Interlocking connectors and mating connectors

Abstract

To suppress an increasing in scale.SOLUTION: A coupling connector comprises: a plurality of connectors 10 which can be inserted / withdrawn into / from a plurality of mating connectors 110 in a coupling state; and a coupling member 40 which connects the plurality of connectors in parallel in a first orthogonal direction orthogonal to an insertion / withdrawal direction in a space from a mating connector. Each connector comprises: a terminal metal fitting 20; and a housing 30 that fits and connects a terminal connection part 21 and a mating terminal connection part 121 in accordance with a fitting connection with a mating housing 130. The coupling member includes, in each housing, a terminal engagement body 41 that is housed into a housing up to an assembly completion position along a second orthogonal direction orthogonal to the insertion / withdrawal direction and a first orthogonal direction, and engages a terminal metal fitting to a housing completion position at an assembly completion position. A first engagement part 33a, a first engaged part 41g, a second engagement part 33b, and a second engaged part 41h, which hold the terminal engagement body at the assembly completion position to the housing, are provided between the housing and the terminal engagement body for each combination of them.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to interlocking connectors and mating connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] A mating connector is a connector that electrically connects the terminal fittings of a mating connector by mating the connector with the mating connector. This mating connector is configured so that one or more types of connectors can be connected as a mating connector, so that one connector can be used depending on the number of poles, or one or more types of connectors can be connected depending on the number of poles. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a mating connector in which multiple types of connectors are connected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-203769 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-202032 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional interlocking connectors are connected by assembling multiple types of connectors on the wall surface of a single plate member. Therefore, the conventional interlocking connectors are large in size due to the plate member, which may also increase the size of the mating connectors that are mated with them. The aforementioned Patent Document 2 discloses a terminal locking member that spans multiple connectors and locks the terminal fittings of each connector.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a connecting connector and a mating connector that can prevent the physical size from increasing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The interlocking connector according to the present invention is , ren a connecting member for connecting the plurality of connectors in a line in a first orthogonal direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction between the mating connectors, wherein the connectors include terminal fittings having terminal connection portions for matingly connecting with mating terminal connection portions of mating terminal fittings, and a housing for accommodating the terminal fittings to a mating position and matingly connecting the terminal connection portions and the mating terminal connection portions when matingly connected to a mating housing, wherein the connecting member is inserted into the housing along a second orthogonal direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the first orthogonal direction to accommodate the terminal fittings to an assembly completion position, and includes a terminal locking body for each housing for locking the terminal fittings at the assembly completion position, and a holding mechanism is provided between the housing and the terminal locking body for holding the terminal locking body relative to the housing at the assembly completion position for each combination of the housing and the terminal locking body. The plurality of mating connectors in the coupled state are formed by arranging the same number of mating connectors as the plurality of connectors in the first orthogonal direction and coupling them together, the mating terminal fittings are accommodated in the mating housing with the mating terminal connecting portions protruding, the mating connectors are arranged opposite to each other at a distance in the first orthogonal direction and include a pair of movable hood walls that are movable in the insertion / removal direction relative to the mating housing between a protection position that protects the mating terminal connecting portions arranged between the mating connectors and a retracted position that does not face the mating terminal connecting portions in the first orthogonal direction, and the mating housing is arranged opposite to each other at a distance in the second orthogonal direction and includes a pair of fixed hood walls that, together with the pair of movable hood walls in the protection position, surround and protect the mating terminal connecting portions arranged between them from all sides, and a guide portion for each of the pair of movable hood walls that holds and guides the movable hood wall between the protection position and the retracted position. It is characterized by:

[0007] The fitting connector according to the present invention is a connector that can be inserted and removed from a plurality of connectors. Narenand a connecting member for connecting the plurality of connectors arranged in a first orthogonal direction orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction between the mating connectors, wherein the connectors include terminal fittings having terminal connecting portions and a housing for accommodating the terminal fittings in a fully accommodated position, and the mating connector includes mating terminal fittings having mating terminal connecting portions and a mating housing for accommodating the mating terminal fittings and for matingly connecting the terminal connecting portions and the mating terminal connecting portions when mating with the housing, and the connecting member is inserted into the housing along a second orthogonal direction orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction and the first orthogonal direction to an assembly fully assembled position, and includes a terminal locking body for each housing that locks the terminal fittings in the fully accommodated position at the assembly fully assembled position, and a holding mechanism is provided between the housing and the terminal locking body for each combination of the housing and the terminal locking body to hold the terminal locking body relative to the housing in the assembly fully assembled position. The plurality of mating connectors in the coupled state are formed by arranging the same number of mating connectors as the plurality of connectors in the first orthogonal direction and coupling them together, the mating terminal fittings are accommodated in the mating housing with the mating terminal connecting portions protruding, the mating connectors are arranged opposite to each other at a distance in the first orthogonal direction and have a pair of movable hood walls that are movable in the insertion / removal direction relative to the mating housing between a protection position that protects the mating terminal connecting portions arranged between them and a retracted position that does not face the mating terminal connecting portions in the first orthogonal direction, and the mating housing is arranged opposite to each other at a distance in the second orthogonal direction and has a pair of fixed hood walls that, together with the pair of movable hood walls in the protection position, surround and protect the mating terminal connecting portions arranged between them from all sides, and a guide portion for each of the pair of movable hood walls that holds and guides the movable hood wall between the protection position and the retracted position. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The interlocking connector and mating connectors of the present invention connect multiple connectors using a connecting member that has a locking function for the terminal fittings of each connector and a retention mechanism between the connecting member and the housing of each connector. In addition, the interlocking connector and mating connectors have the terminal locking body of the connecting member that performs the locking function inserted into the housing and housed therein. This allows the interlocking connector of the present invention to be kept small in size. Therefore, the interlocking connector also allows the mating connectors to be kept small in size. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mating connector according to an embodiment before a connector and a mating connector are mated and connected. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the mating connector of the embodiment after the connector and the mating connector are mated and connected. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a plurality of connectors before being coupled together. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the mating connector with the mating member in the unlocked position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line ZZ in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a plurality of mating connectors before being coupled. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the interlocking connector and the mating connector according to the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0011] The mating connector of this embodiment includes multiple connectors and one mating connector into which the multiple connectors can be inserted or removed, or multiple mating connectors in a connected state. The mating connector also includes a connecting member that aligns and connects the multiple connectors in a first orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction between the mating connectors. The connected connector of this embodiment refers to the multiple connectors connected by the connecting member.

