Housing set and connector set

Abstract

To provide a housing unit, a housing set, and a connector capable of improving the workability of installation work.SOLUTION: The housing unit includes housings 2,4 having terminal accommodation chambers 13,23 capable of accommodating terminals of wires 3,5 with terminals, protrusions 15,25 protruding from a portion of an outer circumferential wall of the housings 2,4 that is different from a portion that will face an installation target 7 on which the housings 2,4 are installed, and a retainer 6 mountable on the housings 2,4 having an engagement portion 34 engageable with the protrusions 15,25 and capable of holding the housings 2,4 to the installation target 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing unit including a housing and a holder attachable to the housing, a connector including a wire with terminals and the housing unit, a housing set including a pair of housings and a holder attachable to one of the pair of housings, and a connector set including a wire with terminals and the housing set.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been proposed to fix a connector to a predetermined installation target using a fixing fitting. For example, one of the conventional connectors is fixed to an installation target by screwing a bracket as a fixing fitting to the connector and further screwing the bracket to the installation target (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described conventional connector, when installing the connector to an installation target, after performing the preparatory work of screwing the bracket to the connector, the actual installation work is carried out. Therefore, when it is difficult to secure a space for performing the preparatory work, such as when the installation target is in the ceiling space of a building such as a house, it is considered difficult to improve the workability of the connector installation work because the preparatory work takes time.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a housing unit, a housing set, and a connector capable of improving the workability of installation work.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the housing unit, connector, housing set, and connector set according to the present invention are characterized by the following:

[0007] A housing having a terminal housing chamber capable of accommodating the terminals of an electric wire with terminals, A projection extending from a portion of the outer wall of the housing that is different from the portion facing the object on which the housing is to be installed, The device comprises a retainer having an engaging portion that can engage with the projection and can be attached to the housing, and capable of holding the housing on the object to be installed, It must be a housing unit.

[0008] The housing unit mentioned above, The housing comprises a wire with terminals, the terminals of which are housed in the terminal housing chamber of the housing, It must be a connector.

[0009] A first housing and a second housing have terminal housing chambers capable of accommodating terminals of wires with terminals, are matable with each other, and are to be installed on a predetermined installation target, A first projection protrudes from a portion of the outer wall of the first housing that is different from the portion facing the object to be installed, A second projection protrudes from a portion of the outer wall of the second housing that is different from the portion facing the object to be installed, A retainer having an engaging portion that can engage with either the first projection or the second projection, and which can be selectively attached to either the first housing or the second housing, and which can hold the one of the two housings to the object to be installed, It must be a housing set.

[0010] The housing set mentioned above, A wire with a first terminal, the first terminal of which is housed in the first housing, The device comprises a second terminal wire in which the second terminal is housed in the second housing, Connector set. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The housing unit and connector of the present invention have projections on the outer circumferential wall of the housing, which has a terminal housing chamber. A holder capable of holding the housing on the installation target can be attached to the housing using these projections as needed. Therefore, unlike the conventional connector described above, there is no need to screw the housing and the holder together. As a result, even when sufficient workspace cannot be secured, the holder can be easily attached to the housing, and the holder cannot be prevented from falling off the housing. Thus, the housing unit and connector with this configuration can improve the workability of the installation process.

[0012] Furthermore, the housing set and connector set of the present invention have projections on the outer circumferential walls of the first and second housings, which have terminal housing chambers. A retainer capable of holding the first and second housings to the installation target can be attached to one of the first and second housings using the projection, as needed. Therefore, unlike the conventional connector described above, there is no need to screw the housing and the retainer together, so the retainer can be easily attached to the first and second housings even when sufficient workspace cannot be secured, and the retainer can be prevented from falling off one of the first and second housings to which it is attached. In addition, when fitting the first and second housings together, if one of the first and second housings is held to the installation target by the retainer, displacement of that one housing is suppressed, making it easier to fit the other housing to that one housing. Thus, the housing set and connector set with this configuration can improve the workability of the installation work.

