connector

Abstract

To connect a connector to a mating connector electrically, while absorbing a positional deviation therebetween.SOLUTION: A connector comprises: a belt-like conductive member that has a first end part connectable to a mating terminal; a connector housing that accommodates the conductive member; a clip spring that is a member separate from the conductive member and in a state of accommodating the first end part; and a clip stopper that is attached to the conductive member and regulates displacement of the clip spring with respect to the conductive member. The connector housing has a wall that is provided with an opening allowing the mating terminal to be inserted into the opening in a first direction along the longitudinal direction of the conductive member in order to connect the mating terminal to the first end part. The clip spring has a first elastic piece and a second elastic piece that can clamp the first end part and the mating terminal in a state in which the mating terminal inserted from the opening overlaps the first end part. The clip stopper has a locked part that is locked to the conductive member, and a stopper part that can be in contact with the clip spring that is about to be displaced in the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, wire harnesses are used to connect electric devices such as motors and inverters. To reduce the number of parts and save space, a structure for directly connecting electric devices has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). For this structure, one electric device has a first connector, and the other electric device has a second connector that can be connected to the first connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-225488 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a terminal fitting, a connector housing, and a support member attached within the connector housing. The terminal fitting has a first end (electrical contact portion) connectable with a mating terminal of a mating connector, a second end (device connection portion) on the opposite side, and a braided wire connecting the first terminal and the second terminal. The support member supports the first end (electrical contact portion) so that it can be displaced within the connector housing.

[0005] Even if the first end of the connector is misaligned in relation to the mating terminal of the mating connector, the first end is displaced and the braided wire is flexed, thereby absorbing the misalignment and electrically connecting the electrical devices to each other.

[0006] In the case of the connector, it is necessary to join the braided wire to the first end and the second end, which does not contribute much to cost reduction. When connecting a mating terminal to a first end of a connector, if the mating terminal presses the first terminal, the braided wire may bend and the first terminal may move away (retract), making the connection difficult.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to absorb any misalignment between a connector and a mating connector, to enable electrical connection, and to make the connection easier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a connector that can be electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal, and includes a band-shaped conductive member having a first end that can be connected to the mating terminal, a connector housing that accommodates the conductive member, a clip spring that is a separate member from the conductive member and accommodates the first end, and a clip stopper that is attached to the conductive member and limits displacement of the clip spring relative to the conductive member, wherein the connector housing has a wall with an opening that allows the mating terminal to be inserted in a first direction along the longitudinal direction of the conductive member to connect the mating terminal to the first end, and the clip spring has first and second elastic pieces that can clamp the first end and the mating terminal with the mating terminal inserted through the opening overlapping the first end, and the clip stopper has a locking portion that engages with the conductive member and a stopper portion that can come into contact with the clip spring attempting to displace in the first direction. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, even if there is a positional misalignment between a connector and a mating connector, the positional misalignment can be absorbed to enable electrical connection, and moreover, it is possible to make the connection easier. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector and a mating connector according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector and the mating connector according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector and the mating connector. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the connector in cross section. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the conductive member, the clip spring, and the clip stopper in a disassembled state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conductive member and a mating terminal are connected to each other. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the connector in a state where the restricting member is removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the conductive member and the clip stopper. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the clip spring and the clip stopper. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the clip spring is removed from the clip stopper. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the clip stopper. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the restricting member. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the restricting member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] <Overview of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Below, an overview of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) A connector of this embodiment is a connector that can be electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal, and includes: a band-shaped conductive member having a first end connectable to the mating terminal; a connector housing that accommodates the conductive member; a clip spring that is a separate member from the conductive member and accommodates the first end; and a clip stopper that is attached to the conductive member and limits displacement of the clip spring relative to the conductive member. The connector housing has a wall with an opening that allows the mating terminal to be inserted in a first direction along the longitudinal direction of the conductive member to connect the mating terminal to the first end. The clip spring has first and second elastic pieces that can clamp the first end and the mating terminal with the mating terminal inserted from the opening overlapping the first end. The clip stopper has an engaging portion that engages with the conductive member, and a stopper portion that can come into contact with the clip spring attempting to displace in the first direction.

[0012] According to the connector of this embodiment, the first end of the conductive member is accommodated in the clip spring, and in order to connect the mating terminal to the first end, the mating terminal is inserted through the opening of the connector housing. At that time, even if there is some misalignment between the first end and the mating terminal, the misalignment can be absorbed by elastically deforming a part of the belt-shaped conductive member. Furthermore, in order to connect the mating terminal to the first end accommodated in the clip spring, the mating terminal is brought into contact with the clip spring through the opening in the first direction. Then, the clip spring tries to displace in the first direction. The clip stopper is engaged with the conductive member by the engaging portion, so that it cannot be displaced in the first direction relative to the conductive member, and the clip spring comes into contact with the stopper portion of the clip stopper. As a result, the clip spring does not escape in the first direction, and the first end and the mating terminal can be easily connected.

[0013] (2) Preferably, the clip stopper has, as the stopper portion, a first stopper portion capable of contacting the first elastic piece and a second stopper portion capable of contacting the second elastic piece. With this configuration, when connecting the first end portion to the mating terminal, the clip stopper comes into contact with both the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece of the clip spring, making it difficult for the posture of the clip spring to change. This makes it even easier to connect the first end portion to the mating terminal.

[0014] (3) Preferably, the clip stopper has, as the locking portion, a first locking portion that is locked to one side in a width direction that is a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a second locking portion that is locked to the other side in the width direction. With this configuration, the clip stopper is less likely to tilt with respect to the conductive member, and can stably support the clip spring.

[0015] (4) Preferably, the clip stopper has a first support piece located between the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece and located adjacent to the first end in a width direction that is a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and when the direction in which the first end and the mating terminal overlap in the clip spring is defined as the overlap direction, the first elastic piece is capable of contacting one end of the first support piece in the overlap direction and the second elastic piece is capable of contacting the other end of the first support piece in the overlap direction, the first end is located on the side of the clip space formed between the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece, and a space for inserting the mating terminal is formed on the side of the clip space closer to the first elastic piece. According to this configuration, a space for inserting the mating terminal is formed between the first end and the first elastic piece by the first support piece. When the mating terminal is connected to and overlaps the first end, the first elastic piece contacts the mating terminal, the second elastic piece contacts the first end, and the clip spring clamps the first end and the mating terminal.

