connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector that reduces the width dimension of the connector and allows for at-a-glance confirmation of the condition of the part of each terminal fitting that is connected to the target object. [Solution] The connector 10 comprises a female housing 11 in which cavities 11A are arranged in two rows vertically and in multiple rows horizontally, and a first female terminal fitting 19 and a second female terminal fitting 20. The first female terminal fitting 19 housed in the upper cavity 11A has a lead 19B extending to the rear. The lead 19B has a notched region 19F with a cutout on its right edge, and a narrow portion 19M adjacent to it to the right. The second female terminal fitting 20 housed in the lower cavity 11A has a connecting portion 20E that connects to the flexible substrate 13. When the female housing 11 in which the first female terminal fitting 19 and the second female terminal fitting 20 are housed in each cavity 11A is viewed from above, the connecting portion 20E is spaced apart horizontally from the narrow portion 19M.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector with a reduced width dimension by accommodating terminal fittings in two upper and lower stages with respect to a housing. In the connector of Patent Document 1, the upper cavities are arranged so as to straddle the adjacent cavities in the lower stage. As a result, the portions (hereinafter also referred to as connection portions) connected to the circuit portions of the FPC in each terminal fitting accommodated in the cavities in two upper and lower stages are easily arranged in a row in the lateral direction, and the states of the connection portions in each terminal fitting can be confirmed at a glance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the connection portions are arranged in a row in the lateral direction as in Patent Document 1, there is a concern that the width dimension thereof will become large. In such a case, it is conceivable to arrange the connection portions of the upper terminal fittings and the connection portions of the lower terminal fittings in a staggered manner. However, when arranged in a staggered manner, there is a concern that the connection portions in the lower stage will be hidden by the upper terminal fittings, and the states of the respective connection portions cannot be confirmed at a glance.

[0005] The connector of the present disclosure has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector that suppresses the width dimension of the connector and enables the state of the portion connected to the connection target in each terminal fitting to be confirmed at a glance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The connector disclosed herein is A housing formed with multiple rows of cavities arranged vertically and multiple rows of cavities arranged horizontally, Each of the cavities contains at least a portion of a terminal fitting, Equipped with, The terminal fittings housed in the cavity, excluding the lowest section, have leads that extend in a strip shape behind the cavity. The lead has a notched region formed by cutting out a portion of the section from the left edge to the right edge, and a narrow portion adjacent to the notched region in the left-right direction. The terminal fitting housed in at least the lowest cavity has a connecting portion for connecting to the object to be connected, When the housing, in which the terminal fittings are housed in each of the cavities, is viewed from above, the connecting portions are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction relative to the narrow portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that reduces the width dimension of the connector and allows the condition of the part of each terminal fitting that is connected to the target to be connected to to be checked at a glance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the female housing from the front and above. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the female housing from the rear and upper side. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the first female terminal fitting. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the second female terminal fitting. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing a female housing attached to a flexible circuit board. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view of the main parts showing the connection portion and its surroundings in a female housing attached to a flexible circuit board. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the first female terminal fitting of another embodiment. [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) A housing in which multiple cavities are arranged in multiple rows in the vertical direction and multiple rows in the horizontal direction, Each of the cavities contains at least a portion of a terminal fitting, Equipped with, The terminal fittings housed in the cavity, excluding the lowest section, have leads that extend in a strip shape behind the cavity. The lead has a notched region formed by cutting out a portion of the section from the left edge to the right edge, and a narrow portion adjacent to the notched region in the left-right direction. The terminal fitting housed in at least the lowest cavity has a connecting portion for connecting to the object to be connected, When the housing, in which the terminal fittings are housed in each of the cavities, is viewed from above, the connecting portions are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction relative to the narrow portion.

[0010] According to the configuration described in (1) above, it is possible to check at a glance whether the solder has adhered to the outer edge of the connection part in the gap between the connection part and the narrow part. Since the gap between the connection part and the narrow part is formed by the notched area, the pitch between adjacent leads in the left-right direction can be narrowed.

