Connector and connector set

Abstract

A housing (16) of a connector (10) is provided with connecting wall portions (16D), and the connecting wall portions (16D) connect a pair of side wall portions (16A) in the connector width direction and divide a housing recess (22). Therefore, force in the connector width direction that the side wall portions (16A) receive from a mating connector (12) side via terminals (18) and terminals (20) is dispersed to the connecting wall portions (16D).

Description

Connector and Connector Set

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

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-017162 discloses an invention relating to a connector. This connector includes a plug connector and a receptacle connector that are mated to each other. The plug connector also includes a plug insulator (housing) and a plurality of plug contacts arranged along both longitudinal sides of the plug insulator in the pitch direction.

[0003] On the other hand, the receptacle connector includes a receptacle insulator provided with an opening, and a plurality of receptacle contacts are arranged in the pitch direction on a wall portion forming the periphery of the opening in the receptacle insulator.

[0004] In the prior art described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-017162, when the plug connector and the receptacle connector are in a mated state, the receptacle contacts contact the plug contacts in a state of being elastically deformed outward in the width direction orthogonal to the mating direction of the plug connector and the receptacle connector and the pitch direction.

[0005] However, in the prior art described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-017162, when the plug connector and the receptacle connector are in a mated state, it is conceivable that the receptacle insulator receives a force outward in the width direction from the receptacle contacts and deforms.

[0006] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector and a connector set that can suppress deformation of the housing of the connector when the connector is mated with a connection counterpart.

[0007] A connector according to the first embodiment comprises a housing having an insertion portion into which at least a part of an object to be connected can be inserted in a first direction, and a plurality of terminals that can contact the object to be connected in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and are arranged in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the housing is configured to include a pair of side wall portions arranged on one side and the other side of the second direction with respect to the insertion portion and facing each other in the second direction, a holding portion provided on the side wall portions and holding the terminals at a position that overlaps with the insertion portion when viewed from the second direction, and a connecting wall portion that connects the pair of side wall portions in the second direction and divides the insertion portion.

[0008] According to the first embodiment of the connector, it comprises a housing and terminals, the housing having an insertion portion into which at least a part of the object to be connected can be inserted in a first direction. On the other hand, the terminals are made capable of contacting the object to be connected in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a plurality of terminals are arranged in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions.

[0009] Furthermore, the housing is provided with a pair of side walls positioned on one side and the other side in the second direction relative to the insertion portion, and facing each other in the second direction. These side walls are provided with holding portions that hold the terminals at a position that overlaps with the insertion portion when viewed from the second direction.

[0010] Therefore, in this embodiment, when at least a part of the object to be connected is inserted into the insertion portion and the terminal receives force from the object to be connected, the force in the second direction received by the terminal can be supported by the holding portion, and by extension, the side wall portion.

[0011] Incidentally, when inserting the housing into the part of the object to be connected, it is conceivable that the side wall may deform due to receiving a second force from the object to be connected via the terminal.

[0012] In this embodiment, the housing is provided with a connecting wall, which connects a pair of side walls in a second direction and divides the insertion portion. Therefore, in this embodiment, the force in the second direction that the side walls receive from the object to be connected via the terminals is distributed to the connecting wall.

[0013] As a result, in this embodiment, when the side wall portion is inserted into the insertion portion of the object to be connected, and the side wall portion receives a force in a second direction from the object to be connected via the terminal, causing it to deform toward the opposite side of the object to be connected, this deformation can be limited by the connecting wall portion.

[0014] In the second embodiment of the connector, the housing further comprises a bottom wall portion that constitutes the bottom of the insertion portion, and the bottom wall portion connects the pair of side wall portions in the second direction.

[0015] According to the connector of the second embodiment, the housing has a bottom wall portion that constitutes the bottom of the insertion portion, and a pair of side walls are connected in a second direction by this bottom wall portion. Therefore, in this embodiment, the force in the second direction that the side walls receive from the object to be connected via the terminals is also distributed to the bottom wall portion.

[0016] In the third embodiment of the connector, in the first or second embodiment, the terminals are located on one side and the other side of the insertion portion in the second direction, and are arranged in pairs that face each other in the second direction.

[0017] According to the connector of the third embodiment, the terminals are arranged in pairs, each located on one side and the other side in the second direction of the insertion portion, and facing each other in the second direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the number of terminals that can be arranged in the connector can be increased without expanding the connector in the third direction.

