Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of improving efficiency of electrical connection work between a terminal and an electric wire.SOLUTION: The connector 100 includes terminals 11 to 15, a base housing 20, and a cover housing 30. The terminals 11 to 15 have press-contact terminals 10A and branch terminals 10B to which electric wires are press-contacted. The base housing 20 is provided with a counterpart connector connecting portion 25 formed such that the branch terminals 10B are exposed to the outside. The cover housing 30 presses the press-contact terminals 10A against the electric wires by sandwiching the electric wires between the cover housing 30 and the base housing 20. The counterpart connector connecting portion 25 extends from the base housing 20 in a second direction 10A which is opposite to a first direction D1 in which the pressure contact terminals D2 extend. The press-contact terminals 10A and the counterpart connector connecting portions 25 are disposed at positions shifted from each other in the routing direction Da in which the routed electric wires extend.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector in which a terminal is pushed from above into a flat cable held by a case and a base, causing the tip of the terminal to break the cable's insulation displacement coating and establish electrical contact with the core wire. The insulation displacement terminal and the branch terminal are formed from an integral plate. The branch terminal is located directly above the insulation displacement terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 58-16310 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the terminal itself is pushed into the flat cable, so when the terminal is pushed into the flat cable, there is a risk that the terminal may bend or may not be able to completely break through the wire coating, damaging the case. As a result, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not make it easy to electrically connect the terminal and the conductor part of the flat cable, and there is room for improvement.

[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 that can improve the efficiency of the electrical connection work between a terminal and an electric wire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the connector according to the present invention comprises: a terminal having a crimping terminal to which an electric wire is crimped, and a branch terminal that is electrically connected to the crimping terminal and is connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector; a base housing in which a mating connector connection portion is installed, the branch terminal being formed so as to be exposed to the outside; a cover housing that sandwiches the electric wire between itself and the base housing to press-connect the insulation displacement terminal to the electric wire, The insulation displacement terminal extends from the base housing in a first direction facing the cover housing, the mating connector connection portion extends from the base housing in a second direction opposite to the first direction in which the insulation displacement terminal extends, The insulation displacement terminal and the mating connector connection portion are arranged at positions offset from each other in the wiring direction, which is the direction in which the wired electric wires extend.

[0007] The branch terminal may be exposed to the outside in a direction perpendicular to the routing direction of the electric wire.

[0008] The branch terminal may be exposed to the outside in a direction parallel to the routing direction of the electric wire.

[0009] The terminal may have a connecting portion that extends in the routing direction of the electric wire and connects the insulation displacement terminal and the branch terminal.

[0010] The insulation displacement terminal, the branch terminal and the connecting portion may be formed from a single plate material.

[0011] The insulation displacement terminal, the branch terminal, and the connecting portion may be configured by combining separate members.

[0012] The insulation displacement terminals may be provided in plurality and may be arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the routing direction of the electric wires.

[0013] A plurality of the pressure-displacement terminals may be provided, and adjacent pressure-displacement terminals may be arranged at positions offset from each other in the routing direction of the electric wires.

[0014] The branch terminal may be provided in plurality and may be arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the routing direction of the electric wires.

[0015] The base housing has base housing-side wire holding portions that hold the wires and are provided on one end side and the other end side in the wiring direction, The cover housing has cover-housing-side wire holding portions that hold the wires and are provided on one end side and the other end side in the wiring direction, The cover-housing wire holding portion may be provided at a position facing the base-housing wire holding portion when the cover housing is attached to the base housing.

[0016] The base housing side wire holding portion or the cover housing side wire holding portion may be disposed at positions offset from the mating connector connecting portion in the routing direction of the wires.

