Laminated connector

Abstract

This invention provides a stacked connector that prevents an increase in the number of components when detecting the partial insertion of terminal fittings using a retainer. [Solution] The stacked connector 10 comprises a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 stacked on top of each other, a first terminal fitting 13 and a second terminal fitting 14, and a retainer 15 shared by both the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. The retainer 15 has a first locking portion 23 positioned to lock onto the first terminal fitting 13 housed in the first cavity 16 of the first housing 11 in the direction of disengagement from the first cavity 16, a second locking portion 24 positioned to lock onto the second terminal fitting 14 housed in the second cavity 16 of the second housing 12 in the direction of disengagement from the second cavity 16, and an elastic locking portion 41 that locks the first housing 11 with the first locking portion 23 positioned to lock onto the first terminal fitting 13.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a stacked connector.

Background Art

[0002] The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a first housing, a second housing stacked on the first housing, a plurality of first terminal fittings housed in the first housing, and a plurality of second terminal fittings housed in the second housing. The first housing has a first lance that can be bent to lock the first terminal fitting, a first retaining portion that prevents the second terminal fitting from coming off, and a locking portion. The second housing has a second lance that can be bent to lock the second terminal fitting, a second retaining portion that prevents the first terminal fitting from coming off, and a lock receiving portion that is elastically locked to the locking portion.

[0003] When assembling the connector, first, the first terminal fitting is inserted into the first housing, and the second terminal fitting is inserted into the second housing. Next, the second housing is assembled onto the first housing from above. When the first terminal fitting is inserted into the first housing at the normal position and the second terminal fitting is inserted into the second housing at the normal position, the first retaining portion faces the second terminal fitting in the removal direction, and the second retaining portion faces the first terminal fitting in the removal direction. As a result, the locking portion reaches a position where it can be locked to the lock receiving portion, and the first housing and the second housing are held in a stacked state.

[0004] If at least one of the multiple first terminal fittings is not inserted into the first housing in the correct position (hereinafter referred to as "partially inserted"), the second retaining part will interfere with the partially inserted first terminal fitting from above, causing the second housing to lift off the top surface of the first housing. In this case, the locking part cannot engage with the locking receiver, and the assembly of the first and second housings is prevented. Similarly, if at least one of the multiple second terminal fittings is partially inserted into the second housing, the locking part cannot engage with the locking receiver, and the assembly of the first and second housings is prevented. Therefore, if the assembly of the first and second housings is prevented, it can be determined that either the first or second terminal fitting is in a partially inserted state.

[0005] In the case of Patent Document 1, the technology detected the partial insertion state of either the first or second terminal fitting by determining whether the locking portion of the first housing could be engaged with the locking receiving portion of the second housing. In contrast to Patent Document 1, there is also a known technology that detects the partial insertion of the terminal fitting using a retainer attached to the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The retainer serves to secondarily prevent the terminal fitting from coming out and is usually provided separately from the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-004736 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-129827 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] For example, if one were to attempt to detect the partially inserted state of the terminal fittings in a laminated connector described in Patent Document 1, using an approach different from that described in Patent Document 1, one could consider using a retainer with a partially inserted detection function, such as that described in Patent Document 2. However, if a retainer were to be provided separately for each of the first and second housings, the number of parts would increase, which is undesirable.

