Connector assembly

Abstract

To provide a connector assembly capable of improving workability during assembly.SOLUTION: A first housing 22 includes a first cylindrical portion 22d, a seal ring provided on a second housing 32 being fitted to the inside of the first cylindrical portion 22d, a temporary holding portion 52 extending from a front end portion in a fitting direction D of the first cylindrical portion 22d in the fitting direction D, and guide portions (first guide portion 53 and second guide portion 54) extending to the front side in the fitting direction D beyond the temporary holding portion 52. The temporary holding portion 52 is configured to temporarily hold the second housing 32 by frictional force with the seal ring in a state just before the seal ring is fitted to the first cylindrical portion 22d. The guide portions are configured to guide the fitting of the first housing 22 along the fitting direction D by being inserted into the inserted portion of the second housing 32 before the temporary holding portion 52 comes into contact with the seal ring.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector assembly.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a connector assembly, there is one including a first connector fixed to a base member such as a vehicle body panel or a metal case, and a second connector connectable to the first connector (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The first connector has a first housing and a first terminal held by the first housing. The second housing is fixed to the base member by a bolt screwed into a female screw of the base member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the connector assembly as described above, improvement in workability when assembling the first connector and the second connector is required. For example, in a configuration in which the first terminal and the second terminal are fitted using the axial force generated when screwing the bolt, for example, an operator needs to support the second housing by hand while screwing the bolt. In such a case, etc., in the connector assembly as described above, there is a problem of poor workability.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector assembly capable of improving workability during assembly.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The connector assembly of the present disclosure is a connector assembly including a first connector fixed to a base member and a second connector connectable to the first connector. The first connector includes a first housing and a first terminal held by the first housing. The second connector includes a second housing that can be fitted into the first housing, a second terminal held by the second housing, and an annular seal ring held by the second housing. The first housing is fitted into the second housing by being relatively moved in the fitting direction with respect to the second housing. The first housing includes a cylindrical portion into which the seal ring is fitted, a temporary holding portion extending in the fitting direction from a front end portion of the cylindrical portion in the fitting direction, and a guide portion extending to a front side of the temporary holding portion in the fitting direction. The temporary holding portion is configured to temporarily hold the second housing by frictional force with the seal ring in a state before the seal ring is fitted into the cylindrical portion. The guide portion is configured to guide the fitting of the first housing along the fitting direction by being inserted into an insertion portion of the second housing before the temporary holding portion contacts the seal ring.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the connector assembly of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the workability during assembly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector assembly of the present disclosure is A connector assembly comprising a first connector fixed to a base member and a second connector connectable to the first connector, wherein the first connector includes a first housing and a first terminal held by the first housing, and the second connector includes a second housing that can be fitted into the first housing, a second terminal held by the second housing, and an annular seal ring held by the second housing. The first housing is fitted into the second housing by being relatively moved in a fitting direction with respect to the second housing. The first housing includes a cylindrical portion into which the seal ring is fitted, a temporary holding portion that extends in the fitting direction from a front end portion of the cylindrical portion in the fitting direction, and a guide portion that extends to a front side of the temporary holding portion in the fitting direction. The temporary holding portion is configured to temporarily hold the second housing by frictional force with the seal ring in a state before the seal ring is fitted into the cylindrical portion, and the guide portion is configured to guide the fitting of the first housing along the fitting direction by being inserted into an inserted portion of the second housing before the temporary holding portion contacts the seal ring.

[0010] According to this configuration, since the temporary holding portion of the first housing temporarily holds the second housing by the frictional force with the seal ring in a state before the seal ring is fitted into the cylindrical portion, the workability during assembly is improved. For example, when the first housing or the second housing is made of resin or metal, in order to have a structure capable of temporary holding without using a seal ring, it is necessary to manufacture each component with high precision. On the other hand, in this configuration, since the frictional force with the seal ring capable of absorbing manufacturing errors is used, high-precision manufacturing of each component is not required. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the guide portion of the first housing guides the fitting of the first housing along the fitting direction with respect to the second housing before the temporary holding portion contacts the seal ring. Therefore, for example, when the first housing is assembled to the second housing in a state inclined with respect to the fitting direction, it is possible to prevent the front end portion of the temporary holding portion in the fitting direction from catching on the seal ring and causing the seal ring to be twisted.

[0011] [2] In [1] above, the first housing includes a pair of side walls that extend along the fitting direction and face each other, the first terminal is provided between the pair of side walls, and each of the pair of side walls may integrally include the temporary holding portion and the guiding portion.

