Connector and assembly method for connector

Abstract

To flexibly respond to a specification change by diverting an inner housing.SOLUTION: In a connector, an assembly space 31 of an outer housing for lateral array and an assembly space of an outer housing for longitudinal array have a same size and a same shape. A lock receiving part for lateral array is provided on a peripheral wall 35A, and a lock receiving part for longitudinal array is provided on a peripheral wall configuring the assembly space of the outer housing for longitudinal array. An inner housing 40 includes both a lock part for lateral array which is locked to the lock receiving part for lateral array and a lock part for longitudinal array which is locked to the lock receiving part for longitudinal array. The inner housing 40 is inserted into the assembly space 31 of the outer housing for lateral array and the lock part for lateral array is locked to the lock receiving part for lateral array, thereby configuring a housing for lateral array. The inner housing 40 is inserted into the assembly space of the outer housing for longitudinal array and the lock part for longitudinal array is locked to the lock receiving part for longitudinal array, thereby configuring a housing for longitudinal array.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a method for assembling the connector. [Background technology]

[0002] A connector having a plurality of sub-connectors and a holder for accommodating these sub-connectors is disclosed in JP 2009-272239 A (Patent Document 1 below). The holder has a horizontally rectangular frame shape and has a plurality of assembly spaces arranged side by side. The sub-connectors are fitted into the interiors of these assembly spaces from the rear. A holder locking portion is formed on the lower wall of the assembly space. Meanwhile, a sub-connector locking portion is formed at the front end of the lower surface of the sub-connector so as to protrude downward. When the sub-connector is assembled in the assembly space, the sub-connector locking portion locks into the holder locking portion from the front, thereby preventing the sub-connector from slipping out rearward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-272239 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above connector, multiple sub-connectors are arranged horizontally, but if multiple sub-connectors are reused and changed to a vertical arrangement, the holder locking part would be formed on the bottom wall, and the holder locking part would increase the vertical pitch of the assembly space, making the holder larger in the vertical direction. In this way, it is difficult to change the specifications while using the sub-connectors as they are, and it would be necessary to redesign and manufacture from scratch, making it difficult to flexibly accommodate specification changes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector including a horizontal arrangement outer housing having a plurality of assembly spaces arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, a vertical arrangement outer housing having a plurality of assembly spaces arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and an inner housing to be inserted into the assembly spaces, wherein the assembly spaces of the horizontal arrangement outer housing and the assembly spaces of the vertical arrangement outer housing are the same size and shape, a horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing, and a vertical arrangement outer housing has a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing, a vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is provided, and the inner housing has both a horizontal arrangement lock portion that engages with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion and a vertical arrangement lock portion that engages with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion, and a horizontal arrangement housing is formed when the inner housing is inserted into the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing and the horizontal arrangement lock portion engages with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion, and a vertical arrangement housing is formed when the inner housing is inserted into the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing and the vertical arrangement lock portion engages with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the inner housing can be reused, and specifications can be flexibly accommodated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first male connector as viewed obliquely from the front. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the first male connector. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the first male connector. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing how the inner housing is assembled to the first outer housing from the rear, as viewed obliquely from the front. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how the inner housing is assembled to the first outer housing from the rear, as viewed obliquely from the rear. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second male connector as viewed obliquely from the front. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of the second male connector. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a rear view of the second male connector. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing how the inner housing is assembled to the second outer housing from the rear, as viewed obliquely from the front. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing how the inner housing is assembled to the second outer housing from the rear, as viewed obliquely from the rear. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0009] [1] The connector disclosed herein is a connector including a horizontally arranged outer housing having a plurality of assembly spaces arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, a vertically arranged outer housing having a plurality of assembly spaces arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and an inner housing inserted into the assembly spaces, wherein the assembly spaces of the horizontally arranged outer housing and the assembly spaces of the vertically arranged outer housing are the same size and shape, a horizontally arranged lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the horizontally arranged outer housing, and a vertically arranged outer housing is provided with a lock receiving portion for horizontal arrangement. a vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is provided, the inner housing has both a horizontal arrangement lock portion that engages with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion and a vertical arrangement lock portion that engages with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion, the horizontal arrangement housing is formed when the inner housing is inserted into the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing and the horizontal arrangement lock portion engages with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion, and the vertical arrangement housing is formed when the inner housing is inserted into the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing and the vertical arrangement lock portion engages with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion.

