Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of stably maintaining holding force of a terminal.SOLUTION: The connector 1 includes a male terminal 20, a male housing 10, and a separate component 30. The male housing 10 is formed with cavity holes 17 into which the male terminals 20 are inserted, and an adjacent space 18a adjacent to the cavity holes 17. The separate part 30 can be inserted into the adjacent space 18a. A wall partitioning the cavity hole 17 and the adjacent space 18a constitutes a holding Y1 part 19 which can be deflected and deformed to a proximity side Y1 approaching the male terminals 20 and a separation side Y2 opposite to the proximity side wall. In a state where the separate component 30 is inserted into the adjacent space side 18a, the bending deformation of the holding Y2 portions 19 toward the separation-side side walls is restricted by a predetermined amount, and a state where the male terminals 20 are held by the holding wall portions 19 is maintained.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A connector including a connector housing and terminals held in the connector housing is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the connector described in Patent Document 1, the connector housing is formed with a terminal insertion hole through which the terminal is inserted and a slit-shaped relief groove adjacent to the terminal insertion hole. A press-fit retaining wall portion constituting a part of the inner wall of the terminal insertion hole is made to be easily deflected and deformed in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the terminal by utilizing the space of the relief groove. The terminal is formed with a press-fit retaining portion that is positioned within the terminal insertion hole during and after press-fitting. When the terminal is press-fitted, the press-fit retaining wall portion is pushed outward in the intersecting direction by the press-fit retaining portion of the terminal, causing deflection and deformation, and after the terminal is press-fitted, the press-fit retaining portion is held by a force that causes the press-fit retaining wall portion to return to its state before deflection and deformation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-235772 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the connector described in Patent Document 1, when a pulling force is applied to the terminal in the direction in which it should be removed, the press-fit retaining wall portion is deflected and deformed in a direction away from the terminal in accordance with the displacement of the terminal in the same direction. This deflection reduces the holding force of the press-fit retaining wall portion on the terminal, and it is thought that the terminal may fall out of the connector housing.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can stably maintain the holding force of the terminals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the problem and achieve the object, the connector comprises a terminal, a housing that holds the terminal, and an insertion member that can be attached to and detached from the housing, wherein the housing has a terminal accommodating hole into which the terminal is inserted and an adjacent space adjacent to the terminal accommodating hole, the insertion member can be inserted into the adjacent space, and the wall separating the terminal accommodating hole and the adjacent space forms a retaining wall portion that can flexibly deform to a proximity side that approaches the terminal in a direction that intersects the insertion direction of the terminal, and a separation side that is opposite the proximity side, and when the insertion member is inserted into the adjacent space, the flexural deformation of the retaining wall portion toward the separation side is restricted by a predetermined amount, and the terminal is maintained in a state where it is held by the retaining wall portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that can stably maintain the holding force of the terminals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] Rear view of the connector. [Figure 3] Enlarged view of area a in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 2. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an insertion member that constitutes the connector. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 8(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the housing cut along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the terminal has started, and FIG. 8(B) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 8(A). [Figure 9]9(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the housing cut along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the terminals is completed, and FIG. 9(B) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 9(A). [Figure 10] 10(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the housing taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the insertion member has started, and FIG. 10(B) is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 10(A). [Figure 11] 11(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the housing taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the insertion member is completed, and FIG. 11(B) is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 11(A). [Figure 12] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the housing before the terminal is inserted, taken along line AA in FIG. 2, in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a terminal according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] 14(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the housing cut along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the terminal begins in the second embodiment, and FIG. 14(B) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 14(A). [Figure 15] 7A is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the housing in the second embodiment, cut at the position of line BB in FIG. 7, just before the insertion of the terminal is completed; and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the housing in the second embodiment, cut at the position of line BB in FIG. 7, when the insertion of the terminal is completed. [Figure 16] 16(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the housing cut along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the insertion member has started in the second embodiment, and FIG. 16(B) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 16(A). [Figure 17] 17(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the housing taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the insertion member is completed, and FIG. 17(B) is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 17(A). [Figure 18] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the housing in the second embodiment, taken along line BB in FIG. 7, with some of the terminals not yet completely inserted. [Figure 19]18A is an enlarged view of region b in FIG. 18, and FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the housing taken along line BB in FIG. 7 while an insertion member is being inserted in the state shown in FIG. 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A connector 1 according to a first embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 includes a male housing 10, male terminals 20, and a separate component 30. In the figure, the insertion direction of the male terminals 20 is referred to as the "front-rear direction X," with one side of the front-rear direction X referred to as the "front side X1" and the other side referred to as the "rear side X2." A direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction X on the same plane is referred to as the "width direction Y (cross direction)." A direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction X and the width direction Y is referred to as the "vertical direction Z," with one side of the vertical direction Z referred to as the "upper side Z1" and the other side referred to as the "lower side Z2." These direction definitions are provided solely for convenience of explanation and are not intended to limit the orientation of the connector 1. In the figure, there may be multiple identical components, such as male terminals 20 and cavity holes 17 (terminal receiving holes) described below. In such cases, some reference numerals may be omitted to avoid cluttering the illustration.