[0016] (5) Preferably, in the connector of (4), the dimension of the first support piece in the overlapping direction is smaller than a first dimension in the overlapping direction between the first end and the mating terminal when they are overlapped by the clip spring, and is larger than a second dimension in the overlapping direction of the first end alone, so that when the mating terminal is not overlapped with the first end, the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece elastically clamp the first support piece. According to this configuration, the dimension of the first support piece in the overlapping direction is smaller than the first dimension between the first end and the mating terminal in an overlapping state, so that the first end and the mating terminal are sandwiched between the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece with elastic force. Since the dimension of the first support piece in the overlapping direction is larger than the second dimension of the first end alone, and the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece elastically sandwich the first support piece when the mating terminal is not overlapped with the first end, a space is secured between the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece for inserting the mating terminal to overlap with the first end, thereby reducing the force required to insert and attach the mating terminal to the clip spring.

[0017] (6) Preferably, in the connector of (4) or (5), the clip spring has a clip base located adjacent to the first end in the width direction, the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece are provided extending in the width direction from both ends of the clip base in the overlapping direction, the clip stopper has a stopper base located on the first direction side of the clip spring and a second support piece located on the opposite side to the first support piece across the first end, the first support piece and the second support piece are provided extending in the direction opposite to the first direction from both ends of the stopper base in the width direction, and a structure including the conductive member, the clip spring and the clip stopper is arranged such that the center of the connector housing in the width direction is used as a reference. Plane symmetry A pair of the connectors are disposed on both sides of the connector housing in the width direction. According to this configuration, the clip stopper can be used as a common part for each of the pair of structures arranged on both sides in the width direction of the connector housing.

[0018] (7) Preferably, in the connector of (6) above, in the two structures arranged on both sides in the width direction of the connector housing, the clip bases are arranged apart on the outer sides in the width direction. With this configuration, it is possible to arrange the locations where the clip springs of the two structures clamp the first end portions and the mating terminals close to each other in the width direction. As a result, the two first end portions and the two mating terminals can be brought close to each other in the width direction, which contributes to making the mating connector more compact in the width direction.

[0019] (8) Preferably, the clip stopper has a stopper portion for preventing the clip spring from falling off and capable of coming into contact with the clip spring from the first direction. With this configuration, the displacement of the clip spring in the direction opposite to the first direction is also limited. When the mating terminal is removed from the clip spring, the clip spring is held by the clip stopper.

[0020] (9) Preferably, the conductive member has a second end located on the opposite side to the first end in the longitudinal direction of the conductive member, and a damper portion provided between the first end and the second end and capable of elastically deforming in a direction to bring the first end and the second end closer to each other. With this configuration, when a mating terminal inserted through an opening of a housing is connected to the first end of the conductive member of the connector, even if there is a misalignment between the first end and the mating terminal, the damper portion can elastically deform to absorb the misalignment.

[0021] (10) Preferably, the connector of (9) further includes a restricting member provided on the connector housing, the restricting member being provided in an area adjacent to the first end in the first direction to restrict displacement of the first end when the damper portion elastically deforms. With this configuration, the restricting member provided in the area adjacent to the first end restricts displacement of the first end, thereby restricting the amount of elastic deformation of the damper portion caused by a force for mechanically connecting the first end and the mating terminal. As a result, the first end and the mating terminal can be easily connected.

[0022] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Hereinafter, the details of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any combination.

[0023] [About the connector 10 and the mating connector 90] 1 and 2 are perspective views of a connector 10 and a mating connector 90 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 are connected. Fig. 2 shows a state in which the connector 10 and the mating connector 90 are not connected. The connector 10 is a first connector possessed by a first electric device 5, and the mating connector 90 is a second connector possessed by a second electric device 6 that is different from the first electric device 5. The first electric device 5 and the second electric device 6 of the present embodiment are in-vehicle devices of an automobile.

[0024] The first electric device 5 and the second electric device 6 are directly connected. That is, the connector 10 is directly connected to the mating connector 90 without using a wire harness. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the first electric device 5 and the second electric device 6 are indicated by two-dot chain lines. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 10 and the mating connector 90. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the connector 10 in cross section.

[0025] The connector 10 includes two strip-shaped conductive members 11, 11, and one connector housing 12 that houses the conductive members 11, 11. Each conductive member 11 is formed of one strip-shaped member having a bent portion. The mating connector 90 includes two belt-shaped mating terminals 91, 91, and one mating housing 93 that accommodates the mating terminals 91, 91. One conductive member 11 and one mating terminal 91 are electrically connected to each other.

[0026] The conductive member 11 has a bent portion, but is strip-shaped and has a first end 21 and a second end 22 as a portion extending long in one direction (see FIG. 3). The one direction is the longitudinal direction of the conductive member 11, and the direction along the longitudinal direction is defined as the "first direction". The mating terminal 91 has a linear shape along the first direction. The two conductive members 11, 11 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. The direction in which the two conductive members 11, 11 are arranged side by side is defined as the "width direction". As will be described later (see FIG. 7), the first end 21 of the conductive member 11 and the mating end 92 of the mating terminal 91 are overlapped, and the conductive member 11 and the mating terminal 91 are electrically connected. The direction in which the mating terminal 91 (mating end 92) overlaps the first end 21 is defined as the "overlapping direction". The overlapping direction coincides with a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the width direction.

[0027] Each figure shows an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system, in which the X direction is the width direction (direction from one side in the width direction to the other side), the Y direction is the first direction (direction from the mating terminal 91 side to the conductive member 11 side), and the Z direction is the overlapping direction (direction from the first end 21 to the mating end 92).

[0028] [About connector 10] 3, the connector 10 includes a conductive member 11 and a connector housing 12, as well as a restricting member 13, a clip spring 14, and a clip stopper 15. One conductive member 11, one clip spring 14, and one clip stopper 15 constitute one structure 16. With the center C of the connector housing 12 in the width direction as a reference, Plane symmetryThe pair of structures 16, 16 are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the connector housing 12. The first structure 16 on one side in the width direction and the second structure 16 on the other side in the width direction are arranged such that, as described above, the imaginary plane extending in the YZ directions including the center C is used as a reference. Plane symmetry However, the structure and function of each component are the same.

[0029] [Conductive member 11] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the conductive member 11, the clip spring 14, and the clip stopper 15 in a disassembled state. In FIG. 5, the restricting member 13 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The conductive member 11 is made of a strip-shaped conductive metal plate material, and is also called a bus bar. The conductive member 11 is made of, for example, a copper alloy. The conductive member 11 is an elastic material made of a strip piece that is allowed to elastically flex in its thickness direction. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector 10. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the conductive member 11 and the mating terminal 91 are not connected (disconnected state). FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the conductive member 11 and the mating terminal 91 are connected (connected state).

