connector

Abstract

It provides a connector that can enhance the reliability of protecting the tab. [Solution] The moving plate 17 has a plate-shaped plate body 61 with its surface facing in the front-rear direction, protrusions 69 and 92 projecting from the surface of the plate body 61, and a through hole 68 that penetrates through the plate body 61 and the protrusions 69 and 92. The male terminal fitting 16 has a tab 44 that is inserted through the through hole 68. When the moving plate 17 is in its initial position, the tip 44A of the tab 44 is set to fit inside the through hole 68.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a male housing, a male terminal fitting housed in the male housing, and a moving plate assembled to the male housing. The male housing has a cylindrical hood portion. The moving plate is disposed inside the hood portion so as to be movable from a holding position to a release position. The tab of the male terminal fitting protrudes inside the hood portion and is inserted through the tab through-hole of the moving plate. When the moving plate is in the holding position, the front end portion of the tab is fitted into the tab through-hole and positioned. In addition, as prior art documents related to this disclosure, Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 can be cited in addition to Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, when the moving plate is in the holding position, the tip of the tab of the male terminal fitting is positioned to protrude forward from the tab through-hole. As a result, the tip of the tab may interfere with foreign objects entering from the front opening of the hood. In contrast, if the tip of the tab is configured to fit into the tab through-hole, interference between the tip of the tab and foreign objects can be avoided. However, even if the tip of the tab is initially fitted into the tab through-hole, the tip of the tab may come out of the tab through-hole due to assembly tolerances of the moving plate to the male housing or assembly tolerances of the male terminal fitting to the male housing, or due to a rearward pulling force acting on the male terminal fitting.

[0005] Therefore, this disclosure aims to provide a connector that can enhance the reliability of protecting the tab. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of this disclosure comprises a housing body, a male terminal fitting housed in the housing body, a cylindrical hood portion protruding forward from the housing body, and a moving plate that can move backward from an initial position to a mating position inside the hood portion, wherein the moving plate has a plate-shaped plate body with its plate surface facing in the front-rear direction, a projection protruding from at least one of the plate surfaces of the plate body, and a through hole penetrating from the plate body and the projection, and the male terminal fitting has a tab extending in the front-rear direction and inserted into the through hole, and is configured such that the tip of the tab fits inside the through hole when the moving plate is in the initial position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that can enhance the reliability of protecting the tab. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of the mating connector that is the mating partner of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view of the connector according to Embodiment 1, showing the lever held in the mating start position relative to the male housing. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the front portion of the housing body, including the receiving recess and the stopper, in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the moving plate in the connector according to Embodiment 1, viewed from the front. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the moving plate from the rear in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a rear view of the moving plate in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an enlarged front view showing the portion of the connector according to Embodiment 1 in which the tab of the male terminal fitting protrudes from the male cavity of the housing body. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1, with the moving plate initially positioned inside the hood. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1, where the connector and the mating connector are properly mated and the moving plate has reached the mating position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The connector disclosed herein is (1) The device comprises a housing body, a male terminal fitting housed in the housing body, a cylindrical hood portion protruding forward from the housing body, and a moving plate that can move backward from an initial position to a mating position inside the hood portion, wherein the moving plate has a plate-shaped plate body with its plate surface facing in the front-rear direction, a projection protruding from at least one of the plate surfaces of the plate body, and a through hole that penetrates from the plate body to the projection, and the male terminal fitting has a tab that extends in the front-rear direction and is inserted into the through hole, and is set so that when the moving plate is in the initial position the tip of the tab fits inside the through hole.

[0010] According to the configuration described in (1) above, the tip of the tab can remain inside the through-hole while the male terminal fitting is housed in the housing body, thereby increasing the reliability of the moving plate protecting the tab. In particular, because the moving plate has a protrusion, the length of the through-hole can be made longer than when only the plate body is used, so the tip of the tab can be reliably kept inside the through-hole at all times.

[0011] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, the plate body is preferably elongated in the left-right direction with respect to the vertical direction, the through holes are arranged in a row in the vertical and left-right directions when the plate body is viewed from the front and rear, and the protrusions are preferably provided in correspondence with each of the through holes, at least one of which is arranged in the left-right direction in the upper and lower middle part of the plate body.

[0012] According to the configuration in (2) above, the protrusion can make the upper and lower middle parts of the plate body thicker. For example, it can prevent the left and right middle parts of the plate body from warping and deforming, such as in high-temperature environments. In addition, it can provide a larger surface area for supporting the tip of the tab.

[0013] (3) In the connector described in (2) above, the projection may have a portion that extends continuously in the left-right direction so as to connect adjacent through holes.

[0014] According to the structure of (3) above, the protrusion can make the upper and lower middle part of the plate body thicker.

