Connector assembly

Abstract

A connector assembly according to an embodiment includes: a connector housing including: a housing body; a plurality of cable insertion grooves for accommodating a plurality of external connection cables, respectively; a locking lance for reducing the separation of the connection cable from the cable insertion groove; a retreating space for providing a retreating space for the locking lance; and a bus support member protruding inward from the inner wall of the housing body; a joint terminal including: a plurality of feeler levers respectively contacting the plurality of connection cables; and a link fixed to a bus fixing groove formed in the bus support. And a connector cover including: a cover plate capable of closing one side of the plurality of cable insertion slots; and a lance support for reducing the elastic deformation of the locking lance in the direction in which the locking lance is separated from the connection cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following disclosure relates to connector assemblies. Background Technology

[0002] A connector is an electrical component that connects or disconnects electrical connections. Connectors are used in various electronic devices, such as automobiles or household appliances, to electrically and / or physically connect multiple electronic components to each other.

[0003] Currently, a technology is needed to assist connectors in aligning the connection terminals to prevent damage. Additionally, technology is needed to manufacture compact connectors.

[0004] The above-mentioned background technology was acquired or learned by the inventors during the development of this invention, and should not be construed as necessarily being a generally known technology disclosed before the application for this invention. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A connector assembly according to one embodiment includes: a connector housing, the connector housing comprising: a housing body; a plurality of cable insertion slots formed within the housing body and respectively accommodating a plurality of external connecting cables; a locking spear protruding from the cable insertion slots to reduce the disengagement of the connecting cables from the cable insertion slots; a retraction space providing a retraction space for the locking spear to allow the locking spear to elastically deform to allow the connecting cables to be inserted into the cable insertion slots; and a busbar support protruding inward from an inner wall of the housing body; a mating terminal comprising: a plurality of busbar through-slots respectively penetrating the busbar support to respectively contact the plurality of connecting cables; and a connecting rod physically and electrically connecting the plurality of contact rods and fixed to a busbar fixing slot formed in the busbar support; and a connector cover comprising: a cover plate capable of closing one side of the plurality of cable insertion slots; and a spear support protruding from the cover plate and inserted into the retraction space to reduce the elastic deformation of the locking spear in the direction of disengagement from the connecting cables.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the locking spear-shaped member includes: a first spear-shaped member having a shape protruding from the center of the housing body toward one side inner wall of the housing body; and a second spear-shaped member having a shape protruding from the center of the housing body toward another side inner wall of the housing body located on the opposite side of the one side inner wall, the retraction space being formed between the first spear-shaped member and the second spear-shaped member.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the connector cover further includes: a raised partition protruding from the cover plate; the housing body includes: a body outer wall that forms the appearance of the connector housing; and a partition receiving groove that extends inward from the body outer wall in a stepped manner to receive the raised partition, and has a shape facing the raised end face of the raised partition and the outer surface of the partition, respectively.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the housing body includes: an outer wall of the main body forming the appearance of the connector housing, the busbar support, and further includes: a raised inner wall that protrudes inward from the outer wall of the main body and supports at least one of the peripheral surfaces of the contact rod.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the busbar support further includes: a busbar support protrusion that protrudes from the inner wall of the protrusion in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the mating terminal into the connector housing, to support at least one of the peripheral surfaces of the contact rod.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the busbar support protrusion supports the surface of the connecting rod facing the spear-shaped support member.

[0011] According to one embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction, the busbar support protrusion does not overlap with the locking spear-shaped member.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the busbar support protrusions are formed in multiple ways, and the multiple busbar support protrusions are arranged separately from each other.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the busbar support protrusion is not formed in the portion adjacent to the plurality of busbar through slots.

[0014] According to one embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction of the engagement terminal into the connector housing, the end of the locking spear protruding toward the cable insertion slot does not overlap with the rest of the connector housing.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the connector housing does not include a hole formed in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the mating terminal into the connector housing.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the shortest distance from the contact rod to the inner wall of the connector housing excluding the busbar support is shorter than the shortest distance from the contact rod to the locking spear. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 The connector assembly according to one embodiment is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken by cutting line II.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a plan view of the outer casing body according to one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 6 Insertion according to one embodiment Figure 5 A plan view of the coupling terminals in the housing body.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a connector assembly according to one embodiment.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0025] 1: Connector assembly

