Male connector and connector connection structure

Abstract

To provide a male connector and a connector connection structure that can suppress deformation of protective walls provided at a specified interval in the thickness direction of a male terminal.SOLUTION: An equipment side connector 10 includes two equipment side terminals 11 that contact a harness side terminals 21 provided on a harness side connector 20, a male housing 12 that accommodates the equipment side terminals 11, and a protective portion 40 that protects the equipment side terminals 11, and the equipment side terminals 11 are arranged in parallel to each other, and the protective portion 40 includes outer protective walls 511 and inner protective walls 521 that are arranged on both sides in the thickness direction of the equipment side terminals 11 at a predetermined distance from contact portions 111, and metal outer plates 61 and inner plates 62 that are formed in plate shapes and held by the outer protective walls 511 and the inner protective walls 521 such that their main surfaces face the contact portions 111, and the outer protective walls 511 and the inner protective walls 521 are provided with outer ribs 512 and connecting ribs 522 that suppress deformation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a male connector and a connector connection structure that mates with a female connector to connect terminals provided on each connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrical equipment installed in automobiles and the like is connected to other electrical equipment and power supplies via wire harnesses, which are bundles of insulated electric wires, to form electrical circuits. In this case, the wire harness is connected to the electrical equipment and the power supply by connectors attached to each of the electrical equipment and the power supply.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a male connector that can be connected to a female connector that houses therein a female terminal connected to a wire harness. Specifically, by connecting a female terminal accommodated in a female connector and a male terminal accommodated in a male connector, the female connector and the male connector can be electrically connected to each other.

[0004] Incidentally, the female connector and male connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 are connectors for high current and high voltage, and therefore protective walls are provided at a predetermined interval in the thickness direction of the male terminal to prevent fingers from accidentally touching the male terminal. However, when an external force is applied to the protective wall, the protective wall deforms and the interval between the male terminal and the protective wall increases, which may cause fingers to unintentionally touch the male terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-124476 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a male connector capable of suppressing deformation of protective walls provided at predetermined intervals in the thickness direction of a male terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a male connector that mates with a female connector to connect terminals provided on each connector, the male connector comprising: at least two male terminals having contact portions that contact the female terminals provided on the female connector; a connector housing having an opening for inserting the female connector and accommodating the male terminals therein; and a wall portion that is accommodated inside the connector housing and is arranged at a predetermined distance from the male terminals, the male terminals being arranged in parallel to each other, the wall portion being provided with a pair of protective walls that are plate-shaped and arranged at a predetermined distance from the contact portions on both sides in the thickness direction of the male terminals; and a metal plate that is plate-shaped and held by the protective wall so that its main surface faces the contact portions, and a rib is provided on the protective wall.

[0008] The present invention also provides a female connector having at least two female terminals; and a male connector having at least two male terminals having a contact portion that contacts the female terminal, the male connector having an opening for inserting the female connector, and comprising a connector housing that accommodates the male terminal therein, and a wall portion that is accommodated inside the connector housing and arranged at a predetermined distance from the male terminal, the male terminals are arranged in parallel to each other, and the wall portion is provided with a pair of protective walls that are plate-shaped and arranged at a predetermined distance from the contact portion on both sides in the thickness direction of the male terminal, and a metal plate that is plate-shaped and held by the protective wall so that its main surface faces the contact portion, and a rib is provided on the protective wall, and the female connector and the male connector are engaged to connect the female terminal and the male terminal.

[0009] The plate may be arranged such that the main surface of the plate and the contact portion are arranged parallel to a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the plate, or such that the main surface of the plate and the contact portion are arranged along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction within a range of approximately ±20 degrees.

[0010] The rib may be provided along a direction toward the opening or along a direction intersecting the direction toward the opening and the thickness direction. The rib may be provided on at least one of the side of the protective wall facing the contact portion and the side opposite the facing surface. For example, the rib may be provided on the surface of the protective wall opposite the surface facing the contact portion, and may be provided on the side of the protective wall facing the contact portion at the end.

[0011] According to this invention, it is possible to suppress deformation of the protective walls provided at predetermined intervals in the thickness direction of the male terminal. In more detail, the protective wall holds a metal plate and is provided with ribs, so that the protective wall can be protected by the held plate and the strength of the protective wall can be improved by the ribs. Therefore, deformation of the protective wall provided at a predetermined interval in the thickness direction of the male terminal can be suppressed, and unintentional contact of fingers or the like with the male terminal can be suppressed.

[0012] In addition, since the plate held integrally with the protective wall is made of metal, the protective part can function as a shield against electromagnetic waves based on the high current conducted in the connected state, electromagnetic waves irradiated from the outside, etc. Therefore, the male connector can reduce the effects of electromagnetic waves on the female connector and the male connector in the connected state.

[0013] As an aspect of the present invention, the plate may be held against the protective wall so as to face the contact portion, and the rib may be provided on the side opposite to the contact portion. According to this invention, since the rib is provided on the side opposite to the side where the plate is held, the plate can be held by the protective wall without interference between the main surface of the plate and the rib. Therefore, the strength of the protective wall is improved by the rib, and the plate can be easily held.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, the protective wall has an inner protective wall arranged on the inside in the parallel direction with respect to the male terminals arranged in parallel, and an outer protective wall arranged on the outside in the parallel direction, and the rib on the inner protective wall may be a connecting rib connecting adjacent inner protective walls in the parallel direction.

[0015] According to the present invention, the inner protective walls adjacent in the parallel direction are connected to each other by the connecting rib, so that the strength of the adjacent inner protective walls can be further improved. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the inner protective walls that are arranged on the inside of the connector housing and are more susceptible to external forces, and to suppress unintentional contact of fingers or the like with the male terminals.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the connecting ribs may be provided, and the connecting ribs connecting the inner protective walls may be provided at a predetermined interval. According to the present invention, the adjacent inner protective walls and the connecting ribs can form a cylindrical shape, which can improve the strength of the inner protective walls, thereby making it possible to further suppress deformation of the inner protective walls that hold the plate.

[0017] In another aspect of the invention, the direction in which the female connector is inserted into the opening is defined as the insertion direction, the rib is provided along the insertion direction to the end on the side of the opening, and the multiple connecting ribs connecting the inner protective walls are provided at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, forming a mating portion that mates with a mating portion provided on the female connector.

[0018] The mating portion refers to a shape formed by the connecting ribs and the inner protective wall to match the shape of the mating portion provided on the female connector when viewed from the insertion direction. For example, the mating portion includes the size and shape of a cylindrical portion formed by the inner protective wall and the connecting rib, and the outer shape of the cylindrical portion when viewed from the insertion direction, depending on the spacing between the connecting ribs and the difference in width of the ribs.

