Connector

Abstract

To disclose a connector which can suppress or prevent external force applied to an electric wire from being transmitted to a terminal side, while suppressing the upsizing of the connector itself or an increase in manufacturing cost.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises: a terminal 12; an electric wire 16; a shield shell 20 having an electric wire lead-out port 18 from which the electric wire 16 is led out; and a back retainer 24 fitted to the electric wire lead-out port 18. The electric wire lead-out port 18 of the shield shell 20 has a plurality of engaged parts 54. The back retainer 24 has: a first engaging part 116 which has a collapsible rib 114 provided in a first direction and is engaged with the engaged parts 54; and a second engaging part 120 which has a collapsible rib 118 provided in a second direction and is engaged with the engaged parts 54. When the back retainer 24 is fitted in the electric wire lead-out port 18, the first engaging part 116 is brought into pressure-contact with the engaged parts 54 in the first direction via the collapsible rib 114, and the second engaging part 120 is brought into pressure-contact with the engaged parts 54 in the second direction via the collapsible rib 118.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] Connectors have been used for electrically connecting in-vehicle devices. Such connectors include a connector housing, a terminal accommodated in the connector housing, and an electric wire connected to the terminal, and the electric wire is drawn out from the electric wire outlet of the connector housing. The drawn out electric wire is subjected to external forces such as vibrations when mounted on the vehicle. If the external force applied to the electric wire is transmitted to the terminal side, stress is applied to the contact point between the terminal and the mating terminal, which may cause problems such as contact wear. Therefore, in the connector, it is necessary to suppress the external force applied to the electric wire from being transmitted to the terminal side. For this reason, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a resin back retainer that is assembled to the connector housing while holding the electric wire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-54393 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, the back retainer is assembled by a locking claw-shaped engaging portion provided at the tip of an elastic protruding piece provided on the connector housing, which elastically deforms while overcoming the engaged portion provided on the back retainer and then elastically returning to its original state, thereby engaging with the engaged portion. Therefore, it is unavoidable that a small gap will be generated between the engaging portion and the engaged portion, and there is a risk that the rattle caused by this gap will cause an external force transmitted to the electric wire to be transmitted to the terminal side.

[0005] Furthermore, in recent years, with the increase in current of in-vehicle devices, the diameter of electric wires has been increasing, and in order to ensure sufficient holding force to prevent the shaking of such large electric wires, the resin back retainer must be made larger, and there is also the inherent problem that the size of the connector is unavoidable. To address this issue, it is possible to increase the holding force by making the back retainer out of metal, but a back retainer with a complex shape must be molded by aluminum die casting, etc., which is undesirable as it increases the manufacturing cost.

[0006] In view of this, a connector is disclosed that can suppress or prevent an external force applied to the electric wire from being transmitted to the terminal side while suppressing an increase in size of the connector itself and an increase in manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The connector of the present disclosure comprises: terminals accommodated in a connector housing; electric wires connected to the terminals and drawn out to the outside of the connector housing; a metal shield shell fixed to the connector housing to cover the connector housing and having a cylindrical electric wire outlet through which the electric wires are drawn out; and a synthetic resin back retainer including an electric wire insertion tube portion through which the electric wires are inserted and held in a pressure-welded state and fitted into the electric wire outlet, wherein the electric wire outlet of the shield shell has a plurality of engaged portions spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the electric wire outlet, The back retainer has a first engaging portion having crushed ribs on both sides in a first direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the electric wire and engaging with the engaged portion, and a second engaging portion having crushed ribs on both sides in a second direction perpendicular to both the extension direction of the electric wire and the first direction and engaging with the engaged portion, and when the back retainer is fitted into the electric wire outlet, the first engaging portion is pressed against the engaged portion on both sides in the first direction via the crushed ribs, and the second engaging portion is pressed against the engaged portion on both sides in the second direction via the crushed ribs. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the connector of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress or prevent an external force applied to the electric wire from being transmitted to the terminal side, while suppressing an increase in size of the connector itself and an increase in manufacturing costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a main part of the connector shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the III-III section in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a back retainer in an exploded state in the connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the back retainer is removed from the connector shown in FIG. 1, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a perspective view showing, from a top side, an upper retainer constituting a back retainer of the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the upper retainer shown in FIG. 7 from the bottom side. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the upper retainer shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a rear view of the upper retainer shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A connector housing comprising: a terminal accommodated in the connector housing; an electric wire connected to the terminal and drawn out to the outside of the connector housing; a metallic shield shell fixed to the connector housing to cover the connector housing, the metallic shield shell having a cylindrical electric wire outlet through which the electric wire is drawn out; and a synthetic resin back retainer having an electric wire insertion tube portion through which the electric wire is inserted and held in a pressure-welded state, the back retainer being fitted into the electric wire outlet, the electric wire outlet of the shield shell having a plurality of engaged portions spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the electric wire outlet, The retainer has a first engaging portion having crushed ribs on both sides in a first direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the electric wire and engaging with the engaged portion, and a second engaging portion having crushed ribs on both sides in a second direction perpendicular to both the extension direction of the electric wire and the first direction and engaging with the engaged portion, and when fitted into the electric wire outlet of the back retainer, the first engaging portion is pressed against the engaged portion on both sides in the first direction via the crushed ribs, and the second engaging portion is pressed against the engaged portion on both sides in the second direction via the crushed ribs.

[0011] According to the connector of the present disclosure, the electric wire drawn out from the connector housing is inserted and held in a pressure-welded state in the electric wire insertion tube portion of the synthetic resin back retainer, and this back retainer is fitted into an electric wire outlet of a metal shield shell fixed to the connector housing. The back retainer includes a first engagement portion that is pressure-welded via a crushing rib to the engaged portion of the electric wire outlet on both sides (e.g., both upper and lower sides) in a first direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the electric wire when fitted into the electric wire outlet, and a second engagement portion that is pressure-welded via a crushing rib to the engaged portion of the electric wire outlet on both sides (e.g., both left and right sides) in a second direction perpendicular to both the extending direction of the electric wire and the first direction. Therefore, even if the back retainer is fitted to the electric wire outlet of the shield shell with some rattle, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are pressed against the engaged portion while crushing the crushing rib in both the first direction (e.g., vertical direction) and the second direction (e.g., horizontal direction), which are two directions perpendicular to the extending direction (axial direction) of the electric wire. As a result, the crushing rib absorbs the rattle, and the displacement of the back retainer fitted to the electric wire outlet with respect to the electric wire outlet is suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress the displacement of the back retainer with respect to the shield shell due to vibrations during mounting on a vehicle, etc., by using the crushing rib while making the back retainer from a synthetic resin without making the connector housing or the back retainer larger or making the back retainer from a metal. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent the transmission of an external force applied to the electric wire to the terminal side while suppressing the increase in size of the connector itself and the increase in manufacturing cost. And, it is possible to improve the external force blocking performance of the back retainer, which suppresses the transmission of an external force from the electric wire. In particular, because the wire outlet into which the back retainer is fitted is constructed utilizing a metal shield shell, compared to a wire outlet provided in a connector housing made of synthetic resin, problems such as the occurrence of gaps due to creep in high temperature environments can be advantageously suppressed, and the pressure contact state against the engaged portion via the crushing rib of the engaging portion can be advantageously maintained.