[0010] When the above connector is applied to a connector having a horizontal arrangement housing, the inner housing is inserted into the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing and the horizontal arrangement locking portion is engaged with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion. On the other hand, when the above connector is applied to a connector having a vertical arrangement housing, the inner housing is inserted into the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing and the vertical arrangement locking portion is engaged with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion. In this way, the inner housing can be used for both the horizontal arrangement housing and the vertical arrangement housing, allowing for flexible response to specification changes.

[0011] [2] In the above item [1], it is preferable that the peripheral wall constituting the assembly space has a forward opening, a front end portion of the peripheral wall has a front tapered surface which extends rearward as it approaches the inside of the peripheral wall, and the inner housing has a forward opening, and a front end portion of the inner housing, rear of the front tapered surface, has a rear tapered surface which extends rearward as it approaches the inside of the inner housing.

[0012] When the mating connector is fitted to the connector, the mating connector can be guided into the peripheral wall by the front tapered surface and the rear tapered surface.

[0013] [3] In the above [1] or [2], it is preferable that the assembly space is a space surrounded by a bottom surface, a ceiling surface facing the bottom surface, and a pair of side surfaces connecting the bottom surface and the ceiling surface, the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion is formed on at least one of the bottom surface and the ceiling surface of the horizontal arrangement outer housing, the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is formed on at least one of the pair of side surfaces of the vertical arrangement outer housing, the inner housing has a bottom wall, a top wall facing the bottom wall, and a pair of side walls connecting the bottom wall and the top wall, the horizontal arrangement lock portion is formed at positions of the bottom wall and the top wall corresponding to the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion, and the vertical arrangement lock portion is formed at positions of the pair of side walls corresponding to the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion.

[0014] Since the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion is formed on at least one of the bottom surface and the ceiling surface, the horizontal arrangement outer housing can be prevented from becoming large in the horizontal direction. Also, since the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is formed on at least one of the pair of side surfaces, the vertical arrangement outer housing can be prevented from becoming large in the vertical direction.

[0015] [4] In the above [3], it is preferable that the inner housing has a front side tubular portion that opens forward, a rear side tubular portion that opens rearward, and a connecting portion that connects the front side tubular portion and the rear side tubular portion in the fore-and-aft direction, and that the bottom wall, the top wall and the pair of side walls are configured as a single wall common to the front side tubular portion and the rear side tubular portion, and that the horizontal arrangement locking portion and the vertical arrangement locking portion are formed in the rear side tubular portion.

[0016] Since the locking portions are formed on the rear cylindrical portion, which is an existing structure, the inner housing can be made smaller than when the locking portions are formed outside the front and rear cylindrical portions.

[0017] [5] The method of assembling a connector disclosed herein is a method of assembling a connector including a horizontally arranged outer housing having a plurality of assembly spaces arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, a vertically arranged outer housing having a plurality of assembly spaces arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and an inner housing assembled to the assembly spaces, wherein the assembly spaces of the horizontally arranged outer housing and the assembly spaces of the vertically arranged outer housing are the same size and shape, a horizontally arranged lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the horizontally arranged outer housing, and an inner housing is provided with a lock receiving portion for horizontal arrangement that constitutes the assembly space of the vertically arranged outer housing. a vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall of the outer housing, the inner housing has both a horizontal arrangement lock portion that engages with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion and a vertical arrangement lock portion that engages with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion, the inner housing can be selectively assembled into either the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing or the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing, at least two different types of inner housings are provided, and one type of inner housing can be replaced with the other type of inner housing in the assembly space.

