Connector

Abstract

This connector (10) comprises a housing (11), a terminal module (12), an electric wire (13), and a cover (14). The electric wire (13) is connected to a terminal (12a) of the terminal module (12). The housing (11) has an accommodation part (31) that accommodates the electric wire (13) and the terminal module (12), and an opening part (32) that communicates with the accommodation part (31). The cover (14) is configured to be attachable to the housing (11) so as to cover the opening part (32). In a state in which the cover (14) is removed from the housing (11), the accommodation part (31) is exposed to the outside of the housing (11) through the opening part (32). The cover (14) has an electric wire positioning part (56) that is in contact with the electric wire (13) inside the housing (11) and positions the electric wire (13).

Description

connector

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a housing, a terminal module, electric wires, and a cover. The terminal module is accommodated in the housing. The electric wires are connected to terminals in the terminal module and are drawn out from the inside of the housing to the outside.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-168263

[0004] In the connector described above, it is sometimes necessary to position the electric wires so that the electric wires do not move within the housing. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that allows the electric wires to be positioned within the housing.

[0005] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector comprising a housing, a terminal module, an electric wire, and a cover, wherein the electric wire is connected to a terminal in the terminal module, the housing has an accommodating portion that accommodates the electric wire and the terminal module, and an opening that communicates with the accommodating portion, the cover is configured to be attachable to the housing so as to cover the opening, the accommodating portion is exposed to the outside of the housing through the opening when the cover is removed from the housing, and the cover has an electric wire positioning portion that contacts the electric wire inside the housing and positions the electric wire.

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure allows for positioning of the electric wires within the housing.

[0007] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector in an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector in the same embodiment. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the connector in the same embodiment. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a cover in the same embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a cover in the same embodiment.

[0008] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. The connector of the present disclosure includes: [1] a connector including a housing, a terminal module, electric wires, and a cover, wherein the electric wires are connected to terminals in the terminal module, the housing has a receiving portion that receives the electric wires and the terminal module and an opening that communicates with the receiving portion, the cover is configured to be attachable to the housing so as to cover the opening, the receiving portion is exposed to the outside of the housing through the opening when the cover is removed from the housing, and the cover has an electric wire positioning portion that contacts the electric wires inside the housing to position the electric wires.

[0009] According to this configuration, the wire positioning portion of the cover contacts the wire inside the housing to position the wire, thereby restricting movement of the wire inside the housing and preventing the wire from interfering with other parts of the connector, for example.

[0010] [2] In the above [1], the housing may have a lead-out port for leading the electric wires to the outside of the housing, separate from the opening. According to this configuration, in a configuration in which the housing has an opening separate from the lead-out port for the electric wires, it is possible to position the electric wires using an electric wire positioning portion of a cover that covers the opening.

[0011] [3] In the above [1] or [2], the electric wire may be provided in plurality, and the electric wire positioning portion may be configured to contact some of the plurality of electric wires to position the electric wires.

[0012] According to this configuration, some of the multiple electric wires are positioned by the electric wire positioning portion, making it possible to ensure a gap between the electric wires positioned by the electric wire positioning portion and the electric wires not positioned by the electric wire positioning portion.

[0013] [4] In the above [3], the plurality of electric wires may include a power line and a plurality of communication lines, and the plurality of communication lines may form a communication line bundle formed by bundling the plurality of communication lines together, and the electric wire positioning unit may be configured to contact the communication line bundle and position the communication line bundle.

[0014] This configuration makes it possible to ensure a gap between the communication wire bundle positioned by the wire positioning portion and the power wire that is not positioned by the wire positioning portion within the housing, thereby minimizing the effect of the power wire on the communication wire and thereby achieving the desired communication performance of the communication wire.

[0015] [5] In the above [3] or [4], the housing may have a first misassembly prevention portion, and the cover may have a second misassembly prevention portion, which may be configured to abut against the first misassembly prevention portion in the assembly direction of the cover when an attempt is made to attach the cover to the housing in an incorrect orientation.

[0016] With this configuration, the first and second misassembly prevention units can prevent the cover from being misassembled, i.e., the cover is misassembled. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wire positioning unit from interfering with a wire other than the wire that is originally intended to be positioned due to the misassembly of the cover.

