Connector and connector mounting structure

Abstract

To disclose a connector capable of suppressing the generation of a dead space between a bolt fastening cylindrical part and a conductive member and efficiently routing them in a space efficient manner.SOLUTION: A connector 10a includes a terminal metal fitting 20a and a connector housing 26a, the connector housing 26a has a cylindrical bolt fastening cylindrical part 46a and a terminal insertion cylindrical part 48a. The bolt fastening cylindrical part 46a has a first opening part 54a, a second opening part 56a, and an intermediate opening part 58a, and the terminal insertion cylindrical part 48a protrudes outward from the bolt fastening cylindrical part 46a. A bolt fastening part 22a of the terminal metal fitting 20a is disposed in the bolt fastening cylindrical part 46a, a connecting part 24a of the terminal metal fitting 20a is disposed in the terminal insertion cylindrical part 48a, and the bolt fastening part 22a is provided so as to be biased toward one side in a width direction of a conductive member 16a to which a connecting part 24a is connected. The bolt fastening part 22a is bolted to a mating terminal part 12a by a fastening bolt 84a disposed in the bolt fastening cylindrical part 46a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a connector mounting structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a connector housing having a bolt-fastening tubular portion. In such a connector, the bolt-fastening portions of terminal fittings housed in the connector housing are bolt-fastened to mating terminal portions exposed in a mating connector mounting portion. Therefore, after the connector is bolt-fastened to the connector mounting portion, the fastening bolt, the bolt-fastening portion, and the mating terminal portions that are fastened together by the fastening bolt can be housed within the bolt-fastening tubular portion, advantageously ensuring insulation and waterproofing from the outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-81173 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The connector of Patent Document 1 is designed so that the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting is located in the widthwise center of the conductive member, such as a wire harness, that is connected to the terminal fitting. Therefore, as the width dimension of the conductive member connected to the terminal fitting increases with the recent trend toward higher currents in in-vehicle devices, the area between the bolt fastening tubular portion of the connector housing and the conductive member becomes dead space, resulting in a decrease in space efficiency. In particular, when multiple connectors are arranged in parallel and attached to a mating connector mounting portion, the distance between the bolt fastening portions of adjacent connectors (the distance between the mating terminal portions of the connector mounting portion) needs to be larger than the width dimension of the conductive member, which inevitably reduces space efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, a connector and a connector mounting structure are disclosed that can suppress the occurrence of dead space between the bolt fastening cylindrical portion and the conductive member, thereby enabling wiring to be performed space-efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a terminal fitting having a bolt fastening portion at one end and a connecting portion at the other end for connection to an end of a conductive member, and a connector housing for accommodating the terminal fitting, wherein the connector housing has a cylindrical bolt fastening tubular portion and a terminal insertion tubular portion, the bolt fastening tubular portion having a first opening and a second opening at both axial ends and an intermediate opening at a middle portion in the axial direction, the terminal insertion tubular portion surrounding the intermediate opening and protruding outward from the bolt fastening tubular portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction, the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting being disposed inside the bolt fastening tubular portion via the intermediate opening, the connecting portion of the terminal fitting being disposed inside the terminal insertion tubular portion, the bolt fastening portion being biased toward one widthwise side of the conductive member to which the connecting portion is connected, and the bolt fastening portion being adapted to be bolt-fastened to a mating terminal portion by a fastening bolt disposed in the bolt fastening tubular portion.

[0007] The connector mounting structure of the present disclosure is a connector mounting structure in which the bolt fastening portion of a terminal fitting of a connector is bolt fastened to a mating terminal portion exposed in a mating connector mounting portion, and the connector is a connector according to the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector and a connector mounting structure that can suppress the occurrence of dead space between the bolt fastening tubular portion and the conductive member, thereby enabling wiring to be performed in a space-efficient manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pair of connectors according to a first embodiment in a connected state in which they are fastened to mating terminal portions with bolts. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the rear side showing each connector shown in FIG. 1 in a state where it is not connected to a mating terminal portion. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of each connector shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the connectors shown in FIG. 1 with the back retainers removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the connector housings of the connectors shown in FIG. 1 superimposed on each other, and corresponds to the cross-section taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the terminal fittings are inserted into the connector housings shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the connectors shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a state in which the engaging portions of the terminal fittings and the engaged portions of the second retainers are engaged with each other. [Figure 9] 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the second retainer is assembled to the connector housing in each of the connectors shown in FIG. 1, and corresponds to the cross-section taken along line IX-IX in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of each connector shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a connector housing constituting the connector shown in FIG. 1 in a first orientation. [Figure 12] 12 is a perspective view of the connector housing shown in FIG. 11 in a second orientation. [Figure 13] 13 is a perspective view showing a first retainer constituting the connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 14]14 is a perspective view showing a second retainer constituting the connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a connector mounting structure according to another aspect of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which each connector is shown in a disconnected state from a mating terminal portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A connector comprising: a terminal fitting having a bolt fastening portion at one end and a connecting portion at the other end for connection to an end of a conductive member; and a connector housing for accommodating the terminal fitting, wherein the connector housing has a tubular bolt fastening tubular portion and a terminal insertion tubular portion, the bolt fastening tubular portion having a first opening and a second opening at both axial ends and an intermediate opening at a middle portion in the axial direction, the terminal insertion tubular portion surrounding the intermediate opening and protruding outward from the bolt fastening tubular portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction, the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting being disposed inside the bolt fastening tubular portion through the intermediate opening, the connecting portion of the terminal fitting being disposed inside the terminal insertion tubular portion, the bolt fastening portion being biased toward one widthwise side of the conductive member to which the connecting portion is connected, and the bolt fastening portion being bolt-fastened to a mating terminal portion by a fastening bolt disposed in the bolt fastening tubular portion.

[0011] According to the connector of the present disclosure, the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting is biased toward one widthwise side of the conductive member connected to the connecting portion of the terminal fitting. This allows the bolt fastening tubular portion, where the bolt fastening portion is located, to be positioned on one widthwise side of the conductive member, even when the width of the conductive member increases due to an increase in the current of in-vehicle devices. As a result, compared to conventional structures in which the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting is positioned in the widthwise center of the conductive member connected to the terminal fitting, a certain amount of space is secured on the other widthwise side of the conductive member between the bolt fastening tubular portion of the connector housing and the conductive member, which can be used as space for arranging other components, thereby reducing the occurrence of dead space. Furthermore, for example, when two connectors are used in parallel, arranging the biased sides of the bolt fastening portions of each connector adjacent to each other reduces dead space between the connectors and the distance between the mating terminals of the connector mounting portion, which is the connecting partner. This allows for a connector that can be installed in a space-efficient manner.

[0012] The conductive member connected to the terminal fitting via the connecting portion may be, for example, a bus bar, and the terminal fitting and the conductive member may be integrated as one bus bar. Alternatively, the conductive member may be separate from the terminal fitting, and if the conductive member is formed of, for example, an electric wire, the core wire of the electric wire may be fixed to the terminal fitting by crimping or bonding.

