Connector assembly and structure

Abstract

To provide a connector assembly comprising a connector including two or more sub-connectors held so as to be capable of floating, where the sub-connectors can be attached to a housing without mistaking their attachment positions.SOLUTION: A connector assembly 12 comprises a first connector 20 and a second connector 70 that can be fitted to each other. The first connector 20 comprises two or more sub-connectors 30 and a housing 40. The sub-connectors 30 are connected to two or more branching tips 84 of one FPC board 80, respectively. The housing 40 holds the respective sub-connectors 30 so as to be capable of floating. The second connector 70 includes two or more fitting parts 74 that correspond to the sub-connectors 30, respectively. The respective sub-connectors 30 can be fitted to the corresponding fitting parts 74.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector assembly comprising a first connector and a second connector that are matable with each other. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector assembly of this type.

[0003] Referring to FIG. 29, the connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a first connector 90 and a mating connector (second connector: not shown) that can be fitted together along the fitting direction shown in the figure. The second connector is provided inside a case 98. The first connector 90 includes three connectors (sub-connectors) 92 and an outer housing (housing) 94. Two electric wires 96 are attached to each of the sub-connectors 92. Each of the sub-connectors 92 is held by a housing 94 and can move to a certain extent relative to the housing 94 in an orthogonal plane perpendicular to the fitting direction. That is, each of the sub-connectors 92 is held by the housing 94 so as to be floating in the orthogonal plane. The case 98 is formed with three mounting holes 99 corresponding to the sub-connectors 92, respectively.

[0004] When the first connector 90 is mated with the second connector, each of the sub-connectors 92 passes through a corresponding mounting hole 99 and is mated with the second connector. At this time, each of the sub-connectors 92 can move inside the corresponding mounting hole 99 in an orthogonal plane. According to Patent Document 1, since the first connector 90 has a floating structure that allows the sub-connectors 92 to move, the three sub-connectors 92 can be mated together with the second connector while adjusting the positional deviation of the sub-connectors 92 with respect to the mounting hole 99 caused by manufacturing tolerances. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-083578 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] According to a conventional connector assembly such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, when attaching the sub-connector to the housing, there is a risk of attaching it in the wrong place.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly having a connector including two or more sub-connectors held in a floating manner, in which the sub-connectors can be attached to a housing without making a mistake in the installation location. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a first connector assembly, A connector assembly including a first connector and a second connector that can be fitted to each other along a front-rear direction, The first connector includes two or more sub-connectors and a housing, The sub-connector is connected to two or more branched ends of a single FPC (flexible printed circuits) board, the housing holds each of the sub-connectors in a floating manner, the second connector has two or more fitting portions each corresponding to one of the sub-connectors; Each of the sub-connectors is capable of being fitted into the corresponding fitting portion. A connector assembly is provided.

[0009] The present invention provides a second connector assembly comprising a first connector assembly, The first connector includes a retainer, The retainer is fixed to the housing, The housing is formed with two or more receiving portions each corresponding to one of the sub-connectors, Each of the storage portions is open toward the rear of the housing, Each of the sub-connectors is partially and floatingly accommodated in the corresponding accommodating portion, the retainer covers the sub-connector from the rear, The first connector is formed with two or more slots each corresponding to one of the accommodating portions, Each of the slots is located between the housing and the retainer in the front-rear direction, Each of the slots communicates with a corresponding one of the receiving portions; The tip portions of the FPC boards pass through the slots and are connected to the sub-connectors. A connector assembly is provided.

[0010] The present invention provides a third connector assembly, which is a second connector assembly, The accommodation portion of the housing is provided with a restricting portion, The restriction portion extends inside the housing portion, The sub-connector has a regulated portion, One of the restricting portion and the restricted portion is elastically deformable, When the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodation portion, the restricting portion and the restricted portion face each other in the front-rear direction, thereby preventing the sub-connector from slipping out of the accommodation portion. A connector assembly is provided.

[0011] The present invention provides a fourth connector assembly, which is a second connector assembly, The sub-connector has three rear defining portions, The retainer has three rear opposing portions, one of the rear side defining portion and the rear side opposing portion is an abutment portion that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and the other of the rear side defining portion and the rear side opposing portion is a flat surface that faces the abutment portion, The sub-connector is movable rearward to a rearward limit position, The rear limit position is a position where the rear defining portion abuts against the rear opposing portion. A connector assembly is provided.

[0012] The present invention provides a fifth connector assembly, which is a first connector assembly, The sub-connector has three front defining portions, The housing has three front opposing portions, one of the front-side defining portion and the front-side opposing portion is an abutment portion that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and the other of the front-side defining portion and the front-side opposing portion is a flat surface that faces the abutment portion, The sub-connector is movable forward to a forward limit position, The front limit position is a position where the front defining portion abuts against the front opposing portion. A connector assembly is provided.

[0013] The present invention provides a sixth connector assembly, which is a first connector assembly, a size of the fitting portion of the second connector in a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is larger than a size of the fitting portion in a top-bottom direction perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the left-right direction; The fitting portion is provided with a tapered surface, two side ribs, and two upper and lower ribs, The side ribs and the upper and lower ribs are located in front of the tapered surface, The side ribs are located on opposite sides of the fitting portion in the left-right direction, protrude inward in the left-right direction, and extend along the front-rear direction, The upper and lower ribs are located on opposite sides of the fitting portion in the vertical direction, protrude inward in the vertical direction, and extend along the front-rear direction, When the sub-connector is fitted to the fitting portion, the tapered surface guides the sub-connector into the fitting portion, When the sub-connector is fitted to the fitting portion, the side ribs define a movable range of the sub-connector in the left-right direction, and the upper and lower ribs define a movable range of the sub-connector in the up-down direction. A connector assembly is provided.

[0014] The present invention provides a seventh connector assembly, which is a sixth connector assembly, The two upper and lower ribs are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction, The tapered surface has a size equal to or greater than 1 / 5 of the predetermined distance in each of the left-right direction and the up-down direction. A connector assembly is provided.

[0015] The present invention provides an eighth connector assembly, which is a first connector assembly, The sub-connectors have the same structure. A connector assembly is provided.

[0016] The present invention provides a ninth connector assembly, which is an eighth connector assembly, The sub-connector has an upper key and a lower key, the upper key and the lower key are located at different positions in the left-right direction, The housing has a front surface, an upper acceptance portion, and a lower acceptance portion, the front surface is located at a front end of the housing; the upper allowing portion is open at the front surface and allows the upper key to pass through when the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodating portion; the lower allowing portion is open at the front surface and allows the lower key to pass through when the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodating portion; When the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodating portion, one of the upper key and the lower key is located only in front of the front surface of the housing, and the other of the upper key and the lower key is movable inside the upper allowing portion or the lower allowing portion. A connector assembly is provided.

[0017] The present invention provides a ninth connector assembly as a tenth connector assembly, The second connector is formed with an upper groove corresponding to the upper key and a lower groove corresponding to the lower key, The upper groove and the lower groove are located at different positions from each other in the left-right direction, When the sub-connector is fitted to the fitting portion of the second connector, the upper key is received in the upper groove and the lower key is received in the lower groove. A connector assembly is provided.