[0030] The conductive member 11 has a first end 21, a second end 22, and a damper portion 23. The first end 21, the damper portion 23, and the second end 22 are formed by bending a single elastic strip. The first end 21 is a portion that can be electrically and mechanically connected to a mating end 92 of a mating terminal 91. The second end 22 is a portion that is located on the opposite side to the first end 21 in the longitudinal direction of the conductive member 11. The second end 22 is connected to an equipment side terminal not shown in the figure, etc.

[0031] The damper section 23 is a portion provided between the first end 21 and the second end 22. The damper section 23 is elastically deformable in a direction that brings the first end 21 and the second end 22 closer to each other and in a direction that moves them apart. Not only the damper section 23 is elastically deformable, but the first end 21 is also elastically deformable with a component in its thickness direction (Z direction), and the second end 22 is also elastically deformable with a component in its thickness direction (Z direction). For this reason, the first end 21 and the second end 22 can be displaced relatively with a component in the Z direction. For example, one or both of the first end 21 and the second end 22 can be inclined with respect to the Y direction.

[0032] The damper portion 23 has a first portion 24, a second portion 25, and a connecting portion 26. The first portion 24 is a portion that is connected to the first end portion 21 and extends in a direction that intersects with the Y direction (orthogonal in the illustrated example). The second portion 25 is a portion that is connected to the second end portion 22 and extends in a direction that intersects with the Y direction (orthogonal in the illustrated example). The connecting portion 26 is a portion that connects the first portion 24 and the second portion 25.

[0033] The first portion 24 and the second portion 25 are disposed opposite to each other. A plate-shaped restricting member 13 is provided between the first portion 24 and the second portion 25. In the unconnected state, the conductive member 11 is in an initial state where no external force acts on the conductive member 11 and the conductive member 11 is not elastically deformed, that is, the conductive member 11 is in a free state. In the initial state, the restricting member 13 and the damper portion 23 are not in contact with each other.

[0034] Each of the first portion 24 and the second portion 25 has a flat plate shape extending linearly in the Z direction. The connecting portion 26 has a flat plate shape connecting the first portion 24 and the second portion 25 in the Y direction. Therefore, the damper portion 23 has four bent portions 27 (see FIG. 6). Since the conductive member 11 is elastically deformable at each portion, the angle of each of the four bent portions 27 is changeable. The conductive member 11 shown in the figure is bent at an angle at the bent portions 27, but may be bent in a curved manner.

[0035] The first end 21 has a linear shape extending in the Y direction. The first end 21 (see FIG. 5) has a plate-shaped first main body portion 21b and a first fixing portion 21c for fixing the clip stopper 15. The first main body portion 21b has a raised portion 21a that is raised in the Z direction in the middle. The first fixing portion 21c has a first claw portion 28 and a second claw portion 29. The first claw portion 28 is bent in the opposite direction in the Z direction (downward in FIG. 5) from both sides in the width direction of the first main body portion 21b. The second claw portion 29 is provided away from the first claw portion 28 in the Y direction and protrudes further outward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction of the first main body portion 21b. A locking portion 41 of the clip stopper 15 described later is locked to this first fixing portion 21c. As a result, the clip stopper 15 is attached to the conductive member 11 (first end portion 21) so as not to be displaceable in the XYZ directions.

[0036] 5, the second end 22 has a shape extending in the Y direction. The second end 22 has a plate-shaped second main body portion 22b and a second fixing portion 22c fixed to the connector housing 12. The second fixing portion 22c has third claw portions 30 that protrude further outward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction of the second main body portion 22b. The third claw portions 30 engage with second mounting grooves 58 formed in a housing main body 51 (see FIG. 4) described later.

[0037] [Connector housing 12] The connector housing 12 is made of resin. As shown in Fig. 3, the connector housing 12 has a housing body 51 and a cover 52. The housing body 51 has a rectangular cylindrical shape with a bottom. The cover 52 is detachable from the housing body 51. A space formed between the cover 52 and the housing body 51 is a space for accommodating the conductive member 11, the restricting member 13, the clip spring 14, and the clip stopper 15. The second end 22 of the conductive member 11 protrudes from the connector housing 12 in the Y direction (see Fig. 4).

[0038] The housing body 51 has a first space K1 that accommodates the damper portion 23 and the restricting member 13, and a second space K2 that accommodates the first end portion 21, the clip spring 14, and the clip stopper 15. The housing body 51 has a partition wall 53 at the center in the width direction. The partition wall 53 partitions each of the first space K1 and the second space K2 into one side and the other side in the width direction. The partition wall 53 is provided along an imaginary plane in the YZ direction that includes the center C of the connector housing 12 in the width direction. The first structure 16 is provided on one side of the partition wall 53 in the width direction, and the second structure 16 is provided on the other side of the partition wall 53 in the width direction.

[0039] The connector housing 12 (housing main body 51) has a wall 54 perpendicular to the Y direction (see FIG. 2). A pair of openings 55, 55 for the first structure 16 and the second structure 16 is provided in the wall 54. Each opening 55 is formed by a hole penetrating the wall 54 in the Y direction. Each opening 55 allows the mating end 92 of the mating terminal 91 to be inserted in the Y direction to connect the mating end 92 to the first end 21.

[0040] 8 is a perspective view showing the connector 10 with the restricting member 13 removed. The housing main body 51 has side walls 57, 57 on both sides in the width direction. A groove 56 for attaching the restricting member 13 is provided in a portion of the connector housing 12 corresponding to the first space K1. Hereinafter, this groove 56 is referred to as a "first attachment groove 56." The first attachment groove 56 is formed on both sides of the partition wall 53 and on both side walls 57, 57 with the Z direction as the groove longitudinal direction.

[0041] The restricting member 13 is a plate-shaped member. The restricting member 13 is immovable in the Y direction by fitting a widthwise side portion 13a of the restricting member 13 into the first mounting groove 56. The restricting member 13 can be attached to the housing main body 51 by inserting the restricting member 13 along the first mounting groove 56 into the housing main body 51 from which the cover 52 is removed. In this way, the first mounting groove 56 allows the restricting member 13 to be inserted in a predetermined direction, and the restricting member 13 can be attached so as to be immovable in a first direction (Y direction) that intersects the predetermined direction.

