Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of finding a code in a state of the completion of a fitting between the connector and a mating side connector.SOLUTION: A connector is a connector fitted with a mating side connector, and comprises: a terminal; a housing that houses the terminal into an inner part; and a molding frame part 60 provided so as to be viewable from an external part to the housing. The molding frame part 60 includes: a main body part 61; and a concave part 62 that is concaved and formed from a main body part to a cross direction crossed to a fitting direction of the connector and the mating side connector. The connector and the mating side connector comprise a background part 58 arranged in an inner direction of the housing from the molding frame part 60. In a state where a fitting of the connector and the mating side connector is completed, the background part 58 is arranged at a completion position, the molding frame part 60 and the background part 58 are overlapped in the crossed direction to generate a difference in a color between a part of the inner side of the concave part 62 and the main body part 61, and thus, a code 64 which can be detected from the external part appears, and the code 64 does not appear in a state where the background part 58 is not arranged in the completion position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a connector having a fitting detection function for detecting whether a male housing and a female housing are properly fitted, an electrical connector described in Japanese Patent Translation of PCT International Publication No. 2018-535524 (Patent Document 1 below) is known. This electrical connector includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a housing, a plurality of conductors held by the housing, and a lever rotatably connected to the housing. The lever is rotatable between an open position and a closed position with respect to the housing.

[0003] A barcode label is disposed on the outer surface of the left side wall of the housing. When the lever is in the open position, the barcode label is hidden by the lever and cannot be read by a barcode scanner. On the other hand, when the lever is in the closed position, the barcode label is exposed through a concave portion provided in the lever, and thus can be read by a barcode scanner.

[0004] When the barcode label is read by a barcode scanner, it is possible to record that the first connector and the second connector are fitted, and to track the progress during the manufacturing or assembly process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the above electrical connector, since the barcode label is hidden by the lever when the lever is in the open position, the position of the barcode label cannot be known. Therefore, depending on the position of the barcode label, there is a possibility that the barcode label cannot be immediately found after the lever is rotated from the open position to the closed position.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector that mates with a mating connector, and includes terminals, a housing that houses the terminals therein, and a mold portion provided on the housing so as to be visible from the outside. The mold portion has a main body portion and a recess formed by being recessed from the main body portion in an intersecting direction that intersects the mating direction of the connector and the mating connector. The connector or the mating connector includes a background portion disposed inside the housing from the mold portion. In a state where the mating of the connector and the mating connector is completed, the background portion is disposed at a completion position, and a color difference occurs between an inner portion of the recess and the main body portion due to an overlap between the mold portion and the background portion in the intersecting direction, so that a code detectable from the outside appears. When the background portion is not disposed at the completion position, the code does not appear.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the code can be immediately found in a state where the mating of the connector and the mating connector is completed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

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Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

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Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

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Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0011] (1) The connector of the present disclosure is a connector that fits with a mating connector, and includes terminals, a housing that houses the terminals therein, and a mold portion provided on the housing so as to be visible from the outside. The mold portion has a main body portion and a recess formed by being recessed from the main body portion in a crossing direction that crosses the fitting direction of the connector and the mating connector. The connector or the mating connector includes a background portion disposed inward of the housing from the mold portion. In a state where the fitting of the connector and the mating connector is completed, the background portion is disposed at a completed position, and a color difference occurs between an inner portion of the recess and the main body portion due to the mold portion and the background portion overlapping in the crossing direction, so that a detectable cord appears. When the background portion is not disposed at the completed position, the cord does not appear.

[0012] According to such a configuration, the mold portion of the connector is provided so as to be visible from the outside, and a detectable cord appears when the mold portion and the background portion overlap in a state where the fitting of the connector and the mating connector is completed. Therefore, the operator can recognize the position where the cord appears by the mold portion at a stage before fitting the connector and the mating connector.

[0013] (2) The connector of the present disclosure further includes a retainer that prevents the terminals from coming out of the housing, and the retainer preferably includes the background portion.

[0014] According to such a configuration, the cord can be made to appear by the formwork portion of the housing and the background portion of the retainer.

[0015] (3) Preferably, the recess is a through-hole that penetrates the main body portion.

[0016] According to such a configuration, since the background portion is exposed to the outside through the through-hole, it is easy to cause a color difference between the background portion and the main body portion.

[0017] (4) A thin portion that is thinner than the main body portion may be provided in the recess.

[0018] According to such a configuration, the recess is easy to form.

[0019] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0020] [Embodiment 1]< Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 19. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector structure 1 according to the present embodiment includes a female connector 30 (an example of a connector) and a male connector 10 (an example of a mating connector). In the following description, the front-rear direction is based on the fitting direction of the male connector 10 and the female connector 30, and the mating surface side of each other is defined as the front side. For the up-down direction, FIG. 5 is used as a reference. For the left-right direction, in the plan view of FIG. 4, the upper side in the drawing is defined as the right side, and the lower side in the drawing is defined as the left side. In the present embodiment, the front-rear direction is an example of the fitting direction, and the left-right direction is an example of the crossing direction. Note that for a plurality of identical members, only some members may be assigned reference numerals, and the reference numerals of other members may be omitted.