[0018] The present invention provides a first structure, A structure comprising a connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and an FPC board having a tip portion branched into two or more, The sub-connectors are connected to the tip portions. Provides structure. Effect of the Invention

[0019] The first connector of the present invention is a connector including two or more sub-connectors held in a floating manner. The sub-connectors of the present invention are respectively connected to two or more branched tip portions of a single FPC board. With this structure, when the sub-connectors connected to the FPC board are attached to the housing, the order of the sub-connectors is already determined. Therefore, when attaching the sub-connectors to the housing, there is no risk of making a mistake in the attachment location. In other words, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector assembly including a connector including two or more sub-connectors held in a floating manner, and in which the sub-connectors can be attached to the housing without making a mistake in the attachment location. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a structure including a connector assembly and an FPC board according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a first connector and a second connector of the connector assembly are separated from each other, and the first connector is attached to a tip of the FPC board. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is another perspective view showing the structure of FIG. 1, in which the first connector and the second connector are in a mated state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the structure of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a top view showing a second connector of the connector assembly of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 5 is a rear view showing the second connector of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is an enlarged rear view of a portion (a portion surrounded by dashed dotted line A) of the second connector in FIG. 5. The outline of the sub-connector in the mated state is drawn by a dashed line. [Figure 7] 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the second connector taken along line VII-VII of Fig. 4. A part of the second connector (a part surrounded by a dashed line) is drawn in an enlarged manner. [Figure 8]8 is a cross-sectional view showing the second connector taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 4. The outlines of the hidden upper and lower grooves of the second connector and part of the outline of the sub-connector in a mated state are drawn by dashed lines. [Figure 9] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a first connector of the connector assembly of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view showing one of the sub-connectors of the first connector of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 11 is a rear view showing the sub-connector of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] 11 is a front view showing the sub-connector of FIG. 10. [Figure 13] 11 is a side view showing the sub-connector of FIG 10. The position of a plane including a rear side defining portion is indicated by a dashed line. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the housing of the first connector of FIG. 9. A part of the housing (a part surrounded by a dashed line) is drawn on an enlarged scale. In the enlarged view, the outline of the sub-connector accommodated in the housing is drawn by a dashed line. [Figure 15] 15 is a front view showing the housing of Fig. 14. A part of the housing (a part surrounded by a dashed line) is drawn on an enlarged scale. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view of the housing taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG.15. The position of a plane including the front facing portion is indicated by a dashed line. [Figure 17] 10 is a perspective view showing one of the retainers of the first connector of FIG. 9. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a front view showing the retainer of FIG. 17. [Figure 19] 10 is a rear view showing an intermediate structure composed of the housing and the sub-connector shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 20] 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the intermediate structure of FIG. 19 taken along line XX-XX. [Figure 21] 2 is a front view showing a first connector of the connector assembly of FIG. 1. [Figure 22]22 is a cross-sectional view of the first connector taken along line XXII-XXII of FIG.21.The outline of a hidden receiving portion of the housing and a part of a hidden front surface of the retainer are drawn with dashed lines. [Figure 23] 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part (a part surrounded by a dashed line B) of the first connector in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part (a part surrounded by a dashed line C) of the first connector in FIG. 22. FIG. [Diagram 25] 22 is a side view showing the first connector of FIG 21. The hidden outline of the upper key of the sub-connector is drawn by a dashed line. [Figure 26] 22 is a perspective view showing the first connector of FIG. 21. [Figure 27] FIG 22 is another front view showing the first connector of FIG 21, the first connector being connected to the FPC board. [Figure 28] 28 is a cross-sectional view showing the first connector of FIG. 27 taken along line XXVIII-XXVIII. [Figure 29] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector assembly of Patent Document 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] 1 and 2, a structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connector assembly 12 and an FPC (flexible printed circuits) board 80. The connector assembly 12 includes a first connector 20 and a second connector 70. The first connector 20 and the second connector 70 can be mated with each other along a mating direction. The mating direction in this embodiment is the front-rear direction, which is the X direction. In this embodiment, the "front" is the +X direction, and the "rear" is the -X direction. That is, the connector assembly 12 in this embodiment includes the first connector 20 and the second connector 70 that can be mated with each other along the front-rear direction. In the following description, terms such as the front-rear direction do not indicate absolute directions or positions with respect to the ground, but merely indicate relative directions or positions in the drawings.

[0022] The structure 10 according to this embodiment is installed inside an automobile (not shown) for use. In detail, the first connector 20 is fixed to a first device (not shown) installed inside the automobile, and connected to a flexible FPC board 80. The second connector 70 is fixed to a second device (not shown) installed inside the automobile. The first connector 20 and the second connector 70 are fitted together by a robot (not shown). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various structures 10.

[0023] In a mated state (state in FIG. 2) in which the first connector 20 and the second connector 70 are mated with each other, a first device (not shown) to which the first connector 20 is fixed and a second device (not shown) to which the second connector 70 is fixed are electrically connected to each other via the FPC board 80 and the connector assembly 12. On the other hand, in a separated state (state in FIG. 1) in which the first connector 20 and the second connector 70 are separated from each other, the first device and the second device are not electrically connected to each other.

[0024] The FPC board 80 of this embodiment will now be described.

[0025] The FPC board 80 has a single base 82 and two or more tip portions 84. The illustrated base 82 extends along a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The vertical direction in this embodiment is the Z direction. In this embodiment, "upward" is the +Z direction and "rearward" is the -Z direction. Each of the tip portions 84 is connected to the upper end of the base 82. The tip portions 84 are aligned in a left-right direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the vertical direction. The left-right direction in this embodiment is the Y direction. In this embodiment, "left" is the +Y direction and "right" is the -Y direction.

[0026] A gap 86 is formed between two tip portions 84 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. That is, two tip portions 84 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction are separated from each other with a gap 86 therebetween. Each tip portion 84 extends upward from the upper end of the base portion 82. As described above, the FPC board 80 of this embodiment has tip portions 84 branched into two or more from the base portion 82. The number of tip portions 84 in this embodiment is four. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number of tip portions 84 may be two or three, or may be five or more.

[0027] A large number of conductive lines (not shown) are formed on the FPC board 80. For example, the number of conductive lines is 80. Each of the conductive lines extends along the surface of the base 82 and then along the surface of one of the tip portions 84. A large number of conductive lines are formed on each of the tip portions 84 in this embodiment. The tip portions 84 in this embodiment have the same structure. The arrangement of the conductive lines in the four tip portions 84 is the same.

[0028] The first connector 20 of this embodiment will now be described.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 9, the first connector 20 of the present embodiment includes two or more sub-connectors 30, a housing 40 made of an insulator, two or more retainers 50 made of an insulator, and a large number of first terminals 60 made of a conductor. For example, the number of first terminals 60 is 80. Each of the first terminals 60 is held by one of the sub-connectors 30. Each of the sub-connectors 30 holds two or more first terminals 60. The first connector 20 of the present embodiment includes the above-mentioned members. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the retainer 50 may be provided as necessary. Meanwhile, the first connector 20 may further include another member in addition to the above-mentioned members.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, the sub-connectors 30 are respectively connected to the tip portion 84 of the FPC board 80 and partially accommodated inside the housing 40. The retainers 50 are provided corresponding to the sub-connectors 30. Each of the retainers 50 maintains the corresponding sub-connector 30 inside the housing 40. In this embodiment, the number of the sub-connectors 30 and the number of the retainers 50 are four. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number of the sub-connectors 30 may be two or three, or may be five or more. Also, one retainer 50 may be provided for two or more sub-connectors 30. That is, the number of the retainers 50 may be one or more.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 9, the sub-connectors 30 of this embodiment have the same structure. In addition, the arrangement of the first terminals 60 in the four sub-connectors 30 is the same. That is, all the sub-connectors 30 are the same parts, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the sub-connectors 30. Referring to FIG. 27 and FIG. 28, the sub-connectors 30 are connected to two or more branched end portions 84 of one FPC board 80. According to this embodiment, the sub-connectors 30 having the same structure are connected to the end portions 84 having the same structure. Therefore, according to this embodiment, each of the sub-connectors 30 may be connected to any end portion 84. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sub-connectors 30 may have different structures.

[0032] Hereinafter, one of the sub-connectors 30 of the present embodiment will be described. The following description is applicable to each of the sub-connectors 30.

[0033] 9 and 10, the sub-connector 30 of this embodiment has a main portion 31, an upper protruding plate 32, a lower protruding plate 33, two upper keys 37, two lower keys 38, two rear protruding portions 39, and two metal fixing members 392. The main portion 31, the upper protruding plate 32, the lower protruding plate 33, the upper keys 37, the lower keys 38, and the rear protruding portions 39 are integrally molded from resin. The fixing members 392 are press-fitted into the rear protruding portions 39, respectively. The fixing members 392 fix the sub-connector 30 to the tip portion 84 (see FIG. 3) of the FPC board 80 (see FIG. 3) when the first connector 20 is in use.