[0026] 11: Connector Housing

[0027] 111: Outer shell body

[0028] 1111: Main body outer wall

[0029] 1112: Partition receiving groove

[0030] 112: Cable insertion slot

[0031] 113: Busbar support components

[0032] 1131: Protruding inner wall

[0033] 1132: Busbar fixing groove

[0034] 1133: Busbar Through-Track

[0035] 1134: Busbar support protrusion; 114: Locking spear-shaped component

[0036] 1141: First spear-shaped component

[0037] 1142: Second spear-shaped component

[0038] 115: Backspace

[0039] 119: Housing side joint 12: Connecting terminal

[0040] 121: Contact rod

[0041] 1211: Insertion section

[0042] 122: Linkage rod; 13: Connector cover

[0043] 131: Cover plate

[0044] 132: Spear-shaped support component

[0045] 133: Raised partition

[0046] 1331: Protruding end face

[0047] 1332: Outside the partition

[0048] 1333: Inner surface of partition

[0049] 139: Side joint 2: Connecting cable

[0050] 21: Cable

[0051] 22: Cable terminal

[0052] 221: Terminal slot Detailed Implementation

[0053] The exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, various modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments. This disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments herein. The exemplary embodiments should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives thereof made within the concept and scope of this disclosure.

[0054] The terminology used in the embodiments is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope. Unless otherwise specified in the content, a single modifier may have multiple meanings. In this specification, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are used to express the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, accessories, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the possibility of the presence or additional addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, accessories, or combinations thereof.

[0055] Each of the phrases “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B or C” can include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed in the phrase.

[0056] Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical or scientific terms used herein, shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the examples pertain. Terms commonly used, such as those defined in dictionaries, shall be understood as having the meaning in the relevant technical context and, unless explicitly defined in this specification, shall not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning.

[0057] In describing the examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In describing the example embodiments, when it is determined that a detailed description of a well-known structure or function would unnecessarily confuse this disclosure, such detailed description is omitted.

[0058] Furthermore, when describing the components of the example embodiments, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from other components and are not intended to limit the nature, order, or sequence of the corresponding components. When describing a component as "connected," "linked," or "attached" to another component, it should be understood that a component can be directly connected to or attached to another component, and intermediate components can also be "connected," "linked," or "attached" to that component.

[0059] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment. Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment.

[0060] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to one embodiment, the connector assembly 1 can electrically connect a plurality of external connecting cables 2 to each other. For example, the connector assembly 1 may be referred to as a mating connector assembly 1. For example, when any one of the plurality of connecting cables 2 receives an electrical signal (e.g., power), the received electrical signal can be distributed or transmitted to the remaining plurality of connecting cables 2.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the connecting cable 2 may include a cable 21 for transmitting electrical signals and a cable terminal 22 disposed at the end of the cable 21 and physically and electrically connected to the engagement terminal 12 of the connector assembly 1. According to one embodiment, the cable terminal 22 may include a terminal slot 221 capable of engaging with the internal structure of the connector assembly 1 (e.g., engaging the spear-shaped member 114), which will be described later.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the connector assembly 1 may include a connector housing 11, a mating terminal 12, and a connector cover 13. For example, the connector housing 11 may include space for inserting the connecting cable 2 and the mating terminal 12. For example, the mating terminal 12 may be fixed to the connector housing 11 instead of the connector cover 13. For example, if the mating terminal 12 is fixed to the connector cover 13, the mating terminal 12 and the connector housing 11 need to be correctly aligned during the process of installing the connector cover 13 to the connector housing 11, which is more difficult. However, if the mating terminal 12 is fixed to the connector housing 11, the above-mentioned operational difficulty can be reduced, and the connector cover 13 can be secured to the connector housing 11 with less effort.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the connector housing 11 may include a housing body 111, a plurality of cable insertion slots 112 formed within the housing body 111 and capable of accommodating a plurality of external connecting cables 2, and a housing side joint portion 119 connectable to the connector cover 13.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the mating terminal 12 may include a plurality of contact rods 121 and a connecting rod 122. The plurality of contact rods 121 can respectively contact a plurality of connecting cables 2, and the connecting rod 122 is physically and electrically connected to the plurality of contact rods 121. According to one embodiment, an insertion portion 1211 is formed on the side of the contact rod 121. According to one embodiment, the insertion portion 1211 is interference-fitted to the connector housing 11 (e.g., Figure 5 The busbar passes through the inner wall of the groove 1133, thereby stably fixing the mating terminal 12 to the connector housing 11.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the connector cover 13 includes a cover plate 131 capable of closing one side of a plurality of cable insertion slots 112 (e.g., the portion located on the opposite side (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) of the opening for inserting the connecting cable 2), a spear-shaped support member 132 protruding from the cover plate 131, a raised partition 133 protruding from the cover plate 131, and a cover-side coupling portion 139 connected to the connector housing 11. According to one embodiment, the raised partition 133 may have a shape surrounding the outermost edge of the cover plate 131 and the spear-shaped support member 132. According to one embodiment, the cover-side coupling portion 139 engages with the housing-side coupling portion 119, thereby reducing the likelihood of the connector cover 13 separating from the connector housing 11. For example, the cover-side coupling portion 139 may be a groove or a hole, while the housing-side coupling portion 119 may be a protrusion; however, the implementation is not limited to this, and the two may also be opposite each other.

