Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of making a position of a locator visible to improve connection reliability and securing a required strength.SOLUTION: A locator 60 of a connector 20 is mounted in a shell 50 so as to be movable from a first position to a second position. The shell 50 is metallic, and a first hole 541 and a second hole 543 are provided on each sidewall 531. A protrusion 641 is provided in the locator 60. When the locator 60 is at the first position, the protrusion 641 is positioned in the first hole 541. When the locator 60 is at the second position, the protrusion 641 is positioned in the second hole 543. The shell 50 is metallic, thereby having a predetermined strength even if the first hole 541 and the second hole 543 are provided. The first hole 541 and the second hole 543 penetrate the sidewall 531 in a width direction, such that the protrusion 641 of the locator 60 is visible. Thus, the position of the locator 60 can be grasped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector having a structure for connecting electric wires and terminals by movement of a locator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector for insulation displacement connection.

[0003] 20, the connector 90 of Patent Document 1 includes a wire holding block (locator) 92 and a contact block (housing) 94. The contact block 94 holds insulation displacement terminals (not shown) that protrude into a receiving portion (not shown) that receives the wire holding block 92. The wire holding block 92 is formed with holding holes (not shown) that hold the respective wires 96, and receiving grooves (not shown) that receive the insulation displacement terminals.

[0004] 20 , the electric wire holding block 92 is provided with a temporary fixing protrusion 921 and a projection 923. The electric wire holding block 92 can be held in a temporary fixing position of the contact block 94 by using the temporary fixing protrusion 921. Also, the electric wire holding block 92 can be held in a pressed-in position of the contact block 94 by using the projection 923.

[0005] 20, with the wire holding block 92 held in the temporary fixing position of the contact block 94, the ends of the wires 96 can be inserted into the holding holes (not shown) of the wire holding block 92. When the wire holding block 92 is pushed into the receiving portion (not shown) of the contact block 94 in this state, the insulation displacement terminal (not shown) and the wire 96 are electrically connected. Then, the wire holding block 92 is held in the pushed-in position of the contact block 94 by the action of the protrusions 923. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-236855 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the connector 90 of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to confirm whether the electric wire holding block 92 is located at the pressed-in position of the contact block 94. Therefore, in the connector 90 of Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the electric wire 96 will come off the insulation displacement terminal during use.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can improve connection reliability by making the position of a locator visible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In the present invention, the protrusions on the locator are made visible through each of the first and second holes, thereby enabling the position of the locator to be grasped reliably, and strength is also ensured by providing the first and second holes in a metal shell.

[0010] In particular, the present invention provides a connector for attachment to an electric wire as a first connector, comprising: The connector is capable of mating with a mating connector having a mating terminal, The connector includes a housing, at least one terminal, a shell, and a locator; The terminal is held in the housing, the terminal has a contact portion that comes into contact with the mating terminal when mated with the mating connector, and a connection portion that is connected to the electric wire, The shell is made of metal and has two side walls spaced apart in a width direction. Each of the side walls is provided with a first hole and a second hole, the first hole and the second hole penetrate the side wall portion in the width direction and are spaced apart from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the width direction, the locator is attached to the shell so as to be movable in the first direction from a first position to a second position; The locator has a first end surface, a second end surface, a receiving hole, an allowance portion, and two protrusions, the first end surface and the second end surface are located at both ends of the locator in a second direction perpendicular to the width direction and intersecting with the first direction, the receiving hole penetrates from the second end surface to the first end surface and is capable of receiving a tip of the electric wire; the permitting portion communicates with the receiving hole and permits movement of the connecting portion when the locator moves; The protrusions correspond to the side wall portions, Each of the protrusions protrudes outward in the width direction, When the locator is in the first position, each of the projections is located within the first hole of the corresponding side wall portion, When the locator is in the second position, each of the projections is positioned within the second hole of the corresponding side wall portion, and the connecting portion is positioned partially within the receiving hole. Provide a connector.

[0011] The present invention also provides a second connector, the first connector comprising: The connection portion is a bifurcated pressure-connecting piece extending in the first direction, The locator has a main portion and two support portions extending in the first direction from the main portion, The receiving hole is provided in the main portion, The support portions are elastically deformable and correspond to the protrusions, respectively. Each of the protrusions is supported by a corresponding one of the support portions and is movable at least in the width direction; When each of the protrusions is positioned within the second hole of the corresponding side wall portion, movement of the locator from the second position toward the first position is restricted. Provide a connector.

