Connector mating structure

Abstract

This provides a connector mating structure that is advantageous for simplifying the shape of short terminals. [Solution] In the connector mating structure 1, each elastic piece 41 of the short terminal 40 has a convex piece 44 with a contact portion 47 that contacts the female terminal 10 at its apex, and a engaging portion 48 provided on the sides of the convex piece 44 where each elastic piece 41 faces each other, and which includes at least a surface whose normal direction is aligned with the protruding direction of the contact portion 47. The short-circuit release projection 60 on the male housing 50 has a pair of short-circuit release portions 62 including an engaging portion sliding surface 62a as an inclined surface that slides each engaging portion 48 so as the mating of the female connector 2 to the male connector 3 progresses, gradually separating the contact portion 47 from the female terminal 10, and a pair of insulating plate portions 63 including a contact portion sliding surface 63c that enters between the female terminal 10 and the contact portion 47 when mating, and contacts and slides each contact portion 47 that has separated from the female terminal 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector fitting structure.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a connector provided with a short circuit terminal for short-circuiting between a pair of connection terminals. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a connector that suppresses an increase in contact resistance between a short circuit terminal and a connection terminal due to an oxide film.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the shape of the short circuit terminal is complicated, there is difficulty in processing during manufacturing, and there is room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. And an object of the present invention is to provide a connector fitting structure that is advantageous for simplifying the shape of the short circuit terminal.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An aspect of the present invention is a connector mating structure for mating a female connector and a male connector, wherein the female connector comprises a female housing for mounting at least a pair of female terminals and a shorting terminal installed in the female housing for shorting the pair of female terminals, the male connector comprises a male housing for mounting a male terminal connected to the female terminals, the shorting terminal has a pair of adjacent elastic pieces in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction with the downstream side of the mating direction of the female connector relative to the male connector as the free end, and each elastic piece has a convex piece with a contact portion at its apex that contacts a different female terminal, and each of the convex pieces The elastic pieces are provided on the sides of the connectors facing each other and include engaging portions that have a normal direction aligned with the protruding direction of the contact portion. The male housing has insulating short-circuit release projections that partially enter between the pair of elastic pieces when the female connector and the male connector are mated. The short-circuit release projections include a pair of engaging portion sliding surfaces, which are inclined surfaces that slide at each engaging portion so as the mating of the female connector to the male connector progresses, gradually separating the contact portion from the female terminal. The electrical components include a pair of insulating plate portions that enter between the female terminal and the contact portion when mated and slide at each contact portion that has separated from the female terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a connector mating structure that is advantageous for simplifying the shape of the short terminal can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of a connector mating structure according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the short terminal. [Figure 3] This is a side view of a shorting terminal, showing the fixed ends of a pair of elastic pieces. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the short terminal corresponding to the IV-IV section in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a side view of a shorting terminal, showing the free ends of a pair of elastic pieces. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the male housing, with a portion shown in cross-section. [Figure 7] This is an enlarged perspective view of the short-circuit release projection corresponding to section VII in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the connector mating structure before a short circuit. [Figure 9] This is a magnified view of a portion of the area around the short terminal corresponding to section IX in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of the connector mating structure when a short circuit is released. [Figure 11] This is a magnified view of a portion of the area around the short terminal corresponding to section XI in Figure 10. [Figure 12] This is an enlarged view of the main parts of the connector fitting structure, showing the spacing of the openings in the through-holes of the plate section. [Figure 13] This is a close-up view of the key part of the female connector that was struck by a foreign object on the front mask. [Figure 14] This is a magnified view of a key part of a connector mating structure where foreign matter is attached to the sliding surface of the contact point. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail a connector mating structure according to one embodiment, using the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0010] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector mating structure 1 according to one embodiment. The connector mating structure 1 comprises a female connector 2 and a male connector 3 that are mated to each other.

[0011] In the following figures, the Z direction corresponds to the direction in which the female connector 2 is mated with the male connector 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "mating direction"). The X and Y directions are defined as two directions that are perpendicular to the mating direction and are also perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the X direction corresponds to the width direction of the female connector 2 and the male connector 3. The Y direction corresponds to the height direction or thickness direction of the female connector 2 and the male connector 3.

[0012] The female connector 2 includes a female housing 20, a front mask 30, and a short circuit terminal 40.