[0013] The above is a brief description of the present invention. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a connector set according to an embodiment of the present invention is fixed to the upper surface (ceiling back) of a ceiling board of a building such as a house. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a wire with terminals inside the male housing and the female housing constituting the connector set shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the male housing, the female housing, and the bracket constituting the connector set shown in FIG. 1 are separated from each other. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view showing the periphery of the engagement portion between the protrusion of the male housing and the through hole of the bracket in the connector set shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view showing the male housing and the bracket in the cross section B - B of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the male housing and the bracket in a connector set according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a figure corresponding to FIG. 3 in a connector set according to a reference example. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a top view of the connector set shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a figure corresponding to the cross section C - C of FIG. 9 in a state where the male housing and the female housing shown in FIG. 8 are fitted together.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a connector set 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector set 1 comprises a wire with terminals 3, a male housing 2 that houses the male terminal 16 of the wire with terminals 3, a wire with terminals 5, a female housing 4 that houses the female terminal 27 of the wire with terminals 5, and a bracket 6 that can be selectively attached to either the male housing 2 or the female housing 4. When the male housing 2 to which the wire with terminals 3 is connected and the female housing 4 to which the wire with terminals 5 is connected are fitted together, as shown in Figure 2, the male terminal 16 of the wire with terminals 3 and the female terminal 27 of the wire with terminals 5 come into contact with each other, and the male terminal 16 and the female terminal 27 are electrically connected.

[0016] The connector set 1 is typically installed on the top surface of ceiling panels in buildings such as houses, or on structural materials such as columns and walls. These are collectively referred to as the installation targets 7. Figure 1 shows an example in which the connector set 1 with bracket 6 is fixed to the installation target 7 with a pair of bolts 8. However, in cases where excessive displacement of the connector set 1 is unlikely to occur simply by placing it on top of a ceiling panel, the connector set 1 may be installed without using bracket 6 (in a so-called "laying wiring" state).

[0017] When connector set 1 is used for wiring in buildings such as houses, the wire with terminals 5 extending from the female housing 4 is usually connected to a distribution board, and the wire with terminals 3 extending from the male housing 2 is usually connected to an outlet (in other words, a wall outlet) on the interior wall. To prevent the female terminal 27 of the wire with terminals 5 connected to the distribution board from being unintentionally exposed to the outside and touching the terminal with the fingertips of a worker (so-called finger contact), the wire housing section 22 of the female housing 2 is designed to surround and house the female terminal 27, except for the opening (so-called opening) that receives the male terminal 16, which is the mating terminal.

[0018] In connector set 1, the male housing 2 and bracket 6, and the female housing 4 and bracket 6 correspond to the "housing unit" of the present invention, the male housing 2, female housing 4 and bracket 6 correspond to the "housing set" of the present invention, and the terminaled wire 3, male housing 2 and bracket 6, and the terminaled wire 5, female housing 4 and bracket 6 correspond to the "connector" of the present invention.

[0019] For the sake of explanation, the terms "front," "back," "up," "down," "left," and "right" are defined below as shown in Figures 1 to 10. The "front-back direction," "up-down direction," and "left-right direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-back direction coincides with the mating direction between the male housing 2 and the female housing 4, and the connection direction between the male terminal 16 of the terminal-equipped wire 3 and the female terminal 27 of the terminal-equipped wire 5. For each of the male housing 2 and the female housing 4, the advancing and reversing sides of mating with the mating housing are defined as the "front" and "back" sides, respectively. Therefore, the "front" and "back" for the male housing 2 are reversed from those for the female housing 4. In Figures 1 to 10, the "front" and "back" for the female housing 4 are mainly shown, while the "front" and "back" for the male housing 2 are shown in parentheses. The following describes each component that makes up the connector set 1 in order.

[0020] First, terminal-equipped wires 3 and 5 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, terminal-equipped wire 3 consists of a flat 3-core cable (so-called VVF cable) in which a sheath 3a covers the outer circumference of three wires arranged in a line in the left-right direction, and three male terminals 16 connected to the ends 3b of the three wires that are exposed when the sheath 3a is removed at the end of the cable. Similarly, terminal-equipped wire 5 consists of a flat 3-core cable (so-called VVF cable) in which a sheath 5a covers the outer circumference of three wires arranged in a line in the width direction, and three female terminals 27 connected to the ends 5b of the three wires that are exposed when the sheath 5a is removed at the end of the cable.

[0021] Next, the male housing 2 will be described. The male housing 2 is a resin molded body and, as shown in Figure 3, integrally comprises a substantially rectangular parallelepiped terminal housing portion 11 extending in the front-to-back direction and a substantially rectangular cylindrical hood portion 12 located in front of the terminal housing portion 11 and opening forward. As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the terminal housing portion 11 is provided with three terminal housing chambers 13 arranged in the left-to-right direction. Three male terminals 16 of the terminal-equipped wire 3 are inserted into and housed in the three terminal housing chambers 13 from the rear. Each male terminal 16 is locked into a lance 17 provided in each terminal housing chamber 13 and held within the respective terminal housing chamber 13. When the male terminals 16 of the terminal-equipped wire 3 are housed in the terminal housing chambers 13, the tip portion (tab portion 16a; not shown) of the male terminal 16 is located in the hollow portion of the hood portion 12.