[0042] The connector housing 12 is formed with a second mounting groove 58 with the Z direction as the groove longitudinal direction. The third claw portion 30 of the second end portion 22 of the conductive member 11 fits into the second mounting groove 58. This makes the second end portion 22 immovable in the X direction, the Y direction, and the opposite direction with respect to the connector housing 12. The third claw portion 30 is sandwiched in the Z direction between a part of the housing main body 51 (the inner surface of the second mounting groove 58) and a part 52a of the cover 52 (see FIG. 6). This makes the second end portion 22 immovable in the Z direction with respect to the connector housing 12. In the second mounting groove 58, which is a part of the connector housing 12 in the Y direction, the conductive member 11 is supported and restrained by the connector housing 12, but the other parts are elastically deformable and movable in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0043] [Clip spring 14] As shown in FIG. 5, the clip spring 14 is a separate member from the conductive member 11. The clip spring 14 is a member with greater elasticity than the conductive member 11, and is made of, for example, spring stainless steel. The clip spring 14 can clamp the first end 21 and the mating end 92 of the mating terminal 91 (see FIG. 7). The clip spring 14 has a clip base 33 located adjacent to the first end 21 in the X direction (or the opposite direction), and a first elastic piece 31 and a second elastic piece 32 located on both sides of the first end 21 in the Z direction. The first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 are provided so as to extend in the X direction (or the opposite direction) from both ends of the clip base 33 in the Z direction. The first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 are each provided in a cantilever shape from the clip base 33.

[0044] In the non-connected state shown in Fig. 6, the clip spring 14 is in a state in which the first end portion 21 is housed. That is, the first end portion 21 is located between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32. The mating end portion 92 of the mating terminal 91 inserted from the opening portion 55 of the connector housing 12 overlaps the first end portion 21. In the connected state shown in Fig. 7, the mating end portion 92 overlaps the first end portion 21, and the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 hold the first end portion 21 and the mating end portion 92 between them.

[0045] The clip spring 14 is not fixed to the first end 21 and the connector housing 12, and is not constrained by the first end 21 and the connector housing 12. In other words, the clip spring 14 is accommodated in the connector housing 12 without being fixed in position. However, as will be described later, the clip stopper 15 limits (restricts) the displacement of the clip spring 14 in the Y direction, and also positions the clip spring 14 in the Z direction.

[0046] Here, a connection structure in which the first end 21 and the mating end 92 are connected to overlap each other in the clip spring 14 will be described. As described above, the first end 21 has a raised portion 21a that rises in the Z direction. The first surface (upper surface in FIG. 7) of the mating end 92 has a convex surface 92a that rises toward the first elastic piece 31 in the connected state. The second surface (lower surface in FIG. 7) of the mating end 92 has a concave surface 92b that is recessed toward the first elastic piece 31 in the connected state. In the connected state, the raised portion 21a fits into the concave surface 92b, and the convex surface 92a contacts the first elastic piece 31. Compared to the non-connected state (FIG. 6), in the connected state (FIG. 7), the clip spring 14 is elastically deformed, and the gap between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 is widened. Therefore, a clamping force along the Z direction is applied by the clip spring 14 to the overlapping first end 21 and mating end 92 as a reaction force.

[0047] Due to the connection structure of the clip spring 14 as described above, the mating terminal 91 is unlikely to fall off from the clip spring 14. When the mating terminal 91 is connected to the first end 21 from the non-connected state (FIG. 6), the mating terminal 91 presses the clip spring 14 and the first end 21 toward the second end 22 in the Y direction, and starts to displace. Then, the damper portion 23 is elastically deformed. As will be described later, the clip spring 14 is displaced in the Y direction together with the first end 21 because the clip stopper 15 limits the displacement of the clip spring 14 relative to the first end 21. When the first end 21 is displaced by a predetermined amount, the displacement is limited by the restricting member 13. The restricting member 13 will be described later.

[0048] Here, as an explanation of the clip spring 14, the arrangement of the two structures 16, 16 on both sides in the width direction of the connector housing 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. For the two structures 16, 16, the two clip springs 14, 14 are provided side by side, and the two clip stoppers 15, 15 are also provided side by side. In the two clip springs 14, 14, the clip bases 33, 33 are provided apart from each other on the outer side in the width direction of the connector housing 12. For this reason, it is possible to arrange the portions where the clip springs 14 of the two structures 16, 16 clamp the first end portions 21 and the mating terminals 91 in the respective clip springs 14 close to each other in the width direction of the connector housing 12 with the partition wall 53 in between. As a result, the two first end portions 21, 21 and the two mating terminals 91, 91 can be brought close to each other in the width direction, which contributes to making the mating connector 90 compact in the width direction.

[0049] [Clip Stopper 15] The clip stopper 15 is a separate member from the conductive member 11 and the clip spring 14 (see FIG. 5). The clip stopper 15 is made of metal and is formed by bending a metal piece. The clip stopper 15 has a stopper base 45 located on the Y-direction side of the clip spring 14 (see FIG. 4). The stopper base 45 has a length sufficient to straddle the first end 21 in the X-direction. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the conductive member 11 and the clip stopper 15. The clip stopper 15 is attached to the first end 21 of the conductive member 11 and cannot be displaced in the Y-direction relative to the first end 21. For this reason, the clip stopper 15 has a locking portion 41 that is locked to the first end 21 of the conductive member 11.

[0050] The clip stopper 15 has, as the locking portion 41, a first locking portion 41a that is locked to one side of the first end portion 21 in the width direction, and a second locking portion 41b that is locked to the other side of the first end portion 21 in the width direction. The first locking portion 41a and the second locking portion 41b are provided on the opposite side in the Z direction of the stopper base portion 45 (the lower side in FIG. 9). The first locking portion 41a has a protruding piece 46 that contacts the first claw portion 28 of the first end portion 21 from the Y direction and the X direction, and a clamping piece 47 that clamps a part of the first end portion 21 in the Z direction. The first locking portion 41a and the second locking portion 41b have the same configuration, and the second locking portion 41b also has a protruding piece 46 and a clamping piece 47. The clip stopper 15 is attached to the first end portion 21 so as not to be displaced in the X, Y, and Z directions by the first locking portion 41a and the second locking portion 41b.