[0019] According to this invention, since the multiple connecting ribs connect the inner protective walls, the multiple connecting ribs connecting the inner protective walls and the inner protective walls can form a fitted portion having a predetermined shape when viewed from the insertion direction. The fitted portion formed in this way can easily be changed in shape to match the corresponding fitting portion by changing the position and thickness of the multiple connecting ribs. Therefore, by connecting the inner protective walls with the multiple connecting ribs, the inner protective walls have improved strength, and it is easy to prevent erroneous assembly of a female connector that does not correspond to a male connector.

[0020] As another aspect of the present invention, a direction in which the female connector is inserted into the opening may be defined as an insertion direction, and the rib may be provided along the insertion direction up to an end of the protective wall on the opening side.

[0021] According to the present invention, the rib can support the protective wall up to the edge of the opening, thereby improving the overall strength of the protective wall and improving the strength of the protective wall near the edge, thereby preventing deformation of the protective wall near the edge of the opening due to unintended external forces and preventing fingers or the like from unintendedly touching the male terminal.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, the ribs may be provided in multiple locations, and the multiple ribs may be arranged at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and the insertion direction, forming a concave recessed portion that engages with a locking portion provided on the female connector.

[0023] The concave portion has a shape formed to match the shape of the convex portion provided on the female connector when viewed from the insertion direction, and refers to the uneven shape formed in the thickness direction by a plurality of the ribs arranged at a predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0024] According to this invention, when viewed from the insertion direction, the protective wall is provided with a plurality of ribs to form a recess that can be fitted with the locking portion provided on the female connector. The shape of the recess formed in this way can be easily changed to match the corresponding locking portion simply by changing the position of the ribs. This not only improves the strength of the protective wall, but also prevents a female connector that does not correspond to the male connector from being erroneously assembled.

[0025] As another aspect of the present invention, the rib may have a length in the thickness direction and in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction set in accordance with its shape so as to form a concave recess that engages with a locking portion provided on the female connector. The rib may be provided in one or more.

[0026] According to this invention, by simply setting the length of the rib in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, it is possible to easily form recesses of various shapes. In other words, it is possible to easily form recesses suitable for the locking portion of the corresponding female connector. Therefore, it is possible to improve the strength of the protective wall and prevent a female connector that does not correspond to the male connector from being erroneously assembled. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a male connector and a connector connection structure that can suppress deformation of protective walls provided at predetermined intervals in the thickness direction of the male terminal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2]FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a connector connection structure in a separated state. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the protective part. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the harness-side connector before being mated with the device-side connector; FIG. [Figure 13] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the harness-side connector after being mated with the device-side connector; [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a male housing according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the connector connection structure 1, Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the connector connection structure 1 in a separated state, and Fig. 3 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the equipment-side connector 10. Fig. 4 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the male housing 12, and Figs. 5 to 7 show explanatory views of the male housing 12. Fig. 8 shows an explanatory view of the plate member 60, and Fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the protective section 40. Fig. 10 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the harness-side connector 20, and Fig. 11 shows an explanatory view of the female inner housing 22.

[0030] Figures 12 and 13 are explanatory views of the process of fitting the harness side connector 20 to the device side connector 10, with Figure 12 showing a cross-sectional view of the device side connector 10 before the harness side connector 20 is fitted to the device side connector 10, and Figure 13 showing a cross-sectional view of the device side connector 10 after the harness side connector 20 has been fitted to the device side connector 10. Figure 14 shows an explanatory view of a male housing 12 according to another embodiment.

[0031] Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 and Fig. 11 will be described in detail. Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic front view of the male housing 12 as viewed from the front side Df, and Fig. 5(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5(a). Fig. 6(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 5(a), and Fig. 6(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 5(a). Fig. 7 shows an enlarged front view of the inside of the hood portion 122.

[0032] Fig. 8(a) shows a schematic side view of the plate member 60 as viewed from the width direction W, and Fig. 8(b) shows a schematic plan view of the plate member 60 as viewed from the upper side Hu. Fig. 11(a) shows a schematic rear view of the female inner housing 22 as viewed from the back side Db, and Fig. 11(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the harness side connector 20.

[0033] 9, 11(b), 12, and 13 are cross-sectional views corresponding to the cross section taken along the line BB in Fig. 5(a). Fig. 14(a) is a schematic front view of a male housing 12 according to another embodiment.

[0034] In explaining the configuration of the connector connection structure 1, the height direction H, width direction W, and depth direction D are set for convenience. The direction in which the equipment side connector 10 and the harness side connector 20 are attached and detached is set as the depth direction D. The direction in which the harness side connector 20 is attached to the equipment side connector 10 is set as the back side Db, and the direction in which the harness side connector 20 is removed from the equipment side connector 10 is set as the front side Df. The direction perpendicular to the depth direction D is set as the width direction W and height direction H. The height direction H refers to the up and down direction in FIG. 1. The same applies to FIGS. 2 to 14 below. However, this direction does not define the direction regarding the configurations of the device-side connector 10, the harness-side connector 20, and the connector connection structure 1.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector connection structure 1 is a connection structure that electrically connects an equipment side connector 10 provided on an electrical component such as a motor or a power supply device equipped in an automobile or the like, by fitting the equipment side connector 10 to a harness side connector 20 attached to a wire harness 200 in which insulated electric wires are bundled.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the device-side connector 10 is attached to a housing 100 (shown by dashed lines in FIGS. 1 and 2) of an electrical component. As shown in FIG. 3, the equipment side connector 10 includes an equipment side terminal 11 electrically connected to a harness side terminal 21 housed in the harness side connector 20, a male housing 12 that houses the equipment side terminal 11, an equipment side seal 13 arranged between the male housing 12 and the equipment side terminal 11, and a fixing bolt 14 that fixes the male housing 12 to the housing 100.

[0037] The device-side terminal 11 is a rectangular metal flat plate having long sides along the depth direction D, and is electrically connected to the electrical equipment body arranged inside the housing 100. The device-side terminal 11 is connected to a harness-side terminal 21 arranged inside the harness-side connector 20. Two device-side terminals 11 configured in this manner are provided at a predetermined interval in the width direction W. The rectangular main surface portion of the device-side terminal 11 in the depth direction D becomes a contact portion 111 that comes into contact with the harness-side terminal 21 when the device-side terminal 11 is accommodated in the device-side connector 10.

[0038] 3, the male housing 12 is for holding the device-side terminal 11 in the housing 100, and includes a fixed base 121 that is fixed to the housing 100, and a hood portion 122 that stands upright from the fixed base 121. The fixed base 121 is also provided with a fixing protrusion 123 for mounting a fixing bolt 14 that fixes the male housing 12 to the housing 100.

