Assembly and connector including a terminal and an electric wire

Abstract

To stably prevent buckling of a wire when a terminal with a wire connected thereto is inserted into a cavity and assembled in a housing even when a wire with a small diameter is connected to the terminal.SOLUTION: A assembly 2 of the present invention includes a terminal 20 inserted into a cavity 11 of a housing 10 with the electric wire 3 connected to the terminal, a wire 3 extending rearward from the terminal 20, and a support 4 including a first portion 41 as a crimped portion to be crimped to the terminal 20 and extending rearward from the terminal 20 along the electric wire 3 over a predetermined range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly including a terminal and an electric wire, and an electrical connector including the assembly.

Background Art

[0002] When inserting a terminal to which an electric wire is connected into a cavity and assembling it to a housing, for example, it is assembled as follows. Grasp the electric wire extending from the terminal with a machine or by hand, and apply a forward insertion force to the electric wire. When the lance pushed by the terminal bends and the terminal is disposed at a predetermined position, the terminal is assembled to the housing.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses forming a high-rigidity layer made of a photocurable resin around an electric wire coating in order to avoid buckling of a thin-diameter electric wire due to a backward insertion resistance by a lance. According to the description of Patent Document 1, the photocurable resin is composed of a monomer, an oligomer, a photoinitiator, and various additives. Further, as the additive, a material capable of obtaining a predetermined rigidity according to the buckling strength required for the electric wire after curing is selected.

[0004] When forming the above high-rigidity layer, if the electric wire is disposed in a mold and a liquid photocurable resin is injected into the mold, the photocurable resin in the mold is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The resin cured by the irradiation of ultraviolet rays adheres to the electric wire coating. The high-rigidity layer is formed on the electric wire over a continuous range from a position that abuts or is adjacent and close to the rear end of the terminal when the electric wire and the terminal are crimped to a position where the electric wire is grasped by a machine or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] It is difficult to stably form a high-rigidity layer made of a liquid photocurable resin at a predetermined position on an electric wire with a predetermined thickness. Even if the material of the photocurable resin is appropriately selected, the range and film thickness in which the high-rigidity layer is formed are likely to vary, so it is not always possible to prevent buckling of a thin-diameter electric wire. If the formation range of the high-rigidity layer is shifted backward with respect to the position of the rear end of the terminal, or if the high-rigidity layer is formed with a non-uniform thickness, there is a risk of buckling of the electric wire.

[0007] In order to avoid buckling of a thin electric wire, it is conceivable that before crimping, the electric wire is passed through the cavity of the housing from the rear, the terminal is crimped to the electric wire passing through the cavity forward, and then the terminal is moved backward and assembled to the housing, but the process becomes complicated. Further, Patent Document 2 forms a module including a plurality of terminals and electric wires connected to each of the plurality of terminals by relative sliding of the terminal components, and performs assembly to a member in module units, but the structure and process are complicated, and measures against buckling of a single electric wire cannot be taken. In addition, no prior art effective for avoiding buckling of a thin-diameter electric wire is found.

[0008] In order to simplify the structure and assembly process of the connector, it is preferable to connect the electric wire to the terminal in advance and pass the terminal with the electric wire connected through the cavity and assemble it to the housing. An object of the present invention is to stably prevent buckling of an electric wire when inserting a terminal with the electric wire connected into a cavity and assembling it to a housing, even if a thin-diameter electric wire with low rigidity is connected to the terminal.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The assembly of the present invention includes a terminal inserted into the cavity of the housing with an electric wire connected thereto, an electric wire extending rearward from the terminal, a portion to be crimped crimped to the terminal, and a support extending rearward from the terminal along the electric wire over a predetermined range.

[0010] In the assembly of the present invention, the terminal preferably includes a terminal body and a joint portion to which the electric wire is joined, and the support is preferably crimped to the joint portion together with the electric wire.

[0011] In the assembly of the present invention, at least a part of the support is preferably formed in a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape and disposed on the outer periphery of the electric wire.