[0017] The electric wire is a flat cable having a plurality of conductor portions and connected by an electric wire connecting portion that connects the plurality of conductor portions, The base housing side wire holding portion and the cover housing side wire holding portion may sandwich and hold the wire connection portion of the flat cable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The connector according to the present invention can improve the efficiency of the electrical connection work between the terminal and the electric wire. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view (part 1) of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view (part 2) of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A is a plan view of a connector according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of a terminal of the connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 6(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 6(A). [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view (part 1) of the connector for explaining the functions of the base housing side electric wire holding portion and the cover housing side electric wire holding portion. FIG. [Figure 9A] 10 is a cross-sectional view (part 2) of the connector for explaining the functions of the base housing side electric wire holding portion and the cover housing side electric wire holding portion. FIG. [Figure 9B] 1A is a perspective view of the base housing, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the base housing. [Figure 9C] 1A is a perspective view of the cover housing, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view of the cover housing. [Figure 10] 1A to 1C are diagrams (part 1) illustrating a method of attaching a flat cable to a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams (part 2) for explaining a method of attaching a flat cable to a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams (part 3) for explaining a method of attaching a flat cable to a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) showing a manufacturing device using a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) showing a manufacturing device using a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views for explaining the effect of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views for explaining the effect of the connector according to the first modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] A connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For ease of understanding, mutually orthogonal XYZ coordinate systems will be set and referenced as appropriate. The X-axis direction of the XYZ coordinate system is the same as the wiring direction Da, which is the direction in which the wired electric wires 200 extend, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The +X and −X directions are also the directions in which the electric wires 200 are pulled out from the base housing 20 and the cover housing 30 of the connector 100. The Y-axis direction is the same as the width direction Dc of the connector 100. The Z-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0021] The connector 100 according to this embodiment is used to electrically connect electric wires 200.

[0022] The electric wire 200 includes a first cable 211, a second cable 212, a third cable 213, a fourth cable 214, a fifth cable 215, a convex portion 220, and an electric wire connection portion 230. In this embodiment, the electric wire 200 is a flat cable. The electric wire 200 extends from the connector 100 in the +X direction and the −X direction.

[0023] The first cable 211 and the second cable 212 are covered electric wires that supply electric power. The third cable 213, the fourth cable 214, and the fifth cable 215 are covered electric wires that supply electric signals for communication, and are thinner than the first cable 211 and the second cable 212. The electric wires 200 are connected in parallel in the width direction Dc in the order of the first cable 211, the third cable 213, the fourth cable 214, the fifth cable 215, and the second cable 212. Furthermore, the first cable 211, the third cable 213, the fourth cable 214, the fifth cable 215, and the second cable 212 are connected in that order by electric wire connecting parts 230.

[0024] The protrusion 220 is a protrusion extending in the X-axis direction, and is provided on the first cable 211.

[0025] A connector 100 is connected to the middle of the electric wire 200 configured as described above. The connector 100 includes a terminal group 10, a base housing 20, and a cover housing 30, as shown in FIGS.

[0026] In this embodiment, the terminal group 10 has five terminals 11 to 15, as shown in Fig. 3. However, this is not limited to this. The terminal group 10 may have four or fewer terminals 11 to 15, or six or more terminals 11 to 15.

[0027] Each of the terminals 11 to 15 has a pressure-contact terminal 10A provided at one end, a branch terminal 10B provided at the other end, and a connecting portion 10C. In this embodiment, the pressure-contact terminal 10A, the branch terminal 10B, and the connecting portion 10C are integrally formed by press-molding a single plate material.

[0028] The insulation displacement terminal 10A extends from the base housing 20 in a first direction D1, which is a direction facing the cover housing 30. In this embodiment, the first direction D1 is a direction that coincides with the +Z direction. However, this is not limited to this. The first direction D1 does not have to coincide completely with the +Z direction as long as it is a direction from the base housing 20 facing the cover housing 30. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the insulation displacement terminal 10A has slits 11a to 15a into which the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 are inserted, respectively. The slits 11a to 15a are each provided with an inclined portion for breaking the coating of the electric wire to make insertion easier. The inclined portion is provided with a blade for making a cut in the coating of the insulated electric wire. As a result, when the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 are inserted into the slits 11a to 15a, respectively, a cut is made in the covering portion, and when they are pushed further in the -Z direction, the conductor portions of the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 and the terminals 11 to 15 are electrically connected.