[0051] The clip stopper 15 (see FIG. 5) restricts the clip spring 14 from being displaced in the Y direction relative to the first end 21. To this end, the clip stopper 15 has a stopper portion 42 that can come into contact with the clip spring 14 attempting to be displaced in the Y direction. In this embodiment, the clip stopper 15 has, as the stopper portion 42, a first stopper portion 42a that can come into contact with the first elastic piece 31 and a second stopper portion 42b that can come into contact with the second elastic piece 32. The first stopper portion 42a and the second stopper portion 42b are provided on both sides of the stopper base portion 45 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the second stopper portion 42b also serves as the protruding piece 46 that constitutes the locking portion 41.

[0052] As described above, the clip stopper 15 is attached to the conductive member 11. When the clip spring 14 is displaced in the Y direction, it comes into contact with the stopper portion 42, thereby restricting the displacement of the clip spring 14 relative to the conductive member 11. The clip stopper 15 has a function of securing a space S (see FIG. 6) for inserting the mating terminal 91 between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32, in addition to the function of restricting the displacement of the clip spring 14. For this purpose, the clip stopper 15 (see FIG. 5) has a first support piece 43 located next to the first end portion 21 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the clip stopper 15 also has a second support piece 44 located on the opposite side of the first support piece 43 with the first end portion 21 in between. The first support piece 43 and the second support piece 44 have the same shape.

[0053] The first support piece 43 is provided extending from one end of the stopper base 45 in the width direction in the opposite direction to the Y direction. The second support piece 44 is provided extending from the other end of the stopper base 45 in the width direction in the opposite direction to the Y direction. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the clip spring 14 and the clip stopper 15. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the clip spring 14 is removed from the clip stopper 15. As shown in FIG. 10, the first support piece 43 and the second support piece 44 are located between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32.

[0054] The dimension H of the first support piece 43 in the Z direction is set so as to satisfy both the following first and second conditions. <First Condition> The first condition is smaller than the first dimension Z1 in the Z direction at the overlapping portion between the first end 21 and the mating end 92 in the overlapping state of the clip spring 14 (see FIG. 7). <Second Condition> The second condition is larger than the second dimension Z2 in the Z direction of the first end 21 alone (see FIG. 6) of the overlapping portion. In other words, the relationship between the dimension H of the first support piece 43 in the Z direction and the first dimension Z1 and the second dimension Z2 is Z2 <H<Z1となる。

[0055] 10, in the clip spring 14, in a state where the first end portion 21 exists alone, that is, in a non-connected state where the mating terminal 91 does not overlap the first end portion 21, the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 are in a state of elastically sandwiching the first support piece 43. In other words, in the non-connected state, the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 are in contact with the first support piece 43. Moreover, the first support piece 43 keeps the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 in a state of forcibly elastically deforming in a direction away from each other compared to the free state.

[0056] Of the clip space P formed between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32, the first end portion 21 is located on the side closer to the second elastic piece 32. Of the clip space P, on the side closer to the first elastic piece 31, a space S for inserting the mating terminal 91 is formed. In other words, the space between the first end portion 21 and the first elastic piece 31 becomes the space S for inserting the mating terminal 91.

[0057] In the unconnected state, the second support piece 44 is located between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32, but is not in contact with one or both of the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32. As shown in Fig. 7, in the connected state, compared to the unconnected state, the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 are elastically deformed in directions away from each other, and the first support piece 43 and the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 are not in contact with each other.

[0058] As described above (see FIG. 10), the first support piece 43 has a shape (dimension H in the Z direction) such that the first elastic piece 31 can come into contact with the Z-direction end 43u of the first support piece 43, and the second elastic piece 32 can come into contact with the opposite Z-direction end 43d of the first support piece 43. In the non-connected state, the clip spring 14 is positioned in the Z direction by the first support piece 43. However, the clip spring 14 is not positioned (not fixed in position) in one or both of the X and Y directions, and is in a state in which it can be displaced in small dimensions.

[0059] As described above, the clip stopper 15 limits the displacement of the clip spring 14 in the Y direction relative to the first end 21. The displacement of the clip spring 14 to the opposite side in the Y direction is limited by a wall 54 (see FIG. 4) of the connector housing 12. That is, the connector housing 12 has a contact portion 59 with which the clip spring 14 displacing to the opposite side in the Y direction can come into contact. For this reason, even if the mating terminal 91 is pulled out of the clip spring 14 from the connected state, the clip spring 14 does not fall off to the opposite side in the Y direction.

[0060] The clip spring 14 may be prevented from falling off to the opposite side in the Y direction by a clip stopper 15. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the clip stopper 15. The clip stopper 15 has a third stopper portion 48 as a fall-prevention stopper portion that can contact the clip spring 14 from the Y direction. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the third stopper portion 48 is provided on the tip portion 43a of the first support piece 43. The third stopper portion 48 protrudes from the tip portion 43a of the first support piece 43 on both sides in the Z direction. The third stopper portion 48 is also provided on the second support piece 44 in the same manner. As a result, even when the mating terminal 91 is pulled out of the clip spring 14, the clip spring 14 does not come into contact with the connector housing 12 but comes into contact with the third stopper portion 48, and does not fall off to the opposite side in the Y direction.

[0061] [Regulation member 13] As shown in FIG. 6, the restricting member 13 is provided on the connector housing 12. In this embodiment, the restricting member 13 is a separate member from the connector housing 12. The restricting member 13 has a plate shape. The restricting member 13 is made of resin and is non-conductive. The restricting member 13 is manufactured by injection molding. The restricting member 13 is provided in a region Q formed between the first portion 24 and the second portion 25. When the damper portion 23 of the conductive member 11 is not deformed, that is, when the conductive member 11 is in a free state, the restricting member 13 is provided in the region Q with a gap e between the first portion 24, the second portion 25, and the connecting portion 26.

[0062] As described above (see FIG. 8), the first mounting groove 56 with the Z direction as the groove longitudinal direction is formed in the partition wall 53 and the side walls 57, 57 of the connector housing 12. Both side portions 13a, 13a of the regulating member 13 are fitted into the opposing first mounting grooves 56, 56. As a result, the regulating member 13 is attached to the connector housing 12 and cannot be displaced in the Y direction or the opposite direction.

[0063] 6, the restricting member 13 has a first contact surface 61 that faces both the clip stopper 15 (stopper base portion 45) and the first portion 24 of the damper portion 23. In this embodiment, the restricting member 13 is a plate-like member that is wide in the X direction and the Z direction, but may be narrower in the Z direction than the illustrated form. Even in this case, it is preferable that the restricting member 13 has the first contact surface 61 that faces at least one of the clip stopper 15 and the first portion 24.

