connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of manufacturing a plurality of types without making major changes to manufacturing facilities. [Solution] The connector 1 includes a connector body 2 to which a bus bar 6 is attached, to which a terminal of a mating connector 4 is electrically connected. The connector 1 includes an opening forming portion 12 that is provided integrally with the connector body 2, and a cover member 3 that is attached to the connector body 2. The opening forming portion 12 forms part of an opening 5 in the connector body 2, where a tip end 8 of the bus bar 6 is disposed and which serves as a mating portion for the mating connector 4. The cover member 3 is formed separately from the connector body 2, and when attached to the connector body 2, forms the opening 5 together with the opening forming portion 12.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, an electrical junction box having a connector block into which bus bars are insert-molded is well known. In this electrical junction box, the ends of the bus bars are disposed inside a hood portion formed in the connector block. The hood portion has, for example, a fitting opening for fitting a mating connector, and multiple hood portions are provided lined up in the width direction of the connector block. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6009604 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The type of connector block into which the busbar is insert-molded is determined by the shape of the mating port. Therefore, if a different type of connector block is to be manufactured using existing equipment, it is not possible to manufacture the different type of connector block without making major modifications to the existing manufacturing equipment. This inevitably leads to a significant increase in costs, so some kind of countermeasure was necessary.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can be manufactured in multiple varieties without major changes to manufacturing equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector that solves the above problem is configured to include a connector body having a bus bar attached to which the terminals of a mating connector are electrically connected, and is equipped with an opening forming portion that is integral with the connector body, where the tip of the bus bar is positioned and that forms part of the opening that serves as the mating point for the mating connector, and a cover member that is formed separately from the connector body and that, when attached to the connector body, forms the opening together with the opening forming portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present disclosure allows for the production of multiple types of connectors without major changes to manufacturing equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the shape of the opening of the connector. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the connector body before the cover member is attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover member as seen from behind. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the connector body seen from the front before the cover member is attached. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the connector for explaining the positioning mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing how the bus bar is attached to the connector body. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing how the cover member is attached to the connector body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The connector of the present disclosure is configured to include a connector body having a bus bar attached thereto to which the terminals of a mating connector are electrically connected, and includes an opening forming portion that is integrally formed with the connector body, on which the tip end of the bus bar is disposed and that forms part of the opening that serves as the mating point of the mating connector, and a cover member that is formed separately from the connector body and that, when attached to the connector body, forms the opening together with the opening forming portion.

[0010] According to this configuration, the bus bar is separate from the connector body. Then, by attaching a cover member to the connector body, a portion of the connector body and a portion of the cover member form the connector opening. Therefore, since insert molding is not used in the manufacture of the connector, multiple types of connectors with different opening shapes can be manufactured inexpensively using existing equipment. This makes it possible to manufacture multiple types of connectors without making major changes to the manufacturing equipment.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the cover member is attached to the connector body in an attachment direction that follows the direction in which the tip of the bus bar extends, and a support mechanism is provided between the connector body and the cover member to support the cover member attached to the connector body in a plane direction that intersects with the attachment direction of the cover member. With this configuration, even if the mating connector mated to the opening is pried, the support mechanism can support the operating load. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the cover member attached to the connector body to fall off.

[0012] [3] In the above item [2], the support mechanism includes a guide portion that guides the insertion of the cover member into the connector body using a rail shape when the cover member is attached so as to be inserted into the connector body. With this configuration, the cover member can be attached to the connector body smoothly by the guidance of the guide portion.

[0013] [4] In any of the above [1] to [3], the connector includes a locking mechanism that holds the cover member to the connector body when the cover member is attached to the connector body. With this configuration, the cover member attached to the connector body can be firmly fixed by the locking mechanism. Therefore, it becomes possible to make the cover member less likely to fall off the connector body.

[0014] [5] In any one of [1] to [4] above, the cover member has a support wall that supports the tip end of the bus bar in a positioned state. With this configuration, the support wall of the cover member can position the bus bar in an optimal position. Therefore, when the mating connector is fitted into the opening, the terminal of the mating connector and the bus bar can be smoothly connected.