[0029] 5 and 6, the above-mentioned pressure-displacement terminals 10A are arranged in parallel in the Y-axis direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. Adjacent pressure-displacement terminals 10A are arranged at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. For example, the pressure-displacement terminal 10A of adjacent terminal 11 and the pressure-displacement terminal 10A of adjacent terminal 13 are arranged at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. The pressure-displacement terminal 10A of adjacent terminal 13 and the pressure-displacement terminal 10A of adjacent terminal 14 are arranged at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. The pressure-displacement terminal 10A of adjacent terminal 14 and the pressure-displacement terminal 10A of adjacent terminal 15 are arranged at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. The pressure-displacement terminal 10A of the terminal 15 and the pressure-displacement terminal 10A of the terminal 12 that are adjacent to each other are arranged at positions shifted in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200.

[0030] 4 and 5, the branch terminal 10B is provided with contacts that are electrically connected to mating terminals 110a of the mating connector 110. The branch terminal 10B is formed so as to be exposed to the outside from an opening 25a of a mating connector connection portion 25 of the base housing 20, which will be described later. More specifically, in this embodiment, the branch terminal 10B is exposed to the outside from an orthogonal direction Db (-Z direction) that is orthogonal to the routing direction Da of the electric wire 200.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the branch terminals 10B are arranged in parallel in the Y-axis direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the routing direction Da of the electric wires 200.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 3, the connecting portion 10C connects the insulation displacement terminal 10A and the branch terminal 10B together. The connecting portion 10C is formed so as to extend in the X-axis direction.

[0033] The base housing 20 is integrally molded from resin. A lower flat surface 20a is formed on the -Z side of the base housing 20. The lower flat surface 20a is supported by a crimping tool (described later). As shown in FIG. 2, the base housing 20 includes an outer wall 21, a terminal holding portion 22, a first locked portion 23, a second locked portion 24, and a mating connector connecting portion 25.

[0034] The outer wall portion 21 is formed by molding resin into a cubic box shape, and is provided with an opening edge 21a with a step and recesses 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, and 26e into which the first to fifth cables 211 to 215 fit, respectively. The outer wall portion 21, together with the outer wall portion 31 of the cover housing 30, protects the connection portions between the conductor portions of the electric wires 200 and the terminals 11 to 15. When the cover housing 30 is attached to the base housing 20, the opening edge 31a of the cover housing 30 fits into the opening edge 21a of the base housing 20, and the electric wires 200 fit between the recesses 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, and 36e and the recesses 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, and 26e.

[0035] The terminal holding portion 22 is provided inside the outer wall portion 21 and holds the terminals 11-15.

[0036] The first locked portion 23 is a claw that locks into the locking portion 35 of the cover housing 30, and temporarily fastens the cover housing 30 to the base housing 20. When the locking portion 35 is locked into the first locked portion 23, the cover housing 30 holds the electric wire 200 so that the electric wire 200 can slide in the X-axis direction.

[0037] The second locked portion 24 is a claw that locks with the locking portion 35 of the cover housing 30, and secures the cover housing 30 to the base housing 20. When the cover housing 30 is pushed into the base housing 20 in the -Z direction with the locking portion 35 locked to the first locked portion 23, the locking portion 35 of the cover housing 30 locks with the second locked portion 24 of the base housing 20.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the mating connector connection portion 25 is a portion that is connected to the mating connector 110. As shown in FIG. 3, the mating connector connection portion 25 extends from the base housing 20 in a second direction D2 that is opposite to the first direction D1 in which the insulation displacement terminal 10A extends. In this embodiment, the second direction D2 coincides with the -Z direction. However, this is not limited to this. The second direction D2 does not have to coincide completely with the -Z direction as long as it extends approximately in the -Z direction from the rear side of the base housing 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the mating connector connection portion 25 is formed so that the branch terminal 10B is exposed to the outside in the perpendicular direction Db through its opening 25a.

[0039] Furthermore, the mating connector connection portion 25 configured as described above is disposed at a position offset in the wiring direction Da with respect to the insulation displacement terminal 10A.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, the base housing 20 further includes base housing side wire holding portions 29A and 29B.

[0041] The base housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B are provided on one end side and the other end side in the wiring direction Da. In the present embodiment, four base housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B are formed, which is the same number as the number of wire connection portions 230. The base housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B are arranged at positions offset from the mating connector connection portion 25 in the wiring direction Da of the wires 200.