[0017] [6] In the above [5], the cover may have a cover body covering the opening, a first locking portion extending from one widthwise end of the cover body along the assembly direction, and a second locking portion extending from the other widthwise end of the cover body along the assembly direction, the housing may have a first side wall which is a side wall on one widthwise side and a second side wall which is a side wall on the other widthwise side, the first locking portion engaging with the first side wall and the second locking portion engaging with the second side wall, thereby fixing the cover to the housing, the first misassembly prevention portion being arranged to protrude from the outer surface of the first side wall, the second misassembly prevention portion being arranged on the second locking portion, and the second misassembly prevention portion abutting against the first misassembly prevention portion in the assembly direction when an attempt is made to engage the second locking portion with the first side wall in an incorrect orientation.

[0018] With this configuration, the first misassembly prevention portion provided on the first side wall of the housing and the second misassembly prevention portion provided on the second locking portion of the cover can prevent the cover from being misassembled.

[0019] [7] In the above item [6], the first locking portion may have a recess into which the first misassembly prevention portion fits when the first locking portion is engaged with the first side wall. According to this configuration, when the first locking portion is engaged with the first side wall, i.e., when the cover is assembled in the correct orientation, the first misassembly prevention portion of the housing fits into the recess of the first locking portion. This makes it possible to prevent the first locking portion from interfering with the first misassembly prevention portion when the cover is assembled in the correct orientation.

[0020] [8] In the above [6] or [7], the end of the first misassembly prevention portion opposite the assembly direction may be provided with an inclined surface that slopes toward the outer surface of the first side wall as it approaches the assembly direction.

[0021] With this configuration, the inclined surface can prevent the second locking portion from climbing over the first misassembly prevention portion when the cover is misassembled, thereby more reliably preventing misassembly of the cover.

[0022] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of connectors of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for the sake of convenience, some of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ from one drawing to another. Furthermore, in this specification, "perpendicular" does not only mean strictly perpendicular, but also includes approximately perpendicular within the scope of the operation and effect of this embodiment.

[0023] The connector 10 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is connected to, for example, an electrical device (not shown) mounted on a vehicle. Examples of electrical devices to which the connector 10 can be connected include an on-board camera. In each drawing, three mutually orthogonal axes are illustrated as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. In the following description, the direction along the X-axis may be referred to as the X-axis direction or the length direction of the connector 10. In the following description, the direction along the Y-axis may be referred to as the Y-axis direction or the width direction of the connector 10. In the following description, the direction along the Z-axis may be referred to as the Z-axis direction or the height direction of the connector 10.

[0024] The connector 10 includes a housing 11, a terminal module 12, a plurality of electric wires 13, and a cover 14. The cover 14 is assembled to the housing 11 in an assembly direction D along the Z axis.

[0025] (Electric Wires 13) The multiple electric wires 13 include, for example, a pair of power supply lines 21 and multiple communication lines 22. Each power supply line 21 is an electric wire for supplying power to the electrical device. Each communication line 22 is an electric wire for inputting and outputting signals to and from the electrical device. The multiple communication lines 22 are bundled together to form a communication line bundle 23. The communication line bundle 23 includes, for example, an exterior member 24 that collectively covers the outer peripheries of the multiple communication lines 22. Inside the exterior member 24, the multiple communication lines 22 are wound around each other, for example, in a spiral shape. Note that the exterior member 24 may have a function of electromagnetically shielding each communication line 22. The outer diameter of the communication line bundle 23, i.e., the outer diameter of the exterior member 24, is set to be larger than the outer diameter of each power supply line 21.

[0026] The terminal module 12 has a plurality of terminals 12a therein (see FIG. 2). Each power supply line 21 and each communication line 22 is connected to a corresponding terminal 12a in the terminal module 12. When the connector 10 is connected to the electrical device, the terminal module 12 is connected to a mating terminal (not shown) of the electrical device. This establishes electrical continuity between the electrical device and the plurality of electric wires 13.

