Connector

Abstract

To realize an application to an inner housing in which a connector fitting direction is a die-cutting direction.SOLUTION: An inner housing 30 has a first holding part 33 protruding from each of a pair of side wall surfaces 32 and a pair of second holding parts 34 protruding from each of a pair of side wall surfaces without being disposed to face each of the first holding part in a connector insertion / extraction direction and an assembly direction. An outer housing member 50 has a sandwiched part 52 protruding from each of an inner wall surface 51a of a pair of side wall parts 51 and extending in the assembly direction and sandwiched between the first holding part and the pair of second holding parts for each of the side wall surfaces. The first holding part has a reference locking part 33a that locks a first locking part 52a of a clamped part to the reference position, the pair of second holding parts has a crushing rib 34a that is crushed by a second locking part 52b of the clamped part, and the first holding part and the pair of second holding parts clamp the clamped part by the reference locking part and the crushing rib.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, connectors incorporating a circuit board have been known. This connector includes a circuit board, terminal fittings connected to the circuit board, an inner housing that accommodates and holds the terminal fittings, and an outer housing that exposes the inside of a hood portion of the inner housing and accommodates the circuit board, terminal fittings, and inner housing. The outer housing includes an outer housing member and a cover member that sandwich the circuit board, terminal fittings, and inner housing in an assembly direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction. The outer housing member has a first opening that exposes the hood portion in the connector insertion / removal direction and a second opening that opens in the assembly direction, and a cover member is assembled to close the second opening. This type of connector is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2018-526800 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such connectors, the outer housing supports the inner housing, reducing the load on the connection between the circuit board and the terminal fittings caused by external forces and maintaining the connection between them. For example, in the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the inner housing is provided with a pair of flanges with a gap in the connector insertion / removal direction, and a protrusion inserted into the gap is provided on the inner wall surface of the outer housing member. In this connector, one of the flanges is provided with multiple crushing ribs, and the outer housing supports the inner housing by crushing the crushing ribs when the protrusion is inserted in the assembly direction. This connector can be realized as long as the inner housing is molded using a pair of molds whose removal direction is the same as the assembly direction. However, this inner housing cannot be molded using a pair of molds whose removal direction is the same as the connector insertion / removal direction.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector that can be used with an inner housing whose mold removal direction is the same as the connector insertion / removal direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention comprises an inner housing having a circuit board, terminal fittings connected to the circuit board, and a hood portion for fitting and connecting a mating connector, the inner housing accommodating and holding the terminal fittings with fitting connection portions for mating terminal fittings arranged inside the hood portion, and an outer housing accommodating the circuit board, the terminal fittings, and the inner housing with the inside of the hood portion exposed, the outer housing comprising an outer housing member and a cover member that sandwich the circuit board, the terminal fittings, and the inner housing in an assembly direction perpendicular to a connector insertion / removal direction with the mating connector, the inner housing having a pair of side wall surfaces located at both ends in a direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction and the assembly direction, first holding portions protruding from the pair of side wall surfaces, respectively, and a pair of second holding portions protruding from the pair of side wall surfaces, respectively, without being positioned opposite the first holding portions in the connector insertion / removal direction and the assembly direction, and the outer housing member exposing the hood portion in the connector insertion / removal direction. a first opening through which the connector housing extends in the assembling direction, a second opening that opens in the assembling direction, side wall portions for each of the side wall surfaces that are disposed opposite the side wall surfaces of the inner housing, and clamped portions that protrude from the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side wall portions and extend in the assembling direction and are clamped between the first holding portion and the pair of second holding portions for each of the side wall surfaces, and the cover member is assembled in a manner that closes the second opening, and the first holding portion is located at an end on the pair of second holding portions side in the connector inserting / removing direction, and the clamped portions the pair of second holding portions are located at the ends on the first holding portion side in the connector insertion / removal direction and have crushing ribs that are crushed by the second locking portions on the pair of second holding portions in the clamped portion, and the first holding portion and the pair of second holding portions clamp the clamped portion in the connector insertion / removal direction by the reference locking portion that locks the first locking portion and the crushing ribs that are crushed by the second locking portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the connector of the present invention, the clamped portion of the outer housing member is clamped between the first retaining portion and a pair of second retaining portions of the inner housing, thereby holding the inner housing to the outer housing member. Therefore, when external force is applied to the terminal fittings or inner housing due to a load from the mating connector during connector mating or vehicle road surface impact, the connector can distribute and absorb that force between the outer housing member and the connection portions of the circuit board and terminal fittings. This reduces the load on the connection portions between the circuit board and the terminal fittings, thereby improving the durability of the connection portions. Therefore, the connector of the present invention can improve the electrical reliability between the circuit board and the terminal fittings.