[0042] The base housing side wire holding portions 29A and 29B are formed to hold the wire 200. More specifically, in this embodiment, the base housing side wire holding portions 29A and 29B are formed to sandwich and hold the wire connection portion 230 of the wire 200, which is a flat cable.

[0043] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cover housing 30 sandwiches the electric wire 200 between itself and the base housing 20, thereby crimping the insulation displacement terminal 10A to the electric wire 200. The cover housing 30 is integrally molded from resin. An upper flat surface 30a is formed on the +Z side of the cover housing 30, and is pressed by a crimping tool (described later). The cover housing 30 includes an outer wall portion 31, a recess 32, a holding portion 33, a pressing portion 34, and a locking portion 35.

[0044] The outer wall portion 31 is formed by molding resin into a cubic box shape, and is provided with an opening edge 31a with a step and recesses 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, and 36e into which the first to fifth cables 211 to 215 are respectively fitted. The outer wall portion 31 protects the connection portions between the electric wires 200 and the terminals 11 to 15.

[0045] The recess 32 is provided in a portion where the first cable 211 is arranged, and is a portion into which the protrusion 220 provided on the first cable 211 fits. The recess 32 prevents the electric wire 200 from being attached upside down. The protrusion 220 is an example of a fitting portion, and the recess 32 is an example of a fitted portion.

[0046] The holding portion 33 holds the electric wire 200 so as to be movable in the wiring direction Da (X-axis direction), is formed in a portion where the second cable 212 is arranged, and holds the second cable 212 so as to be movable in the wiring direction. The convex portion 220 provided on the electric wire 200 fits into the concave portion 32, and the holding portion 33 holds the second cable 212, so that the electric wire 200 can be held so as to be slidable in the X-axis direction.

[0047] The pressing portion 34 is a portion that presses the electric wire 200, and is formed with recesses 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e into which the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 fit, respectively. When the cover housing 30 is attached to the base housing 20, the recesses 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e formed in the pressing portion 34 press the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 of the electric wire 200 into the terminals 11 to 15, respectively.

[0048] The locking portion 35 is provided at the end of a lock arm 35 a provided on the outer wall portion 31 , and is a portion that locks onto the first locked portion 23 or the second locked portion 24 provided on the base housing 20 .

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9C, the cover-housing 30 further includes cover-housing-side wire holding portions 39A and 39B.

[0050] The cover-housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B are provided on one end side and the other end side in the wiring direction Da. In the present embodiment, four cover-housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B are formed, which is the same number as the number of wire connection portions 230. The cover-housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B are provided at positions facing the base-housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B when the cover housing 30 is attached to the base housing 20. The cover-housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B are positioned offset from the mating connector connection portion 25 in the wiring direction Da of the wires 200.

[0051] Additionally, the cover-housing side wire holding portions 39A and 39B are formed to hold the wire 200 together with the base-housing side wire holding portions 29A and 29B. More specifically, in this embodiment, the cover-housing side wire holding portions 39A and 39B are formed to hold the wire connection portion 230 of the wire 200, which is a flat cable, by sandwiching it together with the base-housing side wire holding portions 29A and 29B.

[0052] Next, a method for attaching the connector 100 to the electric wire 200 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0053] First, as shown in Fig. 10 , a user attaching connector 100 to electric wire 200 attaches electric wire 200 to cover housing 30. More specifically, convex portion 220 provided on first cable 211 is fitted into concave portion 32 provided on cover housing 30. Also, second cable 212 is held by holding portion 33. As a result, convex portion 220 provided on electric wire 200 fits into concave portion 32, and holding portion 33 holds second cable 212, thereby holding electric wire 200 so that it can slide in the X-axis direction.

[0054] Next, as shown in Fig. 11 , the cover housing 30 with the electric wire 200 attached thereto is temporarily fixed to the base housing 20. Specifically, the cover housing 30 is pushed into the base housing 20 until the locking portion 35 provided on the cover housing 30 locks with the first locked portion 23 provided on the base housing 20. This temporarily fixes the cover housing 30 to the base housing 20. When the locking portion 35 is locked with the first locked portion 23, the cover housing 30 holds the electric wire 200 so that it can slide in the X-axis direction. In this state, the position of the electric wire 200 in the X-axis direction is adjusted.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 12 , the cover housing 30 is fixed to the base housing 20. For ease of understanding, the electric wires 200 are omitted from this figure. Specifically, the cover housing 30 is further pushed into the base housing 20 in the −Z direction until the locking portion 35 provided on the cover housing 30 locks with the second locked portion 24 provided on the base housing 20. As a result, the recesses 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e formed in the pressing portion 34 of the cover housing 30 press the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 of the electric wire 200 into the terminals 11 to 15, respectively. As a result, the conductor portions of the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 and the terminals 11 to 15 are electrically connected. Furthermore, the locking portion 35 of the cover housing 30 locks with the second locked portion 24 of the base housing 20.