[0034] The sub-connector 30 of this embodiment has the members and parts described above. However, the structure of the sub-connector 30 in the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the rear protrusion 39 and the fixing member 392 may be provided as needed. Also, the structure of each part of the sub-connector 30 described below can be modified as needed.

[0035] 9, the main part 31 has a rectangular flat plate shape parallel to a horizontal plane (XY plane) perpendicular to the up-down direction. The upper protruding plate 32 has a rectangular flat plate shape parallel to a vertical plane (YZ plane) perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The upper protruding plate 32 is located at the rear end of the main part 31. The upper protruding plate 32 protrudes upward from the main part 31 and extends along the left-right direction. With reference to FIGS. 9, 12 and 13, each of the upper keys 37 has a square bar shape extending along the front-rear direction. The upper keys 37 are provided on the upper surface of the main part 31. The upper keys 37 are separated from each other in the left-right direction and extend parallel to each other from the upper protruding plate 32 to the vicinity of the front end of the main part 31.

[0036] 10, the lower protruding plate 33 has a rectangular flat plate shape parallel to the YZ plane. The lower protruding plate 33 is located at the rear end of the main part 31. The lower protruding plate 33 protrudes downward from the main part 31 and extends along the left-right direction. With reference to FIGS. 10, 12 and 13, each of the lower keys 38 has a square bar shape extending along the front-rear direction. The lower keys 38 are provided near the front end of the lower surface of the main part 31. The lower keys 38 are separated from each other in the left-right direction and extend parallel to each other near the front end of the lower surface of the main part 31.

[0037] 9, the sub-connector 30 is inserted into the housing 40 from the rear. Referring to FIG. 12 together with FIG. 9, the two upper keys 37 are positioned between the two lower keys 38 in the left-right direction. As will be described later, the upper keys 37 and lower keys 38 thus arranged prevent the sub-connector 30 from being inserted into the housing 40 upside down.

[0038] 12, the sub-connector 30 of the present embodiment has three front defining portions 35 and two regulated portions 34. The front defining portions 35 are portions for regulating forward movement of the sub-connector 30 inside the housing 40 (see FIG. 9), as described below. The front defining portions 35 of the present embodiment are composed of one front defining portion 352 and two front defining portions 354. The regulated portions 34 are portions for temporarily maintaining the sub-connector 30 inside the housing 40, as described below.

[0039] The lower protruding plate 33 of this embodiment has a flat front surface, and a middle portion of the front surface in the left-right direction functions as the front defining portion 352. The upper protruding plate 32 of this embodiment has a flat front surface, and both sides of the front surface in the left-right direction function as the front defining portion 354. Each of the front defining portions 35 of this embodiment is a plane parallel to the YZ plane. No visible boundary is provided in each of the front defining portions 35. The three front defining portions 35 are respectively located at the vertices of a downward imaginary isosceles triangle. The three front defining portions 35 are located at the same position relative to each other in the front-rear direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the front defining portions 35 may be a portion that protrudes forward from the upper protruding plate 32 or the lower protruding plate 33. The front defining portions 35 may be provided as necessary.

[0040] According to this embodiment, both left and right side portions of the flat front surface of the upper protruding plate 32 function as regulated portions 34. The two regulated portions 34 are located between the two front defining portions 354 in the left and right direction. Each of the regulated portions 34 in this embodiment is a plane parallel to the YZ plane. Each of the regulated portions 34 does not have a visible boundary, although the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the regulated portions 34 may be provided as necessary.

[0041] 11, the sub-connector 30 of this embodiment has three rear defining portions 36. As will be described later, the rear defining portions 36 are portions for restricting rearward movement of the sub-connector 30 inside the housing 40. The rear defining portions 36 of this embodiment are composed of one rear defining portion 362 and two rear defining portions 364.

[0042] The rear defining portion 362 is located at the middle portion in the left-right direction of the flat rear surface of the upper protruding plate 32. The rear defining portion 362 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the upper protruding plate 32. The rear defining portions 364 are located on both sides in the left-right direction of the flat rear surface of the lower protruding plate 33. Each of the rear defining portions 364 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the lower protruding plate 33. The three rear defining portions 36 are located at the vertices of an upward imaginary isosceles triangle. The rear end faces of the three rear defining portions 36 are at the same position relative to each other in the front-rear direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the rear defining portions 36 may be a part of the flat rear surface of the upper protruding plate 32 or the flat rear surface of the lower protruding plate 33. The rear defining portions 36 may be provided as necessary.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 13, each of the first terminals 60 is press-fitted into the main portion 31 from the rear. Referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, each of the first terminals 60 has a surface mount portion 62 and a first connection portion 64. Each of the first connection portions 64 is held by the main portion 31 and extends in the front-rear direction inside the main portion 31. Each of the surface mount portions 62 is located behind the main portion 31. Each of the surface mount portions 62 is a plane parallel to the XY plane. All of the surface mount portions 62 are located on the same plane parallel to the XY plane. The first terminals 60 of the present embodiment have the above-mentioned structure and are arranged as described above. However, as long as all of the surface mount portions 62 are located on the same horizontal plane, the structure and arrangement of the first terminals 60 are not particularly limited.

[0044] 9, the housing 40 of this embodiment is molded from resin and extends along the YZ plane as a whole. In particular, the housing 40 extends long in the left-right direction. The housing 40 has two or more accommodating sections 41 formed therein, each corresponding to a sub-connector 30. Each of the accommodating sections 41 is a space surrounded by an accommodating wall 412 in the YZ plane. The accommodating sections 41 are lined up in the left-right direction. The housing 40 also has a front surface 45. The front surface 45 is located at the front end of the housing 40 and extends in the left-right direction across all of the accommodating sections 41. That is, the front surface 45 is located at the front end of each of the accommodating walls 412.

[0045] 14 and 15, each of the storage sections 41 penetrates the housing 40 in the front-rear direction. In other words, each of the storage sections 41 opens to the rear of the housing 40 and also opens to the front of the housing 40. Four storage sections 41 are formed in the housing 40 in this embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number of storage sections 41 may be two or three, or may be five or more.

[0046] 20 together with Fig. 9, when assembling the first connector 20, first, each of the sub-connectors 30 is inserted into the corresponding accommodating portion 41 from the rear, and accommodated in the corresponding accommodating portion 41. When the four sub-connectors 30 are accommodated in the four accommodating portions 41, respectively, the intermediate structure 18 shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is formed.

[0047] 14, when the sub-connectors 30 are accommodated in the accommodation portions 41, the main portions 31 are spaced apart from the inner wall surfaces of the accommodation portions 41 in the YZ plane. The main portions 31 can move a predetermined distance in both the up-down and left-right directions until they abut against the inner wall surfaces of the accommodation portions 41. In other words, the housing 40 holds the sub-connectors 30 in a floating manner.

[0048] In the housing 40 of the present embodiment, in addition to the storage portion 41, upper fixing holes 48 and lower fixing holes 49 are formed. More specifically, two upper fixing holes 48 and two lower fixing holes 49 are formed for each storage portion 41. Two lower fixing holes 49 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction communicate with each other in the left-right direction.

[0049] The accommodating sections 41 of this embodiment have basically the same structure, including the portions provided for each of the accommodating sections 41. For example, the upper fixing holes 48 have the same structure. Also, the lower fixing holes 49 have the same structure, although two lower fixing holes 49 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction communicate with each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the sub-connectors 30 have different structures, the accommodating sections 41 may have different structures corresponding to the sub-connectors 30. Hereinafter, one of the accommodating sections 41 of this embodiment will be described together with the portions provided for this accommodating section 41. The following description is applicable to each of the accommodating sections 41.

