Connector and connector assembly

Abstract

To provide a connector and a connector assembly that can improve the rigidity of a short-circuit release portion formed in a detection member.SOLUTION: A connector 2 includes: a connector housing 9 that is fitted into a mating connector 3; a pair of connector terminals 11 that are electrically connected to at least a pair of mating terminals 10 of the mating connector 3; a shorting terminal 15 that is attached to the connector housing 9 and short-circuits the pair of connector terminals 11; and a detection member 21 that can be operated from a pre-detection position to a detection position only when the connector housing 9 is completely fitted into the mating connector 3. The detection member 21 includes a short-circuit release portion 58 that releases the short circuit of the shorting terminal 15 when operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a conventional connector has a detection member in a first housing that is allowed to move to a detection position when first and second housings that can be mated with each other are properly mated. This connector has a shorting terminal in the second housing that shorts a pair of second terminal fittings arranged in the second housing. The detection member has a release portion that releases the short-circuited state of the second terminal fittings caused by the shorting terminal as the detection member moves from the standby position to the detection position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-28875 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a detection member is disposed in the first housing, and a shorting terminal is disposed in the second housing. Therefore, if a short-circuit release portion is formed in the detection member, the short-circuit release portion of the detection member disposed in the first housing must reach the shorting terminal disposed in the second housing when the first and second housings are mated. Therefore, the short-circuit release portion must be shaped to extend toward the second housing. This results in a floating shape of the short-circuit release portion, which reduces its rigidity. A short-circuit release portion with low rigidity is also prone to warping.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector and a connector assembly that can improve the rigidity of a short-circuit release portion formed in a detection member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A connector that solves the above problem comprises a connector housing that is fitted into a mating connector, a pair of connector terminals that are connected to at least a pair of mating terminals provided on the mating connector, a shorting terminal that is attached to the connector housing and shorts the pair of connector terminals, and a detection member that can be operated from a pre-detection position to a detection position only when the connector housing is completely fitted into the mating connector, and the detection member has a short-circuit release portion that releases the short circuit of the shorting terminal when operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present disclosure can improve the rigidity of the short-circuit release portion formed in the detection member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector assembly. [Figure 3] 3(a) and 3(b) are cross-sectional views taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2, and are explanatory views of the operation when the detection member is moved from the pre-detection position to the detection position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shorting terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the state in which the shorting terminal is accommodated. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the connector as seen from the front. [Figure 8] 8(a) to 8(d) are cross-sectional views taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 2, and are explanatory diagrams of the operation when the connector is mated with the mating connector and the detecting member is operated to the detecting position. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the mating connector. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are cross-sectional views taken along the line XX shown in FIG. 2, and are explanatory diagrams of the state of the pressing portion when the connector is mated with the mating connector. [Figure 11] 11(a) to 11(c) are explanatory diagrams showing the state of the pressing part when the detecting member is operated to the detecting position. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the detecting member as seen from above. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the detecting member as seen from below. [Figure 14] 14(a) to 14(d) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the short-circuit removal unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a connector housing that is fitted into a mating connector, a pair of connector terminals that are connected to at least a pair of mating terminals provided on the mating connector, a shorting terminal that is attached to the connector housing and shorts the pair of connector terminals, and a detection member that can be operated from a pre-detection position to a detection position only when the connector housing is completely fitted into the mating connector, and the detection member has a short-circuit release portion that releases the short circuit of the shorting terminal when operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

[0010] According to this configuration, a detection member having a short-circuit release portion for the shorting terminal is provided in the connector, and the shorting terminal is also disposed in this connector. In this way, since the shorting terminal is disposed in the connector provided with the detection member having the short-circuit release portion, it is possible to place the shorting terminal near the short-circuit release portion. Therefore, the short-circuit release portion can be short enough to reach the nearby shorting terminal. This makes it possible to improve the rigidity of the short-circuit release portion formed in the detection member.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the connector has a pre-detection position guarantee part that, when the connector housing is not mated with the mating connector, engages the locking piece of the detection member with the regulating part of the connector housing to hold it in the pre-detection position, and when the connector housing is fully mated with the mating connector, disengages the locking piece from the regulating part to enable operation to the detection position, and the detection member has a pressing part that generates an operating load by applying a reaction force from a reaction force applying part provided on the mating connector during operation from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

[0012] According to this configuration, the pre-detection position assurance part, which holds the detection member in the pre-detection position, and the pressing part, which generates an operating load on the detection member by the reaction force application part when the detection member is operated to the detection position, are formed separately. This makes it possible to form the pre-detection position assurance part and the pressing part with shapes that have optimal strength, respectively. This allows the shapes of each part in the connector to be optimized.

