connector

Abstract

[Problem] In a connector including a housing provided with a latching piece, and a terminal which is inserted into a terminal hole in the housing, and which is provided with a first opening that engages with the latching piece, and a second opening provided on the insertion direction side of the first opening, to prevent an operator perceiving that insertion of a terminal member is complete despite the latching piece not being engaged with the first opening. [Solution] A connector 10 includes a housing 22 having a terminal hole 34 defining a terminal member accommodating chamber 35 extending in a prescribed direction, and a terminal member 38 which is inserted in a prescribed insertion direction into the terminal member accommodating chamber, wherein the terminal member includes: a first opening 54C which, in an assembled state, engages with a resilient latching piece 56A provided in the housing; second openings 50C, 52C disposed on the insertion direction side of the first opening; and projections 66 preventing the resilient latching piece from engaging with the second openings when the terminal member is being inserted or withdrawn.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector including a connector housing and terminals to be inserted into terminal holes provided in the connector housing. [Background technology]

[0002] A double-sided card edge connector is known which has a connector housing (hereinafter, "housing") and a terminal member which is inserted into a terminal mounting recess (terminal hole) provided in the housing, with an opening (hereinafter, "first opening") provided at the bottom of the terminal member, and a lance piece which is a locking piece which protrudes into the first opening and locks the terminal member (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Application No. 2016-149459 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a terminal member is formed by press molding of a metal plate, an R-surface is formed at the bent portion, which may cause a gap between the terminal member and the wall surfaces including the inner sidewall surface and the bottom surface that define the terminal hole. In order to stabilize the position of the terminal member during insertion and prevent it from falling over, the inventor of the present application came up with the idea of ​​providing a pair of cut-out pieces at the bottom of the terminal member and configuring both edges of the lower end of the terminal member to form a substantially right angle, thereby filling the gap.

[0005] Furthermore, the inventors of the present application came up with the idea of ​​providing a rail on the bottom wall of the terminal hole and a pair of cut-out pieces arranged on the bottom of the terminal member so as to sandwich the rail, in order to guide the movement of the terminal member.

[0006] In this way, the cut-out piece may be provided on the terminal member for the purpose of improving the attachment operability of the terminal member, etc. When the cut-out piece is provided on the terminal member, an opening (hereinafter, a second opening) is formed in the terminal member which is a press-molded product.

[0007] If the second opening is provided on the front side of the first opening in the insertion direction, when the terminal member is attached to the terminal hole, the locking piece engages with the second opening before entering the first opening. At this time, due to the click feeling caused by the engagement of the locking piece with the second opening, the operator may mistakenly recognize that the insertion of the terminal member is complete when the locking piece is engaged with the second opening, i.e., when the terminal member is not completely inserted.

[0008] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is, in a connector having a housing with a locking piece, and a terminal having a first opening that is inserted into a terminal hole provided in the housing and engages with the locking piece, and a second opening provided forward of the first opening in the insertion direction, to prevent an operator from realizing that insertion of the terminal member has been completed when the locking piece is not engaged with the first opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The connector according to the present invention is a connector (10, 210, 310, 410, 510) having a housing (22, 222, 322, 422, 522) with a terminal hole (34, 234, 334, 434) that defines a terminal member accommodating chamber (35, 235, 335, 435) extending in a predetermined direction, and a terminal member (38) to be inserted into the terminal member accommodating chamber in a predetermined insertion direction, wherein the terminal member has a first opening (54C) that engages with a resilient locking piece (56A, 256A, 356A, 456A) provided on the housing in an assembled state, a second opening (50C, 52C) arranged on the insertion direction side of the first opening, and a protrusion (66) that prevents the resilient locking piece from engaging with the second opening when the terminal member is inserted or removed.

[0010] According to this configuration, the protrusion prevents the housing lance from engaging with the second opening different from the opening (first opening) with which the resilient engagement piece should engage when inserting or removing the terminal member, and therefore it is possible to prevent a worker performing the terminal assembling operation from recognizing that the insertion of the terminal member is complete when the housing lance is not engaged with the first opening.

[0011] In the connector according to the present invention, the terminal member is preferably formed of a bent plate material, and has legs (50A, 50B, 52A, 52B, 54A, 54B) protruding along side edges of the first opening and the second opening, respectively.

[0012] According to this configuration, the legs can be formed by cutting and raising the portions corresponding to the first opening and the second opening, which eliminates the need to cut out the portions corresponding to the first opening and the second opening when manufacturing the terminal member.

[0013] In the connector according to the present invention, preferably, the resilient locking piece is inserted between the legs when the terminal member is inserted, and guides the movement of the terminal member in the insertion direction.

[0014] According to this configuration, the terminal can be guided during insertion, facilitating attachment of the terminal.

[0015] In the connector according to the present invention, preferably, the leg portions have different protruding heights, and the wall defining the terminal member accommodating chamber is provided with sliding surfaces (62SA, 62SB) extending in the insertion direction at positions corresponding to the protruding heights.

[0016] According to this configuration, it becomes impossible to insert the terminal member into the terminal hole when the terminal member is upside down, and erroneous assembly of the terminal member is prevented.

[0017] In the connector according to the present invention, preferably, the resilient locking piece defines the terminal member accommodating chamber and forms a cantilever extending in the insertion direction, and the protrusion is positioned rearward of the second opening in the insertion direction.

[0018] According to this configuration, when the terminal member is removed, the protrusion can prevent the resilient locking piece from engaging with the second opening.

[0019] In the connector according to the present invention, preferably, a protrusion is provided at the free end of the resilient locking piece, the protrusion having a length in the insertion direction longer than that of the second opening and shorter than that of the first opening.

[0020] With this configuration, the free end of the lance piece is less likely to enter the second opening.

[0021] In the connector according to the present invention, preferably, when the edge of the protrusion on the insertion direction side is positioned so as to overlap the edge of the second opening on the insertion direction side in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, the protrusion abuts the protrusion.