[0050] 14 and 15, the accommodating section 41 of the present embodiment is formed with an upper allowable section 46 and two lower allowable sections 47. That is, the housing 40 of the present embodiment has the upper allowable section 46 and the lower allowable section 47. The upper allowable section 46 is a space located at the upper end of the accommodating section 41, and is a portion of the accommodating section 41 that partially protrudes upward. The upper allowable section 46 is located in the middle of the accommodating section 41 in the left-right direction. Each of the lower allowable sections 47 is a space located at the lower end of the accommodating section 41. Each of the lower allowable sections 47 is a recess that is recessed downward. The two lower allowable sections 47 are located on both sides of the accommodating section 41 in the left-right direction. The upper allowable section 46 is located between the two lower allowable sections 47 in the left-right direction.

[0051] Referring to Fig. 15 together with Fig. 14, each of the upper allowing portion 46 and the lower allowing portion 47 penetrates the housing 40 in the front-rear direction. In other words, each of the upper allowing portion 46 and the lower allowing portion 47 opens to the rear of the housing 40 and also opens to the front of the housing 40. Referring to Fig. 15 together with Fig. 16, the upper allowing portion 46 opens at the front surface 45. Similarly, each of the lower allowing portions 47 opens at the front surface 45.

[0052] 14, the upper allowing portion 46 extends elongatedly in the left-right direction to include positions corresponding to the two upper keys 37 of the sub-connector 30 in the YZ plane. The upper allowing portion 46 thus formed allows the upper keys 37 to pass when the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 41. The two lower allowing portions 47 are formed at positions corresponding respectively to the two lower keys 38 of the sub-connector 30 in the YZ plane. The lower allowing portions 47 thus formed each allow the lower keys 38 to pass when the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 41.

[0053] 14 together with FIG. 20, according to this embodiment, when the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 41, the lower key 38 is located only in front of the front surface 45 of the housing 40. The lower key 38 thus positioned does not hinder movement of the sub-connector 30 in the YZ plane. Also, when the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 41, the upper key 37 is partially located inside the upper allowing portion 46 and can move inside the upper allowing portion 46 in the YZ plane.

[0054] 14, the upper keys 37 and the lower keys 38 are located at different positions in the left-right direction. If an attempt is made to store the sub-connector 30 upside down in the storage section 41, at least one of the upper keys 37 and the lower keys 38 will abut against the front inner wall surface of the storage section 41. As a result, storage of the sub-connector 30 upside down (reverse storage) inside the storage section 41 is prevented.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 14 together with FIG. 20, the upper key 37 and the lower key 38 of this embodiment are arranged as described above and function as described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper key 37 may be provided near the front end of the main part 31, and the lower key 38 may be provided so as to extend over the entire main part 31 along the front-rear direction. That is, when the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodating part 41, one of the upper key 37 and the lower key 38 may be located only in front of the front surface 45 of the housing 40, and the other of the upper key 37 and the lower key 38 may be movable inside the upper allowable part 46 or the lower allowable part 47. Moreover, the upper allowable part 46 and the lower allowable part 47 may be provided as necessary. If the upper allowable part 46 and the lower allowable part 47 are not provided, it is not necessary to provide the upper key 37 and the lower key 38.

[0056] 14 to 16, the accommodating portion 41 of the housing 40 of this embodiment is provided with two restricting portions 43. The restricting portions 43 are located on both sides of the upper allowing portion 46 in the left-right direction. Each of the restricting portions 43 extends in the front-rear direction inside the accommodating portion 41 and is elastically deformable. Referring to FIG. 20, when the sub-connector 30 is inserted into the accommodating portion 41, the upper protruding plate 32 of the sub-connector 30 moves forward while moving each of the restricting portions 43 upward. When the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 41, the restricted portions 34 of the upper protruding plate 32 are located in front of the restricting portions 43. That is, when the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 41, the restricting portions 43 and the restricted portions 34 face each other in the front-rear direction, preventing the sub-connector 30 from slipping out of the accommodating portion 41.

[0057] According to this embodiment, the sub-connector 30 can be temporarily maintained inside the housing 40 before the retainer 50 (see FIG. 9) is attached. Therefore, the first connector 20 (see FIG. 9) can be easily assembled. According to this embodiment, each of the restricting portions 43 is elastically deformable, and each of the restricted portions 34 does not move relative to the sub-connector 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the restricting portions 43 may be provided so as not to move relative to the housing 40, and each of the restricted portions 34 may be elastically deformable. That is, one of the restricting portions 43 and the restricted portions 34 may be elastically deformable. Moreover, the restricting portions 43 and the restricted portions 34 may be provided as necessary.

[0058] 14 and 16, the storage section 41 of the present embodiment is provided with three front facing portions 44. That is, the housing 40 of the present embodiment has three front facing portions 44. The front facing portions 44 of the present embodiment are composed of one front facing portion 442 and two front facing portions 444.

[0059] The front facing portion 442 and the front facing portion 444 are provided on the front inner wall surface of the storage portion 41. The front facing portion 442 is located at the same position as the lower allowable portion 47 of the storage portion 41 in the vertical direction, and is located in the middle of the storage portion 41 in the left-right direction. The front facing portion 442 protrudes rearward from the front inner wall surface of the storage portion 41. The front facing portion 444 is located at the same position as the upper allowable portion 46 of the storage portion 41 in the vertical direction, and is located on both sides of the upper allowable portion 46 in the left-right direction. The two restricting portions 43 are located between the two front facing portions 444 in the left-right direction. Each of the front facing portions 444 protrudes rearward from the front inner wall surface of the storage portion 41. The three front facing portions 44 are located at the vertices of a downward imaginary isosceles triangle. The rear end faces of the three front facing portions 44 are located at the same positions as each other in the front-rear direction.

[0060] 23 and 24 together with FIG. 22, when the sub-connector 30 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 41, the front facing portion 442 faces the front defining portion 352 of the sub-connector 30 in the front-rear direction, and the front facing portion 444 faces the front defining portion 354 of the sub-connector 30 in the front-rear direction. As can be seen from this arrangement, the sub-connector 30 can move forward up to the front limit position. On the other hand, the sub-connector 30 cannot move forward beyond the front limit position. This front limit position is the position where the front defining portions 35 abut against the front facing portions 44. In other words, the front limit position is the position when the front end of the sub-connector 30 protrudes most from the housing 40.

[0061] According to this embodiment, the three front defining portions 35 abut against the three front opposing portions 44 on a single plane parallel to the YZ plane. In addition, by making the small convex portions function as the front opposing portions 44, the abutment area between the front defining portions 35 and the front opposing portions 44 can be reduced. If two planes are abutted against each other, the abutment area is likely to be large. The larger the abutment area, the more difficult it is to form the front defining portions 35 at an appropriate position due to problems such as distortion during molding. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, when molding the housing 40, it is easy to form the front opposing portions 44, which are small convex portions, at an appropriate position. Even if a portion including the front defining portions 35 is distorted when molding the main portion 31 of the sub-connector 30, the three front defining portions 35 can abut against the three front opposing portions 44, respectively.

[0062] According to this embodiment, each of the front opposing parts 44 is an abutment part that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and each of the front defining parts 35 is a plane that faces an abutment part. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the front defining parts 35 may be an abutment part that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and each of the front opposing parts 44 may be a plane that faces an abutment part. That is, one of the front defining part 35 and the front opposing part 44 may be an abutment part that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and the other of the front defining part 35 and the front opposing part 44 may be a plane that faces an abutment part. Moreover, the front defining part 35 and the front opposing part 44 may be provided as necessary.

[0063] 14 and 15, the two upper fixing holes 48 in this embodiment are located above the storage section 41, and are located on both sides of the storage section 41 in the left-right direction. The lower fixing holes 49 in this embodiment are located below the storage section 41, and are located on both sides of the storage section 41 in the left-right direction. Each of the upper fixing holes 48 and the lower fixing holes 49 penetrates the housing 40 in the front-rear direction. An upper engagement protrusion 482 is provided inside each of the upper fixing holes 48. Each of the upper engagement protrusions 482 protrudes upward. A lower engagement protrusion 492 is provided inside each of the lower fixing holes 49. Each of the lower engagement protrusions 492 protrudes downward.

