Connector
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2026/011687
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-03-27
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-01
Smart Images
Figure JP2026011687_01102026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Connector
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a terminal fitting, a housing that accommodates the terminal fitting, and a covered electric wire connected to the terminal fitting and drawn out from the housing to the outside. Since a connector having such a structure is disposed at an appropriate position of a vehicle, the covered electric wire is bent as necessary in the immediate vicinity of the housing, so that the covered electric wire can be drawn out in a desired drawing-out direction.
[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-130300
[0004] However, in the structure of Patent Document 1, when it is necessary to draw out the covered electric wire in a direction orthogonal to the housing, if there is not sufficient space behind the connector, it becomes difficult to bend the covered electric wire, and there is also a risk that the covered electric wire may break due to bending deformation at a steep angle.
[0005] Accordingly, a connector is disclosed in which the drawing direction of the covered electric wire relative to the housing can be changed without bending the covered electric wire.
[0006] The connector of this disclosure comprises a terminal fitting comprising a terminal portion provided on one end, a wire connection portion provided on the other end, and an intermediate portion provided between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion, to which an intermediate resin member is assembled, the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting covers the intermediate portion and includes a first connecting portion provided on the terminal portion side and a second connecting portion provided on the wire connection portion side; a covered wire connected to the wire connection portion of the terminal part; a housing that accommodates the terminal portion of the terminal part and is detachably connected to the first connecting portion of the intermediate resin member; and the wire connection portion of the terminal part The device comprises a wire guide tube portion which houses the wire and is detachably connected to the second connecting portion of the intermediate resin member, and which has a wire outlet through which the insulated wire is pulled out. A plurality of terminal parts are prepared, each having a different connection angle between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion in the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting. The housing and the wire guide tube portion can be used in common with any of the plurality of terminal parts, and the housing and the wire guide tube portion are assembled to any arbitrarily selected terminal part.
[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that allows the direction in which the insulated wire is drawn out of the housing to be changed without bending the insulated wire.
[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1 when a first terminal part is used as the terminal part. Figure 2 is a plan view of the connector shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Figure 3. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in Figure 1. Figure 7 is a perspective view from the planar side showing the housing that constitutes the connector shown in Figure 1. Figure 8 is a perspective view from the bottom side of the housing shown in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the terminal fittings and intermediate resin member that constitute the connector shown in Figure 1. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a specific example of the connection state between the connector shown in Figure 1 and the mating connector. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the connector shown in Figure 10 with a different connection angle to the mating connector. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1 when a second terminal part is used as the terminal part. Figure 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the connector shown in Figure 12, corresponding to Figure 4. Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in Figure 12. Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the terminal fittings and intermediate resin members that constitute the connector shown in Figure 12. Figure 16 is a perspective view showing a specific example of the connection state between the connector shown in Figure 12 and the mating connector. Figure 17 is a perspective view showing the connector shown in Figure 16 with a different connection angle to the mating connector.
[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure> First, embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the Disclosure comprises: (1) a terminal fitting including a terminal portion provided on one end, a wire connection portion provided on the other end, and an intermediate portion provided between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion, to which an intermediate resin member covering the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting and including a first connecting portion provided on the terminal portion side and a second connecting portion provided on the wire connection portion side is assembled; a covered wire connected to the wire connection portion of the terminal part; a housing that houses the terminal portion of the terminal part and is detachably connected to the first connecting portion of the intermediate resin member; and a housing that houses the wire connection portion of the terminal part The device comprises a wire guide tube portion that is detachably connected to the second connecting portion of the intermediate resin member and has a wire outlet through which the insulated wire is pulled out to the outside, and a plurality of terminal parts are prepared as terminal parts, each having a different connection angle between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion in the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting, and the housing and the wire guide tube portion can be used in common with any of the plurality of terminal parts, and the housing and the wire guide tube portion are assembled to any arbitrarily selected terminal part.
[0010] The connector of this disclosure has a basic configuration in which a terminal part is assembled to the middle part of a terminal fitting, which has terminal parts and wire connection parts at both ends, with an intermediate resin member attached to the middle part, a housing that houses the terminal part and is detachably connected to the first connecting part of the intermediate resin member, and a wire guide cylinder part that houses the wire connection part and is detachably connected to the second connecting part of the intermediate resin member and has a wire outlet from which an insulated wire connected to the wire connection part is drawn out. In this configuration, multiple terminal parts are prepared, each having a different connection angle between the terminal part and the wire connection part in the middle part of the terminal fitting, and the housing and wire guide cylinder part can be used in common with any of the multiple terminal parts. That is, by preparing multiple terminal parts with different angles of the wire connection part relative to the terminal part housed in the housing, the direction in which the insulated wire protruding from the wire guide cylinder part that houses the wire connection part relative to the housing can be changed according to the selected terminal part. Therefore, by selecting any terminal part in which the terminal section and the wire connection section are connected at a connection angle corresponding to the direction in which the insulated wire is pulled out, and assembling the housing and the wire guide tube section to the selected terminal part, it is possible to provide a connector that allows the direction in which the insulated wire is pulled out to be changed to a desired direction without bending the insulated wire.
[0011] Furthermore, compared to conventional structures where the direction of insulated wire exiting the housing is changed by bending the insulated wire, changing the exit direction of the insulated wire by bending the terminal fitting of the terminal part to change the connection angle allows for a smaller space for routing the insulated wire, enabling space-saving routing. Moreover, since the insulated wire is not bent to achieve the desired exit direction, the effects of bending reaction force on the insulated wire can be eliminated, and the intended connector performance can be stably maintained. In addition, since the housing and wire guide tube can be shared and the exit direction of the insulated wire can be changed simply by preparing multiple terminal parts, manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to adopting a dedicated connector corresponding to the insulated wire exit direction.
