Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that can improve workability of insertion of a connector housing while protecting a terminal.SOLUTION: A connector includes: a frame including an accommodating chamber; a male terminal; a connector housing 3 holding the male terminal while a tab portion protrudes and inserted into the accommodating chamber; and a tubular protective cover 4 fitted to the connector housing and detached from the connector housing when the connector housing is inserted into the accommodating chamber. The frame includes a guiding portion 22 for positioning that is disposed at an entrance of the accommodating chamber. The protective cover includes a slit-like opening 41 and accommodates the tab portion while fitted to the connector housing. The protective cover includes a groove portion 43 into which the guiding portion is inserted and a releasing rib 44 disposed in the groove portion. The protective cover is deformed by pressing forces F1, F2 received by the releasing rib from the guiding portion to widen an opening width Wd of the opening, thereby being detached from the connector housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are technologies for protecting terminals in connectors. Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal protection cap for a connector. This terminal protection cap for a connector is attached to a connector having terminal fittings and a connector housing that holds the terminal fittings with contact portions provided on the front ends of the terminal fittings exposed, to protect the contact portions of the terminal fittings. The terminal protection cap for a connector has a cap body and an abutment portion that is provided on the cap body and abuts against a mating part when the connector is attached to the mating part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-119074 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned connector terminal protection cap, the terminal protection cap may become misaligned with respect to the mating part. If the terminal protection cap becomes misaligned, the connector housing may not be inserted correctly, which may result in reduced workability.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can improve the efficiency of the operation of inserting a connector housing while protecting terminals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present invention comprises a frame having a accommodating chamber, a male terminal having a tab portion, a connector housing having a through hole for holding the male terminal with the tab portion projecting, and inserted into the accommodating chamber while holding the male terminal, and a cylindrical protective cover that is attached to the connector housing before it is inserted into the accommodating chamber and that is detached from the connector housing when the connector housing is inserted into the accommodating chamber, the frame having a positioning guide portion provided at an entrance portion of the accommodating chamber, the protective cover having a slit extending in an insertion direction in which the connector housing is inserted into the accommodating chamber, the protective cover has a tab-shaped opening and is configured to be deformable so as to widen the opening width, the protective cover has a locking portion that locks the connector housing in the insertion direction and forms an accommodating space that accommodates the tab portion when attached to the connector housing, the protective cover is disposed at a tip of the protective cover and has a groove portion into which the guide portion is inserted and a release rib provided in the groove portion so as to come into contact with the guide portion, and the protective cover deforms so as to widen the opening width by the pressing force that the release rib receives from the guide portion and detaches from the connector housing. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In the connector according to the present invention, the protective cover has a groove into which a positioning guide is inserted and a release rib provided in the groove so as to come into contact with the guide. The protective cover is deformed to widen the opening width due to the pressing force applied by the release rib from the guide, and is detached from the connector housing. The connector according to the present invention has the effect of improving the operability of inserting the connector housing while protecting the terminals. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sub-connector according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the frame according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the protective cover according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a cover mounting step according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the connector housing and the protective cover. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a terminal inserting step according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an assembly unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a positioning step according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view of the detachment process of the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a detachment step of the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a deformed protective cover. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a connector inserting step according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a frame for preventing erroneous insertion of the connector housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] An embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 14. This embodiment relates to a connector. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a sub-connector according to an embodiment, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a frame according to an embodiment, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a protective cover according to an embodiment, Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a cover mounting process of an embodiment, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a connector housing and a protective cover, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a terminal insertion process of an embodiment, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an assembly unit according to an embodiment, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a positioning process of an embodiment, and Fig. 10 is a side view of a removal process of an embodiment.

[0011] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the removal process of the embodiment, Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the deformed protective cover, Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the connector insertion process of the embodiment, and Fig. 14 is a view showing a frame that prevents erroneous insertion of the connector housing. Fig. 6 shows a VI-VI cross section of Fig. 5. Fig. 12 shows a XII-XII cross section of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 shows a XIII-XIII cross section of Fig. 12.