[0039] The fixed base 121 is a plate-like body that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front when viewed from the insertion direction (front side Df) of inserting the harness side connector 20 into the equipment side connector 10, and has an annular groove on the bottom surface into which the equipment side seal 13 is press-fitted. The device-side seal 13 is a rubber seal member formed in an annular shape, which is attached to the male housing 12 to seal between the male housing 12 and the case 100 .

[0040] The hood portion 122 is an annular wall extending from the fixed base portion 121 toward the front side Df so as to surround the central portion of the fixed base portion 121. Note that an upper side Hu of the hood portion 122 is higher than a lower side Hd of the hood portion 122, and a locked portion 124 for locking and fixing the harness side connector 20 is provided.

[0041] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inside of the hood portion 122 is provided with a terminal holding portion 30 that holds the device side terminal 11, and a protective portion 40 that protects the device side terminal 11 held by the terminal holding portion 30. As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the terminal holding portion 30 is a holding frame that holds the device side terminals 11 on the front side Df of the fixed base 121, and is arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the width direction W.

[0042] 5(b) and 6(a), the terminal holding part 30 is a frame body perpendicular to the depth direction D. The terminal holding part 30 is composed of an insertion part 31 forming an insertion hole through which the device-side terminal 11 can be inserted, a pair of frame pieces 32 extending from the insertion part 31 along the depth direction D, and a tip protection part 33 connecting the tips of the frame pieces 32.

[0043] The insertion portion 31 protrudes from the fixed base 121 toward the front side Df by a height substantially equal to the height of the lower side Hd of the hood portion 122, and also protrudes toward the rear side Db from the rear side Db of the fixed base 121. The insertion portion 31 has a width (length along the width direction W) wider than the plate thickness of the device-side terminal 11 and a length (length along the height direction H) slightly longer than the short side of the device-side terminal 11. The central portion of the insertion portion 31 configured in this manner in the width direction W has an insertion hole having the same shape as a cross section of the device-side connector 10 cut on a plane perpendicular to the depth direction D.

[0044] The frame pieces 32 are rod-shaped extension pieces extending in pairs from both ends in the height direction H of the insertion hole provided in the insertion portion 31 toward the near side Df, and have a width (length along the width direction W) that is slightly longer than the plate thickness of the device-side terminal 11. The inner edge of the frame pieces 32 and the inner edge of the insertion portion 31 are flush with each other.

[0045] 5(b) and 6(a), the tip protection part 33 connects the tip parts of the frame pieces 32 along the height direction H. The back side Db of the tip protection part 33 has a width substantially equal to the plate thickness of the device-side terminal 11. In addition, the tip protection part 33 tapers from the center part of D to the front side Df.

[0046] The terminal holding part 30 thus configured is a gate-shaped frame body communicating in the width direction W and having substantially the same shape as the outer edge of the contact part 111, and has a rectangular communicating part 35 penetrating in the width direction W on the inside. Therefore, the terminal holding part 30 can hold the device side terminal 11 with the insertion part 31, the frame piece 32 and the tip protection part 33 by inserting the device side terminal 11 into an insertion hole formed in the insertion part 31. At this time, the contact part 111 is disposed in the communicating part 35. In this manner, the contact part 111 of the device side terminal 11 held by the terminal holding part 30 is exposed. At positions on the fixed base 121 corresponding to the upper side Hu and the lower side Hd of the frame piece 32, locking holes 125 that penetrate in the plate thickness direction and have a rectangular shape when viewed from the front are provided.

[0047] The protective portion 40 includes a pair of terminal protective portions 50 spaced a predetermined distance in the width direction W from the parallel-arranged terminal holding portions 30, and a metal plate member 60 held by each terminal protective portion 50 (see FIG. 4). As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the terminal protection portion 50 has an outer protection portion 51 provided on the outer side of the terminal holding portion 30 in the width direction W, and an inner protection portion 52 provided on the inner side of the terminal holding portion 30 in the width direction W.

[0048] The outer protective portion 51 has an outer protective wall 511 that stands opposite the terminal holding portion 30, an outer rib 512 that reinforces the outer protective wall 511, and an end rib 513 that reinforces the end of the upper side Hu of the outer protective wall 511.

[0049] The outer protective wall 511 is a flat wall erected from the fixed base 121 outside the width direction W of the terminal holding portion 30, and is provided at a predetermined interval in the width direction W from the terminal holding portion 30. The outer protective wall 511 is also aligned along the height direction H so as to be parallel to the tip protection portion 33 in a front view. In other words, when the device-side terminal 11 is held by the terminal holding portion 30, the outer protective wall 511 faces the contact portion 111.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6(a), an end of the front side Df of the outer protective wall 511 is slightly further forward than an end of the front side Df of the frame piece 32. The outer protective wall 511 is configured to be slightly longer in the height direction H than the terminal holding portion 30. An end of the lower side Hd of the outer protective wall 511 is disposed at substantially the same position as an end of the lower side Hd of the terminal holding portion 30 in the height direction H. That is, an end of the upper side Hu of the outer protective wall 511 is disposed slightly above the frame piece 32 (see FIG. 5(a)). The outer protective wall 511 is lower than the upper side Hu of the hood portion 122.

[0051] The flat outer protective wall 511 is provided with a substantially square outer locking window 514 penetrating the central portion in the thickness direction. In addition, the base end portion of the outer protective wall 511 is provided with five outer cutouts 515, which are cut out in the thickness direction on the inner surface side in the width direction W, at equal intervals along the height direction H. Note that, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the outer cutouts 515 partially penetrate the outer protective wall 511 in the thickness direction and also penetrate the fixed base 121.

[0052] 6(b) and 7, the outer rib 512 is provided on the outer protective wall 511 on the side opposite to the contact portion 111 in a state in which the device-side terminal 11 is held by the terminal holding portion 30. That is, the outer rib 512 is a rib provided on the outer surface of the outer protective wall 511 in the width direction W. The outer rib 512 is provided from the base end to the tip end of the outer protective wall 511 in the depth direction D.

[0053] A total of four outer ribs 512 configured in this manner are provided, two at both ends of the outer protective wall 511 in the height direction H and two at the center of the outer protective wall 511 in the height direction H. The four outer ribs 512 are provided at predetermined intervals along the height direction H. A plurality of outer recessed portions 516 recessed toward the inside in the width direction W are formed between the outer ribs 512 (see FIG. 7).

[0054] The end rib 513 is a rib extending inward in the width direction W from a base end portion of the outer protective wall 511 provided on the upper side Hu, and reinforces the inner side in the width direction W of the outer protective wall 511. The tip portion of the end rib 513 extends to the upper side Hu of the frame piece 32. That is, the end rib 513 and the insertion portion 31 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the height direction H.