[0056] As a result of the above, as shown in FIG. 1, the attachment of the connector 100 to the electric wire 200 is completed, and a connector-cable combination in which the connector 100 is attached to the electric wire 200 is completed.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the connector 100 having the above configuration has a recess 32 disposed in the cover housing 30, thereby preventing the electric wire 200 from being attached upside down. Furthermore, the cover housing 30 has a retaining portion 33, which allows the protrusion 220 on the electric wire 200 to fit into the recess 32, thereby holding the second cable 212 and holding the electric wire 200 so that it can slide in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, the base housing 20 has a first locked portion 23 that temporarily fastens the cover housing 30 to the base housing 20, thereby holding the electric wire 200 so that it can slide in the X-axis direction. In this state, the position of the electric wire 200 in the X-axis direction can be adjusted. Furthermore, the base housing 20 has a second locked portion 24 that fastens the cover housing 30 to the base housing 20, thereby fastening the cover housing 30 to the base housing 20.

[0058] The connector 100 of the above-described embodiment can be used in a manufacturing apparatus 300 equipped with an actuator 400, as shown in FIG. 13 . The manufacturing apparatus 300 includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) 310 that controls the actuator 400, a gateway 320 that converts data transmitted from the PLC 310 into a control signal for controlling the actuator 400, a power supply 330 that drives the actuator 400, and the actuator 400. The control signal output from the gateway 320 is transmitted to a junction connector 350 via a signal cable 340. Furthermore, power output from the power supply 330 is output to the junction connector 350 via a power cable 360. One end of the electric wire 200 described above is connected to the junction connector 350. A connector 100 is connected to the middle of the electric wire 200, and supplies control signals and power to each actuator 400 via a mating connector 110. A terminal 500 is connected to the other end of the electric wire 200. In this way, it is possible to supply control signals and power to each actuator 400 along the electric wire 200. Note that, without using the junction connector 350, the end of the electric wire 200 may be split and the signal line portion may be directly connected to the gateway 320 and the power line portion may be directly connected to the power supply 330. This also makes it possible to shorten the total length of the wiring compared to connecting wiring to each actuator 400. Furthermore, a controller for controlling the actuator 400 may be installed in each actuator 400, or a controller may not be installed in each actuator 400, and the junction connector 350 may be replaced with the controller of the actuator 400.

[0059] 14, the manufacturing apparatus 300 may also include an expansion unit 370 connected to the gateway 320. In this case, the power output from the power supply 330 is output to the gateway 320. One end of the electric wire 200 described above is connected to the expansion unit 370. Alternatively, the end of the electric wire 200 may be split and the signal line portion may be directly connected to the gateway 320 and the power line portion may be directly connected to the power supply 330, without using the expansion unit 370. This simplifies the wiring. Alternatively, a controller for controlling the actuator 400 may be installed in each actuator 400, or the controller for each actuator 400 may not be installed in each actuator 400, and the expansion unit 370 may be replaced with the controller for the actuator 400.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the insulation displacement terminal 10A and the mating connector connection portion 25 are positioned offset in the wiring direction Da. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, the insulation displacement terminal 10A can be pressed against the electric wire 200 while avoiding interference with the mating connector connection portion 25. For example, when using insulation displacement tools T1 and T2, a user can support the lower flat surface 20a of the base housing 20 with the insulation displacement tool T2 while pressing the upper flat surface 30a of the cover housing 30 with the insulation displacement tool T1. This makes it easier to clamp the base housing 20 and the cover housing 30 between the insulation displacement tools T1 and T2, facilitating the insulation displacement of the insulation displacement terminal 10A to the electric wire 200. As a result, a connector 100 can be provided that can improve the efficiency of the electrical connection between the terminals 11-15 and the conductor portions of the electric wire 200.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the press-connecting tools T1 and T2 can be used to press the base housing 20 and the cover housing 30 at appropriate positions, so that damage to the terminals 11-15 can be suppressed.

