Joint Connector

Abstract

To provide a joint connector which is excellent in workability.SOLUTION: A joint connector 1 includes: a housing 10 having a plurality of lances 13; a plurality of terminal fittings 30 which are inserted into the housing 10 from the rear of the housing 10 and prevented from coming off by the engagement function of the plurality of lances 13; a joint terminal 50 which is attached to the housing 10 from the front to make conduction among the plurality of terminal fittings 30; and a holding member 80 which is attached to the housing 10 in a manner to cover the front of the housing 10, so as to hold the joint terminal 50. Inside the housing 10, a jig insertion room 16 which opens in the rear face of the housing 10 is formed. Each lance 13 includes a jig contact part 13A arranged in the jig insertion room 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a joint connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a joint connector having a connector housing and terminal fittings accommodated in the connector housing. A general-purpose connector connected to a sub-harness is fitted into the joint connector. The general-purpose connector accommodates a plurality of terminals connected to a plurality of electric wires constituting the sub-harness. When the joint connector and the general-purpose connector are fitted together, the multiple terminals of the general-purpose connector are connected to the terminal fittings and are electrically connected via the terminal fittings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-221907 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When removing the terminals of the general-purpose connector for maintenance or the like, the retention of the terminals is released by inserting a jig from the front of the general-purpose connector, i.e., the surface facing the joint connector. However, in order to release the retention of the terminals, it is necessary to first detach the general-purpose connector from the joint connector, which makes the work less efficient.

[0005] The joint connector of the present disclosure has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a joint connector with excellent workability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The joint connector of the present disclosure comprises: a housing having a plurality of lances; a plurality of terminal fittings that are inserted into the housing from the rear side and are prevented from coming out by the locking action of the plurality of lances; a joint terminal attached to the housing from the front and electrically connecting the terminal fittings; a holding member that holds the joint terminal and is attached to the housing so as to cover a front surface of the housing; Equipped with A jig insertion chamber is formed in the housing, the jig insertion chamber being open to a rear surface of the housing, The lance has a jig abutment portion disposed within the jig insertion chamber. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a joint connector can be made with excellent workability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a joint connector according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the housing. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the housing as viewed diagonally from the upper right front. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the housing with the retainer in the provisionally locked position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the housing with the retainer in the final locking position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the joint connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the holding member as viewed diagonally from the upper right rear. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the holding member as viewed diagonally from the upper right rear. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, and shows a state in which the terminal fitting is being inserted into the cavity. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and shows a state in which the insertion of the terminal fitting into the cavity is completed. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a front view of the joint connector of the first embodiment as viewed from the front. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the jig as viewed diagonally from the upper left front. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, and shows a state in which the jig is being inserted into the jig insertion chamber. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and shows the state in which the lance has been released from the terminal fitting by the jig inserted into the jig insertion chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The joint connector of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A housing having a plurality of lances, a plurality of terminal fittings inserted into the housing from the rear and prevented from coming out by the locking action of the plurality of lances, a joint terminal attached to the housing from the front and conducting the plurality of terminal fittings, and a retaining member that holds the joint terminal and is attached to the housing so as to cover the front surface of the housing, a tool insertion chamber that opens to the rear surface of the housing is formed in the housing, and the lance has a tool abutment portion arranged in the tool insertion chamber. According to this configuration, when releasing the lock of the lance with the terminal fitting, a jig inserted into the tool insertion chamber from the rear of the housing is abutted against the tool abutment portion of the lance, and the lance is displaced in a direction to disengage from the terminal fitting. Since there is no need to remove the retaining member from the housing, this provides excellent operability.

[0010] (2) It is preferable that the jig contact portion has a guide surface that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. With this configuration, the jig inserted into the jig insertion chamber can be prevented from hitting the jig contact portion.

