Female connector and connector unit

Abstract

Disclosed is a female connector capable of suppressing deterioration in the accuracy of positioning by a guide protrusion and a guide recess, even where multiple insertions and removals are expected.　A female connector 10 mates with a male connector 12 including a synthetic resin male-side housing 28 holding a male terminal 18 and a metal guide protrusion 26. The female connector 10 comprises: a female terminal 16 that is conductively connected to the male terminal 18; a synthetic resin female-side housing 20 holding the female terminal 16; a guide recess 22 which is provided in the female-side housing 20 and into which the guide protrusion 26 is inserted before the male terminal 18 and the female terminal 16 are mated with each other to position the male terminal 18 and the female terminal 16; and a metal cylindrical body 24 embedded in the female-side housing 20. An inner peripheral surface on the opening side of the guide recess 22 is formed by an inner peripheral surface 110 of the metal cylindrical body 24.

Description

Female connectors and connector units

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a female connector and a connector unit.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector unit comprising a male connector having a male housing for holding flat tab-shaped male terminals, and a female connector having a female housing for holding female terminals for conductive connection with the male terminals. When the male and female connectors are mated with each other, a guide protrusion on the male housing is first inserted into a guide recess on the female housing. This positions the male and female terminals so that they can be mated, allowing for smooth connection of the male and female terminals.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-160347

[0004] However, in the structure of the female connector and connector unit in Patent Document 1, both the guide protrusions and guide recesses are made of resin, so when the connector unit is used in an environment where multiple insertions and removals are expected, the positioning accuracy of the guide protrusions and guide recesses may deteriorate due to wear, which could cause problems with the mating of the male connector and female connector.

[0005] Therefore, a female connector and a connector unit are disclosed that can suppress deterioration of positioning accuracy due to guide protrusions and guide recesses even when multiple insertions and removals are expected.

[0006] The female connector of the present disclosure is a female connector that is mated with a male connector that has a male housing made of synthetic resin that holds a male terminal and a metal guide protrusion, and is equipped with a female terminal that is electrically connected to the male terminal, a female housing made of synthetic resin that holds the female terminal, a guide recess that is provided in the female housing and into which the guide protrusion is inserted to position the male terminal and the female terminal before the male terminal and the female terminal are mated, and a metal cylindrical body embedded in the female housing, and the inner surface of the metal cylindrical body forms the inner surface of the opening side of the guide recess.

[0007] The connector unit of the present disclosure includes a male connector having a male housing made of synthetic resin that holds male terminals and metal guide protrusions, and a female connector according to the present disclosure.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a female connector and a connector unit that can suppress deterioration of positioning accuracy due to guide protrusions and guide recesses, even when multiple insertions and removals are expected.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a female connector according to a first embodiment in a mated state with a male connector. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the female connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the female connector shown in FIG. 1 in a non-mated state with a male connector. FIG. 5 is a perspective view from the bottom side showing the female connector shown in FIG. 4 with the cover removed. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a primary molded product constituting the female connector shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a metal cylinder and a nut arranged in a molding cavity when manufacturing the female connector shown in FIG. 4, and the primary molded product shown in FIG. 6.

[0010] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The female connector of the present disclosure is: (1) a female connector that mates with a male connector having a male housing made of synthetic resin that holds male terminals and metal guide protrusions, the female connector comprising: female terminals that are electrically connected to the male terminals; a female housing made of synthetic resin that holds the female terminals; guide recesses that are provided in the female housing and into which the guide protrusions are inserted to position the male terminals and the female terminals before the male terminals and the female terminals are mated; and a metal cylindrical body embedded in the female housing, the inner peripheral surface of the metal cylindrical body forming the inner peripheral surface of the opening side of the guide recesses.

[0011] According to the female connector of the present disclosure, the inner circumferential surface of the opening side of the guide recess into which the metal guide protrusion provided on the mating male connector is inserted is formed by the inner circumferential surface of a metal cylindrical body embedded in the female housing made of synthetic resin. In other words, the inner circumferential surface of the opening side of the guide recess into which the metal guide protrusion is inserted, where the sliding time (distance) of the guide protrusion is longest, can be formed by the inner circumferential surface of the metal cylindrical body. As a result, even when used in locations where multiple insertions and removals are expected, the combination of the metal guide protrusion and the guide recess whose opening side is formed by the inner circumferential surface of the metal cylindrical body can suppress deterioration of positioning accuracy due to the guide protrusion and guide recess compared to conventional structures in which both are made of resin. As a result, a female connector or connector unit can be provided that can more reliably ensure a good mating state with the male connector.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the opening-side end of the guide recess is formed by a first end on one axial side of the metal cylindrical body, the guide recess has a recess extending beyond a second end on the other axial side of the metal cylindrical body, and the inner surface of the recess is formed by the female housing. The recess of the guide recess extending beyond the second end on the other axial side of the metal cylindrical body, which forms the inner peripheral surface of the opening-side of the guide recess, is formed by a female housing made of synthetic resin. This eliminates the need to embed a metal cylindrical body or other separate member in the female housing to form the recess of the guide recess, which is often located at the base end of the female connector. As a result, the design freedom of the base end of the female connector, where fastening members such as nuts for connecting to external current-carrying members, is improved, and interference between the metal cylindrical body and members located at the base end of the female connector can be prevented.