[0012] The present invention also provides a third connector, which is the first connector, the housing has a receiving surface that intersects with the second direction, the receiving surface of the housing and the side wall of the shell form a receiving portion that receives the locator, When the locator is in the second position, an area occupied by the receiving hole in the first direction overlaps an area occupied by the receiving surface, When the locator is in the first position, a portion of the area occupied by the receiving hole in the first direction overlaps with an area occupied by the receiving surface, while a remaining portion of the area occupied by the receiving hole is outside the area occupied by the receiving surface. Provide a connector.

[0013] The present invention also provides a fourth connector, which is the first connector, the housing has a receiving surface that intersects with the second direction, the receiving surface of the housing and the side wall of the shell form a receiving portion that receives the locator, In the second direction, a first end surface of the locator is closer to a receiving surface of the housing than the second end surface of the locator; When the locator is in the first position, the tip of the wire inserted into the receiving hole can abut against the receiving surface, In the second direction, there is a gap between the first end surface of the locator and the receiving surface of the housing. Provide a connector.

[0014] The present invention also provides a fifth connector, which is the first connector, a third hole and a fourth hole are provided in each of the side walls of the shell, the third hole and the fourth hole penetrate the side wall portion in the width direction and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, the first hole and the third hole are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, the second hole and the fourth hole are positioned apart from each other in the second direction, The locator is provided with two auxiliary protrusions, The auxiliary protrusions correspond to the side wall portions, Each of the auxiliary protrusions protrudes outward in the width direction, the auxiliary protrusion is located away from the protrusion in the second direction, When the locator is in the first position, each of the auxiliary protrusions is located in the third hole of the corresponding side wall portion, When the locator is in the second position, each of the auxiliary projections is positioned within the fourth hole of the corresponding side wall portion. Provide a connector.

[0015] The present invention also provides a sixth connector, which is the fifth connector, The third hole and the fourth hole are located at positions overlapping the connection portion of the terminal in the second direction. Provide a connector.

[0016] The present invention also provides a seventh connector, which is the first connector, The locator is provided with a guided portion extending in the first direction, The housing is provided with a guide portion that receives and guides the guided portion. Provide a connector.

[0017] The present invention also provides an eighth connector, which is a first connector, The shell is provided with a crimping portion for holding the electric wire. Provide a connector.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention provides, as a first connector-attached electric wire, an electric wire with a connector in which any one of the first to eighth connectors is attached to an electric wire. Effect of the Invention

[0019] In the connector of the present invention, the locator is attached to the shell so as to be movable from a first position to a second position. The shell is made of metal, and each of the side walls is provided with a first hole and a second hole penetrating in the width direction. The locator is provided with a protrusion that protrudes outward in the width direction. When the locator is in the first position, each of the protrusions is located in the first hole of the corresponding side wall. When the locator is in the second position, each of the protrusions is located in the second hole of the corresponding side wall. Since the shell is made of metal, it has a predetermined strength even if the first hole and the second hole are provided. Since the first hole and the second hole penetrate the side wall in the width direction, the protrusion of the locator can be seen. This makes it possible to grasp the position of the locator. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a connector-attached electric wire according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector included in the connector-equipped electric wire of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is another exploded perspective view showing the connector of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of a connector and an insulated wire included in the connector-attached electric wire of FIG. 1. In the main part of the connector, the locator is located in a first position. The main part of the connector and the insulated wire are separated from each other. [Diagram 5] 5 is a perspective view of the connector body and the insulated wire of FIG 4, with the locator in a first position on the connector body, and the insulated wire partially inserted into the receiving hole of the locator. [Figure 6] 6 is another perspective view showing the main part of the connector and the insulated wire of FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7]Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the main part and the insulated wire of the connector of Fig. 5. The locator and its surrounding area are shown in an enlarged manner. [Figure 8] 6 is yet another perspective view of the connector body and the insulated wire of FIG. 5, with the locator in the connector body in a second position. [Figure 9] 4 is a perspective view showing a locator included in the connector of FIG. 3. [Figure 10] 10 is another perspective view of the locator of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 5 is a side view showing a main portion of the connector of FIG. 4, with the locator in a first position. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the main part of the connector in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 5 is another side view showing the main portion of the connector of FIG. 4, with the locator in a second position. [Figure 14] 14 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the connector of FIG. 13 taken along line BB. [Figure 15] 9 is a perspective view showing a main part and an insulated wire of the connector of FIG. 8. The locator is not shown. [Figure 16] 9 is another perspective view showing the main part and the insulated wires of the connector of FIG. 8. The locator and the first shell are omitted from the illustration. In one of the insulated wires, the insulating coating is partially removed. [Figure 17] 2 is another perspective view showing the connector-attached electric wire of FIG 1. The hood is not shown. The second shell is not yet attached to the first shell. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the connector-attached electric wire of FIG. 17. The second shell is attached to the first shell. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is yet another perspective view showing the connectorized wire of FIG. 1, with the hood not yet attached to the shell. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a pressure-displacement connector disclosed in Patent Document 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] 1, a connector-attached electric wire 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a connector 20 and a cable 80. In this embodiment, the cable 80 includes two insulated electric wires 82 (electric wires, see FIG. 4), and the connector 20 is attached to one end of the insulated electric wires 82. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The connector 20 may be connected to at least one electric wire.