[0022] With this configuration, it becomes difficult for the protruding portion to engage with the second opening.

[0023] In the connector according to the present invention, preferably, a slanted surface (66A) is formed at the rear portion of the projection in the insertion direction, slanting toward the terminal member toward the rear in the insertion direction.

[0024] With this configuration, when the terminal is pulled out, the front edge of the resilient engagement piece moves smoothly along the incline and separates from the terminal member, which prevents the terminal member from getting caught on the protrusion, making it easier to remove the terminal member from the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the connector of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the housing lance from being pushed in a direction away from the terminal by the projection, and the housing lance from engaging with an opening other than the opening with which the housing lance is to engage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a connector according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment; [Diagram 3] III-III sectional view of Fig. 1 [Figure 4] A perspective view of the housing seen from diagonally above. [Diagram 5] A perspective view of the housing as seen from below. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the terminal member as viewed obliquely from above; [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the terminal member as viewed from below; [Figure 8] Sectional view of FIG. 4, VIII-VIII [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective cross-sectional view of a connector before and after a terminal member is inserted into a terminal hole; FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram for explaining a state in which a terminal member is inserted in a state in which the terminal member is upside down, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1A, and is an explanatory diagram for explaining a relationship between a terminal hole and the terminal member. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a retainer in an upside-down state; [Figure 12] (A) A cross-sectional view taken along the line XII-XII in FIG. 1, and (B) an enlarged view of the area enclosed by the two-dot chain line. [Figure 13] 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a movement mode of a terminal member when a retainer is inserted in a state in which the terminal member is not completely inserted, and an enlarged view of a part indicated by a two-dot chain line; FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for illustrating a case where the retainer abuts against a retainer engagement portion from above when the retainer is inserted in a state in which the terminal member is not completely inserted; [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a terminal member is being inserted, in which a protrusion located on the front side abuts against a free end of a lance, and an enlarged view of a portion enclosed by a two-dot chain line. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the protrusion located on the rear side is in contact with the free end of the lance when the terminal member is being inserted, and an enlarged view of the part indicated by the two-dot chain line. [Figure 17] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a terminal member before it is pulled out during insertion, and an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the two-dot chain line; FIG. [Figure 18] 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the terminal member being inserted is being removed from the state shown in FIG. 17, and an enlarged view of the part shown by the two-dot chain line. [Figure 19] 1A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a case where the terminal member is normally inserted and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a case where the terminal member is attempted to be assembled in a state where the terminal member is upside down, according to another embodiment of the terminal hole for preventing erroneous insertion of the terminal member. [Figure 20] FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram for explaining an embodiment in which the lance piece forms a cantilever beam extending in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram for explaining an embodiment in which the lance piece forms a doubly supported beam. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an embodiment in which the lance piece includes a spring piece. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an embodiment in which the lance piece is provided on a resin case lance member separate from the housing body; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, up / down, left / right, and front / rear are defined as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1. However, these directional definitions are provided for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0028] The connector 10 of this embodiment is used as an electrical connection device to another connector or to a circuit board 12. In this embodiment, the connector 10 is a so-called card edge connector, and is connected to the rear end portion of the circuit board 12, i.e., the card edge 14.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the card edge 14 is provided with a plurality of board-side terminals 16 and a pair of board-side locking portions 18 for locking the connector 10. As shown in FIG.

[0030] The board-side terminals 16 are metal terminals provided on the lower surface of the circuit board 12, and are arranged along the rear edge of the lower surface of the circuit board 12. In this embodiment, the board-side terminals 16 are divided into two groups arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction and provided on the circuit board 12. Main slits 20 extending forward from the rear edge of the circuit board 12 are provided on the left and right outer sides of the board-side terminals 16 located at both left and right ends. The board-side locking portions 18 are provided as recesses recessed from the left and right inner edges of the main slits 20 in directions approaching each other. However, the board-side locking portions 18 are not limited to recesses, and may be recesses or through holes recessed on the upper or lower surface of the circuit board 12.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 10 includes a housing 22 made of a resin molded product. The housing 22 has a flat shape that is long in the left-right direction. The housing 22 is provided with an insertion recess 24 that is recessed rearward from the upper front surface. The insertion recess 24 opens at the front surface of the housing 22 to define an insertion port 26 for the card edge 14, and defines an insertion chamber 28 therein into which the card edge 14 is inserted. As shown in Figure 3, the insertion recess 24 extends from the front edge of the housing 22 to approximately the center in the front-rear direction.

[0032] The housing 22 is provided with a pair of claw-shaped latches (not shown) on the wall surface defining the insertion recess 24 at positions corresponding to the board-side locking portions 18. When the card edge 14 is inserted into the insertion chamber 28, the latches enter the board-side locking portions 18, and the card edge 14 and the housing 22 are coupled together.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the card edge 14 is provided with a sub-slit 30 extending forward from the rear edge of the circuit board 12 between two groups of board-side terminals 16. The sub-slit 30 is provided at a position biased toward one side of the main slit 20 in the left-right direction. In addition, the insertion recess 24 is provided with a partition wall 32 extending forward and backward at a position corresponding to the sub-slit 30, and the insertion chamber 28 is divided into two parts, left and right. When the card edge 14 is inserted into the insertion chamber 28, the partition wall 32 is inserted into the sub-slit 30. Since the sub-slit 30 is provided at a position biased toward one side of the main slit 20 (i.e., either left or right), the card edge 14 cannot be inserted into the insertion chamber 28 in an upside-down state. Therefore, erroneous insertion of the card edge 14 can be prevented.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the housing 22 is provided with a plurality of terminal holes 34 penetrating the housing 22 in the front-rear direction below the insertion chamber 28. As shown in Figure 3, each of the terminal holes 34 penetrates the housing 22 in the front-rear direction to define a terminal member accommodating chamber 35 extending in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the terminal holes 34 are provided in the lower part of the housing 22 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 3, the front portions of the terminal holes 34 and the rear portion of the insertion recess 24 are in vertical communication.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 2, a terminal member 38 electrically connected to the covered cable 36 is attached to each of the terminal holes 34. The terminal members 38 are all metal members of the same shape extending in a predetermined direction, and are made of metal folded plate material formed by pressing. As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal members 38 are attached by being inserted into the terminal holes 34 from the rear toward the front. That is, the front corresponds to the insertion direction of the terminal members 38.

