Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector which is capable of improving certainty in detecting a reverse insertion of a terminal into a housing and adaptable to downsizing of the terminal and the housing.SOLUTION: A terminal 60 includes a first projection 66 and a second projection 67 protruding in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction. The second projection 67 is disposed in parallel with the first projection 66 behind the first projection 66 and on the same axis in the longitudinal direction. Housing 20, 21 includes, on an inner surface of a cavity 22, a first interference part 36 which is disposed behind a lance 23 and a second interference part 38 which is disposed behind the first interference part 36. In a case where the terminal 60 is disposed in a regular insertion posture with respect to the cavity 22, the first projection 66 is locked to the lance 23. In a case where the terminal 60 is disposed in a reverse insertion posture with respect to the cavity 22, the first projection 66 interferes with the first interference part 36 from behind and when the first projection 66 and the first interference part 36 are interfered with each other, the second projection 67 also interferes with the second interference part 38.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a connector body (hereinafter referred to as the "housing") and terminal fittings (hereinafter referred to as the "terminals"). The housing has terminal insertion holes (hereinafter referred to as the "cavities") extending in the front-rear direction. The terminals are inserted into the cavities from the rear of the housing.

[0003] The terminal also has a rectangular cylindrical main body, a protrusion formed by cutting out a portion of the upper wall of the main body, and a second protrusion formed by cutting out a portion of one side wall of the main body (the wall adjacent to and intersecting the upper wall). The housing has a reverse insertion guide groove that communicates with the cavity and extends in the front-rear direction, and a recess that communicates with the cavity at a position separate from the reverse insertion guide groove.

[0004] When a terminal is inserted into a cavity in a reverse insertion position, upside down from the normal insertion position, the protrusion enters the reverse insertion guide groove and the second protrusion enters the recess. The second protrusion then hits the inner surface of the recess, stopping the movement of the terminal, making it possible to detect and prevent the terminal from being inserted into the cavity in a reverse insertion position (incorrect position). Technology for detecting reverse insertion of a terminal is also disclosed in Patent Document 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-153502 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-143010 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of Patent Document 1, when the terminal is inserted backwards, two protrusions (the protrusion and the second protrusion) interfere with the inner wall of the housing, which increases the reliability of reverse insertion detection. However, because the protrusion protrudes upward from the main body and the second protrusion protrudes laterally from the main body, there was a concern that the main body would become larger in the vertical and horizontal directions, and therefore the diameter of the cavity into which the main body is inserted would also become larger.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can increase the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of a terminal into a housing and that can accommodate miniaturization of the terminals and housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a terminal connected to an end portion of an electric wire and a housing that accommodates the terminal, wherein the terminal has a first protrusion and a second protrusion that protrude in a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction, the second protrusion being arranged rearward of the first protrusion and coaxially aligned with the first protrusion in the front-to-rear direction, the housing having a cavity extending in the front-to-rear direction, an elastically deformable lance that protrudes from the inner surface of the cavity, a first interference portion that is arranged rearward of the lance on the inner surface of the cavity, and a second interference portion that is arranged rearward of the first interference portion on the inner surface of the cavity, wherein when the terminal is arranged in a normal insertion position relative to the cavity, the first protrusion is engaged with the lance, and when the terminal is arranged in a reverse insertion position relative to the cavity that is opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and when the first protrusion and the first interference portion interfere with each other, the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that can increase the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of a terminal into a housing and that can accommodate miniaturization of the terminal and housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the terminals are properly inserted into the cavities of the housing in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the terminals in the connector of the first embodiment as viewed from the front. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cavity in a part of the housing in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the connector of the first embodiment, cut along the left-right direction of the housing, showing the first interference portion and the second interference portion as viewed from above. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear view of the connector of the first embodiment, showing a portion where the electric wire is drawn out from the through-hole in the rear wall portion. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the connector of this embodiment 1 in a state where the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion and the second protrusion interferes with the second interference portion, stopping the movement of the terminal in the reverse insertion position. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the connector of the first embodiment, showing a state in which the first protrusion has moved along the rear inclined surface and the front end of the terminal in the reverse insertion posture has swung to one side in the width direction. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an enlarged plan view showing the connector of this embodiment 1 in which the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion and the second protrusion rides up on the riding surface, causing the front end of the terminal in the reverse insertion position to swing to the other side in the width direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Description of the 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 terminal connected to an end portion of an electric wire and a housing accommodating the terminal, wherein the terminal has a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction, the second protrusion being positioned rearward of the first protrusion and coaxially aligned with the first protrusion in the front-to-rear direction, the housing having a cavity extending in the front-to-rear direction, an elastically deformable lance protruding from the inner surface of the cavity, a first interference portion positioned rearward of the lance on the inner surface of the cavity, and a second interference portion positioned rearward of the first interference portion on the inner surface of the cavity, wherein when the terminal is positioned in a normal insertion position relative to the cavity, the first protrusion is engaged with the lance, and when the terminal is positioned in a reverse insertion position relative to the cavity that is opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and when the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion, the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion.