[0015] (4) In the connector according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the protrusion preferably includes a rear protrusion protruding from the rear surface of the plate body, and the front surface of the housing body has a receiving recess into which the rear protrusion is fitted at the fitting position.

[0016] According to the structure of (4) above, even if the tip of the tab retreats inside the through hole, it can stay on the rear protrusion. In particular, since the rear protrusion is fitted into the receiving recess at the fitting position, the distance between the front surface of the housing body and the mating female housing does not increase, so that the effective contact allowance of the male terminal fitting with respect to the female terminal fitting can be satisfied.

[0017] (5) In the connector according to (4) above, the housing body has a male cavity for accommodating the male terminal fitting and a stopper provided on the front surface side of the housing body. The male terminal fitting has a portion to be stopped facing the stopper from the rear in a state of being accommodated in the male cavity. The stopper is provided at a part in the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the male cavity on the front surface of the housing body, and it is preferable that the receiving recess is provided at the other part in the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the male cavity on the front surface of the housing body.

[0018] According to the structure of (5) above, the stopper can suppress the forward movement of the male terminal fitting accommodated in the male cavity. In particular, since the receiving recess and the stopper are formed separately in the circumferential direction at the opening edge of the male cavity, the rear protrusion can be fitted into the receiving recess without changing the accommodation position in the front-rear direction of the male terminal fitting from the existing one. Also, the receiving recess and the stopper can be formed on the front surface side of the housing body with good space efficiency.

[0019] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples 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 be included in the claims, with all modifications in the sense and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0020] <Embodiment 1> As shown in Figures 1 and 9, the connector 10 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure comprises a male housing 15, a plurality of male terminal fittings 16 housed in the male housing 15 (only one is shown in Figure 1), a moving plate 17 movably positioned in the male housing 15, and a lever 18 rotatably supported by the male housing 15. The connector 10 is matable with a mating connector 11. As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the mating connector 11 has a female housing 13 and a plurality of female terminal fittings 14 housed in the female housing 13. In the following description, the front-rear direction is defined as the direction in which the connector 10 and the mating connector 11 are mated with each other. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in each figure. The left-right direction is based on the left-right direction when viewed from the front. In Figure 1, arrows X, Y, and Z represent the front, right, and up directions, respectively. These directional references are for convenience only and do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like (not shown).

[0021] (Mother connector 11) The female housing 13 is made of synthetic resin. In this embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 2, the female housing 13 consists of a female frame 19 and a female inner housing 21 housed in the female frame 19. The female frame 19 is a rectangular case shape that is elongated in the left-right direction relative to the vertical direction. A pair of upper and lower female locking parts 22 are formed protruding from the inner surfaces of both the upper and lower sides of the female frame 19. A pair of left and right housing-side cam pins 23 are formed protruding from the upper and lower intermediate parts on the outer surfaces of both the left and right sides of the female frame 19. Each housing-side cam pin 23 is provided to protrude from the outer surfaces of both the left and right sides of the female frame 19 so as to extend in a rib-like manner in the front-rear direction. Each housing-side cam pin 23 can be inserted into the cam groove 57 of the lever 18, which will be described later, when combined with the plate-side cam pin 65, which will be described later. A pair of left and right release parts 24 are formed protruding from the upper ends of the outer surfaces of both the left and right sides of the female frame 19. Each release unit 24 releases the locking between the initial locking unit 58 of the lever 18 (described later) and the male housing 15 during the mating process of the connector 10 and the mating connector 11.

[0022] The female inner housing 21 is rectangular in shape and has multiple female cavities 25 extending in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 10. The female terminal fittings 14 are inserted into the corresponding female cavities 25 from the rear of the female inner housing 21 and housed there.

[0023] The female terminal fitting 14 is made of conductive metal and, as shown in Figure 10, has an elongated cylindrical connecting portion 26 in the front-to-back direction and a female barrel portion 27 that is connected to the rear of the connecting portion 26. The connecting portion 26 is electrically connected to the male terminal fitting 16 by bringing an elastic contact piece 28 located inside into contact with the tab 44 of the male terminal fitting 16, which will be described later. The female barrel portion 27 is crimped to the end of the electric wire 30 to make an electrical and mechanical connection.