[0011] (3) The housing is provided with a retainer that is displaceable between a temporary locking position that allows the insertion of the terminal fitting into the housing and a full locking position that prevents the terminal fitting inserted into the housing from coming out, and the retainer is preferably provided with an insertion restriction portion that is located in the jig insertion chamber when the retainer is in the full locking position to restrict the jig from contacting the jig abutment portion and allows the jig to contact the jig abutment portion when the retainer is in the temporary locking position. If the retainer is in the full locking position and the retention by the lance is released to remove the terminal fitting backward, there is a concern that the locking portion between the terminal fitting and the retainer may be deformed or damaged. As a countermeasure to this, an insertion restriction portion is formed on the retainer. As a result, if a jig is inserted into the jig insertion chamber when the retainer is in the full locking position, the jig is restricted from contacting the jig abutment portion, and therefore the release operation for the lance cannot be performed. This makes it possible to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed while the retainer is in the full locking position.

[0012] (4) The joint terminal has tabs that are individually connected to the multiple terminal fittings, and a ferrite core is fitted onto the tab, and it is preferable that a part of the ferrite core and at least a part of the jig insertion chamber are arranged to overlap when viewed from the front of the housing. With this configuration, the space between adjacent terminal fittings is expanded by forming the jig insertion chamber, but this expanded space can be used to place the ferrite core. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in size due to the provision of the ferrite core.

[0013] (5) In (4), it is preferable that the terminal fittings are arranged in a first direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and in two rows in a second direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the first direction, a pair of terminal fittings arranged in the second direction constitute one differential pair transmission line, and one ferrite core is attached to a pair of tabs connected to the pair of terminal fittings constituting the differential pair transmission line. According to this configuration, the multiple ferrite cores can be arranged in a row along the first direction, and the layout of the ferrite cores can be simplified.

[0014] In (6) and (5), the direction of displacement when the lance separates from the terminal metal fitting is preferably parallel to the first direction. With this configuration, the pitch between the pair of terminal metal fittings constituting the differential pair transmission line can be narrowed, and therefore the ferrite core can be made smaller.

[0015] In (7) and (6), it is preferable that the jig abutment portion is disposed between the terminal fittings adjacent in the first direction. With this configuration, the interval between the terminal fittings adjacent in the first direction can be secured, so that the dimensions of the ferrite core in the first direction can be secured sufficiently while preventing contact between the ferrite cores aligned in the first direction. This improves the noise filtering performance of the ferrite core.

[0016] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] [Embodiment 1] A first embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 15. In the following description, the up-down direction is defined as the direction shown in Figure 1 as up and down. The front-rear direction is defined as the right side in Figure 1 as the front and the left side as the rear. The front is the direction in which the holding member 80 is located relative to the housing 10. The left-right direction is defined as the back side in Figure 1 as the left and the front side as the right.

[0017] The joint connector 1 of the first embodiment includes a housing 10, a retainer 70, a plurality of terminal fittings 30, a holding member 80, a plurality of joint terminals 50, and a plurality of ferrite cores 20, as shown in FIG.

[0018] [About housing] The housing 10 is made of synthetic resin. The housing 10 is generally block-shaped. A plurality of cavities 12 are formed in the housing 10, penetrating in the front-rear direction. A terminal fitting 30 is inserted into each cavity 12. The cavities 12 are arranged in a set of two rows, one above the other, and three sets of cavities 12 are lined up in the left-right direction.

[0019] A jig insertion chamber 16 is formed to the left of each cavity 12, penetrating in the front-rear direction. The jig insertion chamber 16 opens to the rear surface of the housing 10. A jig 90 is inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 from the rear. As shown in FIG. 3 , one lance 13 that is elastically deformable in the left-right direction is provided in the housing 10, straddling each of the cavities 12 and the jig insertion chamber 16. In other words, the housing 10 has a plurality of lances 13. Each lance 13 protrudes into each of the cavities 12.