[0008] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a laminated connector that can prevent an increase in the number of parts when detecting the partial insertion of terminal fittings using a retainer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The laminated connector of this disclosure comprises a first housing having a first cavity, a first terminal fitting housed in the first cavity, a second housing having a second cavity, a second terminal fitting housed in the second cavity, and a retainer shared by both the first and second housings, wherein the first and second housings are stacked on top of each other, and the retainer has a first locking portion arranged to lock onto the first terminal fitting housed in the first cavity in a direction away from the first cavity, a second locking portion arranged to lock onto the second terminal fitting housed in the second cavity in a direction away from the second cavity, and an elastic locking portion that locks the first housing when the first locking portion is positioned to lock onto the first terminal fitting. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a laminated connector that prevents an increase in the number of parts when detecting the partial insertion of terminal fittings using a retainer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stacked connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the stacked connector of Embodiment 1 housed in the outer housing. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a bottom view of the first housing in the stacked connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a front view of the first housing in the stacked connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view of the retainer in the stacked connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a front view of the retainer in the stacked connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an enlarged side view showing the stacked connector of Embodiment 1, in which the first elastic locking portion and the second elastic locking portion of the retainer are engaged with the respective locking projections of the first housing and the second housing. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an enlarged front view showing the stacked connector of Embodiment 1, where the retainer has reached a temporary locking position relative to the first housing. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an enlarged front view showing the stacked connector of Embodiment 1, where the retainer has reached the locking position relative to the first housing. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an enlarged front view showing the stacked connector of Embodiment 1, where the retainer has reached a temporary locking position relative to the second housing. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an enlarged front view showing the stacked connector of Embodiment 1, where the retainer has reached the locking position relative to the second housing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The laminated connector disclosed herein is (1) A first housing having a first cavity, a first terminal fitting housed in the first cavity, a second housing having a second cavity, a second terminal fitting housed in the second cavity, and a retainer shared by both the first housing and the second housing, wherein the first housing and the second housing are laminated on each other, and the retainer is arranged such that a first locking portion can be locked in a direction of coming out of the first cavity with respect to the first terminal fitting housed in the first cavity, a second locking portion can be locked in a direction of coming out of the second cavity with respect to the second terminal fitting housed in the second cavity, and an elastic locking portion that locks the first housing in a state where the first locking portion is arranged to be able to lock the first terminal fitting.

[0013] When the first terminal fitting is housed in the first cavity in a normal position, the first locking portion of the retainer faces the first terminal fitting in the direction of coming out, and the elastic locking portion of the retainer can lock the first housing. On the other hand, when the first terminal fitting is in a semi-inserted state where it is not housed in the first cavity in a normal position, the first locking portion abuts on the first terminal fitting from a direction intersecting the direction of coming out, and the elastic locking portion cannot lock the first housing in the main locking position or the like. Therefore, the retainer is prevented from being assembled to the first housing in a normal position such as the main locking position. Thus, it can be determined that the first terminal fitting is in a semi-inserted state in the first cavity by the fact that the assembly of the retainer in the normal position is prevented.

[0014] The process of stacking the second housing on the first housing is performed with the first terminal fitting properly positioned in the first cavity and the retainer locking the first housing in place. When the second terminal fitting is properly positioned in the second cavity, the second locking portion of the retainer faces the second terminal fitting in the direction of removal, allowing the first and second housings to reach the proper stacked state (for example, a state in which the opposing surfaces of the first and second housings are in face-to-face contact). On the other hand, when the second terminal fitting is partially inserted into the second cavity, the second locking portion abuts the second terminal fitting from a direction intersecting the direction of removal, preventing the first and second housings from reaching the proper stacked state. Therefore, the fact that the first and second housings do not reach the proper stacked state indicates that the second terminal fitting is partially inserted into the second cavity. According to this disclosure, the retainer is sequentially engaged with the first housing and the second housing, and the partially inserted state of the first terminal fitting in the first cavity and the partially inserted state of the second terminal fitting in the second cavity can be sequentially confirmed. In particular, since the retainer is shared by both the first housing and the second housing, the number of parts can be reduced compared to the case where a separate retainer is provided for each of the first and second housings.

[0015] (2) In the stacked connector described in (1) above, the elastic locking portion preferably has a first elastic locking portion for locking the first housing, and a second elastic locking portion for locking the second housing when the second locking portion faces the second terminal fitting, and the first housing and the second housing are held in a stacked state via the retainer.

[0016] When the second terminal fitting is in a semi-inserted state with respect to the second cavity, the second locking portion abuts against the second terminal fitting from a direction intersecting the removal direction, etc., and the second elastic locking portion cannot lock the second housing at the main locking position or the like. For this reason, the retainer is prevented from being assembled to the second housing at a normal position such as the main locking position. Therefore, it can be determined that the second terminal fitting is in a semi-inserted state with respect to the second cavity by preventing the assembly of the retainer at the normal position. In particular, according to (2) above, since the locking between the housings for maintaining the laminated state of each of the first housing and the second housing can be omitted, the structure of each of the first housing and the second housing can be simplified.