[0015] [6] In the above item [5], the bus bar has an intersecting portion at a base end of the tip portion that extends in a direction intersecting the tip portion, the bus bar is attached to the connector body in an attachment direction along the extension of the intersecting portion of the bus bar, and the support wall protrudes in the attachment direction of the bus bar to the connector body. With this configuration, the bus bar is supported by the support wall of the cover member in the attachment direction of the bus bar to the connector body, making it possible to make the bus bar attached to the connector body less likely to fall off from the connector body.

[0016] [7] In any one of [1] to [6] above, the connector further includes a positioning mechanism that has a protrusion on one of the connector body and the bus bar and a recess on the other, and that positions the bus bar relative to the connector body by engaging the protrusion with the recess when attaching the bus bar to the connector body. This configuration makes it possible for the bus bar attached to the connector body to be less likely to fall off the connector body due to the positioning mechanism.

[0017] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In each drawing, for the convenience of explanation, some components may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from the actual ones.

[0018] (Connector 1) As shown in FIG. 1, connector 1 includes connector body 2 that forms the main body of connector 1, and cover member 3 that is attached to connector body 2 when in use. Connector 1 is, for example, an electrical junction box in which electrical components such as relays and fuses (both not shown) are arranged in connector body 2. Connector 1 is used, for example, in a vehicle. When used in a vehicle, connector 1 is placed, for example, under the feet of a seat inside the vehicle. Connector body 2 and cover member 3 are made of, for example, resin.

[0019] The connector 1 has an opening 5 that serves as a mating portion for electrically connecting a mating connector 4. The opening 5 is formed by the connector body 2 and the cover member 3. In this example, a plurality of openings 5 ​​(two in this example) are provided and aligned in the width direction of the connector 1 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1 ). The openings 5 ​​in this example include a first opening 5a into which the first mating connector 4a is mated and a second opening 5b into which the second mating connector 4b is mated. A bus bar 6 connected to relays, fuses, and the like arranged on the connector body 2 is attached to the connector body 2. When the mating connector 4 is mated with the opening 5 of the connector 1, the terminals (not shown) of the mating connector 4 are electrically connected to the bus bar 6.

[0020] (Busbar 6) 1 and 2, a plurality of bus bars 6 (four in this example) are provided and aligned in the width direction of the connector 1 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1, etc.). The plurality of bus bars 6 are provided, for example, according to the function or type of in-vehicle device. In this example, a first bus bar 6a, a second bus bar 6b, a third bus bar 6c, and a fourth bus bar 6d are arranged in this order from the left side of the page.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the bus bar 6 has a tip portion 8 that comes into contact with a terminal of the mating connector 4 when the mating connector 4 is fitted into the opening 5, and an intersection portion 9 that extends at the base end of the tip portion 8 in a direction that intersects with the tip portion 8. In this example, the tip portion 8 extends along the attachment direction (the -X-axis direction in FIG. 3) when the cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2. In this example, the tip portion 8 is perpendicular to the intersection portion 9. In this way, the bus bar 6 is formed with a tip that is bent at approximately 90 degrees. In this example, the intersection portion 9 refers to, for example, a portion of the metal plate of the long plate-shaped bus bar 6 where the base end of the tip portion 8 is bent at approximately 90 degrees.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 4, the busbars 6 are accommodated in groove-shaped busbar accommodating portions 10 formed in the connector body 2. A busbar accommodating portion 10 is provided for each of the first busbar 6a to the fourth busbar 6d. The busbars 6 are attached to the connector body 2 in a direction along which the intersections 9 of the busbars 6 extend (the direction of arrow A1 in Fig. 3). The busbars 6 are formed, for example, in the shape of a long, thin metal plate that has been bent multiple times along the way.

[0023] (Frontage forming portion 12) As shown in Fig. 3, the connector body 2 has an opening forming portion 12 that forms part of the opening 5 that serves as the mating portion of the mating connector 4. The opening forming portion 12 is formed integrally with the connector body 2. The opening forming portion 12 is formed in a shape that has openings on the surface into which the cover member 3 is inserted (the left surface shown in Fig. 3) and on a surface that intersects with this surface (the bottom surface shown in Fig. 3).