[0013] (3) In the above (2), it is preferable that the inner diameter of the metal cylindrical body at the guide recess is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the innermost portion of the metal cylindrical body that connects to the second end of the metal cylindrical body. In this aspect, for example, a female connector can be manufactured by forming a portion of the female housing, including the innermost portion of the guide recess, as a primary molded product, and then using the primary molded product and the metal cylindrical body as an insert to form the remaining portion of the female housing to obtain a secondary molded product. In this case, by making the inner diameter of the metal cylindrical body at the guide recess equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the innermost portion of the metal cylindrical body that connects to the second end of the metal cylindrical body, it is possible to advantageously prevent resin from flowing into the inner surface of the metal cylindrical body during secondary molding.

[0014] (4) In the above (2) or (3), it is preferable that the axial end surface of the second end of the metal cylindrical member has a cylindrical stepped surface including a distal small diameter portion and a proximal large diameter portion, and the axial end surface of the innermost portion of the guide recess has a deep stepped surface including a distal large diameter portion and a proximal small diameter portion, and the cylindrical stepped surface and the deep stepped surface abut against each other in the axial direction. Since the cylindrical stepped surface is provided on the axial end surface of the second end of the metal cylindrical member and the deep stepped surface is provided on the axial end surface of the innermost portion of the guide recess, when a female connector is manufactured by forming a portion of the female housing including the deepest portion of the guide recess as a primary molded product, and then forming the remaining portion of the female housing using the primary molded product and the metal cylindrical member as an insert product, the abutment of the cylindrical stepped surface and the deep stepped surface can advantageously position the metal cylindrical member relative to the deepest portion of the guide recess. Furthermore, the mutual contact between the cylindrical stepped surface and the inner stepped surface can more effectively prevent the resin from flowing onto the inner peripheral surface of the metal cylindrical body during secondary molding.

[0015] (5) In any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the metal cylindrical body has a retaining protrusion that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the metal cylindrical body, and the retaining protrusion is embedded in the female housing. Since the retaining protrusion that protrudes in a direction intersecting the axial direction is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the metal cylindrical body and is embedded in the female housing, it is possible to advantageously prevent the metal cylindrical body from being pulled out of the female housing even if the guide protrusion of the male connector is inserted and removed from the metal cylindrical body multiple times.

[0016] (6) In any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the female housing has a base portion that holds the base end portions of the female terminals, a hood portion that surrounds the tip ends of the female terminals protruding from the base portion, and a cover portion that has male terminal insertion holes and covers the openings of the hood portion, the cover portion having elastic locking pieces that protrude toward the base portion, and the base portion having locking pieces that protrude toward the cover portion and lock with the elastic locking pieces. Since the female housing has a base portion that holds the base ends of the female terminals and a hood portion that surrounds the tip ends of the female terminals, it is possible to advantageously achieve retention of the female terminals and prevent interference with other components. Furthermore, since it includes a cover portion with a male terminal insertion hole, it is possible to allow insertion of male terminals while preventing electric shock and other risks due to contact with the female terminals. Since the base portion has a locking portion that protrudes and locks with the elastic closing piece of the cover portion, the cover portion can be stably held on the base portion. Furthermore, if it is not possible to provide a die-cut hole in the base portion to form the locking portion, the base portion can be primarily molded using a female terminal or the like as an insert, including the inner part of the guide recess and the locking portion, and then the other parts including the hood portion can be secondary molded using a metal cylinder or the like as an insert, thereby advantageously manufacturing a female connector of this type.

[0017] The connector unit of the present disclosure comprises: (7) a male connector having a male housing made of synthetic resin that holds male terminals and metal guide protrusions; and a female connector described in any one of (1) to (6) above.

[0018] In the connector unit of the present disclosure, since the female connector is configured in any of the aspects (1) to (6) above, it is possible to provide a connector unit that can achieve the same effects as those obtained by any of the aspects (1) to (6) above.

[0019] <Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the female connector and connector unit 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.

[0020] First Embodiment A female connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure and a connector unit 14 including the female connector 10 and a male connector 12 mated with the female connector 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The female connector 10 is a connector that connects a power source component, such as a battery, to a load component, such as a motor, in, for example, an automobile or motorcycle. The female connector 10 is provided with female terminals 16, and the male connector 12 is provided with male terminals 18. The female terminals 16 of the female connector 10 provided on one of the power source and load components come into contact with the male terminals 18 of the male connector 12 provided on the other of the power source and load components, thereby establishing electrical continuity, thereby supplying power from the power source, such as a battery, to the load, such as a motor.

[0021] Although the female connector 10 can be positioned in any orientation, in the following description, up will be referred to as up in Fig. 3, down as down in Fig. 3, front as down in Fig. 2, rear as up in Fig. 2, left as left in Fig. 2, and right as right in Fig. 2. As will be described later, the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 are adapted to fit together in the vertical direction, and the tip side of the female connector 10 refers to the lower side that faces the male connector 12, and the tip side of the male connector 12 refers to the upper side that faces the female connector 10. Furthermore, for multiple identical components, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the components, and reference numerals may be omitted for other components.

[0022] <Female Connector 10> The female connector 10 includes female terminals 16 that are electrically connected to the male terminals 18, and a female housing 20 made of synthetic resin that holds the female terminals 16. The female housing 20 is provided with guide recesses 22 into which guide protrusions 26, described below, are inserted to position the male terminals 18 and the female terminals 16 before the male terminals 18 and the female terminals 16 are mated. Furthermore, a metal cylindrical body 24 is embedded in the female housing 20. In the first embodiment, a pair of female terminals 16, 16 are held in the female housing 20, and these female terminals 16 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0023] <Male Connector 12> The male connector 12 includes a male housing 28 made of synthetic resin that holds male terminals 18 and metal guide protrusions 26. The male terminals 18 are tab terminals that are generally plate-shaped. In the first embodiment, a pair of male terminals 18, 18 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each male terminal 18 is generally rectangular when viewed left-right (projected left-right), has predetermined front-to-back and left-to-right dimensions, and protrudes upward from the male housing 28. The forward end portion (the tip, or upper end portion) of each male terminal 18 in the insertion direction into the female terminal 16 is tapered. Each male terminal 18 is electrically conductive and is formed from a metal with low electrical resistance, such as copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.

