Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that can improve electrical reliability.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises: a plurality of electric wires 22 each having an exposed conductor 23 exposed frontward from a coating 24; a plurality of terminal fittings 40 connected to the plurality of exposed conductors 23; and a housing 60 storing the plurality of terminal fittings 40. A part (rear part) of each of the exposed conductors 23 is arranged behind the housing 60. The connector further comprises, behind the housing 60, an insulating member 30 interposed between the parts of the adjacent exposed conductors 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal fitting including a connection member called a terminal body and a slide member attached to the connection member. The terminal fitting is accommodated in a housing. An exposed conductor (core wire) exposed from the coating at the front end of an electric wire is inserted into the connection member. The slide member is slidable relative to the connection member between a spaced position where the exposed conductor is separated from a contact portion (contact surface) of the connection member and a connection position where the exposed conductor is in contact with the contact portion.

[0003] To explain an example of the operation of connecting the terminal fitting and the electric wire, the terminal fitting is first accommodated in the housing, and a jig is placed on the rear surface of the housing. In this state, the exposed conductor of the electric wire is inserted from the slide member into the connection member while being guided by a guide portion formed on the jig. Next, the jig is removed, and the slide member is pushed from the separated position to the connection position. This makes the exposed conductor of the electric wire available for contact with the contact portion of the connection member.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a structure including a plurality of electric wires having bent portions, an electric wire cover that holds the bent portions, and a cylindrical member that is attached to the electric wire cover. Each electric wire is inserted from the electric wire cover to the cylindrical member. Patent Document 2 discloses a structure including an electric wire cover, a corrugated tube attached to the electric wire cover, and a plurality of electric wires inserted from the electric wire cover to the corrugated tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-145208 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2023-14774 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2023-10275 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described above, when the exposed conductor is inserted into the connection member using a jig having a guide portion, a part of the exposed conductor remains exposed behind the housing after the jig is removed. This raises the concern that foreign matter may interfere with the part of the exposed conductor. In response to this, by attaching the wire cover disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 to the housing, it becomes possible to protect the part of the exposed conductor with the wire cover. However, simply attaching the wire cover to the housing does not eliminate the possibility that parts of adjacent exposed conductors may come into contact with each other behind the housing, and there is a problem that it is difficult to prevent electrical defects such as short circuits and leaks.

[0007] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can improve electrical reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of electric wires having exposed conductors exposed forward from the covering, a plurality of terminal fittings connected to the plurality of exposed conductors, and a housing accommodating the plurality of terminal fittings, some of the exposed conductors being positioned rearward of the housing, and the connector further comprises an insulating member interposed between adjacent portions of the exposed conductors at the rear of the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector capable of improving electrical reliability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of each member, excluding wiring members, in a connector of the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wiring member in the connector of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a terminal fitting in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an oblique view showing the connector of embodiment 1 in which a terminal fitting is accommodated in the first accommodation chamber of the first member, an exposed conductor of the first wiring member is connected to the accommodated terminal fitting, and an insulating member is disposed above. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which an insulating member is attached to a receiving member from the state shown in FIG. 6 in the connector of the first embodiment, and an exposed conductor of a first wiring member is covered with the insulating member. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a plan view showing a state in which a terminal fitting is accommodated in the second accommodating chamber of the second member from the state shown in Figure 7 in the connector of embodiment 1, and an exposed conductor of the second wiring member is connected to the accommodated terminal fitting. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state in which a third member is attached to the connector shown in FIG. 8 in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which an insulating member is interposed between exposed conductors of the first wiring member and the second wiring member in the connector of the first embodiment, with the insulating member cut away. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A device comprising: a plurality of electric wires having exposed conductors exposed forward from the covering; a plurality of terminal fittings connected to the plurality of exposed conductors; and a housing accommodating the plurality of terminal fittings, wherein a portion of the exposed conductors is disposed at the rear of the housing; and further comprising an insulating member interposed between adjacent portions of the exposed conductors at the rear of the housing.