[0024] The opening forming portion 12 of this example has a first wall 13 formed in a direction covering the interior of the opening forming portion 12 (the XY plane direction in FIG. 3 ), a second wall 14 disposed at one end of the first wall 13 and extending in a direction intersecting the first wall 13, and a third wall 15 disposed at the other end of the first wall 13 and formed parallel to the second wall 14. The space surrounded by the first wall 13, the second wall 14, and the third wall 15 forms a mating area for the mating connector 4. The second wall 14 is formed with a locking groove 16 for fitting with a locking piece (not shown) of the first mating connector 4a. The third wall 15 is formed with a locking groove 17 for fitting with a locking piece (not shown) of the second mating connector 4b.

[0025] 1 and 2, the frontage 5 is divided into a first frontage 5a and a second frontage 5b by a partition 18 formed in the center of the inner surface of the first wall 13. The first frontage 5a and the second frontage 5b are arranged side by side in the arrangement direction of the busbars 6 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1, etc.). In this example, the tips of the first busbar 6a and the second busbar 6b ​​are arranged inside the first frontage 5a, and the tips of the third busbar 6c and the third busbar 6c are arranged inside the second frontage 5b.

[0026] (Cover member 3) 3, the cover member 3 is formed separately from the connector body 2, and when attached to the connector body 2, forms the opening 5 together with the opening forming portion 12. The cover member 3 has a main body 20 and an opening forming wall 21 that is disposed in the main body 20 at a position opposite the opening forming portion 12 of the connector body 2. The main body 20 is formed in a hollowed-out shape that satisfies both strength and weight reduction.

[0027] The opening forming wall 21 has a first forming wall 21a that forms part of the wall of the first opening 5a and a second forming wall 21b that forms part of the wall of the second opening 5b. The first forming wall 21a and the second forming wall 21b are formed in a planar shape along the surface in the direction in which the cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2 (the XY-axis plane in FIG. 3).

[0028] The cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2 in the direction along which the tip portions 8 of the bus bars 6 extend (the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 3). The cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2 so that most of it is housed in the opening forming portion 12. The first opening 5a is an area surrounded by a portion of the first wall 13, the second wall 14, the partition portion 18, and the first forming wall 21a. The second opening 5b is an area surrounded by a portion of the first wall 13, the third wall 15, the partition portion 18, and the second forming wall 21b.

[0029] The cover member 3 has a wire passage 22 in which wires (not shown) electrically connected to the bus bars 6 and drawn out from the connector 1 are arranged. The wire passage 22 is, for example, arranged on the opposite side of the main body 20 from the opening forming wall 21, and is formed in an arc shape. The wires (not shown) connected to each bus bar 6 are arranged in the wire passage 22. These wires are bundled together with the wire passage 22 by, for example, a cable tie (not shown).

[0030] (Support mechanism 24) 5 and 6, a support mechanism 24 is provided between the connector body 2 and the cover member 3 to support the cover member 3 attached to the connector body 2 in a plane direction (YZ plane direction in FIG. 5) intersecting with the attachment direction (-X axis direction in FIG. 5) of the cover member 3. The support mechanism 24 in this example includes a first support part 25 that supports one end in the width direction of the connector 1 (Y axis direction in FIG. 5), and a second support part 26 that supports the other end in the width direction of the connector 1.

[0031] The first support portion 25 has a recess 25a (see FIG. 5) formed at a corner of the cover member 3 and a protrusion 25b (see FIG. 6) formed on the connector body 2. The protrusion 25b is formed in a shape that is a left-right inverted version of the letter L on the inner surface of the second wall 14 of the connector body 2. The second support portion 26, like the first support portion 25, has a recess 26a and a protrusion 26b. The protrusion 26b is formed in a shape that is a left-right inverted version of the letter L on the inner surface of the third wall 15 of the connector body 2.

[0032] Protrusions 25b, 26b support cover member 3 fitted into recesses 25a, 26a from below. That is, first support portion 25 and second support portion 26 support cover member 3 attached to connector body 2 in a plane direction intersecting the direction in which cover member 3 is attached to connector body 2, in other words, in the direction of a prying operation on mating connector 4 fitted to connector 1. The prying operation is, for example, an operation of twisting mating connector 4 fitted into opening 5.

