Connector structure

Abstract

Connector assembly, comprising: a hood (21) formed integrally with a housing (39) and having a tubular shape with a bottom (49), a complementary hood (23, 89) formed integrally with a complementary housing (41) and fitted into the hood (21), wherein the complementary hood (23, 89) can be fitted into the hood (21) in a fitting direction (Z), a plate spring member (25) made of metal, received in the hood (21) and arranged on the bottom (49), a game regulating element (27, 93), a complementary hood end inclination surface (29, 91) of the complementary hood (23, 89), wherein the complementary hood end inclination surface (29, 91) is formed at an end of the complementary hood (23, 89) pointing in the fitting direction (Z) and is inclined towards a tube inner side of the tube shape or a tube outer side of the tube shape, and a game regulation lead (31, 95), wherein the play regulating member (27, 93) is provided facing the base (49) in the fitting direction (Z), wherein the plate spring member (25) is arranged between the play regulating member (27, 93) and the base (49), and the play regulating member (27, 93) is pressed by the plate spring member (25) in a direction (-Z) opposite to the fitting direction (Z) against the complementary hood (23, 89), and wherein the play regulating projection (31, 95) is provided on the play regulating member (27, 93) and has a regulating member inclination surface (71, 97) abutting against the complementary hood end inclination surface (29, 91), wherein the play regulating member (27, 93) includes an excessive spring displacement preventing projection (73) configured to abut against the floor (49) when a spring part (67) of the plate spring member (25) is displaced by a certain amount.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION< Field>The present invention relates to a connector assembly.< Of Technology>DE 10 2005 032 022 A1 and US 2007 / 0 059 970 A1 each show a connector assembly comprising: a hood having a tubular shape with a bottom; a complementary hood fitted into the hood; and a clearance regulating member. The clearance regulating member is provided on an opposite side with respect to the floor with a spring member therebetween, and is pressed against the complementary hood in a direction opposite to a fitting direction by the spring member.Further, a technique for providing a rattle-free connector structure is known (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). As best seen in Figure 16, the connector assembly includes a connector 503 having a hood 501 and a complementary connector 507 having a complementary hood 505. In the mating connector 507, a packing 509 which is an elastic member made of a synthetic resin is disposed in the mating hood 505. When the connectors are fitted together, the hood 501 of the connector 503 is inserted into the complementary hood 505 of the complementary connector 507, and one end of the hood 501 presses a protruding part 511 of the packing 509 to prevent rattle between the connector 503 and the complementary connector 507 in a fitting axis direction.[Patent Literature 1] JP-A-2005-174813In the connector of the related art, the packing 509 is accommodated in a fitting space of the complementary hood 505, and the hood 501 is also inserted into the fitting space, so that the fitting space is effectively used.However, since the packing 509 is an elastic member formed of synthetic resin, there is a risk that an elastic repulsive force due to deterioration due to long use is reduced and the effect of rattle suppression is reduced. As a result, in vibration during running of a vehicle or in similar situations, reliability of electrical connection may be reduced by fine sliding wear between a male tab 513 and a contact spring 515 of a female terminal.SUMMARYOne or more embodiments provide a connector structure capable of achieving a stable vibration suppressing effect even after aging. This object is achieved according to the invention by a plug connector structure according to claim 1. A preferred embodiment is set out in claim 2.According to an aspect (1), one or more embodiments provide a connector structure including: a hood formed in a housing and having a tubular shape with a bottom; a complementary hood formed in a complementary housing and fitted into the hood; a plate spring member formed of metal and accommodated in the bottom of the hood; a clearance regulating member; a complementary hood end inclination surface formed at an end of the complementary hood in a fitting direction and inclined to a tube inner side or a tube outer side; and a clearance regulating protrusion. The clearance regulating member is provided on an opposite side against the floor with the plate spring member interposed therebetween, and is pressed against the complementary hood in a direction opposite to the fitting direction by the plate spring member. The backlash regulating protrusion is provided on the backlash regulating member and has a regulating member inclination surface configured to abut against the complementary hood end inclination surface in a state where the housing and the complementary housing are fitted together.According to the aspect (1) of the present invention, the plate spring member made of metal is provided at the bottom of the hood. The clearance regulating member is provided on an opposite side against the ground with the plate spring member therebetween. The clearance regulating member is urged by the plate spring member in a direction opposite to the fitting direction of the complementary hood. The clearance regulating member is provided with the regulating member inclination surface. Immediately before completion of fitting, the regulating member inclination surface is pressed against the complementary hood end inclination surface formed at the end in the fitting direction of the complementary hood. The clearance regulating member having the regulating member inclination surface pressed against the complementary hood end inclination surface compresses and deforms the plate spring member against a spring force (elastic restoring force). When an insertion force for insertion is no longer applied, the complementary housing is pushed back in the direction opposite to the fitting direction by the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member.At this time, in the complementary housing pushed back by the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member, a complementary locking surface of a locking protrusion provided on the complementary housing comes into close contact with an arm-side locking surface of a locking arm provided on the housing, and a clearance in a locking mechanism can be eliminated. That is, rattle due to the clearance in the lock mechanism that fits and locks the two housings is