Male connector and connector assembly

Abstract

The invention provides a male connector capable of easily engaging with a female connector. A male connector 10 comprises a cylindrical hood portion 13 which is fitted, from a protruding end side 13A, into a cylindrical engagement portion 23 formed as an opening in a female connector 20, wherein the hood portion 13 is provided with at least one guiding projection portion 31 projecting forward beyond the annular protruding end 13A. (See Figure 3 for abbreviations.)

Description

Title of the invention: Male connector and connector assembly technical field

[0001] The technology of this memorandum relates to a male connector and a set of connectors. PREVIOUS ART

[0002] A known electrical connector is described in document JP 2011-198593A. The electrical connector has a plug connector (male connector) having an engagement portion (cap portion) projecting on one side and a socket connector (female connector) formed with an engagement opening (cylindrical engagement portion) that receives and houses the engagement portion. The engagement portion of the plug connector is inserted into the engagement opening of the socket connector from the protruding end side and engaged with the engagement opening.

[0003] Document JP 2011-198593A is an example of related art. Summary of the invention

[0004] With electrical connectors such as those described in document JP 2011-198593A, the connector may be small and the working space may be insufficient, making the insertion of the engagement portion into the engagement opening very time-consuming. To avoid such a problem, for example, a conceivable configuration includes a connector assembly with a frame attached to a female connector in which a front wall with a tapered surface is disposed on the frame at the front of a cylindrical engagement portion of the female connector, where this front wall of the frame guides the hood portion of the male connector into the cylindrical engagement portion of the female connector.However, with such a configuration, in which the hood portion and the cylindrical engagement portion are formed with a shape that conforms to the external shape of the terminals housed inside, when terminals with different external shapes are used, the shape of the male and female connectors, as well as the shape of the frame containing the front wall, must be changed. Therefore, there is a need for a male connector capable of easily guiding a hood portion into a cylindrical engagement portion of the female connector without the use of any other component.

[0005] The technology disclosed in this memorandum was carried out in light of the circumstances described above and aims to provide a male connector that can easily engage with a female connector and a set of connectors provided therewith.

[0006] A male connector disclosed in this document comprises a cylindrical hood portion which is fitted, from a protruding end side, into a cylindrical engagement portion formed as an opening on a female connector, in which the hood portion is provided with at least one guiding protrusion portion projecting forward beyond the annular protruding end.

[0007] Also, a connector assembly disclosed in this document includes the male connector according to this disclosure; and a female connector having a cylindrical engagement portion of cylindrical shape into which the hood portion fits, in which an internal circumferential surface of the cylindrical engagement portion is provided with a recessed portion which receives and houses the guide protrusion portion of the male connector.

[0008] The present disclosure proposes a male connector that can easily engage with a female connector and a set of connectors provided therewith. Brief description of the drawings

[0009] The [Fig. 1] is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of a set of connectors (in an engaged state) according to one embodiment.

[0010] Fig. 2 is a side section view illustrating the interior of the connector assembly (in an engaged state).

[0011] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a male connector.

[0012] Fig. 4 is a side view of the male connector.

[0013] Figure 5 is a view of a front surface (engagement surface) of the connector male.

[0014] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a female connector.

[0015] Fig. 7 is a side section view of the female connector.

[0016] Figure 8 is a view of a front surface (engagement surface) of the connector female.

[0017] Fig. 9A is a side section view illustrating the male connector and the female connector when engaged.

[0018] Fig. 9B is a side sectional view illustrating the male connector and the female connector when engaged at a point after that shown in Fig. 9A.

[0019] Fig. 9C is a side section view illustrating the male and female connectors when engagement is complete. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Description of embodiments.

[0021] First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0022] (1) A male connector according to this disclosure comprises a hood portion cylindrical in shape which is fitted into, from a protruding end side, a cylindrical engagement portion formed as an opening on a female connector, in which the hood portion is provided with at least one guide protrusion portion projecting forward beyond the annular protruding end.