[0036] 6 and 7, the terminal member 38 includes a terminal body 40 extending in the front-rear direction, a contact piece 42 connected to the front end of the terminal body 40, and a core barrel 44 and a covering barrel 46 formed at the rear of the terminal body 40. The core wire 36A of the covered cable 36 is crimped to the core barrel 44, and the covering portion 36B of the covered cable 36 is crimped to the covering barrel 46.

[0037] The terminal body 40 has a front portion having a groove-shaped cross-sectional shape 48 extending in the front-rear direction. The groove-shaped cross-sectional shape 48 has a bottom wall 48A extending in the front-rear direction and side walls 48B extending upward from both left and right edges of the bottom wall 48A, and has a U-shaped cross section that opens upward. When viewed in the front-rear direction, the groove-shaped cross-sectional shape 48 is preferably such that the left-right width of the bottom wall 48A and the up-down height of the side wall 48B are different from each other, and in this embodiment, the up-down height of the side wall 48B is longer than the left-right width of the bottom wall 48A.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 7, the grooved cross-sectional portion 48 is provided at its lower portion with stabilizers 50, 52 for stabilizing the position of the terminal member 38 during insertion, and a locked portion 54 that is locked to the housing 22 of the terminal body 40. The locked portion 54 is located behind the stabilizers 50, 52. In this embodiment, the grooved cross-sectional portion 48 is provided with two stabilizers 50, 52 and one locked portion 54. The stabilizers 50, 52 and the locked portion 54 each include a pair of legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) formed by upright pieces cut and raised downward from both left and right edges of the grooved cross-sectional portion 48, and openings 50C, 52C, 54C provided between the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B). The legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B) are plate-shaped with surfaces facing the left and right directions, and protrude along the left and right side edges of the corresponding openings 50C, 52C, 54C. On the lower surface (bottom surface) of the terminal member 38, the left and right pairs of legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B) face each other in the left and right direction perpendicular to the extension direction (front-rear direction) of the terminal member 38 via the openings 50C, 52C, 54C, respectively. Hereinafter, the opening 54C of the locked portion 54 will be referred to as a locking opening 54C (first opening), and the openings 50C, 52C of the stabilizers 50, 52 will be referred to as stabilizer openings 50C, 52C (second openings). The stabilizer openings 50C and 52C are provided in front of the locking opening 54C, that is, on the front side of the locking opening 54C in the insertion direction.

[0039] The legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) are each formed of a cut and raised piece formed by cutting and raising the portions corresponding to the locking opening 54C and the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C. Therefore, when manufacturing the terminal member 38, it is not necessary to cut out the portions corresponding to the locking opening 54C and the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C, and it is not necessary to separately attach the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B), and the locked portion 54 and the stabilizers 50, 52 can be easily manufactured.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, the left leg portions 50A, 52A, and 54A of the stabilizer 50 and the engaged portion 54 are raised from the lower edge of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48 (protruding height). More specifically, the vertical distance between the lower edge of the left leg portions 50A, 52A, and 54A and the lower edge of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48. Hereinafter, the left raised height A L 12(B)) are equal to each other, and the upright heights of the right leg portions 50B, 52B, 54B of the stabilizer 50 and the engaged portion 54 from the lower edge of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48 (the vertical distance between the lower edge of the right leg portions 50B, 52B, 54B and the lower edge of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48. Hereinafter, the right upright height A R ) are also equal to each other. Left standing height A L and right standing height A R In this embodiment, the left standing height A L Right side standing height A R As a result, the length from the upper edge of the left side wall 48B of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48 to the lower edges of the left legs 50A, 52A, 54A (hereinafter, the terminal body left edge length B L ) and the length from the upper edge of the right side wall 48B of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48 to the lower edges of the right legs 50B, 52B, 54B (hereinafter, the terminal body right edge length B R ) and the length of the left edge of the terminal body is longer than the length of the right edge of the terminal body.

[0041] As shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 8, the housing 22 is provided with a housing lance structure 56 for engaging the terminal member 38 with the terminal hole 34. In this embodiment, the housing lance structure 56 includes a lance piece 56A formed integrally with the housing 22 by forming a U-shaped notch opening toward the rear in a wall that defines the lower side of the terminal hole 34. The lance piece 56A forms a cantilever extending forward from the rear lower edge of the housing 22. The lance pieces 56A are provided for each of the terminal holes 34, and each defines the rear lower edge of the terminal member accommodating chamber 35. In other words, the housing 22 includes the housing main body 23 (see Fig. 3) and the lance pieces 56A that cooperate with each other to define the terminal hole 34, and each of the lance pieces 56A is joined to the housing main body 23 at its rear end and forms a cantilever extending forward. As shown in FIG. 8, in a natural state where no external load is applied, the lance piece 56A is bent upward as it moves forward.

[0042] 3, when the terminal member 38 is completely inserted into the terminal hole 34, i.e., in the assembled state, the free end (front end) of the lance piece 56A enters the locking opening 54C, and the lance piece 56A resiliently engages with the locking opening 54C. This causes the lance piece 56A to function as a resiliently locking piece for locking the terminal member 38. The terminal member 38 is prevented from moving in the forward / rearward direction relative to the housing 22, and the terminal member 38 is positioned and fixed within the terminal member accommodating chamber 35 of the housing 22.