reduced. Accordingly, in the connector structure according to the present invention, in the fitted and locked state of the housings, movement between the complementary locking surface of the locking protrusion and the arm-side locking surface of the locking arm in approach and separation directions becomes impossible due to the clearance in the locking mechanism. Therefore, in the connector structure according to this configuration, even when vibration occurs during running or in similar situations of the vehicle, fine sliding between a terminal accommodated in the housing and a complementary terminal accommodated in the complementary housing can be prevented. In the connector structure according to this configuration, the plate spring member which pushes back the complementary housing to eliminate the clearance in the lock mechanism is formed of a metal elastic member. Therefore, as compared with an elastic member formed of rubber or synthetic resin, the plate spring member is less likely to migrate due to aging. Thus, a pushing-back force acting on the complementary housing can be maintained for a long period of time. Therefore, the plate spring member can maintain an elastic repulsive force of the spring part even in a prolonged use, and can prevent rattle in the fitting direction between the housing and the complementary housing.In addition, the complementary hood end inclination surface of the complementary hood and the regulating member inclination surface of the clearance regulating projection, which are in an abutting state, can slide in inward and outward directions with respect to the pipe when receiving the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member.For example, when the complementary hood end inclination surface facing the pipe inner side is formed at the end of the complementary hood and the regulating member inclination surface facing the pipe outer side is provided at the clearance regulating protrusion, the end of the complementary hood, when receiving the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member, shifts to the pipe outer side and the clearance regulating protrusion shifts to the pipe inner side.And when the complementary hood end inclination surface facing the pipe outer side is formed at the end of the complementary hood and the regulating member inclination surface facing the pipe inner side is provided at the clearance regulating protrusion, the end of the complementary hood, when receiving the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member, shifts to the pipe inner side and the clearance regulating protrusion shifts to the pipe outer side.The displacement prevents rattle in directions orthogonal to the tube center axis due to the clearance between the housing and the complementary housing.Therefore, with the connector structure having this configuration, abrasion powder generated by fine sliding wear between the terminal and the mating terminal can be prevented from acting as an oxide insulator, so that reduction in contact reliability between the terminal and the mating terminal can be prevented. In this way, good contact reliability can be maintained over a long period of time.According to an aspect (2), at least one clearance regulating protrusion is provided on each clearance regulating member in an up-down direction and a left-right direction orthogonal thereto, and is aligned orthogonally to a pipe central axis of the hood.According to the aspect (2), at least four clearance regulating protrusions provided on the clearance regulating member are separately provided on four sides including upper and lower sides of the clearance regulating member vertically enclosing the pipe central axis of the hood and left and right sides of the clearance regulating member vertically enclosing the pipe central axis of the hood left and right. Incidentally, a pair of the clearance regulating protrusions may be provided on one of the four sides (for example, on an upper side of the clearance regulating member) with the pipe central axis therebetween. In this case, a total of five clearance regulating projections are provided. As described above, in the connector structure according to this configuration, the clearance regulating protrusions provided on the clearance regulating member are radially provided in four directions including the pipe central axis in the up-down and left-right directions. Therefore, the end of the complementary hood abuts against the clearance regulating member substantially uniformly in a radial direction about the tube central axis. As a result, a pressing force of the plate spring member acting on the end of the complementary hood via the clearance regulating member is substantially uniform in the radial direction around the pipe central axis. In this way, the play regulating member can maintain a high degree of parallelism with the ground even when the plate spring member is pushed or moved or when the complementary hood is pushed back. Therefore, in the connector structure having this configuration, the clearance regulating member can be prevented from being inclined with respect to the ground and the rattle suppressing action in the radial direction can be prevented from being uneven.According to an aspect (3) of the present invention, an excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion abutting against the ground is formed on the clearance regulating member.According to the aspect (3), the clearance regulating member includes the excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion protruding toward the ground. When the connector and the mating connector are fitted, the clearance regulating member pushes the plate spring member toward the floor when the regulating member inclination surface is pressed against the mating hood end inclination surface. The spring part provided on the plate spring member is compressed and deformed by this pressing. In a process of compressing and deforming the spring part of the plate spring member, the excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion abuts against the ground before displacement exceeding the elastic limit is applied. Accordingly, further displacement of the spring part of the plate spring member is suppressed. In this way, with the connector structure having this configuration, the spring part of the plate spring member can be prevented from being excessively deformed beyond the elastic limit, so that a stable rattle suppression action can be maintained.According to one or more embodiments, a stable vibration suppression effect can be obtained even after aging.The present invention has been briefly described above. Further details of the present invention are made clear below on the basis of an embodiment with reference to the attached drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a highly vibration-resistant connector having a connector structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the connector of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plate spring member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clearance regulating member shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 5A and 5B are sectional plan views of the connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5A is a sectional plan view of a hood on which the plate spring member is mounted. And Fig. 5B is a sectional plan view of the hood on which the plate spring member and the clearance regulating member are mounted. FIG. 6 is a front view of a mating connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector in which contact between a lock arm and a lock protrusion is started. