connection direction. Fig.13As shown in (B), a slit 52B-2 extending in the connection direction (X-axis direction) within the range on the X1 side is formed on the front wall portion (the wall portion facing the circuit board P1) of the housing 52 forming the storage portion 52B.

[0103] The power female terminal 51 is pressed into the storage portion 52B from the X1 side in the connection direction and is held by the held portion 51B. When the power female terminal 51 is mounted in the storage portion 52B, the power contact arm portion 51E is exposed from the opening portion 52B-1 to the receiving groove portion 52A. At this time, the power contact portion 51E-1 of the power contact arm portion 51E protrudes toward the receiving groove portion 52A. In addition, the power connection portion 51C enters the above-mentioned slit 52B-2 of the housing 52 from the X1 side and extends forward from the front surface of the housing 52.

[0104] The end portion on the X2 side of the housing 52 has a female locking portion 52C as a second locking portion at both end sides in the terminal arrangement direction. The female locking portion 52C is formed as a protrusion portion that protrudes outward in the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction) and extends in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) at the position on the X2 side of the above-mentioned end. The female locking portion 52C extends uniformly in a straight line throughout the entire range in the front-to-back direction. The female locking portion 52C can be connected to the male power connector 204 (see Figure 3 The male side locking parts of (A) and (B) are locked in the connection direction. Fig.13 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , a recess 52E is formed at a position closer to the X1 side than the female locking portion 52C in the end portion. The recess 52E is open outward in the terminal arrangement direction and extends in a vertically penetrating manner.

[0105] At the X1-side end of the housing 52, metal fitting holding portions 52D for holding the metal fittings 53 are formed on both end surfaces in the terminal arrangement direction. The metal fitting holding portions 52D press-fit and hold the metal fittings 53 into grooves extending in the front-rear direction.

[0106] The metal member 53 has the same shape as the aforementioned metal member 43, and has a retained portion 53A and two fixing portions 53B in the same manner as the metal member 43. Here, detailed descriptions of the various parts of the metal member 53 are omitted. The metal member 53 is pressed into the metal member retaining portion 52D from the rear through its retained portion 53A, so that the side edges (edges extending in the front-to-back direction) of the retained portion 53A are retained by the metal retaining portion 52D. In addition, the fixing portion 53B is inserted into a corresponding portion of a hole formed in the circuit substrate P1, and can be fixed to the corresponding portion by welding connection.

[0107] Next, based on Figure 2 (A) to (C) of the present invention will now explain the structure of the housing 6. Figure 2 In (A) to (C), the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction) is the up-down direction. Here, in the description of the housing 6, the Z1 side in the terminal arrangement direction is "upper", and the Z2 side is "lower". The housing 6 is made of synthetic resin such as resin, and Figure 2 As shown in (A) and (B), the terminal arrangement direction ( Figure 2 The box is in the shape of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with the vertical direction (in (A) and (B)) being the longitudinal direction.

[0108] Next, based on Figure 2 (A), (B), and (C) of the housing 6 are used to explain the structure of the housing 6. The housing 6 accommodates and holds the connector mounting body 1 through the portion on the front side (Y1 side). Openings are formed at positions corresponding to the connectors 2 to 4 on both side surfaces in the connection direction (X-axis direction) of the housing 6, and the respective mating portions (portions that are mated and connected with the other connector) of the connectors 2 to 4 are configured to be exposed from the openings. That is, the signal contact portion 21C-1, the power contact arm portion 22C, the female side abutment portion 24D, and the female side locking portion 24I of the control female connector 2 are exposed from the opening located at the lower portion (portion on the Z2 side) of the side surface on the X1 side of the housing 6. The power contact portion 41D and the male side locking portion 42B of the power male connector 4 are exposed from the opening located at the upper portion (portion on the Z1 side) of the side surface on the X1 side of the housing 6. The signal contact portion 31B, the power contact portion 32B, the male side locking portion 33D, and the male side abutting portion 33E of the power male connector 3 are exposed from an opening portion located at the lower portion (the portion on the Z2 side) of the side surface on the X2 side of the housing 6. The power contact arm portion 51E and the female side locking portion 52C of the power female connector 5 are exposed from an opening portion located at the upper portion (the portion on the Z1 side) of the side surface on the X2 side of the housing 6.

[0109] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), at the lower part of the side surface on the X1 side of the housing 6 (the part on the Z2 side), a lower engaging recess 61 is formed extending along the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) at a position corresponding to the control female connector 2 in the up-down direction, and at the upper part of the above-mentioned side surface, an upper engaging recess 62 is formed extending along the front-to-back direction at a position corresponding to the power male connector 4 in the up-down direction. Figure 2 As shown in (C), the lower engaging recess 61 and the upper engaging recess 62 can be connected to the housing 106 (see Figure 1 The lower engaging protrusion 164 and the upper engaging protrusion 165 of the side surface on the X2 side of (A)) are engaged, and the shells I and II are connected to each other by the engagement of the above parts.