[0012] In the assembly of the present invention, the housing includes a lance for locking the terminal, the support includes a high-rigidity portion having higher rigidity in the insertion direction in which the terminal is inserted into the cavity than the portion to be crimped, and the support preferably supports the terminal against a backward anti-insertion force by the lance pushed by the terminal.

[0013] In the assembly of the present invention, the portion to be crimped and the high-rigidity portion are preferably integrally formed by injection molding.

[0014] In the assembly of the present invention, the portion to be crimped and the high-rigidity portion are preferably formed by two-color molding from different materials.

[0015] In the assembly of the present invention, the portion to be crimped is preferably an elastic body that can be elastically deformed in the insertion direction in which the terminal is inserted into the cavity, and is formed in a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape and disposed on the outer periphery of the electric wire.

[0016] In the assembly of the present invention, it is preferable that an elastic piece for sealing the inside of the cavity is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the portion to be crimped.

[0017] In the assembly of the present invention, the portion to be crimped is preferably formed thinner than the high-rigidity portion.

[0018] The connector of the present invention includes the above-described assembly and a housing.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the assembly of the present invention, for reverse insertion, the terminal can be supported by the support instead of the electric wire. Therefore, regardless of the buckling strength of the electric wire, the terminal in a state where the electric wire is connected can be inserted into the cavity from the rear and assembled to the housing without buckling the electric wire.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 〔Embodiment〕 The connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a housing 10 and an assembly 2 housed in a cavity 11 of the housing 10. The assembly 2 is housed in each of a plurality of cavities 11 formed in the housing 10. FIG. 1 shows a state in which one assembly 2 is inserted partway into the cavity 11.

[0022] The housing 10 is formed by injection molding from an insulating resin material and is fitted to the housing of a mating connector (not shown). In the connector 1, the side where it is fitted to the mating housing and the terminal 20 is connected to the mating terminal is defined as "front", and the side from which the electric wire 3 is drawn out of the housing 10 is defined as "rear".

[0023] In each of the cavities 11 appropriately arranged in the housing 10, a lance 12 for locking the terminal 20 is formed. The lance 12 projects inward from a wall 13 forming the cavity 11 on the front side of the housing 10 and extends forward in a cantilever shape. The terminal 20 in a state where the electric wire 3 is connected is inserted into the cavity 11 from the insertion port 11B at the rear end of the housing 10. The direction (front-rear direction) in which the terminal 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 is referred to as the insertion direction D1.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembly 2 includes a terminal 20, an electric wire 3 connected to the terminal 20, and a support 4 crimped to the terminal 20. The electric wire 3 includes a core wire 31 and a coating 32.

[0025] The terminal 20 includes a terminal body 21 that is electrically connected to a mating terminal (not shown), and a joint portion 22 that extends rearward from the terminal body 21 and is joined to the electric wire 3 by crimping. The terminal 20 is integrally formed by punching and bending a plate material made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy.

[0026] In FIGS. 3(b) and 4(a), the terminal 20 is shown in the direction from the lower side in FIG. 2. The terminal body 21 is generally formed in a rectangular tubular shape and receives a tab-shaped or pin-shaped mating terminal (not shown) that is inserted into the opening 11A at the front end of the housing 10. The terminal body 21 includes a contact portion 211 that is pressed against the mating terminal, a locking portion 212 that is located at the front end of the terminal 20 and is locked to the lance 12, and a protrusion 213 that is locked to the housing 10 and positions the terminal 20 in the insertion direction D1.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the joint portion 22 includes a core wire barrel 221 that is crimped to the core wire 31 in a state of being exposed from the coating 32, and a coating barrel 222 that is located rearward of the core wire barrel 221 and is crimped to a portion where the core wire 31 is covered by the coating 32. As will be described later, the coating barrel 222 is also crimped to the support 4 disposed on the outer periphery of the coating 32. The electric wire 3 crimped to the core wire barrel 221 and the coating barrel 222 extends rearward from the rear end of the terminal 20 (the rear end 222B of the coating barrel 222). In the cross-sections shown in FIGS. 2, 4, etc., the core wire barrel 221 and the electric wire 3 are schematically shown. Also, the same hatching is applied to the respective cross-sections of the terminal 20 and the electric wire 3 in these figures.

