Connector

Abstract

A terminal (60) has a first protrusion (66) and a second protrusion (67) that protrude in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction. The second protrusion (67) is disposed behind the first protrusion (66) and disposed coaxially aligned with the first protrusion (66) in the front-rear direction. A housing (20, 21) has, on the inner surface of a cavity (22), a first interference section (36) disposed behind a lance (23) and a second interference section (38) disposed behind the first interference section (36). When the terminal (60) is disposed in a normal insertion posture with respect to the cavity (22), the first protrusion (66) is locked by the lance (23). When the terminal (60) is disposed in a reverse insertion posture with respect to the cavity (22), the first protrusion (66) interferes with the first interference section (36) from behind, and when the first protrusion (66) and the first interference section (36) interfere with each other, the second protrusion (67) also interferes with the second interference section (38).

Description

connector

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors.

[0002] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a connector body (hereinafter referred to as the "housing") and terminal fittings (hereinafter referred to as the "terminals"). The housing has terminal insertion holes (hereinafter referred to as the "cavities") extending in the front-rear direction. The terminals are inserted into the cavities from the rear of the housing.

[0003] The terminal has a rectangular tubular main body, a protrusion formed by cutting out a portion of the top wall of the main body, and a second protrusion formed by cutting out a portion of one side wall of the main body (a wall adjacent to and intersecting the top wall). The housing has a reverse insertion guide groove extending in the front-to-rear direction while communicating with the cavity, and a recess at a position separate from the reverse insertion guide groove and communicating with the cavity.

[0004] When a terminal is inserted into a cavity in a reverse insertion position, upside down from the normal insertion position, the protrusion enters the reverse insertion guide groove and the second protrusion enters the recess. The second protrusion then hits the inner surface of the recess, stopping the movement of the terminal, making it possible to detect and prevent the terminal from being inserted into the cavity in a reverse insertion position (incorrect position). Technology for detecting reverse terminal insertion is also disclosed in Patent Document 2.

[0005] JP 2019-153502 A JP 2017-143010 A

[0006] In the case of Patent Document 1, when the terminal is inserted backwards, two protrusions (the protrusion and the second protrusion) interfere with the inner wall of the housing, which increases the reliability of reverse insertion detection. However, because the protrusion protrudes upward from the main body and the second protrusion protrudes laterally from the main body, there was a concern that the main body would become larger in the vertical and horizontal directions, and therefore the diameter of the cavity into which the main body is inserted would also become larger.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can increase the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of a terminal into a housing and that can accommodate miniaturization of the terminals and housing.

[0008] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a terminal connected to an end portion of an electric wire, and a housing that accommodates the terminal, wherein the terminal has a first protrusion and a second protrusion that protrude in a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction, the second protrusion being arranged rearward of the first protrusion and coaxially aligned with the first protrusion in the front-to-rear direction, the housing having a cavity extending in the front-to-rear direction, an elastically deformable lance that protrudes from the inner surface of the cavity, a first interference portion that is arranged rearward of the lance on the inner surface of the cavity, and a second interference portion that is arranged rearward of the first interference portion on the inner surface of the cavity, wherein when the terminal is arranged in a normal insertion position relative to the cavity, the first protrusion is engaged with the lance, and when the terminal is arranged in a reverse insertion position relative to the cavity that is opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and when the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion, the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that can increase the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of a terminal into a housing and that can accommodate miniaturization of the terminal and housing.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which terminals in a normal insertion position are accommodated in cavities in the housing. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a terminal in the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a cavity in the housing in the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment, cutting the housing along the left-right direction and showing the first and second interference portions from above. FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear view of the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a portion where an electric wire is drawn out from a through hole in the rear wall portion. FIG. 7 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion and the second protrusion interferes with the second interference portion, stopping the movement of the terminal in the reverse insertion position. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan cross-sectional view of the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the first protrusion moves along the rear inclined surface, causing the front end of the terminal in the reverse insertion position to swing to one side in the width direction. Figure 9 is an enlarged plan view showing the connector of this embodiment 1 in which the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion, the second protrusion rides up on the ride-up surface, and the front end of the terminal in the reverse insertion position swings to the other side in the width direction.