[0010] The male housing 10 is a component that accommodates and holds the male terminals 20 and includes a housing body 11 formed in a box shape using an insulating resin material such as glass fiber reinforced resin. The housing body 11 includes a bottom wall 12, side walls 13, a top wall 14, and a rear wall 15. The housing body 11 has an interior that defines an accommodation space 11a for accommodating the male terminals 20 and mating terminals (not shown) connected to the male terminals 20. A hood portion 16 is formed at the boundary between the bottom wall 12 and the side wall 13, and at the boundary between the side wall 13 and the top wall 14. The hood portion 16 is a structure for mating the male housing 10 with a mating housing (not shown) that accommodates the mating terminals, and protrudes outward from the housing body 11. The hood portion 16, located on the lower side Z2, is fixed to a printed wiring board to which the male housing 10 is connected. In this case, a lower surface 16a of the hood portion 16 is capable of contacting the printed wiring board and forms an installation surface.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the rear wall 15 of the housing main body 11 is formed with cavity holes 17 penetrating in the front-rear direction X. The cavity holes 17 are holes for inserting male terminals 20. The cavity holes 17 are formed in a generally rectangular shape and penetrate the rear wall 15 in the front-rear direction X. In the first embodiment, a plurality of cavity holes 17 (four in total) are formed at intervals in the width direction Y. The rear wall 15 of the housing main body 11 is formed with mounting holes 18 that open to the rear side X2. The mounting holes 18 are formed in a generally rectangular shape, and their interiors form adjacent spaces 18a adjacent to the cavity holes 17. In the present embodiment, a plurality of mounting holes 18 (five in total) are formed at intervals in the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the four cavity holes 17 and the five mounting holes 18 (adjacent spaces 18a) are arranged alternately along the width direction Y.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 4 , the wall separating the cavity hole 17 and the mounting hole 18 constitutes a retaining wall portion 19. The retaining wall portion 19 is a resin wall formed from resin and includes a first surface 19a (inner wall surface) that constitutes at least a portion of the inner wall surface of the cavity hole 17 and a second surface 19b that constitutes at least a portion of the inner wall surface of the mounting hole 18. The retaining wall portion 19 is capable of flexibly deforming in the width direction Y (transverse direction) toward a proximal side Y1, which is a direction toward the male terminal 20 inserted into the cavity hole 17, and a distal side Y2 opposite the proximal side Y1. Because the retaining wall portion 19 is capable of flexibly deforming, loads such as frictional resistance applied to the male terminal 20 and the retaining wall portion 19 when inserting the male terminal 20 can be easily reduced, making it easier to insert the male terminal 20 into the cavity hole 17.

[0013] The male terminal 20 is constructed by coating the surface of a copper alloy such as brass with a tin-plated base of copper or nickel. As shown in FIG. 5 , the male terminal 20 is formed into a substantially L-shaped wire shape with a board connection portion 21, a bent portion 22, and a terminal connection portion 23. The lower end of the board connection portion 21 is connected to a circuit on a printed wiring board (not shown). The bent portion 22 bends from the upper end of the board connection portion 21 toward the front side X1. The terminal connection portion 23 extends in the front-rear direction, and its tip is connected to a mating terminal after being accommodated in the male housing 10. A stopper protrusion 24 protruding in the width direction Y is formed on the rear end of the terminal connection portion 23. The stopper protrusions 24 form a pair, protruding from one side and the other side in the width direction Y. The dimension of the stopper protrusion 24 in the width direction Y is set larger than the width dimension of the cavity hole 17. This setting allows the surface of the stopper protrusion 24 facing the front side X1 to abut against the rear wall 15 of the housing main body 11. Therefore, when the male terminal 20 is inserted into the cavity hole 17, the stopper projection 24 functions as a stopper that restricts the displacement of the male terminal 20 toward the front side X1.