[0011] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, Preferably, the terminal fitting has a reinforcing wall that extends from at least one of the left edge and right edge of the lead in a direction intersecting the plate surface of the lead.

[0012] According to the configuration of (2) above, the lead whose rigidity has been reduced by forming the notch region can be reinforced by the reinforcing wall.

[0013] (3) In the connector according to (2) above, the terminal fitting is a female terminal fitting having a rectangular tube-shaped box portion, it is preferable that the lead extends backward in a strip shape from one of the plurality of wall portions forming the box portion.

[0014] According to the configuration of (3) above, since the lead can be formed together with the wall portion forming the box portion, it is easy to manufacture.

[0015] (4) In the connector according to (3) above, the plurality of wall portions are a first wall portion to which the leads are continuous, a pair of second wall portions that are separately continuous with each of the left and right edges of the first wall portion and extend in a direction intersecting the plate surface of the first wall portion, and it is preferable that the reinforcing wall is continuous with the rear end of at least one of the pair of second wall portions.

[0016] According to the configuration of (4) above, since the reinforcing portion is continuous with the wall portion in the same manner as the lead, it is possible to prevent the lead from bending with respect to the wall portion.

[0017] (5) In the connector according to any one of (1) to (4) above, a connection surface to which the connection portion is connected is formed on the connection target, when the housing attached to the connection target is viewed from above, it is preferable that the connection surfaces are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction with respect to the narrow portion.

[0018] According to the configuration of (5) above, when viewed from above, not only the way the solder adheres to the outer edge of the connection portion but also the entire connection surface can be confirmed at a glance.

[0019] (6) In any of the connectors described in (1) to (5) above, The width dimension in the left-right direction at the connection portion is preferably smaller than the width dimension in the left-right direction at the narrow portion.

[0020] If the width of the narrow section is reduced too much in order to bring adjacent leads closer together, the strength of the narrow section will decrease, making it more susceptible to deformation, and there is a concern that the coplanarity (flatness) of the connecting section beyond it may not be ensured. In contrast, with the configuration of (6) above, instead of reducing the width of the narrow section, the width of the connecting section is reduced, and by making the width of the connecting section smaller than the width of the narrow section, the width of the narrow section is not reduced too much, and the strength of the narrow section is ensured. This makes it possible to reduce the width of the connector while ensuring the coplanarity (flatness) of the connecting section beyond the narrow section and bringing adjacent leads closer together.

[0021] [Details of the embodiments of this 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.

[0022] <Embodiment 1> Embodiment 1 of the female terminal fitting and connector of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figure 1, the connector 10 comprises a flexible substrate 13 to be connected, a female housing 11 which is a housing, a first female terminal fitting 19 which is a terminal fitting, and a second female terminal fitting 20 which is a terminal fitting.

[0023] In this embodiment 1, the front, rear, top, bottom, right, and left sides are represented by "F," "B," "U," "D," "R," and "L" in the figure. In the following description, the direction in which the female housing 11 and the mating housing (not shown) fit together is defined as the fitting direction (front-to-back direction). In this embodiment 1, the left-to-right direction corresponds to the width direction and is the direction that intersects the fitting direction.

[0024] [Flexible circuit board configuration] The flexible circuit board 13 is made of what is known as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). The flexible circuit board 13 has flexibility (deformability) that allows it to be easily deformed when subjected to external forces. Multiple wiring patterns (not shown) are provided on one surface of the flexible circuit board 13. The ends of each wiring pattern are exposed and formed as multiple soldering surfaces 13A, which are connection surfaces. These soldering surfaces 13A are arranged in two rows in the front-to-back direction and in multiple rows in the width direction (left-to-right direction). The connection portion 19E of the first female terminal fitting 19 and the connection portion 20E of the second female terminal fitting 20, which will be described later, are connected to these soldering surfaces 13A by solder. On the flexible circuit board 13, one fixing surface 13B is provided in each of the left and right regions of the soldering surface 13A, to which the fixing fitting 15, which will be described later, is soldered and fixed. A reinforcing plate 13C is attached to the other surface of the flexible circuit board 13. The reinforcing plate 13C is thicker than the flexible substrate 13 and does not easily deform even when subjected to external forces. In other words, the reinforcing plate 13C has the function of preventing the flexible substrate 13 from deforming unintentionally.