[0011] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) A terminal connected to an end portion of an electric wire and a housing accommodating the terminal, the terminal having a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction, the second protrusion being arranged rearward of the first protrusion and coaxially aligned with the first protrusion in the front-to-rear direction, the housing having a cavity extending in the front-to-rear direction, an elastically deformable lance protruding from the inner surface of the cavity, a first interference portion arranged rearward of the lance on the inner surface of the cavity, and a second interference portion arranged rearward of the first interference portion on the inner surface of the cavity, wherein when the terminal is arranged in a normal insertion position relative to the cavity, the first protrusion is engaged with the lance, and when the terminal is arranged in a reverse insertion position relative to the cavity that is opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and when the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion, the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion.

[0012] When the terminal is inserted into the cavity in a reverse insertion position, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and during this interference, the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion, thereby reliably stopping the movement of the terminal in the reverse insertion position. In particular, because the first and second protrusions interfere with the first and second interference portions, respectively, the terminal can be stopped in the reverse insertion position even if the protrusion amounts of the first and second protrusions are reduced compared to the protrusion amount of one protrusion set when one protrusion interferes with one interference portion. Furthermore, because the first and second protrusions are arranged coaxially in the front-to-rear direction, their protrusion directions can be aligned in the same direction while having overlapping portions in the protrusion directions. This avoids an increase in the size of the terminal and, ultimately, the housing, and allows for a smaller connector.

[0013] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, the second interference portion preferably has a rearwardly inclined surface that slopes forward as it protrudes into the cavity. When a terminal in a reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity, the second protrusion can contact along the rearwardly inclined surface of the second interference portion, ensuring a long time (time lag) for the second protrusion to interfere with the second interference portion. This makes it easy to create a state in which the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion while the second protrusion is interfering with the second interference portion.

[0014] (3) In the connector described in (2) above, the second interference portion is preferably formed in a trapezoidal shape on the inner surface of the cavity, has a ride-up surface extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a forward inclined surface that slopes rearward and connects to the front end of the ride-up surface, the rear inclined surface slopes forward and connects to the rear end of the ride-up surface, the housing has an opposing inclined surface on the inner surface of the cavity that faces the forward inclined surface, an insertion path for the first interference portion is defined inside the cavity of the housing between the forward inclined surface and the opposing inclined surface, and the first interference portion is preferably located forward of the insertion path. When a terminal in a reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity, the first protrusion passes from the rear inclined surface through the ride-up surface to the forward inclined surface and can interfere with the first interference portion from behind through the insertion path defined between the forward inclined surface and the opposing inclined surface. The terminal can be displaced while tilting so as to swing in the width direction (the direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction) along the second protrusion until the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion. Here, when inserting the terminal into the cavity by gripping the electric wire, the inclination of the terminal with respect to the front-to-rear direction, which is the insertion direction into the cavity, can be recognized by hand or sight through buckling of the electric wire, etc., thereby further increasing the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of the terminal.

[0015] (4) In the connector described in (3) above, the first interference portion may be formed on a first surface of the inner surface of the cavity, and the second interference portion may be formed on a second surface of the inner surface of the cavity that intersects with and is adjacent to the first surface. According to the configuration described in (4) above, the shapes of the first interference portion and the second interference portion can be relatively freely determined without affecting each other.

[0016] (5) In the connector described in (3) or (4) above, it is preferable that the first interference portion has a stopper surface along a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. According to the configuration described in (5) above, the first protrusion abuts against the stopper surface of the first interference portion from behind, thereby more reliably stopping the movement of the terminal in the reverse insertion position.

[0017] (6) In the connector described in any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the connector further includes a sealing member attached to the housing, the sealing member having a sealing hole penetrating in the front-to-rear direction and an inner lip extending circumferentially around the inner periphery of the sealing hole, the electric wire being arranged in the sealing hole and being in close contact with the inner lip, the first interference portion and the second interference portion being arranged forward of the sealing member, the terminal having an insulation barrel crimped onto the insulating coating of the electric wire, and the insulation barrel being arranged rearward and away from the inner lip when the first protrusion and the second protrusion are respectively interfering with the first interference portion and the second interference portion.

[0018] According to the configuration (6) above, even if the terminal is tilted in the front-to-rear direction when the first protrusion and the second protrusion are interfering with the first interference portion and the second interference portion, respectively, the insulation barrel does not come into contact with the inner lip, thereby preventing the inner lip from being damaged due to contact with the insulation barrel.

