Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that can absorb tolerance in a bolt fastening direction to enable an electric wire-side terminal to be fastened to an instrument-side terminal, even when the electric wire-side terminal is fixed to a housing.SOLUTION: A connector 10, which is configured to be bolt-fastened by a fastening bolt 18 to an instrument-side terminal 16 provided on an on-vehicle instrument 14, comprises an electric wire 28 with a terminal whose electric wire-side terminal 12 is connected to a terminal of an electric wire 20, a housing 22 in which the electric wire-side terminal 12 is housed in a fixed state, and a shield shell 30 attached to the outside of the housing 22 to cover the housing 22 from the outside. The shield shell 30 has a fixing part 190 that is fixed to the on-vehicle instrument 14. The housing 22 can be displaced with respect to the shield shell 30, in a first direction that is a direction in which the electric wire-side terminal 12 is bolt-fastened to the instrument-side terminal 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a wire-side terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and a housing that accommodates the wire-side terminal. This connector is electrically connected to an equipment-side terminal provided in an in-vehicle device by fastening a bolt through an opening in the housing.

[0003] During vehicle manufacturing and maintenance, it is expected that bolt fastening of the device-side terminal and the wire-side terminal will be difficult due to tolerances in the arrangement positions of the on-board equipment and the connector. Therefore, the connector in Patent Document 1 is designed to allow displacement of the wire-side terminal relative to the housing in the bolt fastening direction, absorbing expected tolerances and enabling the wire-side terminal to be bolt fastened to the device-side terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-104837 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, depending on the connector, it may be necessary to fix the wire-side terminal to the housing. In such cases, the flexing of the wire-side terminal must be utilized to absorb the tolerance. In particular, as the thickness of the wire-side terminal increases to accommodate the increasing current of in-vehicle devices in recent years, it becomes difficult to flex the wire-side terminal. As a result, it is considered that the tolerance cannot be effectively absorbed, and it may become difficult to fasten the wire-side terminal to the device-side terminal.

[0006] Therefore, a connector is disclosed that allows the wire-side terminal and the device-side terminal to be fastened together by absorbing the tolerance in the bolt fastening direction even when the wire-side terminal is fixed to the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The connector disclosed herein is a connector configured to be bolted to an equipment-side terminal provided on an in-vehicle device with a fastening bolt, and includes: a terminal-equipped wire in which the wire-side terminal is connected to the end of the wire; a housing in which the wire-side terminal is housed in a fixed state; and a shield shell that is attached to the outside of the housing and covers the housing from the outside, wherein the shield shell has a fixing portion that is fixed to the in-vehicle device, and the housing is displaceable relative to the shield shell in a first direction that is the bolt fastening direction of the wire-side terminal to the equipment-side terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the connector of the present disclosure, even when the wire-side terminal is fixed to the housing, tolerances in the bolt fastening direction can be absorbed, making it possible to fasten the wire-side terminal and the device-side terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to a first embodiment in a connected state with a device-side terminal. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the VV cross section in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a perspective view showing a connector main body constituting the connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7]7 is a perspective view of a vertical cross section of the connector main body shown in FIG. 6, and is a cross section taken along a section corresponding to the IV-IV section in FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is an exploded perspective view of the connector body shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view of the connector main body shown in FIG. 8 in an exploded state, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view showing the connector main body shown in FIG. 9 in a further exploded state. [Figure 11] 11 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view showing a state in which the wire-side terminals in the connector main body shown in FIG. 6 are connected to the device-side terminals and the second opening is covered with a service cover, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the service cover is attached in a state in which the bolt fastening of the wire-side terminal and the device-side terminal in FIG. 11 is not yet completed, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a perspective view showing a first terminal constituting the connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the first terminal and second terminal that constitute the connector shown in Figure 1 in a state where the first contact surface and the second contact surface are overlapped, and is an enlarged view of the main parts. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram for explaining, as a model, the displacement of each of the first and second terminals shown in FIG. 14 due to thermal expansion and thermal contraction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A connector configured to be bolted to an equipment-side terminal provided on an in-vehicle device with a fastening bolt, comprising: a terminal-attached electric wire in which the wire-side terminal is connected to the end of the electric wire; a housing in which the wire-side terminal is housed in a fixed state; and a shield shell attached to the outside of the housing to cover the housing from the outside, wherein the shield shell has a fixing portion fixed to the in-vehicle device, and the housing is displaceable relative to the shield shell in a first direction which is the bolt fastening direction of the wire-side terminal to the equipment-side terminal.

[0011] According to the connector of the present disclosure, the wire-side terminals are accommodated in a fixed state in the housing, but the housing is displaceable relative to the shield shell, which has a fixing portion attached to the exterior of the housing and fixed to the in-vehicle device, in the bolt fastening direction (first direction) of the wire-side terminals and the device-side terminals. As a result, after the connector is mounted on the in-vehicle device and the shield shell is assembled, when the wire-side terminals are bolted to the device-side terminals, the housing displaces in the bolt fastening direction relative to the shield shell fixed to the in-vehicle device, thereby absorbing tolerances in the bolt fastening direction of the wire-side terminals and the device-side terminals. Therefore, according to the connector of the present disclosure, even when the wire-side terminals are fixed to the housing, tolerances in the bolt fastening direction can be absorbed, enabling the wire-side terminals and the device-side terminals to be fastened together.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the housing is also displaceable relative to the shield shell in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Since the housing is also displaceable relative to the shield shell in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, which is the bolt fastening direction, it is possible to absorb the tolerance between the wire-type terminal and the device-side terminal in the direction perpendicular to the bolt fastening direction and enable them to be fastened with the bolt.

[0013] (3) In (2) above, it is preferable that the device further comprises an engaging protrusion provided on one of the housing and the shield shell, and an engaging hole provided on the other of the housing and the shield shell, and that when the shield shell is attached to the housing, the engaging protrusion is accommodated inside the engaging hole, and the inner dimensions of the engaging hole in the first direction and the second direction are larger than the outer dimensions of the engaging protrusion in the first direction and the second direction.

[0014] When the shield shell is attached to the housing, the engagement protrusion is accommodated inside the engagement hole, thereby preventing the shield shell from coming off the housing. Moreover, the inside dimensions of the engagement hole in the first and second directions are larger than the outside dimensions of the engagement protrusion in the first and second directions, so displacement of the housing relative to the shield shell in the first and second directions is permitted. The difference between the inside dimensions of the engagement hole and the outside dimensions of the engagement protrusion in the first and second directions can be set appropriately taking tolerances into consideration.

[0015] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the electric wire with terminal is an aluminum electric wire with terminal in which the electric wire-side terminal is connected to an end of the electric wire containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the electric wire-side terminal includes a first terminal having an electric wire-side fastening portion and containing copper or a copper alloy, and a second terminal connected to the first terminal and containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy and connected to the end of the electric wire, and that the first terminal and the second terminal are fastened to each other with bolts and fixed to the housing with a first contact surface of the first terminal overlapping a second contact surface of the second terminal.

[0016] The use of an aluminum electric wire with terminal as the terminal-attached electric wire contributes to the weight reduction of the connector. Additionally, the wire-side terminal includes a first terminal having a wire-side fastening portion made of copper or copper alloy, and a second terminal connected to the first terminal and connected to the end of an aluminum or aluminum alloy electric wire. Furthermore, the first and second terminals are fastened together with a bolt, with the first contact surface of the first terminal overlapping the second contact surface of the second terminal. This allows a connector equipped with an aluminum electric wire with terminal to be connected to a copper or copper alloy device-side terminal installed in an in-vehicle device as a wire-side terminal made of the same metal. In particular, the first and second terminals are fastened together with a bolt and fixed to the housing. This allows the large contact pressure generated by the axial force of the bolt to destroy the oxide film on the second contact surface of the aluminum or aluminum alloy second terminal, maintaining a good connection between the first and second terminals. Furthermore, even if the connector needs to be removed from the on-board device during subsequent maintenance, there is no need to release the fastening between the first terminal and the second terminal, which advantageously prevents the second contact surface of the second terminal from being exposed to the atmosphere, forming an oxide film and increasing the conduction resistance.In addition, even if the wire-side terminal is accommodated in the housing in a fixed state to achieve the above-mentioned effect, the displacement of the housing relative to the shield shell can absorb tolerances in the bolt fastening direction, allowing the wire-side terminal and the device-side terminal to be fastened together.

[0017] (5) In the above (4), it is preferable that a plurality of cone-shaped protrusions are formed on the first contact surface. In a structure in which a first terminal containing copper or a copper alloy and a second terminal containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy are connected by bolting, a plurality of cone-shaped protrusions are formed on the first contact surface of the first terminal. Because the first terminal is harder than the second terminal, the cone-shaped protrusions on the first contact surface easily penetrate into the second contact surface when the first terminal and the second terminal are bolted together. Therefore, if an oxide film is formed on the second contact surface, the cone-shaped protrusions can break through the oxide film and contact the second contact surface, reliably ensuring electrical continuity between the first terminal and the second terminal. Moreover, by the copper or copper alloy cone-shaped protrusions penetrating into the second contact surface of the aluminum or aluminum alloy, a contact area can be advantageously secured, thereby reducing initial contact resistance.