[0012] According to this configuration, since the temporary holding portion and the guiding portion are formed in a form included in the side walls, it can contribute to the simplification of the configuration of the first housing. [3] In [2] above, the first housing includes a terminal protection portion that extends along the first terminal at at least a part of the circumferential direction around the first terminal, and in the fitting direction, the front end portion of the temporary holding portion may be located on the front side of the front end portion of the terminal protection portion.

[0013] According to this configuration, the side walls including the temporary holding portion and the guiding portion can protect the terminal protection portion. [4] In [2] or [3] above, when the direction in which the pair of side walls face each other is defined as the first direction, and the direction perpendicular to each of the fitting direction and the first direction is defined as the second direction, the guiding portion may be provided at both end portions of the side wall in the second direction, respectively.

[0014] According to this configuration, the guiding portions provided at both end portions of the side wall respectively can more reliably guide the fitting of the first housing along the fitting direction with respect to the second housing.

[0015] [5] In any one of [1] to [4] above, the connector assembly includes a bolt, the second housing has a fixing hole that penetrates along the fitting direction, and the connector assembly may be fixed to the base member by the bolt that is screwed into a female screw provided in the base member through the fixing hole.

[0016] According to this configuration, since the second housing is fixed to the base member by bolts that are screwed into the female threads through the fixing holes, for example, the second housing can be temporarily held in the first housing before screwing the bolts. Therefore, for example, an operator can perform the operation of screwing the bolts while releasing the hand from the second housing. Therefore, the workability during the assembly work is improved.

[0017] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] A specific example of the connector assembly of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, a part of the configuration may be shown exaggerated or simplified. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may be different in each drawing. Each drawing shows an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other. In this specification, the direction along the X-axis is referred to as the X-axis direction, the direction along the Y-axis is referred to as the Y-axis direction, and the direction along the Z-axis is referred to as the Z-axis direction. Note that the terms "parallel", "perpendicular", and "orthogonal" in this specification include not only the cases of strict parallelism, perpendicularity, and orthogonality, but also the cases that are generally parallel, perpendicular, and orthogonal within the scope where the actions and effects in the present embodiment are exhibited. Also, the term "cylindrical" used in the description of this specification includes not only those in which a circumferential wall is continuously formed over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, but also those in which a plurality of parts are combined to form a cylindrical shape, and those having a notch or the like in a part of the circumferential direction such as a C shape. Also, the shape of the "cylindrical" includes a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and a polygon having sharp or rounded corners. Also, the term "annular" used in the description of this specification may refer to any structure that forms a loop, or a continuous shape without ends, and a generally loop-shaped structure having a gap such as a C shape. Note that the shape of the "annular" includes, but is not limited to, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and a polygon having sharp or rounded corners. Also, the term "opposite" in this specification means that surfaces or members are in a position facing each other, and includes not only the case where they are completely in a facing position, but also the case where they are partially in a facing position. Also, the term "opposite" in this specification includes both the case where a member different from the two parts is interposed between the two parts and the case where nothing is interposed between the two parts. Also, the terms such as "first" and "second" in this specification are used merely to distinguish objects and do not rank the objects. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, and is indicated by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

[0018] (Connector assembly 11) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector assembly 11 includes a first connector 21 and a second connector 31 that can be connected to the first connector 21. The connector assembly 11 is provided in a vehicle. For example, the first connector 21 is fixed to a metal case 41 as a base member in the vehicle. Also, for example, the second connector 31 is fixed to the ends of two electric wires 42.

[0019] (First Connector 21) As shown in FIG. 1, the first connector 21 has a first housing 22 and, for example, two first terminals 23 held by the first housing 22. The first housing 22 is made of, for example, resin. The first housing 22 is fitted to a second housing 32 described later that constitutes the second connector 31 by being relatively moved toward the fitting direction D along the Y axis with respect to the second housing 32. In the following description, the front and rear in the fitting direction D may be simply referred to as "front" and "rear".

[0020] The first housing 22 has a base 22a, a fixing portion 22b, a terminal protection portion 22c, a first cylindrical portion 22d, and a pair of side walls 51. The base 22a of the first housing 22 is formed in a plate shape. The base 22a is, for example, in a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction when viewed from the Y-axis direction, and is formed in a shape with rounded corners. For example, two first terminals 23 are held side by side in the X-axis direction on the base 22a. The first terminal 23 extends linearly toward the fitting direction D along the Y axis. A cap 23a made of, for example, resin or rubber is fixed to the front end portion of the first terminal 23 in the fitting direction D.