[0018] The connector according to the fourth embodiment comprises, in any one embodiment of the first to third embodiments, a first terminal as the terminal disposed on one side of the connecting wall in the third direction, and a second terminal as the terminal disposed on the other side of the connecting wall in the third direction and having a different shape from the first terminal.

[0019] According to the connector of the fourth embodiment, in the housing, the area where the first terminal is located and the area where the second terminal, which has a different shape from the first terminal, is located can be separated by a connecting wall.

[0020] A connector set according to the fifth embodiment is a connector set comprising a connector according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments and a mating connector as the object to be connected, wherein the mating connector comprises a mating terminal that contacts the terminal and a mating first housing that holds the mating terminal, the mating first housing comprises a mating holding portion that holds the mating terminal and is inserted into the insertion portion, and the mating holding portion comprises a slit portion into which the connecting wall portion is inserted when the connector and the mating connector are mated.

[0021] The connector set according to the fifth embodiment comprises a connector according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments and a mating connector which is the object to be connected to this connector. The mating connector comprises a mating terminal that contacts the terminal of the connector and a mating first housing that holds the mating terminal.

[0022] The mating first housing is equipped with a mating terminal holding portion, which is inserted into the insertion portion of the connector when the connector and the mating connector are mated.

[0023] In this embodiment, a slit is provided in the mating connector's holding portion, and when the connector and the mating connector are mated, the connecting wall portion of the connector is inserted into this slit. Therefore, in this embodiment, interference between the connecting wall portion of the connector and the mating connector's holding portion is suppressed when the connector and the mating connector are mated, and the connector and the mating connector can be connected in a stable state.

[0024] In the sixth embodiment, the connector set, in the fifth embodiment, comprises a plurality of connecting wall portions, the plurality of connecting wall portions being arranged asymmetrically in the third direction with respect to the center of the insertion portion in the third direction, and the mating holding portion comprises a plurality of slit portions, the plurality of slit portions being arranged asymmetrically in the third direction with respect to the center of the mating holding portion in the third direction.

[0025] According to the connector set of the sixth embodiment, the housing of the connector is provided with a plurality of connecting wall portions, and the mating side holding portion of the first housing of the mating connector is provided with a plurality of slit portions.

[0026] In this embodiment, the multiple connecting wall portions are arranged asymmetrically in the third direction with respect to the center of the insertion portion in the third direction, and the multiple slit portions are arranged asymmetrically in the third direction with respect to the center of the mating holding portion in the third direction.

[0027] Therefore, in this embodiment, if one attempts to re-fit the connector and the mating connector after removing the mating connector from the connector and rotating the mating connector 180 degrees around the first direction, the connecting wall portion and the mating side holding portion interfere with each other, making it impossible to re-fit the connector and the mating connector.

[0028] In other words, in this embodiment, the relative positional relationship between a connector and a mating connector that can be mated can be arbitrarily set.

[0029] In the seventh embodiment, the connector set, in the fifth or sixth embodiment, further comprises a mating second housing which is fixed to the mating object, and the mating first housing and the mating second housing are relatively movable.

[0030] According to the connector set of the seventh embodiment, the mating connector includes a mating second housing which is fixed to the mating object to be attached. The mating first housing is movable relative to the mating second housing.

[0031] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the connector and the mating connector are mated, the misalignment of their relative positions is absorbed by the relative movement of the mating first housing and the mating second housing, and the connector and the mating connector can be connected in a stable state.

[0032] As described above, the connector and connector set relating to this disclosure have the excellent effect of suppressing deformation of the connector housing when mating the object to be connected with the connector.

[0033] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the connector according to this embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the connector according to this embodiment (a cross-section showing the state when cut along line 2-2 in Figure 1). This is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the configuration of the connector according to this embodiment (a cross-section showing the state when cut along line 3-3 in Figure 1). This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the mating connector according to this embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the mating connector according to this embodiment (a cross-section showing the state when cut along line 5-5 in Figure 4). This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the connector set according to this embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the connector set according to this embodiment.

[0034] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a connector set 14 comprising a connector 10 (see Figure 6) according to the present disclosure and a mating connector 12 as a connection target object to be mated with the connector 10 will be described using Figures 1 to 7. Arrows X shown as appropriate in each figure indicate the front side of the connector 10, arrow Y indicates one side (left side) in the width direction of the connector 10, and arrow Z indicates the upper side of the connector 10.