[0018] Since the inner housing can be selectively assembled into either the assembly space for the horizontal arrangement outer housing or the assembly space for the vertical arrangement outer housing, either one of the outer housings can be selected according to the specifications of the connector. Also, since one type of inner housing can be replaced with another type of inner housing in the assembly space, the inner housing can be freely changed according to the specifications of the connector.

[0019] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the connector and the connector assembly method of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the configurations may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ in each drawing. Furthermore, "parallel," "vertical," and "orthogonal" in this specification do not only mean strictly parallel, vertical, or orthogonal, but also include roughly parallel, vertical, or orthogonal within the range of the action and effect of this embodiment.

[0020] In each drawing, three mutually perpendicular directions are shown, and the three directions are respectively indicated as a front-rear direction X, a left-right direction Y, and a top-bottom direction Z. That is, the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y are mutually perpendicular, the left-right direction Y and the top-bottom direction Z are mutually perpendicular, and the top-bottom direction Z and the front-rear direction X are mutually perpendicular. The front-rear direction X is based on the mating direction of each connector, with the mating surface side of each connector being the front side, and the left-right direction Y and the top-bottom direction Z are based on the up-down, left-right directions when viewed from the mating surface side.

[0021] In addition, the term "cylindrical" used in the description of this specification does not only refer to a cylindrical shape having a continuous wall formed around the entire circumference, but also includes a cylindrical shape formed by combining multiple parts, and a C-shape having a notch in a part of the circumference. In addition, the shape of a "cylindrical shape" includes a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon with sharp or rounded corners.

[0022] In addition, the term "ring" in this specification refers to any closed shape whose outer edge is connected by straight lines or curves, including a circular ring whose outer edge is a circular shape, an elliptical or oval ring whose outer edge is a polygonal ring, and a ring whose outer edge is a rounded polygonal shape. The term "ring" includes rings whose outer edge and inner edge are the same shape, and rings whose outer edge and inner edge are different shapes. The term "ring" includes rings whose outer edge and inner edge are a predetermined length extending along the central axis, regardless of the length. In addition, the term "annular" in this specification refers to rings whose entire shape can be regarded as a ring, and includes rings whose outer edge has a notch or slit in a part, such as a C-shape.

[0023] In addition, "facing" in this specification refers to surfaces or members facing each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. In addition, "facing" in this specification includes both cases where a member other than the two parts is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts.

[0024] <Embodiment> (Connector C Configuration) In this embodiment, as the connector C of the present disclosure, a first male connector C1 shown in Figures 1 to 6 and a second male connector C2 shown in Figures 7 to 12 are exemplified. The connector C is a board connector mounted on a circuit board (not shown). The connector C can be mated with a mating connector (not shown).

[0025] The first male connector C1 includes a first housing 10 and a first terminal T1 held in the first housing 10. The first terminal T1 is a general term for multiple types of terminals, and is illustrated with the same reference symbol T1 in Figs. 1 to 6. The shape, size, type, and number of poles of the first terminal T1 are not limited to those illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6. The first housing 10 corresponds to the "housing for horizontal arrangement" of the present disclosure.

[0026] The second male connector C2 includes a second housing 20 and a second terminal T2 held by the second housing 20. The second terminal T2 is a general term for multiple types of terminals, and is illustrated with the same reference symbol T2 in Figures 7 to 12. The shape, size, type, and number of poles of the second terminal T2 are not limited to those illustrated in Figures 7 to 12. The second housing 20 corresponds to the "housing for vertical arrangement" of the present disclosure.

