Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of improving reliability in preventing wrenched fitting by securing a large distance for avoiding interference with a male terminal.SOLUTION: A mounting member 13 includes a front wall part 38 covering a front face of a housing 11. The front wall part 38 includes an end face 42 which is directed toward a front side of the mounting member 13 in a direction of movement to the housing 11, and the housing 11 includes a base face 17, which is directed toward the front side in the direction of movement, and a protrusion 47 which protrudes from the base face 17. The protrusion 47 includes a tip end 51 protruding ahead of a front end of the base face 17. The tip end 51 of the protrusion 47 includes an opposite face 52 (53) which is opposed with the end face 42 of the front wall part 38. The opposite face of the tip end 51 is configured as a first inclined surface 52 which is inclined in a direction away from the end face 42 of the front wall part 38 as it goes to the front.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a female connector housing and a male connector housing that can be mated with each other. A rib (hereinafter referred to as a "protrusion") is formed protruding from the side of the male connector housing. A rib groove (hereinafter referred to as a "mating groove") is formed recessed on the inner surface of the female connector housing. When the male connector housing is properly mated with the female connector housing, the protrusion fits into the mating groove. When the male connector housing is attempted to be mated with the female connector housing in a twisting direction tilted from the normal direction, the protrusion does not fit into the mating groove and hits the front opening end of the female connector housing, preventing the male connector housing from mating in the twisting direction. Connectors equipped with equivalents to the protrusions and mating grooves described above are also disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 8. The concepts (expressions) of "male connector" and "female connector" are not consistent across the documents. The concepts of "male connector" and "female connector" in this specification are opposite to those in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-230021 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-241790 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-103449 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-231824 [Patent Document 5] International Publication No. 2014 / 181415 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-129311 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-206895 [Patent Document 8] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-349122 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, a mounting member such as a retainer may be attached to a male connector housing for the purpose of preventing terminals (referred to as "female terminals" in Patent Document 1) from slipping out. Mounting members include those that have a front wall that covers the front surface of the male connector housing and are attached by moving upward in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction relative to the male connector housing. When this type of mounting member is attached to the male connector housing, if the tip of the above-mentioned protrusion is positioned so that it can contact the upper end surface of the front wall, it becomes difficult to properly manage the mounting position of the mounting member relative to the male connector housing. For this reason, the tip of the protrusion is usually positioned behind the upper end surface of the front wall on the male connector housing so as not to contact the upper end surface of the front wall. Here, when the male connector housing is attempted to be mated with the female connector housing in a twisting direction that is tilted from the normal, the front wall portion including the front end of the male connector housing will be significantly inserted into the female connector housing. This makes it impossible to maintain a large distance between the male terminals protruding into the female connector housing and the front wall portion, etc., to avoid mutual interference, which results in a problem of reduced reliability in preventing prying engagement.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can ensure a large distance to avoid interference with the male terminal and can improve the reliability of preventing twisted fitting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a male connector and a female connector that can be mated with each other, the male connector having a cylindrical hood portion and a mating groove recessed into the inner surface of the hood portion, with male terminals protruding and arranged within the hood portion, the female connector having a housing that is fitted within the hood portion, terminals accommodated in the housing, and an attachment member that is attached by moving in a movement direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction relative to the housing, the attachment member having a front wall portion that covers the front surface of the housing, the front wall portion having an end face facing forward in the movement direction, the housing having a base surface facing forward in the movement direction and a protrusion that protrudes from the base surface and can be fitted into the mating groove, the protrusion having a tip portion that protrudes forward beyond the front end of the base surface, the tip portion of the protrusion having an opposing surface that faces the end face of the front wall portion, the opposing surface of the tip portion inclining in a direction away from the end face of the front wall portion as it extends forward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a connector is provided that can ensure a large distance to avoid interference with the male terminal and can improve the reliability of preventing twisted fitting. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a male connector in a connector according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a female connector in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the female connector in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a housing in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mounting member in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion including the tip end of a protrusion in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an enlarged front view of a portion including the tip end of a protrusion in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the left half of the housing in the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view, with the male connector cut away, of the connector of the first embodiment, showing a state in which mating between the female connector and the male connector is stopped when the female connector is tilted downward toward the front relative to the male connector. [Figure 10] 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper side of the connector of the first embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. 9. FIG. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the mating of the female connector and the male connector is stopped when the female connector is tilted left and right so that one end of the female connector enters the hood portion of the male connector first in the connector of embodiment 1. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the first embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the connector of the first embodiment, showing a state in which the female connector is about to be mated with the male connector at a slight inclination in the left-right direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [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 connector is provided with a male connector and a female connector that can be mated with each other, the male connector having a cylindrical hood portion and a mating groove recessed into the inner surface of the hood portion, with male terminals protruding and arranged within the hood portion, the female connector having a housing that is mated within the hood portion, terminals accommodated in the housing, and an attachment member that is attached by moving in a movement direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction relative to the housing, the attachment member having a front wall portion that covers the front surface of the housing, the front wall portion having an end face facing forward in the movement direction, the housing having a base surface facing forward in the movement direction and a protrusion that protrudes from the base surface and can be mated within the mating groove, the protrusion having a tip portion that protrudes forward beyond the front end of the base surface, the tip portion of the protrusion having an opposing surface that faces the end face of the front wall portion, the opposing surface of the tip portion inclining in a direction away from the end face of the front wall portion as it extends forward.