[0022] A pair of left and right locking portions 14 are provided on the inner wall surface (bottom surface) of the upper wall constituting the hood portion 12 (see Figures 3, 6, and 10). When the male housing 2 and the female housing 4 are fitted together, the pair of left and right locking portions 14 engage with a pair of left and right locking protrusions 24 (see Figure 3) of the female housing 4, which will be described later.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, a pair of left and right projections 15 are provided on the outer wall surfaces (planes extending in the front-rear and up-down directions) of the left and right side walls that constitute the hood portion 12. The pair of left and right projections 15 serve to engage with a pair of left and right through holes 34 (see Figure 3, etc.) of the bracket 6, which will be described later, when attaching the bracket 6 to the male housing 2 (see Figure 5).

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, each projection 15 comprises a pair of front and rear side walls 15a defining the front and rear ends of the projection 15, a side wall 15b defining the lower end of the projection 15, and a side wall 15c defining the upper end of the projection 15. Each of the pair of side walls 15a rises almost vertically from the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12 and extends in the vertical direction. The side wall 15b rises almost vertically from the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12 and extends in the front and rear direction. The side wall 15c rises diagonally from the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12 in a direction that moves outward in the left and right directions as it moves downward, and extends in the front and rear direction. Therefore, the angle between each of the side walls 15a and 15b and the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12 (= almost right angle) is smaller than the angle between the side wall 15c and the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12 (= obtuse angle). Because the projection 15 has this shape, even if the projection 15 is provided on the outer surface of the side wall of the hood portion 12, no undercut occurs when the mold is removed in the front-to-back direction during the molding of the male housing 2. In other words, the projection 15 has a shape that does not have an undercut portion. An undercut refers to the phenomenon in which, after a molded product such as the male housing 2 or female housing 4 is molded (for example, by injection molding) in a molding die, when the mold is moved in the separation direction to remove the molded product (i.e., the mold is opened), interference occurs where the inner wall of the mold catches on the molded product in the separation direction, preventing the mold from moving in the separation direction. An undercut portion refers to a projection or other part of the molded product that interferes with the inner wall of the mold, as described above. In this example, for example, it is conceivable to mold the male housing 2 with a pair of molds butted together in the front-to-back direction at a position corresponding to the side wall 15a of the projection 15 (i.e., the so-called mold split surface is located at a position corresponding to the side wall 15a). After molding the male housing 2, if the pair of molds are separated in the front-to-back direction, the shape of the projection 15 will be uniform in the front-to-back direction, thus preventing undercuts.

[0025] Next, the female housing 4 will be described. The female housing 4 is a resin molded body and, as shown in Figure 3, integrally comprises a substantially rectangular parallelepiped terminal housing portion 21 extending in the front-rear direction and a substantially rectangular cylindrical wire housing portion 22 located behind the terminal housing portion 21 and opening to the rear. When the male housing 2 and the female housing 4 are fitted together, the terminal housing portion 21 is inserted into the hollow portion of the hood portion 12 of the male housing 2. At the upper and lower ends of the boundary between the terminal housing portion 21 and the wire housing portion 22, a stepped portion is formed, as shown in Figure 3, having a stepped surface 28 that faces forward and extends in the left-right direction (see also Figure 5).

[0026] The terminal housing section 21, like the male housing 2, has three terminal housing chambers 23 arranged in a left-right direction (see Figures 3 and 10). Three female terminals 27 of the terminal-equipped wire 5 are inserted into and housed in the three terminal housing chambers 23 from the rear. Each female terminal 27 is held within each terminal housing chamber 23 by being locked to a lance (not shown) provided in each terminal housing chamber 23, similar to the male terminal 16. When the female terminals 27 of the terminal-equipped wire 5 are housed in the terminal housing chambers 23, the wires of the terminal-equipped wire 5 extending from the female terminals 27 to the rear extend to the rear through the hollow portion of the wire housing section 22.

[0027] The upper end surface of the terminal housing portion 21 (the surface extending in the front-rear and left-right directions) is provided with a pair of left and right locking protrusions 24 corresponding to the pair of left and right locking portions 14 of the male housing 2 (see Figures 3 and 10). The upper end surface of the terminal housing portion 21 is configured with a convex-concave surface 26 in which convex portions and concave portions extending in the front-rear direction are arranged alternately in the left-right direction (see Figure 3).