[0025] [Female housing configuration] The female housing 11 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the female housing 11 is block-shaped. Inside the female housing 11, cavities 11A extending in the front-to-back direction are formed in two rows vertically and in multiple rows horizontally. A box portion 19A, which is part of the first female terminal fitting 19 (described later), is inserted from the rear and housed in each of the upper cavities 11A (see Figure 6). The box portion 19A of the first female terminal fitting 19 is housed in all cavities 11A except the bottom one. A box portion 20A, which is part of the second female terminal fitting 20 (described later), is inserted from the rear and housed in each of the lower cavities 11A (see Figure 6). The box portion 20A of the second female terminal fitting 20 is housed in the bottom cavity 11A.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the female housing 11 is provided with a block-shaped terminal housing portion 11B that protrudes forward. A cavity 11A is formed in the terminal housing portion 11B. A pair of locking claws 11C are provided side by side in the left-right direction, protruding upward from the front end of the upper surface of the terminal housing portion 11B. These locking claws 11C are engaged with a locking arm provided on the mating housing (not shown).

[0027] The female housing 11 is provided with a covering wall portion 11D that surrounds the lower surface and both left and right sides of the terminal housing portion 11B. An insertion groove 11E that is open to the front is formed between the inner surface of the covering wall portion 11D and the outer surface (lower surface and both left and right sides) of the terminal housing portion 11B. The hood portion of the mating housing (not shown) is inserted into the insertion groove 11E.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, recesses 11F are formed on the left and right outer sides of the covering wall portion 11D located on both the left and right sides, and are recessed inwards in the left and right direction. One fixing bracket 15 is attached to each recess 11F (see Figure 7). At both ends of the rear end of the female housing 11, a pair of protrusions 11G are provided, projecting backward.

[0029] [Configuration of the first female terminal fitting] The first female terminal fitting 19 is formed by punching and bending a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape. As shown in Figure 4, the first female terminal fitting 19 has a rectangular tubular box portion 19A extending in the front-rear direction, a lead 19B, a reinforcing wall 19L, a bent portion 19D, and a connecting portion 19E.

[0030] The box portion 19A includes a first wall portion 19G, a pair of second wall portions 19H that are separately connected to the left and right edges of the first wall portion 19G and extend upward, intersecting the plate surface of the first wall portion 19G, a third wall portion 19J that is connected to the upper end edges of each of the pair of second wall portions 19H and arranged parallel to the first wall portion 19G, and a closing wall portion 19K that is connected to the rear end edge of the third wall portion 19J and extends downward. A tab of a male terminal fitting (not shown) is inserted into the box portion 19A from the front. An elastic contact piece (not shown) is arranged inside the box portion 19A. When the tab is inserted into the box portion 19A from the front, the elastic contact piece elastically contacts the tab, and the male terminal fitting and the first female terminal fitting 19 are electrically connected. The pair of second wall portions 19H are provided with upwardly projecting retaining projections 19C.

[0031] As shown in Figure 6, the first female terminal fitting 19 is inserted from the rear into the upper cavity 11A of the female housing 11. Specifically, it is inserted into the cavity 11A from the front end of the box portion 19A. At this time, the box portion 19A is inserted into the cavity 11A while the retaining projection 19C bites into the upper surface of the inner surface of the cavity 11A. The insertion operation of the first female terminal fitting 19 into the cavity 11A is stopped when the front end of the box portion 19A comes into contact with the front end surface of the inner surface of the cavity 11A. The first female terminal fitting 19 is locked in place inside the cavity 11A by the retaining projection 19C biting into the inner surface of the cavity 11A.