[0012] The above-mentioned configuration (1) can prevent contact between adjacent parts of the exposed conductors at the rear of the housing by the insulating member. As a result, the electrical reliability of the connector can be improved. Note that the rear of the housing means the area behind the rear surface of the housing.

[0013] (2) In the connector described above in (1), the insulating member is preferably an elastically deformable member.

[0014] If the insulating member is an elastically deformable member, it can accommodate variations in the distance between the parts of the exposed conductors. For example, one insulating member can accommodate a plurality of types of electric wires having different wire diameters. Furthermore, it is possible to realize a state in which the insulating member contacts each of the adjacent electric wires.

[0015] (3) In the connector described in (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the connector further includes a cover member connected to the housing and covering a portion of the exposed conductor, and the insulating member is held by the cover member.

[0016] The above-mentioned configuration (3) can protect a part of the exposed conductor by covering it with the cover member, and the cover member can also have a function of holding the insulating member.

[0017] (4) In the connector described in any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the insulating member is arranged at the rear of the housing, between a portion of the exposed conductors that are adjacent in the height direction and arranged in a row in the width direction, in a shape that extends entirely in the width direction.

[0018] Since the insulating member is disposed between parts of the exposed conductors adjacent in the height direction and has a shape extending in the width direction as a whole, the overall shape of the insulating member can be simplified and made compact.

[0019] (5) In the connector described in any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the terminal fitting comprises a connecting member into which the exposed conductor is inserted, and a sliding member which is mounted on the connecting member so as to be slidable between a spaced position in which the exposed conductor does not contact the connecting member and a connecting position in which the exposed conductor contacts the connecting member.

[0020] When the slide member is in the separated position, the exposed conductor is inserted into the connection member from the rear of the housing through the slide member. If a structure for guiding the exposed conductor to the rear of the housing is provided when inserting the exposed conductor into the connection member, there is a concern that a part of the exposed conductor will remain exposed behind the housing. In contrast, according to the present configuration, the insulating member can prevent contact between adjacent parts of the exposed conductor, effectively preventing the occurrence of short circuits and leaks.

[0021] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention 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.

[0022] <Embodiment 1> As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a wiring member 20 including a plurality of electric wires 22, a plurality of terminal fittings 40 connected to the electric wires 22, a housing 60 accommodating the terminal fittings 40, an insulating member 30 disposed behind the housing 60, and cover members 80, 90 surrounding the insulating member 30. The cover member is composed of a holding member 80 and a receiving member 90. In the following description, the front side is defined as the side where the connector 10 is mated with a mating connector (not shown). The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in Figs. 1 and 2. In Figs. 1 and 2, the arrows X, Y, and Z represent the front, right, and up, respectively. These directions do not necessarily correspond to the directional reference when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown) or the like.

[0023] (Wiring materials) 4, the wiring member 20 has a sheet portion 21 and a plurality of electric wires 22 fixed to the sheet portion 21. The sheet portion 21 is made of an insulating material, for example, a nonwoven fabric. An example of the electric wires 22 is a covered electric wire in which an outer periphery of a conductor 23, such as a core wire, is covered with an insulating covering 24.

[0024] The multiple electric wires 22 are fixed to one surface of the sheet portion 21 (the lower surface in the case of the first embodiment) in a state lined up in the left-right direction. Each electric wire 22 is fixed to one surface of the sheet portion 21 by, for example, a welding means. As the welding means, a known welding means such as ultrasonic welding, heat and pressure welding, high frequency welding, etc. The wiring member 20 is flexible overall and has a flat rectangular shape in a plan view with a reduced height dimension.

[0025] A front end of each electric wire 22 is disposed so as to protrude forward from the sheet portion 21. In addition, at the front end of each electric wire 22, the covering 24 is stripped to expose the conductor 23 (hereinafter, the conductor exposed at the front end of each electric wire 22 is referred to as the "exposed conductor 23").