[0018] In addition, even when the first and second terminals are displaced relative to each other due to thermal expansion and contraction caused by the effects of heat when mounted on a vehicle, the tip of the cone-shaped protrusion of the first terminal easily follows the second contact surface by digging into it, remaining in contact with the second contact surface. This effectively maintains the contact state between the cone-shaped protrusion of the first terminal and the second contact surface, preventing problems such as a reduction in contact point due to sliding at the contact interface between the first and second terminals caused by thermal expansion and contraction, or the formation of an oxide film due to re-exposure of the contact interface.

[0019] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0020] <Embodiment 1> A connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15. This connector 10 is installed in, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and is configured so that wire-side terminals 12 provided on the connector 10 and device-side terminals 16 provided on a mating in-vehicle device (part of which is shown as a mating housing 14) are fastened together by fastening bolts 18. The wire-side terminals 12 and the device-side terminals 16 are connected by bolt fastening, thereby electrically connecting the in-vehicle device (not shown) on the connector 10 side to the mating in-vehicle device. The connector 10 can be positioned in any orientation within a vehicle. In the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 3, the left side as the upper side in FIG. 2, the right side as the lower side in FIG. 2, the front side as the left side in FIG. 2, and the rear side as the right side in FIG. 2. The up-down direction may be referred to as a first direction, and the left-right direction perpendicular to the up-down direction as a second direction. Furthermore, in the case of multiple identical components, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the components, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other components.

[0021] <Connector 10> The connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a terminal-attached electric wire in which a wire-side terminal 12 is connected to an end of a covered electric wire 20 serving as an electric wire, a housing 22 in which the wire-side terminal 12 is accommodated, an inner housing 24 accommodated inside the housing 22, and a fastening bolt 18 accommodated inside the housing 22. In the first embodiment, a core wire 26 constituting the covered electric wire 20 is a single-core wire made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the electric wire with terminal is configured as an aluminum electric wire with terminal 28. That is, the electric wire with terminal is an aluminum electric wire with terminal 28 in which the wire-side terminal 12 is connected to the end of the covered electric wire 20 containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

[0022] As described above, the connector 10 is configured to be fastened to the device-side terminals 16 provided on the in-vehicle device (mating housing 14) with fastening bolts 18. The wire-side terminals 12 in the connector 10 are fixedly accommodated in a housing 22. The connector 10 also includes a shield shell 30 that is attached to the outside of the housing 22 and covers the housing 22 from the outside. The connector 10 includes a connector main body 31 shown in FIG. 6 and other figures. After the wire-side terminals 12 and the device-side terminals 16 in the connector main body 31 are fixed with the fastening bolts 18, a service cover 126 is attached to the connector main body 31 as described below, thereby completing the connector 10 and connecting the wire-side terminals 12 and the device-side terminals 16.

[0023] <Wire side terminal 12> The wire-side terminal 12 has a wire-side fastening portion 32 that is fastened to the device-side terminal 16 with a bolt. The wire-side fastening portion 32 is provided with a wire-side bolt insertion hole 34 through which the fastening bolt 18 is inserted. In the first embodiment, the wire-side terminal 12 includes a first terminal 36 that has the wire-side fastening portion 32 and contains copper or a copper alloy, and a second terminal 38 that is connected to the first terminal 36 and contains aluminum or an aluminum alloy and is connected to an end of the insulated wire 20.

[0024] In particular, in the first embodiment, the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are connected in the front-rear direction, and the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are fastened together by a bolt 44 with the first contact surface 40 of the first terminal 36 and the second contact surface 42 of the second terminal 38 overlapping each other. Specifically, the first contact surface 40 is provided on the upper surface of the rear end of the first terminal 36, and the second contact surface 42 is provided on the lower surface of the front end of the second terminal 38.

[0025] <1st terminal 36> As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the first terminal 36 is a strip-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction as a whole, and is made of copper or a copper alloy as described above. The first terminal 36 has a predetermined thickness, width (left-right dimension), and length (front-rear dimension). In the first embodiment, the middle portion of the first terminal 36 in the longitudinal direction is bent in a crank shape, and both ends (front and rear ends) of the first terminal 36 in the longitudinal direction each extend in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the up-down direction), and the middle portion of the first terminal 36 in the longitudinal direction extends in the up-down direction. As a result, the rear end of the first terminal 36 is located higher than the front end.

[0026] More specifically, the rear end of the first terminal 36 is substantially rectangular in plan view, and this rear end of the first terminal 36 constitutes the first connection portion 46 to which the second terminal 38 is connected as described above. A first bolt insertion hole 48, through which the bolt 44 is inserted, is formed in the center of the first connection portion 46, penetrating the first connection portion 46 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The portion of the upper surface of the first connection portion 46 surrounding the first bolt insertion hole 48 constitutes a first contact surface 40 that overlaps and comes into contact with the second terminal 38. In other words, the first contact surface 40 is provided to surround the periphery of the first bolt insertion hole 48.

[0027] The front end of the first terminal 36 is substantially rectangular in plan view, and constitutes the wire-side fastening portion 32 that is bolted to the device-side terminal 16. The wire-side bolt insertion hole 34 is formed in the center of the wire-side fastening portion 32, penetrating the wire-side fastening portion 32 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The device-side terminal 16 and the first terminal 36 (wire-side terminal 12) are fixed to each other by a fastening bolt 18 inserted into the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34. The device-side terminal 16 and the wire-side fastening portion 32 are arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction, with a lower surface 49 of the wire-side fastening portion 32 being a first surface that overlaps with the device-side terminal 16 and an upper surface 50 on the opposite side being a second surface. The first connecting portion 46 and the wire-side fastening portion 32 are connected by a vertical extending portion 51 that extends in the vertical direction.

[0028] <1st contact surface 40> As described above, the portion of the upper surface of the first connecting portion 46 surrounding the first bolt insertion hole 48 constitutes the first contact surface 40. A conical-projection forming region 52, in which a plurality of conical projections 54 (described later) are formed, is defined in a longitudinally intermediate portion and a laterally intermediate portion of the first contact surface 40. Because the first bolt insertion hole 48 is formed in a central portion of the first connecting portion 46, the first bolt insertion hole 48 is formed in a central portion of the conical-projection forming region 52. In other words, the conical-projection forming region 52 is provided around the first bolt insertion hole 48. In the first embodiment, as described later, the conical projections 54 have a square pyramid shape, and the bottom surfaces 56 constituting the conical projections 54 are square in plan view. The plurality of conical projections 54 are aligned in the longitudinal and lateral directions, and in the first embodiment, the conical-projection forming region 52 is substantially square in plan view. At least the first contact surface 40 of the first terminal 36 may be provided with a known plating such as silver plating, and for example, tin plating can be preferably employed.

[0029] <pyramid process 54> A plurality of pyramidal protrusions 54 are formed in the pyramidal-protrusion forming region 52 on the first contact surface 40. Each pyramidal protrusion 54 has approximately the same shape, and each pyramidal protrusion 54 is a square pyramid. In the first embodiment, the plurality of pyramidal protrusions 54 are arranged in a lattice pattern, i.e., aligned in the front-rear and left-right directions, and each pyramidal protrusion 54 is a regular square pyramid. In other words, the bottom surface 56 of each pyramidal protrusion 54 is square in plan view, and the vertex 58 is located above the intersection of two diagonals of this square. Of the surfaces constituting each pyramidal protrusion 54, four side surfaces 60 other than the bottom surface 56 are isosceles triangular. Furthermore, four ridge lines 62 extend from the vertex 58 toward the four corners of the bottom surface 56 as lines constituting these side surfaces 60, and each ridge line 62 is equal in length. Therefore, in a plan view, the ridge lines 62 are arranged at equal intervals (every 90 degrees) in the circumferential direction around the central axis of each pyramidal protrusion 54 that passes through the vertex 58 and extends in the up-down direction.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 14 , in the first embodiment, the bottom surface 56 of each conical protrusion 54 is located lower in the vertical direction than the portion of the first contact surface 40 other than the conical-protrusion-forming region 52 (the portion of the first contact surface 40 surrounding the conical-protrusion-forming region 52). That is, in the first embodiment, the upper portion of each conical protrusion 54 protrudes above the first contact surface 40. Also, as shown in FIG. 14 , in a vertical cross section passing through the vertex 58 of each conical protrusion 54, two ridge lines 62, 62 intersect at a predetermined angle α. This intersection angle α is not limited to, but can be set within the range of 45°≦α≦120°, for example. In the first embodiment, the intersection angle α is 90°. Note that each vertex 58 may have a somewhat rounded arc shape in the vertical cross section, but is preferably sharp. 13 and 14 , among the conical protrusions 54 aligned in the front-rear and left-right directions, a valley 64 is formed between adjacent conical protrusions 54, 54, which is recessed relative to each conical protrusion 54. In the first embodiment, the bottom surface of this valley 64 is a curved surface with an R-shape, but it may also be a V-shaped inclined surface or a flat surface extending horizontally. The method for forming the first terminal 36 having the conical protrusions 54 shaped as described above is not limited, and it may be formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate made of copper or a copper alloy.

[0031] <2nd terminal 38> The second terminal 38 is formed integrally with the core wire 26 constituting the coated electric wire 20. In the first embodiment, the core wire 26 is a single-core wire made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and this core wire 26 is covered with an insulating coating 66 made of a synthetic resin or the like. That is, the insulating coating 66 is stripped from the end (front end portion) of the single-core wire containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy, exposing the core wire 26, and the second terminal 38 is configured at the front end portion of this exposed core wire 26. Particularly the front end portion of this second terminal 38 is a second connection portion 68 to which the first connection portion 46 of the first terminal 36 is connected. The second connection portion 68 is a substantially rectangular region in a plan view. A second bolt insertion hole 70, through which the aforementioned bolt 44 is inserted, is formed in the center of the second connection portion 68 so as to penetrate the second connection portion 68 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The portion of the underside of second connecting portion 68 surrounding second bolt insertion hole 70 is second contact surface 42 that overlaps and contacts first terminal 36. In other words, second contact surface 42 is provided surrounding the periphery of second bolt insertion hole 70.