[0019] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention 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 As shown in FIG. 1 , a connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes housings 20 and 21 and a lever 90 rotatably supported by the housings 20 and 21. The housings 20 and 21 are mated with a mating connector (not shown) with low mating force based on the rotation of the lever 90. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction refers to the direction in which the housings 20 and 21 are mated with the mating connector. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in each drawing except for FIGS. 5 , 8 , and 9 . The left-to-right direction is based on the left-to-right direction when viewed from the front. The up-down direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the left-to-right direction is synonymous with the width direction. The front, right, and top are indicated by the symbols X, Y, and Z, respectively, in each drawing. These directional references are for convenience and do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like.

[0021] (Overall Structure of Connector 10) The housings 20, 21 are made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 1, have an inner housing 20 and an outer housing 21 that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner housing 20.

[0022] 2, the inner housing 20 has a plurality of cavities 22. Each cavity 22 extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the front and rear surfaces of the inner housing 20. An elastically deformable lance 23 is formed protruding from the inner surface of each cavity 22.

[0023] A terminal 60 is inserted from the rear into each cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 and accommodated therein. The terminal 60 is locked by the lance 23. The terminal 60 is connected to an end portion of the electric wire 100.

[0024] Retainer mounting holes 24 are formed in the upper surface of the inner housing 20. The retainer mounting holes 24 communicate with the cavities 22. A retainer 30 (see FIG. 1) is inserted from above into the retainer mounting holes 24 of the inner housing 20 to be mounted therein. After the terminals 60 are engaged with the lances 23, they are then engaged with the retainer 30.

[0025] 1 and 2, a front holder 40 is attached to the inner housing 20 from the front. The front holder 40 has a front wall 41 that covers the front of each lance 23. As shown in FIG. 2, a mating recess 42 is formed on the rear surface of the front wall 41. The front end of a main body 61 of the terminal 60, which will be described later, is mated with the mating recess 42 to prevent the terminal 60 from slipping out of the cavity 22 forward.

[0026] An accommodating recess 43 is formed in the rear surface of the inner housing 20. The rear end of each cavity 22 opens to the inner surface (the surface facing rearward) of the accommodating recess 43. A seal member 50 is inserted into the accommodating recess 43 of the inner housing 20 from the rear and accommodated therein.

[0027] The seal member 50 is made of rubber such as silicone rubber and is configured as a one-piece rubber plug having a thickness in the front-rear direction. The seal member 50 has a plurality of seal holes 51. Each seal hole 51 is arranged to communicate with each cavity 22 in the front-rear direction. The seal member 50 has a plurality of inner peripheral lips 52 (see FIG. 7 ) extending circumferentially around the inner surface of each seal hole 51. The seal member 50 also has a plurality of outer peripheral lips 53 extending circumferentially around the outer surface of the seal member 50. The inner peripheral lips 52 and the outer peripheral lips 53 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction on the seal member 50. Each inner peripheral lip 52 closely contacts the outer peripheral surface of the insulating coating 110 of the electric wire 100, maintaining a liquid-tight seal between the seal member 50 and the electric wire 100. Each outer peripheral lip 53 closely contacts the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating recess 43, maintaining a liquid-tight seal between the seal member 50 and the inner housing 20.

[0028] 2, a seal ring 55 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 20. The seal ring 55 is compressed and held between the hood of a mating connector (not shown) and the inner housing 20, maintaining a liquid-tight seal between the housings 20, 21 and the mating connector.

[0029] The outer housing 21 is locked and connected to the inner housing 20 by a locking portion (not shown). The outer housing 21 has a rear wall portion 25 (see FIG. 2) that is thick in the front-to-rear direction, and a mating tubular portion 26 (see FIG. 1) that protrudes forward from the outer peripheral edge of the rear wall portion 25. The mating tubular portion 26 is cylindrical and is disposed so as to cover the outer periphery of the inner housing 20. As shown in FIG. 1, a mating space 27 that is open forward is formed between the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 21, into which a mating connector can be mated. The seal ring 55 faces the mating space 27. The lever 90 is attached so as to straddle the outer housing 21 from the side (right side).

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the rear wall 25 is disposed so as to cover the rear surface of the seal member 50. The rear wall 25 prevents the seal member 50 from slipping rearward out of the accommodating recess 43. The rear wall 25 has a plurality of through holes 28. Each through hole 28 is disposed so as to communicate with each seal hole 51 in the front-rear direction. As shown in Fig. 6, the through holes 28 are opened to a size that allows the terminal 60 and the electric wire 100 to be inserted therethrough, and have an opening shape (cross-sectional shape) that corresponds to the outer shape of a main body 61 (described later) of the terminal 60.