[0021] [Male Connector] As shown in FIG. 16, the male connector 10 includes a male terminal 11, a male housing 14 that houses the male terminal 11, and a male retainer 20 attached to the male housing 14.

[0022] The male terminal 11 is formed by pressing a metal plate material into a predetermined shape. The male terminal 11 has a tab 12 that forms a plate shape protruding forward, and a wire connection portion 13 that is continuous with the rear of the tab 12 and to which a wire W1 is connected. When the wire connection portion 13 is crimped to the outer periphery of the wire W1, the wire W1 and the wire connection portion 13 are electrically connected.

[0023] The male housing 14 has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape and is formed of an insulating synthetic resin. The male housing 14 has a hood portion 15 that opens forward. Inside the hood portion 15, the tab 12 of the male terminal 11 is arranged in a state of protruding forward. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality (five in this embodiment) of male cavities 16 for housing the male terminal 11 are formed in the male housing 14 at intervals in the left - right direction. As shown in FIG. 16, inside the male cavity 16, a male lance 17 that protrudes forward and is elastically deformable is formed. When the front end portion of the male lance 17 locks to the male terminal 11 from the rear, the male terminal 11 is held in a retaining state within the male cavity 16. As shown in FIG. 17, on the lower wall of the hood portion 15, a lock receiving portion 18 into which a lock portion 36 of a lock arm 35 described later is inserted is provided penetrating the lower wall. As shown in FIG. 14, on the upper wall of the hood portion 15, a pressing protrusion 19 that presses a female retainer 41 described later from above is provided protruding downward.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the male retainer 20 has an overall flat plate shape in the vertical direction and is formed of an insulating synthetic resin. Lock portions 21 that elastically lock to the male housing 14 are provided at both left and right ends of the male retainer 20. Although not shown, when the lock portions 21 lock to the male housing 14, the male retainer 20 is fixed to the male housing 14.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 16, the male retainer 20 has a restricting portion 23 that enters from the front into an elastic deformation space 22 where the male lance 17 of the male housing 14 elastically deforms, and prevents the male lance 17 from elastically deforming. The restricting portion 23 is formed to protrude rearward from the rear end portion of the male retainer 20 at a position corresponding to the male lance 17 of the male housing 14.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 17, at the front end portion and the upper end portion of the male retainer 20, a contact portion 24 that protrudes forward and contacts a female retainer 41 described later is formed. As shown in Fig. 2, the contact portion 24 has a flat plate shape in the vertical direction. At the front end portion of the contact portion 24, arm portions 25 that protrude forward from both left and right end portions are formed. The arm portions 25 are formed to extend longitudinally in the front-rear direction. As shown in Fig. 12, at the front end portion of the arm portion 25, a locking portion 26 that protrudes downward is formed. The locking portion 26 is adapted to lock with a locking receiving portion 44 of the female retainer 41 described later. The rear end surface of the locking portion 26 is formed in a shape standing up from the lower surface of the arm portion 25. On the other hand, the front end surface of the locking portion 26 is formed to be gently inclined in the front-rear direction.

[0027] [Female Connector] As shown in Fig. 9, the female connector 30 includes a female terminal 31 (an example of a terminal), a female housing 34 (an example of a housing) that houses the female terminal 31 therein, and a female retainer 41 (an example of a retainer) that is attached to the female housing 34 from the front.

[0028] The female terminal 31 is formed by press-processing a metal plate material into a predetermined shape. The female terminal 31 has a connection cylinder portion 32 and a wire connection portion 33 that is continuous with the rear of the connection cylinder portion 32 and to which a wire W2 is connected. As shown in Fig. 16, when the tab 12 is inserted into the connection cylinder portion 32, an elastic contact piece (not shown) disposed in the connection cylinder portion 32 and the tab 12 are elastically contacted. Thereby, the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 31 are electrically connected. Further, when the wire connection portion 33 is crimped to the outer periphery of the wire W2, the wire W2 and the wire connection portion 33 are electrically connected.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the female housing 34 is generally in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The female housing 34 is formed of an insulating synthetic resin. As shown in Fig. 17, a lock arm 35 extending rearward from the front end is formed on the lower surface of the female housing 34. The lock arm 35 is elastically deformable in the vertical direction. A lock portion 36 protruding downward is formed near the central position of the lock arm 35 in the front-rear direction.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 1, the female housing 34 has a plurality (five in this embodiment) of female cavities 37 that open forward and rearward. The female cavities 37 are formed side by side at intervals in the left-right direction near the central position of the female housing 34 in the vertical direction. As shown in Fig. 6, the female terminals 31 are accommodated in the female cavities 37 from the rear.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3, at the front end of the female housing 34, at a position above the female cavity 37, a retainer housing portion 38 for accommodating the female retainer 41 is formed to open forward. The retainer housing portion 38 extends longitudinally in the left-right direction and constitutes a flat space in the vertical direction. The retainer housing portion 38 and the female cavity 37 communicate with each other in the vertical direction.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 6, on the upper wall of the retainer housing portion 38, at positions corresponding to the respective female cavities 37, female lances 39 extending cantilever-like obliquely forward and downward are formed. The female lances 39 are elastically displaceable toward an elastic deformation space 40 provided above the female lances 39. When the female terminal 31 is inserted to an appropriate insertion position in the female cavity 37, the female lances 39 and the female terminal 31 are locked in the front-rear direction, so that the female terminal 31 is held in the female housing 34 in a state where it is prevented from coming out rearward. The elastic deformation space 40 of the female lance 39 is set within the retainer housing portion 38.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the female retainer 41 has a plate shape that is flat in the vertical direction as a whole. The female retainer 41 is formed of an insulating synthetic resin.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 9, the portion of the upper wall of the female retainer 41 near the rear end is a regulating portion 42 that prevents the elastic deformation of the female lance 39 by entering the elastic deformation space 40 of the female lance 39 when the female terminal 31 is locked to the female lance 39.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, locking recesses 43 that are recessed downward are respectively formed at positions near both the left and right ends on the upper surface of the female retainer 41. The locking recesses 43 are formed to extend longitudinally in the front-rear direction. The two locking recesses 43 are formed to have the same shape and size. Here, having the same shape and size includes the case of having exactly the same shape and size, and also includes the case where, even if they are not exactly the same shape and size, they can be recognized as substantially the same shape and size.

