Connector and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a connector with which the core wire is easily insertable into the inside of a terminal.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises an electric wire 40 that has a core wire 41 and an insulating coating 42 that covers the outer circumference of the core wire 41, a terminal 50 that is connected to the core wire 41, a connector housing 20 that has a terminal accommodation part 21 to accommodate the terminal 50 in the inside, a rear holder 30 that is attached to a rear portion of the connector housing 20. The rear holder 30 includes an electric wire insertion hole 33 which the electric wire 40 is inserted through, and the terminal 50 includes an insertion tube part 55 which the core wire 41 is inserted into from the back, and a contact part 56 that is located at the rear end of the insertion tube part 55 and faces the electric wire insertion hole 33. The insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 comes with a sheath part 43 and a body part 44 that are separate from each other, the sheath part 43 being disposed forward of the body part 44 and being slidingly movable to the core wire 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a method for manufacturing the connector. [Background technology]

[0002] A female terminal described in JP 2019-145208 A (Patent Document 1 listed below) is known. This female terminal includes a terminal body having deformable upper and lower connection pieces extending in an extension direction, and a slide portion movable relative to the terminal body in the extension direction. With a core wire of an electric wire disposed between the upper and lower connection pieces, moving the slide portion causes the upper and lower abutment portions provided on the slide portion to press the upper and lower connection pieces against the core wire, thereby electrically connecting the terminal body and the electric wire. Patent Document 1 listed below also describes a connector equipped with this female terminal, which includes a connector housing that accommodates the female terminal and a rear holder attached to a rear end of the connector housing in the extension direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-145208 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above connector is manufactured as follows. First, the female terminal is accommodated in the connector housing, and the rear holder is assembled to the rear end of the connector housing. In this state, the rear holder is held in a temporary locking position relative to the connector housing. Next, an electric wire is inserted through the insertion hole of the rear holder, and the core wire of the electric wire is inserted into the female terminal. At this time, the core wire is disposed between the upper and lower connection pieces. Next, the slide portion is moved forward relative to the terminal body, causing the upper and lower abutment portions to press the upper and lower connection pieces against the core wire, thereby connecting the female terminal to the electric wire. Finally, the rear holder is moved forward from the temporary locking position to a full locking position, which prevents the female terminal from slipping out of the connector housing, completing the manufacturing process of the connector.

[0005] In the above-described connector, when inserting the core wire into the female terminal, the front end of the core wire may come into contact with the rear end of the female terminal, making it difficult to insert the core wire into the female terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure comprises an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire, a terminal connected to the core wire, a connector housing having a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the terminal inside, and a rear holder attached to a rear portion of the connector housing, wherein the rear holder has a wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted, and the terminal comprises an insertion tube portion into which the core wire is inserted from the rear, and an abutment portion arranged at the rear end of the insertion tube portion and facing the electric wire insertion hole, and the insulating coating of the electric wire comprises a sheath portion and a main body portion that are separate from each other, and the sheath portion is arranged forward of the main body portion and is slidable relative to the core wire. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a connector can be provided that allows core wires to be easily inserted into the interior of the terminals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the connector. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, showing a state in which the wire is inserted into the wire insertion hole and the sheath is in contact with the rear end of the terminal. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, showing a state in which the wire is further pushed forward from the state shown in FIG. 5, causing the sheath portion to slide relative to the core wire. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, showing a state in which the wire has been pushed further forward from the state shown in FIG. 6 and the core wire has reached the inside of the terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 5, in which the electric wires are indicated by two-dot chain lines. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) The connector of the present disclosure comprises an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire, a terminal connected to the core wire, a connector housing having a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the terminal therein, and a rear holder attached to a rear portion of the connector housing, wherein the rear holder has an electric wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted, and the terminal has an insertion tube portion through which the core wire is inserted from the rear and an abutment portion arranged at the rear end of the insertion tube portion and facing the electric wire insertion hole, and the insulating coating of the electric wire comprises a sheath portion and a main body portion that are separate from each other, and the sheath portion is arranged forward of the main body portion and is slidable relative to the core wire.