[0024] The guide protrusions 26 are generally pin-shaped, and in the first embodiment, a pair of generally cylindrical guide protrusions 26, 26 are arranged spaced apart in the left-right direction. In particular, in the first embodiment, each guide protrusion 26 is arranged outward in the left-right direction from each male terminal 18, and protrudes upward from the male housing 28. The portion of each guide protrusion 26 on the front side in the insertion direction into the guide recess 22 (the tip portion, or upper end portion) is tapered. Furthermore, the male housing 28 is generally rectangular in plan view, with the left-right dimension being larger than the front-to-rear dimension.

[0025] The base end portions (lower end portions) of the male terminals 18 are held spaced apart from each other in the left-right middle portion of the male housing 28, and the base end portions (lower end portions) of the guide protrusions 26 are held at both left-right ends of the male housing 28. In embodiment 1, the base end portions of the male terminals 18 are fixed to the male housing 28 in a substantially embedded state, and the base end portions (lower end portions) of the guide protrusions 26 are fixed to the male housing 28 in a substantially embedded state. In particular, in embodiment 1, when the male housing 28 is molded, the male terminals 18 and the guide protrusions 26 are set in the molding cavity, so that the male housing 28 is formed as an integrally molded product that integrally includes the male terminals 18 and the guide protrusions 26. As a result, the male terminals 18 and the guide protrusions 26 protrude upward from the male housing 28. In the male connector 12 , each guide projection 26 projects upward beyond each male terminal 18 .

[0026] <Female terminals 16> The female terminals 16 are identical in shape and are arranged in a state where they are inverted relative to one another in the left-right direction. As shown in Figures 3, 5, 6, etc., each female terminal 16 has a generally cylindrical female terminal body 30, and each female terminal body 30 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape to correspond to each of the generally tab-shaped male terminals 18. Each female terminal body 30 extends in the vertical direction, and an inner hole 34 that penetrates in the vertical direction is formed on the inner periphery of a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall portion 32.

[0027] A folded portion 36 is formed at the lower end of the outer wall portion of each peripheral wall portion 32 in the left-right direction. Each folded portion 36 is connected to a first contact portion 38 that protrudes into the inner hole 34 and faces the inner wall portion of each peripheral wall portion 32 in the left-right direction. The inner wall portion of each peripheral wall portion 32 is provided with a second contact portion 40 that protrudes toward the outer wall portion in the left-right direction. In the first embodiment, the second contact portion 40 extends vertically with a predetermined dimension. In particular, in the first embodiment, a pair of second contact portions 40, 40 are provided spaced a predetermined gap apart in the front-rear direction. Each first contact portion 38 and each second contact portion 40 face each other across a predetermined gap in the left-right direction. The gap between each first contact portion 38 and each second contact portion 40 in the left-right direction is a male terminal insertion gap 42 into which each male terminal 18 is inserted.

[0028] Each first contact portion 38 is elastically deformable in the left-right direction, with the folded portion 36 as a base point. Furthermore, before each male terminal 18 is inserted, the left-right distance between each first contact portion 38 and each second contact portion 40 is smaller than the thickness dimension (left-right dimension) of each male terminal 18. As a result, when each male terminal 18 is inserted into each male terminal insertion gap 42, each first contact portion 38 is elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction while each male terminal 18 is press-fit. Then, when each male terminal 18 is inserted into each male terminal insertion gap 42, the elastic restoring force of each first contact portion 38 presses each first contact portion 38 and each second contact portion 40 against each male terminal 18.

[0029] Furthermore, an outward protrusion 44 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction is provided at the upper end of the wall portion that is on the outer side in the left-right direction among the wall portions that make up each peripheral wall portion 32. Each outward protrusion 44 has a generally rectangular plate shape, and a circular bolt insertion hole 46 that penetrates each outward protrusion 44 in the thickness direction (up-down direction) is formed in the center of each outward protrusion 44. A bolt (not shown) is inserted into each bolt insertion hole 46 to secure the female connector 10 to a power source component, such as a battery (not shown). Furthermore, by electrically connecting the power source component to each outward protrusion 44, electrical conductivity is established between the power source component and the female connector 10.

[0030] Each female terminal 16 having the above-described shape may be formed, for example, by pressing a single metal plate, or by fixing multiple metal members together by welding, bolts, etc.

[0031] <Female housing 20> In embodiment 1, the female housing 20 has a base portion 48 that holds the base end portion (upper end portion) of each female terminal 16, a hood portion 50 that surrounds the tip end portion (lower end portion) of each female terminal 16 that protrudes from the base portion 48, and a cover portion 56 that has a male terminal insertion hole 52 and covers the opening (lower opening 54) of the hood portion 50.