[0028] When assembling the terminal 20 to which the electric wire 3 is connected to the housing 10, if a forward insertion force F1 is applied to the electric wire 3 by an automatic machine or by hand as shown in FIG. 5(b), a force (anti-insertion force F3) that pushes the terminal 20 backward by the elastic force F2 of the lance 12 pushed forward by the terminal 20 acts on the electric wire 3. If the anti-insertion force F3 exceeds the buckling load of the electric wire 3 and the electric wire 3 buckles, then even if the insertion force F1 is applied, the terminal 20 cannot be pushed forward by the electric wire 3, so the terminal 20 cannot be incorporated into the housing 10. In the present embodiment, in order to prevent the electric wire 3 from buckling due to the anti-insertion force F3, as shown in FIG. 5(a), instead of the electric wire 3, the support 4 transmits the insertion force F1 to the terminal 20, receives the anti-insertion force F3, and supports the terminal 20 against the anti-insertion force F3.

[0029] The support 4 includes a portion to be crimped (41) and extends rearward from the terminal 20 along the electric wire 3 over a predetermined range. The support 4 of the present embodiment includes a first portion 41 as a portion to be crimped disposed on the front side, and a second portion 42 as a high-rigidity portion having at least higher rigidity in the insertion direction D1 than the first portion 41.

[0030] The support 4 is integrally formed by an appropriate molding method, particularly by injection molding. More specifically, the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 are formed by two-color molding, which is injection molding using different materials. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 formed as separate members can be joined by an appropriate joining method, for example, by adhesion.

[0031] In the present embodiment, both the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 are formed in a cylindrical shape, and each has an annular cross section. A predetermined range of the coating 32 is passed through a hole 43 penetrating the positions of the same axis of the first portion 41 and the second portion 42.

[0032] Neither the first part 41 nor the second part 42 necessarily has to be cylindrical. However, it is preferable that at least a part of the support 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the outer circumference of the electric wire 3, because the terminal 20 inserted into the cavity 11 is guided by the cylindrical portion.

[0033] The first part 41 is crimped together with the covering 32 of the electric wire 3 by a covering barrel 222 disposed on the outer circumference of the first part 41. Therefore, the first part 41 has a region extending at least partially from the front end 222A to the rear end 222B of the covering barrel 222. Preferably, the first part 41 has a region extending from the front end 222A to the rear end 222B.

[0034] The first part 41 is disposed substantially over the entire radial direction of the space between the covering 32 and the inner wall of the cavity 11. However, a clearance is left between the first part 41 and the covering barrel 222 and the inner wall of the cavity 11 so that the assembly 2 can be inserted into the cavity 11 in a state where the first part 41 is crimped by the covering barrel 222.

[0035] Compared with the second part 42, the first part 41 has a lower rigidity to such an extent that it can be easily and surely crimped to the covering barrel 222 by a crimping mechanism of an automatic machine (not shown) or a typical method using a crimping tool or the like. Further, the first part 41 is preferably a cylindrical body disposed on the outer circumference of the electric wire 3 and is an elastic body that can be elastically deformed at least in the insertion direction D1.

[0036] As the material of the first part 41, for example, an appropriate rubber-based material available on the market such as silicone rubber, fluororubber, urethane rubber, nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, etc. can be used.

[0037] For example, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the support 4 is arranged on the outer periphery of the coating 32 by passing the electric wire 3 through the hole 43 of the support 4 from the end side of the electric wire 3. At this time, the front end 4A of the support 4 (the front end of the first part 41) is arranged at the same position as the front end of the coating 32 or in the vicinity thereof before and after, and is adjacent to the core wire barrel 221. The process of passing the electric wire 3 through the support 4 can be performed by an automatic machine or manually.