[0031] (Terminal 60) The terminal 60 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate material or the like. As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal 60 has an elongated shape in the front-to-rear direction as a whole. The terminal 60 has a main body 61, a wire barrel 62 connected to the rear of the main body 61, and an insulation barrel 63 connected to the rear of the wire barrel 62. The wire barrel 62 is crimped and electrically connected to the core wire 120 exposed by removing the insulating coating 110 at the terminal portion (front end) of the electric wire 100. The insulation barrel 63 is crimped and mechanically connected to the insulating coating 110 at the terminal portion of the electric wire 100.

[0032] In the first embodiment, the outer diameter of the electric wire 100 (the outer diameter of the insulating coating 110) is similar to the height and width of the main body 61. The insulation barrel 63 has a length sufficient to enable it to be wound around the outer periphery of the electric wire 100, and is configured with a height dimension greater than that of the wire barrel 62.

[0033] The main body 61 has a rectangular cylindrical shape. A tab of a mating terminal (not shown) is inserted into the main body 61. The tab comes into contact with a resilient contact piece (not shown) arranged inside the main body 61, and is electrically connected to the terminal 60. The front and rear upper walls of the main body 61 have an inner wall 64 and an outer wall 65 that overlap in the vertical direction. The main body 61 has a first protrusion 66 formed by bending upward the center of the width direction of the front outer wall 65, and a second protrusion 67 formed by bending upward the center of the width direction of the rear outer wall 65.

[0034] The first protrusion 66 has an embossed shape (trapezoidal shape) that bulges upward by pressing the rear end of the front outer wall 65. Similarly, the second protrusion 67 has an embossed shape (trapezoidal shape) that bulges upward by pressing the rear end of the rear outer wall 65. The top surfaces of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are each formed flat in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0035] The first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are arranged side by side at a distance from each other on the same axis in the front-to-rear direction on the upper surface of the main body 61, and have a height range in which they overlap each other in the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , the front surfaces of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are plate surfaces that slope rearward as they extend upward. The rear surfaces of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are plate-thickness surfaces that form the rear ends of the outer wall 65 and are connected in the width direction in a plan view (see FIGS. 8 and 9 ). As shown in FIG. 2 , the rear surface of the second protrusion 67 is located at the rear end of the main body 61. The retainer 30 is positioned so as to be engageable with the rear surface of the second protrusion 67. The lance 23 is positioned so as to be engageable with the rear surface of the first protrusion 66. The first protrusion 66 is inserted into the fitting recess 42.

[0036] (Inner housing 20) As shown in Figure 4, the inner surface of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 has a shape (cross-sectional shape) corresponding to the outer shape of the main body 61 of the terminal 60. The inner surface of the cavity 22 has a first surface 31 and a fourth surface 34 that face each other in the up-down direction, and a second surface 32 and a third surface 33 that face each other in the left-right direction. The first surface 31 is a surface that faces upward at the bottom end of the inner surface of the cavity 22. The fourth surface 34 is a surface that faces downward at the top end of the inner surface of the cavity 22. The second surface 32 is a surface that faces right at the left end of Figure 4. The third surface 33 is a surface that faces left at the right end of Figure 4.

[0037] The inner housing 20 has a guide groove 35 recessed in the widthwise center of the fourth surface 34 of the cavity 22. The guide groove 35 extends in the front-rear direction on the fourth surface 34 of the cavity 22, with its front end reaching the base of the lance 23. The inner surface of the guide groove 35 is curved. When the terminal 60 is inserted into the cavity 22 in the correct insertion position, the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 enter the guide groove 35, guiding the insertion (movement) of the terminal 60 into the cavity 22 (see FIG. 2 ).

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5 , the inner housing 20 has a first interference portion 36 located rearward of the retainer mounting hole 24 on the first surface 31 of the cavity 22. The first interference portion 36 is flat and has a front surface and a rear surface along the width direction. The front surface of the first interference portion 36 faces forward toward the retainer mounting hole 24. The rear surface of the first interference portion 36 faces rearward and serves as a stopper surface 37 that abuts against a first protrusion 66 of a terminal 60 in a reverse insertion position (described later). The stopper surface 37 of the first interference portion 36 is located toward the center of the width direction of the cavity 22 and slopes forward as it extends upward. The top surface of the first interference portion 36 is flat in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0039] 5, the inner housing 20 has a second interference portion 38 at a position rearward of the retainer mounting hole 24 on the second surface 32 of the cavity 22. The second interference portion 38 is formed on the second surface 32 of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20. The second interference portion 38 is disposed at the lower end of the second surface 32 of the cavity 22 in a height range that overlaps with the first interference portion 36. The first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38 are misaligned from each other in the width direction.