[0012] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that the plurality of terminal parts include a first terminal part in which the connection angle between the terminal part and the wire connection part is 180 degrees, and a second terminal part in which the connection angle between the terminal part and the wire connection part is 90 degrees. By providing the first terminal part and the second terminal part, it is possible to cover patterns in which the insulated wire is drawn straight out from the housing and patterns in which the insulated wire is drawn perpendicular to the housing, and thus a highly versatile connector can be provided that can accommodate wiring patterns that are relatively likely to be adopted.
[0013] (3) In (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the intermediate resin member is integrally molded with respect to the terminal fitting by embedding the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting. Since the intermediate resin member is integrally molded with respect to the terminal fitting by molding, compared to the case in which the intermediate resin member is formed separately from the terminal fitting and assembled to the terminal fitting, the assembly work of the connector can be simplified, the number of parts can be reduced, and handling can be improved.
[0014] <Details of Embodiments of the Disclosure> Specific examples of the connectors of the Disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings. However, the Disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims.
[0015] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the connector 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 17. This connector 10 is used in vehicles such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, and is installed on the battery side as a power source. The connector 10 is equipped with a terminal fitting 12, and the terminal fitting 12 is bolted to a mating terminal 16 (shown as a dashed line in Figures 3 and 13) provided on an in-vehicle device 14 as a load, for example, by fastening with a fastening bolt 18, thereby electrically connecting the terminal fitting 12 and the mating terminal 16, and making the battery and the in-vehicle device 14 electrically connected. The connector 10 can be positioned in any orientation within the vehicle, but hereafter, "upper" will be described as the upper part in Figure 3, "lower" as the lower part in Figure 3, "left" as the lower part in Figure 2, "right" as the upper part in Figure 2, "front" as the right in Figure 2, and "rear" as the left in Figure 2. In addition, in the following description, for multiple identical components, only some components may be given reference numerals, and the reference numerals for other components may be omitted.
[0016] <Connector 10> The connector 10 includes a terminal fitting 12 which includes a terminal portion 20 provided on one end and a wire connection portion 22 provided on the other end, and an intermediate portion 24 provided between the terminal portion 20 and the wire connection portion 22. The connector 10 also includes a terminal part 32 which is assembled to the terminal fitting 12, with an intermediate resin member 30 which covers the intermediate portion 24 of the terminal fitting 12 and includes a first connecting portion 26 provided on the terminal portion 20 side and a second connecting portion 28 provided on the wire connection portion 22 side. Furthermore, the connector 10 includes a covered wire 34 connected to the wire connection portion 22 of the terminal part 32, and a first housing 36 which houses the terminal portion 20 of the terminal part 32 and is detachably connected to the first connecting portion 26 of the intermediate resin member 30. The connector 10 houses the wire connection portion 22 of the terminal part 32 and is detachably connected to the second connecting portion 28 of the intermediate resin member 30, and includes a wire guide cylinder portion 40 having a wire outlet 38 through which the insulated wire 34 is pulled out.
[0017] In particular, the terminal parts 32 include multiple terminal parts 32, each with a different connection angle between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22 in the intermediate part 24 of the terminal fitting 12. On the other hand, the first housing 36 and the wire guide tube part 40 can be used in common with any of the multiple terminal parts 32, and the connector 10 is formed by assembling the first housing 36 and the wire guide tube part 40 with an arbitrarily selected terminal part 32.
[0018] In Embodiment 1, a plurality of terminal parts 32 include a first terminal part 32a in which the connection angle between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22 is 180 degrees, and a second terminal part 32b in which the connection angle between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22 is 90 degrees. Therefore, in Embodiment 1, a plurality of types of terminal fittings 12 are employed, and the terminal fittings 12 include a first terminal fitting 12a which constitutes the first terminal part 32a with a connection angle between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22 being 180 degrees, and a second terminal fitting 12b which constitutes the second terminal part 32b with a connection angle between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22 being 90 degrees. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, a plurality of types of connectors 10 are configured, including a first connector 10a (see Figures 1 to 11) which includes the first terminal part 32a, and a second connector 10b (see Figures 12 to 17) which includes the second terminal part 32b. First, the first connector 10a will be described using Figures 1 to 11.
[0019] <Terminal fitting 12 (first terminal fitting 12a)> As described above, the first terminal fitting 12a has a connection angle of 180 degrees between the terminal portion 20 and the wire connection portion 22, and is configured as a roughly rectangular flat plate that extends roughly straight overall, as shown in Figure 9, etc. The first terminal fitting 12a is made of a metal such as copper (including copper alloys) or aluminum (including aluminum alloys) which has excellent conductivity, and extends in the front-rear direction when housed in the first housing 36 and the wire guide cylinder portion 40. Specifically, the terminal portion 20 is configured at one end (front side) of the first terminal fitting 12a, and the wire connection portion 22 is configured at the other end (rear side), with the terminal portion 20 having a smaller width dimension (left-right dimension) than the wire connection portion 22. The terminal portion 20 of the first terminal fitting 12a has a circular first bolt insertion hole 42 that penetrates the first terminal fitting 12a in the thickness direction (up-down direction). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, a through hole 43 is formed in the intermediate portion 24 between the terminal portion 20 and the wire connection portion 22, through which the first terminal fitting 12a passes in the thickness direction.