[0012] 1 and 2, a connector 1 according to an embodiment has a frame 2, a connector housing 3, a protective cover 4, and male terminals 5. The frame 2 is attached to a hood 6. The hood 6 is a cylindrical member that holds the connector 1 and also holds a mating connector. The mating connector has female terminals that are connected to the male terminals 5. The mating connector is connected to the connector 1 by fitting with the hood 6.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the connector housing 3 and the multiple male terminals 5 constitute a sub-connector 10. An electric wire W is connected to each male terminal 5. As shown in Fig. 1, the connector 1 and the multiple electric wires W constitute a wire harness WH. The frame 2 of this embodiment is configured to accommodate the multiple sub-connectors 10.

[0014] 1, the sub-connector 10 and the protective cover 4 form an assembly unit 11. The protective cover 4 is attached to the connector housing 3 before it is assembled to the frame 2, and is a member that protects the tab portions 51 of the male terminals 5. As will be described below, the connector 1 of this embodiment is configured so that the protective cover 4 is detached from the connector housing 3 when the connector housing 3 is inserted into the frame 2.

[0015] In this specification, the insertion direction of the connector housing 3 into the frame 2 is referred to as the "first direction X." The width direction of the connector 1 is referred to as the "second direction Y," and the height direction of the connector 1 is referred to as the "third direction Z." The second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to the first direction X. The third direction Z is the arrangement direction of the multiple connector housings 3 on the frame 2. The second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0016] The frame 2 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. As shown in Fig. 3, the frame 2 is a rectangular cylindrical member and has a plurality of storage chambers 2a. More specifically, the frame 2 has an outer wall 20 having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and a partition wall 21. The outer wall 20 has side walls 20a, 20b that face each other in the second direction Y.

[0017] A plurality of accommodating chambers 2a are formed inside the outer wall 20 by partition walls 21. The partition walls 21 are walls perpendicular to the third direction Z and connect the side walls 20a and 20b. That is, the plurality of accommodating chambers 2a are formed side by side in the third direction Z. A locking piece 20c that locks the connector housing 3 is provided on the inner wall surface of the accommodating chamber 2a. The locking piece 20c is an arm-shaped engaging portion that extends along the first direction X. The locking piece 20c is disposed on each of the side walls 20a and 20b.

[0018] The frame 2 has a positioning guide portion 22 provided at the entrance of the accommodation chamber 2a. The guide portion 22 is a positioning rib that positions the connector housing 3 with respect to the accommodation chamber 2a. The guide portion 22 is a protrusion that protrudes from an end face 20d of the outer wall 20 in the first direction X. The connector housing 3 is inserted into the accommodation chamber 2a from the end face 20d side. The guide portion 22 is disposed on each of the two side walls 20a, 20b. That is, the frame 2 has positioning guide portions 22 at both ends in the second direction Y. The shape of the guide portion 22 in this embodiment is a rectangular column shape.

[0019] In the frame 2 of this embodiment, the number of guide portions 22 arranged on one side wall 20a is different from the number of guide portions 22 arranged on the other side wall 20b. This prevents erroneous insertion of the connector housing 3 into the accommodating chamber 2a. In addition, the positions of the guide portions 22 on one side wall 20a are different from the positions of the guide portions 22 on the other side wall 20b. This prevents erroneous insertion of the connector housing 3 into the accommodating chamber 2a.

[0020] The guide portion 22 has a first guide portion 22a, a second guide portion 22b, and a third guide portion 22c. As shown in FIG. 3, two guide portions 22a and 22b are provided on one side wall 20a. The two guide portions 22a and 22b are disposed at both ends of the accommodation chamber 2a in the third direction Z. One guide portion 22c is provided on the other side wall 20b. The guide portion 22c is disposed in the center of the accommodation chamber 2a in the third direction Z. The guide portion 22c is disposed between the two guide portions 22a and 22b in the third direction Z.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the connector housing 3 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The connector housing 3 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The connector housing 3 has a plurality of through holes 3a for holding the male terminals 5. The through holes 3a penetrate the connector housing 3 along a first direction X. The plurality of through holes 3a are arranged in a second direction Y and a third direction Z.