[0035] Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction, the connector width direction, and the connector up-to-down direction, one of these directions is perpendicular to the other two directions. Also, these directions are used for the sake of explanation and do not absolutely define the orientation of the connector 10, etc., during mounting, etc.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the connector 10, as an example, comprises a resin housing 16 that constitutes its main part, multiple terminals 18 as first terminals and multiple terminals 20 as second terminals arranged in the front-to-back direction of the connector relative to the housing 16.

[0037] The housing 16 is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped with the front-to-back direction of the connector as its longitudinal direction, and has a receiving recess 22 that is open on the upper side of the connector and extends in the front-to-back direction of the connector, serving as a part to be inserted.

[0038] In other words, the housing 16 is composed of a pair of side wall portions 16A, which are arranged on one and the other side of the housing recess 22 in the connector width direction and face each other in the connector width direction; a pair of side wall portions 16B, which are arranged on one and the other side of the housing recess 22 in the connector front-rear direction and face each other in the connector front-rear direction; and a bottom wall portion 16C that constitutes the bottom of the housing recess 22. As will be described later, a part of the mating connector 12 is inserted into the housing recess 22.

[0039] Furthermore, the pair of side wall portions 16A are connected in the connector width direction by a pair of connecting wall portions 16D, which are spaced apart in the connector front-to-rear direction so as to be symmetrical with respect to the center of the housing recess 22 (housing 16) in the connector front-to-rear direction, and whose thickness direction is in the connector front-to-rear direction. Thus, the housing recess 22 is divided by these connecting wall portions 16D. In the following, the central part of the housing recess 22 in the connector front-to-rear direction will be referred to as the central compartment portion 22A, and the outer parts in the connector front-to-rear direction will be referred to as the end compartment portions 22B.

[0040] Furthermore, the bottom wall portion 16C can also be considered to be connected to a pair of side wall portions 16A in the connector width direction, similar to the connecting wall portion 16D.

[0041] More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the portion of the side wall 16A facing the central compartment 22A has multiple retaining grooves 24 formed therein, which serve as retaining parts into which a portion of the terminal 18 is press-fitted, as will be described later. These retaining grooves 24 extend in the vertical direction of the connector and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the connector. The retaining grooves 24 hold the terminal 18 at a position that overlaps with the receiving recess 22 when viewed from the width direction of the connector.

[0042] Further, on the center side of the holding groove portion 24 in the connector width direction of the side wall portion 16A, there is formed an accommodation groove portion 26 that communicates with the holding groove portion 24 and is open to the center side in the connector width direction and the lower side of the connector, and a part of the terminal 18 is accommodated in this accommodation groove portion 26.

[0043] On the other hand, in a portion of the side wall portion 16A facing the end-side partition portion 22B side, a plurality of holding groove portions 28 serving as holding portions into which a part of the terminal 20 is press-fitted are formed as described later. These holding groove portions 28 extend in the vertical direction of the connector and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the connector. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding groove portion 28 has a larger width in the front-rear direction of the connector than the holding groove portion 24, and holds the terminal 20 at a position overlapping the accommodation recess 22 when viewed from the connector width direction.

[0044] Next, the configuration of the terminal 18 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal 18 includes a fixed portion 18A, a held portion 18B, a first bent portion 18C, a first straight portion 18D, a second bent portion 18E, a second straight portion 18F, and a contact portion 18G. The terminal 18 is formed by punching an elastically deformable metal plate material having a constant plate thickness, and then bending the punched material.

[0045] More specifically, the fixing portion 18A extends in the connector width direction, and a part of the fixing portion 18A extends outward of the housing 16 in the connector width direction when viewed from the vertical direction of the connector. The fixing portion 18A is arranged along the surface of the substrate 30 and is soldered to the substrate 30 (see FIG. 7). For example, a signal line or the like is connected to the terminal 18.

[0046] The held portion 18B is located on the inner side in the connector width direction of the fixed portion 18A, extends upward of the connector from the fixed portion 18A, and extends in the vertical direction of the connector. The held portion 18B is press-fitted into the holding groove portion 24 of the housing 16.