[0020] In Embodiment 1, an intermediate terminal 44 is assembled into the first bolt insertion hole 42 of the first terminal fitting 12a. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the intermediate terminal 44 has a roughly stepped cylindrical shape that extends vertically as a whole, and an intermediate through-hole 46 is formed in the central part of the intermediate terminal 44 that penetrates vertically and communicates with the first bolt insertion hole 42. The intermediate terminal 44 is made of, for example, a metal with excellent conductivity, and the material of the intermediate terminal 44 is selected such that its natural potential is an intermediate value between that of the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16. Specifically, for example, if the first terminal fitting 12a is made of aluminum (including aluminum alloy) and the mating terminal 16 is made of copper (copper alloy), an aluminum-copper alloy (aluminum bronze) can be used as the material of the intermediate terminal 44. As a result, even when the potential difference between the metal material constituting the first terminal fitting 12a and the metal material constituting the mating terminal 16 is relatively large, corrosion due to a large potential difference between the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16 can be prevented by providing an intermediate terminal 44 having a natural potential between them.
[0021] As described above, the relay terminal 44 has a roughly stepped cylindrical shape that extends vertically as a whole, with the upper part having a smaller outer diameter than the lower part. The smaller diameter cylindrical part above the relay terminal 44 is the mounting cylinder part 48 that is assembled to the inner circumferential surface of the first bolt insertion hole 42 of the first terminal fitting 12a. The larger diameter cylindrical part below the relay terminal 44 is a cylindrical projection 50 that protrudes downward, and when the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16 are bolted together with the fastening bolt 18, the annular surface at the lower end of the cylindrical projection 50 and the annular surface at the upper end of the mating terminal 16 come into contact with each other. In Embodiment 1, a plurality of press-fit ribs 52 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the mounting cylinder portion 48 at predetermined distances from each other in the circumferential direction. When assembling the relay terminal 44 to the first terminal fitting 12a, the mounting cylinder portion 48 is press-fitted into the first bolt insertion hole 42 while each press-fit rib 52 slides against the inner circumferential surface of the first bolt insertion hole 42. In particular, in Embodiment 1, four recesses 54 that open downward are provided on the lower surface of the cylindrical projection 50 at predetermined distances from each other in the circumferential direction. When press-fitting the relay terminal 44 into the first terminal fitting 12a, damage to the contact portion (the surface that contacts the mating terminal 16) can be prevented by pressing each of these recesses 54 with a jig (not shown).
[0022] <Intermediate Resin Member 30> As described above, an intermediate resin member 30 is assembled to the intermediate portion 24 of the first terminal fitting 12a, thereby forming the first terminal part 32a. In Embodiment 1, the intermediate resin member 30 is integrally molded with respect to the first terminal fitting 12a by embedding the intermediate portion 24 of the first terminal fitting 12a. That is, when molding the intermediate resin member 30, the intermediate resin member 30 is molded with the first terminal fitting 12a set in the molding cavity, so that the intermediate resin member 30 is formed as an integrally molded product equipped with the first terminal fitting 12a. Therefore, the intermediate resin member 30 is a substantially cylindrical or substantially annular member that covers the entire circumference of the intermediate portion 24 of the first terminal fitting 12a, and the inner hole 56 of the intermediate resin member 30 extends in the front-rear direction. In the intermediate resin member 30, a first connecting portion 26 is provided on the front side which is the terminal portion 20 side, and a second connecting portion 28 is provided on the rear side which is the wire connection portion 22 side.
[0023] Specifically, the intermediate resin member 30 has a substantially annular base portion 58 in the middle portion in the front-rear direction, with a first connecting portion 26 protruding forward from the base portion 58 and a second connecting portion 28 protruding rearward from the base portion 58. In Embodiment 1, the first connecting portion 26 protrudes forward from the base portion 58 and has a front cylindrical portion 60 that enters into the terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122 of the first housing 36, which will be described later, when assembled to the first housing 36. The first connecting portion 26 also protrudes forward on both the left-right sides of the base portion 58 and has a front locking frame 62 that locks the locking claws 158 on both the left-right sides of the first housing 36, which will be described later, when assembled to the first housing 36. Furthermore, the first connecting portion 26 has substantially rectangular flat clamping portions 64 that protrude forward on both the vertical sides of the base portion 58 and sandwich the vertical walls that constitute the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 between itself and the front cylinder portion 60 when assembled to the first housing 36. On both the left and right sides of each clamping portion 64, there are positioning grooves 66 into which positioning projections 160 (described later) that protrude vertically from the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 when assembled to the first housing 36 are inserted. Each positioning groove 66 is formed in the shape of a notch that penetrates each clamping portion 64 vertically and opens forward.
[0024] Furthermore, the second connecting portion 28 has a rear cylindrical portion 68 that protrudes rearward from the base portion 58 and enters into the cylindrical wall portion 176 of the wire guide cylinder portion 40, which will be described later, when assembled to the wire guide cylinder portion 40. That is, in the first embodiment, the internal holes of the base portion 58, the front cylindrical portion 60, and the rear cylindrical portion 68 form an internal hole 56 that penetrates the intermediate resin member 30 in the front-rear direction, and the intermediate portion 24 of the first terminal fitting 12a is inserted through this internal hole 56. The second connecting portion 28 also has a rear locking frame 70 that protrudes rearward on both the left and right sides of the base portion 58 and engages with the locking claws 178 on both the left and right sides of the wire guide cylinder portion 40, which will be described later, when assembled to the wire guide cylinder portion 40.
[0025] Then, a front sealing rubber 72, which is an annular sealing member, is fixedly fitted onto the front cylindrical portion 60 of the first connecting portion 26. When the first connecting portion 26 is assembled to the first housing 36, the front sealing rubber 72 is compressed between the terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122 (terminal holding wall portion 154) and the front cylindrical portion 60, so that the space between the terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122 (first housing 36) and the front cylindrical portion 60 (intermediate resin member 30) is liquid-tightly sealed by the front sealing rubber 72. Similarly, a rear sealing rubber 74, which is an annular sealing member, is fixedly fitted onto the rear cylindrical portion 68 of the second connecting portion 28. When the second connecting portion 28 is assembled to the wire guide cylinder portion 40, the rear sealing rubber 74 is compressed between the cylinder wall portion 176 and the rear cylinder portion 68, so that the space between the cylinder wall portion 176 (wire guide cylinder portion 40) and the rear cylinder portion 68 (intermediate resin member 30) is liquid-tightly sealed by the rear sealing rubber 74.