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector in which contact of a gasket is started. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector in which contact between a terminal and a mating terminal is started. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector in which contact between a complementary hood and the clearance regulating member is started. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector in which fitting is completed. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a complementary connector in a highly vibration resistant connector having a connector structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a clearance regulating member according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is an explanatory operation view showing a rattle suppressing action performed by a complementary hood end inclination surface and a regulating member inclination surface in the highly vibration resistant connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of a connector having a connector structure of the related art.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONHereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a highly vibration-resistant connector 11 having a connector structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the X, Y and Z directions are as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1.The connector structure according to the first embodiment is applied to the highly vibration-resistant connector 11.The highly vibration-resistant connector 11 includes a connector 13 and a mating connector 15 fitted thereto. The complementary connector 15 is a male connector. The complementary connector 15 may be provided as part of an accessory device, for example. In the connector 13, for example, two female terminals 17 having a box shape are accommodated. In the complementary connector 15, for example, two complementary terminals 19 (see FIG. 8 ) having a tab shape are accommodated. Incidentally, the shape and number of terminals of the connector assembly are not limited thereto.The connector structure according to the first embodiment mainly includes a hood 21 of the connector 13, a complementary hood 23 of the complementary connector 15, a plate spring member 25, a clearance regulating member 27, a complementary hood end inclination surface 29 of the complementary connector 15, and a clearance regulating protrusion 31 of the clearance regulating member 27.In addition, the connector structure according to the first embodiment includes a packing 33, rubber plugs 35, electric wires 37, a housing 39 of the connector 13, a complementary housing 41 of the complementary connector 15, a lock arm 43, a side spacer 45, and a lock protrusion 47.FIG. 2 is a front view of the connector 13 shown in FIG. 1.The hood 21 of the connector 13 is formed integrally with the housing 39 of an insulating synthetic resin having a substantially rectangular tubular shape with a bottom. A bottom 49 is a rear wall of the housing 39, and an inner tube portion 53 provided with terminal receiving openings 51 is coaxially projected into the hood 21. An annular fitting space 55 is formed between the inner tube part 53 and the sleeve 21. The complementary hood 23 of the complementary connector 15 is fitted into the fitting space 55. In the fitting space 55, grooves 57 extending along a pipe central axis L are formed on upper and lower sides, and the inner pipe part 53 is sandwiched therebetween. Each of the grooves 57 is provided with a locked protrusion part 59 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B ). A pair of press-fit holes 61 are formed on both sides of a line segment connecting a pair of diagonal corners of the bottom 49 of the fit space 55.FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plate spring member 25 shown in FIG. 1.The plate spring member 25 formed of metal is received in the bottom 49 of the hood 21. The plate spring member 25 includes a plate spring main body part 63. the plate spring member 25 is formed into a square frame shape obtained by punching a metal plate parallel to the bottom 49 into a substantially rectangular shape. A pair of press-fit projections 65 protrude from the surface of the plate spring main body part 63 and face the bottom 49 so as to correspond to the press-fit holes 61. Four spring parts 67 are integrally formed on a surface of the plate spring main body part 63 on a side not facing the bottom 49. The spring parts 67 are formed by bending so as to overlap along sides of the plate spring main body part 63, respectively. Each of the spring parts 67 is formed as a plate spring having a bent end as a free end.FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clearance regulating member 27 shown in FIG. 1.The clearance regulating member 27 is formed of an insulating synthetic resin material. The play regulating member 27 is formed with a square frame shape substantially similar to the plate spring main body part 63. The play regulating member 27 is mounted facing the bottom 49 with the plate spring member 25 interposed therebetween. The clearance regulating member 27 is urged in a direction opposite to a fitting direction (Z direction) of the complementary hood 23 by the spring parts 67 of the plate spring member 25. On both sides of an upper side part and on both sides of a lower side part of the clearance regulating member 27, protrusion parts 69 protruding in the extending directions of the side parts are formed. The protrusion parts 69 are locked with the locked protrusion parts 59 in the above-described grooves 57, respectively. As a result, the clearance regulating member 27 can be moved along a fitting direction (Z direction) of the complementary hood 23, being prevented from dropping off the hood 21 of the connector 13.A plurality of clearance regulating protrusions 31 are integrally formed on a surface of the clearance regulating member 27 on a side not facing the bottom 49. The clearance regulating protrusion 31 is formed with