[0043] As shown in Figs. 3 and 8, the free end of the lance piece 56A is provided with a protruding portion 56B that protrudes upward. The length of the protruding portion 56B is set so that the length of the stabilizer openings 50C and 52C is longer. This prevents the protruding portion 56B from entering the stabilizer openings 50C and 52C. This makes it difficult for the free end of the lance piece 56A to engage with the stabilizer openings 50C and 52C, and prevents the terminal member 38 from being erroneously assembled. In addition, the length of the protruding portion 56B is set to be slightly smaller than the length of the locking opening 54C. This makes it easier for the protruding portion 56B to enter the locking opening 54C, so that the terminal member 38 can be more reliably fixed to the housing 22.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9(A), the lance piece 56A has a raised portion 58 that protrudes upward and extends forward and backward. The raised portion 58 extends forward from the approximate center of the upper surface of the lance piece 56A and reaches the vicinity of the front end of the upper surface of the lance piece 56A. A gap 60A (60B) having a width corresponding to the left-right thickness of the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), and 54A (54B) is provided between the raised portion 58 and both left and right side walls 34L and 34R (see FIG. 12) that respectively define the left and right edges of the terminal hole 34. The left-right width of the raised portion 58 corresponds to the left-right distance between the two legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), and 54A (54B) that face each other in the left-right direction (see FIG. 12). In this embodiment, in order to increase the rigidity of the lance piece 56A, the width of the raised portion 58 in the left-right direction is set to be approximately equal to the left-right distance between the two legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B) that face each other in the left-right direction. However, the width of the raised portion 58 in the left-right direction is not limited to this embodiment, and may be set to be smaller than the left-right distance between the two legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B).

[0045] 9(A), the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B that defines the lower surface of the terminal hole 34 is set so that the front part is lower than the rear part at approximately the center in the left-right direction, forming a passage 62P that reaches the front surface of the lance piece 56A from the front surface of the housing 22. This passage 62P functions as a passage for withdrawing the die for forming the lance piece 56A.

[0046] In this embodiment, a downwardly recessed groove 62A is provided on the left edge near the rear end of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34. A rear right step 62B is provided on the right edge near the rear end of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34. The rear right step 62B is a portion that rises upward in a step shape on the right edge of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B near the rear end, and its right edge is connected to the side wall 34R (see also FIG. 12) that defines the right edge of the terminal hole 34.

[0047] A front left step 62C is provided at the left end near the front end of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34. The front left step 62C is a portion that rises stepwise upward on the left edge of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B near the front end, and its left edge is connected to the side wall 34L (see also FIG. 12) that defines the left edge of the terminal hole 34. A front right step 62D is provided at the right end near the front end of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34. The front right step 62D is a portion that rises stepwise upward on the right edge of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B near the front end, and its right edge is connected to the side wall 34R that defines the right edge of the terminal hole 34.

[0048] The upper surface of the bottom of groove 62A and the upper surface of front left step 62C each extend in the front-rear direction. The upper surface of the bottom of groove 62A and the upper surface of front left step 62C are provided at the same height in the up-down direction and form a horizontal plane 62SA extending in the front-rear direction.

[0049] The upper surface of the rear right step 62B and the upper surface of the front right step 62D each extend in the front-rear direction. The upper surfaces of the rear right step 62B and the front right step 62D are provided at positions at the same height in the up-down direction and form a horizontal plane 62SB extending in the front-rear direction at the right edge of the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34.

[0050] The horizontal surface 62SA located on the left side is set to a height corresponding to the standing height of the left leg portions 50A, 52A, and 54A, and the horizontal surface 62SB located on the right side is set to a height corresponding to the standing height of the right leg portions 50B, 52B, and 54B (see FIG. 12(B)). More specifically, the distance between the horizontal surface 62SA located on the left side and the lower surface of the upper wall of the terminal hole 34 is the terminal left edge length B L The distance between the horizontal plane 62SB located on the right side and the bottom surface of the upper wall of the terminal hole 34 is approximately equal to the terminal right edge length B R is roughly equal to

[0051] The terminal member 38 is attached to the terminal hole 34 by inserting the tip of the terminal body 40 into the terminal hole 34 from the rear side and pushing the terminal member 38 forward along the terminal hole 34 until the tip abuts against the front wall portion 34A of the terminal hole 34.

[0052] 9(B), when the terminal member 38 is inserted into the terminal hole 34, the left legs 50A, 52A, 54A slide on the horizontal surface 62SA, and the right legs 50B, 52B, 54B slide on the horizontal surface 62SB. That is, the horizontal surface 62SA (62SB) serves as a sliding contact surface against which the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B) slide when the terminal member 38 is inserted.

[0053] In this way, by providing the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B) on the terminal member 38 and configuring the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B) to slide on the horizontal surface 62SA (62SB), it is possible to reduce the sliding contact area between the terminal member 38 and the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34, compared to when the terminal member 38 is in the shape of a rectangular tube. This is expected to reduce the frictional force between the terminal member 38 and the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34 during insertion, for example.

[0054] By providing the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), and 54A (54B), both left and right outer edges of the lower end of the terminal member 38 (i.e., both left and right outer corners of the lower ends of the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), and 54A (54B)) are substantially vertical (see FIG. 12). On the other hand, since the terminal member 38 is formed by bending metal, if the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), and 54A (54B) are not provided, both left and right outer edges of the lower end of the terminal member 38 will be rounded with a predetermined curvature. Therefore, by providing the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B), compared to a case in which the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (54B) are not provided, gaps are less likely to occur between the left and right edges of the lower end of the terminal member 38 and the corners 34C defined by the horizontal surface 62SA (62SB) and the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 34L, 34R of the terminal hole 34. This makes it less likely that the terminal members 38 will fall outward to the left or right, and stabilizes the attitude of the terminal members 38 when inserted.