[0038] After passing the electric wire 3 through the support 4, the coating 32 may be peeled off from the core wire 31 at the end of the electric wire 3, or the coating 32 may have been peeled off before passing the electric wire 3 through the support 4. In any case, the core wire 31 exposed from the first part 41 and the coating 32 is arranged in the core wire barrel 221, and the coating 32 and the first part 41 are arranged in the coating barrel 222, and loads are applied to the core wire barrel 221 and the coating barrel 222 respectively to perform crimping. The assembled body 2 thus obtained is inserted into the cavity 11 from the rear.

[0039] The second part 42 is continuous rearward from the rear end 41B of the first part 41 and is exposed outside the housing 10 from the insertion port 11B of the cavity 11. The second part 42 has sufficient rigidity to receive the reverse insertion force F3. And the second part 42 can push the terminal 20 forward through the first part 41 crimped to the terminal 20. At this time, in the first part 41 which is an elastic body, the section not restricted by the coating barrel 222, that is, the section extending from the rear end 222B of the coating barrel 222 to the rear end 41B of the first part 41, is elastically deformed in the axial direction while being restricted inside the wall of the cavity 11 by being pushed forward by the second part 42. And due to the elastic force of the first part 41, while the terminal 20 is pushed back rearward in the same way as the reverse insertion force F3, the first part 41 is pushed forward by the second part 42 by a displacement amount greater than the elastic deformation amount of the first part 41, so that the first part 41 is displaced forward. Due to the forward displacement of the first part 41, the terminal 20 crimped to the first part 41 moves forward parallel to the axis set in the cavity 11. At this time, the electric wire 3 also displaces forward following the displacement of the terminal 20.

[0040] Even if the rigidity of the first part 41 is insufficient for the reverse insertion force F3, at least the second part 42 of the support 4 can receive the reverse insertion force F3 and support the terminal 20, while moving the terminal 20 to the normal position shown in FIG. 2 and mounting it on the housing 10.

[0041] As the material of the second part 42, for example, thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyamide, polyacetal, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether ether ketone, polysulfone, polyether sulfone, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, etc., or resin materials such as thermosetting resins such as phenolic resin, melamine resin, urea resin, epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, alkyd resin, polyimide, etc. can be used.

[0042] The rigidity sufficient for the reverse insertion force F3 can be imparted to the second part 42 not only by selecting the material of the second part 42, but also, for example, by changing the shape such as forming ridges along the axial direction at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral part of the second part 42.

[0043] When mounting the terminal 20 on the housing 10, the rear side in the support 4 is held by a holding mechanism such as a chuck of an automatic machine or by hand. By moving the holding mechanism etc. forward, an insertion force F1 in the insertion direction D1 which is the axial direction is imparted to the support 4. When the locking part 212 of the terminal body 21 bends the lance 12 in the direction approaching the wall 13 and the free end 12A gets over forward, the reverse insertion force F3 due to the elastic force F2 of the lance 12 is the largest. The support 4 is provided with the rigidity capable of receiving the reverse insertion force F3 at this time. As long as the insertion force F1 is not imparted to the electric wire 3, the reverse insertion force F3 is not applied to the electric wire 3 in the mounting process of the terminal 20, so the electric wire 3 does not buckle regardless of the buckling strength.

[0044] In addition, assuming that an insertion force F1 is applied to the electric wire 3 extending rearward from the rear end 4B of the support 4, and a reverse insertion force F3 exceeding the buckling load is applied to the electric wire 3, even if the electric wire 3 does not buckle in the section of the electric wire 3 surrounded by the support 4, the electric wire 3 buckles in the range exposed rearward from the support 4.

[0045] The axial length of the support 4 is appropriately set so that the insertion force F1 can be continuously applied to the support 4 by an automatic machine or by hand during the mounting process. In particular, when the locking portion 212 overrides the lance 12, it is preferable that the position (holding position) where the support 4 is held by the holding mechanism or the like is exposed rearward from the rear end 10B of the housing 10. However, even if the holding position is located forward of the rear end 10B of the housing 10, a jig is inserted into the insertion port 11B, and the rear end 4B of the support 4 is pushed forward by the jig, so that the insertion force F1 can be applied to the second portion 42.