[0047] The first bent portion 18C extends from the upper portion of the held portion 18B on the connector side, is located above the held portion 18B on the connector side, and is curved convexly upward of the connector.

[0048] The first linear portion 18D extends linearly from a connector width-direction inner portion of the first bent portion 18C toward the inner side in the connector width direction and the lower side of the connector.

[0049] The second bent portion 18E extends from a connector lower portion of the first linear portion 18D, is located on the lower side of the connector relative to the first linear portion 18D, and is curved to protrude toward the lower side of the connector.

[0050] The second linear portion 18F extends linearly from a connector width-direction inner portion of the second bent portion 18E toward the inner side in the connector width direction and the upper side of the connector.

[0051] The contact portion 18G extends from a connector upper portion of the second linear portion 18F, and is curved to protrude toward the inner side in the connector width direction. When the connector 10 is mated with a mating connector 12, the contact portion 18G contacts the mating connector 12 side in the connector width direction and is in an electrically conductive state.

[0052] The terminal 18 configured as described above forms a pair of assemblies that are respectively located on one side and the other side in the connector width direction in the central compartment 22A of the housing 16 and face each other in the connector width direction. In other words, a plurality of the terminals 18 are arranged continuously in the connector front-rear direction on each of one side and the other side in the connector width direction in the central compartment 22A, and are arranged such that the terminals 18 overlap each other when viewed from the connector width direction.

[0053] On the other hand, although the overall shape of the terminal 20 disposed in the end compartment 22B differs from that of the terminal 18, as shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 20 includes a fixing portion 20A, a held portion 20B held in the holding groove 28, a first bent portion 20C, a first linear portion 20D, a second bent portion 20E, a second linear portion 20F and a contact portion 20G, and the cross-sectional shape of the terminal 20 viewed from the connector front-rear direction is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the terminal 18 viewed from the connector front-rear direction.

[0054] It should be noted that the terminal 20 is formed by punching an elastically deformable metal plate with a constant plate thickness, and then bending the punched metal plate.

[0055] The terminal 20 has a wider width in the front-to-back direction of the connector than the terminal 18, and the portion including the first curved portion 20C, the first straight portion 20D, the second curved portion 20E, the second straight portion 20F, and the contact portion 20G is branched in the front-to-back direction of the connector.

[0056] Furthermore, the fixing portion 20A is positioned along the surface of the substrate 30 and is soldered to the substrate 30. The terminal 20 is connected to, for example, a power supply line.

[0057] On the other hand, when the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 are mated, the contact portion 20G is in contact with the mating connector 12 in the connector width direction and is electrically connected.

[0058] The terminals 20 configured as described above are located on one side and the other side in the connector width direction of the end section 22B of the housing 16, and are arranged in pairs that face each other in the connector width direction. In other words, the terminals 20 are arranged in multiples in the front-to-back direction of the connector on both the one side and the other side in the connector width direction of the end section 22B, and are arranged so that the terminals 20 overlap each other when viewed from the connector width direction.

[0059] Next, the configuration of the mating connector 12 will be described. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the mating connector 12 includes, as an example, a first housing 32 made of resin as the mating first housing, a second housing 34 made of resin as the mating second housing, terminals 36 as a plurality of mating terminals, and terminals 38 as a plurality of mating terminals.

[0060] The first housing 32 is box-shaped overall, with the front-to-back direction of the connector as its longitudinal direction and the bottom of the connector open, and it is possible to house a part of the connector 10 inside it.

[0061] More specifically, the first housing 32 is composed of a pair of side wall portions 32A that constitute the outer portion in the connector width direction and face each other in the connector width direction, a pair of side wall portions 32B that constitute the outer portion in the front-rear direction of the connector and face each other in the front-rear direction of the connector, and an upper wall portion 32C that constitutes the upper portion of the connector. A retaining projection 32D, which serves as a mating part, protrudes downward from the upper wall portion 32C.

[0062] The retaining projection 32D has its thickness direction as the connector width direction and extends in the front-to-back direction of the connector. In addition, the retaining projection 32D has a pair of slit portions 40 that are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction of the connector so as to be symmetrical with respect to the center of the retaining projection 32D in the front-to-back direction of the connector, and that extend in the vertical direction of the connector.