[0032] <Base Portion 48> The base portion 48 includes a retaining portion 58 that retains the base end portion (upper end portion) of each female terminal 16 (particularly each female terminal body portion 30). That is, in the first embodiment, a pair of retaining portions 58, 58 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction are provided, and these retaining portions 58 are connected by a connecting portion 60. Each retaining portion 58 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 32 at the upper end portion of each female terminal body portion 30 over the entire circumference, and also fills the inner bore 34 and is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 32 over the entire circumference. Note that each outward protrusion 44 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from each female terminal body portion 30 is not covered by each retaining portion 58, but protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the upper end of each retaining portion 58. Further, an outward extending portion 62 is provided that extends outward in the left-right direction from the outer left-right end portion of the lower end of each holding portion 58, and a recessed portion 64 that constitutes the axial (vertical) end portion of each guide recess 22 is formed at the extending end (outer left-right end portion) of each outward extending portion 62. As a result, as shown in Figure 6 and other figures, each outward protrusion 44 and each outward extending portion 62 face each other in the vertical direction at a predetermined distance from each other.

[0033] <Rear Portion 64> At the position where the rear portion 64 is formed in each outward extending portion 62, a through hole 66 is formed penetrating the outward extending portion 62 in the thickness direction (vertical direction), and the upper opening of the through hole 66 is closed by a substantially dome-shaped circular cap portion 68. Each circular cap portion 68 is formed with a substantially constant thickness and has a tapered shape that decreases in diameter as it extends upward, approximately corresponding to the protruding tip (upper end) of each guide protrusion 26. The internal space of each circular cap portion 68 and each through hole 66 are mutually connected in the vertical direction, and the internal space of each circular cap portion 68 opens to the underside of each outward extending portion 62 (base portion 48) through the lower opening of each through hole 66. As a result, each rear portion 64 is formed including the peripheral portion of each through hole 66 and each circular cap portion 68, and the inner surface 69 of each rear portion 64 is formed including the inner circumferential surface of each through hole 66 and each circular cap portion 68 formed in the female housing 20.

[0034] The end face on one axial side (lower) of each deepest portion 64, i.e., the lower end face formed by the periphery of the lower opening of each through-hole 66, has an inner diameter dimension that varies in stages, and includes an annular distal large diameter portion 70 located further distally (lower), and an annular proximal small diameter portion 72 located proximal to the distal large diameter portion 70. The lower end faces of these distal large diameter portions 70 and proximal small diameter portions 72 are connected by a substantially cylindrical tubular surface 74, and a deepest stepped surface 76 is formed at the lower end face of each deepest portion 64, including the distal large diameter portion 70, proximal small diameter portion 72, and tubular surface 74.

[0035] <Latching Portion 78> Furthermore, a locking portion 78 protruding downward from each outward extending portion 62 is provided in a portion of each outward extending portion 62 that is laterally inward of the rear portion 64, i.e., between each retaining portion 58 and each rear portion 64. As will be described later, the cover portion 56 is attached to the base portion 48 from below, and therefore each locking portion 78 protrudes from the base portion 48 toward the cover portion 56. A locking claw 80 protruding inward in the laterally direction is provided at the protruding tip (lower end) of each locking portion 78, and an inclined surface 82 is provided on the lower end surface of each locking claw 80, the inward protrusion dimension of which decreases as the protrusion decreases.

[0036] As described above, the base portion 48 includes the recessed portions 64, the outwardly extending portions 62 having the locking portions 78, the retaining portions 58, and the connecting portion 60, and is generally rectangular in plan view. In the first embodiment, the base portion 48 has a larger left-right dimension than its front-rear dimension. In particular, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the base portion 48 is formed as a primary molded product 84 integrally incorporating the female terminals 16. That is, the base portion 48 is molded with the female terminals 16 set in the molding cavity, thereby forming the base portion 48 as an integrally molded product (primary molded product 84) integrally incorporating the female terminals 16. In this primary molded product 84, the locking portions 78 are formed in positions overlapping the outwardly protruding portions 44 of the female terminals 16, which protrude outward in the left-right direction, when projected vertically.

[0037] <Hood portion 50> As described above, each female terminal 16 protrudes downward from the base portion 48, and the tip portion (lower end portion) of each female terminal 16 protruding from the base portion 48 is surrounded by the hood portion 50. In other words, the hood portion 50 is generally cylindrical and extends in the vertical direction as a whole, and each female terminal 16 is accommodated in an accommodating space 86 on the inner periphery of the hood portion 50. The upper opening of the hood portion 50 is closed by the base portion 48 that holds each female terminal 16, and before the cover portion 56 is assembled, each female terminal 16 inside the accommodating space 86 is exposed to the outside through the lower opening 54 of the hood portion 50.

[0038] The metal cylindrical bodies 24 are fixed in a substantially embedded state on the left-right outer sides of the hood portion 50. That is, the female housing 20 includes a substantially cylindrical cylindrical body holding portion 88 that covers the outer periphery of each metal cylindrical body 24, and each cylindrical body holding portion 88 is provided on both left-right sides of the hood portion 50. In the first embodiment, each cylindrical body holding portion 88 is formed integrally with the hood portion 50, and the left-right inner wall portion of each cylindrical body holding portion 88 and the left-right inner wall portion of each hood portion 50 are configured as a common part. The upper opening of each cylindrical body holding portion 88 (i.e., the opening on the side of a second end 114, described later, of each metal cylindrical body 24) is closed by the respective inner recesses 64 at both left-right ends of the base portion 48. In addition, the lower opening of each cylindrical body holding portion 88 is not blocked, and the opening on the first end 112 side (described later) of each metal cylindrical body 24 held by each cylindrical body holding portion 88 opens on the inner side of the lower opening of the cylindrical body holding portion 88 (female side housing 20).

[0039] Furthermore, the female housing 20 includes an upper covering portion 90 that covers the upper side of the base portion 48. That is, the upper covering portion 90 has a generally rectangular shape whose left-right dimension is larger than its front-rear dimension in a plan view as a whole, and covers substantially the entire top surface of the base portion 48. Note that the upper covering portion 90 covers and holds only the left and right ends of each of the outward protrusions 44 that protrude outward in the left-right direction from each holding portion 58 of the base portion 48, and substantially the entire outward protrusions 44 and each bolt insertion hole 46 are exposed from the upper covering portion 90.