[0024] As shown in Figure 10, the female inner housing 21 has a front wall 29 that prevents the female terminal fitting 14 from being inserted. Multiple tab insertion holes 31 are formed in the front wall 29, penetrating in the front-to-back direction. The front surface of the front wall 29 of the female inner housing 21 is a female mating surface 32. The female mating surface 32 faces the front surface of the plate body 61 of the moving plate 17, which will be described later, so as to be able to contact it when the connector 10 and the mating connector 11 are mated. The tab insertion holes 31 of each female cavity 25 open in multiple stages in the vertical direction and in multiple rows in the horizontal direction on the female mating surface 32. The female mating surface 32 of the female inner housing 21 has an opening circumferential surface portion 33 at the opening edge of the tab insertion hole 31 of each female cavity 25. The opening circumferential surface portion 33 has a sloping shape that tapers forward, with the forward projection 69 (described later) located on the upper edge, lower edge, and both left and right side edges (four sides and the entire circumference), which are the opening edges of the female cavity 25.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the female inner housing 21 has a plurality of female lock receiving portions 34 that can be engaged with each female lock portion 22. The female lock receiving portions 34 protrude from the left and right intermediate portions on the outer surfaces of both the upper and lower sides of the female inner housing 21. As shown in Figure 10, the female inner housing 21 is held inside the female frame 19 in place by engaging each female lock receiving portion 34 with each female lock portion 22.

[0026] (Male housing 15, male terminal fitting 16, and lever 18) The male housing 15 is made of synthetic resin. In this embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 3, the male housing 15 consists of a male frame 35 and a housing body 36 which serves as a male inner housing housed in the male frame 35. As shown in Figure 1, the male frame 35 is a rectangular case shape that is elongated in the left-right direction relative to the vertical direction, and is open in the front-rear direction. The male frame 35 has a frame body 37 and a hood portion 38 that protrudes forward from the frame body 37.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the frame body 37 has a pair of male locking parts 39 on both the upper and lower sides. Each male locking part 39 is projected from the inner surface of both the upper and lower sides of the male frame 35 at intervals in the left-right direction. Each male locking part 39 is elastically deformable in the vertical direction.

[0028] The housing body 36 is block-shaped and has multiple male cavities 42. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the housing body 36 has elastically deformable lances 84 that protrude from the upper surface of the inner wall of the male cavity 42 into the interior of the male cavity 42. The male terminal fittings 16 are inserted into the corresponding male cavities 42 from the rear of the housing body 36.

[0029] The male terminal fitting 16 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate. The male terminal fitting 16 has a cylindrical male terminal body 43, a tab 44 that protrudes forward from the male terminal body 43, and a male barrel portion 45 that is connected to the rear of the male terminal body 43. The male barrel portion 45 is crimped to the end of the electric wire 40 to make an electrical and mechanical connection. As shown in Figures 8 and 10, a constricted portion 81 that narrows in diameter toward the tab 44 is formed at the front end of the male terminal body 43.

[0030] As shown in Figure 8, the upper wall of the male terminal body 43 has a double-wall structure in the vertical direction (see Figures 9 and 10 for the upper wall portion including the locking projection 82, which will be described later, and the lower wall portion below it). The male terminal body 43 has a locking projection 82 that bulges upward in the middle of the left and right sides of the upper wall portion of the double-wall structure of the upper wall, and a pair of receiving portions 83 at both the left and right ends of the upper wall portion. Each receiving portion 83 is positioned on the plate thickness surface of the upper wall portion and faces forward. Each receiving portion 83 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the locking projection 82 and in front of the locking projection 82.

[0031] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the male terminal fitting 16 is housed in the male cavity 42, and the locking projection 82 is engaged with the lance 84, thereby temporarily preventing the male terminal fitting 16 from coming out of the housing body 36 to the rear. In addition, the male terminal body 43 is engaged with the retainer 85 attached to the housing body 36, thereby secondarily preventing the male terminal fitting 16 from coming out. Furthermore, each retaining portion 83 abuts against the retaining portion 89 of the housing body 36 (described later) from the rear, thereby preventing the male terminal fitting 16 from coming out of the housing body 36 to the front.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3, 9, and 10, the front surface (forward-facing surface) of the housing body 36 is configured as a male mating surface 46. The male mating surface 46 of the housing body 36 corresponds to the rear surface of the hood portion 38 and is positioned facing forward. As shown in Figure 10, the male mating surface 46 of the housing body 36 can come into contact with the rear surface of the plate body 61 of the moving plate 17 when the connector 10 and the mating connector 11 are properly mated. As shown in Figure 3, each male cavity 42 has openings on the male mating surface 46 in multiple rows in the vertical direction and multiple rows in the horizontal direction.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the housing body 36 has a mold-cut hole 86 at the upper front end of the male cavity 42, resulting from the withdrawal of a mold (not shown) that forms the locking surface of the lance 84 (the surface that faces and can be locked onto the locking projection 82 of the male terminal fitting 16). The mold-cut hole 86 opens in a semicircular shape into the male mating surface 46 of the housing body 36. The locking surface of the lance 84 is open and visible forward through the mold-cut hole 86. The housing body 36 also has a flex space 87 above the mold-cut hole 86 that allows for the elastic deformation of the lance 84. The flex space 87 opens in a semicircular shape into the male mating surface 46 of the housing body 36.