[0010] If the female connector is tilted relative to the male connector and attempts to mate in a twisting direction, the tip of the protrusion interferes with the open end of the hood, preventing the female connector from mating in the twisting direction. Here, the tip of the protrusion protrudes forward from the front end of the base surface and is positioned opposite the end face of the front wall, reducing the penetration of the female connector (including the front wall) into the hood of the male connector. As a result, a large distance can be secured to avoid interference between the male terminal and the female connector. In particular, because the opposing surface of the tip is inclined forward in a direction away from the end face of the front wall, it is easy to design a shape that prevents contact between the front wall and the tip.

[0011] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, it is preferable that the protrusion has a pair of side surfaces extending in the fore-and-aft direction and is shaped so that the width dimension defined between the pair of side surfaces increases as it protrudes from the base surface, and the mating groove has a pair of groove side surfaces opposing each other in a width direction perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction and the movement direction and is shaped so that the groove width dimension defined between the pair of groove side surfaces increases as it becomes deeper from the inner surface of the hood portion.

[0012] When the female connector is tilted toward the male connector in the downward forward direction, opposite to the direction of movement, the wide upper end portion of the protrusion (the end protruding from the base surface) interferes with the narrow lower end portion of the mating groove (the opening of the mating groove on the inner surface of the hood portion). This prevents the female connector from prying into the male connector even when the female connector (including the front wall portion) is not fully inserted into the hood portion of the male connector.

[0013] (3) In the connector described in (2) above, it is preferable that the plurality of protrusions are arranged on the base surface of the housing in a row in the width direction with their side surfaces facing each other, and that one of the pair of side surfaces of the protrusions is arranged along the movement direction, and the other side surface is inclined in a direction that increases the width dimension relative to the movement direction.

[0014] Since one side of the protrusion is arranged along the direction of movement, the overall width can be reduced even if the protrusion has a wide portion that is inclined in the direction that increases the width. As a result, multiple protrusions can be efficiently arranged on the base surface of the housing.

[0015] (4) In the connector described in (2) or (3) above, it is preferable that the opposing surface of the tip portion is also inclined in a direction receding from one side surface side to the other side surface side with respect to the width direction.

[0016] When the female connector is mated with the male connector in the direction retracting toward the other side, the opposing surface of the tip portion contacts the open end of the hood portion, guiding the protrusion into the mating groove. As a result, the female connector can be brought into a state where it can be mated with the male connector. In particular, the opposing surface of the tip portion is inclined in multiple directions, which allows it to perform various functions and allows the tip portion to be made smaller.

[0017] [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.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> The connector of the first embodiment includes a female connector 10 and a male connector 60 that can be mated with each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the male connector 60 includes a hood portion 61 and male terminals 62 that have portions that protrude into the hood portion 61. As shown in FIG. 3, the female connector 10 includes a housing 11, female terminals 12 accommodated in the housing 11, and an attachment member 13 that is attached to the housing 11. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction of the male connector 60 refers to the forward end of the mating direction of the male connector 60 relative to the female connector 10. The front-to-rear direction of the female connector 10 refers to the forward end of the mating direction of the female connector 10 relative to the male connector 60. The up-to-down direction is based on the up-to-down direction in each drawing except for FIGS. 8 and 12. The symbols X, Y, and Z in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicate the front, right, and up, respectively. The left-to-right direction is based on the left-to-right direction in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this specification, the up-to-down direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the left-to-right direction is synonymous with the width direction. These directional references do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the connector is mounted on a vehicle or the like (not shown).

[0019] (Male connector 60) The hood portion 61 is made of synthetic resin and has a square cylindrical shape that is open at the front. As shown in Fig. 11, the hood portion 61 is fixed by soldering to the circuit board 100 (see Fig. 1) via metal fixing members 63 attached to the left and right sides (Fig. 11 shows only the left fixing member 63).