[0023] According to the configuration (1) described above, the hood portion is guided into the cylindrical engagement portion by the guide protrusion portion, allowing for easy engagement. Furthermore, by adjusting the protrusion length of the guide protrusion portion, the guide length can be set as desired. Since the guidance can be achieved without using any other component of the connector assembly, terminals of different shapes can be used with the provided connector assembly simply by changing the shape of the male and female connectors.

[0024] (2) In the male connector according to this disclosure, preferably a surface The outer circumferential portion of the hood is provided with a rib extending in a protrusion direction of the hood portion; and the guide protrusion portion is formed on a front end of the rib.

[0025] According to the configuration (2) described above, due to the rib, the strength of the hood portion is improved and the hood portion can be inserted easily and smoothly into the cylindrical engagement portion at the rear.

[0026] (3) In the male connector according to this disclosure, preferably the portion the hood comprises a portion of predetermined thickness formed with a predetermined wall thickness and a thin portion formed with a wall thickness less than that of the portion of predetermined thickness; and the rib is disposed in a position adjacent to the thin portion.

[0027] According to the configuration (3) described above, the rib reinforces the region near the thin portion, which is less resistant than the portion of predetermined thickness. Consequently, the male connector can be made compact, thus making the entire connector assembly compact.

[0028] (4) A connector assembly according to this disclosure includes the connector male according to this disclosure; and a female connector comprising a cylindrical engagement portion of cylindrical shape into which the hood portion fits, in which an internal circumferential surface of the cylindrical engagement portion is provided with a recessed portion which receives and houses the guide protrusion portion of the male connector.

[0029] According to the configuration (4) described above, by adjusting the depth of the recessed portion and the projection length of the guide projection portion, the dimensions of the connector assembly when engaged can be made as small as possible. Incorrect connection can also be prevented by appropriately designing various connectors in terms of the position, shape, and dimensions of the guide projection portion and the recessed portion.

[0030] (5) A set of connectors according to this disclosure includes the connector male according to this disclosure; and a female connector comprising a cylindrical engagement portion of cylindrical shape into which the hood portion fits, in which an internal circumferential surface of the cylindrical engagement portion is provided with a recess portion which receives and houses the guide protrusion portion of the male connector and a groove portion which receives and houses the rib.

[0031] According to the configuration (5) described above, the portion of the groove formed on the surface on the inner circumference side of the cylindrical engagement portion acts as a guide, allowing the portion of the hood provided with the rib to be guided smoothly towards the rear of the cylindrical engagement portion.

[0032] (6) In the set of connectors according to this disclosure, preferably a A tapered surface is formed on a distal end of the guide protrusion portion and an opening end of the cylindrical engagement portion.

[0033] According to the configuration (6) described above, due to the tapered surfaces, the guide protrusion portion can be smoothly guided into the cylindrical engagement portion. According to the configuration in which the groove portion is provided on the cylindrical engagement portion, due to the tapered surfaces, the guide protrusion portion can be guided into the groove portion.

[0034] (7) In the connector assembly according to this disclosure, preferably, the female connector includes a bendable and deformable lance that stops a terminal housed inside the cylindrical engagement portion; and the groove portion is disposed in a region close to the lance when viewed from the front.

[0035] According to the configuration (7) described above, since the groove portion is located at a portion of the female connector with a relatively high resistance, the effects of a decrease in resistance due to the groove portion are kept low.

[0036] Detailed description of embodiments.

[0037] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below. The present invention is not limited to these examples and is defined by the scope of the claims, and intended to include all modifications that are equivalent to the claims or within their scope.

[0038] Embodiments.

[0039] One embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9C. In this disclosure, the side where a male connector and a female connector face each other, i.e., the right side for the male connector in [Fig. 4] and the left side for the female connector in [Fig. 7], is defined as the front (and the opposite side as the rear). Also, the upper side in [Fig. 2] is defined as the top (and the opposite side as the bottom), but the connectors and the connector assembly can be used in any orientation. In one or more diagrams, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system are indicated, and the direction of these axial directions is constant from one diagram to another. The Z-axis direction represents the up-down direction, the Y-axis direction represents the front-back direction, and the X-axis direction represents the left-right direction.Note that for organs comprising a plurality of organs, a symbol or reference number may be given to only one or more of the organs in the plurality and not to the other organs.

[0040] Connector assembly.