[0020] Each lance 13 has a jig contact portion 13A. The jig contact portion 13A is disposed in the jig insertion chamber 16. The jig contact portion 13A is connected to the left edge of the lance 13 and rises upward (see FIG. 2). A guide surface 13B inclined with respect to the front-rear direction is formed on the rear side of the jig contact portion 13A. Specifically, the guide surface 13B faces diagonally rear right and inclines forward toward the right. As shown in FIG. 4, a hood portion 10A having a square cylindrical shape and protruding forward is provided on the front side of the housing 10. Lock holes 10B and 10C penetrating in the vertical direction are formed on the tips of the upper and lower walls of the hood portion 10A.

[0021] A mounting groove 14 is formed in the center of the lower front-rear direction of the housing 10 so as to be recessed upward from the right end to the left end. The mounting groove 14 is located rearward of each lance 13 (see FIG. 3). The mounting groove 14 communicates with each cavity 12. A retainer 70 is attached to the mounting groove 14. A concave surface portion 17 is formed on both left and right side surfaces of the housing 10 so as to be recessed from the surroundings (see FIG. 3). The concave surface portion 17 is provided with a temporary locking portion 18 and a full locking portion 19 that protrude outward in the left-right direction (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The temporary locking portion 18 and the full locking portion 19 are located above the mounting groove 14 in the concave surface portion 17. The full locking portion 19 is located above the temporary locking portion 18 in the concave surface portion 17.

[0022] [About the retainer] The retainer 70 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 1, the retainer 70 is in the shape of a block extending in the left-right direction. At both left-right ends of the retainer 70, guide portions 70A extending upward and in the front-rear direction are formed. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the retainer 70 is inserted into the mounting groove 14 from below the housing 10 with the guide portions 70A aligned with the concave surface portion 17 of the housing 10. When the guide portions 70A of the retainer 70 are engaged with the temporary locking portions 18, the retainer 70 is held in a temporary locking position relative to the housing 10 (see FIG. 5). When the guide portions 70A of the retainer 70 are engaged with the full locking portions 19, the retainer 70 is held in a full locking position relative to the housing 10 (see FIG. 6). The retainer 70 is attached to the housing 10 so as to be displaceable between the temporary locking position and the full locking position.

[0023] The retainer 70 has a plurality of through holes 70D formed therein corresponding to the cavities 12 and the jig insertion chambers 16 in the lower stage (see FIG. 1). The retainer 70 is provided with a plurality of removal prevention portions 70B and insertion restriction portions 70C that protrude upward at positions corresponding to the cavities 12 and the jig insertion chambers 16 in the upper stage and at positions corresponding to the cavities 12 and the jig insertion chambers 16 in the lower stage. Each removal prevention portion 70B is disposed at a position facing each of the cavities 12 from below when the retainer 70 is inserted into the mounting groove 14. Each insertion restriction portion 70C is disposed at a position facing each of the jig insertion chambers 16 from below when the retainer 70 is inserted into the mounting groove 14.

[0024] When the retainer 70 is in the temporary locking position, the insertion restricting portion 70C is located at the lower end of the jig insertion chamber 16 and in a retracted state, and the removal preventing portion 70B is located at the lower end of the cavity 12 and in a retracted state (see FIG. 5). This allows the jig 90 to come into contact with the jig abutment portion 13A of the lance 13 when the jig 90 is inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 from the rear of the housing 10. At the same time, the terminal fitting 30 is allowed to be inserted into the cavity 12.

[0025] When the retainer 70 is in the full locking position, the insertion restricting portion 70C is in an inserted state located at the vertical center of the jig insertion chamber 16, and the removal preventing portion 70B is in an inserted state located at the vertical center of the cavity 12 (see FIG. 6). As a result, when the jig 90 is inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 from the rear of the housing 10, the retainer 70 restricts the jig 90 from contacting the jig abutting portion 13A of the lance 13. At the same time, the retainer 70 prevents the terminal fitting 30 inserted in the cavity 12 from coming out.