[0032] Lead 19B is connected to the rear end of the first wall portion 19G, which is part of the wall portion that makes up the box portion 19A, and extends in a strip shape backward (see Figure 4). The thickness direction of lead 19B is oriented in the vertical direction. When the box portion 19A of the first female terminal fitting 19 is housed in the cavity 11A, lead 19B is positioned to protrude to the rear of the cavity 11A.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, a notched region 19F is formed on the left edge of the lead 19B, which is a rectangular recessed area facing to the right. The notched region 19F is formed on the left edge of the lead 19B, which is a portion of the section between the left edge and the right edge. The notched region 19F is located in the center of the lead 19B in the front-rear direction. The portion of the lead 19B adjacent to the right of the notched region 19F is the narrow portion 19M. That is, the narrow portion 19M is adjacent to the notched region 19F in the left-right direction. The narrow portion 19M is formed with a width dimension in the left-right direction that is smaller than the front and rear ends of the lead 19B.

[0034] The reinforcing wall 19L is connected to the rear end of the right-side second wall section 19H. The reinforcing wall 19L extends upward from the right-side edge of the lead 19B, intersecting the plate surface of the lead 19B. The reinforcing wall 19L is continuously provided from the front end to the rear end of the right-side edge of the lead 19B. The rear end edge of the reinforcing wall 19L is formed perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0035] The bent portion 19D is connected to the rear end of the lead 19B and extends downward in a strip shape. The thickness direction of the bent portion 19D is oriented in the front-to-back direction. The bent portion 19D extends to the left of the box portion 19A. The connecting portion 19E is connected to the tip (lower end) of the bent portion 19D and extends backward in a strip shape. The thickness direction of the connecting portion 19E is oriented in the up-and-down direction. The width dimension of the connecting portion 19E is smaller than the width dimension of the bent portion 19D and the width dimension of the lead 19B. The connecting portion 19E is positioned slightly to the right of the bent portion 19D.

[0036] [Configuration of the second female terminal fitting] The second female terminal fitting 20 is formed by punching and bending a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape. As shown in Figure 5, the second female terminal fitting 20 has a rectangular tubular box portion 20A extending in the front-rear direction, a lead 20B, a reinforcing wall 20L, a bent portion 20D, and a connecting portion 20E.

[0037] The box portion 20A has the same form as the box portion 19A of the first female terminal fitting 19. The box portion 20A includes a first wall portion 20G, a pair of second wall portions 20H that are separately connected to each of the left and right side edges of the first wall portion 20G and extend upward and intersect the plate surface of the first wall portion 20G, a third wall portion 20J that is connected to the upper end edge of each of the pair of second wall portions 20H and is arranged parallel to the first wall portion 20G, and a closing wall portion 20K that is connected to the rear end edge of the third wall portion 20J and extends downward. A tab of a male terminal fitting (not shown) is inserted into the box portion 20A from the front. An elastic contact piece (not shown) is arranged inside the box portion 20A. When the tab is inserted into the box portion 20A from the front, the elastic contact piece elastically contacts the tab, and the male terminal fitting and the second female terminal fitting 20 are electrically connected. A pair of second wall portions 20H are provided with upward-projecting retaining protrusions 20C.

[0038] As shown in Figure 6, the second female terminal fitting 20 is inserted from the rear into the lower cavity 11A of the female housing 11. Specifically, it is inserted into the cavity 11A from the front end of the box portion 20A. At this time, the box portion 20A is inserted into the cavity 11A while the retaining projection 20C bites into the upper surface of the inner surface of the cavity 11A. The insertion operation of the second female terminal fitting 20 into the cavity 11A is stopped when the front end of the box portion 20A comes into contact with the front end surface of the inner surface of the cavity 11A. The second female terminal fitting 20 is locked in place inside the cavity 11A by the retaining projection 20C biting into the inner surface of the cavity 11A.

