connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector that is less prone to mounting defects on circuit boards, even when the housing is provided with a guide surface for guiding terminal fittings. [Solution] The housing has a wall portion 25 having thickness in a first direction, a retaining hole 32 extending in the first direction inside the wall portion, a guide surface 41 extending inclined from one surface 26 in the first direction of the wall portion toward the other surface toward a second direction intersecting the first direction so as to approach each other, opposing surfaces arranged in pairs in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions in the middle portion of the wall portion in the first direction and facing the same direction as one surface, and a movement-restricting surface 38 extending along the first direction between the guide surface and the opposing surface of the wall portion. The terminal fitting 80 has a retained portion held in the retaining hole, and a stopper portion 88 arranged in the first direction opposite to the opposing surface in a space closer to one surface than the opposing surface. The stopper portion is positioned between a pair of movement-restricting surfaces in the second direction in a state in which movement in the second direction is suppressed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a housing and a terminal fitting. The terminal fitting has a board connection portion arranged along the surface (mounting surface) of a circuit board. The housing has a wall-shaped terminal holding portion. The terminal fitting is press-fitted and held in the terminal holding portion in a penetrating form.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Although not shown in Patent Document 1, usually, an inclined guiding surface for guiding the insertion of the terminal fitting is provided in the terminal holding portion of the housing. However, when a guiding surface is provided in the terminal holding portion of the housing, there is a situation where the holding area of the terminal fitting in the terminal holding portion decreases accordingly. If the holding area of the terminal fitting cannot be appropriately ensured, the terminal fitting may float from the surface of the circuit board during the reflow process, etc., and the coplanarity may deteriorate, leading to mounting defects.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector in which mounting defects on a circuit board are less likely to occur even when a guiding surface for guiding a terminal fitting is provided in a housing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The connector of this disclosure is a connector comprising a housing and terminal fittings, wherein the housing has a wall portion having thickness in a first direction, a retaining hole extending inside the wall portion in the first direction, a guide surface extending inclined toward each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction from one surface of the wall portion in the first direction toward the other surface, opposing surfaces arranged in pairs in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions in the intermediate portion of the wall portion in the first direction and facing the same direction as the one surface, and a movement-restricting surface extending along the first direction between the guide surface and the opposing surface of the wall portion, the terminal fittings comprising a board connection portion connected to a circuit board outside the housing, a retained portion held in the retaining hole, and a stopper portion arranged in the first direction opposite to the opposing surface in a space closer to the one surface than the opposing surface, the stopper portion being arranged between the pair of movement-restricting surfaces in the second direction in a state in which movement in the second direction is suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that is less prone to mounting defects on a circuit board, even if the housing is provided with a guide surface for guiding terminal fittings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector of Embodiment 1, seen from the front. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the terminal fittings in the connector of Embodiment 1, seen from the rear. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a rear view of the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the retaining hole and its surrounding area provided in the wall of the housing of the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an enlarged rear view of the portion of the housing wall of the connector of Embodiment 1 in which the terminal fittings are attached. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of Embodiment 1, taken along line AA in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of Embodiment 1 along line BB in Figure 5. [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 connector comprising a housing and a terminal fitting, wherein the housing has a wall portion having thickness in a first direction, a retaining hole extending in the first direction inside the wall portion, a guide surface extending inclined toward each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction from one surface of the wall portion in the first direction toward the other surface, opposing surfaces arranged in pairs in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions in the middle portion of the wall portion in the first direction and facing the same direction as the one surface, and a movement-restricting surface extending along the first direction between the guide surface and the opposing surface of the wall portion, the terminal fitting having a board connection portion connected to a circuit board outside the housing, a retained portion held in the retaining hole, and a stopper portion arranged in the first direction opposite to the opposing surface in a space closer to the one surface than the opposing surface, the stopper portion being arranged between the pair of movement-restricting surfaces in the second direction in a state in which movement in the second direction is suppressed. According to the configuration of (1) above, in addition to the part to be held in the holding hole, the stopper is positioned between a pair of movement-suppressing surfaces in the second direction in a state where movement in the second direction is suppressed. As a result, the terminal fitting can be properly assembled to the wall and held without positional movement. Consequently, coplanarity can be improved and mounting defects can be suppressed.