[0026] In the case of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the wiring member 20 has a first wiring member 20A arranged in a lower stage and a second wiring member 20B arranged in an upper stage inside the connector 10. The number of each electric wire 22 fixed to the sheet portion 21 differs between the first wiring member 20A and the second wiring member 20B. Specifically, the first wiring member 20A includes a portion in the left-right central portion of the sheet portion 21 where the electric wire 22 is not fixed, and the number of each electric wire 22 is accordingly smaller than that of the second wiring member 20B. However, the number of each electric wire 22 may be the same between the first wiring member 20A and the second wiring member 20B, or, conversely, the number of each electric wire 22 may be greater in the first wiring member 20A than in the second wiring member 20B.

[0027] (Terminal fittings) 5, the terminal fitting 40 includes a connection member 41 and a slide member 42 that is attached to the connection member 41 so as to be slidable between a separated position and a connected position. The connection member 41 and the slide member 42 are separate from each other. Both the connection member 41 and the slide member 42 are formed by bending a conductive metal plate or the like.

[0028] The connection member 41 has a cylindrical, for example, rectangular, connection body 43. The connection body 43 receives a mating terminal fitting (not shown) from the front and is electrically connected to the mating terminal fitting. The connection member 41 also has a contact portion (not shown) extending rearward from the connection body 43.

[0029] The slide member 42 has a cylindrical, for example, square cylindrical box portion 45. The contact portion of the connection member 41 is inserted into the box portion 45. The slide member 42 has a pressing portion (not shown) inside the box portion 45. When the slide member 42 is in the separated position, the exposed conductor 23 of the electric wire 22 of the wiring member 20 is inserted into the connection member 41. The exposed conductor 23 does not contact the connection member 41 and is disposed away from the contact portion. In this state, the slide member 42 can be pushed forward and reach the connection position. When the slide member 42 is in the connection position, the pressing portion presses the contact portion, and the contact portion contacts the exposed conductor 23. As a result, the electric wire 22 of the wiring member 20 is electrically and mechanically connected to the terminal fitting 40.

[0030] (housing) 1, the housing 60 is composed of a first member 61, a second member 62, and a third member 63. The first member 61, the second member 62, and the third member 63 are arranged in this order in a stacked state from the bottom up. The first member 61, the second member 62, and the third member 63 are all made of synthetic resin.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the first member 61 is configured as a lower housing. The first member 61 has a rectangular shape in a plan view and is formed long in the left-right direction. The first member 61 has a plurality of first accommodating chambers 64 arranged in a row in the left-right direction on the upper surface side. Each of the first accommodating chambers 64 extends in the front-rear direction in the first member 61 and opens rearward. The terminal fittings 40 are inserted from the rear into the first accommodating chambers 64 and accommodated therein. The first member 61 has a front wall 65 constituting the front portion of the housing 60. The front wall 65 has a plurality of terminal insertion holes 66 communicating with the front openings of each of the first accommodating chambers 64 and each of the second accommodating chambers 71 described later. The terminal insertion holes 66 are opened in two rows, one above the other, and in a row in the left-right direction. A mating terminal fitting (not shown) is connected to the terminal fitting 40 from the front of the housing 60 through the terminal insertion holes 66.

[0032] The first member 61 has a flat first cover portion 67 that closes the upper surface of the front part of each first housing chamber 64. The connection member 41 of the terminal fitting 40 is accommodated in the front part of the first housing chamber 64, and the first cover portion 67 prevents the connection member 41 from slipping out upward. The first member 61 has a first exposed surface 68 that opens the upper surface of the rear part of each first housing chamber 64. The slide member 42 of the terminal fitting 40 is accommodated in the rear part of the first housing chamber 64, and is exposed upward by the first exposed surface 68. When a part of the slide member 42 exposed on the first exposed surface 68 (see the protrusion 47 in FIG. 5) is pressed forward, the slide member 42 is moved from the separated position to the connected position. The first member 61 has a pair of first housing lock portions 69 at both left and right ends.