[0012] Any suitable structure may be adopted for the fitting structure of the back retainer with respect to the wire outlet of the shield shell. For example, the back retainer may be provided with an elastic locking piece that is locked into a locking protrusion provided on the shield shell.

[0013] (2) It is preferable that the plurality of engaged portions of the electric wire outlet include a plurality of first engaged portions arranged on both sides in the second direction and a plurality of second engaged portions arranged on both sides in the first direction, the back retainer includes a plurality of the first engaging portions arranged on both sides in the second direction and a plurality of the second engaging portions arranged on both sides in the first direction, and in a state in which the back retainer is fitted into the electric wire outlet, the first engaging portions are pressed against the first engaged portions via the crushing ribs on both sides in the first direction on both sides in the second direction, and the second engaging portions are pressed against the second engaged portions via the crushing ribs on both sides in the second direction on both sides in the first direction. This is because the engaging portions can be pressed against the engaged portions via the crushing ribs on both sides in the first and second directions, which more stably suppresses displacement of the back retainer with respect to the shield shell and suppresses or prevents transmission of an external force applied to the electric wire to the terminal side.

[0014] (3) It is preferable that a diameter dimension of an inner peripheral surface of the electric wire insertion tube portion of the back retainer is made larger than a diameter dimension of an outer peripheral surface of the electric wire inserted inside the electric wire insertion tube portion, and a plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions are provided spaced apart from each other on the inner peripheral surface of the electric wire, protruding radially inward from the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire, and each of the electric wire pressing protrusions presses an insulating coating that constitutes the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire radially inward, thereby inserting and holding the electric wire in a pressure-welded state through the electric wire insertion tube portion.

[0015] The diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the electric wire insertion tube portion is larger than the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire, and a gap is formed therebetween. Furthermore, the plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions are provided at a distance from each other. Therefore, the insulating coating elastically deformed radially outward by being pressed by the electric wire pressing protrusions can be absorbed in the gaps extending between the electric wire pressing protrusions. Therefore, the electric wire can be advantageously fixed in position to the electric wire insertion tube portion by pressing the electric wire pressing protrusions against the insulating coating, while reducing the assembly force required when assembling the electric wire insertion tube portion to the electric wire, thereby improving the assembly workability. Preferably, the plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions are scattered at a distance from each other in both the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the electric wire insertion tube portion. This allows the electric wire to be fixed over a wider range by the pressing of the electric wire pressing protrusions, and further improves the external force blocking performance of the back retainer, which suppresses the transmission of an external force from the electric wire.

[0016] (4) It is preferable that the back retainer has an elastic locking piece that protrudes in a cantilever shape toward the electric wire outlet of the shield shell, the elastic locking piece having a fitting hole at a protruding end, the shield shell has a locking protrusion that protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire outlet, and the back retainer is fitted into the electric wire outlet of the shield shell by fitting the locking protrusion of the shield shell into the fitting hole of the elastic locking piece of the back retainer. Since it is sufficient to provide an elastic locking piece on a back retainer made of synthetic resin and form a locking protrusion on the shield shell, it is possible to simplify the structure of the shield shell while facilitating molding of the elastic locking piece, and to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0017] (5) In the above item (4), it is preferable that the wire outlet of the shield shell has a concave locking piece accommodating portion that opens to the outer circumferential surface of the wire outlet, the locking protrusion is protruded from a bottom surface of the locking piece accommodating portion, and the elastic locking piece of the back retainer is accommodated in the locking piece accommodating portion when the back retainer is fitted to the shield shell.

[0018] When the back retainer is fitted to the shield shell, the elastic locking pieces of the back retainer are accommodated in the locking piece accommodating portion of the shield shell, so that the elastic locking pieces are prevented from protruding outward from the outer periphery of the electric wire outlet. This makes it possible to advantageously prevent the elastic locking pieces from interfering with other members and to prevent the back retainer from unexpectedly coming off from the electric wire outlet. Furthermore, since the locking protrusion of the electric wire outlet is also provided on the bottom surface of the locking piece accommodating portion, the locking protrusion is also prevented from protruding outward from the outer periphery of the electric wire outlet, making it possible to prevent interference with other members. More preferably, the depth dimension of the locking piece accommodating portion is adjusted so that the elastic locking pieces do not protrude outward from the outer periphery of the electric wire outlet.

[0019] (6) In the above item (5), it is preferable that the wire outlet of the shield shell has a cylindrical end located on the wire outlet side, and the engaged portions have a plurality of notched portions penetrating in the plate thickness direction and opening on the end face on the wire outlet side, at least one of the engaged portions is provided opening on the bottom face of the lock piece accommodating portion, and the base end side of the elastic lock piece of the back retainer is provided with the second engaging portion having a protruding shape protruding from the elastic lock piece toward the wire side and pressed into the at least one engaged portion.

[0020] The engaged portion provided at the electric wire outlet of the shield shell is configured as a notch that penetrates the cylindrical end in the plate thickness direction and opens on the end face in the electric wire outlet direction, so that the engaged portion can be provided without increasing the size of the shield shell. Furthermore, one of the engaged portions is provided opening on the bottom face of the lock piece housing portion, and the second engaging portion that is press-fitted therein has a protruding shape that protrudes from the elastic lock piece toward the electric wire side, so that it is provided space-efficiently by making good use of the empty space on the back side of the elastic lock piece. This makes it possible to provide the engaged portion and the second engaging portion that fits therein in a space-saving manner without increasing the size of the connector.

[0021] (7) In the above item (6), it is preferable that the back retainer includes a mounting tubular portion that is fitted into the inner peripheral side of the tubular end of the electric wire outlet, and the first engaging portion having a protruding shape that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the mounting tubular portion, and that when the back retainer is in a fitted state with the shield shell, the first engaging portion is accommodated in the engaged portion without protruding to the outer peripheral side of the electric wire outlet.

[0022] The first engaging portion protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylindrical portion of the back retainer which is fitted into the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical end of the electric wire outlet, and the first engaging portion can be housed in the engaged portion which penetrates the cylindrical end in the plate thickness direction, and the first engaging portion can be press-fitted into the engaged portion. Therefore, the engaged portion and the first engaging portion press-fitted therein can be arranged using the cylindrical end of the electric wire outlet, and the engaged portion and the first engaging portion fitted therein can be provided in a space-saving manner without increasing the size of the connector.