[0040] The second interference portion 38 has a trapezoidal shape extending in the front-rear direction when viewed from above. The lower surface of the second interference portion 38 is continuous with the first surface 31. The upper surface of the second interference portion 38 is formed flat in the front-rear and left-right directions. The second interference portion 38 has a ride-up surface 39 extending in the front-rear direction at the center of the width of the cavity 22. The first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position are displaced laterally and ride up onto the ride-up surface 39 (see FIGS. 8 and 9 ). The ride-up surface 39 is inclined upward from the first surface 31.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 9, the front surface of the second interference portion 38 faces forward and slopes rearward to form a forward inclined surface 46 that connects to the front end of the ride-on surface 39. The forward inclined surface 46 of the second interference portion 38 faces the retainer mounting hole 24 via a notched space 45, which will be described later. The forward inclined surface 46 of the second interference portion 38 is formed by the slide mold (not shown) that forms the retainer mounting hole 24. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a notched space 45 is formed in the inner housing 20 in front of the forward inclined surface 46 of the second interference portion 38 due to upward retraction of the slide mold. As shown in FIG. 4, the notched space 45 extends vertically across the first surface 31 and the fourth surface 34 of the cavity 22 and opens to the top surface of the inner housing. The first interference portion 36 is positioned opposite the second surface 32 via the notched space 45.

[0042] 5, 8, and 9, the rear surface of the second interference portion 38 is disposed facing rearward on the opposite side from the forward inclined surface 46, and forms a rear inclined surface 47 that is inclined forward and continues to the rear end of the ride-on surface 39. The rear inclined surface 47 is located forward of the accommodation recess 43.

[0043] The inner housing 20 has a straight surface 48 extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position facing in the width direction the ride-up surface 39 of the second interference portion 38 on the third surface 33 of the cavity 22. The first protrusion 66 of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position passes between the ride-up surface 39 and the straight surface 48. The straight surface 48 is inclined upward from the first surface 31.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 9, the inner housing 20 has an opposing inclined surface 49 extending forward from the front end of the straight surface 48 on the third surface 33 of the cavity 22, substantially parallel to and facing the forward inclined surface 46. An insertion passage 56 is formed between the opposing inclined surface 49 and the front inclined surface 46 within the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20, through which the first protrusion 66 of the terminal 60 passes in the reverse insertion position. As the first protrusion 66 passes through the insertion passage 56, it shifts from the center of the cavity 22 toward the second surface 32 (see FIG. 9). The inner housing 20 also has an extension surface 57 that extends forward from the front end of the opposing inclined surface 49 and connects to one widthwise end of the stopper surface 37. As shown in FIG. 9, the first protrusion 66 of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position abuts against the stopper surface 37 of the first interference portion 36, and is positioned between the extension surface 57 and the second surface 32.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, the straight surface 48, the opposing inclined surface 49, and the extended surface 57 are formed on an opposing portion 58 formed on the third surface 33 of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20. The front end of the opposing portion 58 (the front end of the extended surface 57) is continuous with the first interference portion 36. The lower surface of the opposing portion 58 is continuous with the first surface 31. The upper surface of the opposing portion 58 is formed flat in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The upper surfaces of the opposing portion 58 and the first interference portion 36 are arranged continuously at the same height.

[0046] (Operation of Connector 10) When assembling the connector 10, the terminal 60 connected to the end portion of the electric wire 100 is inserted into the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 from the rear. The terminal 60 can be inserted into the cavity 22 by gripping the electric wire 100. When the terminal 60 is properly inserted into the cavity 22, both the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 face upward. The main body 61 of the terminal 60, which is properly inserted, is inserted into the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 through the through hole 28 of the rear wall 25 and the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50. As shown in FIG. 2 , when the terminal 60 is inserted to the proper depth into the cavity 22, the first protrusion 66 is engaged with the lance 23, and the terminal 60 is temporarily prevented from coming out of the cavity 22. Then, when the retainer 30 is inserted deeply into the retainer mounting hole 24 and reaches the main locking position, the second protrusion 67 is locked to the retainer 30, and the terminal 60 is secondarily prevented from coming out of the cavity 22. The electric wire 100 connected to the terminal 60 is inserted into the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50 and comes into liquid-tight contact with the inner peripheral lip 52.