[0011] With this configuration, when the front end of the core wire is protected by the sheath, the sheath abuts against the abutting portion when the wire is inserted into the wire insertion hole. With the sheath abutting against the abutting portion, the core wire immediately behind the insertion tube is positioned approximately at the center of the sheath and closer to the center of the wire insertion hole. This makes it easier to insert the core wire into the insertion tube.

[0012] (2) It is preferable that the insertion tube portion has a first wall portion and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion, the clearance between the first wall portion and the second wall portion is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire, and both the first wall portion and the second wall portion have the abutment portion.

[0013] With this configuration, since both the first wall portion and the second wall portion have the abutment portion, the state in which the sheath portion abuts on the abutment portion can be stabilized, which makes it easier to insert the core wire into the insertion tube portion.

[0014] (3) The rear holder preferably includes a guide portion that protrudes further inward from the inner wall of the wire insertion hole toward the front.

[0015] With this configuration, the sheath portion can be guided by sliding the sheath portion against the guide portion, making it easier to insert the core wire into the insertion tube portion.

[0016] (4) A method for manufacturing a connector according to the present disclosure includes: an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire; a terminal having an insertion tube portion into which the core wire is inserted from the rear; a connector housing having a terminal accommodating portion; and a rear holder having an electric wire insertion hole, the method including the steps of: accommodating the terminal inside the terminal accommodating portion; and attaching the rear holder to a rear portion of the connector housing such that at least a part of a rear end of the insertion tube portion faces the electric wire insertion hole. the step of cutting off the front end of the insulating coating of the electric wire to form a sheath portion and a main body portion disposed behind the sheath portion; the step of sliding the sheath portion forward relative to the core wire to protect the front end of the core wire with the sheath portion; the step of inserting the electric wire, the front end of which is protected by the sheath portion, into the electric wire insertion hole of the rear holder and introducing the core wire into the insertion tube portion while abutting the sheath portion against the rear end of the insertion tube portion; and the step of connecting the core wire to the terminal.

[0017] This connector manufacturing method includes the steps of forming a sheath on the insulating coating and protecting the front end of the core wire with the sheath. When the wire is inserted into the wire insertion hole, the sheath abuts against the rear end of the insertion tube. With the sheath abutting against the rear end of the insertion tube, the core wire immediately behind the insertion tube is positioned approximately at the center of the sheath and closer to the center of the wire insertion hole. This makes it easier to insert the core wire into the insertion tube.

[0018] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to exemplary embodiments. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0019] <Embodiment> An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow Z is defined as upward, the direction indicated by arrow X as forward, and the direction indicated by arrow Y as leftward. Note that, for multiple identical components, only some of the components may be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals for the other components may be omitted.

[0020] [connector] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector 10 includes a connector housing 20, a rear holder 30, electric wires 40, and terminals 50.

[0021] [Electric wire] The electric wire 40 includes a core wire 41 and an insulating coating 42, which is an insulating synthetic resin that surrounds the outer periphery of the core wire 41. The insulating coating 42 is stripped off at the end of the electric wire 40, exposing the core wire 41. The core wire 41 is a so-called single-core wire, which is made of a single metal wire. The core wire 41 may also be a twisted wire made by twisting together multiple thin metal wires. The metal that makes up the core wire 41 can be selected appropriately from any metal as needed, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. The core wire 41 in this embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy.

[0022] [Sheath, main body] The insulating coating 42 includes a sheath portion 43 and a main body portion 44 that is separate from the sheath portion 43 and disposed rearward of the sheath portion 43. The sheath portion 43 is slidable relative to the core wire 41 in the extension direction of the electric wire 40 (front-rear direction). The sheath portion 43 is formed by being separated from the main body portion 44 using a wire stripper or the like. As will be described later, the electric wire 40 is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole 33 of the rear holder 30 with the front end portion of the core wire 41 protected by the sheath portion 43 (see FIGS. 2 and 5).

[0023] Terminal The terminal 50 is a female terminal and includes a metal terminal body 51 and a sliding portion 52 that can slide relative to the terminal body 51. The terminal body 51 is formed into a predetermined shape by known methods such as press working, cutting, and casting. The metal constituting the terminal body 51 can be selected from copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and other metals as needed. The terminal body 51 of this embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy. A plating layer may be formed on the surface of the terminal body 51. The metal constituting the plating layer can be selected from tin, nickel, silver, and other metals as needed. The terminal body 51 of this embodiment is tin-plated.