[0012] For example, in the mating connector of this embodiment, when there is one mating connector, the multiple connected connectors are inserted and fitted into the mating housing of the mating connector, thereby mating and connecting the multiple connected connectors with the single mating connector. Also, for example, in the mating connector of this embodiment, when there is one mating connector, the mating housing of the mating connector is inserted and fitted into the respective housings of the multiple connected connectors, thereby mating and connecting the multiple connected connectors with the single mating connector. Also, for example, in the mating connector of this embodiment, when multiple mating connectors are connected in a line in the first orthogonal direction, the multiple connected connectors are inserted and fitted into the respective mating housings of the multiple connected mating connectors, thereby mating and connecting the multiple connected connectors with the multiple connected mating connectors. Furthermore, for example, in the mating connector of this embodiment, when multiple mating connectors are connected in a line in the first orthogonal direction, the mating housings of the multiple mating connectors in this connected state are inserted and fitted into the housings of the multiple connectors in the connected state, thereby mating and connecting the multiple connectors in the connected state with the multiple mating connectors in the connected state.

[0013] Furthermore, in the mating connector of this embodiment, all of the connectors may be made of the same type of parts, or all of the connectors may be made of a combination of multiple types of connectors. Also, in the mating connector of this embodiment, when multiple mating connectors are connected, all of the mating connectors may be made of the same type of parts, or all of the mating connectors may be made of a combination of multiple types of connectors.

[0014] The connecting member is inserted into the housing of the connector along a second orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction of the connector and the mating connector and the first orthogonal direction to the assembly completion position, and has terminal locking bodies for each housing that lock the terminal fittings of the connector in the assembly completion position. A retention mechanism is provided between the housing and the terminal locking bodies to hold the terminal locking bodies relative to the housing in the assembly completion position. This retention mechanism is provided for each combination of housing and terminal locking body.

[0015] For example, if all the connectors are made of the same type of parts, the connecting member is formed so that all the terminal locking bodies are aligned in a row in the first orthogonal direction. On the other hand, if all the connectors are made of a combination of multiple types of connectors, the connecting member may be formed so that all the terminal locking bodies are aligned in the first orthogonal direction and offset in the insertion / removal direction for each type of connector, depending on the shape of each connector.

[0016] The interlocking connector and mating connectors of this embodiment connect multiple connectors using a connecting member that has a locking function for the terminal fittings of each connector and a retention mechanism between the connecting member and the housings of each connector. In addition, the interlocking connector and mating connectors have the terminal locking body of the connecting member, which performs the locking function, inserted into the housing and housed therein. This prevents the interlocking connector of this embodiment from protruding from the housing, thereby preventing the interlocking connector from becoming larger in size. Therefore, whether the interlocking connector is designed to insert and fit a housing into a mating housing or a mating housing into a housing, the size of the mating connector can also be prevented from becoming larger.

[0017] [Embodiment] Specific embodiments of the interlocking connector and the mating connector will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0018] 1 to 4 designate a mating connector of this embodiment. This mating connector 1 includes multiple combinations of connectors 10 and mating connectors 110 that are pluggable into and removable from each other. In other words, this mating connector 1 includes multiple connectors 10 and the same number of mating connectors 110 as the multiple connectors 10.

[0019] This mating connector 1 physically and electrically connects the terminal fittings (terminal fittings 20 and mating terminal fittings 120, which will be described later) to each other by mating and connecting the connector 10 and the mating connector 110 one by one. In the mating connector 1 shown here, by inserting and mating the connector 10 into the mating connector 110 along the insertion direction, a mated connection state is achieved in which the terminal fittings are physically and electrically connected to each other, and by removing the connector 10 from the mating connector 110 in this mated connection state in a removal direction opposite to the insertion direction, the physical and electrical connection state between the terminal fittings is released.

[0020] Specifically, in the mating connector 1 shown here, the housings (housings 30 described below) of the multiple connectors 10 in the mating state are inserted and mated into the respective mating housings (mating housings 130 described below) of the multiple mating connectors 110 in the mating state, thereby mating and connecting the multiple connectors 10 in the mating state with the multiple mating connectors 110 in the mating state. All of the connectors 10 are made up of the same type of component, each equipped with the same terminal fittings 20 and the same housing 30. Furthermore, all of the mating connectors 110 are made up of the same type of component, each equipped with the same mating terminal fittings 120 and the same mating housing 130.

[0021] Here, connector 10 is a female connector without a hood, and mating connector 110 is a male connector with a hood. However, in this mating connector 1, connector 10 may be a male connector without a hood, and mating connector 110 may be a female connector with a hood.

[0022] The connector 10 includes a terminal fitting 20 having a terminal connecting portion 21 and a housing 30 that accommodates the terminal fitting 20 in the fully accommodated position (FIGS. 2 and 4). On the other hand, the mating connector 110 includes a mating terminal fitting 120 having a mating terminal connecting portion 121 and a mating housing 130 in which the mating terminal fitting 120 is accommodated with the mating terminal connecting portion 121 protruding (FIGS. 2 and 4). In this mating connector 1, the connector 10 is inserted and mated into the mating connector 110, thereby mating and connecting the connector 10 and the mating connector 110, and accordingly, the terminal connecting portion 21 and the mating terminal connecting portion 121 are mated and connected. Furthermore, in this mating connector 1, the insertion / removal direction (insertion direction, removal direction) between the connector 10 and the mating connector 110 becomes the insertion / removal direction (insertion direction, removal direction) between the housing 30 and the mating housing 130, and when the connector 10 is inserted and mated into the mating connector 110, the housing 30 is inserted and mated into the mating housing 130.