[0020] 1, hood portion 61 has a locking portion 64 protruding from the middle between the left and right sides of the inner surface (the surface facing downward) of the upper wall. Locking portion 64 engages locking arm 14 (described later) of housing 11, and holds female connector 10 and male connector 60 in a mated state.

[0021] 1, the hood portion 61 has a pair of fitting grooves 65 on the left and right sides of the lock portion 64 on the inner surface of the upper wall. Each fitting groove 65 is recessed into the inner surface of the upper wall. Each fitting groove 65 extends in the front-to-rear direction, with its front end opening at the opening end (opening end surface) of the hood portion 61 and its rear end closed by the rear wall of the hood portion 61.

[0022] Each fitting groove 65 has a groove depth surface 66 at the back in the depth direction of the upper wall. The groove depth surfaces 66 of the fitting grooves 65 are arranged along the left-right direction at the same height position. The fitting groove 65 has a pair of groove side surfaces 67 facing each other in the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the depth direction of the fitting groove 65). Of each groove side surface 67 of the fitting groove 65, one groove side surface 67 is arranged vertically along the up-down direction (depth direction), and the other groove side surface 67 forms a groove inclined surface 68 that is inclined in a direction away from the one groove side surface 67 as it extends downward in the up-down direction. Due to the groove inclined surface 68, the fitting groove 65 is a one-sided dovetail groove in which the groove width dimension in the left-right direction gradually increases as it extends downward from the groove depth surface 66. Of the fitting grooves 65, the adjacent fitting grooves 65 on each of the left and right sides of the locking portion 64 in pairs have groove inclined surfaces 68 on the inner left and right sides facing each other, and one groove side surface 67 on the outer left and right sides facing in opposite directions.

[0023] 1, the hood portion 61 has protruding wall portions 69 at the left-right intermediate portion on the inner surface of the upper wall and at portions on both left and right sides of the locking portion 64 between the locking portion 64 and the fitting groove 65. Each protruding wall portion 69 is plate-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction, with the plate surface facing the left-right direction (see FIG. 11). The front end of each protruding wall portion 69 is located at the open end of the hood portion 61. Each protruding wall portion 69 can be fitted into a receiving groove 15 of the housing 11, which will be described later.

[0024] 9, the hood portion 61 has a plurality of terminal mounting holes 71 penetrating the rear wall in the front-rear direction. The terminal mounting holes 71 are arranged in multiple rows in the vertical direction (three rows in the illustrated example) and in multiple columns in the horizontal direction.

[0025] The male terminals 62 are inserted into the corresponding terminal mounting holes 71 from the rear and mounted therein. The male terminals 62 are made of conductive metal plate and have an elongated pin or tab shape overall. As shown in FIG. 9 , the male terminals 62 have a terminal connection portion 72 that extends in the front-to-rear direction and passes through the terminal mounting holes 71, and a board connection portion 73 that extends downward from the rear end of the terminal connection portion 72. The terminal connection portion 72 has a portion that protrudes into the hood portion 61 and is electrically connected to the mating female terminal 12 when the female connector 10 and the male connector 60 are mated. The lower end of the board connection portion 73 is bent rearward and soldered to the circuit board 100 for electrical connection.

[0026] (female connector 10) 4, the housing 11 is made of synthetic resin and has a square block-shaped housing main body 16 and a flange 27 that projects radially outward from the rear end of the housing main body 16. The top surface of the housing main body 16 is configured as a base surface 17 that faces upward (toward the direction in which the mounting member 13 moves relative to the housing 11). A lock arm 14 is formed to protrude from the base surface 17 of the housing main body 16.

[0027] The housing body 16 has a plurality of cavities 18 extending in the front-to-rear direction. Each cavity 18 is located at a position corresponding to a terminal mounting hole 71 in the hood portion 61, and opens to the front and rear of the housing body 16. As shown in FIG. 3, a lance 19 is formed on the lower surface of the inner wall of each cavity 18, protruding forward. A female terminal 12 is inserted into the cavity 18 from the rear and accommodated therein. The female terminal 12 is locked by the lance 19, and is temporarily prevented from slipping out of the cavity 18 rearward.

[0028] 3 and 4, a retainer insertion hole 21 that extends in the vertical direction and opens to the bottom surface of the housing body 16 is formed in the front-to-rear intermediate portion of the housing body 16. The retainer insertion hole 21 communicates with each of the cavities 18. As shown in FIG. 3, a retainer portion 22 (described later) of the mounting member 13 is inserted into the retainer insertion hole 21 from below. The retainer portion 22 locks the female terminal 12, thereby secondarily preventing the female terminal 12 from slipping out of the cavity 18.