[0022] The connector 20 shown in FIG. 1 can be mated with and separated from a mating connector (not shown) having a mating terminal (not shown) in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front-rear direction is the Y direction. The -Y direction is the front, and the +Y direction is the rear. In this embodiment, the connector 20 is a plug connector for single pair Ethernet. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to connectors other than those for single pair Ethernet. The present invention can also be applied to connectors other than plug connectors, for example, relay connectors.

[0023] 2 and 3, the connector 20 includes a housing 30, at least one terminal 40, a shell 50, a locator 60, and a hood 70. In this embodiment, the housing 30 includes a first housing 32 and a second housing 38. In this embodiment, the number of the at least one terminal 40 is two. In this embodiment, the shell 50 includes a first shell 52 and a second shell 58. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The housing 30 may be formed of a single member. In addition, the number of the at least one terminal 40 may be one or three or more. In addition, the shell 50 may be formed of a single member. Furthermore, the hood 70 is not essential.

[0024] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the terminals 40 are arranged in a width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the width direction is the X direction. Each of the terminals 40 is made of a single metal plate and has a held portion 401, a support portion 403, a contact portion 405, and a connection portion 407. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the terminals 40 have the contact portion 405 that contacts a mating terminal (not shown) when the connector 20 is mated with a mating connector (not shown), and the connection portion 407 that is connected to the insulated electric wire 82, the shape of each of the terminals 40 is not particularly limited. For example, the terminals 40 may be compression type terminals.

[0025] 2 and 3, the held portion 401 of the terminal 40 is at least partially held by the housing 30. In the present embodiment, the held portion 401 is partially held by the first housing 32.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the support portion 403 of the terminal 40 extends forward in the front-rear direction from the held portion 401. The support portion 403 supports the contact portion 405. In this embodiment, the contact portion 405 is a part of the surface of the support portion 403. The support portion 403 is elastically deformable. The elastic deformation of the support portion 403 allows the contact portion 405 to move in the up-down direction perpendicular to at least both the front-rear direction and the width direction. In this embodiment, the up-down direction is the Z direction. The +Z direction is upward, and the -Z direction is downward.

[0027] As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the connection portion 407 of the terminal 40 extends from the held portion 401 in a first direction perpendicular to the width direction. Here, the first direction is the movement direction of the locator 60, as described below. In this embodiment, the first direction coincides with the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the locator 60, which will be described later, can move, the first direction may have an inclination with respect to the vertical direction.

[0028] 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the connection portion 407 of the terminal 40 is a bifurcated insulation displacement piece. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The connection portion 407 may be a piercing piece that is pierced into the insulated wire 82.

[0029] As can be seen from FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the first housing 32 has a front portion 321 and a rear portion 323. The rear portion 323 has a base portion 34 and a front wall 36. The front wall 36 extends upward from the front end portion of the base portion 34. The front portion 321 protrudes forward from the base portion 34. The support portion 403 of the terminal 40 extends forward from the front portion 321. The base portion 34 is provided with a guide portion 341 and two recesses 343. The guide portion 341 is a bottomed hole that opens upward. The guide portion 341 receives and guides a guided portion 66 of the locator 60, which will be described later. The recesses 343 are located outside the guide portion 341 in the width direction. Each of the recesses 343 opens upward and outward in the width direction. The recess 343 partially receives a support portion 64 of the locator 60, which will be described later, and allows elastic deformation thereof. In the front-rear direction, a connection portion 407 of the terminal 40 is located between the front wall 36 and the guide portion 341. In this embodiment, the first housing 32 is made of insulating resin and is integrally molded with the terminal 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The terminal 40 may be held in the first housing 32 by another method, such as press-fitting.

[0030] As can be seen from FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the second housing 38 is attached to the first housing 32 and constitutes the housing 30 together with the first housing 32. The second housing 38 is made of an insulating resin that is the same as or different from that of the first housing 32. When the second housing 38 is attached to the first housing 32, the front part 321 of the first housing 32 is accommodated therein. The second housing 38 has an accommodating groove 381 that at least partially accommodates the support part 403 of the terminal 40. When the second housing 38 is attached to the first housing 32, the contact part 405 of the terminal 40 is located outside the accommodating groove 381 of the second housing 38. In this embodiment, the contact part 405 of the terminal 40 is a part of the surface of the support part 403 and faces upward. As a result, when the connector 20 is mated with a mating connector (not shown), the contact part 405 of the terminal 40 can come into contact with a mating terminal (not shown) of the mating connector.