[0023] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0024] <Embodiment 1> A connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 10. The connector 10 includes terminals 12, and when the connector 10 is connected to a mating connector (not shown), the terminals 12 in the connector 10 and the mating terminals in the mating connector are electrically conductive. The connector 10 can be arranged in any orientation, but in the following description, the upper side refers to the upper side in Fig. 3, the lower side refers to the lower side in Fig. 3, the front side refers to the left side in Fig. 2, the rear side refers to the right side in Fig. 2, the left side refers to the upper side in Fig. 2, and the right side refers to the lower side in Fig. 2. In addition, for multiple identical members, only some of the members may be labeled with reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other members.

[0025] <Connector 10> 1 to 4, the connector 10 has terminals 12 accommodated in a connector housing 14, and electric wires 16 connected to the terminals 12 and drawn out of the connector housing 14. The connector 10 also has a metal shield shell 20 fixed to and covering the connector housing 14, and having a cylindrical electric wire outlet 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) through which the electric wires 16 are drawn out, and a synthetic resin back retainer 24 including an electric wire insertion tube 22 through which the electric wires 16 are inserted and held in a pressure-welded state, and fitted into the electric wire outlet 18. In the first embodiment, the connector 10 has a pair of terminals 12, 12, and each of the connector housings 14 accommodating the terminals 12 and each of the electric wires 16 connected to the terminals 12 are also provided with a pair.

[0026] <Terminal 12> In the first embodiment, the mating terminal (not shown) connected to each terminal 12 is a pin terminal, and the specific structure is not limited as long as it has a cylindrical connection portion 26 into which the pin-shaped mating terminal is press-fitted, and for example, a structure such as the female terminal (10) described in JP 2021-28899 A can be adopted. More specifically, each terminal 12 in the first embodiment is configured to include a terminal body 28 having a cylindrical connection portion 26 and a clip spring 30 as an elastic member attached to the tip portion (rear end portion) of the terminal body 28. Then, an electric wire fixing portion 32 to which each electric wire 16 is fixed is provided at the base end portion (front end portion) of each terminal body 28.

[0027] Each electric wire 16 is a coated electric wire, and is composed of a core wire 34 and an insulating coating 36 made of synthetic resin that covers the core wire 34 over substantially the entire length. The insulating coating 36 is stripped off at the end of each electric wire 16 to expose the core wire 34, and the exposed core wire 34 is fixed to the electric wire fixing portion 32 of each terminal body 28, thereby connecting each terminal body 28 to each electric wire 16. The method of fixing the electric wire fixing portion 32 to the core wire 34 is not limited, and may be adhesion, welding, or crimping using a crimping piece.

[0028] <Connector housing 14> 2, the connector housing 14 has a substantially rectangular tubular terminal accommodating portion 38 that accommodates the rear end portions of the electric wires 16 and the terminals 12 fixed to the ends of the electric wires 16. As described above, in the first embodiment, a pair of connector housings 14, 14 is provided, and each connector housing 14 has a terminal accommodating portion 38. The connector housings 14 (the terminal accommodating portions 38) are separated from each other in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction. The electric wires 16 accommodated in the terminal accommodating portions 38 are drawn out to the external space through front openings 39 of the connector housings 14 (the terminal accommodating portions 38).

[0029] Note that the method of fixing each of these connector housings 14 and the shield shell 20 that is fixed in a state of covering each of the connector housings 14 is not limited, but in the first embodiment, as described below, each of the connector housings 14 is inserted into the inside of the shield shell 20 from a front opening (electric wire withdrawal port 18). Then, each of the connector housings 14 is fixed to the shield shell 20 by, for example, fitting of concaves and convexes provided on the outer surface of each of the connector housings 14 and the inner surface of the shield shell 20.

[0030] <Shield Shell 20> The shield shell 20 has a generally cylindrical shape that opens forward as a whole, and covers generally the entire pair of connector housings 14, 14. That is, the shield shell 20 includes an upper wall portion 40 that covers the upper side of each connector housing 14, a lower wall portion 42 that covers the lower side of each connector housing 14, a left wall portion 44 that covers the left connector housing 14 from the left, a right wall portion 46 that covers the right connector housing 14 from the right, and a rear wall portion 48 that covers the rear of each connector housing 14. In addition, a partition portion 50 that partitions the internal space of the shield shell 20 in the left-right direction is provided inside the shield shell 20 between the left-right sides of each connector housing 14 (each terminal accommodating portion 38).

[0031] This partition portion 50 extends forward from the rear wall portion 48 of the shield shell 20, but is formed with a front-rear dimension that does not reach the front opening of the shield shell 20. As a result, the front opening of the shield shell 20 has a substantially rectangular tubular shape surrounded on all four sides by the upper wall portion 40, the lower wall portion 42, the left wall portion 44, and the right wall portion 46, as shown in Figures 3 and 6. Then, each electric wire 16 drawn forward through the front opening portion 39 of each connector housing 14 is drawn to the outside of the shield shell 20 through the front opening portion of the shield shell 20, which is formed into a substantially rectangular tubular shape, and a tubular electric wire withdrawal port 18 is formed by this front opening portion of the shield shell 20.

[0032] In particular, a cylindrical end 52 is formed at the front end of the shield shell 20, which is the pull-out direction side of the electric wires 16 at the electric wire pull-out port 18. That is, the cylindrical end 52 is a substantially cylindrical portion surrounded by the upper wall portion 40, the lower wall portion 42, the left wall portion 44, and the right wall portion 46 as described above, and a substantially flat and wide portion is provided at the left-right intermediate portion of the upper wall portion 40 and the lower wall portion 42 and the up-down intermediate portion of the left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46. In the cylindrical end 52, the upper wall portion 40 and the lower wall portion 42 are connected to the left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46 at both left-right end portions, respectively, and these connection portions are formed with portions curved in a rounded shape.

[0033] <Engaged portion 54> Here, the electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20 is provided with a plurality of engaged parts 54 spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the electric wire outlet 18. Specifically, a plurality of notched engaged parts 54 are provided at the cylindrical end 52 of the electric wire outlet 18, penetrating in the plate thickness direction and opening at the end face on the pull-out direction side (front side) of each electric wire 16. More specifically, the plurality of engaged parts 54 are provided at the cylindrical end 52 on both sides in a first direction (vertical direction in the first embodiment) perpendicular to the extending direction (front-rear direction) of each electric wire 16 and a second direction (horizontal direction in the first embodiment) perpendicular to both the extending direction of each electric wire 16 and the first direction. That is, the engaged parts 54 include a plurality of first engaged parts 56 arranged at both sides in the second direction (horizontal direction) at the cylindrical end 52, and a plurality of second engaged parts 58 arranged at both sides in the first direction (horizontal direction). In short, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, a first engaged portion 56 is provided in each of the left wall portion 44 and right wall portion 46 that constitute the cylindrical end portion 52, and a second engaged portion 58 is provided in each of the upper wall portion 40 and lower wall portion 42 that constitute the cylindrical end portion 52.