[0029] The female terminal 12 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate. As shown in FIG. 3, the female terminal 12 has a shape that extends in the front-to-rear direction. A rectangular cylindrical box portion 23 is formed at the front end of the female terminal 12. The terminal connection portion 72 of the male terminal 62 is inserted into the box portion 23 when the female connector 10 and the male connector 60 are mated, and comes into conductive contact with a resilient contact portion (not shown) arranged in the box portion 23. The lance 19 is arranged to be engageable on the underside of the box portion 23. The retainer portion 22 is arranged to be engageable at the rear end of the box portion 23. A barrel portion 24 is formed at the rear end of the female terminal 12 and is electrically and mechanically connected to the end portion of the electric wire 90.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4 , the lock arm 14 extends rearward from a base end 25 connected to the front end of the base surface 17 and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction with the base end 25 as a fulcrum. A receiving groove 15 is formed in the left-right intermediate portion of the lock arm 14 to receive a protruding wall portion 69 formed in the left-right intermediate portion of the upper wall of the hood portion 61 in a mated state. The lock arm 14 is divided into left and right halves by the receiving groove 15. The remaining two receiving grooves 15 are formed on the left and right outer sides of the lock arm 14 of the housing 11, respectively. The base end 25 of the lock arm 14 has a portion that protrudes forward beyond the front end of the base surface 17 (the front surface of the housing main body 16). A lock protrusion 26 is formed in the front-rear intermediate portion of the lock arm 14 and can be engaged with a lock portion 64 when the female connector 10 and the male connector 60 are mated. The lock protrusion 26 is divided into left and right halves by the receiving groove 15.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the flange 27 has a back wall 28 that stands up from the base surface 17. The back wall 28 is disposed with its wall surface facing the front-to-rear direction. An arm escape hole 29 is formed through the middle of the back wall 28 from left to right. The rear end of the lock arm 14 is disposed in the arm escape hole 29 of the back wall 28 so as to be displaceable in the up-and-down direction.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the housing 11 has a pair of side walls 31 that protrude forward from each end on both the left and right sides of the housing body 16. Each side wall 31 protrudes forward beyond the front surface of the housing body 16, and is disposed with its wall surface facing in the left-right direction. The space in front of the front surface of the housing body 16 and between the side walls 31 forms an insertion space 32 into which a front wall 38 (see Figure 2), described below, of the mounting member 13 is inserted from below.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4 , each side wall portion 31 is formed with an upper and lower pair of first lower locking receiving portions 33 and first upper locking receiving portions 34. The first upper locking receiving portions 34 are positioned higher than the first lower locking receiving portions 33. A step portion 35 is formed on each of the left and right side surfaces of the housing main body 16 along the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, a pair of second lower locking receiving portions 36 and second upper locking receiving portions 37 are formed on the lower front side, one step down inward on the left and right sides via the step portion 35. The second upper locking receiving portions 37 are positioned higher than the second lower locking receiving portions 36. The first upper locking receiving portions 34 and the first lower locking receiving portions 33 are capable of being locked with a first locking portion 46 (described later) of the mounting member 13. The second upper locking receiving portion 37 and the second lower locking receiving portion 36 are capable of being locked to a second locking portion 45 of the mounting member 13, which will be described later.

[0034] 5, the mounting member 13 is made of synthetic resin and has a front wall 38, a retainer portion 22 disposed rearward of the front wall 38, and a connecting portion 39 connecting the front wall 38 and the retainer portion 22. The mounting member 13 is movable relative to the housing 11 between a temporary locking position and a full locking position, and is held by the housing 11 at both the temporary locking position and the full locking position. The mounting member 13 is configured to be moved upward (forward in the direction of movement) from the temporary locking position to the full locking position (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0035] The front wall portion 38 is a plate-shaped wall with its wall surface facing in the front-rear direction and is fitted into the insertion space 32 in the full locking position. As shown in FIG. 5, the front wall portion 38 is formed with a plurality of terminal insertion holes 41 penetrating in the front-rear direction. When the female connector 10 and the male connector 60 are mated, male terminals 62 are inserted into each terminal insertion hole 41 from the front. As shown in FIG. 3, the female terminals 12 are abutted against the rear surface of the front wall portion 38. The upper end surface of the front wall portion 38 has an end surface 42 extending in the left-right direction. The end surface 42 of the front wall portion 38 is positioned facing upward (toward the direction of movement). As shown in FIG. 2, a left-right intermediate portion of the end surface 42 of the front wall portion 38 is positioned one step lower than both left and right ends. The front end portion of the base end portion 25 of the locking arm 14 is positioned above the left-right intermediate portion of the end surface 42 of the front wall portion 38.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the retainer portion 22 has a square block shape with a thickness in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the retainer portion 22 is fitted into the retainer insertion hole 21 in the full locking position. The retainer portion 22 is formed with a plurality of through holes 43 penetrating in the front-to-rear direction. A female terminal 12 is inserted into each through hole 43. The retainer portion 22 has a retaining portion 44 protruding from the lower surface of the inner wall of each through hole 43. Each retaining portion 44 faces the rear end of the box portion 23 of the female terminal 12 so as to be able to come into contact with it in the full locking position, and locks the female terminal 12 in a retained state. Each retaining portion 44 is also formed on the upper end surface of the retainer portion 22 at a position corresponding to each of the uppermost cavities 18 (see FIG. 5).