[0010] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, it is preferable that the dimension of the stopper in the second direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of movement-suppressing surfaces in the second direction. According to the configuration of (2) above, during the process of assembling the terminal fittings to the housing (e.g., press-fitting), the retaining portion can avoid contact with the movement-restricting surface, thereby reducing assembly resistance and making it easier to assemble the terminal fittings.

[0011] (3) In the connector described in (2) above, it is preferable that the motion-restricting surfaces are paired in the third direction, and the wall portion has a recessed surface between the paired motion-restricting surfaces in the third direction, which is recessed away from the motion-restricting surfaces in the second direction. According to the configuration described in (3) above, the retained portion can avoid contact with the retractable surface during the assembly process of the terminal fittings to the housing, making the assembly of the terminal fittings easier.

[0012] (4) In the connector described in (3) above, it is preferable that the wall portion has guide slopes that extend inclined toward each other in the second direction from the retractable surface toward the inner surface of the retaining hole. According to the configuration of (4) above, when assembling the terminal fitting to the housing, the retained portion can move smoothly from the retractable surface through the guide slope to the inner surface of the retaining hole.

[0013] (5) In the connector described in (4) above, it is preferable that the distance between the inner surfaces of the pair of retaining holes in the second direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of motion-restricting surfaces in the second direction. According to the configuration of (5) above, the stopper can avoid contact with the movement-restraining surface during the assembly of the terminal fitting to the housing, making it easier to assemble the terminal fitting. In addition, after the terminal fitting is assembled, the part to be held can be in close contact with the inner surface of the holding hole. As a result, the state in which the part to be held by the wall can be maintained more effectively.

[0014] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this exemplification, but is shown by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0015] <Embodiment 1> The connector 10 of Embodiment 1 is a so-called SMT connector, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a housing 20 and a terminal fitting 80. The housing 20 is fitted to a mating housing not shown. The terminal fitting 80 is attached to the housing 20 and connected to the circuit board 100 outside the housing 20. In the following description, the front-rear direction may also be referred to as the first direction, the up-down direction as the second direction, and the left-right direction as the third direction. The front is the tip in the first direction, and in the case of the present Embodiment 1, corresponds to the direction (including some inclination) in which the terminal fitting 80 is attached to the housing 20. The right is the tip in the third direction, corresponding to the right direction when viewed from the rear. The up is the tip in the second direction, and in the case of the present Embodiment 1, corresponds to the direction (including some inclination) in which the terminal fitting 80 is arranged with respect to the circuit board 100 during mounting. The reference of the direction is for convenience and does not necessarily match the reference of the direction in the state where the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like.

[0016] (Terminal fitting 80) The terminal fitting 80 is made of conductive metal and has a tab shape or a pin shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal fitting 80 has a mating connection portion 81 extending in the front-rear direction, an intermediate extension portion 82 extending downward from the rear end of the mating connection portion 81, and a board connection portion 83 extending rearward from the lower end of the intermediate extension portion 82.

[0017] The mating connection portion 81 is constructed with a larger left-right dimension than its vertical dimension. The mating connection portion 81 has an extension portion 84 that extends continuously in the front-rear direction. The tip portion 89 of the mating connection portion 81 beyond the extension portion 84 is tapered. The mating connection portion 81 also has a retained portion 85 located behind the extension portion 84 and near the rear end of the mating connection portion 81, as shown in Figure 6, which is held by the wall portion 25 of the housing 20, which will be described later. The retained portion 85 has an intermediate portion 86 in the front-rear direction of the extension portion 84, and a plurality of protrusions 87 that project outward to the left and right from the intermediate portion 86 in the front-rear direction of the extension portion 84. Each protrusion 87 is continuous with the same vertical thickness as the extension portion 84 and is provided side by side in the front-rear direction on each of the left and right end faces of the extension portion 84. Each protrusion 87 is press-fitted so as to bite into the left and right inner surfaces of the retaining hole 32 of the housing 20, which will be described later.