[0036] The locking recess 43 is formed to be recessed in two steps so that the rear side is deeper in the front-rear direction. In other words, the depth dimension of the locking recess 43 from the upper surface of the female retainer 41 is formed to be larger in the rear portion than in the front portion. As a result, a stepped locking receiving portion 44 is formed between the front portion and the rear portion of the locking recess 43. As shown in FIG. 12, the locking receiving portion 44 is configured to lock with the locking portion 26 of the male retainer 20.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, first locking portions 45 that protrude upward are respectively formed at positions behind the locking recesses 43 on the upper surface of the female retainer 41. The front end surface of the first locking portion 45 is formed to stand upright upward from the upper surface of the female retainer 41. The rear end surface of the first locking portion 45 is formed to be gently inclined in the front-rear direction. The two first locking portions 45 are formed to have the same shape and size.

[0038] On the upper surface of the female retainer 41, second locking portions 46 that protrude upward are respectively formed at positions inward of the locking recesses 43 in the left - right direction. In other words, the second locking portions 46 are respectively formed at positions to the right of the locking recess 43 formed on the left side and to the left of the locking recess 43 formed on the right side. The front end surface of the second locking portion 46 rises upward from the upper surface of the female retainer 41. The inclination angle of the front end surface of the second locking portion 46 from the upper surface of the female retainer 41 is formed more gently than the inclination angle of the front end surface of the first locking portion 45. The rear end surface of the second locking portion 46 is formed to be gently inclined in the front - rear direction. The two second locking portions 46 are formed to be of the same shape and size.

[0039] At the rear end portion of the female retainer 41, two arm portions 47 that protrude rearward from near the central position in the left - right direction are formed. The two arm portions 47 are formed to be of the same shape and size. At the rear end portion of the arm portion 47, a third locking portion 48 that protrudes upward is formed. The front end surface of the third locking portion 48 is formed to be gently inclined in the front - rear direction. The rear end surface of the third locking portion 48 is formed to be orthogonal to the upper surface of the female retainer 41. Here, being orthogonal includes the case of being orthogonal, and also includes the case where it is not orthogonal but can be recognized as being substantially orthogonal.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, on the upper wall of the female housing 34, in a state where the female retainer 41 is accommodated in the retainer accommodation portion 38, a first locking receiving portion 49 that extends in the front - rear direction and penetrates the upper wall in the up - down direction is formed at a position corresponding to the first locking portion 45. As shown in FIG. 4, the first locking receiving portion 49 is formed at positions near both left and right ends of the upper wall of the female housing 34. The first locking receiving portion 49 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The two first locking receiving portions 49 are formed to be of the same shape and size.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 10, on the upper wall of the female housing 34, with the female retainer 41 housed in the retainer housing portion 38, at a position corresponding to the second locking portion 46, a second locking receiving portion 50 that extends in the front-rear direction and penetrates the upper wall in the vertical direction is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, the second locking receiving portion 50 is formed inside the first locking receiving portion 49 in the left-right direction on the upper wall of the female housing 34. In other words, the second locking receiving portion 50 is formed to the right of the first locking receiving portion 49 formed on the left side of the upper wall of the female housing 34, and the second locking receiving portion 50 is also formed to the left of the first locking receiving portion 49 formed on the right side. The second locking receiving portion 50 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The two second locking receiving portions 50 are formed to be of the same shape and size.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, on the upper wall of the female housing 34, near the center in the left-right direction, a slit 51 having an angular C shape when viewed from above is formed. The slit 51 has two portions arranged at intervals in the left-right direction and extending in the front-rear direction, and a portion connecting the rear end portions of these two portions. An elastic deformation portion 52 extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the region surrounded by this slit 51. As shown in FIG. 11, the elastic deformation portion 52 is formed above the arm portion 47 of the female retainer 41 in a state where the female retainer 41 is housed in the retainer housing portion 38. A protrusion portion 53 protruding upward is formed at the rear end portion of the elastic deformation portion 52. The front end face and the rear end face of the protrusion portion 53 are formed to be gently inclined in the front-rear direction.