[0046] Also, it is preferable that the rear end portion 42B of the second portion 42 held by the holding mechanism or the like is given a shape suitable for holding by the holding mechanism or the like. In the present embodiment, since the rear end portion 42B is not inserted into the cavity 11, the outer diameter of the rear end portion 42B is larger than the outer diameter of the portion forward thereof and the inner diameter of the cavity 11. The shape of the second portion 42 is not limited to this, and the outer diameter of the second portion 42 may be constant from the front end to the rear end.

[0047] As described above, according to the assembly 2 including the support 4, regardless of the buckling strength of the electric wire 3, including the case where a thin-diameter electric wire 3 having a lower buckling strength than a general-diameter electric wire is used, the terminal 20 is supported by the support 4 against the reverse insertion force F3. Therefore, the terminal 20 to which the electric wire 3 is connected can be inserted into the cavity 11 of the housing 10 from the rear and assembled to the housing 10 without buckling the electric wire 3.

[0048] According to the present embodiment, since the terminal 20 with the electric wire 3 crimped thereto can be inserted into the cavity 11 from the rear and assembled to the housing 10, for example, before crimping, the electric wire 3 is passed through the cavity 11 from the rear, the terminal 20 is crimped to the electric wire 3 in front of the front end of the housing 10, and then the terminal 20 is returned rearward and assembled to the housing 10, the process is simpler than a complicated process such as this. That is, if the assembled body 2 is obtained by passing the electric wire 3 through the support 4 and then crimping the first portion 41, the electric wire 3, and the terminal 20, the terminal 20 may be assembled to the housing 10 by inserting the assembled body 2 into the cavity 11 while applying an insertion force F1 to the support 4. Further, according to the present embodiment, different from the case of assembling to a housing or the like in units of a module in which a plurality of terminals are aggregated as in Patent Document 2, it is possible to provide a buckling countermeasure for the single electric wire 3.

[0049] If, as in Patent Document 1, a film formed by curing a liquid resin on the surface of the electric wire 3 is formed to increase the buckling strength of the electric wire 3 including the film and prevent buckling of the electric wire 3, since it is difficult to control the range where the film is formed and the film thickness, it is not always possible to prevent buckling of the thin-diameter electric wire 3. According to the present embodiment, a support 4 which is a molded body by injection molding and is crimped to the terminal 20 together with the electric wire 3 is used, and buckling of the electric wire 3 is surely prevented by pushing the terminal 20 with the support 4 instead of the electric wire 3. By injection molding, the support 4 composed of the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 can be easily manufactured with high dimensional accuracy, and the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 can be stably arranged at a specified position, for example, symmetrically with respect to the axes of the electric wire 3 and the cavity 11. Then, the crimping state of the first portion 41 and the electric wire 3 is stabilized, and the behavior of elastic deformation and displacement of the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 is stabilized, so that buckling prevention of the electric wire 3 can be stably achieved.

[0050] 〔Modification Example〕 Each element provided in the above-described embodiment can be appropriately modified, for example, as enumerated below. Hereinafter, the description will focus on matters different from the above-described embodiment. The same reference numerals are assigned to elements similar to those in the above-described embodiment.

[0051] First Modification Example: FIGS. 6(a) and (b) In the above-described embodiment (FIG. 2), the boundary B between the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 is located near the rear end 222B of the covering barrel 222, but it is not limited thereto. The length of the section where the first portion 41 is not constrained by crimping, that is, the distance L between the rear end 222B of the covering barrel 222 and the rear end 41B of the first portion 41 can be appropriately set. FIG. 6(b) shows the case where the distance L is 0.