[0063] As shown in Figure 7, when connector 10 and mating connector 12 are mated, a portion of the retaining projection 32D is inserted into the housing recess 22 of connector 10, and the connecting wall portion 16D of connector 10 is inserted into the slit portion 40. Note that in Figure 5, only the connecting wall portion 16D of connector 10 is shown to make it easier to understand the relationship between the connecting wall portion 16D and the slit portion 40.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the retaining projection 32D is divided by a pair of slits 40. In the following, the central part of the retaining projection 32D in the front-rear direction of the connector will be referred to as the central projection 32D1, and the outer parts in the front-rear direction of the connector will be referred to as the end projections 32D2.

[0065] More specifically, as will be described later, multiple retaining grooves 42 are formed on the portion of the central projection 32D1 facing the side wall portion 32A (both sides), into which a part of the terminal 36 is press-fitted. These retaining grooves 42 extend in the vertical direction of the connector and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the connector.

[0066] On the other hand, as will be described later, multiple retaining grooves 44 are formed on the portion of the end projection 32D2 facing the side wall portion 32A (both sides), into which a part of the terminal 38 is press-fitted. These retaining grooves 44 extend in the vertical direction of the connector and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the connector. The retaining grooves 44 are wider in the front-rear direction of the connector than the retaining grooves 42.

[0067] Next, the configuration of the second housing 34 will be described. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the second housing 34 as a whole is a rectangular frame with the front-to-back direction of the connector as its longitudinal direction when viewed from the top-to-bottom direction of the connector, and it is possible to accommodate a part of the first housing 32 inside it.

[0068] More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the second housing 34 is composed of a pair of side wall portions 34A that constitute the outer portion in the connector width direction and face each other in the connector width direction, and a pair of side wall portions 34B that constitute the outer portion in the front-rear direction of the connector and face each other in the front-rear direction of the connector.

[0069] Furthermore, on the inner surface of the side wall portion 34A in the connector width direction, in the portion that overlaps with the central projection 32D1 of the first housing 32 when viewed from the connector width direction, a plurality of retaining grooves 46 into which a part of the terminal 36 is press-fitted are formed, as will be described later. These retaining grooves 46 extend in the vertical direction of the connector and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the connector.

[0070] On the other hand, on the inner surface of the side wall portion 34A in the connector width direction, in the portion that overlaps with the end projection 32D2 of the first housing 32 when viewed from the connector width direction, a plurality of retaining grooves 48 are formed, into which a part of the terminal 38 is press-fitted, as will be described later. These retaining grooves 48 extend in the vertical direction of the connector and are arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the connector. The retaining grooves 48 have a wider width in the front-rear direction of the connector than the retaining grooves 46.

[0071] Next, the configuration of the terminal 36 will be described. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the terminal 36 is composed of a fixing portion 36A, a holding portion 36B, a connecting portion 36C, and a holding portion 36D. The terminal 36 is formed by punching out and then bending a metal plate material that is elastically deformable and has a constant thickness.

[0072] More specifically, the fixing portion 36A extends in the connector width direction, and a portion of it extends outward in the connector width direction of the second housing 34 when viewed from the top and bottom direction of the connector. The fixing portion 36A is positioned along the surface of the substrate 50, which is the object to be attached to, and is soldered to the substrate 50. For example, signal lines are connected to the terminal 36.

[0073] The retained portion 36B is located inside the connector width direction of the fixed portion 36A, and extends downward from the fixed portion 36A to the connector, extending in the vertical direction of the connector. This retained portion 36B is press-fitted into the retaining groove portion 46 of the second housing 34.

[0074] The connecting portion 36C extends from the lower part of the connector of the retained portion 36B, is located inside the connector width direction of the retained portion 36B, and is bent to avoid the first housing 32, connecting the retained portion 36B and the retained portion 36D.

[0075] The retained portion 36D extends from the inner part of the connector width direction of the connecting portion 36C to the lower side of the connector and extends in the vertical direction of the connector. This retained portion 36D is press-fitted into the retaining groove portion 42 of the first housing 32. Furthermore, when the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 are mated, the retained portion 36D is in contact with the contact portion 18G of the terminal 18.

[0076] On the other hand, although the overall shape of terminal 38 differs from that of terminal 36, terminal 38 includes a fixing portion 38A, a retained portion 38B held in the retaining groove portion 48 of the second housing 34, a connecting portion 38C, and a retained portion 38D held in the retaining groove portion 44 of the first housing 32, and its cross-sectional shape when viewed from the front-rear direction of the connector is the same as that of terminal 36 when viewed from the front-rear direction of the connector.