[0013] [3] In the above [2], the pressing portion pushes the reaction force applying portion against the biasing force of the biasing portion of the reaction force applying portion as the locking claw formed at the tip rides up onto the convex portion of the connector housing and becomes able to abut against the reaction force applying portion, and at the end of its movement moves to a recess formed at the back of the convex portion and engages with the recess, and when the locking claw engages with the recess, the reaction force applying portion is released from the state where it is pressed by the locking claw, and is returned to its original initial position by the biasing force of the biasing portion and positioned above the locking claw, thereby maintaining the locked state of the locking claw.

[0014] With this configuration, when the detection member is located at the detection position and the locking claw of the pressing member engages with the recess of the connector housing, the pressing member is sandwiched between the recess and the reaction force application member, which has been returned to its original position by the biasing force of the biasing member, and the reaction force application member, thereby maintaining the position of the pressing member. Thus, the detection member can be firmly held at the detection position.

[0015] [4] In the above [2] or [3], the pressing portion is disposed at the center of the connector housing in the width direction, and a plurality of the pre-detection position ensuring portions are provided so as to be disposed on both sides of the pressing portion. With this configuration, since a plurality of pre-detection position ensuring portions are provided, it is possible to firmly hold the detection member in the pre-detection position.

[0016] [5] In any of the above [1] to [4], the shorting terminal has a pair of elastic pieces connected to the pair of connector terminals, respectively, and the short-circuit release part is formed on only one of the pair of elastic pieces. With this configuration, it is not necessary to provide a short-circuit release part for each elastic piece, which contributes to simplifying the shape of the detection member.

[0017] [6] In any of the above [1] to [5], the pair of connector terminals is provided in a plurality of sets aligned in the width direction of the connector housing, and the short-circuit release portion is formed in a plurality of sets corresponding to the number of pairs of connector terminals. With this configuration, it is possible to make the shape of the detection member having the short-circuit release portion correspond to the shape of a connector provided with a plurality of pairs of connector terminals.

[0018] [7] The connector assembly of the present disclosure is a configuration including a connector and a mating connector electrically connected to the connector, the connector including a connector housing mated with the mating connector, a pair of connector terminals connected to at least a pair of mating terminals provided on the mating connector, a shorting terminal attached to the connector housing and shorting the pair of connector terminals, and a detection member operable from a pre-detection position to a detection position only when the connector housing is completely mated with the mating connector, the detection member having a short-circuit release portion that releases the short circuit of the shorting terminal when operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position. This configuration provides the same effects as the aforementioned connector.

[0019] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that 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 equivalent to the claims. In each drawing, for the convenience of explanation, some components may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from the actual ones.

[0020] (Connector assembly 1) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, connector assembly 1 includes connector 2 and mating connector 3 that is electrically connected to connector 2. In this example, connector 2 is a female connector and mating connector 3 is a male connector. In connector assembly 1, for example, mating connector 3 is connected to equipment via a plurality of electric wires 4, and connector 2 is connected to a control device via a plurality of electric wires 5. Connector 2 is fitted into a hood 7 formed on the side of mating connector housing 6 of mating connector 3.

[0021] (Connector 2) As shown in FIG. 3 , the connector 2 includes a connector housing 9 that fits into the mating connector 3, and connector terminals 11 that connect to mating terminals 10 provided on the mating connector 3. The connector housing 9 of the connector 2 is inserted into the hood 7 of the mating connector 3. The connector terminals 11 are accommodated in terminal accommodating sections 12 formed inside the connector housing 9. At least one pair of mating terminals 10 are provided, and are accommodated in mating terminal accommodating sections 13 formed in the mating connector housing 6. The connector terminals 11 are, for example, female terminals. The mating terminals 10 are, for example, male terminals.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 4, the connector terminals 11 form pairs. That is, two connector terminals 11 make a pair. In this example, a plurality of pairs of connector terminals 11 (four pairs in this example) are provided so as to line up in the width direction of the connector housing 9 (the Y-axis direction in Fig. 4). Similarly, mating terminals 10 (see Fig. 3, etc.) form pairs so as to correspond to the connector terminals 11. In this example, a plurality of pairs of mating terminals 10 (four pairs in this example) are provided so as to line up in the width direction of the mating connector housing 6 (the Y-axis direction in Fig. 4).