[0031] 2 and 3, the first shell 52 has a front portion 521 and a rear portion 523. The front portion 521 has a generally rectangular tubular shape having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. A lock arm 537 is provided on the upper surface side of the front portion 521.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rear part 523 of the first shell 52 is open upward. More specifically, the rear part 523 of the first shell 52 has two side walls 531 spaced apart in the width direction and a bottom part 533 connecting these. The bottom part 533 has an electric wire support part 535 extending rearward in the front-rear direction. The first shell 52 is made of metal. In this embodiment, the first shell 52 is formed using a single metal plate. By using a metal plate, necessary and sufficient strength can be ensured.

[0033] 2 and 3, a first hole 541, a second hole 543, a third hole 545, and a fourth hole 547 are provided in each of the side walls 531 of the first shell 52. However, the third hole 545 and the fourth hole 547 are not essential in the present invention. More specifically, when an auxiliary protrusion 629 described later does not exist, the third hole 545 and the fourth hole 547 are not essential.

[0034] 2 and 3, and also referring to FIGS. 11 and 13, the first hole 541, the second hole 543, the third hole 545, and the fourth hole 547 penetrate the side wall portion 531 in which they are formed in the width direction. The first hole 541 and the second hole 543 are spaced apart from each other in the first direction. In this embodiment, the first hole 541 and the second hole 543 are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction. Similarly, the third hole 545 and the fourth hole 547 are spaced apart from each other in the first direction.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 13, the first hole 541 and the third hole 545 are located apart from each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the width direction and intersects with the first direction. In this embodiment, the second direction is the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the first hole 541 and the third hole 545 are located apart from each other in the front-rear direction and also in the up-down direction. Similarly, the second hole 543 and the fourth hole 547 are located apart from each other in the second direction. In this embodiment, the second hole 543 and the fourth hole 547 are located apart from each other in the front-rear direction and also in the up-down direction. Note that, as shown in FIG. 11, the third hole 545 and the fourth hole 547 are located at positions that overlap the connection portion 407 of the terminal 40 in the second direction. This is to maximize the distance between the connection portion 407 and the side wall portion 531 as much as possible.

[0036] As can be seen from FIG. 4, the first shell 52 accommodates substantially the entire housing 30 therein. The side wall portion 531 of the first shell 52 extends to substantially the rear end of the first housing 32 in the front-rear direction. The side wall portion 531 of the first shell 52 also extends to substantially the upper end of the front wall 36 (see FIG. 6) of the first housing 32 in the up-down direction. As a result, a space sandwiched between the side wall portions 531 of the first shell 52 is formed behind the front wall 36 of the first housing 32. This space constitutes the accommodation portion 56 that accommodates the locator 60. For more details, referring to FIG. 15 in addition to FIG. 4, the front wall 36 of the first housing 32 has a receiving surface 361 that intersects with the second direction. The receiving surface 361 and the side wall portion 531 of the first shell 52 constitute the accommodation portion 56 that accommodates the locator 60.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the locator 60 has a main portion 62 having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, two support portions 64, and a guided portion 66. The locator 60 is formed using an insulating resin. The support portions 64 are located at both ends of the main portion 62 in the width direction and extend from the main portion 62 in a first direction. The guided portion 66 extends from the lower surface of the main portion 62 in the first direction. In this embodiment, both the support portion 64 and the guided portion 66 extend downward. The locator 60 is provided with a first end surface 621, a second end surface 623, two receiving holes 625, two allowable portions 627, two protrusions 641, and two auxiliary protrusions 629. The first end surface 621, the second end surface 623, the receiving holes 625, the allowable portions 627, and the auxiliary protrusions 629 are provided in the main portion 62 of the locator 60. The protrusions 641 are provided on the support portions 64 of the locator 60. In other words, the support portions 64 of the locator 60 correspond to the protrusions 641, respectively, and support the corresponding protrusions 641, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of the receiving holes 625 and the number of the allowing portions 627 each depend on the number of the terminals 40. Also, in the present invention, the auxiliary protrusions 629 are not essential.

[0038] 9 and 10, the first end surface 621 and the second end surface 623 of the locator 60 are located at both ends of the locator 60 in the second direction. In this embodiment, the first end surface 621 and the second end surface 623 are located at the front end and the rear end of the main portion 62 of the locator 60, respectively.