[0032] In the first embodiment, the second contact surface 42 is a flat surface extending horizontally before being overlapped with the first terminal 36. As shown in FIG. 14 , when the first contact surface 40 and the second contact surface 42 are overlapped and the bolt 44 is fastened, the conical protrusions 54 protruding from the first contact surface 40 are engaged with the second contact surface 42. After the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are fastened, the second contact surface 42 is formed with accommodating recesses 72 having shapes that generally correspond to the conical protrusions 54. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the overlapping portion between the first contact surface 40 and the second contact surface 42, particularly the rear portions of the first bolt insertion hole 48 and the second bolt insertion hole 70. When the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are fastened, the conical protrusions 54 are deformed to some extent by the second contact surface 42, so that the accommodating recesses 72 may not have a clearly pointed shape. Since aluminum is a highly reactive metal, when the second terminal 38 is exposed to the atmosphere, an oxide film 73 is formed on the surface of the second terminal 38, including the second contact surface 42, as shown in Figure 15, which will be described later.

[0033] The first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38, which are shaped as described above, have their first contact surfaces 40 and second contact surfaces 42 overlapping with each other, thereby vertically communicating the first bolt insertion hole 48 and the second bolt insertion hole 70. Then, bolts 44 are inserted into the first bolt insertion hole 48 and the second bolt insertion hole 70 and fastened with nuts 74, thereby fixing the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 to each other. This completes the terminal-fitted aluminum electric wire 28. The nut 74 is disposed overlapping the underside of the first connection portion 46 of the first terminal 36, and in the first embodiment, the nut 74 is fixedly supported by the housing 22 that accommodates the wire-side terminal 12 (the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38). Therefore, the terminal-fitted aluminum electric wire 28 is fixed to the housing 22 by fastening the bolts.

[0034] <In-vehicle device (mating housing 14) and device-side terminal 16> The device-side terminals 16 to which the wire-side terminals 12 are connected are provided in an in-vehicle device that includes a mating housing 14. That is, a portion of the surface of the in-vehicle device is the mating housing 14 shown in FIG. 1 and other figures. The mating housing 14 is formed, for example, from metal and includes a base plate 76 that extends horizontally (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction). The base plate 76 is formed with a connector mounting hole 78 into which the lower portion of the connector 10 of the first embodiment is inserted and mounted, the connector mounting hole 78 penetrating the base plate 76 in the up-down direction. In a plan view, the connector mounting hole 78 has an elliptical shape that is longer in the front-to-rear direction than in the left-to-right direction. A generally cylindrical mating peripheral wall 80 that protrudes downward is provided on the periphery of the connector mounting hole 78 in the base plate 76, and the connector mounting hole 78 is configured to include an inner hole in the mating peripheral wall 80. In embodiment 1, a pair of connector mounting holes 78, 78 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction in the mating housing 14 so that a pair of connectors 10, 10 can be connected to the mating housing 14 (in-vehicle equipment), but Figure 1 etc. shows a state in which the connector 10 is connected only to the right-side connector mounting hole 78.

[0035] In the first embodiment, the device-side terminal 16 is formed of, for example, a metal bus bar, and a bolt fastening hole 82 penetrating in the vertical direction is formed at the tip end (rear end) of the device-side terminal 16 extending rearward from inside the in-vehicle device. The bolt fastening hole 82 is formed with, for example, a female thread so that a threaded portion 90 (described later) of a fastening bolt 18 that secures the device-side terminal 16 and the wire-side terminal 12 (wire-side fastening portion 32) can be screwed into the bolt fastening hole 82. The device-side terminal 16 extends rearward below the mating housing 14, and the bolt fastening hole 82 provided at the tip end of the device-side terminal 16 is located inside the connector mounting hole 78 in a plan view.

[0036] Furthermore, in the base plate portion 76 of the mating housing 14, fixed portions 84 are provided around the respective connector mounting holes 78, to which later-described fixing portions 190 provided on the shield shell 30 are fixed. In the first embodiment, as the fixed portions 84, bolt fastening holes 84a are formed in the front portion of the base plate portion 76, into which bolts (not shown) are fastened when the base plate portion 76 is superimposed on the shield shell 30, and positioning pins 84b are provided in the rear portion of the base plate portion 76, which are inserted into the shield shell 30 to position the shield shell 30. Furthermore, positioning protrusions 86 that protrude upward and position the shield shell 30 are provided between the respective connector mounting holes 78 in the base plate portion 76 (in the central portion of the base plate portion 76 in the left-right direction).

[0037] <Fastening bolt 18> The wire-side terminal 12 (wire-side fastening portion 32) and the appliance-side terminal 16 are fastened together by a fastening bolt 18. The fastening bolt 18 has a known shape and includes a bolt head 88 and a threaded portion 90 that protrudes downward from the bolt head 88. The bolt head 88 is covered with an insulating cap 92 made of synthetic resin as an insulating coating. The insulating cap 92 is generally cylindrical overall, and is fixed to the bolt head 88. That is, the fastening bolt 18 and the insulating cap 92 can be fixed together by, for example, being formed integrally or press-fitted. The insulating cap 92 has a central portion 94 to which a fastening tool (not shown) for fastening the fastening bolt 18 is attached, and a flange portion 96 that extends outward from the central portion 94.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the outer diameter of the bolt head 88 is larger than the inner diameter of the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34 in the wire-side fastening portion 32, and therefore the outer diameter of a flange portion 96 located on the outer peripheral side of the bolt head 88 is also larger than the inner diameter of the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34. As a result, when the threaded portion 90 of the fastening bolt 18 is inserted into the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34, the bolt head 88 and the flange portion 96 engage with the periphery of the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34, so that the bolt head 88 rests on the upper surface 50, which is the second surface of the wire-side fastening portion 32. In addition, as will be described later, the flange portion 96 has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of a third opening 152 in the inner housing 24.

[0039] <Housing 22> The wire-side terminals 12 (first terminals 36 and second terminals 38) and the fastening bolts 18 are accommodated in a housing 22. The housing 22 includes a housing main body 97 and a service cover 126 that is attached to an upper opening 106 of the housing main body 97, which will be described later. The wire-side terminals 12 and the fastening bolts 18 are accommodated in the housing main body 97. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 , the housing main body 97 includes a substantially cylindrical wire insertion tube portion 98 that extends in the front-rear direction as a whole and through which the insulated wire 20 is inserted, and a substantially cylindrical bolt fastening tube portion 100 that extends in the up-down direction as a whole and through which the wire-side terminals 12 and the appliance-side terminals 16 can be fastened together with bolts. The wire insertion tube portion 98 and the bolt fastening tube portion 100 are connected in the front-rear direction, and the bolt fastening tube portion 100 is integrally formed in front of the wire insertion tube portion 98. In other words, the front opening 102 of the wire insertion cylindrical portion 98 opens in the vertically middle portion of the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100. The wire insertion cylindrical portion 98 has the front opening 102 and a rear opening 104 that opens to the rear, and the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100 has an upper opening 106 and a lower opening 108 that open to the top and bottom, respectively.

[0040] Furthermore, in the housing main body 97, when the first terminal 36 is fixed inside and the threaded portion 90 of the fastening bolt 18 is inserted into the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34, the first surface (lower surface 49) of the wire-side fastening portion 32, on which the apparatus-side terminal 16 is placed, and the threaded portion 90 are exposed from the lower opening 108. As a result, in the housing main body 97, the lower opening 108 forms a first opening that exposes the lower surface 49 and the threaded portion 90 of the wire-side fastening portion 32. Furthermore, in the housing main body 97, the upper opening 106 forms a second opening that is arranged opposite in the vertical direction to the second surface (upper surface 50) of the wire-side fastening portion 32, which is the surface opposite the lower surface 49, and through which a fastening tool (not shown) for fastening the fastening bolt 18 can be inserted.

[0041] In the first embodiment, both the upper opening 106 and the lower opening 108 have a generally oval shape in a plan view, with the front-to-rear dimension being larger than the left-to-right dimension. In particular, in the first embodiment, the front-to-rear dimension of the upper opening 106 is larger than that of the lower opening 108. Specifically, the front ends of the upper opening 106 and the lower opening 108 are positioned generally equal to each other in the front-to-rear direction, and the rear end of the upper opening 106 is located further rearward than the rear end of the lower opening 108. As a result, at the front end portion of the housing main body 97, a front wall portion 109 that constitutes the front portion of the peripheral wall of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 extends generally straight.

[0042] More specifically, the upper portion of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100 extends substantially straight in the vertical direction with an inner diameter substantially equal to that of the upper opening 106, while the lower portion of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100 extends substantially straight in the vertical direction with an inner diameter substantially equal to that of the lower opening 108. As a result, a stepped wall portion 110 that extends horizontally is provided in the vertically middle portion of the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100. Note that the front opening 102 of the wire insertion cylindrical portion 98 opens above the stepped wall portion 110 (at the upper portion of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100), and the nut 74 described above is fixedly provided on the stepped wall portion 110. As will be described later, the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are fixed by the bolt 44 at the position where the nut 74 is disposed, and therefore the bolt fastening region of the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 is exposed upward through the upper opening 106. Without limitation, the housing body 97 may be formed as a single piece with the nut 74, for example.