[0017] (3) In the laminated connector according to (2) above, when the direction in which the first housing and the second housing are laminated with each other is defined as the height direction, and the direction orthogonal to the height direction is defined as the width direction, the retainer has a retainer main body portion in which the first locking portion and the second locking portion project from both sides in the height direction, respectively, and a connecting portion that projects in the width direction from an intermediate portion in the height direction of the retainer main body portion, the first elastic locking portion projects from the tip of the connecting portion in the projecting direction to one side in the height direction, and the second elastic locking portion preferably projects from the tip of the connecting portion in the projecting direction to the other side in the height direction.

[0018] According to (3) above, by adjusting the range in which the first elastic locking portion and the second elastic locking portion are connected to the connecting portion and the amount of projection from the connecting portion, the elastic reaction forces of the first elastic locking portion and the second elastic locking portion can be adjusted to appropriate values. (4) In the laminated connector according to (3) above, the retainer preferably has a shape that is line-symmetric with respect to a symmetry line that passes through the center of the retainer in the height direction and extends in the width direction.

[0019] According to (4) above, since it is not necessary to distinguish the orientation in the height direction of the retainer when attaching the retainer to each of the first housing and the second housing, the workability when attaching the retainer can be improved.

[0020] (5) In the stacked connector described in any of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the first housing and the second housing have the same shape.

[0021] According to (5) above, the first housing and the second housing can be assembled in a stacked state without distinguishing between them, improving workability during assembly. In addition, the number of types of components constituting the stacked connector can be reduced. [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims as defined by the claims.

[0022] [Embodiment 1] A specific example of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the stacked connector 10 according to Embodiment 1 comprises a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 stacked on top of each other, a first terminal fitting 13 and a second terminal fitting 14 housed in the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, respectively, and a single retainer 15 mounted on the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. The stacked connector 10 is housed in an outer housing 100 shown in Figure 2. The outer housing 100 is mated to a mating connector (not shown). In the following description, the vertical direction corresponds to the stacking direction of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. The front-to-back direction is defined as the direction in which the outer housing 100 is mated to the mating connector. The left-to-right direction is the direction that intersects the front-to-back direction and the vertical direction. The vertical direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the left-to-right direction is synonymous with the width direction. In Figure 1, the X, Y, and Z directions represent forward, left, and upward, respectively. These directional references do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the stacked connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like (not shown).

[0023] (Outer housing 100) The outer housing 100 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in Figure 2, has a connector housing portion 110 that accommodates the stacked first housing 11 and second housing 12, and a rectangular tubular hood portion 120 that protrudes forward from the connector housing portion 110. The mating connector is fitted into the hood portion 120 of the outer housing 100.

[0024] (First terminal fitting 13, second terminal fitting 14) In this embodiment 1, the first terminal fitting 13 and the second terminal fitting 14 are identical in shape. Therefore, the configuration of the first terminal fitting 13 will be described below, and the configuration of the second terminal fitting 14 will be described as necessary. The same reference numerals are used for identical parts in the configurations of the first terminal fitting 13 and the second terminal fitting 14, and the same names will be used in the description unless otherwise specified.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the first terminal fitting 13 is formed in an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction by bending a conductive metal plate. The first terminal fitting 13 has a terminal body portion 17, a tab 18 extending forward from the terminal body portion 17, and a barrel portion 19. The terminal body portion 17 is an elongated rectangular tube in the front-to-back direction. The terminal body portion 17 has a lance receiving portion 20 and a locking portion 21. In this embodiment 1, the lance receiving portion 20 is configured as a lance hole formed in one wall of the terminal body portion 17. The lance receiving portion 20 is locked to the lance 22 of the first housing 11, which will be described later. The locking portion 21 is located behind the lance receiving portion 20. The locking portion 21 is formed as the rear end edge of the terminal body portion 17. The locking portion 21 of the first terminal fitting 13 faces the first locking portion 23 of the retainer 15, which will be described later. The locking portion 21 of the second terminal fitting 14 faces the second locking portion 24 of the retainer 15, which will be described later. With the laminated connector 10 housed in the connector housing portion 110 of the outer housing 100, the tab 18 is positioned protruding into the hood portion 120. The barrel portion 19 is connected to the rear of the terminal body portion 17. The electric wire 25 is crimped and mechanically connected by the barrel portion 19.