[0023] (Short terminal 15) 4, the connector 2 is provided with a shorting terminal 15 that shorts a pair of connector terminals 11. A plurality of shorting terminals 15 (four in this example) are provided according to the number of pairs of connector terminals 11. The shorting terminals 15 are arranged side by side in the width direction of the connector housing 9 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 4).

[0024] 5, the shorting terminal 15 has a generally plate-shaped terminal body 16 and a pair of elastic pieces 17 that are bent and extend from the terminal body 16 and are arranged side by side. The elastic piece 17 has a first elastic piece 17a that contacts one of the pair of connector terminals 11 and a second elastic piece 17b that contacts the other of the pair of connector terminals 11. The first elastic piece 17a is formed longer than the second elastic piece 17b.

[0025] 3, the shorting terminals 15 are attached to, for example, the connector housing 9. Specifically, the shorting terminals 15 are accommodated in, for example, shorting terminal accommodating portions 18 formed inside the connector housing 9. The shorting terminal accommodating portions 18 are formed, for example, in a shape that opens on the front side, and four of them are formed so as to be aligned in the width direction of the connector housing 9.

[0026] 6, the shorting terminal 15 is engaged with a pair of notches 19 formed on both side surfaces of the shorting terminal accommodating portion 18. In this way, both ends of the terminal body 16 of the shorting terminal 15 are engaged with the notches 19, thereby fixing the shorting terminal 15 to the connector housing 9. The first elastic piece 17a and the second elastic piece 17b of the shorting terminal 15 are accommodated so as to enter the inside of the terminal accommodating portion 12 that accommodates the connector terminal 11.

[0027] (Detection member 21) 1 to 3, the connector 2 is provided with a detection member 21 that can be moved from a pre-detection position to a detection position only when the connector housing 9 is completely mated with the mating connector 3. The detection member 21 is accommodated in a receiving hole 22 formed in the connector housing 9 so as to be movable in a linear direction (the opposite direction to the +X axis in FIG. 1). The pre-detection position is, for example, a position where the detection member 21 protrudes significantly from the connector housing 9 (the state shown in FIG. 3(a)). The detection position is, for example, a position where the detection member 21 has entered the receiving hole 22 (the state shown in FIG. 3(b)).

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, rail portions 23 (only one side is shown in Fig. 4) extending along the movement direction of the detection member 21 (the direction opposite to the +X axis in Fig. 4) are formed on both side surfaces of the main body 21a of the detection member 21. Rail grooves 24 (only one side is shown in Fig. 4) into which the rail portions 23 engage are formed on opposing inner wall surfaces of the connector housing 9. The detection member 21 slides between two positions, a pre-detection position and a detection position, as the rail portions 23 are guided along the rail grooves 24 of the connector housing 9.

[0029] Protrusions 25 (only one side is shown in FIG. 4 ) are formed on both side surfaces of the main body 21 a of the detection member 21 to prevent the detection member 21 from falling off toward the pre-detection position. Grooves 26 (only one side is shown in FIG. 4 ) into which the protrusions 25 engage are formed on opposing inner wall surfaces of the connector housing 9. When the detection member 21 is operated further forward from the pre-detection position, the protrusions 25 come into contact with walls 26 a located at the ends of the grooves 26, thereby preventing the detection member 21 from falling off from the connector housing 9.

[0030] (Pre-detection position assurance unit 28) 7 and 8, the connector 2 is provided with a pre-detection position ensuring portion 28 that maintains the detection member 21 in the pre-detection position before the connector housing 9 is completely mated with the mating connector 3. The pre-detection position ensuring portion 28 has a locking piece 29 formed on the detection member 21 and a restricting portion 30 formed on the connector housing 9. Multiple pairs of the locking piece 29 and the restricting portion 30 (two pairs in this example) are arranged side by side in the width direction of the connector 2 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 7).

[0031] The locking piece 29 is formed in a flexible, elastic shape. A stepped portion 31 that engages with the restricting portion 30 is formed at the lower end of the tip of the locking piece 29. A slope 32 is formed at the upper end of the tip of the locking piece 29 to smoothly move the locking piece 29 when the detection member 21 is operated to the detection position. The restricting portion 30 is formed in a flexible, elastic shape and extends opposite the locking piece 29 so as to abut against the tip of the locking piece 29.