[0064] The housing 40 of the present embodiment has the structure described above. However, the structure of the housing 40 in the present invention is not particularly limited and can be modified as necessary.

[0065] 22 together with FIG. 20, the first connector 20 of this embodiment can be formed by attaching a retainer 50 to the intermediate structure 18. According to this embodiment, each of the retainers 50 is attached to the housing 40 from the rear and covers the corresponding sub-connector 30 from the rear. The retainer 50 is fixed to the housing 40, thereby reliably preventing the sub-connector 30 from slipping out of the accommodating portion 41. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The retainer 50 may be provided as necessary. For example, only a portion of all the sub-connectors 30 may be covered by the retainer 50.

[0066] 9, the retainers 50 of this embodiment have the same structure. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the retainers 50 may have different structures. Hereinafter, one of the retainers 50 of this embodiment will be described. The following description is applicable to each of the retainers 50.

[0067] 17, the retainer 50 of this embodiment has a cover 51, two upper fixed parts 52, two lower fixed parts 53, an upper protrusion 54, and two lower protrusions 56. The cover 51, the upper fixed parts 52, the lower fixed parts 53, the upper protrusion 54, and the lower protrusion 56 are integrally molded from resin. The cover 51 has a rectangular flat plate shape parallel to the YZ plane as a whole. The upper fixed parts 52, the lower fixed parts 53, the upper protrusion 54, and the lower protrusion 56 extend forward from the cover 51.

[0068] The retainer 50 of the present embodiment has the above-mentioned parts. However, the structure of the retainer 50 in the present invention is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the structure of each part of the retainer 50 described below can be modified as necessary.

[0069] 17 and 18, the upper fixed portion 52 and the lower fixed portion 53 are located at the four corners of the cover 51 in the YZ plane (i.e., the four corners of the retainer 50). More specifically, the upper fixed portion 52 is located at the upper end of the cover 51, and is located on both sides of the cover 51 in the left-right direction. The lower fixed portion 53 is located at the lower end of the cover 51, and is located on both sides of the cover 51 in the left-right direction. The upper protrusion 54 and the lower protrusion 56 are located between the upper fixed portion 52 and the lower fixed portion 53 in the up-down direction. The lower protrusion 56 is located below the upper protrusion 54, and is located on both sides of the cover 51 in the left-right direction. The upper protrusion 54 extends in the left-right direction so as to cover the two lower protrusions 56 from above.

[0070] Each of the upper fixed portions 52 includes an upper received portion 522 and an upper engagement plate 524. Each of the upper engagement plates 524 has a flat plate shape parallel to the XY plane and extends along the front-rear direction. Each of the upper engagement plates 524 is elastically deformable. Each of the upper received portions 522 extends along the front-rear direction so as to cover the upper engagement plate 524 from above.

[0071] Each lower fixed portion 53 is composed of a lower received portion 532 and a lower engagement plate 534. Each lower engagement plate 534 has a flat plate shape parallel to the XY plane and extends along the front-rear direction. Each lower engagement plate 534 is elastically deformable. Each lower received portion 532 extends along the front-rear direction so as to cover the lower engagement plate 534 from below.

[0072] 26 together with FIG. 14, when the retainer 50 is attached to the housing 40, the upper fixed portions 52 are inserted into the upper fixing holes 48 of the housing 40, and the lower fixed portions 53 are inserted into the lower fixing holes 49 of the housing 40. The inserted upper engagement plates 524 engage with the upper engagement protrusions 482 of the housing 40, and the inserted lower engagement plates 534 engage with the lower engagement protrusions 492 of the housing 40. As a result, the retainer 50 attached to the housing 40 is fixed to the housing 40 at its four corners. However, in the present invention, the method of fixing the retainer 50 to the housing 40 is not particularly limited.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 14 together with FIG. 16 and FIG. 20, three receiving portions 42 are provided around the accommodating portion 41 of the housing 40. The three receiving portions 42 are respectively located at the vertices of an upward imaginary isosceles triangle. Each of the receiving portions 42 is a small protrusion that protrudes rearward. Referring to FIG. 22 together with FIG. 20, when the retainer 50 fixed to the housing 40 is further moved forward, the receiving portions 42 come into contact with the front surface of the retainer 50, and the forward movement of the retainer 50 ends. With this structure, a gap (slot 22) is formed between the housing 40 and the retainer 50.

[0074] 17 and 18, the retainer 50 of the present embodiment has three rear facing portions 58. The rear facing portions 58 of the present embodiment are composed of one rear facing portion 582 and two rear facing portions 584.

[0075] According to this embodiment, the upper protrusion 54 has a flat front surface, and a middle portion of the front surface in the left-right direction functions as the rear facing portion 582. In addition, the two lower protrusions 56 each have a flat front surface, and a part of each of these front surfaces functions as the rear facing portion 584. Each of the rear facing portions 58 in this embodiment is a plane parallel to the YZ plane. No visible boundary is provided in each of the rear facing portions 58. The three rear facing portions 58 are each located at the apex of an upward imaginary isosceles triangle. The three rear facing portions 58 are located at the same position relative to each other in the front-rear direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the rear facing portions 58 may be a portion that protrudes forward from the upper protrusion 54 or the lower protrusion 56. In addition, the rear facing portions 58 may be provided as necessary.

[0076] 23 and 24 together with FIG. 22, when the retainer 50 is fixed to the housing 40, the rear facing portion 582 faces the rear defining portion 362 of the sub-connector 30 in the front-rear direction, and the rear facing portion 584 faces the rear defining portion 364 of the sub-connector 30 in the front-rear direction. As can be seen from this arrangement, the sub-connector 30 can move rearward up to the rear limit position. On the other hand, the sub-connector 30 cannot move rearward beyond the rear limit position. This rear limit position is the position where the rear defining portions 36 abut against the rear facing portions 58. In other words, the rear limit position is the position when the front end of the sub-connector 30 is closest to the housing 40.

[0077] According to this embodiment, the three rear defining portions 36 abut against the three rear opposing portions 58, respectively, on a single plane parallel to the YZ plane. In addition, by making the small convex portions function as the rear defining portions 36, the abutment area between the rear defining portions 36 and the rear opposing portions 58 can be reduced. If two planes are abutted against each other, the abutment area is likely to be large. The larger the abutment area, the more difficult it is to form the rear opposing portions 58 at an appropriate position due to problems such as the occurrence of distortion during molding. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, when molding the main portion 31 of the sub-connector 30, it is easy to form the rear defining portions 36, which are small convex portions, at an appropriate position. Even if a portion including the rear opposing portions 58 is distorted when molding the retainer 50, the three rear defining portions 36 can abut against the three rear opposing portions 58, respectively.

[0078] According to this embodiment, each of the rear defining portions 36 is an abutment portion that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and each of the rear opposing portions 58 is a flat surface that faces an abutment portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the rear opposing portions 58 may be an abutment portion that protrudes in the front-rear direction, or each of the rear defining portions 36 may be a flat surface that faces an abutment portion. That is, one of the rear defining portion 36 and the rear opposing portion 58 may be an abutment portion that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and the other of the rear defining portion 36 and the rear opposing portion 58 may be a flat surface that faces an abutment portion. Also, the rear defining portion 36 and the rear opposing portion 58 may be provided as necessary.

[0079] 22, the sub-connector 30 of this embodiment is movable in the front-rear direction inside the accommodating section 41. In addition, as described above, the sub-connector 30 is movable in the up-down direction and the left-right direction inside the accommodating section 41. That is, the sub-connector 30 of this embodiment is capable of floating three-dimensionally inside the accommodating section 41. Referring to FIG. 25, even if the sub-connector 30 is floating, regardless of the position and posture of the sub-connector 30, the upper keys 37 of the sub-connector 30 extend forward beyond the front surface 45 of the housing 40, and the lower keys 38 of the sub-connector 30 are located only in front of the front surface 45.