[0021] The fixing portion 22b of the first housing 22 is provided, for example, by extending from a part of the outer edge of the base 22a in a pair. The fixing portion 22b is provided with a through hole 22e that penetrates the fixing portion 22b along the Y-axis direction. The first housing 22 is fixed to the metal case 41 by a fixing bolt 24 that passes through the through hole 22e and is screwed into a female screw (not shown) provided in the metal case 41.

[0022] The terminal protection part 22c is provided on the base part 22a so as to project in the fitting direction D from around the first terminal 23. The terminal protection part 22c extends along the first terminal 23 in a part of the circumferential direction around the first terminal 23. The terminal protection part 22c of the present embodiment is provided so as to cover the first terminal 23 while being slightly separated from the first terminal 23 in the width direction.

[0023] (First cylindrical part 22d) The first cylindrical part 22d of the first housing 22 has a cylindrical shape centered on an axis parallel to the Y axis. The first cylindrical part 22d extends, for example, from the entire circumference of the outer edge of the base part 22a in the fitting direction D.

[0024] (Pair of side walls 51) The pair of side walls 51 in the first housing 22 are integrally formed with the first cylindrical part 22d. The pair of side walls 51 are provided on both sides in the X-axis direction of the first cylindrical part 22d so as to face each other in the X-axis direction. The pair of side walls 51 have, for example, a symmetrical shape with respect to each other. The first terminal 23 and the terminal protection part 22c are provided between the pair of side walls 51 in the X-axis direction.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, each side wall 51 in the first housing 22 has a temporary holding part 52, a first guide part 53, and a second guide part 54. The temporary holding part 52 extends in the fitting direction D from the front end part of the first cylindrical part 22d in the fitting direction D. The temporary holding part 52 extends from a part of the circumferential direction at the front end part of the first cylindrical part 22d. The respective temporary holding parts 52 in the pair of side walls 51 face each other in the X-axis direction.

[0026] (First guide part 53 and second guide part 54) The first guide portion 53 on the side wall 51 of the first housing 22 is provided at one end of the temporary holding portion 52 in the Z-axis direction. The second guide portion 54 is provided at the other end of the temporary holding portion 52 in the Z-axis direction (the end opposite to the end in the Z-axis direction where the first guide portion 53 is provided). The first guide portion 53 forms one end of the side wall 51 in the Z-axis direction, and the second guide portion 54 forms the other end of the side wall 51 in the Z-axis direction. The first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 have different shapes from each other. The first guide portion 53 extends along the Z-axis, for example, from one end of the temporary holding portion 52 in the Z-axis direction. The second guide portion 54 has a shape with a wider width in the X-axis direction than the first guide portion 53.

[0027] Each of the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 extends to the front side in the fitting direction D with respect to the temporary holding portion 52. That is, the front end portion 53a of the first guide portion 53 in the fitting direction D is located on the front side with respect to the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 in the fitting direction D. Also, the front end portion 54a of the second guide portion 54 in the fitting direction D is located on the front side with respect to the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 in the fitting direction D. Each of the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 has a tapered shape in which the width in the X-axis direction gradually narrows as it goes forward (in the fitting direction D), for example.

[0028] In the fitting direction D, the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 on the side wall 51 is located on the front side with respect to the front end portion 22f of the terminal protection portion 22c. That is, the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 on the side wall 51 are also located on the front side with respect to the front end portion 22f of the terminal protection portion 22c.

[0029] Each side wall 51 of the first housing 22 has a side rib 55. In each side wall 51, the side rib 55 projects outward in the X-axis direction from the outer surface of the temporary holding portion 52 and extends along the Y-axis direction. Also, in each side wall 51, a plurality of side ribs 55 are provided side by side in the Z-axis direction, for example.

[0030] (The second connector 31) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second connector 31 includes a second housing 32 and second terminals 33. The second housing 32 is assembled toward the Y-axis direction (specifically, the direction opposite to the fitting direction D) with respect to the first housing 22 fixed to the metal case 41. The second terminals 33 are held by the second housing 32 and are fitted to the first terminals 23 in a housing fitting state (see FIGS. 5 and 6) where the second housing 32 is fitted to the first housing 22.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the second connector 31 further includes a resin housing 34, a rubber plug 35, a retainer 36, and a metal bracket 37. Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the second connector 31 includes a seal ring 38. The seal ring 38 is made of, for example, rubber.