[0041] As illustrated in [Fig. 1], a connector assembly 1 is provided with a male connector 10 and a female connector 20. As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the male connector 10 houses a first terminal T100 connected to a terminal of a cable C1, and the female connector 20 houses a second terminal T200 connected to a terminal of a cable C2. Although not shown, the connector assembly 1 further comprises a male frame that retains the male connector 10 and a female frame that retains the female connector 20. A locking structure provided on the male and female frames allows the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 to be kept in an engaged state.

[0042] Cable and terminal.

[0043] For example, a coaxial cable having an inner conductor, a dielectric arranged around the outer circumference of the inner conductor, an outer conductor having a braided wire or similar arranged around the outer circumference of the dielectric, and an insulator covering this outer circumference of the outer conductor can be used for cables Cl and C2. A coaxial terminal that connects to a terminal-treated coaxial cable is provided, for example, with a center contact that connects to the inner conductor, an insulator that retains the center contact, an outer contact that retains the insulator, and a metal sleeve that is compression-bonded to the outer conductor.

[0044] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], in the present embodiment, the first terminal T100 and the second terminal T200 are coaxial terminals, for example, each comprising a base end portion T10, T210 compression-connected to cable C1, C2 on the base end side, a cylindrical distal end portion T120, T220 that engages with the corresponding terminal on the distal end side, and a collar portion T130, T230 located between the base end portion T10, T210 and the distal end portion T120, T220 that protrudes in the outer circumferential direction. The distal end portion T220 of the second terminal T200 is formed so that it engages substantially tightly with the outer circumferential side of the distal end portion T120 of the first terminal T100.When the male connector 10, which houses the first terminal T100 in a normal position, and the female connector 20, which houses the second terminal T200 in a normal position, are engaged together, as illustrated in [Fig. 2], the distal end portion T120 of the first terminal T100 is fitted into the distal end portion T220 of the second terminal T200, the central contacts held inside the distal end portions T120 and T220 come into contact with each other, and the terminals T100 and T200 are electrically connected.

[0045] Male connector.

[0046] As illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, the male connector 10 has a shape comprising a male-side body portion 11 with an external shape that is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped and a hood portion 13 with an approximately cylindrical shape that projects forward from the front surface of the male-side body portion 11. As illustrated in [Fig. 5], the male-side body portion has a rectangular shape with its shorter sides aligned in the top-down direction when viewed from the front surface. The male connector 10 can be a molded element made entirely of synthetic resin having insulating properties, for example. As illustrated in [Fig.2], a portion of the male side terminal housing 15 with a circular cross-section is formed inside the male connector 10. The portion of the male side terminal housing 15 extends through the male side body portion 11 and the hood portion 13 in the front-to-back direction.The first T100 terminal connected to the cable terminal Cl is inserted into the male side 15 terminal housing portion from the rear side and housed inside.

[0047] As illustrated in [Fig. 3] and similar figures, a male-side spear 17 is formed on the upper face of the male-side body portion 11 in a cantilevered shape with its front end as the free end, and is capable of bending and deforming in the up-down direction. The male-side spear 17 is formed protruding inside the male-side terminal housing portion 15 in its natural state (see [Fig. 5]). As illustrated in [Fig. 2], when the first terminal T100 is inserted in the male side terminal housing portion 15 from the rear and pushed into the normal position, the front surface of the male side lance 17 capable of bending and deforming in the up-down direction comes into contact with the rear surface of the collar portion T130, thus limiting the rearward movement of the first terminal T100.

[0048] A mounting hole for a male-side retaining device 19 is formed on the lower surface of the male-side body portion 11 (see [Fig. 9A]). When the first terminal T100 is inserted into the male-side terminal housing portion 15 from the rear and a retaining device 50 is inserted and mounted in the mounting hole for the male-side retaining device 19, the first terminal T100 is pushed into its normal position and, as described above, stopped by a male-side spear 25 and held inside the male-side terminal housing portion 15.

[0049] Portion of hood.