[0013] (2) In the above (1), when the connector housing is in a first orientation in which the first opening is oriented to one side in the axial direction, the terminal fitting can be placed in the terminal insertion tubular portion and the bolt fastening tubular portion with the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting biased to one side in the width direction of the conductive member, and when the connector housing is in a second orientation in which the second opening is oriented to one side in the axial direction, the terminal fitting can be rotated 180 degrees around the central axis of the conductive member and placed in the terminal insertion tubular portion and the bolt fastening tubular portion with the bolt fastening portion biased to the other side in the width direction of the conductive member, and it is preferable that, in either the first orientation or the second orientation of the connector housing, the bolt fastening portion is bolt-fastened to the mating terminal fitting arranged on the other axial side of the bolt fastening tubular portion.

[0014] The connector housing can be used for both the first and second orientations by rotating it 180° around the central axis of the conductive member passing through the intermediate opening. The terminal fittings can also be used for both the first and second orientations by rotating it 180° around the central axis of the conductive member. Furthermore, in both the first and second orientations of the connector housing, the bolt fastening portion can be bolted to the mating terminal portion located on the other axial side of the bolt fastening tubular portion. Therefore, for example, when two connectors are arranged in parallel with the offset sides of the bolt fastening portions of each connector adjacent to each other, right- and left-hand connectors can be efficiently manufactured while sharing the connector components. As a result, manufacturing costs can be reduced and part number management can be simplified.

[0015] (3) In the above (2), it is preferable that the fastening bolt is arranged in the bolt fastening tubular portion with its tip passing through a bolt insertion hole provided in the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting, a first seal rubber that seals between the bolt head of the fastening bolt and the peripheral wall of the bolt fastening tubular portion and a first retainer that positions and holds the first seal rubber are attached to the bolt fastening tubular portion, and the fastening bolt, the first seal rubber, and the first retainer can be attached to either the first opening side or the second opening side of the bolt fastening tubular portion.

[0016] Because the fastening bolt, first seal rubber, and first retainer are attached to the bolt fastening tubular portion, it is possible to provide a connector with a built-in fastening bolt and excellent waterproofing. Moreover, because the fastening bolt, first seal rubber, and first retainer can be attached to either the first opening side or the second opening side of the bolt fastening tubular portion, it is possible to efficiently manufacture two types of connectors with different bias directions of the bolt fastening portion (bolt fastening tubular portion) in the width direction of the conductive member by rotating them 180 degrees while also sharing the same components of the connector.

[0017] (4) In the above (2) or (3), it is preferable that the bolt fastening tubular portion is fitted with a second seal rubber that seals between the connector mounting portion that holds the mating terminal portion and the peripheral wall of the bolt fastening tubular portion when the fastening bolt is bolt-fastened to the mating terminal portion, and a second retainer that positions and holds the second seal rubber, and the second retainer has an engaged portion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the bolt fastening portion when the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting is arranged in the correct installation position, and the engagement of the engaged portion with the engaging portion prevents the bolt fastening portion from slipping out of the bolt fastening tubular portion, and the second seal rubber and the second retainer can be attached to either the first opening side or the second opening side of the bolt fastening tubular portion.

[0018] The bolt fastening tubular portion is fitted with a second retainer having an engaged portion that prevents the bolt fastening portion from slipping out, and a second seal rubber that is held by the second retainer, thereby providing a connector with a built-in second retainer and excellent waterproofing. Moreover, because the second seal rubber and second retainer can be attached to either the first opening side or the second opening side of the bolt fastening tubular portion, it is possible to efficiently manufacture two types of connectors with different bias directions of the bolt fastening portion (bolt fastening tubular portion) in the width direction of the conductive member by rotating them 180 degrees while also sharing the same components of the connector.

[0019] (5) In any one of (2) to (4) above, it is preferable that the connector housing is provided with a pair of positioning recesses opening to both sides in the axial direction at a position off the widthwise center of the bolt fastening tube portion, and that the positioning recesses opening to the other side in the axial direction can be fitted with positioning protrusions provided in the connector mounting portion that holds the mating terminal portion, regardless of whether the connector housing is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

[0020] According to this aspect, when right- and left-handed connectors are arranged side by side, for example, as described in aspect (2) above, the right-handed connector can be attached to the right-handed connector attachment portion and the left-handed connector can be attached to the left-handed connector attachment portion by fitting the positioning recesses of each connector with the positioning protrusions of the connector attachment portion. In particular, by providing each positioning recess at a position off-center in the width direction of the bolt fastening tubular portion, it is made impossible to attach a right-handed connector to a left-handed connector attachment portion, and similarly, it is made impossible to attach a left-handed connector to a right-handed connector attachment portion. Therefore, it is possible to provide a connector with a structure (poka-yoke structure) that can prevent mistakes such as installing the left and right connectors in reverse.

[0021] The connector mounting structure of the present disclosure comprises: (6) A connector mounting structure in which the bolt fastening portion of a terminal fitting of a connector is bolt fastened to a mating terminal portion exposed in a mating connector mounting portion, the connector being a connector described in any one of (1) to (5) above.

[0022] According to the connector mounting structure of the present disclosure, since the connector is the connector described in any one of aspects (1) to (6) above, a certain amount of space can be secured on the other widthwise side of the conductive member between the bolt fastening tubular portion of the connector housing and the conductive member, and this space can be used as space for arranging other members, thereby suppressing the occurrence of dead space on the connector mounting portion side. Furthermore, for example, when two connectors are used in parallel arrangement, by arranging the biased sides of the bolt fastening portions of each connector adjacent to each other, it is possible to reduce the dead space between the connectors and the distance between the mating terminal portions of the connector mounting portion, which is the mating connection side. This makes it possible to provide a connector mounting structure that allows connectors to be routed in a space-efficient manner.

[0023] (7) In the above (6), it is preferable that the connector mounting portion has a pair of the mating terminal portions exposed on the same plane, and the pair of connectors connected to the pair of mating terminal portions are arranged with the sides where the bolt fastening portions are biased adjacent to each other. When the pair of mating terminal portions provided on the connector mounting portion are exposed on the same plane, the pair of connectors connected to them can be connected with the sides where the bolt fastening portions are biased adjacent to each other, thereby reducing the distance between the pair of mating terminal portions. This makes it possible to provide a connector mounting structure that allows the pair of connectors to be routed in a space-efficient manner.

[0024] (8) In the above (6), it is preferable that the connector mounting portion has a pair of the mating terminal portions exposed on a first plane and a second plane spaced apart in the vertical direction, and that the pair of connectors connected to the pair of mating terminal portions are arranged adjacent to each other on the side opposite to the side where the bolt fastening portion is biased, and that the terminal insertion tube portions overlap in the vertical direction. When the pair of mating terminal portions provided on the connector mounting portion are exposed on the first plane and the second plane spaced apart in the vertical direction, the pair of connectors connected thereto can be connected with the sides opposite to the side where the bolt fastening portion is biased adjacent to each other, and with the terminal insertion tube portions overlapping in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to further advantageously reduce the distance between the pair of mating terminal portions by utilizing the step between the first plane and the second plane of the connector mounting portion, thereby providing a connector mounting structure that can further improve space efficiency.

[0025] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the connector and connector mounting structure of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0026] <Embodiment 1> 1 to 14, a connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure and a connector mounting structure 14, which is a mounting structure for the connector 10 and a mating terminal portion 12 that is the counterpart of the connector 10, will be described below. The connector 10 and the connector mounting structure 14 are for electrically connecting two conductive members 16, 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 4), with the connector 10 being electrically connected to one conductive member 16 and the mating terminal portion 12 being electrically connected to the other conductive member 18. A terminal fitting 20 provided on the connector 10 is bolted to the mating terminal portion 12, thereby electrically connecting the conductive members 16, 18.