[0024] [Terminal body] 4, the terminal body 51 includes a rectangular connecting tubular portion 51A into which a mating male terminal (not shown) is inserted, a rectangular base portion 51B disposed behind the connecting tubular portion 51A, and an upper connecting piece 51C and a lower connecting piece 51D extending rearward from the base portion 51B. The front end of the connecting tubular portion 51A is open so that the mating male terminal can be inserted.

[0025] An elastically deformable elastic contact piece 51E is disposed on the side wall of the connecting tubular portion 51A. A male terminal inserted into the connecting tubular portion 51A comes into contact with the elastic contact piece 51E. A metal lance 53 formed by cutting and raising a part of the connecting tubular portion 51A is provided on the front end of the upper wall of the connecting tubular portion 51A.

[0026] The upper connection piece 51C is formed so as to be elastically deformable in the vertical direction, with the rear end of the upper wall of the base 51B as a fulcrum. The lower connection piece 51D is formed so as to be elastically deformable in the vertical direction, with the rear end of the lower wall of the base 51B as a fulcrum. The upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are formed to have approximately the same length in the front-to-rear direction.

[0027] The terminal body 51 further includes a terminal window 51F that opens upward at a position rearward of the connecting tube portion 51A and forward of the base portion 51B. The front end of the core wire 41 is detectable through the terminal window 51F when the core wire 41 is disposed in the space between the upper connecting piece 51C and the lower connecting piece 51D. "Detectable" includes being able to visually confirm the core wire 41 from the outside by an operator, being detectable from the outside by a camera (not shown), and being able to electrically detect the front end of the core wire 41 by inserting a probe (not shown) from the outside.

[0028] [Slide section] The slide portion 52 has a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction. The slide portion 52 is formed by known methods such as cutting, casting, and pressing, as needed. The metal constituting the slide portion 52 can be selected from copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and other metals as needed. The slide portion 52 of this embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy. A plating layer may be formed on the surface of the slide portion 52. The metal constituting the plating layer can be selected from tin, nickel, silver, and other metals as needed. The slide portion 52 of this embodiment is tin-plated.

[0029] The cross-sectional shape of the slide portion 52 is formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the region of the terminal body 51 where the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are provided, so that the slide portion 52 can be fitted onto the region of the terminal body 51 where the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are provided.

[0030] An upper contact portion 52A protruding downward is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall of the slide portion 52. A lower contact portion 52B protruding upward is provided on the upper surface of the lower wall of the slide portion 52.

[0031] The slide portion 52 is fitted onto the area of ​​the terminal body 51 where the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are provided, and is slidable between a temporary locking position (the position of the slide portion 52 in FIGS. 5 to 7) and a full locking position (the position of the slide portion 52 in FIG. 4) that is set forward of the temporary locking position. When the slide portion 52 is held in the full locking position with respect to the terminal body 51, the upper contact portion 52A contacts the upper surface of the upper connection piece 51C from above, and the lower contact portion 52B contacts the lower surface of the lower connection piece 51D from below.

[0032] When the slide portion 52 is held in the full-locking position relative to the terminal body 51, the upper contact portion 52A presses the upper connection piece 51C from above, causing the upper connection piece 51C to elastically deform downward. Furthermore, the lower contact portion 52B presses the lower connection piece 51D from below, causing the lower connection piece 51D to elastically deform upward. As a result, when the core wire 41 is arranged in the space between the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D while extending in the front-to-rear direction, and the slide portion 52 holds the terminal body 51 in the full-locking position, the core wire 41 is sandwiched from above and below by the elastically deformed upper connection piece 51C and lower connection piece 51D. In other words, the upper connection piece 51C is pressed downward by the upper abutment portion 52A, thereby contacting the core wire 41 from above, and the lower connection piece 51D is pressed upward by the lower abutment portion 52B, thereby contacting the core wire 41 from below.