[0026] <Fastening Bolt 18> In the terminal portion 20 at the front of the first terminal fitting 12a, a fastening bolt 18 is inserted through the first bolt insertion hole 42, and the first connector 10a is configured to include the fastening bolt 18. The fastening bolt 18 of Embodiment 1 is composed of a plurality of members, as shown in Figure 6, etc., and includes a bolt body 78 having a bolt shaft portion 76 with male threads formed on its outer circumference. The bolt body 78 also has a bolt head 80 provided at the upper end of the bolt shaft portion 76. At the lower end of the bolt shaft portion 76, a lower insertion recess 82 is formed that opens downward and has a predetermined depth. The bolt head 80 is substantially disc-shaped, and an engagement shaft portion 84 is provided that protrudes from the central part of the bolt head 80 to the opposite side (upper side) from the bolt shaft portion 76. The engagement shaft portion 84 is substantially cylindrical overall, but an upper insertion recess 86 is formed at the upper end of the engagement shaft portion 84 that opens upward and has a predetermined depth. In Embodiment 1, the outer circumferential surface of the engaging shaft portion 84 is configured as a tapered surface in which the outer diameter gradually increases towards the bottom.
[0027] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the engaging shaft portion 84 is provided with engaging projections 88 that protrude outward. The engaging projections 88 are provided at multiple locations on the outer circumferential surface of the engaging shaft portion 84 that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction and consist of multiple protrusions that extend in the axial direction (up and down direction). Each engaging projection 88 (each protrusion) is provided along the tapered outer circumferential surface of the engaging shaft portion 84 with a substantially constant projection height in the longitudinal direction, and is formed to gradually incline outward as it goes downward. In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 5 and other figures, each engaging projection 88 (each protrusion) is formed with a substantially triangular cross-section.
[0028] In Embodiment 1, an insulating tip cap 90 is assembled to the lower end of the bolt shaft portion 76. The tip cap 90 is a substantially cylindrical member integrally comprising an insertion portion 91 that is inserted into a lower insertion recess 82. In Embodiment 1, the tip cap 90 is attached to the lower end of the bolt shaft portion 76 by press-fitting the insertion portion 91 into the lower insertion recess 82. The tip cap 90 may also be bonded or welded to the bolt shaft portion 76 as needed.
[0029] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the tip cap 90 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the bolt shaft portion 76, so that the tip cap 90 does not cover the outer circumferential surface of the lower end portion of the bolt shaft portion 76. By providing the tip cap 90 at the lower end of the bolt shaft portion 76 in this way, the lower end of the bolt shaft portion 76 can be stably guided into the second bolt insertion hole 186 when fastening the bolts 18 between each first terminal fitting 12a and each mating terminal 16, as described later, and the male thread of the bolt shaft portion 76 can be prevented from coming into contact with other members (for example, the intermediate terminal 44) and being damaged. In addition, by covering the lower end surface of the bolt shaft portion 76 with the tip cap 90, it is possible to prevent workers from unintentionally coming into contact with the lower end surface of the bolt shaft portion 76 and being electrocuted.
[0030] Furthermore, in the fastening bolt 18, a finger-proof cap 92 is superimposed on the bolt body 78 from above. This finger-proof cap 92 is a roughly bottomed cylindrical shape that opens downwards as a whole, and is made of synthetic resin separately from the bolt body 78. The outer shape of the upper end of the finger-proof cap 92 is roughly hexagonal in plan view, and this upper end constitutes an operating part 94 that allows the fastening operation of the fastening bolt 18 using, for example, a tool not shown.
[0031] Furthermore, in the upper and lower intermediate portion of the outer circumferential surface of the finger-proof cap 92, a displacement restricting portion 98 is formed, protruding outward in an annular shape, which restricts the upward displacement of the upper seal rubber 96, an annular sealing member fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the finger-proof cap 92. Below the displacement restricting portion 98 on the finger-proof cap 92, an annular seal mounting portion 100 is formed, having an outer diameter that is substantially constant in the vertical direction, and onto which the upper seal rubber 96 is fitted. The upper seal rubber 96 fitted onto the annular seal mounting portion 100 is compressed radially between the peripheral wall 124 of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 and the annular seal mounting portion 100 when the fastening bolt 18 is inserted through the upper opening 128 into the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 of the first housing 36, which will be described later. Therefore, the space between the first housing 36 and the fastening bolt 18 is sealed liquid-tightly by this upper seal rubber 96.
[0032] The finger-proof cap 92 is superimposed on the engaging shaft portion 84 of the bolt head 80 from above, so that the finger-proof cap 92 covers the outer circumferential surface of the engaging shaft portion 84 and the upper surface of the bolt head 80. That is, the finger-proof cap 92 is a roughly bottomed cylindrical shape and has a recess 102 formed inside into which the engaging shaft portion 84 is fitted. This recess 102 has a shape that roughly corresponds to the engaging shaft portion 84, and the inner circumferential surface of the recess 102 is configured as a tapered surface that roughly corresponds to the outer circumferential surface of the engaging shaft portion 84 and gradually slopes outward towards the outer circumferential side as it goes downward. Furthermore, an engaging groove portion 104 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the recess 102 into which each engaging projection 88 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the engaging shaft portion 84 engages. By engaging each of the engaging projections 88 of the engaging shaft portion 84 and each of the engaging groove portions 104 of the recess 102, relative rotation between the finger-proof cap 92 and the bolt head 80 (bolt body 78) is prevented. The engaging shaft portion 84 may be inserted into the recess 102 with a gap between them, or it may be inserted in a nearly press-fit state.