[0012] When the terminal is placed in a reverse insertion position relative to the cavity, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and at the same time the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion, so that the movement of the terminal in a reverse insertion position can be stopped with certainty. In particular, because the first and second protrusions interfere with the first and second interference portions, respectively, the amount of protrusion of each of the first and second protrusions can be reduced compared to the amount of protrusion of one protrusion set when one protrusion interferes with one interference portion, allowing the terminal to be stopped in a reverse insertion position. Furthermore, because the first and second protrusions are arranged side by side on the same axis in the front-to-rear direction, they can be aligned in the same protrusion direction while having overlapping portions in the protrusion direction. This avoids an increase in the size of the terminal and, ultimately, the housing, and allows for a more compact connector.

[0013] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, it is preferable that the second interference portion has a rearward inclined surface that inclines forward as it protrudes into the cavity. When the terminal in the reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity, the second protrusion can contact along the rear inclined surface of the second interference portion, ensuring a long time (time lag) for the second protrusion to interfere with the second interference portion. This makes it easy to create a state in which the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion while the second protrusion is interfering with the second interference portion.

[0014] (3) In the connector described in (2) above, the second interference portion is formed in a trapezoidal shape on the inner surface of the cavity, has a riding surface extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and a forward inclined surface that slopes rearward and connects to the front end of the riding surface, and the rear inclined surface slopes forward and connects to the rear end of the riding surface, and the housing has an opposing inclined surface on the inner surface of the cavity that faces the forward inclined surface, and an insertion path for the first interference portion is defined inside the cavity of the housing between the forward inclined surface and the opposing inclined surface, and it is preferable that the first interference portion is positioned in front of the insertion path. When a terminal in a reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity, the first protrusion moves from the rear inclined surface to the ride-up surface and reaches the front inclined surface, and can interfere with the first interference portion from behind through an insertion path defined between the front inclined surface and the opposing inclined surface. Until the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion, the terminal can be displaced while tilting and swinging in the width direction (a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction) along the second protrusion. When inserting the terminal into the cavity while holding the wire, the inclination of the terminal relative to the front-to-rear direction, which is the insertion direction of the terminal into the cavity, can be recognized by hand or sight through buckling of the wire, etc., thereby further improving the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of the terminal.

[0015] (4) In the connector described in (3) above, the first interference portion may be formed on a first surface of the inner surface of the cavity, and the second interference portion may be formed on a second surface of the inner surface of the cavity that intersects with and is adjacent to the first surface. According to the above configuration (4), the shapes of the first interference portion and the second interference portion can be determined relatively freely without affecting each other.

[0016] (5) In the connector described in (3) or (4) above, it is preferable that the first interference portion has a stopper surface along a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. According to the above configuration (5), the first protrusion abuts against the stopper surface of the first interference portion from behind, and movement of the terminal in the reverse insertion position can be stopped with higher reliability.

[0017] (6) In the connector described in any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the connector further includes a sealing member attached to the housing, the sealing member having a sealing hole penetrating in the front-to-rear direction and an inner lip extending circumferentially around the inner periphery of the sealing hole, the electric wire being arranged in the sealing hole and configured to be in close contact with the inner lip, the first interference portion and the second interference portion being arranged forward of the sealing member, the terminal having an insulation barrel crimped onto the insulating coating of the electric wire, and the insulation barrel being arranged rearward and away from the inner lip when the first protrusion and the second protrusion are respectively interfering with the first interference portion and the second interference portion.

[0018] According to the configuration (6) above, even if the terminal is tilted in the front-to-back direction when the first protrusion and the second protrusion are interfering with the first interference portion and the second interference portion, respectively, the insulation barrel does not come into contact with the inner lip, thereby preventing the inner lip from being damaged due to contact with the insulation barrel.

[0019] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention 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.