[0034] Each of the first engaged portions 56 is provided in a generally flat, vertically intermediate portion of the left wall portion 44 and the right wall portion 46 that constitute the cylindrical end portion 52, opens at the front end face of the cylindrical end portion 52, and penetrates in the left-right direction, which is the plate thickness direction. Each of the first engaged portions 56 has a predetermined vertical dimension A (see FIG. 6).

[0035] Each second engaged portion 58 is provided in a generally flat, left-right intermediate portion of the upper wall portion 40 and the lower wall portion 42 constituting the cylindrical end portion 52, and in the first embodiment, a pair of second engaged portions 58, 58 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction in each of the upper wall portion 40 and the lower wall portion 42. Each second engaged portion 58 opens at the front end surface of the cylindrical end portion 52, penetrates in the up-down direction which is the plate thickness direction, and has a predetermined left-right dimension B (see FIG. 6).

[0036] <Lock piece receiving portion 60> In particular, in the first embodiment, a concave lock piece accommodating portion 60 for accommodating an elastic lock piece 96 (described later) of the back retainer 24 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire outlet 18 in the shield shell 20, opening to the outer peripheral side and forward. Specifically, in each of the upper wall portion 40 and the lower wall portion 42 constituting the electric wire outlet 18 (cylindrical end portion 52), a pair of lock piece accommodating portions 60, 60 are provided in a left-right middle portion that spreads substantially flat, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and opening to the outer peripheral side, that is, to the up-down direction and forward. And, each of the above-mentioned second engaged portions 58 is provided on the front end surface at the bottom of each lock piece accommodating portion 60, penetrating in the up-down direction, which is the plate thickness direction, and thus opening to the bottom surface of each lock piece accommodating portion 60. In addition, a locking protrusion 62 that protrudes outward in the vertical direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire withdrawal port 18, and in embodiment 1, a locking protrusion 62 that protrudes outward in the vertical direction is provided on the bottom surface of each locking piece accommodating portion 60, rearward of each second engaged portion 58.

[0037] In addition, a through hole (not shown) is formed in the rear part of the upper wall 40 of the shield shell 20, penetrating the upper wall 40 in the thickness direction (vertical direction), and the cylindrical connection portion 26 of each terminal 12 arranged inside the shield shell 20 is exposed to the external space through the through hole. In addition, a cylindrical portion 64 protruding upward is provided on the periphery of the through hole provided in the upper wall 40. The cylindrical portion 64 has a substantially elliptical shape with a left-right dimension larger than its front-rear dimension, and a front retainer 66 is assembled to the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 64. In the front retainer 66, a substantially circular through hole 68 is formed penetrating in the vertical direction at a position corresponding to the cylindrical connection portion 26 of each terminal 12, and when the connector 10 is connected to a mating connector, a pin-shaped mating terminal is inserted into the cylindrical connection portion 26 of each terminal 12 through the through hole 68. The cylindrical portion 64 and the front retainer 66 can be fixed to each other by, for example, a locking mechanism (not shown).

[0038] Furthermore, in the left-right central portion of the shield shell 20, a bolt insertion hole 72 through which a fastening bolt 70 is inserted is formed penetrating in the up-down direction ahead of the cylindrical portion 64. This fastening bolt 70 is adapted to be fastened to, for example, a housing of a mating device in which a mating terminal (not shown) is provided, and the fastening force of the fastening bolt 70 can be utilized to press-fit the mating terminal into the cylindrical connection portion 26 of each terminal 12. The fastening bolt 70 inserted into the bolt insertion hole 72 can be prevented from falling off from the bolt insertion hole 72 by a fixing member 73 such as a C-ring.

[0039] Inside the shield shell 20, an annular waterproof rubber 74 is fitted onto each of the electric wires 16 drawn forward from the front opening 39 of each connector housing 14. Each waterproof rubber 74 is inserted into the inside of the shield shell 20 from the front opening (electric wire drawing outlet 18) of the shield shell 20, and is positioned in front of each connector housing 14. Furthermore, a back retainer 24 that prevents each waterproof rubber 74 from falling off is attached to the shield shell 20.

[0040] <Back retainer 24> In the first embodiment, the back retainer 24 is composed of an upper retainer 76 and a lower retainer 78 that can be assembled to each other in the vertical direction. In particular, in the first embodiment, the upper retainer 76 and the lower retainer 78 have the same shape, and the back retainer 24 is composed by assembling a pair of upper retainers 76, 76 (lower retainers 78, 78) that are in a vertically inverted state to each other. Since the upper retainer 76 and the lower retainer 78 have the same shape, the following description will focus on the upper retainer 76 with reference to Figures 7 to 10, and a description of the lower retainer 78 will be omitted.

[0041] As described above, the back retainer 24 has the electric wire insertion tube portion 22 that holds the inserted electric wire 16 in a pressure-welded state, and therefore this electric wire insertion tube portion 22 also has a structure divided in the vertical direction. That is, the upper retainer 76 has a split tube portion 80 that constitutes the electric wire insertion tube portion 22 by being assembled with the other upper retainer 76 that is upside down. In the first embodiment, since the pair of electric wires 16, 16 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, the upper retainer 76 is provided with a pair of split tube portions 80, 80 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0042] In particular, in the first embodiment, the circumferential lengths of the front portions of the pair of split tubular portions 80, 80 provided on both the left and right sides are different, and the first split tubular portion 80a provided on the left side is formed with a circumferential length shorter than 1 / 2 circumference (for example, about 1 / 3 circumference), while the second split tubular portion 80b provided on the right side is formed with a circumferential length of approximately 1 / 2 circumference. As a result, as shown in Fig. 1, when the first split tubular portion 80a and the second split tubular portion 80b are stacked in the up-down direction to form the electric wire insertion tubular portions 22, a gap 82 extending in the front-rear direction is formed between the first split tubular portion 80a and the second split tubular portion 80b in the circumferential direction.

[0043] The first and second divided tubular portions 80a and 80b are connected at their rear portions by a connecting portion 84. At the connection position by the connecting portion 84, the circumferential lengths of the first and second divided tubular portions 80a and 80b are approximately 1 / 2 circumference. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, when the first and second divided tubular portions 80a and 80b are stacked in the vertical direction to form the electric wire insertion tubular portions 22, the circumferential end faces of the rear portions of the first and second divided tubular portions 80a and 80b are butted against each other to form the approximately cylindrical electric wire insertion tubular portion 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the diameter dimension φα (see FIG. 4) of the inner surface of each electric wire insertion tube portion 22 composed of each first divided tube portion 80a and each second divided tube portion 80b is larger than the diameter dimension φβ (see FIG. 4) of the outer surface of each electric wire 16 inserted inside each electric wire insertion tube portion 22.