[0023] Furthermore, the mating connector 110 includes a pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 that are arranged facing each other with a gap in a first orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction ( FIGS. 1 to 4 ). The pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 can move relative to the mating housing 130 in the insertion / removal direction between a protection position ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) that protects the mating terminal connection portion 121 arranged between them, and a retracted position that does not face the mating terminal connection portion 121 in the first orthogonal direction. In this example, the movable hood wall 140 is pushed from the protection position toward the retracted position by a connecting body 42 of a connecting member 40, which will be described later, but the movable hood wall 140 is not moved to the retracted position.

[0024] The terminal fittings 20 and the mating terminal fittings 120 are each formed from a conductive material such as metal. The terminal fittings 20 are female terminal fittings, and the terminal connection portions 21 are formed in the shape of a female terminal. In the connector 10, a plurality of these terminal fittings 20 may be provided, one for each pole, or the terminal fittings 20 may be prepared as a single component having a plurality of terminal connection portions 21 for each pole. The mating terminal fittings 120 are male terminal fittings, and the mating terminal connection portions 121 are formed in the shape of a male terminal to be fitted into the terminal connection portions 21. In the mating connector 110, a plurality of these mating terminal fittings 120 may be provided, one for each pole, or the mating terminal fittings 120 may be prepared as a single component having a plurality of mating terminal connection portions 121 for each pole.

[0025] The terminal fittings 20 shown here are provided for each pole (FIGS. 2 and 4). In the connector 10, two sets of five terminal fittings 20 aligned in a first orthogonal direction are arranged side by side in a second orthogonal direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the first orthogonal direction. Although not shown, the terminal fittings 20 are physically and electrically connected to the ends of electric wires. The mating terminal fittings 120 shown here have axial mating terminal connecting portions 121 equal to the number of poles and linking portions 122 that connect the plurality of mating terminal connecting portions 121 electrically (FIGS. 2 and 4). The mating connector 110 is provided with two mating terminal fittings 120, each having five mating terminal connecting portions 121 aligned in the first orthogonal direction. In this mating connector 110, the two mating terminal fittings 120 are arranged side by side in the second orthogonal direction.

[0026] The housing 30 and the mating housing 130 are each molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

[0027] The housing 30 has a housing main body 31 formed in a substantially rectangular shape (FIGS. 1 to 9), and terminal fittings 20 are accommodated and held in terminal accommodating chambers 30a inside the housing main body 31 (FIGS. 2, 4, and 7 to 9). In this housing 30, the terminal fittings 20 are accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers 30a so as not to protrude from the housing main body 31. The housing main body 31 has an opening (hereinafter referred to as the "terminal insertion opening") 30b on one side of the terminal accommodating chambers 30a in the insertion / removal direction (FIGS. 1 to 8), and the terminal fittings 20 are accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers 30a through the terminal insertion opening 30b. The housing main body 31 also has an opening 30c (FIGS. 2, 7, and 8) on the other side of the terminal accommodating chambers 30a in the insertion / removal direction. When the housing 30 is inserted and fitted into the mating housing 130, the mating terminal connecting portion 121 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 30a from the opening 30c, and the mating terminal connecting portion 121 is inserted into the terminal connecting portion 21 of the terminal accommodating chamber 30a.

[0028] The housing main body 31 has one wall surface (hereinafter referred to as the "first wall surface") 31a in the second orthogonal direction and the other wall surface (hereinafter referred to as the "second wall surface") 31b in the second orthogonal direction (FIGS. 1 and 5 to 8). In this housing main body 31, the first wall surface 31a is arranged to face the inner wall surface of a first fixed hood wall 132A (described later) when the mating connection with the mating housing 130 is completed, and the second wall surface 31b is arranged to face the inner wall surface of a second fixed hood wall 132B (described later) when the mating connection is completed. The housing main body 31 also has one wall surface (hereinafter referred to as the "third wall surface") 31c in the first orthogonal direction and the other wall surface (hereinafter referred to as the "fourth wall surface") 31d in the first orthogonal direction (FIGS. 1 to 6 and 9).

[0029] The mating housing 130 has a mating housing main body 131 formed in a substantially parallelepiped shape (FIGS. 1 to 4 and 10), and the mating terminal fittings 120 are accommodated and held inside this mating housing main body 131 (FIGS. 2 and 4). In this mating housing 130, the connecting portions 122 are accommodated inside the mating housing main body 131, and the respective mating terminal connecting portions 121 protrude from one wall surface of the mating housing main body 131 in the insertion / removal direction. For example, the mating housing 130 shown here is insert-molded with the mating terminal fittings 120 placed in a mold.

[0030] Furthermore, this mating housing 130 has a pair of fixed hood walls 132, 132 arranged opposite each other with a gap in the second orthogonal direction, and which, together with a pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 in the protective position, surround and protect the mating terminal connection portion 121 arranged between them from all sides (Figures 1 and 10).

[0031] The pair of fixed hood walls 132, 132 protrude in the same direction as the mating terminal connection portion 121 from a wall surface of the mating housing main body 131 from which the mating terminal connection portion 121 protrudes. The pair of fixed hood walls 132, 132 are each formed as a cantilevered rectangular flat plate of the same shape, and are arranged separately on one wall surface (hereinafter referred to as the "first wall surface") 131a side and the other wall surface (hereinafter referred to as the "second wall surface") 131b side in the second orthogonal direction of the mating housing main body 131 (FIGS. 1, 3, and 10). One outer flat surface of one fixed hood wall 132 is arranged flush with the first wall surface 131a. The other outer flat surface of the other fixed hood wall 132 is arranged flush with the second wall surface 131b. In the following, the fixed hood wall 132 on the first wall surface 131a side will be referred to as the "first fixed hood wall 132A," and the fixed hood wall 132 on the second wall surface 131b side will be referred to as the "second fixed hood wall 132B," as necessary.