[0026] [About terminal fittings]

[0027] The terminal fitting 30 is made of metal. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 30 is elongated and extends in the front-rear direction. The terminal fitting 30 has a box-shaped connection portion 30A at the front. A tab 50B of a joint terminal 50 is inserted into the connection portion 30A from the front. As shown in FIG. 7, a locking recess 30B is formed in the center of the lower wall of the connection portion 30A in the front-rear direction, recessed upward. The lance 13 enters the locking recess 30B from the left, thereby primarily preventing the terminal fitting 30 from coming off (see FIG. 11). Furthermore, the retainer 70 is inserted into the mounting groove 14 at the lower side of the rear end of the connection portion 30A and held in the main locking position, and the locking portion 70B of the retainer 70 is engaged with the lower side of the rear end of the connection portion 30A, thereby preventing the terminal fitting 30 from coming off secondarily.

[0028] The terminal fitting 30 is provided with a barrel portion 30C extending rearward from the rear end of the connection portion 30A. An electric wire W is crimped and connected to the barrel portion 30C. The electric wire W is drawn out from the rear surface of the housing 10 to the outside.

[0029] [About the holding parts] The holding member 80 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 8, the holding member 80 is block-shaped. Three accommodating recesses 80A are formed in the holding member 80 at regular intervals on the left and right. The accommodating recesses 80A are formed by recessing the front surface of the holding member 80 toward the front. A pair of upper and lower grooves 80D that are elongated in the left-right direction are formed in the holding member 80. The grooves 80D are recessed toward the front from the back of the accommodating recesses 80A. A plurality of press-fit holes 80G are formed in the back of the grooves 80D, recessed toward the front.

[0030] An upwardly protruding locking protrusion 80E is provided on the upper wall of the holding member 80. The rear surface of the locking protrusion 80E slopes upward toward the front, and the front surface rises steeply in the vertical direction. A downwardly protruding locking protrusion 80F is provided on the lower wall of the holding member 80. The rear surface of the locking protrusion 80F slopes downward toward the front, and the front surface rises steeply in the vertical direction.

[0031] 9, U-shaped slits 80B are formed in the upper and lower walls of the holding member 80. These slits 80B extend vertically from the outer surface of the holding member 80 to the accommodating recess 80A.

[0032] The portion of the upper wall surrounded by the slit 80B functions as a pressing portion 80C extending forward in a cantilever shape. The pressing portion 80C of the upper wall is inclined obliquely downward from the rear end of the accommodating recess 80A toward the back. In other words, the pressing portion 80C of the upper wall protrudes into the accommodating recess 80A. The pressing portion 80C of the upper wall elastically deforms upward with the rear end of the pressing portion 80C as a fulcrum.

[0033] The portion of the lower wall surrounded by the slit 80B functions as a pressing portion 80C extending forward in a cantilever shape. The pressing portion 80C of the lower wall is inclined obliquely upward from the rear end of the accommodating recess 80A toward the back. In other words, the pressing portion 80C of the lower wall protrudes into the accommodating recess 80A. The pressing portion 80C of the lower wall elastically deforms downward with the rear end of the pressing portion 80C as a fulcrum.

[0034] [About joint terminals] The joint terminal 50 is formed by punching out a metal flat plate. As shown in FIG. 1, the joint terminal 50 has a base portion 50A, three tabs 50B, and five press-fit portions 50C. The base portion 50A extends in the left-right direction with the plate thickness direction facing the up-down direction. The three tabs 50B extend rearward at a constant pitch in the left-right direction from the rear long side of the base portion 50A. Each of these tabs 50B is individually connected to each terminal fitting 30 attached to the housing 10. The five press-fit portions 50C extend forward at a constant pitch in the left-right direction from the front long side of the base portion 50A. The joint terminals 50 are inserted one by one into each groove 80D through the three receiving recesses 80A (see FIG. 7). The press-fit portions 50C of each joint terminal 50 are press-fitted one by one into the press-fit holes 80G (see FIG. 7). This prevents the joint terminal 50 from slipping out of the groove 80D.