[0044] <Wire pressing protrusion 86> 4 and 8, a plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions 86 protruding radially inward are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the first divided tubular portion 80a and the second divided tubular portion 80b. In each of the first divided tubular portion 80a and the second divided tubular portion 80b, the plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions 86 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction on the same circumference. In addition, the plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions 86 arranged spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction on the same circumference are arranged spaced apart from each other at two locations in the front-rear direction. The plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions 86 provided in the first divided tubular portion 80a and the plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions 86 provided in the second divided tubular portion 80b are located at approximately the same positions in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when each first split tubular portion 80a and each second split tubular portion 80b are stacked in the vertical direction to form each electric wire insertion tubular portion 22, a plurality of electric wire pressing protrusions 86 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction around approximately the entire circumference of the same circle in each electric wire insertion tubular portion 22 which is approximately cylindrical in shape.

[0045] 4, the electric wire pressing protrusions 86 protrude radially inward from the outer circumferential surface of each electric wire 16 in a state in which each electric wire 16 is inserted into each electric wire insertion tube portion 22. As a result, the insulating coating 36 constituting the outer circumferential surface of each electric wire 16 is pressed radially inward by each electric wire pressing protrusion 86. As a result, each electric wire 16 is inserted and held in a pressure-contact state in each electric wire insertion tube portion 22. Note that in the first embodiment, as described below, after the back retainer 24 is attached to each electric wire 16, the back retainer 24 is moved forward and assembled to the shield shell 20. Therefore, while each electric wire pressing protrusion 86 presses the insulating coating 36 of each electric wire 16, the back retainer 24 can be displaced in the front-rear direction relative to each electric wire 16.

[0046] In addition, a lock claw portion 88 protruding downward is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the front portion of the first divided tubular portion 80a, and a lock frame body 90 protruding to the outer peripheral side is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the front portion of the second divided tubular portion 80b. In the first embodiment, a pair of lock claw portions 88, 88 is provided on both the left and right sides of the first divided tubular portion 80a, and a pair of lock frame bodies 90, 90 is provided on both the left and right sides of the second divided tubular portion 80b. As a result, when each of the first divided tubular portions 80a and each of the second divided tubular portions 80b are overlapped in the vertical direction to form each of the electric wire insertion tubular portions 22, each of the lock claw portions 88 and / or each of the lock frame bodies 90 is elastically deformed and engaged. As a result, separation between each of the first divided tubular portions 80a and each of the second divided tubular portions 80b is prevented, and each of the electric wire insertion tubular portions 22 is maintained in a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0047] A base portion 92 is provided at the rear end of the first divided cylinder portion 80a, the second divided cylinder portion 80b, and the connecting portion 84. In other words, the first divided cylinder portion 80a, the second divided cylinder portion 80b, and the connecting portion 84 protrude forward from the base portion 92. The base portion 92 has a generally rectangular shape as a whole when viewed in the front-rear direction as shown in Fig. 10, but the portions corresponding to the first divided cylinder portion 80a and the second divided cylinder portion 80b are recessed in a generally semicircular shape and have a predetermined thickness dimension (front-rear direction dimension).

[0048] When the back retainer 24 is constructed by assembling the upper retainer 76 and the other upper retainer 76 that is upside down in the vertical direction, the base portion 92 and the other base portion 92 that is upside down are overlapped in the vertical direction. Then, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the pair of base portions 92, 92 are overlapped in the vertical direction to form an attachment tube portion 93 that is fitted into the inner periphery of the cylindrical end portion 52 of the electric wire outlet 18. That is, in a state in which the back retainer 24 is assembled to the shield shell 20 to construct the connector 10, the attachment tube portion 93 is fitted into the cylindrical end portion 52 and is located in front of each waterproof rubber 74.

[0049] Additionally, a plurality of ribs 94 extending forward from the base portion 92 are provided on the upper surfaces of the first divided tubular portion 80a, the second divided tubular portion 80b, and the connecting portion 84, and these ribs 94 are spaced apart from one another in the left-right direction. Each of these ribs 94 is generally triangular or trapezoidal in left-right view, and has a portion whose vertical dimension gradually decreases from the rear to the front. The first divided tubular portion 80a, the second divided tubular portion 80b, and the connecting portion 84 are each reinforced by these ribs 94.

[0050] In particular, by making the vertical dimension of the rear portion of each rib 94 larger than that of the front portion, when the back retainer 24 is fitted into the electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20, a relatively strong reinforcing effect is exerted in the portion close to the electric wire outlet 18, and displacement of each electric wire 16 inserted into each electric wire insertion cylindrical portion 22 near the electric wire outlet 18 is prevented. On the other hand, by making the vertical dimension of the front portion of each rib 94 smaller than that of the rear portion, elastic deformation of the first divided cylindrical portion 80a and the second divided cylindrical portion 80b is permitted to a certain extent, and the risk of damage to each electric wire 16 when the electric wire 16 is significantly displaced relative to the first divided cylindrical portion 80a and the second divided cylindrical portion 80b is reduced.

[0051] <Elastic lock piece 96> An elastic lock piece 96 is provided at the upper end of the base portion 92, protruding backward, i.e., toward the electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20, in a cantilever shape. A pair of elastic lock pieces 96, 96 is provided on the upper retainer 76, and the elastic lock pieces 96 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Specifically, the elastic lock pieces 96 are provided at positions corresponding to the first divided tubular portion 80a and the second divided tubular portion 80b, respectively. Furthermore, a substantially rectangular fitting hole 98 penetrating in the up-down direction is provided at the protruding end (rear end) of each of these elastic lock pieces 96.

[0052] More specifically, each elastic lock piece 96 has a pair of rearward protruding portions 100, 100 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and protrude rearward from the upper end of the base portion 92, and a connecting portion 102 that connects the protruding tip ends (rear ends) of each of these rearward protruding portions 100. The fitting hole 98 is formed by an area surrounded by each of these rearward protruding portions 100 and the connecting portion 102. As shown in Figs. 7 and 10, a downward extending portion 104 that extends downward along the rear surface of the base portion 92 is provided at the protruding base end (front end) of each of the rearward protruding portions 100. As shown in Figs. 4 and 10, a crushing rib 118 in a second engaging portion 120 described later is provided on the left-right outer surface of each of the downward extending portions 104 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0053] Further, on the outer surface in the left-right direction of the base portion 92, a downwardly protruding elastic lock frame 106 is provided on the left end face, and a rightwardly protruding lock claw portion 108 is provided on the right end face. The elastic lock frame 106 is elastically deformable in the left-right direction, and the back retainer 24 is configured by vertically opposing the upper retainer 76 and the other upper retainer 76 that is upside down, and engaging the elastic lock frame 106 with the lock claw portion 108. That is, in addition to the engagement between the lock claw portion 88 and the lock frame 90, the elastic lock frame 106 and the lock claw portion 108 engage with each other, preventing separation of the pair of upper retainers 76, 76, thereby configuring the back retainer 24.