[0020] <Embodiment 1> As shown in FIG. 1 , the connector 10 of the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes housings 20 and 21 and a lever 90 rotatably supported by the housings 20 and 21. The housings 20 and 21 are mated with a mating connector (not shown) with low mating force based on the rotation of the lever 90. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction refers to the direction in which the housings 20 and 21 are mated with the mating connector. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in each figure except for FIGS. 4, 8, and 9. The left-to-right direction is based on the left-to-right direction when viewed from the front. The up-down direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the left-to-right direction is synonymous with the width direction. The front, right, and top are indicated by the symbols X, Y, and Z, respectively, in each figure. These directional references are for convenience and do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the connector 10 is installed in a vehicle or the like.

[0021] (Overall structure of connector 10) The housings 20 and 21 are made of synthetic resin, and have an inner housing 20 and an outer housing 21 that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner housing 20, as shown in FIG.

[0022] 2, the inner housing 20 has a plurality of cavities 22. Each cavity 22 extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the front and rear surfaces of the inner housing 20. An elastically deformable lance 23 is formed protruding from the inner surface of each cavity 22.

[0023] A terminal 60 is inserted from the rear into each cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 and accommodated therein. The terminal 60 is locked by the lance 23. The terminal 60 is connected to an end portion of the electric wire 100.

[0024] Retainer mounting holes 24 are formed in the upper surface of the inner housing 20. The retainer mounting holes 24 communicate with the cavities 22. A retainer 30 (see FIG. 1) is inserted from above into the retainer mounting holes 24 of the inner housing 20 to be mounted therein. After the terminals 60 are engaged with the lances 23, they are then engaged with the retainer 30.

[0025] 1 and 2, a front holder 40 is attached to the inner housing 20 from the front. The front holder 40 has a front wall 41 that covers the front of each lance 23. As shown in FIG. 2, a mating recess 42 is formed on the rear surface of the front wall 41. The terminal 60 is prevented from slipping out of the cavity 22 forward by fitting the front end of a main body 61 (described later) into the mating recess 42.

[0026] An accommodating recess 43 is formed in the rear surface of the inner housing 20. The rear end of each cavity 22 opens to the inner surface (the surface facing rearward) of the accommodating recess 43. A seal member 50 is inserted into the accommodating recess 43 of the inner housing 20 from the rear and accommodated therein.

[0027] The seal member 50 is made of rubber such as silicone rubber and is configured as a one-piece rubber plug having a thickness in the front-rear direction. The seal member 50 has a plurality of seal holes 51. Each seal hole 51 is arranged to communicate with each cavity 22 in the front-rear direction. The seal member 50 has a plurality of inner peripheral lips 52 (see FIG. 7 ) extending circumferentially around the inner surface of each seal hole 51. The seal member 50 also has a plurality of outer peripheral lips 53 extending circumferentially around the outer surface of the seal member 50. The inner peripheral lips 52 and the outer peripheral lips 53 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction on the seal member 50. Each inner peripheral lip 52 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the insulating coating 110 of the electric wire 100, maintaining a liquid-tight seal between the seal member 50 and the electric wire 100. Each outer peripheral lip 53 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating recess 43, maintaining a liquid-tight seal between the seal member 50 and the inner housing 20.

[0028] 2, a seal ring 55 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 20. The seal ring 55 is compressed and held between the hood of a mating connector (not shown) and the inner housing 20, maintaining a liquid-tight seal between the housings 20, 21 and the mating connector.

[0029] The outer housing 21 is locked and connected to the inner housing 20 by a locking portion (not shown). The outer housing 21 has a rear wall portion 25 (see FIG. 2) that is thick in the front-to-rear direction, and a mating tubular portion 26 (see FIG. 1) that protrudes forward from the outer peripheral edge of the rear wall portion 25. The mating tubular portion 26 is cylindrical and is disposed so as to cover the outer periphery of the inner housing 20. As shown in FIG. 1, a mating space 27 that is open to the front is formed between the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 21, into which a mating connector can be mated. The seal ring 55 faces the mating space 27. The lever 90 is attached so as to straddle the outer housing 21 from the side (right side).

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, rear wall 25 is disposed so as to cover the rear surface of seal member 50. Rear wall 25 prevents seal member 50 from slipping rearward from accommodating recess 43. Rear wall 25 has a plurality of through holes 28. Each through hole 28 is disposed so as to communicate with each seal hole 51 in the front-rear direction. As shown in Fig. 6, each through hole 28 is opened to a size that allows terminal 60 and electric wire 100 to be inserted therethrough, and has an opening shape (cross-sectional shape) that corresponds to the outer shape of a main body 61 of terminal 60, which will be described later.