[0026] (Housing 11, Housing 22) In this embodiment 1, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are identical in shape to the first terminal fitting 13 and the second terminal fitting 14. Therefore, the following description will focus on the configuration of the first housing 11, and the configuration of the second housing 12 will be described as necessary. The same reference numerals are used for identical parts in the configurations of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, and the same names will be used unless otherwise specified. The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are assembled in opposite orientations. Therefore, the vertical orientation of the first housing 11 described below will be opposite to the vertical orientation of the second housing 12. In this embodiment 1, for convenience, the first housing 11 is assumed to be stacked above the second housing 12.

[0027] The first housing 11 is made of synthetic resin and has a flat rectangular parallelepiped housing body 26, as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, the housing body 26 has a shape in which the left-right dimension is longer than the up-down dimension. The housing body 26 of the first housing 11 has a plurality of first cavities 16. Each first cavity 16 is arranged side by side in the left-right direction within the housing body 26. Each first cavity 16 extends in the front-rear direction and opens to both the front and rear end faces of the first housing 11. Each first terminal fitting 13 is housed in each first cavity 16. As shown in Figure 3, the spaces between each first cavity 16 are separated by partitions 30. Each partition 30 has a convex wall portion 32 in the portion corresponding to the mounting opening 31, which will be described later. Each convex wall portion 32 protrudes downward from the upper wall inside each cavity 16. Each convex wall portion 32, together with the intermediate portions of each first cavity 16 adjacent to it in the left-right direction, forms a retainer mounting hole 49 that receives the upper part of the retainer body portion 39 of the retainer 15, which will be described later. In addition, lances 22 are formed protruding from the inner wall of each first cavity 16. The lances 22 formed in each first cavity 16 are elastically deformable and can engage the lance receiving portion 20 of the first terminal fitting 13 when it is inserted into the first cavity 16 in the normal state.

[0028] A pair of locking projections 34 are formed on the upper surface of the housing body 26. Each locking projection 34 is spaced apart on the upper surface of the housing body 26. When the laminated connector 10 is housed in the connector housing portion 110 of the outer housing 100, each locking projection 34 engages with a locking portion (not shown) within the connector housing portion 110. This prevents the laminated connector 10 from coming loose from the outer housing 100.

[0029] An opening 31 is provided on the lower surface of the housing body 26 (the surface facing the second housing 12). As shown in Figure 3, the opening 31 has, in a bottom view of the first housing 11, a main body opening 35 that extends elongated in the left-right direction, and a pair of lock openings 36 that extend elongated in the front-rear direction from both ends of the main body opening 35.

[0030] The upper part of the retainer body 39 of the retainer 15 is fitted into the retainer mounting hole 49 of the first housing 11 through the body mounting opening 35. When the retainer 15 is installed into the retainer mounting hole 49 of the first housing 11, the first locking part 23 of the retainer 15, which will be described later, enters the retainer mounting hole 49 through the body mounting opening 35. Similarly, the second locking part 24, which will be described later, enters the retainer mounting hole 49 through the body mounting opening 35 that opens on the lower surface of the second housing 12.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the first housing 11 has a pair of left and right protrusions 28 formed at the upper ends of both the left and right sides of the housing body 26, and a pair of left and right retainer retaining walls 50 formed at the lower ends of both the left and right sides of the housing body 26. Each protrusion 28 extends outwards from the housing body 26 to the left and right. Each protrusion 28 extends rib-like from near the front end of the housing body 26 toward the rear. In the process of housing the laminated connector 10 into the connector housing portion 110 of the outer housing 100, the tips of each protrusion 28 are inserted into grooves (not shown) of the connector housing portion 110. This guides the assembly operation of the laminated connector 10 to the outer housing 100.

[0032] The retainer retaining wall 50 protrudes outward to the left and right from the housing body 26 with a smaller overhang than the overhang portion 28. The retainer retaining walls 50 of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 face each other and come into contact when stacked. The lock mounting opening 36 extends vertically (thickness direction) along the retainer retaining wall 50 and opens on the upper and lower surfaces of the retainer retaining wall 50.