[0014] The dimension of the stopper protrusion 24 in the width direction Y is set to be larger than the width dimension of a first hole portion 32a of an insertion hole 32 formed in a separate part 30 (described later) and smaller than the width dimension of a second hole portion 32b (see FIG. 11(B)). This setting allows the stopper protrusion 24 to be accommodated in the insertion hole 32. The surface of the stopper protrusion 24 facing the rear side X2 can abut against a rear surface portion 32c, which is an inner wall surface facing the front side X1 of the insertion hole 32. Therefore, the separate part 30 cannot move beyond the stopper protrusion 24 toward the front side X1. Therefore, the stopper protrusion 24 also functions as a stopper that restricts displacement of the separate part 30 toward the front side X1.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 5, a press-fit protrusion 25 (convex portion, extended portion) is formed on the front side X1 of the stopper protrusion 24, protruding in the width direction Y from the terminal connection portion 23 of the male terminal 20. The press-fit protrusions 25 form a pair, protruding from one side and the other side in the width direction Y. The press-fit protrusion 25 has a flat surface 25a extending in the front-rear direction X and an inclined surface 25b that inclines so as to be positioned inward in the width direction Y as it extends from the front end of the flat surface 25a toward the front side X1. In this embodiment, four male terminals 20 configured in this manner are provided, and each is held in the male housing 10.

[0016] Next, the separate component 30 will be described. The separate component 30 is a component that can be attached to and detached from the male housing 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the separate component 30 includes an arm body 31 extending in the width direction Y and a plate-like mounting arm 33 protruding from the arm body 31 toward the front side X1. The arm body 31 is a portion that collectively supports the multiple mounting arms 33 and is formed as a thick plate using a resin material. The arm body 31 is formed with insertion holes 32 that penetrate in the front-rear direction X. The insertion holes 32 are holes through which the male terminals 20 are inserted, and four insertion holes 32 are formed to match the number of male terminals 20. As shown in FIG. 11(B), the insertion holes 32 include a first hole portion 32a that opens toward the rear side X2 and a second hole portion 32b that has a width dimension larger than that of the first hole portion 32a and opens toward the front side X1. A rear surface portion 32c extending in the width direction Y is formed between the first hole portion 32a and the second hole portion 32b.

[0017] As described above, the width of the first hole portion 32a is smaller than the dimension in the width direction Y of the stopper protrusion 24 of the male terminal 20, and the width of the second hole portion 32b is set larger than the width dimension Y of the stopper protrusion 24. As a result, the stopper protrusion 24 of the male terminal 20 is accommodated in the insertion hole 32. At this time, the rear surface portion 32c is able to abut against the surface of the stopper protrusion 24 facing the rear side X2. The mounting arms 33 are portions that are inserted into the mounting holes 18 of the housing 10, and five mounting arms 33 are formed to match the number of mounting holes 18. The mounting arms 33 are made of plate members that protrude from the front surface of the arm main body 31 toward the front side X1.

[0018] Next, assembly of the connector 1 will be described. FIG. 7 is a front view of the male housing 10 before the insertion of the male terminals 20. FIG. 8(A) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10 taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the male terminals 20 has begun, showing a portion of the male housing 10. FIG. 8(B) is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 8(A). FIG. 9(A) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10 taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the male terminals 20 has been completed, showing a portion of the male housing 10. FIG. 9(B) is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 9(A). FIG. 10(A) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10 taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when the insertion of the separate component 30 has begun, showing a portion of the male housing 10. FIG. 10(B) is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 10(A). Figure 11(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the male housing 10 when the insertion of the separate part 30 is completed, cut at the position of line BB in Figure 7, and Figure 11(B) is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 11(A).