[0027] (Configuration of the first housing 10) As shown in Fig. 1, the first housing 10 includes a first outer housing 30 and a plurality of inner housings 40. In this embodiment, the first housing 10 includes six inner housings 40. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the six inner housings 40 are arranged in two rows in the vertical direction and three rows in the horizontal direction. The first outer housing 30 corresponds to the "laterally arranged outer housing" of the present disclosure.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, the first outer housing 30 has an assembly space 31 into which the inner housing 40 is inserted from the rear. The assembly space 31 is open in the front-rear direction and has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The assembly space 31 is a space surrounded by a bottom surface 32, a ceiling surface 33 facing the bottom surface 32, and a pair of left and right side surfaces 34 connecting the bottom surface 32 and the ceiling surface 33. In other words, a peripheral wall 35 that constitutes the assembly space 31 has the bottom surface 32, the ceiling surface 33, and the pair of side surfaces 34.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5, a first lock receiving portion 36 is formed on the ceiling surface 33. The first lock receiving portion 36 is cantilevered and extends in the front-rear direction, and the rear end side is a free end that can be displaced in the up-down direction. The first lock receiving portion 36 corresponds to the "horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion" of the present disclosure. In addition, a guide groove 37 that opens to the rear is formed on the bottom surface 32.

[0030] 6, a front tapered surface 35A is formed at the front end of the peripheral wall 35, the front tapered surface 35A tapering toward the rear as it approaches the inside of the peripheral wall 35. In addition, a first engagement portion 36A is formed at the rear end of the first lock receiving portion 36, protruding toward the inside of the peripheral wall 35.

[0031] 5, the first lock receiving portion 36 on the upper stage side is formed on the ceiling surface 33, whereas the first lock receiving portion 36 on the lower stage side is formed on the bottom surface 32. The peripheral wall 35 on the upper stage side and the peripheral wall 35 on the lower stage side that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are arranged symmetrically with respect to a point.

[0032] 4 and 5, the inner housing 40 has a front side cylinder portion 41 that opens forward, a rear side cylinder portion 42 that opens rearward, and a connecting portion 43 that connects the front side cylinder portion 41 and the rear side cylinder portion 42 in the front-rear direction. The connecting portion 43 divides an internal space of the front side cylinder portion 41 from an internal space of the rear side cylinder portion 42. The connecting portion 43 holds the first terminal T1.

[0033] The inner housing 40 has a bottom wall 44, a top wall 45 opposing the bottom wall 44, and a pair of left and right side walls 46 connecting the bottom wall 44 and the top wall 45. The bottom wall 44, the top wall 45, and the pair of side walls 46 are configured as a single wall common to the front cylinder portion 41, the rear cylinder portion 42, and the connecting portion 43.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 5, the rear cylinder portion 42 of the inner housing 40 is provided with a first locking portion 47 and a pair of left and right second locking portions 48. The first locking portion 47 is formed at the rear end portion of the top wall 45, and the pair of second locking portions 48 are formed at the rear end portions of the pair of side walls 46. Both locking portions 47, 48 are formed in a stepped shape recessed from the outer circumferential side to the inner circumferential side of the rear cylinder portion 42. Note that the bottom wall 44 is formed with a guide protrusion 49 that is inserted from the rear into the guide groove 37 of the assembly space 31.

[0035] 6, a rear tapered surface 41A is formed at the front end of the front cylindrical portion 41, rearwardly of the front tapered surface 55A, and the rearwardly tapered surface 41A extends toward the inside of the front cylindrical portion 41. The first locking portion 47 is locked from the rear by the first locking portion 36A of the first lock receiving portion 36. This keeps the inner housing 40 in the assembly space 31 in a state where it is prevented from slipping out rearward.

[0036] The inner housing 40 inserted into the upper assembly space 31 and the inner housing 40 inserted into the lower assembly space 31 are upside down. That is, when the inner housing 40 is inserted into the upper assembly space 31, it is in an assembly position where the first locking portion 47 faces upward, and when the inner housing 40 is inserted into the lower assembly space 31, it is in an assembly position where the first locking portion 47 faces downward.

[0037] When the inner housing 40 is assembled into the assembly space 31, the first locking portion 47 engages with the first engaging portion 36A of the first lock receiving portion 36, thereby holding the inner housing 40 inside the assembly space 31. When assembling the inner housing 40 into the assembly space 31, the guide protrusions 49 are inserted into the guide grooves 37 to prevent erroneous assembly of the inner housing 40 and to guide the assembly operation.