[0110] like Figure 2As shown in (A), a first lower guide portion 61A for relatively guiding the module II in the front-to-back direction is formed at both end portions of the lower engaging recess 61 in the up-down direction. The first lower guide portion 61A uniformly extends in the shell 6 in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) throughout the entire range except for the range of the female side locking portion 24I of the control female connector 2, and the cross-sectional shape on the surface perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is a roughly L-shaped hook. The first lower guide portion 61A is arranged at the same position as the female side locking portion 24I when viewed in the front-to-back direction, and therefore, the first lower guide portion 61A together with the female side locking portion 24I form a guide portion extending in the front-to-back direction throughout the entire range of the shell 6. In addition, as shown Figure 2 As shown in (C), the first lower guide portion 61A can be locked to the second lower guide portion 164A of the housing 106 of the module II in the connection direction.

[0111] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), a first upper guide portion 62A for relatively guiding the module II in the front-to-back direction is formed at both end portions of the upper engaging recess 62 in the up-down direction. The first upper guide portion 62A uniformly extends in the shell 6 in the front-to-back direction throughout the entire range excluding the range of the male-side locking portion 42B of the male connector 4 for the power supply, and the cross-sectional shape on the surface perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is a substantially L-shaped hook. The first upper guide portion 62A is disposed at the same position as the male-side locking portion 42B when viewed in the front-to-back direction, and therefore, the first upper guide portion 62A together with the male-side locking portion 42B form a guide portion extending in the front-to-back direction throughout the entire range of the shell 6. In addition, as Figure 2 As shown in (C), the first upper guide portion 62A can be locked to the second upper guide portion 165B of the housing 106 of the module II in the connection direction.

[0112] A first end guide portion 63 for relatively guiding the module II in the front-to-back direction is formed at both ends of the side surface on the X1 side of the housing 6 in the up-down direction. The first end guide portion 63 extends uniformly over the entire range of the housing 6 in the front-to-back direction, and its cross-sectional shape on a surface perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is a substantially L-shaped hook. Figure 2 As shown in (C), the first end guide portion 63 can be locked to the second end guide portion 166 of the housing 106 of the module II in the connection direction.

[0113] like Figure 2As shown in (B), a lower engaging protrusion 64 is formed at a position corresponding to the control male connector 3 in the vertical direction of the lower part of the side surface on the X2 side of the housing 6, and an upper engaging protrusion 65 is formed at a position corresponding to the power supply female connector 5 in the vertical direction of the upper part of the above-mentioned side surface. The lower engaging protrusion 64 and the upper engaging protrusion 65 can be connected to the housing 206 (refer to Figure 1 The lower engaging protrusion 261 and the upper engaging recess 262 of the side surface on the X1 side of (A)) are engaged, and the housings I and III are connected to each other by the engagement of the above parts.

[0114] A second lower guide portion 64A for relatively guiding the module III in the front-to-back direction is formed at both end portions in the upper and lower directions of the lower engaging protrusion 64. The second lower guide portion 64A is formed as a protrusion portion that protrudes upward and downward respectively and extends in the front-to-back direction. The second lower guide portion 64A extends uniformly and linearly in the shell 6 over the entire range in the front-to-back direction except for the range of the male side locking portion 33D of the control male connector 3. The second lower guide portion 64A is arranged at the same position as the male side locking portion 33D when viewed in the front-to-back direction, and therefore, the second lower guide portion 64A together with the male side locking portion 33D forms a guide portion that extends over the entire range of the shell 6 in the front-to-back direction. The second lower guide portion 64A is formed by entering the first lower guide portion 261A (refer to Figure 1 The groove portion (A) of the first lower guide portion 261A is formed to relatively guide the first lower guide portion 261A in the front-rear direction. In addition, the second lower guide portion 64A can be locked to the first lower guide portion 261A in the connection direction.

[0115] like Figure 2 As shown in (B), in the upper engaging protrusion 65, a power contact portion 241D (see FIG. 24A ) which allows the power male connector 204 to be set in the module III is formed at a position corresponding to the receiving groove portion 52A of the power female connector 5 in the up-down direction (terminal arrangement direction). Figure 1 The guide groove portion 65A is extended to cover the entire range of the rear side (Y2 side) of the power supply female connector 5. The guide groove portion 65A forms a single guide groove portion together with the receiving groove portion 52A.

[0116] A second upper guide portion 65B for relatively guiding the module III in the front-to-back direction is formed at both end portions in the upper-lower direction of the upper engaging protrusion 65. The second upper guide portion 65B is formed as a protrusion portion that protrudes upward and downward respectively and extends in the front-to-back direction. The second upper guide portion 65B extends uniformly and linearly in the shell 6 over the entire range in the front-to-back direction except for the range of the female side locking portion 52C of the power supply female connector 5. The second upper guide portion 65B is arranged at the same position as the female side locking portion 52C when viewed in the front-to-back direction, and therefore, the second upper guide portion 65B together with the female side locking portion 52C forms a guide portion that extends over the entire range of the shell 6 in the front-to-back direction. The second upper guide portion 65B is inserted into the first upper guide portion 262A (refer to Figure 1 The groove portion (A)) of the first upper guide portion 262A is formed to relatively guide the first upper guide portion 262A in the front-rear direction. In addition, the second upper guide portion 65B can be locked to the first upper guide portion 262A in the connection direction.

