Connector

Abstract

To avoid incorrect coupling even when the arrangement of each inner housing is changed.SOLUTION: A first inner housing 11 in a connector 1 includes a first engagement rib 42 on the outer surface of a first side wall 34 and a second engagement rib 43 on the outer surface of a second side wall 35. A second inner housing 21 includes a first engagement piece 56 having a first engagement piece rib 62 that engages with the first engagement rib 42, and a second engagement piece 57 having a second engagement piece rib 63 that engages with the second engagement rib 43. The tip of the first engagement piece 56 or the second engagement piece 57 protrudes beyond the tip of a male terminal 3. In a first set and a second set selected from a plurality of sets of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21, the first engagement rib 42 has a different shape in a first cross section perpendicular to the connection direction, and the second engagement rib 43 has a different shape in a second cross section perpendicular to the connection direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are so-called lever-type connectors in which a first connector portion is held in a second connector portion by operating a lever. Patent Document 1 discloses technology relating to a lever-fitting connector including a first connector portion having multiple separable connector housings that individually accommodate female terminals, and a second connector portion having a hood portion into which the first connector portion is fitted. In this connector, in order to prevent erroneous coupling between the first connector portion and the second connector portion, a cover body that covers the multiple connector housings has protrusions corresponding to the number of combined layers of the connector housings, and the hood portion has recesses into which the protrusions are inserted when the number of combined layers matches. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-293996 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 can avoid incorrect coupling based on the appropriate number of combined layers of multiple connector housings, but cannot avoid incorrect coupling based on the appropriateness of the arrangement when the arrangement of multiple connector housings changes.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that prevents mis-coupling even when the arrangement of the inner housings is changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A connector according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a first inner housing for holding female terminals and a second inner housing for holding male terminals to which the female terminals are connected, the first inner housing and the second inner housing each having a first side wall and a second side wall located opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the female terminals are connected to the male terminals, one of the first inner housing or the second inner housing having a first engagement rib provided on an outer surface of the first side wall and a second engagement rib provided on an outer surface of the second side wall, The other housing has a first engagement piece having a first engagement piece rib that engages with the first engagement rib, and a second engagement piece having a second engagement piece rib that engages with the second engagement rib, and the tip of the first engagement piece or the second engagement piece protrudes beyond the tip of the male terminal, and there are multiple pairs of first inner housings and second inner housings arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction, and the first pair and the second pair selected from the multiple pairs have different first cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the connection direction in the first engagement rib, and different second cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the connection direction in the second engagement rib. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that can prevent incorrect coupling even when the arrangement of the inner housings is changed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the first connector portion. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first connector portion taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a front view of the second connector portion. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second connector portion taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first inner housing and a second inner housing. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view of the first inner housing. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a front view of the second inner housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A connector according to one embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of convenience and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector 1 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 1. Fig. 1 shows a state before the first connector portion 10 is assembled to the second connector portion 20.

[0011] The connector 1 is a lever-type connector that includes a first connector portion 10 and a second connector portion 20, and that holds the first connector portion 10 in the second connector portion 20 by operating a lever 13. In this embodiment, the first connector portion 10 is a female connector that can hold a plurality of female terminals 2 (see FIG. 4), and in particular, can hold a plurality of terminal series each consisting of one or more female terminals 2. On the other hand, the second connector portion 20 is a male connector that can hold a plurality of male terminals 3 (see FIG. 5, etc.), and in particular, can hold a plurality of terminal series each consisting of one or more male terminals 3.

[0012] Hereinafter, the direction in which the female terminals 2 connect to the male terminals 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "connection direction") corresponds to the Z direction in each drawing. In addition, a plane perpendicular to the connection direction is defined as the XY plane. The X direction and the Y direction are perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, the direction along the X direction may be expressed as the "parallel direction," as it is the direction in which the multiple first inner housings 11 included in the first connector part 10 and the multiple second inner housings 21 included in the second connector part 20 are respectively arranged.

[0013] Fig. 3 is a front view of the first connector portion 10 in the state shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first connector portion 10 taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. The cut surface in Fig. 4 is an XZ plane passing through the middle position of the first connector portion 10 in the Y direction.

[0014] The first connector portion 10 includes a plurality of first inner housings 11, a first outer housing 12, and a lever 13.

[0015] Each of the first inner housings 11 is a terminal accommodating section that accommodates and holds in its internal space along the connection direction at least a portion of one or more female terminals 2 for each terminal series. Each of the first inner housings 11 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is a cylindrical member whose cross-sectional shape parallel to the XY plane is approximately the same rectangular shape.

[0016] In this embodiment, for example, there are five first inner housings 11. Hereinafter, the five first inner housings 11 will be referred to as first female housing 11a, second female housing 11b, third female housing 11c, fourth female housing 11d, and fifth female housing 11e. The shape of each first inner housing 11 will be described in detail below.

[0017] The female terminals 2 are metal terminal fittings manufactured by machining a sheet metal material having a certain thickness. Hereinafter, the female terminal 2 held in the first female housing 11a will be referred to as the first female terminal 2a. Similarly, the female terminal 2 held in the second female housing 11b will be referred to as the second female terminal 2b. The female terminal 2 held in the third female housing 11c will be referred to as the third female terminal 2c. The female terminal 2 held in the fourth female housing 11d will be referred to as the fourth female terminal 2d. The female terminal 2 held in the fifth female housing 11e will be referred to as the fifth female terminal 2e. In FIG. 4, each female terminal 2 is schematically indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0018] In this embodiment, the shapes or the number of poles of the female terminals 2 held by each first inner housing 11 are different. That is, the terminal series held by each first inner housing 11 is different. The shapes of the female terminals 2 for each terminal series will be described together with the male terminals 3, which will be described later.