[0047] In contrast, when the terminal 60 assumes a reverse insertion position, which is upside down from the normal insertion position relative to the cavity 22, both the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are positioned downward. Unlike the first embodiment, if the outer diameter of the electric wire is small and the first protrusion has a sufficient protrusion amount exceeding the outer diameter of the electric wire, the first protrusion can be abutted against the opening edge of the through-hole in the rear surface of the rear wall of the outer housing to stop the movement of the terminal in the reverse insertion position and detect the reverse insertion of the terminal. However, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the protrusion amount of the first protrusion 66 is kept small in consideration of the miniaturization of the connector 10, and the outer diameter of the electric wire 100 is made larger than that of the terminal 60. This makes it difficult to detect the reverse insertion of the terminal 60 by abutting the first protrusion 66 against the rear surface of the rear wall 25.

[0048] When the terminal 60 is in the reverse insertion position, the first protrusion 66 is inserted into the through-hole 28 of the rear wall portion 25, and then passes through the through-hole 28 and can be inserted into the rear end of the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 through the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50. As shown in Fig. 8 , the first protrusion 66 inserted into the rear end of the cavity 22 contacts the rear inclined surface 47 of the second interference portion 38 from behind and shifts to one side in the width direction along the rear inclined surface 47. As the first protrusion 66 shifts to one side in the width direction, the front end of the main body 61 also swings to one side in the width direction, and the entire terminal 60 is displaced so as to tilt relative to the front-to-rear direction.

[0049] If the operator continues inserting the terminal 60 without noticing that the terminal 60 has been inserted backwards, the first protrusion 66 will ride up onto the ride-up surface 39 and displace forward along the ride-up surface 39. Thereafter, at the same time as the first protrusion 66 contacts the front inclined surface 46 from behind, or around the same time, the second protrusion 67 contacts the rear inclined surface 47 from behind. If the operator continues inserting the terminal 60 further, the first protrusion 66 will displace to the other widthwise side along the front inclined surface 46, and the second protrusion 67 will displace to one widthwise side along the rear inclined surface 47 (see FIG. 9 ).

[0050] 9 , the first protrusion 66 abuts against the stopper surface 37 of the first interference portion 36 from the rear of the insertion path 56. When the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36, the second protrusion 67 contacts the inclined portion of the rear inclined surface 47 or rides up the ride-up surface 39, thereby maintaining interference with the second interference portion 38. Thus, a state is created in which the interference between the first protrusion 66 and the first interference portion 36 and the interference between the second protrusion 67 and the second interference portion 38 overlap (a synchronized state). Therefore, compared to a case in which only the first protrusion 66 and the first interference portion 36 interfere or only the second protrusion 67 and the second interference portion 38 interfere, the overall interference can be increased, and the movement of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position can be stopped reliably.

[0051] Furthermore, as the wire 100 continues to be pushed in, the wire 100 buckles between the gripping portion (the portion held by the worker's hand) and the terminal 60, and the reduction in resistance that accompanies the buckling allows the worker to more reliably recognize (detect) that the terminal 60 is in a reverse insertion position.

[0052] 7 , with the first protrusion 66 interfering with the first interference portion 36 and the second protrusion 67 interfering with the second interference portion 38, the terminal 60 in this reverse insertion position inserts the wire barrel 62 into the seal hole 51 of the seal member 50, positioning the insulation barrel 63 behind the inner lip 52. Therefore, when the terminal 60 is reversely inserted, the insulation barrel 63 does not come into contact with the inner lip 52, preventing damage to the inner lip 52.

[0053] As described above, the connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a terminal 60 connected to an end of an electric wire 100 and a housing 20, 21 (inner housing 20) that accommodates the terminal 60. The terminal 60 has a first protrusion 66 and a second protrusion 67 that protrude upward intersecting the front-rear direction. The second protrusion 67 is arranged rearward of the first protrusion 66 and coaxially aligned with the first protrusion 66 in the front-rear direction. The inner housing 20 includes a cavity 22 extending in the front-rear direction, an elastically deformable lance 23 that protrudes from the inner surface of the cavity 22, a first interference portion 36 that is arranged rearward of the lance 23 on the inner surface of the cavity 22, and a second interference portion 38 that is arranged rearward of the first interference portion 36 on the inner surface of the cavity 22. When the terminal 60 is arranged in a normal insertion position relative to the cavity 22, the first protrusion 66 is engaged with the lance 23. When the terminal 60 is placed in the cavity 22 in a reverse insertion position opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36 from behind, and when this first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36, the second protrusion 67 also interferes with the second interference portion 38.