[0050] As illustrated in [Fig. 3] and similar figures, the hood portion 13 has an approximately cylindrical shape and is formed projecting from the male-side body portion 11 with the front-to-back direction (projection direction of the hood portion 13) as its axis. The cavity inside, extending in the front-to-back direction, forms a portion of the male-side terminal housing portion 15, and a distal end portion of the first terminal T100 is housed inside the hood portion 13. The entire hood portion 13 is substantially formed with a predetermined wall thickness that meets a strength requirement. As illustrated in [Fig.3] and similar figures, a tapered protruding end surface 13T which slopes towards the inner circumferential side when extending forward is provided on the outer circumferential surface of a protruding end 13A which forms the annular shape of the forward-opening portion of the hood 13.

[0051] As illustrated in [Fig. 5] and similar figures, the circular hood portion 13, when viewed from the front surface, is formed so as to extend from the front surface of the male-side body portion 11, with its shorter sides aligned with the top-down direction. This is done so that the opening diameter increases as much as possible; that is, the dimension of the hood portion 13 in the top-down direction approaches the dimension of the male-side body portion 11 in the top-down direction. Thus, among the wall portions forming the hood portion 13, the portions located on the upper and lower portions correspond to thin portions 13C whose wall thickness is less than a predetermined-thickness portion 13B formed with a predetermined wall thickness.The thin portions 13C located at the upper and lower portions of the hood portion 13 extend in the front-to-back direction (projection direction of the hood portion 13).

[0052] Rib and guiding projection portion.

[0053] As illustrated in [Fig. 3] and similar figures, a projecting rib 30 is disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the hood portion 13. Two ribs 30 are formed on the hood portion 13 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in [Fig. 5] and similar figures, in the region near the thin portions 13C, in other words at the level of the outer circumferential surface of the hood portion 13, the rib 30 projects in the left-right direction (the direction of a line tangent to the center of the thin portions 13C when viewed from the front surface) from a position adjacent to the thin portions 13C and extends in the front-back direction (the projection direction of the hood portion 13).

[0054] As illustrated in [Fig.5], the two ribs 30 are provided in positions and with shapes which exhibit central symmetry with respect to the center of the hood portion 13, when viewed from the front.

[0055] As illustrated in [Fig. 4] and similar figures, the front end of the rib 30 projects forward beyond the hood portion 13 and forms a guide projection portion 31. The projection length of the guide projection portion 31 from the hood portion 13 can be adjusted arbitrarily according to the dimensions, shape, use, and similar aspects of the connector assembly. However, to allow smooth guidance of the hood portion 13 within a cylindrical engagement portion 23, the projection length is preferably 1 mm or more, for example. As illustrated in [Fig.4] and similar figures, the guide projection portion 31 is provided with a tapered distal end surface 31T on the external circumferential surface of the distal end, giving the guide projection portion 31 a tapered shape.The guide protrusion portion 31 is preferably able to be moved in the radial direction of the protruding end 13A.

[0056] Female connector.

[0057] As illustrated in Figures 6 to 8, the female connector 20 has a shape comprising a female-side body portion 21 with an approximately rectangular external shape, formed with a cylindrical projection portion at the rear and a cylindrical engagement portion 23 with an approximately rectangular external shape, which is slightly smaller overall than the female-side body portion 21 provided at the front of the female-side body portion 21. As illustrated in [Fig. 8], the female-side body portion 21 and a female-side terminal housing portion 25 have a rectangular shape with the shorter sides aligned with the top-down direction when viewed from the front surface. The female connector 20 can be a molded element made entirely of synthetic resin having insulating properties, for example. As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the female-side terminal housing portion 25 has a cross-section A circular shape is formed inside the female connector 20. The female-side terminal housing portion 25 extends through the female-side body portion 21 and the cylindrical engagement portion 23 in a front-to-back direction. The second terminal T200, connected to the cable terminal C2, is inserted into the female-side terminal housing portion 25 from the rear and seated therein.

[0058] As illustrated in [Fig. 7] and similar figures, the female-side spear 27 is formed on the upper surface of the female-side body portion 21 in a cantilevered shape, with its front end as the free end, and is capable of bending and deforming in the up-down direction. The female-side spear 27 is formed protruding inside the female-side terminal housing portion 25 in its natural state (see [Fig. 8]). As illustrated in [Fig. 2], when the second terminal T200 is inserted into the female-side terminal housing portion 25 from the rear and pushed into the normal position, the front surface of the female-side spear 27, which is capable of bending and deforming in the up-down direction, comes into contact with the rear surface of the collar portion T230, thus limiting the rearward movement of the second terminal T200.