[0034] The lance 84 has a lance tip 88 that extends in the front-rear direction between the die-cut hole 86 and the deflection space 87. The lance tip 88 has a semi-circular shape when viewed from the front and is connected in a gate-like manner. The front surface of the lance tip 88 constitutes part of the male mating surface 46 of the housing body 36. The housing body 36 has a pair of stopper portions 89 that extend short in the left-right direction between the upper ends of both the left and right sides of the male cavity 42 and the front end of the lance tip 88. Each stopper portion 89 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the lance 84 and in front of the locking surface of the lance 84. The front surface of each stopper portion 89 is connected to the front surface of the lance tip 88 without any step difference and constitutes part of the male mating surface 46 of the housing body 36. The rear surfaces of each stopper portion 89 are arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions (not shown in the figure) and are capable of contacting the corresponding stopper portion 83 of the male terminal fitting 16.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, receiving recesses 91 are provided on the front surface of the housing body 36 in the portion of the opening edge of each male cavity 42, excluding the upper end. As shown in Figure 3, the receiving recesses 91 extend continuously in the left-right direction, traversing each male cavity 42 arranged in the left-right direction, and are open to the left and right outer sides of the housing body 36. The receiving recesses 91 are arranged in multiple stages (three upper and three lower stages) to correspond to each of the three lower male cavities 42, including the upper and lower intermediate sections, among the male cavities 42 arranged in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 4, the upper end of the receiving recess 91 is demarcated by each stopper portion 89 at a position corresponding to the male cavity 42. As shown in Figure 3, the lower end of the receiving recess 91 is located below each male cavity 42, opens to the lower surface of the divided housing that constitutes the housing body 36, and is demarcated by the adjacent lower divided housing or frame body 37. As shown in Figure 10, the rear projection 92 of the moving plate 17, which will be described later, can be fitted into the receiving recess 91.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the housing body 36 has a plurality of male locking receivers 48 that can be engaged with each male locking portion 39. Each male locking receiver 48 is projected at intervals in the left-right direction from the left-right intermediate portion of the outer surfaces of both the upper and lower sides of the housing body 36 (only those formed on the upper outer surface are shown in Figure 1). As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the housing body 36 is held inside the male frame 35 by engaging each male locking receiver 48 with each male locking portion 39.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the male frame 35 has a pair of left and right notched recesses 49 in the upper and lower intermediate parts of the left and right side walls of the hood portion 38. Each notched recess 49 extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the front of the hood portion 38. The left and right protruding portions of the peripheral wall portion 62 of the moving plate 17, which will be described later, are fitted into each notched recess 49. The male frame 35 has a pair of left and right locking recesses 51 located above each notched recess 49 on the left and right side walls of the hood portion 38. Each locking recess 51 is slit-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the front of the hood portion 38. As shown in Figure 3, when the lever 18 is in the engagement start position, each initial locking portion 58 of the lever 18 is locked to the inner surface of each locking recess 51.

[0038] The male frame 35 has a pair of support shafts 52 that protrude outward to the left and right from the rear ends of the left and right side walls of the hood portion 38. Each support shaft 52 rotatably supports the lever 18. The male frame 35 has a lever lock portion 53 on the upper wall of the frame body 37. The lever lock portion 53 is provided protruding from the left and right intermediate portions at the rear end of the upper wall of the frame body 37. As shown in Figure 10, the lever 18 can be locked into the lever lock portion 53 in the fitting completion position, which will be described later.

[0039] The lever 18 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, has an overall gate-like shape. Specifically, the lever 18 has a pair of left and right cam plate portions 54 and an operating portion 55 that extends in the left-right direction and is connected to each cam plate portion 54. The lever 18 has a lock arm 59 in the middle of the left and right operating portion 55. The lever 18 is mounted so as to straddle the male frame 35 from above. Each cam plate portion 54 has an axial hole 56 into which each support shaft 52 is fitted. Cam grooves 57 are recessed in the inner surface (opposite surfaces) of each cam plate portion 54. In addition, an elastically deformable initial lock portion 58 is formed in each cam plate portion 54.

[0040] With each support shaft 52 fitted into each shaft hole 56, the lever 18 is rotatable around each support shaft 52 between a fitting start position (see Figures 3 and 9) and a fitting completion position (see Figure 10) relative to the male frame 35. As shown in Figure 3, each initial locking part 58 engages with the inner surface of each locking recess 51 of the male frame 35, thereby holding the lever 18 in the fitting start position relative to the male housing 15.