[0080] With reference to FIG. 11, the three rear defining portions 36 defining the rear limit position form a virtual upward triangle. With reference to FIG. 14, the three front opposing portions 44 defining the front limit position form a virtual downward triangle. With reference to FIGS. 11 and 14, the upward triangle and the downward triangle face in opposite directions in the up-down direction. With this arrangement, it is easy to control the change in posture of the sub-connector 30 caused by the three-dimensional floating, and the sub-connector 30 floats three-dimensionally stably. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the triangle formed by the three front opposing portions 44 and the triangle formed by the three rear defining portions 36 may face the same direction in the up-down direction.

[0081] 19 to 22, in the above description, the retainer 50 is attached to the intermediate structure 18 immediately after the intermediate structure 18 shown in Figs. 19 and 20 is formed, and thus the first connector 20 shown in Figs. 21 and 22 is assembled. Meanwhile, with reference to Figs. 19, 20, 27 and 28, the actual first connector 20 is assembled as follows. First, the tip portions 84 of the FPC board 80 are respectively connected to the sub-connector 30. Next, the sub-connector 30 and the housing 40 are assembled to the intermediate structure 18. Next, the retainer 50 is attached to the intermediate structure 18.

[0082] 28, the FPC board 80 connected to the sub-connectors 30 and the retainer 50 fixed to the housing 40 do not substantially impede the three-dimensional floating of each of the sub-connectors 30. That is, each of the sub-connectors 30 is partially housed in the corresponding housing portion 41 in a manner allowing it to float.

[0083] The first connector 20 connected to the FPC board 80 in this embodiment will be described below.

[0084] 3 and 22, the first connector 20 is formed with two or more slots 22 each corresponding to one of the accommodating portions 41. Each of the slots 22 is a space formed between the housing 40 and the cover 51 of the retainer 50 in the front-rear direction. That is, each of the slots 22 is located between the housing 40 and the retainer 50 in the front-rear direction.

[0085] 28 together with FIG. 22, each of the slots 22 communicates with a corresponding housing portion 41. The size of each of the slots 22 in the front-rear direction is greater than the thickness of the flat FPC board 80. The tip portions 84 of the FPC board 80 pass through the slots 22 and are connected to the sub-connectors 30, respectively. More specifically, the conductive wires (not shown) of the tip portions 84 are fixed and connected to the surface mounting portions 62 of the first terminals 60 by soldering or the like. According to this embodiment, since the slots 22 are provided, the four tip portions 84 of a single FPC board 80 can be connected to the four sub-connectors 30, respectively.

[0086] To summarise the above description with reference to Fig. 27, the first connector 20 of this embodiment is a connector including two or more sub-connectors 30 that are held in a floating manner. The sub-connectors 30 of this embodiment are each connected to a tip portion 84 of one FPC board 80 that is branched into two or more.

[0087] According to this embodiment, when the sub-connectors 30 connected to the FPC board 80 are attached to the housing 40, the order of the sub-connectors 30 in the left-right direction is already determined. Therefore, when attaching the sub-connectors 30 to the housing 40, there is no risk of making a mistake in the attachment location. Referring to FIG. 1, this embodiment provides a connector assembly 12 including a first connector 20 including two or more sub-connectors 30 held in a floating manner, in which the sub-connectors 30 can be attached to the housing 40 without making a mistake in the attachment location. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to when the sub-connectors 30 are provided with different mating keys.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 28, the first connector 20 of this embodiment is a surface mount connector. In general, as the number of terminals in a surface mount connector increases, it becomes difficult to position the surface mount parts of the terminals on the same plane due to problems such as distortion that occurs when molding the connector. According to this embodiment, the connector is divided into four first connectors 20 so that the number of first terminals 60 is a predetermined number or less. With this structure, in each of the first connectors 20, the surface mount parts 62 of all the first terminals 60 can be positioned on the same plane parallel to the XY plane. Therefore, for example, the surface mount parts 62 can be appropriately soldered by a reflow process.

[0089] 1 and 2, the sub-connector 30 of the first connector 20 assembled as described above can be mated with the second connector 70. The second connector 70 of the present embodiment will now be described.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 1, the second connector 70 of the present embodiment includes a second housing 71 made of an insulator, a number of second terminals 79 made of a conductor, a locator 796 made of an insulator, and two fixing members 798 made of metal. For example, the number of second terminals 79 is 80. The second terminals 79 are provided corresponding to the first terminals 60 (see FIG. 9) of the first connector 20, respectively. The second terminals 79 are held by the second housing 71. The fixing members 798 are press-fitted into both sides of the second housing 71 in the left-right direction, respectively. The fixing members 798 fix the second connector 70 to a second device (not shown) when the second connector 70 is used. The second connector 70 of the present embodiment includes the above-mentioned members. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the locator 796 and the fixing members 798 may be provided as necessary. Meanwhile, the second connector 70 may further include other members in addition to the above-mentioned members.

[0091] 1 and 4, the second housing 71 of this embodiment extends long in the left-right direction. The second housing 71 has a partition portion 712, a connection portion 714, and a mounted portion 716. The partition portion 712, the connection portion 714, and the mounted portion 716 are integrally molded from resin. The partition portion 712 extends parallel to the YZ plane as a whole. The connection portion 714 is a portion that is connected to the first connector 20. The connection portion 714 protrudes rearward from the partition portion 712 and extends in the left-right direction. The mounted portion 716 is a portion that is mounted on a second device (not shown). The mounted portion 716 protrudes forward from the partition portion 712 and extends in the left-right direction.

[0092] 1, the second connector 70 of the present embodiment has two or more fitting portions 72 each corresponding to a sub-connector 30. Each of the fitting portions 72 is a space surrounded by a fitting wall 722 of the second housing 71 in the YZ plane. Each of the fitting portions 72 opens rearward and extends to a partition portion 712 of the second housing 71 in the front-rear direction. The fitting portions 72 are arranged in the left-right direction. Referring to FIG. 8, each of the sub-connectors 30 can be fitted into the corresponding fitting portion 72. Each of the fitting portions 72 holds a second terminal 79 each corresponding to the first terminal 60 of the sub-connector 30. Each of the second terminals 79 has a second connecting portion 792 and a fixed portion 794. The fixed portion 794 is fixed and connected to a second device (not shown).

[0093] In the mated state, the second connection portions 792 come into contact with the first connection portions 64 of the first terminals 60, respectively, so that the second connector 70 is electrically connected to all of the sub-connectors 30. According to this embodiment, all of the first terminals 60 divided into the four sub-connectors 30 can be connected to all of the second terminals 79 collectively.

[0094] 1, the second connector 70 of the present embodiment has the structure described above. The second connector 70 of the present embodiment has four mating portions 72. However, as long as the second connector 70 has two or more mating portions 72 that respectively correspond to the sub-connectors 30, the structure of the second connector 70 is not particularly limited. For example, the number of mating portions 72 may be two or three, or may be five or more.

[0095] 5, the mating portions 72 of this embodiment basically have the same structure, including the portions provided for each mating portion 72. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the sub-connectors 30 have different structures, the mating portions 72 may have different structures corresponding to the sub-connectors 30. Below, one of the mating portions 72 of this embodiment will be described together with the portions provided for this mating portion 72. The following description is applicable to each of the mating portions 72.

[0096] 6, in this embodiment, the size MW in the left-right direction of the mating portion 72 of the second connector 70 is larger than the size MH in the up-down direction. In other words, the mating portion 72 in this embodiment is wide. This structure allows the second connector 70 to have a low profile. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the size MW may be smaller than the size MH.