[0033] The front portion of the upper connection piece 51C protrudes downward, and the rear portion of the lower connection piece 51D protrudes upward, with these protruding portions offset in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, the core wire 41 is held in a bent state in the up-down direction. In this way, the core wire 41 and the terminal 50 are electrically connected and are held in a state where they are firmly prevented from coming loose even when the wire 40 is pulled backward.

[0034] 7, a jig abutment portion 54 that protrudes upward from the upper wall is provided at the front end of the slide portion 52. A jig (not shown) abuts against the jig abutment portion 54 from behind, and the slide portion 52 is pushed forward by the jig, thereby allowing the slide portion 52 to move forward.

[0035] [Insertion tube, first wall, second wall] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the slide portion 52 forms an insertion tube portion 55 into which the core wire 41 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 8, the left wall of the insertion tube portion 55 is a first wall portion 55A. The right wall of the insertion tube portion 55 is a second wall portion 55B. The first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B face each other in a direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the extension direction (front-rear direction) of the electric wire 40. The upper edges of the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B are connected by an upper wall. The lower edges of the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B are connected by a lower wall. A clearance CL1 in the left-right direction between the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B is set to be smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the electric wire 40 (insulating coating 42) and larger than the diameter D2 of the core wire 41.

[0036] [Contact part] At least a part of the rear end of the insertion tube portion 55 serves as an abutment portion 56 that is arranged facing the electric wire insertion hole 33 of the rear holder 30. That is, at least a part of the rear end of the insertion tube portion 55 is arranged inside the electric wire insertion hole 33 when viewed from behind. In this embodiment, the abutment portion 56 is provided on both the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B. As will be described later, when the electric wire 40 is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole 33, the abutment portion 56 can abut against the sheath portion 43 that is arranged at the tip of the electric wire 40 (see FIGS. 5 to 7).

[0037] [Connector housing] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connector housing 20 is made of insulating synthetic resin and has a terminal accommodating portion 21 that accommodates a plurality of terminals 50. The connector housing 20 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction and extends in the horizontal direction. The terminal accommodating portion 21 has a plurality of cavities 21A that penetrate it in the front-to-rear direction. The multiple cavities 21A are arranged in parallel with gaps in the horizontal direction and are stacked in two tiers, one above the other. The cavities 21A formed on the upper tier and the cavities 21A formed on the lower tier are positioned at positions offset in the horizontal direction when viewed from above. The number of cavities 21A is arbitrary, and the number of tiers in the case of vertical stacking is also arbitrary.

[0038] A male terminal (not shown) can be inserted into the cavity 21A from the front. As shown in Figure 4, a terminal 50 can be inserted into the cavity 21A from the rear, and the terminal 50 can be accommodated inside the terminal accommodating portion 21.

[0039] When the terminal 50 is accommodated in the cavity 21A, a connector window 21B is formed in the terminal accommodating portion 21 at a position corresponding to the terminal window 51F of the terminal 50. The connector window 21B allows the terminal window 51F to communicate with the outside. The terminal window 51F of the terminal 50 can be detected through the connector window 21B. This makes it possible to detect the front end of the core wire 41 from the outside through the connector window 21B and the terminal window 51F.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2, the connector housing 20 has a partition wall 22 that separates the upper cavity 21A from the lower cavity 21A. The partition wall 22 extends rearward from the rear end of the cavity 21A. Partition walls 23 that extend in the front-rear direction and protrude vertically are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the partition wall 22. These partition walls 23 electrically insulate the terminals 50 accommodated in each cavity 21A from the terminals 50 adjacent to them in the left-right direction.

[0041] A temporary locking portion 24 protruding outward is provided near the rear end of each of the left and right side walls of the connector housing 20, and a full locking portion 25 is provided in front of this temporary locking portion 24.

[0042] 4, the front end of the upper cavity 21A is provided with a lance hole 26 that opens upward, and the front end of the lower cavity 21A is provided with a lance hole 26 that opens downward. The lance 53 of the terminal 50 is engaged with the inner wall of the lance hole 26, thereby holding the terminal 50 housed in the cavity 21A.

[0043] [Rear holder] The rear holder 30 is made of insulating synthetic resin. The rear holder 30 has a box-shaped hood portion 31 that opens forward. The hood portion 31 is adapted to fit into the rear half of the connector housing 20 from the outside. As shown in FIG. 2, lock receiving portions 32 are provided on both left and right side walls of the rear holder 30 near the front end portions. The lock receiving portions 32 are generally gate-shaped.

