Connector device and wire harness

Abstract

To provide a connector device capable of more appropriately realizing an engagement between a female connector and an aligning plate.SOLUTION: A connector device 1 includes a male housing 11, an aligning plate 12, and a female housing 21. The aligning plate 12 is movable along a connecting direction X and has an engagement / disengagement piece 122. The female housing 21 has an engagement projection 222a. The engagement / disengagement piece 122 is provided on one side in a height direction Z, and includes: an engaged projection 122a that is formed to be engageable / disengageable by the engagement projection 222a climbing over; and an abutted portion 122b provided on the other side in the height direction Z. The male housing 11 has a non-restriction area DA in which the engaging projection 222a and the engaged projection 122a can be engaged with and disengaged from each other, and a restriction area DN in which a rib 120 that abuts against the contacted portion 122b is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector device and a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional connector device technology, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector device including a male connector, an aligning plate, and a female connector. The male connector includes a male terminal and a locking portion. The aligning plate engages with the male terminal to at least one of protect the male terminal and correct the alignment of the male terminal, and is movable relative to the male connector in the protruding direction of the male terminal. The aligning plate also includes an engaged portion and a locked portion provided on the base end surface of the male terminal. When temporarily installed in the male connector, the locked portion abuts against the locking portion of the male connector. This prevents the aligning plate from moving toward the base end of the male terminal. The female connector is installed in the male connector together with the aligning plate by moving toward the male connector. The female connector includes an engaging portion, and when moved away from the male connector from the installed state to remove it from the male connector, the engaging portion of the female connector engages with the engaged portion of the aligning plate, moving the aligning plate away from the male connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 192800 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in such a connector device, there is room for further improvement in the configuration in which the engaging portion of the female connector and the engaged portion of the aligning plate engage with each other more appropriately, for example.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector device and a wire harness that can more appropriately realize engagement between a female connector and an aligning plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a connector device of the present invention includes a male housing having an opening and holding a plurality of male terminals protruding toward the opening in a first direction, an aligning member provided inside the male housing so as to be movable along the first direction and having a plurality of insertion holes through which the male terminals are inserted, and a female housing holding a plurality of female terminals electrically connected to the male terminals, the female housing being fitted into the male housing along the first direction from the opening and movable toward and away from the aligning member, the aligning member protruding toward the female housing along the first direction and holding the first female terminals. and a disengaging piece formed to be flexible in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the female housing having an engaging protrusion protruding along the second direction, the engaging / disengaging piece being provided on one side of the second direction and having an engaged protrusion formed to be engageable and disengageable when the female housing moves along the first direction and the engaging protrusion overcomes it, and an abutted portion being provided on the other side of the second direction, the male housing having a non-restricted region in which the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion can be engaged and disengaged, and a restricted region located closer to the base end of the male terminal in the first direction than the non-restricted region and having a rib that abuts against the abutted portion when the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion are engaged.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a wire harness of the present invention includes a plurality of electric wires and a connector device provided on the plurality of electric wires, the connector device including a male housing having an opening and holding a plurality of male terminals protruding toward the opening along a first direction, an aligning member provided inside the male housing movably along the first direction and having a plurality of insertion holes through which the male terminals are inserted, and a female housing holding a plurality of female terminals electrically connected to the male terminals, the female housing being fitted into the male housing along the first direction from the opening and movable toward and away from the aligning member, the aligning member being provided and a disengaging piece that protrudes toward the female housing and is formed flexibly in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the female housing has an engaging protrusion that protrudes along the second direction, and the engaging / disengaging piece has an engaged protrusion that is provided on one side in the second direction and is formed to be engageable and disengageable when the female housing moves along the first direction and the engaging protrusion rides over it, and an abutted portion that is provided on the other side in the second direction, the male housing has a non-restricted region in which the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion can be engaged and disengaged, and a restricted region that is located closer to the base end of the male terminal in the first direction than the non-restricted region and in which a rib that abuts against the abutted portion when the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion are engaged is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The connector device and the wire harness according to the present invention have the advantage that the engagement between the female connector and the aligning plate can be more properly achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view corresponding to the cross section taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an aligning plate according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view corresponding to the cross section III-III in FIG. 2, showing a state in which an aligning plate is assembled to the male housing according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a female housing according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating the fitting of the female connector and the male connector of the connector device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cross section XI-XI of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the XII-XII cross section of FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section XI-XI of FIG. 10, showing the state in which the engaging projection is in the middle of climbing over the engaged projection. [Figure 14] 14 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the XIV-XIV cross section of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a plan view illustrating the fitting of the female connector and the male connector of the connector device according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 16 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the XVI-XVI cross section of FIG. [Figure 17] 17 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the XVII-XVII cross section of FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a plan view illustrating the fitting of the female connector and the male connector of the connector device according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the XIX-XIX cross section of FIG. [Figure 20] 20 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cross section XX-XX of FIG. [Figure 21] 21 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-section XI-XI of FIG. 10, showing a state in which the engaged protrusion and the engaging protrusion are engaged with each other and the engaging / disengaging piece is located in the non-restricted area. [Figure 22] 22 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section III-III of FIG. 2, showing the connector device of the embodiment in a state where the female connector is separated from the male connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0011] [Embodiment] The connector device 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 1 is a lever-type connector that can electrically connect each male terminal 13 and each female terminal 23 by operating a lever 22 to engage a male connector 10 and a female connector 20 with multiple male terminals 13 of the male connector 10 and multiple female terminals 23 of the female connector 20.

[0012] A plurality of electric wires W1 are connected to the male connector 10. The electric wires W1 include first electric wires W11 and second electric wires W12 having different outer diameters. A plurality of the first electric wires W11 and second electric wires W12 are provided. Similarly, an electric wire W2 including a plurality of first electric wires W21 and a plurality of second electric wires W22 is connected to the female connector 20.

[0013] The multiple electric wires W1 connected to the male connector 10 are each connected to a male terminal 13 of the male connector 10. The male terminal 13 includes a first male terminal 13a and a second male terminal 13b, and the multiple first electric wires W11 and the multiple second electric wires W12 are each connected to the first male terminal 13a and the second male terminal 13b. Similarly, in the female connector 20, the multiple electric wires W2 connected to the female connector 20 are each connected to a female terminal 23, and the multiple first electric wires W21 and the multiple second electric wires W22 are each connected to the first female terminal 23a and the second female terminal 23b. In the drawings of the present application, one each of the multiple electric wires W1, W2 (first electric wires W11, W21, second electric wires W12, W22), the multiple male terminals 13 (first male terminal 13a, second male terminal 13b), and the multiple female terminals 23 (first female terminal 23a, second female terminal 23b) are shown.