[0054] When the terminal 60 is placed in the cavity 22 in a reverse insertion position, the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36 from behind, and at the same time, the second protrusion 67 also interferes with the second interference portion 38, so that movement of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position can be stopped reliably. In particular, because the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 interfere with the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38, respectively, the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position can be stopped even if the protrusion amount of each of the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 is reduced compared to the protrusion amount of one protrusion set when one protrusion interferes with one interference portion. Furthermore, because the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are arranged side by side on the same axis in the front-to-rear direction, they can be aligned in the same protrusion direction while having portions that overlap with each other in the protrusion direction. In this way, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the cavity 22, and therefore to avoid an increase in the size of the terminals 60 and therefore the inner housing 20, thereby making it possible to accommodate miniaturization of the connector 10.

[0055] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, the second interference portion 38 has a rearward inclined surface 47 that inclines forward as it protrudes into the cavity 22. When the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity 22, the second protrusion 67 can come into contact along the rearward inclined surface 47 of the second interference portion 38, ensuring a long time (time lag) for the second protrusion 67 to interfere with the second interference portion 38. Therefore, it is easy to create a state in which the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36 while the second protrusion 67 is interfering with the second interference portion 38.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the second interference portion 38 is trapezoidally formed on the inner surface of the cavity 22 and has a ride-on surface 39 extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a forward inclined surface 46 that slopes rearward and connects to the front end of the ride-on surface 39. The rear inclined surface 47 slopes forward and connects to the rear end of the ride-on surface 39. The inner housing 20 has an opposing inclined surface 49 on the inner surface of the cavity 22 that faces the front inclined surface 46. An insertion path 56 for the first interference portion 36 is defined inside the cavity 22 of the inner housing 20 between the front inclined surface 46 and the opposing inclined surface 49. The first interference portion 36 is disposed in front of the insertion path 56.

[0057] When the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position is inserted into the cavity 22, the first protrusion 66 travels from the rear inclined surface 47, over the ride-up surface 39, to the front inclined surface 46, and can interfere with the first interference portion 36 from behind through the insertion path 56 defined between the front inclined surface 46 and the opposing inclined surface 49. Until the first protrusion 66 interferes with the first interference portion 36, the terminal 60 can be displaced while tilting so as to swing in the width direction (a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction) along the second protrusion 67. Here, when the insertion operation of the terminal 60 into the cavity 22 is performed by gripping the electric wire 100, the inclination of the terminal 60 with respect to the front-to-rear direction, which is the insertion direction of the terminal 60 into the cavity 22, can be recognized by hand or sight due to buckling of the electric wire 100, etc., thereby further increasing the reliability of detecting reverse insertion of the terminal 60.

[0058] In particular, the first interference portion 36 has a stopper surface 37 along the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, so that the movement of the terminal 60 in the reverse insertion position can be stopped with even greater certainty.

[0059] In the case of the first embodiment, the first interference portion 36 is formed on the first surface 31 of the inner surface of the cavity 22, and the second interference portion 38 is formed on the second surface 32 that intersects with and is adjacent to the first surface 31 of the inner surface of the cavity 22. This allows the shapes of the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38 to be determined relatively freely without affecting each other.

[0060] Furthermore, the connector 10 of the first embodiment further includes a seal member 50 attached to the inner housing 20. The seal member 50 has a seal hole 51 penetrating in the front-rear direction and an inner lip 52 extending circumferentially around the inner periphery of the seal hole 51. The electric wire 100 is disposed in the seal hole 51 and is configured to be in close contact with the inner lip 52. The first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38 are disposed forward of the seal member 50. The terminal 60 has an insulation barrel 63 that is crimped onto the insulating coating 110 of the electric wire 100. With the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 interfering with the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38, respectively, the insulation barrel 63 is disposed rearward and spaced apart from the inner lip 52. In this way, even if the terminal 60 is tilted in the front-to-rear direction when the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 67 are interfering with the first interference portion 36 and the second interference portion 38, the insulation barrel 63 does not come into contact with the inner lip 52, thereby preventing the inner lip 52 from being damaged due to contact with the insulation barrel 63.