[0040] In the first embodiment, the upper covering portion 90 is formed integrally with the hood portion 50 and each cylindrical body holding portion 88. That is, the female housing 20 includes an outer resin portion 92 that covers substantially the entire outer periphery of the primary molded item 84 and each metal cylindrical body 24, and this outer resin portion 92 is configured to include the hood portion 50, each cylindrical body holding portion 88, and the upper covering portion 90. In other words, when molding the outer resin portion 92, the primary molded item 84 and each metal cylindrical body 24 are molded in a state where they are set in the molding cavity, so that the outer resin portion 92 is formed as an integrally molded item (secondary molded item 94) that integrally includes the primary molded item 84 and each metal cylindrical body 24. Note that the resin material constituting the resin (base portion 48) in the primary molded item 84 and the resin material constituting the resin (outer resin portion 92) in the secondary molded item 94 are not limited as long as they are both hard synthetic resins, but in the first embodiment, the same resin material is used for these resins.

[0041] In particular, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , when the outer resin portion 92 is molded, a pair of nuts 96, 96 are set in the molding cavity in addition to the primary molded item 84 and each metal cylindrical body 24. As a result, in the outer resin portion 92, the primary molded item 84, each metal cylindrical body 24, and each nut 96 are integrally held together in the secondary molded item 94. Each nut 96 is disposed on top of the underside of each outward protrusion 44, and the bolt insertion holes 46 in each outward protrusion 44 of the secondary molded item 94 and the inner holes of each nut 96 are interconnected in the vertical direction. As a result, when the female connector 10 is fixed to a power source, such as a battery (not shown), a bolt (not shown) inserted through each bolt insertion hole 46 is fastened to each nut 96.

[0042] In the secondary molded product 94 formed in this manner, the hood portion 50 covering the tip portion (lower end portion) of each female terminal 16 is formed to extend downward from the position where each locking portion 78 is formed in each outward extending portion 62. That is, as also shown in Figure 3, the left-right inner surface of each locking portion 78 is located at approximately the same position in the left-right direction as the left-right inner surface of each hood portion 50. As a result, in the storage space 86 formed on the inner periphery of each hood portion 50, the locking claws 80 of each locking portion 78 protrude inward in the left-right direction from the wall of the left-right inner surface.

[0043] 5 , the lower opening 54 of the hood portion 50 and the lower openings of the cylinder holders 88 (openings on the side of a first end 112, described later, of each metal cylinder 24) are open to the underside of the secondary molded portion 94 (outer resin portion 92). The lower opening 54 of the hood portion 50 is covered by the cover portion 56 when the cover portion 56 is inserted into the accommodation space 86.

[0044] <Cover 56> The cover 56 has the same shape as the storage space 86 in plan view, and is generally rectangular with a larger left-right dimension than a front-rear dimension. The cover 56 includes a bottom wall 98 having a generally rectangular plate shape, and a generally cylindrical surrounding portion 100 is provided at the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 98, protruding toward the base 48 (or upward when assembled to the secondary molded product 94) and surrounding the periphery. Elastic locking pieces 102 are provided at both left and right ends of the cover 56, protruding in the same direction as the surrounding portion 100, and each elastic locking piece 102 is formed with a larger protrusion dimension than the surrounding portion 100. Each elastic locking piece 102 has a generally rectangular frame shape, and a through window 104 is formed in each elastic locking piece 102, penetrating in the thickness direction (left-right direction). Further, an inclined surface 106 is provided on the outer surface of the upper end of each elastic locking piece 102 in the left-right direction, the inclined surface 106 inclining inward in the left-right direction as it goes upward.

[0045] Each of the elastic locking pieces 102 is elastically deformable in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the cover portion 56 is inserted into the accommodation space 86 for assembly, the cover portion 56 is inserted through the lower opening 54 of the accommodation space 86 (hood portion 50), causing the inclined surfaces 82 of each locking claw 80 to abut against the inclined surfaces 106 of each elastic locking piece 102 in the up-down direction. As a result, each of the elastic locking pieces 102 is elastically deformed inward in the left-right direction along the inclined surfaces 82, 106, allowing further insertion of the cover portion 56. Then, as each locking claw 80 enters the through-window portion 104 of each elastic locking piece 102, each elastic locking piece 102 elastically restores its original shape, and each locking claw 80 is locked to the upper wall portion that defines the through-window portion 104. This prevents the cover portion 56 from falling off from the accommodation space 86 (hood portion 50).

[0046] Here, the aforementioned male terminal insertion holes 52 that penetrate the bottom wall portion 98 in the thickness direction are formed in the bottom wall portion 98 of the cover portion 56 at positions corresponding to the male terminal insertion gaps 42 of each female terminal 16. That is, in the first embodiment, a pair of male terminal insertion holes 52, 52 are formed spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction in the bottom wall portion 98. In particular, in the first embodiment, each male terminal insertion hole 52 is formed in the shape of a notch that also opens to the front of the bottom wall portion 98.