[0117] A second end guide portion 66 for relatively guiding the housing 206 of the module III in the front-to-back direction is formed at both ends of the side surface on the X2 side of the housing 6 in the up-down direction. The second end guide portion 66 extends uniformly over the entire range of the housing 6 in the front-to-back direction, and its cross-sectional shape on a surface perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is roughly L-shaped. The second end guide portion 66 is formed as a protrusion that protrudes upward or downward and extends in the front-to-back direction. The second end guide portion 66 enters the first end guide portion 263 (refer to Figure 1 The groove portion (A)) of the first end guide portion 263 is provided to relatively guide the first end guide portion 263 in the front-rear direction. In addition, the second end guide portion 66 can be locked to the first end guide portion 263 in the connection direction.

[0118] Next, the operation of connecting the modules to each other is described. In this embodiment, the operation of inserting and connecting module I between modules II and III that have been installed on the guide rail (not shown) is described. By inserting and connecting module I in this way, modules I, II, and III are connected to form a module connection body. First, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown in (A), module I is positioned at a position corresponding to modules II and III in the connection direction (X-axis direction) at the rear side (Y2 side) of modules II and III. Then, module I is moved forward (Y1 direction) and inserted between modules II and III.

[0119] When the module I is inserted, the lower engaging protrusion 164 and the upper engaging protrusion 165 (see FIG. 16A ) of the module II are engaged at the side surface of the module I on the X1 side. Figure 2 (C)) respectively enter the lower engaging recess 61 and the upper engaging recess 62 of the module I from the front (refer to Figure 2 (A), (C)). At this time, the first lower guide portion 61A of the lower engaging recess 61 is guided forward by the second lower guide portion 164A of the lower engaging protrusion 164, and the first upper guide portion 62A of the upper engaging recess 62 is guided forward by the second upper guide portion 165B of the upper engaging protrusion 165. In addition, the second end guide portion 166 of the module II enters the first end guide portion 63 of the module I from the front. As a result, the first end guide portion 63 is guided forward by the second end guide portion 166.

[0120] On the side surface of the module 1 on the X2 side, the lower engaging protrusion 64 and the upper engaging protrusion 65 of the module 1 (see Figure 2 (B)) enters the lower engaging recess 261 and the upper engaging recess 262 of module III from the rear (refer to Figure 1 At this time, the second lower guide portion 64A of the lower engaging protrusion 64 is guided forward by the first lower guide portion 261A of the lower engaging recess 261, and the second upper guide portion 65B of the upper engaging protrusion 65 is guided forward by the first upper guide portion 262A of the upper engaging recess 262.

[0121] When the module I is inserted, the power contact portion 41D of the power male connector 4 enters the guide groove portion 165A of the upper engaging protrusion 165 of the module II from the rear at the side of the X1 side of the module I (see Figure 2 (C)). The power contact portion 41D is guided forward by the guide groove portion 165A.

[0122] The insertion of module I is further advanced, and module I is mounted on the guide rail (not shown). At the same time, each connector provided on module I is engaged with the counterpart connector provided on modules II and III, thereby completing the connection operation of module I. As a result, Figure 1 As shown in (B), the modules I to III are connected in a state of being arranged in a row in the connection direction, thereby completing the module connection body.

[0123] In the module connection body, the control female connector 2 and the power male connector 4 of module I are respectively connected to the control male connector 103 and the power female connector 105 (the second connector of the other party) of module II (refer to Figure 3(A), (B)). In addition, the control male connector 3 and the power female connector 5 of module I are respectively connected to the control female connector 202 and the power male connector 204 (the other party's first connector) of module III (refer to Figure 3 (A), (B)).

[0124] The following is based on Figure 14 to Figure 18 , the interlocking connection action of the connectors during the insertion connection of the aforementioned module I is described. As described above, the control female connector 2 of the module I is interlocked and connected to the control male connector 103 of the module II. In addition, the control male connector 3 of the module I is interlocked and connected to the control female connector 202 of the module III. Fig.14 (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views on a plane (XY plane) perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction) of the connector assembly 1, 101, 201, just before the mating connection action begins. Fig.14 (A) shows a cross section of the control connector pair at the position of the signal terminal. Fig.14 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power terminal of the control connector pair. Fig.14 In (A) and (B), the middle portion of the circuit board P1 in the connection direction (X-axis direction) is omitted.

[0125] like Fig.14 As shown in (A) and (B), immediately before the mating connection operation begins, the connector assembly 1 is located behind the connector assembly 101 and 201 ( Fig.14 Then, the connector assembly 1 is moved forward ( Fig.14 The connectors are moved downward in (A) and (B) to start the mating connection action between the connectors.