[0032] The electric wire 42 has a core wire 42a and an insulating coating 42b. The second terminals 33 are connected to the ends of the core wire 42a exposed from the insulating coating 42b. The second terminals 33 extend along the Z-axis direction and two of them are provided in this embodiment corresponding to the number of electric wires 42. The second terminals 33 have a terminal fitting portion 33a to which the first terminals 23 can be fitted and a plate-like terminal connection portion 33b connected to the core wire 42a. Although the second terminals 33 are formed by bending a metal plate material, in the drawings, their details are schematically shown without being illustrated in detail. Also, in this embodiment, the terminal connection portion 33b and the core wire 42a are resistance welded.

[0033] The resin housing 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to cover the exposed core wire 42a and the second terminals 33. The resin housing 34 has an opening for passing the first terminals 23 fitted to the terminal fitting portion 33a.

[0034] The second housing 32 is made of metal and is a metal shell having an electromagnetic shielding function. The second housing 32 is formed to cover the resin housing 34. The second housing 32 has a housing accommodating portion 32b that has an opening 32a at the base end portion in the Z-axis direction and extends in the tip direction in the Z-axis direction. The housing accommodating portion 32b is formed in a shape that can accommodate the resin housing 34 with almost no gap according to the shape of the resin housing 34. Two housing accommodating portions 32b are arranged side by side in the width direction according to the number of resin housings 34.

[0035] The rubber plug 35 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is interposed between the insulating coating 42b and the opening 32a. Thereby, the rubber plug 35 prevents the intrusion of liquid into the second connector 31 along the insulating coating 42b.

[0036] The retainer 36 is made of resin. The retainer 36 is locked to the second housing 32 and prevents the rubber plug 35 from falling off from the opening 32a. The metal bracket 37 is connected to the second housing 32 while a collective shielding member S as a shielding member covering the insulating coating 42b is connected. Specifically, the shielding member of the present embodiment is a cylindrical collective shielding member S that collectively covers a plurality of insulating coatings 42b. Further, the collective shielding member S of the present embodiment is a braided member in which conductive strands such as a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy are braided in a cylindrical shape. The metal bracket 37 is connected to the second housing 32 while the entire circumference of the collective shielding member S is connected.

[0037] Further, the second housing 32 has a partition wall 32c between two housing accommodation portions 32b. The partition wall 32c is formed throughout the second housing 32 in the Z-axis direction. And, a fixing hole 32d penetrating along the Y-axis direction is provided in the partition wall 32c. That is, the fixing hole 32d is provided between a plurality of electric wires 42 in the width direction in which the plurality of electric wires 42 are arranged side by side. In other words, the fixing hole 32d is provided at a position in the width direction between the position in the width direction where one electric wire 42 is arranged and the position in the width direction where the other electric wire 42 is arranged. As shown in FIG. 4, the second housing 32 can be fixed to the metal case 41 by a bolt 43 that passes through the fixing hole 32d and is screwed into a female screw 41a provided in the metal case 41. The second housing 32 is fitted into the first housing 22 by being relatively moved along the Y-axis direction with respect to the first housing 22 by a force along the Y-axis direction generated when the bolt 43 is screwed in.

[0038] (Second cylindrical portion 32e) As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the second housing 32 has a second cylindrical portion 32e that fits inside the first cylindrical portion 22d of the first housing 22 in the housing-fitted state. The seal ring 38 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 32e. The seal ring 38 is annular when viewed from the Y-axis direction. The seal ring 38 is externally fitted to the second cylindrical portion 32e and is prevented from falling off the second cylindrical portion 32e by a front retainer 39 fitted to the second cylindrical portion 32e. The seal ring 38 prevents water leakage between the first housing 22 and the second housing 32 by being in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion 22d in the housing-fitted state.