[0043] Among the slit 51, the portion that extends in the left-right direction and is located behind the elastic deformation portion 52 is a front third locking receiving portion 54 that can be locked with the third locking portion 48 of the female retainer 41. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, on the upper wall of the female housing 34, at a position behind the front third locking receiving portion 54, two rear third locking receiving portions 55 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction are formed to penetrate the upper wall in the vertical direction. The rear third locking receiving portion 55 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 17, the rear third locking receiving portion 55 can be locked with the third locking portion 48 of the female retainer 41.

[0044] [Assembly Structure of Female Housing and Female Retainer] The female retainer 41 is movably attached to the female housing 34 between a retracted position (see FIGS. 5 to 7), a locking position behind the retracted position (see FIGS. 8 to 11), and a completed position behind the locking position (see FIGS. 15 to 17).

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 at the retracted position, the front end face of the first locking portion 45 abuts against the front wall of the first locking receiving portion 49 from the rear. As a result, the female retainer 41 is held in a state of being prevented from coming off forward with respect to the female housing 34. As shown in FIG. 7, the rear end face of the second locking portion 46 abuts against the front face of the female housing 34 from the front. As a result, the female retainer 41 is held in a state where its movement backward with respect to the female housing 34 is restricted. As shown in FIG. 6, the restricting portion 42 is in a state of being retracted in front of the elastic deformation space 40. As a result, the female lance 39 can be elastically deformed within the elastic deformation space 40.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 10, in a state where the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 at the locking position, the second locking portion 46 abuts against the front wall of the second locking receiving portion 50 from the rear. As a result, the female retainer 41 is held in a state of being prevented from coming off forward with respect to the female housing 34. As shown in FIG. 11, the third locking portion 48 abuts against the rear wall of the front third locking receiving portion 54 from the front. As a result, the female retainer 41 is held in a state where its movement backward with respect to the female housing 34 is restricted. As shown in FIG. 9, the restricting portion 42 is in a state of having entered the elastic deformation space 40. As a result, the elastic deformation of the female lance 39 is prevented.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 17, when the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 in the completed position, the contact portion 24 of the male retainer 20 contacts the front end face of the female retainer 41 from the front. As a result, the female retainer 41 is restricted from moving forward. The third locking portion 48 contacts the rear wall of the rear third locking receiver 55 from the front. As a result, the female retainer 41 is held in a state where its movement backward with respect to the female housing 34 is restricted.

[0048] [Background portion] As shown in FIG. 3, a protruding portion 57 that protrudes rearward from the left side portion is formed at the rear end portion of the female retainer 41. The protruding portion 57 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The left side surface of the protruding portion 57 is formed orthogonal to the upper surface of the female retainer 41. The rear side portion of the left side surface of the protruding portion 57 is a background portion 58. The background portion 58 is configured to cause the cord 64 to appear by overlapping with a mold portion 60 described below (see FIG. 15).

[0049] [Mold portion] As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the female housing 34 has a housing space 59 that receives the protruding portion 57 of the female retainer 41. The housing space 59 is provided at the upper left and rear side inside the female housing 34. A mold portion 60 is provided on the left side wall of the female housing 34 located to the left of the housing space 59. The mold portion 60 is recessed rightward from the outer surface of the left side wall of the female housing 34. As shown in FIG. 18, the mold portion 60 is arranged to the left of the background portion 58 in a state where the fitting of the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 is completed and the female retainer 41 is held in the completed position. As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 8, and 15, the mold portion 60 is visible from the outside.

[0050] [Main body portion, recessed portion, through hole] As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the mold portion 60 has a main body portion 61 that is flat and plate-shaped in the left-right direction, and a recessed portion 62 that is recessed rightward from the main body portion 61. In the present embodiment, the recessed portion 62 is a through hole 63 that penetrates the main body portion 61 in the left-right direction.

[0051] [Code] As shown in FIG. 18, when the female retainer 41 having the background portion 58 is held in the completed position, the formwork portion 60 and the background portion 58 are arranged overlapping each other in the left - right direction. At this time, the background portion 58 is exposed to the left of the female housing 34 through the through - hole 63. On the other hand, the main body portion 61 is formed to have a thickness such that the color of the background portion 58 cannot be seen through the main body portion 61. Therefore, when the female retainer 41 is in the completed position, when the female housing 34 is viewed from the left, as shown in FIG. 15, the main body portion 61 and the background portion 58 arranged inside the through - hole 63 (recess 62) can be recognized. The formwork portion 60 and the background portion 58 are colored in different colors from each other (details will be described later). Thereby, when the female retainer 41 is in the completed position, the formwork portion 60 and the background portion 58 generate a code 64 that can be detected by a detection device such as a camera from the left. As the code 64, any of a one - dimensional code, a two - dimensional code, and a three - dimensional code may be used, but in Embodiment 1, a two - dimensional code is used.