[0126] Fig.15 (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views taken on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of the connector assembly 1, 101, 201 in the middle of the mating connection operation. Fig.15 (A) shows a cross section of the control connector pair at the position of the signal terminal. Fig.15 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the power terminal of the control connector pair. When the connector assembly 1 starts to move forward, first, Fig.15 As shown in (B), the power contact portion 22C-1 of the power female terminal 22 in the control female connector 2 of the connector mounting body 1 is in a state where the power contact arm portion 22C is elastically deformed in the X2 direction, and is in contact with the rear end portion ( Fig.15In addition, Fig.15 In (B), the power supply contact arm portion 22C is shown in a state where it is not elastically deformed, but it is actually elastically deforming in the X2 direction.

[0127] At this time, if Fig.15 As shown in (A), the signal contact portion 21C-1 of the signal female terminal 21 in the control female connector 2 of the connector mounting body 1 does not contact the rear end portion of the signal contact portion 131B of the signal male terminal 131 in the control male connector 103 of the connector mounting body 101. This is because in the control female connector 2, the signal contact portion 21C-1 and the power supply contact portion 22C-1 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction ( Fig.15 On the other hand, in the control male connector 103, the rear end portion of the power contact portion 132B is located behind the signal contact portion 131B ( Fig.15 (A) and (B) above).

[0128] In addition, if Fig.15 As shown in (B), the front end portion ( Fig.15 The lower end portion (B) of the power supply contact arm portion 222C of the power supply female terminal 222 in the control female connector 202 of the connector mounting body 201 elastically deforms in the X2 direction and contacts the power supply contact portion 222C-1. Fig.15 As shown in (A), the front end portion of the signal contact portion 31B of the signal male terminal 31 in the control male connector 3 of the connector mounting body 1 does not contact the power contact portion 222C-1 of the signal female terminal 221 in the control female connector 202 of the connector mounting body 201. This is because in the control female connector 202, the signal contact portion 221C-1 and the power contact portion 222C-1 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction ( Fig.15 On the other hand, in the control male connector 3, the front end of the power contact portion 32B is located forward of the signal contact portion 31B ( Fig.15 In (A) and (B), below. Fig.15 In (B), the power supply contact arm portion 222C is shown in a state where it is not elastically deformed, but it is actually elastically deforming in the X2 direction.

[0129] Depending on the specifications of the electrical connector provided with both the signal terminal and the power terminal, in the middle of the mating action of the electrical connectors, it is sometimes required that the power terminals contact each other before the signal terminals contact each other. In the present embodiment, in the male terminal 31, 131 of the control male connector 3, 103, the front end of the power contact portion 32B, 132B extending in the front-to-back direction is located in front of the signal contact portion 31B, 131B, and the rear end is located behind the signal contact portion 31B, 131B. In addition, in the multiple female terminals 221, 222, 21, 22 of the control female connector 202, 2 provided as the counterpart connector of the control male connector 3, 103, their contact portions 221C-1, 222C-1, 21C-1, 22C-1 are formed at the same position in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, during the mating operation of the connectors, the power supply contacts 32B and 132B come into contact with the power supply contacts 222C-1 and 22C-1 before the signal contacts 31B and 131B come into contact with the signal contacts 221C-1 and 21C-1. In this way, the present embodiment can satisfactorily meet the requirements of the above-mentioned standards.

[0130] When the connector mounting body 1 is in Fig.15 When the power supply male connector 4 of the connector assembly 1 is in the positions (A) and (B), the power supply male terminal 41 of the power supply male connector 4 of the connector assembly 1 has not yet contacted the power supply female terminal 151 of the power supply female connector 105 of the connector assembly 101. In addition, the power supply female terminal 51 of the power supply female connector 5 of the connector assembly 1 has not yet contacted the power supply male terminal 241 of the power supply male connector 204 of the connector assembly 201.

[0131] The connector mounting body 1 is Fig.15 The positions shown in (A) and (B) are further moved forward, and the connector mounting body 1 is arranged at Fig.16 The positions shown in (A) and (B), that is, the positions with the same depth as the connector mounting bodies 101 and 201 in the front-to-back direction, thereby completing the mating connection action between the connectors. Fig.16 As shown in (B), in the state where the mating connection is completed, the power contact arm portion 22C of the power female terminal 22 in the control female connector 2 of the connector installation body 1 is elastically deformed in the connection direction along the X2 direction, and the power contact portion 22C-1 contacts the power contact portion 132B of the power male terminal 132 in the control male connector 103 of the connector installation body 101. At this time, as shown in FIG. Fig.16 As shown in (A), the signal contact arm portion 21C of the signal female terminal 21 in the control female connector 2 of the connector mounting body 1 is also elastically deformed in the X2 direction in the connection direction, and the signal contact portion 21C-1 contacts the signal contact portion 131B of the signal male terminal 131 in the control male connector 103 of the connector mounting body 101. Fig.16 In (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , the signal contact arm portion 21C and the power contact arm portion 22C are shown in a state where they are not elastically deformed, but in fact, they are elastically deforming in the X2 direction.