[0064] The function of the regulating member 13 will be described. As described above, when the mating terminal 91 is inserted from the opening 55 to connect with the first end 21, the first end 21 is pushed in the Y direction by the mating terminal 91. The first end 21 being pushed in the Y direction causes the damper portion 23 to elastically deform. Then, at least one of the stopper base portion 45 of the clip stopper 15 and the first portion 24 of the damper portion 23 contacts the first contact surface 61. This limits the displacement of the first end 21 when the damper portion 23 elastically deforms. That is, the amount of elastic deformation of the damper portion 23 is limited. As a result, the first end 21 is less likely to escape even when pushed in the Y direction, and the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91 are more easily connected to each other.

[0065] In this way, in order to limit the displacement of the first end 21 when the damper portion 23 is elastically deformed, the restricting member 13 is provided in an area Q adjacent to the first end 21 in the Y direction. When the conductive member 11 is in a free state, the restricting member 13 is provided in the area Q with a gap between the clip stopper 15 (stopper base portion 45) and the first portion 24, which are its contact counterparts.

[0066] The first contact surface 61 will be further described. The first contact surface 61 has a first surface portion 61a along a virtual plane in the XZ direction. The clip stopper 15 (stopper base portion 45) that is a candidate for the contacting partner has a second contact surface 49 that faces the first contact surface 61. The second contact surface 49 has a second surface portion 49a along another virtual plane in the XZ direction. As described above, in order to connect the first end portion 21 and the mating terminal 91 by clamping them with the clip spring 14, the mating terminal 91 presses the first end portion 21, thereby elastically deforming the damper portion 23. Then, at least one of the second surface portion 49a and the first portion 24 comes into contact with the first surface portion 61a. There are cases in which the first surface portion 61a along the virtual plane and the second surface portion 49a along the virtual plane can come into surface contact with each other.

[0067] 6, as described above, the first contact surface 61 of the regulating member 13 has a first surface portion 61a along a virtual plane in the XZ direction. A contact mating portion (e.g., the clip stopper 15) comes into contact with a part of the first surface portion 61a of the first contact surface 61. With this configuration, when the contact mating portion approaches and contacts the first contact surface 61 from the Y direction, the regulating member 13 can stably support the contact mating portion. As a result, the ease of connection between the first end portion 21 and the mating terminal 91 is improved.

[0068] [Modification of the regulating member 13] 13 and 14 are perspective views showing modified examples of the regulating member 13. In FIG. 13, a first modified example on the left side (A) will be described. The first contact surface 61 of the regulating member 13 has a first surface portion 61a along a virtual curved surface P1 that is convex on the opposite side in the Y direction. In the first modified example, the cross-sectional shape of the portion of the regulating member 13 including the first contact surface 61 does not change in the Z direction and is constant. In the first modified example, the regulating member 13 has a plurality of convex ridges 62 with the Z direction as the longitudinal direction. The surface of each convex ridge 62 on the opposite side in the Y direction has a shape along the virtual curved surface P1. Therefore, the first surface portion 61a becomes a surface with an uneven shape along the virtual curved surface P1. By the regulating member 13 having the uneven surface, molding defects such as sink marks (dents) during injection molding of the regulating member 13 can be suppressed.

[0069] The first surface portion 61a may have a smooth curved surface without any unevenness. Alternatively, the first surface portion 61a may have a plurality of protrusions 62 extending in the Z direction and a plurality of protrusions extending in the X direction (not shown), and the first surface portion 61a may have a lattice-shaped surface along a virtual curved surface P1. Alternatively, the first surface portion 61a may have only long protrusions extending in the X direction.

[0070] In FIG. 13, a second modified example on the right side (B) will be described. The first contact surface 61 of the regulating member 13 has a first surface portion 61a along a virtual curved surface P2 that is convex on the opposite side in the Y direction. In the second modified example, the cross-sectional shape of the portion of the regulating member 13 including the first contact surface 61 does not change in the X direction and is constant. In the second modified example, the regulating member 13 has multiple convex stripes 62 with the Z direction as the longitudinal direction, and the surface of each convex stripe 62 on the opposite side in the Y direction has a shape that follows the virtual curved surface P2. Therefore, the first surface portion 61a has an uneven shape that follows the virtual curved surface P2.

[0071] In the second modified example, the first surface portion 61a may have no uneven shape and may be a smooth curved surface as a whole. Alternatively, the first surface portion 61a may have a plurality of protrusions 62 with the Z direction as the longitudinal direction and a plurality of protrusions with the X direction as the longitudinal direction (not shown), and the first surface portion 61a may be a lattice-shaped surface along a virtual curved surface P2. Alternatively, the first surface portion 61a may have only long protrusions in the X direction.

[0072] 14, a third modified example on the left side (A) will be described. The first contact surface 61 of the regulating member 13 has a first surface portion 61a along an imaginary curved surface P3 that is convex toward the opposite side in the Y direction. The curved surface P3 is a surface that is along a spherical surface. In the third modified example, the convex rib 62 as in the first modified example is not provided, but may be provided.

[0073] In FIG. 14, the fourth modified example on the right side (B) will be described. The fourth modified example differs from the first modified example in the number of convex ribs 62. In the fourth modified example, one convex rib 62 is provided in the center in the X direction. The surface opposite to the convex rib 62 in the Y direction is the first surface portion 61a, and has a shape along the imaginary curved surface P1. That is, in the fourth modified example, the first contact surface 61 also has a first surface 61a portion along the imaginary curved surface P1. Note that, although there is one convex rib 62 in the fourth modified example, there may be more than one, such as two. However, the convex rib 62 is not provided over the entire X direction, but is provided in a part (center) in the X direction.

[0074] As described above, in each of the restricting members 13 of the first to fourth modified examples, the first contact surface 61 has the first surface portion 61a along a curved surface, and a part of the first surface portion 61a of the first contact surface 61 comes into contact with the contacting object. In this case, even if the contacting object approaches and contacts the restricting member 13 in an inclined posture, the restricting member 13 can stably support the contacting object. As a result, the ease of connection between the first end portion 21 and the mating terminal 91 is improved.