[0008] Furthermore, in the connector according to the present invention, the first holding portion and the pair of second holding portions of the inner housing are not arranged opposite each other in the connector insertion / removal direction and the assembly direction, respectively, so that the inner housing can be molded using a pair of molds whose removal direction is the connector insertion / removal direction, without using a slide core or the like.

[0009] In this way, the connector of the present invention can be applied to an inner housing in which the connector mating direction is the mold-removal direction, and by using such an inner housing, the durability of the connection between the circuit board and the terminal fittings can be improved inexpensively. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the circuit board and the terminal fittings. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the inner housing. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inner housing as seen from the side. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the main part of the inner housing as seen from the front on the hood side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the main part of the inner housing as seen from the rear side. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the main part of the inner housing as seen from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0012] [Embodiment] One embodiment of a connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 indicates a connector of this embodiment. This connector 1 contains a circuit board 10 and includes the following components: This connector 1 includes the circuit board 10, terminal fittings 20 connected to the circuit board 10, an inner housing 30 that houses and holds the terminal fittings 20, and an outer housing 40 that houses the circuit board 10, the terminal fittings 20, and the inner housing 30 (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0014] The circuit board 10 is, for example, a rectangular, flat printed circuit board (PCB), and the terminal fittings 20 are physically and electrically connected to the wiring pattern of the circuit board 10 (FIGS. 1 and 4).

[0015] The terminal fitting 20 is a press-fit terminal formed into an L-shaped shaft, and is roughly divided into a fitting connection portion 21 on one side as seen from the bent portion of the L, and a press-fit portion 22 on the other side as seen from the bent portion (FIG. 4). A plurality of these terminal fittings 20 are prepared for each circuit.

[0016] The mating connection portion 21 is a male terminal portion that is mated and connected to a mating terminal fitting (not shown) of a mating connector, and extends in the mating connection direction (FIG. 4). The press-fit portion 22 is inserted into the through-hole 11 of the circuit board 10, and is physically and electrically connected to the through-hole 11 by utilizing the reaction force caused by elastic deformation (FIG. 4). This press-fit portion 22 is further soldered to the land of the through-hole 11.

[0017] The terminal fittings 20 are mounted on the circuit board 10 with the mating connection directions of the mating connection portions 21 aligned in the same direction. This connector 1 includes a plurality of terminal fittings 20 whose mating connection portions 21 are aligned at equal intervals in one direction perpendicular to the mating connection direction, and a plurality of other terminal fittings 20 whose mating connection portions 21 are aligned at equal intervals in the other direction perpendicular to the mating connection direction, respectively. In this connector 1, the tip positions of the mating connection portions 21 of each of the plurality of terminal fittings 20 are aligned at the same position in the mating connection direction. Therefore, this connector 1 includes a plurality of types of terminal fittings 20 whose axial lengths vary depending on the mounting position.

[0018] This connector 1 has two sets of terminal fittings 20, each with a different number of terminal fittings. For convenience, one set of terminal fittings 20 will be referred to as a first terminal group 20A, and the other set of terminal fittings 20 will be referred to as a second terminal group 20B (FIG. 1).

[0019] The inner housing 30 is molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The inner housing 30 has a hood portion 31 for mating with a mating connector, and the mating connection portion 21 accommodates and holds the terminal fittings 20 arranged inside the hood portion 31 (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0020] The hood portion 31 is formed in a square cylindrical shape with the cylindrical axis direction being the connector insertion / removal direction with respect to the mating connector (the connector insertion direction into the mating connector, and the connector removal direction from the mating connector which is opposite to this connector insertion direction), and the mating connector is inserted from an opening at one end.

[0021] The interior of the hood portion 31 shown here is divided into two spaces by a partition wall, and is broadly divided into a first hood portion 31A having one space inside and a second hood portion 31B having the other space inside (Fig. 1). Fitting and connecting portions 21 of the multiple terminal fittings 20 that make up the first terminal group 20A are arranged inside the first hood portion 31A. Fitting and connecting portions 21 of the multiple terminal fittings 20 that make up the second terminal group 20B are arranged inside the second hood portion 31B.