[0014] The connector device 1 is incorporated into a wire harness WH that is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile. The wire harness WH is, for example, a component in which a plurality of electric wires W1, W2 used for power supply and signal communication are bundled together to connect various devices mounted on the vehicle, and the plurality of electric wires W1, W2 are connected to the devices using connectors or the like. The connector device 1 constitutes a connection mechanism for wire-to-wire connection that electrically connects the electric wires W1 and W2 in the wire harness WH via male terminals 13 and female terminals 23.

[0015] The male connector 10 has a male housing 11 formed in a generally rectangular box shape. The male housing 11 has an opening 19. The female connector 20 has a female housing 21 formed in a generally rectangular block shape. The female housing 21 of the female connector 20 is fitted into the male housing 11 through the opening 19.

[0016] In the following description, the direction in which the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are mated is referred to as the connection direction X (first direction). The direction perpendicular to the connection direction X and along the longitudinal direction of the opening 19 is referred to as the width direction Y. The direction perpendicular to the connection direction X and the width direction Y and along the short side of the opening 19 is referred to as the height direction Z (second direction). Furthermore, the opening 19 side, which is one side of the connection direction X, is referred to as the X1 side, and the other side of the connection direction X, i.e., the side opposite to the X1 side along the connection direction X, in other words, the base end side of the male terminal 13 (the side of the electric wire W1), is referred to as the X2 side. Similarly, one side of the width direction Y is referred to as the Y1 side, and the other side is referred to as the Y2 side, and one side of the height direction Z is referred to as the Z1 side, and the other side is referred to as the Z2 side.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the male connector 10 includes a male housing 11 that holds multiple male terminals 13 protruding toward an opening 19 in the connection direction X, and an aligning plate 12 (aligning member) that is movably provided inside the male housing 11 along the connection direction X and has multiple insertion holes 15 through which the male terminals 13 are inserted. The aligning plate 12 is disposed on the X1 side of a terminal holding portion 11b (described below). The female connector 20 includes a female housing 21 and a lever 22 (lever member). The female housing 21 holds multiple female terminals 23 that are electrically connected to the male terminals 13, and is fitted into the male housing 11 from the opening 19 along the connection direction X, and is movably provided so as to move toward and away from the aligning plate 12.

[0018] 3 and 4, a hood 11a is provided on the X1 side of a male housing 11 included in the male connector 10, and a terminal holding portion 11b is provided on the X2 side of the hood 11a. The terminal holding portion 11b is formed to be thinner in the height direction Z than the hood 11a. The Y1 side surface of the male housing 11 is continuous from the hood 11a to the terminal holding portion 11b, and the Y2 side surface is stepped at the terminal holding portion 11b.

[0019] The hood 11a is formed in a substantially rectangular tubular shape with the width direction Y as its longitudinal direction. The hood 11a has a first horizontal plate 11a1 on the Z1 side and a second horizontal plate 11a2 on the Z2 side, with their plate surfaces facing the height direction Z, and a first side plate 11a3 on the Y1 side and a second side plate 11a4 on the Y2 side, with their plate surfaces facing the width direction Y. The first horizontal plate 11a1 and the second horizontal plate 11a2 have corners on the Y2 side of the opening 19 that are notched in a C-chamfered shape. The internal space of the hood 11a, surrounded by the first horizontal plate 11a1, the second horizontal plate 11a2, the first side plate 11a3, and the second side plate 11a4, is a fitting space 11a5 into which the female connector 20 is inserted and fitted.

[0020] A crank-shaped guide groove 110 formed as a recessed groove is provided inside the hood 11a. The guide groove 110 guides a guided protrusion 22b (described later) of the lever 22. The guide groove 110 extends in a crank shape in the connection direction X on each of the first horizontal plate 11a1 and the second horizontal plate 11a2 on the fitting space 11a5 side. The guide grooves 110 are provided opposite each other in the height direction Z.

[0021] 3 and 4, a release rib 111 is provided inside the hood 11a. The release rib 111 is for releasing the engagement between the arm 22a of the lever 22 and the engagement protrusion 21a of the female housing 21. The release rib 111 is formed in a hook shape when viewed from the connection direction X (see also FIG. 2), and extends in the connection direction X on the Y2 side of the first horizontal plate 11a1 on the fitting space 11a5 side and the second horizontal plate 11a2. The release ribs 111 are provided opposite each other in the height direction Z.

[0022] Furthermore, inside the hood 11a, there is provided a flat base surface 121 formed as the bottom of the recessed groove. A total of four base surfaces 121 are provided on each of the first horizontal plate 11a1 and the second horizontal plate 11a2 on the fitting space 11a5 side, one on the Y1 side and one on the Y2 side in the width direction Y. The base surfaces 121 extend in the connecting direction X. The base surfaces 121 on both the Y1 side and the Y2 side are provided opposite each other in the height direction Z. A rib 120 extending in the connecting direction X is provided on the X2 side of each base surface 121 (see also FIG. 2, etc.).

[0023] As will be described in detail later, within the region of the base surface 121 in the connection direction X, the region where the rib 120 is provided is referred to as the regulating region DN, and the region on the X1 side of the regulating region DN is referred to as the non-regulating region DA. The non-regulating region DA is a region where the engaging protrusion 222a of the female connector 20 and the engaged protrusion 122a of the aligning plate 12 can be engaged and disengaged. The non-regulating region DA is formed as a flat surface by the base surface 121. The regulating region DN is a region where the movement of the engaging protrusion 222a of the female connector 20 and the engaged protrusion 122a of the aligning plate 12 in the height direction Z when they are engaged, and where the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a cannot be disengaged when engaged. The regulating region DN is provided with the aforementioned rib 120 that abuts against the abutment portion 122b when the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a are engaged. The restriction area DN has a flat surface that continues from the non-restriction area DA by a base surface 121, and the rib 120 is provided on the flat surface (base surface 121).