[0027] (Housing 11) Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 11 has an accommodating section 31 that accommodates the electric wires 13 and the terminal module 12, and an opening 32 that communicates with the accommodating section 31. The accommodating section 31 includes a module accommodating section 33 that accommodates the terminal module 12, and an electric wire accommodating section 34 that accommodates each electric wire 13. The module accommodating section 33 and the electric wire accommodating section 34 are connected within the housing 11. The terminal module 12 accommodated in the module accommodating section 33 is connected to the electric device in the Z-axis direction.

[0028] The housing 11 has a lead-out port 35, separate from the opening 32, for leading the electric wires 13 out of the housing 11. The lead-out port 35 is open, for example, in the X-axis direction. The power lines 21 and the communication line bundle 23 are led out of the housing 11 from the lead-out port 35. The connector 10 is a so-called L-shaped connector in which the direction of connection to the electrical device and the direction in which the electric wires 13 are led out form a right angle.

[0029] (Opening 32) The opening 32 is open in the Z-axis direction. The opening 32 connects the accommodating portion 31 to the outside of the housing 11. That is, the accommodating portion 31 is exposed to the outside of the housing 11 through the opening 32. When the side of the connector 10 that is attached to the electrical device is defined as the lower side, the opening 32 is provided on the upper surface of the connector 10. Note that in the following description, the side where the opening 32 opens in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the connector 10 may be referred to as the upper side, and the opposite side may be referred to as the lower side. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the opening 32 has a generally rectangular shape that is long in the X-axis direction, for example (see FIG. 3). The cover 14 is configured to be attachable to the housing 11 so as to cover the opening 32.

[0030] 3 , the housing 11 has a first side wall 36 that is a side wall on one side in the width direction (Y-axis direction) and a second side wall 37 that is a side wall on the other side in the width direction (Y-axis direction). The first side wall 36 has a first outer surface 36a. The second side wall 37 has a second outer surface 37a. Each of the first outer surface 36a and the second outer surface 37a is, for example, planar and perpendicular to the Y-axis.

[0031] The first side wall 36 has first protrusions 41 for fixing the cover 14. The first protrusions 41 are formed so as to protrude outward in the width direction from the first side wall 36. For example, two first protrusions 41 are provided. The second side wall 37 has second protrusions 42 for fixing the cover 14. The second protrusions 42 are formed so as to protrude outward in the width direction from the first side wall 36. For example, two second protrusions 42 are provided. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, each first protrusion 41 and each second protrusion 42 are provided at positions that are, for example, line-symmetrical with respect to the widthwise center line CL of the connector 10.

[0032] (First Misassembly Prevention Portion 43) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first side wall 36 has a first misassembly prevention portion 43. The first misassembly prevention portion 43 is formed to protrude outward in the width direction from the first side wall 36. The first misassembly prevention portion 43 is provided on both sides of each first protrusion 41 in the X-axis direction. That is, four first misassembly prevention portions 43 are provided on the housing 11 of this embodiment. Each first misassembly prevention portion 43 has, for example, an elongated shape along the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4 , an inclined surface 44 is provided on the end (upper end) of the first misassembly prevention portion 43 opposite the assembly direction D. The inclined surface 44 is inclined toward the first outer surface 36 a as it approaches the assembly direction D (downward).

[0033] 1, 5, and 6, the cover 14 has a cover body 50, a first locking portion 51, and a second locking portion 52. The cover body 50 covers the opening 32. The cover body 50 also serves to seal the opening 32, for example. The first locking portion 51 and the second locking portion 52 are each a portion for fixing the cover 14 to the housing 11.

[0034] (First locking portion 51 and second locking portion 52) The first locking portion 51 extends from one widthwise end of the cover body 50 along the assembly direction D. The second locking portion 52 extends from the other widthwise end of the cover body 50 along the assembly direction D. In other words, the first locking portion 51 and the second locking portion 52 extend in the same direction.

[0035] For example, two first locking portions 51 are provided at one widthwise end of the cover body 50. Each first locking portion 51 is configured to be able to be locked to each first protrusion 41 of the housing 11 in the Z-axis direction.

[0036] For example, two second locking portions 52 are provided at the other widthwise end of the cover body 50. Each second locking portion 52 is configured to be able to engage with each second protrusion 42 of the housing 11 in the Z-axis direction. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, each first locking portion 51 and each second locking portion 52 are provided at positions that are, for example, symmetrical with respect to the widthwise center line CL of the connector 10. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the outer shapes of the first locking portions 51 and the second locking portions 52 are the same.