[0013] The female housing 20 is adapted to mount at least a pair of female terminals 10 which are respectively connected to terminals of electric wires (not shown). In the present embodiment, since one short circuit terminal 40 has a function of short - circuiting the pair of female terminals 10, in FIG. 1, as an example, a pair of female terminals 10 and one short circuit terminal 40 for short - circuiting between these female terminals 10 are shown.

[0014] The female housing 20 is made of synthetic resin and is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having four side surfaces including a rear surface 20a, a front surface 20b, a first side surface 20c, and a second side surface 20d. A plurality of accommodating portions 21 for accommodating one female terminal 10 each are formed in the female housing 20. The rear surface 20a is provided with one opening of each accommodating portion 21 and is the surface on the side for accommodating the female terminal 10 in the accommodating portion 21. The front surface 20b is on the opposite side of the rear surface 20a in the Z - direction, is provided with the other opening of each accommodating portion 21, and is the surface on the side for inserting a part of the male terminal connected to the female terminal 10. The first side surface 20c is the surface provided with a locking projection 22 that locks to one of a pair of locking hole portions 32 of the front mask 30. The second side surface 20d is on the opposite side of the first side surface 20c in the X - direction and is the surface provided with a locking projection (not shown) that locks to the other of a pair of locking hole portions 32 of the front mask 30.

[0015] Each accommodating portion 21 accommodates the female terminal 10 such that the tip of the female terminal 10 is located in the vicinity of the front surface 20b. The female terminal 10 accommodated in the accommodating portion 21 is prevented from coming off by a lance 21a provided for each accommodating portion 21 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Further, the female housing 20 has a short - circuit terminal accommodating portion 23 for accommodating the short - circuit terminal 40 such that the short - circuit terminal 40 is close to at least a pair of female terminals 10 accommodated in the accommodating portion 21 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). A part of the short - circuit terminal accommodating portion 23 is open at the front surface 20b. That is, the short - circuit terminal 40 is accommodated in the short - circuit terminal accommodating portion 23 from the side of the front surface 20b.

[0016] The front mask 30 is attached to the female housing 20 so as to cover the front surface 20b of the female housing 20. The front mask 30 is made of synthetic resin and has a front wall 30a and at least a pair of side walls including a first side wall 30b and a second side wall 30c. The front wall 30a is a wall portion located at the foremost surface of the female connector 2 and has a plurality of through holes 31 for passing the male terminals of the male connector 3 toward the female terminals 10 accommodated in the accommodation portion 21 of the female housing 20. The first side wall 30b has one locking hole portion 32 that locks to one locking projection 22 of the female housing 20. The second side wall 30c is on the opposite side of the first side wall 30b in the X direction and has the other locking hole portion 32 that locks to the other locking projection of the female housing 20.

[0017] As described above, the female housing 20 has a structure in which the short - circuit terminal 40 is accommodated in the short - circuit terminal accommodation portion 23 from the side of the front surface 20b. Therefore, after the short - circuit terminal 40 is accommodated in the short - circuit terminal accommodation portion 23, when the front mask 30 is attached to the female housing 20, the short - circuit terminal 40 is installed in the female connector 2 so as to be covered by the front wall 30a.

[0018] Further, the front wall 30a has a protruding through - hole portion 33a that penetrates at least a part of the short - circuit release projection 60 provided on the male housing 50 of the male connector 3 when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated to reach the short - circuit terminal 40 (see FIGS. 9 and 11). Details of the short - circuit release projection 60 and the protruding through - hole portion 33a will be described later.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the short - circuit terminal 40. FIG. 3 is a side view of the short - circuit terminal 40 showing the side of the fixed ends of the pair of elastic piece portions 41. FIG. 4 is a cross - sectional view of the short - circuit terminal 40 corresponding to the IV - IV cross - section in FIG. 3. The cutting plane in FIG. 4 is a virtual YZ plane passing through the intermediate position between one elastic piece portion 41 and the other elastic piece portion 41 in the direction in which the pair of elastic piece portions 41 are adjacent to each other. FIG. 5 is a side view of the short - circuit terminal 40 showing the side of the free ends of the pair of elastic piece portions 41.