[0044] The temporary locking portion 24 of the connector housing 20 engages with the lock receiving portion 32 of the rear holder 30, thereby holding the rear holder 30 in a temporary locking position relative to the connector housing 20. The full locking portion 25 of the connector housing 20 engages with the lock receiving portion 32 of the rear holder 30, thereby holding the rear holder 30 in a full locking position relative to the connector housing 20 (see FIG. 1).

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2 , the rear holder 30 has a plurality of wire insertion holes 33 through which the electric wires 40 are inserted. The plurality of wire insertion holes 33 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction and in two vertical rows. Each wire insertion hole 33 is provided at a position corresponding to each cavity 21A of the connector housing 20. The inner diameter of the wire insertion hole 33 is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter D1 of the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the inner diameter of the wire insertion hole 33 is larger than the outer diameter D1 of the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40. However, even if the center of the sheath portion 43 is misaligned with the center position of the wire insertion hole 33 and the sheath portion 43 slides against the inner wall of the wire insertion hole 33, the core wire 41 is arranged inside the insertion tube portion 55 when viewed from the rear.

[0046] [Information Department] As shown in FIG. 5 , the rear holder 30 has a guide portion 34 on the inner wall of the electric wire insertion hole 33. The guide portion 34 is disposed at the front end of the electric wire insertion hole 33. The guide portion 34 has a curved surface that is positioned further inwardly of the electric wire insertion hole 33 as it extends forward. The sheath portion 43 is guided toward the inside of the electric wire insertion hole 33 as it slides against the guide portion 34. In this embodiment, the guide portion 34 is provided on the upper inner wall of the electric wire insertion hole 33 in the upper-stage electric wire insertion hole 33, and is positioned lower toward the front. Although not shown, the guide portion 34 is provided on the lower inner wall of the electric wire insertion hole 33 in the lower-stage electric wire insertion hole 33, and is positioned higher toward the front.

[0047] 5 and 8 , in the terminal 50 accommodated in the upper-stage terminal accommodating portion 21, the vertical center position of the insertion tube portion 55 is shifted downward with respect to the vertical center position of the upper-stage electric wire insertion hole 33. However, the rear holder 30 of this embodiment is provided with the guide portion 34 that protrudes downward from the inner wall of the upper-stage electric wire insertion hole 33 at the front end of the upper-stage electric wire insertion hole 33, and the guide portion 34 can guide the sheath portion 43 downward from the vertical center position of the electric wire insertion hole 33. As a result, the core wire 41 arranged approximately in the center of the sheath portion 43 approaches the central position of the insertion tube portion 55, making it easier to insert the core wire 41 into the insertion tube portion 55.

[0048] Although not shown, in the lower wire insertion hole 33, the guide portion 34 protrudes upward and guides the sheath portion 43 upward. The insertion tube portion 55 of the terminal 50 disposed in the lower terminal accommodating portion 21 is disposed offset upward with respect to the wire insertion hole 33, so the guide portion 34 makes it easy to insert the core wire 41 into the insertion tube portion 55.

[0049] 5, a partition wall receiving portion 35 is provided near the center in the vertical direction on the rear wall of the hood portion 31. This partition wall receiving portion 35 is open forward, and the vertical dimension of the opening is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the vertical thickness dimension of the partition wall 22 of the connector housing 20.

[0050] When the rear holder 30 is held in the temporary locking position relative to the connector housing 20, the partition wall receiving portion 35 is located rearward of the rear end edge of the partition wall 22 of the connector housing 20. As shown in Fig. 4, when the rear holder 30 is held in the full locking position relative to the connector housing 20, the partition wall 22 of the connector housing 20 fits into the opening of the partition wall receiving portion 35 of the rear holder 30. This prevents the rear holder 30 from being displaced in the up-down direction relative to the connector housing 20.

[0051] A step 36 is formed on the inner wall of the hood portion 31 at the front end position of the wire insertion hole 33. This step 36 abuts against the rear end of the slide portion 52 from behind when the rear holder 30 moves from the temporary locking position to the full locking position with respect to the connector housing 20. This keeps the terminals 50 housed in the cavities 21A of the connector housing 20 and prevents them from slipping out rearward.