[0075] [Connector 10 according to each of the above embodiments] As described above, the connector 10 of each of the above embodiments is a connector that can be electrically connected to a mating connector 90 having a mating terminal 91, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the connector 10 includes a strip-shaped conductive member 11 having a first end 21 that can be connected to the mating terminal 91, a connector housing 12 that accommodates the conductive member 11, a clip spring 14, and a clip stopper 15. The clip spring 14 is a member separate from the conductive member 11, and accommodates the first end 21. The clip stopper 15 is attached to the conductive member 11 and limits the displacement of the clip spring 14 relative to the conductive member 11. The clip spring 14 is accommodated in the connector housing 12 in a state where it is not fixed in position.

[0076] The connector housing 12 has a wall 54 provided with an opening 55 through which a mating terminal 91 can be inserted in the Y direction to connect the mating terminal 91 to the first end portion 21 (see FIG. 2). The clip spring 14 has a first elastic piece 31 and a second elastic piece 32. When the mating terminal 91 inserted through the opening 55 overlaps the first end portion 21, the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 can clamp the first end portion 21 and the mating terminal 91. As shown in FIG. 5, the clip stopper 15 has a locking portion 41 that is locked to the conductive member 11 and a stopper portion 42 that can come into contact with the clip spring 14 attempting to displace in the Y direction.

[0077] According to each of the above-described embodiments of the connector 10, the first end 21 of the conductive member 11 is accommodated in the clip spring 14, and in order to connect the mating terminal 91 to the first end 21, the mating terminal 91 is inserted through the opening 55 of the connector housing 12. At that time, even if there is some misalignment between the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91, for example in the Z direction, the misalignment can be absorbed by elastic deformation of a part of the strip-shaped conductive member 11. In addition, the clip spring 14 is a member separate from the conductive member 11 and is not fixed in position, so that the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91 can be connected by absorbing the misalignment.

[0078] Furthermore, in order to connect the mating terminal 91 to the first end 21 housed in the clip spring 14, the mating terminal 91 is brought close to and into contact with the clip spring 14 through the opening 55 along the Y direction. Then, the clip spring 14 tries to displace in the Y direction. The clip stopper 15 is locked to the conductive member 11 by the locking portion 41, and is therefore unable to displace in the Y direction relative to the conductive member 11, and the clip spring 14 comes into contact with the stopper portion 42 of the clip stopper 15. As a result, the clip spring 14 does not escape in the Y direction, and the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91 can be easily connected.

[0079] The clip stopper 15 has, as the stopper portion 42, a first stopper portion 42a capable of contacting the first elastic piece 31 and a second stopper portion 42b capable of contacting the second elastic piece 32. With this configuration, when the first end portion 21 is connected to the mating terminal 91, the clip stopper 15 comes into contact with both the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 of the clip spring 14, and the posture of the clip spring 14 is unlikely to change. This makes it even easier to connect the first end portion 21 to the mating terminal 91.

[0080] The clip stopper 15 has, as the locking portion 41, a first locking portion 41a that is locked to one side in the width direction of the conductive member 11, and a second locking portion 41b that is locked to the other side in the width direction of the conductive member 11. With this configuration, the clip stopper 15 is less likely to tilt with respect to the conductive member 11, and can stably support the clip spring 14.

[0081] The clip stopper 15 has a first support piece 43. The first support piece 43 is located between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32, and is located next to the first end 21 in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 10, the first elastic piece 31 can contact one end 43u of the first support piece 43, and the second elastic piece 32 can contact the other end 43d of the first support piece 43. The first end 21 is located on the side closer to the second elastic piece 32 of the clip space P formed between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32. A space S for inserting the mating terminal 91 is formed on the side closer to the first elastic piece 31 of the clip space P. With this configuration, the first support piece 43 forms a space S for inserting the mating terminal 91 between the first end 21 and the first elastic piece 31. When the mating terminal 91 is overlapped and connected to the first end 21, the first elastic piece 31 contacts the mating terminal 91, the second elastic piece 32 contacts the first end 21, and the clip spring 14 clamps the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91.

[0082] 10 and 11, the dimension H of the first support piece 43 in the Z direction is set so as to satisfy the first condition and the second condition. When the mating terminal 91 is not overlapped with the first end portion 21, the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 elastically sandwich the first support piece 43. According to the first condition, the Z-direction dimension H of the first support piece 43 is smaller than the first dimension Z1 between the first end 21 and the mating end 92 in an overlapping state, so that the first end 21 and the mating end 92 are elastically sandwiched between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32. According to the second condition, the dimension H of the first support piece 43 in the Z direction is larger than the second dimension Z2 of the first end portion 21 alone. In a non-connected state in which the mating terminal 91 is not overlapped with the first end portion 21, the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 elastically sandwich the first support piece 43. For this reason, a space S for inserting the mating terminal 91 to overlap the first end portion 21 is secured between the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32. This reduces the force required to insert and attach the mating terminal 91 to the clip spring 14.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 3, a structure 16 having a conductive member 11, a clip spring 14 and a clip stopper 15 is arranged so as to be aligned with a center C of the connector housing 12 in the width direction. Plane symmetry With this arrangement, a pair of the structures 16, 16 are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the connector housing 12. With this configuration, it becomes possible to use the clip stopper 15 as a common part for each pair of structures 16, 16 disposed on both sides in the width direction of the connector housing 12. Also, it becomes possible to use the clip spring 14 as a common part.

[0084] The conductive member 11 has a first end 21, a second end 22 located on the opposite side to the first end 21 in the longitudinal direction of the conductive member 11, and a damper portion 23 provided between the first end 21 and the second end 22. The damper portion 23 is elastically deformable at least in a direction that brings the first end 21 and the second end 22 closer to each other. The damper portion 23 is also elastically deformable in the Z direction. With this configuration, when connecting a mating terminal 91 inserted from an opening 55 of the connector housing 12 to the first end 21 of the conductive member 11, even if there is a positional deviation between the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91, for example, in the Z direction, the damper portion 23 can elastically deform to absorb the positional deviation.

[0085] The connector 10 further includes a restricting member 13 provided on the connector housing 12. In order to restrict the displacement of the first end 21 when the damper portion 23 is elastically deformed, the restricting member 13 is provided in an area Q adjacent to the first end 21 in the Y direction (with a gap e). With this configuration, the restricting member 13 provided in the area Q adjacent to the first end 21 restricts the displacement of the first end 21. Therefore, the amount of elastic deformation of the damper portion 23 caused by the force for mechanically connecting the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91 is restricted. As a result, the clip spring 14 does not escape in the Y direction, and the first end 21 and the mating terminal 91 are easily connected to each other.