[0022] The connector housing 3 has an engagement protrusion 31 and a locking portion 32. The engagement protrusion 31 engages with the locking piece 20c of the frame 2. The engagement protrusion 31 protrudes from a side surface of the connector housing 3 facing the second direction Y. The locking portion 32 locks the protective cover 4 and positions the protective cover 4 with respect to the connector housing 3. The locking portion 32 is provided on a top surface 3b of the connector housing 3 facing the third direction Z. The locking portion 32 is a step formed on the top surface 3b, and faces the first direction X.

[0023] 2, the protective cover 4 is a cylindrical member. The protective cover 4 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The protective cover 4 of this embodiment is formed into a square tube shape having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape. The protective cover 4 has a pair of opposing walls 4a, 4b and a pair of side walls 4c, 4d.

[0024] The opposing walls 4a, 4b are walls in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular cross section of the protective cover 4. The opposing walls 4a, 4b face each other in the third direction Z when the connector housing 3 is inserted into the accommodating chamber 2a. The side walls 4c, 4d are walls in the transverse direction of the rectangular cross section of the protective cover 4. The side walls 4c, 4d face each other in the second direction Y when the connector housing 3 is inserted into the accommodating chamber 2a.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, one of the opposing walls 4b of the protective cover 4 has a slit-shaped opening 41. The opening 41 is disposed in the center of the opposing wall 4b, and divides the opposing wall 4b in two. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the protective cover 4 in this embodiment is an open shape with a part of a rectangle interrupted. The cross-sectional shape of the exemplified protective cover 4 is substantially C-shaped. The opening 41 extends in a first direction X, which is the direction in which the connector housing 3 is inserted into the frame 2.

[0026] The protective cover 4 is deformable so as to increase the width of the opening 41. This deformation moves the side walls 4c and 4d away from each other as indicated by two arrows AR1 in Fig. 4. The protective cover 4 is configured to be detached from the connector housing 3 by this deformation.

[0027] An abutting portion 42 is provided on one of the opposing walls 4a. The abutting portion 42 is locked by the locking portion 32 of the connector housing 3. The abutting portion 42 protrudes from one opposing wall 4a toward the other opposing wall 4b. The abutting portion 42 is disposed in the center of the opposing wall 4a in the second direction Y.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, a groove 43 into which the guide portion 22 of the frame 2 is inserted is provided at the tip 4e of the protective cover 4. The tip 4e is a portion that faces the end face 20d of the frame 2 when the connector housing 3 is inserted into the frame 2. The groove 43 extends in the first direction X and opens toward the internal space of the protective cover 4. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 43 is such that the groove 43 can be guided by the guide portion 22 to position the connector housing 3 with respect to the frame 2. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 43 in this embodiment is substantially rectangular.

[0029] The protective cover 4 has grooves 43 arranged in a number corresponding to the number of guide portions 22. The grooves 43 have a first groove 43a, a second groove 43b, and a third groove 43c. As shown in FIG. 4, two grooves 43a and 43b are arranged in one side wall 4c. The grooves 43a and 43b correspond to the guide portions 22a and 22b of the frame 2, respectively. One third groove 43c is arranged in the other side wall 4d. The third groove 43c corresponds to the guide portion 22c of the frame 2.

[0030] The protective cover 4 has a release rib 44 provided in the groove 43. The release rib 44 is formed so as to come into contact with the guide portion 22 when the guide portion 22 is inserted into the groove 43. In other words, the release rib 44 is provided so as to interfere with the trajectory of the guide portion 22 in the groove 43. The release rib 44 is a rib that deforms the protective cover 4 so as to widen the opening width of the opening 41, and detaches the protective cover 4 from the connector housing 3. The release rib 44 is disposed at an end of the groove 43 in the second direction Y. In other words, the release rib 44 is disposed on the bottom surface of the groove 43 that is recessed toward the second direction Y.