[0024] Furthermore, guide grooves 112 that guide the guided protrusions 25 of the female housing 21 are provided inside the hood 11a (see also FIG. 2, etc.). The guided protrusions 25 are guided by the guide grooves 112, allowing the female housing 21 to move in the connection direction X. A total of four guide grooves 112 are provided on each of the first horizontal plate 11a1 and the second horizontal plate 11a2 on the mating space 11a5 side, one on the Y1 side and one on the Y2 side in the width direction Y. The guide groove 112 on the Y1 side is provided outside the base surface 121, and the guide groove 112 on the Y2 side is provided outside the release rib 111. The guide grooves 112 are provided on both the Y1 side and the Y2 side opposite each other in the height direction Z.

[0025] Additionally, first locking portions 131 are provided inside the hood 11a. The first locking portions 131 are locked with first locked portions 141 (see FIG. 7) of the aligning plate 12. A total of four first locking portions 131 are provided on each of the first horizontal plate 11a1 and the second horizontal plate 11a2 on the fitting space 11a5 side, two on each of the Y1 side and Y2 side in the width direction Y. The first locking portions 131 are provided on both the Y1 side and the Y2 side facing each other in the height direction Z.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 5, each first locking portion 131 includes a support beam 131a, a locking projection 131b, and a cam plate 131c. The support beam 131a extends in the connection direction X and is elastically flexible. The locking projection 131b projects inward from the support beam 131a in the width direction Y. A locking recess 131b1 formed in a recessed shape on the X2 side as viewed from the height direction Z is provided at the connection portion between the locking projection 131b and the support beam 131a. The cam plate 131c is provided on the outer side of the support beam 131a in the height direction Z. The cam plate 131c is formed in a plate shape that bulges inward from the support beam 131a in the width direction Y in a generally mountain shape. An end surface of the cam plate 131c extending from the X1 side to the X2 side serves as a cam surface 131c1. Cam surface 131c1 has a cam shape that gradually protrudes inward in the width direction Y from the base end side (X1 side) of support beam 131a and gradually retracts outward. The top of cam surface 131c1 is located on the X1 side of the top of locking projection 131b. The surface of cam surface 131c1 from the X2 side of the top of locking projection 131b to the tip end of support beam 131a is flush with the outer surfaces of locking projection 131b and support beam 131a.

[0027] 6, the support beam 131a provided on the Y1 side of the first horizontal plate 11a1 is separated from the first horizontal plate 11a1 by a gap S1. Similarly, although not shown, the support beam 131a on the Y2 side of the first horizontal plate 11a1 is also separated from the first horizontal plate 11a1 by a gap S1, and the support beams 131a provided on the Y1 and Y2 sides of the second horizontal plate 11a2 are also separated from the second horizontal plate 11a2 by a gap S1. This makes the support beam 131a flexible together with the locking projection 131b and the cam plate 131c.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, a second locking portion 132 is provided inside the hood 11a. The second locking portion 132 locks with a second locked portion 142 of the aligning plate 12 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The second locking portion 132 is provided on each of the first side plate 11a3 and the second side plate 11a4. The second locking portion 132 has a horizontal guide surface 132a and a vertical guide surface 132b. The horizontal guide surface 132a is provided on the Z1 side and the Z2 side, with the normal direction being the height direction Z. The vertical guide surface 132b is formed by the flat inner surfaces of the first side plate 11a3 and the second side plate 11a4. The second locking portion 132 has step portions 132c as surfaces perpendicular to the horizontal guide surface 132a and the vertical guide surface 132b on the X1 side of the horizontal guide surface 132a and the vertical guide surface 132b.

[0029] 5, guide surfaces 135a and 135b are provided on the inside of each second locking portion 132 of the hood 11a, with flat surfaces facing the height direction Z. The guide surface 135a is provided on the Y1 side, and the guide surface 135b is provided on the Y2 side. The guide surfaces 135a and 135b are provided opposite each other in the height direction Z. The guide surfaces 135a and 135b guide the surfaces in the height direction Z of the base ends 142d (see FIG. 7) of the second locked portions 142 at both ends in the width direction Y of the aligning plate 12 in the connection direction X. The guide surface 135a on the Y1 side is flush with and continuous with the lateral guide surface 132a.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal holding portion 11b is formed in a generally rectangular block shape elongated in the width direction Y and is arranged to close the fitting space 11a5 from the X2 side of the hood 11a. The terminal holding portion 11b is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 14 that accommodate a plurality of male terminals 13, respectively. The terminal accommodating chambers 14 are formed as holes that penetrate in the connection direction X. The plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 14 are arranged in the width direction Y and the height direction Z. The terminal accommodating chambers 14 include a first terminal accommodating chamber 14a that accommodates the first male terminal 13a and a second terminal accommodating chamber 14b that accommodates the second male terminal 13b. A plate-shaped spacer 16 is provided at a generally central position in the connection direction X of the terminal holding portion 11b. The spacer 16 fixes and holds the male terminals 13 accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers 14 to the terminal holding portion 11b.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, the aligning plate 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape elongated in the width direction Y. The aligning plate 12 has a plurality of insertion holes 15 penetrating in the connection direction X. The insertion holes 15 include a first insertion hole 15a through which the first male terminals 13a are inserted and a second insertion hole 15b through which the second male terminals 13b are inserted. When the male terminals 13 are inserted into the insertion holes 15, the aligning plate 12 protects the male terminals 13 from being bent by contact with fingers or the like and also aligns and corrects the male terminals 13 so that their axes coincide with the axes of the female terminals 23 when the male terminals 13 are mated with the female terminals 23. The X1-side surface 12b of the aligning plate 12 is formed in a substantially flat surface (see FIG. 2). The X2-side surface of the aligning plate 12 is provided with a rib-like lattice 12a extending in the width direction Y and the height direction Z.