[0019] First, as shown in Fig. 7, the male housing 10 is prepared with the lower surface 16a of the hood portion 16 facing downward X2. Next, as shown in Fig. 8(A), the male terminal 20 is placed on the rear wall 15 side of the male housing 10 under its own weight, and is inserted into the cavity hole 17 from the tip side of the terminal connection portion 23 using a predetermined jig 40. Here, as shown in Fig. 8(B), the dimension S1 in the width direction Y of the portion of the terminal connection portion 23 of the male terminal 20 where the press-fit protrusion 25 is not formed is smaller than the minimum value S2 of the dimension in the width direction Y of the cavity hole 17 before the retaining wall portion 19 is flexurally deformed. Therefore, the terminal connection portion 23 is unlikely to come into contact with the first surface 19a of the retaining wall portion 19 until the portion where the press-fit protrusion 25 is formed is inserted into the cavity hole 17, and the male terminal 20 is inserted into the cavity hole 17 with little resistance.

[0020] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the maximum dimension S3 of the press-fit protrusion 25 of the male terminal 20 in the width direction Y (maximum dimension in the transverse direction) is greater than the minimum dimension S2 of the cavity hole 17 in the width direction Y before the retaining wall 19 is flexed and deformed. Therefore, when the male terminal 20 is inserted up to the position of the press-fit protrusion 25, the inclined surface 25b of the press-fit protrusion 25 abuts against the first surface 19a of the retaining wall 19. When the male terminal 20 is further moved toward the front side X1 from this state, the press-fit protrusion 25 enters the cavity hole 17, as shown in FIG. 9(A). At this time, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the inclined surface 25b and the flat surface 25a press and spread the first surface 19a toward the separated side Y2 in the width direction Y. Note that, although FIG. 9(B) shows that the press-fit protrusion 25 and the first surface 19a simply abut against each other, in reality, at least a portion of the press-fit protrusion 25 is embedded in the first surface 19a. As a result, the male terminal 20 is press-fit into the cavity hole 17. At this time, the holding wall portion 19 is flexibly deformed toward the separating side Y2 in the width direction Y. That is, the press-fit protrusion 25 functions as an expansion portion that flexibly deforms the holding wall portion 19 toward the separating side Y2 during the press-fitting (insertion) of the male terminal 20a.

[0021] The flexural deformation of the retaining wall portion 19 reduces frictional resistance between the male terminal 20 and the first surface 19a when the male terminal 20 is press-fitted, thereby suppressing damage to the male terminal 20a and the first surface 19a. At least a portion of the press-fitting protrusion 25 engages with the first surface 19a of the retaining wall portion 19, thereby locking the male terminal 20 and restricting displacement of the male terminal 20 in the front-to-rear direction X. That is, the press-fitting protrusion 25 of the male terminal 20 functions as a locked portion of the present invention, and the first surface 19a of the retaining wall portion 19 functions as a locking portion of the present invention. This allows the male terminal 20 to be held by the retaining wall portion 19. The insertion of the male terminal 20a is continued, for example, until the stopper protrusion 24 approaches the rear wall 15 of the housing body 11, and is completed at that position.

[0022] Next, as shown in FIG. 10(A), the separate part 30 is attached to the male housing 10. Note that in FIG. 10(A), for simplicity of illustration, attachment of the separate part 30 is started with one male terminal 20 press-fitted. However, in reality, the separate part 30 is attached after all of the male terminals 20 have been press-fitted. First, the separate part 30 is placed on the lower end side of the male terminal 20. Then, although not shown, the lower end side of the board connection portion 21 of the male terminal 20 is inserted into the insertion hole 32 of the separate part 30 from the upper side Z1 toward the lower side Z2. Then, the separate part 30 is moved to the upper side Z1 while passing the bent portion 22 and the terminal connection portion 23 of the male terminal 20 through the insertion hole 32 in this order. As a result, the attachment arm 33 of the separate part 30 becomes insertable into the space 18a adjacent to the attachment hole 18 with its tip facing the rear end of the attachment hole 18 in the front-rear direction X, as shown in FIG. 10(A). 10(B), the maximum value S4 of the dimension of the mounting arm 33 in the width direction Y is greater than the minimum value S5 of the dimension of the mounting hole 18 in the width direction Y after the retaining wall portion 19 is flexed and deformed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10(B), both ends of the mounting arm 33 in the width direction Y abut against the second surface 19b of the retaining wall portion 19.