[0066] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment. Figure 4 The connector assembly according to one embodiment is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken by cutting line II.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 According to one embodiment, the connector housing 11 may include a housing body 111, a cable insertion slot 112, a bus bar support 113, a locking spear-shaped member 114, and a retraction space 115.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the housing body 111 may include an outer wall 1111 forming the appearance of the connector housing 11 and a partition receiving groove 1112 that extends inwardly from the outer wall 1111 in a stepped shape to receive a portion of the connector cover 13 (e.g., a raised partition 133). According to one embodiment, the partition receiving groove 1112 may have a shape facing the raised end face 1331 and the outer surface 1332 of the raised partition 133, respectively. This structure can improve the stability of the fastening structure between the connector cover 13 and the connector housing 11, and as... Figure 4 As shown by the arrow, it can bend the path of external foreign objects (such as dust) multiple times, improving dust resistance.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the cable insertion slot 112 can pass through the connector housing 11 in the longitudinal direction (e.g., the + / -z axis direction) of the contact rod 121 of the engagement terminal 12. For example, the engagement terminal 12 is inserted from one side of the cable insertion slot 112 (e.g., the -z axis direction), the connecting cable 2 is inserted from the other side of the cable insertion slot 112 (e.g., the +z axis direction) and coupled to the engagement terminal 12, while the connector cover 13 can be coupled to one side of the cable insertion slot 112 (e.g., the -z axis direction) in this state.