[0055] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 6(a), the inner protective portion 52 has an inner protective wall 521 that is erected so as to face the terminal holding portion 30, a plurality of connecting ribs 522 that connect adjacent inner protective walls 521, and a central reinforcing rib 523 that connects the central portions of the connecting ribs 522 in the width direction W along the height direction H.

[0056] The inner protective wall 521 is a flat wall erected from the fixed base 121 on the inside in the width direction W of the terminal holding portion 30. The inner protective wall 521 is aligned along the height direction H so as to be parallel to the tip protective portion 33 in a plan view. More specifically, an end portion on the front side Df of the inner protective wall 521 is slightly further forward Df than an end portion on the front side Df of the frame piece 32. The length of the inner protective wall 521 along the height direction H is approximately the same as that of the terminal holding portion 30. An end portion on the lower side Hd of the inner protective wall 521 is disposed at the same position as an end portion on the lower side Hd of the terminal holding portion 30.

[0057] 7, the inner protective wall 521 configured in this manner is provided to face the terminal holding portion 30 at a predetermined interval in the width direction W. That is, the inner protective wall 521 faces the contact portion 111 of the device-side terminal 11 held by the terminal holding portion 30. The interval between the inner protective wall 521 and the terminal holding portion 30 is equal to the interval between the outer protective wall 511 and the terminal holding portion 30.

[0058] The flat inner protective wall 521 is provided with a substantially square inner locking window 524 penetrating a central portion in the thickness direction. In addition, the base end portion of the inner protective wall 521 is provided with five inner cutouts 525, which are cut out in the thickness direction on the inner surface side in the width direction W, at equal intervals along the height direction H. Like the outer cutouts 515, the inner cutouts 525 partially penetrate the outer protective wall 511 in the thickness direction and also penetrate the fixed base 121 (see FIG. 6(a)).

[0059] 7, the connecting rib 522 is a rib that connects the inner protective walls 521 arranged in parallel along the height direction H along the width direction W, and is provided from the base end to the tip end in the depth direction D of the inner protective walls 521. In other words, the connecting rib 522 is a rib provided on the surface of the device-side terminal 11 held by the terminal holding portion 30 opposite to the side of the contact portion 111. The connecting rib 522 configured in this manner connects both end portions in the height direction H of the inner protective wall 521 and a side Hd below the center in the height direction H along the width direction W.

[0060] 7, the central reinforcement rib 523 is a rib that connects, along the height direction H, the inner protective wall 521 that connects the ends on the lower side Hd of the pair of inner protective walls 521 and the inner protective wall 521 that connects the central portions in the height direction H. The central reinforcement rib 523 has the same length along the depth direction D as the inner protective wall 521.

[0061] 7, the inner protective portion 52 configured in this manner is formed into a cylindrical shape when viewed from the front, with a pair of inner protective walls 521 arranged in parallel along the width direction W, and a connecting rib 522 connecting both ends of the inner protective walls 521 in the height direction H. In addition, the pair of inner protective walls 521, the connecting rib 522 connecting the ends of the upper sides Hu of the inner protective walls 521, and the connecting rib 522 connecting the central parts in the height direction H form a recessed fitted portion 526 recessed in the depth direction D.

[0062] The plate member 60 is a metallic holding member that is held by being assembled to the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521. As shown in Fig. 8(a) and Fig. 8(b), the plate member 60 is integrally formed of an outer plate 61, an inner plate 62, and a connecting portion 63 that connects the inner plate 61 and the inner plate 62 at their rear sides Db.

[0063] As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the outer plate 61 is composed of an outer plate main body 611, which is a flat plate having approximately the same shape as the communicating portion 35, and an outer bent portion 612 that protrudes from the end portion on the front side Df of the outer plate main body 611 toward the outside in the width direction W.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 8(a), an outer protrusion 613 that protrudes slightly outward in the width direction W is provided at the center portion in the height direction H of the outer plate body 611 which is a flat plate. 8(a) and 8(b), the base end of the outer protrusion 613 is connected to the outer plate body 611 at the rear side Db of the outer plate body 611. The tip portion of the outer protrusion 613 protrudes outward in the width direction W as it moves toward the front side Df.

[0065] The outer bent portion 612 is a locking piece that protrudes outward in the width direction W from the end portion on the front side Df of the outer plate main body 611, as shown in FIG. 8(b). Specifically, the outer bent portion 612 protrudes outward in the width direction W by a predetermined length from an end portion on the front side Df of the outer plate main body 611, and has a shape in which the tip portion is bent toward the rear side Db. The length of the outer bent portion 612 in the width direction W is equal to the plate thickness of the outer protective wall 511, and the width (length along the height direction H) of the outer bent portion 612 is equal to the distance between the outer ribs 512.

[0066] The three outer folded portions 612 configured in this manner are arranged side by side at intervals equal to the intervals between adjacent outer ribs 512 along the height direction H. That is, the outer folded portions 612 can be attached so as to fit into grooves formed by adjacent outer ribs 512.

[0067] The inner plate 62 is symmetrical to the outer plate 61 with respect to a plane along the depth direction D and height direction H. That is, the inner plate 62 is composed of a flat inner plate body 621 corresponding to the outer plate body 611 and an inner bent portion 622 corresponding to the outer bent portion 612, and the inner plate body 621 is provided with an inner protrusion 623 corresponding to the outer protrusion 613.

[0068] As described above, the inner plate 62 is plane-symmetrical to the outer plate 61, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The outer plate body 611 and the inner plate body 621 are disposed in the width direction W at a distance equal to the distance between the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521.

[0069] 8(a) and 8(b), the connecting portion 63 is an annular frame body formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, which connects the ends of the outer plate body 611 and the inner plate body 621 on the far side Db, and is configured to be able to fit into the insertion portion 31. The length of the connecting portion 63 in the depth direction D is approximately equal to the height of the insertion portion 31.

[0070] In detail, the connecting portion 63 has an outer base 631 extending from the rear side Db end of the outer plate main body 611 to the rear side Db, an inner base 632 extending from the rear side Db end of the inner plate main body 621 to the rear side Db, and a connecting base 633 connecting the lower side Hd and upper side Hu ends of the outer base 631 and the inner base 632.

[0071] The outer base 631 extending from the outer plate main body 611 to the rear side Db is a generally rectangular plate-like body having approximately the same length as the insertion portion 31 along the width direction W. That is, the length of the outer base 631 along the width direction W is one size longer than that of the outer plate main body 611. The outer base 631 configured in this manner has an outer locking piece 634 protruding from the end of the rear side Db toward the rear side Db.