[0052] When starting to insert the terminal 20 into the cavity 11, if the second portion 42 is held by a holding mechanism or the like and the first portion 41 is not held, if the distance L is too long, the unconstrained section of the first portion 41 is likely to bend downward due to its own weight, so it may be difficult to insert the terminal 20 along the axis of the cavity 11 into the insertion port 11B. Also, if the distance L is too long and the elastic deformation amount of the first portion 41 is too large, it is necessary to increase the stroke of the axial displacement of the second portion 42 by the holding mechanism, and the time required for mounting the terminal 20 becomes long. From the above viewpoints, it is preferable that the distance L is short. As shown in FIG. 6(a), even if the distance L is longer than that in the above-described embodiment, there is no problem in assembling the terminal 20. FIG. 6(a) shows a state where the terminal 20 is housed in the normal position of the housing 10. The rear end 41B of the first portion 41 is at the position of the insertion port 11B. Since the first portion 41 having lower rigidity than the second portion 42 is housed inside the housing 10, it is protected from external forces such as vibration and impact.

[0053] Second Modification Example: FIGS. 7(a) and (b) FIGS. 7(a) and (b) show a terminal 20-2 and a support 4-2 having different shapes from the terminal 20 and the support 4 in the above-described embodiment (FIG. 3). The support 4-2 includes a first portion 41 crimped to the coated barrel 222 of the terminal 20-2, and a second portion 42-2 integrally formed with the first portion 41 by, for example, two-color molding. The second portion 42-2 is continuous with the rear end of the first portion 41, and includes a front end portion 42-2A having an outer diameter larger than that of the first portion 41 and a rear end portion 42-2B having an outer diameter even larger than that of the front end portion 42-2A. The diameter of the front end portion 42-2A is set to be equal to the inner diameter of the insertion port 11B of the cavity 11. The rear end portion 42-2B is held by a holding mechanism and also functions as a stopper that determines the upper limit of the displacement amount of the terminal 20 during insertion. When the terminal 20 is inserted to the normal position where it is locked by the lance 12, the rear end portion 42-2B abuts against the rear end 10B of the housing 10, and the insertion port 11B is closed by the front end portion 42-2A. At this time, the assembly 2 is positioned on the axis of the cavity 11.

[0054] Third modification: FIGS. 8(a) to (d) Instead of the cylindrical support 4, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the assembly 2 may include a substantially cylindrical support 4-3 in which a slit 44 is formed. The slit 44 is formed along the axis of the support 4-3. Similar to the support 4 of the above embodiment, by passing the electric wire 3 through the hole 43 of the support 4-3, the support 4-3 can be arranged on the outer periphery of the electric wire 3. Alternatively, by inserting the electric wire 3 from the slit 44 into the inside of the support 4, the support 4-3 can also be arranged on the outer periphery of the electric wire 3.

[0055] Also, the support 4-3A shown in FIG. 8(c) includes a first half portion 451 and a second half portion 452 that are separated into two bodies. The support 4-3B shown in FIG. 8(d) includes a first half portion 451 and a second half portion 452 that are respectively coupled to a hinge 46 formed along the axial direction. For either configuration of FIGS. 8(c) and 8(d), by sandwiching the electric wire 3 between the first half portion 451 and the second half portion 452, the supports 4-3A and 4-3B can be arranged on the outer periphery of the electric wire 3.

[0056] There are no particular restrictions on the overall shape of the support 4 in the present invention. For example, the outer shape of the cross-section of the support 4 may be rectangular.

[0057] Fourth modification example: Fig. 9(a) The support 4-4 shown in Fig. 9(a) has a function of waterproofing the connector 1. On the outer peripheral portion of the first portion 41-4 provided on the support 4-4, elastic pieces 47 that protrude radially outward and are at least elastically deformable in the radial direction are formed. The first portion 41-4 is provided with a plurality of elastic pieces 47 arranged in the axial direction. The height at which the elastic pieces 47 protrude from the outer peripheral portion of the first portion 41-4 gradually increases from the front to the rear. Since the first portion 41-4 is entirely formed as an elastic body from a rubber-based material, the elastic pieces 47 correspond to a part of the elastic body. Note that the first portion 41-4 does not necessarily have to be formed from a rubber-based material. For example, elastic pieces 47 formed from a rubber-based material can be provided on the outer peripheral portion of the first portion 41 formed from a resin material having higher rigidity than the rubber-based material.

[0058] When the support 4-4 is inserted into the cavity 11, the elastic pieces 47 are pressed against the wall of the cavity 11 to seal the inside of the cavity 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water, dust, etc. from entering the cavity 11 from the outside of the housing 10 and coming into contact with the terminals 20 and the electric wires 3.