[0132] In addition, if Fig.16 As shown in (B), the power contact portion 32B of the power male terminal 32 in the control male connector 3 of the connector installation body 1 causes the power contact arm portion 22C of the power female terminal 222 in the control female connector 202 of the connector installation body 201 to elastically deform in the connection direction along the X2 direction and contact the power contact portion 222C-1. At this time, as shown in FIG. Fig.16 As shown in (A), the signal contact portion 31B of the signal male terminal 31 in the control male connector 3 of the connector mounting body 1 causes the signal contact arm portion 221C of the signal female terminal 221 in the control female connector 202 of the connector mounting body 201 to elastically deform in the connection direction along the X2 direction and contact the signal contact portion 221C-1. Fig.16 In (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , the signal contact arm portion 221C and the power contact arm portion 222C are shown in a state where they are not elastically deformed, but in fact, they are elastically deforming in the X2 direction.

[0133] In this way, the signal contact portion 21C-1 and the signal contact portion 131B, the power contact portion 22C-1 and the power contact portion 132B, the signal contact portion 31B and the signal contact portion 221C-1, and the power contact portion 32B and the power contact portion 222C-1 are in contact with each other with the connection direction (X-axis direction) as the contact direction (direction of generating contact pressure). As a result, the control female connector 2 and the control male connector 103 are electrically connected, and the control male connector 3 and the control female connector 202 are electrically connected. Therefore, all the control connectors 2, 3, 103, and 202 can be electrically conductive.

[0134] In addition, the power contact portion 41D of the power male terminal 41 in the power male connector 4 of the connector mounting body 1 enters from the rear between the two power contact portions 151E-1 of the power female terminal 151 in the power female connector 105 of the connector mounting body 101 and contacts the power contact portion 151E-1. At this time, the two power contact portions 151E-1 are elastically deformed in a manner that separates from each other in the terminal arrangement direction while clamping the power contact portion 41D. In addition, the power contact portion 51E-1 of the power female terminal 51 in the power female connector 5 of the connector mounting body 1 receives the power contact portion 241D of the power male terminal 241 in the power male connector 204 of the connector mounting body 201 between the two power contact portions 51E-1 from the front, thereby contacting the power contact portion 241D. At this time, the two power contact portions 51E-1 are elastically deformed in a manner that separates from each other in the terminal arrangement direction while clamping the power contact portion 241D.

[0135] In this way, the power contact portion 41D and the power contact portion 151E-1, and the power contact portion 51E-1 and the power contact portion 241D are in contact with each other in the terminal arrangement direction (Z-axis direction) as the contact direction (direction of generating contact pressure). As a result, the power male connector 4 is electrically connected to the power female connector 105, and the power female connector 5 is electrically connected to the power male connector 204. Therefore, all the power connectors 4, 5, 105, and 204 can be electrically conductive.

[0136] In the connector mating connection state, the female side locking portion 24I of the movable housing 24 of the control female connector 2 is locked with the male side locking portion 133D of the housing 133 (the second housing of the other party) of the control male connector 103 in the connection direction. Fig.17 As shown in (A) and (B), the front end of the female side locking portion 24I is located in the recessed portion 133I of the housing 133 (see Fig.17 (B)), the male side locking portion 133D is located in the recessed portion 24J of the movable housing 24 (see Fig.17 At this time, if Fig.17 As shown in (B), a slight gap (looseness) is formed in the connection direction between the front end of the female side locking portion 24I and the inner wall surface of the recess 133I, and between the male side locking portion 133D and the inner wall surface of the recess 24J. Therefore, in the connection direction, the movable housing 24 and the housing 133 restrict each other's movement within the range of the above-mentioned gap.

[0137] In addition, if Fig.17As shown in (B), the female side abutment portion 24D of the movable housing 24 of the control female connector 2 is locked by abutting against the male side abutment portion 133E of the housing 133 of the control male connector 103 in the terminal arrangement direction. A slight gap (looseness) is formed between the female side abutment portion 24D and the male side abutment portion 133E in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, in the terminal arrangement direction, the movable housing 24 and the housing 133 restrict each other's movement within the range of the above-mentioned gap. In addition, as shown in FIG. Fig.17 As shown in (B), the above gap is smaller than the gap formed between the front end of the female locking portion 24I and the inner wall surface of the recess 133I in the terminal arrangement direction and the gap formed between the male locking portion 133D and the inner wall surface of the recess 24J in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the front end of the female locking portion 24I in the terminal arrangement direction does not abut against the inner wall surface of the recess 133I, and the male locking portion 133D does not abut against the inner wall surface of the recess 24J.