[0018] The mating connection portion 81 has a pair of left and right stopper portions 88 positioned behind the retained portion 85, facing the opposing surface 36 of the housing 20 (described later) from the rear. As shown in Figure 2, each stopper portion 88 is a rectangular plate in plan view, elongated in the front-rear direction with respect to the left-right direction, and protrudes outward to the left and right from the middle portion of the extension portion 84 in the front-rear direction (the portion behind the middle portion 86). Each stopper portion 88 is continuous with the same vertical thickness as the extension portion 84. The lower surface of the substrate connection portion 83 is positioned along the surface of the circuit board 100.

[0019] (Housing 20) The housing 20 is made of synthetic resin and has a hood portion 21, as shown in Figure 1. The hood portion 21 is rectangular and open to the front. The hood portion 21 has a top portion 22, a bottom portion 23, a pair of side portions 24, and a wall portion 25. The top portion 22 and the bottom portion 23 face each other in the vertical direction. The bottom portion 23 is located below the top portion 22 and rests on the surface of the circuit board 100. The side portions 24 face each other in the left-right direction. The left-right dimensions of the top portion 22 and the bottom portion 23 are greater than the up-down dimensions of the side portions 24. The wall portion 25 is located at the rear end of the housing 20. The wall portion 25 is connected to the rear ends of the top portion 22, the bottom portion 23, and the side portions 24. The thickness of the wall portion 25 is oriented in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 6, the rear surface of the wall portion 25 is configured as one surface 26, which is one end surface in the first direction, and the front surface of the wall portion 25 is configured as the other end surface 27, which is the other end surface in the first direction. Both the one surface 26 and the other surface 27 of the wall portion 25 are arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, a locking part 28 is provided protruding into the interior of the hood part 21 at the middle of the top part 22 in the left-right direction. The locking part 28 engages with a mating housing (not shown) and holds both housings in a fitted state. A pair of fixing brackets 29 (only one shown in Figure 1) are attached to the left-right outer surfaces of both side parts 24. Each fixing bracket 29 is soldered to the surface of the circuit board 100. The housing 20 is fixed to the circuit board 100 via each fixing bracket 29.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the upper part of the wall portion 25 has a protruding wall 31. The protruding wall 31 projects backward from one surface 26 and also projects backward from the lower part of the wall portion 25. The lower part of the wall portion 25 is provided with a plurality of retaining holes 32 extending in the front-rear direction. Each retaining hole 32 is arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the wall portion 25. Between each pair of retaining holes 32 that form a left-right relationship, the wall portion 25 has a plurality of vertical walls 33 extending downward from the protruding wall 31.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4, the retaining hole 32 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape that is elongated in the left-right direction relative to the vertical direction. The cross-sectional shape of the retaining hole 32 is constant in the front-back direction. The distance between the upper and lower inner surfaces of the retaining hole 32 is the same as or slightly smaller than the vertical dimension of the retained portion 85 (see Figure 7). The distance between the left and right inner surfaces of the retaining hole 32 (opening width) is greater than the left-right dimension of the extension portion 84 and smaller than the distance between the vertices of the pair of projections 87 in the left-right direction (see Figure 6). The retained portion 85 of the terminal fitting 80 is press-fitted into the retaining hole 32 and locked to the wall portion 25 by each projection 87.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, an enlarged diameter surface 34 is provided near the front end of the wall portion 25, expanding in diameter from the front end of the holding hole 32. The surface extending from the enlarged diameter surface 34 to the other surface 27 (front) of the wall portion 25 is a straight surface 35 extending along the front-rear direction. The straight surface 35 is spaced apart from the extension portion 84.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the wall portion 25 has an opposing surface 36, a guide slope 37, a movement-restricting surface 38, a retraction surface 39, and an enticing surface 41 between the rear end of the holding hole 32 and one surface 26 (rear surface) of the wall portion 25. The opposing surfaces 36 are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction. The movement-restricting surfaces 38 are arranged in pairs in both the left-right and up-down directions. The retraction surface 39, the guide slope 37, and the enticing surface 41 are each arranged in pairs in the up-down direction. The portion of the terminal fitting 80 corresponding to the stopper portion 88 is surrounded on its outer circumference by each opposing surface 36, each movement-restricting surface 38, each retraction surface 39, each guide slope 37, each enticing surface 41, and each side inner surface 47.