[0033] (Information Department 28) 3, 5, and 6, support mechanism 24 includes guide portion 28 that uses a rail shape to guide insertion of cover member 3 into connector body 2 when cover member 3 is attached so as to be inserted into connector body 2. Guide portion 28 in this example has a first guide portion 29 arranged at the center in the width direction of connector 1 (left-right direction on the page), a second guide portion 30 arranged at one end in the same direction, and a third guide portion 31 arranged at the other end in the same direction.

[0034] The first guide portion 29 has a rail protrusion 29a formed on the connector body 2 and a rail groove 29b formed in the cover member 3 so as to engage with the rail protrusion 29a. The rail protrusion 29a is formed at the tip of the partition portion 18. The rail groove 29b is formed in a recessed portion 32 that is one step lower than the first forming wall 21a and the second forming wall 21b.

[0035] Similar to the first guide portion 29, the second guide portion 30 has a rail projection 30a and a rail groove 30b. The rail projection 30a is formed on the underside of a protruding plate 33 that protrudes laterally from the inner surface of the second wall 14. The rail groove 30b is formed in a recessed portion 34 that is one step lower than the first forming wall 21a, at one end of the cover member 3 in a direction intersecting the direction in which the cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2.

[0036] Similar to the first guide portion 29, the third guide portion 31 has a rail projection 31a and a rail groove 31b. The rail projection 31a is formed on the underside of a protruding plate 35 that protrudes laterally from the inner surface of the third wall 15. The rail groove 31b is formed in a recessed portion 36 that is one step lower than the second forming wall 21b, at the other end of the cover member 3 in a direction intersecting the direction in which the cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2.

[0037] Guide portion 28 guides the attachment of cover member 3 to connector body 2 using the rail shapes of first guide portion 29, second guide portion 30, and third guide portion 31. Furthermore, guide portion 28 uses the planar shapes of rail protrusion 31a and rail groove 31b to support cover member 3 attached to connector body 2 in a plane direction intersecting the direction in which cover member 3 is attached to connector body 2. In other words, guide portion 28 supports cover member 3 against the operating load when mating connector 4 mated with connector 1 is pried.

[0038] (locking mechanism 38) As shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, the connector 1 is equipped with a locking mechanism 38 that holds the cover member 3 to the connector main body 2 when the cover member 3 is attached to the connector main body 2. The locking mechanism 38 in this example has a first locking portion 39 formed on a side surface of the cover member 3, and a second locking portion 40 formed on a side surface of the cover member 3 different from the first locking portion 39. The first locking portion 39 is disposed on one side surface of the main body 20. The second locking portion 40 is disposed on the other side surface of the main body 20 opposite the one side surface. The first locking portion 39 and the second locking portion 40 are elastic pieces with protrusions at their tips.

[0039] The locking mechanism 38 has a first locking groove 39a with which the first locking portion 39 engages, and a second locking groove 40a with which the second locking portion 40 engages. The first locking groove 39a is a hole formed in the second wall 14. The second locking groove 40a is a hole formed in the third wall 15. The locking mechanism 38 holds the cover member 3 to the connector body 2 by locking the first locking portion 39 in the first locking groove 39a and locking the second locking portion 40 in the second locking groove 40a.

[0040] (Support wall 41) 2, 4, and 5, the cover member 3 has support walls 41 that support the tip portions 8 of the bus bars 6 in a positioned state. The support walls 41 protrude in the direction in which the bus bars 6 are attached to the connector body 2. In this example, a total of four support walls 41 are formed, one for supporting the tip portion 8 of the first bus bar 6a, one for supporting the tip portion 8 of the second bus bar 6b, one for supporting the tip portion 8 of the third bus bar 6c, and one for supporting the tip portion 8 of the fourth bus bar 6d.