[0031] The release rib 44 has a release rib 44a arranged in the first groove portion 43a and a release rib 44c arranged in the third groove portion 43c. In other words, the protective cover 4 has release ribs 44 at both ends in the second direction Y. The release rib 44 is arranged in the center of the groove portion 43 in the third direction Z and extends in the first direction X. The third direction Z is the direction of the groove width of the groove portion 43. An end face 44s of the release rib 44 is inclined so that the release rib 44 can ride up onto the guide portion 22.

[0032] The protective cover 4 has a locking portion 45 that locks the connector housing 3 in the first direction X. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the locking portion 45 has a first locking portion 45c provided on the side wall 4c and a second locking portion 45d provided on the side wall 4d. As shown in Fig. 2, the first locking portion 45c is disposed at a corner where the side wall 4c and the opposing wall 4b intersect. As shown in Fig. 4, the second locking portion 45d is disposed at a corner where the side wall 4d and the opposing wall 4b intersect.

[0033] 2, the locking portion 45 has a support surface 47 and a locking surface 48. The locking surface 48 is a surface that locks an end surface 3d of the connector housing 3. The end surface 3d is a surface that faces the accommodating chamber 2a when the connector housing 3 is inserted into the frame 2. The support surface 47 is a surface that supports the side surface 3c of the connector housing 3 when the protective cover 4 is detached from the connector housing 3. The protective cover 4 supports the connector housing 3 from both sides in the second direction Y with the support surfaces 47, and restricts displacement of the connector housing 3.

[0034] The support surface 47 in this embodiment is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the side walls 4c, 4d. More specifically, the support surface 47 of the first locking portion 45c is inclined with respect to the side wall 4c so as to move away from the side wall 4c from the opposing wall 4a side toward the opposing wall 4b side. The support surface 47 of the second locking portion 45d is inclined with respect to the side wall 4d so as to move away from the side wall 4d from the opposing wall 4a side toward the opposing wall 4b side. The protective cover 4 is configured so that the two support surfaces 47 become parallel when the protective cover 4 is deformed and detached from the connector housing 3.

[0035] A method for manufacturing a connector according to the present embodiment will be described below. The method for manufacturing a connector includes a cover mounting step, a terminal inserting step, a positioning step, a removal step, and a connector inserting step.

[0036] The cover mounting process is a process of mounting the protective cover 4 onto the connector housing 3. The cover mounting process is performed, for example, by an operator. In the cover mounting process, the connector housing 3 is inserted into the protective cover 4 as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the cover mounting process is completed. The connector housing 3 is inserted into the protective cover 4 with the end face 3d facing forward. The connector housing 3 is inserted into the protective cover 4 until the abutment portion 42 of the protective cover 4 engages with the locking portion 32. When the abutment portion 42 engages with the locking portion 32, the cover mounting process is completed.

[0037] The locking portion 45 of the protective cover 4 faces the end face 3d of the connector housing 3 in the first direction X and locks the end face 3d. In other words, the protective cover 4 is positioned with respect to the connector housing 3 by the abutting portion 42 and the locking portion 45. The locking portion 45 restricts movement of the connector housing 3 toward a first side X1 in the first direction X. The first side X1 is the rear side in the insertion direction when the connector housing 3 is inserted into the protective cover 4. The abutting portion 42 restricts movement of the connector housing 3 toward a second side X2 in the first direction X. The second side X2 is the opposite side to the first side X1.

[0038] The protective cover 4 attached to the connector housing 3 forms an accommodating space 46 for accommodating the tab portion 51 of the male terminal 5. The accommodating space 46 is a space on the first side X1 relative to an end face 3d of the connector housing 3.