[0032] Here, the pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 may be configured to push the housing 30 from the protection position to the retracted position as the housing 30 is inserted and fitted into the mating housing 130. Alternatively, the pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 may be configured to insert and fit the housing 30 between them while they are still in the protection position. Here, the housing 30 is inserted and fitted between the pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 while they are kept in the protection position (FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0033] The movable hood wall 140 is mainly formed of a rectangular flat plate and is assembled to the mating housing 130 so that a perpendicular line to the plane of the plate is in the first orthogonal direction ( FIGS. 1 to 4 and 10 ). One movable hood wall 140 is disposed on the side of one wall surface 131c of the mating housing main body 131 in the first orthogonal direction (hereinafter referred to as the “third wall surface”) 131c ( FIGS. 1 to 4 and 10 ). The other movable hood wall 140 is disposed on the side of the other wall surface 131d of the mating housing main body 131 in the first orthogonal direction (hereinafter referred to as the “fourth wall surface”) 131d ( FIGS. 1 , 2 , 4 and 10 ). Hereinafter, the movable hood wall 140 on the side of the third wall surface 131c will be referred to as the “first movable hood wall 140A,” and the movable hood wall 140 on the side of the fourth wall surface 131d will be referred to as the “second movable hood wall 140B,” as necessary.

[0034] The mating housing 130 further has guide portions 133 for each of the pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 that hold and guide the movable hood wall 140 between the protected position and the retracted position (FIG. 10). The guide portions 133 are provided on the first wall surface 131a side and the second wall surface 131b side of the third wall surface 131c of the mating housing main body 131, and on the first wall surface 131a side and the second wall surface 131b side of the fourth wall surface 131d of the mating housing main body 131. The guide portions 133 each have, at each of their four locations, a base portion 133a extending in the insertion / removal direction, and a guide groove 133b that is a groove formed in the base portion 133a and extends in the insertion / removal direction, and that fits over the end of the movable hood wall 140 in the second orthogonal direction to guide the movable hood wall 140 in the insertion / removal direction (FIG. 10).

[0035] The base 133a of the third wall surface 131c on the first wall surface 131a side is formed by a portion protruding in the first orthogonal direction from the end of the third wall surface 131c on the first wall surface 131a side and a portion extending in the first orthogonal direction from the end of the first fixed hood wall 132A on the third wall surface 131c side. The base 133a of the third wall surface 131c on the second wall surface 131b side is formed by a portion protruding in the first orthogonal direction from the end of the third wall surface 131c on the second wall surface 131b side and a portion extending in the first orthogonal direction from the end of the second fixed hood wall 132B on the third wall surface 131c side. The first movable hood wall 140A is fitted into opposing guide grooves 133b formed in the two bases 133a on the third wall surface 131c side. Furthermore, the base 133a of the fourth wall surface 131d on the first wall surface 131a side is formed by a portion protruding in the first orthogonal direction from the end of the fourth wall surface 131d on the first wall surface 131a side and a portion of the end of the first fixed hood wall 132A on the fourth wall surface 131d side extending in the first orthogonal direction. The base 133a of the fourth wall surface 131d on the second wall surface 131b side is formed by a portion protruding in the first orthogonal direction from the end of the fourth wall surface 131d on the second wall surface 131b side and a portion of the end of the second fixed hood wall 132B on the fourth wall surface 131d side extending in the first orthogonal direction. The second movable hood wall 140B is fitted into opposing guide grooves 133b formed in the two bases 133a on the fourth wall surface 131d side.

[0036] Furthermore, the mating housing 130 has hood wall locking portions 134 that protrude in the first orthogonal direction from the third wall surface 131c and the fourth wall surface 131d on the other wall surface side of the mating housing main body 131 in the insertion / removal direction, and lock the movable hood wall 140 at the retracted position after it has moved from the protection position to the retracted position (Figures 1 to 4 and 10).

[0037] This mating connector 110 is equipped with a first retention mechanism 151 that retains the movable hood wall 140 in the mating housing 130 at the protected position and that releases the retained state relative to the mating housing 130 upon receiving a pushing force toward the retracted position, and a second retention mechanism 152 that retains the movable hood wall 140 in the mating housing 130 at the retracted position (FIG. 10). The pushing force toward the retracted position refers to a pushing force applied from the housing 30 to the movable hood wall 140 when the housing 30 is pushed from the protected position to the retracted position by the housing 30 as the housing 30 is inserted and fitted into the mating housing 130. However, in this case, the pushing force toward the retracted position is applied to the movable hood wall 140 from a connecting body 42 of a connecting member 40, which will be described later.

[0038] The first retaining mechanism 151 shown here includes a retaining portion 153 provided on the movable hood wall 140 and a first retained portion 154 provided on the mating housing 130, which retains the retaining portion 153 in the protected position (FIG. 10). The first retaining mechanism 151 releases the retained state between the retaining portion 153 and the first retained portion 154 by bending the movable hood wall 140 in the protected position. The bending direction of the movable hood wall 140 may be either a first orthogonal direction or a second orthogonal direction. The second retaining mechanism 152 shown here includes the retaining portion 153 of the movable hood wall 140 and a second retained portion 155 provided on the mating housing 130, into which the retaining portion 153 is inserted and retained in the retracted position (FIG. 10). This second holding mechanism 152 releases the holding state between holding portion 153 and second held portion 155 by bending movable hood wall 140 in the retracted position. The direction of bending of movable hood wall 140 may be the first orthogonal direction or the second orthogonal direction.