[0041] (Shape of the back of the cover member 3) 5, busbar contact portions 42 that come into contact with the intersections 9 of the busbars 6 attached to the connector body 2 are formed on the back surface of the cover member 3. The busbar contact portions 42 are, for example, a pair of protruding walls that extend in a direction perpendicular to the attachment direction of the cover member 3 to the connector body 2 and are arranged opposite each other. In this example, a total of four busbar contact portions 42 are formed, one for contacting the intersections 9 of the first busbar 6a, one for contacting the intersections 9 of the second busbar 6b, one for contacting the intersections 9 of the third busbar 6c, and one for contacting the intersections 9 of the fourth busbar 6d.

[0042] (Positioning mechanism 44) As shown in Fig. 7, connector 1 includes a positioning mechanism 44 that positions bus bar 6 in connector body 2. Positioning mechanism 44 has, for example, a protrusion 44a formed on one of connector body 2 and bus bar 6, and a recess 44b (see Fig. 3, etc.) formed on the other. When attaching bus bar 6 to connector body 2, positioning mechanism 44 positions bus bar 6 relative to connector body 2 by engaging protrusion 44a with recess 44b.

[0043] 7 has a projection 44a formed on the connector body 2 and a recess 44b formed on the bus bar 6. The positioning mechanism 44 shown in FIG. 7 is for positioning the first bus bar 6a, but similar positioning mechanisms 44 are also provided for the second bus bar 6b, the third bus bar 6c, and the fourth bus bar 6d. The number of positioning mechanisms 44 for one bus bar 6, that is, the number of pairs of projection 44a and recess 44b, is not limited to one, and preferably multiple positioning mechanisms 44 are formed.

[0044] [Effect] Next, the operation of the connector 1 of this embodiment will be described. (Parts assembly procedure) As shown in Fig. 8, busbars 6 are first attached to connector 1. In this example, busbars 6 are attached to connector body 2 by being inserted into busbar accommodating portions 10 formed in connector body 2. In particular, busbars 6 in this example are attached by being inserted into busbar accommodating portions 10 of connector body 2 in the thickness direction of connector body 2 (the direction of arrow A1 in Fig. 8). Furthermore, first busbar 6a to fourth busbar 6d are inserted into pairs of busbar accommodating portions 10.

[0045] When each busbar 6 is inserted into the busbar accommodating portion 10, it is positioned by the positioning mechanism 44. Specifically, a recess 44b formed in the busbar 6 engages with a protrusion 44a on the connector body 2. This fixes the position of the busbar 6 in the busbar accommodating portion 10, making it difficult for the busbar 6 to fall out of the busbar accommodating portion 10.

[0046] As shown in Figure 9, after the bus bar 6 is attached, the cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2. The cover member 3 is inserted into the connector body 2 in a direction (the direction of arrow A2 in Figure 9) perpendicular to the direction (the +Z-axis direction in Figure 9) in which the bus bar 6 is inserted into the connector body 2. In this example, the insertion of the cover member 3 into the connector body 2 is guided by the guide portion 28. That is, the operation of inserting the cover member 3 into the connector body 2 is guided by the guide portion 28, so that the cover member 3 can be smoothly inserted into the connector body 2.

[0047] 1, when the cover member 3 is pushed all the way into the connector body 2, the position is locked by the locking mechanism 38. Specifically, the position of the cover member 3 is fixed by the first locking portion 39 and the second locking portion 40 of the cover member 3 engaging with the first locking groove 39a and the second locking groove 40a of the connector body 2, respectively. When the cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2, the opening 5 for connecting the mating connector 4 is formed by the opening forming portion 12 of the connector body 2 and the opening forming wall 21 of the cover member 3. In this example, in this opening 5, a first mating connector 4a is connected to the first opening 5a, and a second mating connector 4b is connected to the second opening 5b.

[0048] 2, the first mating connector 4a and the second mating connector 4b may be subjected to a prying operation in the direction of the arrows in the figure. In this example, the cover member 3 is supported by the support mechanism 24, so the operating load of the prying operation can be supported by the support mechanism 24. Therefore, even if the first mating connector 4a and the second mating connector 4b are subjected to a prying operation, the cover member 3 is unlikely to fall off the connector main body 2.