[0031] (Terminal 60) The terminal 60 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate material or the like. As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal 60 has an elongated shape in the front-to-rear direction as a whole. The terminal 60 has a main body 61, a wire barrel 62 connected to the rear of the main body 61, and an insulation barrel 63 connected to the rear of the wire barrel 62. The wire barrel 62 is crimped and electrically connected to the core wire 120 exposed by removing the insulating coating 110 at the terminal portion (front end) of the electric wire 100. The insulation barrel 63 is crimped and mechanically connected to the insulating coating 110 at the terminal portion of the electric wire 100.

[0032] In the first embodiment, the outer diameter of the electric wire 100 (the outer diameter of the insulating coating 110) is similar to the height and width of the main body 61. The insulation barrel 63 has a length sufficient to allow it to be wound around the outer periphery of the electric wire 100, and is configured with a height dimension greater than that of the wire barrel 62.

[0033] The main body 61 has a rectangular cylindrical shape. A tab of a mating terminal (not shown) is inserted into the main body 61. The tab comes into contact with a resilient contact piece (not shown) arranged inside the main body 61, and is electrically connected to the terminal 60. The front and rear sides of the upper wall of the main body 61 have an inner wall 64 and an outer wall 65 that overlap in the vertical direction. The main body 61 has a first protrusion 66 formed by bending upward the center of the width direction of the front outer wall 65, and a second protrusion 67 formed by bending upward the center of the width direction of the rear outer wall 65.

[0034] The first protrusion 66 has an embossed shape (trapezoidal shape) that bulges upward by pressing the rear end of the front outer wall 65. Similarly, the second protrusion 67 has an embossed shape (trapezoidal shape) that bulges upward by pressing the rear end of the rear outer wall 65. The top surfaces of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are each formed flat in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

[0035] The first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are arranged side by side at a distance from each other on the same axis in the front-to-rear direction on the upper surface of the main body 61, and have a height range in which they overlap each other in the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the front surface of each of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 is a plate surface that slopes rearward as it goes upward. The rear surface of each of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 is a plate-thickness surface that forms the rear end of the outer wall 65 and is continuous in the width direction in a plan view (see FIGS. 8 and 9). As shown in FIG. 2, the rear surface of the second protrusion 67 is located at the rear end of the main body 61. The retainer 30 is arranged to be engageable with the rear surface of the second protrusion 67. The lance 23 is arranged to be engageable with the rear surface of the first protrusion 66. The first protrusion 66 is inserted into the fitting recess 42.

[0036] (Inner Housing 20) As shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 has a shape (cross-sectional shape) corresponding to the outer shape of the main body 61 of the terminal 60. The inner surface of the cavity 22 has a first surface 31 and a fourth surface 34 that face each other in the up-down direction, and a second surface 32 and a third surface 33 that face each other in the left-right direction. The first surface 31 is the surface facing upward at the bottom end of the inner surface of the cavity 22. The fourth surface 34 is the surface facing downward at the top end of the inner surface of the cavity 22. The second surface 32 is the surface facing right at the left end of FIG. 4. The third surface 33 is the surface facing left at the right end of FIG. 4.

[0037] The inner housing 20 has a guide groove 35 recessed in the widthwise center of the fourth surface 34 of the cavity 22. The guide groove 35 extends in the front-rear direction on the fourth surface 34 of the cavity 22, with its front end reaching the base of the lance 23. The inner surface of the guide groove 35 is curved. When the terminal 60 is inserted into the cavity 22 in the correct insertion position, the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 enter the guide groove 35, guiding the insertion (movement) of the terminal 60 into the cavity 22 (see FIG. 2).

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5 , the inner housing 20 has a first interference portion 36 located rearward of the retainer mounting hole 24 on the first surface 31 of the cavity 22. The first interference portion 36 is flat and has a front surface and a rear surface along the width direction. The front surface of the first interference portion 36 faces forward toward the retainer mounting hole 24. The rear surface of the first interference portion 36 faces rearward and serves as a stopper surface 37 that abuts against a first protrusion 66 of a terminal 60 in a reverse insertion position (described later). The stopper surface 37 of the first interference portion 36 is located toward the center of the width direction of the cavity 22 and slopes forward as it extends upward. The top surface of the first interference portion 36 is flat in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0039] 5, the inner housing 20 has a second interference portion 38 at a position rearward of the retainer attachment hole 24 on the second surface 32 of the cavity 22. The second interference portion 38 is formed on the second surface 32 of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20. The second interference portion 38 is disposed at the lower end of the second surface 32 of the cavity 22 in a height range that overlaps with the first interference portion 36. The first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38 are misaligned from each other in the width direction.