[0039] (Recess 60) As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the second housing 32 has a pair of recesses 60 into which a pair of side walls 51 in the first housing 22 enter. The recess 60 includes a first inserted portion 61 into which the first guide portion 53 of the side wall 51 is inserted, and a second inserted portion 62 into which the second guide portion 54 of the side wall 51 is inserted. The first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 are inserted into the first inserted portion 61 and the second inserted portion 62, respectively, to guide the fitting of the first housing 22 with respect to the second housing 32 along the fitting direction D.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, each recess 60 of the second housing 32 has an engaging portion 63 that can engage with the side rib 55 in the Z-axis direction. In each recess 60, a pair of engaging portions 63 are provided so as to be respectively engageable with a pair of side ribs 55 arranged at both ends in the Z-axis direction among the side ribs 55 arranged in the Z-axis direction. The engaging portion 63 is configured to be engageable with the side rib 55 in the pre-fitting state before the housing is in the fitted state (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, the temporary holding portion 52 on the side wall 51 of the first housing 22 is set to be able to temporarily hold the second housing 32 by the frictional force with the seal ring 38 in the pre-fitting state before the housing is in the fitted state. The frictional force with the seal ring 38 is the resistance to the relative movement between the seal ring 38 and the temporary holding portion 52 in contact with the seal ring 38. The temporary holding portion 52 temporarily holds the second housing 32 when the seal ring 38 contacts the inner peripheral surface in the pre-fitting state. Here, the so-called temporary holding means, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the Y-axis direction is the horizontal direction, in the pre-fitting state, even if the operator releases the hand from the second housing 32, the second housing 32 does not fall off from the first housing 22.

[0042] Further, the temporary holding portion 52 is set to contact the seal ring 38 with a surface pressure smaller than that when the first cylindrical portion 22d is in close contact with the seal ring 38 (see FIG. 6). That is, the interval between the opposing inner peripheral surfaces of the temporary holding portion 52 is formed to be larger than the interval between the inner peripheral surfaces of the first cylindrical portion 22d that oppose in the same direction. In other words, the temporary holding portion 52 and the first cylindrical portion 22d are formed such that the housing fitting state (see FIG. 6) crushes the seal ring 38 more than the state before fitting (see FIG. 8).

[0043] Also, in the present embodiment, the first terminal 23 and the second terminal 33 are set to be fitted by utilizing a large force along the Y-axis direction generated when the bolt 43 is screwed. That is, the first terminal 23 and the second terminal 33 are set to have dimensions such that it is difficult to fit them simply by an operator gripping the second housing 32 and pushing it in the Y-axis direction. By being set in this way, the contact resistance between the first terminal 23 and the second terminal 33 becomes small.

[0044] (Operation of the present embodiment) The operation of the connector assembly 11 configured as described above will be described. When assembling the first connector 21 and the second connector 31, the operator holds the second housing 32 and assembles it in the Y-axis direction (specifically, the direction opposite to the fitting direction D) with respect to the first housing 22. At this time, on the side wall 51 of the first housing 22, first, the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 are respectively inserted into the first insertion portion 61 and the second insertion portion 62 in the recess 60. Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, there may be a case where the second housing 32 is assembled in a state where the axis L2 of the second connector 31 is inclined with respect to the axis L1 of the first connector 21. In this case, the front end portion 53a of the first guide portion 53 on one side wall 51 contacts the inner side surface 61a of the first insertion portion 61. Also, the front end portion 54a of the second guide portion 54 on the side wall 51 contacts the inner side surface 62a (see FIG. 9) of the second insertion portion 62. In this way, the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 respectively contact the inner side surface 61a of the first insertion portion 61 and the inner side surface 62a of the second insertion portion 62. Thereby, the second housing 32 is guided so that the inclination angle of the axis L2 of the second connector 31 with respect to the axis L1 of the first connector 21 decreases. Thereafter, by the guiding of the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54, in a state where the inclination angle of the axis L2 of the second connector 31 with respect to the axis L1 of the first connector 21 has decreased, the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 on the side wall 51 contacts the seal ring 38.

[0045] Here, as a comparative configuration, consider a configuration in which the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 are omitted from the first housing 22 of the above-described embodiment. In this comparative configuration, when the second housing 32 is assembled at the inclination angle of the axis L2 as shown in FIG. 10, the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 contacts the seal ring 38 at that inclination angle as it is. Then, there is a possibility that the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 may lift up the seal ring 38.

[0046] In this regard, in the present embodiment, the inclination angle of the axis L2 when the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 contacts the seal ring 38 is reduced by the guides of the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54. Thereby, it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of the event that the temporary holding portion 52 turns up the seal ring 38.

[0047] After the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 on the side wall 51 contacts the seal ring 38, by pushing the second housing 32 along the Y-axis direction, a pre-fitting state before the housing fitting state is obtained.