[0052] [Connector manufacturing method] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the connector 10 of this embodiment will be described. The method for manufacturing the connector 10 is not limited to the following description.

[0053] The terminal body 51 and the slide portion 52 are formed by a known method. The slide portion 52 is attached to the terminal body 51 from behind, and the slide portion 52 is held in the provisionally locked position. In this way, the terminal 50 is obtained.

[0054] The connector housing 20 and the rear holder 30 are formed by injection molding synthetic resin. The terminals 50 are inserted into the cavities 21A of the connector housing 20 from the rear.

[0055] The rear holder 30 is assembled from the rear to the rear end of the connector housing 20. Then, the front end of the lock receiving portion 32 of the rear holder 30 abuts against the temporary-locking portion 24 of the connector housing 20 from behind, causing the lock receiving portion 32 to expand and deform. When the rear holder 30 is further pushed forward, the lock receiving portion 32 returns to its original deformation, and the lock receiving portion 32 of the rear holder 30 elastically locks with the temporary-locking portion 24 of the connector housing 20. This holds the rear holder 30 in the temporary-lock position relative to the connector housing 20.

[0056] The insulating coating 42 is stripped off at the end of the electric wire 40 to expose a core wire 41 of a predetermined length. The front end of the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 is cut off with a wire stripper or the like to form a sheath portion 43 and a main body portion 44. The sheath portion 43 is slid forward relative to the core wire 41, thereby protecting the front end of the core wire 41 with the sheath portion 43 (see FIG. 2).

[0057] Next, the electric wire 40, the front end of which is protected by the sheath portion 43, is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole 33 of the rear holder 30 (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the electric wire insertion hole 33 is appropriately set so that, when the sheath portion 43 disposed in the electric wire insertion hole 33 is viewed from the rear, the core wire 41 disposed approximately in the center of the sheath portion 43 is disposed inside the insertion tube portion 55 (see FIG. 8). Furthermore, the sheath portion 43 comes into sliding contact with the guide portion 34, so that the sheath portion 43 is guided in the protruding direction of the guide portion 34 (downward in FIGS. 5 and 8) near the front end of the electric wire insertion hole 33. The insertion tube portion 55 is disposed offset in the protruding direction of the guide portion 34 with respect to the electric wire insertion hole 33, so that the guide portion 34 makes it easy to align the vertical center positions of the sheath portion 43 and the insertion tube portion 55.

[0058] When the electric wire 40 is pushed further forward, the front end of the sheath portion 43 abuts against the abutment portion 56 of the insertion tube portion 55. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the abutment portions 56 are provided on the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B, and therefore the front end of the sheath portion 43 abuts against the abutment portions 56, which makes it easier to stabilize the posture of the sheath portion 43. For example, it is possible to prevent the sheath portion 43 from tilting from a state in which it is extended in the front-rear direction.

[0059] When the electric wire 40 is pushed further forward, as shown in Fig. 6, the core wire 41 slides relative to the sheath portion 43 while the sheath portion 43 remains in contact with the contact portion 56, and is fed into the insertion tube portion 55 (sliding portion 52). As described above, the core wire 41 disposed substantially in the center of the sheath portion 43 is disposed inside the insertion tube portion 55 when viewed from the rear (see Fig. 8). Therefore, when the sheath portion 43 is in contact with the contact portion 56, the front end portion of the core wire 41 is disposed so as to face the inside of the insertion tube portion 55 at a position immediately behind the insertion tube portion 55. Therefore, the core wire 41 can more easily enter the insertion tube portion 55 than when the sheath portion 43 is not provided.

[0060] When the wire 40 is pushed further forward, as shown in FIG. 7, the front end of the core wire 41 enters the inside of the terminal body 51 and reaches the space between the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D.

[0061] By detecting the front end of the core wire 41 visually or with a probe or the like in the terminal window 51F visible from the connector window 21B, it can be confirmed that the core wire 41 has reached a predetermined position.