[0059] As illustrated in [Fig.7], a mounting hole for the female-side retaining device 29 is formed on the lower surface of the female-side body portion 21. When the second terminal T200 is inserted into the female-side terminal housing portion 25 from the rear and the retaining device 50 is inserted and mounted in the mounting hole for the female-side retaining device 29, the second terminal T200 is pushed into the normal position and, as described above, stopped by the female-side lance 27 and held inside the female-side terminal housing portion 25.

[0060] Cylindrical engagement portion.

[0061] As illustrated in [Fig. 8] and similar figures, the cylindrical engagement portion 23 provided at the front of the female-side body portion 21 opens forward and has a rectangular shape with an external shape that is slightly smaller overall than the female-side body portion 21 when viewed from the front surface. A cavity of substantially circular cross-section extending in the front-to-back direction is provided inside the cylindrical engagement portion 23, the cavity forming a portion of the female-side terminal housing portion 25. The inner circumference of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 is shaped to engage substantially tightly with the outer circumference of the hood portion 13 of the male connector 10 described above.

[0062] Portion of groove and portion of recess.

[0063] As illustrated in [Fig. 6] and similar figures, a portion of a groove 40 is provided in the internal circumferential surface of the cylindrical engagement portion 23. The portion of the groove 40 extends in the front-to-back direction and receives and houses the guide projection portion 31 and the rib 30 of the male connector 10 described above. As illustrated in [Fig.8], the groove portion 40 is provided with the internal circumferential surface of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 recessed in the left-right direction (the direction parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 and the female-side body portion 21).

[0064] As illustrated in [Fig. 7], the groove portion 40 extends rearward beyond a portion of the inner circumference of the cylindrical engagement portion 23, which engages with the outer circumference of the hood portion 13, forming a recess portion 41. The extension length of the groove portion 40, in other words, the depth of the recess portion 41, is set to correspond to the projection length of the guide projection portion 31 or similar. However, the length is preferably sufficient to comfortably receive and accommodate the guide projection portion 31.

[0065] As illustrated in [Fig. 8] and similar figures, in the present embodiment, two groove portions 40 are provided, corresponding to the two ribs 30 of the male connector 10. The two groove portions 40 are provided in positions and with shapes that exhibit central symmetry with respect to the center of the opening of the cylindrical engagement portion 23, when viewed from the front. One of the two groove portions 40 (the groove portion 40 shown at the top right in [Fig. 8]) is provided in a position adjacent to the female-side spear 27 when viewed from the front, and the recess portion 41 formed on the rear end of the groove portion 40 is disposed in the region near the female-side spear 27, in other words, in a position close to the female-side spear 27.

[0066] As illustrated in [Fig.6] and similar figures, a tapered surface of cylindrical portion 23T which slopes towards the inner circumferential side when extending backwards is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the opening end of the front surface of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 comprising the groove portion 40. Hereafter, with regard to the tapered surface of cylindrical portion 23T, the tapered surface provided on the opening end of the groove portion 40 is referred to as the tapered surface of groove portion 40T.

[0067] Engagement of the male connector and the female connector.

[0068] Next, the operation of engaging the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 together will be described with reference to Figures 9A to 9C. Note that in Figures 9A to 9C, to simplify the diagrams, terminals T100 and T200 housed in the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are omitted from the diagrams. However, in reality, the engagement operation is performed with terminals T100 and T200 housed and held in normal position in male connector 10 and female connector 20.