[0077] The terminal 38 is formed by punching out and then bending a metal plate material that is elastically deformable and has a constant thickness, and its width in the front-to-back direction of the connector is wider than that of the terminal 36.

[0078] Furthermore, the fixing portion 38A is positioned along the surface of the substrate 50 and is soldered to the substrate 50. The terminal 38 is connected to, for example, a power supply line.

[0079] On the other hand, when the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 are mated, the retained portion 38D is in contact with the contact portion 20G of the terminal 20.

[0080] Furthermore, as described above, the first housing 32 and the second housing 34 are connected by terminals 36 and 38, and the first housing 32 and the second housing 34 are movable relative to each other.

[0081] (Operation and Effects of this Embodiment) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0082] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the connector 10 comprises a housing 16, terminals 18 and 20, and the housing 16 has a receiving recess 22 into which at least a portion of the mating connector 12 can be inserted in the vertical direction of the connector. On the other hand, the terminals 18 and 20 are made contact with the mating connector 12 in the connector width direction and are arranged in multiples in the front-to-back direction of the connector.

[0083] Furthermore, the housing 16 is provided with a pair of side wall portions 16A that are positioned on one side and the other side in the connector width direction relative to the housing recess 22 and face each other in the connector width direction. These side wall portions 16A are provided with a retaining groove portion 24 for holding the terminal 18 and a retaining groove portion 28 for holding the terminal 20, at a position that overlaps with the housing recess 22 when viewed from the connector width direction.

[0084] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, when at least a portion of the mating connector 12 is inserted into the housing recess 22 and the terminals 18 and 20 receive force from the mating connector 12, the force in the connector width direction received by the terminals 18 and 20 can be supported by the retaining grooves 24 and 28, and consequently by the side wall portion 16A.

[0085] Incidentally, when inserting the mating connector 12 into the housing recess 22, it is conceivable that the housing 16 may deform due to the side wall portion 16A receiving a force in the connector width direction from the mating connector 12 side via terminals 18 and 20.

[0086] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the housing 16 is provided with a connecting wall portion 16D, which connects a pair of side wall portions 16A in the connector width direction and divides the housing recess 22. Therefore, in this embodiment, the force in the connector width direction that the side wall portions 16A receive from the mating connector 12 side via terminals 18 and 20 is distributed to the connecting wall portion 16D.

[0087] As a result, in this embodiment, when inserting the mating connector 12 into the housing recess 22, the side wall portion 16A receives a force in the connector width direction from the mating connector 12 side via the terminals 18 and 20, causing it to deform toward the opposite side of the mating connector 12. This deformation can be limited by the connecting wall portion 16D.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as also shown in Figure 2, the housing 16 is provided with a bottom wall portion 16C that constitutes the bottom of the receiving recess 22, and the pair of side wall portions 16A are connected in the connector width direction by this bottom wall portion 16C. Therefore, in this embodiment, the force in the connector width direction that the side wall portion 16A receives from the mating connector 12 side via terminals 18 and 20 is also distributed to the bottom wall portion 16C.

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminals 18 are arranged in pairs, each positioned on one side and the other side in the connector width direction of the housing recess 22, and facing each other in the connector width direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the number of terminals 18 that can be arranged on the connector 10 can be increased without expanding the connector 10 in the front-to-back direction. The same applies to the terminals 20.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the area where the terminal 18 is located and the area where the terminal 20, which has a different shape from the terminal 18, is located can be separated by a connecting wall portion 16D in the housing 16.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the first housing 32 is provided with a retaining projection 32D for holding terminals 36 and 38, and this retaining projection 32D is inserted into the housing recess 22 of the connector 10 when the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 are mated.

[0092] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a slit portion 40 is provided in the retaining projection 32D, and when the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 are mated, the connecting wall portion 16D of the connector 10 is inserted into this slit portion 40. Therefore, in this embodiment, interference between the connecting wall portion 16D and the retaining projection 32D is suppressed when the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 are mated, and the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 can be connected in a stable state.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the mating connector 12 is equipped with a second housing 34 that is fixed to the substrate 50. The first housing 32 is movable relative to the second housing 34.