[0055] When the terminal member 38 is pushed forward along the terminal hole 34, the bottom wall 48A of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48 reaches the upper surface of the raised portion 58, and the bottom wall 48A slides along the upper surface. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9B, as the terminal member 38 is pushed forward, the raised portion 58 is inserted between the left and right legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) in sequence, and the movement direction of the terminal member 38 is guided in the insertion direction (i.e., forward). At this time, the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) each enter a gap 60A (60B) between the raised portion 58 and the wall surfaces that define the left and right sides of the terminal hole 34, respectively, and the left-right movement of the terminal member 38 is restricted, and the movement direction of the terminal member 38 is more reliably guided to the front-rear direction. That is, by using the raised portion 58 as a rail, the lance piece 56A functions as a guide member that guides the movement direction of the terminal member 38 in the front-rear direction, and the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) each function as a guided member. Therefore, in order to guide the movement direction of the terminal member 38 in the front-rear direction, when the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) are positioned in the gap 60A (60B), it is preferable that the legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) slide against the left and right side surfaces of the raised portion 58, respectively.

[0056] 10(B), in this embodiment, in order to set horizontal surfaces 62SA (62SB) serving as sliding surfaces at heights corresponding to legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B), respectively, grooves 62A and rear right step portions 62B are provided near the rear end portion of bottom wall 48A of terminal hole 34. As a result, the bottom surface of terminal hole 34 has a stepped shape at the rear end portion that gradually becomes higher toward the right side.

[0057] In this way, when the upper surface of the bottom wall 34B of the terminal hole 34 is stepped in order of increasing height toward the right side, if the protruding height of the right leg portions 50B, 52B, 52B is equal to the protruding height of the left leg portions 50A, 52A, 54A (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10B), the terminal member 38 can be inserted in an upside-down state. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the right leg portions 50B, 52B, 52B are set to have a greater protruding height than the left leg portions 50A, 52A, 54A. Therefore, when the terminal member 38 is inserted into the terminal hole 34 in an upside-down state (see the solid line in FIG. 10B), the right leg portions 50B, 52B, 52B get caught on the edge of the terminal hole 34, and the insertion of the terminal member 38 is hindered. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10(A), it becomes impossible to insert the terminal member 38 into the terminal hole 34 when the terminal member 38 is upside down, and erroneous assembly of the terminal member 38 is prevented.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6, the contact piece 42 is a folded piece folded backward from the front end of the lower part (bottom part) of the grooved cross-sectional shape part 48, and has a spring property that can elastically deform in the vertical direction. A contact part 64 that protrudes upward is formed at the free end part of the contact piece 42. When no external load is applied to the contact piece 42, the contact part 64 protrudes upward from the grooved cross-sectional shape part 48 and reaches the inside of the insertion chamber 28. When the card edge 14 is inserted into the insertion chamber 28, the contact part 64 contacts the corresponding board side terminals 16 with a predetermined contact pressure. As a result, the board side terminals 16 come into contact with the core wires 36A of the cable, and the board side terminals 16 of the circuit board 12 and the core wires 36A of the cable are electrically connected to each other.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 12B, the lower surface of the upper wall 34U of the terminal hole 34 is formed with a recess 34H recessed upward for receiving the contact piece 42. Thus, a step 34S is formed on each of the left and right edges of the upper edge of the terminal hole 34. When the terminal member 38 is inserted into the terminal hole 34, the contact piece 42 is received in the recess 34H. At this time, the step 34S restricts the left-right movement of the contact piece 42, and guides the movement direction of the terminal member 38 to the insertion direction. The left and right side walls 34L and 34R of the terminal hole 34 also restrict the left-right movement of the terminal member 38 during insertion. Furthermore, the horizontal surface 62SA (62SB) restricts the downward movement, and guides the movement direction to the insertion direction.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 7, the lower surface of the grooved cross-sectional portion 48 is provided with a protrusion 66 for preventing at least a part of the lance piece 56A from entering the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C and engaging with the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C when the terminal member 38 is inserted or removed. More specifically, two protrusions 66 are provided on the lower surface of the grooved cross-sectional portion 48. Each of the protrusions 66 protrudes downward behind the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C (rear in the insertion direction), more specifically, near the rear edges of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C. The protrusion 66 on one side is located between the two stabilizer openings 50C, 52C, and the protrusion 66 on the other side is located between the rear stabilizer opening 52C and the locking opening 54C. It is preferable that the distance between the front edges of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C and the front edges of the protrusions 66 is shorter than the front-rear length of the protrusions 56B. In this embodiment, the protrusion 66 is formed by embossing the portion that constitutes the lower surface of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48 .

[0061] An inclined surface 66A is formed at the rear of the protrusion 66, inclining downward toward the front (i.e., in the direction away from the terminal member 38). In this embodiment, one protrusion 66 is provided behind each of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C. The left-right width of the protrusion 66 is smaller than the left-right width of the terminal member 38. The protrusion 66 is shaped like a stripe extending in the front-rear direction at approximately the center in the left-right direction of the lower surface of the groove-shaped transverse cross-sectional portion 48.

[0062] In this embodiment, a groove 58A (see FIG. 9A) recessed downward is provided at the upper surface of the raised portion 58, at a portion rearward of the protruding portion 56B, at approximately the center in the left-right direction. The groove 58A is in the form of a stripe extending forward and backward. The depth of the groove 58A is preferably set so as to be able to receive the protrusion 66 when the lower surface of the grooved cross-sectional shape portion 48 abuts against the upper surface of the raised portion 58 (see FIG. 12). As a result, when the protrusion 66 passes over the rear portion of the protruding portion 56B of the raised portion 58, the protrusion 66 is received in the groove 58A. As a result, the rear portion of the protruding portion 56B of the raised portion 58 is prevented from being pushed downward, and the grooved cross-sectional shape portion 48 passes over the raised portion 58 smoothly.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the connector 10 includes a retainer 68 which is a resin molded product for locking upper portions of the terminal members 38 to the housing 22. As shown in Fig. 11, the retainer 68 includes a plate-shaped retainer body 70 extending in the left-right direction, a pair of left and right retainer locking claws 72 protruding downward from both edges of the retainer body 70, and a plurality of terminal member locking portions 74 protruding downward between the two retainer locking claws 72.