[0069] As illustrated in [Fig.9A], the front side of the male connector 10, i.e. the protruding end 13A of the hood portion 13, is positioned opposite the front side of the female connector 20, i.e. the opening end of the cylindrical engagement portion 23, and the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are brought close together. First, the guide protrusion portion 31 is brought into contact with the opening end of the cylindrical engagement portion 23, the tapered distal end surface 31T of the distal end of the guide protrusion portion 31 is guided towards the tapered cylindrical portion surface 23T of the opening end of the cylindrical engagement portion 23, in particular the tapered groove portion surface 40T, and the male connector 10 is guided to a position opposite to the female connector 20.In this way, by first inserting the guide protrusion portion 31 into the groove portion 40, the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 can be positioned relative to each other and incorrect engagement of the connectors can also be avoided (prevention of incorrect engagement).

[0070] As illustrated in [Fig. 9B], starting from a state in which the guide protrusion portion 31 is inserted into the groove portion 40, the male connector 10 is then pushed towards the female connector 20, and the hood portion 13 enters, protruding end 13A first, into the cylindrical engagement portion 23. Here, thanks to the prior insertion of the guide protrusion portion 31 into the groove portion 40, the male connector 10 is positioned opposite the female connector 20, and the rib 30 extending in the front-to-back direction (insertion direction of the hood portion 13) adjacent to the guide protrusion portion 31 is guided along the groove portion 40. In this way, the hood portion 13 is smoothly inserted into the cylindrical engagement portion 23.Even in the case of slight misalignment or similar, since the tapered protruding end surface 13T of the hood portion 13 is guided by the tapered cylindrical portion surface 23T of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 (see [Fig.9A]), the hood portion 13 is guided in the cylindrical engagement portion 23.

[0071] As illustrated in [Fig. 9C], when the hood portion 13 is pushed rearward from the cylindrical engagement portion 23, the guide projection portion 31 is received by the recess portion 41, thus completing the engagement operation. Here, the rib 30 of the hood portion 13 extending in the front-to-back direction is guided along the groove portion 40, allowing the male connector 10 to be smoothly pushed rearward from the female connector 20 while preventing rotation of the male connector 10 and similarly.

[0072] As described above, when the hood portion 13 of the male connector 10 is fitted into the cylindrical engagement portion 23 of the female connector 20, as illustrated in [Fig. 2], the terminals T100 and T200 housed inside the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are electrically connected. As described above, in the connector assembly 1 according to this embodiment, the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are locked in an engaged state by a locking structure provided on the frame attached to each connector.

[0073] Effect of the present embodiment.

[0074] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. The male connector 10 of this embodiment is a male connector 10 having a cylindrical hood portion 13 which is fitted, from the protruding end side 13A, into the cylindrical engagement portion 23 formed as the opening of the female connector 20. The hood portion 13 is provided with at least one guide projection portion 31 projecting forward beyond the annular protruding end 13A.

[0075] According to the male connector 10 of this embodiment, the hood portion 13 is guided in the cylindrical engagement portion 23 by the guide protrusion portion 31, allowing for easy engagement. Furthermore, by adjusting the protrusion length of the guide protrusion portion 31, the guide length can be set as desired. In this way, since the guidance can be achieved without using another component (for example, a female frame holding the female connector 20) of the connector assembly 1, terminals of different external shapes can be used in the connector assembly 1 simply by changing the shape of the male connector 10 and the female connector 20.

[0076] Note that the male connector 10 according to this disclosure preferably applies to a male connector that houses a coaxial terminal, for example. Coaxial terminals have various external shapes and can be used in this disclosure because such a change in shape can be easily accommodated.

[0077] Also, in the male connector 10 of the present embodiment, the external circumferential surface of the hood portion 13 is provided with the rib 30 extending in the projection direction (front-to-back direction) of the hood portion 13. The guiding projection portion 31 is disposed on the front end of the rib 30. According to the male connector 10 with such a configuration, due to the rib 30, the strength of the hood portion 13 is improved and the hood portion 13 can be inserted easily and smoothly into the cylindrical engagement portion 23 at the rear.

[0078] Note that in the male connector 10 of the present embodiment, the plurality of ribs 30 and the guide projection portions 31 are provided at positions which exhibit central symmetry with respect to the center of the hood portion 13 when viewed from the front. According to this configuration, by providing the plurality of guide protrusion portions 31 at positions spaced apart from each other, the hood portion 13 can be guided more reliably within the cylindrical engagement portion 23. Also, since the plurality of ribs 30 are provided at positions spaced apart from each other, a resistance-enhancing effect from the ribs 30 can be achieved over a wide area of ​​the hood portion 13.