[0027] Note that although connector 10 can be placed in any orientation, in the following description, upper refers to upper in Fig. 4, lower refers to lower in Fig. 4, front refers to left in Fig. 3, rear refers to right in Fig. 3, left refers to upper in Fig. 3, and right refers to lower in Fig. 3. Also, for multiple identical components, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the components, and reference numerals may be omitted for other components. In the first embodiment, a pair of connectors 10, 10 (left-hand connector 10a and right-hand connector 10b) are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and a pair of mating terminal portions 12, 12 (left-hand mating terminal portion 12a and right-hand mating terminal portion 12b) are arranged side by side in the left-hand direction correspondingly. These left-hand and right-hand connectors 10a, 10b may be, for example, positive and negative electrode connectors, but are not limited thereto.

[0028] <Connector 10 (left connector 10a and right connector 10b)> The connectors 10a and 10b have the same basic structure. Each connector 10a and 10b includes a terminal fitting 20 having a bolt fastening portion 22 on one end and a connecting portion 24 on the other end connected to the end of the conductive member 16, and a connector housing 26 that houses the terminal fitting 20. In the following description, when it is necessary to distinguish between left and right, the left-hand version is designated by adding an "a" after the reference numeral, and the right-hand version is designated by adding an "b" after the reference numeral. For example, the left-hand connector 10a includes a terminal fitting 20a having a bolt fastening portion 22a on one end and a connecting portion 24a on the other end connected to the end of the conductive member 16a, and a connector housing 26a that houses the terminal fitting 20a. The right-hand connector 10b includes a terminal fitting 20b having a bolt fastening portion 22b on one end and a connecting portion 24b on the other end connected to the end of the conductive member 16b, and a connector housing 26b that houses the terminal fitting 20b. First, the structure of the left connector 10a will be described below.

[0029] <Left connector 10a> As described above, the left-hand connector 10a includes the terminal fitting 20a and the connector housing 26a. In the first embodiment, the conductive member 16a is configured as a bus bar extending from an electrical component (not shown), and the terminal fitting 20a and the conductive member 16a are integrated to form a single bus bar. That is, the terminal fitting 20a and the conductive member 16a extend continuously via a connecting portion 24a, and a bolt fastening portion 22a is formed at the tip of the bus bar extending from the electrical component (not shown). In the first embodiment, the terminal fitting 20a (bus bar) is made of aluminum (including aluminum alloy).

[0030] <Terminal fitting 20a> 8 and 10, one end of the terminal fitting 20a (the bolt fastening portion 22a side) is smaller in width (left-right direction) than the other end (the connecting portion 24a side). Specifically, the bolt fastening portion 22a is biased toward one widthwise side (left) of the conductive member 16a to which the connecting portion 24a is connected. In the first embodiment, the left portion of the terminal fitting 20a extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction, while the right portion of the terminal fitting 20a has an inclined portion whose widthwise dimension gradually increases toward the rear.

[0031] More specifically, a bolt-fastened portion 22a having a predetermined width is formed at the tip (front end) of the terminal fitting 20a over a predetermined longitudinal dimension, and is connected to the conductive member 16a via a portion whose width gradually increases toward the rear. In other words, for example, at the front end of the terminal fitting 20a, the portion having a small width and extending in the longitudinal direction is the bolt-fastened portion 22a, and the portion rearward of the bolt-fastened portion 22a whose width gradually increases toward the rear is the connecting portion 24a. Furthermore, the portion rearward of the connecting portion 24a that extends in the longitudinal direction and has a larger width than the bolt-fastened portion 22a is the conductive member 16a. The boundaries between the bolt-fastened portion 22a and the connecting portion 24a and between the connecting portion 24a and the conductive member 16a do not need to be clearly defined.

[0032] A bolt insertion hole 28a is formed in the bolt fastening portion 22a, penetrating it in the thickness direction. In the first embodiment, the bolt insertion hole 28a is formed in an oval shape with a front-to-rear dimension greater than a left-to-right dimension in a plan view. A relay terminal 30a is fixed below the bolt fastening portion 22a, and in the first embodiment, the upper portion of the relay terminal 30a is fixed by being press-fitted into the bolt insertion hole 28a. The relay terminal 30a is generally cylindrical, and an inner hole 32a, which is generally oval in plan view, is formed therein and penetrates it in the up-down direction. The material of the relay terminal 30a is not limited as long as it is made of a conductive metal. However, when the terminal fitting 20a is made of aluminum (including an aluminum alloy) as in the first embodiment, and the mating terminal portion 12 (left-hand mating terminal portion 12a) is made of copper (including pure copper or a copper alloy), as described below, the relay terminal 30a is preferably made of aluminum bronze. As a result, as will be described later, the terminal fitting 20a is electrically connected to the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a via the relay terminal 30a, thereby preventing corrosion due to the potential difference between the terminal fitting 20a and the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a.

[0033] The bolt fastening portion 22a is also formed with an engaging portion 34a that engages with an engaged portion 116a of the second retainer 104a (described later). In the first embodiment, notched engaging portions 34a, 34a are formed at both left-right ends of the bolt fastening portion 22a, and each engaging portion 34a is generally rectangular in plan view. That is, each engaging portion 34a opens outward in the left-right direction of the bolt fastening portion 22a and is formed over the entire length in the up-down direction. Therefore, left-right protruding portions 35a that protrude outward in the left-right direction beyond the bottom surfaces of the engaging portions 34a are formed at both left-right ends of the bolt fastening portion 22a, forward of the engaging portions 34a.

[0034] Furthermore, an insulating coating 36a made of synthetic resin or the like is fixedly attached to a portion of the bus bar that has a large width and extends in the front-rear direction (for example, the conductive member 16a, which is the portion rearward of the connecting portion 24a). In other words, the insulating coating 36a is removed from the tip portion of the bus bar, and the bolt fastening portion 22a and the connecting portion 24a are formed in the portion where the insulating coating 36a is removed. Note that the conductive member 16a may be configured to include the insulating coating 36a.

[0035] An annular rear seal rubber 38a is fitted onto the terminal fitting 20a to seal an opening (rear opening 64a) of a terminal insertion tubular portion 48a (described later) in the connector housing 26a. A back retainer 40a is fitted onto the terminal fitting 20a behind the rear seal rubber 38a to prevent the rear seal rubber 38a from falling off the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a when the terminal fitting 20a is fixed to the connector housing 26a. A central hole 42a, through which the terminal fitting 20a is inserted, is formed in the front-rear direction at the center of the back retainer 40a, and locking frames 44a are formed integrally with the back retainer 40a at both left and right ends thereof, projecting forward. In embodiment 1, the rear seal rubber 38a is provided in a substantially fixed manner at the front end portion of the insulating coating 36a, and the back retainer 40a is fitted onto the insulating coating 36a so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction) of the terminal fitting 20a.