[0047] Furthermore, abutment walls 108 that protrude toward the base 48 (upward) are provided in the left-right central portion of the bottom wall 98. In the first embodiment, a pair of abutment walls 108, 108 are provided in the left-right central portion of the bottom wall 98, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and have a predetermined vertical dimension. As a result, for example, when the cover 56 is accommodated in the accommodation space 86, the abutment walls 108 abut against the bottom surface of the accommodation space 86 (e.g., the lower surface of the connecting portion 60), thereby restricting upward displacement of the cover 56 and allowing the locking claws 80 to engage with the through windows 104 of the elastic locking pieces 102. In particular, in the first embodiment, when the locking claws 80 are engaged with the through windows 104 and the cover 56 is accommodated in the accommodation space 86, the lower surface of the cover 56 and the lower surface of the secondary molded product 94 are positioned approximately equal in the up-down direction, but this is not limited to this example. When the cover portion 56 is accommodated in the accommodation space 86 , the lower surface of the cover portion 56 may be positioned above or below the lower surface of the secondary molded product 94 .

[0048] <Guide Recesses 22> In the secondary molded product 94 described above, the upper openings of each metal cylindrical body 24 (openings on the second end 114 side, which will be described later) are closed by the respective rear portions 64 of the female housing 20. In other words, the internal spaces of each metal cylindrical body 24 and the internal spaces of each rear portion 64 are interconnected in the vertical direction. As a result, at both left and right ends of the female connector 10, the internal spaces of each metal cylindrical body 24 and the internal spaces of each rear portion 64 form relatively long spaces in the vertical direction, and these spaces form the guide recesses 22 into which each guide protrusion 26 is inserted. In other words, the inner peripheral surface 110 of each metal cylindrical body 24 forms the inner peripheral surface on the opening side (lower side) of each guide recess 22.

[0049] <Metal Tubular Body 24> The metal tubular body 24 is a generally straight tubular body and is disposed in the female connector 10 so as to extend vertically. That is, each metal tubular body 24 has a first end 112, which is the end on one side (lower) in the axial direction, and a second end 114, which is the end on the other side (upper) in the axial direction. The opening side (lower) end of each guide recess 22 is defined by the first end 112 of each metal tubular body 24. Furthermore, the portion of each guide recess 22 above the second end 114 of each metal tubular body 24 is defined by each recess 64. In other words, each guide recess 22 has each recess 64 extending beyond the second end 114 of each metal tubular body 24 to the other side (upper) in the axial direction.

[0050] The inner diameter dimension of the inner peripheral surface 110 of each metal cylinder 24 is approximately constant over the entire length, but in a predetermined region on the first end 112 (lower end) side, a guide surface 116 is formed in which the inner diameter dimension gradually increases toward the opening side (lower side).

[0051] Here, the inner diameter dimension φA (see FIG. 3) of each metal cylindrical body 24 is preferably equal to or smaller than the inner diameter dimension φB (see FIG. 3) of a portion of each rear portion 64 that connects to the second end 114 of each metal cylindrical body 24 (for example, each base-end small-diameter portion 72), and in embodiment 1, these φA and φB are made equal to each other. As a result, in embodiment 1, in each guide recess 22, the inner circumferential surface 110 of each metal cylindrical body 24 and the inner surface 69 of each rear portion 64 are smoothly continuous with almost no steps.

[0052] Furthermore, the outer diameter of each metal cylindrical body 24 varies in the axial direction (vertical direction), and a retaining projection 120 is provided at the middle portion of each metal cylindrical body 24 in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) so as to project from the outer peripheral surface 118 in a horizontal direction intersecting (particularly perpendicular to) the axial direction. In embodiment 1, an annular retaining projection 120 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 118 of each metal cylindrical body 24, projecting outward along the entire circumference, and the outer diameter of each metal cylindrical body 24 is increased at the position where each retaining projection 120 is formed. Substantially the entirety of each metal cylindrical body 24 is embedded in each cylinder holding portion 88 that constitutes the female housing 20, and each retaining projection 120 is also embedded in each cylinder holding portion 88 of the female housing 20.

[0053] The axial end face of each metal cylindrical body 24 on the second end 114 side (upper) has an outer diameter dimension that varies in stages, and includes an annular distal small diameter section 122 located more distally (upper) in the direction toward each second end 114 (direction from bottom to top), and an annular proximal large diameter section 124 located proximal to the distal small diameter section 122. The upper end faces of these distal small diameter sections 122 and proximal large diameter sections 124 are connected by a substantially cylindrical cylindrical surface 126, and a cylindrical body step surface 128 is formed by the distal small diameter section 122, proximal large diameter section 124, and cylindrical surface 126.

[0054] Here, the inner diameter of the cylindrical surface 74 at each rear step surface 76 and the outer diameter of the cylindrical surface 126 at each cylindrical body step surface 128 are substantially equal. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the primary molded product 84 and each metal cylindrical body 24 are set in the molding cavity of the outer resin portion 92, each rear step surface 76 and each cylindrical body step surface 128 abut in the axial direction (vertical direction). Specifically, the cylindrical surfaces 74, 126 overlap in the radial direction (axis-perpendicular direction), and the base-side small-diameter portions 72 and the tip-side small-diameter portions 122 overlap in the vertical direction. That is, the second end 114 of each metal cylindrical body 24 is inserted into an annular recess provided on the open (lower) end face of each rear portion 64, thereby preventing misalignment of each metal cylindrical body 24 in the horizontal direction (axis-perpendicular direction) relative to the base portion 48.

[0055] <Assembly of Female Connector 10> A specific example of a method for assembling the female connector 10 will now be described. However, the method for assembling the female connector 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0056] First, one metal plate is bent into the aforementioned shape to form a pair of female terminals 16, 16. Then, as described above, each female terminal 16 is set in a molding cavity for molding the base portion 48, thereby molding the base portion 48. As a result, as shown in Figure 6, the base portion 48 integrally equipped with each female terminal 16 is obtained as a primary molded product 84.