[0032] 7, the connector housing 9 has an operating portion 33 that bends the restricting portion 30 downward. The operating portion 33 has legs 34 on both sides that are integral with the restricting portion 30. Therefore, when the operating portion 33 is pressed downward, the restricting portion 30 bends downward together with the operating portion 33. As a result, the locking piece 29 also bends downward together with the restricting portion 30.

[0033] 8 and 9, the mating connector 3 has a position retention release portion 36 that maintains the released state of the pre-detection position assurance portion 28. The position retention release portion 36 is formed on the edge of the hood 7 of the mating connector housing 6, and is formed to a thickness that allows the restricting portion 30 to bend when the connector 2 is attached to the mating connector 3.

[0034] A slope 37 is formed at the lower end of the side surface of the position retention release portion 36 to smoothly move the restriction portion 30 during the process of inserting the connector 2 into the mating connector 3. An engagement recess 38 is formed in the mating connector 3 at a position adjacent to the position retention release portion 36. The engagement recess 38 engages with the restriction portion 30, which has returned to its original state after the position restriction by the pre-detection position assurance portion 28 has been released. In this example, the engagement recess 38 is, for example, a hole when viewed from above.

[0035] As shown in Figures 7, 8(a), and 8(b), when the connector housing 9 is not yet mated with the mating connector 3, the detection member 21 is held in the pre-detection position by the locking piece 29 engaging with the restricting portion 30. As shown in Figure 8(c), when the connector housing 9 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, the restricting portion 30 is no longer interfered with by the position retention release portion 36 and engages with the engaging recess 38, and the position retention release portion 36 presses the locking piece 29 downward, thereby releasing the engagement between the locking piece 29 and the restricting portion 30. As a result, when the connector housing 9 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, the pre-detection position assurance portion 28 is released. This allows the detection member 21 to move from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

[0036] (Reaction force applying unit 40) 1, the mating connector 3 is provided with a reaction force applying unit 40 that applies a reaction force to the detection member 21 when the detection member 21 is operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position. The reaction force applying unit 40 has a slider 41 that is attached so as to be linearly movable in the depth direction of the mating connector housing 6 (the X-axis direction in FIG. 1), and a biasing unit 42 that biases the slider 41 toward the pre-detection position (the opposite direction of the +X-axis in FIG. 1).

[0037] 9, rail portions 43 extending in the movement direction of the slider 41 (the X-axis direction in FIG. 9) are formed on both side surfaces of the slider 41. Rail grooves 44 into which the rail portions 43 engage are formed on opposing inner wall surfaces of the mating connector housing 6. The biasing force of the biasing portion 42 causes the rail portions 43 of the slider 41 to slide along the rail grooves 44 of the mating connector housing 6 in the depth direction of the mating connector housing 6 (the direction opposite to the +X-axis in FIG. 9).

[0038] The biasing portion 42 is, for example, a spring, and is housed inside the slider 41. One end of the spring, which is the biasing portion 42, abuts against the inner wall of the mating connector housing 6, and the other end abuts against the inner wall surface of the slider 41.

[0039] Protrusions 45 are formed on both side surfaces of the slider 41 to prevent the slider 41 from falling off in the protruding direction (the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 9). Wall portions 46 (only one side is shown in FIG. 9) with which the protrusions 45 engage are formed on opposing inner wall surfaces of the mating connector housing 6. When the slider 41 moves in the protruding direction due to the biasing force of the biasing portion 42, the protrusions 45 engage with the wall portions 46, thereby preventing the slider 41 from falling off from the mating connector housing 6.

[0040] 10(a) and 10(b), the slider 41 is formed with a protrusion 47 that is used when manually operating the slider 41. The protrusion 47 is disposed on the upper surface of the slider 41 and is exposed to the outside through a notch 48 formed in the upper wall of the mating connector housing 6.

[0041] The reaction force applying portion 40 has a pushed portion 49 on the back surface of the slider 41 that is pushed in by the detecting member 21 moving toward the detecting position. The pushed portion 49 is formed in a stepped shape downward from the back surface of the slider 41. When the detecting member 21 is operated from the pre-detection position to the detecting position, the pushed portion 49 is pushed by the detecting member 21, causing the slider 41 to slide from the initial position toward the rear (in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 9 ).