[0036] <Connector housing 26a> As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the connector housing 26a includes a bolt fastening tubular portion 46a and a terminal insertion tubular portion 48a, both of which are generally cylindrical. The bolt fastening tubular portion 46a is tubular and extends in the vertical direction, with the axial direction of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a being the vertical direction. Specifically, the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a includes a cylindrical peripheral wall 50a that extends in the vertical direction and a bolt fastening hole 52a that penetrates the inner periphery of the peripheral wall 50a in the vertical direction. The bolt fastening tubular portion 46a also includes a first opening 54a and a second opening 56a at both axial ends and an intermediate opening 58a at an intermediate portion in the axial direction. In other words, the bolt fastening hole 52a is connected to the external space through the first opening 54a and the second opening 56a on both vertical sides.

[0037] The terminal insertion tubular portion 48a surrounds the intermediate opening 58a and protrudes outward from the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a in a direction intersecting the axial direction (in the first embodiment, this is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (vertical direction), i.e., the front-rear direction). In other words, the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a has a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction, and includes a cylindrical terminal holding wall portion 60a extending in the front-rear direction and a terminal accommodating gap 62a that penetrates the inner peripheral side of the terminal holding wall portion 60a in the front-rear direction and into which the terminal fitting 20a is inserted and accommodated, as described below. The terminal insertion tubular portion 48a extending in the front-rear direction is connected to an intermediate portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a extending in the vertical direction. That is, the intermediate opening 58a, which is a front opening of the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a (terminal accommodating gap 62a), opens into the inner peripheral surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a (peripheral wall 50a), and the bolt fastening hole 52a and the terminal accommodating gap 62a communicate with each other. Furthermore, a rear opening 64a of the terminal insertion cylindrical portion 48a (terminal accommodating gap 62a) is open at the rear end of the connector housing 26a.

[0038] In addition, in Figure 11, the connector housing 26a is shown in a first orientation state in which the first opening 54a is facing one side (upper side) in the axial direction, and in Figure 12, the connector housing 26a is shown in a second orientation state in which the second opening 56a is facing one side (upper side) in the axial direction, rotated 180 degrees around the central axis La (see Figure 2) of the conductive member 16a from the first orientation state shown in Figure 11.

[0039] <Bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a> As shown in Fig. 11 and other figures, the left-hand connector housing 26a is disposed in a first orientation with the first opening 54a facing one axial side (upward). A second retainer fixing hole 66a for fixing a second retainer 104a (described later) is formed in the end (lower end) of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a of the connector housing 26a on the second opening 56a side, penetrating the peripheral wall 50a in the thickness direction. In the first embodiment, a pair of second retainer fixing holes 66a, 66a are provided on both front-rear direction sides of the peripheral wall 50a. Similarly, a pair of second retainer fixing holes 66b, 66b are provided on both front-rear direction sides of the peripheral wall 50b in the end (lower end) of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46b of the right-hand connector housing 26b on the second opening 56b side. As will be described later, the right-hand connector housing 26b is the left-hand connector housing 26a rotated 180° around the central axis La of the conductive member 16a, and therefore in the left-hand connector housing 26a, a pair of second retainer fixing holes 66a, 66a are also provided on both front-to-rear sides of the peripheral wall 50a at the end (upper end) of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a on the first opening 54a side.

[0040] In addition, the outer surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a (peripheral wall 50a) is formed with portions that protrude outward on three sides (front and both left and right directions) except for the protruding direction (rear) of the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a, and these outer protruding portions have seal protector fixing holes 68a formed therethrough in the thickness direction to fix the seal protector 122a described later.

[0041] 7, the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a (peripheral wall 50a) has an accommodating groove 70a formed in the front portion of its inner circumferential surface. The accommodating groove 70a receives and accommodates the left-right protrusion 35a provided at the front end (front end) of the bolt fastening portion 22a when the terminal fitting 20a is inserted into the connector housing 26a. As described above, the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a (peripheral wall 50a) has an intermediate opening 58a formed in the inner circumferential surface, which serves as the front opening of the terminal accommodating gap 62a. As shown in FIG. 6, the intermediate opening 58a has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and is formed in the vertical center of the rear inner circumferential surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. 6, 9, etc., a pair of axial ribs 59a, 59a protruding from the axial (vertical) center to both sides in the vertical direction are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a (peripheral wall 50a), and these axial ribs 59a are provided on both the left and right sides of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a (peripheral wall 50a). Therefore, a total of four axial ribs 59a are provided on the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a.

[0042] <Terminal insertion tube portion 48a> The terminal insertion tubular portion 48a has a terminal accommodating gap 62a on the inner periphery of the terminal holding wall portion 60a sized to accommodate the terminal fitting 20a. The terminal insertion tubular portion 48a has a horizontally elongated, generally oval shape with a larger left-right dimension than a vertical dimension when viewed from the rear as shown in Fig. 4. When the terminal fitting 20a is inserted through the rear opening 64a of the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a, the bolt fastening portion 22a at the tip (front end) of the terminal fitting 20a is positioned within the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a via the intermediate opening 58a, and the portion of the terminal fitting 20a rearward of the bolt fastening portion 22a is accommodated in the terminal accommodating gap 62a. The terminal accommodating gap 62a (terminal holding wall portion 60a) has a sloped portion 72a on the right side corresponding to the connecting portion 24a, the sloped portion 72a gradually increasing in width toward the rear, and the portion rearward of the sloped portion 72a has a base end portion 74a with a generally constant width. As a result, the connecting portion 24a of the terminal fitting 20a is disposed inside the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a. Therefore, when the connector housing 26a is in the first orientation, the terminal fitting 20a can be disposed in the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a and the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a with the bolt fastening portion 22a of the terminal fitting 20a biased to one side (left) in the width direction of the conductive member 16a.

[0043] Furthermore, a pair of positioning recesses 76a are formed in the front portion of the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a, opening on both axial (vertical) sides of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. Each of these positioning recesses 76a protrudes outward in the vertical direction from the terminal holding wall portion 60a at a position spaced rearward from the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a and is provided in a wall portion that is generally arc-shaped in plan view. In the left-hand connector housing 26a in the first embodiment, each of these positioning recesses 76a is provided at a position that is off-center in the width direction (left-right direction) of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. In particular, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, each of the positioning recesses 76a is provided at a position that is biased leftward from the width direction center of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a.

[0044] 4 and 12, a pair of downwardly projecting abutment portions 77a, 77a are provided on the underside of the base end portion 74a of the left-hand connector housing 26a, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. In particular, the left abutment portion 77a has a curved surface 78a that conforms to the outer peripheral surface of the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a (base end portion 74a), which is generally oval. Furthermore, locking claws 80a that lock onto the respective locking frames 44a of the back retainer 40a are formed on both left-right ends of the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion 74a and protrude outward in the left-right direction.

[0045] In the first embodiment, indicators 82a indicating whether the connector housing 26a is for left-handed use or right-handed use are provided on both the top and bottom surfaces of the terminal insertion tube portion 48a. That is, as shown in Fig. 11 , when the connector housing 26a is in the first orientation, the connector housing 26a is used as a left-handed connector, and therefore, the letter "L" indicating left-handedness is provided on the top surface of the terminal insertion tube portion 48a as the indicator 82a. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 12 , when the connector housing 26a is in the second orientation, the connector housing 26a is used as a right-handed connector, and therefore, the letter "R" indicating right-handedness is provided on the bottom surface of the terminal insertion tube portion 48a as the indicator 82a. In particular, in the first embodiment, these indicators 82a are formed integrally with the terminal insertion tube portion 48a, but, for example, pieces of paper on which the letter "L" or "R" is printed may be adhered.