[0057] 7, the primary molded item 84, the metal cylindrical bodies 24, and the nuts 96 are set in a molding cavity for molding the outer resin part 92, and the outer resin part 92 is molded. At this time, the innermost step surfaces 76 at the openings of the innermost portions 64 are brought into axial contact with the cylindrical body step surfaces 128 of the metal cylindrical bodies 24, thereby preventing horizontal misalignment of the metal cylindrical bodies 24 relative to the primary molded item 84 (base portion 48). This results in the secondary molded item 94 shown in FIG. 5.

[0058] 5, the cover portion 56 is prepared and is positioned to face the lower opening 54 of the hood portion 50 in the secondary molded product 94 in the vertical direction. Thereafter, the cover portion 56 is brought close to the secondary molded product 94 and accommodated in the accommodation space 86, and the locking claws 80 are engaged with the through-windows 104 of the elastic locking pieces 102, thereby completing the female connector 10.

[0059] <Assembly of connector unit 14> Below, we will explain a specific example of a method for inserting the male connector 12 into the female connector 10 of embodiment 1 to assemble the connector unit 14 in a state in which the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 are connected.

[0060] First, the female connector 10 assembled as described above and a separately prepared male connector 12 are placed vertically opposite each other as shown in Figure 4, and the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 are brought closer to each other. In the male connector 12, the guide protrusions 26 protrude upward relative to the male terminals 18, so that the guide protrusions 26 are inserted into the guide recesses 22 before the male terminals 18 are inserted into the female terminals 16. Then, with the guide protrusions 26 inserted into the guide recesses 22 and the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 positioned relative to each other, the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 are brought closer to each other. This presses the protruding tip portions of the male terminals 18 through the male terminal insertion holes 52 in the cover portion 56 and into the male terminal insertion gaps 42 in the female terminals 16. As a result, each male terminal 18 is inserted into each male terminal insertion gap 42 while each first contact portion 38 is elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction, and the elastic restoring force of each first contact portion 38 presses each of the first and second contact portions 38, 40 against each male terminal 18. In this state, the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 are brought closer together until, for example, the lower end surface of the female housing 20 and the upper end surface of the male housing 28 come into contact, thereby completing the connection between the female connector 10 and the male connector 12.

[0061] By connecting the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 in this manner, the female terminals 16 of the female connector 10 are electrically connected to the male terminals 18 of the male connector 12. This establishes electrical continuity between the female connector 10 provided on a power source member such as a battery and the male connector 12 provided on a load member such as a motor, and power is supplied from the power source member to the load member.

[0062] According to the female connector 10 of the first embodiment having the above-described structure, each guide protrusion 26 is made of metal, and the inner peripheral surface of the opening side of each guide recess 22 is formed by the inner peripheral surface 110 of each metal cylinder 24. As a result, when each guide protrusion 26 is inserted into each guide recess 22 to position the female connector 10 and the male connector 12, the strength and durability of each guide protrusion 26 and each guide recess 22 are improved compared to when each guide protrusion and each guide recess 22 are made of synthetic resin. In particular, the improved strength and durability of each guide protrusion 26 and each guide recess 22 makes it possible to repeatedly insert and remove the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 multiple times, making it possible to provide a female connector 10 and a connector unit 14 that are capable of multiple insertions and removals.

[0063] Each guide recess 22 has a rear portion 64 that extends further upward beyond the upper end (each second end 114) of each metal cylindrical body 24, and an inner surface 69 of each rear portion 64 is formed by the female housing 20. This ensures a predetermined amount of resin thickness C (see FIG. 3) even in the main portion α in FIG. 3, which tends to be relatively thin depending on the arrangement position of each nut 96, etc., and further improves the strength and durability when each guide protrusion 26 is inserted into each guide recess 22.

[0064] The inner diameter dimension φA of the metal cylindrical body 24 in each guide recess 22 is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter dimension φB of the portion of each rear portion 64 that connects to the second end 114 of each metal cylindrical body 24. In other words, if the inner diameter dimension φA were larger than the inner diameter dimension φB, for example, the inner surface of each rear portion would protrude inward relative to the inner circumferential surface of the metal cylindrical body, which could cause the guide protrusions to get caught on the inner surface of the rear portion when inserted into the guide recess. In contrast, the female connector 10 of embodiment 1 eliminates this risk, allowing the guide protrusions 26 inserted into each guide recess 22 to be more reliably inserted into the rear portion 64.

[0065] In the first embodiment, when the primary molded item 84 and each metal cylindrical body 24 are set in the molding cavity during molding of the outer resin portion 92, the cylindrical body step surface 128 of each metal cylindrical body 24 and the inner step surface 76 of each inner portion 64 are configured to abut in the axial direction. This prevents horizontal positional deviation of each metal cylindrical body 24 relative to the primary molded item 84 (base portion 48), suppresses manufacturing errors in the female connector 10, and more reliably achieves electrical continuity between the female connector 10 and the male connector 12.

[0066] Each metal cylinder 24 has a retaining projection 120 that protrudes outward, and each retaining projection 120 is embedded in the female housing 20. This makes it possible to reliably prevent each metal cylinder 24 from falling off the female housing 20, even when the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 are repeatedly inserted and removed from each other many times.

[0067] The cover portion 56 has elastic locking pieces 102 that protrude toward the base portion 48, and the base portion 48 has locking portions 78 to which the elastic locking pieces 102 are locked. This makes it easier to assemble the cover portion 56 to the base portion 48 than, for example, when the cover portion is fixed to the base portion with bolts.

