First Connector and Connector Assembly

Abstract

To disclose a first connector capable of increasing an engagement length of a screw thread in a fastening bolt and a nut before an application of a contact pressure of terminals without increasing the length of a fastening bolt.SOLUTION: A first connector 12 includes a bolt insertion hole 74 that penetrates a first terminal 16, a first housing 20, a fastening bolt 22, and a first housing 20. The fastening bolt 22 can be deformed to the bolt insertion hole 74 between an initial position and a fitting start position, the first connector 12 is temporally fixed to a second connector 14, the fastening bolt 22 is arranged to the initial position by contacting a tip end of a bolt side screw part 176 to an open part 218 of a nut 184 in a state where a contact pressure of the first terminal 16 and a second terminal 18 does not generate, and is deformed to the fitting start position by fitting the bolt side screw part 176 of the fastening bolt 22 to a nut side screw part 212 provided to the nut 184.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a first connector and a connector assembly. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in connector assemblies used to transmit power between in-vehicle devices such as high-voltage batteries and inverters, the contact pressure between the terminals housed in the first and second connectors has been increased to prevent fretting wear between the terminals. In response to the recent trend toward higher currents and voltages, terminals have become larger and the diameter of the wires connected to the terminal fittings has increased, resulting in an increase in the contact pressure between the terminals. This has resulted in an increase in the mating force required when mating the first and second connectors, which can make it difficult for workers to manually mate the first and second connectors.

[0003] Therefore, Patent Document 1 proposes a so-called bolt-assisted type connector assembly in which a first connector is bolted to a second connector, thereby making it possible to mate the connectors together using the fastening force of the bolt. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-41635 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the connector assembly of Patent Document 1, when the first connector is bolted to the second connector, the first thread of the fastening bolt on the first connector engages with the first thread of the nut on the second connector, and at the same time, contact pressure is applied between the terminals of the first connector and the second connector, so the rigidity of the threads cannot withstand the contact pressure, and there is a risk that the threads will be destroyed.

[0006] One solution to this problem would be to simply lengthen the fastening bolt, thereby increasing the engagement length of the threads of the fastening bolt and nut when contact pressure is applied between the terminals. However, a long, protruding fastening bolt could interfere with other components when the connectors are mated, causing problems during the mating process itself, so a more appropriate solution was needed.

[0007] Therefore, a first connector and connector assembly are disclosed that can increase the engagement length of the threads of the fastening bolt and the nut before contact pressure between the terminals is applied, without lengthening the fastening bolt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first connector of the present disclosure is a first connector to be detachably mated with a second connector, and includes: a first terminal connected to a second terminal provided on the second connector; a first housing that receives and holds the first terminal; and a fastening bolt that is held in the first housing and fastened to a nut provided on the second connector, wherein the first housing has a bolt insertion hole that penetrates the first housing in a mating direction of the first connector to the second connector, and the fastening bolt has a bolt head, an insertion shaft portion that protrudes forward from the bolt head in the mating direction and is inserted into the bolt insertion hole, a bolt-side thread portion that protrudes forward from a tip of the insertion shaft portion in the mating direction, and an engaging protrusion that is located on the tip side of the insertion shaft and protrudes toward the outer periphery of the fastening bolt, and the bolt insertion hole has a front opening that opens forward in the mating direction and a rear opening that opens backward in the mating direction. and a rear opening that opens toward the nut, and the fastening bolt is displaceable by a predetermined dimension in the fitting direction relative to the bolt insertion hole between an initial position where rearward displacement in the fitting direction is restricted by the engagement of the engaging protrusion with a front peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the front opening, and a fitting start position where forward displacement in the fitting direction is restricted by the engagement of the bolt head with a rear peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the rear opening, and the fastening bolt is assembled so as not to be separated, and in a state where the first connector is temporarily fixed to the second connector and no contact pressure is generated between the first terminal and the second terminal, the fastening bolt is placed at the initial position by the tip of the bolt-side threaded portion abutting against the opening of the nut, and the bolt-side threaded portion of the fastening bolt is displaced to the fitting start position by screwing the bolt-side threaded portion of the fastening bolt into a nut-side threaded portion provided on the nut.

[0009] The connector assembly of the present disclosure comprises a first connector of the present disclosure and a second connector to which the first connector is detachably mated, the second connector having a second terminal connected to the first terminal, a second housing that accommodates and holds the second terminal, and a nut to which the fastening bolt is fastened. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the first connector and connector assembly can increase the engagement length of the threads of the fastening bolt and the nut before contact pressure between the terminals is applied, without lengthening the fastening bolt. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector assembly according to a first embodiment in a state where a first connector and a second connector are fitted together. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector assembly shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the cross section taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the IV-IV cross section in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the VV cross section in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 with the first connector and the second connector separated. [Figure 7] 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the fastening bolt is in an initial position in the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1, and corresponds to FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the fastening bolt is in a mating start position in the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1, and corresponds to FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the fastening bolt is in the fitting start position, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a bottom view showing the first connector constituting the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a perspective view showing a second connector that constitutes the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the first connector according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The first connector of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A first connector that is detachably mated with a second connector, the first connector comprising: a first terminal connected to a second terminal provided on the second connector; a first housing that accommodates and holds the first terminal; and a fastening bolt that is held in the first housing and fastened to a nut provided on the second connector, the first housing having a bolt insertion hole that penetrates the first housing in a mating direction of the first connector to the second connector, the fastening bolt having a bolt head, an insertion shaft portion that protrudes forward from the bolt head in the mating direction and is inserted into the bolt insertion hole, a bolt-side thread portion that protrudes forward from a tip of the insertion shaft portion in the mating direction, and an engaging protrusion that is located on the tip side of the insertion shaft and protrudes toward the outer periphery of the fastening bolt, the bolt insertion hole having a front opening that opens toward the front in the mating direction and a rear opening that opens toward the rear in the mating direction. and a rear opening that opens by a protrusion that engages with a front peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the front opening, and the fastening bolt is displaceable by a predetermined dimension in the fitting direction relative to the bolt insertion hole between an initial position where rearward displacement in the fitting direction is restricted by the engaging protrusion engaging with a front peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the front opening, and a fitting start position where forward displacement in the fitting direction is restricted by the bolt head engaging with a rear peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the rear opening, and the fastening bolt is assembled so as not to be separated, and in a state where the first connector is temporarily fixed to the second connector and no contact pressure is generated between the first terminal and the second terminal, the fastening bolt is placed at the initial position by a tip of the bolt-side threaded portion abutting against an opening of the nut, and the bolt-side threaded portion of the fastening bolt is displaced to the fitting start position by screwing the bolt-side threaded portion of the fastening bolt into a nut-side threaded portion provided on the nut.

[0013] According to the first connector of the present disclosure, when the first housing is temporarily fixed to the second connector and no contact pressure is generated between the first terminals and the second terminals, the fastening bolt provided in the first connector is configured to be displaceable relative to the bolt insertion hole from an initial position to a mating start position. At the initial position, the bolt head is spaced a predetermined distance rearward in the mating direction of the first connector to the second connector from the rear opening of the bolt insertion hole. At the mating start position, the bolt-side threaded portion of the fastening bolt is threaded into the nut-side threaded portion, and the bolt head has moved a predetermined distance toward the rear peripheral edge. In other words, at the mating start position before contact pressure is generated between the first terminals and the second terminals, the bolt-side threaded portion of the fastening bolt can already be threaded into the nut-side threaded portion of the second connector, allowing the fastening bolt to be moved forward a predetermined distance in the mating direction. This allows the threads of the bolt-side threaded portion to engage with the threads of the nut-side threaded portion while the fastening bolt moves a predetermined distance in the fitting direction, increasing the engagement length of the threads of the fastening bolt and the nut before contact pressure between the first and second terminals is applied.As a result, even when contact pressure between the first and second terminals is applied, damage to the threads of the fastening bolt is suppressed, and the durability of the first connector is improved.