[0035] [About ferrite cores] As shown in FIG. 1, the ferrite core 20 is generally in the shape of a vertically long block. The ferrite core 20 is symmetrical in the front-rear direction. The ferrite core 20 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 80A from the rear of the holding member 80 (see FIG. 7). At this time, the upper and lower surfaces of the ferrite core 20 are in contact with the tips of the pressing parts 80C and are pressed by the pressing parts 80C (see FIG. 7). As a result, the ferrite core 20 is maintained in a state of being accommodated in the accommodation recess 80A. The ferrite core 20 is formed with a pair of upper and lower insertion holes 20A penetrating in the front-rear direction. When the ferrite core 20 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 80A, the tabs 50B are inserted into the respective insertion holes 20A, and the front ends of the tabs 50B protrude forward of the ferrite core 20 (see FIG. 7). That is, the ferrite core 20 is fitted onto the tabs 50B of the joint terminal 50. Each ferrite core 20 exhibits a filter function that prevents the propagation of electromagnetic noise from the tab 50B that passes through one insertion hole 20A to the tab 50B that passes through the other insertion hole 20A.

[0036] [Joint connector assembly procedure] Next, an example of an assembly procedure for the joint connector 1 will be described. First, the retainer 70 is attached to the housing 10. Specifically, the guide portion 70A of the retainer 70 is inserted into the mounting groove 14 from below the housing 10 along the concave surface portion 17 of the housing 10. Then, the guide portion 70A is locked into the temporary locking portion 18 (see FIG. 5). This holds the retainer 70 in the temporary locking position.

[0037] Next, the terminal fitting 30 fixed to the end of the electric wire W is inserted into the cavity 12 of the housing 10 from the rear of the cavity 12 (see FIG. 10). In the process of inserting the terminal fitting 30 into the cavity 12, the front end of the connection portion 30A hits the lance 13 (see FIG. 10). Then, the lance 13 is bent and deformed to the left (see FIG. 10).

[0038] When the terminal fitting 30 is inserted to the correct position in the cavity 12, the locking recess 30B is located to the right of the lance 13 (see FIG. 11). Then, the lance 13 deforms and enters the locking recess 30B of the connection portion 30A from the left (see FIG. 11). As a result, even if the terminal fitting 30 moves rearward, the lance 13 is locked in the locking recess 30B, and the terminal fitting 30 is primarily locked in a non-dislodging state. In this way, the multiple terminal fittings 30 are inserted into the housing 10 from the rear of the housing 10, and are prevented from dislodging by the locking action of the multiple lances 13.

[0039] After the insertion of all the terminal fittings 30 into the cavities 12 is completed, the retainer 70 held at the temporary locking position is moved to the full locking position. When the retainer 70 is pushed upward from the temporary locking position, the guide portion 70A is locked to the full locking portion 19 (see FIG. 6). As a result, the retainer 70 is held at the full locking position. At this time, the retainer 70's removal prevention portion 70B moves to the vertical center of the cavity 12 and enters an inserted state, and the insertion restriction portion 70C moves to the vertical center of the jig insertion chamber 16 and enters an inserted state (see FIG. 6). When the retainer 70 enters an inserted state, the removal prevention portion 70B is locked to the rear end of the connection portion 30A of the terminal fitting 30 (see FIG. 7). Thus, the retainer 70 held at the full locking position is locked to the terminal fitting 30 inserted to the correct position in the cavity 12, and is secondarily locked to the terminal fitting 30 in a removal-preventing state. At this time, the jig abutment portion 13A of the lance 13 is disposed between the terminal fittings 30 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction (first direction) (see FIG. 11).

[0040] At this time, the multiple terminal fittings 30 are arranged along a first direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and are arranged in two rows in a vertical direction (second direction) perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the horizontal direction (see FIG. 7). A pair of terminal fittings 30 arranged along the vertical direction constitutes one differential pair transmission line P (see FIG. 7).

[0041] Next, the joint terminals 50 are attached to the holding member 80. Specifically, the two joint terminals 50 are inserted one by one into each groove 80D of the holding member 80 via the three accommodating recesses 80A (see FIG. 7). Then, the press-fit portions 50C of each joint terminal 50 are press-fitted one by one into the press-fit holes 80G (see FIG. 7). As a result, the holding member 80 holds the joint terminals 50 in a state where they are prevented from slipping out of the grooves 80D.