[0072] 8(b), the outer locking piece 634 has an arc shape that is convex outward in the width direction W in a plan view seen from the upper side Hu. The length of the outer locking piece 634 in the depth direction D is slightly longer than the plate thickness of the fixed base 121, and the width of the outer locking piece 634 (the length in the height direction H) is equal to the width of the outer cutout portion 515.

[0073] Five of the outer locking pieces 634 configured in this manner are arranged side by side at intervals equal to the intervals between adjacent outer cutouts 515 in the height direction H (see FIG. 8(a)). In other words, the outer locking pieces 634 are configured so that they can be inserted into the outer cutouts 515 and can be locked to the fixed base 121.

[0074] The inner base 632 is plane-symmetrical to the outer base 631 with respect to a plane along the depth direction D and height direction H, and has an inner locking piece 635 that protrudes from an end of the inner side Db toward the inner side Db. Note that the inner locking piece 635 is plane-symmetrical to the outer locking piece 634, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] The connecting base 633 is a plate-like body connecting both ends in the height direction H of the outer base 631 and the inner base 632 along the width direction W. The connecting base 633 also has a connecting locking piece 636 that protrudes from the center in the width direction W toward the back side Db. The connecting locking piece 636 has the same shape as the outer locking piece 634 except for the fact that it has an arc shape that protrudes outward in the depth direction D, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The connecting locking piece 636 is configured so that it can be inserted into the locking hole 125 and can be locked to the fixed base 121 .

[0076] As shown in FIG. 9, the plate member 60 configured in this manner can hold the outer plate 61 on the outer protective wall 511 and hold the inner plate 62 on the inner protective wall 521. In more detail, the plate member 60 is moved from the front side Df of the terminal protection part 50 to the rear side Db so that the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 cover the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521. Then, the outer bent portion 612 is engaged and fixed to the outer protective wall 511 between the outer ribs 512, and the inner bent portion 622 is engaged and fixed to the inner protective wall 521. At this time, the outer protrusion 613 and the inner protrusion 623 are engaged with the outer locking window 514 and the inner locking window 524. The outer protrusion 613 and the inner protrusion 623 also function to prevent the plate member 60 from coming off the terminal protection part 50.

[0077] Moreover, by engaging and fixing the outer bent portion 612 etc. to the outer protective wall 511, the connecting portion 63 fits into the frame piece 32. At this time, the outer locking piece 634 and the inner locking piece 635 are inserted into the outer cutout portion 515 and the inner cutout portion 525 and locked with the fixed base 121, as shown in Fig. 9. Similarly, the connecting locking piece 636 is inserted into the locking hole 125 and locked with the fixed base 121.

[0078] As described above, the terminal protection part 50 and the plate member 60 can be assembled to the terminal protection part 50 to form the protection part 40. By assembling the metal plate member 60 to the outer protection part 51 and the inner protection part 52 so as to lock both end portions in the depth direction D of the outer protection part 51 and the inner protection part 52, the rigidity of the outer protection wall 511 and the inner protection wall 521 can be improved.

[0079] Furthermore, the device-side connector 10 can be manufactured by holding the device-side terminals 11 in the terminal holding portion 30 of the male housing 12 configured in this manner and by fitting the device-side seal 13 onto the fixed base 121 and assembling them. Then, the device-side connector 10 can be assembled to the housing 100 by screwing the fixed base 121 of the device-side connector 10 into the housing 100 with the fixing bolts 14 (see FIG. 2).

[0080] 10, the harness side connector 20 is attached to an end portion of the wire harness 200. The harness side connector 20 includes a harness side terminal 21 attached to an end of a high-voltage wire constituting the wire harness 200, a female type inner housing 22, a housing seal 23, a housing seal cover 24, a wire seal 25, and a retainer 26.

[0081] The harness-side terminal 21 is a high-voltage terminal attached to a conductor exposed from the tip of a high-voltage wire covered with an insulating coating. In the case of the wire harness 200 composed of two high-voltage wires, the harness-side terminal 21 is attached to each high-voltage wire. That is, the harness-side connector 20 is provided with two harness-side terminals 21.

[0082] 10 and 11, the female inner housing 22 holds the two harness side terminals 21 at predetermined positions inside the harness side connector 20. The female inner housing 22 includes a harness insertion portion 221 through which the wire harness 200 is inserted, and a holding portion main body 222 for arranging the harness side terminals 21 provided at the tip of the wire harness 200 inserted into the harness insertion portion 221. The female inner housing 22 is made of resin.

[0083] The harness insertion portion 221 is a cylindrical body having a rectangular shape when viewed from the bottom, with an end (lower end) on the lower side Hd opened, and an end (upper end) on the upper side Hu communicating with the inside of the holding portion main body 222. The holding portion main body 222 is disposed at the upper end of the harness insertion portion 221, has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open back side Db, and is configured to hold the harness side terminal 21 therein.

[0084] As shown in Figs. 11(a) and 11(b), the holding portion main body 222 is configured with double walls, an outer wall 222a and an inner wall 222b, and is configured so as to be able to hold the harness side terminal 21 inside the inner wall 222b. The space between the outer wall 222a and the inner wall 222b is a space into which the hood portion 122 of the male housing 12 of the device-side connector 10 is inserted when the device-side connector 10 and the harness-side connector 20 are assembled, and a housing seal 23 is attached. In addition, a locking portion 223 that can be locked with a locked portion 124 is provided on the outer surface of the holding portion main body 222.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 11(b), inside the holding portion main body 222 configured in this manner, a fitting protrusion 224 is provided that protrudes from the center portion in the width direction W toward the back side Db. The mating protrusion 224 has a cylindrical rectangular shape when viewed from the front, standing from the bottom surface of the holding portion main body 222 toward the opening side (see Figure 11 (a)), and is configured to be able to fit into the mating portion 526 when the harness side connector 20 is mated with the equipment side connector 10.

[0086] More specifically, the fitting protrusion 224 has a short side equal to the distance between adjacent inner protective walls 521 in the width direction W in a front view. Also, the fitting protrusion 224 has a long side equal to the distance between the connecting rib 522 connecting the ends of the upper sides Hu of the inner protective walls 521 and the connecting rib 522 connecting the central parts in the height direction H in a front view. The height of the bottom surface of the holding portion main body 222 of the fitting protrusion 224 is the same as the length of the harness terminal 21 in the depth direction D.

[0087] The housing seal 23 is made of rubber and has a ring shape that is rectangular when viewed from the front and matches the shape of the inner wall 222b of the holder main body 222 when viewed from the back. The housing seal 23 is a sealing material that fits onto the inner wall 222b of the female inner housing 22. By fitting onto the female inner housing 22, the housing seal 23 seals between the male housing 12 of the device-side connector 10 and the female inner housing 22 of the harness-side connector 20 when the device-side connector 10 and the harness-side connector 20 are in an assembled state.