[0043] Furthermore, the housing main body 97 is provided with an engagement protrusion 112 that engages with an engagement hole 184 (described later) in the shield shell 30. In the first embodiment, a pair of engagement protrusions 112, 112 that protrude forward are provided at a vertically intermediate portion of the outer circumferential surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each of these engagement protrusions 112 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a predetermined length. In addition, an annular seal member 114 made of an elastic material such as rubber is fitted and fixed onto the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100.

[0044] At the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100, on both left and right sides, engaged portions 116 protrude inward in the left and right direction. These engaged portions are engaged with front engaging portions 160 serving as engaging portions of the inner housing 24 when the inner housing 24 is assembled to the housing main body 97, as described below. Furthermore, at the rear end portion of the housing main body 97, i.e., at the rear end portion of the peripheral wall that constitutes the wire insertion cylindrical portion 98, a pair of locking holes 118 are formed on both up and down sides. Each of these locking holes 118 is formed penetrating through the rear end portion of the peripheral wall that constitutes the wire insertion cylindrical portion 98 in the thickness direction.

[0045] As described above, the insulated electric wire 20 is inserted into the electric wire insertion tube portion 98. Here, an annular seal member 120 made of an elastic material such as rubber is fitted onto the longitudinal middle portion of the insulated electric wire 20. When the insulated electric wire 20 is inserted into the electric wire insertion tube portion 98, the seal member 120 is press-fitted into the rear opening 104 of the electric wire insertion tube portion 98, thereby liquid-tightly sealing the rear opening 104 of the electric wire insertion tube portion 98. In addition, a back retainer 122 that prevents the seal member 120 from falling off is attached to the electric wire insertion tube portion 98 behind the seal member 120. The back retainer 122 has a generally annular shape, and is fitted onto the insulated electric wire 20 and inserted into the peripheral wall portion of the electric wire insertion tube portion 98. Locking protrusions 124 that protrude outward (outward in the up-down direction) are provided on both vertical sides of the back retainer 122, and each locking protrusion 124 is engaged with a corresponding locking hole 118 provided at the rear end portion of the electric wire insertion tube portion 98, thereby attaching the back retainer 122 to the rear opening 104 of the electric wire insertion tube portion 98. Then, the aluminum electric wire with terminal 28 is inserted and fixed to the housing main body 97, and the sealing members 114, 120 and back retainer 122 are assembled to form a housing assembly 125 as shown in Figures 8, 9, etc.

[0046] <Service Cover 126> As described above, the housing 22 also includes a service cover 126 that is assembled to cover the second opening (upper opening 106). As shown in Fig. 11 and other figures, the service cover 126 has a lid portion 128 that covers the upper opening 106, and an abnormality detection protrusion 130 that protrudes downward from the lid portion 128 toward the fastening bolt 18.

[0047] Specifically, the lid portion 128 has a generally cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction and has a predetermined vertical dimension. The outer shape of the lid portion 128 generally corresponds to the upper opening 106 in a plan view and is an elliptical shape with a larger front-to-rear dimension than the left-to-right dimension. A generally plate-shaped reinforcing rib 131 extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided inside the lid portion 128. An annular flange 132 protruding outward is provided at the upper end of the lid portion 128. When the lid portion 128 (service cover 126) is assembled to the upper opening 106, the flange 132 is configured to overlap the upper end surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 along its entire circumference. An annular seal member 134 made of an elastic material such as rubber is fitted onto the outer periphery of the lid portion 128. When the service cover 126 is assembled to the upper opening 106, the seal member 134 fluid-tightly seals the upper opening 106.

[0048] A cover plate 136 is placed on top of the cover 128 from above, and the cover 128 and cover plate 136 are fixed together with screws 138. The cover plate 136 has an oval shape that roughly corresponds to an upper opening 180 (described later) in the shield shell 30, and is made of metal. As a result, by assembling the service cover 126 to the upper opening 106 in the connector body 31, the flange 132 is placed on the upper end surface of the periphery of the upper opening 106, and the outer peripheral edge of the cover plate 136 is placed on the upper end surface of the periphery of the upper opening 180.

[0049] The cover plate portion 136 has bolt insertion holes 139 formed at two locations spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, through which bolts 186 (described later) are inserted to fix the service cover 126 to the shield shell 30. Furthermore, the cover portion 128 has positioning pins 140 protruding upward at two locations spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, and the cover plate portion 136 has positioning holes 142 through which the positioning pins 140 are inserted at positions corresponding to the positioning pins 140. As a result, when the cover plate portion 136 is superimposed on the cover portion 128, the positioning pins 140 are inserted into the positioning holes 142, thereby positioning the cover portion 128 and the cover plate portion 136 relative to each other, and this makes it easy to fasten the screws 138.

[0050] <Abnormality detection protrusion 130> The abnormality detection protrusion 130 is formed integrally with the lid portion 128 and protrudes downward from the front portion of the lid portion 128. The abnormality detection protrusion 130 is a generally cylindrical portion overall, and has an outer diameter dimension that allows it to be inserted into an inner bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148 (described below) of the inner housing 24, and a predetermined vertical dimension. In the first embodiment, the outer diameter dimension of the abnormality detection protrusion 130 gradually decreases from top to bottom. In particular, the protruding end portion (lower end portion) of the abnormality detection protrusion 130 is provided with an annular step portion 144, and the lower end portion of the abnormality detection protrusion 130 is provided with an abutment portion 146 that has a smaller diameter than the remaining portions. As also shown in Figure 4, the outer diameter dimension of the step portion 144 is larger than the inner diameter dimension (inner diameter dimension of the third opening 152) of the first cover wall 150 provided in the inner bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148, and the outer diameter dimension of the abutment portion 146 is smaller than the inner diameter dimension of the first cover wall 150 (third opening 152).

[0051] 4, when the service cover 126 is attached to the upper opening 106 after the fastening bolts 18 have been fastened, the stepped portion 144 of the abnormality detection projection 130 abuts against the peripheral edge of the third opening 152 in the first covering wall 150 of the inner bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148, or faces it across a small gap in the vertical direction. Also, the abutting portion 146 at the lower end of the abnormality detection projection 130 enters the third opening 152 in the first covering wall 150 and abuts against the upper end of the fastening bolt 18, or faces it across a small gap in the vertical direction.

[0052] On the other hand, if the fastening bolt 18 is not fully tightened, for example, if the fastening bolt 18 is forgotten to be tightened, the fastening bolt 18 is free within the small diameter cylindrical portion 154 at the lower end of the inner bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148, as will be described later, and the tip (lower end) of the threaded portion 90 of the fastening bolt 18 abuts against the peripheral portion of the upper opening of the bolt fastening hole 82 of the device-side terminal 16, causing the fastening bolt 18 to be displaced upward within the small diameter cylindrical portion 154. As a result, the flange portion 96 of the insulating cap 92 covering the bolt head 88 of the fastening bolt 18 abuts against the peripheral portion of the third opening 152 in the first covering wall 150 from below, and the central portion 94 of the insulating cap 92 protrudes upward beyond the first covering wall 150 through the third opening 152. In this state, if an attempt is made to assemble the service cover 126 to the upper opening 106, the abutment 146 provided at the lower end of the abnormality detection protrusion 130 will abut (interfere with) the upper end of the fastening bolt 18, preventing further assembly and preventing the lid portion 128 and the lid plate portion 136 from abutting against the upper end surfaces at the peripheries of the upper opening 106 and the upper opening 180. This causes the service cover 126 to float upward from the upper opening 106 and the upper opening 180, allowing the worker to know that the fastening of the fastening bolt 18 has not been completed.

[0053] <Inner Housing 24> As described above, the inner housing 24 is a component accommodated in the housing 22, and in particular, is accommodated in the housing main body 97 of the housing 22. The inner housing 24 is a component extending in the front-rear direction as a whole and is made of insulating synthetic resin. The inner housing 24 has, in its front portion, an inner bolt fastening tubular portion 148 that is substantially cylindrical and extends in the up-down direction. The inner bolt fastening tubular portion 148 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and when the inner housing 24 is accommodated in the housing main body 97 as described below, the inner bolt fastening tubular portion 148 is arranged in the front-rear direction between the front wall portion 109 of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 and the up-down extending portion 51 of the first terminal 36.

[0054] The inner housing 24 also has a first covering wall 150 that covers the upper surface 50, which is the second surface of the wire-side fastening portion 32, from the second opening (upper opening 106) side of the housing 22 (housing main body 97), and a third opening 152 that penetrates the first covering wall 150. Specifically, the inner circumferential surface of the lower part of the inner-side bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148 is provided with the substantially annular first covering wall 150 that protrudes inward, and the inner hole of this first covering wall 150 forms the third opening 152. As described above, the inner-side bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148 is disposed between the front wall portion 109 of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 100 and the vertical extending portion 51 of the first terminal 36 in the front-rear direction, and therefore the inner-side bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148 is disposed above the wire-side fastening portion 32 of the first terminal 36. Therefore, the upper surface 50, which is the second surface of the wire-side fastening portion 32, is covered from above by the first covering wall 150 that protrudes inward from the inner-side bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148. In other words, the first covering wall 150 of the inner housing 24 prevents the upper surface 50 of the wire-side fastening portion 32 from being exposed from the upper opening 106.