[0037] The cover 14 is fixed to the housing 11 by each of the first locking portions 51 engaging with each of the first protrusions 41 of the first side wall 36 and each of the second locking portions 52 engaging with each of the second protrusions 42 of the second side wall 37. In the following description, the orientation of the cover 14 in which the first locking portions 51 engage with the first protrusions 41 and the second locking portions 52 engage with the second protrusions 42 is referred to as the proper orientation, and the orientation of the cover 14 flipped 180 degrees from the proper orientation when viewed in the Z-axis direction is referred to as the flipped orientation.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , each first locking portion 51 has a recess 53 on its back surface facing the first outer surface 36 a. The recess 53 is, for example, a slit extending along the Z axis. Each first locking portion 51 has, for example, two recesses 53. When the first locking portion 51 is engaged with the first protrusion 41 of the first side wall 36, each first misassembly prevention portion 43 of the first side wall 36 fits into the corresponding recess 53. This prevents the first locking portion 51 from colliding with the first misassembly prevention portion 43 in the assembly direction D when the cover 14 is assembled to the housing 11 in the correct orientation. In other words, the first misassembly prevention portion 43 is configured not to interfere with the engagement of the first locking portion 51 with the first protrusion 41.

[0039] The recess 53 is provided in the first locking portion 51 but not in the second locking portion 52. Furthermore, each second locking portion 52 has a second misassembly prevention portion 54. For example, two second misassembly prevention portions 54 are provided in each second locking portion 52. Each second misassembly prevention portion 54 is formed to protrude from the second locking portion 52. For example, the lower end surface of each second misassembly prevention portion 54 is flat and perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. Each second misassembly prevention portion 54 is configured to abut against each first misassembly prevention portion 43 of the housing 11 in the assembly direction D when an attempt is made to assemble the cover 14 in the wrong orientation (inverted orientation).

[0040] (Cover body 50) The cover body 50 has, for example, an insertion portion 55 that extends in the Z-axis direction from the rear surface of the cover body 50 and is inserted into the opening 32. The insertion portion 55 is an annular wall portion that follows the periphery of the opening 32.

[0041] (Wire positioning portion 56) The cover body 50 has a wire positioning portion 56. The wire positioning portion 56 extends in the Z-axis direction from the rear surface of the cover body 50. The wire positioning portion 56 is provided such that at least a portion of it is located inside the insertion portion 55, for example.

[0042] In Figure 3, the outline of the cover 14 and the outline of the wire positioning portion 56 as viewed from the Z-axis direction are indicated by two-dot chain lines. As shown in the figure, the outline of the wire positioning portion 56 as viewed from the Z-axis direction is, for example, rectangular. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, two regions of the housing 11 defined by the widthwise center line CL are defined as a first region A1 and a second region, respectively. When the cover 14 is in the correct orientation, the wire positioning portion 56 is located, for example, in the first region A1. Therefore, if the cover 14 is inverted, the wire positioning portion 56 will be located in the second region A2.

[0043] 2 and 4 , when the cover 14 is in the correct orientation, the wire positioning portion 56 can come into contact with the communication wire bundle 23 in the Z-axis direction. When the wire positioning portion 56 comes into contact with the communication wire bundle 23 in the Z-axis direction, the communication wire bundle 23 is positioned in the Z-axis direction.

[0044] The operation of this embodiment will now be described. When assembling the connector 10, first, the terminal module 12, to which the electric wires 13 are connected, is inserted into the accommodating portion 31 through the outlet 35 of the housing 11. Thereafter, the terminal module 12 is temporarily pulled out of the housing 11 through the opening 32, and then the terminal module 12 is inserted into the module accommodating portion 33 in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the opening 32 is an opening necessary for attaching the terminal module 12 to the module accommodating portion 33.

[0045] After the terminal module 12 is attached to the module accommodating portion 33, the cover 14 that covers the opening 32 is assembled to the housing 11. When the cover 14 is assembled in the correct orientation, the first locking portions 51 are engaged with the first protrusions 41 of the housing 11, and the second locking portions 52 are engaged with the second protrusions 42 of the housing 11. This secures the cover 14 to the housing 11.