[0014] Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the fastening bolt can be displaced a predetermined distance in both the fitting direction and the opposite direction relative to the bolt insertion hole, the engagement length of the threads of the fastening bolt and the nut can be increased. Therefore, since there is no need to lengthen the fastening bolt itself, deterioration in the ease of assembling the first connector to the second connector is suppressed or prevented.

[0015] The first housing may be an insulating first connector housing, or may further include a metallic shield shell that covers and is fixedly attached to the first connector housing. Furthermore, the bolt insertion holes through which the fastening bolts are inserted may be provided in the first connector housing, as long as they are provided in the first housing, or, if the first connector housing is covered with a shield shell, may be provided in the shield shell.

[0016] Furthermore, the configuration for "temporarily fixing the first connector to the second connector" can be any configuration that positions the first connector and the second connector so that they can be fitted together in the fitting direction.

[0017] (2) Preferably, the first housing includes an insulating first connector housing and a metal shield shell that covers the first connector housing and is fixedly assembled to the first connector housing, and the bolt insertion holes are provided in the shield shell. This is because the rear peripheral portion of the bolt insertion hole, to which the fastening force of the fastening bolt is applied, can be configured using the metal shield shell, which reduces the need for special reinforcement of the rear peripheral portion, and the rigidity of the rear peripheral portion can be ensured with a small number of parts.

[0018] (3) It is preferable that the engaging protrusion of the fastening bolt is arranged so as not to be displaceable, that the front peripheral portion of the bolt insertion hole is provided with a recess that opens in the mating direction, that the depth dimension of the recess is set to the predetermined dimension, that the engaging protrusion abuts against the bottom surface of the recess, thereby positioning the fastening bolt in the initial position, and that the engaging protrusion is displaced toward the opening side of the recess and the bolt head abuts against the rear peripheral portion, thereby positioning the fastening bolt in the mating start position.

[0019] By providing an engaging protrusion fixed to the fastening bolt and providing a recess that opens in the fitting direction on the front peripheral edge of the bolt insertion hole, the fastening bolt can be inserted into the bolt insertion hole displaceably in the direction opposite to the fitting direction. Then, by setting the depth dimension of the recess to a predetermined dimension and abutting the engaging protrusion against the bottom surface of the recess, the fastening bolt can be easily and reliably positioned in the initial position. Furthermore, the fastening bolt is positioned in the fitting start position by the engaging protrusion being displaced toward the opening side of the recess and the bolt head abutting the rear peripheral edge, so the fastening bolt can be easily and reliably positioned in the fitting start position. Moreover, because the bolt head abuts the rear peripheral edge at the fitting start position, the fastening force of the bolt can be quickly applied when further tightening the fastening bolt from the fitting start position. No. 1 The force is transmitted to the housing side, and the first connector and the second connector can be advantageously mated using the fastening force of the bolts.

[0020] (4) It is preferable that the tip side of the insertion shaft portion of the fastening bolt is provided with an annular ring mounting groove that opens toward the outer periphery, and that a metal ring member that is notched at one location in the circumferential direction relative to the ring mounting groove is mounted so as to be displaceable in the fitting direction to form the engaging protrusion, and that in the fastening bolt that is positioned in the initial position by the first connector being temporarily fixed to the second connector and the tip of the bolt-side threaded portion abutting against the opening of the nut, the ring member is engaged with the front end face of the ring mounting groove in the fitting direction, and in the fastening bolt that is threaded onto the nut and positioned in the fitting start position, the ring member moves to the rear end face of the ring mounting groove in the fitting direction, and the bolt head abuts against the rear peripheral portion.

[0021] The fastening bolt, which is allowed to move a predetermined distance from its initial position to its mating start position relative to the bolt insertion hole, can be attached in an undetachable manner simply by providing a ring attachment groove on the tip side of the insertion shaft of the fastening bolt and assembling a metal ring member in the ring attachment groove so that it can be displaced in the mating direction. Therefore, the configuration of the present disclosure can be realized without requiring any changes to the shape of the first connector, thereby improving manufacturability and reducing costs.

[0022] The metal ring member may be any member that has one circumferential notch that can be fitted into the ring mounting groove, and for example, a known C-ring or E-ring can be advantageously used.

[0023] (5) It is preferable that the fastening bolt is displaced from the mating start position to a mating completion position located forward in the mating direction by further threading the bolt-side threaded portion into the nut-side threaded portion, and the first connector is finally fixed to the second connector with the fastening bolt positioned at the mating completion position. By further threading the fastening bolt onto the nut from the mating start position to the mating completion position, the first connector and the second connector can be finally mated using an assist force from bolt tightening. In particular, because the fastening bolt and the nut have already been threaded together by a predetermined amount of displacement of the fastening bolt in the mating direction at the mating start position, the contact pressure between the first terminals and the second terminals generated when the first connector and the second connector are mated can be stably received by the fastening bolt and the nut, which suppresses damage to the threads of the fastening bolt and improves the durability of the first connector.

[0024] The connector assembly of the present disclosure comprises: (6) A connector comprising a first connector of the present disclosure and a second connector to which the first connector is detachably mated, the second connector having a second terminal connected to the first terminal, a second housing that accommodates and holds the second terminal, and a nut to which the fastening bolt is fastened.

[0025] According to the connector assembly of the present disclosure, since the first connector of the present disclosure is used as the first connector to be mated with the second connector, a connector assembly can be provided that can enjoy the same effects as the first connector.

[0026] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the first connector and connector assembly of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0027] <Embodiment 1> A connector assembly 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. The connector assembly 10 includes a first connector 12 and a second connector 14 that is detachably mated with the first connector 12. When the first connector 12 and the second connector 14 are mated, a first terminal 16 of the first connector 12 and a second terminal 18 of the second connector 14 are connected and electrically conductive. Note that the connector assembly 10 can be positioned in any orientation, but in the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 3, the front side as the left side in FIG. 2, the rear side as the right side in FIG. 2, the left side as the upper side in FIG. 2, and the right side as the lower side in FIG. 2. Note that, in some cases, when multiple identical components are used, only some of the components will be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals will be omitted for the other components.

[0028] <First connector 12> 3 to 5, the first connector 12 includes a first terminal 16 connected to a second terminal 18 provided in the second connector 14, a first housing 20 that accommodates and holds the first terminal 16, and a fastening bolt 22 that is held by the first housing 20 and fastened to a nut 184 (described later) provided in the second connector 14. In the first embodiment, as described later, a pair of insulated electric wires 40 are provided, and a first terminal 16 is fixed to an end of each insulated electric wire 40. That is, the first connector 12 is provided with a pair of first terminals 16, 16, and the first terminals 16 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0029] <1st terminal 16> In the first embodiment, the second terminal 18 is a pin terminal, and the first terminal 16 is not limited to a specific structure as long as it has a cylindrical connecting portion 24 into which a columnar connecting portion 188 (described later) of the second terminal 18 is press-fitted. For example, a structure similar to that of the female terminal (10) described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-28899 can be adopted. More specifically, the first terminal 16 of the first embodiment is configured to include a first terminal body 26 and a clip spring 28 as an elastic member attached to the tip end (front end) of the first terminal body 26.

[0030] <First terminal body 26> The first terminal body 26 is formed by pressing a generally band-shaped metal plate into a predetermined shape, for example. The first terminal body 26 has the above-mentioned tubular connecting portion 24, and in the first embodiment, the generally cylindrical tubular connecting portion 24 is open on both the top and bottom sides. As shown in Fig. 5 , the tubular connecting portion 24 is composed of a first peripheral wall portion 30 located on the left and a second peripheral wall portion 32 located on the right, each of which has a generally semi-cylindrical shape, and the first peripheral wall portion 30 and the second peripheral wall portion 32 face each other in the left-right direction.