[0039] The retaining portions 153 shown here are provided at each end of the movable hood wall 140 in the second orthogonal direction. These retaining portions 153 are convex portions that protrude in the second orthogonal direction from the end face of the end portion, and their outer wall surfaces are formed as arc-shaped surfaces of a circle whose axis is the first orthogonal direction. Meanwhile, the first retained portion 154 and the second retained portion 155 shown here are each provided on the guide groove 133b. These first retained portion 154 and the second retained portion 155 are each recessed portions formed by recessing a portion of the guide groove 133b in the second orthogonal direction and having the same shape as the retaining portion 153. Therefore, the inner wall surfaces of the first retained portion 154 and the second retained portion 155 are each formed as arc-shaped surfaces of a circle whose axis is the first orthogonal direction.

[0040] When movable hood wall 140 is in the protective position, first holding mechanism 151 fits holding portion 153 into first held portion 154, thereby holding movable hood wall 140 in the protective position. Furthermore, when movable hood wall 140 is in the retracted position, second holding mechanism 152 fits holding portion 153 into second held portion 155, thereby holding movable hood wall 140 in the retracted position.

[0041] First holding mechanism 151 and second holding mechanism 152 shown here each detach holding portion 153 from first held portion 154 and detach holding portion 153 from second held portion 155 by bending a portion of movable hood wall 140 in the second orthogonal direction. Movable hood wall 140 shown here is capable of bending in the second orthogonal direction and has flexible portion 156a where holding portion 153 is provided, and through-hole 156b which serves as an escape route for flexible portion 156a when holding portion 153 is detached from first held portion 154 or second held portion 155 (FIG. 10).

[0042] When movable hood wall 140 is pushed from the protection position to the retracted position, the pushing force of first holding mechanism 151 acts from the arcuate surface of holding portion 153 to the arcuate surface of first held portion 154, and the resulting reaction force from the arcuate surface of first held portion 154 causes flexible portion 156a to bend and escape into through-hole 156b, thereby detaching holding portion 153 from first held portion 154. This allows movable hood wall 140 to move from the protection position to the retracted position. Furthermore, when movable hood wall 140 is pushed from the retracted position to the protective position, the pushing force of second holding mechanism 152 acts from the arcuate surface of holding portion 153 to the arcuate surface of second held portion 155, and the resulting reaction force from the arcuate surface of second held portion 155 causes flexible portion 156a to bend and escape into through-hole 156b, thereby detaching holding portion 153 from second held portion 155. This allows movable hood wall 140 to move from the retracted position to the protective position.

[0043] This mating connector 1 is configured so that the number of connectors 10 and the number of mating connectors 110 can be changed depending on whether the number of poles is increased or decreased. This mating connector 1 is configured so that a plurality of connectors 10 can be lined up and connected in a first orthogonal direction, and so that the same number of mating connectors 110 as the connectors 10 can be lined up and connected in the first orthogonal direction. As will be described later, this mating connector 1 can also be configured with only one connector 10 and one mating connector 110 depending on the number of poles.

[0044] This mating connector 1 includes a linking member 40 that links a plurality of connectors 10 together in a first orthogonal direction (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 to 8). In this mating connector 1, the plurality of connectors 10 are linked by the linking member 40 to form a linked connector 10X (FIGS. 1 to 6). In this example, two connectors 10 are linked.

[0045] The connecting member 40 is inserted into the housing 30 along the second orthogonal direction to an assembly completion position, and each housing 30 has a terminal locking body 41 that locks the terminal fitting 20 at the assembly completion position (FIGS. 2, 4, and 5). Meanwhile, the housing 30 has an accommodating groove 32 into which the terminal locking body 41 is inserted along the second orthogonal direction to the assembly completion position (FIGS. 5, 7, and 8). The accommodating groove 32 is a groove formed by cutting out a portion of the housing body 31 from the second wall surface 31b toward the first wall surface 31a, and opens to the third wall surface 31c and the fourth wall surface 31d, respectively, and the openings of the second wall surface 31b, the third wall surface 31c, and the fourth wall surface 31d communicate with all of the terminal accommodating chambers 30a. The terminal locking body 41 is inserted through the opening in the second wall surface 31b and is inserted in the second orthogonal direction toward the first wall surface 31a until it reaches the assembly completion position. Here, the terminal locking body 41 is accommodated in the accommodation groove 32.

[0046] The terminal locking body 41 has a terminal locking portion 41a that enters the terminal accommodating chamber 30a at the completed assembly position and locks the terminal fitting 20 at the completed accommodation position on the terminal insertion opening 30b side (FIGS. 5, 7, and 8). Meanwhile, the terminal fitting 20 has a locked portion 22 that is locked by the terminal locking portion 41a (FIGS. 7 and 8). Here, the end of the terminal connecting portion 21 on the terminal insertion opening 30b side (the removal direction side) is used as the locked portion 22. Therefore, the terminal locking portion 41a shown here is formed to enter the terminal insertion opening 30b side of the locked portion 22 of the terminal fitting 20 at the completed accommodation position in the terminal accommodating chamber 30a, and to be positioned opposite the locked portion 22 on the terminal insertion opening 30b side so as to maintain the terminal fitting 20 at the completed accommodation position. The terminal locking body 41 has a terminal locking portion 41a for each terminal fitting 20.

[0047] The terminal locking body 41 is formed to be movable relative to the housing 30 between an unlocked position and an unlocked position. The unlocked position refers to the relative position of the terminal locking body 41 relative to the housing 30 when the terminal locking portion 41a cannot lock the terminal fitting 20 at the completed insertion position (FIGS. 6 and 7). When the terminal locking body 41 is in the unlocked position, the terminal fitting 20 can be inserted from the terminal insertion opening 30b to the completed insertion position of the terminal accommodating chamber 30a, and the terminal fitting 20 at the completed insertion position can be removed from the terminal insertion opening 30b. On the other hand, the locked position refers to the relative position of the terminal locking body 41 relative to the housing 30 when the terminal locking portion 41a can lock the terminal fitting 20 at the completed insertion position, and refers to the position where the terminal locking body 41 is fully assembled to the housing 30 (FIGS. 1 and 8). When the terminal locking body 41 is in the locked position, the terminal fitting 20 cannot be inserted from the terminal insertion opening 30b to the fully accommodated position of the terminal accommodating chamber 30a, and the terminal fitting 20 in the fully accommodated position cannot be pulled out of the terminal insertion opening 30b. The terminal locking portion 41a is arranged outside the terminal accommodating chamber 30a when the terminal locking body 41 is in the unlocked position, and enters the terminal accommodating chamber 30a to lock the locked portion 22 of the terminal fitting 20 when the terminal locking body 41 is in the locked position.