[0032] The aligning plate 12 has an engaging / disengaging piece 122 that protrudes toward the female housing 21 along the connecting direction X (in other words, protrudes toward the X1 side) and is formed by an elastic deformation portion 122d so as to be flexible in a height direction Z intersecting the connecting direction X. A total of four engaging / disengaging pieces 122 are provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction Y, two on each of the Z1-side and Z2-side edge portions of the aligning plate 12 (see also FIG. 2). The engaging / disengaging piece 122 is formed in a roughly tongue-like shape with a lance-shaped tip portion 122e. The tip portion 122e of the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is provided with an engaging projection 122a and an abutting portion 122b. The engaging projection 122a is formed so as to be engageable / disengageable when the female housing 21 moves along the connecting direction X and an engaging projection 222a, described later, rides over it. In other words, the engaged protrusion 122a is formed in a mountain shape having inclined surfaces 122a1 and 122a2 so that the engaging protrusion 222a can climb over it. The abutted portion 122b is formed in a flat surface along a plane perpendicular to the height direction Z. The tip of the tip portion 122e is formed in an R-chamfered shape when viewed from the width direction Y.

[0033] More specifically, the engaged protrusion 122a is provided on the inside, which is one side in the height direction Z, of the tip end 122e of the engaging / disengaging piece 122. When viewed from the width direction Y (see also FIG. 11), the angle of inclination of the inclined surface 122a1 from the tip of the tip end 122e to the top is set to be smaller than the angle of inclination of the inclined surface 122a2 from the top to the elastically deforming portion 122d. The abutted portion 122b is provided on the outside, which is the other side in the height direction Z of the tip end 122e of the engaging / disengaging piece 122. The abutted portion 122b is provided in a flat shape along a plane perpendicular to the height direction Z on the X2 side of the inclined surface 122b1 from the tip of the tip end 122e.

[0034] The aligning plate 12 also has first locked portions 141 that protrude toward the X2 side. A total of four first locked portions 141 are provided at the four corners of the approximately rectangular aligning plate 12. The aligning plate 12 also has second locked portions 142 that protrude toward the X1 side. The second locked portions 142 are provided at both ends in the width direction Y, extend from base ends 142d toward the X1 side, and are formed in a roughly tongue-like shape that spreads outward with the plate surface facing approximately in the width direction Y.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 8, the second locked portion 142 of the aligning plate 12 is arranged in the fitting space 11a5 of the male housing 11 so as to be guided by the horizontal guide surface 132a and the vertical guide surface 132b. The tip 142a of the second locked portion 142 is arranged so as to be able to abut against the step portion 132c. Here, before the female connector 20 and the male connector 10 are fitted together, the first locked portion 141 of the aligning plate 12 is fitted to the locking recess 131b1 of the first locking portion 131 (see FIG. 12). At this time, a slight clearance is formed between the tip 142a of the second locked portion 142 and the step portion 132c. The amount of this clearance is set to an extent necessary when assembling the aligning plate 12 to the male housing 11. The tip of the pin-shaped tab of each male terminal 13 protrudes from the insertion hole 15 even at the position where the second locked portion 142 is locked by the second locking portion 132, i.e., the position where the tip 142a of the second locked portion 142 abuts against the step portion 132c of the second locking portion 132. This reduces bending of each male terminal 13, and maintains alignment in the width direction Y and height direction Z.

[0036] The edge surface of the aligning plate 12 in the height direction Z comes close to or is in sliding contact with the opposing surface of the first locking portion 131 that faces the edge surface. Specifically, for example, in FIG. 8, the edge surface 12c of the aligning plate 12 comes close to or is in sliding contact with the surface 131c2 of the opposing cam plate 131c. In other words, the aligning plate 12 is provided in a position where it does not interfere with the cam plate 131c. The unlocking portion 223 of the female housing 21 is provided in a position in the height direction Z where it can come into sliding contact with the cam surface 131c1 of the cam plate 131c, as will be described in detail later.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 9 , the female housing 21 is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 24 that accommodate a plurality of female terminals 23, respectively. The X2-side surface 21b of the female housing 21 (the lattice-shaped surface excluding the openings of the terminal accommodating chambers 24) is substantially flat. The terminal accommodating chambers 24 are formed as holes that penetrate the female housing 21 in the connection direction X. The terminal accommodating chambers 24 include a first terminal accommodating chamber 24a that accommodates the first female terminal 23a and a second terminal accommodating chamber 24b that accommodates the second female terminal 23b. The multiple terminal accommodating chambers 24 are arranged in the width direction Y and the height direction Z. A plate-shaped spacer 26 is provided at a substantially central position of the female housing 21 in the connection direction X. The female terminals 23 accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers 24 are fixed and held in the female housing 21 by the spacer 26.

[0038] The female housing 21 has a protrusion 222 including an engagement protrusion 222a protruding in the height direction Z. The protrusions 222 are provided on the X2-side edges of the Z1-side and Z2-side surfaces of the female housing 21, with two protrusions 222 provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction Y, for a total of four. The protrusions 222 each have an engagement protrusion 222a extending in the width direction Y and a rib 222b connected to the engagement protrusion 222a and extending in the connecting direction X. The Y1-side protrusion 222 is provided with one rib 222b, and the Y2-side engagement protrusion 222a is provided with two ribs 222b. The X1-side of the engagement protrusion 222a is formed as an inclined surface 222a1. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 222a1 of the engagement protrusion 222a is approximately the same as the inclination angle of the inclined surface 122a1 of the engaged protrusion 122a of the engagement / disengagement piece 122 (see FIG. 21).

[0039] The female housing 21 is provided with guided protrusions 25 on the Z1 and Z2 sides at the ends in the width direction Y, which are guided by the guide grooves 112 of the male housing 11. The guided protrusions 25 are provided with lock-releasing portions 223 formed on the X2 side of the guided protrusions 25 so as to protrude outward in the width direction Y. The width of the lock-releasing portion 223 is formed slightly smaller than the width of the guide grooves 112 of the male housing 11, and is guided by the guide grooves 112.

[0040] Two support shafts 27 protruding in a generally cylindrical shape are provided on each of the Z1-side and Z2-side surfaces of the female housing 21. Of the support shafts 27, the one on the Y1 side is designated as the first support shaft 27a, and the one on the Y2 side is designated as the second support shaft 27b. The first support shaft 27a is inserted into the first elongated hole 28a of the lever 22, and the second support shaft 27b is inserted into the second elongated hole 28b of the lever 22. As described above, the Z1-side and Z2-side surfaces of the female housing 21 are each provided with a locking projection 21a that locks with the arm 22a of the lever 22. The protrusions 21c provided on the Z1-side and Z2-side surfaces of the female housing 21, respectively, and the protrusion 21d provided on the Z2-side surface, respectively, guide the lever 22 at a predetermined location when the lever 22 is operated.