[0041] (Moving plate 17) The moving plate 17 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in Figures 5-7, has a flat plate body 61 with its surface facing in the front-rear direction, and a rectangular tubular peripheral wall portion 62 that protrudes forward from the plate body 61. As shown in Figure 9, when the moving plate 17 is positioned inside the hood portion 38, the plate body 61 is positioned in front of the male fitting surface 46 of the housing body 36, and the peripheral wall portion 62 faces the inner circumferential surface of the hood portion 38 so as to be able to contact it.

[0042] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the peripheral wall portion 62 has a pair of left and right entry recesses 63 in the upper and lower intermediate portions of both the left and right side walls. Each entry recess 63 extends in the front-rear direction and is open to the front of the peripheral wall portion 62. During the mating process of the connector 10 and the mating connector 11, each housing-side cam pin 23 of the female housing 13 is inserted into each entry recess 63. The peripheral wall portion 62 has a pair of left and right through recesses 64 at the upper ends of both the left and right side walls. Each through recess 64 is slit-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction and is open to the front of the peripheral wall portion 62. Each through recess 64 communicates with each locking recess 51 of the male frame 35 (see Figure 3) and is positioned to receive each release portion 24 of the female housing 13.

[0043] Furthermore, the peripheral wall portion 62 has a pair of left and right plate-side cam pins 65 behind each introduction recess 63 on the outer surface of the upper and lower intermediate portions of both left and right side walls. Each plate-side cam pin 65 has a circular gate shape when viewed from the side. Each plate-side cam pin 65 has a receiving hole 66 formed through it in the front-to-back direction. The receiving hole 66 of each plate-side cam pin 65 is arranged to communicate with the introduction recess 63. Each housing-side cam pin 23 of the female housing 13 is fitted into each receiving hole 66 through each introduction recess 63 and becomes combined with each plate-side cam pin 65.

[0044] As shown in Figures 5-7, the plate body 61 has a rectangular shape that is elongated in the left-right direction relative to the vertical direction when viewed from the front or rear. Multiple through holes 68 are formed in the plate body 61, penetrating in the front-back direction (plate thickness direction). Tabs 44 of the male terminal fittings 16 are inserted into each through hole 68 from the rear. Each through hole 68 has a rectangular opening shape in cross-section corresponding to the tab 44. Each through hole 68 is arranged in multiple rows in the vertical direction and multiple columns in the left-right direction within the plate body 61. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, each through hole 68 has a straight hole portion 79 that extends linearly from each front projection 69 (described later) to the plate body 61.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, a fitting recess 77 is recessed in the middle part (excluding the outer periphery) of the front surface of the plate body 61. As shown in Figure 10, the front end of the female inner housing 21, including the female fitting surface 32, is fitted into the fitting recess 77 of the plate body 61. In this embodiment 1, the moving plate 17 has multiple protrusions 69, 92 protruding from the front surface (the back surface of the fitting recess 77) and the rear surface of the plate body 61. Each protrusion 69, 92 consists of multiple front protrusions 69 that protrude from the front surface of the plate body 61 and multiple rear protrusions 92 that protrude from the rear surface of the plate body 61.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, each front projection 69 is formed for each corresponding through hole 68. That is, adjacent front projections 69 are spaced apart from each other. Each front projection 69 is provided corresponding to all the through holes 68 (including each through hole 68 arranged in the left-right direction in the upper and lower intermediate section). Each front projection 69 has a straight hole 79 formed through it. Each front projection 69 surrounds each straight hole 79 around its entire circumference. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, each front projection 69 has a beveled surface 75 that tapers towards the front. As shown in Figure 10, the angle of inclination of the beveled surface 75 with respect to the front-rear direction is the same as or approximately the angle of inclination of the opening circumferential surface 33 with respect to the front-rear direction. When the connector 10 and the mating connector 11 are mated, the beveled surface 75 of each front projection 69 can face each other in surface contact along the opening circumferential surface 33 of the female housing 13.

[0047] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the moving plate 17 has an expanding inclined surface 76 that tapers toward the rear at the rear end opening edge of each through hole 68 connected to each straight hole 79. Each expanding inclined surface 76 is formed on the rear side of the plate body 61, extending around the entire circumference of the upper edge, lower edge, and left and right side edges (the four sides that constitute the rear end opening edge) of each through hole 68.