[0039] The terminal insertion process is performed after the cover mounting process. The terminal insertion process is performed, for example, by an operator. As shown in FIG. 7, the male terminal 5 has a tab portion 51 and a joint portion 52. The tab portion 51 is a portion that is inserted into a mating female terminal and connected to the female terminal. The joint portion 52 is a portion that is joined to a core wire of the electric wire W. The joint portion 52 is, for example, crimped to the core wire. In the terminal insertion process, the male terminal 5 is inserted into the through hole 3a of the connector housing 3 with the tab portion 51 facing forward. The male terminal 5 is inserted into the through hole 3a to a position where the tab portion 51 protrudes from the end face 3d, and is held by the through hole 3a.

[0040] 8 shows the state where the terminal insertion process is completed. The tab portion 51 of the male terminal 5 is accommodated in the accommodation space 46 formed by the protective cover 4. The protective cover 4 protects the tab portion 51 so that other devices or equipment do not come into contact with the tab portion 51.

[0041] The positioning step is performed after the terminal insertion step. The positioning step is performed by, for example, an operator. The positioning step is a step of positioning the protective cover 4 and the connector housing 3 with respect to the frame 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the protective cover 4 and the connector housing 3 are positioned with respect to the frame 2. More specifically, the protective cover 4 and the connector housing 3 are positioned so that the tip 4e of the protective cover 4 faces the end face 20d of the frame 2. At this time, the position of the protective cover 4 is such that the first groove portion 43a faces the first guide portion 22a and the second groove portion 43b faces the second guide portion 22b, as shown in FIG. 9. As a result, the third groove portion 43c faces the third guide portion 22c.

[0042] In the positioning step, the worker moves the protective cover 4 from the position shown in Fig. 9 in the first direction X toward the frame 2. As a result, the guide portions 22a, 22b, and 22c are inserted into the corresponding groove portions 43a, 43b, and 43c. The guide portions 22 position the protective cover 4 and the connector housing 3 by being inserted into the groove portions 43. The connector housing 3 at this time is positioned opposite the accommodation chamber 2a of the frame 2 and can be inserted into the accommodation chamber 2a.

[0043] The removal process is performed after the positioning process. The removal process is performed, for example, by an operator. The removal process is a process of removing the protective cover 4 from the connector housing 3. When the guide portion 22 is inserted deep into the groove portion 43, the guide portion 22 comes into contact with the release rib 44 and deforms the protective cover 4.

[0044] 10 and 11 show the deformed protective cover 4. At this time, the tip 4e of the protective cover 4 abuts against the end surface 20d of the frame 2. In other words, the guide portion 22 deforms the protective cover 4 before the tip 4e of the protective cover 4 abuts against the end surface 20d of the frame 2.

[0045] Fig. 12 shows a deformed protective cover 4. As shown in Fig. 12, the first guide portion 22a comes into contact with the release rib 44a of the first groove portion 43a. The first guide portion 22a applies a pressing force F1 toward the first side Y1 in the second direction Y to the release rib 44a. Meanwhile, the third guide portion 22c comes into contact with the release rib 44c of the third groove portion 43c. The third guide portion 22c applies a pressing force F2 toward the second side Y2 in the second direction Y to the release rib 44c.

[0046] The protective cover 4 is deformed by the two pressing forces F1 and F2 so as to widen the opening width Wd of the opening 41. This deformation is a deformation that curves the opposing wall 4a toward the other opposing wall 4b. In other words, the guide portions 22a and 22c deform the protective cover 4 so as to move the two locking portions 45c and 45d of the protective cover 4 away from each other. As a result, the two locking portions 45c and 45d move to the release position. The release position is a position that does not lock the connector housing 3 and does not hinder the movement of the connector housing 3 toward the frame 2.

[0047] The connector inserting step is performed after the removal step. The connector inserting step is performed, for example, by an operator. The connector inserting step is a step of inserting the connector housing 3 into the receiving chamber 2a of the frame 2.