[0039] Lead 20B is connected to the rear end of the first wall portion 20G, one of the walls constituting the box portion 20A, and extends in a strip-like manner backward (see Figure 5). The thickness direction of lead 20B is oriented in the vertical direction. When the box portion 20A of the second female terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11A, lead 20B is positioned to protrude to the rear of the cavity 11A. The front-to-back extension dimension of lead 20B is smaller than the front-to-back extension dimension of lead 19B of the first female terminal fitting 19.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the reinforcing wall 20L is connected to the rear end of the right-side second wall portion 20H. The reinforcing wall 20L extends upward from the right edge of the lead 20B, intersecting the plate surface of the lead 20B. The reinforcing wall 20L is continuously provided from the front end to the rear end of the lead 20B. The rear end edge of the reinforcing wall 20L is formed perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The front-rear extension dimension of the reinforcing wall 20L is smaller than the front-rear extension dimension of the reinforcing wall 19L of the first female terminal fitting 19 (see Figure 6).

[0041] The bent portion 20D is connected to the rear end of the lead 20B and extends downward in a strip shape. The thickness direction of the bent portion 20D is oriented in the front-to-back direction. The bent portion 20D extends to the left of the box portion 20A. The vertical extension dimension of the bent portion 20D is smaller than the vertical extension dimension of the bent portion 19D of the first female terminal fitting 19 (see Figure 6).

[0042] The connecting portion 20E is connected to the tip (lower end) of the bent portion 20D and extends backward in a strip shape. The thickness direction of the connecting portion 20E is oriented in the vertical direction. The width dimension of the connecting portion 20E is smaller than the width dimension of the bent portion 20D and the width dimension of the lead 20B. The connecting portion 19E is positioned slightly to the left of the bent portion 19D. The connecting portion 20E is positioned to protrude to the left of the box portion 20A. The vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back dimensions of the connecting portion 20E are the same as the vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back dimensions of the connecting portion 19E of the first female terminal fitting 19.

[0043] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, either the first female terminal fitting 19 or the second female terminal fitting 20 is inserted into each cavity 11A, and the female housing 11, to which a pair of fixing brackets 15 are attached, is mounted on the flexible substrate 13. Specifically, the connection portion 19E of the first female terminal fitting 19 is soldered in contact with the rear soldering surface 13A of the soldering surfaces 13A (see Figure 7). The connection portion 20E of the second female terminal fitting 20 is soldered in contact with the front soldering surface 13A of the soldering surfaces 13A (see Figure 7). At the same time, the lower end surfaces of the pair of fixing brackets 15 are soldered in contact with each fixing surface 13B (see Figure 7). In this way, the female housing 11 is mounted on the flexible substrate 13.

[0044] As shown in Figure 7, the left-right width dimension of the connection portion 20E of the second female terminal fitting 20 is smaller than the left-right width dimension of the narrow portion 19M of the first female terminal fitting 19. When viewing the connector 10, in which the box portion 19A of the first female terminal fitting 19 and the box portion 20A of the second female terminal fitting 20 are housed in each cavity 11A, from above, the connection portion 20E of the second female terminal fitting 20 is spaced apart from the narrow portion 19M of the first female terminal fitting 19 in the left-right direction. When viewing the female housing 11 attached to the flexible circuit board 13 from above, the soldering surface 13A is spaced apart from the narrow portion 19M of the first female terminal fitting 19 in the left-right direction. The right edge (part) of the soldering surface 13A overlaps with the notched area 19F. In other words, when the female housing 11 attached to the flexible substrate 13 is viewed from above, not only the connection portion 20E but also the surface of the solder adhering to the outer edge of the connection portion 20E can be observed. Therefore, using an image recognition camera (not shown), the overall shape of the surface of the solder adhering to the outer edge of the connection portion 20E can be grasped, and it becomes possible to determine whether or not the solder is evenly distributed over the outer edge of the connection portion 20E.