[0055] As will be described later, the bolt head 88 of the fastening bolt 18 and the insulating cap 92 are disposed vertically between a first cover wall 150 of the inner housing 24 and the wire-side fastening portion 32 of the first terminal 36. A third opening 152 penetrating the first cover wall 150 in the thickness direction (vertical direction) is formed in the central portion of the first cover wall 150, and this third opening 152 exposes the bolt head 88 and a portion (particularly, the central portion 94) of the insulating cap 92 toward the second opening (upper opening 106). The third opening 152 in the inner housing 24 has an inner diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of a flange portion 96 of the insulating cap 92. As a result, the flange portion 96 engages with the periphery of the third opening 152, preventing the fastening bolt 18 from separating from the first cover wall 150.

[0056] The first cover wall 150 is provided at a position spaced a predetermined distance above the lower end of the inner-side bolt fastening tubular portion 148. The portion of the inner-side bolt fastening tubular portion 148 below the first cover wall 150 has a smaller diameter than the portion above the first cover wall 150. In other words, the lower portion of the inner-side bolt fastening tubular portion 148 below the first cover wall 150 defines a small-diameter tubular portion 154 whose diameter is smaller than the portion above the first cover wall 150. This small-diameter tubular portion 154 has a predetermined vertical dimension. When the inner housing 24 is accommodated in the housing main body 97, the lower end of the inner-side bolt fastening tubular portion 148 abuts against the upper surface 50 of the wire-side fastening portion 32 or is spaced slightly above it. As described above, the fastening bolt 18 is prevented from coming off upward through the third opening 152, and therefore, before the fastening bolt 18 is tightened, the fastening bolt 18 is disposed freely on the inner peripheral side of the small diameter cylindrical portion 154. In other words, before the fastening bolt 18 is tightened, the fastening bolt 18 can be displaced in the vertical direction by the amount of the vertical dimension of the small diameter cylindrical portion 154.

[0057] The inner housing 24 also has a second cover wall 156 that extends rearward from a rear portion of the upper end of the inner-side bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148. This second cover wall 156 is formed to a length that reaches the rear end of the upper opening 106 when the inner housing 24 is accommodated in the housing main body 97 (when the front engaging portions 160 and the rear engaging portions 164, which will be described later, are engaged with both left and right ends of the engaged portions 116 and the first connecting portion 46, respectively). As a result, the second cover wall 156 covers the bolt fastening region between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 from the second opening (upper opening 106) side of the housing main body 97. In the first embodiment, the second cover wall 156 extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction.

[0058] Further, on both left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion constituting the inner-side bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148, front elastic pieces 158 are provided to protrude upward and be elastically deformable in the radial direction (left and right direction) of the inner-side bolt fastening cylindrical portion 148. A generally claw-shaped front engaging portion 160 is provided at the protruding end (upper end) of each front elastic piece 158 and protrudes outward in the left and right direction as an engaging portion. When the inner housing 24 is accommodated in the housing main body 97, as shown in FIG. 7 , each front engaging portion 160 engages with a corresponding engaged portion 116 provided on the inner surface of the housing main body 97 from below. Similarly, rear elastic pieces 162 are provided to protrude downward and be elastically deformable in the left and right direction on both left and right sides of a central portion in the front and rear direction of the second covering wall 156. A generally claw-shaped rear engaging portion 164 is provided at the protruding end (lower end) of each rear elastic piece 162 and protrudes inward in the left and right direction as an engaging portion. 5, when the inner housing 24 is accommodated in the housing main body 97, the rear engagement portions 164 engage from below with both left and right ends of the first connecting portion 46 of the first terminal 36. These front engagement portions 160 and rear engagement portions 164 can prevent the inner housing 24 from being pulled out upward from the housing main body 97. Note that only one of the front engagement portions 160 and the rear engagement portions 164 may be provided.

[0059] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a press-fit rib 166 that protrudes forward is provided at the front portion of the upper end of the inner-side bolt fastening tubular portion 148, and a press-fit rib 166 that protrudes rearward is also provided at the rear end of the second covering wall 156. When the inner housing 24 is assembled to the housing main body 97, these press-fit ribs 166 are pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the upper portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100, thereby more reliably preventing the inner housing 24 from slipping out upward from the housing main body 97.

[0060] <Shield Shell 30> The shielded shell 30 is made of a conductive metal and is formed in a shape that can cover the housing 22 from the outside. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the shielded shell 30 of embodiment 1 has a front wall 168 that covers the housing 22 from the front, an upper wall 170 that covers it from above, and a left wall 172 and a right wall 174 that cover it from both the left and right sides. In short, the shielded shell 30 is generally box-shaped overall, open on the bottom and rear sides, and has a bottom opening 176 and a rear opening 178.

[0061] An upper opening 180 is formed in the front portion of the upper wall portion 170 of the shield shell 30, which exposes the upper end portion (upper opening 106) of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 of the housing 22 to the upper side when the shield shell 30 covers the housing 22. The upper opening 180 is formed in a generally oval shape with a larger front-to-rear dimension than a left-to-right dimension, and penetrates the upper wall portion 170 in the thickness direction (up-down direction). The opening dimensions of the upper opening 180 in the left-to-right and front-to-rear directions are larger than the left-to-right and front-to-rear dimensions of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100. As a result, when the shield shell 30 and the housing main body 97 (housing assembly 125) are assembled together, the internal space of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 of the housing main body 97 is exposed to the upper side through the upper opening 106 of the housing main body 97 and the upper opening 180 of the shield shell 30.

[0062] Furthermore, the front wall portion 168, the left wall portion 172, and the right wall portion 174 that constitute the shield shell 30 protrude downward from the front end, the left end, and the right end of the upper wall portion 170, respectively. In the first embodiment, the front wall portion 168 is inclined forward as it extends downward, and the left wall portion 172 and the right wall portion 174 are inclined outward in the left-right direction as it extends downward. As a result, when the shield shell 30 and the housing main body 97 are assembled together, a gap 182 is formed between the front wall portion 168, the left wall portion 172, and the right wall portion 174 and the bolt fastening tubular portion 100, and this gap 182 gradually increases in size as it extends downward. When the shield shell 30 and the housing main body 97 are assembled together, a gap of a predetermined size is also formed between the wire insertion tubular portion 98 of the housing main body 97 and the upper wall portion 170.

[0063] Furthermore, engagement holes 184, which receive the engagement protrusions 112 protruding forward from the housing main body 97, are formed penetrating the lower end portion of the front wall portion 168 of the shield shell 30 in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, a pair of engagement holes 184, 184 is provided corresponding to each engagement protrusion 112, and these engagement holes 184 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. When the shield shell 30 and the housing main body 97 are assembled together to attach the shield shell 30 to the housing main body 97, each engagement protrusion 112 is received inside each engagement hole 184. Note that the engagement protrusions 112 and the engagement holes 184 may be provided in opposite directions, or the shield shell may be provided with an engagement protrusion protruding rearward and the housing main body may be provided with an engagement hole penetrating in the front-rear direction.

[0064] In particular, in the first embodiment, each engagement hole 184 has a generally oval shape with a larger vertical dimension than a horizontal dimension. The interior dimension of each engagement hole 184 in the vertical direction (first direction) is larger than the exterior dimension (outer diameter dimension in the first embodiment) of each engagement protrusion 112 in the vertical direction (first direction). The interior dimension of each engagement hole 184 in the horizontal direction (second direction) is larger than the exterior dimension (outer diameter dimension in the first embodiment) of each engagement protrusion 112 in the horizontal direction (second direction). This allows each engagement protrusion 112 to be displaced in the vertical direction (first direction) and the horizontal direction (second direction) inside each engagement hole 184. In this way, in each engagement hole 184, a space is provided around each engagement protrusion 112, and the gap 182 is also formed between the shield shell 30 and the housing main body 97. As a result, when the shield shell 30 and the housing main body 97 (housing assembly 125) are assembled together, the housing main body 97 (housing assembly 125) can be displaced relative to the shield shell 30 in the up-down direction (first direction), which is the bolt fastening direction of the wire-side terminals 12 to the device-side terminals 16. Furthermore, when the shield shell 30 and the housing main body 97 (housing assembly 125) are assembled together, the housing main body 97 (housing assembly 125) can also be displaced relative to the shield shell 30 in the left-right direction (second direction) that is perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0065] Furthermore, in the shield shell 30, bolt fastening holes 188 for fastening the above-mentioned service cover 126 with bolts 186 are formed on the periphery of the upper opening 180. In the first embodiment, the bolt fastening holes 188 are provided at two locations on the periphery of the upper opening 180. Furthermore, a fixing portion 190 for fixing to an in-vehicle device (the mating housing 14) is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the shield shell 30. In the first embodiment, the fixing portion 190 is formed with bolt insertion holes 190a through which bolts (not shown) are inserted when the shield shell 30 is placed on the mating housing 14, and with positioning holes 190b through which the positioning pins 84b protruding upward from the mating housing 14 are inserted.