[0059] Fifth modification example: Figs. 9(b) and (c) For example, as shown in Figs. 9(b) and (c), by giving a unique shape to the rear end portions 42B of the second portions 42-5 and 42-6, it is possible to distinguish the variety, etc. based on the shape (rectangular shape or rotationally asymmetric shape) of the rear end portions 42B. Then, it is possible to prevent the assembly 2 from being mistakenly assembled to a housing 10 different from the assembly target.

[0060] Sixth modification example: Figs. 10(a) and (b) The support 4-6 shown in Fig. 10(a) and the support 4-7 shown in Fig. 10(b) are integrally formed by injection molding using only one type of resin material. The supports 4-6 and 4-7 can be formed of the same resin material as the second part 42 of the above embodiment throughout. The support 4-6 includes a second part 42 as a high-rigidity part and a first part 41-6 as a crimping part formed thinner than the second part 42. The inner diameter of the first part 41-6 is equal to the inner diameter of the second part 42, and the outer diameter of the first part 41-6 is smaller than the outer diameter of the second part 42. The first part 41-6 extends forward of the front end part 42A of the second part 42. Since the first part 41-6 is thin enough to be crimped, the first part 41-6, the electric wire 3 disposed on its inner circumference, and the covering barrel 222 can be crimped.

[0061] The support 4-7 shown in Fig. 10(b) also includes a second part 42 as a high-rigidity part and a first part 41-7 as a crimping part formed thinner than the second part 42. The second part 42 corresponds to a section behind the first part 41-7 and a section in front of the first part 41-7 in the support 4-7. Similarly to the above, the first part 41-7, the electric wire 3 disposed on its inner circumference, and the covering barrel 222 can be crimped.

[0062] Seventh Modification: Fig. 10(c) The boundary B between the first part 41 and the second part 42 of the support 4 does not necessarily have to be set along a plane orthogonal to the axis. In the example shown in Fig. 10(c), the front end part 42-8A of the second part 42-8 is located in front of the rear end 41-8B of the first part 41-8.

[0063] On the front side of the second part 42-8, there is an annular region 421 whose outer diameter is smaller than the outer diameter on the rear side. The first part 41-8 is disposed thinner around the periphery of this region 421 compared to the above embodiment. The annular region 421, the first part 41-8, and the covering barrel 222 are crimped. The annular region 421 and the first part 41-8 can be integrally formed by two-color molding. Alternatively, an annular protrusion corresponding to the annular region 421 and the first part 41-8 can be separately molded and integrated by attaching the first part 41-8 to the outer periphery of the annular protrusion. In the example shown in FIG. 10(c), the annular region 421 on the front side of the second part 42-8 is disposed on the inner periphery at the rear side of the first part 41-8. Conversely, the region at the rear side of the first part 41 may be disposed on the inner periphery at the front side of the second part 42.

[0064] Eighth Modification Example: FIG. 11 The support provided in the assembly of the present invention includes a portion to be crimped to the electric wire 3, and can be appropriately configured as long as the terminal 20 is supported against the reverse insertion force F3. For example, the support 4-9 shown in FIG. 11 includes a first part 41-9 crimped to the covering barrel 222 together with the electric wire 3, and a second part 42-9 that receives the reverse insertion force F3 and supports the terminal 20. The first part 41-9 is formed in an arc shape following the outer periphery of the electric wire 3 and is disposed around the electric wire 3. The second part 42-9 is formed in a rod shape along the electric wire 3 and is joined to the first part 41-9 by an appropriate method. With this support 4-9 as well, the terminal 20 can be pushed forward and assembled to the housing 10.

[0065] In addition to the above, as long as the gist of the present invention is not deviated from, it is possible to select and choose the configurations listed in the above embodiments, or to appropriately change them to other configurations.