[0097] The fitting portion 72 of the present embodiment is provided with a tapered surface 73, two side ribs 74, and four upper and lower ribs 75. The tapered surface 73 is made up of two side tapered surfaces 732 and two upper and lower tapered surfaces 734.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the tapered surface 73 is the rear end of the fitting wall 722 and surrounds the fitting portion 72 in the YZ plane. That is, the tapered surface 73 is located at the rear end of the fitting portion 72. The side tapered surfaces 732 are located on the opposite sides of the fitting portion 72 in the left-right direction. Each of the side tapered surfaces 732 extends forward while inclining inward in the left-right direction. The upper and lower tapered surfaces 734 are located on the opposite sides of the fitting portion 72 in the up-down direction. Each of the upper and lower tapered surfaces 734 extends forward while inclining inward in the up-down direction. In other words, the tapered surface 73 is provided so that the fitting portion 72 gradually narrows toward the front.

[0099] 8 together with Fig. 6, when the sub-connector 30 is inserted into the fitting portion 72, if the position of the main portion 31 of the sub-connector 30 in the YZ plane is misaligned with the position of the middle portion of the fitting portion 72 in the YZ plane, the front end of the main portion 31 abuts against the tapered surface 73. As a result, the sub-connector 30 receives a force toward the middle portion of the fitting portion 72 in the YZ plane and moves to an appropriate position. That is, when the sub-connector 30 fits into the fitting portion 72, the tapered surface 73 guides the sub-connector 30 into the fitting portion 72.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 6 together with FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the side rib 74 and the upper and lower ribs 75 are located in front of the tapered surface 73. The rear ends of the side ribs 74 and the upper and lower ribs 75 are formed with inclined surfaces that incline toward the inside of the fitting portion 72. The side ribs 74 are located on the opposite sides of the fitting portion 72 in the left-right direction and are located in the middle of the fitting portion 72 in the up-down direction. The side ribs 74 protrude inward in the left-right direction and extend along the front-rear direction. Two of the upper and lower ribs 75 are provided on the upper surface of the fitting wall 722 (upper fitting wall 722), and the other two of the upper and lower ribs 75 are provided on the lower surface of the fitting wall 722 (lower fitting wall 722). The two upper upper and lower ribs 75 are located on both sides of the upper fitting wall 722 in the left-right direction. The two lower upper and lower ribs 75 are located on both sides of the lower fitting wall 722 in the left-right direction.

[0101] 8 together with FIG. 6, after being guided inside the fitting portion 72, the sub-connector 30 abuts against the inclined rear ends of the side ribs 74 and the upper and lower ribs 75, thereby further adjusting the position of the sub-connector 30 in the YZ plane. The sub-connector 30 moves forward inside the fitting portion 72 while being sandwiched between the side ribs 74 in the left-right direction and between the upper and lower ribs 75 in the up-down direction. When the sub-connector 30 is fitted into the fitting portion 72, the side ribs 74 define the range of movement of the sub-connector 30 in the left-right direction, and the upper and lower ribs 75 define the range of movement of the sub-connector 30 in the up-down direction.

[0102] According to this embodiment, the tapered surface 73, the side ribs 74, and the upper and lower ribs 75 allow the floating sub-connector 30 to be accurately positioned relative to the fitting portion 72. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the tapered surface 73, the side ribs 74, and the upper and lower ribs 75 may be provided as necessary.

[0103] The two side ribs 74 in this embodiment are at the same position in the vertical direction. The upper two of the four vertical ribs 75 in this embodiment are at the same position in the horizontal direction as the lower two. This arrangement allows the sub-connector 30 to be more accurately positioned with respect to the fitting portion 72. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the fitting portion 72 may be provided with two upper and lower ribs 75. When the number of the upper and lower ribs 75 is two, the upper and lower ribs 75 may be located on opposite sides of the fitting portion 72 in the vertical direction, protrude inward in the vertical direction, and extend along the front-rear direction. When the number of the upper and lower ribs 75 is three, the three upper and lower ribs 75 may be arranged so as to be located at the vertices of a virtual triangle. The side ribs 74 may also be located at different positions in the vertical direction.

[0104] 6, the two upper and lower ribs 75 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance RH in the up-down direction. The tapered surface 73 has a size TW in the left-right direction and a size TH in the up-down direction. Specifically, each of the side tapered surfaces 732 has a size TW in the left-right direction. Each of the upper and lower tapered surfaces 734 has a size TH in the up-down direction. Each of the sizes TW and TH is 1 / 5 or more of the predetermined distance RH. In other words, the tapered surface 73 has a size in each of the left-right direction and the up-down direction that is 1 / 5 or more of the predetermined distance RH.

[0105] The size TW and size TH of the tapered surface 73 in this embodiment are considerably larger than those of the conventional technology. According to this embodiment, when the first connector 20 is mated with the second connector 70, even if the position of the first connector 20 in the YZ plane is relatively significantly different from the position of the second connector 70 in the YZ plane, the position of the sub-connector 30 in the YZ plane can be adjusted by the tapered surface 73 by applying a small forward force to the sub-connector 30. Therefore, when one of the first connector 20 and the second connector 70 is held by an arm of a robot (not shown) and moved relatively toward the other of the first connector 20 and the second connector 70, the sub-connector 30 is mated with the second connector 70 with a small insertion force. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the size of the tapered surface 73 may be set as necessary.

[0106] 6 together with FIG. 8, in this embodiment, two upper grooves 76 are formed above the fitting portion 72, and two lower grooves 77 are formed below the fitting portion 72. Each of the upper grooves 76 and the lower grooves 77 extends over the entire connecting portion 714 in the front-rear direction and opens to the rear. The upper grooves 76 and the lower grooves 77 are located at different positions from each other in the left-right direction.

[0107] When the sub-connector 30 is inserted into the fitting portion 72 in an appropriate position with the upper keys 37 positioned above the lower keys 38, the upper keys 37 are received in the upper grooves 76, and the lower keys 38 are received in the lower grooves 77. That is, the second connector 70 is formed with upper grooves 76 corresponding to the upper keys 37 of the sub-connector 30, and lower grooves 77 corresponding to the lower keys 38 of the sub-connector 30. When the sub-connector 30 is fitted into the fitting portion 72 of the second connector 70, the upper keys 37 are received in the upper grooves 76, and the lower keys 38 are received in the lower grooves 77.

[0108] 1 together with Fig. 6, according to this embodiment, when an attempt is made to fit the first connector 20 into the second connector 70 upside down, the upper keys 37 and the lower keys 38 abut against the tapered surface 73 of the fitting portion 72, making it impossible for the first connector 20 to fit into the second connector 70. In other words, the upper keys 37 and the lower keys 38 not only function as keys that prevent the sub-connector 30 from being accommodated in the housing 40 in reverse, but also function as fitting keys that prevent the first connector 20 from being fitted in reverse.

[0109] 1 and 2, the first connector 20 and the second connector 70 of the present embodiment can be fitted to each other as described above. Referring to FIG. 1 together with FIGS. 23 and 24, when the first connector 20 is moved relatively toward the second connector 70, each of the sub-connectors 30 receives a rearward force from the second connector 70, and moves to the rear limit position while being fitted together with the second connector 70. At this time, the rear defining portion 36 of the sub-connector 30 abuts against the rear opposing portion 58 of the retainer 50 in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. As described above, the abutment area between the rear defining portion 36 and the rear opposing portion 58 is small. Therefore, even if the position of the sub-connector 30 in the YZ plane is misaligned, the sub-connector 30 moves smoothly to an appropriate position in the YZ plane without receiving almost any friction force, and extends straight along the front-rear direction. That is, the rear defining portion 36 and the rear opposing portion 58 stabilize the posture of the sub-connector 30 when fitted.

[0110] When the first connector 20 mated with the second connector 70 is pulled backward, each of the sub-connectors 30 receives a forward force from the second connector 70, and moves to the forward limit position while being removed from the second connector 70. At this time, the front facing portion 44 of the housing 40 abuts against the front defining portion 35 of the sub-connector 30 in a plane parallel to the YZ plane. As described above, the abutment area between the front facing portion 44 and the front defining portion 35 is small. Therefore, even if the direction in which the first connector 20 is pulled is oblique to the front-rear direction, the sub-connector 30 moves smoothly in the YZ plane without receiving almost any friction force and extends straight along the front-rear direction. In other words, the front defining portion 35 and the front facing portion 44 stabilize the posture of the sub-connector 30 when it is removed.