[0040] The second interference portion 38 has a trapezoidal shape extending in the front-rear direction when viewed from above. The lower surface of the second interference portion 38 is continuous with the first surface 31. The upper surface of the second interference portion 38 is formed flat along the front-rear and left-right directions. The second interference portion 38 has a ride-up surface 39 extending in the front-rear direction at the center of the width of the cavity 22. The first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position are displaced laterally and ride up onto the ride-up surface 39 (see Figures 8 and 9). The ride-up surface 39 is inclined upward from the first surface 31.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 9, the front surface of the second interference portion 38 faces forward and slopes rearward to form a forward inclined surface 46 that connects to the front end of the landing surface 39. The forward inclined surface 46 of the second interference portion 38 faces the retainer mounting hole 24 via a notched space 45, which will be described later. The forward inclined surface 46 of the second interference portion 38 is formed by a slide mold (not shown) that forms the retainer mounting hole 24. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a notched space 45 is formed in the inner housing 20 in front of the forward inclined surface 46 of the second interference portion 38, resulting from the upward retraction of the slide mold. As shown in FIG. 4, the notched space 45 extends vertically across the first surface 31 and the fourth surface 34 of the cavity 22 and opens to the top surface of the inner housing. The first interference portion 36 is positioned opposite the second surface 32 via the notched space 45.

[0042] 5, 8, and 9, the rear surface of the second interference portion 38 is disposed facing rearward on the opposite side from the forward inclined surface 46, and forms a rear inclined surface 47 that is inclined forward and continues to the rear end of the ride-on surface 39. The rear inclined surface 47 is located forward of the storage recess 43.

[0043] The inner housing 20 has a straight surface 48 extending in the front-rear direction at a position facing in the width direction the ride-up surface 39 of the second interference portion 38 on the third surface 33 of the cavity 22. The first protrusion 66 of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position passes between the ride-up surface 39 and the straight surface 48. The straight surface 48 is inclined upward from the first surface 31.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 9, the inner housing 20 has an opposing inclined surface 49 extending forward from the front end of the straight surface 48 on the third surface 33 of the cavity 22, substantially parallel to and facing the forward inclined surface 46. An insertion passage 56 is formed between the opposing inclined surface 49 and the front inclined surface 46 inside the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20, through which the first protrusion 66 of the terminal 60 passes in the reverse insertion position. As the first protrusion 66 passes through the insertion passage 56, it shifts from the center of the cavity 22 toward the second surface 32 (see FIG. 9). The inner housing 20 also has an extended surface 57 that extends forward from the front end of the opposing inclined surface 49 and is continuous with one widthwise end of the stopper surface 37. As shown in FIG. 9, the first protrusion 66 of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position abuts against the stopper surface 37 of the first interference portion 36, and is positioned between the extended surface 57 and the second surface 32.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 5, the straight surface 48, the opposing inclined surface 49, and the extended surface 57 are formed on an opposing portion 58 formed on the third surface 33 of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20. The front end of the opposing portion 58 (the front end of the extended surface 57) is continuous with the first interference portion 36. The lower surface of the opposing portion 58 is continuous with the first surface 31. The upper surface of the opposing portion 58 is formed flat in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The upper surfaces of the opposing portion 58 and the first interference portion 36 are arranged continuously at the same height.

[0046] (Function of connector 10) When assembling the connector 10, the terminal 60 connected to the end of the electric wire 100 is inserted into the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 from the rear. The terminal 60 can be inserted into the cavity 22 by gripping the electric wire 100. When the terminal 60 is properly inserted into the cavity 22, both the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 face upward. When the terminal 60 is properly inserted into the cavity 22, the main body 61 of the terminal 60 is inserted into the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 through the through hole 28 of the rear wall 25 and the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50. As shown in FIG. 2 , when the terminal 60 is inserted into the cavity 22 to the proper depth, the first protrusion 66 is engaged with the lance 23, and the terminal 60 is temporarily prevented from coming out of the cavity 22. Then, when the retainer 30 is inserted deeply into the retainer mounting hole 24 and reaches the main locking position, the second protrusion 67 is locked to the retainer 30, and the terminal 60 is secondarily prevented from coming out of the cavity 22. The electric wire 100 connected to the terminal 60 is inserted into the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50 and comes into liquid-tight contact with the inner peripheral lip 52.