[0020] The short terminal 40 is a terminal fitting that is held in place, for example, by press-fitting into the short terminal housing portion 23 of the female housing 20, and short-circuits a pair of adjacent female terminals 10. The short terminal 40 has a pair of elastic pieces 41, a base portion 42, and a support portion 46.

[0021] The pair of elastic pieces 41 each have their downstream end in the fitting direction as the free end, and are adjacent to each other in the X direction perpendicular to the fitting direction. Hereinafter, one of the pair of elastic pieces 41 will be referred to as the first elastic piece 41a, and the other as the second elastic piece 41b. Each elastic piece 41 is a strip-shaped portion having a tip piece 43, a convex piece 44, and a base piece 45 in a continuous manner.

[0022] The tip portion 43 is a flat plate portion located at the free end of the elastic portion 41. When the female connector 2 is mated to the male connector 3, the tip portion 43 faces the male connector 3 via the front wall 30a of the front mask 30.

[0023] The convex portion 44 is a part whose side shape, when viewed along the X direction, is convex in the direction opposite to the direction toward the base portion 42. One end of the convex portion 44 is continuous with the tip portion 43. The tip portion 43 protrudes from the convex portion 44 so as to be roughly aligned with the direction toward the base portion 42. The convex portion 44 also has a contact portion 47 at its apex that contacts the female terminal 10. The contact portion 47 on the convex portion 44 of the first elastic portion 41a contacts one of the female terminals 10, and the contact portion 47 on the convex portion 44 of the second elastic portion 41b contacts the other female terminal 10. The contact portion 47 may be plated with gold plating or tin plating, etc.

[0024] The base piece 45 is a flat plate portion located at the fixed end of the elastic piece 41. One end of the base piece 45 is continuous with the convex piece 44, and the other end is continuous with the support piece 46.

[0025] Furthermore, each elastic piece 41 has an engaging portion 48 that contacts the engaging sliding surface 62a provided on the short-circuit release projection 60 that enters toward the short terminal 40 when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated. The engaging portion 48 is provided on the side of each elastic piece 41 that faces each other for each convex piece 44. Specifically, the engaging portion 48 of the first elastic piece 41a is provided on the side of the convex piece 44 that faces the second elastic piece 41b. On the other hand, the engaging portion 48 of the second elastic piece 41b is provided on the side of the convex piece 44 that faces the first elastic piece 41a. In addition, the engaging portion 48 includes at least a surface whose normal direction is aligned with the protruding direction of the contact portion 47. Here, as shown in Figure 5, the distance in the X direction between the convex pieces 44 in the pair of elastic pieces 41 where the engaging portion 48 is formed is defined as the first distance W1. On the other hand, the distance in the X direction between the convex pieces 44 in the pair of elastic pieces 41 where the engaging portion 48 is not formed, such as in the area where the contact portion 47 exists, is defined as the second distance W2. In this case, the first distance W1 is narrower than the second distance W2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the engaging portion 48 is located on the tip side of the elastic piece 41, that is, closer to the tip piece 43 than the contact portion 47.

[0026] The base portion 42 is a flat plate portion that faces the pair of elastic pieces 41 in approximately the Y direction and is held in place by, for example, being press-fitted into the wall portion 23 of the short terminal housing portion 23 when the short terminal 40 is housed in the short terminal housing portion 23.

[0027] The support portion 46 is continuous with one end of the base portion 42 and the root portion 45 of each elastic piece portion 41, and supports a pair of elastic pieces 41 so that each elastic piece portion 41 can be individually elastically deformed with respect to the base portion 42. In Figure 4, as an example, the length L of the short terminal 40 before it is housed in the short terminal housing portion 23 is shown as the length from the outer surface of the support portion 46 along the fitting direction to the outer surface of the tip piece portion 43.

[0028] The male connector 3 includes a male housing 50 into which a male terminal (not shown) is attached, which is connected to the female terminal 10.

[0029] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the male housing 50, with a portion shown in cross-section.

[0030] The male housing 50 fits with the female housing 20 to accommodate at least a portion of the female housing 20 when the female connector 2 and male connector 3 are mated. The male housing 50 is made of synthetic resin and is a box-shaped body having a bottom plate 51 and a cylindrical portion 52 that is continuous with the edge of the bottom plate 51. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 51 is rectangular, and accordingly, the cylindrical portion 52 is composed of four side plates: a first side plate 52a, a second side plate 52b, a third side plate 52c, and a fourth side plate 52d. In the male housing 50, the side facing the bottom plate 51 is the opening into which the female housing 20 is inserted. When the female connector 2 and male connector 3 are mated, the front wall 30a of the front mask 30 of the female connector 2 is in close proximity to and facing the bottom surface 51b of the bottom plate 51. The bottom plate 51 also has a plurality of male terminal through holes 51a through which a portion of the male terminals pass from the outside to the inside.