a regulating member inclination surface 71. The regulating member inclination surface 71 abuts against the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 of the complementary hood 23 described later when the housing 39 and the complementary housing 41 are fitted together.The regulating member inclination surface 71 is inclined either inward or outward with respect to the pipe. In the first embodiment, the regulating member inclination surface 71 is inclined to a pipe outer side. That is, the regulating member inclination surface 71 is formed as an inclined surface facing the pipe outer side. Here, "facing the pipe outer side" is to be understood as an orientation outward in a radial direction of the pipe about the pipe central axis L in the Z direction. Further, "facing the tube inner side" is to be understood as an orientation inward in the radial direction of the tube about the tube central axis L in the Z direction.In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, at least one clearance regulating protrusion 31 is provided and orthogonally aligned on the clearance regulating member 27 in an up-down direction (Y direction) and a left-right direction (X direction) that are each orthogonal to the tube central axis L of the hood 21. In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, a total of four clearance regulating protrusions 31 are provided, each of which is provided approximately at the center of each side part of the clearance regulating member 27 formed in a square frame shape. As described above, in the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the clearance regulating protrusions 31 are radially provided in four directions including the pipe central axis L in the up-down and left-right directions.A pair of excessive spring displacement preventing projections 73 project from a surface of the clearance regulating member 27 facing the bottom 49 at an upper side portion and a lower side portion. When the spring part 67 is displaced by a certain amount, a protruding end of the excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion 73 abuts against the bottom 49.FIGS. 5A and 5B are sectional plan views of the connector 13 of FIG. 1, FIG. 5A is a sectional plan view of the hood 21 to which the plate spring member 25 is mounted. FIG. 5B is a sectional plan view of the hood 21 on which the plate spring member 25 and the clearance regulating member 27 are mounted.As shown in FIG. 5A, the plate spring member 25 is inserted into the fitting space 55 of the hood 21, and the press-fitting projections 65 are fitted into the corresponding press-fitting holes 61 so that the plate spring main body part 63 is fixed in close contact with and parallel to the bottom 49.As shown in FIG. 5B, the clearance regulating member 27 is inserted into the fitting space 55 in the hood 21, in which the plate spring member 25 is fixed to the bottom 49. When the protruding parts 69 are respectively engaged with the locked protruding parts 59 of the grooves 57, the backlash regulating member 27 is prevented from falling off the hood 21, and the assembly is completed. In this engagement, the spring part 67 is in a state of being previously bent by a certain amount in the arrow direction of FIG. 5B.When the spring part 67 is deformed by the predetermined amount in the complete mounting state of the clearance regulating member 27 of FIG. 5B, the excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion 73 provided in the clearance regulating member 27 abuts against the bottom 49. In this way, the excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion 73 prevents the spring part 67 from being excessively deformed beyond an elastic limit and plastically deformed.FIG. 6 is a plan view of the complementary connector 15 shown in FIG. 1.The complementary hood 23 fitted into the hood 21 is formed integrally with the complementary housing 41 of the complementary connector 15. The inner pipe part 53 of the connector 13 is fitted into the complementary hood 23. The pair of complementary terminals 19 entering the terminal receiving openings 51 project inside the complementary hood 23. On both sides of an upper side part and both sides of a lower side part of the complementary hood 23, ribs 75 are formed protruding in the extending directions of each side part. The ribs 75 are inserted into the corresponding grooves 57 of the hood 21 and serve as a fitting guide. The complementary hood end inclination surface 29 is formed at one end in the fitting direction (Z direction) of the complementary hood 23. Immediately before completion of the fitting, the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 abuts against the clearance regulating member 27.In the first embodiment, the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 is inclined to the pipe inner side. That is, the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 is formed as an inclined surface facing the pipe inner side. The complementary hood end inclination surface 29 may be formed around the entire inner periphery of the end of the complementary hood 23, or may be formed only at parts corresponding to each of the regulating member inclination surfaces 71. In the first embodiment, the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 is formed around the entire inner periphery at the end of the complementary hood 23. The complementary hood end inclination surface 29 abuts against the regulating member inclination surfaces 71 in parallel, respectively.The seal 33 is accommodated in the fitting space 55 of the hood 21. The gasket 33 is formed in a ring shape of rubber or the like. The packing 33 is mounted on an outer periphery of the inner pipe part 53 to watertightly seal the inner pipe part 53 and the complementary hood 23.The electric wires 37 are each electrically connected to the terminals 17 by crimping or the like. The annular rubber plugs 35 are mounted on outer peripheries of the electric wires 37 connected to the terminals 17, respectively. The rubber plug 35 provides a seal between the electric wire 37 and the electric wire lead-out opening 77 (see FIG. 7 ) of the housing 39 from which the electric wire 37 is led out. The rubber plug 35 is fixed to the electric wire 37 by, for example, crimping onto a crimping part of the terminal 17.The lock arm 43 of the connector 13 is formed in a cantilever shape in which one base end is formed integrally with the housing 39 and the other forwardly extending end is a free end. The lock arm 43 has an operating arm 44 extending rearward from a free end side. A rear end side of the operating arm 44 serves as an operating part. The lock arm 43 includes an arm end part 79 facing the mating hood 23 of the mating connector 15. The arm end part 79 engages with the locking protrusion 47 formed on the complementary hood 23. The lock arm 