[0031] The inner circumferential surface of the first circumferential wall portion 30 is provided with an arcuate protrusion 34 in a circumferential central portion, which extends circumferentially and protrudes radially inward. The inner circumferential surface of the second circumferential wall portion 32 is provided with linear contact portions 36 in multiple (two) circumferentially spaced locations, which extend in the axial direction (up and down direction) of the tubular connecting portion 24 and protrude radially inward. As a result, as shown in Fig. 5 , when a columnar connecting portion 188 (described later) is press-fitted into the tubular connecting portion 24, the outer circumferential surface of the columnar connecting portion 188 comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the tubular connecting portion 24 at the circumferential central portion of the arcuate protrusion 34 and three locations on the circumference of the pair of linear contact portions 36, 36.

[0032] The first and second peripheral wall portions 30, 32 each have a pair of rearward-projecting base end plates 38, 38 at their rear ends, and the base end plates 38 face each other in the left-right direction. The base end plates 38 are connected to each other by, for example, bending their rear ends. The first terminal body 26 also has a portion that extends rearward beyond the base end plates 38, and this rearward extending portion serves as a wire fastening portion 42 to which a covered electric wire 40 is fastened. That is, the covered electric wire 40 is composed of a core wire 44 and an insulating coating 46 made of synthetic resin that covers the core wire 44 over substantially its entire length. The insulating coating 46 is stripped from the end of the covered electric wire 40 to expose the core wire 44, and the exposed core wire 44 is fastened to the wire fastening portion 42 of the first terminal body 26, thereby connecting the first terminal body 26 and the covered electric wire 40. The method of fastening the electric wire fastening portion 42 and the core wire 44 is not limited, and may be adhesive, welding, or crimping using a crimping piece.

[0033] Furthermore, a pair of tip side plates 48, 48 protruding forward are provided at the front ends of the first and second peripheral walls 30, 32, respectively, and the tip side plates 48 face each other in the left-right direction. That is, in the first terminal body 26, the base side plates 38 are connected to each other on the rear side of the first peripheral wall 30 and the second peripheral wall 32, and the tip side plates 48 are spaced apart from each other on the front side of the first peripheral wall 30 and the second peripheral wall 32, forming free ends that protrude in a cantilevered manner. This allows the tip side plates 48 to elastically deform in directions toward or away from each other.

[0034] A substantially rectangular through-hole 50 penetrating in the plate thickness direction (left-right direction) is formed in the widthwise (up-down) central portion of the front-rear direction intermediate portion of each tip side plate portion 48. Furthermore, a stopper portion 52 protruding inward in the left-right direction is provided in the widthwise central portion of the inner left-right surface of each tip side plate portion 48. In the first embodiment, each stopper portion 52 is provided rearward of each through-hole 50. As a result, when the clip spring 28 is attached to the tip portion of the first terminal body 26, the stopper portions 52 abut against each other, thereby limiting the amount of deformation of the tip side plates 48 in the direction toward each other. This in turn prevents the first and second peripheral wall portions 30, 32 connected to the rear of each tip side plate portion 48 from approaching each other too closely, thereby preventing the inner diameter of the tubular connecting portion 24 from becoming too small.

[0035] <Clip spring 28> The clip spring 28 is attached to the distal end of the first terminal body 26, biasing the distal side plates 48 toward each other and exerting a biasing force on the first and second peripheral wall portions 30, 32 connected to the rear of the distal side plates 48 in the mutually approaching directions. As shown in FIG. 5 , the clip spring 28 includes a generally plate-shaped connecting plate 54 and a pair of pressing pieces 56, 56 that protrude rearward from both left and right ends of the connecting plate 54 and are inclined toward each other. A bent portion 58 is provided at a central portion in the front-rear direction of each pressing piece 56, and the protruding distal ends of each pressing piece 56 extend away from the bent portion 58. Therefore, the opposing distance between the pressing pieces 56 is smallest at the portion where the bent portion 58 is formed, and the gap between the bent portions 58 defines an insertion opening 60 for inserting the first terminal body 26 into the clip spring 28.

[0036] Furthermore, a substantially rectangular through-window 62 penetrating each pressing piece 56 in the plate thickness direction is formed in the widthwise (vertical) central portion of the bent portion 58 of each pressing piece 56. A locking piece 64 protruding forward is provided in the widthwise central portion of the rear inner peripheral edge of each through-window 62. The locking pieces 64 face each other in the left-right direction and protrude inward in the opposing direction as they extend forward. Each locking piece 64 is elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction. When the clip spring 28 is attached to the first terminal body 26, as described below, the tip of the first terminal body 26 is inserted into the insertion opening 60 of the clip spring 28. Then, by sliding the clip spring 28 rearward relative to the first terminal body 26, the locking pieces 64 enter and lock into the through-holes 50 in the tip side plate portions 48, thereby fixing the clip spring 28 to the first terminal body 26.

[0037] <First housing 20> 4 and 5, the first housing 20 includes a first connector housing 66 made of insulating synthetic resin, and a metal shield shell 68 that covers the first connector housing 66 and is fixedly attached to the first connector housing 66. A downward opening 70 that opens downward is provided in the front portion of the shield shell 68, and a synthetic resin front retainer 72 is attached to this downward opening 70. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the first housing 20 has bolt insertion holes 74 that penetrate the first housing 20 in the up-down direction, which is the direction in which the first connector 12 is fitted to the second connector 14, and in the first embodiment, the bolt insertion holes 74 are provided in the shield shell 68.

[0038] <First connector housing 66> 4 and 5, the first connector housing 66 has a substantially rectangular tubular terminal accommodating portion 76 that accommodates the front end portions of the insulated electric wires 40 and the first terminals 16 fixed to the ends of the insulated electric wires 40. In the first embodiment, a pair of insulated electric wires 40 and a pair of first terminals 16 are provided, so a pair of first connector housings 66, 66 are provided, and each first connector housing 66 has a terminal accommodating portion 76. The first connector housings 66 (terminal accommodating portions 76) are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction. That is, the first connector housing 66 has an upper wall portion 78 that constitutes the upper wall portion of each terminal accommodating portion 76, a lower wall portion 80 that constitutes the lower wall portion, a left wall portion 82 that constitutes the left wall portion, and a right wall portion 84 that constitutes the right wall portion. The front of each terminal accommodating portion 76 is closed by a front wall portion 86, and each insulated electric wire 40 accommodated in each terminal accommodating portion 76 is pulled out to the external space through a rear opening of each terminal accommodating portion 76. Therefore, the rear opening of each terminal accommodating portion 76 forms an electric wire pull-out opening 88 in the first connector housing 66, through which each insulated electric wire 40 is pulled out.

[0039] 4, in the first embodiment, the first connector housing 66 is made up of a first connector housing main body 90 and a first connector housing lid 92 assembled to the first connector housing main body 90. That is, a lower window 94 that opens downward is provided in the front portion of the bottom wall 80 of the first connector housing main body 90, and the first connector housing lid 92 is assembled to cover this lower window 94. In short, a portion of the bottom wall 80 of the first connector housing 66 is configured by the first connector housing lid 92.

[0040] The first connector housing lid 92 has insertion holes 96 formed at positions corresponding to the cylindrical connecting portions 24, i.e., the columnar connecting portions 188 (described later) of the second terminals 18. Furthermore, on both left and right sides of the insertion holes 96, the first connector housing lid 92 has insertion holes (not shown) through which curved plate portions 198 (described later) located on both left and right sides of the columnar connecting portions 188 of the second connector 14 are inserted. The first connector housing lid 92 is provided with a pair of support protrusions 97 (97) that protrude upward and are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 5 , when the first connector 12 is assembled, the base-end side plate portions 38 of each first terminal body 26 are inserted and supported between the pair of support protrusions 97 (97) in the left-right direction.