[0046] <Fastening bolt 84a> The bolt fastening portion 22a of the terminal fitting 20a is bolt-fastened to the mating terminal 12 (left mating terminal 12a) by a fastening bolt 84a disposed in the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10 , an insulating cover 86a made of synthetic resin is integrally formed on the bolt head of the fastening bolt 84a. In particular, in the first embodiment, the insulating cover 86a includes a substantially cylindrical cover tubular portion 88a, and an upper end portion of the cover tubular portion 88a includes a pair of notches 90a, 90a and a pair of engagement holes 92a, 92a. In addition, a synthetic resin cap 93a is fixed to the tip end of the fastening bolt 84a. When the fastening bolt 84a is inserted into the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, for example, the outer peripheral end of the insulating cover 86a abuts against each axial rib 59a protruding upward from the axial center of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, thereby restricting further insertion of the fastening bolt 84a.

[0047] <First Seal Rubber 94a and First Retainer 96a> When the fastening bolt 84a is fastened to the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a, a first seal rubber 94a seals the gap between the cover tubular portion 88a of the insulating cover 86a provided on the bolt head and the peripheral wall 50a of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, and the first seal rubber 94a is positioned and held by the first retainer 96a. The first seal rubber 94a and the first retainer 96a are attached to the upper portion (the first opening 54a side) of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. As will be described later, in the right-hand connector 10b, the connector housing 26b is formed by rotating the left-hand connector housing 26a by 180 degrees about the central axis La, and the first seal rubber 94b and the first retainer 96b can also be attached to the upper portion (the second opening 56b side) of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46b of the connector housing 26b.

[0048] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the fastening bolt 84a is disposed on the inner circumferential side of the peripheral wall 50a of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, with its tip (cap 93a) passing through the bolt insertion hole 28a provided in the bolt fastening portion 22a. The cover tubular portion 88a of the insulating cover 86a of the fastening bolt 84a and the peripheral wall 50a of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a are radially spaced apart from each other, and a first seal rubber 94a is disposed between the cover tubular portion 88a and the peripheral wall 50a in a state compressed in the radial direction. This provides a liquid-tight seal between the cover tubular portion 88a and the peripheral wall 50a. A first retainer 96a is placed over the first seal rubber 94a.

[0049] 13, the first retainer 96a is provided with first insertion portions 98a that are inserted into the respective cutout portions 90a in the cover tubular portion 88a, and engagement protrusions 100a that engage with the respective engagement holes 92a. The first insertion portions 98a are inserted into the respective cutout portions 90a, and the respective engagement protrusions 100a engage with the respective engagement holes 92a, thereby fixing the first retainer 96a to the fastening bolt 84a (insulating cover 86a). This prevents the first retainer 96a from falling off the fastening bolt 84a (insulating cover 86a), and the first seal rubber 94a is positioned and held by the first retainer 96a.

[0050] <Second Seal Rubber 102a and Second Retainer 104a> The bolt fastening tubular portion 46a is fitted with a second seal rubber 102a that seals between a connector mounting portion 132 (described later) that holds the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a when the fastening bolt 84a is bolt-fastened to the mating terminal portion 12 (left-hand mating terminal portion 12a) and the peripheral wall 50 of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, and a second retainer 104a that positions and holds the second seal rubber 102a. The second seal rubber 102a and the second retainer 104a are fitted to a lower portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. As will be described later, in the right-hand connector 10b, the connector housing 26b is formed by rotating the left-hand connector housing 26a by 180 degrees about the central axis La, and the second seal rubber 102b and the second retainer 104b can also be fitted to a lower portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46b in the connector housing 26b (on the side of the first opening 54b).

[0051] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5 and other figures, the second seal rubber 102a is fitted onto and fixed to the peripheral wall 50a of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. Also, as shown in Figs. 10 and 14, the second retainer 104a has a double-tube structure including an inner circumferential tubular portion 106a and an outer circumferential tubular portion 108a, which are interconnected at their lower ends by an annular lower wall portion 110a. The inner circumferential tubular portion 106a and the outer circumferential tubular portion 108a are radially spaced apart from each other, and an annular groove 112a is formed between the inner circumferential tubular portion 106a and the outer circumferential tubular portion 108a in the radial direction. The annular groove 112a opens upward and extends continuously around the entire circumferential direction. When the second retainer 104a is attached to the lower portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, the lower portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a is inserted into the annular groove 112a from above. As a result, the inner cylindrical portion 106a of the second retainer 104a is located on the inner peripheral side of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a, and the outer cylindrical portion 108a is located on the outer peripheral side of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a, supporting from below the second seal rubber 102a that is fitted onto the peripheral wall 50a of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a. This prevents the second seal rubber 102a from falling off downward from the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a, and the second seal rubber 102a is positioned and held by the second retainer 104a.

[0052] More specifically, a fixing claw 114a is formed at the lower end of the inner cylindrical portion 106a of the second retainer 104a to engage with the second retainer fixing hole 66a in the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a. An engaged portion 116a is formed at the upper end of the inner cylindrical portion 106a and protrudes upward. The engaged portion 116a can engage with the engaging portion 34a of the bolt fastening portion 22a of the terminal fitting 20a when the bolt fastening portion 22a is positioned in the correct installation position. A notch 118a is formed at the upper end of the inner cylindrical portion 106a, opening upward, rearward of the engaged portion 116a. This notch 118a penetrates the inner cylindrical portion 106a in the thickness direction. A rearward protruding portion 120a is formed at the upper end of the inner cylindrical portion 106a, rearward of the notch 118a. These engaged portions 116a, notches 118a and rearward protrusions 120a are each provided in pairs at the upper end of the inner cylindrical portion 106a, and each engaged portion 116a, notch 118a and rearward protrusion 120a is formed at left-right symmetrical positions on the inner cylindrical portion 106a.

[0053] When the second retainer 104a is assembled to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a from below, the rearward protrusions 120a protruding rearward from the inner circumferential portion 106a abut against the periphery of the intermediate opening 58a, which opens on the rear inner circumferential surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, preventing the second retainer 104a from slipping downward from the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. The second retainer 104a is then displaced upward relative to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, and the fixing claws 114a engage with the second retainer fixing holes 66a, thereby fixing the second retainer 104a to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. At this time, the axial ribs 59a protruding downward from the inner circumferential surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a are inserted into the notches 118a in the inner circumferential portion 106a.

[0054] <Seal Protector 122a> In the first embodiment, the second seal rubber 102a fitted onto the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a is protected from the outer periphery by a seal protector 122a. As shown in Fig. 10 and other figures, the seal protector 122a is a generally C-shaped member in a plan view, with a portion of the circumference (a portion on the rear side) of the annular member cut out, and includes a peripheral wall portion 124a having a predetermined dimension in the circumferential direction. Three elastic pieces 126a that are elastically deformable in the radial direction are provided on the peripheral wall portion 124a and protrude upward, and the protruding tip end (upper end) of each elastic piece 126a is formed with a locking claw 128a that can be locked into the respective seal protector fixing hole 68a in the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. In addition, a notched recess 130a is formed in the left portion of the peripheral wall 124a of the seal protector 122a, and as will be described later, when the two connectors 10a, 10b are arranged adjacent to each other, the recess 130a can prevent interference between the peripheral wall 124a and the connector mounting portion 132.