[0019] The first outer housing 12 holds a plurality of first inner housings 11. Specifically, the first outer housing 12 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, and has a first outer housing main body 70 including a plurality of first housing accommodating portions 71 that individually accommodate and hold at least a portion of any one of the first inner housings 11.

[0020] In this embodiment, for example, there are five first housing accommodation portions 71, each having the same shape. Hereinafter, the five first housing accommodation portions 71 will be referred to as the first female housing accommodation portion 71a, the second female housing accommodation portion 71b, the third female housing accommodation portion 71c, the fourth female housing accommodation portion 71d, and the fifth female housing accommodation portion 71e. Each first housing accommodation portion 71 is tubular, with the cross section of the internal space being roughly rectangular to match the outer shape of the first inner housing 11 (described later). Note that the cross section here refers to any cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the connection direction, i.e., the XY plane. In other words, the first outer housing main body 70 has a shape in which multiple first housing accommodation portions 71 are combined, with the X direction, which is perpendicular to the connection direction, as the parallel direction.

[0021] The internal space of each first housing accommodating portion 71 penetrates along the connection direction. One opening of each first housing accommodating portion 71 is opened at a first opening edge 70a, which is one opening edge of the first outer housing main body 70. The first opening edge 70a is the opening edge on the side where a lever 13, which will be described later, is combined. When assembling the first connector portion 10, each first inner housing 11 is inserted into one of the first housing accommodating portions 71 in the connection direction from the side of the first opening edge 70a. The other opening of each first housing accommodating portion 71 is opened at a second opening edge 70b, which is the other opening edge of the first outer housing main body 70. The second opening edge 70b is the opening edge on the side where the tip end of each first inner housing 11 is exposed. The tip of the first inner housing 11 exposed from the side of the second opening edge 70b is the tip that receives the male terminal 3 in the second connector part 20 when the first connector part 10 and the second connector part 20 are connected.

[0022] Each first housing receptacle 71 also has a pair of first locking protrusions 72. The pair of first locking protrusions 72 are elastically deformable and engage with two first locking grooves 41 provided in advance in the accommodated first inner housing 11 to lock the first inner housing 11 in a predetermined position. The pair of first locking protrusions 72 face each other in a parallel direction across the internal space. Furthermore, the pair of first locking protrusions 72 are each located at a middle position in the Y direction, which is perpendicular to the X direction corresponding to the parallel direction, in a cross section defined by the XY plane.

[0023] Furthermore, the first outer housing 12 has two lever support protrusions 73 on each of a pair of side surfaces along the parallel direction of the first outer housing main body 70, near one end in the parallel direction. Each lever support protrusion 73 is cylindrical, and engages with a first lever support hole 81a or a second lever support hole 82a provided in the lever 13.

[0024] When the female terminals 2 are connected to the male terminals 3, the levers 13 press the first inner housings 11 housed in the first housing housing portions 71 in the connection direction and are engaged with a part of the second outer housing 22. Here, when the female terminals 2 are connected to the male terminals 3 is synonymous with when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20.

[0025] The lever 13 is made of, for example, synthetic resin and has a pair of first and second side plates 81 and 82, and an operating portion 83. One ends of the first and second side plates 81 and 82 are connected to each other by the operating portion 83. The other ends of the first and second side plates 81 and 82 are free ends. Two first lever support holes 81a penetrating in the Y direction are formed near the other end of the first side plate 81. Two second lever support holes 82a penetrating in the Y direction are formed near the other end of the second side plate 82. The first lever support holes 81a and the second lever support holes 82a face each other in the Y direction. The two first lever support holes 81a engage with two lever support protrusions 73 on one side of the first outer housing 12. The two second lever support holes 82a engage with two lever support protrusions 73 on the other side surface of the first outer housing 12. In other words, the lever 13 is supported by the first outer housing 12 so as to be rotatable.

[0026] When the operating portion 83 is located at the other end of the first outer housing 12 in the parallel direction, the first side plate 81 and the second side plate 82 are arranged along the side surface of the first outer housing 12 on which the lever support protrusion 73 is provided. Here, the other end of the first outer housing 12 in the parallel direction refers to the side surface opposite the side surface adjacent to the lever support protrusion 73, out of both side surfaces facing each other in the parallel direction. The operating portion 83 also has an elastic piece 32a. When the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20 and a part of the operating portion 83 enters the cover portion 93 of the second outer housing 22, the elastic piece 32a engages with a lever locking protrusion 93b provided inside the cover portion 93.

[0027] Fig. 5 is a front view of the second connector portion 20 in the state shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second connector portion 20 taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 5. The cut surface in Fig. 6 is an XZ plane passing through the middle position of the second connector portion 20 in the Y direction.

[0028] The second connector portion 20 includes a plurality of second inner housings 21 and a second outer housing 22.

[0029] Each of the second inner housings 21 is a terminal accommodating section that accommodates and holds in its internal space along the connection direction at least a portion of one or more male terminals 3 for each terminal series. Each of the second inner housings 21 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is a cylindrical member whose cross-sectional shape parallel to the XY plane is approximately the same rectangular shape.

[0030] In this embodiment, for example, there are five second inner housings 21. Hereinafter, the five second inner housings 21 will be referred to as the first male housing 21a, the second male housing 21b, the third male housing 21c, the fourth male housing 21d, and the fifth male housing 21e. The shape of each second inner housing 21 will be described in detail below.

[0031] The male terminals 3 are metal terminal fittings manufactured by machining a sheet metal material having a certain thickness. Hereinafter, the male terminals 3 held in the first male housing 21a will be referred to as the first male terminals 3a. Similarly, the male terminals 3 held in the second male housing 21b will be referred to as the second male terminals 3b. The male terminals 3 held in the third male housing 21c will be referred to as the third male terminals 3c. The male terminals 3 held in the fourth male housing 21d will be referred to as the fourth male terminals 3d. The male terminals 3 held in the fifth male housing 21e will be referred to as the fifth male terminals 3e. Note that in FIG. 6, detailed illustration of the internal structure of each second inner housing 21 is omitted, and also, the portions of each male terminal 3 contained within the second inner housing 21 are omitted.