[0041] Returning to FIG. 2, the lever 22 has two plate-like members, a Z1-side main body plate 221a and a Z2-side main body plate 221b. The main body plates 221a and 221b are connected by a main body connecting portion 221c. The side of the main body plates 221a and 221b opposite the main body connecting portion 221c is open as an opening portion 221d. The main body plates 221a and 221b are each provided with an arm 22a protruding toward the X2 side on the main body connecting portion 221c side. Furthermore, the main body plates 221a and 221b are each provided with a curved, penetrating elongated hole 28 on the opening portion 221d side. The elongated hole 28 has a first elongated hole 28a on the opening portion 221d side and a second elongated hole 28b on the main body connecting portion 221c side. Furthermore, the main body plates 221a and 221b are each provided with a guided projection 22b on the outer surface on the female housing 21 side at the end of the open portion 221d.

[0042] As shown in Figure 10, a support shaft 27 is inserted into and attached to the elongated hole 28 of the lever 22. A first support shaft 27a is inserted into the first elongated hole 28a. A second support shaft 27b is inserted into the second elongated hole 28b. Before mating with the male connector 10, the tip of the arm 22a is positioned on the X1 side of the locking protrusion 21a. The female connector 20 can also be removed from the male connector 10 (see Figure 22).

[0043] Attachment and detachment of the female connector 20 and the male connector 10 will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 22. Note that although the engaging / disengaging pieces 122 and engaging protrusions 222a are provided in four locations, their operation is the same, so only the engaging / disengaging pieces 122 and engaging protrusions 222a on the Y1 and Z1 sides will be illustrated and described. Similarly, with regard to the first locking portions 131 and first locked portions 141 provided in four locations, only the first locking portions 131 and first locked portions 141 on the Y1 and Z1 sides will be illustrated and described.

[0044] 10 to 12 show the state when female connector 20 is inserted into male connector 10 after the female connector and male connector are separated. Specifically, when inserting female connector 20 into male connector 10, as shown in Fig. 10, guided projection 22b of lever 22 is first inserted into guide groove 110 of male housing 11. At this time, guided projection 25 of female housing 21 is inserted into guide groove 112 of male housing 11 (see Figs. 2 and 9).

[0045] Note that the lever 22 is fixed relatively to the female housing 21 until a rotational operation of the lever 22, which will be described later, is performed. Specifically, the tip of the arm 22a of the lever 22 abuts and locks against the locking projection 21a of the female housing 21, and the support shaft 27 of the female housing 21 is engaged with the elongated hole 28 of the lever 22, so that the lever 22 is fixed relatively to the female housing 21. Therefore, by pushing the lever 22 (or the female housing 21) toward the X2 side, the female housing 21 is moved toward the X2 side. Furthermore, as the female housing 21 moves toward the X2 side, the guided projection 22b of the lever 22 is guided by the guide groove 110.

[0046] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, the engaging / disengaging piece 122 of the aligning plate 12 is located in the non-restricted area DA. In this state, the engaging protrusion 222a of the female housing 21 is located closer to the X1 side than the engaged protrusion 122a of the engaging / disengaging piece 122. In other words, the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a are not engaged with each other. Furthermore, each female terminal 23 is spaced apart from each male terminal 13. In other words, each female terminal 23 and each male terminal 13 are not electrically connected. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the first locking portion 131 of the male housing 11 is locked with the first locked portion 141 of the aligning plate 12. Specifically, the first locked portion 141 of the aligning plate 12 fits into and is locked in the locking recess 131b1 of the first locking portion 131. This restricts movement of the aligning plate 12 toward the X2 side.

[0047] 13 and 14 show a state immediately before the engaging protrusion 222a passes over the engaged protrusion 122a when the female housing 21 is further pushed in from the state shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 and moves toward the X2 side. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, when the female housing 21 moves toward the X2 side, the engaging protrusion 222a moves toward the X2 side while sliding against the inclined surface 122a1 of the engaged protrusion 122a. This causes the elastic deformation portion 122d of the engaging / disengaging piece 122 to bend toward the other side (outside) in the height direction Z. Then, when the engaging protrusion 222a moves further toward the X2 side, the engaging protrusion 222a passes over the engaged protrusion 122a. When the engaging projection 222a moves over the engaged projection 122a, the elastically deforming portion 122d returns to its original shape, the engaging projection 222a is positioned on the X2 side of the engaged projection 122a, and the engaging projection 222a engages with the engaged projection 122a (see FIG. 16). Just before the engaging projection 222a moves over the top of the engaged projection 122a, the unlocking portion 223 of the female housing 21 begins to slide against the cam surface 131c1 of the cam plate 131c of the first engaging portion 131, as shown in FIG. 14. At this time, the first engaging portion 131 and the first engaged portion 141 are engaged with each other, so movement of the aligning plate 12 toward the X2 side is restricted.

[0048] 15 to 17 show the state after the engagement between engaging protrusion 222a and engaged protrusion 122a is completed. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 15, female connector 20 is pushed into the X2 side without operating lever 22, and guided protrusion 22b of lever 22 of female connector 20 is guided by guide groove 110.

[0049] 16, when the engaging projection 222a passes over the engaged projection 122a and the engagement is completed, the pin-shaped tip portion (male tab) of the male terminal 13 approaches the female terminal 23, but the male terminal 13 and the female terminal 23 are not electrically connected. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17, after the engaging projection 222a and the engaged projection 122a engage with each other (more specifically, after the engaging projection 222a passes over the top of the engaged projection 122a), the unlocking portion 223 of the female housing 21 presses the cam surface 131c1 of the cam plate 131c of the first locking portion 131 against the elastic force of the support beam 131a, thereby bending the support beam 131a outward in the width direction Y. As a result, the first locked portion 141 escapes from the locking recess 131b1, and the first locking portion 131 and the first locked portion 141 are unlocked. When the first locking portion 131 and the first locked portion 141 are disengaged, the aligning plate 12 can move toward the X2 side. After the engaging protrusion 222a engages with the engaged protrusion 122a in this way, the unlocking portion 223 disengages the first locking portion 131 from the first locked portion 141, and the engagement between the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a is maintained, allowing the engagement / disengagement piece 122 to enter the restricted area DN from the non-restricted area DA.