[0088] The housing seal cover 24 is attached to the inner wall 222b of the female inner housing 22 from the rear side Db in the depth direction D, and fixes the housing seal 23 arranged in the holding portion main body 222 of the female inner housing 22. The housing seal covers 24 attached to the inner wall 222b in this manner are provided with a plurality of outer fitting portions 241 that protrude inward in the width direction W.

[0089] The outer fitting portion 241 is a protrusion that protrudes inward in the width direction W from the inner edge of the housing seal cover 24 configured in a substantially rectangular ring shape. In detail, the outer fitting portion 241 is a protrusion that has a length in the width direction W equal to the length of the outer ribs 512 extending outward in the width direction W and a length in the height direction H equal to the interval between the outer ribs 512, and extends from the inner edge of the housing seal cover 24 toward the front side Df.

[0090] The outer fitting portion 241 configured in this manner is provided at a position where it fits between the outer ribs 512 when the device side connector 10 and the harness side connector 20 are assembled. That is, two sets of the outer fitting portions 241 are provided as a pair so as to face each other in the width direction W.

[0091] The wire seal 25 has holes through which the high-voltage wires of the two wire harnesses 200 are inserted, and is a sealing member that seals between the wire harness 200 inserted into the harness insertion portion 221 and the inner surface of the harness insertion portion 221. For this reason, the wire seal 25 is formed in a rectangular shape that can be placed inside the harness insertion portion 221.

[0092] The retainer 26 has holes through which the two wire harnesses 200 are inserted, and holds the high-voltage wires of the wire harness 200 inserted into the harness insertion portion 221 in the harness insertion portion 221. The retainer 26 can be press-fitted and connected to a lower end of the harness insertion portion 221.

[0093] The harness side connector 20 configured in this manner can be attached to the end of the wire harness 200. More specifically, the harness side terminals 21 are inserted through the harness insertion portion 221, and the harness side terminals 21 are held by the holding portion main body 222. Then, the housing seal 23 and the housing seal cover 24 are fitted onto the holding portion main body 222. Also, the wire seal 25 and the retainer 26 through which the wire harness 200 has been inserted are connected to the harness insertion portion 221 from the lower side Hd. This allows the harness side connector 20 to be attached to the wire harness 200 (see FIG. 2).

[0094] Then, by fitting the harness side connector 20 attached to the wire harness 200 into the device side connector 10 fixed to the housing 100, the device side terminal 11 and the harness side terminal 21 can be brought into contact with each other. More specifically, the hood portion 122 is inserted between the outer wall 222a and the inner wall 222b by moving the harness-side connector 20 toward the rear side Db with respect to the device-side connector 10. In this manner, in a state in which the hood portion 122 is inserted between the outer wall 222a and the inner wall 222b, the fitting convex portion 224 and the outer fitting portion 241 provided on the female inner housing 22 are disposed at positions facing the fitted portion 526 provided on the inner protective portion 52 and the outer recessed portion 516 provided on the outer protective portion 51, as shown in FIG.

[0095] In this state, by further moving the harness side connector 20 towards the device side connector 10, the outer fitting portion 241 is inserted into the outer recessed portion 516 formed between the outer ribs 512, and the fitting protrusion 224 is inserted into the tip of the fitted portion 526. Then, by pushing the harness side connector 20 towards the back side Db, the device side connector 10 and the harness side connector 20 can be fitted together (see FIG. 13).

[0096] Here, the fitted portion 526 is configured to have a shape that can fit the fitting convex portion 224. Therefore, in a state in which the device-side connector 10 and the harness-side connector 20 are fitted together, as shown in FIG.

[0097] In other words, by changing the shape of the mating portion 526 and the outer concave portion 516 to match the shapes of the mating convex portion 224 and the outer mating portion 241 provided on the female inner housing 22, it is possible to prevent a harness side connector 20 that is not compatible with the equipment side connector 10 from being erroneously assembled.

[0098] In addition, since the connecting rib 522 forming the mated portion 526 is reinforced by the central reinforcing rib 523 in the depth direction D, it is possible to suppress deformation of the mated portion 526 due to interference with the mating protrusion 224. In other words, it is also possible to suppress damage to the mated portion 526 when a harness-side connector 20 that is not compatible with the device-side connector 10 is erroneously assembled.

[0099] More specifically, the spacing in the height direction H of the connecting ribs 522 connecting the adjacent inner protective walls 521, the number of connecting ribs 522, the shape such as the plate thickness of the connecting ribs 522, and the shape and position of the central reinforcing rib 523 connecting the connecting ribs 522 are appropriately changed. This makes it possible to form the fitted portion 526 that matches the shape of the fitting protrusion 224, and prevents the harness-side connector 20 that is not suitable for the device-side connector 10 from being erroneously assembled.

[0100] Similarly, by changing the shape of the outer concave portion 516 as appropriate by changing the spacing, number, thickness, etc. along the height direction H of the outer ribs 512, it is possible to form an outer concave portion 516 that matches the shape of the outer fitting portion 241.

[0101] Then, in a state where the harness side connector 20 is fitted into the device side connector 10, the locking portion 223 is locked with the locked portion 124, thereby locking and fixing the harness side connector 20 to the device side connector 10. In this state where the device side connector 10 and the harness side connector 20 are fixed, the harness side terminal 21 is in contact with the contact portion 111. Therefore, it is possible to electrically connect the device side terminal 11 electrically connected to the electrical component body arranged inside the housing 100 and the harness side terminal 21 electrically connected to the wire harness 200 (see FIG. 13).

[0102] The device side connector 10 thus configured is fitted with the harness side connector 20, and the terminals provided thereon are connected to each other. The device side connector 10 includes two device side terminals 11 having contact portions 111 that contact the harness side terminals 21 provided in the harness side connector 20, a male housing 12 having an opening for inserting the harness side connector 20 and accommodating the device side terminals 11 therein, and a protective portion 40 that is accommodated inside the male housing 12 and protects the device side terminals 11. The device side terminals 11 are arranged in parallel to each other, and the protective portion 40 includes a pair of outer protective walls 511 and inner protective walls 521 that are formed in a plate shape and arranged at a predetermined interval from the contact portions 111 on both sides in the thickness direction of the device side terminals 11, and a metal outer plate 61 and inner plate 62 that are formed in a plate shape and held by the outer protective wall 511 and inner protective wall 521 so that their main surfaces face the contact portions 111. The outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 are provided with outer ribs 512 and connecting ribs 522 for suppressing deformation of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 .