[0031] Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the short-circuit release projection 60, corresponding to section VII in Figure 6.

[0032] The male housing 50 further has an insulating short-circuit release projection 60 that, when mated with the female connector 2 and the male connector 3, partially enters between the pair of elastic pieces 41 of the short terminal 40, thereby releasing the short circuit between the pair of female terminals 10. In this embodiment, the short-circuit release projection 60 is integrally molded with the box portion of the male housing 50. The short-circuit release projection 60 protrudes from the bottom surface 51b of the male housing 50 in the direction opposite to the mating direction. The short-circuit release projection 60 has a projection body portion 61, a pair of short-circuit release portions 62, and a pair of insulating plate portions 63.

[0033] The projection body portion 61 is a block portion such that its cross-section perpendicular to the fitting direction is rectangular, composed of sides along the X direction and sides along the Y direction. When the short-circuit release projection 60 enters between the pair of elastic pieces 41, the projection body portion 61 enters the spatial region between the engaging portion 48 of the first elastic piece 41a and the engaging portion 48 of the second elastic piece 41b, as defined by the first interval W1 shown in Figure 5. Therefore, the width dimension of the projection body portion 61 in the X direction is smaller than the first interval W1. The projection tip portion 61a of the projection body portion 61 may have a tapered surface to facilitate entry into the spatial region between the pair of engaging portions 48. In addition, the projection root portion 61b of the projection body portion 61 is continuous with the bottom surface 51b of the male housing 50, and there may be a portion that widens toward the bottom surface 51b, for example, in order to ensure the rigidity of the projection body portion 61.

[0034] Each of the pair of short-circuit release portions 62 is a flat plate-shaped portion with the X direction as its thickness direction. One short-circuit release portion 62 is provided on one surface of a pair of side surfaces 61c parallel to the YZ plane of the projection body portion 61, and the other short-circuit release portion 62 is provided on the other surface of the pair of side surfaces 61c. Each short-circuit release portion 62 has a sliding surface 62a for engaging portion and a short terminal holding surface 62b on a part of its side surface. The sliding surface 62a for engaging portion is an inclined surface that slides the engaging portion 48 so as the mating of the female connector 2 to the male connector 3 progresses, gradually separating the contact portion 47 from the female terminal 10. Each short-circuit release portion 62 enters the space region where there is no engaging portion 48 in each elastic piece portion 41, as defined by the second interval W2 shown in Figure 5. Therefore, the width dimension between the outer surfaces 62c of each short-circuit release portion 62 is smaller than the second interval W2. The short terminal holding surface 62b is the plane on which the engaging portion 48 rests when the mating of the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 is completed. If the Y direction is the vertical direction of the short-circuit release projection 60, one end of the short terminal holding surface 62b is continuous with the uppermost end of the engaging portion sliding surface 62a and is parallel to the XZ plane.

[0035] Each of the pair of insulating plate portions 63 is a flat plate-shaped portion with the Y direction as its thickness direction. One insulating plate portion 63 is provided such that at least a portion of it protrudes outward from the outer surface 62c of one of the short-circuit release portions 62, and the other insulating plate portion 63 is provided such that at least a portion of it protrudes outward from the outer surface 62c of the other short-circuit release portion 62. Each insulating plate portion 63 has a contact portion sliding surface 63c with the Y direction as its normal direction. The contact portion sliding surface 63c is a plane that enters between the female terminal 10 and the contact portion 47 when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated, and slides the contact portion 47 which is separated from the female terminal 10. Therefore, if the Y direction is the vertical direction of the short-circuit release projection 60 as described above, the contact portion sliding surface 63c is below the short terminal holding surface 62b. The leading edge 63a of the insulating plate portion 63 may have a tapered surface continuous with the contact portion sliding surface 63c in order to facilitate the contact portion 47 riding up onto the contact portion sliding surface 63c. Furthermore, the base portion 63b of the insulating plate portion 63 is continuous with the bottom surface 51b of the male housing 50, and there may be a portion that widens toward the bottom surface 51b, for example, in order to ensure the rigidity of the insulating plate portion 63.