[0042] (Pressing portion 51) As shown in FIG. 4, the detection member 21 includes a pressing portion 51 that generates an operating load when a reaction force is applied from the reaction force application portion 40 during operation from the pre-detection position to the detection position. The pressing portion 51 is formed in a flexible, elastic shape and has a locking claw 52 at its tip. One pressing portion 51 is provided at the center of the width direction (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 4) of the detection member 21. Specifically, one pressing portion 51 is disposed between a pair of pre-detection position assurance portions 28. In this manner, the pre-detection position assurance portions 28 in this example are disposed on both sides of the pressing portion 51. A slope 52a is formed at the tip of the locking claw 52 to smoothly move the pressing portion 51 during operation of the detection member 21 to the detection position.

[0043] 7, a groove 53 is formed on the surface (top surface) of the connector housing 9 on which the restricting portion 30 is formed, through which the pressing portion 51 passes when the detection member 21 is operated to the detection position. A protrusion 54 is formed in the groove 53 of the connector housing 9, onto which the locking claw 52 of the pressing portion 51 rides when the detection member 21 is operated to the detection position. The protrusion 54 has a slope 55 that allows the locking claw 52 to smoothly ride up. A recess 56 is formed in the groove 53 of the connector housing 9 at a position behind the protrusion 54, into which the locking claw 52 riding up on the protrusion 54 engages.

[0044] 10(a) and 10(b), when the connector 2 is mated with the mating connector 3, the pressing portion 51 of the detection member 21 is positioned in front of the groove portion 53. In other words, when the connector 2 is mated with the mating connector 3, the pressing portion 51 of the detection member 21 waits at the entrance of the groove portion 53.

[0045] 11(a), when the detection member 21 is operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position, the locking claw 52 formed at the tip of the pressing portion 51 rides up onto the convex portion 54 of the mating connector 3 and becomes able to abut against the reaction force applying portion 40 (specifically, the slider 41), thereby pressing the reaction force applying portion 40 during the operation. Then, the pressing portion 51 moves to the concave portion 56 at the back of the convex portion 54 at the movement end position when moving from the pre-detection position to the detection position, and engages with the concave portion 56.

[0046] 11(b) and 11(c), when the locking claw 52 engages with the recess 56, the reaction force applying portion 40 is released from being pressed by the locking claw 52. In other words, when the detection member 21 is located at the detection position, the pressing portion 51 is released from pressing the reaction force applying portion 40. When the reaction force applying portion 40 is released from being pressed by the locking claw 52, ​​it returns to its original initial position and is positioned above the locking claw 52, ​​thereby maintaining the locked state of the locking claw 52. In other words, the state in which the locking claw 52 engages with the recess 56 is maintained by the slider 41.

[0047] (Short circuit release unit 58) 12 and 13, the detection member 21 has a short-circuit canceling portion 58 that cancels the short circuit of the shorting terminal 15 when the detection member 21 is operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position. The short-circuit canceling portion 58 is formed, for example, by a part of the bottom wall of the detection member 21. The short-circuit canceling portion 58 is formed only on one of the pair of elastic pieces 17 (in this example, the first elastic piece 17a). A plurality of short-circuit canceling portions 58 (in this example, four) are formed according to the number of pairs of connector terminals 11.

[0048] Next, the operation of the connector 2 (connector assembly 1) of this embodiment will be described. (Before mating connector 2 with mating connector 3) 7 and 8(a), before the connector 2 is mated with the mating connector 3, the detection member 21 is maintained in the pre-detection position because the lock piece 29 abuts against the restricting portion 30 of the connector housing 9, restricting its movement. Therefore, before the connector 2 is mated with the mating connector 3, even if an attempt is made to move the detection member 21 from the pre-detection position toward the detection position, the lock piece 29 interferes with the restricting portion 30 and cannot move, so the detection member 21 cannot be moved to the detection position.

[0049] 14(a), before the connector 2 is mated with the mating connector 3, the detection member 21 is in the pre-detection position, and the short-circuit canceling portion 58 is located at a position away from the shorting terminal 15. In other words, the short-circuit canceling portion 58 is not canceling the short circuit of the shorting terminal 15. Therefore, the pair of connector terminals 11 is short-circuited by the shorting terminal 15.

[0050] (Mating connector 2 to mating connector 3) 10(a) and 10(b), the connector 2 is mated with the mating connector 3 by inserting the connector housing 9 into the hood 7 of the mating connector 3. When the connector 2 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, the connector terminals 11 of the connector 2 are electrically connected to the mating terminals 10 of the mating connector 3.