[0022] The inner housing 30 holds the fitting connection portions 21 of all the terminal fittings 20 and exposes the press-fit portions 22 of all the terminal fittings 20. The inner housing 30 is held to the circuit board 10 via the press-fit portions 22 of all the terminal fittings 20.

[0023] The outer housing 40 is made of a synthetic resin material or a metal material such as aluminum, etc. The outer housing 40 houses the circuit board 10, the terminal fittings 20, and the inner housing 30, with the inside of the hood portion 31 exposed (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0024] The outer housing 40 includes an outer housing member 50 and a cover member 60 that sandwich the circuit board 10, the terminal fittings 20, and the inner housing 30 in an assembly direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0025] The outer housing member 50 has a first opening 50a that exposes the hood portion 31 in the connector insertion / removal direction, and a second opening 50b that opens in the assembly direction (FIGS. 1 and 2). A cover member 60 is assembled to the outer housing member 50 in a manner that closes the second opening 50b.

[0026] In this connector 1, a circuit board 10 is disposed on the second opening 50b side. The circuit board 10 is sandwiched between an outer housing member 50 and a cover member 60. For example, in the outer housing 40 shown here, the outer housing member 50 and the cover member 60 are fixed with screws at multiple locations. Therefore, in this connector 1, the circuit board 10, the outer housing member 50, and the cover member 60 are fastened together. Here, through holes 12, 61 for inserting male screw members 41 are formed in four locations in the circuit board 10 and the cover member 60, and four female screw portions 42 are provided inside the outer housing member 50 (FIGS. 1 and 3). In this connector 1, the circuit board 10, the outer housing member 50, and the cover member 60 are fastened together by threading the male screw members 41 through the respective through holes 12, 61 into the female screw portions 42.

[0027] In this connector 1, external forces may be applied to the circuit board 10, terminal fittings 20, and inner housing 30 due to loads from the mating connector when the connectors are mated, road surface impacts from the vehicle, etc. For example, such external forces may be transmitted to the inner housing 30 and terminal fittings 20 by loads from the mating connector when the connectors are mated, or may be transmitted from the mating connector to the inner housing 30 and terminal fittings 20 when the wires of the mating connector come into contact with each other due to road surface impacts from the vehicle, or may be transmitted from the terminal fittings 20 to the circuit board 10.

[0028] In this connector 1, the circuit board 10 is sandwiched between the outer housing member 50 and the cover member 60, so that even if an external force acts on the circuit board 10, the external force can be absorbed by the outer housing member 50 and the cover member 60.

[0029] Meanwhile, in this connector 1, the terminal fittings 20 and the inner housing 30 are supported on the circuit board 10 via the press-fit portions 22 of the terminal fittings 20. For this reason, in this connector 1, when an external force is applied to the terminal fittings 20 or the inner housing 30 due to a load from the mating connector when the connectors are mated or due to road surface input from the vehicle, the load is concentrated on the connection portion (press-fit connection portion and solder connection portion) between the circuit board 10 and the press-fit portion 22. Therefore, in order to distribute the influence of the external force and reduce the load on the connection portion between the circuit board 10 and the press-fit portion 22, this connector 1 is configured as follows.

[0030] The inner housing 30 has a pair of side wall surfaces 32 located at both ends in a direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction and the assembly direction ( FIGS. 2 , 3 , and 5 to 9 ). This pair of side wall surfaces 32 includes a pair of side wall surfaces located at both ends of the hood portion 31 in a direction perpendicular to the connector insertion / removal direction and the assembly direction. The outer housing member 50 has side wall portions 51 for each side wall surface 32, with inner wall surfaces 51 a arranged opposite the side wall surfaces 32 of the inner housing 30 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). In the connector 1 of this embodiment, the outer housing member 50 holds the inner housing 30 by mutually holding the side wall surface 32 and the inner wall surface 51 a of the side wall portion 51 for each combination of the opposed side wall surface 32 and side wall portion 51.