[0032] In this embodiment, the shapes or the number of poles of the male terminals 3 held by each second inner housing 21 are different from each other. That is, the terminal series held by each second inner housing 21 are different from each other.

[0033] For example, the first male terminal 3a, the second male terminal 3b, and the third male terminal 3c each employ a single-pole flat terminal. However, the first male terminal 3a, the second male terminal 3b, and the third male terminal 3c differ in size and arrangement. The flat portion of the first male terminal 3a, the second male terminal 3b, and the third male terminal 3c that connects to the female terminal 2 is positioned parallel to the XZ plane.

[0034] Furthermore, for example, the fourth male terminal 3d is a six-pole flat terminal that is even smaller than the first male terminal 3a, the second male terminal 3b, and the third male terminal 3c. The flat portion of the fourth male terminal 3d that connects to the female terminal 2 is positioned parallel to the XZ plane. However, the fourth male terminals 3d are arranged in two rows in the Y direction, with three terminals on the upper row and three on the lower row.

[0035] Furthermore, for example, the fifth male terminals 3e are rod-shaped terminals with 13 poles, and are arranged in three rows in the Y direction: five in the upper row, three in the middle row, and five in the lower row.

[0036] Here, the connection target of the first male terminal 3a is the first female terminal 2a. Therefore, the shape and number of poles of the first female terminal 2a depend on the shape and number of poles of the first male terminal 3a. Similarly, the connection target of the second male terminal 3b is the second female terminal 2b. Therefore, the shape and number of poles of the second female terminal 2b depend on the shape and number of poles of the second male terminal 3b. The connection target of the third male terminal 3c is the third female terminal 2c. Therefore, the shape and number of poles of the third female terminal 2c depend on the shape and number of poles of the third male terminal 3c. The connection target of the fourth male terminal 3d is the fourth female terminal 2d. Therefore, the shape and number of poles of the fourth female terminal 2d depend on the shape and number of poles of the fourth male terminal 3d. The connection target of the fifth male terminal 3e is the fifth female terminal 2e. Therefore, the shape and number of poles of the fifth female terminal 2e depend on the shape and number of poles of the fifth male terminal 3e.

[0037] The second outer housing 22 holds a plurality of second inner housings 21. Specifically, the second outer housing 22 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, and has a second outer housing main body 90 including a plurality of second housing accommodating portions 91 that individually accommodate and hold at least a portion of any one of the second inner housings 21.

[0038] In this embodiment, for example, there are five second housing accommodation portions 91, each having the same shape. Hereinafter, the five second housing accommodation portions 91 will be referred to as the first male housing accommodation portion 91a, the second male housing accommodation portion 91b, the third male housing accommodation portion 91c, the fourth male housing accommodation portion 91d, and the fifth male housing accommodation portion 91e. Similar to the first housing accommodation portion 71 provided in the first outer housing 12, each second housing accommodation portion 91 has a cylindrical shape with an approximately rectangular cross section of its internal space to match the outer shape of the second inner housing 21 (described later). In other words, the second outer housing main body 90 has a shape in which multiple second housing accommodation portions 91 are combined together, with the X direction, which is perpendicular to the connection direction, as the parallel direction.

[0039] The internal space of each second housing accommodating portion 91 penetrates along the connection direction. One opening of each second housing accommodating portion 91 is opened at a first opening edge 90a, which is one opening edge of the second outer housing main body 90. The first opening edge 90a is the opening edge on the side that faces the second opening edge 70b of the first outer housing main body 70 when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20. The other opening of each second housing accommodating portion 91 is opened at a second opening edge 90b, which is the other opening edge of the second outer housing main body 90. The second opening edge 90b is the opening edge on the side that exposes the rear end of each second inner housing 21.

[0040] Each second housing receptacle 91 also has a pair of second locking projections 92. The pair of second locking projections 92 are elastically deformable and engage with two second locking grooves 61 provided in advance in the accommodated second inner housing 21 to lock the second inner housing 21 in a predetermined position. The pair of second locking projections 92 face each other in a parallel direction across the internal space. Furthermore, the pair of second locking projections 92 are each located at a middle position in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction corresponding to the parallel direction in a cross section defined by the XY plane.

[0041] Furthermore, the second outer housing 22 has a cover portion 93 that is continuous with the first opening edge 90a of the second outer housing main body 90. The cover portion 93 has an internal space that penetrates in the connection direction. When the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, each of the first inner housings 11 enters the interior of the cover portion 93 from the opening edge 93a side of the cover portion 93. The dimension of the cover portion 93 along the connection direction may be set so that the tip end of each of the second inner housings 21 is always housed inside the cover portion 93, as shown in FIG. 6 .

[0042] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the cover portion 93 in the internal space, perpendicular to the connection direction, is set to be larger than the outer cross-sectional shape of the second outer housing main body 90, perpendicular to the connection direction. The cover portion 93 also has a lever locking protrusion 93b that faces the internal space. As described above, when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20 and part of the operating portion 83 enters the cover portion 93, the elastic piece portion 32a of the operating portion 83 engages with the lever locking protrusion 93b. In other words, the cross-sectional shape of the cover portion 93 in the internal space is set to be large enough to accommodate part of the operating portion 83.

[0043] Next, the specific shapes of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 will be described.

[0044] 7 is a perspective view of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 before they are assembled together. In FIG. 7, the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 are depicted as an enlarged view of those shown in FIG.

[0045] 8 is a front view of the first inner housing 11. In FIG. 8, the first inner housing 11 is shown as an extracted view of what is shown in FIG.

[0046] First, each first inner housing 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Specifically, each first inner housing 11 has a front wall 31, a top wall 32, a bottom wall 33, a first side wall 34, and a second side wall 35.