[0041] Although the method for fixing the first connector housing main body 90 and the first connector housing lid 92 is not limited, in the first embodiment, the first connector housing main body 90 and the first connector housing lid 92 are fixed together by a locking mechanism. That is, the left wall 82 and the right wall 84 of the first connector housing main body 90 are provided with locking protrusions 98 that protrude outward in the left-right direction, and the first connector housing lid 92 is provided with locking frames 100 that protrude upward on both left-right sides. When the locking protrusions 98 engage with the locking frames 100, the lower window 94 of the first connector housing main body 90 is covered by the first connector housing lid 92, thereby completing the first connector housing 66.

[0042] Note that elastic pieces 102 that are elastically deformable in the left-right direction are provided in the middle portions of the left wall portion 82 and the right wall portion 84 of the first connector housing 66 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and each elastic piece 102 is provided with a locking claw 104 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction. Also, locking recesses 117 (described later) are provided on the inner surface of the shield shell 68, and the first connector housing 66 is fixed to the shield shell 68 by locking each locking claw 104 in each locking recess 117.

[0043] <Shield Shell 68> The shield shell 68 is shaped to cover substantially the entire pair of first connector housings 66, 66. That is, the shield shell 68 includes an upper wall 106 that covers the upper side of each first connector housing 66, a lower wall 108 that covers the lower side of each first connector housing 66, a left wall 110 that covers the left side of the left first connector housing 66, a right wall 112 that covers the right side of the right first connector housing 66, and a front wall 114 that covers the front of each first connector housing 66. The shield shell 68 also includes partitions 116 that are provided inside the shield shell 68 between the left and right first connector housings 66 (terminal accommodating portions 76) and that divide the internal space of the shield shell 68 in the left and right direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the left wall 110, right wall 112 and partition 116 of the shield shell 68 have locking recesses 117 formed on their inner surfaces, which are engageable with the locking claws 104 of the first connector housing 66.

[0044] Furthermore, a through-hole 122 is formed in the front portion of the lower wall portion 108 of the shield shell 68, penetrating the lower wall portion 108 in the thickness direction (up-down direction). This through-hole 122 has a generally oval shape with a left-right dimension that is larger than its front-to-rear dimension, and is provided across each of the first connector housings 66 that are separated from each other in the left-right direction. That is, in each of the first connector housings 66, the insertion holes 96 through which columnar connecting portions 188 (described later) are inserted and the insertion holes (not shown) through which curved plate portions 198 (described later) are inserted communicate with the external space below via the common through-hole 122.

[0045] A downwardly protruding inner tubular portion 124 is provided on the periphery of this through hole 122, and a lower end of the inner tubular portion 124 forms a lower opening 70 to which a front retainer 72 is attached. The cylindrical connecting portions 24 of the first terminals 16 housed in the terminal accommodating portions 76 are exposed to the outside through the lower opening 70 in the shield shell 68. Furthermore, a downwardly protruding outer tubular portion 126 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner tubular portion 124 in the lower wall portion 108. When the connector assembly 10 is assembled, substantially the entire area of ​​the outer tubular portion 126, excluding a rear portion at the lower end thereof, abuts against a housing 186 (described later) of the second connector 14. A waterproof rubber 128 is fitted and attached to the inner tubular portion 124 to prevent water from entering between the shield shell 68 and a second housing 182 (described later) when the connector assembly 10 is assembled.

[0046] Here, a bolt insertion hole 74 penetrating in the vertical direction is provided in the partition portion 116 of the shield shell 68 rearward of the rear portion of the outer tubular portion 126. That is, the bolt insertion hole 74 has a lower opening 130 as a front opening that opens downward, which is forward in the fitting direction of the first connector 12 to the second connector 14, and an upper opening 132 as a rear opening that opens upward, which is rearward in the fitting direction. In the partition portion 116 of the shield shell 68, the peripheral portion of the lower opening 130 is a lower peripheral edge portion 134 that is a front peripheral edge portion, and the peripheral portion of the upper opening 132 is an upper peripheral edge portion 136 that is a rear peripheral edge portion. In the first embodiment, a substantially circular recess 138 that opens forward (downward) in the fitting direction is formed in the lower peripheral edge portion 134, and this recess 138 has a predetermined depth dimension (vertical dimension). In particular, in the shield shell 68, a contact portion 139 that protrudes downward is formed at the position where the bolt insertion hole 74 is formed, and as shown in Fig. 10, the contact portion 139 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the bottom. In the first embodiment, a substantially circular recess 138 is formed in the approximate center of the contact portion 139.

[0047] Furthermore, the shield shell 68 is provided with locking claws 140 that protrude outward in the up-down direction at the rear end portions of the upper wall portion 106 and the lower wall portion 108. These locking claws 140 are provided at positions corresponding to the respective first connector housings 66, and a pair of locking claws 140, 140 are provided at the rear end portions of the upper wall portion 106 and the lower wall portion 108, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Furthermore, fixing portions 142 to which a shield bracket 164, which will be described later, is fixed are provided on both left-right sides of the rear end portion of the shield shell 68. In the first embodiment, a forward protruding portion 168 that protrudes forward from the shield bracket 164 is overlapped with the fixing portion 142, and the shield shell 68 and the shield bracket 164 are fixed to each other by a bolt 144.

[0048] 3 and 4, the front retainer 72 attached to the lower opening 70 of the shield shell 68 has a generally cylindrical shape with a bottom, and includes a generally oval upper bottom wall 146 and a peripheral wall 148 protruding downward from the outer periphery of the upper bottom wall 146. As also shown in Fig. 10, the upper bottom wall 146 is provided with through-holes 150a penetrating in the vertical direction at positions corresponding to the cylindrical connecting portions 24 of the first connector 12, i.e., positions corresponding to the columnar connecting portions 188 (described later) of the second connector 14. Furthermore, on both the left and right sides of each through-hole 150a, through-holes 150b (described later) of the second connector 14 are formed penetrating in the vertical direction, through which the curved plate portions 198 (described later) of the second connector 14 are inserted. As a result, when the first connector 12 and the second connector 14 are mated, the columnar connecting portions 188 and the curved plate portions 198 are inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 76 of the first connector housing 66 through the through holes 150a, 150b in the upper bottom wall portion 146. The front retainer 72 is inserted into the inner cylindrical portion 124 of the shield shell 68 and fixed in place by a locking mechanism provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 148 and the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 124.

[0049] An annular waterproof rubber 154 is fitted onto each of the insulated electric wires 40 drawn rearward from each of the electric wire drawing-out ports 88 of each of the first connector housings 66, and each waterproof rubber 154 is inserted into the rear opening of each of the first connector housings 66. In addition, a back retainer 156 is provided on each insulated electric wire 40 behind each waterproof rubber 154 to prevent each waterproof rubber 154 from falling off.

[0050] In the first embodiment, the back retainer 156 is composed of an upper retainer 158 and a lower retainer 160 that can be assembled to each other, and the upper retainer 158 and the lower retainer 160 are assembled to sandwich each of the insulated electric wires 40 from both the top and bottom sides at the rear of the first connector housing 66. The upper retainer 158 and the lower retainer 160 each have a pair of locking frames 162, 162 that protrude forward. As a result, the back retainer 156 formed by assembling the upper retainer 158 and the lower retainer 160 is fixed to the rear of each waterproof rubber 154 by locking and fitting the locking claws 140 provided at the rear end of the shield shell 68 into the locking frames 162. The upper retainer 158 and the lower retainer 160 may have the same shape, and the back retainer 156 may be formed by assembling the upper retainer 158 and the lower retainer 160 in an inverted state.