[0046] Here, if the communication line bundle 23 inside the housing 11 is not in an appropriate position (for example, if the communication line bundle 23 is positioned higher than the position shown in FIG. 3 ), the tip of the wire positioning portion 56 comes into contact with the communication line bundle 23 and presses the communication line bundle 23 downward. Therefore, the communication line bundle 23 is restricted from moving upward inside the housing 11. This ensures a gap between the communication line bundle 23 and the power line 21, making it possible to minimize the influence of the power line 21 on the communication line 22. As a result, it is possible to obtain desired communication performance for the communication line 22.

[0047] When an attempt is made to assemble the cover 14 in an inverted orientation, each second misassembly prevention portion 54 abuts against each first misassembly prevention portion 43 of the housing 11 in the assembly direction D. This prevents the cover 14 from being assembled in an inverted orientation, thereby preventing the wire positioning portion 56 from interfering with the power line 21 due to misassembly of the cover 14.

[0048] The effects of this embodiment will be described below. (1) The cover 14 has the wire positioning portion 56 that contacts the wire 13 inside the housing 11 to position the wire 13. According to this configuration, the wire positioning portion 56 of the cover 14 contacts the wire 13 inside the housing 11 to position the wire 13. Therefore, the wire positioning portion 56 restricts movement of the wire 13 inside the housing 11, making it possible to prevent the wire 13 from interfering with other parts of the connector 10, for example.

[0049] (2) The housing 11 has the outlet 35 for drawing the electric wires 13 to the outside of the housing 11, separate from the opening 32. According to this configuration, in a configuration in which the housing 11 has the opening 32 separate from the outlet 35 for the electric wires 13, it is possible to position the electric wires 13 using the electric wire positioning portion 56 of the cover 14 that covers the opening 32.

[0050] (3) The electric wire positioning portion 56 is configured to come into contact with some of the electric wires 13 to position the electric wires 13. This makes it possible to ensure a gap between the electric wires 13 positioned by the electric wire positioning portion 56 and the electric wires 13 not positioned by the electric wire positioning portion 56.

[0051] (4) The multiple electric wires 13 include a power line 21 and multiple communication lines 22. The multiple communication lines 22 are bundled together to form a communication line bundle 23. The electric wire positioning portion 56 is configured to contact the communication line bundle 23 and position the communication line bundle 23. This configuration makes it possible to ensure a gap within the housing 11 between the communication line bundle 23 positioned by the electric wire positioning portion 56 and the power lines 21 not positioned by the electric wire positioning portion 56. This makes it possible to minimize the influence of the power wires 21 on the communication lines 22, thereby making it possible to obtain desired communication performance for the communication lines 22.

[0052] (5) The housing 11 has a first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43. The cover 14 has a second incorrect assembly prevention portion 54. When the cover 14 is incorrectly assembled in an incorrect orientation (inverted), the second incorrect assembly prevention portion 54 abuts against the first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43 in the assembly direction D of the cover 14. With this configuration, the first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43 and the second incorrect assembly prevention portion 54 can prevent incorrect assembly, in which the cover 14 is assembled in an incorrect orientation (inverted). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wire positioning portion 56 from interfering with an electric wire 13 other than the electric wire 13 that is originally intended to be positioned, due to incorrect assembly of the cover 14.

[0053] (6) The cover 14 includes a cover main body 50 that covers the opening 32, a first locking portion 51 that extends from one widthwise end of the cover main body 50 along the assembly direction D, and a second locking portion 52 that extends from the other widthwise end of the cover main body 50 along the assembly direction D. The housing 11 includes a first side wall 36 that is a side wall on one widthwise side and a second side wall 37 that is a side wall on the other widthwise side. The cover 14 is fixed to the housing 11 by engaging the first locking portion 51 with the first side wall 36 and the second locking portion 52 with the second side wall 37. The first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43 is provided to protrude from the first outer surface 36a of the first side wall 36. The second incorrect assembly prevention portion 54 is provided on the second locking portion 52. When the cover 14 is misassembled to lock the second locking portion 52 to the first side wall 36, the second misassembly prevention portion 54 abuts against the first misassembly prevention portion 43 in the assembling direction D of the cover 14. With this configuration, the first misassembly prevention portion 43 provided on the first side wall 36 of the housing 11 and the second misassembly prevention portion 54 provided on the second locking portion 52 of the cover 14 can prevent the misassembly of the cover 14.