[0033] The second member 62 is configured as an inner housing. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, the second member 62 has a rectangular shape in a plan view that is slightly smaller than the first member 61, and is formed long in the left-right direction. The lower surface of the second member 62 covers the upper surface of the first member 61 and closes the first exposed surface 68. The second member 62 has a plurality of second housing chambers 71 arranged in a row in the left-right direction on the upper surface side. Each of the second housing chambers 71 extends in the front-rear direction in the second member 62 and is open to the rear. The terminal fitting 40 is inserted from the rear into the second housing chamber 71 and housed therein. The second member 62 has a flat second cover portion 72 that closes the upper surface of the front part of each of the second housing chambers 71, and has a second exposed surface 73 that opens the upper surface of the rear part of each of the second housing chambers 71. The functions of the second cover portion 72 and the second exposed surface 73 are similar to those of the first cover portion 67 and the first exposed surface 68 described above. The second member 62 has a pair of second housing locking portions 74 at both the left and right ends. Each second housing locking portion 74 is engaged with each first housing locking portion 69 from the inside, thereby holding the second member 62 to the first member 61 (see FIG. 10).

[0034] The third member 63 is configured as an upper housing. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, the third member 63 has a rectangular shape in a plan view that is slightly larger than the first member 61, and is formed long in the left-right direction. The lower surface of the third member 63 covers the upper surface of the second member 62 and closes the second exposed surface 73. The third member 63 has a plurality of housing grooves 75 (see FIG. 3) continuously provided at the rear end of the lower surface. The housing grooves 75 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction at positions corresponding to the second storage chambers 71. The housing grooves 75 have a U-shaped cross section and open downward. The housing grooves 75 are arranged behind the first member 61 and the second member 62 when the first member 61, the second member 62, and the third member 63 are in a stacked state. The electric wires 22 of the second wiring member 20B are inserted into the housing grooves 75 from below.

[0035] The third member 63 has an elastically deformable lock arm 76 at the left and right central portion of the upper surface. The lock arm 76 locks the mating connector and holds the connector 10 and the mating connector in a mated state. The third member 63 has a pair of third housing locking portions 77 at both left and right ends. Each third housing locking portion 77 is locked to each first housing locking portion 69 from the outside, so that the third member 63 is held in a stacked state with respect to the first member 61 and the second member 62 (see Figs. 1 and 2). The third member 63 has a pair of locking portions 78 at both left and right ends and at a rear end portion behind each third housing locking portion 77. Each locking portion 78 has a rectangular column shape extending in the vertical direction. When the first member 61, the second member 62, and the third member 63 are in a stacked state, each locking portion 78 is disposed behind each of the first member 61 and the second member 62. The locking portions 78 are locked to the holding member 80 and the receiving member 90, so that the third member 63 and therefore the housing 60 are held (coupled) to the holding member 80 and the receiving member 90.

[0036] (Receiving member) The receiving member 90 is configured as a lower cover. The receiving member 90 is made of synthetic resin, has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and is formed long in the left-right direction. The receiving member 90 is arranged in line with the first member 61 behind the first member 61. The receiving member 90 has a flat receiving body 91. The receiving member 90 has a plurality of cover grooves 92 connected to the front end of the receiving body 91. The cover grooves 92 are arranged in a line in the left-right direction at positions corresponding to the first storage chambers 64. The cover grooves 92 have a U-shaped cross section and open upward. As shown in FIG. 3, the electric wires 22 of the first wiring member 20A are inserted into the cover grooves 92 from above. The cover grooves 92 and the housing grooves 75 are misaligned with each other in the width direction.

[0037] 7, the receiving member 90 has a pair of first receiving portions 93 at the front end of the receiving body 91, on both left and right ends sandwiching each cover groove portion 92. Each first receiving portion 93 has a rectangular recessed shape in cross section and is open upward. The lower portion of each locking portion 78 is fitted into each first receiving portion 93 from above in a positioned state.