[0054] The elastic locking frame 106 has a pair of downward protruding portions 110, 110 that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction and protrude downward from the base portion 92, and a connecting portion 112 that connects the protruding tip portions (lower ends) of the downward protruding portions 110. The locking claw portion 108 is adapted to engage with the area surrounded by the downward protruding portions 110 and the connecting portion 112.

[0055] <First Engagement Portion 116 and Second Engagement Portion 120> Here, the back retainer 24 has a first engaging portion 116 that engages with a first engaged portion 56 that has crushed ribs 114, 114 provided on both sides in the first direction (up-down direction) and constitutes the engaged portion 54, and a second engaging portion 120 that engages with a second engaged portion 58 that has crushed ribs 118, 118 provided on both sides in the second direction (left-right direction) and constitutes the engaged portion 54. As described above, in the electric wire drawing outlet 18, the multiple first engaged portions 56 are arranged on both sides in the second direction (left-right direction) and the multiple second engaged portions 58 are arranged on both sides in the first direction (up-down direction), so that in the back retainer 24, the multiple first engaging portions 116 are arranged on both sides in the second direction and the multiple second engaging portions 120 are arranged on both sides in the first direction.

[0056] Specifically, in the upper retainer 76, the first engagement portion 116 is formed in a protruding shape that protrudes outward (leftward) from the outer peripheral surface of the elastic lock frame 106 provided at the left end. That is, vertical wall portions 122, 122 that protrude leftward and expand in the vertical direction are provided in the vertical middle portion of a pair of downward protruding portions 110, 110 that are separated in the front-rear direction in the elastic lock frame 106. In addition, the protruding tip ends (left ends) of the vertical wall portions 122 are connected by a connecting wall portion 124. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the area surrounded by the vertical wall portions 122 and the connecting wall portion 124 forms a substantially rectangular through hole 126 that penetrates in the vertical direction. The first engagement portion 116 is configured including each vertical wall portion 122 and the connecting wall portion 124, and crushed ribs 114, 114 are provided on both upper and lower end surfaces of the connecting wall portion 124, protruding further than each vertical wall portion 122 on both sides in the first direction (up-down direction). By assembling the pair of upper retainers 76, 76 having such a shape to each other in the up-down direction, the first engagement portion 116 is provided on both sides in the second direction (left-right direction) of the back retainer 24. Furthermore, since the first engagement portion 116 is provided so as to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the elastic lock frame 106 constituting the base portion 92, the first engagement portion 116 is also provided so as to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the mounting tube portion 93 constituted by the pair of base portions 92, 92.

[0057] In the state of the upper retainer 76 alone before the first engaging portions 116 are engaged with the first engaged portions 56, the vertical dimension C (see FIG. 10) between the protruding tips of the crushing ribs 114 is larger than the vertical dimension A of the first engaged portions 56 described above. As a result, when the back retainer 24 is fitted into the electric wire outlet 18 and the first engaging portions 116 are fitted into the first engaged portions 56, the first engaging portions 116 are pressed against the first engaged portions 56 on both sides in the first direction (vertical direction) via the crushing ribs 114. In addition, when the first engaging portions 116 are fitted into the first engaged portions 56, the first engaging portions 116 are accommodated in the first engaged portions 56 without protruding to the outer circumferential side of the electric wire outlet 18.

[0058] As described above, in the upper retainer 76, the crushed ribs 118, 118 of the second engagement portion 120 are provided on the outer lateral surface of each downward extension portion 104 extending downward from a pair of rear projections 100, 100 spaced apart in the lateral direction in each elastic lock piece 96. Specifically, each crushed rib 118 is provided on the upper end portion of each downward extension portion 104, and each second engagement portion 120 is configured including the upper end portion of each downward extension portion 104. That is, on the base end side (front side) of each elastic lock piece 96 of the back retainer 24 (upper retainer 76), each protruding second engagement portion 120 is configured including each downward extension portion 104 protruding from each elastic lock piece 96 toward each electric wire 16 side (downward). By assembling the pair of upper retainers 76, 76 having such a shape to each other in the vertical direction, second engagement portions 120 are provided on both sides of the back retainer 24 in the first direction (vertical direction).

[0059] In the state of the upper retainer 76 alone before the second engaging portions 120 are engaged with the second engaged portions 58, the left-right dimension D (see FIG. 10) between the protruding tips of the crushing ribs 118 is larger than the left-right dimension B of the second engaged portions 58. As a result, when the back retainer 24 is fitted into the electric wire outlet 18 and the second engaging portions 120 are fitted into the second engaged portions 58, the second engaging portions 120 are pressed against the second engaged portions 58 on both sides in the second direction (left-right direction) via the crushing ribs 118. Note that, as shown in FIG. 3, a space may be provided between the downward extending portions 104 in the left-right direction, so that the downward extending portions 104 can be slightly elastically deformed inward in the opposing direction when the crushing ribs 118 are pressed against the second engaged portions 58.

[0060] By giving the upper retainer 76 this shape, it becomes possible to remove the mold used in molding the upper retainer 76 in the vertical direction. This prevents an increase in the number of types of molds, and avoids an increase in costs. Also, by giving the upper retainer 76 and the lower retainer 78 the same shape, an increase in the number of types of parts is suppressed, and costs are reduced. Note that the upper retainer and the lower retainer do not necessarily have to have the same shape.

[0061] <Assembly of connector 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the connector 10. However, the method for assembling the connector 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0062] First, the insulating coating 36 is stripped off at the end of each electric wire 16 to expose the core wire 34, which is then fixed to the electric wire fixing portion 32 of each terminal body 28, and each clip spring 30 is attached to the rear end of each terminal body 28. This results in a state in which each terminal 12 is connected to the end of each electric wire 16. Then, each waterproof rubber 74 is fitted onto each electric wire 16.

[0063] Next, the electric wires 16 to which the terminals 12 and the waterproof rubbers 74 are assembled are inserted from the front openings 39 of the connector housings 14. After the terminals 12 are inserted to a predetermined position, the connector housings 14 to which the terminals 12 are assembled are inserted from the front openings (electric wire outlets 18) of the shield shell 20, and the connector housings 14 and the shield shell 20 are fixed, for example, by recess-projection fitting. In addition, a front retainer 66 is assembled from above to the cylindrical portion 64 of the shield shell 20. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the electric wires 16 are pulled out to the outside (forward) from the electric wire outlets 18 in the shield shell 20. The fastening bolts 70 are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 72 at an appropriate timing.

[0064] 5, the upper retainer 76 and the lower retainer 78, i.e., the upper retainer 76 and another upper retainer 76 that is upside down, are made to face each other in the vertical direction so as to sandwich each electric wire 16 from above and below at the portion of each electric wire 16 pulled out forward from each electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20. Thereafter, the pair of upper retainers 76, 76 are brought closer to each other in the vertical direction to engage each lock claw portion 88 with each lock frame body 90, and each elastic lock frame body 106 with each lock claw portion 108. As a result, the back retainer 24 is attached to each electric wire 16 at a position spaced forward from the shield shell 20.