[0061] [Other Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] The above-described first embodiment disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In the above-described first embodiment, the housing is configured to be separable into an inner housing and an outer housing. However, according to other embodiments, the housing may be configured as a single, inseparable housing. When the housing is configured as a single housing, the seal member may be prevented from slipping out of the accommodation space by a dedicated rear holder attached to the housing. In the above-described first embodiment, the first interference portion is formed on a first surface of the inner surface of the cavity, and the second interference portion is formed on a second surface of the inner surface of the cavity that is different from the first surface. However, according to other embodiments, the first interference portion and the second interference portion may both be formed on the first surface (the same surface) of the inner surface of the cavity. In the above-described first embodiment, the stopper surface of the first interference portion is arranged along the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and the rear inclined surface of the second interference portion is arranged at an angle with respect to the front-rear direction. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the stopper surface of the first interference portion may be inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, or the rear inclined surface of the second interference portion may be arranged along the width direction. In the case of the above-mentioned first embodiment, the second protrusion is configured to interfere with the second interference portion after the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the first protrusion may be configured to interfere with the first interference portion after the second protrusion interferes with the second interference portion, or the first protrusion and the second protrusion may be configured to simultaneously interfere with the first interference portion and the second interference portion, respectively.

[0062] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Connector 20...Inner housing (housing) 21...Outer housing (housing) 22...Cavity 23...Lance 24...Retainer mounting hole 25...Rear wall portion 26...Fitting tubular portion 27...Fitting space 28...Through hole 30...Retainer 31...First surface 32...Second surface 33...Third surface 34...Fourth surface 35...Guide groove 36...First interference portion 37...Stopper surface 38...Second interference portion 39...Riding surface 40...Front holder 41...Front wall 42...Fitting recess 43...Accommodating recess 45...Notched space 46...Front inclined surface 47...Rear inclined surface 48...Straight surface 49...Opposite inclined surface 50...Seal member 51...Seal hole 52...Inner peripheral lip 53...Outer peripheral lip 55...Seal ring 56...Insertion path 57: Extension surface 58: Opposing portion 60: Terminal 61: Main body 62: Wire barrel 63: Insulation barrel 64: Inner wall 65: Outer wall 66: First protrusion 67: Second protrusion 90: Lever 100: Electric wire 110: Insulating coating 120: Core wire

Claims

1. A connector comprising: a terminal to be connected to an end portion of an electric wire; and a housing accommodating the terminal, wherein the terminal has a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction, the second protrusion being arranged rearward of the first protrusion and side-by-side with the first protrusion on the same axis in the front-to-rear direction, the housing having: a cavity extending in the front-to-rear direction; an elastically deformable lance protruding from an inner surface of the cavity; a first interference portion being arranged rearward of the lance on the inner surface of the cavity; and a second interference portion being arranged rearward of the first interference portion on the inner surface of the cavity, wherein when the terminal is arranged in a normal insertion position with respect to the cavity, the first protrusion is engaged with the lance, and when the terminal is arranged in a reverse insertion position with respect to the cavity that is opposite to the normal insertion position, the first protrusion interferes with the first interference portion from behind, and when the first protrusion and the first interference portion interfere with each other, the second protrusion also interferes with the second interference portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein said second interference portion has a rearward inclined surface that inclines forward as it projects into said cavity.

3. The connector as described in claim 2, wherein the second interference portion is formed in a trapezoidal shape on the inner surface of the cavity, has a ride-up surface extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and a forward inclined surface that is inclined rearward and continues to the front end of the ride-up surface, the rear inclined surface being inclined forward and continuing to the rear end of the ride-up surface, the housing has an opposing inclined surface on the inner surface of the cavity that faces the forward inclined surface, an insertion path for the first interference portion is defined inside the cavity of the housing between the forward inclined surface and the opposing inclined surface, and the first interference portion is positioned in front of the insertion path.

4. A connector as described in claim 3, wherein the first interference portion is formed on a first surface of the inner surface of the cavity, and the second interference portion is formed on a second surface of the inner surface of the cavity that intersects with and is adjacent to the first surface.

5. A connector according to claim 3, wherein the first interference portion has a stopper surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

6. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a sealing member attached to the housing, the sealing member having a sealing hole penetrating in the front-to-rear direction and an inner lip extending circumferentially around the inner periphery of the sealing hole, the electric wire being arranged in the sealing hole and configured to be in close contact with the inner lip, the first interference portion and the second interference portion being arranged forward of the sealing member, the terminal having an insulation barrel crimped onto the insulating coating of the electric wire, and the insulation barrel being arranged rearward and spaced apart from the inner lip when the first protrusion and the second protrusion are respectively interfering with the first interference portion and the second interference portion.

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