[0051] The back retainer 156 is covered by a metal shield bracket 164. The shield bracket 164 has a cylindrical wall portion 166 and covers the back retainer 156 from the outer periphery. The cylindrical wall portion 166 has a forward protruding portion 168 that protrudes forward at its lower portion, and as described above, the forward protruding portion 168 is overlapped with the fixing portion 142 of the shield shell 68 and fixed with the bolt 144, thereby fixing the shield bracket 164 and the shield shell 68 to each other. Note that a substantially cylindrical shielding member (not shown) that covers each of the insulated electric wires 40 extending rearward may be fitted onto the cylindrical wall portion 166 of the shield bracket 164, and the shielding member may be fixed to the cylindrical wall portion 166 with a crimping band 170.

[0052] <Fastening bolt 22> The fastening bolt 22 has a bolt head 172, an insertion shaft 174 that protrudes downward, i.e., forward in the fitting direction, from the bolt head 172 and is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 74, a bolt-side threaded portion 176 that protrudes downward, i.e., forward in the fitting direction, from the tip (lower end) of the insertion shaft 174, and an engagement protrusion that is located on the tip side of the insertion shaft 174 and protrudes toward the outer periphery of the fastening bolt 22. In the first embodiment, an annular ring mounting groove 178 that opens toward the outer periphery is provided on the tip side of the insertion shaft 174, and a C-ring 180, which is a metal ring member, is mounted in this ring mounting groove 178 to form an engagement protrusion that protrudes toward the outer periphery. That is, the C-ring 180 that constitutes the engagement protrusion protrudes toward the outer periphery from the outer periphery of the fastening bolt 22 in a substantially annular shape with a predetermined radial width dimension. As a result, as will be described later, when the C-ring 180 comes into contact with the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138, the contact is made with a sufficient contact area. The vertical dimension of the ring mounting groove 178 and the vertical dimension of the C-ring 180 are made approximately equal, and the C-ring 180 cannot be displaced in the vertical direction by the fastening bolt 22.

[0053] The metal ring member is preferably notched at one location in the circumferential direction, and a C-ring or E-ring is preferably used. This allows the ring member, such as a C-ring or E-ring, to be fitted from the side into the ring mounting groove 178 in the insertion shaft portion 174 through the circumferential notch.

[0054] In this fastening bolt 22, the length (vertical dimension) from the lower end of the bolt head 172 to the upper end of the C-ring 180 is larger than the length (vertical dimension) of the bolt insertion hole 74 that penetrates the shield shell 68 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the projection dimension of the C-ring 180 from the outer peripheral surface of the fastening bolt 22 toward the outer periphery is smaller than the radial width dimension of the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138. As a result, the fastening bolt 22 can be displaced a predetermined distance in the fitting direction (vertical direction) with respect to the shield shell 68 from a position where the lower end of the bolt head 172 abuts against the upper end of the bolt insertion hole 74, i.e., the upper peripheral edge portion 136 (fitting start position shown in Figures 8 and 9 described later), to a position where the upper end of the C-ring 180 abuts against the lower end of the bolt insertion hole 74, i.e., the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138 provided in the lower peripheral edge portion 134 (initial position shown in Figure 7 described later). Therefore, the depth dimension of the recess 138 can be set to a size that is approximately equal to the vertical dimension of the displaceable fastening bolt 22, for example.

[0055] Furthermore, the portion of the fastening bolt 22 below the C-ring 180 is the bolt-side threaded portion 176, but no threaded portion is provided at the very tip of the fastening bolt 22. Instead, a male thread is formed on the outer surface of the fastening bolt 22 from a portion spaced a predetermined distance above the very tip of the fastening bolt 22 over a predetermined length in the vertical direction, thereby forming the bolt-side threaded portion 176.

[0056] <Second connector 14> 11 and other figures, the second connector 14 has a second terminal 18 connected to the first terminal 16, a second housing 182 that accommodates and holds the second terminal 18, and a nut 184 to which the fastening bolt 22 is fastened. In the first embodiment, since the first connector 12 is provided with a pair of first terminals 16, 16, the second connector 14 has a pair of second terminals 18, 18, which are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The second connector 14 also has a metal housing 186, and the second terminals 18 are held in a state where they protrude upward in a second housing 182 fixed to the housing 186.

[0057] In the first embodiment, each second terminal 18 is a pin terminal, and each second terminal 18 includes a columnar connecting portion 188. A resin cap 190 is provided on the columnar connecting portion 188 of each second terminal 18 at the tip side in the press-fitting direction (from bottom to top) into the tubular connecting portion 24 of the first terminal 16. A bolt insertion hole 192 is provided at the base end (lower end) of each second terminal 18, and each second terminal 18 is fixed to a terminal portion of a device or the like (not shown) by a bolt inserted into each bolt insertion hole 192. Note that each second terminal 18 does not necessarily need to include the bolt insertion hole 192, and each second terminal may be fixed to the device or the like by crimping or fastening the base end of each second terminal to an electric wire of the device or the like (not shown).

[0058] Each of these second terminals 18 is fixedly held in a second housing 182. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 11 , the second housing 182 includes a generally cylindrical peripheral wall portion 196 having a through-hole 194 at its upper end, through which each of the second terminals 18 is inserted, and a pair of peripheral wall portions 196, 196 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Furthermore, a curved plate portion 198 that protrudes upward and has a predetermined length (vertical dimension) is provided on the upper end surface of each peripheral wall portion 196. Each peripheral wall portion 196 is provided with a pair of curved plate portions 198, 198, which face each other and are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each curved plate portion 198 is curved along the circumferential direction of the corresponding peripheral wall portion 196 and has a predetermined circumferential dimension.

[0059] The second housing 182 and the second terminals 18 are fixed together with the second terminals 18 inserted into the peripheral wall portions 196 and the columnar connecting portions 188 projecting upward through the through holes 194. The method for fastening the second housing 182 and the second terminals 18 is not limited, and they may be fastened together by press-fitting, engagement by concave-convex portions, adhesion, welding, or the like. In the first embodiment, the second housing 182 is molded with the second terminals 18 inserted into the molding cavity, thereby forming the second housing 182 as an integrally molded product including the second terminals 18. When the second terminals 18 are fixed to the second housing 182, the columnar connecting portions 188 are located on the inner periphery of the curved plate portions 198 at a predetermined radial distance, and the columnar connecting portions 188 are covered by the curved plate portions 198 along their entire length.

[0060] The second housing 182 also integrally includes a pair of outer wall portions 200, 200 located outwardly to the left and right of each peripheral wall portion 196 and protruding upward. Each of the pair of outer wall portions 200, 200 is located outwardly in the left-right direction from the outer curved plate portion 198 of the pair of curved plate portions 198, 198 at a predetermined distance. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the second housing 182 also integrally includes a pair of leg portions 202, 202 protruding rearward. The second housing 182, to which the second terminals 18 are fixed, is fixed to the housing 186 by bolts 204 inserted through the leg portions 202. When the second housing 182 is fixed to the housing 186, the columnar connection portions 188 of the second terminals 18 protrude upward from the corresponding peripheral wall portions 196 and are exposed to the external space. Additionally, a ring-shaped waterproof rubber 206 is fitted and attached to the outer circumferential surface of the second housing 182 at a portion that is inserted into an insertion hole 210 (described later) in the casing 186 .

[0061] The housing 186 includes a rectangular plate portion 208 that is rectangular in plan view, and an insertion hole 210 through which the second housing 182 is inserted is formed in the front portion of the rectangular plate portion 208. The nut 184 described above is provided over a predetermined vertical dimension in the center of the rectangular plate portion 208 in the left-right direction behind the insertion hole 210. That is, a nut-side threaded portion 212 composed of an internal thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the nut 184, with a predetermined vertical dimension.