[0048] In the pre-fitting state, the second housing 32 is temporarily held with respect to the first housing 22 by the frictional force between the temporary holding portion 52 of each side wall 51 and the seal ring 38. That is, in the pre-fitting state, even if the operator releases the hand from the second housing 32, the second housing 32 does not fall off from the first housing 22. Then, for example, the operator uses a tool to screw a bolt 43 passing through the fixing hole 32d into the female screw 41a of the metal case 41.

[0049] Then, due to the large force along the Y-axis direction generated when the bolt 43 is screwed, the second housing 32 and the first housing 22 are fitted together, and the second terminal 33 and the first terminal 23 are fitted together. At this time, the seal ring 38 is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 32e and the inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion 22d, so that the space between the first housing 22 and the second housing 32 is sealed against water.

[0050] Further, the integrated shield member S is electrically connected to the metal case 41 via the metal bracket 37, the second housing 32, and the bolt 43, and is grounded. Therefore, the radiation of electromagnetic noise from the integrated shield member S, the metal bracket 37, the electric wire 42 covered by the second housing 32, and the second terminal 33 is well suppressed.

[0051] (Effects of the present embodiment) Hereinafter, the effects of the present embodiment will be described. (1) The temporary holding portion 52 of the first housing 22 temporarily holds the second housing 32 by the frictional force with the seal ring 38 in a state before the seal ring 38 is fitted into the first cylindrical portion 22d (state before fitting). Therefore, the workability during assembly is improved. For example, when the first housing 22 and the second housing 32 are made of resin or metal, in order to have a structure capable of temporary holding without using the seal ring 38, it is necessary to manufacture each component with high precision. On the other hand, in this configuration, since the frictional force with the seal ring 38 that can absorb manufacturing errors is used, high-precision manufacturing of each component is not required. Further, according to the present embodiment, the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 in the first housing 22 are inserted into the first insertion portion 61 and the second insertion portion 62 of the second housing 32, respectively, before the temporary holding portion 52 contacts the seal ring 38. Thereby, the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 guide the fitting of the first housing 22 along the fitting direction D with respect to the second housing 32. Therefore, when the first housing 22 is assembled to the second housing 32 in a state inclined with respect to the fitting direction D, it is possible to prevent the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 in the fitting direction D from catching on the seal ring 38 and causing the seal ring 38 to be twisted.

[0052] (2) The first housing 22 includes a pair of side walls 51 that extend along the fitting direction D and face each other. The first terminal 23 is provided between the pair of side walls 51. And each of the pair of side walls 51 integrally includes the temporary holding portion 52, the first guide portion 53, and the second guide portion 54. According to this configuration, since the temporary holding portion 52, the first guide portion 53, and the second guide portion 54 are formed in a form included in the side wall 51, it can contribute to the simplification of the configuration of the first housing 22.

[0053] (3) The first housing 22 includes a terminal protection portion 22c that extends along the first terminal 23 in a part of the circumferential direction around the first terminal 23. And in the fitting direction D, the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 is located on the front side of the front end portion 22f of the terminal protection portion 22c. According to this configuration, the side wall 51 including the temporary holding portion 52, the first guide portion 53, and the second guide portion 54 can protect the terminal protection portion 22c.

[0054] (4) The direction (X-axis direction) in which the pair of side walls 51 face each other is defined as the first direction, and the direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to each of the fitting direction D and the first direction is defined as the second direction. The first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 are respectively provided at both end portions of the side wall 51 in the second direction. According to this configuration, the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 respectively provided at both end portions of the side wall 51 can more reliably guide the fitting of the first housing 22 along the fitting direction D with respect to the second housing 32.

[0055] (5) The second housing 32 is fixed to the metal case 41 by a bolt 43 that passes through the fixing hole 32d and is screwed into the female screw 41a. Therefore, for example, the second housing 32 can be temporarily held in the first housing 22 before screwing the bolt 43. Therefore, for example, the operator can perform the operation of screwing the bolt 43 while releasing the hand from the second housing 32. Therefore, the workability during the assembly work is good.

[0056] (6) Since the temporary holding portion 52 is set to contact the seal ring 38 with a surface pressure smaller than that when the first cylindrical portion 22d is in close contact with the seal ring 38, the seal ring 38 is suppressed from curling up from the second cylindrical portion 32e when the pre-fitting state is set. Also, in the housing-fitted state, the first cylindrical portion 22d contacts the seal ring 38 with a large surface pressure, resulting in good water-stopping performance.