[0038] 1, each first receiving portion 93 has front, rear, left and right wall portions which define a fitting space 93A into which each locking portion 78 fits, and has an end positioning portion 98 on one of the left and right wall portions located toward the left and right center of the receiving body 91. The end positioning portion 98 is formed by cutting out one of the left and right wall portions of the first receiving portion 93, and is open upward.

[0039] The receiving member 90 has a central positioning portion 99 at a position on the front end side and on the left-right central side of the receiving body 91. The central positioning portion 99 protrudes upward like a rib from a stage portion 99A protruding from the receiving body 91. The cover groove portions 92 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the stage portion 99A. As shown in FIG. 7, the insulating member 30 is held in a positioned state on the receiving member 90 by the end positioning portions 98 and the central positioning portion 99.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving member 90 has a flat facing surface 94 facing the sheet portion 21 of the wiring member 20 behind each of the cover grooves 92 and each of the first receiving portions 93 on the upper surface of the receiving body 91. The receiving member 90 has a pair of pin receiving portions 95 at both left and right ends of the receiving body 91 and behind each of the first receiving portions 93. Each pin receiving portion 95 is a hole with a circular cross section, penetrates the receiving body 91 in the vertical direction (thickness direction), and opens on the facing surface 94 and the lower surface of the receiving body 91. The inner peripheral edge of each pin receiving portion 95 opening on the facing surface 94 is edge-shaped and is configured as a scraping edge 96 that can scrape the sheet portion 21 between the hole punching pin 83 described later. In addition, the receiving member 90 has a pair of first cover locking portions 97 connected to both left and right ends of the receiving body 91.

[0041] (Retaining member) The holding member 80 is configured as an upper cover. The holding member 80 is made of synthetic resin, has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and is formed long in the left-right direction. The holding member 80 is arranged side by side with the third member 63 behind the third member 63. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding member 80 is arranged facing the receiving member 90 with the first wiring member 20A and the second wiring member 20B sandwiched therebetween. As shown in FIG. 1, the holding member 80 has a flat plate-shaped holding body 81. The holding member 80 has a pair of second receiving portions 82 that protrude forward from both the left and right sides of the holding body 81. Each second receiving portion 82 has a rectangular frame shape. The upper portion of each locking portion 78 is fitted into each second receiving portion 82 from below in a positioned state (see FIG. 2).

[0042] The lower surface of the holding body 81 is formed flat. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding member 80 has a pair of hole-making pins 83 protruding from the lower surface of the holding body 81 behind each of the second receiving portions 82. Each hole-making pin 83 is cylindrical. Each hole-making pin 83 extends downward from the lower surface of the holding body 81 with the same diameter, and has a tapered reduced diameter portion 84 at the lower end. The holding member 80 has a pair of second cover locking portions 85 connected to the ends on both the left and right sides of the holding body 81. Each second cover locking portion 85 is engaged with each first cover locking portion 97, so that the holding member 80 is held in a connected state to the receiving member 90 (see FIG. 2).

[0043] (Insulating material) The insulating member 30 is an insulating member and, as shown in Fig. 1, is generally in the form of a plate that is long in the left-right direction, for example, in the form of a strip. In the case of the first embodiment, the insulating member 30 is made of a rubber material such as silicone rubber and is elastically deformable. Specifically, the insulating member 30 is configured to include an insulating body 31 having a rectangular plate shape that has a certain thickness and extends in the left-right direction, a central position restricting portion 32 that penetrates a left-right central portion of the insulating body 31 in the thickness direction (up-down direction), and a pair of end position restricting portions 33 that protrude outward to the left and right from the end faces on both the left and right sides of the insulating body 31.