[0062] In this embodiment, the mating connector connection portion 25 is disposed at a position offset in the wiring direction Da with respect to the insulation displacement terminal 10A. Therefore, the mating connector connection portion 25 is offset from the position where the insulation displacement tools T1, T2 come into contact with the base housing 20 and the cover housing 30. Furthermore, the insulation displacement terminals 10A are disposed in parallel in the Y-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the wiring direction Da of the electric wires 200, and adjacent insulation displacement terminals 10A are disposed at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wires 200, so that the width direction Dc of the connector 100 can be reduced. Therefore, large tools are not required.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the base housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B are disposed at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200 with respect to the mating connector connecting portion 25. Similarly, the cover housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B are disposed at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200 with respect to the mating connector connecting portion 25. Therefore, when the insulation displacement terminal 10A is pressure-connected to the electric wire 200, the base housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B and the cover housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B can reliably hold the electric wire 200.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B and the cover housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B hold the electric wire 200 at one end side (+X side) and the other end side (-X side) of the press-connected portion of the insulation displacement terminal 10A to the electric wire 200. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the portion of the electric wire 200 drawn out from the connector 100, the external force can be prevented from being transmitted to the press-connected portion of the insulation displacement terminal 10A to the electric wire 200. As a result, even if an external force is applied to the portion of the electric wire 200 drawn out from the connector 100, breakage of the conductor portion of the electric wire 200 at the press-connected portion of the insulation displacement terminal 10A to the electric wire 200 can be prevented.

[0065] (Variation) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0066] For example, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the terminals 11 to 15 have slits 11a to 15a into which the first to fifth cables 211 to 215 are inserted. The terminals 11 to 15 may be terminals of other types as long as they are connected to the first to fifth cables 211 to 215, respectively.

[0067] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the electric wire 200 includes the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215, but the electric wire 200 may include at least the first cable 211 and the second cable 212. Furthermore, when the electric wire 200 includes three or more cables, the first cable 211 having a fitting portion does not have to be a side cable, and any cable may be the first cable 211. Furthermore, the third cable 213, the fourth cable 214, and the fifth cable 215 are thinner than the first cable 211 and the second cable 212, but the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 may all have the same thickness. Furthermore, the thicknesses of the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215 may be appropriately changed depending on the intended use.

[0068] 7, each of the terminals 11 to 15 has a pressure-displacement terminal 10A, a branch terminal 10B, and a connecting portion 10C connecting these together. However, this is not limiting. Each of the terminals 11 to 15 does not necessarily have to have the connecting portion 10C.

[0069] In this embodiment, each of the terminals 11 to 15 is integrally formed by press-forming a single plate material. However, this is not limited to this. Each of the terminals 11 to 15 may be formed by a manufacturing method other than press-forming. Furthermore, each of the terminals 11 to 15 may be formed by combining the separate components of the insulation displacement terminal 10A, the branch terminal 10B, and the connecting portion 10C, which are formed separately. Furthermore, in this case, the connecting portion 10C may be omitted.

[0070] In the present embodiment, the branch terminal 10B is exposed to the outside from an orthogonal direction Db (-Z direction) perpendicular to the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. However, this is not limited thereto. The branch terminal 10B may be exposed to the outside from a direction other than the orthogonal direction Db (-Z direction) perpendicular to the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. For example, as in a connector 100A according to a first modification shown in FIG. 16 , the branch terminal 10B may be exposed to the outside from a +X direction that is a direction parallel to the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200.

[0071] In the present embodiment, the pressure contact terminals 10A are arranged in parallel in the Y-axis direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200, and adjacent pressure contact terminals 10A are arranged at positions offset in the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200. However, this is not limited to this. All of the pressure contact terminals 10A may be arranged in parallel in the Y-axis direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the wiring direction Da of the electric wire 200, as long as insulation and the like can be ensured.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the electric wire 200 includes the electric wire connection portion 230, but the electric wire 200 may include at least the first cable 211 and the second cable 212 connected in parallel. Alternatively, the electric wire 200 may not include the electric wire connection portion 230, and the cables may be arranged in parallel.