[0066] A clamp 192 that prevents the housing main body 97 and the insulated electric wires 20 inserted therein from falling out downward or rearward is fixed to the shield shell 30 with screws 194. That is, the clamp 192 includes a tubular portion 196 that extends in the front-to-rear direction and into which the rear portion of the electric wire insertion tubular portion 98 of the housing main body 97 is inserted, and a flange-like portion 198 that protrudes upward from the tubular portion 196. Screw insertion holes 200 through which screws 194 are inserted are formed at both left and right ends of the flange-like portion 198. The rear portion of the electric wire insertion tubular portion 98 of the housing main body 97 is inserted into the tubular portion 196 of the clamp 192, the clamp 192 is overlapped with the rear end portion of the shield shell 30 from behind, and each screw 194 is fastened to the rear end portion of the upper wall portion 170 through each screw insertion hole 200. This can prevent the housing main body 97 and the insulated electric wires 20 from falling off from the shield shell 30. Note that there is a gap between the tubular portion 196 and the rear part of the electric wire insertion tubular portion 98, and even in a state in which the rear part of the electric wire insertion tubular portion 98 is inserted into the tubular portion 196 and the presser foot 192 is fixed to the shield shell 30, the housing main body 97 can be displaced in the up-down and left-right directions relative to the tubular portion 196 and the shield shell 30.

[0067] Furthermore, a substantially cylindrical crimping metal fitting 202 is fixed in an externally fitted state to the cylindrical portion 196. The crimping metal fitting 202 is fixed to the cylindrical portion 196 with an end of a substantially cylindrical shielding member made of, for example, a braided wire (not shown) that is externally fitted around the insulated electric wire 20 sandwiched between the crimping metal fitting 202 and the cylindrical portion 196, and the shielding member that is externally fitted around the insulated electric wire 20 is electrically connected to the mating housing 14 via the clamping metal fitting 192 and the shield shell 30.

[0068] <Assembly of connector 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the connector 10. However, the method for assembling the connector 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0069] First, as shown in FIG. 10 , the first terminal 36 is inserted into the housing body 97 from above through the upper opening 106 of the housing body 97, and the first connecting portion 46 of the first terminal 36 is placed on the nut 74. The second terminal 38, which is integrally formed with the insulated wire 20, is inserted into the housing body 97 through the rear opening 104 of the housing body 97, and the second connecting portion 68 of the second terminal 38 is placed on the first connecting portion 46. This brings the inner hole of the nut 74 into communication with the first bolt insertion hole 48 and the second bolt insertion hole 70 in the vertical direction. The bolt 44 is then inserted into the housing body 97 through the upper opening 106, and the bolt 44 is inserted into the first bolt insertion hole 48 and the second bolt insertion hole 70 and tightened to the nut 74.

[0070] A seal member 120 is fitted onto the insulated electric wire 20, and the seal member 120 is press-fitted into the electric wire insertion tube portion 98 through the rear opening 104. A back retainer 122 is inserted into the electric wire insertion tube portion 98 from behind the seal member 120, and the locking protrusions 124 are engaged with the locking holes 118, thereby fixing the back retainer 122 to the rear of the seal member 120. The seal member 114 is fixed in an fitted state to the lower portion of the bolt fastening tube portion 100 at any timing. This results in a terminal-fitted electric wire (in the first embodiment, the insulated electric wire 20 is an aluminum electric wire, and therefore, a terminal-fitted aluminum electric wire 28) in which wire-side terminals 12 (first terminal 36 and second terminal 38) are connected to the end of the insulated electric wire 20. The terminal-fitted aluminum electric wire 28 is fixed into the housing main body 97, thereby forming a housing assembly 125 (see FIGS. 8, 9, etc.).

[0071] 8 and 9 , the housing assembly 125 is housed in the shield shell 30 through the lower opening 176 of the shield shell 30. At this time, the engaging projections 112 projecting forward from the housing main body 97 are inserted into the engaging holes 184 of the shield shell 30. Then, the cylindrical portion 196 of the clamping member 192 is fitted onto the rear portion of the housing assembly 125, and the clamping member 192 is fixed to the shield shell 30 with the screws 194. Furthermore, if necessary, a shielding member (not shown) that is fitted onto the insulated electric wire 20 is placed over the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 196 of the clamping member 192, and then a crimping member 202 is fitted onto the cylindrical portion 196 and fixed. As a result, the housing assembly 125 is assembled to the shield shell 30 so as to be displaceable by a predetermined amount in the up-down direction (first direction) and left-right direction (second direction).

[0072] Next, the fastening bolt 18 is inserted into the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 through the upper opening 180 in the shield shell 30 and the upper opening 106 in the housing main body 97. The threaded portion 90 of the fastening bolt 18 is inserted into the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34 in the wire-side fastening portion 32, so that the bolt head 88 and insulating cap 92 of the fastening bolt 18 are placed on the upper surface 50 of the wire-side fastening portion 32. The inner housing 24 is also inserted into the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 through the upper opening 180 and the upper opening 106. The inner bolt fastening tubular portion 148 of the inner housing 24 is inserted between the front wall portion 109 of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 and the vertical extending portion 51 of the first terminal 36, which are opposed in the front-to-rear direction. The inner housing 24 is fixed within the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 when the lower end of the inner-side bolt fastening tubular portion 148 (the lower end of the small-diameter tubular portion 154) abuts against the upper surface 50 of the wire-side fastening portion 32 and when the press-fit ribs 166 provided on both front-rear direction ends of the inner housing 24 press against the inner peripheral surface of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100. At this time, the front engaging portions 160 and the rear engaging portions 164 of the inner housing 24 engage with the engaged portions 116 of the housing assembly 125 and both left-right direction ends of the first connecting portion 46, respectively, thereby preventing the inner housing 24 from coming off upward from the housing main body 97. This completes the connector main body 31 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0073] 6 and 7 , in this connector main body 31, a lower portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 in the housing main body 97 protrudes downward beyond the lower end portion of the shield shell 30. The lower surface 49 of the wire-side fastening portion 32 and the threaded portion 90 of the fastening bolt 18 inserted into the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34 are exposed outward (downward) from a lower opening 108 in the bolt fastening tubular portion 100. In addition, in the connector main body 31, gaps 182 are formed between the shield shell 30 and the housing assembly 125 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction, and each engaging protrusion 112 is inserted into each engaging hole 184 across a gap, etc., so that the housing assembly 125 can be displaced in the up-down direction and the left-right direction relative to the shield shell 30.

[0074] The connector main body 31 is then assembled to the mating housing 14, and the wire-side terminals 12 and the device-side terminals 16 are connected by bolt fastening with fastening bolts 18. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11 , a lower portion of a bolt fastening tubular portion 100 protruding downward in the connector main body 31 is inserted into a connector mounting hole 78 in the mating housing 14. Note that Fig. 11 shows a state in which the connector main body 31 is inserted into the right-side connector mounting hole 78 in the mating housing 14. At this time, the positioning protrusion 86 in the mating housing 14 and the positioning pin 84b serving as the fixed portion 84 are inserted into the positioning hole 190b serving as the fixing portion 190, so that the connector main body 31 and the mating housing 14 are positioned relative to each other, and the lower portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100 is inserted into the connector mounting hole 78. As a result, the bolt insertion hole 190a as the fixing portion 190 and the bolt fastening hole 84a as the fixed portion 84 are connected in the vertical direction, and a bolt (not shown) inserted into the bolt insertion hole 190a is fastened to the bolt fastening hole 84a, thereby fixing the connector main body 31 and the mating housing 14 to each other.

[0075] In this state, the fastening bolt 18 inserted through the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34 is not fastened to the apparatus-side terminal 16, and the threaded portion 90 of the fastening bolt 18 abuts against the peripheral edge of the upper opening of the bolt fastening hole 82, displacing the fastening bolt 18 upward within the small-diameter cylindrical portion 154 of the inner housing 24. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11 , the fastening bolt 18 is fastened to the bolt fastening hole 82 to fixedly connect the wire-side terminal 12 and the apparatus-side terminal 16, and the bolt head portion 88 and insulating cap 92 of the fastening bolt 18 are placed on the upper surface 50 of the wire-side fastening portion 32. Next, the service cover 126 is assembled to the upper opening 106 and upper opening 180 of the connector body 31, and the upper opening 106 is covered with the lid portion 128 and the upper opening 180 is covered with the lid plate portion 136. Next, the bolts 186 are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 139 and fastened to the bolt fastening holes 188, thereby fixing the service cover 126 to the connector body 31. This completes the connector 10 of the first embodiment and the connection between the wire-side terminals 12 and the device-side terminals 16.

[0076] In connector 10 manufactured as described above, as described above, the end of the substantially cylindrical shielding member made of a braided wire or the like (not shown) that is inserted around insulated wire 20 is fixed between clamp 192 and crimping metal 202, thereby electrically connecting the shielding member, clamp 192, shield shell 30, and mating housing 14. Then, for example, by connecting mating housing 14 to earth, an earth path is formed by the shielding member, clamp 192, shield shell 30, and mating housing 14, and the shielding function can be exhibited.

[0077] The effect of the connection between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 in the connector 10 will be explained using a model, particularly with reference to FIG. 15. First, because the second terminal 38 is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, an oxide film 73 is formed on its surface, including the second contact surface 42, before it is fastened to the first terminal 36 by a bolt. Note that FIG. 15 shows each component in a modeled manner, and the thickness dimensions, displacement amounts, and the like of each component may not be accurate. Also, for ease of understanding, the thickness dimension of the oxide film 73 is exaggerated in FIG. 15.