[0057] (7) The side wall 51 including the temporary holding portion 52, the first guide portion 53, and the second guide portion 54 is provided at positions corresponding to both ends in the X-axis direction in the first cylindrical portion 22d. Therefore, in the housing-fitted state, the temporary holding portion 52, the first guide portion 53, and the second guide portion 54 can be arranged so as to avoid the second terminal 33 extending along the Z-axis direction. That is, for example, when the temporary holding portion 52 protrudes from the entire circumference of the first cylindrical portion 22d, in order not to contact the second terminal 33 in the housing-fitted state, it is necessary to form the second housing 32 long in the Y-axis direction, but this can be avoided. As a result, miniaturization of the connector assembly 11 along the Y-axis direction can be achieved.

[0058] (8) The temporary holding portion 52 has side ribs 55 that protrude outward in the X-axis direction and extend along the Y-axis direction. And the second housing 32 has an engaging portion 63 that can be engaged with the side ribs 55 in the Z-axis direction in the state before fitting. Thus, the second housing 32 is prevented from rotating in the state before fitting. That is, in the state before fitting, rotation of the second housing 32 around the axis center along the Y-axis direction with respect to the first housing 22 is prevented. Note that this engagement serves an auxiliary function when the first housing 22 temporarily holds the second housing 32.

[0059] (Other Embodiments) The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modification examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically non-conflicting range.

[0060] · In the first housing 22 of the above embodiment, the guide portion provided on the side wall 51 may be only one of the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54. Correspondingly, the inserted portion provided in the recess 60 of the second housing 32 may be only one of the first inserted portion 61 and the second inserted portion 62.

[0061] ·In the first housing 22 of the above embodiment, the position of the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 in the fitting direction D may be set to be equivalent to the position of the front end portion 22f of the terminal protection portion 22c in the fitting direction D. Further, the front end portion 52a of the temporary holding portion 52 may be set on the rear side in the fitting direction D with respect to the front end portion 22f of the terminal protection portion 22c. According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to further suppress the occurrence of the event that the temporary holding portion 52 turns up the seal ring 38.

[0062] ·In the first housing 22 of the above embodiment, the temporary holding portion 52, the first guide portion 53, and the second guide portion 54 are integrally included in one side wall 51, but it is not particularly limited thereto. For example, at least one of the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 may be configured to be separated from the temporary holding portion 52.

[0063] ·The configuration such as the shapes of the first guide portion 53 and the second guide portion 54 in the first housing 22 is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be appropriately changed according to the configuration. ·In the above embodiment, the second housing 32 is fixed to the metal case 41 by the bolt 43 that passes through the fixing hole 32d and is screwed into the female screw 41a, but it is not limited thereto, and it may be fixed to the metal case 41 with other structures. Even if the second housing 32 is fixed to the metal case 41 with other structures, the second housing 32 can be temporarily held, so that the workability during the assembly work becomes good.

[0064] ·In the above embodiment, the temporary holding portion 52 is set to contact the seal ring 38 with a surface pressure smaller than that when the first cylindrical portion 22d is in close contact with the seal ring 38, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it may contact the seal ring 38 with the same surface pressure as the first cylindrical portion 22d. Further, the temporary holding portion 52 may contact the seal ring 38 with a surface pressure larger than that when the first cylindrical portion 22d is in close contact with the seal ring 38.

[0065] · In the above-described embodiment, the temporary holding portion 52 protrudes along the Y-axis direction from both sides in the width direction of the first cylindrical portion 22d. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the temporary holding portion 52 may protrude from the entire circumference of the first cylindrical portion 22d. In this case or the like, for example, the second terminal 33 may be a second connector 31 extending along the Y-axis direction. For example, if the second terminal 33 is a second connector 31 extending along the Y-axis direction, even if the temporary holding portion 52 protrudes from the entire circumference of the first cylindrical portion 22d, it can be configured not to contact the second terminal 33, so that an increase in size along the Y-axis direction of the connector assembly 11 can be avoided. Further, if the second terminal 33 is a second connector 31 extending along the Y-axis direction, the terminal protection portion 22c in the first housing 22 can also be configured as a cylindrical shape surrounding the entire periphery of the first terminal 23.

[0066] · In the above-described embodiment, the side wall 51 in the first housing 22 has the side rib 55, and the recess 60 in the second housing 32 has a configuration having an engaging portion 63 that can engage with the side rib 55 in a state before fitting. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the side wall 51 and the recess 60 may not have the side rib 55 and the engaging portion 63, respectively.