[0048] The terminal locking body 41 shown here is formed in a roughly rectangular shape and is accommodated in the accommodating groove 32, which is also formed in a roughly rectangular shape. The terminal locking body 41 has one wall body (hereinafter referred to as the "first wall body") 41b in the second orthogonal direction and the other wall body (hereinafter referred to as the "second wall body") 41c in the second orthogonal direction (FIGS. 5, 7, and 8). The first wall body 41b and the second wall body 41c shown here are each formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. Furthermore, the outer wall surface of the second wall body 41c shown here is arranged on the same plane as the second wall surface 31b of the housing main body 31 in the locking position (assembly completion position), and closes the opening of the second wall surface 31b.

[0049] The terminal locking body 41 is formed with an insertion passage 41d for each terminal accommodating chamber 30a, which communicates with the terminal accommodating chamber 30a and through which the terminal fitting 20 inserted through the terminal insertion opening 30b can be inserted in the unlocked position (FIG. 5). In the housing main body 31, the insertion passage 41d complements the terminal accommodating chamber 30a that is divided by the formation of the accommodating groove 32 in the unlocked position. In other words, the insertion passage 41d becomes part of the terminal accommodating chamber 30a when the terminal locking body 41 is in the unlocked position. The terminal locking body 41 shown here is provided with a groove-like insertion passage 41d provided in the outer wall surface of the first wall body 41b and a hole-like insertion passage 41d that is surrounded on all four sides between the inner wall surface of the first wall body 41b and the inner wall surface of the second wall body 41c.

[0050] When the terminal locking body 41 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position (assembly completion position), the first wall 41b and the second wall 41c enter the respective terminal accommodating chambers 30a (the portions occupied by the insertion passages 41d as the terminal accommodating chambers 30a in the unlocked position). Therefore, in the terminal locking body 41, the first wall 41b and the second wall 41c are each used as the terminal locking portions 41a.

[0051] A holding mechanism is provided between the housing main body 31 and the terminal locking body 41 to hold the terminal locking body 41 at a position where assembly is complete relative to the housing main body 31. The terminal locking body 41 shown here has a first locking wall 41e and a second locking wall 41f at one end and the other end in the first orthogonal direction, respectively (FIGS. 5 and 9). The first locking wall 41e and the second locking wall 41f are hooked onto the housing main body 31 to hold the terminal locking body 41 in place.

[0052] The first locking wall 41e is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, and its outer wall surface is arranged on the same plane as the third wall surface 31c of the housing main body 31 in the locking position (assembly completion position). The first locking wall 41e has at least a protruding piece 41e1 that protrudes beyond the first wall body 41b in the second orthogonal direction (FIGS. 5 and 9). The protruding piece 41e1 can be deflected in a direction orthogonal to the plane. The housing main body 31 has a first groove 31e formed by a rectangular recess in part of the third wall surface 31c, and the first locking wall 41e is fitted into the first groove 31e in the locking position (assembly completion position) (FIGS. 5 and 9). The first locking wall 41e is held by the housing main body 31 by hooking the protruding piece 41e1 into the first groove 31e. Therefore, the housing main body 31 is provided with a claw-shaped first locking portion 33a that protrudes from the groove bottom of the first groove portion 31e (FIGS. 5 and 9). The protruding piece portion 41e1 is provided with a first locked portion 41g that is provided with a peripheral wall of a recess formed by recessing a portion of the inner wall surface of the protruding piece portion 41e1. The first locking portion 33a is caught on the peripheral wall of the recess at the locking position (assembly completion position), and the first locked portion 41g prevents the terminal locking body 41 from moving toward the unlocking position (FIG. 9).

[0053] The second locking wall 41f is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, and its outer wall surface is arranged on the same plane as the fourth wall surface 31d of the housing main body 31 in the locking position (assembly completion position). This second locking wall 41f is similar to the first locking wall 41e and has at least a protruding piece 41f1 that protrudes beyond the first wall body 41b in the second orthogonal direction (FIGS. 5 and 9). Therefore, this protruding piece 41f1 can be deflected in a direction orthogonal to its plane. The housing main body 31 has a second groove 31f formed by a rectangular recess in part of the fourth wall surface 31d. The second locking wall 41f is fitted into this second groove 31f in the locking position (assembly completion position) (FIG. 9). The second locking wall 41f is held by the housing main body 31 by hooking its protruding piece 41f1 into the second groove 31f. Therefore, the housing main body 31 is provided with a claw-shaped second locking portion 33b that protrudes from the groove bottom of the second groove portion 31f (FIG. 9).The protruding piece portion 41f1 has a recess formed in a part of its inner wall surface, and the second locking portion 33b is hooked onto the peripheral wall of the recess at the locking position (assembly completion position), thereby preventing the terminal locking body 41 from moving toward the unlocking position (FIGS. 5 and 9).

[0054] A holding mechanism is provided between the housing main body 31 and the terminal locking body 41. The holding mechanism is formed by a combination of the first locking portion 33a of the first groove 31e and the first locked portion 41g of the first locking wall 41e, and a combination of the second locking portion 33b of the second groove 31f and the second locked portion 41h of the second locking wall 41f. This holding mechanism is provided for each combination of the housing 30 and the terminal locking body 41.

[0055] In this connecting member 40, all of the connectors 10 are configured from the same type of parts, so all of the terminal locking bodies 41 are arranged in a row in the first orthogonal direction (FIG. 5).