[0051] 8(a) and 8(b), in the process of completely mating the connector 2 with the mating connector 3, the position retention release portion 36 formed on the mating connector 3 presses the restricting portion 30 from above, causing the locking piece 29 and the restricting portion 30 to bend downward, allowing the locking piece 29 and the restricting portion 30 to move toward the back. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(c), when the connector 2 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, the restricting portion 30 is released from the state in which it is pressed by the position retention release portion 36, is released from its bend, and engages with the engagement recess 38. This fixes the connector 2 to the mating connector 3.

[0052] On the other hand, when the connector 2 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, the locking piece 29 is pushed from above by the position holding release portion 36, causing it to sink downward by a predetermined amount. In this way, the engagement between the locking piece 29 and the restricting portion 30 is released, allowing the detection member 21 to be operated to the detection position.

[0053] 14(b), when the connector 2 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, the short-circuit canceling portion 58 remains separated from the shorting terminal 15. Therefore, the connector terminal 11 remains short-circuited by the shorting terminal 15.

[0054] (Operation of the detection member 21 from the pre-detection position to the detection position) 11(a), after the connector 2 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, when the detection member 21 is operated to be pushed from the pre-detection position to the detection position, the locking claw 52 at the tip of the pressing portion 51 rides up onto the convex portion 54 of the connector housing 9 during the operation and becomes able to abut against the pushed-in portion 49 of the slider 41. Therefore, when the detection member 21 is operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position, the pressing portion 51 is operated while pressing the slider 41 against the biasing force of the biasing portion 42, so that it is possible to operate the detection member 21 backward while feeling the operating load of the biasing portion 42.

[0055] Furthermore, if the operation of the detection member 21 is stopped while the detection member 21 is being positioned at the detection position, the detection member 21 is pushed back to the pre-detection position by the biasing force of the biasing portion 42. Therefore, if the operator releases the detection member 21 before it reaches the detection position, the detection member 21 is returned to the pre-detection position by the biasing portion 42, and the operator recognizes that the detection member 21 has not reached the detection position.

[0056] 11(b) and 11(c), when the detection member 21 is located at the detection position, the locking claw 52 drops from the convex portion 54 and engages with the recessed portion 56 at the back. At this time, the slider 41 slides in the protruding direction (the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 11(b)) due to the biasing force of the biasing portion 42. As a result, the pressed portion 49 of the slider 41 is positioned above the locking claw 52, ​​and the deflection of the locking claw 52 is restricted. Therefore, the detection member 21 is locked by the slider 41.

[0057] 8(d), when the detection member 21 is operated to the detection position, the lock piece 29 is guided by the slope 32 at the tip and bends and slides under the restricting portion 30. This allows the lock piece 29 to move, making it possible to operate the detection member 21 to the detection position.

[0058] As shown in Figures 14(c) and 14(d), when the detection member 21 is located in the detection position, the short-circuit release portion 58 of the detection member 21 lifts the first elastic piece 17a of the shorting terminal 15 from below, causing the first elastic piece 17a to move upward (in the direction of arrow A3 in Figure 14(c)), separating the first elastic piece 17a from the connector terminal 11. This releases the short circuit of the connector terminal 11 caused by the shorting terminal 15. Note that this short-circuit release is performed for all of the shorting terminals 15. In this manner, the connector 2 is connected to the mating terminal 10.

[0059] On the other hand, when disconnecting the connector 2 from the mating connector 3, the user places a finger or the like on the protrusion 47 of the slider 41 and slides the slider 41 in the retracting direction (the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 11(b)) against the biasing force of the biasing portion 42, thereby releasing the lock on the locking claw 52 by the slider 41. Then, the operating portion 33 is pressed downward to release the engagement between the restricting portion 30 and the engaging recess 38, and the connector 2 is pulled toward the user. This causes the connector 2 to be disconnected from the mating connector 3.

[0060] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the connector 2 (connector assembly 1) of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0061] (1) The connector 2 includes a connector housing 9, connector terminals 11, a shorting terminal 15, and a detection member 21. The detection member 21 has a short-circuit release portion 58 that releases the short circuit of the shorting terminal 15 when the detection member 21 is operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

[0062] According to this configuration, the detection member 21 having the short-circuit reset portion 58 of the shorting terminal 15 is provided in the connector 2, and the shorting terminal 15 is also arranged in this connector 2. In this way, since the shorting terminal 15 is arranged in the connector 2 provided with the detection member 21 having the short-circuit reset portion 58, it is possible to arrange the shorting terminal 15 in the vicinity of the short-circuit reset portion 58. Therefore, the short-circuit reset portion 58 can be short enough to reach the shorting terminal 15 located nearby. This makes it possible to improve the rigidity of the short-circuit reset portion 58 formed in the detection member 21.