[0067] · In the above-described embodiment, the second housing 32 is a metal shell. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be made of resin. The second connector 31 may not have an electromagnetic shielding function. In such a case, the insulating coating 42b may not be covered with the integrated shielding member S.

[0068] · In the above-described embodiment, the fixing hole 32d is provided between a plurality of electric wires 42 in the width direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be provided at other positions. For example, the fixing hole 32d may be provided in a fixing portion protruding outward in the Z-axis direction or the width direction of the second housing 32.

[0069] ·In the above-described embodiment, the second connector 31 is assumed to be fixed to the ends of two electric wires 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it may be fixed to the ends of three or more electric wires. In this case, it is necessary to change the number of the first terminals 23, the second terminals 33, the resin housing 34, and the rubber plugs 35 according to the number of the electric wires 42.

[0070] ·In the above-described embodiment, the base member is the metal case 41. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be changed to another base member. For example, the metal case 41 may be another base member such as a vehicle panel.

[0071] ·The embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0072] 11 Connector Assembly 21 First Connector 22 First Housing 22a Base 22b Fixing Portion 22c Terminal Protection Portion 22d First Cylindrical Portion (Cylindrical Portion) 22e Through-Hole 22f Front End Portion 23 First Terminal 23a Cap 24 Fixing Bolt 31 Second Connector 32 Second Housing 32a Opening 32b Housing Accommodation Portion 32c Partition Wall 32d Fixing Hole 32e Second Cylindrical Portion 33 Second Terminal 33a Terminal Fitting Portion 33b Terminal Connection Portion 34 Resin Housing 35 Rubber Plug 36 Retainer 37 Metal Bracket 38 Seal Ring 39 Front Retainer 41 Metal Case (Base Member) 41a Female Screw 42 Electric Wire 42a Core Wire 42b Insulation Coating 43 Bolt 51 Side Wall 52 Temporary Holding Portion 52a Front End Portion 53 First Guide Portion (Guide Portion) 53a Front End Portion 54 Second Guide Portion (Guide Portion) 54a Front End Portion 55 Side Rib 60 Recess 61 First Insertion Portion (Insertion Portion) 61a Inner Surface of the First Insertion Portion 62 Second Insertion Portion (Insertion Portion) 62a Inner Surface of the Second Insertion Portion 63 Engagement Portion D Fitting Direction of the First Housing L1 Axis of the First Connector L2 Axis of the Second Connector S Integrated Shield Member

Claims

1. A connector assembly comprising a first connector fixed to a base member and a second connector connectable to the first connector, wherein the first connector includes a first housing and a first terminal held by the first housing, the second connector includes a second housing that can be fitted to the first housing, a second terminal held by the second housing, and an annular seal ring held by the second housing, the first housing is fitted to the second housing by being relatively moved in a fitting direction with respect to the second housing, the first housing includes a cylindrical portion into which the seal ring is fitted, a temporary holding portion extending in the fitting direction from a front end portion of the cylindrical portion in the fitting direction, and a guide portion extending to a front side of the temporary holding portion in the fitting direction, the temporary holding portion is configured to temporarily hold the second housing by frictional force with the seal ring in a state before the seal ring is fitted to the cylindrical portion, the guide portion is configured to guide the fitting of the first housing along the fitting direction by being inserted into an inserted portion of the second housing before the temporary holding portion contacts the seal ring, A connector assembly.

2. The first housing includes a pair of side walls that extend along the fitting direction and face each other, the first terminal is provided between the pair of side walls, each of the pair of side walls integrally includes the temporary holding portion and the guide portion, The connector assembly according to Claim 1.

3. The first housing includes a terminal protection portion that extends along the first terminal at least in a part of the circumferential direction around the first terminal, in the fitting direction, a front end portion of the temporary holding portion is located on a front side of a front end portion of the terminal protection portion, The connector assembly according to Claim 2.

4. When a direction in which the pair of side walls face each other is defined as a first direction and a direction perpendicular to each of the fitting direction and the first direction is defined as a second direction, the guide portion is provided at both end portions of the side wall in the second direction, The connector assembly according to Claim 2.

5. The connector assembly includes a bolt, The second housing has a fixing hole penetrating along the fitting direction, and is fixed to the base member by the bolt that passes through the fixing hole and is screwed into the female screw provided in the base member. The connector assembly according to claim 1.

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