[0047] The front wall 31 is a wall portion that faces a front wall 51 included in the second inner housing 21 when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20. For example, when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, the front wall 31 of the first female housing 11a faces the front wall 51 of the first male housing 21a, and the front wall 31 of the second female housing 11b faces the front wall 51 of the second male housing 21b. The planar shape of the front wall 31 is approximately a rectangle defined by the first width W1 and the second width W2, where W1 is the width in the Y direction and W2 is the width in the X direction. The outer surface of the front wall 31 is approximately flat.

[0048] The top wall 32 and the bottom wall 33 are wall portions located on opposite sides of each other in the Y direction. When the length in the Z direction is defined as a first length L1, the planar shape of each of the top wall 32 and the bottom wall 33 is approximately a rectangle defined by a second width W2 and the first length L1. One end of the top wall 32 and the bottom wall 33 is vertically continuous with the front wall 31. The outer surfaces of the top wall 32 and the bottom wall 33 are approximately flat.

[0049] The first side wall 34 and the second side wall 35 are wall portions located on opposite sides of each other in the X direction, i.e., the parallel direction. The planar shape of each of the first side wall 34 and the second side wall 35 is a rectangle defined by a first width W1 and a first length L1. One end of the first side wall 34 and the second side wall 35 is perpendicular to and continuous with the front wall 31. The outer surfaces of the first side wall 34 and the second side wall 35 are approximately flat.

[0050] Here, the first width W1 and the second width W2 are the same for each first inner housing 11. Meanwhile, the first length L1 may be different for each first inner housing 11. In this embodiment, of the multiple first inner housings 11, the first length L1 of the first female housing 11a is the longest, and the first lengths L1 of the third female housing 11c, the fourth female housing 11d, and the fifth female housing 11e are all the same and shortest.

[0051] Each first inner housing 11 has a terminal introduction port 40, a first locking groove 41, a first engaging rib 42, and a second engaging rib 43.

[0052] The terminal introduction port 40 is provided on the front wall 31, and when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, the male terminal 3 is introduced into the female terminal 2 accommodated in the internal space of the first inner housing 11. The opening shape of the female terminal introduction port 40a, which is the terminal introduction port 40 of the first female housing 11a, is set to follow the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the first male terminal 3a so as to allow the first male terminal 3a to be freely introduced. Similarly, the opening shape of the male terminal introduction port 40b, which is the terminal introduction port 40 of the second female housing 11b, is set to follow the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the second male terminal 3b so as to allow the second male terminal 3b to be freely introduced. The opening shape of the third terminal introduction port 40c, which is the terminal introduction port 40 of the third female housing 11c, is set to follow the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the third male terminal 3c so as to allow the third male terminal 3c to be freely introduced. The opening shape of the fourth terminal introduction port 40d, which is the terminal introduction port 40 of the fourth female housing 11d, is set to follow the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the fourth male terminal 3d so that the fourth male terminal 3d can be freely introduced. The opening shape of the fifth terminal introduction port 40e, which is the terminal introduction port 40 of the fifth female housing 11e, is set to follow the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the fifth male terminal 3e so that the fifth male terminal 3e can be freely introduced.

[0053] As described above, the first locking grooves 41 engage with the pair of first locking protrusions 72 provided in each first housing receptacle 71. The pair of first locking grooves 41 is provided on the first side wall 34 and the second side wall 35 of each first inner housing 11, extending along the connection direction. Specifically, a first reference point P1 is first set on the first central axis AX1, which is the central axis of the first inner housing 11 along the connection direction. At this time, the pair of first locking grooves 41 are point-symmetrical to each other with respect to the first reference point P1 and are located on opposite sides of each other in the parallel direction. In this case, the pair of first locking grooves 41 are ultimately located at middle positions in the Y direction in a cross section defined by the XY plane.

[0054] Each first inner housing 11 is accommodated in the corresponding first housing accommodation portion 71 along the connection direction. Therefore, in order to guide the first inner housing 11 to a predetermined position and to lock the first inner housing 11 at that predetermined position, the first locking groove 41 is grooved in the direction opposite to the connection direction from the front wall 31 to the locking position.

[0055] When the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, the first engagement rib 42 engages with a first engagement piece rib 62 provided on the second inner housing 21. The first engagement rib 42 is formed on the outer surface of the first side wall 34, extending from the front wall 31 to approximately the locking position in the direction opposite to the connection direction. The shape of a cross section of the first engagement rib 42 parallel to the XY plane (hereinafter referred to as the "first cross section") is constant.

[0056] When the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, the second engagement rib 43 engages with a second engagement piece rib 63 provided on the second inner housing 21. The second engagement rib 43 is formed on the outer surface of the second side wall 35, extending from the front wall 31 to approximately the locking position in the direction opposite to the connection direction. The shape of a cross section of the second engagement rib 43 parallel to the XY plane (hereinafter referred to as the "second cross section") is constant.

[0057] Here, the first engagement rib 42 and the second engagement rib 43 are positioned point-symmetrically with respect to each other with respect to the first reference point P1. In this case, the first engagement rib 42 is provided on the outer surface of the first side wall 34, closer to the top wall 32 than the first locking groove 41. Meanwhile, the second engagement rib 43 is provided on the outer surface of the second side wall 35, closer to the bottom wall 33 than the first locking groove 41.

[0058] In addition, in one first inner housing 11, the first cross section of the first engagement rib 42 and the second cross section of the second engagement rib 43 have different point-symmetric shapes with respect to the first reference point P1. Specifically, in the first female housing 11a, the first cross section of the first engagement rib 42a and the second cross section of the second engagement rib 43a have different point-symmetric shapes. Similarly, in the second female housing 11b, the first cross section of the first engagement rib 42b and the second cross section of the second engagement rib 43b have different point-symmetric shapes. In the third female housing 11c, the first cross section of the first engagement rib 42c and the second cross section of the second engagement rib 43c have different point-symmetric shapes. In the fourth female housing 11d, the first cross section of the first engagement rib 42d and the second cross section of the second engagement rib 43d have different point-symmetric shapes. In the fifth female housing 11e, the first cross section of the first engaging rib 42e and the second cross section of the second engaging rib 43e have point-symmetric shapes that are different from each other.