[0025] Each opposing surface 36 is positioned facing the rear, just like one surface 26 of the wall portion 25. Each opposing surface 36 has an opposing inclined surface 42 that extends outward from the rear ends of the left and right inner surfaces of the holding hole 32, and a stepped surface 43 that extends outward from the rear end (outer end in the left-right direction) of each opposing inclined surface 42, along the left-right direction. Each opposing inclined surface 42 also widens in the vertical direction as it extends towards the rear.

[0026] As shown in Figure 7, each guide slope 37 extends inclined from the rear end of the upper and lower inner surfaces of the holding hole 32, opening outwards and outwards toward the rear. Each guide slope 37 also widens in the left-right direction as it extends toward the rear. As shown in Figure 4, the left-right outer end of the guide slope 37 and the up-down outer end of the opposing slope 42 intersect each other and extend radially. Each guide slope 37 and each opposing slope 42 functions as a guide to lead the retained portion 85 of the terminal fitting 80 into the holding hole 32.

[0027] Each movement-restricting surface 38 is configured as a flat surface along the front-rear and left-right directions. The front end of each movement-restricting surface 38 is connected to each opposing surface 36 and each guide slope 37. Specifically, the front end of each movement-restricting surface 38 is connected to each stepped surface 43 along the left-right direction, and also to the intermediate inclined portions of each opposing slope 42 and each guide slope 37. As shown in Figure 5, the vertical separation distance between each pair of movement-restricting surfaces 38 in the vertical direction is slightly greater than the vertical thickness of the stopper portion 88. Each movement-restricting surface 38 is positioned close to and facing each of the upper and lower surfaces of the stopper portion 88, thereby enabling the vertical movement of the stopper portion 88 to be suppressed. The left-right separation distance between each pair of movement-restricting surfaces 38 in the left-right direction is equal to the separation distance between the left and right inner surfaces of the holding hole 32.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, each retractable surface 39 is positioned between each movement-restricting surface 38 in the left-right direction. Each retractable surface 39 is configured as a flat surface along the front-rear and left-right directions. The left-right dimension of each retractable surface 39 is equal to the distance between the left and right inner surfaces of the retaining hole 32. An end face 44 is interposed between each retractable surface 39 and each movement-restricting surface 38 along the vertical and front-rear directions. Each retractable surface 39 is recessed one step further outward and vertically than each movement-restricting surface 38 via each end face 44. The front end of each retractable surface 39 is connected to the rear end of each guide slope 37. Each guide slope 37 extends from the front end of each retractable surface 39 to the rear ends of the upper and lower inner surfaces of each retaining hole 32, inclined to approach each other in the vertical direction. The upper and lower inner surfaces of each retaining hole 32 are reference surfaces when inserting the terminal fitting 80 into the retaining hole 32, and are located higher and lower inward than each movement-restricting surface 38.

[0029] As shown in Figure 7, each guiding surface 41 extends forward from one surface 26 of the wall portion 25, tapering and inclined so as to approach each other in the vertical direction. Each guiding surface 41 has a greater angle of inclination in the front-rear direction than each guiding slope 37. The length of each guiding surface 41 in the inclination direction is shorter than the length of each movement suppression surface 38 in the front-rear direction, and longer than the length of each guiding slope 37 in the inclination direction. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the left-right dimension of each guiding surface 41 is greater than the distance between the left and right inner surfaces of the holding hole 32, and equal to the sum of the distance between the left and right inner surfaces of the holding hole 32 and the left-right dimension of each opposing surface 36.