[0047] In contrast, when the terminal 60 assumes a reverse insertion position, which is upside down from the normal insertion position relative to the cavity 22, both the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are positioned facing downward. Unlike the first embodiment, if the outer diameter of the electric wire is small and the first protrusion has a sufficient protrusion amount exceeding the outer diameter of the electric wire, the first protrusion can be abutted against the opening edge of the through-hole in the rear surface of the rear wall of the outer housing to stop the movement of the terminal in the reverse insertion position and detect the reverse insertion of the terminal. However, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the protrusion amount of the first protrusion 66 is kept small in consideration of the miniaturization of the connector 10, and the outer diameter of the electric wire 100 is made larger than that of the terminal 60. This makes it difficult to detect the reverse insertion of the terminal 60 by abutting the first protrusion 66 against the rear surface of the rear wall 25.

[0048] As a result, when the terminal 60 is in the reverse insertion position, the first protrusion 66 is inserted into the through-hole 28 of the rear wall portion 25, and can then pass through the through-hole 28 and be inserted into the rear end of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 through the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50. As shown in Fig. 8, the first protrusion 66 inserted into the rear end of the cavity 22 comes into contact with the rear inclined surface 47 of the second interference portion 38 from behind and shifts to one side in the width direction along the rear inclined surface 47. As the first protrusion 66 shifts to one side in the width direction, the front end of the main body portion 61 also swings to one side in the width direction, and the entire terminal 60 is displaced so as to tilt relative to the front-to-rear direction.

[0049] If the operator continues inserting the terminal 60 without noticing that the terminal 60 has been inserted backwards, the first protrusion 66 rides up on the ride-on surface 39 and displaces forward along the ride-on surface 39. Thereafter, the first protrusion 66 contacts the front inclined surface 46 from behind, or at the same time, the second protrusion 67 contacts the rear inclined surface 47 from behind. If the operator continues inserting the terminal 60 further, the first protrusion 66 displaces to the other widthwise side along the front inclined surface 46, and the second protrusion 67 displaces to one widthwise side along the rear inclined surface 47 (see FIG. 9 ).

[0050] 9, the first protrusion 66 abuts against the stopper surface 37 of the first interference portion 38 from the rear of the insertion path 56. When the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 38, the second protrusion 67 contacts the inclined portion of the rear inclined surface 47 or rides up the ride-up surface 39, thereby maintaining interference with the second interference portion 38. Thus, a state is created in which the interference between the first protrusion 66 and the first interference portion 36 and the interference between the second protrusion 67 and the second interference portion 38 overlap (a synchronized state). Therefore, compared to a case in which only the first protrusion 66 and the first interference portion 36 interfere or only the second protrusion 67 and the second interference portion 38 interfere, the overall interference can be increased, and the movement of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position can be stopped reliably.

[0051] Furthermore, as the electric wire 100 continues to be pushed in, the electric wire 100 buckles between the gripping portion (the portion held by the worker's hand) and the terminal 60, and the reduction in resistance that accompanies the buckling allows the worker to more reliably recognize (detect) that the terminal 60 is in a reverse insertion position.

[0052] 7, with the first protrusion 66 interfering with the first interference portion 36 and the second protrusion 67 interfering with the second interference portion 38, the terminal 60 in this reverse insertion position inserts the wire barrel 62 into the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50, and positions the insulation barrel 63 behind the inner lip 52. Therefore, when the terminal 60 is reversely inserted, the insulation barrel 63 does not come into contact with the inner lip 52, and damage to the inner lip 52 can be avoided.

[0053] As described above, the connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a terminal 60 connected to an end of an electric wire 100 and a housing 20, 21 (inner housing 20) that accommodates the terminal 60. The terminal 60 has a first protrusion 66 and a second protrusion 67 that protrude upward intersecting the front-rear direction. The second protrusion 67 is arranged rearward of the first protrusion 66 and coaxially with the first protrusion 66 in the front-rear direction. The inner housing 20 has a cavity 22 extending in the front-rear direction, an elastically deformable lance 23 that protrudes from the inner surface of the cavity 22, a first interference portion 36 that is arranged rearward of the lance 23 on the inner surface of the cavity 22, and a second interference portion 38 that is arranged rearward of the first interference portion 36 on the inner surface of the cavity 22. When the terminal 60 is arranged in a normal insertion position relative to the cavity 22, the first protrusion 66 is engaged with the lance 23. When the terminal 60 is placed in the cavity 22 in a reverse insertion position opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36 from behind, and when this first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36, the second protrusion 67 also interferes with the second interference portion 38.