43 and the lock protrusion 47 form a lock mechanism that fits and locks the connector 13 with the mating connector 15.The side spacer 45 is inserted into a terminal accommodating chamber from a side surface of the housing 39. By inserting a regulating member 46 into the terminal accommodating chamber, the side spacer 45 locks a rear end of the terminal 17 to prevent detachment of the terminal 17.Next, a fitting operation of the connector assembly according to the first embodiment will be described.FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a highly vibration-resistant connector 11 in which contact between the lock arm 43 and the lock protrusion 47 is started.In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, when fitting of the highly vibration-resistant connector 11 is started, as shown in FIG. 7, the lock arm 43 and the lock protrusion 47 start contacting each other. That is, the arm end part 79 of the lock arm 43 comes into contact with an arm push-up inclination surface 81 of the lock protrusion 47. At this time, the lock insertion load is generated.FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector 11 in which the contact of the packing 33 is started.In a process of inserting the complementary hood 23 into the fitting space 55 of the hood 21, as shown in FIG. 8, the gasket 33 starts to enter the complementary hood 23. At this time, a seal insertion load is generated. The arm end part 79 passes over the arm push-up inclination surface 81.FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector 11 in which contact is started between the terminal 17 and the mating terminal 19.And, when the complementary hood 23 is inserted into the hood 21 as shown in FIG. 9, the terminal 17 and the complementary terminal 19 start contacting each other. At this time, the terminal insertion load is generated. At a later time, the connector insertion force becomes maximum.FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the highly vibration-resistant connector 11 in which contact between the mating hood 23 and the clearance regulating member 27 is started.Further, when the complementary hood 23 is inserted into the hood 21 as shown in FIG. 10, the complementary-raised-end inclination surface 29 of the complementary hood 23 abuts against the regulating-member inclination surface 71 of the clearance regulating projection 31, and the pushing of the plate spring member 25 is started.FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the high vibration resistant connector 11 in which fitting is completed, and FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 11.As shown in FIG. 11, when the complementary hood 23 is further inserted into the hood 21, the spring part 67 of the plate spring member 25 is pressed by the clearance regulating member 27 and elastically deformed, so that an elastic repulsive force is generated in the spring part 67. In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, an arm-side locking surface 83 of the locking arm 43 and a complementary locking surface 85 of the locking protrusion 47 are locked to complete the fitting.As described above, in the connector structure according to the first embodiment, a abutting start position between the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 (see FIG. 6 ) and the regulating member inclination surface 71 is set to a predetermined stroke position after a fitting force between the housing 39 and the complementary housing 41 reaches the maximum. Thus, the connector structure according to the first embodiment is configured such that generation of the spring load does not increase the connector insertion force.In the connector structure of the first embodiment, in a fitted state of the high vibration resistant connector 11, the locking protrusion 47 and the locking arm 43 engage with each other, and an abutting state is maintained between the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 and the regulating member inclination surface 71 of the backlash regulating protrusion 31.Next, an action of the connector assembly according to the first embodiment will be described.In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the connector 13 and the complementary connector 15 are fitted and locked by the locking mechanism configured by the locking arm 43 and the locking protrusion 47, so that the interference therebetween is prevented from being released. The connector structure according to the first embodiment is in a locked state in which the detachment of the fitting during use is prevented. For example, the lock arm 43 is provided on the connector 13, and the lock protrusion 47 is provided on the complementary connector 15. The lock arm 43 or the lock protrusion 47 configuring the lock mechanism may be provided on the connector 13 or the complementary connector 15, respectively, as long as the lock arm 43 and the lock protrusion 47 can relatively approach each other during fitting.The lock arm 43 provided on the connector 13 has the arm-side lock surface 83 perpendicular to the fitting direction in a direction opposite to the fitting direction of the mating connector 15. Because the arm-side locking surface 83 is disposed on the free end side of the locking arm 43, the arm-side locking surface 83 can be slid in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction of the mating connector 15. On the other hand, the locking protrusion 47 of the mating connector 15 is provided with the arm push-up inclination surface 81 having a downward inclination gradually decreasing in the fitting direction (Z direction). That is, the arm push-up inclined surface 81 is an inclined surface that gradually increases in the direction opposite to the fitting direction (Z direction). The arm push-up inclination surface 81 is provided with the complementary locking surface 85 hanging substantially vertically at an upper and gradually increasing part of a terminal end.When the connector 13 and the mating connector 15 are fitted, the lock arm 43 and the lock protrusion 47 approach each other. When the fitting is started, the arm push-up inclination surface 81 formed on the locking protrusion 47 abuts against the arm end part 79 on which the arm side locking surface 83 is formed. As the fitting further proceeds, the arm end part 79 is pushed up by the arm push-up inclination surface 81. That is, the arm end part 79 goes up over the arm push-up inclination surface 81. Immediately before completion of the fitting, the arm end part 79 reaches the upper part of the arm push-up inclination surface 81, in which state the lock arm 43 is elastically deformed to the highest position.At this time, the arm end part 79 needs to pass through the upper part of the arm push-up inclination surface 81. When the arm end part 79 passes through the upper part of the arm push-up inclined