[0036] Next, the states of the connector mating structure 1 when a pair of female terminals 10 are short-circuited and when the short circuit is released will be described.

[0037] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the connector mating structure 1 during a short circuit. The cross-section in Figure 8 is a virtual YZ plane passing through the first elastic piece 41a of the short terminal 40. Figure 9 is a partially enlarged view of the area around the short terminal 40, corresponding to section IX in Figure 8.

[0038] First, referring to Figure 9, the shape of the projection through-hole portion 33a, which is provided in the front wall 30a of the front mask 30 and through which the short-circuit release projection 60 passes from the outside to the inside of the front wall 30a, will be described. Here, as part of the front wall 30a, a short terminal protection wall 33 is defined that faces the short terminal housing portion 23 in the mating direction when the front mask 30 is mounted on the female housing 20. In other words, the projection through-hole portion 33a is a through-hole portion formed in the short terminal protection wall 33. The projection through-hole portion 33a is set to a shape that roughly follows the cross-sectional shape of the short-circuit release projection 60 which is perpendicular to the mating direction. Specifically, the projection through-hole portion 33a includes a pair of plate portion through-hole portions 33b, each passing through only one of the insulating plate portions 63 of the short terminal 40. In this case, a portion of the short terminal protection wall 33 has a wall portion that faces in the Y direction the contact portion sliding surface 63c of the insulating plate portion 63 that has entered the plate portion through hole portion 33b, and also faces in the X direction the short-circuit release portion 62 that has entered the portion of the projection through hole portion 33a other than the plate portion through hole portion 33b.

[0039] The connector mating structure 1 shown in Figures 8 and 9 is in the stage where mating between the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 has begun. At this stage, although each engaging sliding surface 62a of the short-circuit release projection 60 is in contact with the corresponding engaging portion 48, no elastic deformation occurs in the respective elastic piece portion 41. Also at this stage, each insulating plate portion 63 of the short-circuit release projection 60 has not reached the short terminal 40. At this time, the pair of contact portions 47 on the short terminal 40 remain in contact with the corresponding female terminal 10, and the adjacent pair of female terminals 10 are in a short-circuit state.

[0040] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the connector mating structure 1 when the short circuit is released, drawn to show the changes over time compared to the connector mating structure 1 when the short circuit is released, as shown in Figure 8. In Figure 10, the direction in which the female housing 20 moves toward the male housing 50 from the state shown in Figure 8 is indicated by a white arrow. Figure 11 is a magnified view of a part of the area around the short terminal 40, corresponding to section XI in Figure 10.

[0041] The connector mating structure 1 shown in Figures 10 and 11 is in the stage where the mating of the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 has progressed and the short circuit has been released. At this stage, as the short-circuit release projection 60 has advanced, each engaging portion 48 slides on one of the engaging portion sliding surfaces 62a in the short-circuit release portion 62, receiving a pressing force based on the elastic deformation of each elastic piece 41, and moves upward in accordance with the inclination of the engaging portion sliding surface 62a. Then, each elastic piece 41 that integrates one of the engaging portions 48 also undergoes elastic deformation to be displaced in the Y direction, so that each contact portion 47 separates from the corresponding female terminal 10, and the short circuit between the adjacent pair of female terminals 10 is released.

[0042] Furthermore, at this stage, each insulating plate portion 63 of the short-circuit release projection 60 enters between one of the female terminals 10 and the contact portion 47 spaced apart from that female terminal 10, thereby insulating the female terminal 10 from the contact portion 47. Then, each contact portion 47 slides along the mating direction on the contact portion sliding surface 63c of the insulating plate portion 63 while receiving a pressing force based on the elastic deformation of each elastic piece portion 41. In other words, the height position of the short terminal holding surface 62b of the short-circuit release portion 62 is predetermined to enable this sliding of the contact portion 47. In this case, when the mating between the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 is released, the contact portion 47 slides on the contact portion sliding surface 63c, and then the pair of female terminals 10 are short-circuited again. Therefore, for example, if the contact portion 47 is tin-plated, the oxide film is removed from the contact portion 47.