[0052] The color difference between the formwork portion 60 and the background portion 58 described above is specifically a color difference detectable by a detection device such as a camera. For example, as a combination of the colors of the formwork portion 60 and the background portion 58, a combination of colors having a contrast due to a difference in lightness, hue, or saturation can be adopted. Also, the color includes fluorescent colors. For example, a paint that emits fluorescence when irradiated with ultraviolet light may be applied to either the formwork portion 60 or the background portion 58, and the code 64 may be detected by a detection device under ultraviolet irradiation. In FIGS. 1 to 5 and FIG. 15, for ease of viewing, the female retainer 41 including the background portion 58 is shown shaded. In the present embodiment, the entire female housing 34 is the same color as the formwork portion 60, and the entire female retainer 41 is the same color as the background portion 58.

[0053] In the code 64, information such as "fitting completion" and "lot number" is recorded as a two-dimensional code. This code 64 can be read by a detection device, and the read information can be recorded by a recording device. For example, after the fitting of the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 is completed, the detection device detects the code 64 and reads the information, so that the recording device can record that the fitting of the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 is completed.

[0054] When the female retainer 41 is not arranged at the completion position, the entire formwork portion 60 and the background portion 58 do not overlap in the left-right direction. For example, when the female retainer 41 shown in FIG. 19 is held at the locking position, the background portion 58 is located in front of the formwork portion 60. Therefore, when looking at the female housing 34 from the left, as shown in FIG. 8, the inside of the female housing 34 is recognized through the formwork portion 60. The color inside the female housing 34 and the color of the formwork portion 60 are the same color. For this reason, when the female retainer 41 is at the locking position, the code 64 that can be detected by the detection device does not appear.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 5, when the female retainer 41 is held at the retracted position, since the female retainer 41 is located in front of the locking position, the code 64 does not appear as described above. Also, although not shown, when the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 are partially fitted and the female retainer 41 is arranged between the locking position (see FIG. 8) and the completion position (see FIG. 15), although a part of the code 64 appears due to the overlap of a part of the formwork portion 60 and the background portion 58, the information cannot be detected by the detection device.

[0056] As described above, in the present embodiment, the position where the code 64 appears in the female housing 34 can be known by the formwork portion 60 that constitutes the code 64 together with the background portion 58. Since the formwork portion 60 is provided on the female housing 34 so as to be visible from the outside, it is easy to find the position of the code 64 when detecting the code 64. On the other hand, since the cord 64 itself appears when the fitting of the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 is completed and does not appear when the female retainer 41 is not in the completed position, false detection of the cord 64 can be suppressed.

[0057] [Assembly process of the connector assembly 1] Subsequently, the assembly process of the connector assembly 1 will be described. Note that the assembly process of the connector assembly 1 is not limited to the following description.

[0058] The male terminal 11 is inserted into the male cavity 16 of the male housing 14 from the rear. When the male terminal 11 abuts against the male lance 17, the male lance 17 elastically deforms within the elastic deformation space 22. When the male terminal 11 is further pressed forward, the male lance 17 returns to its original shape, and the front end portion of the male lance 17 abuts against the male terminal 11 from the rear. As a result, the male terminal 11 is accommodated in the male housing 14 in a state where it is prevented from coming out backward.

[0059] The male retainer 20 is inserted into the male cavity 16 from the front. When the restricting portion 23 of the male retainer 20 enters the elastic deformation space 22 of the male lance 17, the elastic deformation of the male lance 17 is restricted. When the locking portion 21 of the male retainer 20 elastically engages with the male housing 14, the male retainer 20 is assembled to the male housing 14 in a state where it is prevented from coming out forward.

[0060] The female retainer 41 is inserted forward into the retainer housing portion 38 of the female housing 34. When the first locking portion 45 of the female retainer 41 abuts against the upper wall of the female housing 34, the upper wall of the female housing 34 deforms so as to ride on the first locking portion 45, and the first locking portion 45 deforms downward. When the female retainer 41 is further pressed rearward, the upper wall of the female housing 34 and the first locking portion 45 return to their original shapes, and the first locking portion 45 enters into the first locking receiving portion 49 of the female housing 34. When the front end portion of the first locking portion 45 abuts against the front wall of the first locking receiving portion 49 from the rear, the female retainer 41 is held by the female housing 34 in a front-stopped state (see Fig. 6). Also, when the rear end portion of the second locking portion 46 abuts against the front edge of the upper wall of the female housing 34 from the front, the female retainer 41 is restricted from moving rearward (see Fig. 7). In this way, the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 at the retracted position.