[0045] As described above, the connector 10 comprises a female housing 11 in which multiple cavities 11A are arranged in multiple rows in the vertical direction and multiple rows in the horizontal direction, a first female terminal fitting 19 in which a box portion 19A is housed in each cavity 11A, and a second female terminal fitting 20 in which a box portion 20A is housed. The first female terminal fittings 19 housed in the cavities 11A, excluding the lowest row, have leads 19B that extend in a strip shape behind the cavities 11A. The leads 19B have a notched region 19F with a cutout on the left edge and a narrow portion 19M adjacent to the notched region 19F in the right direction. The second female terminal fittings 20 housed in at least the lowest row of cavities 11A have a connecting portion 20E that connects to the flexible substrate 13. When viewing a female housing 11, in which either the first female terminal fitting 19 or the second female terminal fitting 20 is housed in each cavity 11A, from above, the connection portions 20E are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction relative to the narrow portion 19M.

[0046] With this configuration, it is possible to check at a glance whether the solder is properly seated against the outer edge of the connection portion 20E in the gap between the connection portion 20E and the narrow portion 19M. Since the gap between the connection portion 20E and the narrow portion 19M is formed by the notched region 19F, the pitch between adjacent leads 19B in the left-right direction can be narrowed.

[0047] In the connector 10, the first female terminal fitting 19 has a reinforcing wall 19L that extends upward from the right edge of the lead 19B and intersects the plate surface of the lead 19B. With this configuration, the lead 19B, whose rigidity has been reduced by forming a notched region 19F, can be reinforced by the reinforcing wall 19L.

[0048] In the connector 10, the first female terminal fitting 19 is a female terminal fitting having a rectangular tubular box portion 19A. The lead 19B extends backward in a strip shape from one of the multiple walls forming the box portion 19A. With this configuration, the lead 19B can be formed together with the walls forming the box portion 19A, making it easier to manufacture.

[0049] In the connector 10, the multiple wall sections include a first wall section 19G on which the leads 19B are connected, and a pair of second wall sections 19H that are separately connected to the left and right edges of the first wall section 19G and extend upward, intersecting the plate surface of the first wall section 19G. The reinforcing wall 19L is connected to the rear end of the rightmost of the pair of second wall sections 19H. With this configuration, since the reinforcing wall 19L is connected to the second wall section 19H in the same way as the leads 19B, the rigidity of the leads 19B relative to the wall section can be increased.

[0050] In the connector 10, the flexible substrate 13 has a soldering surface 13A to which the connection portion 20E is connected. When the female housing 11 attached to the flexible substrate 13 is viewed from above, the soldering surfaces 13A are spaced apart in the left-right direction relative to the narrow portion 19M. This configuration allows for a clear visual inspection of not only how the solder adheres to the outer edge of the connection portion 20E, but also the entire soldering surface 13A.

[0051] In connector 10, the width dimension in the left-right direction of the connection portion 20E is smaller than the width dimension in the left-right direction of the narrow portion 19M. If the width dimension of the narrow portion 19M is reduced too much in order to bring the distance between adjacent leads 19B closer, the strength of the narrow portion 19M will decrease and it will become more prone to deformation, raising concerns that the coplanarity (flatness) of the connection portion 19E that follows it may not be ensured. In contrast, with this configuration, instead of reducing the width dimension of the narrow portion 19M, the width dimension of the connection portion 20E is reduced, making the width dimension of the connection portion 20E smaller than the width dimension of the narrow portion 19M. This prevents the width dimension of the narrow portion 19M from being reduced too much and ensures the strength of the narrow portion 19M. As a result, it is possible to reduce the width dimension of connector 10 while bringing the distance between adjacent leads 19B closer, while ensuring the coplanarity (flatness) of the connection portion 19E that follows the narrow portion 19M.

[0052] <Other Embodiments> The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0053] Unlike Embodiment 1, the terminal fitting may be a male terminal fitting, and the female housing may be replaced with a male housing.