[0050] The engagement / disengagement piece 122 moves from the non-restricted area DA to the restricted area DN by rotating the lever 22 and moving the female housing 21 toward the X2 side. By rotating the lever 22, the female housing 21 approaches the aligning plate 12, and the X2-side surface 21b of the female housing 21 comes into contact with the X1-side surface 12b of the aligning plate 12. Then, the female housing 21 moves toward the X2 side together with the aligning plate 12.

[0051] Here, the lever 22 is engaged with the male housing 11, thereby enabling it to be rotated relative to the female housing 21. To rotate the lever 22, the main body connecting portion 221c of the lever 22 is pressed toward the X2 side from the state shown in FIG. 15. This causes the guided protrusion 22b to move to the crank-shaped portion of the guide groove 110, and the lever 22 rotates with the guided protrusion 22b as a fulcrum. When the lever 22 is rotated, the tip of the arm 22a of the lever 22 gets caught on the release rib 111 (see FIG. 2) of the male housing 11, and the lever 22 moves outward in the height direction Z. This releases the arm 22a from the locking protrusion 21a. When the lever 22 is further rotated, the female housing 21 moves toward the X2 side while the support shaft 27 is aligned with the elongated hole 28. The engaging / disengaging piece 122 enters the restricted area DN from the non-restricted area DA while maintaining the engagement between the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a due to the contact between the surfaces 21b, 12b of the female housing 21 and the aligning plate 12.

[0052] 18 to 20 show a state in which the lever 22 has been rotated to electrically connect the male terminals 13 and the female terminals 23, completing the mating of the female connector 20 and the male connector 10. When the lever 22 is rotated to connect the female terminals 23 and the male terminals 13, as shown in FIG. 18, the longitudinal direction of the lever 22 is aligned substantially along the width direction Y, and most of the lever 22 is housed within the hood 11a of the male housing 11. The main body connecting portion 221c is located in the C-chamfered notch of the first horizontal plate 11a1 and the second horizontal plate 11a2, and is exposed so that it can be grasped. At this time, the locking hole 221e1 provided in the leaf spring portion 221e of the main body connecting portion 221c shown in FIG. 1 engages with the locking claw 19d provided in the opening 19 of the male housing 11, locking the lever 22 to the male housing 11. 19, when the engaging / disengaging pieces 122 are positioned in the restriction area DN, the female terminals 23 are electrically connected to the male terminals 13, respectively.

[0053] 20, when the male terminals 13 and the female terminals 23 are mated, the unlocking portion 223 moves beyond the top of the cam plate 131c toward the X2 side. This causes the support beam 131a to return inward in the width direction Y due to its restoring force. The unlocking portion 223 lightly abuts against the cam surface 131c1, which is on the X2 side of the locking protrusion 131b and is continuous with the surface of the tip of the support beam 131a. As a result, when the unlocking portion 223 moves toward the X1 side, it again comes into sliding contact with the cam surface 131c1, thereby bending the first locking portion 131 outward.

[0054] To detach the female connector 20 from the male connector 10, first, in the state shown in FIG. 18, the main body connection portion 221c of the lever 22 is grasped and pulled to rotate the lever 22 and move the female connector 20 toward the X1 side. Then, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 19, the engaging protrusion 222a moves toward the X1 side. Then, the inclined surface 122a2 of the engaged protrusion 122a abuts against the inclined surface 222a1 of the engaging protrusion 222a, shown by the two-dot chain line. When the inclined surface 222a1 of the engaging protrusion 222a abuts against the inclined surface 122a2 of the engaged protrusion 122a, a force F perpendicular to the inclined surface 122a2 is applied to the tip end 122e. Then, a component force FV of the force F in the height direction Z acts on the engaging / disengaging piece 122, moving it outward in the height direction Z. Further, a component force FH of the force F in the connecting direction X acts on the engaging / disengaging piece 122 to move it to the X1 side.

[0055] When the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is positioned in the restricted area DN, the tip end 122e moves slightly outward in the height direction Z due to the component force FV. However, the abutment portion 122b of the engaging / disengaging piece 122 abuts against the rib 120. Therefore, in the restricted area DN, the tip end 122e of the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is restricted from moving outward in the height direction Z. As a result, the engaging protrusion 222a cannot get over the engaged protrusion 122a, and the engagement between the engaged protrusion 122a of the engaging / disengaging piece 122 and the engaging protrusion 222a is maintained. Therefore, the engagement between the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a is maintained, and the aligning plate 12 moves toward the X1 side together with the female housing 21 due to the action of the component force FH.

[0056] When the lever 22 is rotated to move the female housing 21 toward the X1 side, the X2-side surface 21b of the female housing 21 moves away from the X1-side surface 12b of the aligning plate 12. In this way, the lever 22 moves the female housing 21 toward or away from the aligning plate 12 in the connection direction X as the female housing 21 is attached to or detached from the male housing 11.

[0057] 21 shows a state in which the engaging / disengaging piece 122 has returned from the restricted area DN to the non-restricted area DA while the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a are maintained engaged with each other. As shown in FIG. 21, the female terminals 23 are spaced apart from the male terminals 13. Furthermore, when the engaging / disengaging piece 122 returns from the restricted area DN to the non-restricted area DA, the second locking portion 132 of the male housing 11 is locked with the second locked portion 142 of the aligning plate 12 (see FIG. 22). Note that, as the female housing 21 moves toward the X1 side, the unlocking portion 223 slides against the cam surface 131c1, and the support beam 131a of the first locking portion 131 is again deflected outward in the width direction Y and then restored, so that the first locked portion 141 and the first locking portion 131 are again locked with each other (see FIG. 12).

[0058] When the female housing 21 is further moved toward the X1 side while the second locking portion 132 and the second locked portion 142 are locked, the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is positioned in the non-restricted area DA, so that the engaging protrusion 222a moves the tip end 122e of the engaging / disengaging piece 122 outward in the height direction Z (see FIG. 13), and the engaged protrusion 122a moves over the engaging protrusion 222a to release the engaged state (see FIG. 11). Then, when the female connector 20 is further pulled out toward the X1 side, the female connector 20 and the male connector 10 can be separated, as shown in FIG.