[0138] In addition, the housing 33 of the control male connector 3 and the movable housing 224 (the other party's first housing) of the control female connector 202 are also similar to the above-mentioned control female connector 2 and the control male connector 103. The male side locking portion 33D and the female side locking portion of the control female connector 202 are mutually locked in the connection direction, and the male side abutment portion 33E and the female side abutment portion 224D are locked by abutting each other in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0139] In the connector mating connection state, the male side locking portion 42B of the housing 42 of the power supply male connector 4 is locked with the female side locking portion 152C of the housing 152 (the second housing of the other party) of the power supply female connector 105 in the connection direction. Fig.18 As shown in (A) and (B), the male side locking portion 42B is located in the recessed portion 152E of the housing 152 (see Fig.18 (B)), the front end of the female side locking portion 152C is located in the recessed portion 42D of the movable housing 42 (see Fig.18 At this time, if Fig.18 As shown in (B), a slight gap (looseness) is formed in the connection direction between the male side locking portion 42B and the inner wall surface of the recess 152E and between the front end of the female side locking portion 152C and the inner wall surface of the recess 42D. Therefore, in the connection direction, the housing 42 and the housing 152 restrict each other's movement within the range of the above gap.

[0140] In addition, the male locking portion 42B and the inner wall surface of the recess 152E, and the front end of the female locking portion 152C and the inner wall surface of the recess 42D can be abutted and locked in the terminal arrangement direction. That is, the male locking portion 42B also serves as a first abutting portion, and the female locking portion 152C also serves as a second abutting portion. Fig.18 As shown in (B), a slight gap (looseness) is also formed in the terminal arrangement direction between the male side locking portion 42B and the inner wall surface of the recess 152E, and between the front end of the female side locking portion 152C and the inner wall surface of the recess 42D. Therefore, in the terminal arrangement direction, the housing 42 and the housing 152 restrict each other's movement within the range of the above gap.

[0141] In addition, the housing 52 of the power supply female connector 5 and the housing 242 (the other party's first housing) of the power supply male connector 204 are also similar to the above-mentioned power supply male connector 4 and power supply female connector 105, and the female side locking portion 52C and the male side locking portion of the power supply male connector 204 are locked to each other in the connection direction and the terminal arrangement direction.

[0142] Thus, in this embodiment, the housings of the interconnected connectors restrict movement in the connection direction and the terminal arrangement direction, so that the positional relationship between the connectors is limited within a predetermined allowable range. As a result, a stable electrical contact state between the connectors can be well ensured.

[0143] In the present embodiment, the control female connector 2 is configured as a so-called floating connector in which the movable housing 24 can move relative to the fixed housing 23. Therefore, even if the relative position of the connector provided in the connector mounting body 1 and the counterpart connector of the connector mounting body corresponding to the connector is offset from the regular position, the movable housing 24 can be moved (floated) in the direction to absorb the offset so that all the connector terminals can be reliably contacted with the counterpart connector terminals. In addition, even if the relative position of the control connector pair and the power connector pair in the connector mounting body 1 or the counterpart connector mounting body is offset from the regular position, the movable housing 24 can be moved (floated) in the direction to absorb the offset so that all the connector terminals can be reliably contacted with the counterpart connector terminals.

[0144] In this embodiment, the guide groove portion 165A is formed in the upper engaging protrusion 165 (see Figure 2 (C)), the power contact portion 41D of the power male terminal 41 of the module 1 is guided by the guide groove portion 165A. On the other hand, at the lower engaging protrusion 164 of the housing 106, the surface of the lower engaging protrusion 164 that is perpendicular to the connection direction (X-axis direction) is a flat surface that extends over the entire lower engaging protrusion 164, and a groove portion such as the above-mentioned guide groove portion 165A is not formed (refer to Figure 2 Therefore, during the mating connection between module I and module II, the positioning reference in the terminal arrangement direction is the upper engaging protrusion 165, not the lower engaging protrusion 164.

[0145] In this embodiment, the power supply female connector 105 provided corresponding to the upper engaging protrusion 165 serving as the positioning reference, or the power supply male connector 4 engaged with the power supply female connector 105 does not constitute a floating connector. In addition, the control female connector 2, i.e., the connector engaged with the control male connector 103 corresponding to the lower engaging protrusion 164 not serving as the positioning reference, constitutes a floating connector. In this way, the floating connector that does not float the movable housing is provided on the side serving as the positioning reference, thereby achieving good positioning of the modules and, in turn, good positioning of the connectors.

[0146] In addition, assuming that the power supply male connector 4 in which the power supply contact portion 41D is guided by the guide groove portion 165A is configured as a floating connector, when an error occurs in the relative position of the modules I and II in the terminal arrangement direction, during the interlocking connection process between the modules I and II, the power supply contact portion 41D is pressed against the inner surface of the groove of the guide groove portion 165A in the terminal arrangement direction and moves along the interlocking direction. As a result, if there is an excessively large abutting force acting on the power supply contact portion 41D and the inner surface of the groove of the guide groove portion 165A, the power supply contact portion 41D and the inner surface of the groove of the guide groove portion 165A may be damaged due to sliding against each other. In this embodiment, the control female connector 2 in which the terminal is not guided by the guide groove portion is used as a floating connector, so that the damage to the terminal and the housing as described above can be well prevented.