[0055] After the second seal rubber 102a and the second retainer 104a are fixed to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, the seal protector 122a is fitted onto the second seal rubber 102a from the side (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) while spreading out the circumferential end of the C-shaped circumferential wall portion 124a. Thereafter, the seal protector 122a is displaced upward to lock the locking claws 128a into the seal protector fixing holes 68a, thereby fixing the seal protector 122a to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a.

[0056] <Right connector 10b> The right-hand connector 10b can be constructed using the same components as those of the left-hand connector 10a. That is, the terminal fittings 20b in the right-hand connector 10b are the terminal fittings 20a in the left-hand connector 10a rotated 180° around the central axis La of the conductive member 16a. The connector housing 26b in the right-hand connector 10b is the connector housing 26a in the left-hand connector 10a rotated 180° around the central axis La of the conductive member 16a. In the right-hand connector 10b, components other than the terminal fittings 20b and the connector housing 26b can be assembled in the same orientation as in the left-hand connector 10a, as shown in FIG. 10 . Therefore, the components of the right-hand connector 10b will be designated in the figures by replacing the letter “a” in the reference numerals of the components of the left-hand connector 10a with “b,” and their description will be omitted.

[0057] <Terminal fitting 20b> As described above, the terminal fitting 20b is the terminal fitting 20a rotated 180° around the central axis La, and therefore, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the bolt fastening portion 22b is biased toward the other widthwise side (right side) of the conductive member 16b to which the connecting portion 24b is connected.

[0058] <Connector housing 26b> Like the connector housing 26a, the connector housing 26b has a bolt fastening tubular portion 46b and a terminal insertion tubular portion 48b. The connector housing 26b is formed by rotating the connector housing 26a 180 degrees about the central axis La, and is therefore disposed in a second orientation with the second opening 56b facing one axial side (upward). Therefore, the terminal insertion tubular portion 48b has an inclined portion 72b on the left side corresponding to the connecting portion 24b, and the letter "R" is marked on an indicia 82b on the top surface of the terminal insertion tubular portion 48b. When the connector housing 26b is disposed in the second orientation, the terminal fitting 20b can be disposed in the terminal insertion tubular portion 48b and the bolt fastening tubular portion 46b with the bolt fastening portion 22b of the terminal fitting 20b biased toward the other widthwise side (rightward) of the conductive member 16b.

[0059] <Mating terminal portion 12 (left-hand mating terminal portion 12a and right-hand mating terminal portion 12b)> In the first embodiment, as described above, the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a and the right-hand mating terminal portion 12b are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. In the first embodiment, the mating terminal portions 12a and 12b are held by a single connector mounting portion 132. The connector mounting portion 132 is made of, for example, synthetic resin and is integrally formed with the mating terminal portions 12a and 12b. The mating terminal portions 12a and 12b are each a cylindrical member made of a conductive metal, such as copper (including pure copper and copper alloy). An internal thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of each mating terminal portion 12a and 12b, and the internal thread of each mating terminal portion 12a and 12b can be threadedly engaged with the external thread of each fastening bolt 84a and 84b. In the first embodiment, the length dimensions (vertical dimensions) of the mating terminal portions 12a and 12b are different, and the positions of the upper end faces of the mating terminal portions 12a and 12b are different in the vertical direction. In particular, in the first embodiment, the upper end surface of the left mating terminal portion 12a is located higher than the upper end surface of the right mating terminal portion 12b.

[0060] The connector mounting portion 132 has double cylindrical portions 134a and 134b that hold the mating terminal portions 12a and 12b. Each double cylindrical portion 134a and 134b is composed of an outer cylindrical portion and an inner cylindrical portion that extend in the vertical direction. The mating terminal portions 12a and 12b are disposed radially between the outer and inner cylindrical portions that constitute the double cylindrical portions 134a and 134b. Therefore, each mating terminal portion 12a and 12b is exposed upward between the radial portions of the double cylindrical portions 134a and 134b, and has annular exposed surfaces 136a and 136b, respectively. In other words, the connector mounting portion 132 has a pair of mating terminal portions 12a and 12b, which are exposed on a first plane P1 (see FIG. 5) and a second plane P2 (see FIG. 5) that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction.

[0061] Additionally, in the connector mounting portion 132, retaining cylindrical portions 138a, 138b are provided on the outer periphery of each double cylindrical portion 134a, 134b to hold the respective connectors 10a, 10b. Positioning protrusions 140a, 140b are provided at the rear of each retaining cylindrical portion 138a, 138b and protrude upward. These positioning protrusions 140a, 140b are fitted with the respective positioning recesses 76a, 76b of the respective connectors 10a, 10b. These positioning protrusions 140a, 140b are positioned offset to the left or right of the widthwise center of each retaining cylindrical portion 138a, 138b. This allows the positioning recesses 76a, 76b, which open to the other axial side (downward), to fit with the respective positioning protrusions 140a, 140b, regardless of whether the connector housings 26a, 26b are in the first or second orientation.

[0062] The connector mounting portion 132 having such a shape is fixed to the other conductive member 18 by a bolt (not shown) that is inserted into a collar 142 provided on the outer periphery, or the connector mounting portion 132 is formed integrally with the other conductive member 18. Then, the respective mating terminal portions 12a, 12b electrically connected to the other conductive member 18 are exposed to the outside at the respective exposed surfaces 136a, 136b.

[0063] <Connector mounting structure 14> In the connector mounting structure 14 according to the present disclosure, bolt fastening portions 22a, 22b of terminal fittings 20a, 20b of connectors 10a, 10b are bolted to mating terminal portions 12a, 12b exposed in a mating connector mounting portion 132. Below, as a specific example of the connector mounting structure 14 according to the present disclosure, a method of bolt fastening a left-handed connector 10a to a left-handed mating terminal portion 12a will be described. Note that a method of bolt fastening a right-handed connector 10b to a right-handed mating terminal portion 12b is similar to that for the left, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The method of assembling the left-handed connector 10a and the right-handed connector 10b and the method of bolt fastening each connector 10a, 10b to each mating terminal portion 12a, 12b are not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0064] First, the rear seal rubber 38a and the back retainer 40a are fitted onto the terminal fitting 20a (bus bar integrated with the conductive member 16a). Next, the upper portion of the relay terminal 30a is press-fitted into the bolt insertion hole 28a of the terminal fitting 20a, thereby fixing the relay terminal 30a to the terminal fitting 20a.

[0065] The second seal rubber 102a is fitted onto the peripheral wall 50a of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a of the connector housing 26a from below, and the second retainer 104a is brought closer to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a from below. The lower end of the peripheral wall 50a is inserted into the annular groove 112a between the inner peripheral cylindrical portion 106a and the outer peripheral cylindrical portion 108a of the second retainer 104a, and the second retainer 104a is brought closer to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. This causes the rearward protrusions 120a of the second retainer 104a to fit into the intermediate openings 58a that open on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 50a. As a result, the rearward protrusions 120a are engaged with the intermediate openings 58a, preventing the second retainer 104a from slipping downward out of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. In this state, the second retainer 104a can be displaced further upward and is provisionally fitted to the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a. Thereafter, the seal protector 122a is brought closer to the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a from below, and the locking claws 128a are locked into the seal protector fixing holes 68a, thereby fixing the seal protector 122a to the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 46a.