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, a pair of left and right projections 25 are provided on the outer wall surfaces (planes extending in the front-to-back and up-and-down directions) of the left and right side walls that constitute the wire housing section 22. Similar to the projection 15 of the male housing 2, the pair of left and right projections 25 function to engage with a pair of left and right through holes 34 (see Figure 3, etc.) of the bracket 6 when attaching the bracket 6 to the female housing 4 as needed. The overall shape of the projection 25 is the same as that of the projection 15, except that the projection height of the projection 25 is greater than that of the projection 15, due to the fact that the distance between the left and right side walls of the wire housing section 22 in the left-to-right direction is smaller than the distance between the left and right side walls of the hood section 12 in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, similar to the case of the projection 15 provided on the male housing 2, even if projections 25 are provided on the outer wall surfaces of the side walls of the wire housing section 22, no undercut occurs when the mold is removed in the front-to-back direction during the molding of the female housing 4. In other words, the projection 25 has a shape that does not have an undercut. Furthermore, since the distance between the left and right side walls of the wire housing section 22 is smaller than the distance between the left and right side walls of the hood section 12, when the bracket 6 is attached to the female housing 4, a small gap may occur between the bracket 6 and the left and right side walls of the wire housing section 22. However, as described above, the protrusion height of the projection 25 is fixed, so even if such a gap occurs, the engagement between the through hole 34 of the bracket 6 and the projection 25 will not be unintentionally released.

[0029] Next, the bracket 6 will be described. The bracket 6 is selectively attached to either the male housing 2 or the female housing 4 as needed, and serves to fix the connector set 1 to the upper surface of the installation target 7 (for example, in the ceiling). The bracket 6 is an elastic member made of resin or metal, having a strip-like (plate-like) shape, and as shown in Figure 3, it consists of an upper wall portion 31 extending in the left-right direction, a pair of left and right side wall portions 32 extending downward from both left and right ends of the upper wall portion 31, and a pair of left and right mounting portions 33 extending outward in the left-right direction from the lower ends of the pair of left and right side wall portions 32. The left-right distance between the pair of left and right side wall portions 32 corresponds to the left-right distance between the left and right side walls of the hood portion 12 of the male housing 2, and the vertical length of the side wall portions 32 corresponds to the height (vertical length) of the hood portion 12. Each side wall portion 32 is provided with a rectangular through-hole 34 that penetrates in the thickness direction (left-right direction), and each mounting portion 33 is provided with a through-hole 35 that penetrates in the thickness direction (up-down direction). The components constituting the connector set 1 have now been described.

[0030] Next, the assembly procedure for connector set 1 will be described. First, the bracket 6 is selectively attached to either the male housing 2 to which the terminal wire 3 is connected, or the female housing 4 to which the terminal wire 5 is connected, as needed. Whether the bracket 6 is attached to the male housing 2 or the female housing 4 is determined according to the shape of the installation target 7 and the size of the space where the installation work is performed.

[0031] When the bracket 6 is attached to the male housing 2, the bracket 6 is attached to the hood portion 12 from above so as to cover the top surface and left and right sides of the hood portion 12, and so as to the pair of left and right through holes 34 engage with the pair of left and right projections 15. This attachment is completed when the pair of left and right side wall portions 32 undergo temporary elastic deformation outward in the left and right direction as they overcome the pair of left and right projections 15, and then elastically return to the left and right direction, thereby accommodating the pair of left and right projections 15 in the pair of left and right through holes 34 (see Figure 5). The side wall portion 32 overcomes the projection 15 via the side wall 15c and the top of the projection 15. Here, because the side wall 15c rises diagonally from the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12 as described above, the side wall portion 32 can easily overcome the projection 15 from the side wall 15c. As shown in Figure 6, the height of the projection 15 protruding from the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12 is smaller than the length of the through hole 34 in the through direction (left and right direction). Therefore, when attaching the bracket 6 to the male housing 2, the projection 15 and the through hole 34 can be properly fitted together, and even when using only the male housing 2 without attaching the bracket 6, the projection 15 is less likely to interfere with the installation work.

[0032] When the bracket 6 is attached to the male housing 2, as shown in Figure 5, the front and rear pair of side walls 15a of the projection 15 face the front and rear pair of vertically extending hole edges 34a of the through hole 34, and the side wall 15b of the projection 15 faces the lower front and rear extending hole edge 34b of the through hole 34. In addition, the side walls 15a and 15b rise vertically from the outer wall surface of the hood portion 12. As a result, the engagement between the front and rear pair of side walls 15a and the front and rear pair of hole edges of the through hole 34 restricts the relative movement of the bracket 6 in the front and rear direction relative to the male housing 2, and the engagement between the side wall 15b and the lower hole edge of the through hole 34 restricts the relative upward movement of the bracket 6 relative to the male housing 2. The relative downward movement of the bracket 6 relative to the male housing 2 is restricted by the contact between the upper wall portion 31 of the bracket 6 and the upper wall of the hood portion 12. This prevents the bracket 6 from separating (falling off) from the male housing 2.