[0066] The assembly and the connector of the present invention can be developed into the following configurations. In both of the configurations (1) and (2) shown below, the support 4 is not crimped to the terminal 20. Except for that point, each of the configurations (1) and (2) is the same as the assembly and the connector of the above embodiments and each modification example. (1) The support 4 and the terminal 20 are joined by insert molding. For example, the crimped part of the electric wire 3 and the terminal 20 is placed in a mold, and by injection molding using a thermoplastic resin material, the support 4 is provided around the crimped part of the electric wire 3 and the terminal 20. By inserting the assembled body thus manufactured into the cavity 11, the terminal 20 can be assembled to the housing 10 without buckling the electric wire 3. (2) Before assembling to the housing 10, the support 4 does not necessarily have to be joined to the terminal 20. The support 4 separated from the terminal 20 can be used as a jig for pushing the terminal 20 into the cavity 11. That is, if the electric wire 3 is passed through the support 4 as a pushing jig and the electric wire 3 and the terminal 20 are crimped, the terminal 20 is placed in the cavity 11, and the rear end face of the terminal 20 or a protrusion formed on the terminal 20 is pushed forward by the front end face of the support 4 or the like, the terminal 20 can be assembled to the housing 10 without buckling the electric wire 3. Thereafter, the support 4 may be fixed to the housing 10 by an appropriate method. For example, the support 4 can be locked to the housing 10 by a lock portion provided near the insertion port 11B of the cavity 11.

Explanation of Signs

[0067] 1 Connector 2 Assembled body 3 Electric wire 4, 4-2, 4-3, 4-3A, 4-3B, 4-4, 4-6, 4-7, 4-8, 4-9 Support 4A Front end 4B Rear end 10 Housing 10B Rear end 11 Cavity 11A Opening 11B Insertion port 12 Lance 12A Free end 13 Wall 20 Terminal 21 Terminal body 22 Joint part 31 Core wire 32 Coating 41,41-4,41-6,41-7,41-8,41-9 Part 1 (Crimped Part) 41B,41-8B Rear End 42,42-2,42-5,42-6,42-8,42-9 Part 2 (High Rigidity Part) 42A,42-2A,42-8A Front End 42B,42-2B Rear End 43 Hole 44 Slit 46 Hinge 47 Elastic Piece 211 Contact Part 212 Locking Part 213 Projection 221 Core Wire Barrel 222 Coating Barrel 222A Front End 222B Rear End 421 Annular Region 451 First Half-Cut Part 452 Second Half-Cut Part B Boundary D1 Insertion Direction F1 Insertion Force F2 Elastic Force F3 Anti-Insertion Force L Distance

Claims

1. A terminal inserted into a cavity of a housing with a wire connected thereto, The wire extending rearward from the terminal, Including a portion to be crimped crimped to the terminal, and a support extending rearward from the terminal along the wire over a predetermined range, The terminal includes a terminal body and a joint portion to which the wire is joined, The housing includes a lance for locking the terminal, The support includes a high-rigidity portion having higher rigidity in the insertion direction in which the terminal is inserted into the cavity than the portion to be crimped, The support supports the terminal against a backward anti-insertion force by the lance pushed by the terminal, In the insertion direction, the portion to be crimped and the high-rigidity portion are adjacent to each other, The portion to be crimped is in direct contact with the wire and is crimped to the joint portion together with the wire, The high-rigidity portion covers the wire, and the front side of the high-rigidity portion is inserted into the cavity together with the portion to be crimped, Assembly.

2. At least a part of the support is formed in a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape and disposed on the outer periphery of the wire, The assembly according to claim 1.

3. The portion to be crimped and the high-rigidity portion are integrally formed by injection molding, The assembly according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The portion to be crimped and the high-rigidity portion are formed by two-color molding from different materials. The assembly according to claim 3.

5. The portion to be crimped is an elastic body that can be elastically deformed in the insertion direction in which the terminal is inserted into the cavity, and is formed in a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape and disposed on the outer periphery of the wire, The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. An elastic piece for sealing the inside of the cavity is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the portion to be crimped, The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The portion to be crimped is formed thinner than the high-rigidity portion, The assembly according to claim 3.

8. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, And the housing, a connector.

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