[0033] Furthermore, the first housing 11 has a pair of left and right recesses 51 on both the left and right sides of the housing body 26, which are recessed inward relative to the retainer holding wall 50 and the protruding portion 28, and a pair of left and right locking wall portions 27 formed on the inner back surfaces of each recess 51. Each locking wall portion 27 constitutes the left and right outer side walls of the first cavity 16 located at both the left and right ends of the housing body 26. On the left and right outer surfaces of each locking wall portion 27, a temporary locking projection 37 and a permanent locking projection 38 are formed at a vertical distance from each other. The temporary locking projection 37 is positioned below the permanent locking projection 38. As shown in Figure 7, both the temporary locking projection 37 and the permanent locking projection 38 are rib-shaped and extend long in the front-rear direction.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the first housing 11 has a pair of left and right stopper portions 29 that protrude outward from the rear end of the housing body portion 26. Each stopper portion 29 defines the rear end of the recess 51. When the laminated connector 10 is housed in the connector housing portion 110 of the outer housing 100, the stopper portions 29 abut against a stoppered portion (not shown) of the connector housing portion 110 of the outer housing 100. This prevents the laminated connector 10 from coming out forward of the outer housing 100. The second housing 12 is provided with a second cavity 16, which corresponds to the first cavity 16. The first cavity 16 and the second cavity 16 are the same parts in the configuration of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, respectively, and are therefore given the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 do not have locking portions to maintain their stacked state. As will be described later, the stacked state of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 is maintained via the retainer 15. In other words, the retainer 15 has a portion that corresponds to a locking part for holding the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 in a stacked state relative to each other.

[0035] (Retainer 15) The retainer 15 is made of synthetic resin and has a retainer body portion 39. As shown in Figure 6, the retainer body portion 39 is a flat plate shape with its left-right dimension being longer than its up-down dimension, and its plate surface is oriented in the front-back direction. The upper part of the retainer body portion 39 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 49 of the first housing 11, and the lower part of the retainer body portion 39 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 49 of the second housing 12.

[0036] Multiple first locking portions 23 are formed protruding from the upper end of the retainer body portion 39. Each first locking portion 23 is arranged in a line at intervals in the left-right direction at the upper end of the retainer body portion 39. The front end surface of each first locking portion 23 is continuous with the front surface of the retainer body portion 39 without any steps. As shown in Figure 5, each first locking portion 23 is rib-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction. In detail, each first locking portion 23 gradually increases in left-right dimension from the rear end to the front end. When the first terminal fitting 13 is inserted into the first cavity 16 to its normal position, the first locking portion 23 faces the locked portion 21 from the rear, which is the direction of exit from the first cavity 16.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, a plurality of protrusions 33 are formed protruding from the upper end of the retainer body 39. Each protrusion 33 is arranged in a line with spacing in the left-right direction. Each protrusion 33 and each first locking portion 23 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction at the upper end of the retainer body 39. Each protrusion 33 is rib-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction. In detail, each protrusion 33 gradually increases in left-right dimension from the rear end to the front end. When the upper part of the retainer body 39 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 49 of the first housing 11, each protrusion 33 faces each convex wall portion 32 of the first housing 11 in the vertical direction. Each protrusion 33 and each convex wall portion 32 face each other and function as a part that divides each cavity 16, similar to each partition portion 30 excluding each convex wall portion 32.

[0038] Multiple second locking portions 24 are formed protruding from the lower end of the retainer body 39. Each second locking portion 24 has the same shape as each first locking portion 23. Each second locking portion 24 is arranged side by side at a distance from the left to right at the lower end of the retainer body 39. When the second terminal fitting 14 is inserted into the second cavity 16 until it reaches its correct position, the second locking portions 24 face the locked portion 21 from the rear, which is the direction of exit from the second cavity 16.

[0039] Furthermore, each protrusion 33 is also formed to protrude from the lower end of the retainer body 39. Each protrusion 33 formed at the lower end of the retainer body 39 is arranged alternately with each second locking portion 24 in the left-right direction. When the lower part of the retainer body 39 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 49 of the second housing 12, each protrusion 33 faces each convex wall portion 32 of the second housing 12 in the vertical direction.