[0033] Next, the terminal housing portion 21 of the female housing 4 is inserted into the hood portion 12 of the male housing 2, thereby fitting the male housing 2, to which the terminal-equipped wire 3 is connected and the bracket 6 is attached, with the female housing 4, to which the terminal-equipped wire 5 is connected (see Figure 1). As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the terminal-equipped wire 3 (male terminal 16) and the terminal-equipped wire 5 (female terminal 27) are electrically connected. More specifically, the tab portion 16a of the male terminal 16 is inserted into the box portion 27a of the female terminal 27, and the tab portion 16a makes pressure contact with a spring-shaped contact (not shown) provided inside the box portion 27a. When the fitting is complete, the locking portion 14 of the male housing 2 and the locking projection 24 of the female housing 4 engage with each other, preventing the separation of the male housing 2 and the female housing 4.

[0034] The process for attaching the bracket 6 to the female housing 4 is the same as when attaching the bracket 6 to the male housing 2. Specifically, the bracket 6 is attached to the wire housing 22 from above so as to cover the top surface and left and right sides of the wire housing 22, and so as to the pair of left and right through holes 34 engage with the pair of left and right protrusions 25. Next, the male housing 2 to which the terminaled wire 3 is connected and the female housing 4 to which the terminaled wire 5 is connected and to which the bracket 6 is attached are fitted together. This electrically connects the terminaled wire 3 (male terminal 16) and the terminaled wire 5 (female terminal 27).

[0035] As described above, the connector set 1 is completed when the bracket 6 is attached to one of the male housing 2 to which the terminal wire 3 is connected and the female housing 4 to which the terminal wire 5 is connected, and when the male housing 2 and female housing 4 are fitted together. In the example shown in Figure 1, the completed connector set 1 is fixed to the upper surface (above the ceiling) of the installation target 7 by fastening the bracket 6 to the upper surface (above the ceiling) of the installation target 7 using a pair of left and right bolts 8 (see Figure 1) that are inserted from above through a pair of left and right through holes 35 of the bracket 6. In the above description, the bracket 6 is fastened to the installation target 7 after the male housing 2 and female housing 4 are fitted together, but the male housing 2 and female housing 4 may be fitted together after the bracket 6 is fastened to the installation target 7.

[0036] <Effects and Actions> As described above, according to the connector set 1 (housing unit and connector) of this embodiment, projections 15 and 25 are provided on the outer circumferential walls of the housings 2 and 4, which have terminal housing chambers 13 and 23, and a bracket 6 for holding the housings 2 and 4 on the installation target 7 can be attached to the housings 2 and 4 using the projections 15 and 25 as needed. Therefore, even if sufficient workspace cannot be secured, the bracket 6 can be easily attached to the housings 2 and 4. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the bracket 6 from falling off the housings 2 and 4. Thus, the housing unit and connector according to this embodiment can improve the workability of the installation work.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the connector set 1 (housing unit) of this embodiment, the bracket 6 is provided with a through hole 34 that accommodates the projections 15 and 25, and the projections 15 and 25 engage with this through hole 34. The projections 15 and 25 have a first side wall (side wall 15a) that faces the edge of the through hole 34 in the fitting direction (front-rear direction) when fitting the housings 2 and 4 onto the mating housings 4 and 2, and a second side wall (side wall 15c) that faces the edge of the hole in a direction intersecting the fitting direction (up and down direction). The angle between the first side wall and the outer peripheral wall is smaller than the angle between the second side wall and the outer peripheral wall. Therefore, when fitting the mating housings 4 and 2 onto the housings 2 and 4 to which the bracket 6 is attached, the engagement of the first side wall of the projections 15 and 25 with the edge of the through hole 34 of the bracket 6 can suppress misalignment of the housings 2 and 4. Furthermore, when attaching the bracket 6 to the housings 2 and 4, by attaching the bracket 6 from the intersecting directions described above, the bracket 6 can easily overcome the projections 15 and 25 from the second side wall, allowing the projections 15 and 25 to be accommodated in the through hole 34.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the connector set 1 (housing unit) of this embodiment, the height of the projections 15 and 25 protruding from the outer peripheral wall is smaller than the length of the through hole 34 in the through direction. Therefore, when attaching the bracket 6 to the housings 2 and 4, the projections 15 and 25 and the through hole 34 can be properly fitted together, and even when using only the housings 2 and 4 without attaching the bracket 6, the projections 15 and 25 are less likely to interfere with the installation work.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the connector set 1 (housing set) of this embodiment, the bracket 6 has a structure that allows it to be attached to either the male housing 2 or the female housing 4, and can be selectively attached to one of the male housing 2 or the female housing 4. Therefore, depending on the shape of the installation target 7 and the size of the space where the installation work is performed, it is possible to select one of the male housing 2 or the female housing 4 that is suitable for installation and attach the bracket 6. Thus, the housing set according to this embodiment can improve the workability of the installation work.