[0059] Furthermore, in each first inner housing 11, the first engagement ribs 42 have different first cross-sectional shapes, and the second engagement ribs 43 have different second cross-sectional shapes. In this embodiment, the first cross-sectional shapes of all the first engagement ribs 42, namely, the first engagement rib 42a, the first engagement rib 42b, the first engagement rib 42c, the first engagement rib 42d, and the first engagement rib 42e, are all different. Similarly, the second cross-sectional shapes of all the second engagement ribs 43, namely, the second engagement rib 43a, the second engagement rib 43b, the second engagement rib 43c, the second engagement rib 43d, and the second engagement rib 43e, are all different.

[0060] The shapes of the first cross section and the second cross section are not particularly limited, and may be set by combining parallel or inclined surfaces with respect to the first side wall 34 or the second side wall 35, or by making the dimensions or angles of each part different, as exemplified in FIG. 8.

[0061] 9 is a front view of the second inner housing 21. In FIG. 9, the second inner housing 21 is drawn as an extracted view of what is shown in FIG.

[0062] First, each second inner housing 21 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Specifically, each second inner housing 21 has a front wall 51, a top wall 52, a bottom wall 53, a first side wall 54, and a second side wall 55.

[0063] As described above, the front wall 51 is a wall portion that faces the front wall 31 included in the first inner housing 11 when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20. The planar shape of the front wall 51 is set to be the same as the front wall 31 included in the first inner housing 11. That is, when the width in the Y direction is defined as a third width W3 and the width in the X direction is defined as a fourth width W4, the planar shape of the front wall 51 is approximately a rectangle defined by the third width W3 and the fourth width W4. In this embodiment, the third width W3 is set to the same dimension as the first width W1 of the first inner housing 11, and the fourth width W4 is set to the same dimension as the second width W2 of the first inner housing 11. The outer surface of the front wall 51 is approximately flat.

[0064] The top wall 52 and the bottom wall 53 are wall portions located on opposite sides of each other in the Y direction. When the length in the Z direction is defined as the second length L2, the planar shape of each of the top wall 52 and the bottom wall 53 is approximately a rectangle defined by a fourth width W4 and the second length L2. One end of the top wall 52 and the bottom wall 53 is vertically continuous with the front wall 51. The outer surfaces of the top wall 52 and the bottom wall 53 are approximately flat.

[0065] The first side wall 54 and the second side wall 55 are wall portions located opposite each other in the X direction, i.e., the parallel direction. The planar shape of each of the first side wall 54 and the second side wall 55 is a rectangle defined by a third width W3 and a second length L2. One end of the first side wall 54 and the second side wall 55 is perpendicularly continuous with the front wall 51. The outer surfaces of the first side wall 54 and the second side wall 55 are approximately flat.

[0066] Here, the third width W3 and the fourth width W4 are the same for each second inner housing 21. Meanwhile, the second length L2 may be different for each second inner housing 21. However, assuming that the female terminals 2 and the male terminals 3 are connected, it is desirable to set the second length L2 so that the overall length in the connection direction of each pair of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 is uniform when the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 are combined. For example, the overall length in the connection direction of the pair of the first female housing 11a and the first male housing 21a is approximately the same as the overall length in the connection direction of the pair of the second female housing 11b and the second male housing 21b. In other words, among the multiple second inner housings 21, the second length L2 of the first male housing 21a is shorter than the second length L2 of the second male housing 21b.

[0067] Each second inner housing 21 has a terminal outlet 60, a second locking groove 61, a first engaging piece rib 62, and a second engaging piece rib 63.

[0068] The terminal outlet 60 is provided on the front wall 51, and when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, the male terminals 3 are led out toward the terminal introduction port 40 of the first inner housing 11. The opening shape of the first terminal outlet 60a, which is the terminal outlet 60 of the first male housing 21a, is set to fit the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the first male terminal 3a. Similarly, the opening shape of the male terminal outlet 60b, which is the terminal outlet 60 of the second male housing 21b, is set to fit the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the second male terminal 3b. The opening shape of the third terminal outlet 60c, which is the terminal outlet 60 of the third male housing 21c, is set to fit the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the third male terminal 3c. The opening shape of the fourth terminal outlet 60d, which is the terminal outlet 60 of the fourth male housing 21d, is set to fit the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the fourth male terminal 3d. The opening shape of the fifth terminal outlet 60e, which is the terminal outlet 60 of the fifth male housing 21e, is set to fit the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the fifth male terminal 3e.

[0069] As described above, the second locking grooves 61 engage with the pair of second locking protrusions 92 provided in each second housing receptacle 91. The pair of second locking grooves 61 is provided on the first side wall 54 and the second side wall 55 of each second inner housing 21, extending along the connection direction. Specifically, a second reference point P2 is first set as a reference point on the second center axis AX2, which is the center axis of the second inner housing 21 along the connection direction. At this time, the pair of second locking grooves 61 are point-symmetrical to each other with respect to the second reference point P2 and are located on opposite sides in the parallel direction. In this case, the pair of second locking grooves 61 are ultimately located at middle positions in the Y direction in a cross section defined by the XY plane.

[0070] Each second inner housing 21 is accommodated in the corresponding second housing accommodating portion 91 along the connection direction. Therefore, in order to lock the second inner housing 21 at a predetermined position when the second inner housing 21 is pushed in to the predetermined position, the second locking groove 61 is grooved in the connection direction from the front wall 51 to the locking position.