[0048] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, each rear projection 92 is arranged in multiple stages (three upper and three lower stages) on the rear surface of the plate body 61, corresponding to the three lower through holes 68, including the upper and lower intermediate sections. Each rear projection 92 is rib-shaped, extending continuously in the left-right direction so as to traverse the through holes 68 that are aligned in the left-right direction. Each rear projection 92 has a U-shaped concave portion 93 in rear view that demarcates the portion of the rear end opening edge of each through hole 68, excluding the upper end. Multiple concave portions 93 are formed in the left-right direction on each stage of the rear projection 92, corresponding to the through holes 68 that are aligned in the left-right direction. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the rear end of the expanding slope portion 76 constitutes the inner circumferential surface of the concave portion 93 and expands in a tapered shape toward the rear surface of the rear projection 92. As shown in Figure 10, when connector 10 and mating connector 11 are properly mated, the constricted portion 81 of the male terminal fitting 16 is positioned inside the concave portion 93 and is positioned to face the expanded inclined portion 76.

[0049] (Function of connector 10) Prior to mating the connector 10 and the mating connector 11, the lever 18 is held in the mating start position relative to the male housing 15. The lever 18 is prevented from rotating to the mating completion position by the locking action of each initial locking part 58 against the inner surface of each locking recess 51. As shown in Figure 9, as shown in Figures 3 and 9, in the mating start position, the operating part 55 is located on the front end side of the connector 10, and the entrance to the cam groove 57 faces forward. The moving plate 17 is positioned in its initial position relative to the male housing 15. As shown in Figure 9, the plate-side cam pin 65 enters the entrance to the cam groove 57.

[0050] When the moving plate 17 is in its initial position, the front end of the tab 44 of each male terminal fitting 16 is guided into each expanding inclined surface 76 and inserted into each through hole 68. As shown in Figure 9, the front end of the tab 44 is inserted into the through hole 68 and is positioned to penetrate in the front-rear direction over the rear projection 92, the plate body 61, and the front projection 69. The most prominent end face portion of the front end of the tab 44 (hereinafter referred to as "tip 44A") is inserted into the straight hole 79 behind the front end of the front projection 69 and does not protrude forward of the front projection 69.

[0051] When the moving plate 17 is in its initial position, the tip 44A of the tab 44 may shift from its initial position inside the through hole 68 due to the assembly tolerance of the moving plate 17 to the male housing 15 or the assembly tolerance of the male terminal fitting 16 to the male housing 15, or due to a rearward pulling force acting on the male terminal fitting 16. In contrast, in this embodiment 1, when the moving plate 17 is in its initial position, the tip 44A of the tab 44 is set to always fit into the through hole 68, even taking tolerances into account. For example, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 9, even if the tip 44A of the tab 44 is located behind the plate body 61, the tip 44A of the tab 44 will fit inside the concave portion 93 of the rear projection 92. This prevents the tip 44A of the tab 44 from coming out of the through hole 68 to the rear.

[0052] From the above state, the mating connector 11 is inserted into the hood portion 38. When the female mating surface 32 of the female housing 13 reaches a position where it contacts the front surface of the plate body 61, each front projection 69 is fitted into each opening peripheral surface portion 33 of the female housing 13. At this time, the inclined portion 75 of each front projection 69 is positioned along each opening peripheral surface portion 33 of the female housing 13. The female mating surface 32 of the female housing 13 faces the front surface of the plate body 61 so as to be able to make surface contact. The straight hole portion 79 and the tab insertion hole 31 are arranged to coincide coaxially in the front-rear direction so that the height positions between their inner surfaces are aligned without any step difference (see Figure 10). The front end of the tab 44 enters the tab insertion hole 31 of the female housing 13.

[0053] When the mating connector 11 is inserted into the hood portion 38, the housing-side cam pin 23 and the plate-side cam pin 65 of the moving plate 17 combine and are inserted into the entrance of the cam groove 57. Also, each release portion 24 of the female housing 13 is inserted into each through recess 64 of the moving plate 17 and each locking recess 51 of the hood portion 38. Each initial lock portion 58 comes into contact with the release portion 24 and is elastically deformed, releasing its lock from each locking recess 51. As a result, the lever 18 becomes rotatable toward the mating completion position.

[0054] As the lever 18 is rotated toward the mating completion position, the housing-side cam pin 23 and the plate-side cam pin 65, which are in the mated state, move along the groove surface of the cam groove 57. The mating connector 11 and the connector 10 are mated with low mating force by the cam action of the lever 18. As the lever 18 rotates, the mating connector 11 and the moving plate 17 move toward the male mating surface 46. During this time, the tab 44 is positioned inside the female cavity 25 through the tab insertion hole 31 from the through hole 68 and is inserted into the connection portion 26 of the female terminal fitting 14 housed in the female cavity 25.