[0040] The retainer 15 has a pair of left and right connecting parts 40 that protrude briefly outward from the upper and lower intermediate parts (excluding the upper and lower ends) on both the left and right sides of the retainer body 39. The retainer 15 also has a pair of elastic locking parts 41 that extend in both the up and down directions from the intermediate parts 44, which are the outer ends of each connecting part 40. Each elastic locking part 41 is a flat plate shape in side view, with its front-to-back dimension longer than its up-to-down dimension, and its plate surface is oriented in the left-to-right direction.

[0041] Each elastic lock portion 41 is positioned opposite the left and right sides of the retainer body portion 39 at a distance in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 11, the aforementioned lock wall portion 27 is positioned within the distance between each elastic lock portion 41 and the retainer body portion 39 that faces each other in the left-right direction. Each elastic lock portion 41 has a pair of left and right first elastic lock portions 42 protruding upward from the intermediate portion 44, and a pair of left and right second elastic lock portions 43 protruding upward from the intermediate portion 44. The first elastic lock portions 42 and the second elastic lock portions 43 have the same shape and are positioned symmetrically above and below the intermediate portion 44. Each first elastic lock portion 42 and each second elastic lock portion 43 are elastically deformable in the left-right direction with the base portion connected to the intermediate portion 44 as a fulcrum. The first elastic lock portion 42 has a first locking claw 45 and a first lock body portion 46. The first lock body portion 46 is a plate-shaped portion that protrudes upward from the intermediate portion 44. The plate thickness (left-right dimension) of the first lock body portion 46 is smaller than the vertical thickness of the intermediate portion 44. The first locking claw 45 constitutes the upper end of the first elastic lock portion 42 and protrudes inward to the left and right from the first lock body portion 46. The first locking claw 45 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction of the first elastic lock portion 42. The first locking claw 45 is capable of being locked onto the temporary locking projection 37 and the permanent locking projection 38.

[0042] The second elastic locking portion 43 has the same shape as the first elastic locking portion 42 and includes a second locking body portion 48 that protrudes downward from the intermediate portion 44, and second locking claws 47 that protrude inward to the left and right from the second locking body portion 48. Similar to the first locking claws 45, the second locking claws 47 can be locked onto the temporary locking projection 37 and the permanent locking projection 38. In this embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 6, the retainer 15 has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a line of symmetry S that passes through the vertical center of the retainer 15 and extends in the left-right direction.

[0043] (Assembly procedure for the laminated connector 10) Next, an example of the assembly procedure for the stacked connector 10 will be described.

[0044] First, the upper part of the retainer 15 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 49 through the mounting opening 31 on the lower surface of the first housing 11. Each first elastic locking part 42 is positioned in the recess 51 through the lock mounting opening 36 of the first housing 11. The first locking claw 45 contacts the temporary locking projection 37, causing the first elastic locking part 42 to elastically deform outwards to the left and right. The first locking claw 45 faces the upper end of the temporary locking projection 37, and the first elastic locking part 42 elastically returns to its original position. As shown in Figure 8, the retainer 15 is held in a temporarily locked position relative to the first housing 11.

[0045] When the retainer 15 is in a temporarily locked position relative to the first housing 11, the first terminal fittings 13 are inserted into the first cavity 16 from the rear of the first housing 11. After inserting all the first terminal fittings 13 into each of the first cavities 16, the retainer 15 is pressed upward to release the locking between the first locking claws 45 and the temporary locking projections 37. This allows the retainer 15 to move upward relative to the first housing 11. As the retainer 15 moves upward, the first locking claws 45 come into contact with the permanent locking projections 38, causing the first elastic locking portion 42 to elastically deform outwards to the left and right.

[0046] When all first terminal fittings 13 are inserted into their respective first cavities 16 in the correct position, the lance receiving portion 20 of each first terminal fitting 13 is locked onto the lance 22 of the first housing 11 (see Figure 2). The first elastic locking portion 42 then elastically returns, and as shown in Figure 9, the first locking claw 45 is positioned to be able to lock onto the upper end of the main locking projection 38, thereby holding the retainer 15 in the locked position relative to the first housing 11. At this time, each first locking portion 23 is positioned to be able to lock onto the locked portion 21 of each first terminal fitting 13 from the rear. Therefore, each lance 22 and each first locking portion 23 can prevent each first terminal fitting 13 from coming out of each first cavity 16 to the rear.