[0063] Furthermore, if the rigidity of the short-circuit canceling part 58 is improved, it is possible to form the short-circuit canceling part 58 in a shape that is less likely to warp. This makes it less likely that the short terminal 15 and the short-circuit canceling part 58 will become misaligned, improving the reliability of short-circuit canceling. Furthermore, it is possible to form the short-circuit canceling part 58 in a small size, which also contributes to the miniaturization of the detection member 21.

[0064] (2) The pre-detection position assurance portion 28 provided on the connector 2 holds the locking piece 29 of the detection member 21 in the pre-detection position by engaging it with the restricting portion 30 of the connector housing 9 when the connector housing 9 is not yet mated with the mating connector 3, and when the connector housing 9 is completely mated with the mating connector 3, the engagement between the locking piece 29 and the restricting portion 30 is released, allowing the detection member 21 to be operated to the detection position. The detection member 21 has a pressing portion 51 that generates an operating load by the application of a reaction force from a reaction force application portion 40 provided on the mating connector 3 during the process of operation from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

[0065] According to this configuration, the pre-detection position ensuring portion 28, which holds the detection member 21 in the pre-detection position, and the pressing portion 51, which generates an operating load on the detection member 21 by the reaction force applying portion 40 when the detection member 21 is operated to the detection position, are formed separately. This makes it possible to form the shape of the pre-detection position ensuring portion 28 and the shape of the pressing portion 51 to have optimal strength, respectively. This allows the shape of each component in the connector 2 to be optimized.

[0066] (3) The pressing portion 51 pushes the reaction force application portion 40 against the biasing force of the biasing portion 42 of the reaction force application portion 40 as the locking claw 52 formed at the tip rides up onto the convex portion 54 of the connector housing 9 and becomes able to abut against the reaction force application portion 40, and at the end of its movement moves to the recess 56 formed at the back of the convex portion 54 and engages with the recess 56. When the locking claw 52 engages with the recess 56, the reaction force application portion 40 is released from the state where it is pressed by the locking claw 52, ​​and the biasing force of the biasing portion 42 causes the reaction force application portion 40 to return to its original initial position and position itself above the locking claw 52, ​​thereby maintaining the locked state of the locking claw 52.

[0067] According to this configuration, when the detection member 21 is located at the detection position and the locking claw 52 of the pressing portion 51 engages with the recess 56 of the connector housing 9, the pressing portion 51 is sandwiched between the reaction force application portion 40, which has been returned to its original initial position by the biasing force of the biasing portion 42, and the recess 56, thereby maintaining the position of the pressing portion 51. Therefore, the detection member 21 can be firmly held at the detection position.

[0068] (4) The pressing portion 51 is disposed at the center in the width direction of the connector housing 9. A plurality of pre-detection position ensuring portions 28 are provided so as to be disposed on both sides of the pressing portion 51. According to this configuration, since a plurality of pre-detection position ensuring portions 28 are provided, the detection member 21 can be firmly held in the pre-detection position.

[0069] (5) The shorting terminal 15 has a pair of elastic pieces 17 connected to the pair of connector terminals 11, respectively. The short-circuit release portion 58 is formed on only one of the pair of elastic pieces 17, which corresponds to one side. This configuration eliminates the need to provide a short-circuit release portion 58 for each elastic piece 17, which contributes to simplifying the shape of the detection member 21.

[0070] (6) A plurality of pairs of connector terminals 11 are provided so as to be aligned in the width direction of the connector housing 9. A plurality of short-circuit release portions 58 are formed according to the number of pairs of connector terminals 11. According to this configuration, the shape of the detection member 21 having the short-circuit release portion 58 can be made to correspond to the shape of the connector 2 having a plurality of pairs of connector terminals 11.

[0071] (Other embodiments) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0072] For example, if there is only one short terminal 15, the short-circuit canceling portion 58 may be formed in only one location. The short-circuit canceling portion 58 may be shaped to lift up both elastic pieces 17 of the short terminal 15 .