[0030] The front end of each guiding surface 41 is continuous at the same height in the left-right direction. The middle portion of the front end of each guiding surface 41 in the left-right direction intersects the rear end of the retraction surface 39 at an obtuse angle. Short inclined surfaces 45 are interposed between the left-right ends (excluding the middle portion) of the front end of each guiding surface 41 and each movement-restricting surface 38. As shown in Figure 7, each short inclined surface 45 extends from the front end of each guiding surface 41 to each movement-restricting surface 38, inclined at a smaller angle than that of each guiding surface 41 in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the left-right dimension of each short inclined surface 45 is equal to the left-right dimension of each movement-restricting surface 38. The short inclined surfaces 45, the movement-restricting surfaces 38 and the end faces 44 form flat, block-shaped projections 46 between each guiding surface 41 and each opposing surface 36.

[0031] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, on one surface 26 of the wall portion 25, a rectangular, more specifically square, insertion opening 48 is provided in a rear view, located behind the holding hole 32. The insertion opening 48 is demarcated by a pair of left and right inner surfaces 47 and a pair of upper and lower guide surfaces 41 that are vertical along the vertical and front-to-back directions. The insertion opening 48 of the wall portion 25 has, Led by a tapered tip 89, the mating connection portion 81 of the terminal fitting 80 can be inserted. Each side inner surface 47 intersects with the left and right outer ends of each of the following surfaces: each guide surface 41, each short inclined surface 45, each movement-restricting surface 38, and each stepped surface 43.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the housing 20 has a pair of protective walls 49 (only one shown in Figure 1) that project rearward from the left and right ends of the wall portion 25. Each protective wall 49 is positioned to cover the intermediate extension portion 82 and the substrate connection portion 83 of each terminal fitting 80 from the left and right outer sides. As shown in Figure 1, both sides 24 have a pair of mounting wall portions 51 (only one shown in Figure 1) that are continuous forward from both protective walls 49. Parts of each fixing fitting 29 are held by both mounting wall portions 51.

[0033] (Function of connector 10) When assembling the terminal fitting 80 to the housing 20, the retained portion 85 of the mating connection portion 81 is guided from the insertion opening 48 to each guiding surface 41, each short inclined surface 45, each movement-suppressing surface 38, each guide inclined surface 37, and each opposing inclined surface 42, and is inserted (press-fitted) into the retaining hole 32. When the terminal fitting 80 is assembled to the housing 20 in the correct position, the retained portion 85 is held in place by the locking action of each projection 87 in the wall portion 25, and the portion of the mating connection portion 81 that extends forward from the retained portion 85 is positioned to protrude into the inside of the hood portion 21 (see Figure 1). The intermediate extension portion 82 and the substrate connection portion 83 are positioned exposed behind the housing 20 (see Figure 3). As shown in Figures 5 and 6, each stopper portion 88 is housed in a dwelling space 53 partitioned between the paired movement-suppressing surfaces 38 that are located on the left and right inner sides of each side inner surface 47 and in the vertical direction within the wall portion 25. The front end of each stopper 88 is positioned opposite each opposing surface 36 at the rear of each opposing surface 36. If the mating connection part 81 is inserted too far into the wall part 25, each stopper 88 will abut against the stepped surface 43 of each opposing surface 36, preventing the insertion of the mating connection part 81. Also, fixing brackets 29 are attached to both sides 24 of the hood part 21 at an appropriate timing.

[0034] The connector 10 is placed on the surface of the circuit board 100. Then, the board connection portion 83 of each terminal fitting 80 and each fixing fitting 29 are placed on the solder paste on the surface of the circuit board 100. After that, a reflow process is performed, in which each fixing fitting 29 is soldered to the circuit board 100 and fixed in place, and the board connection portion 83 of each terminal fitting 80 is soldered to the circuit board 100 and electrically connected to a conductive part of the circuit board 100 (not shown).