[0071] When the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, the first engagement piece rib 62 engages with the first engagement rib 42 provided on the first inner housing 11. To achieve this engagement relationship, each second inner housing 21 has a first engagement piece 56 on which the first engagement piece rib 62 is formed. The first engagement piece 56 is a flat piece supported by a portion of the first side wall 54 and protruding beyond the front wall 51 in the direction opposite to the connection direction. The tip of the first engagement piece 56 protrudes beyond the tip of the male terminal 3. In other words, similar to the relationship between the protruding length LL of the second engagement piece 57 from the front wall 51 and the length LT from the front wall 51 to the tip of the male terminal 3, the protruding length LL of the first engagement piece 56 from the front wall 51 is longer than the length LT, as described below. The first engagement piece 56 is large enough to cover the first engagement rib 42 when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20. Since the first engagement piece rib 62 engages with the first engagement rib 42 , the cross section of the first engagement piece rib 62 parallel to the XY plane is equivalent to the first cross section of the first engagement rib 42 .

[0072] When the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20, the second engagement piece rib 63 engages with the second engagement piece rib 43 provided on the first inner housing 11. To achieve this engagement relationship, each second inner housing 21 has a second engagement piece 57 on which the second engagement piece rib 63 is formed. The second engagement piece 57 is supported by a portion of the second side wall 55 and is a flat piece that protrudes beyond the front wall 51 in the direction opposite to the connection direction. The tip of the second engagement piece 57 protrudes beyond the tip of the male terminal 3. In other words, the protruding length LL of the second engagement piece 57 from the front wall 51 is longer than the length LT from the front wall 51 to the tip of the male terminal 3 (see FIG. 6 ). The second engagement piece 57 is large enough to cover the second engagement rib 43 when the first connector portion 10 is connected to the second connector portion 20. Since the second engagement piece rib 63 engages with the second engagement rib 43 , the cross section of the second engagement piece rib 63 parallel to the XY plane is equivalent to the second cross section of the second engagement rib 43 .

[0073] Here, the first engagement piece rib 62 engages with the first engagement piece rib 42, and the second engagement piece rib 63 engages with the second engagement piece rib 43, so the first engagement piece rib 62 and the second engagement piece rib 63 are positioned point-symmetrically to each other with respect to the second reference point P2.

[0074] Furthermore, even within one second inner housing 21, the cross sections of the first engagement piece ribs 62 and the second engagement piece ribs 63 have different point-symmetric shapes with respect to the second reference point P2. Specifically, in the first male housing 21a, the cross sections of the first engagement piece ribs 62a and the second engagement piece ribs 63a have different point-symmetric shapes. Similarly, in the second male housing 21b, the cross sections of the first engagement piece ribs 62b and the second engagement piece ribs 63b have different point-symmetric shapes. In the third male housing 21c, the cross sections of the first engagement piece ribs 62c and the second engagement piece ribs 63c have different point-symmetric shapes. In the fourth male housing 21d, the cross sections of the first engagement piece ribs 62d and the second engagement piece ribs 63d have different point-symmetric shapes. In the fifth male housing 21e, the cross section of the first engagement piece rib 62e and the cross section of the second engagement piece rib 63e have point-symmetric shapes that are different from each other.

[0075] Furthermore, in each second inner housing 21, the cross-sectional shapes of the first engagement piece ribs 62 are different from each other, and the cross-sectional shapes of the second engagement piece ribs 63 are also different from each other. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of all of the first engagement piece ribs 62, namely, the first engagement piece rib 62a, the first engagement piece rib 62b, the first engagement piece rib 62c, the first engagement piece rib 62d, and the first engagement piece rib 62e, are all different from each other. Similarly, the cross-sectional shapes of all of the second engagement piece ribs 63, namely, the second engagement piece rib 63a, the second engagement piece rib 63b, the second engagement piece rib 63c, the second engagement piece rib 63d, and the second engagement piece rib 63e, are all different from each other.

[0076] Next, the operation and effects of the connector 1 will be described.

[0077] The connector 1 includes a first inner housing 11 that holds female terminals 2 and a second inner housing 21 that holds male terminals 3 to which the female terminals 2 are connected. The first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 each have a first side wall and a second side wall that are located opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction of the female terminals 2 to the male terminals 3. One of the first inner housing 11 or the second inner housing 21 has a first engagement rib provided on the outer surface of the first side wall and a second engagement rib provided on the outer surface of the second side wall. The other of the first inner housing 11 or the second inner housing 21 has a first engagement piece having a first engagement piece rib that engages with the first engagement rib and a second engagement piece having a second engagement piece rib that engages with the second engagement rib. The tips of the first engagement piece 56 or the second engagement piece 57 protrude beyond the tips of the male terminals 3. There are multiple pairs of first inner housings 11 and second inner housings 21 arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction. A first set and a second set selected from the plurality of sets have different first cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the connection direction of the first engagement rib 42, and different second cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the connection direction of the second engagement rib.

[0078] In the above example, the direction in which the female terminals 2 are connected to the male terminals 3 corresponds to the Z direction. Also, in the above example, the first inner housing 11 has a first engagement rib 42 on the outer surface of the first side wall 34, and a second engagement rib 43 on the outer surface of the second side wall 35. Meanwhile, the second inner housing 21 has a first engagement piece 56 having a first engagement piece rib 62 that engages with the first engagement rib 42, and a second engagement piece 57 having a second engagement piece rib 63 that engages with the second engagement rib 43.

[0079] In the above example, there are five pairs of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21. The first pair and the second pair selected from the plurality of pairs are arbitrary pairs. For example, the first pair may be the pair of the first female housing 11a and the first male housing 21a, and the second pair may be the pair of the second female housing 11b and the second male housing 21b. Alternatively, the first pair may be the pair of the first female housing 11a and the first male housing 21a, and the second pair may be the pair of the third female housing 11c and the third male housing 21c.