[0038] (Configuration of second housing 20) As shown in FIG. 7, the second housing 20 includes a second outer housing 50 and a plurality of inner housings 40. The second terminal T2 is held in the connecting portion 43 of the inner housing 40. In this embodiment, the second housing 20 includes three inner housings 40. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the three inner housings 40 are arranged in two rows in the vertical direction and in one row in the horizontal direction. The second outer housing 50 corresponds to the "outer housing for vertical arrangement" of the present disclosure. The inner housing 40 is the inner housing 40 common to the first male connector C1 and the second male connector C2.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 10, the second outer housing 50 has an assembly space 51 into which the inner housing 40 is inserted from the rear. The assembly space 51 is open in the front-rear direction and has a horizontally long rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The assembly space 51 is a space surrounded by a bottom surface 52, a ceiling surface 53 facing the bottom surface 52, and a pair of left and right side surfaces 54 connecting the bottom surface 52 and the ceiling surface 53. In other words, a peripheral wall 55 constituting the assembly space 51 has the bottom surface 52, the ceiling surface 53, and a pair of side surfaces 54. The assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30 and the assembly space 51 of the second outer housing 50 have the same size and shape.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 11, a pair of second lock receiving portions 56 are formed on the pair of side surfaces 54. One second lock receiving portion 56 is formed on one side surface 54, and one second lock receiving portion 56 is formed on the other side surface 54. The second lock receiving portion 56 is cantilevered extending in the front-rear direction, and its rear end side is a free end that can be displaced in the left-right direction. The second lock receiving portion 56 corresponds to the "vertical arrangement lock receiving portion" of the present disclosure.

[0041] 12, a front tapered surface 55A is formed at the front end of the peripheral wall 55, the front tapered surface 55A tapering toward the rear as it approaches the inside of the peripheral wall 55. In addition, a second engagement portion 56A is formed at the rear end of the second lock receiving portion 56, protruding toward the inside of the peripheral wall 55.

[0042] (How to assemble connector C) The outer shape of the inner housing 40 in this embodiment is common regardless of the specifications of the connector C. On the other hand, since the arrangement of the inner housing 40 is determined by the specifications of the connector C, one of the first outer housing 30 and the second outer housing 50 is selected. In the case of the first male connector C1 arranged horizontally, the first outer housing 30 is selected, and in the case of the second male connector C2 arranged vertically, the second outer housing 30 is selected. In addition, multiple inner housings 40 required are selected from multiple types of inner housings 40 depending on the specifications such as the terminal type and the number of poles. Furthermore, for the assembly space of the selected outer housing, one type of inner housing 40 can be replaced with another type of inner housing 40 according to the specifications of the connector C.

[0043] In the following, a case where the first outer housing 30 is selected will be described as a representative example. The inner housing 40 is inserted from the rear into the assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30. The guide protrusions 49 enter the guide grooves 37 to prevent incorrect assembly of the inner housing 40 and guide the assembly operation. The first engaging portion 36A of the first lock receiving portion 36 rides up onto the top wall 45, causing the first lock receiving portion 36 to elastically deform, and the inner housing 40 is pushed forward as it is.

[0044] When the inner housing 40 reaches the correct assembly position, the first engaging portion 36A fits into the first locking portion 47, the first lock receiving portion 36 returns to its natural state, and the first engaging portion 36A engages with the first locking portion 47 from behind, thereby maintaining the inner housing 40 in a state where it is properly assembled to the first outer housing 30. When all of the inner housings 40 are properly assembled to the first outer housing 30, the first male connector C1 is completed.

[0045] When mating the first male connector C1 with a mating connector, the mating connector is first guided into the peripheral wall 35 by the front tapered surface 35A. Next, the mating connector is guided into the front tubular portion 41 by the rear tapered surface 41A of the inner housing 40. Since the mating connector can be guided continuously by the front tapered surface 35A and the rear tapered surface 41A in this manner, mating with the mating connector is performed smoothly. In addition, since an assembly clearance is set between the inner housing 40 and the first outer housing 30, the clearance makes it easier to insert the first terminal T1 into the through hole when mounting the first male connector C1 on a circuit board.