[0086] [Other configurations] In this embodiment, the conductive member 11 is described as being composed of a single strip, but it may be in another form or may be composed of a combination of multiple strips. The damper section 23 is described as having the first portion 24 and the second portion 25 each having a flat plate shape, and the connecting portion 26 connecting the first portion 24 and the second portion 25, but the damper section 23 may be in another form.

[0087] The clip stopper 15 may also have another form, for example, the second support piece 44 may be omitted. The clip stopper 15 may be configured to come into contact with at least one of the first elastic piece 31 and the second elastic piece 32 of the clip spring 14. The clip spring 14 may also have another form. As in the above embodiment, the first structure 16 and the second structure 16 Plane symmetry The arrangement does not have to be as described above, and the first structure 16 and the second structure 16 may have shapes that are partially different from each other.

[0088] The above-described embodiment is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above-described embodiment, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 5. First Electrical Equipment 6 Secondary Electrical Equipment 10 Connectors 11 Conductive material 12 Connector housing 13 Regulatory components 13a Both sides 14 Clip spring 15 Clip stopper 16 Structure 21 First end 21b First body part 21c First fixed part 21a Ridge 22 Second end 22b Second body part 22c Second fixed part 23 Damper section 24 Part 1 25 Second part 26 Connecting part 27 Bend 28 First claw part 29 Second claw part 30 Third claw part 31 First elastic piece 32 Second elastic piece 33 Clip base 41 Locking part 41a First locking part 41b Second locking part 42 Stopper part 42a First stopper part 42b Second stopper part 43 First support piece 43u edge 43d edge 44 Second support piece 45 Stopper base 46 Projecting piece 47 Clamping piece 48 Third stopper part 49 Second contact surface 49a Second surface part 51 Housing body 52 Cover 52a part 53 Compartment Wall 54 Wall 55 Opening 56 Second mounting groove (groove) 57 Side wall 58 Second mounting groove 59 Contact part 61 First contact surface 61a First side 62 Convex strip 90 Mating connector 91 Mating terminal 92 Counter end 92a Convex 92b concave 93 Mating Housing K1 first space K K2 Second space P1 curved surface P2 curved surface P3 curved surface Z1 First dimension Z2 Second dimension

Claims

1. A connector that can be electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal, a strip-shaped conductive member having a first end portion connectable to the mating terminal; a connector housing that accommodates the conductive member; a clip spring that is a separate member from the conductive member and that accommodates the first end; a clip stopper attached to the conductive member and limiting displacement of the clip spring relative to the conductive member; A restricting member provided on the connector housing; Equipped with the connector housing has a wall provided with an opening through which the mating terminal can be inserted in a first direction along a longitudinal direction of the conductive member in order to connect the mating terminal to the first end portion, the clip spring has a first elastic piece and a second elastic piece capable of clamping the first end and the mating terminal in a state in which the mating terminal inserted through the opening overlaps the first end, the clip stopper has a locking portion that is locked to the conductive member and a stopper portion that is capable of coming into contact with the clip spring that is attempting to be displaced in the first direction, The conductive member is a second end portion located on an opposite side of the first end portion in a longitudinal direction of the conductive member; a damper portion provided between the first end portion and the second end portion and elastically deformable in a direction in which the first end portion and the second end portion approach each other; having the damper portion has a first portion connected to the first end portion and extending in a direction intersecting the first direction, a second portion connected to the second end portion and extending in a direction intersecting the first direction, and a connecting portion connecting the first portion and the second portion, In order to limit the displacement of the first end portion when the damper portion is elastically deformed, the restricting member is provided in a region adjacent to the first end portion in the first direction and formed between the first portion and the second portion. connector.

2. The clip stopper has, as the stopper portion, a first stopper portion capable of coming into contact with the first elastic piece and a second stopper portion capable of coming into contact with the second elastic piece. The connector of claim 1 .

3. The clip stopper has, as the locking portion, a first locking portion that is locked to one side in a width direction that is a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a second locking portion that is locked to the other side in the width direction. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A connector that can be electrically connected to a mating connector having a mating terminal, a strip-shaped conductive member having a first end portion connectable to the mating terminal; a connector housing that accommodates the conductive member; a clip spring that is a separate member from the conductive member and that accommodates the first end; a clip stopper attached to the conductive member and limiting displacement of the clip spring relative to the conductive member; Equipped with the connector housing has a wall provided with an opening through which the mating terminal can be inserted in a first direction along a longitudinal direction of the conductive member in order to connect the mating terminal to the first end portion, the clip spring has a first elastic piece and a second elastic piece capable of clamping the first end and the mating terminal in a state in which the mating terminal inserted through the opening overlaps the first end, the clip stopper has a locking portion that is locked to the conductive member and a stopper portion that is capable of coming into contact with the clip spring that is attempting to be displaced in the first direction, the clip stopper has a first support piece located between the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece and located adjacent to the first end in a width direction that is a direction perpendicular to the first direction, When the direction in which the first end portion of the clip spring and the mating terminal overlap is defined as an overlapping direction, The first elastic piece is capable of contacting one end of the first support piece in the overlapping direction, The second elastic piece is capable of contacting the other end of the first support piece in the overlapping direction, The first end portion is located on a side of a clip space formed between the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece that is closer to the second elastic piece, A space for inserting the mating terminal is formed on a side of the clip space closer to the first elastic piece. connector.

5. a dimension of the first support piece in the overlapping direction is smaller than a first dimension of the first end portion and the mating terminal in an overlapping state by the clip spring, and is larger than a second dimension of the first end portion alone in the overlapping direction; When the mating terminal is not overlapped with the first end portion, the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece elastically sandwich the first support piece. The connector according to claim 4.

6. The clip spring has a clip base located adjacent to the first end in the width direction, the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece are provided to extend in the width direction from both ends of the clip base in the overlapping direction, the clip stopper has a stopper base portion located on the first direction side of the clip spring and a second support piece located on the opposite side to the first support piece across the first end portion, the first support piece and the second support piece are provided to extend in a direction opposite to the first direction from both ends of the stopper base in the width direction, a pair of structures including the conductive member, the clip spring, and the clip stopper are arranged on both sides of the connector housing in the width direction, in a plane-symmetrical arrangement with respect to a center of the connector housing in the width direction; 6. The connector according to claim 4 or 5.

7. In the two structures arranged on both sides in the width direction of the connector housing, the clip bases are arranged apart from each other on the outer sides in the width direction. The connector according to claim 6.

8. The clip stopper has a fall-off prevention stopper portion that can come into contact with the clip spring from the first direction. A connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images