[0062] Next, when a jig (not shown) is pressed against the jig abutment portion 54 from behind and the slide portion 52 is slid forward, the slide portion 52 is held in the full locking position relative to the terminal body 51. When the slide portion 52 is held in the full locking position relative to the terminal body 51, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper abutment portion 52A of the slide portion 52 abuts against the upper connection piece 51C of the terminal body 51 from above and presses it downward. Also, the lower abutment portion 52B of the slide portion 52 abuts against the lower connection piece 51D of the terminal body 51 from below and presses it upward. As a result, the core wire 41 is sandwiched between the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D from above and below, and the terminal 50 and the electric wire 40 are electrically connected.

[0063] Next, the rear holder 30 is pushed further forward into the connector housing 20. As a result, the front end of the lock receiving portion 32 of the rear holder 30 rides up onto the full-retention locking portion 25 and undergoes expanding deformation. When the rear holder 30 is pushed further forward, the lock receiving portion 32 returns to its original deformation, and the lock receiving portion 32 of the rear holder 30 elastically engages with the full-retention locking portion 25 of the connector housing 20. This holds the rear holder 30 in the full-retention position relative to the connector housing 20 (see FIG. 1). In this state, the hood portion 31 of the rear holder 30 fits over the rear portion of the connector housing 20, and the connector housing 20 and the rear holder 30 are integrally configured. This completes the manufacture of the connector 10.

[0064] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the embodiment, the following actions and effects are achieved. The connector 10 of the embodiment comprises an electric wire 40 having a core wire 41 and an insulating coating 42 covering the outer periphery of the core wire 41, a terminal 50 connected to the core wire 41, a connector housing 20 having a terminal accommodating portion 21 that accommodates the terminal 50 therein, and a rear holder 30 attached to the rear portion of the connector housing 20, wherein the rear holder 30 has an electric wire insertion hole 33 through which the electric wire 40 is inserted, and the terminal 50 has an insertion tube portion 55 into which the core wire 41 is inserted from the rear, and an abutment portion 56 arranged at the rear end of the insertion tube portion 55 and facing the electric wire insertion hole 33, and the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 comprises a sheath portion 43 and a main body portion 44 that are separate from each other, and the sheath portion 43 is arranged forward of the main body portion 44 and is slidable relative to the core wire 41.

[0065] With this configuration, when the electric wire 40 is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole 33 with the front end of the core wire 41 protected by the sheath portion 43, the sheath portion 43 comes into contact with the contact portion 56. When the sheath portion 43 is in contact with the contact portion 56, the core wire 41 immediately behind the insertion tube portion 55 is located approximately in the center of the sheath portion 43 and is disposed closer to the center of the electric wire insertion hole 33. This makes it easier to insert the core wire 41 into the insertion tube portion 55.

[0066] In the embodiment, the insertion tube portion 55 has a first wall portion 55A and a second wall portion 55B facing the first wall portion 55A, and the clearance CL1 between the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B is set to be smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the electric wire 40, and both the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B have abutment portions 56.

[0067] With this configuration, since both the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B have the abutting portions 56, it is possible to stabilize the state in which the sheath portion 43 abuts against the abutting portions 56. This makes it even easier to insert the core wire 41 into the insertion tube portion 55.

[0068] In the embodiment, the rear holder 30 includes a guide portion 34 that protrudes further inward from the inner wall of the wire insertion hole 33 toward the front.

[0069] With this configuration, the sheath portion 43 can be guided by sliding the sheath portion 43 against the guide portion 34. This makes it even easier to insert the core wire 41 into the insertion tube portion 55.

[0070] In an embodiment, a manufacturing method of a connector (10) of the present disclosure is a manufacturing method of a connector (10) including: an electric wire (40) having a core wire (41) and an insulating coating (42) covering an outer periphery of the core wire (41); a terminal (50) having an insertion tube portion (55) into which the core wire (41) is inserted from the rear; a connector housing (20) having a terminal accommodating portion (21); and a rear holder (30) having an electric wire insertion hole (33), the manufacturing method including the steps of: accommodating the terminal (50) inside the terminal accommodating portion (21); and attaching the rear holder (30) to the rear of the connector housing (20) so that at least a part of a rear end of the insertion tube portion (55) faces the electric wire insertion hole (33). the wire 40 having the front end protected by the sheath portion 43 is inserted into the wire insertion hole 33 of the rear holder 30, and the core wire 41 is introduced into the insertion tube portion 55 while the sheath portion 43 is abutted against the rear end of the insertion tube portion 55; and the core wire 41 is connected to the terminal 50.