[0023] From this state, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B , when the separate component 30 is moved toward the front side X1 until the stopper protrusion 24 of the male terminal 20 fits into the insertion hole 32, the attachment of the separate component 30 is completed. In this state, as shown in FIG. 11B , the retaining wall 19, which has been flexibly deformed toward the farther side Y2 in the width direction Y by the press-fit protrusion 25, is pressed by the attachment arm 33 and pushed back toward the nearer side Y1 in the width direction Y. This causes the first surface 19a of the retaining wall 19 to be further pressed against the press-fit protrusion 25. In this state, the press-fit protrusion 25 further penetrates into the first surface 19a, thereby improving the holding force of the retaining wall 19. Furthermore, with the separate component 30 inserted into the adjacent space 18a, there is almost no room for the retaining wall 19 to deform toward the farther side Y2, so the flexural deformation of the retaining wall 19 toward the farther side Y2 is restricted by a predetermined amount. This restriction maintains the male terminals 20 stably held by the holding wall portions 19. This completes the assembly of the connector 1.

[0024] As described above, according to the first embodiment, when the separate part 30 (insertion member) is not inserted into the adjacent space 18a, the retaining wall 19 is prone to flexural deformation toward the separation side Y2. This allows the male terminal 20 (terminal) to be press-fitted into the cavity hole 17 (terminal receiving hole) with little load. When the male terminal 20 is received in the cavity hole 17, the attachment arm 33 of the separate part 30 is inserted into the adjacent space 18a, thereby restricting the flexural deformation of the retaining wall 19 toward the separation side Y2 by a predetermined amount. By restricting the flexural deformation in this manner, even if a pulling force is applied to the male terminal 20 in a pulling direction (removal direction) toward the rear side X2, the retaining wall 19 is less likely to separate from the male terminal 20, and the holding force of the retaining wall 19 on the male terminal 20 can be stably maintained. Therefore, a connector 1 that prevents the male terminal 20 from falling off can be provided.

[0025] Furthermore, by locking the press-fit protrusion 25 (protrusion, locked portion) with the first surface 19a (locking portion) of the retaining wall portion 19, displacement of the male terminal 20 in the front-rear direction X (insertion direction) is restricted, and it is possible to prevent the male terminal 20 from falling off. Furthermore, in this state, the separate part 30 is inserted into the adjacent space 18a, restricting the flexural deformation of the retaining wall portion 19, so that the first surface 19a and the press-fit protrusion 25 are unlikely to be displaced relative to each other in the width direction Y. Therefore, it is possible to stably maintain the state in which the press-fit protrusion 25 is locked with the first surface 19a, i.e., the state in which the male terminal 20 is prevented from falling off.

[0026] Furthermore, the locked portion can be formed with a simple configuration of providing the press-fit protrusion 25 on the male terminal 20. This facilitates molding of the locked portion. Furthermore, the first surface 19a (inner wall surface) of the retaining wall portion 19 functions as the locking portion without requiring a particularly complex shape. This avoids the need for a complex mold structure, for example, when molding the locking portion. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the connector 1. Furthermore, with this configuration, the male terminal 20 is press-fitted into the cavity hole 17, and at least a portion of the press-fit protrusion 25 is engaged with the first surface 19a of the retaining wall portion 19, preventing the male terminal 20 from falling off. Furthermore, in this state, the separate part 30 is inserted into the adjacent space 18a, restricting the flexural deformation of the retaining wall portion 19, making it difficult for the first surface 19a of the retaining wall portion 19 to displace in the width direction Y. Therefore, it is possible to stably maintain a state in which at least a portion of the press-fit projection 25 is bitten into the first surface 19a, that is, a state in which the male terminal 20 is prevented from falling off.

[0027] Furthermore, by inserting the separate part 30 into the adjacent space 18a, the holding wall 19 can be displaced toward the proximal side Y1 and pressed against the male terminal 20. This allows the press-fit protrusion 25 of the male terminal 20 to be pressed even more firmly against the first surface 19a of the holding wall 19. This ensures that a contact load is always applied in the direction in which the press-fit protrusion 25 of the male terminal 20 bites into the first surface 19a of the holding wall 19, further increasing the holding force of the male terminal 20 by the holding wall 19.