[0059] The connector device 1 described above comprises: a male housing 11 having an opening 19 and holding a plurality of male terminals 13 protruding toward the opening 19 (X1 side) along a connecting direction X which is a first direction; an aligning plate 12 as an aligning member provided inside the male housing 11 so as to be movable along the connecting direction X and having a plurality of insertion holes 15 through which the male terminals 13 are inserted; and a female housing 21 holding a plurality of female terminals 23 electrically connected to the male terminals 13, the female housing 21 being fitted into a fitting space 11a5 inside the male housing 11 along the connecting direction X from the opening 19 and movable toward and away from the aligning plate 12. The aligning plate 12 protrudes toward the female housing 21 along the connecting direction X and has a plurality of insertion holes 15 through which the male terminals 13 are inserted. The male housing 11 has an engaging / disengaging piece 122 that is flexibly formed in a height direction Z that is a second direction intersecting the direction X, and the female housing 21 has an engaging protrusion 222a that protrudes along the height direction Z, and the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is provided on one side in the height direction Z and has an engaged protrusion 122a that is formed so as to be engageable and disengageable when the female housing 21 moves along the connection direction X and the engaging protrusion 222a overcomes it, and an abutted portion 122b that is provided on the other side in the height direction Z, and the male housing 11 has a non-restricted area DA in which the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a can be engaged and disengaged, and a restricted area DN that is located closer to the base end side (X2 side) of the male terminal 13 in the connection direction X than the non-restricted area DA and has a rib 120 that abuts against the abutted portion 122b when the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a are engaged. The wire harness WH includes a plurality of electric wires W1, W2 and a connector device 1 provided to the plurality of electric wires W1, W2.

[0060] As a result, when the female connector 20 is separated from the male connector 10 while the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are connected, the engaged protrusion 122a engages with the engaging protrusion 222a, allowing the aligning plate 12 to move toward the X1 side together with the female housing 21. When the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is positioned in the restricted area DN, movement of the engaging piece 122 in the height direction Z is restricted, so the engagement between the engaged protrusion 122a and the engaging protrusion 222a is maintained. Here, as shown in FIG. 19 , when the female housing 21 moves toward the X1 side, the inclined surface 222a1 of the engaging protrusion 222a abuts against the inclined surface 122a2 of the engaged protrusion 122a. The components of the force F that the inclined surface 122a2 of the engaged protrusion 122a receives from the inclined surface 222a1 of the engaging protrusion 222a are a component force FV along the height direction Z and a component force FH along the connecting direction X. When the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is located in the restricted area DN, the rib 120 comes into contact with the contacted portion 122b, and the rib 120 receives a component force FV along the height direction Z.

[0061] For example, the engaging / disengaging piece 122 may have a wing-like protrusion protruding in the width direction Y and supported by the male housing 11 to receive the component force FV along the height direction Z. In this case, the protrusion needs to be thickened to accommodate the component force FV, resulting in a highly rigid structure, which increases the amount of material required for molding and may result in an increased device size. However, as in the present embodiment, the abutment portion 122b is provided on the opposite side of the engaged protrusion 122a along the height direction Z to receive the component force FV via the rib 120. This allows the abutment portion 122b to be integral with the mountain-shaped engaged protrusion 122a, and the engaging / disengaging piece 122 provided with the abutment portion 122b can have a sufficiently high rigidity. In this way, the engagement between the female connector 20 (female housing 21) and the aligning plate 12 (engagement between the engaged protrusion 122a and the engaging protrusion 222a) can be more appropriately achieved.

[0062] The non-restriction area DA is formed as a flat surface, the restriction area DN has a base surface 121 which is a flat surface continuing from the non-restriction area DA, the rib 120 is provided on the base surface 121, the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is formed as a tongue piece having a lance-shaped tip end 122e, and the tip end 122e is provided with an engaged protrusion 122a and an abutted portion 122b which is formed as a flat surface. This allows the abutted portion 122b to be formed simply as a flat surface, thereby enabling proper engagement between the female connector 20 (female housing 21) and the aligning plate 12 (engagement between the engaged protrusion 122a and the engaging protrusion 222a) with a simple configuration. As shown in FIG. 11 , the abutted portion 122b is provided on the X2 side of the center line TL which is parallel to the connection direction X and along the height direction Z which passes through the top of the engaged protrusion 122a. As a result, when the engaging projection 222a moves over the engaged projection 122a and the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is bent, the abutted portion 122b can be instantly brought into abutment with the rib 120. Furthermore, by providing an inclined surface 122b1 on the X1 side of the abutted portion 122b, the tip portion 122e can be formed in a well-balanced manner in combination with the mountain-shaped shape of the engaged projection 122a.

[0063] The male housing 11 has a first locking portion 131 and a second locking portion 132 located closer to the X1 side of the first locking portion 131, which is the opening 19 side in the connecting direction X. The aligning plate 12 has a first locked portion 141 provided so as to be able to be locked to the first locking portion 131 and a second locked portion 142 provided so as to be able to be locked to the second locking portion 132. The female housing 21 has a locking mechanism for releasing the locked state of the first locking portion 131 and the first locked portion 141. When the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is positioned in the non-restricted area DA and the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a are not engaged, the first engaging portion 131 is engaged with the first engaged portion 141, and each female terminal 23 is separated from each male terminal 13. When the female housing 21 moves to the X2 side, which is the base end side of the male terminal 13 in the connecting direction X, the engaging protrusion 222a rides over the engaged protrusion 122a and engages with the engaging protrusion 222a. After the engaged projection 122a is engaged, the engagement between the first engaging portion 131 and the first engaged portion 141 is released by the unlocking portion 223, and the engaging / disengaging piece 122 can enter the regulated area DN from the non-restricted area DA while maintaining the engagement between the engaging projection 222a and the engaged projection 122a. When the engaging / disengaging piece 122 is positioned in the regulated area DN, each female terminal 23 is electrically connected to each male terminal 13. When the engaging / disengaging piece 122 moves toward the X1 side together with the female housing 21, the engaging / disengaging piece 122 returns from the restricted area DN to the non-restricted area DA while maintaining the engagement between the engaging protrusion 222a and the engaged protrusion 122a, the second engaging portion 132 engages with the second engaged portion 142, and each female terminal 23 is separated from each male terminal 13, and when the female housing 21 moves further toward the X1 side, the engaging protrusion 222a passes over the engaged protrusion 122a and releases the engaged state.