[0031] The inner housing 30 has first holding portions 33 protruding from the pair of side wall surfaces 32, respectively, and a pair of second holding portions 34 protruding from the pair of side wall surfaces 32, respectively, without being positioned opposite the first holding portions 33 in the connector insertion / removal direction and the assembly direction (FIGS. 1 and 3 to 9). The outer housing member 50 has clamped portions 52 protruding from the inner wall surfaces 51a of the pair of side wall portions 51, extending in the assembly direction, and clamped between the first holding portions 33 and the pair of second holding portions 34 for each side wall surface 32 (FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0032] The first holding portion 33 is located at an end on the pair of second holding portions 34 side in the connector insertion / removal direction, and has a reference locking portion 33a that locks the first locking portion 52a on the first holding portion 33 side of the held portion 52 at a reference position in the connector insertion / removal direction ( FIGS. 3 and 5 to 7 ). The pair of second holding portions 34 are located at an end on the first holding portion 33 side in the connector insertion / removal direction, and have a crushing rib 34a that is crushed by the second locking portion 52b on the pair of second holding portions 34 side of the held portion 52 ( FIGS. 3 , 6 , 8 and 9 ). The first holding portion 33 and the pair of second holding portions 34 clamp the held portion 52 in the connector insertion / removal direction by the reference locking portion 33a that locks the first locking portion 52a and the crushing rib 34a that is crushed by the second locking portion 52b.

[0033] In the connector 1 of this embodiment, the clamped portion 52 of the outer housing member 50 is clamped between the first holding portion 33 and the pair of second holding portions 34 of the inner housing 30, thereby holding the inner housing 30 in the outer housing member 50. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the terminal fittings 20 or the inner housing 30 due to a load from a mating connector during connector mating or vehicle road surface input, the connector 1 can distribute and absorb the force between the outer housing member 50 and the connection portion of the circuit board 10 and the press-fit portion 22. This reduces the load applied to the connection portion between the circuit board 10 and the press-fit portion 22, thereby improving the durability of the connection portion. Therefore, the connector 1 of this embodiment can improve the electrical reliability between the circuit board 10 and the terminal fittings 20.

[0034] Furthermore, in the connector 1 of this embodiment, the first holding portion 33 and the pair of second holding portions 34 of the inner housing 30 are not arranged opposite each other in the connector insertion / removal direction and the assembly direction. Therefore, in this connector 1, the inner housing 30 can be molded using a pair of molds (not shown) whose removal direction is the connector insertion / removal direction, without using a slide core or the like.

[0035] Specifically, in the connector 1 shown here, in order to use a pair of molds in which the mold removal direction is the same as the connector insertion / removal direction to mold the inner housing 30, the first holding portion 33, the pair of second holding portions 34, and the clamped portion 52 are arranged and shaped as follows: Here, the two-dot chain line in Figure 6 is the mold parting line, and one mold is arranged to the right of the mold parting line on the page, and the other mold is arranged to the left of the mold parting line on the page.

[0036] The first retaining portion 33 and the pair of second retaining portions 34 bulge out from the side wall surface 32, which is formed in a flat shape (FIGS. 1, 3, and 5 to 9). One second retaining portion 34A is disposed on one side of the first retaining portion 33 in the assembly direction (FIGS. 1, 3, and 5 to 8). The other second retaining portion 34B is disposed on the other side of the first retaining portion 33 in the assembly direction (FIGS. 1, 3, and 5 to 8).

[0037] The first holding portion 33 has a pair of flat end faces (hereinafter referred to as "flat end faces") 33b located at both ends in the assembly direction and extending in the connector insertion / removal direction (Figs. 3 and 5 to 9). The first holding portion 33 shown here is formed in a plate shape having a reference locking portion 33a and a pair of flat end faces 33b.

[0038] Each of the pair of second retaining portions 34 has a pair of flat end surfaces 34b located at both ends in the assembly direction (FIGS. 3 and 5 to 9). The second retaining portion 34 shown here is formed as a protrusion having a crushed rib 34a and a pair of flat end surfaces 34b. The pair of second retaining portions 34 are arranged with a gap therebetween in the assembly direction that is equal to or greater than the gap between the pair of flat end surfaces 33b of the first retaining portion 33 (FIGS. 3 and 5 to 8). Here, the gap between the pair of flat end surfaces 33b and the gap between the pair of second retaining portions 34 are matched.

[0039] The clamped portion 52 is formed so that when the inner housing 30 and the outer housing member 50 are assembled, it is inserted between the first holding portion 33 and one of the second holding portions 34A from the side of one of the second holding portions 34A and is clamped between the first holding portion 33 and the pair of second holding portions 34. The clamped portion 52 shown here is formed in the shape of a rectangular rib extending in the assembly direction.