[0044] 3 and 7, the left-right length of the insulating body 31 exceeds the left-right formation range of each of the electric wires 22 arranged side by side in the wiring member 20. As shown in Fig. 7, the front-rear width of the insulating body 31 is smaller than the front-rear separation width between the rear end of the housing 60 and the front end of the sheet portion 21 in the connector 10. As shown in Fig. 10, the thickness of the insulating body 31 corresponds to the vertical separation distance between each of the electric wires 22 in the first wiring member 20A and each of the electric wires 22 in the second wiring member 20B.

[0045] 7, the central position restricting portion 32 has an opening shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and is capable of fitting therein the central positioning portion 99. The end position restricting portion 33 has a rectangular plate shape in a plan view that is continuous with the insulating body 31 and has the same thickness as the insulating body 31, and is capable of fitting into the end positioning portion 98.

[0046] (Connector Function) The following describes an example of a procedure for assembling the connector 10. The connector 10 can be automatically assembled using an automatic machine, for example. First, each terminal fitting 40 is accommodated in each first accommodation chamber 64 of the first member 61. At this time, the slide member 42 is arranged at a position separated from the connection member 41. Then, the receiving member 90 is arranged behind the first member 61, and each electric wire 22 of the first wiring member 20A is inserted into each terminal fitting 40 from the rear. Each electric wire 22 is positioned in each cover groove portion 92 of the first member 61. The exposed conductor 23 of each electric wire 22 is arranged inside the terminal fitting 40, spanning from the slide member 42 to the connection member 41. Since each electric wire 22 is fixed to the sheet portion 21 common to each electric wire 22, by moving the sheet portion 21 forward, each electric wire 22 can be inserted into each terminal fitting 40 at the same time.

[0047] When inserting the electric wires 22 into the terminal fittings 40, a jig (not shown) is placed behind the first member 61, and a guide portion formed on the jig can guide the insertion of the exposed conductors 23 of the electric wires 22. When the jig is removed from the first member 61, a part (rear portion) of the exposed conductors 23 is exposed and disposed behind the first member 61 (see FIG. 6).

[0048] From the above state, the slide member 42 of each terminal fitting 40 is moved to the connection position via the first exposed surface 68 (see FIG. 6). As a result, each terminal fitting 40 is connected to each electric wire 22 of the first wiring member 20A.

[0049] Next, the insulating member 30 is attached to the receiving member 90 from above (see FIG. 7). Each end position restricting portion 33 fits into each end positioning portion 98 from above, and the center position restricting portion 99 fits into the center position restricting portion 32 from below, thereby holding the insulating member 30 in a positioned state on the receiving member 90. A portion of the exposed conductor 23 of each electric wire 22 is covered and concealed by the insulating body 31 of the insulating member 30.

[0050] Around the time when the insulating member 30 is attached to the receiving member 90, the second member 62 is attached to the first member 61 from above and locked. The first exposed surface 68 is covered by the second member 62. Next, each terminal metal fitting 40 is accommodated in each second accommodation chamber 71 of the second member 62, and further each electric wire 22 of the second wiring member 20B is inserted into each terminal metal fitting 40. Then, the slide member 42 of each terminal metal fitting 40 is moved to the connection position via the second exposed surface 73 (see FIG. 8). As above, a part of the exposed conductor 23 is exposed and arranged behind the second member 62. Below this exposed conductor 23, the insulating body 31 of the insulating member 30 is arranged. That is, the insulating body 31 of the insulating member 30 is arranged between each exposed conductor 23 adjacent in the vertical direction (see FIG. 10). Therefore, each exposed conductor 23 adjacent in the vertical direction is kept insulated via the insulating member 30.

[0051] Next, the third member 63 is attached to and engaged with the first member 61 from above the second member 62. The second exposed surface 73 is covered by the third member 63. This completes the assembly of the housing 60. The sheet portions 21 of the first wiring member 20A and the second wiring member 20B are disposed at the rear of the housing 60 and supportable on the opposing surface 94 of the first member 61.