[0147] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the power contact portion 41D and the power female terminal 151 connected thereto are formed to have a larger cross-sectional area due to the flow of a relatively large power current, and therefore are difficult to elastically deform. Therefore, if the power male connector 4 having the power contact portion 41D or the power female connector 105 having the power female terminal 151 is used as a floating connector, it becomes difficult to ensure a sufficient floating amount of the movable housing. In the present embodiment, the control female connector 2 having the female terminals 21 and 22 with a relatively small cross-sectional area and easy to elastically deform is configured as a floating connector, and therefore, it becomes easy to ensure a sufficient and large floating amount, thereby being able to absorb the errors between the connectors well. In addition, here, the floating connector between modules I and II is described, but this is also the same between modules I and III.

[0148] In this embodiment, the female side locking portion 24I of the control female connector 2 in module I, the male side locking portion 33D of the control male connector 3, the male side locking portion 42B of the power supply male connector 4, the female side locking portion 52C of the power supply female connector 5, the male side locking portion 133D of the control male connector 103 in module II, the female side locking portion 152C of the power supply female connector 105, the female side locking portion of the control female connector 202 in module II, and the male side locking portion of the power supply male connector 204 extend uniformly over the entire range in the front-to-back direction. That is, the mutually corresponding locking portions do not have portions that abut against each other from the front and rear. In addition, the receiving groove portion 52A of the power supply female connector 5 in module I and the receiving groove portion of the power supply female connector 105 in module II penetrate in the front-to-back direction. That is, the above-mentioned receiving groove portion can receive the power supply contact portion of the other connector from either the front or rear direction.

[0149] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first lower guide portion 61A, the first upper guide portion 62A, the first end guide portion 63, the second lower guide portion 64A, the second upper guide portion 65B, the second end guide portion 66 in the housing 6 of module I, the second lower guide portion 164A, the second upper guide portion 165B, the second end guide portion 166 in the housing 106 of module II, the first lower guide portion 261A, the first upper guide portion 262A, and the first end guide portion 263 in the housing 106 of module II uniformly extend over the entire range in the front-to-back direction. That is, the guide portions corresponding to each other do not have portions that abut against each other from the front and rear. In addition, the guide groove portion 65A in the housing 6 of module I and the guide groove portion 165A in the housing 106 of module II penetrate in the front-to-back direction. The above-mentioned guide groove portion can receive the power contact portion of the other connector from either the front or rear direction.

[0150] Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, module I can be inserted and connected between modules II and III while maintaining the state of modules II and III being installed on the guide rail without interfering with modules II and III. In addition, module I inserted and connected in this way can be pulled out from between modules II and III by pulling it out backward without interfering with modules II and III.

[0151] That is, in this embodiment, in the module connection body formed by connecting modules I, II, and III, when only the module I disposed at the middle position in the connection direction needs to be replaced, only the module I can be simply pulled out without interfering with modules II and III. In addition, the replaced new module I can be simply inserted between modules II and III without interfering with modules II and III. Therefore, when replacing the module I at the middle position, it is not necessary to disassemble and assemble the remaining modules II and III, so the replacement operation of the module I becomes simple and the operation efficiency is improved.

[0152] In this embodiment, the example of connecting three modules I, II, and III to form a module connection body is described, but the number of connected modules is not limited to this, as long as there are multiple modules. In addition, in this embodiment, the example of providing two connector pairs on each module is described, but the number of connector pairs provided is not limited to this, and can also be 1, or can be more than three.

[0153] In this embodiment, the connector pair is composed of a male connector and a female connector, but the connector pair does not necessarily have to be composed of such male and female connectors. As a modification, for example, the connector pair can also be composed of connectors with the same shape as male and female bodies.

[0154] In the present embodiment, only one of the control connector pairs is configured as a floating connector, but as an alternative, both connectors of the control connector pair may be configured as floating connectors. In addition, in the present embodiment, only one of the two connector pairs is configured as a floating connector, but as a modification, the other connector pair or both connector pairs may be configured as floating connectors. Explanation of symbols