[0035] When performing reflow soldering, it is required that the board connection portion 83 of each terminal fitting 80 be positioned at an appropriate height (vertical position) on the surface of the circuit board 100 in order to ensure coplanarity. In this regard, in the case of this embodiment 1, the wall portion 25 of the housing 20 has a movement-restricting surface 38 that extends in the front-rear direction and forms a pair in the vertical direction between the guide surface 41 and the opposing surface 36, and the upper and lower surfaces of each stopper portion 88 of the terminal fitting 80 face the vertically paired movement-restricting surface 38, so that each stopper portion 88 is positioned in the housing space 53 of the wall portion 25 in a state in which vertical movement is suppressed. By suppressing the vertical movement of each stopper portion 88 in the wall portion 25 in this way, it is possible to maintain a state in which the mating connection portion 81 of each terminal fitting 80 is properly assembled to the wall portion 25 along the front-rear direction. And because the mating connection portion 81 of each terminal fitting 80 is properly assembled to the wall portion 25, the board connection portion 83 of each terminal fitting 80 is positioned at an appropriate height before reflow soldering. Furthermore, since the vertical movement of each stopper portion 88 is suppressed by each movement-suppressing surface 38, even after reflow soldering, the board connection portion 83 of each terminal fitting 80 can be properly soldered onto the surface of the circuit board 100.

[0036] As described above, the connector 10 of this embodiment 1 comprises a housing 20 and a terminal fitting 80. The housing 20 has a wall portion 25 having thickness in a first direction (front-to-back direction), a retaining hole 32 extending in the first direction inside the wall portion 25, a guide surface 41 extending from one surface 26 in the first direction of the wall portion 25 toward the other surface 27, inclined toward each other in a second direction (up-down direction) that intersects the first direction, and opposing surfaces 36 arranged in pairs in the middle portion of the wall portion 25 in the first direction in a third direction (left-to-right direction) that intersects the first and second directions, and facing the same direction as the surface 26. The housing 20 also has a movement-restricting surface 38 extending along the first direction between the guide surface 41 and the opposing surface 36 of the wall portion 25. The terminal fitting 80 has a board connection portion 83 arranged along the surface of the circuit board 100 outside the housing 20, a retained portion 85 held in the retaining hole 32, and a stopper portion 88 arranged in a housing space 53 closer to one surface 26 than the opposing surface 36, facing the opposing surface 36 in the first direction. The stopper portion 88 is positioned between a pair of movement-restricting surfaces 38 in the second direction, in a state in which movement in the second direction is suppressed.

[0037] With the above configuration, in addition to the retained portion 85 being held in the retaining hole 32, the stopper portion 88 is positioned between a pair of movement-suppressing surfaces 38 in the second direction in a state where movement in the second direction is suppressed. As a result, the terminal fitting 80 can be correctly assembled to the wall portion 25 and held in a state where positional fluctuations are kept to a minimum. Consequently, coplanarity can be improved and mounting defects can be suppressed.

[0038] In particular, since the dimension of the stopper portion 88 in the second direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of movement-restricting surfaces 38 in the second direction, contact between the stopper portion 88 and the movement-restricting surfaces 38 can be avoided during the assembly process of the terminal fitting 80 to the housing 20, making it easy to assemble the terminal fitting 80.

[0039] Furthermore, since the movement-restricting surfaces 38 are paired in a third direction, and the wall portion 25 has a retractable surface 39 recessed between the paired movement-restricting surfaces 38 in the third direction so as to be away from the movement-restricting surfaces 38 in a second direction, it is possible to avoid the retained portion 85 coming into contact with the retractable surface 39 during the assembly process of the terminal fitting 80 to the housing 20. As a result, the assembly of the terminal fitting 80 can be made easier.