[0046] Since the first male connector C1 is a connector for horizontal arrangement, the dimension in the left-right direction is originally larger than the dimension in the up-down direction. However, since the first lock receiving portion 36 is formed on the ceiling surface 33 or the bottom surface 32, the dimension of the first male connector C1 can be prevented from becoming even larger in the left-right direction compared to when it is formed on the side surface 34. Similarly, since the second male connector C2 is a connector for vertical arrangement, the dimension in the up-down direction is originally larger than the dimension in the left-right direction. However, since the second lock receiving portion 56 is formed on the side surface 54, the dimension of the second male connector C2 can be prevented from becoming even larger in the up-down direction compared to when it is formed on the ceiling surface 53 or the bottom surface 52.

[0047] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The connector C of the present disclosure is a connector including a first outer housing 30 having a plurality of assembly spaces 31 arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, a second outer housing 50 having a plurality of assembly spaces 51 arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and an inner housing 40 to be inserted into the assembly spaces 31, 51, in which the assembly spaces 31 of the first outer housing 30 and the assembly spaces 51 of the second outer housing 50 are the same size and shape, a first lock receiving portion 36 is provided on a peripheral wall 35 constituting the assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30, and the assembly spaces 51 of the second outer housing 50 are the same size and shape. a second lock receiving portion 56 is provided on a peripheral wall 55 constituting the first outer housing 30, and the inner housing 40 has both a first locking portion 47 that engages with the first lock receiving portion 36 and a second locking portion 48 that engages with the second lock receiving portion 56; the first housing 10 is formed when the inner housing 40 is inserted into the assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30 and the first locking portion 47 engages with the first lock receiving portion 36, and the second housing 20 is formed when the inner housing 40 is inserted into the assembly space 51 of the second outer housing 50 and the second locking portion 48 engages with the second lock receiving portion 56.

[0048] When the connector C is applied to a first male connector C1 having a first housing 10, the inner housing 40 is inserted into the assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30 and the first locking portion 47 is engaged with the first lock receiving portion 36. On the other hand, when the connector C is applied to a second male connector C2 having a second housing 20, the inner housing 40 is inserted into the assembly space 51 of the second outer housing 50 and the second locking portion 48 is engaged with the second lock receiving portion 56. In this way, the inner housing 40 can be used for both the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, and specifications can be flexibly adapted to changes.

[0049] (2) The peripheral walls 35, 55 constituting the assembly space 31, 51 are formed to open forward, and the front ends of the peripheral walls 35, 55 are formed with front tapered surfaces 35A, 55A that extend rearward as they approach the inside of the peripheral walls 35, 55, and it is preferable that the inner housing 40 is formed to open forward, and the front end of the inner housing 40, rear of the front tapered surfaces 35A, 55A, is formed with a rear tapered surface 41A that extends rearward as it approaches the inside of the inner housing 40.

[0050] When the mating connector is fitted to the connector C, the mating connector can be guided into the peripheral walls 35, 55 by the front tapered surfaces 35A, 55A and the rear tapered surface 41A.

[0051] (3) The assembly space 31, 51 is a space surrounded by a bottom surface 32, 52, a ceiling surface 33, 53 facing the bottom surface 32, 52, and a pair of side surfaces 34, 54 connecting the bottom surface 32, 52 and the ceiling surface 33, 53, and a first lock receiving portion 36 is formed on at least one of the bottom surface 32 and the ceiling surface 33 of the first outer housing 30, and a second lock receiving portion 56 is formed on at least one of the pair of side surfaces 54 of the second outer housing 50, and it is preferable that the inner housing 40 has a bottom wall 44, an upper wall 45 facing the bottom wall 44, and a pair of side walls 46 connecting the bottom wall 44 and the top wall 45, and a first lock portion 47 is formed at a position of the bottom wall 44 and the upper wall 45 corresponding to the first lock receiving portion 36, and a second lock portion 48 is formed at a position of the pair of side walls 46 corresponding to the second lock receiving portion 56.