[0064] As a result, even when the female connector 20 is removed from the male connector 10, the aligning plate 12 can remain inside the male housing 11 with the second engaging portion 142 engaged with the second engaging portion 132, thereby reducing the risk of inserting fingers through the opening 19 and bending the pin-shaped male tabs of the male terminals 13, etc.

[0065] The connector device 1 also includes a lever 22, which is a lever member that can be rotated relative to the female housing 21 by engaging with the male housing 11, and the lever 22 moves the female housing 21 toward or away from the aligning plate 12 along the connection direction X as the female housing 21 is attached to or detached from the male housing 11. This makes it possible to utilize the principle of leverage to more appropriately engage the female connector 20 with the aligning plate 12 even in the connector device 1 that has the lever 22 that can connect multiple female terminals 23 and multiple male terminals 13 with a light force.

[0066] The current sensors according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0067] In the above description, the engaging / disengaging pieces 122 are provided so as to be flexible in the height direction Z, but for example, the engaging / disengaging pieces 122 may be provided on both sides of the aligning plate 12 in the width direction Y so as to be flexible in the width direction Y. Also, the abutment portions 122b of the engaging / disengaging pieces 122 are provided flat, but they may be provided with protrusions or the like so as to abut against the ribs 120. However, by making them flat, this can be implemented without increasing the weight of the engaging / disengaging pieces 122 (aligning plate 12).

[0068] The connector device according to this embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the above-described embodiments and modified examples. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1: Connector device 10: Male connector 11: Male housing 12: Aligning plate (aligning member) 13: Male terminal 15:Through hole 19: Opening 20: Female connector 21: Female housing 22: Lever (lever component) 23: Female terminal 120: Rib 121: Base surface (flat surface) 122: Detachable piece 122a: Engaged protrusion 122b: Abutted part 122d: Elastic deformation part 122e:Tip 131: First locking portion 132: Second locking portion 141:First locked part 142:Second locked part 222a: Engaging protrusion 223: Unlocking part DA: Non-regulated area DN: Regulatory domain X: Connection direction (first direction) Y: Width direction Z: Height direction (second direction) WH: Wire harness

Claims

1. a male housing having an opening and holding a plurality of male terminals so that the male terminals protrude toward the opening along a first direction; an aligning member provided inside the male housing so as to be movable along the first direction, the aligning member having a plurality of insertion holes through which the male terminals are inserted; a female housing that holds a plurality of female terminals electrically connected to the male terminals, is fitted into the male housing from the opening along the first direction, and is provided so as to be movable toward and away from the aligning member; Equipped with the aligning member has an engaging / disengaging piece that protrudes toward the female housing along the first direction and is formed to be flexible in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, the female housing has an engagement protrusion that protrudes along the second direction, the engaging / disengaging piece has an engaged protrusion provided on one side in the second direction and formed to be engageable and disengageable when the female housing moves along the first direction and the engaging protrusion rides over it, and an abutted portion provided on the other side in the second direction, The male housing has a non-restricted area in which the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion can be engaged and disengaged, and a restricted area in which a rib is provided that is located closer to the base end of the male terminal in the first direction than the non-restricted area and abuts the abutted portion when the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion are engaged.

2. The non-restriction region is formed in a flat surface shape, the restriction area has a flat surface that is continuous with the non-restriction area, and the rib is provided on the flat surface; The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the engagement / disengagement piece is formed in a tongue-like shape having a lance-shaped tip, the tip has the engaging protrusion and the abutment portion provided thereon, and the abutment portion is formed flat.

3. the male housing has a first locking portion and a second locking portion located closer to the opening in the first direction than the first locking portion, the aligning member has a first locked portion provided so as to be able to be locked by the first locking portion and a second locked portion provided so as to be able to be locked by the second locking portion, the female housing has a lock release portion that releases the lock between the first locking portion and the first locked portion, When the engaging / disengaging piece is located in the non-restricted area and the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion are not engaged, the first engaging portion engages with the first engaged portion, each of the female terminals is spaced from each of the male terminals, and when the female housing moves toward the base end of the male terminal in the first direction, the engaging protrusion rides over the engaged protrusion and engages with it, and after the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion engage, the engagement between the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion is released by the unlocking portion, and the engaging / disengaging piece can enter the restricted area from the non-restricted area while maintaining the engagement between the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion, When the engaging / disengaging pieces are positioned in the restricting areas, the female terminals are electrically connected to the male terminals, 2. The connector device of claim 1, wherein when the engaging / disengaging piece moves from a state in which it is positioned in the restricted area toward the opening together with the female housing in the first direction, the engaging / disengaging piece returns from the restricted area to the non-restricted area while maintaining the engagement between the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion, the second engaging portion engages with the second engaged portion, and each of the female terminals is separated from each of the male terminals, and when the female housing further moves toward the opening in the first direction, the engaging protrusion overcomes the engaged protrusion and releases the engaged state.

4. a lever member that can be rotated relative to the female housing by engaging with the male housing; 4. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the lever member moves the female housing together with the aligning member along the first direction as the female housing is attached to or detached from the male housing.

5. A plurality of wires; a connector device provided to the plurality of electric wires, The connector device includes: a male housing having an opening and holding a plurality of male terminals so that the male terminals protrude toward the opening along a first direction; an aligning member provided inside the male housing so as to be movable along the first direction, the aligning member having a plurality of insertion holes through which the male terminals are inserted; a female housing that holds a plurality of female terminals electrically connected to the male terminals, is fitted into the male housing from the opening along the first direction, and is provided so as to be movable toward and away from the aligning member; Equipped with the aligning member has an engagement / disengagement piece that protrudes toward the female housing along the first direction and is formed to be flexible in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, the female housing has an engagement protrusion that protrudes along the second direction, the engaging / disengaging piece has an engaged protrusion provided on one side in the second direction and formed to be engageable and disengageable when the female housing moves along the first direction and the engaging protrusion rides over it, and an abutted portion provided on the other side in the second direction, The male housing has a non-restricted area in which the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion can be engaged and disengaged, and a restricted area in which a rib is provided that is located closer to the base end of the male terminal in the first direction than the non-restricted area and that abuts against the abutted portion when the engaging protrusion and the engaged protrusion are engaged. Wire harness.

Images