[0054] Unlike Embodiment 1, three or more cavities may be formed.

[0055] Unlike Embodiment 1, the reinforcing wall may be provided so as to be interrupted in the front-rear direction at the side edge in the width direction of the lead.

[0056] Unlike the embodiment, the angle between the lead and the reinforcing wall does not have to be a right angle, may be larger than a right angle, or may be smaller than a right angle.

[0057] Unlike the embodiment, the rear edge of the reinforcing wall does not have to be formed perpendicular to the front-rear direction. For example, it may be formed as a recess toward the vertical center of the rear edge, or it may be formed as a projection toward the vertical center of the rear edge.

[0058] Unlike the embodiment, the notched region may be provided on the right edge of the lead. In this case, the narrow portion is adjacent to the left of the notched region. The reinforcing wall is configured to extend upward from the left edge of the lead, intersecting the plate surface of the lead. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8 for the first female terminal fitting 119, the notched region 119F may be provided in the left-right center of the lead 119B. That is, the notched region may be formed by cutting out a portion of the lead between the left edge and the right edge. In this case, the reinforcing walls 119L may be provided on both the left and right edges of the lead 119B.

[0059] Unlike the embodiment, the connection target may be a circuit board made of glass epoxy resin or cardboard.

[0060] Unlike the embodiment, the shape of the notched area may be an arc-shaped recess, an elliptical recess, or the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10: Connector 11: Female housing (housing) 11A: Cavity 11B: Terminal housing section 11C: Locking claw 11D: Covering wall section 11E: Insertion groove 11F: Recess 11G:Protrusion 13: Flexible circuit board (to be connected) 13A: Soldering surface (connection surface) 13B:Fixed surface 13C: Reinforcement plate 15: Fixing hardware 19,119: First female terminal fitting (terminal fitting) 19A, 20A: Hakobe 19B, 119B, 20B: Lead 19C, 20C: Retaining protrusion 19D,20D: Bent part 19E, 20E: Connection part 19F, 119F: Notched area 19G,20G: 1st wall part 19H, 20H: 2nd wall part 19J, 20J: 3rd wall part 19K, 20K: Closed wall part 19L, 119L, 20L: Reinforced walls 19M: Narrow part 20: Second female terminal fitting (terminal fitting)

Claims

1. A housing formed with multiple rows of cavities arranged vertically and multiple rows of cavities arranged horizontally, Each of the cavities contains at least a portion of a terminal fitting, Equipped with, The terminal fittings housed in the cavity, excluding the lowest section, have leads that extend in a strip shape behind the cavity. The lead has a notched region formed by cutting out a portion of the section from the left edge to the right edge, and a narrow portion adjacent to the notched region in the left-right direction. The terminal fitting housed in at least the lowest cavity has a connecting portion for connecting to the object to be connected, When the housing, in which the terminal fittings are housed in each of the cavities, is viewed from above, the connecting portions are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction relative to the narrow portion, in a connector.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal fitting has a reinforcing wall extending from at least one of the left edge and the right edge of the lead in a direction intersecting the plate surface of the lead.

3. The aforementioned terminal fitting is a female terminal fitting having a rectangular tubular box portion, The connector according to claim 2, wherein the lead extends backward in a strip shape from one of the multiple wall portions forming the box portion.

4. The multiple wall portions are, The first wall portion on which the aforementioned leads are connected, It includes a pair of second wall portions that are separately connected to the left and right edges of the first wall portion and extend in a direction intersecting the surface of the first wall portion, The connector according to claim 3, wherein the reinforcing wall is connected to the rear end of at least one of the pair of second wall portions.

5. The object to be connected has a connection surface to which the connection portion is connected. The connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when the housing attached to the object to be connected is viewed from above, the connection surfaces are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction relative to the narrow portion.

6. The connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the width dimension in the left-right direction of the connection portion is smaller than the width dimension in the left-right direction of the narrow portion.

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