[0049] (Comparison between the prior art and this example) This type of connector 1 is often manufactured by insert molding, which integrally forms the bus bar 6 and resin. A separate insert molding manufacturing device is required for each type of connector 1. The shape of the opening 5 of the connector 1 is determined depending on the type of connector 1. Therefore, when attempting to manufacture a connector 1 with a different opening shape by insert molding, it is necessary to prepare a manufacturing device for that type, which significantly increases costs.

[0050] On the other hand, in this example, the bus bar 6 is attached to the connector body 2, and a portion of the opening of the connector body 2 is cut out, and a cover member 3 formed as a separate part is attached to the connector body 2 to form the opening 5 for fitting the mating connector 4. In this way, the connector 1 is manufactured without using insert molding. Therefore, even if a connector 1 with a different opening shape is required, the desired connector 1 can be obtained by manufacturing and assembling each part of the connector 1 using existing equipment. This makes it possible to manufacture the desired connector 1 at low cost.

[0051] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the configuration of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Connector 1 includes connector body 2 having attached thereto bus bars 6 to which terminals of a mating connector 4 are electrically connected. Connector 1 includes opening forming portion 12 formed integrally with connector body 2, and cover member 3 attached to connector body 2. Opening forming portion 12 forms part of opening 5 in connector body 2, where tip end 8 of bus bar 6 is disposed and which serves as a mating portion for mating connector 4. Cover member 3 is formed separately from connector body 2, and forms opening 5 together with opening forming portion 12 when attached to connector body 2.

[0052] According to this configuration, the bus bar 6 is separate from the connector body 2. Then, by attaching the cover member 3 to this connector body 2, a portion of the connector body 2 and a portion of the cover member 3 form the opening 5 of the connector 1. Therefore, since insert molding is not used in manufacturing the connector 1, it is possible to inexpensively manufacture multiple types of connectors 1 with different opening shapes using existing equipment. Therefore, multiple types of connectors 1 can be manufactured without making major changes to the manufacturing equipment.

[0053] (2) The attachment direction when attaching the cover member 3 to the connector body 2 is along the direction in which the tip end 8 of the bus bar 6 extends. A support mechanism 24 is provided between the connector body 2 and the cover member 3 to support the cover member 3 attached to the connector body 2 in a plane direction intersecting the attachment direction of the cover member 3. With this configuration, even if the mating connector 4 fitted into the opening 5 is pried, the operating load can be supported by the support mechanism 24. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the cover member 3 attached to the connector body 2 to fall off.

[0054] (3) Support mechanism 24 includes guide portions 28 that, when cover member 3 is attached so as to be inserted into connector body 2, use a rail-like shape to guide insertion of cover member 3 into connector body 2. According to this configuration, cover member 3 can be attached to connector body 2 smoothly by being guided by guide portions 28.

[0055] (4) The connector 1 is provided with a locking mechanism 38 that holds the cover member 3 to the connector body 2 when the cover member 3 is attached to the connector body 2. With this configuration, the cover member 3 attached to the connector body 2 can be firmly fixed by the locking mechanism 38. This makes it difficult for the cover member 3 to fall off the connector body 2.

[0056] (5) The cover member 3 has a support wall 41 that supports the tip end 8 of the bus bar 6 in a positioned state. With this configuration, the support wall 41 of the cover member 3 can position the bus bar 6 in an optimal position. Therefore, when the mating connector 4 is fitted into the opening 5, the terminal of the mating connector 4 and the bus bar 6 can be smoothly connected.

[0057] (6) The bus bar 6 has an intersection portion 9 at the base end of the tip portion 8, which extends in a direction intersecting the tip portion 8. The installation direction when the bus bar 6 is installed to the connector body 2 is a direction along the extension direction of the intersection portion 9 of the bus bar 6. The support wall 41 protrudes in the installation direction of the bus bar 6 to the connector body 2. With this configuration, the bus bar 6 is supported by the support wall 41 of the cover member 3 in the installation direction of the bus bar 6 to the connector body 2, which makes it difficult for the bus bar 6 installed to fall off from the connector body 2.