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5 , the connecting portions 39 are arranged in pairs at the left and right end portions of the mounting member 13. Each connecting portion 39 is plate-shaped and arranged with its plate surface facing in the left-right direction. The front end of each connecting portion 39 is connected to each of the left and right side surfaces of the front wall portion 38. The rear end of each connecting portion 39 is connected to each of the left and right side surfaces of the retainer portion 22. A second locking portion 45 is formed at the upper end of each connecting portion 39. A first locking portion 46 is formed on each of the left and right side surfaces of the front wall portion 38. The first locking portion 46 locks the first lower locking receiving portion 33, and the second locking portion 45 locks the second lower locking receiving portion 36, thereby preventing the mounting member 13 from slipping out of the housing 11 in the provisionally locked position. The first locking portion 46 locks the first upper locking receiving portion 34, and the second locking portion 45 locks the second upper locking receiving portion 37, thereby preventing the mounting member 13 from coming loose from the housing 11 in the main locking position (see Figure 2).

[0038] 4, a plurality of protrusions 47 are formed on the base surface 17 of the housing main body 16. Each protrusion 47 is rib-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction, and is arranged in a row at multiple positions spaced apart in the left-right direction on the base surface 17. Specifically, each protrusion 47 is arranged in pairs on the left and right sides of the base surface 17, with the lock arm 14 sandwiched between them. Of the protrusions 47, the paired protrusions 47 on each of the left and right sides sandwiching the lock arm 14 are close to each other to form a set (pair) of protrusions 47.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the protrusion 47 has a pair of side surfaces 48 on both the left and right sides facing opposite each other and extending in the front-rear direction, and a protruding end surface 49 facing forward in the direction of protrusion (movement direction) from the base surface 17. As shown in FIG. 8, the rear end of the protrusion 47 is connected to the rear wall portion 28. The front end of the protrusion 47 is located forward of the front end of the base surface 17 (the front surface of the housing main body 16). The protrusion 47 has a tip portion 51 that protrudes forward of the front end of the base surface 17. As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 8, the tip portion 51 has an opposing surface 52 (53) that faces the end surface 42 of the front wall portion 38 from above. The opposing surface 52 (53) of the tip portion 51 is positioned so as to face the insertion space 32 from above.

[0040] 3, the facing surface of the tip portion 51 faces downward and forms a first inclined surface 52 that gradually inclines upward as it extends forward. In other words, the first inclined surface 52 of the tip portion 51 gradually inclines in a direction away from the end surface 42 of the front wall portion 38 as it extends forward. In addition, the lower end of the facing surface 52 (53) of the tip portion 51 is located slightly rearward of the front end of the base surface 17. In other words, the tip portion 51 also includes a portion located above the base surface 17.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7 , one of the side surfaces 48 of the protrusion 47 is disposed vertically in the up-down direction, and the other side surface 48 forms a second inclined surface 54 that is inclined in the up-down direction in a direction away from the one side surface 48 as it extends upward. The second inclined surface 54 is formed over the entire length of the protrusion 47 in the front-to-rear direction, including the tip portion 51. Due to the second inclined surface 54, the protrusion 47 has a one-sided dovetail shape (a shape corresponding to a one-sided dovetail groove) whose width gradually increases from the base end side connected to the base surface 17 toward the protruding end surface 49. Each pair of protrusions 47 has the second inclined surface 54 disposed on the inner left and right sides facing each other, and one side surface 48 disposed on the outer left and right sides facing in opposite directions.

[0042] 8, the opposing surface of the tip portion 51 is not only the first inclined surface 52 but also a third inclined surface 53 that is inclined gradually backward in the left-right direction from one side surface 48 side to the other side surface 48 side (the side having the second inclined surface 54). The tip portions 51 of each pair of protrusions 47 have the third inclined surfaces 53 located on the inner left and right sides facing each other.