[0054] (7) The first locking portion 51 has a recess 53 into which the first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43 fits when the first locking portion 51 is locked to the first side wall 36. According to this configuration, when the first locking portion 51 is locked to the first side wall 36, that is, when the cover 14 is assembled in the correct orientation, the first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43 of the housing 11 fits into the recess 53 of the first locking portion 51. This makes it possible to prevent the first locking portion 51 from interfering with the first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43 when the cover 14 is assembled in the correct orientation.

[0055] (8) The first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43 has an inclined surface 44 at an end portion opposite to the assembly direction D, which is inclined so as to approach the first outer surface 36a as it approaches the assembly direction D. With this configuration, when the cover 14 is incorrectly assembled, the inclined surface 44 can prevent the second locking portion 52 from climbing over the first incorrect assembly prevention portion 43. Therefore, incorrect assembly of the cover 14 can be more reliably prevented.

[0056] (Modifications) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0057] The inclined surface 44 formed on the upper end of the first misassembly prevention portion 43 may be omitted, and the upper end surface of the first misassembly prevention portion 43 may be made, for example, a flat surface perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The recesses 53 may be omitted from the first locking portion 51, and the length of the first locking portion 51 in the X-axis direction may be shortened to the extent that it does not interfere with the first misassembly prevention portion 43.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the second misassembly prevention portion 54 that abuts against the first misassembly prevention portion 43 during misassembly is provided on the second locking portion 52. However, this is not limiting, and the second misassembly prevention portion that abuts against the first misassembly prevention portion 43 during misassembly may be provided in a position on the cover 14 separate from the second locking portion 52.

[0059] The protrusion-recess relationship in the locking structure between the first locking portion 51 and the first side wall 36 may be reversed from that in the above embodiment. That is, the first locking portion 51 may be provided with a locking protrusion, and the first side wall 36 may be provided with a locking recess into which the locking protrusion is locked. Similarly, the protrusion-recess relationship in the locking structure between the second locking portion 52 and the second side wall 37 may be reversed from that in the above embodiment. That is, the second locking portion 52 may be provided with a locking protrusion, and the second side wall 37 may be provided with a locking recess into which the locking protrusion is locked.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the electric wire positioning portion 56 abuts against the communication wire bundle 23 to position the communication wire bundle 23. However, other than this, for example, the electric wire positioning portion 56 may be configured to abut against the power line 21 to position the power line 21. Furthermore, the electric wire positioning portion 56 may be configured to abut against all of the plurality of electric wires 13 inside the housing 11 to position the plurality of electric wires 13.

[0061] The electrical device to which the connector 10 is connected may be an on-board device other than an on-board camera. As shown in FIG. 3 , the cover 14 may have a polygonal lid plate, which may be rectangular, in a plan view of the cover 14, and the lid plate may have a length (X) and a width (Y). In a plan view of the cover 14, the wire positioning portion 56 may protrude downward from the lid plate at an offset position that is offset in both the length and width directions from a midpoint in the length and width directions of the cover 14. In the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, the tip surface of the wire positioning portion 56 may be referred to as the wire positioning surface. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, the wire positioning portion 56 in the non-limiting embodiment may be a hollow pillar.