surface 81, the lock arm 43 stops riding on the arm push-up inclined surface 81, When the arm end part 79 passes through the upper part, the lock arm 43 falls along the complementary lock surface 85 due to an elastic restoring force. Accordingly, the complementary locking surface 85 and the arm-side locking surface 83 face each other, and separation of the connector 13 and the complementary connector 15 is prevented. That is, the connector 13 and the mating connector 15 are locked by the locking mechanism in the fitted state.In this case, the arm end part 79 must pass somewhat through the upper part, so that it falls along the complementary blocking surface 85. A slight travel distance provides an important clearance for completing the locking of the locking mechanism.The clearance in the lock mechanism is maintained even when the connector 13 and the complementary connector 15 are in the locked state. That is, even in the locked state of the connector, the lock arm 43 and the lock protrusion 47 can move slightly relative to each other due to the clearance.Therefore, the terminal 17 accommodated in the housing 39 and the complementary terminal 19 accommodated in the complementary housing 41 can slide finely due to the clearance when vibrations are given during running of a vehicle or in similar situations. When the fine sliding occurs between the terminal 17 and the mating terminal 19 over a long period of time, wear (i.e., fine sliding wear) exceeds an allowable amount and the reliability of the electrical connection can be reduced.Therefore, in the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the plate spring member 25 made of metal is provided on the bottom 49 of the hood 21. The play regulating member 27 is disposed facing the bottom 49 with the plate spring member 25 interposed therebetween. The clearance regulating member 27 is urged by the plate spring member 25 in the direction opposite to the fitting direction of the complementary hood 23. The clearance regulating member 27 is provided with the regulating member inclination surface 71. Immediately before completion of fitting, the regulating member inclination surface 71 is pressed against the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 formed at the end in the fitting direction of the complementary hood 23. The clearance regulating member 27 with the regulating member inclination surface 71 pressed against the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 compresses and deforms the spring part 67 of the plate spring member 25 against a spring force (elastic restoring force).As described above, the end part 79 that has reached the upper part of the arm push-up inclined surface 81 passes through the upper part of the clearance and locks the arm-side locking surface 83 to the complementary locking surface 85, and also when moving in the clearance, the plate spring member 25 is compressed to accumulate the elastic restoring force. Thus, when a fitting insertion force is no longer applied, the complementary housing 41 of the complementary connector 15 is pressed by the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member 25 and is pushed back in the direction opposite to the fitting direction.Thus, in the complementary housing 41 of the complementary connector 15 pushed back by the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member 25, the complementary locking surface 85 of the locking protrusion 47 provided on the complementary housing 41 is brought into close contact with the arm-side locking surface 83 of the locking arm 43 provided on the housing 39, and the clearance in the locking mechanism can be eliminated. Thus, rattle due to the clearance in the lock mechanism that fits and locks the housing 39 and the complementary housing 41 can be reduced. Accordingly, in the connector structure according to the first embodiment, in the fitted and locked state of the housing 39 and the complementary housing 41, movement between the complementary locking surface 85 of the locking protrusion 47 and the arm-side locking surface 83 of the locking arm 43 in the approach and separation directions is impossible due to the clearance in the locking mechanism. In this way, in the connector structure according to the first embodiment, even when vibration occurs during running of the vehicle or in similar situations, fine sliding between the terminal 17 accommodated in the housing 39 and the complementary terminal 19 accommodated in the complementary housing 41 can be prevented.In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the plate spring member 25 which pushes back the complementary housing 41 to eliminate the clearance in the lock mechanism is an elastic metal member. Therefore, unlike an elastic member made of rubber or synthetic resin, the spring member 25 is less likely to migrate due to aging. Thus, the pushing-back force acting on the complementary housing 41 can be maintained for a long period of time. Therefore, the plate spring member 25 can maintain the elastic repulsive force of the spring part 67 even over a long period of use, and can prevent rattle in the fitting direction between the housing 39 and the complementary housing 41.In addition, the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 of the complementary hood 23 and the regulating member inclination surface 71 of the clearance regulating protrusion 31 that are in the abutting state can displace in inward and outward directions with respect to the pipe (X direction and Y direction) when receiving the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member 25.In the first embodiment, the pipe-inside-facing complementary hood-end inclination surface 29 is formed at the end of the complementary hood 23, and the pipe-outside-facing regulating member inclination surface 71 is provided on the clearance regulating protrusion 31. In this case, due to the received elastic restoring force of the plate spring member 25, the end of the complementary hood 23 shifts to the pipe outer side and the clearance regulating protrusion 31 shifts to the pipe inner side.The displacement prevents rattle in the up-down direction (Y direction) and the left-right direction (X direction) orthogonal to the pipe central axis L due to the clearance Cy between the housing 39 and the complementary housing 41.Therefore, in the connector structure of the first embodiment, abrasion powder generated by the fine sliding wear between the terminal 17 and the mating terminal 19 can be prevented from acting as an oxide insulator, and thus reduction in contact reliability between the terminal 17 and the mating terminal 19 can be prevented. Thereby, good contact reliability can be maintained over a long period of time.In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the fitting space 55 is effectively utilized because the