[0064] 1 and 12, a retainer accommodating recess 76 for accommodating the retainer 68 is provided in the rear portion of the upper surface of the housing 22. The retainer accommodating recess 76 communicates with each of the terminal holes 34 via communication holes 78 extending vertically. Retainer locking recesses 80 that are recessed downward are provided on both edges of the retainer accommodating recess 76. The retainer locking claws 72 enter and are locked in the retainer locking recesses 80, whereby the retainer 68 is coupled to the housing 22.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 11, the terminal member locking portions 74 are plate-shaped with surfaces facing left and right. The terminal member locking portions 74 are arranged in a line in the left and right direction on the lower surface of the retainer body 70. When the retainer 68 is assembled to the housing 22, as shown in FIG. 3, the terminal member locking portions 74 are arranged at positions corresponding to the terminal holes 34, and the terminal member locking portions 74 enter the communication holes 78 and reach the inside of the terminal holes 34. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 13, the terminal member locking portion 74 has an inclined surface 74A that is inclined upward toward the front, a front surface 74B that extends upward from the front edge of the inclined surface 74A, and a horizontal bottom surface 74C that extends rearward from the rear edge of the inclined surface 74A. The inclined surface 74A is located at the front lower edge of the terminal member locking portion 74. The front surface 74B faces forward, and the horizontal bottom surface 74C faces downward.

[0066] 11, in this embodiment, a rib 75 extending in the left-right direction is provided on the lower surface of the retainer body 70. The rib 75 connects the terminal member locking portions 74 on the left and right. This increases the rigidity of the retainer 68.

[0067] As shown in Figures 3, 6, and 7, a retainer engagement portion 82 is provided at the rear of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48 at a position corresponding to the communicating hole 78 for engaging with the retainer 68 to lock the terminal member 38 to the housing 22.

[0068] 3, 6, and 7, the retainer engagement portion 82 includes a connection portion 84 that connects the left and right side walls 48B of the grooved cross-sectional portion 48. In this embodiment, a pair of left and right protrusions 86 are provided behind the connection portion 84, as shown in FIGS.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting portion 84 is provided at the rear of the grooved cross-sectional portion 48 and above the locked portion 54. The connecting portion 84 includes a pair of extending portions 88 each protruding upward from the upper edge of the side wall 48B of the grooved cross-sectional portion 48, and a pair of engaging pieces 90 each extending in opposite directions from the upper edge of the extending portions 88. The engaging pieces 90 each include projections 90A, 90B each protruding in opposite directions. The projection 90A of one engaging piece 90 is located in front of the projection 90B of the other engaging piece 90. The projections 90A, 90B are bridged across the opposing engaging pieces 90, so that the engaging pieces 90 are assembled together.

[0070] The protruding pieces 86 are located behind the connecting portion 84 and are plate-shaped and extend upward from the upper edges of the side walls 48B of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 48.

[0071] When the retainer 68 is inserted after the insertion of the terminal members 38 is completed, the terminal member locking portions 74 protrude between the left and right protrusions 86, and the front surface 74B of the terminal member locking portions 74 abuts against the rear edge of the connecting portion 84. The front surface 74B of the terminal member locking portions 74 restricts the rearward movement of the terminal member locking portions 74. However, this is not limited to the embodiment, and for example, the terminal member locking portions 74 may be provided with a receiving recess capable of receiving at least one of the protrusions 86. At this time, the terminal members 38 may be locked to the housing 22 with the forward and rearward movement restricted by the protrusions 86 being received in the receiving recess.

[0072] 13, when the insertion of the terminal member 38 is not complete, the retainer 68 may be inserted and pushed downward (see the open arrow), causing the inclined surface 74A to abut against the connecting portion 84. The abutment of the connecting portion 84 with the inclined surface 74A pushes the terminal member 38 forward, and the terminal member 38 is pushed further forward (see the black arrow). This allows the terminal member 38 to move toward the fully inserted position, and the terminal member 38 can be guided to a more appropriate position than when it is fully inserted.

[0073] 14, when the retainer 68 is inserted and pushed downward (see the outline arrow) before the insertion of the terminal members 38 is completed, the horizontal bottom surface 74C of the terminal member locking portion 74 may come into contact with the left and right engagement pieces 90 from above. At this time, since the two engagement pieces 90 are combined and configured to support each other, the load applied from the horizontal bottom surface 74C of the terminal member locking portion 74 to the connection portion 84 is distributed to the left and right side walls 48B, respectively. This reduces the unevenness of the load, and makes it possible to prevent the terminal members 38 from being deformed.

[0074] Next, the effect of the terminal member 38 will be described with reference to the effect of the protrusion 66 when the terminal member 38 is inserted into the terminal hole 34. As shown in Figs. 15 and 16, when the terminal member 38 is inserted into the terminal hole 34 from the rear and pushed forward, the protrusion 66 comes into contact with the tip surface of the protruding portion 56B, and the free end of the lance piece 56A moves downward. This prevents the lance piece 56A from engaging with the stabilizer openings 50C and 52C. This prevents the lance piece 56A from engaging with the stabilizer openings 50C and 52C, which would give the worker assembling the terminal member 38 a feeling of restraint. This prevents the worker assembling the terminal member 38 from recognizing that the insertion of the terminal member 38 is complete, even though the lance piece 56A is not engaged with the locking opening 54C.