[0039] As can be seen from Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 14, the receiving hole 625 of the locator 60 penetrates the main portion 62 from the second end surface 623 to the first end surface 621. Also, as can be seen from Figs. 4 and 5, each of the receiving holes 625 has an inner diameter capable of receiving the tip of the insulated electric wire 82. In this embodiment, when viewed in the front-rear direction, each of the receiving holes 625 has a circular shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The shape of the receiving hole 625 may be a shape other than a circle, for example, an ellipse, a racetrack shape or a polygon. Also, the shape and size of the receiving hole 625 in the first end surface 621 may be different from the shape and size of the receiving hole 625 in the second end surface 623. For example, the size of the receiving hole 625 in the second end surface 623 may be larger than the size of the receiving hole 625 in the first end surface 621. Furthermore, the multiple receiving holes 625 may be in communication with one another in a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0040] As can be seen from Fig. 9, the permissive portions 627 of the locator 60 correspond to the receiving holes 625, respectively. Also, as can be seen from Fig. 3, the permissive portions 627 correspond to the connecting portions 407 of the terminals 40, respectively. Each of the permissive portions 627 opens downward and communicates with the corresponding receiving holes 625. The permissive portions 627 have a size that receives the connecting portions 407 and allows movement of the locator 60.

[0041] As can be seen from FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, each of the protrusions 641 of the locator 60 is supported by the corresponding support portion 64 and protrudes outward in the width direction. The support portion 64 is elastically deformable, and the protrusions 641 can move at least in the width direction by the elastic deformation of the support portion 64. The protrusions 641 have an inclined surface 643 and an upper surface 645. In this embodiment, the inclined surface 643 is a surface that is parallel to the front-rear direction and obliquely intersects with the up-down direction. The inclined surface 643 faces downward in the up-down direction and faces outward in the width direction. In this embodiment, the upper surface 645 is a surface that is perpendicular to the up-down direction. The upper surface 645 faces upward. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The upper surface 645 of the protrusions 641 may be somewhat oblique to the up-down direction.

[0042] 12 and 14, the size of the inclined surface 643 of the protrusion 641 in the width direction is larger than the size of the side wall portion 531 of the shell 50. This makes it easier for the protrusion 641 to slip out of the first hole 541 when the locator 60 is moved from the first position to the second position. On the other hand, the size of the upper surface 645 in the width direction is the same as or slightly larger than the size of the side wall portion 531 of the shell 50. This makes it difficult for the protrusion 641 to slip out of the first hole 541 when it is in the first hole 541, and difficult for the protrusion 641 to slip out of the second hole 543 when it is in the second hole 543, when an upward force acts on the locator 60.

[0043] As can be seen from Figs. 9 and 10, the auxiliary protrusion 629 protrudes outward in the width direction from the side surface of the main portion 62. The auxiliary protrusion 629 is also located away from the protrusion 641 in the second direction. In this embodiment, the auxiliary protrusion 629 is located in front of the protrusion 641 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the auxiliary protrusion 629 is located above the protrusion 641 in the up-down direction. The protrusion 641 acts mainly to maintain the position of the locator 60 in the first direction, and the auxiliary protrusion 629 acts mainly to maintain the attitude of the locator 60. In this embodiment, the size of the auxiliary protrusion 629 is smaller than the size of the protrusion 641. In particular, the protrusion amount of the auxiliary protrusion 629 is smaller than the protrusion amount of the protrusion 641 in the width direction.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 4 to 8, the locator 60 is attached to the shell 50. More specifically, the locator 60 is attached to the first shell 52 so as to be movable in the first direction from a first position (Figs. 4 to 7) to a second position (Fig. 8). As can be seen from Figs. 11 to 14, the locator 60 attached to the shell 50 is at least partially located in the receiving portion 56 formed by the receiving surface 361 of the first housing 32 and the side wall portion 531 of the shell 50. However, the protrusion 641 and the auxiliary protrusion 629 are not limited to this. In addition, the guided portion 66 of the locator 60 is at least partially located in the guide portion 341 of the first housing 32. Furthermore, the connection portion 407 of the terminal 40 is at least partially located in the allowable portion 627 (see Fig. 9).

[0045] 4 to 8, the protrusions 641 of the locator 60 correspond to the side wall portions 531 of the shell 50, respectively. The auxiliary protrusions 629 also correspond to the side wall portions 531 of the shell 50, respectively.

[0046] 11 and 12, when the locator 60 is in the first position, each of the protrusions 641 is positioned within the first hole 541 of the corresponding side wall portion 531. Also, each of the auxiliary protrusions 629 is positioned within the third hole 545 of the corresponding side wall portion 531.