[0061] In a state where the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 at the retracted position, the restricting portion 42 of the female retainer 41 is positioned in front of the elastic deformation space 40 of the female housing 34. Thereby, the female lance 39 of the female housing 34 can be elastically deformed.

[0062] The female terminal 31 is inserted rearward into the female cavity 37 of the female housing 34. When the female terminal 31 abuts against the female lance 39, the female lance 39 elastically deforms within the elastic deformation space 40. When the female terminal 31 is further pressed forward, the female lance 39 returns to its original shape, and the front end portion of the female lance 39 abuts against the female terminal 31 from the rear. Thereby, the female terminal 31 is accommodated in a state of being prevented from coming out rearward within the female housing 34.

[0063] When the female retainer 41 is pressed rearward, the rear end portion of the second locking portion 46 abuts against the front edge of the upper wall of the female housing 34 from the front. Thereby, the upper wall of the female housing 34 deforms so as to ride on the second locking portion 46.

[0064] When the female retainer 41 is further pressed rearward, the upper wall of the female housing 34 returns to its original shape and deforms, and the second locking portion 46 enters into the second locking receiving portion 50 of the female housing 34. The front end portion of the second locking portion 46 abuts against the front wall of the second locking receiving portion 50 from the rear, whereby the female retainer 41 is held by the female housing 34 in a front-stopped state (see Fig. 10). Further, the rear end portion of the third locking portion 48 abuts against the rear wall of the front third locking receiving portion 54 from the front, whereby the female retainer 41 is held by the female housing 34 in a state where its rearward movement is restricted (see Fig. 11). In this way, the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 at the locking position.

[0065] In the state where the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 at the locking position, as shown in Fig. 9, the regulating portion 42 of the female retainer 41 enters into the elastic deformation space 40 of the female housing 34. As a result, the elastic deformation of the female lance 39 of the female housing 34 is prevented. As a result, the female terminal 31 is double-locked by the female lance 39 and the female retainer 41.

[0066] Subsequently, the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 are arranged so as to face each other (see Fig. 1) and are fitted to approach each other.

[0067] The front end portion of the female connector 30 fits into the hood portion 15 of the male connector 10. Then, the front edge of the lower wall of the hood portion 15 abuts against the locking portion 36 of the lock arm 35 of the female housing 34 from the front. As a result, as shown in Fig. 14, the lock arm 35 elastically deforms upward. When the male connector 10 is further pressed forward, as shown in Fig. 17, the lock arm 35 returns to its original shape and the locking portion 36 enters into the locking receiving portion 18 of the hood portion 15 of the male connector 10. As a result, the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 are held in a state where they are prevented from coming off.

[0068] When the female connector 30 is inserted into the hood portion 15 of the male connector 10, the pressing projection 19 of the hood portion 15 abuts against the projection portion 53 of the elastic deformation portion 52 of the female housing 34 from the front. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the elastic deformation portion 52 elastically deforms downward. When the elastic deformation portion 52 elastically deforms downward, the arm portion 47 of the female retainer 41 located below the elastic deformation portion 52 elastically deforms downward. Then, the third locking portion 48 of the arm portion 47 moves downward, and the engagement between the third locking portion 48 and the rear wall of the front third locking receiving portion 54 is released.

[0069] When the male connector 10 is further pressed forward, the front end portion of the contact portion 24 of the male retainer 20 abuts against the front end portion of the female retainer 41 from the front. As a result, the female retainer 41 moves backward.

[0070] When the male connector 10 is further pressed forward, as shown in FIG. 17, the elastic deformation portion 52 of the female housing 34 returns to its original shape, and the projection portion 53 of the elastic deformation portion 52 is positioned in front of the pressing projection 19 of the hood portion 15. Then, the arm portion 47 of the female retainer 41 located below the elastic deformation portion 52 also returns to its original shape, and the third locking portion 48 of the arm portion 47 enters the rear third locking receiving portion 55. As a result, the rear end portion of the third locking portion 48 abuts against the rear wall of the rear third locking receiving portion 55 from the front, and the backward movement of the female retainer 41 is restricted. In this way, the female retainer 41 is assembled to the female housing 34 in the completed position.

[0071] On the other hand, when the female connector 30 is inserted into the hood portion 15 of the male connector 10, the front end portion of the arm portion 25 of the male retainer 20 abuts against the front edge of the female retainer 41 from the front. Then, the arm portion 25 elastically deforms so as to ride on the upper wall of the female retainer 41. When the male connector 10 is further pressed forward, the arm portion 25 returns to its original shape, and the locking portion 26 of the arm portion 25 enters the locking recess 43 of the female retainer 41 (see FIG. 12).

[0072] [Disassembly process of the connector assembly] Next, the disengagement process of the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 will be described. When the lock arm 35 is elastically deformed upward, the engagement between the lock portion 36 of the female connector 30 and the lock receiving portion 18 of the male connector 10 is released. Then, a pulling force is applied to the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 so that the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 move away from each other.

[0073] Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the locking portion 26 of the arm portion 25 of the male retainer 20 abuts against the locking receiving portion 44 of the locking recess 43 of the female retainer 41 from the rear. Thereby, a forward force is applied to the female retainer 41.