[0042] Next, the ferrite core 20 is attached to the holding member 80. Specifically, the ferrite core 20 is oriented so that the pair of insertion holes 20A are aligned vertically. Then, the tab 50B of the upper joint terminal 50 is inserted into the upper insertion hole 20A of the pair of insertion holes 20A, and the tab 50B of the lower joint terminal 50 is inserted into the lower insertion hole 20A of the pair of insertion holes 20A (see FIG. 7). Then, the ferrite core 20 is accommodated in the accommodating recess 80A. The ferrite core 20 accommodated in the accommodating recess 80A is pressed from above and below by the pressing parts 80C, and the state in which the ferrite core 20 is accommodated in the accommodating recess 80A is maintained (see FIG. 7).

[0043] Next, the holding member 80 is attached to the housing 10. Specifically, the holding member 80 is inserted into the hood portion 10A of the housing 10 from the front of the hood portion 10A (see FIG. 7). At this time, the tab 50B of the joint terminal 50 is first inserted from the front into the connection portion 30A of the terminal fitting 30 attached to the housing 10. In other words, the joint terminal 50 is attached to the housing 10 from the front, thereby establishing electrical continuity between the multiple terminal fittings 30.

[0044] Next, the holding member 80 is inserted into the hood portion 10A from the front. Then, the locking protrusions 80E, 80F of the holding member 80 are engaged with the locking holes 10B, 10C of the hood portion 10A, respectively (see FIG. 7). That is, the holding member 80 is attached to the housing 10 so as to cover the front surface of the housing 10. In this manner, the assembly of the joint connector 1 is completed. As shown in FIG. 12, in a front view of the housing 10 of the joint connector 1 seen from the front, a part of the ferrite core 20 and at least a part of the jig insertion chamber 16 are arranged to overlap each other. One ferrite core 20 is attached to a pair of tabs 50B connected to a pair of terminal fittings 30 constituting a differential pair transmission line P (see FIG. 7).

[0045] [Procedure for removing terminal fittings] Next, an example of a procedure for removing the terminal fitting 30 from the housing 10 will be described. First, with the joint terminal 50 and the holding member 80 still attached to the housing 10, the retainer 70 held in the full locking position is moved to the temporary locking position. Then, the removal prevention portion 70B of the retainer 70 in the inserted state becomes a retracted state, and the insertion restriction portion 70C in the inserted state becomes a retracted state (see FIG. 5). This allows the jig 90 to come into contact with the jig contact portion 13A of the lance 13.

[0046] Next, the jig 90 is inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 from the rear of the jig insertion chamber 16. As shown in FIG. 13, the jig 90 is elongated in the front-rear direction. The cross-sectional shape of the jig 90 perpendicular to the front-rear direction is a rectangle elongated in the up-down direction. The tip end 90A of the jig 90 (i.e., the side inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16) is biased upward relative to the base end 90D. The tip surface of the jig 90 is an inclined surface 90B that is inclined rightward toward the tip. The base end 90D of the jig 90 is provided with a flange 90C that protrudes like a flange to make it easier to grip.

[0047] The tip 90A of the jig 90 is inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 from the rear of the housing 10. Then, the tip 90A is guided to the right side of the jig abutment portion 13A by the inclined surface 90B of the jig 90 and the guide surface 13B of the jig abutment portion 13A (see FIG. 14). When the jig 90 is further inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16, the tip 90A of the jig 90 pushes the jig abutment portion 13A to the left side of the jig insertion chamber 16 (see FIG. 15). Accordingly, the lance 13 is elastically deformed leftward and displaced from within the locking recess 30B to the left of the connection portion 30A (see FIG. 15). In this way, the lance 13 is released from the terminal fitting 30. The displacement direction of the lance 13 when it is released from the terminal fitting 30 is parallel to the left-right direction (first direction). Thus, the primary lock of the terminal fitting 30 by the lance 13 is released, and the terminal fitting 30 can be pulled out rearward from the rear surface of the housing 10.