[0028] Furthermore, the press-fit protrusions 25 (expansion portions) formed on the male terminal 20 can reliably expand the first surface 19a toward the separating side Y2 before the holding wall portion 19 is flexed and deformed. In addition, by using the press-fit protrusions 25 as the contact portion between the male terminal 20 and the first surface 19a when inserting the male terminal 20 into the cavity hole 17, the contact area between the male terminal 20 and the first surface 19a can be reduced, and frictional resistance during insertion can be reduced.

[0029] In the first embodiment described above, the multiple mounting arms 33 of the separate part 30 are collectively supported by the arm body 31. Therefore, even when multiple adjacent spaces 18a are formed in the male housing 10 (housing), the multiple holding wall portions 19 can be collectively restricted from deformation by the separate part 30 configured as a single part.

[0030] Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10a of the second embodiment, taken along line AA in FIG. 2, before the male terminal 20 is inserted. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the male terminal 20a of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the male housing 10a of the second embodiment has a convex portion 50 that protrudes inward in the width direction Y on a portion of the holding wall portion 19 that constitutes the wall surface within the cavity hole 17. As shown in FIG. 13, the male terminal 20a of the second embodiment has an extension portion 25A that protrudes outward in the width direction Y from the terminal connection portion 23a. The extension portion 25A forms a pair, protruding from one side and the other side in the width direction Y. The extension portion 25A has a flat surface 25a1 extending in the front-rear direction X and an inclined surface 25b1 that inclines inward in the width direction Y from the front end of the flat surface 25a1 toward the front side X1. A groove-like recessed portion 26 recessed inward in the width direction Y is formed on the rear side X2 of the extension portion 25A. The recessed portion 26 fits into the protruding portion 50 when the male terminal 20a is inserted into the cavity hole 17.

[0031] Next, assembly of the connector 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 14(A) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10a taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when insertion of the male terminals 20a begins in the second embodiment, and FIG. 14(B) is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 14(A). FIG. 15(A) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10a taken along line BB in FIG. 7 just before insertion of the male terminals 20a is completed in the second embodiment, and FIG. 15(B) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10a taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when insertion of the male terminals 20a is completed in the second embodiment, and FIG. 16(A) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10a taken along line BB in FIG. 7 when insertion of the separate component 30 begins in the second embodiment, and FIG. 16(B) is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 16(A).

[0032] Fig. 17(A) is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10a taken along line BB in Fig. 7 when the insertion of the separate component 30 is complete, and Fig. 17(B) is an enlarged view of a main portion of Fig. 17(A). Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the male housing 10a taken along line BB in Fig. 7 in the second embodiment, in which the insertion of some of the male terminals 20a has not yet been completed. Fig. 19(A) is an enlarged view of region b in Fig. 18, and Fig. 19(B) is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the male housing 10a taken along line BB in Fig. 7 when the separate component 30 is being inserted in the state shown in Fig. 18.

[0033] 14(B), the dimensional relationship between the male terminal 20a and the cavity hole 17 is as follows. That is, the minimum value S6 of the dimension in the width direction Y of the portion of the terminal connection portion 23a of the male terminal 20a where the extension portion 25A is not formed is smaller than the dimension S7 of the portion of the cavity hole 17 where the convex portion 50 is not formed before the holding wall portion 19 is flexurally deformed. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the insertion of the male terminal 20a starts, the male terminal 20a is inserted into the cavity hole 17 without being press-fitted, as shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B). Meanwhile, the dimension of the extension portion 25A of the male terminal 20a, which is the portion inserted into the cavity hole 17 before the concave portion 26, is as follows: That is, the maximum value S8 of the dimension in the width direction Y of the extension portion 25A (maximum value of the dimension in the intersecting direction) is larger than the dimension S9 from the tip of one convex portion 50 to the tip of the other convex portion 50 in the width direction Y. That is, the maximum value S8 of the dimension in the width direction Y of the extension portion 25A is larger than the minimum value (the above-mentioned dimension S9) of the dimension in the width direction Y of the cavity hole 17 before the retaining wall portion 19 is flexurally deformed.