[0066] Next, the terminal fitting 20a is inserted into the terminal insertion tube portion 48a of the connector housing 26a through the rear opening 64a. As a result, the bolt fastening portion 22a of the terminal fitting 20a is inserted from the terminal insertion tube portion 48a into the bolt fastening tube portion 46a through the intermediate opening 58a. As shown in FIG. 7, the left and right protrusions 35a at the tip of the bolt fastening portion 22a are inserted into the receiving grooves 70a provided on the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 50a. The rear seal rubber 38a fitted over the terminal fitting 20a is press-fitted into the terminal insertion tube portion 48a, and the locking claws 80 of the terminal insertion tube portion 48a are locked into the locking frames 44a of the back retainer 40a. As a result, the terminal fitting 20a is secured in the inserted state in the connector housing 26a. In this state, the engaged portions 116a of the second retainer 104a are located below the engaging portions 34a of the terminal fittings 20a.

[0067] Thereafter, the second retainer 104a is displaced upward relative to the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a, and the engaged portions 116a are inserted into the engaging portions 34a while the fixing claws 114a are locked into the second retainer fixing holes 66a. This causes the engaged portions 116a to engage with the engaging portions 34a, preventing the terminal fittings 20a (bolt fastening portions 22a) from coming out of the connector housing 26a (bolt fastening tubular portion 46a).

[0068] Next, the connector housing 26a, to which the terminal fittings 20a are fixed, is placed from above on the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a in the connector mounting portion 132. At this time, the positioning protrusions 140a on the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a are inserted into the positioning recesses 76a on the connector housing 26a, thereby aligning the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a and the terminal fittings 20a, and vertically communicating the bolt insertion holes 28a (particularly the inner holes 32a of the relay terminals 30a) with the inner holes of the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a. Thereafter, the fastening bolts 84a are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 28a and screwed into the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a. As a result, the terminal fittings 20a and the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a are bolt-fastened together. Next, the first seal rubber 94a is inserted from above in a press-fit state between the cover tubular portion 88a of the fastening bolt 84a and the peripheral wall 50a of the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a. Furthermore, the first retainer 96a is brought close to the first seal rubber 94a from above, inserting the first insertion portions 98a into the respective cutouts 90a and engaging the respective engagement protrusions 100a with the respective engagement holes 92a. This fixes the first retainer 96a above the first seal rubber 94a, preventing the first seal rubber 94a from being removed. As a result, the left-hand connector 10 is completed, and the terminal fitting 20a is bolt-fastened to the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a in accordance with the connector mounting structure 14 of the present disclosure. Then, by bolting the terminal fitting 20a to the left-hand mating terminal portion 12a as described above, the one conductive member 16a and the other conductive member 18 are electrically connected.

[0069] In the first embodiment, in both the left-hand connector 10a in which the connector housing 26a is in the first orientation and the right-hand connector 10b in which the connector housing 26b is in the second orientation, the bolt fastening portions 22a, 22b can be bolted to the mating terminal portions 12a, 12b located on the other axial side (below) of the bolt fastening tubular portions 46a, 46b. In particular, in the first embodiment, the pair of connectors 10a, 10b are adjacently disposed on the opposite side to the side where the bolt fastening portions 22a, 22b are biased, and the connectors 10a, 10b are bolted to the mating terminal portions 12a, 12b whose upper end faces are positioned at different heights. As a result, the bolt fastening tubular portions 46a, 46b of the connector housings 26a, 26b are aligned in the left-right direction, while the terminal insertion tubular portions 48a, 48b partially overlap in the up-down direction. In particular, the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a of the connector housing 26a in the left-hand connector 10a is provided with a pair of downwardly protruding abutment portions 77a, 77a, and the connector housing 26b in the right-hand connector 10b is formed by rotating the connector housing 26a 180° about the central axis La, so that a pair of abutment portions 77b, 77b protrude upward from the terminal insertion tubular portion 48b of the connector housing 26b. When these connector housings 26a, 26b are stacked vertically, as shown in FIG. 4, the abutment portions 77a, 77b are alternately arranged in the left-right direction. As a result, left-right misalignment of the connector housings 26a, 26b can be effectively prevented.

[0070] In the connector 10 (e.g., left-hand connector 10a) constructed as described above, the bolt fastening portion 22a of the terminal fitting 20a is biased toward one side in the width direction of the conductive member 16a, which allows for effective use of the space on the other side in the width direction at the tip of the terminal fitting 20a.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the left-hand connector housing 26a can be rotated 180 degrees around the central axis La to become the right-hand connector housing 26b. This eliminates the need to separately prepare the left-hand connector housing 26a and the right-hand connector housing 26b, thereby avoiding an increase in the number of parts and costs. In particular, the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a is biased to one side in the width direction of the terminal insertion tubular portion 48a, and one connector housing 26a is rotated 180 degrees to become the other connector housing 26b, which are stacked vertically. This allows the other bolt fastening tubular portion 46b to be disposed in the space on the other side in the width direction, which is created by biasing the bolt fastening tubular portion 46a to one side in the width direction, thereby saving space when the connectors 10a, 10b are attached to the mating terminal portions 12a, 12b.

[0072] In particular, in the first embodiment, the first seal rubber 94a and the first retainer 96a can be attached to the left-handed bolt fastening tubular portion 46a from the first opening 54a side, and the second seal rubber 102a and the second retainer 104a can be attached from the second opening 56a side. Furthermore, the first seal rubber 94a and the first retainer 96a can be attached to the right-handed bolt fastening tubular portion 46b from the second opening 56b side, and the second seal rubber 102b and the second retainer 104b can be attached from the first opening 54b side. This allows the left-handed connector 10a and the right-handed connector 10b to use the same components, further reliably avoiding an increase in the number of types of parts and costs.

[0073] Furthermore, each connector housing 26a, 26b is provided with positioning recesses 76a, 76b that open on both axial sides, and the connector mounting portion 132 is provided with positioning protrusions 140a, 140b that protrude upward. These positioning recesses 76a, 76b are provided at positions that are off the widthwise center of the bolt fastening tubular portions 46a, 46b, respectively. For example, the left positioning recess 76a can be mated with the left positioning protrusion 140a, but cannot be mated with the right positioning protrusion 140b. This prevents the mistake of installing the left and right connectors 10a, 10b in the wrong direction when bolting them to the left and right mating mounting portions 12a, 12b.

[0074] <Modification> Although the first embodiment has been described above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure, are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0075] (1) In the first embodiment, the left- and right-hand connectors 10a, 10b are arranged adjacent to each other on the sides opposite to the sides where the bolt fastening portions 22a, 22b are biased relative to the conductive members 16a, 16b, and the terminal insertion tube portions 48a, 48b overlap in the vertical direction. However, this is not limited to this. For example, as in the connector mounting structure 150 shown in FIG. 15, the left- and right-hand connectors 10a, 10b may be arranged adjacent to each other on the sides where the bolt fastening portions 22a, 22b are biased. In this case, the left- and right-hand connectors 10a, 10b may be positioned at different vertical positions from each other, or may be positioned at the same vertical position as shown in FIG. 15. In this case, the left- and right-hand mating terminal portions 12a, 12b held in the connector mounting portion 132 may be exposed on the same plane. In connector mounting structure 150 of this embodiment having such a structure, bolt fastening portions 22a, 22b are biased to one side in the width direction of conductive members 16a, 16b, so that bolt fastening tubular portions 46a, 46b can be disposed adjacent to each other in connector mounting structure 150, thereby achieving a reduction in the size of connector mounting structure 150. Also in this embodiment, connectors 10a, 10b are each constructed from the same parts, so an increase in the number of types of parts and costs is avoided.