[0054] When the terminal 60 is placed in the cavity 22 in a reverse insertion position, the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36 from behind, and at the same time, the second protrusion 67 also interferes with the second interference portion 38, so that movement of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position can be stopped reliably. In particular, because the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 interfere with the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38, respectively, the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position can be stopped even if the protrusion amount of each of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 is reduced compared to the protrusion amount of one protrusion set when one protrusion interferes with one interference portion. Furthermore, because the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are arranged side by side on the same axis in the front-to-rear direction, they can be aligned in the same protrusion direction while having portions that overlap with each other in the protrusion direction. In this way, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the cavity 22, and therefore to avoid an increase in the size of the terminals 60 and therefore the inner housing 20, thereby making it possible to accommodate miniaturization of the connector 10.

[0055] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, the second interference portion 38 has a rearward inclined surface 47 that inclines forward as it protrudes into the cavity 22. When the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity 22, the second protrusion 67 can come into contact along the rearward inclined surface 47 of the second interference portion 38, so that a long time (time lag) can be ensured for the second protrusion 67 to interfere with the second interference portion 38. Therefore, it is possible to easily create a state in which the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36 while the second protrusion 67 is interfering with the second interference portion 38.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the second interference portion 38 is trapezoidally formed on the inner surface of the cavity 22 and has a ride-on surface 39 extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a forward inclined surface 46 that slopes rearward and connects to the front end of the ride-on surface 39. The rear inclined surface 47 slopes forward and connects to the rear end of the ride-on surface 39. The inner housing 20 has an opposing inclined surface 49 that faces the front inclined surface 46 on the inner surface of the cavity 22. An insertion path 56 for the first interference portion 36 is defined inside the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 between the front inclined surface 46 and the opposing inclined surface 49. The first interference portion 36 is disposed in front of the insertion path 56.

[0057] When the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity 22, the first protrusion 66 travels from the rear inclined surface 47, over the ride-on surface 39, to the front inclined surface 46, and can interfere with the first interference portion 36 from behind through the insertion path 56 defined between the front inclined surface 46 and the opposing inclined surface 49. Until the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36, the terminal 60 can be displaced while tilting so as to swing in the width direction (a direction intersecting the front-rear direction) along the second protrusion 67. Here, when the insertion operation of the terminal 60 into the cavity 22 is performed by gripping the electric wire 100, the inclination of the terminal 60 with respect to the front-rear direction, which is the insertion direction of the terminal 60 into the cavity 22, can be recognized by hand or sight due to buckling of the electric wire 100, etc., thereby further improving the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of the terminal 60.

[0058] In particular, the first interference portion 36 has a stopper surface 37 along the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, which makes it possible to stop the movement of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position with even greater certainty.

[0059] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, the first interference portion 36 is formed on a first surface 31 on the inner surface of the cavity 22, and the second interference portion 38 is formed on a second surface 32 that intersects with and is adjacent to the first surface 31 on the inner surface of the cavity 22. This allows the shapes of the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38 to be determined relatively freely without affecting each other.

[0060] Furthermore, the connector 10 of the first embodiment further includes a seal member 50 attached to the inner housing 20. The seal member 50 has a seal hole 51 penetrating in the front-rear direction and an inner lip 52 extending circumferentially around the inner periphery of the seal hole 51. The electric wire 100 is disposed in the seal hole 51 and is configured to be in close contact with the inner lip 52. The first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38 are disposed forward of the seal member 50. The terminal 60 has an insulation barrel 63 that is crimped onto the insulating coating 110 of the electric wire 100. With the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 respectively interfering with the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38, the insulation barrel 63 is disposed rearward and spaced apart from the inner lip 52. In this way, even if the terminal 60 is tilted in the front-to-rear direction when the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are interfering with the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38, the insulation barrel 63 does not come into contact with the inner lip 52, thereby preventing the inner lip 52 from being damaged due to contact with the insulation barrel 63.