[0094] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 are mated, the misalignment of their relative positions is absorbed by the relative movement of the first housing 32 and the second housing 34, and the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 can be connected in a stable state.

[0095] As described above, the connector 10 and connector set 14 according to this embodiment can suppress deformation of the housing 16 of the connector 10 when the mating connector 12 and the connector 10 are mated.

[0096] <Modification of the above embodiment> In the above embodiment, in the connector 10, a plurality of connecting wall portions 16D are arranged symmetrically in the front-rear direction of the connector with respect to the center of the housing recess 22 in the front-rear direction of the connector, and a plurality of slit portions 40 are arranged symmetrically in the front-rear direction of the connector with respect to the center of the retaining projection portion 32D in the front-rear direction of the connector. However, the arrangement of the connecting wall portions 16D and the slit portions 40 is not limited to this.

[0097] For example, the multiple connecting wall portions 16D may be arranged asymmetrically in the front-to-back direction of the connector with respect to the center of the receiving recess 22 in the front-to-back direction of the connector, and the multiple slit portions 40 may be arranged asymmetrically in the front-to-back direction of the connector with respect to the center of the holding projection portion 32D in the front-to-back direction of the connector.

[0098] With this configuration, if you try to reconnect the connector 10 and the mating connector 12 after removing the mating connector 12 from the connector 10 and rotating the mating connector 12 180 degrees around the vertical direction of the connector, the connecting wall portion 16D and the retaining projection portion 32D will interfere with each other, making it impossible to reconnect the connector 10 and the mating connector 12.

[0099] In other words, in this modified example, the relative positional relationship between connector 10 and mating connector 12, which allows for mating, can be arbitrarily set, thereby contributing to the suppression of incorrect assembly of connector 10 and mating connector 12.

[0100] In the embodiment described above, terminals were arranged in the central section 22A and the pair of end section 22B of the receiving recess 22, but a configuration in which no terminals are arranged in one of these locations may also be adopted.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the terminals with contact portions and the connecting wall portions are provided on the connector 10 side, but a configuration in which they are provided on the mating connector 12 side may also be adopted.

[0102] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, terminals 18 and 20 are provided on each of the pair of side wall portions 16A of the housing 16, but a configuration in which terminals 18 and 20 are provided on either one of the side wall portions 16A may also be adopted.

[0103] In addition, although the housing 16 had a bottom wall portion 16C in the embodiment described above, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the housing 16 does not have a bottom wall portion 16C.

[0104] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-030672, filed on 27 February 2025, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A connector comprising: a housing having an insertion portion into which at least a part of an object to be connected can be inserted in a first direction; and a plurality of terminals that are capable of contacting the object to be connected in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, wherein the housing comprises: a pair of side wall portions arranged on one side and the other side of the second direction with respect to the insertion portion and facing each other in the second direction; a holding portion provided on the side wall portions and holding the terminals at a position that overlaps with the insertion portion when viewed from the second direction; and a connecting wall portion that connects the pair of side wall portions in the second direction and divides the insertion portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a bottom wall portion that constitutes the bottom of the insertion portion, and the bottom wall portion connects the pair of side wall portions in the second direction.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminals are located on one side and the other side of the insertion portion in the second direction and are arranged to form a pair of terminals that face each other in the second direction.

4. The connector according to claim 1, comprising: a first terminal as the terminal disposed on one side of the connecting wall in the third direction; and a second terminal as the terminal disposed on the other side of the connecting wall in the third direction and having a different shape from the first terminal.

5. A connector set comprising the connector described in claim 1 and a mating connector as the object to be connected, wherein the mating connector comprises a mating terminal that contacts the terminal and a mating first housing that holds the mating terminal, the mating first housing comprises a mating holding portion that holds the mating terminal and is inserted into the insertion portion, and the mating holding portion comprises a slit portion into which the connecting wall portion is inserted when the connector and the mating connector are mated.

6. The connector set according to claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of connecting wall portions, the plurality of connecting wall portions are arranged asymmetrically in the third direction with respect to the center of the insertion portion in the third direction, and the mating holding portion comprises a plurality of slit portions, the plurality of slit portions are arranged asymmetrically in the third direction with respect to the center of the mating holding portion in the third direction.

7. The connector set according to claim 5, wherein the mating connector further comprises a mating second housing fixed to the mating object, and the mating first housing and the mating second housing are relatively movable.

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