[0040] The inner housing 30 has pick-up portions 35 that protrude from each of the pair of side wall surfaces 32 and guide the clamped portion 52, with the first locking portion 52a abutting against it, between the first holding portion 33 and one of the second holding portions 34A, when assembling the outer housing member 50 (FIGS. 3 and 5 to 9). The pick-up portions 35 have an inclined surface 35a that approaches the opening of the hood portion 31 as the assembling of the inner housing 30 and the outer housing member 50 progresses (FIGS. 3, 5 to 7, and 9). When the inner housing 30 and the outer housing member 50 are assembled, the first engaging portion 52a of the clamped portion 52 abuts against the inclined surface 35a, and as the assembly progresses, the first engaging portion 52a moves along the inclined surface 35a toward the opening side of the hood portion 31, and is guided between the first retaining portion 33 and one of the second retaining portions 34A.

[0041] As described above, the connector 1 of this embodiment can be applied to an inner housing 30 in which the connector mating direction is the mold-out direction, and by using such an inner housing 30, the durability of the connection between the circuit board 10 and the press-fit portion 22 can be improved inexpensively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 connector 10 Circuit Board 20 Terminal fittings 21 Mating connection 30 Inner housing 31 Food Section 32 Side wall 33 1st holding part 33a Reference locking part 33b Flat end face 34 Second holding part 34A One of the second holding parts 34B The other second holding part 34a Crushed Rib 35 Picking up 40 Outer housing 50 outer housing member 50a First opening 50b 2nd opening 51 Side wall 51a Inner wall 52 Clamped part 52a 1st locking part 52b Second locking portion 60 Cover member

Claims

1. A circuit board; a terminal metal fitting connected to the circuit board; an inner housing having a hood portion for fitting and connecting a mating connector, the inner housing accommodating and holding the terminal fittings, the mating connection portions of which are disposed inside the hood portion; an outer housing that exposes the inside of the hood portion and accommodates the circuit board, the terminal fittings, and the inner housing; Equipped with the outer housing includes an outer housing member and a cover member that sandwich the circuit board, the terminal fittings, and the inner housing in an assembly direction perpendicular to a connector insertion / removal direction with respect to the mating connector, the inner housing has a pair of side wall surfaces located at both ends in a direction perpendicular to the connector inserting / removing direction and the assembling direction, first holding portions protruding from the pair of side wall surfaces, and a pair of second holding portions protruding from the pair of side wall surfaces, respectively, without being positioned opposite the first holding portions in the connector inserting / removing direction and the assembling direction, the outer housing member has a first opening exposing the hood portion in the connector insertion / removal direction, a second opening open in the assembly direction, side wall portions for each of the side wall surfaces that are disposed with inner wall surfaces facing the side wall surfaces of the inner housing, and clamped portions that protrude from the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side wall portions, respectively, and extend in the assembly direction, and are clamped between the first holding portion and the pair of second holding portions for each of the side wall surfaces, and the cover member is assembled in a manner that closes the second opening, the first holding portion is located at an end of the pair of second holding portions in the connector insertion / removal direction, and has a reference locking portion that locks the first locking portion of the clamped portion on the first holding portion side at a reference position in the connector insertion / removal direction, the pair of second holding portions are located at ends on the first holding portion side in the connector insertion / removal direction, and have crushing ribs that are crushed by second locking portions on the pair of second holding portions side of the clamped portion, The first retaining portion and the pair of second retaining portions clamp the clamped portion in the connector insertion / removal direction by the reference locking portion that locks the first locking portion and the crushing rib that is crushed by the second locking portion.

2. one of the second holding portions is disposed on one side of the first holding portion in the assembly direction, 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the other of the second holding portions is disposed on the other side of the first holding portion in the assembly direction.

3. the first holding portion has a pair of flat end surfaces located at both ends in the assembly direction and extending in the connector insertion / removal direction, 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the pair of second holding portions are arranged with a gap therebetween that is equal to or greater than the distance between the pair of flat end faces of the first holding portion in the assembly direction.

4. 4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the first holding portion and the pair of second holding portions bulge out from the side wall surface formed in a flat shape.

5. the clamped portion is formed to be inserted between the first holding portion and one of the second holding portions from one of the second holding portions side and be clamped between the first holding portion and the pair of second holding portions, 5. A connector as described in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the inner housing has a pick-up portion that protrudes from each of the pair of side wall surfaces and guides the clamped portion that the first locking portion abuts between the first holding portion and one of the second holding portions.

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