[0061] [Another embodiment of the present disclosure] The first embodiment disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In the first embodiment, the housing is configured to be separable into an inner housing and an outer housing. In contrast, in other embodiments, the housing may be configured as a single inseparable housing. When the housing is configured as a single housing, the seal member is preferably prevented from slipping out of the accommodation space by a dedicated rear holder attached to the housing. In the first embodiment, the first interference portion is formed on a first surface of the inner surface of the cavity, and the second interference portion is formed on a second surface of the inner surface of the cavity that is different from the first surface. In contrast, in other embodiments, the first interference portion and the second interference portion may both be formed on the first surface (the same surface) of the inner surface of the cavity. In the above-described first embodiment, the stopper surface of the first interference part is disposed along the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and the rear inclined surface of the second interference part is disposed at an incline with respect to the front-rear direction. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the stopper surface of the first interference part may be disposed at an incline with respect to the front-rear direction, or the rear inclined surface of the second interference part may be disposed along the width direction. In the first embodiment, the first protrusion is configured to interfere with the first interference portion after the second protrusion interferes with the second interference portion. In contrast, in other embodiments, the first protrusion may be configured to interfere with the first interference portion after the second protrusion interferes with the second interference portion, or the first protrusion and the second protrusion may be configured to interfere with the first interference portion and the second interference portion simultaneously, respectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10...Connector 20...Inner housing (housing) 21...Outer housing (housing) 22...cavity 23...Lance 24...Retainer mounting hole 25...Rear wall part 26...Mating cylinder 27...Mating space 28...Through hole 30...Retainer 31...Side 1 32…Second side 33...Third side 34...Side 4 35...Guide groove 36...First interference part 37...Stopper surface 38...Second interference part 39...Riding surface 40...Front holder 41...Front wall 42...Mating recess 43... Storage recess 45...Notched space 46…Front slope 47…Backward slope 48...Straight surface 49...Opposite inclined surface 50...Sealing member 51...Seal hole 52...Inner lip 53...Outer lip 55...Seal ring 56...insertion path 57…Extension surface 58...opposing part 60...Terminal 61...Main body 62...Wire barrel 63...Insulation barrel 64…Inner wall 65...Exterior wall 66...First protrusion 67...Second protrusion 90...Lever 100...Electric wire 110...insulating coating 120...Core wire

Claims

1. a terminal to be connected to an end portion of the electric wire; a housing that accommodates the terminals, The terminal has a first protrusion and a second protrusion that protrude in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, the second protrusion is disposed rearward of the first protrusion and coaxially aligned with the first protrusion in the front-rear direction, The housing includes: a cavity extending in the front-rear direction; an elastically deformable lance protruding from an inner surface of the cavity; a first interference portion disposed rearward of the lance on the inner surface of the cavity; a second interference portion disposed rearward of the first interference portion on the inner surface of the cavity, When the terminal is placed in the cavity in a normal insertion position, the first projection is engaged with the lance, A connector in which, when the terminal is placed in the cavity in a reverse insertion position opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and when the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion, the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second interference portion has a rearward inclined surface that inclines forward as it projects into the cavity.

3. the second interference portion is trapezoidally formed on the inner surface of the cavity and has a ride-up surface extending in the front-rear direction and a forward inclined surface inclined rearward and continuing to a front end of the ride-up surface, the rear inclined surface is inclined forward and connected to the rear end of the riding surface, the housing has an opposing inclined surface on an inner surface of the cavity, the opposing inclined surface facing the forward inclined surface; an insertion path for the first interference portion is defined between the front inclined surface and the opposing inclined surface inside the cavity of the housing, The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the first interference portion is disposed in front of the insertion path.

4. the first interference portion is formed on a first surface of the inner surface of the cavity, The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the second interference portion is formed on a second surface of the inner surface of the cavity that intersects with and is adjacent to the first surface.

5. The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the first interference portion has a stopper surface extending along a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

6. a seal member attached to the housing; The seal member has a seal hole penetrating in the front-rear direction and an inner peripheral lip extending circumferentially around an inner periphery of the seal hole, the electric wire is disposed in the seal hole and is configured to be in close contact with the inner circumferential lip; the first interference portion and the second interference portion are disposed forward of the seal member, The terminal has an insulation barrel that is crimped onto the insulating coating of the electric wire, 6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the insulation barrel is positioned rearward and away from the inner lip when the first protrusion and the second protrusion interfere with the first interference portion and the second interference portion, respectively.

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