[0056] For example, in the case of a linked connector 10X, when all the connectors 10 are connected closely together in the first orthogonal direction, the third wall surface 31c of one housing body 31 and the fourth wall surface 31d of the other housing body 31 are in close contact with each other between two adjacent connectors 10. Therefore, the linking member 40 used in such a linked connector 10X connects all the adjacent terminal locking bodies 41 arranged in the first orthogonal direction. In other words, in this linking member 40, of two adjacent terminal locking bodies 41, the first locking wall 41e of one terminal locking body 41 and the second locking wall 41f of the other terminal locking body 41 are integrated.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, in a coupled connector 10X, when all the connectors 10 are coupled with a gap between them in the first orthogonal direction as shown here, a gap is formed between the third wall surface 31c of one housing body 31 and the fourth wall surface 31d of the other housing body 31 between two adjacent connectors 10. For this reason, the coupling member 40 used in such a coupled connector 10X has a coupling body 42 between two adjacent terminal locking bodies 41 of the connectors 10 aligned in the first orthogonal direction, which partially fills the gap between the two adjacent connectors 10 and connects the two terminal locking bodies 41 ( FIGS. 2 , 4 , and 5 ). Here, as will be described later, between two mating connectors 110 adjacent in the first orthogonal direction, the movable hood wall 140 of one mating connector 110 and the movable hood wall 140 of the other mating connector 110 are overlapped in the first orthogonal direction ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ). Therefore, the gap between two adjacent connectors 10 in the first orthogonal direction is set to be equal to or greater than the thickness of two movable hood walls 140.

[0058] In the mating connector 1 shown here, this interlocking connector 10X is fitted and connected to a plurality of mating connectors 110 in a linked state.

[0059] The plurality of mating connectors 110 in the coupled state are formed by arranging the same number of mating connectors 110 as the plurality of connectors 10 in the first orthogonal direction and coupling them together. For example, in this mating connector 1, a coupling tool such as a cylindrical frame that couples and holds the plurality of mating connectors 110 may be prepared as a separate part. However, in the mating connector 1 shown here, a coupling mechanism is provided in the mating connector 110. The coupling mechanism is provided in the mating housing 130.

[0060] The mating housing 130 has a first connected portion 161 to which a mating housing 130 of the same shape as itself is connected and which is adjacently provided on one side in the first orthogonal direction (the third wall surface 131c side), and a first connecting portion 162 to which a mating housing 130 of the same shape as itself is connected and which is adjacently provided on the other side in the first orthogonal direction (the fourth wall surface 131d side) (FIGS. 1 to 4 and 10). That is, in two mating connectors 110 adjacent in the first orthogonal direction, the mating housings 130 are connected to each other by connecting the first connected portion 161 of the mating housing 130 of one mating connector 110 with the first connecting portion 162 of the mating housing 130 of the other mating connector 110.

[0061] The first connected portions 161 are provided on the respective base portions 133a on the third wall surface 131c side (FIG. 10). The first connected portions 161 shown here are provided outward in the first orthogonal direction from the guide grooves 133b in the base portions 133a. The first connected portions 161 are formed as recesses formed by cutting out the outer side of the base portions 133a. On the other hand, the first connecting portions 162 are provided on the respective base portions 133a on the fourth wall surface 131d side (FIG. 10). The first connecting portions 162 shown here are provided outward in the first orthogonal direction from the guide grooves 133b in the base portions 133a. The first connecting portions 162 are formed as protrusions that are inserted and fitted into the first connected portions 161 in the second orthogonal direction. The first connected portion 161 and the first connecting portion 162 are formed in a shape that allows them to be inserted and fitted in the second orthogonal direction, but prevents them from being pulled apart in the first orthogonal direction after they are inserted and fitted. Here, the first connected portion 161 and the first connecting portion 162 are formed so that their orthogonal cross sections relative to the second orthogonal direction form a trapezoid.

[0062] In the multiple mating connectors 110 in this connected state, between two adjacent mating connectors 110 in the first orthogonal direction, the movable hood wall 140 of one mating connector 110 and the movable hood wall 140 of the other mating connector 110 are overlapped in the first orthogonal direction (Figures 2 and 4).

[0063] In the mating connector 1, the housings 30 of the plurality of connectors 10 in the connected state are inserted and fitted into the mating housings 130 of the plurality of mating connectors 110 in this connected state.

[0064] In this mating connector 1, when the housing 30 and the mating housing 130 are inserted and mated, the housing 30 is inserted between the pair of fixed hood walls 132, 132 and the pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 of the mating housing 130 (FIGS. 2 and 4). As a result, in this mating connector 1, when the mating connection of the housing 30 and the mating housing 130 is completed, the terminal connection portions 21 and the mating terminal connection portions 121 are mated and connected to each other.

[0065] Furthermore, in this mating connector 1, when the housing 30 and the mating housing 130 are inserted and mated, the connecting bodies 42 of the connecting member 40 push and move the two movable hood walls 140 in the protective position that are overlapped between two mating connectors 110 adjacent in the first orthogonal direction toward the retracted position (FIGS. 2 and 4). In other words, as the mating connector 10X inserts and mates each housing 30 into its respective mating housing 130, the connecting bodies 42 of the connecting member 40 push all of the remaining movable hood walls 140 other than these two movable hood walls 140 from the protective position toward the retracted position while keeping the two movable hood walls 140 positioned outermost in the first orthogonal direction in the protective position.

[0066] When all the connectors 10 are coupled together by narrowing the gaps in the first orthogonal direction as described above, the mating connector 110 is configured to push the pair of movable hood walls 140, 140 from the protecting position to the retracted position with the housing 30 of the connector 10. Therefore, the coupled connector 10X in this case pushes all the pairs of movable hood walls 140, 140 from the protecting position to the retracted position as the housings 30 are inserted and fitted into the respective mating housings 130.