[0065] Next, the back retainer 24 attached to each electric wire 16 is moved forward toward the shield shell 20. As a result, each elastic lock piece 96 protruding rearward in the back retainer 24 is inserted into each lock piece accommodating portion 60 that opens forward at the electric wire withdrawal port 18 of the shield shell 20, and each elastic lock piece 96 is accommodated in each lock piece accommodating portion 60. Then, while each elastic lock piece 96 is elastically deformed, each elastic lock piece 96 climbs over each lock protrusion 62 provided on the bottom surface of each lock piece accommodating portion 60, and each lock protrusion 62 is fitted into and engaged with each fitting hole 98 of each elastic lock piece 96.

[0066] Also, the first engaging portions 116 and the second engaging portions 120 are inserted into the first engaged portions 56 and the second engaged portions 58 that open forward at the electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20. As a result, the crushed ribs 114 of the first engaging portions 116 and the crushed ribs 118 of the second engaging portions 120 are compressed and deformed so as to be crushed by the first engaged portions 56 and the second engaged portions 58, respectively, so that the first engaging portions 116 and the second engaging portions 120 are pressed against the first engaged portions 56 and the second engaged portions 58, respectively. As a result, the back retainer 24 fits into the electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20, and the connector 10 is completed.

[0067] According to the connector 10 of the first embodiment having the above-mentioned structure, the first engaging portion 116 having the crushed ribs 114 and the second engaging portion 120 having the crushed ribs 118 in the back retainer 24 are fitted into the multiple engaged portions 54 (the first engaged portions 56 and the second engaged portions 58) at the electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20. In particular, by deforming the crushed ribs 114, 118 so as to be crushed against the first engaged portions 56 and the second engaged portions 58, the first engaging portions 116 and the second engaging portions 120 are pressed against the first engaged portions 56 and the second engaged portions 58, so that rattling between the shield shell 20 and the back retainer 24 is prevented. As a result, even if an external force such as vibration input from the outside is applied to each electric wire 16, causing each electric wire 16 to swing up and down or left and right, for example, the back retainer 24 is displaced relative to the shield shell 20, preventing the external force from being applied to each terminal 12 connected to each electric wire 16.

[0068] In particular, the first engaging portions 116 and the first engaged portions 56 are provided on both sides in the second direction (left-right direction), and the second engaging portions 120 and the second engaged portions 58 are provided on both sides in the first direction (up-down direction). This allows the first engaging portions 116 and the first engaged portions 56 and the second engaging portions 120 and the second engaged portions 58 to be symmetrically disposed in the left-right direction and the up-down direction in the circumferential direction of the electric wire outlet 18, thereby further suppressing displacement of the back retainer 24 relative to the shield shell 20.

[0069] Each electric wire 16 is inserted and held in a pressure-contact state relative to each electric wire insertion tube portion 22 by each electric wire pressing protrusion 86 of the back retainer 24 pressing the insulating coating 36 of each electric wire 16 radially inward. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of displacement of each electric wire 16 relative to the back retainer 24. In particular, in the first embodiment, the multiple electric wire pressing protrusions 86 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction in each electric wire insertion tube portion 22 are also arranged at intervals in the axial direction, making it possible to effectively reduce the amount of displacement of each electric wire 16 in the rotational direction (twisting).

[0070] The back retainer 24 has the elastic lock pieces 96 and the shield shell 20 has the lock protrusions 62, and the back retainer 24 is fitted into the electric wire outlet 18 of the shield shell 20 by fitting the elastic lock pieces 96 into the lock protrusions 62. This allows the back retainer 24 to be assembled to the shield shell 20 with a simple structure of the elastic lock pieces 96 and the lock protrusions 62. In particular, the shield shell 20 is provided with the lock piece accommodating portions 60 that open on the outer circumferential surface and accommodate the elastic lock pieces 96, so that the amount of protrusion of each elastic lock piece 96 from each lock piece accommodating portion 60 can be reduced or eliminated. This allows the size of the back retainer 24 and the shield shell 20, and therefore the connector 10, to be reduced. In addition, the risk that the engagement between each elastic lock piece 96 and each lock protrusion 62 will be unintentionally released and the back retainer 24 will fall off the shield shell 20 can be reduced.

[0071] In particular, the second engaged parts 58 are provided at the bottom of the lock piece accommodating parts 60 in which the elastic lock pieces 96 are accommodated, and the second engaging parts 120 that are press-fitted into the second engaged parts 58 are provided on the base end side (front side) of each elastic lock piece 96. That is, in the upper wall part 40 and the lower wall part 42 of the shield shell 20, the lock piece accommodating parts 60 and the second engaged parts 58 are provided continuously in the up-down direction, and it is possible to prevent the shield shell 20 from becoming large in size compared to a case in which, for example, the lock piece accommodating parts and the second engaged parts are provided at different positions in the circumferential direction of the electric wire outlet. Similarly, the elastic lock pieces 96 and the second engaging parts 120 can be provided at the same position in the circumferential direction of the mounting tube part 93 of the back retainer 24, and it is also possible to prevent the back retainer 24 from becoming large in size.

[0072] When the back retainer 24 is fitted to the shield shell 20, the first engaging portions 116 are housed in the first engaged portions 56 without protruding outward from the outer circumferential side of the electric wire outlet 18. This makes it possible to prevent the first engaging portions 116 from unintentionally falling off the first engaged portions 56 due to contact with other members or an operator, etc.

[0073] <Modification> Although the embodiments have been described above as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of the present disclosure that can achieve the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modified examples of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0074] (1) The shape of the terminal 12 in the above embodiment is merely an example and is not limited. That is, in the above embodiment, the terminal 12 has a cylindrical connection portion 26 into which a pin-shaped mating terminal is inserted, but is not limited to this aspect. The mating terminal may be flat tab-shaped as described in International Publication No. 2021 / 145197, for example, and in that case, the terminal may have a substantially rectangular terminal insertion gap.

[0075] (2) In the above embodiment, a plurality of first engaged parts 56 and second engaged parts 58 are provided, and a plurality of first engaging parts 116 and second engaging parts 120 are provided corresponding to the plurality of first engaged parts 56 and second engaged parts 58, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. That is, in the connector according to the present disclosure, it is sufficient to provide a plurality of engaged parts and a first engaging part and a second engaging part that engage with the engaged parts, and it is also possible to provide, for example, two engaged parts and one each of a first engaging part and a second engaging part. Even in such an embodiment, the squash ribs provided on both sides of the first engaging part in the first direction (the up-down direction in the above embodiment) suppress rattling in the first direction, and the squash ribs provided on both sides of the second engaging part in the second direction (the left-right direction in the above embodiment) suppress rattling in the second direction. Therefore, the displacement of the back retainer relative to the shield shell in two mutually perpendicular directions can be suppressed. The number of first engaging portions and second engaging portions is not limited, as long as at least one of each is provided.