[0074] When the female retainer 41 is pulled forward by the male retainer 20 via the locking portion 26, the arm portion 47 of the female retainer 41 is elastically deformed so as to slide under the upper wall of the female housing 34. Thereby, the engagement between the third locking portion 48 of the female retainer 41 and the rear third locking receiving portion 55 of the female housing 34 is released (see FIG. 14).

[0075] Furthermore, when the female retainer 41 is pulled further forward, the front end portion of the second locking portion 46 of the female retainer 41 abuts against the front wall of the second locking receiving portion 50 from the rear (see FIG. 13). Then, since the holding force between the second locking portion 46 of the female retainer 41 and the second locking receiving portion 50 of the female housing 34 is set to be larger than the holding force between the locking portion 26 of the male retainer 20 and the locking receiving portion 44 of the female retainer 41, the engagement between the locking portion 26 of the male retainer 20 and the locking receiving portion 44 of the female retainer 41 is released. Also, when the arm portion 47 of the female retainer 41 returns to its original shape, the third locking portion 48 enters the front third locking receiving portion 54 (see FIG. 11). Thereby, the female retainer 41 moves to the locking position with respect to the female housing 34 and is held at the locking position.

[0076] Furthermore, a pulling force is applied to the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 so that the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 move away from each other, thereby releasing the fitting between the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 (see FIG. 1).

[0077] [Visual recognition and detection of the code] In the fitting process and the detachment process of the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 described above, the mold part 60 is always visible from the left side of the female connector 30. Therefore, it is easy to find the position where the code 64 appears. Also, in the fitting process and the detachment process of the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 described above, the female retainer 41 is arranged at the completion position only when the fitting of the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 is completed. Therefore, the completion of the fitting of the male connector 10 and the female connector 30 can be detected by the code 64 that appears when the female retainer 41 is at the completion position.

[0078] [Functions and effects of Embodiment 1] According to Embodiment 1, the following functions and effects are achieved. The female connector 30 (connector) according to Embodiment 1 is a female connector 30 that fits with the male connector 10 (opposite-side connector), and includes a female terminal 31 (terminal), a female housing 34 (housing) that houses the female terminal 31 inside, and a mold part 60 provided on the female housing 34 so as to be visible from the outside. The mold part 60 has a main body part 61 and a recess 62 formed by being recessed from the main body part 61 in an intersecting direction that intersects the fitting direction of the female connector 30 and the male connector 10. The female connector 30 includes a background part 58 arranged inside the female housing 34 from the mold part 60. In a state where the fitting of the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 is completed, the background part 58 is arranged at the completion position, and due to the overlapping of the mold part 60 and the background part 58 in the intersecting direction, a color difference occurs between the inner part of the recess 62 and the main body part 61, so that a detectable code 64 appears. When the background part 58 is not arranged at the completion position, the code 64 does not appear. This is the female connector 30.

[0079] With such a configuration, the mold portion 60 of the female connector 30 is provided so as to be visible from the outside, and a code 64 that can be detected from the outside appears when the mold portion 60 and the background portion 58 overlap in a state where the fitting between the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 is completed. Therefore, the operator can recognize the position where the code 64 appears by the mold portion 60 at a stage before fitting the female connector 30 and the male connector 10 together.

[0080] The female connector 30 according to Embodiment 1 further includes a female retainer 41 (retainer) that prevents the female terminal 31 from coming out of the female housing 34, and the female retainer 41 includes a background portion 58.

[0081] With such a configuration, the code 64 can be made to appear by the mold portion 60 of the female housing 34 and the background portion 58 of the female retainer 41.

[0082] In Embodiment 1, the recess 62 is a through hole 63 that penetrates the main body portion 61.

[0083] With such a configuration, since the background portion 58 is exposed to the outside through the through hole 63, it is easy to cause a color difference between the background portion 58 and the main body portion 61.

[0084] <Embodiment 2> Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. As shown in FIG. 20, the connector assembly 101 according to Embodiment 2 includes a female connector 130 and a male connector 10. In Embodiment 2, as shown in FIG. 21, it is different from Embodiment 1 in that a thin portion 165 is provided in the recess 162 of the mold portion 160. For other configurations, the same reference numerals are given to those similar to Embodiment 1, and the description thereof is omitted. The description of the same operational effects as those of Embodiment 1 is also omitted.

[0085] [Thin portion] As shown in FIG. 21, the female housing 134 of the female connector 130 includes a mold portion 160. The arrangement of the mold portion 160 in the female housing 134 is the same as that of the mold portion 60 in Embodiment 1. The mold portion 160 has a main body portion 161 and a recess 162 that recesses to the right from the main body portion 161. Unlike the recess 62 in Embodiment 1 which is formed to penetrate the main body portion 61, the recess 162 in this embodiment is not formed to penetrate the main body portion 161. That is, a thin portion 165 that is thinner in the left - right direction than the main body portion 161 is provided in the recess 162. By not making the recess 162 a through - hole in this way, the recess 162 is easier to form.