[0103] This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 provided at a predetermined interval in the thickness direction (width direction W) of the device-side terminal 11. In detail, the metal outer plate 61 and inner plate 62 are held by the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521, and the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 are provided to suppress deformation of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521. Therefore, the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 can be protected by the held outer plate 61 and inner plate 62, and the strength of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 can be improved by the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522. Therefore, the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 provided at a predetermined interval in the thickness direction (width direction W) of the device side terminal 11 can be suppressed from being deformed, for example, bent or broken, and the device side terminal 11 can be suppressed from being unintentionally touched by a finger or the like.

[0104] Furthermore, the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62, which are integrally held by the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521, are made of metal. This allows the protective part 40 to function as a shield against electromagnetic waves based on a high current conducted in the connected state and electromagnetic waves irradiated from the outside. Therefore, the device-side connector 10 can reduce the effects of electromagnetic waves on the harness-side connector 20 and the device-side connector 10 in the connected state.

[0105] Further, the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 are held by the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 so as to face the contact portion 111, and the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 are provided on the side opposite the contact portion 111 side.

[0106] In this way, the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 are provided on the side opposite to the side where the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 are held. Therefore, the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 can be held by the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 without interference between the main surfaces of the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 and the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522. Therefore, the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 improve the strength of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521, and can easily hold the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62.

[0107] Moreover, the shielding performance can be improved because the metallic outer plate 61 and inner plate 62 can be brought close to the contact portion 111. Therefore, the device-side connector 10 can reliably improve the strength of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 and further reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves.

[0108] The inner protective wall 521 is disposed on the inside in the parallel direction with respect to the device side terminals 11 disposed in parallel, and the outer protective wall 511 is disposed on the outside in the parallel direction. The connecting ribs 522 in the inner protective walls 521 connect the inner protective walls 521 adjacent to each other in the parallel direction.

[0109] As a result, the inner protective walls 521 adjacent to each other in the parallel direction (width direction W) are connected to each other by the connecting rib 522, thereby further improving the strength of the adjacent inner protective walls 521. As a result, in the male housing 12, deformation of the inner protective walls 521 that are disposed on the inside and are more susceptible to the action of external forces can be suppressed, and unintentional contact of fingers or the like with the device side terminals 11 can be suppressed.

[0110] Furthermore, a plurality of connecting ribs 522 are provided, and the connecting ribs 522 connecting the inner protective walls 521 are provided at a predetermined interval. This allows the adjacent inner protective walls 521 and the plurality of connecting ribs 522 to form a cylindrical shape, thereby further improving the strength of the inner protective walls 521. This makes it possible to further suppress deformation of the inner protective wall 521 holding the inner plate 62.

[0111] The outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 are provided along the back side Db to the end on the opening side. The connecting ribs 522 connecting the inner protective walls 521 are provided at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the back side Db and form a mating portion 526 that fits with the mating protrusion 224 provided on the harness side connector 20.

[0112] As a result, since the multiple connecting ribs 522 connect the inner protective walls 521 to each other, the multiple connecting ribs 522 connecting the inner protective walls 521 to each other and the inner protective walls 521 can form the fitted portion 526 having a predetermined shape when viewed from the back side Db. The fitted portion 526 formed in this manner can easily change the shape of the fitted portion 526 to match the corresponding fitting protrusion 224 by changing the positions and thicknesses of the multiple connecting ribs 522. Therefore, by connecting the inner protective walls 521 to each other with the multiple connecting ribs 522, the inner protective wall 521 with improved strength can easily prevent the harness side connector 20 that does not correspond to the device side connector 10 from being erroneously assembled.

[0113] Moreover, the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 are provided along the back side Db up to the end portions on the opening side of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521. As a result, the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 can support the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 up to the end portions on the opening side, thereby improving the overall strength of the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 and improving the strength of the vicinity of the end portions of the opening in the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521. Therefore, deformation of the vicinity of the end portions of the opening in the outer protective wall 511 and the inner protective wall 521 due to an unintended external force can be further suppressed, and unintended touching of a finger or the like by the device side terminal 11 can be suppressed.

[0114] In addition, the length of the outer rib 512 in the thickness direction and the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is set in accordance with the shape so as to form a concave outer recess 516 that engages with the outer mating portion 241 provided on the harness side connector 20.

[0115] As a result, the outer recessed portion 516 can be easily formed in various shapes simply by appropriately setting the length of the outer rib 512 in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction. That is, the outer recessed portion 516 suitable for the outer fitting portion 241 of the corresponding harness side connector 20 can be easily formed. Therefore, the strength of the outer protective wall 511 can be improved and the harness side connector 20 that does not correspond to the device side connector 10 can be prevented from being erroneously assembled.

[0116] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment, The female connector of the present invention corresponds to the harness side connector 20, and similarly, The male connector is compatible with the device connector 10. The female terminal corresponds to the harness side terminal 21, The contact portion corresponds to the contact portion 111, The male terminal corresponds to the device terminal 11. The connector housing is adapted to a male housing 12, The wall portion corresponds to the protective portion 40, The protective walls correspond to an outer protective wall 511 and an inner protective wall 521. The plates correspond to an outer plate 61 and an inner plate 62, The ribs correspond to the outer ribs 512 and the connecting ribs 522. The inner protective wall corresponds to the inner protective wall 521; The outer protective wall corresponds to the outer protective wall 511; The connecting rib corresponds to the connecting rib 522, The insertion direction corresponds to the back side Db, The fitting portion corresponds to the fitting protrusion 224, The fitted portion corresponds to the fitted portion 526, The locking portion corresponds to the outer fitting portion 241, The recess corresponds to the outer recess 516, The connector connection structure corresponds to the connector connection structure 1, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0117] For example, in this embodiment, the main surfaces of the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 and the contact portion 111 are arranged parallel to the height direction H. However, it is not necessarily required that the main surfaces of the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 and the contact portion 111 are arranged parallel to each other. For example, the main surfaces of the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 and the contact portion 111 may be arranged along a direction intersecting the height direction H within a range of about ±20 degrees.

[0118] In addition, in this embodiment, the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522 are provided along the depth direction D, which is the direction toward the opening, but they may be provided along a direction intersecting the depth direction D and the width direction W.

[0119] In the present embodiment, the fitted portion 526 is a concave recess having a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, but is not limited to this shape. The fitted portion 526 is a shape formed by the multiple connecting ribs 522 and the inner protective wall 521 to match the shape of the fitting protrusion 224 provided on the harness side connector 20 when viewed from the rear side Db. Therefore, for example, the fitted portion 526 can have different sizes and shapes of the recessed portion including the inner protective wall 521, the connecting rib 522, and the central reinforcing rib 523, and the outer shape of the cylindrical portion when viewed from the rear side Db, depending on the intervals between the multiple connecting ribs 522 and the difference in width between the outer rib 512 and the connecting rib 522.