plate spring member 25 and the clearance regulating member 2 are accommodated in the fitting space 55 of the hood 21 into which the complementary hood 23 is inserted. Thus, a dedicated rattle suppression space need not be provided in other parts.In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, at least four clearance regulating protrusions 31 are separately provided on the clearance regulating member 27 on four sides including upper and lower sides of the clearance regulating member 27 vertically enclosing the pipe central axis L of the hood 21 and left and right sides of the clearance regulating member 27 enclosing the pipe central axis L of the hood left and right. As described above, in the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the four clearance regulating protrusions 31 provided on the clearance regulating member 27 are radially arranged in four directions including the pipe central axis L in the up-down and left-right directions (Y, X directions).The complementary hood end inclination surface 29 of the complementary connector 15 abuts against the clearance regulating member 27 substantially uniformly in a radial direction (up-down direction and left-right direction) around the pipe central axis L. Accordingly, a pressing force of the plate spring member 25 acting on the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 via the clearance regulating member 27 is substantially uniform in the radial direction around the pipe central axis L. Therefore, the clearance regulating member 27 can maintain a high degree of parallelism with the bottom 49 of the connector 13 even when the plate spring member 25 is pushed or moved or when the complementary hood 23 of the complementary connector 15 is pushed back. In this way, in the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the clearance regulating member 27 can be prevented from being inclined with respect to the bottom 49 and the rattle suppressing action is non-uniform in the radial direction.In the connector structure according to the first embodiment, the clearance regulating member 27 includes the excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion 73 protruding toward the bottom 49. When the connector 13 and the complementary connector 15 are fitted, the regulating member inclination surface 71 is pressed against the complementary hood end inclination surface 29 and the clearance regulating member 27 presses the plate spring member 25 toward the bottom 49. In a process of compressing and deforming the spring part 67 of the plate spring member 25, the excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion 73 abuts against the bottom 49 before an displacement exceeding the elastic limit is applied.Accordingly, further displacement of the spring part 67 of the plate spring member 25 is prevented. Therefore, in the connector structure of the first embodiment, the spring part 67 of the plate spring member 25 can be prevented from being excessively deformed beyond the elastic limit and plastically deformed, so that a stable rattle suppression action can be maintained.Next, a connector structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a complementary connector 87 in a highly vibration resistant connector having a connector structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.In the connector structure according to the second embodiment, a mating hood end inclination surface 91 of a mating hood 89 in a mating housing 41 of a mating connector 87 is inclined to the pipe outer side. That is, the complementary hood end inclination surface 91 is formed as an inclined surface facing the pipe outer side.At least four complementary hood end inclination surfaces 91 are separately provided on four sides including upper and lower sides of the complementary hood 89 vertically enclosing the pipe central axis L of the hood 21 and left and right sides of the complementary hood 89 enclosing the pipe central axis L of the hood 21 left and right in the housing 39. In the second embodiment, a pair of complementary hood end inclination surfaces 91 are provided on one of the four sides (the upper side of the complementary hood 89) with the pipe central axis L therebetween. Thus, a total of five complementary hood end inclination surfaces 91 of the second embodiments are radially arranged.FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a clearance regulating member 93 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.In the connector structure according to the second embodiment, a regulating member inclination surface 97 of a clearance regulating protrusion 95 in the clearance regulating member 93 is inclined toward the pipe inner side. That is, the regulating member inclination surface 97 is formed as an inclined surface facing the pipe inner side.At least four clearance regulating protrusions 95 are provided with the regulating member inclination surface 97 separately on four sides including upper and lower sides of the clearance regulating protrusion member 93 vertically enclosing the pipe central axis L of the hood 21 and left and right sides of the clearance regulating protrusion member 93 enclosing the pipe central axis L of the hood 21 left and right in the housing 39. In the second embodiment, a pair of clearance regulating protrusions 95 of the clearance regulating member 93 is provided on one of the four sides (the upper side of the clearance regulating member 93) with the pipe central axis L therebetween. Thus, a total of five clearance regulating protrusions 95 of the second embodiment are radially arranged.Accordingly, the regulating member inclination surface 97 of the clearance regulating protrusion 95 and the complementary hood end inclination surface 91 of the complementary hood 89 are configured to face each other. The complementary hood end inclination surface 91 abuts against the regulating member inclination surface 97 in parallel, respectively. Otherwise, the configuration is the same as that of the connector structure according to the first embodiment.FIG. 15 is an explanatory operational view showing a rattle suppression action performed by the complementary hood end inclination surface 91 and the regulating member inclination surface 97.In the connector structure according to the second embodiment, the pipe outside facing complementary hood end inclination surface 91 is formed at one end of the complementary hood 89 in the complementary housing 41, and the pipe inside facing regulating member inclination surface 97 is provided on the clearance regulating protrusion 95 of the clearance regulating member 93. In this case, upon receiving the elastic restoring force of the plate spring member 25, the end of the complementary hood 89 shifts to the pipe inner side and the clearance regulating protrusion 95 shifts to the pipe outer side.The