[0070] According to one embodiment, a busbar support 113 protrudes inward from the inner wall of the housing body 111 and can support the mating terminal 12. The busbar support 113 includes a structure that contacts at least a portion of the surface of the mating terminal 12, thereby allowing the mating terminal 12 to be stably supported within the connector housing 11. Reference will be made later. Figure 5 The exemplary structure of the busbar support 113 is described below.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the locking spear-shaped member 114 is formed to protrude into the cable insertion slot 112, thereby reducing the likelihood of the connecting cable 2 separating from the cable insertion slot 112. For example, the locking spear-shaped member 114 includes a first spear-shaped member 1141 and a second spear-shaped member 1142. The first spear-shaped member 1141 has a shape that protrudes from the center of the housing body 111 toward the inner wall of one side (e.g., in the +x-axis direction) of the housing body 111, and the second spear-shaped member 1142 has a shape that protrudes from the center of the housing body 111 toward the inner wall of the other side (e.g., in the -x-axis direction) of the housing body 111 located opposite to the inner wall of one side (e.g., in the -x-axis direction). For example, the first spear-shaped member 1141 and the second spear-shaped member 1142 may have shapes that are symmetrical to each other with respect to a receding space 115.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the retraction space 115 provides space for the locking spear 114 to retract, allowing the locking spear 114 to elastically deform to allow the connecting cable 2 to be inserted into the cable insertion slot 112. For example, the retraction space 115 can be formed between the first spear 1141 and the second spear 1142. Such a structure eliminates the need for separate retraction spaces 115 for the first spear 1141 and the second spear 1142; a single retraction space 115 can be used to retract both the first spear 1141 and the second spear 1142. For example, in connector assemblies 1 of the same size, when separate retraction spaces 115 are provided for the first spear 1141 and the second spear 1142, the volume of each retraction space 115 becomes smaller. In this case, it may be difficult to manufacture the retraction space 115. According to one embodiment, by manufacturing a single backspace 115 equivalent to the sum of the volumes of each of the aforementioned backspaces 115, a backspace can be provided for the first spear-shaped member 1141 and the second spear-shaped member 1142, improving the ease of manufacturing the backspace 115. For example, when manufacturing the connector housing 11 by injection molding, insufficient space between the mold structures may reduce the quality of the molded product. However, the above embodiment can reduce such problems, improve the yield of the connector housing 11, and ultimately reduce the overall cost. In addition, as the volume of the backspace 115 increases, the thickness of the spear-shaped member support 132 inserted into the backspace 115 also increases, making it easier to manufacture the mold for the spear-shaped member support 132. For example, when a separate backspace 115 is provided for the first spear-shaped member 1141 and the second spear-shaped member 1142, multiple spear-shaped member supports 132 must be provided, and the thickness of the spear-shaped member support 132 will also be relatively thinner, increasing the difficulty of mold manufacturing. Considering the difficulty of mold manufacturing, the retraction space 115 of the first spear-shaped member 1141 and the second spear-shaped member 1142 must be above a certain volume, which will increase the size of the entire connector assembly 1. According to one embodiment, by making one retraction space 115 correspond to multiple spear-shaped members 1141, 1142, the overall size of the connector assembly 1 can be reduced while improving the yield rate.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the engagement terminal 12 may include a plurality of contact rods 121 and a connecting rod 122, wherein the plurality of contact rods 121 respectively pass through a plurality of busbar through slots 1133 formed in the busbar support member 113 (see Figure 5 The connecting rod 122 is fixed to the busbar fixing groove 1132 on the busbar support 113 (see...). Figure 5 For example, the insertion portion 1211 formed on the contact rod 121 can be interference-fitted to the busbar support 113. With the above structure, even if the connector cover 13 is not attached to the connector housing 11, the engagement terminal 12 can be stably inserted and fixed to the connector housing 11. (See below for further details.) Figure 5 An exemplary connection structure between the coupling terminal 12 and the busbar support 113 is described below.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the shortest distance D1 from the contact rod 121 to the inner wall of the connector housing 11 excluding the busbar support 113 is shorter than the shortest distance D2 from the contact rod 121 to the locking spear 114. This structure ensures a connection between the contact rod 121 and the inner wall of the connector housing 11 for the connecting cable 2 (see reference). Figure 2 The space for inserting the cable terminal 22 also allows the mating terminal 12 to be positioned close to the inner wall of the connector housing 11, i.e., away from the locking spear-shaped member 114. Simultaneously, the busbar support 113 is formed in the region adjacent to the mating terminal 12 to support it, resulting in the busbar support 113 being positioned sufficiently away from the locking spear-shaped member 114. Therefore, by ensuring sufficient space between the busbar support 113 and the locking spear-shaped member 114, for example, when manufacturing the connector housing 11 by injection molding, the yield rate of the connector housing 11 can be improved, ultimately reducing overall production costs.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the connector cover 13 may include a cover plate 131, a spear-shaped support member 132, and a raised partition 133.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the spear-shaped support 132 can reduce the elastic deformation of the locking spear 114 in the direction of separation from the connecting cable 2 by inserting into the retraction space 115. For example, instead of the function of the spear-shaped support 132, when the connecting cable 2 is inserted into the cable insertion slot 112, it can penetrate the connector housing 11 in the direction perpendicular to the length direction (e.g., the + / - z-axis direction) of the connecting cable 2, thereby applying a position assurance structure for external insertion. In order to manufacture the connector housing 11 with this structure by injection molding, it is necessary to provide two molds that are separately arranged in the length direction (e.g., the + / - z-axis direction) of the cable insertion slot 112, and at least one slide core that slides in the direction perpendicular to the length direction (e.g., the + / - x-axis direction) of the cable insertion slot 112. As shown in the figure, according to one embodiment, the connector housing 11 may not include a hole formed in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction (e.g., the + / - x-axis direction) of the insertion direction (e.g., the + / - z-axis direction) into the connector housing 11. In other words, according to one embodiment, the connector assembly 1 can use the spear-shaped support 132 to prevent the locking spear 114 from separating from the connecting cable 2 without the aforementioned positional guarantee structure. The connector housing 11 with this structure can be manufactured by injection molding using only two molds, without the need for the sliding core as described above, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