[0048] Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described.

[0049] The joint connector 1 of the present disclosure includes a housing 10, a plurality of terminal fittings 30, a joint terminal 50, and a holding member 80. The housing 10 has a plurality of lances 13. The plurality of terminal fittings 30 are inserted into the housing 10 from the rear of the housing 10, and are prevented from coming off by the locking action of the plurality of lances 13. The joint terminal 50 is attached to the housing 10 from the front, and conducts the plurality of terminal fittings 30. The holding member 80 holds the joint terminal 50, and is attached to the housing 10 so as to cover the front surface of the housing 10. A jig insertion chamber 16 that opens to the rear surface of the housing 10 is formed in the housing 10, and the lance 13 has a jig abutment portion 13A arranged in the jig insertion chamber 16. According to this configuration, when releasing the lock of the lance 13 from the terminal fitting 30, the jig 90 inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 from the rear of the housing 10 is abutted against the jig abutment portion 13A of the lance 13, and the lance 13 is displaced in a direction to disengage from the terminal fitting 30. Since there is no need to remove the retaining member 80 from the housing 10, this provides excellent operability.

[0050] A guide surface 13B inclined relative to the front-rear direction is formed on the jig contact portion 13A of the joint connector 1 of the present disclosure. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the jig 90 inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 from hitting the jig contact portion 13A.

[0051] A retainer 70 is attached to the housing 10 of the joint connector 1 of the present disclosure, and is displaceable between a temporary locking position that allows the insertion of the terminal fitting 30 into the housing 10 and a full locking position that prevents the terminal fitting 30 inserted into the housing 10 from coming out. The retainer 70 is formed with an insertion restriction portion 70C. The insertion restriction portion 70C is located in the jig insertion chamber 16 when the retainer 70 is in the full locking position to restrict the jig 90 from contacting the jig contact portion 13A, and allows the jig 90 to contact the jig contact portion 13A when the retainer 70 is in the temporary locking position. If the retention by the lance 13 is released when the retainer 70 is in the full locking position and the terminal fitting 30 is to be removed backward, there is a concern that the locking portion between the terminal fitting 30 and the retainer 70 may be deformed or damaged. As a countermeasure to this, the retainer 70 is formed with the insertion restriction portion 70C. As a result, when the jig 90 is inserted into the jig insertion chamber 16 with the retainer 70 in the full locking position, the jig 90 is prevented from contacting the jig abutment portion 13A, and therefore it is not possible to perform a release operation on the lance 13. This makes it possible to prevent the terminal fitting 30 from being removed with the retainer 70 in the full locking position.

[0052] The joint terminal 50 of the joint connector 1 of the present disclosure has tabs 50B that are individually connected to the multiple terminal fittings 30. The ferrite core 20 is fitted onto the tab 50B, and is arranged so that a part of the ferrite core 20 and at least a part of the jig insertion chamber 16 overlap in a front view of the housing 10 from the front. With this configuration, the space between the adjacent terminal fittings 30 is expanded by forming the jig insertion chamber 16, but the ferrite core 20 can be arranged by utilizing this expanded space. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in size due to the provision of the ferrite core 20.

[0053] In the joint connector 1 of the present disclosure, the multiple terminal fittings 30 are arranged in a row along a left-right direction (first direction) perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and are arranged in two rows in a top-bottom direction (second direction) perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction (first direction). A pair of terminal fittings 30 arranged in the top-bottom direction (second direction) constitute one differential pair transmission line P, and one ferrite core 20 is attached to a pair of tabs 50B connected to the pair of terminal fittings 30 constituting the differential pair transmission line P. With this configuration, the multiple ferrite cores 20 can be arranged in a row along the left-right direction, and the layout of the ferrite cores 20 can be simplified.

[0054] In the joint connector 1 of the present disclosure, the direction of displacement when the lance 13 is released from the terminal fitting 30 is parallel to the left-right direction (first direction). With this configuration, the pitch between the pair of terminal fittings 30 that constitute the differential pair transmission line P can be narrowed, and therefore the ferrite core 20 can be made smaller.