[0043] 6 and 7, a chamfered portion 55 is formed over the entire outer edge at the front end of the tip portion 51. Specifically, the chamfered portion 55 is formed between the opposing surfaces 52 (53), which are the edges on both the left and right sides of the tip portion 51, and each side surface 48, and between the opposing surfaces 52 (53), which are the upper edge of the tip portion 51, and the protruding end surface 49.

[0044] (Connector function) When the mounting member 13 is in the temporary locking position, the female terminals 12 connected to the ends of the electric wires 90 are inserted into the respective cavities 18 of the housing body 16 from the rear. After all of the female terminals 12 are accommodated in the corresponding cavities 18, the mounting member 13 is moved upward (in the direction of movement) relative to the housing 11 from the temporary locking position to the full locking position. When the mounting member 13 reaches the full locking position, each connecting portion 39 abuts against the stepped portion 35 of the housing body 16, stopping the upward movement of the mounting member 13 (see FIG. 2). Furthermore, in the full locking position, downward movement of the mounting member 13 is also prevented by the locking action between the first locking portion 46 and the first upper locking portion 34 and the locking action between the second locking portion 45 and the second upper locking portion 37. As shown in FIG. 3, the female terminals 12 are prevented from slipping out of the cavities 18 rearward by the retaining portion 44 of the mounting member 13.

[0045] With the open end of hood portion 61 and front wall portion 38 of mounting member 13 aligned in the left-right direction and female connector 10 facing directly toward hood portion 61 of male connector 60, female connector 10 is inserted into hood portion 61 of male connector 60. This causes each protrusion 47 to fit into the corresponding mating groove 65. This guides female connector 10 into hood portion 61, and mating of female connector 10 and male connector 60 progresses. When female connector 10 is mated to the correct depth within hood portion 61, locking arms 14 engage locking portions 64, and female terminals 12 are electrically connected to male terminals 62 in the correct state.

[0046] In response to this, the female connector 10 may attempt to mate with the hood portion 61 of the male connector 60 in a prying direction inclined from the normal direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the female connector 10 may attempt to mate with the hood portion 61 of the male connector 60 in a prying position (hereinafter referred to as the first position) in which the female connector 10 is tilted downward toward the front, relative to the hood portion 61 of the male connector 60. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, the wide upper end of each protrusion 47 interferes with the narrow lower opening edge of each fitting groove 65, preventing each protrusion 47 from fitting into each fitting groove 65. When each protrusion 47 interferes with the lower opening edge of each fitting groove 65, further mating of the female connector 10 and the male connector 60 can be stopped. Here, because each protrusion 47 does not enter each fitting groove 65, the female connector 10 can enter less into the hood portion 61. As a result, a large distance can be secured between the tip of the male terminal 62 and the female connector 10 to prevent the male terminal 62 from being twisted.

[0047] 11, female connector 10 may attempt to mate with male connector 60 by adopting a prying posture (hereinafter referred to as the second posture) inclined relative to the left-right direction as viewed from above, so that one end of female connector 10 (the right side as viewed from female connector 10) first enters one side of hood portion 61 of male connector 60 (the right side as viewed from male connector 60). In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, tip portion 51 of protrusion 47 partially enters mating groove 65 in an incorrect manner, and tip portion 51 of protrusion 47 interferes with the groove surface of mating groove 65, the open end of hood portion 61, etc., preventing further mating of female connector 10 and male connector 60. Here, tip portion 51 of protrusion 47 is located above end surface 42 of front wall portion 38 and is positioned so as to overlap front wall portion 38 in the front-rear direction, but is not positioned rearward of front wall portion 38. Therefore, tip end 51 of protrusion 47 can enter hood portion 61 together with front wall portion 38 at an early stage when front wall portion 38 enters hood portion 61. This prevents the female connector 10 from prying into male connector 60. When female connector 10 is in the second position, a large distance can be secured between the tips of male terminals 62 and female connector 10, just as in the first position.

[0048] 13, when female connector 10 is in a position slightly tilted in the left-right direction when viewed from above (hereinafter referred to as the third position) and is to be mated with male connector 60, tip end 51 of each projection 47 enters into corresponding mating groove 65, and third inclined surface 53 contacts along the front end opening edge of mating groove 65, causing each projection 47 to fit into each mating groove 65. This corrects female connector 10 from the third position to the correct mating position, and female connector 10 becomes able to mate with male connector 60.