[0048] In a state in which the protective cover 4 is deformed by the removal process, the worker applies a pressing force F3 shown in FIG. 13 to the connector housing 3. The pressing force F3 is a force for inserting the connector housing 3 toward the receiving chamber 2a. The connector housing 3 is inserted into the receiving chamber 2a while sliding inside the protective cover 4 by the pressing force F3. At this time, the support surface 47 of the protective cover 4 supports the connector housing 3 from both sides in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. 12, when viewed from the first direction X, the support surface 47 of the locking portion 45 is located near the side surface 3c of the connector housing 3. In other words, the two support surfaces 47 guard the connector housing 3 from both sides in the second direction Y so that the position of the connector housing 3 in the second direction Y is not shifted. The connector housing 3 is inserted to a position where the engagement protrusion 31 engages with the locking piece 20c of the frame 2.

[0049] When the connector housing 3 is inserted into the receiving chamber 2a, the protective cover 4 is completely detached from the connector housing 3. The worker retrieves the detached protective cover 4. At this time, the electric wire W passes through the opening 41 of the protective cover 4. The opening width of the opening 41 is set to a width that allows at least the electric wire W to pass through.

[0050] The connector 1 of this embodiment can prevent the connector housing 3 from being erroneously inserted into the frame 2. FIG. 14 shows the connector housing 3 and the protective cover 4 that are about to be inserted into the frame 2 in an incorrect orientation. The protective cover 4 shown in FIG. 14 is inverted with respect to the protective cover 4 shown in FIG. 9. The first groove portion 43a and the second groove portion 43b of the protective cover 4 face the third guide portion 22c of the frame. In this case, the third guide portion 22c interferes with the protective cover 4. Similarly, at the opposite end, the third groove portion 43c of the protective cover 4 faces the first guide portion 22a and the second guide portion 22b of the frame 2. The first guide portion 22a and the second guide portion 22b interfere with the protective cover 4. In other words, when the protective cover 4 is inverted with respect to the normal orientation, the guide portion 22 cannot be inserted into the corresponding groove portion 43. This prevents the connector housing 3 from being erroneously inserted into the frame 2.

[0051] As described above, the connector 1 of this embodiment has the frame 2, the male terminals 5, the connector housing 3, and the cylindrical protective cover 4. The frame 2 has an accommodating chamber 2a. The male terminals 5 have tab portions 51. The connector housing 3 has through holes 3a that hold the male terminals 5 with the tab portions 51 protruding. The connector housing 3 is inserted into the accommodating chamber 2a while holding the male terminals 5. The protective cover 4 is attached to the connector housing 3 before it is inserted into the accommodating chamber 2a. The protective cover 4 is detached from the connector housing 3 when the connector housing 3 is inserted into the accommodating chamber 2a.

[0052] The frame 2 has a positioning guide portion 22 provided at the entrance of the accommodation chamber 2a. The protective cover 4 has a slit-shaped opening 41 extending in the insertion direction in which the connector housing 3 is inserted into the accommodation chamber 2a. The protective cover 4 is configured to be deformable so as to increase the opening width Wd of the opening 41.

[0053] The protective cover 4 has an abutment portion 42 that is engaged by the connector housing 3 in the insertion direction. The protective cover 4 forms an accommodation space 46 that accommodates the tab portion 51 when attached to the connector housing 3. The protective cover 4 has a groove portion 43 into which the guide portion 22 is inserted, and a release rib 44. The groove portion 43 is disposed at a tip end 4e of the protective cover 4. The release rib 44 is provided in the groove portion 43 so as to come into contact with the guide portion 22. The protective cover 4 deforms to widen the opening width Wd of the opening 41 due to pressing forces F1, F2 that the release rib 44 receives from the guide portion 22, and is released from the connector housing 3.

[0054] In the connector 1 of this embodiment, the step of inserting the positioning guide portion 22 into the groove portion 43 of the protective cover 4 not only allows the connector housing 3 to be positioned with respect to the frame 2, but also allows the protective cover 4 to be detached from the connector housing 3. Therefore, the connector 1 of this embodiment can improve the workability of inserting the connector housing 3 into the frame 2.