[0075] In this embodiment, the distance in the front-rear direction between the front edge of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C and the front edge of the protrusion 66 is set to be shorter than the front-rear length of the protrusion 56B. Therefore, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, when the front edge of the protrusion 56B is positioned so as to overlap the front edges of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C in the vertical direction, the protrusion 56B abuts against the protrusion 66. As a result, when the front edge of the protrusion 56B is positioned so as to overlap the front edges of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C in the vertical direction during insertion, the protrusion 56B is pushed downward by the protrusion 66, and the front end of the protrusion 56B is less likely to be caught by the front edges of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C. This prevents the assembly worker from feeling a sense of moderation even though the lance piece 56A is not engaged with the locking opening 54C.

[0076] In a state where the insertion of the terminal member 38 is not completed, for example, in a state shown in FIG. 17, an assembly worker may realize that he has mistakenly inserted the terminal member 38 that should be inserted into another terminal hole 34, and may pull out (i.e., remove) the terminal member 38 (see the black arrow). At this time, since the protrusion 66 is disposed behind the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C, the free end of the lance piece 56A moves downward along the inclined surface 66A of the protrusion 66 and separates from the terminal member 38 before reaching the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C (see the white arrow in FIG. 17). This makes it possible to prevent the free end of the lance piece 56A from getting caught in the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C when removing the terminal member 38, and makes it easy to remove the terminal member 38 from the housing 22.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an inclined surface 66A is formed at the rear of the projection 66, inclining upward toward the rear. Therefore, when the terminal member 38 is removed (pulled out), the free end of the lance piece 56A gradually moves downward along the inclination. This allows the free end of the lance piece 56A to smoothly separate from the terminal member 38, as shown in FIG. 18. This prevents the free end of the lance piece 56A from getting caught on the projection 66, making it easier to remove the terminal member 38 from the housing 22.

[0078] The present invention has been described above in terms of preferred embodiments thereof. However, as will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the connector 10 is a connector that connects to the card edge 14, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. More specifically, the connector 10 may be any connector that positions and fixes the terminal member 38 having the stabilizer 50 and the locked portion 54 to the terminal hole 34 by the housing lance structure 56, and may be a connector 10 for connecting core wires 36A to each other.

[0079] Furthermore, not all of the components shown in the above embodiment are necessarily essential, and they can be appropriately selected without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0080] For example, in the above embodiment, the terminal member 38 is provided with two stabilizers 50, 52, but the number is not limited to this. The terminal member 38 may be provided with one stabilizer 50 (52), or three or more stabilizers. The lance piece 56A is in the form of a cantilever, but is not limited to this form, and may be in any form as long as it engages with the locking opening 54C and locks the terminal member 38. The lance piece 56A defines the lower edge of the terminal hole 34, but is not limited to this form. For example, a penetrating hole may be provided in the wall that defines the lower edge of the terminal hole 34, and the lance piece 56A may enter the hole and engage with the locking opening 54C.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the lance piece 56A is a cantilever extending in the insertion direction (i.e., forward), but is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 20(A), the connector 210 has a housing 222 having a terminal hole 234 that defines a terminal member accommodating chamber 235, and a terminal member 38 having the same configuration as in the above embodiment that is inserted into the terminal hole 234. The housing 222 includes a housing main body 223 and a lance piece 256A that is integrally formed with the housing main body 223 and cooperates with the housing main body 223 to define the terminal hole 234. The lance piece 256A may be connected to the housing main body 223 at its front portion (the end portion on the insertion direction side) and may be a cantilever extending backward (i.e., in the opposite direction to the insertion direction). In this case, the lance piece 256A enters the locking opening 54C of the terminal member 38, thereby fixing the terminal member 38 to the housing 222. In this case, similarly to the above embodiment, it is preferable that the projections 66 are provided near the rear edges of the stabilizer openings 50C and 52C (that is, rearward in the insertion direction).

[0082] 20(B), the connector 310 has a housing 322 having a terminal hole 334 that defines a terminal member accommodating chamber 335, and a terminal member 38 having the same configuration as in the above embodiment that is inserted into the terminal hole 334. The housing 322 includes a housing main body 323 and a lance piece 356A that cooperates with the housing main body 323 to define the terminal hole 334. The lance piece 356A may be a double-supported beam that is connected to the housing main body 223 at its front (i.e., the portion in the insertion direction) and its rear (the portion opposite the insertion direction). In this case, the lance piece 356A enters the locking opening 54C of the terminal member 38, thereby fixing the terminal member 38 to the housing 322. In this case, the projection 66 may be provided near the rear edge of the stabilizer openings 50C and 52C (i.e., rearward in the insertion direction), as in the above embodiment.

[0083] Also, the housing 422 constituting the connector 410 may be composed of a housing main body 423 that defines a terminal member receiving chamber 435, and a lance piece 456A formed as a separate body from the housing main body 423. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 21, the housing main body 423 may include a terminal hole 434, a recess 437B in which a communication hole 437A communicating with the terminal hole 434 is provided, and a lid 437C that seals the recess 437B, and the lance piece 456A may include a locking portion 457A that protrudes into the terminal hole 434 through the communication hole 437A, and an elastic body 457B provided between the locking portion 457A and the lid 437C. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 21, the elastic body 457B is composed of two metal spring pieces 457C. However, the elastic body is not limited to this embodiment, and may be any embodiment composed of one or more metal leaf spring pieces or coil springs. Also, the elastic body may be made of rubber or the like. In this case as well, the lance piece 456A enters the locking opening 54C of the terminal member 38, thereby fixing the terminal member 38 to the housing 422. In this case as well, similarly to the above embodiment, it is preferable that the projection 66 is provided in the vicinity of the rear edge of the stabilizer openings 50C, 52C (i.e., rearward in the insertion direction).