[0049] As described above, the connector of the first embodiment includes a male connector 60 and a female connector 10 that can be mated with each other. The male connector 60 has a cylindrical hood portion 61 and a mating groove 65 recessed into the inner surface of the hood portion 61. Male terminals 62 are disposed protruding within the hood portion 61. The female connector 10 has a housing 11 that is mated within the hood portion 61, terminals housed in the housing 11, and an attachment member 13 that is attached by moving upward (in a movement direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction) relative to the housing 11. The attachment member 13 has a front wall portion 38 that covers the front surface of the housing 11. The front wall portion 38 has an end surface 42 that faces upward (forward in the movement direction). The housing 11 has a base surface 17 that faces upward (forward in the movement direction) and a protrusion 47 that protrudes from the base surface 17 and can be mated with the mating groove 65. The protrusion 47 has a tip 51 that protrudes forward beyond the front end of the base surface 17. The tip 51 of the protrusion 47 has an opposing surface 52 (53) that faces the end surface 42 of the front wall 38. The opposing surface of the tip 51 is inclined in a direction away from the end surface 42 of the front wall 38 as it extends forward. In other words, the opposing surface of the tip 51 forms a first inclined surface 52.

[0050] When female connector 10 is mated with male connector 60 in the first position (see FIG. 9 ) or the second position (see FIG. 11 ), tip 51 of protrusion 47 interferes with the open end of hood portion 61, preventing female connector 10 from mating in the twisting direction. Because tip 51 of protrusion 47 protrudes forward from the front end of base surface 17 and is positioned opposite end face 42 of front wall portion 38, the penetration of female connector 10 (including front wall portion 38) into hood portion 61 of male connector 60 can be reduced. As a result, a large distance can be secured to avoid interference between male terminals 62 and female connector 10. In particular, because the opposing surface of tip 51 has first inclined surface 52 that is inclined forward and away from end face 42 of front wall portion 38, contact between front wall portion 38 and tip 51 can be easily avoided.

[0051] In the first embodiment, the protrusion 47 has a pair of side surfaces 48 extending in the front-rear direction, and is shaped so that the width dimension defined between the pair of side surfaces 48 increases as it protrudes from the base surface 17. The fitting groove 65 has a pair of groove side surfaces 67 facing each other in the left-right direction (the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the movement direction), and is shaped so that the groove width dimension defined between the pair of groove side surfaces 67 increases as it becomes deeper from the inner surface of the hood portion 61.

[0052] 10, when female connector 10 is about to be mated with male connector 60 in the first posture, the wide upper end portion (the end portion in the direction of protrusion from base surface 17) of tip 51 of projection 47 interferes with the narrow lower end portion (the opening of mating groove 65 on the inner surface of hood portion 61) of mating groove 65. Therefore, it is possible to prevent prying mating of female connector 10 with male connector 60 at a stage when female connector 10 (including front wall portion 38) has not yet entered hood portion 61 of male connector 60.

[0053] In the first embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 47 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (width direction) on the base surface 17 of the housing 11 with their side surfaces 48 facing each other. Of the pair of side surfaces 48 of the protrusions 47, one side surface 48 is arranged along the up-down direction (movement direction), and the other side surface 48 is inclined in a direction that increases the width dimension relative to the up-down direction. In other words, the other side surface 48 is configured as a second inclined surface 54.

[0054] Since one side surface 48 of protrusion 47 is arranged along the vertical direction, the overall width dimension can be reduced even if protrusion 47 has a wide portion including second inclined surface 54. As a result, multiple protrusions 47 can be efficiently arranged on base surface 17 of housing 11.

[0055] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, the opposing surface of the tip portion 51 is inclined in the left-right direction (width direction) in a direction receding from one side surface 48 to the other side surface 48. In other words, the opposing surface of the tip portion 51 forms a third inclined surface 53.

[0056] When female connector 10 is about to be mated with male connector 60 in the third posture, third inclined surface 53 comes into contact along the open end of hood portion 61, thereby guiding protrusion 47 into mating groove 65. As a result, female connector 10 can be brought into a state where it can be mated with male connector 60. In particular, the functions of first inclined surface 52 and third inclined surface 53 are concentrated on the opposing surface of tip portion 51, allowing tip portion 51 to be made smaller.