[0052] Next, the holding member 80 is attached to the receiving member 90 from above and locked (see FIG. 9). In the process of attaching the receiving member 90, each hole-punching pin 83 presses the sheet portions 21 of the first wiring member 20A and the second wiring member 20B against the opposing surface 94 of the receiving member 90. Each sheet portion 21 is sandwiched collectively between the reduced diameter portion 84 of each hole-punching pin 83 and the chamfered edge 96 of each pin receiving portion 95. Then, as the holding member 80 descends, each sheet portion 21 is chamfered by the chamfered edge 96 of each pin receiving portion 95, and at the same time, each hole-punching pin 83 penetrates each sheet portion 21. As a result, each sheet portion 21 is held by each hole-punching pin 83 in a vertical line (see FIG. 3). The diameter of the hole formed in the sheet portion 21 is equal to the diameter of the hole-punching pin 83 penetrating the hole.

[0053] As described above, the exposed conductor 23 of the electric wire 22 is pressed against the pressing portion inside the connection member 41 and held against the terminal fitting 40. The holding force with which the terminal fitting 40 holds the exposed conductor 23 tends to be weaker than when the exposed conductor 23 is crimped by the barrel of a general terminal. In this respect, in the case of the first embodiment, for example, even if a tensile force acts backward on the seat portion 21 from the housing 60, the hole-punching pins 83 penetrate and hold the seat portion 21, so that the tensile force can be resisted. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the seat portion 21 from retreating in response to the tensile force, and the position of the seat portion 21 relative to the terminal fitting 40 can be maintained constant. As a result, the state in which each electric wire 22 of the wiring member 20 is connected to each terminal fitting 40 can be maintained.

[0054] 10, in the first embodiment, the insulating member 30 is interposed between parts of the exposed conductors 23 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction at the rear of the housing 60, and therefore the parts of the exposed conductors 23 can be prevented from contacting each other by the insulating member 30. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the parts of the adjacent exposed conductors from shorting out, and the electrical reliability of the connector 10 can be improved.

[0055] In addition, since the insulating member 30 is made of an elastically deformable member, or a rubber material in the present embodiment 1, it can flexibly accommodate variations in the distance between parts of the exposed conductors 23 adjacent in the vertical direction. For example, one insulating member 30 can accommodate a plurality of types of electric wires 22 having different electric wire diameters. Furthermore, it is possible to realize a state in which the insulating member 30 comes into contact with each of the adjacent electric wires 22.

[0056] In addition, the receiving member 90 as a cover member has both a function of covering and protecting a part of each exposed conductor 23 from below and a function of holding the insulating member 30, so that the configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated. Furthermore, the insulating member 30 of the first embodiment is arranged as a whole in a shape extending in the left-right direction between parts of each exposed conductor 23 that are adjacent in the up-down direction (height direction) and arranged in a row in the left-right direction (width direction) at the rear of the housing 60. Therefore, a single insulating member 30 can be used as a member that prevents contact between parts of each exposed conductor 23 that are arranged in a row in the up-down and left-right directions. Moreover, since the insulating member 30 is arranged in a shape extending in the left-right direction as a whole between parts of each exposed conductor that are adjacent in the up-down direction, the overall shape of the insulating member 30 can be simplified and made compact.

[0057] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, the first member 61, the second member 62, and the third member 63 are sequentially attached from below while sandwiching the first wiring member 20A and the second wiring member 20B therebetween, and the receiving member 90, the insulating member 30, and the holding member 80 are also sequentially attached from below, thereby assembling the connector 10. Therefore, the assembly work of the connector 10 can be efficiently performed using an automated machine or the like. Furthermore, since each hole punching pin 83 collectively penetrates each sheet portion 21 of the first wiring member 20A and the second wiring member 20B, the efficiency of the assembly work can be further improved.