[0078] As described above, the first contact surface 40 of the first terminal 36 and the second contact surface 42 of the second terminal 38 are overlapped and fixed together by fastening the bolts 44. Here, each of the conical protrusions 54 protrudes upward from the first contact surface 40. Generally, the copper-based metal constituting the first terminal 36 is harder than the aluminum-based metal constituting the second terminal 38. Therefore, by overlapping and fixing the first contact surface 40 and the second contact surface 42, the conical protrusions 54 protruding from the first contact surface 40 break through the oxide film 73 on the second contact surface 42 and penetrate into the second connecting portion 68. In other words, as the conical protrusions 54 penetrate into the second contact surface 42, each of the accommodating recesses 72 having a shape generally corresponding to the conical protrusions 54 is formed on the second contact surface 42, and the upper portion of each of the conical protrusions 54 protruding above the first contact surface 40 is accommodated in each of the accommodating recesses 72. As a result, the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 come into contact with each other without the oxide film 73 therebetween, and are electrically connected to each other. This state is the "reference time" shown at the top in FIG.

[0079] Next, assume that the connector 10 is exposed to a high-temperature environment that is hotter than the reference temperature. In a high-temperature environment, both the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 expand due to heat. For example, the first connecting portion 46 and the second connecting portion 68, which are the connecting portions between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38, expand radially outward from the first bolt insertion hole 48 and the second bolt insertion hole 70 provided in the central portion. Specifically, in FIG. 14 , which shows the rear portion of the first bolt insertion hole 48 and the second bolt insertion hole 70, both the first connecting portion 46 and the second connecting portion 68 deform so as to extend rearward (to the right in FIG. 14 ).

[0080] In the diagram showing the high-temperature environment in the center of Fig. 15, the displacement of the first terminal 36 due to the thermal expansion is R1, and the displacement of the second terminal 38 due to the thermal expansion is R2, both of which are indicated by white arrows pointing to the right in Fig. 15. Generally, the aluminum-based metal constituting the second terminal 38 has a larger linear expansion coefficient than the copper-based metal constituting the first terminal 36, and therefore the displacement R2 of the second terminal 38 is larger than the displacement R1 of the first terminal 36. That is, in a high-temperature environment, the accommodating recesses 72 that accommodate the pyramidal protrusions 54 are displaced more significantly, for example, to the right in Fig. 15, relative to the pyramidal protrusions 54. However, because copper-based metals are relatively tough, the pyramidal protrusions 54 are able to deform in accordance with the displacement of the accommodating recesses 72 without breaking. This allows each conical protrusion 54 to remain embedded in the second connection portion 68 and housed in each housing recess 72 even in high temperature environments, thereby maintaining electrical continuity between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38.

[0081] Furthermore, due to the heat, the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 also expand in the vertical direction, which is the thickness direction. The amount of upward displacement of the first terminal 36 due to this thermal expansion is A1, and the amount of downward displacement of the second terminal 38 due to thermal expansion is A2, both of which are indicated by white arrows in FIG. 15. The displacement due to thermal expansion is a displacement in the direction in which the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 move closer to each other, so in a high-temperature environment, the conical protrusions 54 bite into the second connecting portion 68 more (i.e., bite deeper) than in a reference environment. This also makes it possible to maintain electrical continuity between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 in a high-temperature environment.

[0082] In addition, a scenario in which the connector 10 is exposed to a low-temperature environment that is lower than the reference temperature is shown at the bottom of FIG. 5 as "Low-Temperature Environment." In a low-temperature environment, both the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 contract due to heat. In the "Low-Temperature Environment" diagram, the displacement of the first terminal 36 due to thermal contraction is F1, and the displacement of the second terminal 38 due to thermal contraction is F2, indicated by white arrows pointing leftward in FIG. 15. As described above, aluminum-based metals generally have a higher linear expansion coefficient than copper-based metals, so the displacement F2 of the second terminal 38 is greater than the displacement F1 of the first terminal 36. That is, in a low-temperature environment, the accommodating recesses 72 that accommodate the pyramidal protrusions 54 will displace more significantly, for example, leftward in FIG. 15, relative to the pyramidal protrusions 54. However, the pyramidal protrusions 54 will be able to deform in accordance with the displacement of the accommodating recesses 72 without breaking. This allows each conical protrusion 54 to remain embedded in the second connection portion 68 and housed in each housing recess 72 even in low-temperature environments, thereby maintaining electrical continuity between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38.

[0083] Additionally, due to the heat, the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 also shrink in the vertical direction, which is the thickness direction. The downward displacement of the first terminal 36 due to this thermal contraction is S1, and the upward displacement of the second terminal 38 due to thermal contraction is S2, as indicated by white arrows in FIG. 15 . The displacement due to thermal contraction moves the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 away from each other, but at the reference time, each of the conical protrusions 54 is embedded in the second connecting portion 68 to some extent. Because the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are fastened by the fastening bolt 18, there is no significant displacement in the direction of separation. Even if the conical protrusions 54 and the second connecting portion 68 are slightly displaced away from each other in a low-temperature environment, the conical protrusions 54 remain embedded in the second connecting portion 68. This also allows electrical continuity between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 to be maintained in a low-temperature environment.

[0084] According to the connector 10 having the above-described structure, the inner housing 24 is provided inside the connector main body 31, and the first cover wall 150 of the inner housing 24 prevents the wire-side fastening portion 32 from being exposed upward on the upper surface 50. Furthermore, the inner hole of the first cover wall 150 defines a third opening 152, and the bolt head 88 of the fastening bolt 18 is located inside the third opening 152 in plan view, but the bolt head 88 is covered with an insulating cap 92 as an insulating coating. This prevents the wire-side fastening portion 32 and the fastening bolt 18, which may become live parts when the fastening bolt 18 is fastened, from being exposed upward, thereby reducing the risk of an operator accidentally coming into contact with the wire-side fastening portion 32 or the fastening bolt 18 and receiving an electric shock.

[0085] In the first embodiment, the electric wire with terminal is an aluminum electric wire with terminal 28, and the wire-side terminal 12 is configured to include a first terminal 36 containing copper or a copper alloy and a second terminal 38 containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are fastened together by a bolt 44 with a first contact surface 40 of the first terminal 36 and a second contact surface 42 of the second terminal 38 overlapping each other. This allows the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 to be connected more reliably.

[0086] In particular, a plurality of pyramidal protrusions 54 are formed on the first contact surface 40 of the first terminal 36, and when connecting the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38, each pyramidal protrusion 54 protruding from the first contact surface 40 of the first terminal 36 bites into the second contact surface 42 of the second terminal 38. This allows each pyramidal protrusion 54 to break through the oxide film 73 formed on the second contact surface 42, thereby establishing electrical continuity between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38. Furthermore, even when the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 expand or contract due to temperature changes, each pyramidal protrusion 54 biting into the second contact surface 42 deforms in accordance with the displacement of the second contact surface 42, thereby maintaining the biting state of each pyramidal protrusion 54 and enabling stable electrical continuity between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38.

[0087] Although the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 are made of different metals, problems such as deterioration in electrical conductivity due to the difference in their linear expansion coefficients can be resolved, and weight can also be reduced. In particular, in the terminal-attached aluminum electric wire 28, the front end of the first terminal 36 serves as the wire-side fastening portion 32, and the bolt fastening between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 is not unnecessarily released. Therefore, deformation and wear of each conical protrusion 54 can be suppressed, and the electrical continuity between the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38 can be maintained for a long period of time.

[0088] The insulating cap 92 has a central portion 94 and a flange portion 96, and the outer diameter of the flange portion 96 is made larger than the inner diameter of the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34, thereby preventing the fastening bolt 18 from falling out downward through the wire-side bolt insertion hole 34. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the flange portion 96 is made larger than the inner diameter of the third opening 152, thereby preventing the fastening bolt 18 from falling out upward through the third opening 152. This allows the fastening bolt 18 to be positioned freely within the small-diameter cylindrical portion 154 of the inner housing 24, improving the efficiency of the work of tightening the fastening bolt 18 and further reducing the risk of the worker receiving an electric shock during the tightening work.

[0089] When the inner housing 24 is assembled to the housing main body 97, the inner housing 24 has a second cover wall 156 that covers from above the bolt fastening areas of the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38. This prevents the bolt fastening areas of the first terminal 36 and the second terminal 38, which can become live parts when the fastening bolts 18 are fastened, from being exposed upward, reducing the risk of an operator accidentally coming into contact with the bolt fastening areas and receiving an electric shock.

[0090] The housing 22 is equipped with a service cover 126 that is assembled to cover the upper opening 106, and the service cover 126 has a lid portion 128 that covers the upper opening 106 and an abnormality detection protrusion 130 that protrudes downward from the lid portion 128. After the fastening bolts 18 are tightened, the service cover 126 can be assembled to cover the upper opening 106 and the upper opening 180 in the housing main body 97 and the shield shell 30, but if the fastening of the fastening bolts 18 is not completed, the lower end (abutment portion 146) of the abnormality detection protrusion 130 will abut against the upper end of the fastening bolts 18, making it impossible to assemble the service cover 126. Therefore, by employing a service cover 126 that has such an abnormality detection protrusion 130, an operator can quickly determine if the fastening bolts 18 have been forgotten to be tightened, for example.

[0091] 6, 7, etc., a gap 182 of a predetermined size is formed between the shield shell 30 and the housing assembly 125. Furthermore, the shield shell 30 is provided with engagement holes 184, and the housing assembly 125 is provided with engagement protrusions 112, each of which is inserted into the corresponding engagement hole 184 at a distance from the inner circumferential surface of the corresponding engagement hole 184. This allows the housing assembly 125 to be displaceable relative to the shield shell 30 in the vertical direction (first direction), which is the bolt fastening direction of the fastening bolts 18. As a result, even if a relatively large gap occurs between the wire side terminal 12 and the device side terminal 16 due to tolerance or the like when the connector main body 31 (shield shell 30) is fixed to the mating housing 14 by the fixing portion 190 (bolt insertion hole 190a and positioning hole 190b), by displacing the housing assembly 125 relative to the shield shell 30, the wire side terminal 12 and the device side terminal 16 can be brought into contact with each other with almost no gap, and stable bolt fastening by the fastening bolt 18 can be achieved.