[0079] Also, in the male connector 10 of this embodiment, the hood portion 13 comprises the predetermined thickness portion 13B formed with a predetermined wall thickness and the thin portion 13C formed with a wall thickness less than that of the predetermined thickness portion 13B. The rib 30 is disposed in a position adjacent to the thin portion 13C. According to the male connector 10 with such a configuration, in the hood portion, the rib 30 reinforces the region near the thin portion 13C, which is less resistant than the predetermined thickness portion 13B. Therefore, the male connector 10 can be made compact, which makes the entire connector assembly 1 compact.

[0080] It should be noted that in the male connector 10 according to the present embodiment, the rib 30 is formed projecting from a region close to the thin portion 13C in the direction of a line tangent to the center of the thin portion 13C when viewed from the front surface. According to this configuration, a particularly strong reinforcement effect can be obtained due to the rib 30.

[0081] Also, the connector assembly 1 according to this embodiment is a connector assembly 1 provided with the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 having the cylindrical engagement portion 23, cylindrical in shape, into which the cover portion 13 fits. The internal circumferential surface of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 is provided with a recessed portion 41 which receives and houses the guide projection portion 31 of the male connector 10.

[0082] According to the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, by adjusting the depth of the recess portion 41 and the projection length of the guide projection portion 31, the dimensions of the connector assembly 1 when engaged can be made as small as possible. Incorrect connection can also be prevented by appropriately designing various connectors in terms of the position, shape, and dimensions of the guide projection portion 31 and the recess portion 4L.

[0083] Also, the connector assembly 1 according to this embodiment is a connector assembly 1 provided with the male connector 10 according to this disclosure and the female connector 20 having the cylindrical engagement portion 23 of cylindrical shape into which the hood portion 13 fits. The surface The internal circumferential portion of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 is provided with the recessed portion 41 which receives and houses the guide projection portion 31 of the male connector 10 and the groove portion 40 which receives and houses the rib 30.

[0084] According to the connector assembly 1 of the present embodiment, the groove portion 40 formed on the surface on the internal circumferential side of the cylindrical engagement portion 23 functions as a guide, allowing the hood portion 13 to be smoothly guided towards the rear of the cylindrical engagement portion 23.

[0085] Also, in the connector assembly 1 of the present embodiment, the distal end tapered surface 31T (tapered surface) is formed on the distal end of the guide protrusion portion 31 and the cylindrical portion tapered surface 23T (tapered surface) is formed on the opening end of the cylindrical engagement portion 23. According to the connector assembly 1 with such a configuration, due to the distal end tapered surface 31T and the cylindrical portion tapered surface 23T, the guide protrusion portion 31 can be smoothly guided into the cylindrical engagement portion 23. Also, due to the tapered surfaces, the rib 30 adjacent to the guide protrusion portion 31 can be guided into the groove portion 40 of the cylindrical engagement portion 23.Note that in this embodiment, the protruding end 13A of the hood portion 13 is also provided with the tapered protruding end surface 13T. This makes it easier to insert the hood portion 13 into the cylindrical engagement portion 23.

[0086] Also, in the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, the female connector 20 includes the female-side lance 27 (lance) capable of bending and deforming, which stops the second terminal T200 (terminal) housed inside the cylindrical engagement portion 23, and the recessed portion 41 is disposed in the region near the female-side lance 27. In the connector, since the region near the lance allows bending and deformation, this region is designed to have higher resistance than other regions. According to the connector assembly 1 of this embodiment, since the recessed portion 41 is disposed at a portion of the female connector 20 with relatively high resistance, the effects of a decrease in resistance due to the recessed portion 41 are kept low.

[0087] Other embodiments.

[0088] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above with reference to the drawings, and, for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the technology disclosed in this memorandum.