[0062] 1 and 2, the terminal module 12 may be an elongated block having a longitudinal axis. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal module 12 and the plurality of electric wires 13 may be pre-assembled before being assembled into the housing 11. The assembly of the terminal module 12 and the plurality of electric wires 13 may be referred to as a terminal-wire assembly. The outlet 35 of the housing 11 may be configured to allow the terminal module 12 to pass through when the terminal-wire assembly is assembled into the housing 11.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , when the terminal module 12 is inserted into the accommodating portion 31 inside the housing 11 along the longitudinal axis of the terminal module 12 and the plurality of electric wires 13 pass through the outlet 35 of the housing 11 and are drawn out in the electric wire drawing direction (X-axis direction), which is the length direction of the connector 10, each of the plurality of electric wires 13 may form a bent portion. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the cover 14 is attached to the housing 11, the electric wire positioning portion 56 of the cover 14 may be configured to position one or more selected electric wires 13 at a length position different from the bent portion. As in the illustrated non-limiting embodiment, the communication wire bundle 23 may include a bent portion and a straight length portion. For example, when the outer sheath member 24 covers the straight length portion of the communication wire bundle 23, the tip surface of the electric wire positioning portion 56 may be configured to face, abut, or press against the outermost surface of the outer sheath member 24. In this case, the distal end surface of the electric wire positioning portion 56 positions the exterior member 24 at least in the radial direction, thereby indirectly positioning the straight length portion of the communication wire bundle 23. The distal end surface of the electric wire positioning portion 56 does not need to come into contact with the bent portions of the plurality of electric wires 13 inside the housing 11.

[0064] 2, the power supply line 21 and the communication line 22 in a non-limiting embodiment may have different thicknesses, for example, the communication line 22 may be thinner than the power supply line 21. The embodiments and modifications disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0065] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Connector 11 Housing 12 Terminal module 12a Terminal 13 Electric wire 14 Cover 21 Power line 22 Communication line 23 Communication wire bundle 24 Exterior member 31 Storage section 32 Opening 33 Module storage section 34 Electric wire storage section 35 Outlet 36 First side wall 36a First outer surface (outer surface) 37 Second side wall 37a Second outer surface 41 First convex portion 42 Second convex portion 43 First incorrect assembly prevention portion 44 Inclined surface 50 Cover body 51 First locking portion 52 Second locking portion 53 Recess 54 Second incorrect assembly prevention portion 55 Insertion portion 56 Electric wire positioning portion A1 First region A2 Second region CL Width direction center line D Cover assembly direction

Claims

1. A connector comprising a housing, a terminal module, an electric wire, and a cover, wherein the electric wire is connected to a terminal in the terminal module, the housing has an accommodating portion that accommodates the electric wire and the terminal module, and an opening communicating with the accommodating portion, the cover is configured to be attachable to the housing so as to cover the opening, the accommodating portion is exposed to the outside of the housing through the opening when the cover is removed from the housing, and the cover has an electric wire positioning portion that contacts the electric wire inside the housing to position the electric wire.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an outlet port separate from the opening for drawing the electric wires out of the housing.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the electric wires are provided, and the electric wire positioning portion is configured to contact some of the plurality of electric wires to position the electric wires.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of electric wires include a power line and a plurality of communication lines, the plurality of communication lines being bundled together to form a communication line bundle, and the electric wire positioning portion is configured to contact the communication line bundle to position the communication line bundle.

5. A connector as described in claim 3, wherein the housing has a first misassembly prevention portion, the cover has a second misassembly prevention portion, and the second misassembly prevention portion abuts against the first misassembly prevention portion in the assembly direction of the cover when an attempt is made to attach the cover to the housing in an incorrect orientation.

6. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the cover has: a cover body covering the opening; a first locking portion extending from one widthwise end of the cover body along the assembly direction; and a second locking portion extending from the other widthwise end of the cover body along the assembly direction; the housing has a first side wall which is a side wall on one widthwise side and a second side wall which is a side wall on the other widthwise side, the cover is fixed to the housing by the first locking portion engaging with the first side wall and the second locking portion engaging with the second side wall, the first misassembly prevention portion is provided so as to protrude from an outer surface of the first side wall, the second misassembly prevention portion is provided on the second locking portion, and the second misassembly prevention portion abuts against the first misassembly prevention portion in the assembly direction when an attempt is made to engage the second locking portion with the first side wall in an incorrect orientation.

7. The connector according to claim 6, wherein said first locking portion has a recess into which said first incorrect assembly prevention portion fits when said first locking portion is engaged with said first side wall.

8. A connector as described in claim 6, wherein an inclined surface is provided at an end of the first misassembly prevention portion opposite the assembly direction, the inclination being such that the closer it is to the outer surface of the first side wall the closer it is to the assembly direction.

Images