[0033] In Embodiment 1, each engagement groove 104 opens to the inner circumferential surface and the opening side edge (periphery of the lower opening) of the recess 102, and is provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction, and is configured as a recessed groove extending in the axial direction. Each engagement groove 104 is provided along the inner circumferential surface of the tapered recess 102 with a substantially constant depth in the longitudinal direction, and is formed to gradually incline towards the outer circumference as it goes downwards. In Embodiment 1, as also shown in Figure 5, each engagement groove 104 is formed with a substantially triangular cross-section, substantially corresponding to each engagement projection 88. As a result, when the finger-touch prevention cap 92 is assembled to the bolt head 80, that is, when the engagement shaft portion 84 is housed in the recess 102, the multiple engagement projections 88 are fitted into the multiple engagement grooves 104, respectively. Note that each engagement projection 88 may be inserted with a gap between it and each engagement groove 104, or it may be inserted in a substantially press-fit state.
[0034] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, an insertion portion 106 is formed on the bottom surface of the inner circumferential surface of the recess 102 (the lower surface of the upper bottom wall portion of the finger-proof cap 92), protruding downward and being inserted into the upper insertion recess 86 of the engagement shaft portion 84 when assembling the finger-proof cap 92 and the bolt head 80 (bolt body 78). This insertion portion 106 may be inserted with a gap between it and the upper insertion recess 86, or it may be inserted in a substantially press-fit state.
[0035] <Insulated wire 34> An insulated wire 34 is fixed to the wire connection part 22 at the rear part of the first terminal fitting 12a. An insulating coating 108 made of synthetic resin is fixed to the rear part of the insulated wire 34. In other words, the insulating coating 108 is peeled off at the front part of the insulated wire 34, exposing the core wire 110, and this exposed core wire 110 is fixed to the rear end of the wire connection part 22.
[0036] Furthermore, an annular sealing rubber 112 is fitted onto the rear portion of the insulated wire 34 to seal the rear opening (wire outlet 38) of the wire guide cylinder portion 40 (cylinder wall portion 176, described later). Also, a back retainer 114 is fitted onto the insulated wire 34 behind the annular sealing rubber 112 to prevent the annular sealing rubber 112 from falling off the wire outlet 38 when the first terminal part 32a is fixed to the wire guide cylinder portion 40. A central hole 116 is formed in the central portion of the back retainer 114, through which the insulated wire 34 is inserted, extending in the front-to-back direction, and locking frames 118 that protrude forward are integrally formed at both the upper and lower ends of the back retainer 114. In Embodiment 1, both the annular sealing rubber 112 and the back retainer 114 are fitted onto the insulating coating 108 so that they can move along the length direction (front-to-back direction) of the insulated wire 34.
[0037] <Housing (First Housing 36)> The first housing 36, which houses the terminal portion 20 of the first terminal fitting 12a, has a bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 and a terminal insertion cylinder portion 122, both of which are roughly cylindrical, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 is roughly cylindrical in shape and extends in the vertical direction, with the axial direction of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 being vertical. That is, the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 has a roughly cylindrical peripheral wall 124 that extends in the vertical direction, and a bolt fastening hole 126 that penetrates the inner circumference of the peripheral wall 124 in the vertical direction.
[0038] The bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 has an upper opening 128 that opens upward, a lower opening 130 that opens downward, and an intermediate opening 132 that opens in the middle of the vertical direction. In short, the bolt fastening hole 126 communicates with the outside space on both the vertical sides through the upper opening 128 and the lower opening 130. As will be described later, in the state before fastening to each mating terminal 16 of the in-vehicle equipment 14, each first terminal fitting 12a (especially the terminal portion 20) and the relay terminal 44 of the first connector 10a are exposed downward through the lower opening 130 of the first housing 36.
[0039] In the central part of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 (circumferential wall 124) in the vertical direction, an engaging projection 134 is provided in the front portion that protrudes outward. In Embodiment 1, on the front portion of the outer peripheral surface of the circumferential wall 124, a plurality of engaging projections 134 are provided at predetermined intervals from one another over a circumferential dimension of approximately half the circumference. Some of these multiple engaging projections 134 engage with engaging recesses (not shown) provided in the cover portion 172 of the mounting component 168 when the first housing 36 is assembled to the mounting component 168, which will be described later. The engagement of each of these engaging projections 134 with each of the engaging recesses fixes the first housing 36 and the mounting component 168 to each other.
[0040] Furthermore, the upper and lower ends of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 are provided with a plurality of positioning recesses 136 and locking recesses 138 that penetrate the peripheral wall 124 in the thickness direction (radial direction). These positioning recesses 136 and locking recesses 138 allow the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120, the upper retainer 140 and the lower retainer 148 (described later) to be positioned in the circumferential direction and then fixed when assembling them to the upper and lower ends of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120, respectively.
[0041] In the first connector 10a shown in Figures 1 to 11, the character "+" is attached to the display section 162, which will be described later, on the upper surface of the first housing 36 (terminal insertion cylinder portion 122), indicating that the first connector 10a in this state is used as a positive terminal connector. In Embodiment 1, the same first housing 36 can be used for both the positive and negative terminal connectors, and the first connector 10a can be used as a negative terminal connector by rotating the first housing 36 180 degrees around the central axis L (see Figure 4) extending in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, an upper retainer 140 and a lower retainer 148 are assembled to the upper and lower ends of the first housing 36 used as a negative terminal connector, respectively. In other words, in the first housing 36, it is possible to assemble the lower retainer 148 to the upper end and the upper retainer 140 to the lower end. Therefore, the positioning recesses 136 and locking recesses 138 provided at the upper end of each first housing 36, and the positioning recesses 136 and locking recesses 138 provided at the lower end, are each formed at the same position in the circumferential direction on the peripheral wall 124.