[0040] Furthermore, since the wall portion 25 has guide slopes 37 that extend inclined from the retractable surface 39 to the inner surface of the holding hole 32 so as to move toward each other in a second direction, when the terminal fitting 80 is assembled to the housing 20, the part to be held 85 can move smoothly from the guide slopes 37 to the inner surface of the holding hole 32.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment 1, the distance between the inner surfaces of the pair of retaining holes 32 in the second direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of movement-restricting surfaces 38 in the second direction. This makes it possible to avoid the stopper portion 88 coming into contact with the movement-restricting surface 38 during the assembly process of the terminal fitting 80 to the housing 20, making it easier to assemble the terminal fitting 80. In addition, after the terminal fitting 80 is assembled, the retained portion 85 can come into close contact with the inner surface of the retaining hole 32. As a result, the retained portion 85 can be held by the wall portion 25 in a more favorable state.

[0042] [Other embodiments of this disclosure] Embodiment 1 disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In the first embodiment described above, the connector was a horizontal type connector in which both the mating terminal portion and the board connection portion of the terminal fitting extended in the front-to-back direction and opened in the plane direction of the circuit board. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the connector may be a vertical type connector in which the mating terminal portion and the board connection portion of the terminal fitting extended in directions that intersect each other, and the hood portion opened in a direction that intersects the plane direction of the circuit board. In the first embodiment described above, the stopper portion of the terminal fitting was positioned so as to be separated vertically from the movement-restricting surface. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the stopper portion of the terminal fitting may be positioned so as to be in contact with the movement-restricting surface. In the first embodiment described above, the fastening portion of the terminal fitting was positioned so as to be away from the opposing surface. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the fastening portion of the terminal fitting may be positioned so as to be in contact with the opposing surface. In the first embodiment described above, a retractable surface was formed between a pair of motion-restricting surfaces in the left-right direction. In contrast, according to other embodiments, a retractable surface may not be formed, and the motion-restricting surfaces may be formed continuously in the left-right direction. In the first embodiment described above, the substrate connection portion of the terminal fitting was connected along the surface of the circuit board. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the substrate connection portion of the terminal fitting may be inserted into a through-hole of the circuit board. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10… Connectors 20… Housing 21…Food Department 22...Tenbu 23...bottom 24... Side 25…Wall part 26…one side 27...other side 28... Rock Club 29… Fixing brackets 31... Projection wall 32...Retaining hole 33…hanging wall 34... Expanded diameter surface 35…Straight side 36… Opposite side 37... Guiding slope 38…Motion Inhibition Surface 39…Evacuation area 41... Enticement surface 42… Opposing slope 43...Step surface 44…End face 45…Short slope 46...Flat protrusion 47...Inner surface 48... Insertion opening 49…protective wall 51... Mounting wall portion 53…Containment space 80... Terminal fittings 81...Partner connection part 82...Intermediate extension 83... Circuit board connection section 84...Extension part 85…Holded part 86...Middle section 87…Protrusion 88... Stopper 89...Tip 100... Circuit board

Claims

1. A connector comprising a housing and terminal fittings, The aforementioned housing is A wall portion having thickness in the first direction, The interior of the wall portion has a retaining hole extending in the first direction, An inviting surface extending from one surface in the first direction toward the other surface of the wall portion, inclined to approach each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction, In the intermediate portion of the wall in the first direction, a pair of opposing surfaces are arranged in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions, and facing the same direction as the aforementioned surface. The wall portion has a movement-restricting surface that extends along the first direction between the guiding surface and the opposing surface, The aforementioned terminal fittings are A board connection portion connected to a circuit board outside the housing, The part to be held is held in the holding hole, It has a stopper portion that is positioned in the first direction opposite to the opposing surface in the space closer to the one surface than the opposing surface, The stopper is a connector positioned between the pair of movement-restricting surfaces in the second direction, in a state where movement in the second direction is restricted.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the dimension of the stopper in the second direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of movement-restricting surfaces in the second direction.

3. The motion-restricting surfaces are paired in the third direction, The connector according to claim 2, wherein the wall portion has a recessed surface between the pair of motion-restricting surfaces in the third direction, such that it is recessed away from the motion-restricting surfaces in the second direction.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the wall portion has guide slopes that extend inclined toward each other in the second direction from the retractable surface to the inner surface of the holding hole.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the inner surfaces of the pair of retaining holes in the second direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of motion-restricting surfaces in the second direction.

Images