[0076] (2) In the above embodiment, the conductive members 16a, 16b connected to the terminal fittings 20a, 20b via the connecting portions 24a, 24b are configured as bus bars. However, the conductive members may be, for example, electric wires, and the terminal fittings and the conductive members (electric wires) may be connected by fixing the core wire of the electric wire at the connecting portion by adhesive bonding, crimping, or the like.

[0077] (3) In the above embodiment, the left and right mating terminal portions 12a, 12b are fixed to one connector mounting portion 132. However, each mating terminal portion may be provided separately, and each mating terminal portion may be positioned differently in the vertical or front-to-back direction, and may not be adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0078] (4) In the above embodiment, in order to align each connector 10a, 10b with the connector mounting portion 132, each connector housing 26a, 26b is provided with a positioning recess 76a, 76b, and each connector mounting portion 132 is provided with a positioning protrusion 140a, 140b, but these may be provided with the protrusions and recesses reversed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10 Connectors 10a left connector 10b Right Connector 12 Mating terminal part 12a Left mating terminal 12b Right mating terminal 14 Connector mounting structure 16, 16a, 16b, 18 Conductive member 20, 20a, 20b terminal fittings 22, 22a, 22b Bolt fastening section 24,24a,24b connection part 26, 26a, 26b Connector housing 28a, 28b Bolt insertion holes 30a, 30b relay terminal 32a,32b inner hole 34a, 34b Engagement part 35a, 35b Left and right protruding parts 36a, 36b Insulation coating 38a, 38b Rear seal rubber 40a, 40b Back retainer 42a,42b center hole 44a, 44b Locking frame 46a, 46b Bolt fastening cylinder 48a, 48b Terminal insertion tube 50a,50b Peripheral wall 52a, 52b Bolt fastening holes 54a,54b 1st opening 56a,56b 2nd opening 58a,58b Middle opening 59a, 59b Axial rib 60a,60b Terminal holding wall 62a, 62b Terminal receiving gap 64a,64b Rear opening 66a,66b 2nd retainer fixing hole 68a, 68b Seal protector fixing holes 70a, 70b Receiving groove 72a,72b Slope part 74a,74b Base end 76a, 76b Positioning recess 77a,77b Contact part 78a, 78b curved surface 80a,80b Locking claw 82a,82b Display section 84a, 84b Fastening bolts 86a, 86b Insulation cover (bolt head) 88a, 88b Cover cylinder 90a, 90b Notch 92a,92b Engagement hole 93a, 93b Cap (tip) 94a, 94b First seal rubber 96a, 96b First retainer 98a, 98b First insertion part 100a,100b Engagement protrusion 102a, 102b Second seal rubber 104a, 104b Second retainer 106a,106b Inner cylindrical part 108a,108b Outer cylinder part 110a, 110b Annular lower wall portion 112a, 112b Annular groove 114a,114b Fixed claw 116a, 116b Engaged part 118a, 118b Notch 120a,120b Rear protrusion 122a, 122b Seal protector 124a,124b Peripheral wall part 126a, 126b Elastic piece 128a,128b Locking claw 130a, 130b Gouged part 132 Connector mounting part 134a,134b Double cylinder part 136a,136b Exposed surface 138a,138b Holding cylinder part 140a, 140b Positioning protrusions 142 Color 150 Connector mounting structure (Fig. 15) P1 1st plane P2 2nd plane

Claims

1. a terminal fitting having a bolt fastening portion on one end side and a connecting portion on the other end side to be connected to an end of a conductive member; a connector housing that accommodates the terminal fittings, The connector housing has a cylindrical bolt fastening cylindrical portion and a terminal insertion cylindrical portion, The bolt fastening cylindrical portion has a first opening and a second opening provided at both ends in the axial direction, and an intermediate opening provided in an intermediate portion in the axial direction, the terminal insertion cylindrical portion surrounds the intermediate opening and protrudes outward from the bolt fastening cylindrical portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction, the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting is disposed inside the bolt fastening tubular portion through the intermediate opening, and the connecting portion of the terminal fitting is disposed inside the terminal insertion tubular portion, the bolt fastening portion is provided biased toward one width direction side of the conductive member to which the connecting portion is connected, The bolt fastening portion is fastened to a mating terminal portion by a fastening bolt disposed in the bolt fastening cylindrical portion.

2. When the connector housing is in a first orientation in which the first opening is oriented to one side in the axial direction, the terminal fitting can be placed in the terminal insertion tube portion and the bolt fastening tube portion with the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting biased to one side in the width direction of the conductive member, When the connector housing is in a second orientation in which the second opening is oriented to one side in the axial direction, the terminal fitting can be rotated 180° around the central axis of the conductive member, and the terminal fitting can be placed in the terminal insertion tube portion and the bolt fastening tube portion in a state in which the bolt fastening portion is biased to the other side in the width direction of the conductive member, 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the bolt fastening portion is bolted to the mating terminal portion located on the other axial side of the bolt fastening tubular portion in either the first orientation or the second orientation of the connector housing.

3. the fastening bolt is disposed in the bolt fastening tubular portion with its tip end passing through a bolt insertion hole provided in the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting, and a first seal rubber that seals between the bolt head of the fastening bolt and a peripheral wall of the bolt fastening tubular portion and a first retainer that positions and holds the first seal rubber are attached to the bolt fastening tubular portion; 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the fastening bolt, the first seal rubber, and the first retainer can be attached to either the first opening side or the second opening side of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion.

4. a second seal rubber that seals between a connector mounting portion that holds the mating terminal portion when the fastening bolt is bolted to the mating terminal portion and a peripheral wall of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion; and a second retainer that positions and holds the second seal rubber, the second retainer has an engaged portion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the bolt fastening portion when the bolt fastening portion of the terminal fitting is disposed in a normal installation position, and the engagement of the engaged portion with the engaging portion prevents the bolt fastening portion from coming out of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion; 4. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the second seal rubber and the second retainer can be attached to either the first opening side or the second opening side of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion.

5. The connector housing is provided with a pair of positioning recesses that are open to both sides in the axial direction at positions off the center in the width direction of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion, 4. A connector as described in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the positioning recess opening to the other side in the axial direction is engageable with a positioning protrusion provided on a connector mounting portion that holds the mating terminal portion, regardless of whether the connector housing is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

6. A connector mounting structure in which a bolt fastening portion of a terminal fitting of a connector is bolt fastened to a mating terminal portion exposed in a mating connector mounting portion, A connector mounting structure, wherein the connector is the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The connector mounting portion has a pair of mating terminal portions exposed on the same plane, 7. The connector mounting structure according to claim 6, wherein the pair of connectors connected to the pair of mating terminal portions are arranged with the biased sides of the bolt fastening portions adjacent to each other.

8. the connector mounting portion has a pair of mating terminal portions exposed on a first plane and a second plane spaced apart in the vertical direction, 7. The connector mounting structure of claim 6, wherein a pair of connectors connected to a pair of mating terminal portions are arranged adjacent to each other on the side opposite to the side on which the bolt fastening portion is biased, and the terminal insertion tube portions are arranged overlapping in the vertical direction.

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