[0086] The thin portion 165 is formed to a thickness such that the color of a member arranged on the back side with the thin portion 165 in between is visible when viewed from the left - right direction. Thus, as shown in FIG. 20, when the female retainer 41 is held in the completed position and the mold portion 160 and the background portion 58 overlap in the left - right direction, the color of the background portion 58 is visible through the thin portion 165. When the mold portion 160 is viewed from the left, a color difference is created between the inner portion (thin portion 165) of the recess 162 and the main body portion 161. Due to this color difference, a code 164 that can be detected by the detection device appears.

[0087] Also, by providing the thin portion 165 in the recess 162, the left side wall of the female housing 134 and the main body portion 161 can be connected via the thin portion 165, so it is not necessary to directly connect the main body portion 161 to the left side wall of the female housing 134. Therefore, it is possible to form the main body portion 161 in an island shape with respect to the left side wall of the female housing 134 without connecting the main body portion 161 to the left side wall of the female housing 134. On the other hand, in Embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 15, since the recess 62 is a through - hole 63, it is necessary to directly connect the main body portion 61 to the left side wall of the female housing 3 4. Thus, in Embodiment 2, by making the recess 162 the thin portion 165, the degree of freedom in designing the code 164 can be improved compared to Embodiment 1.

[0088] [Operational Effects of Embodiment 2] According to Embodiment 2, the following operations and effects are achieved. In Embodiment 2, the recessed portion 162 is provided with a thin portion 165 that is thinner than the main body portion 161.

[0089] With such a configuration, the recessed portion 162 is easily formed.

[0090] <Other Embodiments> (1) In the above embodiment, the female retainer 41 of the female connectors 30 and 130 includes the background portion 58, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the female connector may include a moving plate, and this moving plate may include the background portion. Further, the male retainer or the hood portion of the male connector may include the background portion. (2) In the above embodiment, the entire female housings 34 and 134 are the same color as the mold frame portions 60 and 160, and the entire female retainer 41 is the same color as the background portion 58. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, only a part of the female housing may be the same color as the mold frame portion, and only a part of the female retainer may be the same color as the background portion. (3) Different from the above embodiment, by making the background portion a light source, a color difference may be generated between the inner portion of the recess and the main body portion in a state where the background portion and the main body portion overlap, so as to present a configuration for presenting a cord. (4) In Embodiment 1, the recess 62 is a through hole 63, and in Embodiment 2, the recess 162 is provided with the thin portion 165. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The mold frame portion may have both a recess that is a through hole and a recess provided with a thin portion. (5) In the above embodiment, the male connector 10 is configured to have the male retainer 20 having the contact portion 24. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. A contact portion may be provided on the male housing, and the male retainer may be omitted.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0091] 1,101: Connector assembly 10: Male connector 11: Male terminal 12: Tab 13: Wire connection portion 14: Male housing 15: Hood part 16: Male cavity 17: Male lance 18: Lock receiving part 19: Pressing protrusion 20: Male retainer 21: Lock part 22: Elastic deformation space 23: Regulation part 24: Contact part 25: Arm part 26: Locking part 30,130: Female connector 31: Female terminal 32: Connection cylinder part 33: Wire connection part 34,134: Female housing 35: Lock arm 36: Lock part 37: Female cavity 38: Retainer housing part 39: Female lance 40: Elastic deformation space 41: Female retainer 42: Regulation part 43: Locking recess 44: Locking receiving part 45: First locking part 46: Second locking part 47: Arm part 48: Third locking part 49: First locking receiving part 50: Second locking receiving part 51: Slit 52: Elastic deformation part 53: Protrusion part 54: Front third locking receiving part 55: Rear third locking receiving part 57: Protruding part 58: Background part 59: Accommodation space 60,160: Mold part 61,161: Body part 62,162: Recess 63: Through-hole 64,164: Code 165: Thin part W1: Electric wire W2: Electric wire

Claims

1. A connector that mates with a mating connector, comprising: terminals; a housing that houses the terminals therein; a mold portion provided on the housing so as to be externally visible; a retainer that prevents the terminals from coming out of the housing, wherein the mold portion has a main body portion and a recess formed by being recessed from the main body portion in a crossing direction that crosses the mating direction of the connector and the mating connector; the connector includes a background portion disposed inward of the housing from the mold portion; a protruding portion that protrudes rearward is formed on a side portion of the retainer, and a rear side portion of a side surface of the protruding portion is the background portion; in a state where the mating of the connector and the mating connector is completed, the mold portion is disposed in a non-mating portion that is not mated with the mating connector at the time of mating completion, the background portion is disposed at the completion position, and due to the mold portion and the background portion overlapping in the crossing direction, a color difference occurs between an inner portion of the recess and the main body portion, thereby causing a code that can be detected from the outside to appear; a connector in which the code does not appear when the background portion is not disposed at the completion position.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the recess is a through hole that penetrates the main body portion.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a thin portion that is thinner than the main body portion is provided in the recess.

Images