[0042] An upper retainer 140 is fitted inside the upper end of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 to prevent the fastening bolt 18 from falling out of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120. The upper retainer 140 is an annular member as a whole, and on the outer circumferential surface of the upper retainer 140, positioning protrusions 142 and locking protrusions 144 are provided at positions corresponding in the circumferential direction to the positioning recesses 136 and locking recesses 138 of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120, respectively.
[0043] Further, a lower seal rubber 146, which is an annular sealing member, and a lower retainer 148 that prevents the lower seal rubber 146 from falling off from the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 are externally fitted and mounted on the lower end portion of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120. When the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16 are fastened by a bolt, the lower seal rubber 146 is compressed in the radial direction between the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 and a second housing 184 (described later) that holds the mating terminal 16, thereby liquid-tightly sealing between the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 (the first housing 36) and the second housing 184. The lower seal rubber 146 is externally fitted onto the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 from below, and an annular lower retainer 148 is further externally fitted onto the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 below the lower seal rubber 146. On the inner peripheral surface of the lower retainer 148, positioning protrusions 150 and locking protrusions 152 are respectively provided at positions corresponding in the circumferential direction to the positioning recesses 136 and the locking recesses 138 in the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120.
[0044] The terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122 is formed integrally with the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120, and surrounds the intermediate opening 132 and protrudes rearward from the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 at the vertically intermediate portion of the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120. In other words, the terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122 has a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction, and includes a cylindrical terminal holding wall 154 extending in the front-rear direction, and a terminal receiving gap 156 that penetrates the inner peripheral side of the terminal holding wall 154 in the front-rear direction and into which the terminal portion 20 of the first terminal fitting 12a is inserted and received as described later.
[0045] Furthermore, the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122, which extends in the front-rear direction, is connected to the intermediate portion of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120, which extends in the up-down direction. That is, the intermediate opening 132, which is the front opening of the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 (terminal housing gap 156), opens to the inner circumferential surface of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120 (circumferential wall 124), and the bolt fastening hole 126 and the terminal housing gap 156 are in communication with each other. The terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 is formed such that the terminal housing gap 156 on the inner circumferential side of the terminal holding wall portion 154 is large enough to accommodate the first terminal fitting 12a. In Embodiment 1, the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 is configured as a roughly rectangular or oval shape, with the left-right dimension being larger than the up-down dimension.
[0046] The front portion (first connecting portion 26) of the intermediate resin member 30 is assembled to the rear opening of the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122. Locking claws 158 that protrude outward in the left-right direction are provided on both sides of the rear end of the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 (terminal holding wall portion 154), and when the first housing 36 and the intermediate resin member 30 are assembled, these locking claws 158 are locked to the aforementioned front locking frame 62. In addition, positioning protrusions 160 that protrude outward in the up-down direction are provided on both sides of the rear end of the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 (terminal holding wall portion 154). In Embodiment 1, two positioning protrusions 160, 160 are provided on both the up-down sides of the terminal holding wall portion 154, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each of these positioning protrusions 160 is inserted into the positioning grooves 66, 180 provided in the intermediate resin member 30 and the wire guide tube portion 40 when the first housing 36 and the wire guide tube portion 40 are connected via the intermediate resin member 30.
[0047] Furthermore, display portions 162 indicating whether the first housing 36 is oriented for a positive electrode or for a negative electrode are provided on both upper and lower surfaces of the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 (terminal holding wall portion 154). That is, as shown also in FIG. 1 and the like, when the first connector 10a is used for a positive electrode, the first housing 36 is arranged such that the display on the display portion 162 is "+". On the other hand, when the first connector 10a is used for a negative electrode, the first housing 36 is arranged such that the display on the display portion 162 is "-". In Embodiment 1, the "+" and "-" indications on each of these display portions 162 are formed integrally with the terminal insertion cylinder portion 122 (terminal holding wall portion 154), but for example, a piece of paper or the like printed with the character "+" or "-" may be adhered thereto.
[0048] And in Embodiment 1, a positioning locking portion 164 is formed to project downward from a lower wall portion of the terminal holding wall portion 154, which has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction, behind the peripheral wall 124 of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120. Particularly, in Embodiment 1, four positioning locking portions 164 each having a predetermined dimension in the circumferential direction are provided spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction behind the peripheral wall 124 of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120.
[0049] Specifically, each positioning locking portion 164 is substantially rectangular in plan view and protrudes downward from the lower wall portion of the terminal holding wall portion 154 by a predetermined vertical dimension. Of the four positioning locking portions 164, the protruding tip portions (lower ends) of the positioning locking portions 164a at both circumferential ends have locking claw portions 166 formed thereon that protrude outward in the circumferential direction (i.e., on the side opposite to the side of each positioning locking portion 164a where other positioning locking portions 164 are provided in the circumferential direction). Each of these locking claw portions 166 is designed to lock into the positioning locking portion 174 of the mounting component 168, which will be described later. By inserting each of these positioning locking portions 164, 164a into each positioning locking portion 174 and by locking the locking claw portions 166 into each positioning locking portion 174, the first housing 36 and the mounting component 168 are fixed to each other in the vertical and circumferential directions. As mentioned above, the first housing 36 can be used as either a positive or negative electrode by rotating it 180 degrees around a central axis L that extends in the front-rear direction. Therefore, each positioning locking portion 164, 164a is formed to protrude from both the upper and lower walls of the terminal holding wall portion 154 in the vertical direction.