[0047] In contrast, when at least one of the first terminal fittings 13 is not fully inserted into the corresponding first cavity 16, i.e., is in a partially inserted state, the first locking portion 23 is not positioned to lock onto the partially inserted first terminal fitting 13 in the disengagement direction, but instead abuts against the lower surface of the terminal body portion 17. As a result, the first locking claw 45 cannot be positioned to lock onto the upper end of the main locking projection 38. Consequently, the elastically deformed state of the first elastic locking portion 42 is not resolved, and the retainer 15 cannot reach the main locking position relative to the first housing 11. Therefore, the fact that the movement of the retainer 15 to the main locking position relative to the first housing 11 is prevented indicates that the first terminal fitting 13 is in a partially inserted state in the first cavity 16.

[0048] After confirming that all first terminal fittings 13 are properly inserted into each first cavity 16 as described above, the lower part of the retainer 15 is then inserted into the retainer mounting hole 49 through the mounting opening 31 on the upper surface of the second housing 12. As shown in Figure 10, the retainer 15 is held in a temporary locking position relative to the second housing 12 by engaging the second locking claw 47 with the temporary locking projection 37 of the second housing 12. After inserting all second terminal fittings 14 into each second cavity 16, the retainer 15 is pressed to move it to the permanent locking position. As described above, if all second terminal fittings 14 are properly inserted into each second cavity 16, the lance receiving portion 20 of each second terminal fitting 14 is engaged with the lance 22 of the second housing 12, and the second locking claw 47 is positioned to be able to lock opposite the lower end of the permanent locking projection 38. As shown in Figure 9, the retainer 15 is held in the locked position relative to the second housing 12. Each second locking portion 24 is positioned to lock onto the locked portion 21 of each second terminal fitting 14 from the rear, thereby secondarily preventing each second terminal fitting 14 from coming out of each second cavity 16 to the rear.

[0049] When the retainer 15 reaches the locking position relative to the second housing 12, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can also reach their proper stacked state (in this embodiment 1, the lower surface of the first housing 11 and the upper surface of the second housing 12 face each other and make contact). The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can then maintain a state of being held (connected) to each other via the retainer 15.

[0050] In contrast, when at least one of the second terminal fittings 14 is partially inserted into the corresponding second cavity 16, each second locking portion 24 is not positioned to lock onto the partially inserted second terminal fitting 14 in the disengagement direction, but instead abuts against the upper surface of the terminal body portion 17. As a result, the second locking claw 47 cannot be positioned to lock onto the lower end of the main locking projection 38, and the retainer 15 cannot reach the main locking position relative to the second housing 12. Therefore, the fact that the retainer 15 is prevented from moving to the main locking position relative to the second housing 12 allows us to determine that the second terminal fitting 14 is partially inserted into the second cavity 16.

[0051] (Function of the laminated connector 10) According to this embodiment 1, the retainer 15 is sequentially engaged with the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, allowing for sequential confirmation of the partially inserted state of the first terminal fitting 13 in the first cavity 16 and the partially inserted state of the second terminal fitting 14 in the second cavity 16. Therefore, the partially inserted state of the first terminal fitting 13 and the second terminal fitting 14 can be detected individually. In particular, in this embodiment 1, since the retainer 15 is shared by both the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, there is an advantage in reducing the number of parts compared to the case where a retainer is provided separately for each of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12.

[0052] Furthermore, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are held in a stacked state relative to each other via the retainer 15. The elastic locking portion 41 of the retainer 15 eliminates the need for housing locks to maintain the stacked state between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, thereby simplifying the structure of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12.

[0053] The retainer 15 has a connecting portion 40 that protrudes briefly in the left-right direction from the upper and lower middle portion of the retainer body 39. The first elastic locking portion 42 and the second elastic locking portion 43 protrude from the left and right ends of the connecting portion 40 in opposite directions. Therefore, it is easy to adjust the range in which the first elastic locking portion 42 and the second elastic locking portion 43 are connected to the connecting portion 40 and the amount they protrude from the connecting portion 40, and the elastic reaction force of the first elastic locking portion 42 and the second elastic locking portion 43 can be adjusted to an appropriate value.