[0120] In the present embodiment, the connecting rib 522 connects the inner protective walls 521 to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, instead of the connecting rib 522 connecting both ends of the inner protective walls 521 in the height direction H, an inner protruding rib 527 protruding from the inner protective walls 521 in the width direction W may be used.

[0121] The inward protruding ribs 527 thus configured are provided at a predetermined interval from each other, and thus form a concave portion 528 that is concave in front view and engages the fitting protrusion 224 along the height direction H (see FIG. 14). That is, the concave portion 528 has an uneven shape formed by the multiple inward protruding ribs 527 provided at a predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular to the back side Db and protruding in the thickness direction (width direction W). Also, the concave portion 528 has a shape that matches the shape of the fitting protrusion 224 provided on the harness side connector 20 when viewed from the back side Db.

[0122] In this manner, a plurality of inward protruding ribs 527 corresponding to the connecting rib 522 are provided along the height direction H. The plurality of inward protruding ribs 527 are provided at predetermined intervals in the thickness direction (width direction W) and in a direction perpendicular to the back side Db, and form a concave recess 528 that engages with the fitting protrusion 224 provided on the harness side connector 20.

[0123] As a result, when viewed from the back side Db, the multiple inner protruding ribs 527 provided on the inner protective wall 521 can form a concave portion 528 that can be fitted with the fitting convex portion 224 provided on the harness side connector 20. The shape of the concave portion 528 formed in this manner can be easily changed to match the corresponding fitting convex portion 224 simply by changing the position of the inner protruding rib 527. This not only improves the strength of the inner protective wall 521, but also prevents the harness side connector 20 that does not correspond to the device side connector 10 from being erroneously assembled.

[0124] 14, the inward protruding rib 527 is a rib of the same thickness, but the thickness can be changed as appropriate. That is, the length of the inward protruding rib 527 in the thickness direction (width direction W) and the direction perpendicular to the back side Db may be set according to the shape so as to form a concave recessed portion 528 that can be engaged with the convex mating protrusion 224 provided on the harness side connector 20.

[0125] As a result, the recessed portions 528 of various shapes can be easily formed simply by appropriately setting the length of the inner protruding rib 527 in the direction perpendicular to the rear side Db. That is, the recessed portions 528 suitable for the mating protrusions 224 of the corresponding harness side connectors 20 can be easily formed. This improves the strength of the inner protective wall 521 and prevents the harness side connector 20 that does not correspond to the device side connector 10 from being erroneously assembled. The number of inward protruding ribs 527 does not necessarily need to be multiple, and only one may be provided, or the inward protruding rib 527 may be combined with the connecting rib 522. The inward protruding rib 527 may be provided on the outer protective wall 511 instead of the outer rib 512.

[0126] In the present embodiment, the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 are held by the outer protective wall 511 and the outer rib 512 so as to face the device side terminals 11 held by the terminal holding portion 30, but this configuration is not necessarily required. For example, the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 may be held on the side of the outer protective wall 511 and the outer rib 512 opposite to the side facing the device side terminals 11 held by the terminal holding portion 30. That is, the outer plate 61 may be held on the outside of the outer protective wall 511 in the width direction W, and the inner plate 62 may be held on the inside of the width direction W of the inner protective wall 521. In this case, the outer rib 512 and the inner protruding rib 527 are provided on the side opposite to the side on which the outer plate 61 and the inner plate 62 are held. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1. Connector connection structure 10...Device side connector 11…Device side terminal 12…Male housing 20…Harness side connector 21…Harness side terminal 40…Protection department 61…Outer plate 62…Inner plate 111…Contact part 224…Fitting protrusion 241...Outer fitting part 511...Outer protection wall 512…Outer rib 516...Outer concave part 521…Inner protection wall 522…Connecting rib 526…Fitting part 527…Inner protruding rib 528...Concave part Db…Back

Claims

1. A male connector that mates with a female connector to connect terminals provided on each connector, At least two male terminals each having a contact portion that contacts a female terminal provided in the female connector; a connector housing having an opening for inserting the female connector and accommodating the male terminal therein; a wall portion that is accommodated inside the connector housing and is disposed at a predetermined distance from the male terminal, The male terminals are arranged in parallel with each other, The wall portion has a pair of protective walls each having a plate shape and disposed on both sides of the male terminal in a thickness direction with a predetermined distance from the contact portion; a metal plate having a plate shape and held by the protective wall so that a main surface of the metal plate faces the contact portion; The protective wall is provided with ribs. Male connector.

2. the plate is held against the protective wall so as to face the contact portion, The rib is provided on the side opposite to the contact portion. The male connector according to claim 1 .

3. The protective wall is The connector has an inner protective wall disposed on the inside in a parallel direction with respect to the male terminals arranged in parallel, and an outer protective wall disposed on the outside in the parallel direction, The ribs on the inner protective walls are connecting ribs that connect the inner protective walls adjacent to each other in the parallel direction.

3. The male connector according to claim 2.

4. The connecting rib is provided in plurality, The connecting ribs that connect the inner protective walls to each other are provided at a predetermined interval.

4. The male connector according to claim 3.

5. a direction in which the female connector is inserted into the opening is defined as an insertion direction; The connecting rib is provided along the insertion direction up to an end portion on the opening side, The ribs connecting the inner protective walls are provided at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, and form a mating portion that mates with a mating portion provided on the female connector.

5. The male connector according to claim 4.

6. a direction in which the female connector is inserted into the opening is defined as an insertion direction; The rib is provided along the insertion direction to an end of the protective wall on the side of the opening. The male connector according to claim 1 .

7. The rib is provided in plurality, The ribs are provided at predetermined intervals in the thickness direction and in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, and form a recessed portion that engages with a locking portion provided on the female connector.

7. The male connector according to claim 6.

8. The length of the rib is set in the thickness direction and in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction in accordance with the shape of the rib so as to form a recessed portion that engages with a locking portion provided on the female connector.

7. The male connector according to claim 6.

9. a female connector having at least two female terminals; a male connector having at least two male terminals having contact portions that contact the female terminals; The male connector comprises: a connector housing having an opening for inserting the female connector and accommodating the male terminal therein; a wall portion that is accommodated inside the connector housing and is disposed at a predetermined distance from the male terminal, The male terminals are arranged in parallel with each other, The wall portion has a pair of protective walls each having a plate shape and disposed on both sides of the male terminal in a thickness direction with a predetermined distance from the contact portion; a metal plate having a plate shape and held by the protective wall so that a main surface of the metal plate faces the contact portion; The protective wall is provided with ribs, The female connector and the male connector are fitted together to connect the female terminal and the male terminal. Connector connection structure.

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