[0043] Next, we will explain the effects of the connector mating structure 1.

[0044] The connector mating structure 1 mates a female connector 2 with a male connector 3. The female connector 2 includes a female housing 20 into which at least one pair of female terminals 10 are mounted, and a shorting terminal 40 installed in the female housing 20 to short-circuit the pair of female terminals 10. The male connector 3 includes a male housing 50 into which male terminals connected to the female terminals 10 are mounted. The shorting terminal 40 has a pair of elastic pieces 41 adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction, with the downstream side in the mating direction of the female connector 2 with respect to the male connector 3 as the free end. Each elastic piece 41 has a convex piece 44 with a contact portion 47 at its apex that contacts a different female terminal 10. Furthermore, each elastic piece 41 has a engaging portion 48 provided on the side of the convex piece 44 on which each elastic piece 41 faces each other, and which includes at least a surface whose normal direction is aligned with the protruding direction of the contact portion 47. The male housing 50 has an insulating short-circuit release projection 60, a portion of which enters between a pair of elastic pieces 41 when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated. The short-circuit release projection 60 has a pair of short-circuit release portions 62, which include an engaging portion sliding surface 62a as an inclined surface that slides each engaging portion 48 so as the mating of the female connector 2 to the male connector 3 progresses, gradually separating the contact portion 47 from the female terminal 10. The short-circuit release projection 60 also has a pair of insulating plate portions 63, which include a contact portion sliding surface 63c that enters between the female terminal 10 and the contact portion 47 when mated, and contacts and slides each contact portion 47 that has separated from the female terminal 10.

[0045] Here, the mating direction of the female connector 2 to the male connector 3 corresponds to the Z direction in the above example. Also, the direction in which the pair of elastic pieces 41 are adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction corresponds to the X direction in the above example.

[0046] First, in the connector mating structure 1, when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are not mated, the shorting terminal 40 short-circuits the pair of female terminals 10 by bringing each contact portion 47 into contact with the corresponding female terminal 10. On the other hand, when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated, the shorting terminal 40 held in the female housing 20 comes into contact with the short-circuit release projection 60 provided on the male housing 50. At this time, the engaging portions 48 provided on each of the pair of elastic pieces 41 slide on one of the engaging portion sliding surfaces 62a on the short-circuit release projection 60 and move upward in accordance with the inclination of the engaging portion sliding surface 62a. As a result, each contact portion 47 moves away from the corresponding female terminal 10, thereby releasing the short circuit between adjacent pairs of female terminals 10.

[0047] Furthermore, in the connector mating structure 1, when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated, each insulating plate portion 63 of the short-circuit release projection 60 enters between one of the female terminals 10 and the contact portion 47 spaced apart from that female terminal 10, thereby insulating the female terminal 10 from the contact portion 47. At this time, each contact portion 47 slides on the contact portion sliding surface 63c of the insulating plate portion 63. In other words, when the mating between the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 is released, the contact portion 47 slides on the contact portion sliding surface 63c, and then the pair of female terminals 10 are short-circuited again. Therefore, for example, if the contact portion 47 is tin-plated, the oxide film can be removed from the contact portion 47, thereby suppressing an increase in contact resistance.

[0048] Furthermore, in the connector mating structure 1, the engaging portion 48 that contacts the short-circuit release projection 60 to release the short circuit at the short terminal 40 includes at least a surface whose normal direction is aligned with the protruding direction of the contact portion 47. In addition, the engaging portion 48 is provided on the sides of the convex piece portion 44 where each elastic piece portion 41 faces each other.

[0049] Here, as a comparative example, consider a case where, as a replacement for the engaging portion 48 for releasing the short circuit in the short terminal 40, an engaging portion that contacts a part of the short-circuit release projection 60 is provided separately from the convex portion 44 at the free end of each pair of elastic pieces 41. In this case, when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated, the virtual engaging portion receives a load that pushes up the contact portion 47 from a part of the short-circuit release projection 60, and also receives a load that pushes the short terminal in the opposite direction to the mating direction. Therefore, it is expected that the shape of the virtual engaging portion will be a complex shape suitable for receiving these loads. Furthermore, it is expected that the length L of the short terminal 40 shown in Figure 4 will become even longer if such engaging portions are provided at the free end of each pair of elastic pieces 41, and the tip of the short terminal 40 may become more prone to bending due to the pushing load.