[0067] As described above, the interlocking connector 10X and the mating connector 1 of this embodiment interlock the respective connectors 10 with the connecting member 40 that has a locking function for the terminal fittings 20 of each connector 10, and the connecting member 40 (excluding the connecting body 42) is housed in the housing 30 so as not to protrude from the housing 30. Therefore, the interlocking connector 10X and the mating connector 1 can be prevented from becoming large in size.

[0068] Furthermore, in the interlocking connector 10X and the mating connector 1 of this embodiment, all of the connectors 10 are made of the same part, so it is only necessary to change the number of connectors 10 according to the number of poles and then combine the interlocking members 40 that correspond to the number of connectors 10. In other words, the interlocking connector 10X and the mating connector 1 allow standardization of the connectors 10 regardless of the number of poles, thereby improving productivity.

[0069] The mating connector 110 shown here has a mating housing 130 insert-molded into a mating terminal fitting 120. However, in this mating connector 110, instead of the mating terminal fittings 120 having multiple mating terminal connection portions 121, multiple mating terminal fittings each having only one mating terminal connection portion may be used. In this case, each mating terminal fitting is accommodated and held in a terminal accommodating chamber of the mating housing, just like the connector 10. Therefore, in this case, multiple mating connectors 110 may be connected by a connecting member having a mating terminal fitting locking function similar to that of the connector 10.

[0070] Depending on the number of poles, the mating connector 1 may also be configured with only one connector 10 and one mating connector 110. In this case, in the connector 10, instead of the connecting member 40, a terminal locking member (not shown) having the same shape as the terminal locking body 41 is used to lock the terminal fittings 20 in the fully accommodated position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 Mating Connector 10 Connectors 10x Interlocking Connectors 20 Terminal fittings 21 Terminal connection part 30 Housing 33a 1st locking part 33b Second locking part 40 Connecting member 41 Terminal locking body 41g 1st locked part 41h 2nd locked part 42 Concatenation 110 Mating Connector 120 Mating terminal fitting 121 Counterparty terminal connection part 130 Opponent Housing 132 Fixed Hood Wall 132A First Fixed Hood Wall 132B Second fixed hood wall 133 Guide section 140 Movable Hood Wall 140A First Movable Hood Wall 140B Second movable hood wall

Claims

1. A plurality of connectors that can be inserted into and removed from a plurality of mating connectors in a connected state; a connecting member that arranges and connects the plurality of connectors in a first orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction between the connectors and the mating connector; Equipped with The connector comprises a terminal fitting having a terminal connection portion that is fitted and connected to a mating terminal connection portion of a mating terminal fitting, and a housing that accommodates the terminal fitting in a fully accommodated position and that fits and connects the terminal connection portion and the mating terminal connection portion together when the terminal fitting is fitted and connected to a mating housing, the connecting member is inserted into the housing along a second orthogonal direction orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction and the first orthogonal direction to an assembly completion position, and includes a terminal locking body for each housing that locks the terminal fitting at the assembly completion position, a holding mechanism is provided between the housing and the terminal locking body for each combination of the housing and the terminal locking body, for holding the terminal locking body at the assembly completion position relative to the housing; The plurality of mating connectors in the coupled state are formed by arranging the same number of mating connectors as the plurality of connectors in the first orthogonal direction and coupling them together, The mating terminal fitting is accommodated in the mating housing with the mating terminal connecting portion protruding, the mating connector has a pair of movable hood walls that are arranged opposite each other with a gap in the first orthogonal direction and are movable in the insertion / removal direction relative to the mating housing between a protection position that protects the mating terminal connection portion arranged between the movable hood walls and a retracted position that does not face the mating terminal connection portion in the first orthogonal direction, a mating housing having a pair of fixed hood walls arranged opposite each other at a distance in the second orthogonal direction, and which, together with the pair of movable hood walls in the protective position, surround and protect the mating terminal connection portion arranged between them from all sides, and a guide portion for each of the pair of movable hood walls which holds and guides the movable hood wall between the protective position and the retracted position.

2. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the connecting member has a connecting body between two adjacent terminal locking bodies among the terminal locking bodies of each connector arranged in the first orthogonal direction, the connecting body connecting the two terminal locking bodies.

3. 3. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein all of the connectors are identical components each having the same terminal fittings and the same housing.

4. Multiple connectors and a plurality of mating connectors in a connected state in which the plurality of connectors can be inserted and removed; a connecting member that arranges and connects the plurality of connectors in a first orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction between the connectors and the mating connector; Equipped with The connector includes a terminal fitting having a terminal connection portion and a housing for accommodating the terminal fitting in a fully accommodated position, the mating connector comprises a mating terminal fitting having a mating terminal connecting portion, and a mating housing that accommodates the mating terminal fitting and that matingly connects the terminal connecting portion and the mating terminal connecting portion when mating with the housing, the connecting member is inserted into the housing along a second orthogonal direction orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction and the first orthogonal direction to an assembly completion position, and includes a terminal locking body for each housing that locks the terminal fitting at the assembly completion position, a holding mechanism is provided between the housing and the terminal locking body for each combination of the housing and the terminal locking body, for holding the terminal locking body at the assembly completion position relative to the housing; The plurality of mating connectors in the coupled state are formed by arranging the same number of mating connectors as the plurality of connectors in the first orthogonal direction and coupling them together, The mating terminal fitting is accommodated in the mating housing with the mating terminal connecting portion protruding, the mating connector includes a pair of movable hood walls that are disposed opposite each other at a distance in the first orthogonal direction and are movable in the insertion / removal direction relative to the mating housing between a protection position that protects the mating terminal connection portion disposed between the movable hood walls and a retracted position that does not face the mating terminal connection portion in the first orthogonal direction, a mating connector characterized in that the mating housing has a pair of fixed hood walls arranged opposite each other at a distance in the second orthogonal direction, and which, together with the pair of movable hood walls in the protective position, surround and protect the mating terminal connection portion arranged between them from all sides, and a guide portion for each of the pair of movable hood walls that holds and guides the movable hood wall between the protective position and the retracted position.

Images