[0155] 1 connector mounting body; 2. Female connector for control (first connector); 3. Male connector for control (second connector); 4. Male connector for power supply (first connector); 5. Female connector for power supply (second connector); 6 housing; 21 signal female terminal (first terminal); 21B fixed side held portion; 21D movable side held portion; 21E elastic part; 22 power supply female terminal (first terminal); 22B fixed side held portion; 22D movable side held portion; 22E elastic part; 23 fixed housing (first housing); 23C fixed side restriction portion; 24 movable housing (first housing); 24D female side abutment portion (first abutment portion); 24G movable side restriction part; 24I female side locking portion (first locking portion); 31 signal positive terminal (second terminal); 31B signal contact portion; 31F free end; 32 power supply positive terminal (second terminal); 32B power supply contact portion; 32F free end; 33 housing (second housing); 33D male side locking portion (second locking portion); 33E: male side abutting portion (second abutting portion); 41 power supply male terminal (first terminal); 42 housing (first housing); 42B male side locking portion (first locking portion); 51 power supply female terminal (second terminal); 52 housing (second housing); 52C female side locking portion (second locking portion); 101 connector mounting body (other electrical connector mounting body); 103 control male connector (second connector of the other party); 105 female connector for power supply (second connector of the other party); 133 shell (other party's second shell); 152 shell (other party's second shell); 201 connector mounting body (other electrical connector mounting body); 202 control female connector (first connector of the other party); 204: a male connector for power supply (the first connector of the other party); 224 movable shell (opponent's first shell); 242 shell (opponent's first shell); I-module; II module; Module III; P1 circuit board.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising a circuit board and an electrical connector pair mounted on a mounting surface of the circuit board, and capable of being connected in a plurality of ways with one direction being a connection direction, characterized in that: The electrical connector mounting body can be mated and connected with each of the adjacent counterpart electrical connector mounting bodies on both sides in the connection direction, with the direction toward the front in the front-rear direction at right angles to the connection direction as the mating direction. The electrical connector constituting the electrical connector pair comprises: a plurality of terminals arranged in a direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the connection direction as a terminal arrangement direction; and a housing for holding the plurality of terminals. The electrical connector pair includes a first connector and a second connector as the electrical connectors, the first connector being mounted on one side of the circuit substrate in a connection direction, and the second connector being mounted on the other side of the circuit substrate in the connection direction, The first connector can be connected to a second connector provided on a mounting body of a second electrical connector. The second connector can be connected to a first counterpart connector provided on another counterpart electrical connector mounting body. The first connector does not have a portion that abuts against the second connector from the front and rear. The second connector does not have a portion that abuts against the counterpart first connector from the front and rear.

2. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connector includes a first terminal as the terminal and a first housing as the housing for holding the first terminal. The second connector includes a second terminal as the terminal and a second housing as the housing for holding the second terminal. The first housing has a first locking portion capable of locking with the second housing of the second connector in the connection direction. The second housing has a second locking portion that can be locked with the counterpart first housing of the counterpart first connector in a connecting direction.

3. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connector includes a first terminal as the terminal and a first housing as the housing for holding the first terminal. The second connector includes a second terminal as the terminal and a second housing as the housing for holding the second terminal. The first housing has a first contact portion capable of contacting with the second housing in the terminal arrangement direction. The second housing has a second abutting portion that can abut against the counterpart first connector in the terminal arrangement direction.

4. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical connector pair is provided in various ways. In at least one specific electrical connector pair, the terminal is formed by bending a metal plate member in the plate thickness direction and has a contact portion for contacting a mating terminal provided on a mating electrical connector mounting body. The contact portion can be in contact with the mating terminal using a plate surface intersecting the connection direction as a contact surface.

5. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plurality of terminals of the electrical connector provided on one of the specific electrical connector pair include power terminals and signal terminals. The power terminal has a power contact portion as the contact portion capable of contacting the counterpart terminal corresponding to the power terminal. The signal terminal has a signal contact portion, and the signal contact portion is the contact portion capable of contacting the counterpart terminal corresponding to the signal terminal. The power contact portion is formed to extend in the front-rear direction, with a front end thereof being located in front of the signal contact portion, and a rear end thereof being located in rear of the signal contact portion.

6. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 4, characterized in that: The contact portion of the terminal of at least one of the specific electrical connector pairs is formed to extend in the front-rear direction at a position close to one end side in the length direction of the terminal. The terminal has a free end portion which is continuous with the rear end of the contact portion and extends to the free end of the one end side. The free end portion has a connection portion connected to the rear end of the contact portion that is bent so as to have a component directed in a direction opposite to the contact surface in a connection direction.

7. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical connector pair is provided in various ways. The housing of one of the at least one specific pair of electrical connectors comprises a fixed housing and a movable housing, and the terminals are mounted on the fixed housing and the movable housing. The fixed housing is fixed to the circuit substrate via the terminal, The terminal has an elastic portion that is elastically deformable between a fixed-side held portion held by the fixed housing and a movable-side held portion held by the movable housing. The movable housing is capable of moving relative to the fixed housing by elastic deformation of the elastic portion.

8. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fixed housing has a fixed side restriction portion that can be locked with the counterpart movable housing in a connection direction.

9. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 7, characterized in that: The movable housing has a movable side restricting portion that protrudes toward a mounting surface of the circuit board and can come into contact with the mounting surface.

10. The electrical connector mounting body according to claim 7, characterized in that: The terminals include power terminals and signal terminals. The power terminal is formed to be larger than the signal terminal in the terminal arrangement direction. The elastic portion of the power terminal is formed to be longer than the elastic portion of the signal terminal.

11. A first connector, characterized in that: The first connector is arranged on the electrical connector mounting body according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A second connector, characterized in that: The second connector is arranged on the electrical connector mounting body according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A module, characterized in that: have: The electrical connector mounting body according to any one of claims 1 to 10; and A housing for housing the electrical connector assembly.

14. A module connection body, characterized in that: A plurality of modules according to claim 13 are connected to the module connection body.

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