[0050] In contrast, in the short terminal 40 according to this embodiment, the engaging portion 48 is considered to be part of the convex piece portion 44, and there is no need to form an engaging portion on the free end of each elastic piece portion 41 as in the comparative example above. Therefore, according to the connector mating structure 1, the elongation of the length L of the short terminal 40 can be suppressed, and even if the engaging portion 48 is subjected to a pressing load from the short-circuit release projection 60, it is difficult for the short terminal 40 to bend. Furthermore, in the short terminal 40, since a pair of engaging portions 48 are provided between a pair of elastic piece portions 41, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the short terminal 40 and to suppress the complexity of the shape of the short terminal 40.

[0051] As described above, this embodiment provides a connector mating structure 1 that is advantageous in simplifying the shape of the short terminal 40. Furthermore, by simplifying the shape of the short terminal 40, this connector mating structure 1 makes it easier to process the short terminal 40 during manufacturing, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, and also allows for miniaturization of the female housing 20 and, consequently, the female connector 2.

[0052] Furthermore, in the connector mating structure 1, the engaging portion 48 may be located on the tip side of the elastic piece portion 41 than the contact portion 47.

[0053] According to the connector mating structure 1, when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated, the short-circuit release projection 60 makes contact with the short terminal 40 at an earlier stage, thus shortening the protruding length of the short-circuit release projection 60 and making the short-circuit release projection 60 smaller. Such miniaturization of the short-circuit release projection 60 is advantageous, for example, in ensuring the rigidity of the short-circuit release projection 60.

[0054] Furthermore, in the connector mating structure 1, the female connector 2 may include a front mask 30 that is mounted on the female housing 20 so as to cover the front surface 20b where the female terminals 10 and short terminals 40 are exposed. The front mask 30 may have a front wall 30a having a projection through-hole 33a that allows at least a portion of the short-circuit release projection 60 to pass through and reach the short terminals 40 when mating. The projection through-hole 33a may also include a plate through-hole 33b that passes only through the insulating plate portion 63.

[0055] Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the main part of the connector mating structure 1 to explain the opening spacing H of the through-hole portion 33b of the plate portion and the gap G between the contact portion sliding surface 63c and the opening edge of the through-hole portion 33b when the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are mated. Note that the cross-section in Figure 12 is a virtual YZ plane passing through one of the pair of insulating plate portions 63 provided on the short-circuit release projection 60.

[0056] Here, the opening interval H is specifically the opening interval in the Y direction at the through-hole portion 33b of the plate. The gap G is specifically the gap between the contact portion sliding surface 63c of the insulating plate portion 63 that has entered the through-hole portion 33b and the opening edge of the through-hole portion 33b that is facing the contact portion sliding surface 63c at this time.

[0057] Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the main part of the female connector 2 when a foreign object 100 collides with the front wall 30a of the front mask 30 before mating with the male connector 3. Note that the cross-section in Figure 13 is the same as the cross-section in Figure 12. Also, the foreign object 100 is, as an example, a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped object.

[0058] According to the configuration of the connector mating structure 1, the projection through-hole 33a includes a plate through-hole 33b that penetrates only the insulating plate portion 63. Therefore, the front wall 30a is provided with a short terminal protection wall 33 that faces the short terminal housing portion 23 in the mating direction when the front mask 30 is attached to the female housing 20. In other words, compared to the case where the short terminal protection wall 33 is not provided on the front wall 30a, the space in which the short terminal 40 is exposed from the front wall 30a can be reduced. Accordingly, according to the connector mating structure 1, for example, even if a foreign object 100 collides with the front wall 30a from the outside while the female connector 2 is being transported alone, it is possible to make it easier to avoid the foreign object 100 colliding with the short terminal 40. As a result, the connector mating structure 1 can prevent damage or deformation of the short terminal 40.

[0059] Furthermore, in the connector mating structure 1, the opening spacing H in the plate through-hole 33b of the insulating plate portion 63 along the plate thickness direction may be set such that the gap G is narrower than the size of the foreign matter 110 that should be removed from the surface of the contact portion sliding surface 63c. The gap G is the gap between the contact portion sliding surface 63c of the insulating plate portion 63 that has entered the plate through-hole 33b and the opening edge of the plate through-hole 33b that faces the contact portion sliding surface 63c.