[0052] Since the first lock receiving portion 36 is formed on at least one of the bottom surface 32 and the ceiling surface 33, it is possible to prevent the first outer housing 30 from becoming large in the lateral direction (left-right direction). Also, since the second lock receiving portion 56 is formed on at least one of the pair of side surfaces 54, it is possible to prevent the second outer housing 50 from becoming large in the vertical direction (up-down direction).

[0053] (4) The inner housing 40 has a front side tube portion 41 that opens forward, a rear side tube portion 42 that opens rearward, and a connecting portion 43 that connects the front side tube portion 41 and the rear side tube portion 42 in the fore-and-aft direction, and it is preferable that the bottom wall 44, the top wall 45 and the pair of side walls 46 are configured as a single wall common to the front side tube portion 41 and the rear side tube portion 42, and that the first locking portion 47 and the second locking portion 48 are formed in the rear side tube portion 42.

[0054] Since the locking portions 47, 48 are formed on the rear cylindrical portion 42, which is an existing structure, the inner housing 40 can be made smaller than when the locking portions 47, 48 are formed on portions other than the front cylindrical portion 41 and the rear cylindrical portion 42.

[0055] (5) The method of assembling a connector C disclosed herein is a method of assembling a connector C including a first outer housing 30 having a plurality of assembly spaces 31 arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, a second outer housing 50 having a plurality of assembly spaces 51 arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and an inner housing 40 to be assembled into the assembly spaces 31, 51, in which the assembly spaces 31 of the first outer housing 30 and the assembly spaces 51 of the second outer housing 50 are the same size and shape, a first lock receiving portion 36 is provided on a peripheral wall 35 constituting the assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30, and a first lock receiving portion 36 is provided on the peripheral wall 35 of the assembly space 31 of the second outer housing 50. a second lock receiving portion 56 is provided on a peripheral wall 55 constituting the outer housing 1, the inner housing 40 has both a first lock portion 47 engaged with the first lock receiving portion 36 and a second lock portion 48 engaged with the second lock receiving portion 56, the inner housing 40 can be selectively assembled into either the assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30 or the assembly space 51 of the second outer housing 50, at least two different types of inner housings 40 are provided, and one type of inner housing 40 can be replaced with another type of inner housing 40 for the assembly spaces 31, 51.

[0056] Since the inner housing 40 can be selectively assembled into either the assembly space 31 of the first outer housing 30 or the assembly space 51 of the second outer housing 50, either one of the outer housings 30, 50 can be selected in accordance with the specifications of the connector C. In addition, since one type of inner housing 40 can be replaced with another type of inner housing 40 in the assembly spaces 31, 51, the inner housing 40 can be freely changed in accordance with the specifications of the connector C.

[0057] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the first outer housing 30 having three rows of assembly spaces 31 in the left-right direction has been described as an example of an outer housing for horizontal arrangement. However, the number of rows of the assembly spaces is not limited, and the outer housing may have two rows or four or more rows of assembly spaces in the left-right direction.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the second outer housing 50 having three stages of assembly spaces 51 in the vertical direction has been exemplified as the outer housing for vertical arrangement. However, the number of stages of the assembly spaces is not limited, and the outer housing may have two stages or four or more stages of assembly spaces in the vertical direction.