[0055] In this embodiment, the protective cover 4 is deformed so as to move the locking portion 45 to the release position due to the pressing forces F1, F2 that the release ribs 44 receive from the guide portion 22. The release position of the locking portion 45 is a position where the connector housing 3 is not locked and the connector housing 3 is allowed to move toward the accommodating chamber 2a. With this configuration, it is possible to move the connector housing 3 toward the accommodating chamber 2a while the protective cover 4 remains abutted against the frame 2.

[0056] The protective cover 4 of this embodiment has two locking portions 45c, 45d. The two locking portions 45c, 45d are disposed on both sides of the opening 41 in the width direction of the protective cover 4. The two locking portions 45c, 45d guard the connector housing 3 from both sides in the width direction as it moves toward the accommodation chamber 2a, thereby restricting misalignment of the connector housing 3. This configuration stabilizes the posture of the connector housing 3, making it possible to properly insert it into the accommodation chamber 2a.

[0057] The shape of the protective cover 4 is not limited to the shape exemplified in the embodiment. For example, the number of grooves 43 arranged on the side wall 4c side may be the same as the number of grooves 43 arranged on the side wall 4d side. In this case, the positions of the grooves 43 on the side wall 4c and the positions of the grooves 43 on the side wall 4d may be shifted in the third direction Z to prevent erroneous insertion of the connector housing 3.

[0058] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1: Connector 2: Frame, 2a: Containment room 3: connector housing, 3a: through hole, 3b: top surface, 3c: side surface 3d: end face 4: Protective cover, 4a, 4b: Opposing wall, 4c, 4d: Side wall, 4e: Tip 5: Male terminal 6: Food 10: Sub-connector, 11: Unit 20: External wall, 20a, 20b: Side wall, 20c: Locking piece, 20d: End surface 21: Partition wall 22: Guide section 22a: first guide portion, 22b: second guide portion, 22c: third guide portion 31: Engagement protrusion, 32: Locking part 41: Opening, 42: Contact part 43: Groove 43a: First groove, 43b: Second groove, 43c: Third groove 44, 44a, 44c: Release rib 45: Locking part, 45c: First locking part, 45d: Second locking part 46: Containment Space 51: Tab portion, 52: Joint portion F1,F2,F3: Pressing force WH: Wire harness X: first direction, Y: second direction, Z: third direction

Claims

1. a frame having a chamber; a male terminal having a tab portion; a connector housing having a through hole for holding the male terminal with the tab portion protruding therefrom, the connector housing being inserted into the accommodating chamber while holding the male terminal; a cylindrical protective cover that is attached to the connector housing before the connector housing is inserted into the receiving chamber and that is detached from the connector housing when the connector housing is inserted into the receiving chamber; Equipped with The frame has a positioning guide portion provided at an entrance portion of the accommodation chamber, the protective cover has a slit-shaped opening extending in an insertion direction in which the connector housing is inserted into the accommodating chamber, and is configured to be deformable so as to increase the width of the opening, the protective cover has a locking portion that locks the connector housing in the insertion direction, and defines an accommodation space that accommodates the tab portion when the protective cover is attached to the connector housing, the protective cover is disposed at a tip end of the protective cover and has a groove into which the guide portion is inserted, and a release rib provided in the groove so as to come into contact with the guide portion, The protective cover is deformed to widen the opening width due to the pressing force applied to the release rib by the guide portion, and is detached from the connector housing. A connector characterized by:

2. the protective cover is deformed so as to move the locking portion to a release position by a pressing force that the release rib receives from the guide portion, The release position of the locking portion is a position where the locking portion does not lock the connector housing and allows the connector housing to move toward the receiving chamber. The connector of claim 1 .

3. The protective cover has two of the locking portions, The two locking portions are disposed on both sides of the protective cover in a width direction with respect to the opening, The two locking portions guard the connector housing from both sides in the width direction as the connector housing moves toward the receiving chamber, thereby restricting displacement of the connector housing. The connector according to claim 2.

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