[0060] Here, the thickness direction of the insulating plate portion 63 corresponds to the Y direction in the above example.

[0061] Figure 14 is an enlarged view of the main part of the connector mating structure 1 when a minute foreign object 110 is attached to the contact portion sliding surface 63c of the insulating plate portion 63 during mating of the female connector 2 and the male connector 3. Note that the cross-section of Figure 14 is the same as the cross-section of Figures 12 and 13. Furthermore, as an example of foreign object 110 that should be removed from the surface of the contact portion sliding surface 63c, it is assumed that the foreign object 110 is spherical with a diameter d.

[0062] In the example shown in Figure 14, the opening spacing H is set such that the gap G is narrower than the diameter d of the foreign object 110. Therefore, even if foreign object 110 is attached to the contact portion sliding surface 63c before mating, during mating, the foreign object 110 catches on the opening edge of the plate portion through hole 33b and is ultimately pushed towards the bottom surface 51b of the male housing 50 on the contact portion sliding surface 63c. Thus, with this connector mating structure 1, the foreign object 110 cannot enter the short terminal 40 side, and the sliding of the contact portion 47 is not hindered by the foreign object 110. Furthermore, with this connector mating structure 1, the foreign object 110 is removed from the area where the contact portion 47 directly slides on the contact portion sliding surface 63c, so that the female terminal 10 can be reliably short-circuited again after unmating.

[0063] Furthermore, the basic mating method between the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 employed by the connector mating structure 1 is not particularly limited; for example, the connector mating structure 1 may be used in a lever-type connector.

[0064] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. Connector mating structure 2 Female connectors 3 Male connectors 10 Female terminals 20 Female Housings 20b front 30 Front Mask 30a front wall 33a Projection through hole 33b Plate through hole 40 Short terminals 41 Elastic piece 41a First elastic piece 41b Second elastic piece 44 Convex piece 47 Contact point 48 Sections 50 Male Housing 60 Short-circuit release projection 62 Short-circuit release section 62a Sliding surface of the engaging part 63 Insulating plate section 63c Contact point sliding surface 110 Foreign object

Claims

1. A connector mating structure for mating a female connector and a male connector, The female connector comprises a female housing into which at least one pair of female terminals are attached, and a shorting terminal installed in the female housing for short-circuiting the pair of female terminals. The male connector comprises a male housing into which a male terminal connected to the female terminal is attached, The short terminal has a pair of adjacent elastic pieces in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction, with the downstream side of the mating direction of the female connector to the male connector as the free end. Each of the aforementioned elastic pieces is Each of the convex pieces has a contact portion at its apex that contacts a different female terminal, Each of the aforementioned convex pieces has an elastic piece provided on the side facing each other, and includes a engaging portion whose normal direction is aligned with the protruding direction of the contact portion, The male housing has an insulating short-circuit release projection that, when mated with the female connector, partially enters between the pair of elastic pieces. The aforementioned short-circuit release projection is A pair of short-circuit release sections, including a pair of engaging portion sliding surfaces which act as inclined surfaces that slide at each engaging portion so as the mating of the female connector to the male connector progresses, causing the contact portion to gradually move away from the female terminal, A connector mating structure comprising: a pair of insulating plate portions including contact portion sliding surfaces that enter between the female terminal and the contact portion when mating is performed, and slide for each of the contact portions that are spaced apart from the female terminal.

2. The connector fitting structure according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is located on the tip side of the elastic piece portion than the contact portion.

3. The female connector includes a front mask that is attached to the female housing so as to cover the front surface of the female housing where the female terminals and the shorting terminals are exposed. The front mask has a front wall having a projection through-hole that allows the short-circuit release projection to pass through and reach the short terminal when fitted, The connector fitting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the projection through-hole portion includes a pair of plate through-hole portions that each penetrate only the insulating plate portion.

4. The connector fitting structure according to claim 3, wherein the spacing of the openings in the through-hole of the plate portion in the direction along the thickness direction of the insulating plate portion is set such that the gap between the contact portion sliding surface of the insulating plate portion that has entered the through-hole of the plate portion and the opening edge of the through-hole of the plate portion that is facing the contact portion sliding surface is narrower than the size of foreign matter to be removed from the surface of the contact portion sliding surface.

Images