[0034] Therefore, when the male terminal 20 is inserted up to the position of the extension portion 25A, as shown in FIG. 15A, the inclined surface 25b1 and the flat surface 25a1 of the extension portion 25A press the convex portion 50 toward the separation side Y2, expanding it outward in the width direction Y. This pressure causes the holding wall portion 19 to bend toward the separation side Y2. When the male terminal 20a is further inserted toward the front side X1 from the state in which the holding wall portion 19 is bent, the extension portion 25A overcomes the convex portion 50. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15B, the pressure on the convex portion 50 by the extension portion 25A is released, and the holding wall portion 19 returns to its pre-flexurally deformed state. That is, in the second embodiment, the holding wall portion 19 temporarily bends and then returns to its original pre-flexurally deformed state. At this time, the convex portion 50 fits into the concave portion 26 of the male terminal 20a. When the convex portion 50 is fitted into the concave portion 26, the concave portion 26 is locked by the convex portion 50, restricting displacement of the male terminal 20a in the front-rear direction X. That is, the concave portion 26 of the male terminal 20a functions as the locked portion of the present invention, and the convex portion 50 of the holding wall portion 19 functions as the locking portion of the present invention. As a result, the male terminal 20a is held by the holding wall portion 19.

[0035] Next, as shown in Figures 16(A) and 16(B), the separate part 30 is attached to the male housing 10a. In the second embodiment, as described above, the retaining wall 19 has returned to its pre-deformation state. Therefore, as shown in Figure 16(B), the dimension S10 in the width direction Y of the adjacent space 18a is constant and larger than the maximum dimension S4 of the attachment arm 33 in the width direction Y. Therefore, the attachment arm 33 of the separate part 30 is unlikely to come into contact with the retaining wall 19 during insertion, and is inserted into the adjacent space 18a without pressing the retaining wall 19. Then, as shown in Figure 17(A), when the separate part 30 is moved to the front side X1 until the stopper protrusion 24a of the male terminal 20a is received in the insertion hole 32 of the separate part 30, the attachment of the separate part 30 is completed. In this state, as shown in Figure 17(B), the mounting arm 33 almost entirely occupies the space within the adjacent space 18a, leaving almost no room for the retaining wall portion 19 to flex toward the separating side Y2. Therefore, the flexing deformation of the retaining wall portion 19 toward the separating side Y2 is restricted by a predetermined amount. This restriction makes it difficult for the convex portion 50 to displace in the width direction Y, maintaining the engagement between the convex portion 50 and the concave portion 26, and stably maintaining the male terminal 20a held by the retaining wall portion 19. This completes the assembly of the connector 1.

[0036] In assembling the connector 1, as shown in FIG. 18, one of the multiple male terminals 20a may be incompletely inserted. In the state shown in FIG. 18, the three male terminals 20a on the left side of the drawing are fully inserted into the cavity hole 17, while the male terminal 20a on the right side of the drawing is not fully inserted into the cavity hole 17 by a predetermined distance α in the front-rear direction X. That is, the male terminal 20a on the right side of the drawing is partially inserted. If the connector 1 is assembled in this partially inserted state, the male terminal 20a and the separate component 30 may not be positioned correctly, which may hinder smooth assembly. However, as shown in FIG. 19(A), if there is a partially inserted male terminal 20a, the extension portion 25A of that male terminal 20a bends and deforms the holding wall portion 19 toward the separation side Y2 via the convex portion 50.

[0037] Therefore, the maximum value S4 of the width direction Y dimension of the mounting arm 33 shown in FIG. 19(B) is larger than the minimum value S5 of the width direction Y dimension of the mounting hole 18 after the retaining wall portion 19 is flexibly deformed shown in FIG. 19(A). Therefore, even when attempting to attach the separate component 30 to the male housing 10a, the mounting arm 33 is less likely to be displaced toward the front side X1 due to contact with the retaining wall portion 19. That is, the displacement of the mounting arm 33 toward the front side X1 is restricted. This restriction allows the retaining wall portion 19 to be used to detect whether the male terminals 20a are in a partially inserted state. That is, the retaining wall portion 19 also functions as a detector for detecting the partially inserted state of the male terminals 20a. Therefore, partially inserted male terminals 20a are less likely to be overlooked during assembly of the connector 1, facilitating smooth assembly of the connector 1.

[0038] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the male terminal 20a can be prevented from falling off by fitting the convex portion 50 formed on the retaining wall portion 19 with the concave portion 26 formed on the male terminal 20a. Furthermore, in this state, the separate part 30 is inserted into the adjacent space 18a, restricting the flexural deformation of the retaining wall portion 19, so the convex portion 50 of the retaining wall portion 19 is less likely to be displaced in the width direction Y. Therefore, the fitted state between the concave portion 26 and the convex portion 50, i.e., the state in which the male terminal 20a is prevented from falling off, can be stably maintained.