[0050] In Embodiment 1, the lower portion of the bolt-fastening cylindrical part 120 of the first housing 36, which has the structure described above, is fixed to the in-vehicle device 14 via a mounting component 168. The mounting component 168 is fixed to the second housing 184, which will be described later, in the in-vehicle device 14 in a circumferentially positioned state by a positioning mechanism (not shown). The mounting component 168 is made of synthetic resin and includes a substantially annular annular assembly part 170, as also shown in Figure 10.
[0051] In particular, in Embodiment 1, a cover portion 172 is provided on a part of the circumference of the annular assembly portion 170, projecting upward from the peripheral wall constituting the annular assembly portion 170 and covering the first housing 36 from the front. Furthermore, on a part of the circumference of the annular assembly portion 170, the peripheral wall constituting the annular assembly portion 170 has a plurality of positioning locking portions 174 that can be locked to each positioning locking portion 164, 164a provided on the first housing 36, and are provided spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the annular assembly portion 170. Five or more positioning locking portions 174 are provided in the annular assembly portion 170, and when each positioning locking portion 164, 164a is locked to each positioning locking portion 174, four are arbitrarily selected from the five or more positioning locking portions 174 to lock each positioning locking portion 164, 164a. This makes it possible to change the assembly direction of the first connector 10a (first terminal fitting 12a) to the in-vehicle device 14 (mutual terminal 16). Incidentally, Figure 11 shows an embodiment in which a different positioning locking portion 174 than that shown in Figure 10 is selected, and the assembly direction of the first connector 10a to the in-vehicle device 14 is changed.
[0052] <Wire Guide Cylinder 40> The wire guide cylinder 40 is generally cylindrical in shape and extends in the front-to-back direction, through which the insulated wire 34 is inserted. Therefore, the wire guide cylinder 40 is equipped with a cylindrical wall portion 176 that extends in the front-to-back direction. In Embodiment 1, the front portion of the cylindrical wall portion 176 is configured as a horizontally elongated, roughly rectangular or oval shape, roughly corresponding to the wire connection portion 22 of the first terminal fitting 12a, and the rear portion of the cylindrical wall portion 176 is configured as a cylindrical shape, roughly corresponding to the insulated wire 34. The rear portion (second connecting portion 28) of the intermediate resin member 30 is inserted into the front opening of this cylindrical wall portion 176 and assembled. At the front end of the cylindrical wall portion 176, locking claws 178 are provided on both the left and right sides, projecting outward in the left and right directions. When assembling the wire guide cylinder portion 40 with the intermediate resin member 30, these locking claws 178 are locked into a rear locking frame 70 that projects rearward from the intermediate resin member 30.
[0053] Furthermore, positioning grooves 180 are provided on both the vertical and horizontal sides of the front end of the wire guide tube portion 40 (tube wall portion 176), into which the positioning projections 160 of the first housing 36 described above are inserted. Each of these positioning grooves 180 is formed in a notched shape, penetrating both vertical and horizontal portions of the tube wall portion 176 in the thickness direction (vertical direction) and opening forward. When the first housing 36 and the wire guide tube portion 40 are connected via the intermediate resin member 30, each positioning projection 160 is inserted from the front into the positioning grooves 66, 180 provided in the intermediate resin member 30 and the wire guide tube portion 40.
[0054] The insulated electric wire 34 is pulled out from the rear opening of the electric wire guide cylinder portion 40 (cylinder wall portion 176), and the electric wire outlet 38 is formed by the rear opening of the electric wire guide cylinder portion 40. A back retainer 114 is assembled to the electric wire outlet 38 of the electric wire guide cylinder portion 40 to prevent the aforementioned annular seal rubber 112 from falling off. Specifically, locking claws 182 that protrude outward in the vertical direction are provided on both the vertical sides of the rear end of the cylinder wall portion 176, and when the back retainer 114 is assembled to the cylinder wall portion 176, each of these locking claws 182 is locked to a locking frame 118 that protrudes forward on the back retainer 114.
[0055] <In-vehicle device 14> The structure of the in-vehicle device 14 that holds the mating terminal 16 is not limited, but a specific example of the in-vehicle device 14 is shown in Figures 10 and 11. The in-vehicle device 14 is equipped with a second housing 184 that extends in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and this second housing 184 holds the mating terminal 16. The mating terminal 16 as a whole is substantially cylindrical in shape that extends in the vertical direction, and a second bolt insertion hole 186 is formed in the central part of the mating terminal 16 that penetrates in the vertical direction and communicates with the relay through hole 46 of the relay terminal 44. Furthermore, at least the upper part of the inner circumferential surface of each second bolt insertion hole 186 is formed over a predetermined vertical dimension, and a female thread (not shown) is formed to screw with the male thread of the fastening bolt 18.
[0056] <Connector 10 (Second Connector 10b)> The second connector 10b shown in Figures 12 to 17 employs a second terminal part 32b as the terminal part 32, that is, employs a substantially L-shaped second terminal fitting 12b with a connection angle of 90 degrees between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22. In Embodiment 1, the terminal part 20 extends in the front-rear direction, and the second terminal fitting 12b bends upward from the rear end of the terminal part 20, so that the wire connection part 22 extends in the vertical direction. In the second connector 10b, the structure other than the terminal part 32 (second terminal part 32b) is the same as that of the first connector 10a, so a detailed explanation is omitted by assigning the same reference numerals in the figures as those of the first connector 10a to members or parts that are substantially the same as those of the first connector 10a.