[0073] The shape of the short-circuit canceling portion 58 can be changed appropriately according to the shape of the short terminal 15 . The number of pairs of connector terminals 11 provided is not limited to a plurality of pairs, and only one pair may be provided. The number of short terminals 15 and pre-detection position assurance units 28 is not limited to a plurality, and may be only one.

[0074] The position retention release portion 36 that releases the position retention state of the pre-detection position assurance portion 28 may be configured from any part of the mating connector housing 6. The engagement recess 38 is not limited to a through hole, but may be a non-through recess.

[0075] The width and thickness of the pressing portion 51 can be changed as appropriate. The detecting member 21 is not limited to a structure that moves linearly, but may be a structure that changes its state from a pre-detection position to a detection position by rotating around an axis, for example.

[0076] The connector 2 may be a male connector and the mating connector 3 may be a female connector. The mating connector 3 may be connected to a control device, and the connector 2 may be connected to a device. While the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 Connector Assembly 2 connectors 3 Mating connector 4 electric wire 5 Electric wire 6 Mating connector housing 7. Food 9 Connector housing 10 Mating terminal 11 Connector terminal 12 Terminal housing 13 Mating terminal housing 15 Short terminal 16 Terminal body 17 Elastic piece 17a First elastic piece 17b Second elastic piece 18 Short terminal housing 19 Notch 21 Detection member 21a Main body 22 Storage Cave 23 Rail section 24 Rail groove 25 Protrusion 26 Groove 28 Pre-detection position assurance unit 29 Lock piece 30 Regulatory Department 31 Stepped part 32 Slope 33 Operation section 34 Legs 36 Position hold release part 37 Slope 38 Engagement recess 40 Reaction force applying section 41 Slider 42 energizing section 43 Rail section 44 Rail groove 45 Protrusion 46 Wall 47 Protrusion 48 Notch 49 Pushed part 51 Pressing section 52 Locking Claw 52a Slope 53 Groove 54 Convex part 55 Slope 56 Recess 58 Short circuit release section

Claims

1. a connector housing that is mated with a mating connector; a pair of connector terminals to be connected to at least a pair of mating terminals provided in the mating connector; a shorting terminal attached to the connector housing and shorting the pair of connector terminals; a detection member that can be operated from a pre-detection position to a detection position only when the connector housing is completely fitted into the mating connector, The detecting member has a short-circuit releasing portion that releases the short circuit of the short terminal when the detecting member is operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

2. a pre-detection position assurance part that, when the connector housing is not yet mated with the mating connector, engages a locking piece of the detection member with a restricting part of the connector housing to hold the detection member at the pre-detection position, and, when the connector housing is completely mated with the mating connector, disengages the locking piece from the restricting part to enable operation to the detection position; The detection member is 2. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing portion that generates an operating load by applying a reaction force from a reaction force applying portion provided on the mating connector during operation from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

3. The pressing portion pushes the reaction force application portion against the biasing force of the biasing portion of the reaction force application portion, as a locking claw formed at the tip of the pressing portion rides on the convex portion of the connector housing and can abut against the reaction force application portion, and at the movement end position, moves to a concave portion formed at the back of the convex portion and engages with the concave portion, 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein when the locking claw engages with the recess, the reaction force applying portion is released from being pressed by the locking claw, and the reaction force applying portion returns to its original initial position by the biasing force of the biasing portion and is positioned above the locking claw, thereby maintaining the locked state of the locking claw.

4. the pressing portion is disposed at the center in the width direction of the connector housing, The connector according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the pre-detection position assurance parts are provided so as to be arranged on both sides of the pressing part.

5. the shorting terminal has a pair of elastic pieces connected to the pair of connector terminals, 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the short-circuit canceling portion is formed on only one of the pair of elastic pieces corresponding to one side.

6. The pair of connector terminals is provided in a plurality of sets aligned in the width direction of the connector housing, The connector according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the short-circuit release portions are formed corresponding to the number of pairs of the connector terminals.

7. A connector assembly comprising a connector and a mating connector electrically connected to the connector, The connector comprises: a connector housing that is fitted to the mating connector; a pair of connector terminals to be connected to at least a pair of mating terminals provided in the mating connector; a shorting terminal attached to the connector housing and shorting the pair of connector terminals; a detection member that can be operated from a pre-detection position to a detection position only when the connector housing is completely fitted into the mating connector, The detection member has a short-circuit release portion that releases the short circuit of the shorting terminal when operated from the pre-detection position to the detection position.

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