[0055] When the lever 18 reaches the mating completion position, the moving plate 17 also reaches the mating position, and the connector 10 and the mating connector 11 are properly mated. In the mating completion position, as shown in Figure 10, the operating part 55 is located at the rear end of the connector 10, and the plate-side cam pin 65, together with the housing-side cam pin 23, reaches the far end of the cam groove 57. At this time, the lock arm 59 is locked to the lever lock part 53, thereby holding the lever 18 in the mating completion position relative to the male housing 15.

[0056] As shown in Figure 10, when the moving plate 17 is in the mating position, the plate body 61 is sandwiched in the front-rear direction between the male mating surface 46 of the male housing 15 and the female mating surface 32 of the female housing 13. The front surface of the plate body 61 is in face-to-face contact with the female mating surface 32, and the front surface of the plate body 61 is in face-to-face contact with the male mating surface 46. The tab 44 is inserted into the connector 26 at the correct depth, and the female terminal fitting 14 and the male terminal fitting 16 are electrically connected in the correct state. The front part of the tab 44 is in contact with the elastic contact piece 28 of the connector 26. The rear part of the tab 44 is positioned along the front-rear direction in the range from the straight hole portion 79 of the through hole 68 to the tab insertion hole 31. The constricted portion 81 of the male terminal body 43 is positioned along the expanding inclined surface portion 76 inside the concave portion 93. Furthermore, when the moving plate 17 is in the mating position, each rear projection 92 is fitted from the front into the corresponding receiving recess 91.

[0057] As described above, the connector 10 according to this embodiment 1 comprises a housing body 36, a male terminal fitting 16 housed in the housing body 36, a cylindrical hood portion 38 protruding forward from the housing body 36, and a moving plate 17 that can move backward from an initial position to a mating position inside the hood portion 38. The moving plate 17 has a plate-shaped plate body 61 with its plate surface facing in the front-rear direction, protrusions 69 and 92 protruding from the plate surface of the plate body 61, and a through hole 68 that penetrates through the plate body 61 and the protrusions 69 and 92. The male terminal fitting 16 has a tab 44 that extends in the front-rear direction and is inserted into the through hole 68. When the moving plate 17 is in the initial position, the tip 44A of the tab 44 is always set to be inside the through hole 68.

[0058] With the above configuration, the tip 44A of the tab 44 can remain inside the through hole 68 while the male terminal fitting 16 is housed in the housing body 36, thereby increasing the reliability of the moving plate 17 protecting the tab 44. In particular, because the moving plate 17 has protrusions 69 and 92, the front-to-back length of the through hole 68 can be made longer than in the case of the plate body 61 alone, so the tip 44A of the tab 44 can be reliably kept inside the through hole 68 at all times.

[0059] In this embodiment 1, the plate body 61 has a shape that is elongated in the left-right direction relative to the vertical direction. Multiple through holes 68 are arranged in a row vertically and horizontally when viewing the plate body 61 from the front and rear. The protrusions 69 and 92 are provided in correspondence with each of the through holes 68 which are arranged horizontally in the upper and lower middle part of the plate body 61. Therefore, the protrusions 69 and 92 can make the upper and lower middle part of the plate body 61 thicker, and can prevent the left and right middle part of the plate body 61 from warping and deforming, for example, under high-temperature environments.

[0060] In this embodiment 1, the rear projection 92 extends continuously in the left-right direction on the rear surface of the plate body 61, connecting adjacent through holes 68 in the left-right direction. This allows the upper and lower intermediate portions of the plate body 61 to be more firmly reinforced by the rear projection 92. In particular, when the moving plate 17 is in the fitted position, the rear projection 92 fits into the receiving recess 91 that opens into the male fitting surface 46 of the housing body 36. As a result, the distance between the male fitting surface 46 of the male housing 15 and the female fitting surface 32 of the female housing 13 can be kept to the thickness of the plate body 61, and the effective contact area of ​​the male terminal fitting 16 with respect to the female terminal fitting 14 can be satisfied.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment 1, the housing body 36 has a male cavity 42 that houses the male terminal fitting 16, and a stopper portion 89 provided on the male mating surface 46 side (front side) of the housing body 36. The male terminal fitting 16 has a stoppered portion 83 that faces the stopper portion 89 from the rear when housed in the male cavity 42. The stopper portion 89 is provided on a part of the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the male cavity 42 on the male mating surface 46 side of the housing body 36 (in this embodiment 1, the upper end of the male cavity 42). The receiving recess 91 is provided on the other part of the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the male cavity 42 on the male mating surface 46 side of the housing body 36 (in this embodiment 1, the part excluding the upper end of the male cavity 42).