[0092] The gap 182 and the gaps between the engaging protrusions 112 and the engaging holes 184 are provided not only in the up-down direction between the shield shell 30 and the housing assembly 125 but also in the left-right direction. This allows the housing assembly 125 to be displaced in the left-right direction (second direction) relative to the shield shell 30, and as a result, the wire-side terminals 12 and the device-side terminals 16 can be more reliably fastened with the bolts.

[0093] As described above, each engaging protrusion 112 is inserted into each engaging hole 184 at a distance from the inner peripheral surface thereof, and in short, the interior dimensions of each engaging hole 184 in the up-down direction (first direction) and left-right direction (second direction) are larger than the exterior dimensions in the up-down direction (first direction) and left-right direction (second direction) of each engaging protrusion 112. This allows the housing assembly 125 to be displaced in the up-down direction and left-right direction relative to the shield shell 30.

[0094] In particular, the front wall portion 168, left side wall portion 172, and right side wall portion 174 that constitute the shield shell 30 are inclined forward, left, and right as they extend downward, respectively, and the gap 182 between the shield shell 30 and the housing assembly 125 gradually increases as they extend downward. This allows the housing assembly 125 to be displaced so as to swing up and down and left and right relative to the shield shell 30. As a result, even when inserting the lower portion of the housing assembly 125 (the lower portion of the bolt fastening tubular portion 100) into the connector mounting hole 78 in the mating housing 14, the lower side of the housing assembly 125 can be displaced more greatly than the upper side. Therefore, the lower portion of the housing assembly 125 can be stably inserted into the connector mounting hole 78, and the bolt fastening between the wire-side terminal 12 and the device-side terminal 16 can be more reliably achieved.

[0095] <Modification> Although the first embodiment has been described above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure, are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0096] (1) In the above embodiment, the core wire 26 and the second terminal 38 of the coated electric wire 20 are integrally formed, but they may be formed as separate bodies and electrically connected to each other.

[0097] (2) In the above embodiment, the wire-side terminal 12 is configured with the first terminal 36 containing copper or a copper alloy and the second terminal 38 containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, the wire-side terminal may be configured with a single member. In this case, the material of the wire-side terminal is not limited and may be copper (including copper alloy) or aluminum (including aluminum alloy). Alternatively, the wire-side terminal may be configured with three or more members. When the wire-side terminal is configured with multiple members, the connection of these members is not limited to bolting, but may also be by bonding or welding. Furthermore, when the wire-side terminal is formed separately from the core wire of the insulated electric wire, the method of connecting the wire-side terminal to the core wire is not limited and may also be bolting, bonding, welding, etc.

[0098] (3) In the above embodiment, the conical protrusions 54 are square pyramidal in shape and aligned in the front-rear and left-right directions. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the bottom surfaces of the conical protrusions may be generally diamond-shaped in plan view and aligned with almost no gaps in the front-rear and left-right directions. Alternatively, the conical protrusions may be arranged in a ring shape, and multiple ring-shaped bodies each consisting of the conical protrusions may be arranged with almost no gaps or with a predetermined gap in the radial direction of the first bolt insertion hole. The vertices of the multiple ring-shaped bodies may be located on the same straight line extending in the radial direction of the first bolt insertion hole for adjacent conical protrusions in the radial direction, or may be located on different straight lines extending in the radial direction of the first bolt insertion hole for adjacent conical protrusions in the radial direction. For example, if the second contact surface is overlapped over substantially the entire surface of the conical protrusion-forming region, the conical protrusions do not need to protrude above the first contact surface.

[0099] (4) The shape of each conical protrusion is not limited and may be a pyramidal shape with a base that is a polygon with five or more sides, a conical shape (including an elliptical, oval, or semicircular base), or a mixture or combination thereof. Furthermore, the shapes of the conical protrusions do not all need to be the same. For example, the shapes of the conical protrusions on the radially inner side and the radially outer side may be different, taking into account the amount of displacement due to thermal expansion or thermal contraction. Note that such conical protrusions are not essential to the connector according to the present disclosure, and conical protrusions may not be provided. Even if conical protrusions are provided, they may be provided on the second terminal instead of or in addition to the first terminal. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first bolt insertion hole 48 is formed in the center of the conical-protrusion-forming region 52, but the first bolt insertion hole may be formed in a position outside the conical-protrusion-forming region.

[0100] (5) In the above embodiment, the service cover 126 is provided with the abnormality detection protrusion 130. However, the abnormality detection protrusion is not essential for the connector according to the present disclosure, and a mechanism for detecting whether the fastening bolt has been left unfastened need not be provided.

[0101] (6) In the above embodiment, the connector 10 includes the inner housing 24 housed inside the housing 22. However, the inner housing is not essential to the connector according to the present disclosure and may not be provided. That is, in the above embodiment, the fastening bolt 18 is disposed inside the housing 22 so as not to be detachable from the small-diameter cylindrical portion 154. However, the fastening bolt may be provided separately from the connector and inserted through an upper opening in the housing body and an upper opening in the shield shell to fasten the wire-side terminal and the device-side terminal together. Also, in the connector according to the present disclosure, an insulating cap as an insulating coating provided on the bolt head of the fastening bolt is not essential. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 Connectors 12 Wire side terminal 14 Counterpart housing (vehicle equipment) 16 Device side terminal 18 Fastening bolt 20 Insulated wire (electric wire) 22 Housing 24 Inner housing 26 core wire 28 Aluminum wire with terminals (wire with terminals) 30 Shield Shell 31 Connector body 32 Wire side fastening part 34 Electric wire side bolt insertion hole 36 1st terminal 38 2nd terminal 40 1st contact surface 42 Second contact surface 44 volts 46 First connection part 48 First bolt insertion hole 49 Bottom surface (first surface) 50 Top surface (2nd surface) 51 Vertical extension part 52 Cone formation area 54 Cone 56 bottom 58 Vertex 60 Side 62 Ridgeline 64 Valley 66 Insulation coating 68 Second connection part 70 Second bolt insertion hole 72 Storage recess 73 Oxide film 74 Nut 76 Base plate 78 Connector mounting hole 80 Counterpart peripheral wall 82 Bolt fastening hole 84 Fixed part 84a Bolt fastening hole 84b Locating pin 86 Positioning protrusion 88 Bolt head 90 Threaded section 92 Insulating cap (insulating coating) 94 Central part 96 Flange 97 Housing body 98 Wire insertion tube 100 Bolt fastening cylinder 102 Front opening 104 Rear opening 106 Upper opening (second opening) 108 Lower opening (first opening) 109 Front wall 110 Step wall section 112 Engagement protrusion 114 Sealing material 116 Engaged part 118 Locking hole 120 sealing material 122 Back retainer 124 Locking protrusion 125 Housing assembly 126 Service Cover 128 Lid 130 Abnormality detection protrusion 131 Reinforcing rib 132 Tsuba 134 Sealing material 136 Lid plate part 138 Screw 139 Bolt insertion hole 140 Locating Pin 142 Positioning hole 144 Step 146 Contact part 148 Inner bolt fastening cylinder 150 1st cover wall 152 Third Opening 154 Small diameter cylinder part 156 Second cover wall 158 Front elastic piece 160 Front engagement part (engagement part) 162 Rear elastic piece 164 Rear engaging part (engaging part) 166 Press-fit rib 168 Front wall 170 Upper wall 172 Left side wall 174 Right side wall 176 Lower opening 178 Rear opening 180 Upper opening 182 Gap 184 Engagement hole 186 volts 188 Bolt fastening holes 190 Fixed part 190a Bolt insertion hole 190b Positioning hole 192 Clamp 194 screws 196 Cylindrical part 198 Flange-shaped part 200 screw insertion hole 202 Crimping metal fittings

Claims

1. A connector configured to be fastened to an equipment-side terminal provided on an in-vehicle device by a fastening bolt, a terminal-attached electric wire in which an electric wire side terminal is connected to an end of the electric wire; a housing in which the wire-side terminal is housed in a fixed state; a shield shell attached to the outside of the housing to cover the housing from the outside, the shield shell has a fixing portion that is fixed to the in-vehicle device, The housing is displaceable relative to the shield shell in a first direction, which is a bolt fastening direction of the wire-side terminal to the device-side terminal.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is also displaceable relative to the shield shell in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

3. an engagement protrusion provided on one of the housing and the shield shell; an engagement hole provided in the other of the housing and the shield shell, When the shield shell is attached to the housing, the engagement protrusion is housed inside the engagement hole, The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the inside dimensions of the engagement hole in the first direction and the second direction are larger than the outside dimensions of the engagement projection in the first direction and the second direction.

4. The electric wire with terminal is an aluminum electric wire with terminal, in which the electric wire-side terminal is connected to an end of the electric wire containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the wire-side terminal includes a first terminal having a wire-side fastening portion and made of copper or a copper alloy, and a second terminal connected to the first terminal and made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the second terminal being connected to an end of the wire, 4. A connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are bolted together and fixed to the housing with the first contact surface of the first terminal overlapping the second contact surface of the second terminal.

5. The connector according to claim 4 , wherein the first contact surface has a plurality of conical protrusions formed thereon.

Images