[0080] As an example, the first pair is a pair of the first female housing 11a and the first male housing 21a, and the second pair is a pair of the second female housing 11b and the second male housing 21b. In this case, the first engagement rib 42a of the first female housing 11a engages with the first engagement piece rib 62a of the first male housing 21a, and the second engagement rib 43a of the first female housing 11a engages with the second engagement piece rib 63a of the first male housing 21a. Similarly, the first engagement rib 42b of the second female housing 11b engages with the first engagement piece rib 62b of the second male housing 21b, and the second engagement rib 43b of the second female housing 11b engages with the second engagement piece rib 63b of the second male housing 21b.

[0081] In other words, the first engagement rib 42a of the first female housing 11a does not engage with the first engagement piece rib 62b of the second male housing 21b because the shapes of their first cross sections are different. The second engagement rib 43a of the first female housing 11a does not engage with the second engagement piece rib 63b of the second male housing 21b because the shapes of their second cross sections are different. Similarly, the first engagement rib 42b of the second female housing 11b does not engage with the first engagement piece rib 62a of the first male housing 21a because the shapes of their first cross sections are different. The second engagement rib 43b of the second female housing 11b does not engage with the second engagement piece rib 63b of the first male housing 21a because the shapes of their second cross sections are different.

[0082] For example, suppose a second female housing 11b is mistakenly placed on the first male housing 21a when the corresponding first female housing 11a should be placed on it. In this case, even if the second female housing 11b approaches the first male housing 21a and the second female terminals 2b are about to be connected to the first male terminals 3a, the first engagement rib 42b and the first engagement piece rib 62a interfere with each other before this occurs. In other words, the first engagement rib 42b of the second female housing 11b and the first engagement piece rib 62a of the first male housing 21a do not engage with each other, preventing the second female housing 11b from advancing further toward the first male housing 21a. Furthermore, because the tip of the first engagement piece 56 on which the first engagement piece rib 62a is provided protrudes beyond the tip of the male terminals 3, the tip of the male terminals 3 does not interfere with the second female housing 11b before the first engagement rib 42b and the first engagement piece rib 62a interfere with each other. Similarly, the second engaging rib 43b of the second female housing 11b and the second engaging piece rib 63a of the first male housing 21a interfere with each other without engaging with each other. Therefore, according to the connector 1, even if the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 are incorrectly combined when swapping the arrangement of the first and second sets, the male terminals 3 can be protected and incorrect coupling can be avoided.

[0083] In the connector 1, it is specified that the first cross-sectional shapes are different from each other and the second cross-sectional shapes are different from each other between a first pair and a second pair selected from a plurality of pairs of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21. Therefore, the cases in which the first cross-sectional shapes are different from each other and the second cross-sectional shapes are different from each other also include the case in which all five pairs of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 are different from each other, as in the above example.

[0084] Furthermore, according to the connector 1, the first and second engagement ribs 42 and 43, as well as the first and second engagement piece ribs 62 and 63, which are configured to avoid the above-mentioned incorrect coupling, are all part of the first inner housing 11 or the second inner housing 21. Therefore, in the connector 1, the arrangement of the first and second sets can be freely changed without, for example, modifying the configuration or shape of the first outer housing 12 or the second outer housing 22.

[0085] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a connector 1 that can prevent erroneous coupling even when the arrangement of the first inner housing 11 or the second inner housing 21 is changed.

[0086] Furthermore, in the connector 1, the first engagement rib 42 and the second engagement rib 43 may be positioned to be point-symmetric with respect to each other with respect to a first reference point P1 on the first center axis AX1 of the first inner housing 11 along the connection direction. The first cross section and the second cross section may have different point-symmetric shapes with respect to the reference point P.

[0087] For example, suppose that in one appropriate pair of the first female housing 11a and the first male housing 21a, the position of the entire pair remains unchanged, but the first female housing 11a is erroneously positioned 180° inverted about the first center axis AX1. In this case, the first engagement rib 42a of the first female housing 11a interferes with the second engagement piece rib 63a of the first male housing 21a, and at the same time, the second engagement rib 43a of the first female housing 11a interferes with the first engagement piece rib 62a of the first male housing 21a. Therefore, with this connector 1, incorrect coupling can be avoided even if the orientation of either the first inner housing 11 or the second inner housing 21 is incorrect.

[0088] Furthermore, in the connector 1, the shapes or the numbers of poles of the female terminals 2 and male terminals 3 in the first and second sets may be different from each other.

[0089] According to this connector 1, in a plurality of pairs of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21, the terminal series can be made different from each other, and incorrect coupling can be avoided.

[0090] In the connector 1, the direction in which the first side wall and the second side wall are arranged on opposite sides may be the same as the direction in which the plurality of pairs of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 are arranged side by side.

[0091] In the above example, the first side wall of the first inner housing 11 is represented by the first side wall 34, and the second side wall is represented by the second side wall 35. In the second inner housing 21, the first side wall is represented by the first side wall 54, and the second side wall is represented by the second side wall 55. Furthermore, in the above example, the parallel arrangement direction of the multiple pairs of the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 corresponds to the X direction.

[0092] For example, referring to FIG. 8, attention is focused on the first female housing 11a and the second female housing 11b, which are adjacent to each other. Here, the first side wall 34 of the second female housing 11b does not have an engagement rib that faces the second engagement rib 43a on the second side wall 35 of the first female housing 11a. Similarly, the second side wall 35 of the first female housing 11a does not have an engagement rib that faces the first engagement rib 42b on the first side wall 34 of the second female housing 11b. Therefore, with this connector 1, the distance between the first side wall 34 and the second side wall 35 of the adjacent first inner housings 11 can be narrowed within an allowable range, resulting in a compact connector 1 overall. Note that the same applies to the second inner housing 21.