[0047] 12, when locator 60 is in the first position, a part of the range occupied by receiving hole 625 of locator 60 in the first direction overlaps with the range occupied by receiving surface 361 of first housing 32. On the other hand, the remaining part of the range occupied by receiving hole 625 of locator 60 is outside the range occupied by receiving surface 361 of first housing 32. In other words, when receiving hole 625 is viewed from the rear, receiving surface 361 can be seen, and the state in front of receiving surface 361 can be seen. Furthermore, at this time, in this embodiment, connection portion 407 of terminal 40 cannot be seen within receiving hole 625.

[0048] As can be seen from Fig. 4 to Fig. 7, when the locator 60 is in the first position, the tip of the insulated wire 82 can be inserted into the receiving hole 625. As described above, a part of the range occupied by the receiving hole 625 of the locator 60 in the first direction overlaps with the range occupied by the receiving surface 361 of the first housing 32, so that the tip of the insulated wire 82 inserted into the receiving hole 625 can abut against the receiving surface 361 of the first housing 32. On the other hand, the remaining part of the range occupied by the receiving hole 625 of the locator 60 is outside the range occupied by the receiving surface 361 of the first housing 32, so that the tip of the insulated wire 82 can be visually confirmed from the front or diagonally forward as shown in Fig. 6. In other words, it can be visually confirmed whether the insulated wire 82 is in an appropriate position with respect to the locator 60.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the first end surface 621 of the locator 60 is closer to the receiving surface 361 of the housing 30 in the second direction than the second end surface 623 of the locator 60. In addition, there is a gap 68 between the first end surface 621 of the locator 60 and the receiving surface 361 of the housing 30 in the second direction. In detail, a protrusion 363 that protrudes in the second direction and extends in the first direction is formed on the receiving surface 361 of the first housing 32, and the protrusion 363 forms a gap 68 between the first end surface 621 and the receiving surface 361. Through this gap 68, it is possible to visually check whether the tip of the insulated electric wire 82 is in an appropriate position with respect to the locator 60. In addition, the protrusion 363 prevents the tips of the insulated electric wires 82 from contacting each other. This makes it possible to prevent the insulated electric wires 82 from shorting each other.

[0050] As can be seen from FIG. 13, when the locator 60 is in the second position, each of the projections 641 is located in the second hole 543 of the corresponding side wall portion 531. Also, each of the auxiliary projections 629 is located in the fourth hole 547 of the corresponding side wall portion 531. The movement of the locator 60 from the first position to the second position is realized by moving the locator 60 along the first direction. In this embodiment, the locator 60 moves from the first position to the second position by being pushed downward. When the locator 60 is pushed down, the projection 641 comes out of the first hole 541 and enters the second hole 543 due to the elastic deformation of the support portion 64. The auxiliary projection 629 comes out of the third hole 545 and enters the fourth hole 547 due to the elastic deformation of at least one of the locator 60 and the first shell 52.

[0051] 13 and 14, each of the protrusions 641 is positioned in the second hole 543 of the corresponding side wall portion 531, thereby restricting the movement of the locator 60 from the second position toward the first position. Also, each of the auxiliary protrusions 629 is positioned in the fourth hole 547 of the corresponding side wall portion 531, thereby preventing or suppressing the locator 60 from tilting.

[0052] 14, when the locator 60 is in the second position, the area occupied by the receiving hole 625 in the first direction overlaps with the area occupied by the receiving surface 361. In other words, when the receiving hole 625 is viewed from the rear, the state in front of the receiving surface 361 cannot be seen. Therefore, when the tip portion of the insulated wire 82 is appropriately positioned with respect to the receiving hole 625, the tip of the insulated wire 82 is covered by the receiving surface 361 or faces closely to the receiving surface 361. As a result, the tip of the insulated wire 82 is protected by the front wall 36.

[0053] 14, when locator 60 is in the second position, when receiving hole 625 is viewed from the rear, connection portion 407 of terminal 40 can be seen. This means that when locator 60 is in the second position, connection portion 407 of terminal 40 is partially positioned within receiving hole 625. In other words, when locator 60 is moved from the first position to the second position with the tip portion of insulated wire 82 inserted into receiving hole 625, connection portion 407 is pressed against the corresponding insulated wire 82.