[0057] [Another embodiment of the present disclosure] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In the first embodiment, the facing surface of the tip portion not only forms a first inclined surface that is inclined in a direction away from the end face of the front wall portion as it moves forward, but also forms a third inclined surface that is inclined in a direction receding from one side surface to the other side surface in the width direction. However, in other embodiments, the facing surface of the tip portion may be configured only as the first inclined surface. For example, the third inclined surface may be formed on the side surface adjacent to the facing surface, and in some cases, it may not be formed on the tip portion. In the first embodiment, the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the third inclined surface are all formed to extend linearly. In contrast, in other embodiments, at least one of the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the third inclined surface may be formed to extend curvedly. In the first embodiment, the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the third inclined surface are formed on the entire facing surface of the tip portion, the side surface of the protrusion, and the facing surface of the tip portion, respectively. In contrast, in other embodiments, the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the third inclined surface may be formed so as not to include a portion of the facing surface of the tip portion, the side surface of the protrusion, or the facing surface of the tip portion, respectively. In the first embodiment, the tip of the protrusion protrudes sharply forward. In contrast, in other embodiments, the tip of the protrusion may have a front surface that intersects with the front end of the opposing surface and is disposed along the up-down direction. In the case of the above-mentioned first embodiment, the protrusion has a shape that widens in a tapered manner upward (in the direction in which the protruding end face is located), and the fitting groove has a shape that widens in a tapered manner upward (in the direction in which the groove inner surface is located) so that the protrusion can be fitted in. In contrast to this, according to other embodiments, the protrusion may have a shape in which the upper part widens in a stepped manner relative to the lower part (such as a T-shape or L-shape when viewed from the front), and the fitting groove may have a shape in which the upper part widens in a stepped manner relative to the lower part so that the protrusion can be fitted in. In the first embodiment, the third inclined surface has a shape that slopes back from the side surface that rises vertically to the side surface that has the second inclined surface on the surface facing the tip portion. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the third inclined surface may have a shape that slopes back from the side surface that has the second inclined surface to the side surface that rises vertically to the side surface on the surface facing the tip portion. In the first embodiment, the mounting member has a retainer portion that prevents the female terminal from slipping out of the cavity. However, the mounting member may not have a retainer portion, and the front surface of the housing may be a member that is formed by a front wall portion. For example, the mounting member may be a well-known front mask. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10...Female connector 11. Housing 12...Female terminal 13...Mounting member 14...Lock arm 15...receiving groove 16...Housing body 17...Base surface 18...cavity 19…Lance 21...Retainer insertion hole 22...Retainer part 23…Hakobe 24...Barrel section 25...Proximal end 26...Lock protrusion 27...Flange 28...Back wall part 29...Arm relief hole 31...Side wall 32...insertion space 33...First lower locking receiving portion 34...First upper locking receiving portion 35...Step 36...Second lower locking receiving portion 37...Second upper locking receiving portion 38...Front wall part 39...Connection part 41...Terminal insertion hole 42...End face 43...Through hole 44...Prevention part 45...Second locking part 46...First locking portion 47...Protrusion 48...Side 49...Protruding end surface 51...Tip 52...opposing surface (first inclined surface) 53... Opposing surface (third inclined surface) 54...Second slope 55...Beveled part 60...Male connector 61...Food section 62…Male terminal 63...Fixing member 64...Rock section 65...Mating groove 66…Groove back surface 67…Groove side 68…Groove slope 69... Projection wall 71...Terminal mounting hole 72...Terminal connection part 73...Board connection part 90...Electric wire 100...Circuit board

Claims

1. a male connector and a female connector that are matable with each other; The male connector has a cylindrical hood portion and a fitting groove recessed into the inner surface of the hood portion, A male terminal is disposed protruding from the hood portion, The female connector has a housing fitted into the hood portion, terminals accommodated in the housing, and an attachment member that is attached by moving in a movement direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction relative to the housing, the mounting member has a front wall portion that covers the front surface of the housing, the front wall portion has an end surface facing forward in the movement direction, the housing has a base surface facing forward in the movement direction and a protrusion protruding from the base surface and capable of being fitted into the fitting groove, The protrusion has a tip end that protrudes forward beyond the front end of the base surface, the tip end of the protrusion has an opposing surface that faces the end surface of the front wall portion, A connector, wherein the opposing surface of the tip portion is inclined in a direction away from the end surface of the front wall portion as it extends forward.

2. the protrusion has a pair of side surfaces extending in the front-rear direction, and is shaped so that a width dimension defined between the pair of side surfaces increases as the protrusion protrudes from the base surface, 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the mating groove has a pair of groove side surfaces that face each other in a width direction perpendicular to the forward / backward direction and the movement direction, and is shaped so that the groove width dimension defined between the pair of groove side surfaces increases as the groove becomes deeper from the inner surface of the hood portion.

3. a plurality of the protrusions are arranged on the base surface of the housing in the width direction with the side surfaces facing each other; The connector according to claim 2, wherein one of the pair of side surfaces of the protrusion is arranged along the movement direction, and the other side surface is inclined in a direction that increases the width dimension relative to the movement direction.

4. 4. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the opposing surface of the tip portion is also inclined in a direction receding from one of the side surfaces toward the other of the side surfaces with respect to the width direction.

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