[0084] Alternatively, the lance piece 556A may be provided in a resin case lance member 556B separate from the housing main body 523. FIG. 22 shows an example in which a communication hole 537A communicating with the terminal member accommodating chamber 525 is provided in the side surface of the housing main body 523, and the case lance member 556B is inserted into the communication hole 537A to form the housing 522 of the connector 510. Although a method for fixing the case lance member 556B to the housing main body 523 is omitted in FIG. 22, the case lance member 556B may be fixed to the housing main body 523 by using a predetermined locking claw, for example. Making the housing main body 523 and the case lance member 556B separate in this way is effective in cases where it is difficult to provide a hole for a die (for example, the passage 62P in the above embodiment) for forming the lance piece 556A, when it is not desired to provide a hole for the die, or when it is desired to form the housing main body 523 and the case lance member 556B from different materials.

[0085] Furthermore, the protrusion 66 may be in any manner that prevents the lance piece 56A from engaging with an opening other than the opening to be engaged with (in the above embodiment, the locking opening 54C) (more specifically, the lance piece 56A from engaging with an edge of an opening other than the opening to be engaged with), and the protrusion 66 may be provided in any position including in front of the insertion direction of the opening other than the opening to be engaged with, behind the insertion direction, or to the side of the insertion direction. Furthermore, the distance between the protrusion 66 and the edge of the opening other than the opening to be engaged with may be any distance, and may be set appropriately depending on the shape of the lance piece 56A, etc.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the left and right legs 50A (50B), 52A (52B), 54A (52B) are made to have different rising heights to prevent the terminal member 38 from being inserted upside down, but the present invention is not limited to this. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 19(A) and (B), the terminal hole 134 has a shape corresponding to the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 148 having a U-shape and the left and right legs 150 cut and raised from the bottom surface of the groove-shaped cross-sectional portion 148, and even if the left and right legs 150 of the terminal member 138 have the same length, it is possible to prevent the terminal member 138 from being erroneously assembled upside down. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10: Connector 12: Circuit board 14: Card edge connector 16: Board side terminal 18: Board side locking part 20: Main slit 22: Housing 24: Insertion recess 26: Outlet 28: Insertion Room 30: Secondary slit 32: Partition wall 34:Terminal hole 34A: Front wall 34B:Bottom wall 34C: Corner 34H: Recess 34L: Left side wall 34R: Right side wall 34S: Stepped section 34U: Upper wall 35: Terminal member housing 36: Covered cable 36A: Core wire 36B: Covering part 38: Terminal material 40: Terminal body 42: Contact piece 44: Core barrel 46: Covered barrel 48: Groove-shaped cross-sectional section 48A:Bottom wall 48B: Side wall 50: Stabilizer 50A: Legs 50B: Legs 50C: Stabilizer opening (opening, second opening) 52: Stabilizer 52A: Legs 52B: Legs 52C: Stabilizer opening (opening, second opening) 54:Locked part 54A: Legs 54B: Legs 54C: Locking opening (opening, first opening) 56: Housing lance structure 56A: Lance piece 56B:Protrusion 58: Protuberance 58A:Groove 60A, 60B: Gap 62A: Groove 62B:Rear right section 62C: Front left section 62D: Front right section 62P:Aisle 62SA: Horizontal surface 62SB: Horizontal surface 64: Contact part 66: Protrusion 66A: Inclined surface 68: Retainer 70: Retainer body 72: Retainer locking claw 74: Terminal member locking portion 74A: Inclined surface 74B:Front 74C: Horizontal bottom 75: Rib 76: Retainer receiving recess 78:Communication hole 80: Retainer locking recess 82: Retainer engagement part 84: Connection 86: Projection piece 88: Extension part 90: Engagement piece 90A: Projection piece 90B: Projection piece 134:Terminal hole 138: Terminal parts 148: Grooved cross-sectional section 150: Legs 210: Connector 222: Housing 223: Housing body 234:Terminal hole 235: Terminal member housing 256A: Lance piece 310: Connector 322: Housing 323: Housing body 334:Terminal hole 335: Terminal component housing 356A: Lance piece 410: Connector 422: Housing 423: Housing body 434:Terminal hole 435: Terminal component storage chamber 437A:Communication hole 437B : Recess 437C: Lid body 456A: Lance piece 457A: Locking part 457B: Elastic body 457C: Metal spring strip 510: Connector 522: Housing 523: Housing body 525: Terminal component storage chamber 537A: Communication hole 556A: Lance piece 556B: Case lance parts A L : Left side standing height (protruding height) A R : Right side standing height (protruding height)

Claims

1. a housing having a terminal hole that defines a terminal member receiving chamber extending in a predetermined direction; A connector having a terminal member inserted into the terminal member accommodating chamber in a predetermined insertion direction, the terminal member has a first opening that engages with a resilient locking piece provided on the housing in an assembled state, a second opening that is disposed on the side of the first opening in the insertion direction, and a protrusion that prevents the resilient locking piece from engaging with the second opening when the terminal member is inserted or removed, The terminal member is made of a bent plate material, and has legs protruding along side edges of the first opening and the second opening.

2. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the resilient locking piece is inserted between the legs when the terminal member is inserted, and guides the movement of the terminal member in the insertion direction.

3. The protruding heights of the legs are different from each other, 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a wall defining the terminal member accommodating chamber is provided with a sliding surface extending in the insertion direction at a position corresponding to the protruding height.

4. The resilient locking piece defines the terminal member accommodating chamber and forms a cantilever extending in the insertion direction, 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the projection is disposed rearward of the second opening in the insertion direction.

5. 5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein a protrusion is provided at a free end of the resilient locking piece, the protrusion having a length in the insertion direction longer than that of the second opening and shorter than that of the first opening.

6. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion abuts the protrusion when the edge of the protrusion on the insertion direction side is positioned so as to overlap the edge of the second opening on the insertion direction side in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

7. A connector according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein a slanted surface is formed at a rear portion of the projection in the insertion direction, slanting toward the terminal member toward the rear in the insertion direction.

Images