[0076] (3) In the above embodiment, each lock piece accommodating portion 60 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire outlet 18 in the shield shell 20, and each lock protrusion 62 is provided on the bottom surface of each lock piece accommodating portion 60, but this is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, in the connector according to the present disclosure, a lock piece accommodating portion does not have to be provided. For example, the lock protrusion may protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire outlet in the shield shell, and in that case, each elastic lock piece is arranged to be overlapped with the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire outlet in the shield shell.

[0077] (4) In the above embodiment, each second engagement portion 120 is provided on the base end side (front side) of each elastic lock piece 96, but instead of or in addition to the second engagement portion, a first engagement portion may be provided on the base end side of the elastic lock piece. That is, in the above embodiment, each elastic lock piece 96 is provided on both sides in the up-down direction of the back retainer 24, but an elastic lock piece may be provided on one or both sides in the left-right direction of the back retainer to engage with a lock protrusion provided on one or both sides in the left-right direction of the shield shell. Note that the elastic lock piece is not essential in the connector according to the present disclosure.

[0078] (5) In the above embodiment, the back retainer 24 is composed of the upper retainer 76 and the lower retainer 78 (a pair of upper retainers 76, 76) having the same shape, but the upper retainer and the lower retainer may have different shapes. The upper retainer and the lower retainer may be formed as a single unit. For example, a hinge portion may be provided at one circumferential end of the upper retainer and the lower retainer to enable the upper retainer and the lower retainer to be opened and closed, and after the electric wire is sandwiched between the upper retainer and the lower retainer, the upper retainer and the lower retainer may be fixed to each other by a lock mechanism or the like provided at the other circumferential end of the upper retainer and the lower retainer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10 Connectors 12 Terminals 14 Connector housing 16 Electric wire 18 Wire outlet 20 Shield Shell 22 Wire insertion tube 24 Back retainer 26 Tubular joint 28 Terminal body 30 Clip spring 32 Wire fixing part 34 core wire 36 Insulation coating 38 Terminal housing 39 Front opening 40 Upper wall 42 Lower wall 44 Left wall 46 Right wall 48 Rear wall 50 Partition 52 Cylindrical end 54 Engaged part 56 First engaged part 58 Second engaged part 60 Lock piece housing 62 Lock protrusion 64 Cylindrical part 66 Front retainer 68 Through hole 70 Fastening bolt 72 Bolt insertion hole 73 Fixing member 74 Waterproof Rubber 76 Upper retainer 78 Lower Retainer 80 split cylinder part 80a 1st divided cylinder part 80b Second divided cylinder part 82 Gap 84 Connecting part 86 Wire pressing convex part 88 Locking claw 90 Lock frame 92 Base 93 Mounting tube 94 Ribs 96 Elastic lock piece 98 Mating hole 100 Rear protrusion 102 Connection 104 Downward extension part 106 Elastic lock frame 108 Locking claw 110 Downward protrusion 112 Connection 114 Crushed Ribs 116 First engagement part 118 Crushed Ribs 120 Second engagement portion 122 Vertical wall section 124 Connecting wall 126 Through hole

Claims

1. A terminal accommodated in a connector housing; an electric wire connected to the terminal and drawn out to the outside of the connector housing; a metallic shield shell fixed to the connector housing to cover the connector housing and having a cylindrical electric wire outlet through which the electric wires are drawn; a wire insertion tube portion through which the wire is inserted and held in a pressure-welded state; and a back retainer made of synthetic resin that is fitted into the wire outlet, the electric wire outlet of the shield shell has a plurality of engaged portions spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the electric wire outlet, the back retainer has a first engaging portion having a crushed rib provided on both sides in a first direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the electric wire and engaged with the engaged portion, and a second engaging portion having a crushed rib provided on both sides in a second direction perpendicular to both the extending direction of the electric wire and the first direction and engaged with the engaged portion, a connector in which, when the back retainer is fitted into the wire withdrawal port, the first engaging portion is pressed against the engaged portion on both sides in the first direction via the crushing rib, and the second engaging portion is pressed against the engaged portion on both sides in the second direction via the crushing rib.

2. the plurality of engaged portions of the electric wire drawing outlet include a plurality of first engaged portions arranged on both sides in the second direction and a plurality of second engaged portions arranged on both sides in the first direction, the back retainer includes a plurality of the first engagement portions arranged on both sides in the second direction and a plurality of the second engagement portions arranged on both sides in the first direction, 2. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein, when the back retainer is fitted into the wire outlet, the first engaging portion is pressed against the first engaged portion on both sides in the second direction via the crushing ribs on both sides in the first direction, and the second engaging portion is pressed against the second engaged portion on both sides in the first direction via the crushing ribs on both sides in the second direction.

3. a diameter dimension of an inner peripheral surface of the electric wire insertion tube portion of the back retainer is larger than a diameter dimension of an outer peripheral surface of the electric wire inserted inside the electric wire insertion tube portion, a plurality of wire pressing protrusions are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the wire insertion tube portion so as to be spaced apart from each other and protrude radially inward from the outer peripheral surface of the wire; 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the wire pressing protrusions presses an insulating coating that constitutes the outer peripheral surface of the wire radially inward, thereby inserting and holding the wire in a pressure-contact state into the wire insertion tube portion.

4. the back retainer has an elastic lock piece that protrudes in a cantilever shape toward the electric wire outlet of the shield shell, the elastic lock piece having a fitting hole at a protruding end portion, The shield shell has a locking protrusion protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire outlet, 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the back retainer is fitted into the wire outlet of the shield shell by fitting the locking projection of the shield shell into the fitting hole of the elastic locking piece of the back retainer.

5. The electric wire outlet of the shield shell has a concave lock piece accommodating portion that opens to the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire outlet, and the lock protrusion is provided on a bottom surface of the lock piece accommodating portion, 5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the elastic locking piece of the back retainer is accommodated in the locking piece accommodating portion when the back retainer is in a fitted state with respect to the shield shell.

6. the wire outlet of the shield shell is provided with a cylindrical end portion located on a wire outlet direction side, the engaged portions having a plurality of notches penetrating in a plate thickness direction and opening on an end face on the wire outlet direction side, At least one of the engaged portions is provided so as to open on the bottom surface of the lock piece accommodating portion, 6. The connector as described in claim 5, wherein a base end side of the elastic locking piece of the back retainer is provided with the second engaging portion having a protruding shape protruding from the elastic locking piece toward the electric wire side and pressed into the at least one engaged portion.

7. the back retainer includes a mounting tubular portion that is fitted into an inner peripheral side of the tubular end portion of the electric wire drawing outlet, and the first engaging portion that is protruded from an outer peripheral surface of the mounting tubular portion, 7. The connector according to claim 6, wherein, in a state in which the back retainer is fitted to the shield shell, the first engaging portion is accommodated in the engaged portion without protruding to an outer periphery of the wire outlet.

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