[0040] <Other forms> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the embodiments described above are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0041] For example, in the above embodiment, the bracket 6 is composed of an upper wall portion 31, a pair of left and right side wall portions 32, and a pair of left and right mounting portions 33 (see Figure 3, etc.). In contrast, the bracket 6 shown in Figure 7 may be used. The bracket 6 shown in Figure 7 is obtained by replacing the right mounting portion 33 with a bottom wall portion 36 that extends to the left from the lower end of the right side wall portion 32, as is done with the bracket 6 shown in Figure 3. The bottom wall portion 36 extends to the lower side of the left mounting portion 33 so as to cover the lower surface of the hood portion 12. That is, the bracket 6 shown in Figure 7 has an annular shape that covers the entire outer circumference of the hood portion 12. The tip of the bottom wall portion 36 is positioned to overlap the lower side of the left mounting portion 33, and the through hole (not shown) provided at the tip of the bottom wall portion 36 and the through hole 35 of the left mounting portion 33 communicate in the vertical direction to form a "series of through holes". The bracket 6 is fastened and secured to the object to be installed using bolts 8 (see Figure 1) inserted through this "series of through holes".

[0042] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, both the male housing 2 and the female housing 4 are provided with a "projection" that engages with the through hole 34 of the bracket 6. In contrast, the "projection" that engages with the through hole 34 of the bracket 6 may be provided on only one of the male housing 2 or the female housing 4.

[0043] The connector set 1 according to the reference example will be described below with reference to Figures 8 to 10. The connector set 1 according to the reference example is the same as the connector set 1 according to the above embodiment, except that neither the male housing 2 nor the female housing 4 is provided with a "protrusion", and the structure of the bracket 6 is different.

[0044] The bracket 6 in the reference example is made of rubber and, as shown in Figure 8, consists of a rectangular frame-shaped main body 41 and a pair of left and right fixing parts 42 connected to the left and right ends of the lower end of the main body 41. Through holes 43 are formed in each fixing part 42. The main body 41 has a rectangular frame shape that corresponds to the outer peripheral shape (rectangular) of the terminal housing part 21 of the female housing 4 (when viewed from the front), and is externally fitted onto the terminal housing part 21 (can be attached to the outer peripheral of the terminal housing part 21) (see Figures 9 and 10). On the inner surface (lower surface) of the upper frame part of the main body 41 that extends in the left-right direction, there is a recessed part 44 having a recessed shape that can fit with the recessed part 26 formed on the upper end surface of the terminal housing part 21.

[0045] In the connector set 1 of the reference example, the bracket 6 is attached to the female housing 4 by externally inserting the main body 41 into the terminal housing 21 as needed, as shown in Figure 9. When the bracket 6 is attached to the female housing 4 (see Figure 9), the protrusions and recesses 44 of the main body 41 and the protrusions and recesses 26 of the female housing 4 are fitted together. Next, the terminal housing 21 of the female housing 4 is inserted into the hood 12 of the male housing 2, thereby fitting the male housing 2, to which the wire with terminals 3 is connected and the bracket 6 is attached, with the female housing 4, to which the wire with terminals 5 is connected (see Figure 10). With this fitting, the male terminal 16 and the female terminal 27 are electrically connected, similar to the embodiment described above.

[0046] In the fully engaged state (where the locking portion 14 of the male housing 2 and the locking projection 24 of the female housing 4 are engaged with each other), as shown in Figure 10, both the upper and lower frame portions extending in the left-right direction of the main body portion 41 of the bracket 6 are compressed in the front-rear direction by the front end surface of the hood portion 12 of the male housing 2 and the upper and lower stepped surfaces 28 of the female housing 4. In this way, the compression of the main body portion 41 in the front-rear direction, and the engagement of the protrusions and recesses 44 of the main body portion 41 and the protrusions and recesses 26 of the female housing 4, allows the bracket 6 to perform a sealing function that prevents water from entering the mating portion between the male housing 2 and the female housing 4 from the outside. In the incomplete state of engagement (where the locking portion 14 of the male housing 2 and the locking projection 24 of the female housing 4 are not engaged with each other), the elastic recovery force of the main body portion 41 of the bracket 6, which was compressed in the front-rear direction, pushes the male housing 2 and the female housing 4 back in a direction that separates them from each other. This increases the gap between the tip surface of the hood portion 12 of the male housing 2 and the upper and lower stepped surfaces 28 of the female housing 4, making it easier to visually confirm that the fitting is incomplete.