[0068] <Modifications> Although the first embodiment has been described above in detail as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. 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 embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] (1) In the above embodiment, the female housing 20 is formed by forming the primary molded part 84 and then the secondary molded part 94. However, this is not limited to this configuration. That is, if the locking portions for the elastic locking pieces of the cover can be formed by die-cutting, for example, by changing the positions of the nuts or female terminals (particularly the outward protrusions), the female housing may be formed in a single molding operation. In this case, the female housing is molded by setting each metal cylindrical body in the molding cavity of the female housing, thereby obtaining a female connector in which the inner peripheral surfaces of the opening sides of each guide recess are formed by the inner peripheral surfaces of each metal cylindrical body. In the above embodiment, the cover 56 is fixed to the base 48 by locking each locking portion 78 with each elastic locking piece 102. However, this is not limited to this configuration. The cover may be fixed to the base by bolting or press-fitting. Even in this case, the female housing may be formed in a single molding operation.

[0070] (2) In the above embodiment, the inner diameter dimension φA of each metal cylindrical body 24 is equal to the inner diameter dimension φB of the portion of each rear portion 64 that connects to the second end 114 of each metal cylindrical body 24. However, the inner diameter dimension φA may be smaller than the inner diameter dimension φB. This can further reduce the risk of each guide protrusion 26 coming into contact with the inner surface 69 of each rear portion 64 when each guide protrusion 26 is inserted into each guide recess 22. Note that the inner diameter dimension φA may be larger than the inner diameter dimension φB.

[0071] (3) The number and shape of female terminals employed in the female connector according to the present disclosure are not limited. For example, if the male terminals inserted into the female terminals are pin-shaped, the male terminal insertion gaps in the female terminals may be cylindrical, and the number of female terminals employed in the female connector may be one, three, or more, depending on the number of male terminals.

[0072] (4) In the above embodiment, the female connector 10 and the male connector 12 are applied to an automobile or a motorcycle, but the female connector and connector unit according to the present disclosure can be used in any known location where connectors can be coupled. Furthermore, the number of guide recesses into which the guide protrusions are inserted in the female connector according to the present disclosure is not limited to two, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the number of guide protrusions in the male connector.

[0073] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 female connector 12 male connector 14 connector unit 16 female terminal 18 male terminal 20 female housing 22 guide recess 24 metal cylindrical body 26 guide protrusion 28 male housing 30 female terminal main body 32 peripheral wall 34 inner hole 36 folded portion 38 first contact portion 40 second contact portion 42 male terminal insertion gap 44 outward protrusion 46 bolt insertion hole 48 base portion 50 hood portion 52 male terminal insertion hole 54 lower opening 56 cover portion 58 holding portion 60 connecting portion 62 outward extension portion 64 inner portion 66 through hole 68 dome portion 69 inner surface 70 tip-side large diameter portion 72 base-side small diameter portion 74 cylindrical surface 76 inner stepped surface 78 Locking portion 80 Locking claw 82 Inclined surface 84 Primary molded part 86 Storage space 88 Cylinder holding portion 90 Upper covering portion 92 Outer resin portion 94 Secondary molded part 96 Nut 98 Bottom wall portion 100 Surrounding portion 102 Elastic locking piece 104 Through window portion 106 Inclined surface 108 Abutting wall portion 110 Inner peripheral surface 112 First end portion 114 Second end portion 116 Guide surface 118 Outer peripheral surface 120 Pull-out prevention protrusion 122 Tip-side small diameter portion 124 Base-side large diameter portion 126 Cylindrical surface 128 Cylinder step surface

Claims

1. A female connector to be fitted to a male connector having a male housing made of synthetic resin that holds male terminals and metal guide projections, the female connector comprising: female terminals electrically connected to the male terminals; a female housing made of synthetic resin that holds the female terminals; a guide recess provided in the female housing, into which the guide projections are inserted before fitting of the male terminals and the female terminals, for positioning the male terminals and the female terminals; and a metal cylinder embedded in the female housing, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the guide recess is formed by an inner peripheral surface of the metal cylinder.

2. The female connector according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the guide recess on the opening side is constituted by a first end portion on one side in the axial direction of the metal cylinder, the guide recess has a depth portion extending to the other side in the axial direction beyond a second end portion on the other side in the axial direction of the metal cylinder, and an inner surface of the depth portion is formed by the female housing.

3. The female connector according to claim 2, wherein an inner diameter of the metal cylinder of the guide recess is equal to or smaller than an inner diameter of a portion of the metal cylinder in the depth portion that is connected to the second end portion.

4. The female connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an axial end surface on the second end portion side of the metal cylinder has a cylinder stepped surface provided with a small-diameter portion on the tip side and a large-diameter portion on the base end side, an axial end surface of the depth portion of the guide recess has a depth stepped surface provided with a large-diameter portion on the tip side and a small-diameter portion on the base end side, and the cylinder stepped surface and the depth stepped surface are in contact with each other in the axial direction.

5. The female connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal cylinder has a retaining projection protruding from an outer peripheral surface in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the metal cylinder, and the retaining projection is embedded in the female housing.

6. The female connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female housing has a base portion that holds a base end portion of the female terminal, a hood portion that surrounds a tip portion of the female terminal protruding from the base portion, and a cover portion that has a male terminal insertion hole and covers an opening of the hood portion, the cover portion has an elastic locking piece protruding toward the base portion, and the base portion has a locking portion protruding toward the cover portion for locking the elastic locking piece.

7. A male connector including a male housing made of synthetic resin that holds a male terminal and a metal guide projection, and the female connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, a connector unit having the same.

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