displacement prevents rattle in the up-down direction and the left-right direction (X direction and Y direction) orthogonal to the pipe central axis L due to the clearance Cy between the hood 21 of the housing 39 and the complementary hood 89 of the complementary housing 41.Therefore, in the connector structure of the second embodiment, abrasion powder generated by fine sliding wear between the terminal 17 and the mating terminal 19 can be prevented from acting as an oxide insulator, so that reduction in contact reliability between the terminal 17 and the mating terminal 19 can be prevented. Thus, good contact reliability can be maintained over a long period of time.Moreover, in the connector structure according to the second embodiment, the end of the complementary hood 89 is slid to the pipe inner side. The complementary hood 89 displaced toward the inside of the pipe displaces in a direction approaching the seal 33. Therefore, in the connector structure of the second embodiment, the complementary hood 89 is in closer contact with the gasket 33, whereby the waterproofing performance can be improved.Thus, in the connector structure according to the above-described embodiments, the effect of stable vibration resistance can be obtained even after aging.The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, and so on. In addition, the materials, sizes, numbers, arrangement positions, etc. of the components in the above-described embodiments are to be understood as exemplary and may be arbitrarily selected as long as the present invention can be realized.Hereinafter, characteristics of the embodiments of the connector structure according to the present invention will be summarized briefly in items [1] to [3].[1] A connector assembly comprising:a hood (21) formed in a housing (39) and having a tubular shape with a bottom,a complementary hood (23, 89) formed in a complementary housing (41) and fitted into the hood,a plate spring member (25) formed of metal and received in the bottom (49) of the hood,a play regulating member (27, 93),a complementary hood end inclination surface (29, 91) formed at an end of the complementary hood in a fitting direction and inclined to a pipe inner side or a pipe outer side; anda clearance regulating projection (31, 95),wherein the clearance regulating member (27, 93) is provided on an opposite side against the floor with the plate spring member interposed therebetween, and is pressed against the complementary hood in a direction opposite to the fitting direction (Z direction) by the plate spring member, andwherein the clearance regulating protrusion (31, 95) is provided on the clearance regulating member and has a regulating member inclination surface (71, 97) configured to abut against the complementary hood end inclination surface in a state where the housing and the complementary housing are fitted together.[2] The connector structure according to [1],wherein at least one clearance regulating protrusion (31, 95) is provided on each clearance regulating member (27, 93) in an up-down direction (Y direction) and a left-right direction (X direction) orthogonal thereto, and is oriented orthogonally to a pipe central axis (L) of the hood (21).[3] A connector structure according to [1] or [2],wherein an excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion (73) abutting against the ground is formed on the clearance regulating member.[List of Reference Numerals]11 Highly vibration resistant connector 21 Hood 23 Complementary hood 25 Plate spring member 27 Clearance regulating member 29 Complementary hood end inclination surface 31 Clearance regulating protrusion 39 Housing 41 Complementary housing 49 Bottom 71 Regulating member inclination surface 73 Excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion 89 Complementary hood 91 Complementary hood end inclination surface 93 Clearance regulating member 95 Clearance regulating protrusion 97 Regulating member inclination surface

Claims

A connector assembly comprising: a hood (21) integrally formed with a housing (39) and having a tubular shape with a bottom (49); a complementary hood (23, 89) integrally formed with a complementary housing (41) and fitted into the hood (21), the complementary hood (23, 89) being fittable into the hood (21) in a fitting direction (Z); a plate spring member (25) formed of metal, accommodated in the hood (21) and disposed on the bottom (49); a clearance regulating member (27, 93); a complementary hood end inclination surface (29, 91) of the complementary hood (23, 89), the complementary hood end inclination surface (29, 91) being provided at an end of the complementary hood (23, 23 facing the fitting direction (Z), 89) and inclined to a pipe inner side of the pipe shape or a pipe outer side of the pipe shape, and a clearance regulating protrusion (31, 95), wherein the clearance regulating member (27, 93) is provided facing the bottom (49) in the fitting direction (Z), wherein the plate spring member (25) is disposed between the clearance regulating member (27, 93) and the bottom (49), and the clearance regulating member (27, 93) is pressed against the complementary hood (23, 89) by the plate spring member (25) in a direction (-Z) opposite to the fitting direction (Z), and wherein the clearance regulating protrusion (31, 95) is provided on the clearance regulating member (27, 93) and has a regulating member inclination surface (71, 97) that is pressed against the complementary hood end inclination surface (29, 89), 91), wherein the clearance regulating member (27, 93) includes an excessive spring displacement preventing protrusion (73) configured to abut against the bottom (49) when a spring part (67) of the plate spring member (25) is displaced by a certain amount.The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein a pipe central axis (L) of the hood (21) extends along the fitting direction (Z), an up-down direction (Y) and a left-right direction (X) are respectively perpendicular to the pipe central axis (L) of the hood (21), and are perpendicular to each other, the clearance regulating member (27, 93) has at least four clearance regulating protrusions (31, 95), at least one clearance regulating protrusion (31, 95) of the at least four clearance regulating protrusions (31, 95) being provided on each of four sides of the clearance regulating member (27, 93) including upper and lower sides of the clearance regulating member (27, 93) which are opposed to each other in the up-down direction (Y) and between which the pipe central axis (L) of the hood (21) extends, and including left and right sides of the clearance regulating member (27, 93) which are opposed to each other in the left-right direction (X) and between which the pipe central axis (L) of the hood (21) extends.

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