[0062] <Assembly of the connector assembly 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the connector assembly 10 by mating the first connector 12 and the second connector 14. Note that the method for assembling the connector assembly 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0063] First, the insulating coating 46 is stripped from the end of each insulated electric wire 40 to expose the core wire 44, which is then secured to the wire securing portion 42 of each first terminal body 26, and each clip spring 28 is attached to the front end of each first terminal body 26. This secures each first terminal 16 to the end of each insulated electric wire 40. Next, each waterproof rubber 154 is fitted onto each insulated electric wire 40, and an upper retainer 158 and a lower retainer 160 are assembled to the rear of each waterproof rubber 154 from both sides in the vertical direction, sandwiching each insulated electric wire 40 therebetween, to form each back retainer 156.

[0064] Next, the insulated wires 40, to which the first terminals 16, waterproof rubbers 154, and back retainer 156 have been assembled, are inserted through the rear opening of the first connector housing main body 90. After the first terminals 16 have been inserted to their predetermined positions, the first connector housing lid 92 is assembled to the first connector housing main body 90, thereby fixing the first terminals 16 in their predetermined positions within the terminal accommodating portions 76 of the first connector housings 66. Then, the first connector housings 66, to which the first terminals 16 have been assembled, are inserted through the rear opening of the shield shell 68, and the locking claws 104 of the first connector housings 66 are locked into the locking recesses 117 of the shield shell 68. This fixes the first connector housing 66 to the shield shell 68. Furthermore, the front retainer 72 is assembled from below to the lower opening 70 of the shield shell 68. In this manner, the first housing 20 is completed.

[0065] Next, the locking frames 162 of the back retainer 156 are locked and fitted into the locking claws 140 at the rear end of the shield shell 68. Thereafter, the insulated electric wires 40 are inserted through the cylindrical wall portion 166 of the shield bracket 164, and the fixing portions 142 of the shield shell 68 and the forward protruding portions 168 of the shield bracket 164 are overlapped with each other, and the fixing portions 142 and the forward protruding portions 168 are fixed with bolts 144. Note that a shielding member covering each insulated electric wire 40 may be fixed to the cylindrical wall portion 166 of the shield bracket 164 with a crimping band 170 at an appropriate time.

[0066] Additionally, the fastening bolt 22 is inserted from above into the bolt insertion hole 74 in the shield shell 68. As a result, the lower portion of the fastening bolt 22 protrudes downward from the shield shell 68, and the C-ring 180 is assembled from the side (in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) into the ring mounting groove 178 in the fastening bolt 22. This completes the first connector 12. In the completed first connector 12, the shield member (not shown) that covers each of the coated electric wires 40, the shield bracket 164, and the shield shell 68 are electrically connected.

[0067] Next, the second housing 182 is formed as an integrally molded product including the second terminals 18, and the waterproof rubber 206 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of this second housing 182. Then, the lower portion of the second housing 182 to which the waterproof rubber 206 is attached is inserted into the insertion hole 210 in the casing 186, and the second housing 182 is fixed to the casing 186 with the bolts 204. This completes the second connector 14.

[0068] The completed first connector 12 and second connector 14 are then vertically opposed to each other, as shown in FIG. 6 . The first connector 12 and second connector 14 are then brought closer to each other. As a result, the columnar connecting portions 188 of each second terminal 18 in the second connector 14 are inserted into the through-holes 150a in the front retainer 72 of the first connector 12, and the curved plate portions 198 are inserted into the through-holes 150b in the front retainer 72. At this point, the columnar connecting portions 188 of each second terminal 18 are slightly spaced apart from or in a zero-touch state relative to the lower openings of the tubular connecting portions 24 of each first terminal 16, and no contact pressure is generated between each first terminal 16 and each second terminal 18. This state marks the state in which the first connector 12 is temporarily fixed to the second connector 14.

[0069] With the first connector 12 and the second connector 14 temporarily fixed together, the tip (lower end) of the fastening bolt 22 protruding downward from the first connector 12 abuts against the upper opening 218 of the nut 184 of the second connector 14, as shown in Fig. 7. The fastening bolt 22 is capable of vertical displacement by a predetermined distance relative to the shield shell 68, and therefore the fastening bolt 22 is displaced upward as it abuts against the upper opening 218 of the nut 184. The upward displacement of the fastening bolt 22 is limited by the abutment between the upper end of the C-ring 180 and the bottom surface 181 of a recess 138 provided in the underside of the shield shell 68. 7, when the fastening bolt 22 is in the initial position, the fastening bolt 22 is displaced upward relative to the shield shell 68 until the upper end of the C-ring 180 abuts against the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138, and a gap 220 is formed between the lower end of the bolt head 172 and the upper surface of the shield shell 68 in the vertical direction. In other words, in the initial position, the engaging protrusion (C-ring 180) engages with the front peripheral edge (lower peripheral edge 134) on the front side in the fitting direction that is configured to include the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138, thereby restricting rearward (upward) displacement of the fastening bolt 22 in the fitting direction.

[0070] From the state in which the fastening bolt 22 is in the initial position shown in FIG. 7, the fastening bolt 22 is tightened a predetermined distance to thread the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 together. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 are threaded together until the lower end of the bolt head 172 abuts against the upper peripheral edge 136 on the upper surface of the shield shell 68, and the fastening bolt 22 is threaded downward and displaced. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 are threaded together by a predetermined distance. As a result, the C-ring 180 is displaced from the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138 toward the opening side (downward), and the gap 220 between the lower end of the bolt head 172 and the upper surface of the shield shell 68 disappears. The state shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is the state in which the fastening bolt 22 is in the fitting start position. In other words, at the mating start position, the bolt head 172 engages with the rear peripheral edge (upper peripheral edge 136) at the rear in the mating direction, restricting the forward (downward) displacement of the fastening bolt 22 in the mating direction. Even when the fastening bolt 22 is in this mating start position, the relative positions of the first connector 12 and the second connector 14 do not change, and therefore no contact pressure is generated between the first terminals 16 and the second terminals 18.

[0071] While there are no limitations on the vertical engagement distance between the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 when the fastening bolt 22 is in the fitting start position, it is preferable that the threads of the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 are each engaged by about three threads. That is, it is preferable that the fastening bolt 22 be displaced in the vertical direction by about three threads on each thread from the initial position of the fastening bolt 22 shown in Fig. 7 to the fitting start position shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and it is also preferable that the depth dimension (vertical dimension) of the recess 138 and the vertical dimension of the gap 220 are set to about the same extent.

[0072] 8 and 9, tightening the fastening bolt 22 causes the fastening bolt 22 to be threaded downward, and the first connector 12 and the second connector 14 move closer to each other. This starts press-fitting the columnar connecting portions 188 of the second connector 14 into the tubular connecting portions 24 of the first connector 12. That is, it is preferable that press-fitting of each columnar connecting portion 188 into each tubular connecting portion 24 starts when the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 are each threadedly engaged by about three threads. Then, by further tightening the fastening bolt 22 and further threading the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212, each columnar connecting portion 18 into each tubular connecting portion 24 is tightened as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. of 8 1 to 5, the fastening bolt 22 is placed in the mating completion position, and the first connector 12 is finally fixed to the second connector 14. This completes the mating of the first connector 12 and the second connector 14, and the connector assembly 10 is completed.

[0073] Such tightening of the fastening bolt 22, i.e., threading of the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212, is preferably performed until, for example, the lower end of the outer tubular portion 126 of the shield shell 68 or the lower end of the contact portion 139 abuts against the upper surface of the housing 186 of the second connector 14. This allows electrical continuity between the shield shell 68 and the housing 186, and by grounding the housing 186, a shielding effect can be achieved in a shielding member (not shown) that covers each of the insulated electric wires 40 from the housing 186 via the shield shell 68 and the shield bracket 164. Note that the shielding effect does not necessarily have to be achieved in the connector assembly according to the present disclosure, and the tightening of the fastening bolt 22 may be completed when the fastening bolt 22 is displaced downward a predetermined distance, in other words, when each of the columnar connecting portions 188 is press-fitted to a certain extent into each of the tubular connecting portions 24.