[0077] For example, the spear-shaped support 132 may have a shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually narrows in the protruding direction (e.g., the +z axis direction). This shape allows the spear-shaped support 132 to be easily inserted into the retraction space 115, while ensuring that the connector cover 13 is properly aligned with and engaged with the connector housing 11 during the insertion of the spear-shaped support 132 into the retraction space 115.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the raised partition 133 includes a raised end face 1331 located at the end of the raised partition 133 in the protruding direction (e.g., the +z axis direction), a partition outer surface 1332 in the raised partition 133 located in the direction away from the spear-shaped support member 132, and a partition inner surface 1333 in the raised partition 133 facing the spear-shaped support member 132.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the raised end face 1331 and the outer surface of the partition 1332 can be formed in a shape corresponding to the partition receiving groove 1112. For example, the raised end face 1331 can face the surface of the partition receiving groove 1112 perpendicular to the length direction of the contact rod 121 (e.g., the + / - z-axis direction) (e.g., the surface parallel to the xy plane). For example, the outer surface of the partition 1332 can be formed facing the surface of the partition receiving groove 1112 toward the interior of the connector housing 11. The raised end face 1331 and the outer surface of the partition 1332 of this structure have abutting structures with the partition receiving groove 1112, which can reduce the problem of foreign matter (e.g., dust) flowing in from the outside of the connector assembly 1. For example, the above-described mating structures can be in face contact or interference fit with each other, but the implementation is not limited to this, and there can be a small gap between them. Although not shown, waterproofing can be achieved by placing a waterproof structure (e.g., an O-ring) between the above-described mating structures, but the implementation is not limited to this.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the inner surface 1333 of the partition is formed as a side facing the connecting rod 122 of the engagement terminal 12, which can help keep the connecting rod 122 aligned in the correct direction. For example, the inner surface 1333 of the partition can support the connecting rod 122 by contacting one surface of the connecting rod 122, but the implementation is not limited to this.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the raised partition 133 reduces the problem of foreign matter flowing into the connector assembly 1 from the outside, and improves the structural stability of the entire connector assembly 1 by providing a structure around one side of the mating terminal 12.

[0082] Figure 5 This is a plan view of the outer casing body according to one embodiment. Figure 6 Insertion according to one embodiment Figure 5 A plan view of the coupling terminals in the housing body. Figure 7 This is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a connector assembly according to one embodiment.

[0083] Reference Figures 5 to 7 According to one embodiment, the busbar support member 113 may include a raised inner wall 1131, a busbar fixing groove 1132, a busbar through groove 1133, and a busbar support protrusion 1134.

[0084] According to one embodiment, a raised inner wall 1131 protrudes inward from the outer wall 1111 of the outer casing body 111 and is capable of supporting at least one circumferential surface (e.g., three surfaces; a surface in the +y axis direction, a surface in the -y axis direction, and a surface in the +x axis direction or the -x axis direction) of the contact rod 121. For example, the raised inner wall 1131 may contact at least one circumferential surface of the contact rod 121.

[0085] According to one embodiment, a busbar fixing groove 1132 is formed in a busbar support 113 and can accommodate a connecting rod 122 of a mating terminal 12. The busbar fixing groove 1132 can help to stably fix the mating terminal 12 within the connector housing 11 by supporting the connecting rod 122. For example, the busbar fixing groove 1132 can be recessed from the raised inner wall 1131 in the direction in which the mating terminal 12 is inserted into the connector housing 11 (e.g., the +z axis direction). For example, the busbar fixing groove 1132 can be formed to be recessed from the surface of the raised inner wall 1131 facing the cover plate 131 in a direction away from the cover plate 131 (e.g., the +z axis direction).

[0086] According to one embodiment, a busbar through-slot 1133 is formed on the busbar support 113 and provides through space for the contact rod 121 of the engagement terminal 12. For example, the busbar through-slot 1133 may be formed between a pair of adjacent busbar fixing slots 1132 in a plurality of busbar fixing slots 1132. For example, the busbar through-slot 1133 communicates with the busbar fixing slots 1132, such that the contact rod 121 can be inserted through the busbar through-slot 1133, wherein the contact rod 121 is connected to a connecting rod 122 fixed in the busbar fixing slot 1132. For example, the busbar through-slot 1133 may be open in the direction toward the spear-shaped support 132. Even with this shape, the possibility of the contact rod 121 separating from the busbar through-slot 1133 due to the insertion portion 1211 and / or the busbar support protrusion 1134, or misalignment, can be reduced.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the busbar support protrusion 1134 can support the face of the connecting rod 122 facing the spear-shaped support (e.g., the face along the -x-axis or +x-axis direction). For example, the busbar support protrusion 1134 can be formed to protrude from the inner wall 1131 of the protrusion in the opposite direction (e.g., the +z-axis direction) to the insertion direction (e.g., the -z-axis direction) of the mating terminal 12 into the connector housing 11.