[0054] The retainer 15 has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a line of symmetry S that passes through the vertical center of the retainer 15 and extends in the left-right direction. Therefore, when attaching the retainer 15 to the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, there is no need to distinguish the vertical orientation of the retainer 15, and the workability when attaching the retainer 15 can be improved.

[0055] Furthermore, since the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 have the same shape, they can be assembled in a stacked state without distinguishing between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, thereby improving work efficiency during assembly. In addition, the number of types of components that make up the stacked connector 10 can be reduced. [Other embodiments of this disclosure] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

[0056] In the first embodiment described above, the second elastic locking portion of the retainer engages with the main locking projection of the second housing, thereby holding the first and second housings stacked on top of each other via the retainer. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the retainer does not necessarily have to have a second elastic locking portion that locks the second housing. For example, the first and second housings may each have locking portions that can lock onto each other, and the first and second housings may be held stacked on top of each other by the locking of each locking portion. In the first embodiment described above, the first housing and the second housing had the same shape. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the first housing and the second housing may have different shapes.

[0057] In the first embodiment described above, the first terminal fitting and the second terminal fitting had the same shape. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the first terminal fitting and the second terminal fitting may have different shapes. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 10…Laminated connector 11…1st Housing 12…Second Housing 13…First terminal fitting 14…Second terminal fitting 15…Retainer 16…First cavity, second cavity 17...Terminal body 18... Tab 19... Barrel section 20...Lance receiving part 21...Locked part 22... Lance 23...First locking section 24...Second locking section 25...Electric wire 26… Housing main body 27...Rock wall section 28...Protrusion 29... Stopper Club 30... Partition section 31... Mounting opening 32...Convex wall section 33…Convex part 34...Protrusion 35... Main unit mounting port 36... Lock mounting slot 37... Temporary locking projection 38...Main locking protrusion 39... Retainer body 40...Connection part 41...Elastic locking part 42...First elastic locking section 43...Second elastic locking section 44...Middle section 45...First locking claw 46...First lock body 47...Second locking claw 48...Second lock main body 49…Retainer mounting hole 50…Retainer holding wall 51…dent 100... Outer Housing 110... Connector housing 120...Food section S... line of symmetry

Claims

1. A first housing having a first cavity, The first terminal fitting housed in the first cavity, A second housing having a second cavity, The second terminal fitting housed in the second cavity, A retainer shared by both the first housing and the second housing is provided, The first housing and the second housing are stacked on top of each other, The aforementioned retainer is, A first locking portion is positioned to lock the first terminal fitting housed in the first cavity in a direction that allows it to be removed from the first cavity, A second locking portion is positioned to lock the second terminal fitting housed in the second cavity in a direction that allows it to be removed from the second cavity, An elastic locking portion that locks the first housing with the first locking portion positioned to be lockable to the first terminal fitting, A stacked connector having the following features.

2. The laminated connector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic locking portion includes a first elastic locking portion for locking the first housing, and a second elastic locking portion for locking the second housing in a state in which the second locking portion is arranged to be lockable to the second terminal fitting, and the first housing and the second housing are held in a laminated state via the retainer.

3. When the direction in which the first housing and the second housing are stacked on top of each other is defined as the height direction, and the direction intersecting the height direction is defined as the width direction, The retainer has a retainer body portion having the first locking portion and the second locking portion protruding from both sides in the height direction, and a connecting portion protruding in the width direction from the middle portion of the retainer body portion in the height direction. The first elastic locking portion protrudes from the tip of the connecting portion in the protruding direction in one direction in the height direction, The laminated connector according to claim 2, wherein the second elastic locking portion protrudes from the tip of the connecting portion in the protruding direction to the other in the height direction.

4. The laminated connector according to claim 3, wherein the retainer has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a line of symmetry that passes through the center of the retainer in the height direction and extends in the width direction.

5. The laminated connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first housing and the second housing have the same shape as each other.

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