[0074] In the connector assembly 10 of the first embodiment having the above-described structure, the columnar connection portions 18 are connected to the cylindrical connection portions 24. of 8At the start of press-fitting, the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 are already threaded together over a predetermined distance. This allows the columnar connection portions 18 to be easily inserted into the cylindrical connection portions 24, which require a large force. of 8 Compared to a configuration in which the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 begin to thread together at the start of press-fitting, damage to the threads of the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 is avoided, improving durability. of 8 The configuration in which the bolt side threaded portion 176 and the nut side threaded portion 212 are already threaded together at the start of press-fitting can be achieved without increasing the length of the fastening bolt 22, and interference of the fastening bolt 22 with other components or the casing 186 or second housing 182 of the second connector 14 when the first connector 12 and the second connector 14 are fitted together is avoided, thereby improving assembly performance.

[0075] Furthermore, when fastening bolt 22 is displaced from the initial position to the mating start position, each columnar connection portion 188 and each curved plate portion 198 of second connector 14 is inserted into each through hole 150a, 150b of first connector 12, and first connector 12 is temporarily fixed to second connector 14. Therefore, when fastening bolt 22 is tightened to displace first connector 12 from the initial position to the mating start position, horizontal displacement (front-rear or left-right directions) between first connector 12 and second connector 14 is suppressed, thereby further improving assembly performance.

[0076] The first housing 20 is configured to include a first connector housing 66 and a shield shell 68, and bolt insertion holes 74 through which the fastening bolts 22 are inserted are provided in the shield shell 68. This not only makes it possible to configure a shield path using, for example, the shield shell 68 and the housing 186, but also allows the tightening force of the fastening bolts 22 to act on the shield shell 68 and the housing 186, both of which are made of metal, thereby improving durability compared to, for example, when the bolt insertion holes are provided in a member made of synthetic resin.

[0077] The fastening bolt 22 is arranged in the initial position when the engaging protrusion (C-ring 180) abuts against the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138, and the fastening bolt 22 is arranged in the fitting start position when the bolt head 172 abuts against the upper peripheral edge 136. As a result, by appropriately setting the depth dimension (vertical dimension) of the recess 138, it is possible to adjust the size of the gap 220 when the fastening bolt 22 is in the initial position, and therefore the degree of engagement between the bolt-side threaded portion 176 and the nut-side threaded portion 212 when the fastening bolt 22 is in the fitting start position. Furthermore, the abutment between the bottom surface 181 of the recess 138 and the C-ring 180 more reliably displaces the fastening bolt 22 upward and arranges it in the initial position. In addition, by abutting the bolt head 172 against the upper peripheral portion 136, the tightening force of the fastening bolt 22 can be more reliably applied as a force that brings the first connector 12 and the second connector 14 closer to each other, i.e., as a pressing force of each columnar connecting portion 188 into each tubular connecting portion 24.

[0078] By disposing the fastening bolts 22 in the mating completion position, the first connector 12 is finally fixed to the second connector 14. That is, by fastening the fastening bolts 22, it is possible to complete the press-fitting of each columnar connection portion 188 into each tubular connection portion 24, and the press-fitting operation, which requires a relatively large force, can be accomplished by tightening the bolts.

[0079] <Embodiment 2> Next, a first connector 230 constituting a connector assembly according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 12 . The first connector 230 of the second embodiment has a structure basically similar to that of the first connector 12 of the first embodiment. However, whereas the C-ring 180 is attached to the fastening bolt 22 in the first connector 12 of the first embodiment so as to be substantially immovable in the vertical direction, the first connector 230 of the second embodiment has a C-ring 234, which is a metal ring member constituting an engaging protrusion, attached to the fastening bolt 232 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Note that the second connector 14 mated with the first connector 230 in the second embodiment may have a structure similar to that of the first embodiment, and is therefore not shown in the drawings. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and components and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted in the drawings with the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In Figure 12, the fastening bolt 232 is shown in a solid line when the first connector 230 is in a standalone state before mating with the second connector 14 or when the fastening bolt 232 is in the mating start position, and the fastening bolt 232 in the initial position is shown in a two-dot chain line.

[0080] That is, an annular ring mounting groove 236 that opens toward the outer periphery is provided on the tip side (lower end side) of the insertion shaft portion 174 of the fastening bolt 232, and this ring mounting groove 236 has a predetermined vertical dimension that is larger than the vertical dimension of the C-ring 234. This allows the C-ring 234 to move vertically within the ring mounting groove 236 from a lower end face 238a at the front (lower) of the fitting direction to an upper end face 238b at the rear (upper) of the fitting direction. Note that in the second embodiment, the C-ring 234 is fixed to the peripheral portion (lower peripheral portion 134) of the lower opening 130 of the bolt insertion hole 74.

[0081] In the first connector 230 having such a structure, in a standalone state before being mated with the second connector 14, for example, the fastening bolt 232 moves downward due to gravity and is in the position shown by the solid line in Fig. 12. That is, the lower end surface of the bolt head 172 abuts against the upper surface (upper peripheral edge portion 136) of the shield shell 68, and the C-ring 234 abuts against the upper end surface 238b of the ring mounting groove 236.

[0082] When mating the first connector 230 and the second connector 14 from this state, the first connector 230 and the second connector 14 are brought close to each other while facing each other in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 6 above. As a result, the tip of the fastening bolt 232 (the tip of the bolt-side threaded portion 176) abuts against the upper opening 218 of the nut 184 of the second connector 14, and the fastening bolt 232 is displaced upward to its initial position as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 12. As a result, a gap 220 is generated in the vertical direction between the lower end surface of the bolt head 172 and the upper surface (upper peripheral portion 136) of the shield shell 68, and the C-ring 234 abuts against the lower end surface 238a of the ring mounting groove 236. In other words, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 12, when the fastening bolt 232 is in the initial position, the C-ring 234 is engaged with the front end face (lower end face 238a) of the ring mounting groove 236 in the fitting direction.

[0083] Thereafter, the bolt-side threaded portion 176 of the fastening bolt 232, which is in the initial position, is threadedly engaged with the nut-side threaded portion 212 of the nut 184, and the fastening bolt 232 is screwed downward. As a result, the fastening bolt 232 is displaced to a fitting start position, which is lower than the initial position, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 12. In this state, the lower end surface of the bolt head 172 and the upper surface (upper peripheral portion 136) of the shield shell 68 abut against each other, and the gap 220 disappears. Furthermore, because the fastening bolt 232 is displaced downward relative to the shield shell 68, the C-ring 234 moves within the ring mounting groove 236 toward its rear end face (upper end face 238b) in the fitting direction, and, for example, the C-ring 234 abuts against the upper end face 238b of the ring mounting groove 236. After the fastening bolt 232 is positioned at the mating start position, the first connector 230 and the second connector 14 are displaced toward each other by fastening the fastening bolt 232 as in embodiment 1, and each columnar connecting portion 188 of the second connector 14 is pressed into each tubular connecting portion 24 of the first connector 230, thereby completing the connector assembly.

[0084] In the first connector 230 of the second embodiment having the above-described structure, the fastening bolt 232 can be displaced between the initial position and the mating start position when mating with the second connector 14, and so the same effect as in the first embodiment can be achieved. In particular, in the first embodiment, the C-ring 180 is not displaceable in the vertical direction relative to the fastening bolt 22, and a recess 138 is provided in the shield shell 68 to enable the fastening bolt 22 to be displaced to the initial position. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the C-ring 180 is not displaceable in the vertical direction relative to the fastening bolt 232, and 234 By making the recess 138 displaceable in the up and down direction, it is not necessary to provide the shield shell 68 with a recess 138, and it is possible to avoid changing the shape of the shield shell 68.