[0039] Furthermore, the expansion portion 25A formed on the male terminal 20a can reliably expand the holding wall portion 19 toward the separating side Y2. Furthermore, the expansion portion 25A temporarily flexes and deforms the holding wall portion 19, thereby reducing the width dimension of the adjacent space 18a and restricting the insertion of the mounting arm 33 into the adjacent space 18a. This restriction makes it possible to detect a partially inserted male terminal 20a. Therefore, when assembling the connector 1, it is difficult to overlook a partially inserted male terminal 20a, and the connector 1 can be assembled smoothly.

[0040] Although the above-described embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiments, male terminals 20 are illustrated as examples of terminals, and male housings 10 are illustrated as examples of housings, but these are not limiting, and the terminals may be female terminals, and the housings may be female housings. Furthermore, the number of cavity holes 17 and mounting holes 18 (adjacent spaces 18a) can be changed as appropriate, and may be less than four or five, or more than four or five.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the adjacent space 18a is adjacent to the cavity hole 17 in the width direction Y and is open to the rear side X2. However, this configuration is not limited thereto, and the adjacent space 18a may be adjacent to the cavity hole 17 in various directions intersecting the front-rear direction X, such as the up-down direction Z. The adjacent space 18a may be open to one or both of the front side X1 and the rear side X2. The adjacent space 18a may be open to one or both of the upper side Z1 and the lower side Z2. Furthermore, if the press-fit state of the male terminal 20a can be maintained by adjusting the width dimension, etc., of the cavity hole 17, the locked portion, such as the press-fit protrusion 25, and the locking portion, such as the first surface 19a of the retaining wall portion 19, may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] X Front-to-back direction (insertion direction) Y Width direction (cross direction) Y1 Near side Y2 Separated side 1 connector 10 Male housing (housing) 17 Cavity hole (terminal receiving hole) 18a Adjacent Space 19 Retaining wall 20 Male terminal (terminal) 30 Separate parts (insertion parts)

Claims

1. A connector comprising terminals, a housing for holding the terminals, and an insertion member detachably attachable to the housing, The housing is provided with a terminal accommodating hole into which the terminal is inserted and an adjacent space adjacent to the terminal accommodating hole, the insertion member is insertable into the adjacent space; a wall separating the terminal accommodating hole from the adjacent space, the wall constituting a holding wall portion capable of being flexibly deformed to a near side approaching the terminal in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the terminal and a far side opposite the near side; A connector characterized in that when the insertion member is inserted into the adjacent space, the bending deformation of the retaining wall portion toward the separating side is restricted to a predetermined amount, and the terminal is maintained in a held state by the retaining wall portion.

2. The terminal is provided with a latched portion, The holding wall portion is provided with a locking portion that locks the locked portion and restricts displacement in the insertion direction, 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the locked portion is locked to the locking portion at least when the insertion member is inserted into the adjacent space.

3. the engaged portion is formed by a protrusion protruding from the terminal in the intersecting direction, the locking portion is formed by an inner wall surface of the holding wall portion, 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the protrusion is press-fitted into the inner wall surface.

4. 4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the retaining wall portion is pressed toward the adjacent side by the insertion member when the insertion member is inserted into the adjacent space, and is displaced toward the adjacent side.

5. the engaged portion is a recessed portion formed in the terminal and recessed in the intersecting direction, 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the locking portion is configured as a convex portion formed on the holding wall portion and fitted into the concave portion.

6. The terminal is provided with an expansion portion that causes the holding wall portion to bend and deform toward the separating side during insertion into the terminal accommodating hole, A connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the maximum value of the cross-directional dimension of the expansion portion is greater than the minimum value of the cross-directional dimension of the terminal accommodating hole before the retaining wall portion is flexurally deformed.

7. a plurality of the terminal accommodating holes and the adjacent spaces are provided at intervals in the intersecting direction; 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the insertion member comprises a plurality of mounting arms that are inserted into the plurality of adjacent spaces, respectively, and an arm body that collectively supports the plurality of mounting arms.

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