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the base housing side wire holding portions 29A, 29B and the cover housing side wire holding portions 39A, 39B are described as holding the wire connection portion 230 of the wire 200, but they may also be configured to hold the covering portions of the conductor portions of the first cable 211 to the fifth cable 215.

[0074] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for the purpose of explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10:Terminal group 10A: Crimp terminal 10B: Branch terminal 10C: Connection part 11~15: Terminals 11a~15a: Slit 20: Base housing 20a: Lower flat surface 21: Exterior wall 21a: Opening edge 22: Terminal holding part 23: First locked portion 24: Second locked portion 25: Mating connector connection part 25a:Aperture 26a~26e: Depression 29A, 29B: Base housing side wire holding portion 30: Cover housing 30a: Upper flat surface 31: External wall part 31a: Opening edge 32: Recess 33: Holding part 34: Pressing part 34a~34e: dents 35: Locking part 35a: Lock arm 36a~36e: dents 39A, 39B: Cover housing side wire holding portion 100,100A:Connector 110: Mating connector 110a: Mating terminal 200: Electric wire 211: First Cable 212: Second Cable 213: The Third Cable 214: The Fourth Cable 215: The Fifth Cable 220: Convex 230: Wire connection part 300: Manufacturing equipment 320: Gateway 330: Power supply 340: Signal cable 350: Merging connector 360: Power cable 370: Expansion unit 400: Actuator 500: Terminal T1, T2: Crimping tool Da: Wiring direction Db: Orthogonal direction Dc: Width direction D1: 1st direction D2:Second direction

Claims

1. a terminal having a crimping terminal to which an electric wire is crimped, and a branch terminal that is electrically connected to the crimping terminal and is connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector; a base housing in which a mating connector connection portion is installed, the branch terminal being formed so as to be exposed to the outside; a cover housing that sandwiches the electric wire between itself and the base housing to press-connect the insulation displacement terminal to the electric wire, The insulation displacement terminal extends from the base housing in a first direction facing the cover housing, the mating connector connection portion extends from the base housing in a second direction opposite to the first direction in which the insulation displacement terminal extends, The connector, wherein the pressure-displacement terminal and the mating connector connection portion are arranged at positions offset from each other in a wiring direction, which is the direction in which the wired electric wire extends.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the branch terminal is exposed to the outside in a direction perpendicular to the routing direction of the electric wires.

3. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the branch terminal is exposed to the outside in a direction parallel to the routing direction of the electric wires.

4. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal has a connecting portion that extends in the routing direction of the electric wire and connects the insulation displacement terminal and the branch terminal.

5. 5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the insulation displacement terminal, the branch terminal, and the connecting portion are formed from a single plate material.

6. The connector according to claim 4 , wherein the insulation displacement terminal, the branch terminal, and the connecting portion are configured by combining separate members.

7. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the insulation displacement terminals are provided and are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the routing direction of the electric wires.

8. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the pressure-displacement terminals are provided, and adjacent pressure-displacement terminals are arranged at positions offset from each other in the routing direction of the electric wires.

9. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the branch terminals are provided and arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the routing direction of the electric wires.

10. The base housing has base housing-side wire holding portions that hold the electric wires and are provided on one end side and the other end side in the wiring direction, The cover housing has cover-housing-side wire holding portions that hold the electric wires and are provided on one end side and the other end side in the wiring direction, 10. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the cover housing side wire holding portion is positioned opposite the base housing side wire holding portion when the cover housing is attached to the base housing.

11. The connector according to claim 10 , wherein the base housing side wire holding portion or the cover housing side wire holding portion and the mating connector connecting portion are arranged at positions offset from each other in the routing direction of the wires.

12. The electric wire is a flat cable having a plurality of conductor portions and connected by an electric wire connecting portion that connects the plurality of conductor portions, The connector according to claim 10 , wherein the base housing side wire holding portion and the cover housing side wire holding portion sandwich and hold the wire connection portion of the flat cable.

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