[0088] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, when viewed along the insertion direction (e.g., +z axis direction) of the connector housing 11 with the mating terminal 12 inserted, the busbar support protrusion 1134 may not overlap with the locking spear 114. For example, the plurality of busbar support protrusions 1134 may be spaced apart from each other. For example, the busbar support protrusions 1134 may not be formed in portions adjacent to the plurality of busbar through slots 1133. This structure ensures that there is unused space around the locking spear 114 located between a pair of adjacent busbar support protrusions 1134. Therefore, according to one embodiment, a structure can be provided that can stably support the mating terminal 12 by means of the busbar support protrusions 1134, while improving the yield of the connector housing 11 and reducing the overall manufacturing cost.

[0089] For example, such as Figure 7As shown, when viewed along the insertion direction (e.g., the +z axis direction) of the connector housing 11, the end of the locking spear 114 protruding from the cable insertion slot 112 may not overlap with the rest of the connector housing 11. This type of locking spear 114 can be manufactured using only two molds via injection molding without a sliding core, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0090] While this disclosure includes specific examples, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made in these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. Suitable results may also be obtained if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and / or if components in the illustrated system, architecture, apparatus, or circuit are combined in a different manner, and / or replaced or substituted by other components or their equivalents.

[0091] Therefore, other embodiments fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A connector assembly, comprising: a connector housing including: a housing main body; a plurality of cable insertion slots formed in the housing main body and respectively accommodating a plurality of connection cables outside; a plurality of lance-shaped pieces protruding from the cable insertion slots to reduce disengagement of the connection cables from the cable insertion slots; a retreat space providing a space in which the lance-shaped pieces can retreat, to allow the lance-shaped pieces to be elastically deformed to allow the connection cables to be inserted into the cable insertion slots; and a busbar support protruding inward from an inner wall of the housing main body; a mating terminal including: a plurality of busbar through slots respectively penetrating the busbar support to respectively contact a plurality of contact stems of the plurality of connection cables; and a link physically and electrically connecting the plurality of contact stems and fixed to a busbar fixing slot formed in the busbar support; and a connector cover including: a cover plate closable to one side of the plurality of cable insertion slots; and lance-shaped piece supports protruding from the cover plate and inserted into the retreat space to reduce elastic deformation of the lance-shaped pieces in a direction in which disengagement from the connection cables occurs. 2.The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lance-shaped pieces include: a first lance-shaped piece having a shape protruding from a center of the housing main body to an inner wall of one side of the housing main body; and a second lance-shaped piece having a shape protruding from the center of the housing main body to an inner wall of another side of the housing main body located opposite the inner wall of the one side, the retreat space is formed between the first lance-shaped piece and the second lance-shaped piece. 3.The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector cover further includes: a raised partition plate protruding from the cover plate, the housing main body includes: a main body outer wall forming an appearance of the connector housing; and a partition plate accommodation slot stepped inward from the main body outer wall to accommodate the raised partition plate and having shapes respectively facing raised end surfaces of the raised partition plate and a partition plate outer surface. 4.The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing main body includes: a main body outer wall forming an appearance of the connector housing, the busbar support further includes: a raised inner wall protruding inward from the main body outer wall and supporting at least one of peripheral surfaces of the contact stems. 5.The connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein the busbar support further includes: a busbar support protrusion protruding from the raised inner wall in a direction opposite an insertion direction of the mating terminal into the connector housing to support at least one of the peripheral surfaces of the contact stems. 6.The connector assembly according to claim 5, wherein the busbar support protrusion supports a surface of the link facing the lance-shaped piece support. 7.The connector assembly according to claim 5, wherein the busbar support protrusion does not overlap the lance-shaped pieces when viewed from the insertion direction. ​ 8. The connector assembly according to claim 7, wherein the busbar support protrusions are formed in plural, and the plural busbar support protrusions are arranged apart from each other.

9. The connector assembly according to claim 7, wherein the busbar support protrusions are not formed in portions of the plural busbar penetration grooves adjacent to each other.

10. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the locking lance protruding toward the cable insertion groove does not overlap with a remaining portion of the connector housing when viewed in an insertion direction of the mating terminal into the connector housing.

11. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector housing does not include a hole formed in a direction perpendicular to an insertion direction of the mating terminal into the connector housing.

12. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein a shortest distance from the contact stem to an inner wall of the connector housing excluding the busbar support is shorter than a shortest distance from the contact stem to the locking lance.

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