[0089] (1) In the embodiment described above, two ribs of the projecting portion Guide protrusions are formed on the hood portion, and two groove portions contiguous to the recess portions are formed on the cylindrical engagement portion. However, the number of guide protrusion and rib portions, and the number of recess and groove portions, are discretionary. A single portion may be used, or three or more may be used. If a plurality is used, they are preferably located in positions that exhibit central symmetry about the center when viewed from the front. Also, if a plurality of ribs and groove portions are used, the guide protrusion portion need not be formed on the distal end of all ribs, and the recess portion need not be formed on the rear end of all groove portions.

[0090] (2) In the embodiment described above, the male connector and the connector Each female connector houses one terminal. However, such a limitation is not foreseen. The male and female connectors can each house a plurality of terminals. The terminals housed in the male and female connectors are not limited to the coaxial terminals described in the embodiment, and terminals of various shapes may be used.

[0091] (3) In the embodiment described above, the hood portion of the connector The male connector has an approximately cylindrical shape, with an internal cylindrical shape and a cylindrical cavity. The female connector's cylindrical engagement portion has an external shape that is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped, and an internal polygonal prism shape with a cylindrical cavity. However, these are only examples, and the hood and the cylindrical engagement portion may have a different tube-like shape than described above. For example, the cylindrical engagement portion may also have an approximately cylindrical external shape, with the internal cylindrical shape and a cylindrical cavity.

[0092] (4) The male-side body portion and the female-side body portion may have different forms than those described in the embodiment described above. Also, in the embodiment described above, the retaining device is mounted in the male and female body portions, but the configuration is not limited to this. The male and female connectors according to the embodiment described above do not have a locking structure, as it is assumed that the frames holding the two connectors have a locking structure. However, such a limitation is not foreseen, and a locking structure to lock the male connector together is provided. and the female connector in an engaged state can be formed on the male connector and the female connector.

[0093] LIST OF NUMERICAL REFERENCES

[0094] 1: Connector assembly

[0095] 10: Male connector

[0096] 11: Portion of body male side

[0097] 13: Portion of hood

[0098] 13A: Projecting end

[0099] 13B: Portion of predetermined thickness

[0100] 13C: Thin portion

[0101] 13T: Tapered surface with protruding end

[0102] 15: Portion of terminal housing on the male side

[0103] 17: Male side spear

[0104] 19: Male side retaining device mounting hole

[0105] 20: Female connector

[0106] 21: Portion of body, female side

[0107] 23: Cylindrical engagement portion

[0108] 23T: Tapered surface with a cylindrical portion

[0109] 25: Portion of terminal housing on the female side

[0110] 27: Female side lance

[0111] 29: Female side retaining device mounting hole

[0112] 30: Rib

[0113] 31: Portion of guide projection

[0114] 31T: Tapered distal end surface

[0115] 40: Portion of groove

[0116] 40T: Tapered surface of groove portion

[0117] 41: Portion of hollowing

[0118] 50: Restraint device

[0119] Cl, C2: Cable

[0120] T100: First marker

[0121] T200: Second terminal

[0122] Tl 10, T210: Base end portion

[0123] T120, T220: Distal end portion

[0124] T130, T230: Portion of collar

Claims

Demands

1. Connector assembly comprising: a male connector comprising: a cylindrical hood portion which is fitted, from a protruding end side, into a cylindrical engagement portion formed as an opening on a female connector, in which the hood portion is provided with at least one guide protrusion portion projecting forward beyond the annular protruding end, an external circumferential surface of the hood portion is provided with a rib extending in a protrusion direction of the hood portion; and the guide protrusion portion is formed on a front end of the rib;and a female connector comprising a cylindrical engagement portion into which the hood portion fits, an internal circumferential surface of the cylindrical engagement portion is provided with a recessed portion which receives and houses the guide protrusion portion of the male connector and a grooved portion which receives and houses the rib in which the female connector has a bendable and deformable lance which stops a terminal housed inside the cylindrical engagement portion; and the recessed portion is disposed in a region close to the lance.

2. Assembly of connectors according to claim 1, wherein a tapered surface is formed on a distal end of the guide protrusion portion and an opening end of the cylindrical engagement portion.

3. A connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the hood portion of the male connector comprises a portion of predetermined thickness formed with a predetermined wall thickness and a thin portion formed with a wall thickness less than that of the portion of predetermined thickness; and the rib is disposed in a position adjacent to the thin portion

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