[0054] As can be seen from Figs. 15 and 16, when the locator 60 moves from the first position to the second position, the connection portion 407 of the terminal 40 tears the insulating coating of the insulated electric wire 82 and contacts the core wire 821. If the connection portion 407 is a pressure-welding piece, the insulated electric wire 82 may receive a reaction force from the connection portion 407, and a force toward the first position may act on the locator 60. Even in such a case, as described with reference to Fig. 13, the protrusion 641 and the auxiliary protrusion 629 are located in the second hole 543 and the fourth hole 547, respectively, so that the movement of the locator 60 from the second position to the first position is prevented. In this way, the electrical connection between each of the terminals 40 and the corresponding insulated electric wire 82 is maintained. In addition, by visually confirming that the protrusion 641 and the auxiliary protrusion 629 are located in the second hole 543 and the fourth hole 547, respectively, it can be understood that the locator 60 is in the second position. At the same time, it can be determined that the connection portion 407 of the terminal 40 is electrically connected to the insulated wire 82.

[0055] 17 and 18, the second shell 58 has a cover portion 581 that covers the locator 60 and the rear portion 523 of the first shell 52. The cover portion 581 has a top plate portion 583 and a side plate portion 585. In the present embodiment, the second shell 58 is provided with a crimp portion 587 that holds the cable 80. The crimp portion 587 is connected to the cover portion 581 by a connecting portion 589 that extends rearward in the front-rear direction from the top plate portion 583. The second shell 58 is attached to the first shell 52 and covers the locator 60 from above. The cover portion 581 covers the side wall portion 531 of the first shell 52 from the outer side in the width direction. The cover portion 581 is fixed to the side wall portion 531. In order to fix the cover portion 581 to the side wall portion 531, in the present embodiment, a window portion is formed in the cover portion 581 and a cut-and-raised portion is formed in the side wall portion 531. In addition, the crimping portion 587 is crimped to the cable 80 and the electric wire supporting portion 535 of the first shell 52. In this manner, the cable 80 or the insulated electric wire 82 is held by the crimping portion 587.

[0056] 19, the hood 70 is attached to the cable 80 in advance. After the second shell 58 is attached to the first shell 52, the hood 70 is attached to the shell 50 from the rear so as to cover the second shell 58. In order to fix the hood 70 to the shell 50, in this embodiment, a window portion is formed in the hood 70, and a cut-and-raised portion is formed in the side plate portion 585 of the second shell 58. The hood 70 has an operating arm 701. As shown in FIG. 1, the operating arm 701 is partially located above the locking arm 537 when attached to the shell 50.

[0057] As described above, according to the present embodiment, during the manufacturing process of connector 20, it can be confirmed that locator 60 is in the second position by visually checking that protrusion 641 is located in second hole 543 of first shell 52. If locator 60 is in the second position, it can be determined that insulated wire 82 is properly connected to connection portion 407 of terminal 40, and high connection reliability can be obtained. Moreover, since first shell 52 is made of metal, even if third hole 545 and fourth hole 547 are provided in side wall portion 531 in addition to first hole 541 and second hole 543, necessary and sufficient strength can be ensured.

[0058] The present invention has been described above by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0059] For example, in the above embodiment, the first position of the locator 60 is located above the second position in the vertical direction, but the first position of the locator 60 may be located below the second position. In that case, the rear part 523 of the first shell 52 opens downward, and the connection part 407 of the terminal 40 extends downward. In addition, the first hole 541 is located below the second hole 543, and the third hole 545 is located below the fourth hole 547. However, due to the positional relationship between the lock arm 537 and the locator 60, the assembly work is easier in the above embodiment.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the connector 20 is a straight type in which the fitting direction and the extending direction of the cable 80 are the same or parallel to each other, but the connector 20 may be a right-angle type in which the fitting direction and the extending direction of the cable 80 are perpendicular to each other. In that case, the first direction coincides with the front-rear direction, and the second direction coincides with the up-down direction.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the guide portion 341 and the guided portion 66 only guide the movement of the locator 60, but they may also be provided with a locking mechanism to enhance the function of maintaining the locator 60 in the second position.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other, but as long as the movement space of the locator 60 can be secured, they may be slightly oblique to each other.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the auxiliary protrusion 629 is provided on the side surface of the main portion 62 of the locator 60, but may be supported by an elastic support portion similar to the protrusion 641. The auxiliary protrusion 629 may have the same shape as the protrusion 641. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10 Wire with connector 20 Connectors 30 Housing 32 1st Housing 321 Front 323 Rear 34 Base 341 Guide part 343 Recess 36 Front wall 361 Receiving surface 363 protrusion 38 Second Housing 381 Storage Groove 40 Terminals 401 Holding part 403 Support part 405 Contact part 407 Connection 50 shells 52 First Shell 521 Front 523 Rear 531 Side wall 533 Bottom 535 Wire support part 537 Lock Arm 541 Hole 1 543 Hole 2 545 Hole 3 547 Hole 4 56 Storage unit 58 Second Shell 581 Cover part 583 Top plate 585 Side plate part 587 Crimping part 589 Connecting part 60 Locator 62 Main Section 621 1st end face 623 Second end face 625 Receptor hole 627 Tolerance Section 629 Auxiliary protrusion 64 Support part 641 Protrusion 643 Slope 645 Top surface 66 Guided part 68 Gap 70 Food 701 Operating Arm 80 Cable 82 Insulated wire (wire) 821 Core Wire