[0071] This manufacturing method for the connector 10 includes the steps of forming the sheath portion 43 on the insulating coating 42 and protecting the front end of the core wire 41 with the sheath portion 43. Therefore, when the electric wire 40 is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole 33, the sheath portion 43 abuts against the rear end of the insertion tube portion 55. With the sheath portion 43 abutting against the rear end of the insertion tube portion 55, the core wire 41 immediately behind the insertion tube portion 55 is located approximately in the center of the sheath portion 43 and is disposed closer to the center of the electric wire insertion hole 33. This makes it easier to insert the core wire 41 into the insertion tube portion 55.

[0072] <Other embodiments> (1) In the above embodiment, both the first wall portion 55A and the second wall portion 55B of the insertion tube portion 55 have the abutment portion 56, but this is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if at least a portion of the rear end portion of the insertion tube portion has an abutment portion. (2) In the above embodiment, the rear holder 30 is configured to have the guide portion 34, but this is not limitative, and the guide portion may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10: Connector 20: Connector housing 21: Terminal housing 21A: Cavity 21B: Connector window 22: Bulkhead 23: Partition wall 24: Temporary locking part 25: Main locking part 26: Lance Hall 30: Rear holder 31: Food Section 32: Lock receiving part 33: Wire insertion hole 34: Information Department 35: Partition wall support 36: Step 40: Electric wire 41: Core wire 42: Insulation coating 43: Scabbard part 44: Main body 50: Terminal 51: Terminal body 51A: Connecting tube 51B: Base 51C: Upper connecting piece 51D: Lower connection piece 51E: Elastic contact piece 51F: Terminal window 52: Slide section 52A: Upper contact part 52B: Lower contact part 53: Lance 54: Jig contact part 55: Insertion tube 55A: 1st wall section 55B: Second wall 56: Contact part CL1: Clearance between the first and second walls D1: Outer diameter of the wire D2: Core diameter

Claims

1. an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire; a terminal connected to the core wire; a connector housing having a terminal accommodating portion for accommodating the terminal therein; a rear holder attached to a rear portion of the connector housing, the rear holder has an electric wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted, the terminal includes an insertion tube portion into which the core wire is inserted from behind, and a contact portion disposed at a rear end of the insertion tube portion and facing the wire insertion hole, The insulating coating of the electric wire includes a sheath portion and a main body portion that are separate from each other, the sheath portion is disposed forward of the main body portion and is slidable relative to the core wire, When the electric wire is pushed forward with the front end of the sheath portion abutting the abutment portion of the insertion tube portion, the core wire slides relative to the sheath portion while the sheath portion remains in abutment with the abutment portion, and is fed into the interior of the insertion tube portion.

2. the insertion tube portion includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion, a clearance between the first wall portion and the second wall portion is set to be smaller than an outer diameter of the electric wire; The connector of claim 1 , wherein both the first wall portion and the second wall portion include the abutment portion.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the rear holder includes a guide portion that protrudes further inwardly of the wire insertion hole from an inner wall of the wire insertion hole as it extends forward.

4. A method for manufacturing a connector including: an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering an outer periphery of the core wire; a terminal having an insertion tube portion into which the core wire is inserted from behind; a connector housing having a terminal accommodating portion; and a rear holder having an electric wire insertion hole, accommodating the terminal in the terminal accommodating portion; attaching the rear holder to a rear portion of the connector housing such that at least a portion of a rear end of the insertion tube portion faces the wire insertion hole; a step of cutting off a front end portion of the insulating coating of the electric wire to form a sheath portion and a main body portion disposed behind the sheath portion; a step of sliding the sheath portion forward relative to the core wire to protect the front end portion of the core wire with the sheath portion; a step of inserting the electric wire, the front end of which is protected by the sheath portion, into the electric wire insertion hole of the rear holder, and introducing the core wire into the insertion tube portion while bringing the sheath portion into contact with the rear end of the insertion tube portion; and connecting the core wire and the terminal.

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