[0062] With the above configuration, the stopper portion 89 can suppress the forward movement of the male terminal fitting 16 housed in the male cavity 42. In particular, since the receiving recess 91 and the stopper portion 89 are formed circumferentially at the opening edge of the male cavity 42, the rear projection 92 can be fitted into the receiving recess 91 without changing the housing position of the male terminal fitting 16 in the front-rear direction from the existing position. In addition, the receiving recess 91 and the stopper portion 89 can be formed on the front side of the housing body 36 in a space-efficient manner.

[0063] [Other embodiments of this disclosure] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In the first embodiment described above, the female housing 13 was configured to be separable into a female frame 19 and a female inner housing 21. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the female housing may be an inseparable, integrated housing structure. In the first embodiment described above, the male housing 15 was configured to be separable into a male frame 35 and a housing body 36. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the male housing may be an inseparable, integrated housing structure, comprising a housing body having a female cavity and a hood portion protruding from the housing body. In the first embodiment described above, the projection consisted of a front projection 69 and a rear projection 92. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the projection may consist of either a front projection or a rear projection. In the first embodiment described above, the multiple rear projections 92 were provided on the rear surface of the plate body 61, corresponding to some of the through holes 68. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the multiple rear projections may be provided on the rear surface of the plate body, corresponding to all of the through holes. In the first embodiment described above, the multiple rear projections 92 were shaped to extend continuously in the left-right direction on the rear surface of the plate body 61, so as to encompass all the through holes 68 that were arranged in the left-right direction. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the multiple rear projections may be provided to correspond individually to each through hole, similar to the front projections. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 10… Connectors 11…Mutual connector 13…Female Housing 14…Female terminal fittings 15…Male Housing 16...Male terminal fittings 17…Moving Plate 18... Lever 19…Female frame 21…Female Inner Housing 22...Female lock section 23…Housing side cam pin 24...Release section 25…Female Cavity 26...Connection part 27...Female barrel section 28…Elastic contact piece 29...Front wall 30…(wire connected to female terminal fitting) 31... Tab insertion hole 32…Female mating surface 33...Opening peripheral surface part 34...Female lock receiving part 35... Male frame 36… Housing body 37... Frame body 38…Food Department 39... Male Rock Club 40…(wire connected to male terminal fitting) 42... Male Cavity 43...Male terminal body 44... Tabs 44A...Tip of the tab 45... Male barrel section 46…Male mating surface 48... Male lock receiver 49... Notched recess 51… Locking recess 52...Spindle 53... Lever lock section 54... Cam plate section 55...Operation unit 56... Shaft hole 57... Cam groove 58...Initial lock section 59... Lock Arm 61...Plate body 62...Peripheral wall part 63…Inlet recess 64... Through recess 65...Campin on the plate side 66…receptor pores 68…Through hole 69...Front protrusion (protrusion) 75... Sloping section 76... Widened slope section 77…Matching recess 78…Tip surface part 79...Straight hole 81... Aperture section 82...Latching protrusion 83... Part to be stopped 84... Lance 85... Retainer 86…Mold hole 87...Flexible space 88...Lance tip 89... Stopping part 91... Receiving recess 92... Rear protrusion (protrusion) 93...Concave part

Claims

1. The device comprises a housing body, a male terminal fitting housed within the housing body, a cylindrical hood portion protruding forward from the housing body, and a moving plate that can move backward from an initial position to a mating position within the hood portion. The moving plate comprises a plate-shaped plate body with its surface facing in the front-rear direction, a projection protruding from at least one side of the plate surface of the plate body, and a through hole penetrating through the plate body and the projection. The male terminal fitting has a tab that extends in the front-rear direction and is inserted into the through hole, A connector in which, when the moving plate is in the initial position, the tip of the tab is set to fit inside the through hole.

2. The plate body has a shape that is elongated in the left-right direction relative to the vertical direction. The aforementioned through holes are arranged in a row in the vertical and horizontal directions when the plate body is viewed from the front and rear, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the projection is provided in correspondence with each of the multiple through holes, at least one of which is arranged in the left-right direction in the upper and lower middle portion of the plate body.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the projection has a portion that extends continuously in the left-right direction so as to connect adjacent through holes.

4. The aforementioned projection includes a rear projection that protrudes from the rear surface of the plate body. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the front surface of the housing body has a receiving recess into which the rear projection is fitted at the mating position.

5. The housing body has a male cavity for housing the male terminal fitting and a stopper provided on the front side of the housing body, The male terminal fitting has a portion to be abutted that faces the abutting portion from the rear when housed in the male cavity, The aforementioned stopper portion is provided on a part of the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the male cavity on the front surface of the housing body, The connector according to claim 4, wherein the receiving recess is provided on the other circumferential portion of the opening edge of the male cavity on the front surface of the housing body.

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