[0085] <Modification> Although the first and second embodiments have been described above as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure, are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0086] (1) The shapes of the first terminal 16 and the second terminal 18 in the above embodiment are merely examples and are not limited thereto. That is, in the above embodiment, the second terminal 18 is pin-shaped and has the columnar connecting portion 188, and the first terminal 16 has the tubular connecting portion 24, but the present invention is not limited to this form. The second terminal may be flat tab-shaped, for example, as described in International Publication No. 2021 / 145197. In this case, the first terminal only needs to have a substantially rectangular terminal insertion gap.

[0087] (2) In the above embodiment, the first housing 20 is configured to include the first connector housing 66 made of insulating synthetic resin and the metal shield shell 68, and when the first connector 12, 230 and the second connector 14 are mated, the shield shell 68 abuts against the housing 186 to provide a shielding function. However, this is not limited to this embodiment. That is, the connector assembly according to the present disclosure does not necessarily need to provide a shielding function, and a shield shell, shield bracket, housing, etc. may not be provided. In this case, the bolt insertion holes through which the fastening bolts are inserted may be provided in the first connector housing made of synthetic resin.

[0088] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the engaging protrusions protruding outward from the fastening bolt 22, 232 are configured by the C-rings 180, 234, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the engaging protrusions may be provided so as to protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the fastening bolt after the fastening bolt is inserted into the bolt insertion hole. That is, the engaging protrusions may be configured by, for example, a pin inserted into a recess provided in the outer circumferential surface of the fastening bolt, or an annular or pin-shaped engaging protrusion may be fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the fastening bolt after it has been inserted into the bolt insertion hole. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Connector Assembly 12 First connector (embodiment 1) 14 Second Connector 16 1st terminal 18 2nd terminal 20 First Housing 22 Fastening bolt 24 Tubular joint 26 First terminal body 28 Clip spring 30 First peripheral wall part 32 Second peripheral wall part 34 Arc-shaped protrusion 36 Linear contact part 38 Proximal side plate part 40 Insulated wire 42 Wire fixing part 44 core wire 46 Insulation coating 48 Tip side plate 50 through holes 52 Stopper part 54 Connecting plate 56 Presser piece 58 Bent part 60 socket 62 Through window 64 Locking piece 66 First connector housing 68 Shield Shell 70 Lower opening 72 Front retainer 74 Bolt insertion hole 76 Terminal housing 78 Upper wall 80 Lower wall part 82 Left wall 84 Right wall 86 Front wall 88 Wire outlet 90 First connector housing body 92 First connector housing cover 94 Lower window section 96 Insertion hole 97 Support protrusion 98 Lock protrusion 100 Lock frame body 102 Elastic piece 104 Locking claw 106 Upper wall 108 Lower wall 110 Left wall 112 Right wall 114 Front wall 116 Partition 117 Locking recess 122 Through hole 124 Inner cylinder part 126 Outer cylinder part 128 Waterproof Rubber 130 Lower opening (front opening) 132 Upper opening (rear opening) 134 Lower margin (anterior margin) 136 Upper margin (posterior margin) 138 Recess 139 Contact Area 140 Locking claw 142 Fixed part 144 volts 146 Upper bottom wall 148 Peripheral wall section 150a,150b through hole 154 Waterproof rubber 156 Back retainer 158 Upper retainer 160 Lower retainer 162 Lock frame body 164 Shield bracket 166 Cylinder wall 168 Forward protrusion 170 Crimping band 172 Bolt head 174 Insertion shaft 176 Bolt side thread 178 Ring mounting groove 180 C-ring (engagement protrusion, ring member) 181 bottom 182 Second Housing 184 Nut 186 cabinet 188 Column Connection 190 Resin Cap 192 Bolt insertion hole 194 Through Hole 196 Peripheral wall section 198 Curved plate section 200 Exterior wall 202 Legs 204 volts 206 Waterproof rubber 208 Rectangular plate section 210 Insertion hole 212 Nut side thread 218 Upper opening 220 Gap 230 First Connector (Embodiment 2) 232 Fastening bolt 234 C-ring (engagement protrusion, ring member) 236 Ring mounting groove 238a Lower end face (front end face in mating direction) 238b Upper end face (rear end face in the mating direction)

Claims

1. A first connector that is detachably mated with a second connector, a first terminal connected to a second terminal provided on the second connector; a first housing that accommodates and holds the first terminal; a fastening bolt that is held by the first housing and fastened to a nut provided on the second connector, the first housing has a bolt insertion hole passing through the first housing in a fitting direction of the first connector to the second connector, The fastening bolt has a bolt head, an insertion shaft portion that protrudes forward in the fitting direction from the bolt head and is inserted into the bolt insertion hole, a bolt-side thread portion that protrudes forward in the fitting direction from a tip of the insertion shaft portion, and an engaging protrusion that is located on the tip side of the insertion shaft and protrudes toward the outer periphery of the fastening bolt, the bolt insertion hole has a front opening portion that opens toward the front in the fitting direction and a rear opening portion that opens toward the rear in the fitting direction, the fastening bolt is movable within a predetermined dimension in the fitting direction relative to the bolt insertion hole between an initial position where rearward displacement in the fitting direction is restricted by the engagement of the engaging protrusion with a front peripheral edge portion that is a peripheral edge portion of the front opening, and a fitting start position where forward displacement in the fitting direction is restricted by the engagement of the bolt head with a rear peripheral edge portion that is a peripheral portion of the rear opening, and is assembled so as not to be separated, a first connector in which, when the first connector is temporarily fixed to the second connector and no contact pressure is generated between the first terminal and the second terminal, the fastening bolt is positioned at the initial position by the tip of the bolt-side threaded portion abutting against the opening of the nut, and the bolt-side threaded portion of the fastening bolt is displaced to the mating start position by screwing into a nut-side threaded portion provided on the nut.

2. 2. The first connector according to claim 1, wherein the first housing includes an insulating first connector housing and a metal shield shell that covers the first connector housing and is fixedly assembled to the first connector housing, and the bolt insertion holes are provided in the shield shell.

3. The engaging protrusion of the fastening bolt is provided so as to be non-displaceable, a recess that opens in the fitting direction is provided in the front peripheral edge portion of the bolt insertion hole, and a depth dimension of the recess is set to the predetermined dimension; The first connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fastening bolt is positioned in the initial position when the engaging protrusion abuts against the bottom surface of the recess, and the fastening bolt is positioned in the mating start position when the engaging protrusion is displaced toward the opening side of the recess and the bolt head abuts against the rear peripheral portion.

4. an annular ring mounting groove that opens toward an outer periphery is provided on the tip side of the insertion shaft portion of the fastening bolt, a metal ring member having a notch cut out at one location in the circumferential direction relative to the ring mounting groove, the metal ring member being mounted so as to be displaceable in the fitting direction, and the engaging protrusion portion being configured; In the fastening bolt, the first connector is temporarily fixed to the second connector, and the tip of the bolt-side threaded portion abuts against the opening of the nut, thereby placing the fastening bolt in the initial position. The ring member is engaged with a front end surface of the ring mounting groove in the fitting direction.

3. The first connector according to claim 1, wherein when the fastening bolt is threaded onto the nut and positioned at the mating start position, the ring member moves toward the rear end face of the ring mounting groove in the mating direction, and the bolt head abuts the rear peripheral portion.

5. The fastening bolt is displaced from the fitting start position to a fitting completion position located forward in the fitting direction by further threading the bolt side thread portion into the nut side thread portion, The first connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first connector is fully fixed to the second connector with the fastening bolt in the fully mated position.

6. A first connector according to claim 1 or claim 2; a second connector into which the first connector is detachably fitted, A connector assembly, wherein the second connector has a second terminal connected to the first terminal, a second housing that accommodates and holds the second terminal, and a nut to which the fastening bolt is fastened.

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