[0047] As described above, the bracket 6 attached to the female housing 4 is fastened to the upper surface (above the ceiling) of the installation target 7 using a pair of left and right bolts 8 (see Figure 1) inserted from above through a pair of left and right through holes 43 in the bracket 6. In the above description, the bracket 6 in the reference example is made entirely of rubber, but the bracket 6 in the reference example may be made entirely of metal or resin, and an elastic member such as a rubber gasket may be attached to the clamping surface that is sandwiched between the tip surface of the hood portion 12 of the main body portion 41 and the upper and lower stepped surfaces 28 of the female housing 4.

[0048] Herein, the features of the embodiments of the housing unit, connector, housing set, and connector set according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [7].

[0049] [1] A housing (2,4) having terminal housing chambers (13,23) capable of accommodating the terminals of a wire with terminals (3,5), Of the outer periphery wall of the housing (2,4), there are projections (15,25) that protrude from the outer periphery wall at locations different from those that face the installation target (7) on which the housing (2,4) is installed, The holder (6) is attached to the housing (2,4) and has an engaging portion (34) that can engage with the aforementioned protrusions (15,25), and is capable of holding the housing (2,4) on the installation target (7). Housing unit.

[0050] According to the housing unit with the configuration described in [1] above, a projection is provided on the outer circumferential wall of the housing which has a terminal housing chamber. A retainer capable of holding the housing on the installation target can be attached to the housing using the projection as needed. Therefore, unlike the conventional connector described above, there is no need to screw the housing and the retainer together, so the retainer can be easily attached to the housing even when sufficient workspace cannot be secured, and the retainer cannot be prevented from falling off the housing. Thus, the housing unit with this configuration can improve the workability of the installation work.

[0051] [2] In the housing unit described in [1] above, The aforementioned protrusions (15, 25) are Having a shape that does not have an undercut portion, Housing unit.

[0052] According to the housing unit configuration described in [2] above, the projections provided on the housing have a shape that does not have undercuts. Therefore, when molding the housing using a mold, a slide core or the like is not required to form the undercuts, which can reduce the manufacturing cost of the housing.

[0053] [3] In the housing unit described in [1] above, The aforementioned holder (6) is It has a plate-like shape and has a through hole (34) as the engaging portion, in which the projections (15, 25) fit. The aforementioned protrusions (15, 25) are The housing (2,4) has a first side wall (15a) that faces the edge of the through hole (34) in the fitting direction between the housing (2,4) and the mating housing (4,2), and a second side wall (15c) that faces the edge of the hole in a direction intersecting the fitting direction, The angle between the first side wall (15a) and the outer peripheral wall is smaller than the angle between the second side wall (15c) and the outer peripheral wall. Housing unit.

[0054] According to the housing unit with the configuration described in [3] above, the retainer is provided with a through hole shaped to accommodate the projection, and the projection engages with this through hole. The projection has a first side wall facing the edge of the through hole in the direction of fitting the housings together, and a second side wall facing the edge of the hole in a direction intersecting the fitting direction. The angle between the first side wall and the outer peripheral wall is smaller than the angle between the second side wall and the outer peripheral wall. Therefore, when attaching the retainer to the housing, by attaching the retainer from the intersecting direction, the retainer can easily overcome the projection from the second side wall and fit the projection into the through hole. Furthermore, when fitting the mating housing to the housing with the retainer attached, the engagement between the first side wall of the projection and the edge of the through hole in the retainer can suppress misalignment of the housings.

[0055] [4] In the housing unit described in [3] above, The height of the projections (15, 25) protruding from the outer peripheral wall is smaller than the length of the through hole (34) in the through direction. Housing unit.

[0056] According to the housing unit configuration described in [4] above, the height of the projection protruding from the outer peripheral wall is smaller than the length of the through hole. Therefore, when attaching the retainer to the housing, the projection and the through hole can be properly fitted together, and when using the housing alone without attaching the retainer, the projection is less likely to interfere with the installation work.

[0057] [5] A housing unit as described in any one of the above [1] to [4], A terminal-equipped electric wire (3, 5) is provided, in which the terminal is housed in the terminal housing chamber (13, 23) of the housing (2, 4), connector.

[0058] According to the connector configuration described in [5] above, the terminals of the wire with terminals are housed in the terminal housing chamber of the housing, and protrusions are provided on the outer wall of the housing. A retainer capable of holding the housing on the installation target can be attached to the housing using the protrusions as needed. Therefore, unlike the conventional connector described above, there is no need to screw the housing and the retainer together, so the retainer can be easily attached to the housing even when sufficient workspace cannot be secured, and the retainer cannot be prevented from falling off the housing. Thus, the connector configuration can improve the workability of the installation process.