[0058] [Another embodiment of the present disclosure] The above-described first embodiment disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, both the holding member and the receiving member are held (connected) separately from the housing at the rear of the housing. In contrast, according to another embodiment, at least one of the holding member and the receiving member may be held integrally with the housing at the rear of the housing. In the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the sheet portion of the wiring member is configured to be punched by the hole punching pin while being sandwiched between the hole punching pin of the holding member and the pin receiving portion of the receiving member. In contrast, according to another embodiment, the connector may not include a receiving member, and the sheet portion of the wiring member may be configured to be punched only by the hole punching pin of the holding member. In the first embodiment, the wiring member is composed of the first wiring member and the second wiring member. In contrast, in other embodiments, the wiring member may be composed of only one of the first wiring member and the second wiring member, or may further include another wiring member in addition to the first wiring member and the second wiring member. When another external line member is further included, it is preferable that an insulating member is disposed between each pair of adjacent wiring members. In the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the terminal fitting is configured to be connected to the electric wire by sliding the slide member to the connecting position relative to the connecting member. In contrast, according to another embodiment, the terminal fitting may be a general terminal that is crimped to the electric wire by a barrel. In the first embodiment, the insulating member is made of an insulating rubber material, whereas in other embodiments, the insulating member may be made of a synthetic resin material other than rubber. In the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the insulating member is in contact with each of the electric wires adjacent in the vertical direction. In contrast, according to the other embodiments, the insulating member only needs to be interposed between the adjacent electric wires, and does not necessarily need to be in contact with each of the electric wires. In the first embodiment, the insulating member is disposed between parts of the exposed conductors adjacent in the up-down direction to insulate the exposed conductors in the up-down direction. In contrast, in another embodiment, the insulating member may be disposed between parts of the exposed conductors adjacent in the left-right direction to insulate the exposed conductors in the left-right direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10…Connector 20...Wiring material 20A…First wiring member 20B: Second wiring member 21…Seat section 22...Electric wire 23...Exposed conductor (conductor) 24…Covering 30...Insulating material 31…Insulation body 32...Center position regulation part 33...End position regulation part 40...Terminal fitting 41...Connecting member 42...Slide member 43…Connection body 45...Hakobe 47…Protrusion 60…Housing 61...First member 62...Second member 63…Third member 64…First Containment Cell 65...Front wall 66...Terminal insertion hole 67…First cover part 68...1st exposed surface 69…First housing lock part 71…Second Containment Cell 72…Second cover part 73…Second exposed surface 74…Second housing lock part 75…Housing groove 76...Lock arm 77…Third housing lock part 78…Latching part 80...Holding member (cover member) 81...Holding body 82…Second receptor 83…Punching pin 84...Reduced diameter part 85…Second cover lock part 90...Receiving member (cover member) 91…Receiver body 92…Cover groove 93…First Receptor 93A…Mating space 94…Opposite surface 95…Pin receiving part 96…Flat edge 97…First cover lock part 98...End side positioning part 99…Center positioning part 99A…Stage section

Claims

1. a plurality of electric wires each having an exposed conductor exposed forward from a covering; A plurality of terminal fittings connected to the plurality of exposed conductors; a housing for accommodating a plurality of the terminal fittings; A portion of the exposed conductor is disposed rearwardly of the housing; the connector further comprising an insulating member interposed between adjacent portions of the exposed conductors at a rear of the housing.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating member is an elastically deformable member.

3. a cover member connected to the housing and covering a portion of the exposed conductor; The connector of claim 1 , wherein the insulating member is held by the cover member.

4. The connector as described in claim 3, wherein the insulating member is arranged at the rear of the housing, between a portion of the exposed conductors that are adjacent in the height direction and arranged in a row in the width direction, with the entire insulating member extending in the width direction.

5. 5. A connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the terminal fitting comprises a connection member into which the exposed conductor is inserted, and a slide member which is attached to the connection member so as to be slidable between a spaced position in which the exposed conductor does not contact the connection member and a connection position in which the exposed conductor contacts the connection member.

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