[0111] 1 and 2, as described above, the connector assembly 12 of this embodiment forms the structure 10 together with the FPC board 80. That is, the structure 10 of this embodiment includes the connector assembly 12 and one FPC board 80 having a tip portion 84 branched into two or more portions. The sub-connectors 30 are each connected to the tip portion 84.

[0112] In addition to the embodiments and various modified examples already described, the present invention can be applied in various other ways. For example, referring to Fig. 6 and Fig. 8, two key grooves 78 are formed above each of the fitting portions 72 of the second connector 70 of this embodiment. In each of the fitting portions 72, the two upper grooves 76 are located between the two key grooves 78 in the left-right direction. Each of the key grooves 78 extends along the front-rear direction and opens to the rear. The arrangement of the key grooves 78 in the four fitting portions 72 is different from one another.

[0113] For example, instead of the first connector 20 (see FIG. 1) of the present embodiment, four mutually independent connectors (not shown) each attached to a discrete electric wire may be connected to the second connector 70. In this case, each of the connectors may be provided with a mating key corresponding to the key groove 78.

[0114] 1, each of the retainers 50 may be provided with a hole through which the tip portion 84 of the FPC board 80 can pass in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, if the first connector 20 is not provided with the retainer 50, the FPC board 80 including the tip portion 84 may extend in the front-rear direction. However, if the retainer 50 is not provided, there is a risk that the sub-connector 30 may come out of the accommodation portion 41 (see FIG. 9) due to a rearward force when the first connector 20 is mated with the second connector 70. Therefore, unless there is a special reason, it is preferable to provide the retainer 50. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 10 Structure 12 Connector Assembly 18 Intermediate structure 20 1st Connector 22 Slots 30 Sub-connector 31 Main Section 32 Upper protruding plate 33 Lower protruding plate 34 Regulated part 35,352,354 Front regulation section 36,362,364 Rear regulation section 37 Upper key 38 Lower Key 39 Rear protrusion 392 Fixing member 40 Housing 41 Storage unit 412 Containment Wall 42 Receiving part 43 Regulatory Department 44,442,444 Front facing part 45 Front 46 Upper tolerance section 47 Lower tolerance 48 Upper fixing hole 482 Upper engaging protrusion 49 Lower fixing hole 492 Lower engagement protrusion 50 Retainer 51 Cover 52 Upper fixed part 522 Upper receiving part 524 Upper engagement plate 53 Lower fixed part 532 Lower receiving part 534 Lower engagement plate 54 Upper protrusion 56 Lower protrusion 58,582,584 Rear facing part 60 1st terminal 62 Surface Mount Part 64 First Connection 70 2nd Connector 71 Second Housing 712 Partition 714 Connection 716 Mounted part 72 Fitting part 722 Interlocking Wall 73 Tapered Surface 732 Side tapered surface 734 Upper and lower tapered surfaces 74 Side rib 75 Top and bottom ribs 76 Upper Ditch 77 Lower Gutter 78 Keyway 79 2nd terminal 792 Second Connection 794 Fixed part 796 Locator 798 Fixing member 80 FPC board 82 Base 84 Tip 86 Gap

Claims

1. A connector assembly including a first connector and a second connector that can be fitted to each other along a front-rear direction, The first connector includes two or more sub-connectors and a housing, The sub-connectors are connected to two or more branched end portions of a single FPC (flexible printed circuits) board, the housing holds each of the sub-connectors in a floating manner, the second connector has two or more fitting portions each corresponding to one of the sub-connectors, Each of the sub-connectors is capable of being fitted into the corresponding fitting portion. Connector assembly.

2. 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, The first connector includes a retainer, The retainer is fixed to the housing, The housing is formed with two or more receiving portions each corresponding to one of the sub-connectors, Each of the storage portions is open toward the rear of the housing, Each of the sub-connectors is partially and floatingly accommodated in the corresponding accommodating portion, the retainer covers the sub-connector from the rear, The first connector has two or more slots formed therein, each slot corresponding to one of the receiving portions. Each of the slots is located between the housing and the retainer in the front-rear direction, Each of the slots communicates with a corresponding one of the receiving portions; The tip portions of the FPC boards pass through the slots and are connected to the sub-connectors. Connector assembly.

3. 3. The connector assembly of claim 2, The accommodation portion of the housing is provided with a restricting portion, The restriction portion extends inside the housing portion, The sub-connector has a regulated portion, One of the restricting portion and the restricted portion is elastically deformable, When the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodation portion, the restricting portion and the restricted portion face each other in the front-rear direction, thereby preventing the sub-connector from slipping out of the accommodation portion. Connector assembly.

4. 3. The connector assembly of claim 2, The sub-connector has three rear defining portions, The retainer has three rear opposing portions, one of the rear side defining portion and the rear side opposing portion is an abutment portion that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and the other of the rear side defining portion and the rear side opposing portion is a flat surface that faces the abutment portion, The sub-connector is movable rearward to a rearward limit position, The rear limit position is a position where the rear defining portion abuts against the rear opposing portion. Connector assembly.

5. 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, The sub-connector has three front defining portions, The housing has three front opposing portions, one of the front-side defining portion and the front-side opposing portion is an abutment portion that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and the other of the front-side defining portion and the front-side opposing portion is a flat surface that faces the abutment portion, The sub-connector is movable forward to a forward limit position, The front limit position is a position where the front defining portion abuts against the front opposing portion. Connector assembly.

6. 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, a size of the fitting portion of the second connector in a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is larger than a size of the fitting portion in a top-bottom direction perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the left-right direction; The fitting portion is provided with a tapered surface, two side ribs, and two upper and lower ribs, The side ribs and the upper and lower ribs are located in front of the tapered surface, The side ribs are located on opposite sides of the fitting portion in the left-right direction, protrude inward in the left-right direction, and extend along the front-rear direction, The upper and lower ribs are located on opposite sides of the fitting portion in the vertical direction, protrude inward in the vertical direction, and extend along the front-rear direction, When the sub-connector is fitted to the fitting portion, the tapered surface guides the sub-connector into the fitting portion, When the sub-connector is fitted to the fitting portion, the side ribs define a movable range of the sub-connector in the left-right direction, and the upper and lower ribs define a movable range of the sub-connector in the up-down direction. Connector assembly.

7. 7. The connector assembly of claim 6, The two upper and lower ribs are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction, The tapered surface has a size equal to or larger than 1 / 5 of the predetermined distance in each of the left-right direction and the up-down direction. Connector assembly.

8. 2. The connector assembly of claim 1, The sub-connectors have the same structure. Connector assembly.

9. 9. The connector assembly of claim 8, The sub-connector has an upper key and a lower key, the upper key and the lower key are located at different positions in the left-right direction, The housing has a front surface, an upper acceptance portion, and a lower acceptance portion, the front surface is located at a front end of the housing; the upper allowing portion is open at the front surface and allows the upper key to pass through when the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodating portion; the lower allowing portion is open at the front surface and allows the lower key to pass through when the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodating portion; When the sub-connector is accommodated in the accommodating portion, one of the upper key and the lower key is located only in front of the front surface of the housing, and the other of the upper key and the lower key is movable inside the upper allowing portion or the lower allowing portion. Connector assembly.

10. 10. The connector assembly of claim 9, The second connector is formed with an upper groove corresponding to the upper key and a lower groove corresponding to the lower key, The upper groove and the lower groove are located at different positions from each other in the left-right direction, When the sub-connector is fitted to the fitting portion of the second connector, the upper key is received in the upper groove and the lower key is received in the lower groove. Connector assembly.

11. A structure comprising the connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and one FPC board having a tip portion branched into two or more, The sub-connectors are connected to the tip portions. structure.

Images