[0059] [6] A first housing (2) and a second housing (4) have terminal housing chambers (13, 23) capable of accommodating the terminals of a terminal-equipped electric wire (3, 5), are interlocking with each other, and will be installed on a predetermined installation target (7), A first projection (15) protrudes from the outer periphery wall of the first housing (2) from a location different from the location facing the installation target (7), A second projection (25) protrudes from the outer periphery wall of the second housing (4) from a location different from the location facing the installation target (7), The device comprises a holder (6) having an engaging portion (34) that can engage with either the first projection (15) or the second projection (25), and which can be selectively attached to either the first housing (2) or the second housing (4), and which can hold the other one on the installation target (7), Housing set.

[0060] According to the housing set with the configuration described in [6] above, projections are provided on the outer circumferential walls of the first and second housings, which have terminal housing chambers. A retainer capable of holding the first and second housings on the installation target can be attached to one of the first and second housings using the projections as needed. Therefore, unlike the conventional connector described above, there is no need to screw the housing and the retainer together. As a result, even if sufficient workspace cannot be secured, the retainer can be easily attached to the first and second housings, and it is possible to prevent the retainer from falling off one of the first and second housings to which it is attached. In addition, when fitting the first and second housings, if one of the first and second housings is held on the installation target by the retainer, displacement of that one is suppressed, making it easier to fit the other of the first and second housings to that one. Furthermore, depending on the shape of the installation target and the size of the workspace, one of the first and second housings suitable for installation can be selected and the retainer can be attached to it. Thus, the housing set with this configuration can improve the workability of the installation work.

[0061] [7] The housing set described in [6] above, A first terminal wire (3) is housed in the first housing (2), The device comprises a second terminal wire (5) in which the second terminal is housed in the second housing (4), Connector set (1).

[0062] According to the connector set with the configuration described in [7] above, terminals of wires with terminals are housed in terminal housing chambers of the first and second housings, and protrusions are provided on the outer periphery walls of the first and second housings. A retainer capable of holding the first and second housings to the installation target can be attached to one of the first and second housings using its protrusions, as needed. Therefore, unlike the conventional connector described above, there is no need to screw the housing and the retainer together, so the retainer can be easily attached to the first and second housings even when sufficient workspace cannot be secured, and the retainer can be prevented from falling off one of the first and second housings to which it is attached. In addition, when fitting the first and second housings, if one of the first and second housings is held to the installation target by the retainer, displacement of that one is suppressed, making it easier to fit the other of the first and second housings to that one. Furthermore, depending on the shape of the installation target and the size of the workspace, one of the first and second housings suitable for installation can be selected and the retainer can be attached. Therefore, this connector set configuration can improve the efficiency of installation work. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1 Connector Set 2 Male housing (housing, first housing) 3. Wire with terminals 4. Female housing (housing, second housing) 5 terminal wires 6. Bracket (holding device) 7. Target installations 13 Terminal housing room 15 Projection (1st projection) 15a Side wall (1st side wall) 15c side wall (second side wall) 23 Terminal housing room 25 Projection (second projection) 34 Through hole (engaging portion)

Claims

1. A first housing and a second housing have terminal housing chambers capable of accommodating terminals of wires with terminals, are interlocking with each other, and are to be installed on a predetermined installation target, A first projection protrudes from a portion of the outer wall of the first housing that is different from the portion facing the object to be installed, A second projection protrudes from a portion of the outer wall of the second housing that is different from the portion facing the object to be installed, A retainer having an engaging portion that can engage with either the first projection or the second projection, and which can be selectively attached to either the first housing or the second housing, and which can hold the one of the two housings to the object to be installed, Housing set.

2. In the housing set according to Claim 1, The first projection and the second projection are Having a shape that does not have an undercut portion, Housing set.

3. In the housing set according to Claim 1, The aforementioned holder is Having a plate-like shape, the engaging portion has through holes shaped to accommodate the first projection and the second projection. The first projection and the second projection are It has a first side wall facing the edge of the through hole in the fitting direction between the first housing and the second housing, and a second side wall facing the edge of the hole in a direction intersecting the fitting direction, The angle between the first side wall and the outer peripheral wall is smaller than the angle between the second side wall and the outer peripheral wall. Housing set.

4. In the housing set according to claim 3, The protrusion height of the first projection from the outer peripheral wall and the protrusion height of the second projection from the outer peripheral wall are smaller than the length of the through hole in the through direction. Housing set.

5. A housing set according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A first terminal wire, the first terminal of which is housed in the first housing, The device comprises a second terminal wire in which the second terminal is housed in the second housing, Connector set.

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