[0093] The connector 1 may also include a first outer housing 12 having a plurality of first housing accommodating portions 71 that individually accommodate at least a portion of the first inner housing 11. The connector 1 may also include a second outer housing 22 having a plurality of second housing accommodating portions 91 that individually accommodate at least a portion of the second inner housing 21. The first side wall 34 and the second side wall 35 of each first inner housing 11 may each have a first locking groove 41 extending along the connection direction. The first side wall 54 and the second side wall 55 of each second inner housing 21 may each have a second locking groove 61 extending along the connection direction. Each first housing accommodating portion 71 may have a pair of first locking protrusions 72 that engage with the first locking groove 41 of the accommodated first inner housing 11 to lock it in a predetermined position. Each second housing accommodating portion 91 may have a pair of second locking protrusions 92 that engage with the second locking groove 61 of the accommodated second inner housing 21 to lock it in a predetermined position. Each of the pair of first locking grooves 41 and each of the pair of second locking grooves 61 may be point-symmetrical with respect to each other with respect to reference point P, and may be located on opposite sides of each other in the parallel direction of multiple pairs of first inner housings 11 and second inner housings 21.

[0094] According to this connector 1, the configuration for holding the first inner housing 11 in the first housing accommodating portion 71 can be standardized for each first housing accommodating portion 71. Similarly, the configuration for holding the second inner housing 21 in the second housing accommodating portion 91 can be standardized for each second housing accommodating portion 91. Furthermore, according to the connector 1, the first inner housing 11 can be properly held in the first housing accommodating portion 71 even when it is rotated 180° around the first center axis AX1. This also applies to the second inner housing 21. Furthermore, in the connector 1, as shown in FIG. 8, the pair of first locking grooves 41 in the first inner housing 11 do not interfere with the positions of the first engaging rib 42 and the second engaging rib 43. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 9, the pair of second locking grooves 61 in the second inner housing 21 do not interfere with the positions of the first engaging piece rib 62 and the second engaging piece rib 63. Therefore, according to the connector 1, the first inner housing 11 and the second inner housing 21 can be made compact as a whole, and as a result, the connector 1 as a whole can be made compact.

[0095] Furthermore, the connector 1 may include a lever 13 rotatably supported on the first outer housing 12. When the female terminals 2 are connected to the male terminals 3, the lever 13 may be engaged with a part of the second outer housing 22 while pressing the plurality of first inner housings 11, which are accommodated in the plurality of first housing accommodating portions 71 in the connection direction, in the connection direction.

[0096] According to this connector 1, the above-mentioned effects can be achieved in a so-called lever-type connector.

[0097] In the above description, an example has been given in which the first outer housing 12 has five first housing accommodating portions 71 and the second outer housing 22 has five second housing accommodating portions 91. Also, an example has been given in which a first inner housing 11 is disposed in all five first housing accommodating portions 71 and a second inner housing 21 is disposed in all five second housing accommodating portions 91. However, the connector 1 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, four or fewer first inner housings 11 may be disposed for five first housing accommodating portions 71, and four or fewer second inner housings 21 may be disposed for five second housing accommodating portions 91.

[0098] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1 connector 2 female terminals 3 male terminals 11 First inner housing 12 First outer housing 13 Lever 21 Second inner housing 22 Second outer housing 34,54 First side wall 35,55 Second side wall 41 First locking groove 42 First engagement rib 43 Second engagement rib 56 First engagement piece 57 Second engagement piece 61 Second locking groove 62 First engagement piece rib 63 Second engagement piece rib 71 First housing receiving section 72 1st locking protrusion 91 Second housing receiving section 92 Second locking protrusion AX1 1st center axis P1 1st benchmark point

Claims

1. a first inner housing for holding the female terminal; a second inner housing for holding a male terminal to which the female terminal is connected, the first inner housing and the second inner housing each have a first side wall and a second side wall positioned opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the female terminals are connected to the male terminals, The first inner housing includes: a first engagement rib provided on an outer surface of the first side wall; a second engagement rib provided on an outer surface of the second side wall, The second inner housing includes: a first engagement piece having a first engagement piece rib that engages with the first engagement rib; a second engagement piece having a second engagement piece rib that engages with the second engagement rib, a tip of the first engaging piece or the second engaging piece protrudes beyond a tip of the male terminal; a plurality of pairs of the first inner housing and the second inner housing are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the connecting direction; A connector in which a first set and a second set selected from the plurality of sets have different first cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the connection direction in the first engagement rib, and different second cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the connection direction in the second engagement rib.

2. the first engagement rib and the second engagement rib are positioned symmetrically with respect to a reference point on the central axis of the first inner housing along the connection direction, The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the first cross section and the second cross section have different point-symmetric shapes with respect to the reference point.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first set and the second set have different shapes or numbers of poles of the female terminals and the male terminals.

4. The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the direction in which the first side wall and the second side wall are arranged opposite each other is along the parallel direction of the plurality of pairs of the first inner housing and the second inner housing.

5. a first outer housing having a plurality of first housing accommodating portions each accommodating at least a portion of the first inner housing; a second outer housing having a plurality of second housing accommodating portions that individually accommodate at least a portion of the second inner housing; the first side wall and the second side wall of each of the first inner housings each have a first locking groove extending along the connecting direction; the first side wall and the second side wall of each of the second inner housings each have a second locking groove extending along the connecting direction; Each of the first housing receiving portions has a pair of first locking projections that engage with the first locking grooves of the received first inner housing to lock the first housing at a predetermined position, Each of the second housing receiving portions has a pair of second locking projections that engage with the second locking grooves of the received second inner housing to lock the second housing at a predetermined position, 5. The connector of claim 4, wherein each of the pair of first locking grooves and each of the pair of second locking grooves are point-symmetrical with respect to each other with respect to the reference point and are located on opposite sides of each other in the parallel direction of the multiple pairs of the first inner housing and the second inner housing.

6. 6. The connector of claim 5, further comprising a lever that is rotatably supported on the first outer housing and that, when the female terminal is connected to the male terminal, engages with a portion of the second outer housing while pressing the first inner housings, which are accommodated in the first housing accommodating portions in the connection direction, in the connection direction.

Images