[0058] (7) Connector 1 includes positioning mechanism 44 that positions bus bar 6 relative to connector body 2. Positioning mechanism 44 has projections 44a on one of connector body 2 and bus bar 6, and recesses 44b on the other. When attaching bus bar 6 to connector body 2, positioning mechanism 44 positions bus bar 6 relative to connector body 2 by engaging projections 44a with recesses 44b. With this configuration, positioning mechanism 44 can prevent bus bar 6 attached to connector body 2 from falling off from connector body 2.

[0059] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. The number of openings 5 ​​is not limited to two, but may be one, or three or more. In this way, the number of mating connectors 4 connectable to the connector 1 may be one, or three or more.

[0060] The opening forming portion 12 may have any shape as long as it forms part of the opening 5. The mounting direction of the cover member 3 may be the same as the mounting direction of the bus bar 6, for example. The cover member 3 may be attached to the connector body 2, for example, from the width direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 1, etc.).

[0061] The bus bar 6 may be attached to the connector body 2, for example, from the rear surface. In this way, the attachment direction of the bus bar 6 may be changed as appropriate to a direction other than that of the embodiment. The busbar 6 is not limited to a shape that is bent multiple times along the way, but may be, for example, a solid plate shape.

[0062] The cover member 3 may have any shape as long as it forms part of the opening 5 . The support mechanism 24 may have, for example, only one of the first support portion 25 and the second support portion 26.

[0063] The support mechanism 24 may have, for example, only the guide portion 28. The locking mechanism 38 may be configured as a part of the guide portion 28, for example. While the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 connector 2 Connector body 3 Cover material 4 Mating connector 4a First mating connector 4b Second mating connector 5 Frontage 5a First entrance 5b Second entrance 6 Busbar 6a 1st bus bar 6b Second bus bar 6c 3rd busbar 6d 4th bus bar 8 Tip 9 Intersection 10 Busbar receiving section 12 Frontage formation section 13 1st wall 14 Second wall 15 Third wall 16 Locking groove 17 Locking groove 18 Compartment 20 Main body 21 Frontage forming wall 21a 1st forming wall 21b Second forming wall 22 Wiring passage section 24 Support mechanism 25 1st support part 25a Recess 25b Projection 26 Second support part 26a Recess 26b Projection 28 Information Department 29 1st Information Department 29a Rail piercing 29b Rail groove 30 2nd Information Department 30a rail thrust 30b Rail groove 31 3rd Information Department 31a Rail piercing 31b Rail groove 32 Concave part 33 Projecting plate 34 Concave part 35 Protruding plate 36 Concave part 38 Locking mechanism 39 First Lock 39a First lock groove 40 Second Lock 40a Second lock groove 41 Supporting wall 42 Busbar contact part 44 Positioning mechanism 44a protrusion 44b Recess

Claims

1. A connector having a connector body to which a bus bar is attached to electrically connect a terminal of a mating connector, an opening forming portion that is integrally provided on the connector body, in which the tip end of the bus bar is disposed and that forms a part of an opening that serves as a fitting portion of the mating connector; a cover member formed separately from the connector body, and which, when attached to the connector body, forms the opening together with the opening forming portion.

2. an attachment direction when attaching the cover member to the connector body is a direction along which the tip end portion of the bus bar extends; 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a support mechanism is provided between the connector body and the cover member to support the cover member attached to the connector body in a plane direction intersecting with the attachment direction of the cover member.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the support mechanism includes a guide portion that guides the insertion of the cover member into the connector body by a rail shape when the cover member is attached so as to be inserted into the connector body.

4. 2. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism that holds the cover member on the connector body when the cover member is attached to the connector body.

5. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member has a support wall that supports the tip end of the bus bar in a positioned state.

6. the bus bar has an intersecting portion at a base end of the tip portion, the intersecting portion extending in a direction intersecting the tip portion, an attachment direction when attaching the bus bar to the connector body is a direction along which the intersecting portion of the bus bar extends; The connector according to claim 5 , wherein the support wall projects in a direction in which the bus bar is attached to the connector body.

7. 2. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning mechanism, wherein one of the connector body and the bus bar is provided with a protrusion and the other is provided with a recess, and wherein the protrusion and the recess are engaged with each other when the bus bar is attached to the connector body, thereby positioning the bus bar relative to the connector body.

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