Claims

1. A connector for attachment to an electric wire, The connector is capable of mating with a mating connector having a mating terminal, The connector includes a housing, at least one terminal, a shell, and a locator; The terminal is held in the housing, the terminal has a contact portion that comes into contact with the mating terminal when mated with the mating connector, and a connection portion that is connected to the electric wire, The shell is made of metal and has two side walls spaced apart in a width direction. Each of the side walls is provided with a first hole and a second hole, the first hole and the second hole penetrate the side wall portion in the width direction and are spaced apart from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the width direction, the locator is attached to the shell so as to be movable in the first direction from a first position to a second position; The locator has a first end surface, a second end surface, a receiving hole, an allowance portion, and two protrusions, the first end surface and the second end surface are located at both ends of the locator in a second direction perpendicular to the width direction and intersecting the first direction, the receiving hole penetrates from the second end surface to the first end surface and is capable of receiving a tip of the electric wire; the permitting portion communicates with the receiving hole and permits movement of the connecting portion when the locator moves; The protrusions correspond to the side wall portions, Each of the protrusions protrudes outward in the width direction, When the locator is in the first position, each of the projections is located within the first hole of the corresponding side wall portion; When the locator is in the second position, each of the projections is positioned within the second hole of the corresponding side wall portion, and the connecting portion is positioned partially within the receiving hole. connector.

2. 2. The connector of claim 1, The connection portion is a bifurcated pressure-connecting piece extending in the first direction, The locator has a main portion and two support portions extending in the first direction from the main portion, The receiving hole is provided in the main portion, The support portions are elastically deformable and correspond to the protrusions, respectively. Each of the protrusions is supported by a corresponding one of the support portions and is movable at least in the width direction; When each of the protrusions is positioned within the second hole of the corresponding side wall portion, movement of the locator from the second position toward the first position is restricted. connector.

3. 2. The connector of claim 1, The housing has a receiving surface that intersects with the second direction, the receiving surface of the housing and the side wall of the shell form a receiving portion that receives the locator, When the locator is in the second position, an area occupied by the receiving hole in the first direction overlaps an area occupied by the receiving surface, When the locator is in the first position, a portion of the area occupied by the receiving hole in the first direction overlaps with an area occupied by the receiving surface, while a remaining portion of the area occupied by the receiving hole is outside the area occupied by the receiving surface. connector.

4. 2. The connector of claim 1, The housing has a receiving surface that intersects with the second direction, the receiving surface of the housing and the side wall of the shell form a receiving portion that receives the locator, In the second direction, a first end surface of the locator is closer to a receiving surface of the housing than the second end surface of the locator; When the locator is in the first position, the tip of the wire inserted into the receiving hole can abut against the receiving surface, In the second direction, there is a gap between the first end surface of the locator and the receiving surface of the housing. connector.

5. 2. The connector of claim 1, a third hole and a fourth hole are provided in each of the side walls of the shell, the third hole and the fourth hole penetrate the side wall portion in the width direction and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, the first hole and the third hole are positioned apart from each other in the second direction, the second hole and the fourth hole are positioned apart from each other in the second direction, The locator is provided with two auxiliary protrusions, The auxiliary protrusions correspond to the side wall portions, Each of the auxiliary protrusions protrudes outward in the width direction, The auxiliary protrusion is located away from the protrusion in the second direction, When the locator is in the first position, each of the auxiliary projections is positioned within the third hole of the corresponding side wall portion, When the locator is in the second position, each of the auxiliary projections is positioned within the fourth hole of the corresponding side wall portion. connector.

6. 6. The connector of claim 5, The third hole and the fourth hole are located at positions overlapping the connection portion of the terminal in the second direction. connector.

7. 2. The connector of claim 1, The locator is provided with a guided portion extending in the first direction, The housing is provided with a guide portion that receives and guides the guided portion. connector.

8. 2. The connector of claim 1, The shell is provided with a crimping portion for holding the electric wire. connector.

9. 9. An electric wire with a connector, comprising the electric wire and any one of the connectors according to claims 1 to 8 attached thereto.

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