[0060] The terminal types and the number of poles of the inner housing are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and the terminals do not have to be inserted into the inner housing.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the front tapered surface 35A, 55A and the rear tapered surface 41A are both provided, but only one of them may be provided.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the first lock receiving portion 36 is formed on only one of the bottom surface 32 and the ceiling surface 33, but the first lock receiving portion 36 may be formed on both the bottom surface 32 and the ceiling surface 33, or may be formed on the side surface 34.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the second lock receiving portion 56 is formed on the pair of side surfaces 54, but the second lock receiving portion 56 may be formed on only one of the pair of side surfaces 54, or may be formed on the bottom surface 52 or the ceiling surface 53.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the first locking portion 47 and the second locking portion 48 are formed on the rear cylindrical portion 42. However, the inner housing may not have a rear cylindrical portion. In that case, the locking portions may be formed on the rear end portion of the front cylindrical portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10: First housing (housing for horizontal arrangement) 20: Second housing (housing for vertical arrangement) 30: First outer housing (lateral arrangement outer housing) 31: Installation space 32: Bottom surface 33: Ceiling surface 34: Side surface 35: Peripheral wall 35A: Front tapered surface 36: First lock receiving portion 36A: First engagement portion 37: Guide groove 40: Inner housing 41: Front cylinder portion 41A: Rear tapered surface 42: Rear cylinder portion 43: Connection portion 44: Lower wall 45: Upper wall 46: Side wall 47: First lock portion 48: Second lock portion 49: Guide protrusion 50: Second outer housing (vertical arrangement outer housing) 51: Installation space 52: Bottom surface 53: Ceiling surface 54: Side surface 55: Peripheral wall 55A: Front tapered surface 56: Second lock receiving portion 56A: Second engagement portion C: Connector C1: 1st male connector C2: 2nd male connector T1: 1st terminal T2: 2nd terminal

Claims

1. an outer housing for lateral arrangement in which a plurality of assembly spaces are arranged side by side in a lateral direction; an outer housing for vertical arrangement in which a plurality of assembly spaces are arranged in a vertical direction; an inner housing that is inserted into the assembly space, the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing and the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing have the same size and shape, a lateral arrangement lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing, and a vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing, the inner housing has both a horizontal arrangement lock portion engaged with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion and a vertical arrangement lock portion engaged with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion, a horizontal arrangement housing is formed by inserting the inner housing into the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing and engaging the horizontal arrangement lock portion with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion, and a vertical arrangement housing is formed by inserting the inner housing into the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing and engaging the vertical arrangement lock portion with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion.

2. The peripheral wall constituting the assembly space has a shape that opens forward, and a front end portion of the peripheral wall is formed with a front tapered surface that tapers rearward toward the inside of the peripheral wall, 2. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein the inner housing is open forward, and a rear tapered surface is formed at the front end of the inner housing, rearwardly of the front tapered surface, which tapers toward the rear as it approaches the inside of the inner housing.

3. the assembly space is a space surrounded by a bottom surface, a ceiling surface facing the bottom surface, and a pair of side surfaces connecting the bottom surface and the ceiling surface, the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion is formed on at least one of the bottom surface and the ceiling surface of the horizontal arrangement outer housing, and the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is formed on at least one of the pair of side surfaces of the vertical arrangement outer housing, 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the inner housing has a bottom wall, a top wall opposite the bottom wall, and a pair of side walls connecting the bottom wall and the top wall, the horizontal arrangement locking portion is formed at a position on the bottom wall and the top wall corresponding to the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion, and the vertical arrangement locking portion is formed at a position on the pair of side walls corresponding to the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion.

4. the inner housing has a front side tubular portion that opens forward, a rear side tubular portion that opens rearward, and a connecting portion that connects the front side tubular portion and the rear side tubular portion in a front-rear direction, the bottom wall, the top wall, and the pair of side walls are configured as a single wall that is common to the front side tubular portion and the rear side tubular portion, 4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein said horizontal arrangement locking portion and said vertical arrangement locking portion are formed on said rear cylindrical portion.

5. an outer housing for lateral arrangement in which a plurality of assembly spaces are arranged side by side in a lateral direction; an outer housing for vertical arrangement in which a plurality of assembly spaces are arranged in a vertical direction; an inner housing that is assembled in the assembly space, comprising: the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing and the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing have the same size and shape, a lateral arrangement lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing, and a vertical arrangement lock receiving portion is provided on a peripheral wall constituting the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing, the inner housing has both a horizontal arrangement lock portion engaged with the horizontal arrangement lock receiving portion and a vertical arrangement lock portion engaged with the vertical arrangement lock receiving portion, the inner housing can be selectively assembled into either the assembly space of the horizontal arrangement outer housing or the assembly space of the vertical arrangement outer housing, A method for assembling a connector, wherein at least two different types of inner housings are provided, and one type of inner housing can be replaced with another type of inner housing in the assembly space.

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