[0055] In the joint connector 1 of the present disclosure, the jig abutment portion 13A is disposed between the terminal fittings 30 adjacent in the left-right direction (first direction). With this configuration, the interval between the terminal fittings 30 adjacent in the left-right direction can be secured, so that the dimensions of the ferrite core 20 in the left-right direction can be secured sufficiently while preventing contact between the ferrite cores 20 aligned in the left-right direction. This can improve the noise filtering performance of the ferrite core 20. [Other embodiments] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0056] Unlike the first embodiment, the retainer may not have the insertion restriction portion.

[0057] Unlike the first embodiment, the holding member may have a hood portion that surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the housing.

[0058] Unlike the first embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which the ferrite core is not attached to the joint terminal.

[0059] Unlike the first embodiment, the direction of displacement of the lance when it separates from the terminal fitting may be parallel to the second direction.

[0060] Unlike the first embodiment, the jig contact portion may be disposed between the terminal fittings aligned in the second direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1...Joint connector 10. Housing 10A…Hood section 10B…Lock hole 10C…Lock hole 12…Cavity 13. Lance 13A…Jig contact part 13B...Guide surface 14...Mounting groove 16...Jig insertion chamber 17…Concave part 18...Temporary locking part 19...Main locking part 20…Ferrite core 20A…Through hole 30...Terminal fitting 30A…Connection 30B…Latching recess 30C…Barrel section 50...Joint terminal 50A…Base section 50B…Tab 50C…Press-fit section 70…Retainer 70A…Guide section 70B…Retaining part 70C…Insertion restriction part 70D…Through hole 80...Retaining member 80A…Housing recess 80B…Slit 80C…Pressing part 80D…Groove 80E…Lock protrusion 80F…Lock protrusion 80G…Press-fit hole 90…Jig 90A…Tip 90B…Slanted surface 90C…Tsubabe 90D…Proximal end P…Differential pair transmission line W…Electric wire

Claims

1. a housing having a plurality of lances; a plurality of terminal fittings that are inserted into the housing from the rear side and are prevented from coming out by the locking action of the plurality of lances; a joint terminal attached to the housing from the front and electrically connecting the terminal fittings; a holding member that holds the joint terminal and is attached to the housing so as to cover a front surface of the housing; Equipped with A jig insertion chamber is formed in the housing, the jig insertion chamber being open to a rear surface of the housing, The lance has a jig abutment portion disposed within the jig insertion chamber, a retainer is attached to the housing and is displaceable between a partial locking position that allows the terminal fitting to be inserted into the housing and a full locking position that prevents the terminal fitting inserted into the housing from coming out; The retainer is a joint connector having an insertion restriction portion that is located within the jig insertion chamber when the retainer is in the full locking position to restrict the jig from contacting the jig contact portion, and that allows the jig to contact the jig contact portion when the retainer is in the temporary locking position.

2. The joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the jig contact portion is formed with a guide surface that is inclined relative to the front-rear direction.

3. The joint terminal has tabs that are individually connected to the plurality of terminal fittings, 3. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein a ferrite core is fitted onto the tab, and a portion of the ferrite core and at least a portion of the jig insertion chamber are arranged to overlap when viewed from the front of the housing.

4. The plurality of terminal fittings are arranged along a first direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and are arranged in two rows in a second direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the first direction, 4. The joint connector according to claim 3, wherein a pair of the terminal fittings arranged along the second direction constitute one differential pair transmission line, and one of the ferrite cores is attached to a pair of the tabs connected to the pair of the terminal fittings constituting the differential pair transmission line.

5. A joint connector as described in Claim 4, wherein the displacement direction when the lance separates from the terminal fitting is a direction parallel to the first direction.

6. The joint connector according to claim 5 , wherein the jig abutment portion is disposed between the terminal fittings adjacent to each other in the first direction.

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