[0057] In the second terminal part 32b, the shape of the intermediate resin member 188 differs from that of the intermediate resin member 30 in the first terminal part 32a. Specifically, in the intermediate resin member 188, the front cylindrical portion 60 covers the terminal portion 20 and the rear cylindrical portion 68 covers the wire connection portion 22, similar to the intermediate resin member 30 in the first terminal part 32a. However, the base portion 190 connecting the front cylindrical portion 60 and the rear cylindrical portion 68 is formed in an approximately L-shape, corresponding to the approximately L-shaped bent intermediate portion 24. Furthermore, in the intermediate resin member 188 of the second terminal part 32b, a clamping portion 192 is formed in the front part of the base portion 190 below the rear cylindrical portion 68, which, together with the front cylindrical portion 60, clamps the upper wall portion of the terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122 (terminal holding wall portion 154) of the first housing 36. Positioning grooves 194 are provided on both the left and right sides of the clamping portion 192, and when the first housing 36 and the wire guide tube portion 40 are connected via the intermediate resin member 188, the positioning projections 160 on the first housing 36 are inserted into the positioning grooves 180 on the wire guide tube portion 40 and the positioning grooves 194 on the intermediate resin member 188. In Embodiment 1, the intermediate resin member 188, which has this shape, is integrally molded with respect to the second terminal fitting 12b by embedding the intermediate portion 24 of the second terminal fitting 12b.
[0058] <Assembly Method of Connector 10 (First and Second Connectors 10a, 10b)> Below, a specific example of the assembly method of the first connector 10a and the second connector 10b will be described. Note that the assembly method of each connector 10a and 10b is not limited to the description below. Also, since the second connector 10b is assembled using the same assembly method as the first connector 10a, the assembly method of the first connector 10a will be described below, and the explanation of the assembly method of the second connector 10b will be omitted.
[0059] First, the intermediate resin member 30 is integrally molded with the first terminal fitting 12a to form the first terminal part 32a. The front seal rubber 72 is fixed to the front cylindrical portion 60 of the intermediate resin member 30 in an externally fitted state, and the rear seal rubber 74 is fixed to the rear cylindrical portion 68 in an externally fitted state. Then, the core wire 110 of the insulated wire 34 is fixed to the wire connection portion 22 of the first terminal fitting 12a by welding or the like. After that, the first terminal part 32a with the insulated wire 34 fixed to it is inserted through the front opening of the wire guide cylindrical portion 40 (cylinder wall portion 176), the rear cylindrical portion 68 is inserted into the wire guide cylindrical portion 40, and each locking claw 178 is locked to each rear locking frame 70. Next, the annular seal rubber 112 and back retainer 114, which are externally fitted to the rear portion of the insulated wire 34, are moved forward, the annular seal rubber 112 is inserted into the rear opening (wire outlet 38) of the cylindrical wall portion 176, and the back retainer 114 is assembled.
[0060] Furthermore, the front portion of the first terminal fitting 12a is inserted through the rear opening of the first housing 36, and the front cylindrical portion 60 is inserted into the first housing 36 (terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122), while each locking claw 158 is locked to each front locking frame 62. As a result, each positioning projection 160 in the first housing 36 (terminal insertion cylindrical portion 122) is inserted into each positioning groove 66, 180, and the first housing 36 and the wire guide cylindrical portion 40 are connected by the intermediate resin member 30. As a result, the first bolt insertion hole 42 in the first terminal fitting 12a is located inside the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120. From this state, the intermediate terminal 44 is inserted through the lower opening 130 in the bolt fastening cylindrical portion 120 and placed on top of the lower surface of the first terminal fitting 12a, and the mounting cylindrical portion 48 is press-fitted into the first bolt insertion hole 42 to assemble the intermediate terminal 44 to the first terminal fitting 12a.
[0061] Furthermore, the bolt body 78, tip cap 90, finger-prevention cap 92, and upper seal rubber 96 are assembled to form the fastening bolt 18. Then, the fastening bolt 18 is inserted through the upper opening 128 of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120, and the bolt shaft portion 76 is inserted through the first bolt insertion hole 42 and the intermediate through hole 46. Next, the upper retainer 140 is assembled to the upper opening 128 of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120. This prevents the fastening bolt 18 from falling out of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120. Furthermore, the lower seal rubber 146 and lower retainer 148 are assembled to the lower end of the bolt fastening cylinder portion 120. As a result, the first connector 10a is completed.
[0062] <Fastening the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16 with fastening bolts 18> The following describes how to fasten the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16 in the first connector 10a with fastening bolts 18. Note that the method for fastening the second terminal fitting 12b and the mating terminal 16 in the second connector 10b is the same as the method for fastening the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16, so the explanation will be omitted.
[0063] First, the mounting component 168 is fixed to the second housing 184 of the in-vehicle device 14. Then, the mounting component 168 and the first housing 36 are fixed together by engaging the positioning locking parts 164, 164a of the first housing 36 with the positioning locking parts 174 of the mounting component 168 that are arbitrarily selected. At this time, the first housing 36 and the mounting component 168 are engaged by selecting any four positioning locking parts 174 from the positioning locking parts 174 provided on the mounting component 168, so that the first terminal fitting 12a can be assembled to the mating terminal 16 in the desired orientation when assembled to the in-vehicle device 14 (mating terminal 16).
[0064] When the first housing 36 and the mounting component 168 are superimposed, the tip of the fastening bolt 18 is inserted into the second bolt insertion hole 186, and the male thread on the fastening bolt 18 abuts against the female thread on the inner circumferential surface of the second bolt insertion hole 186 from above. From this state, by operating the operating part 94 on the fastening bolt 18 and tightening the fastening bolt 18, the male thread on the fastening bolt 18 and the female thread on the mating terminal 16 are screwed together. As the fastening with the fastening bolt 18 progresses, the first connector 10a and the in-vehicle equipment 14 move closer together, and the annular surface at the lower end of the relay terminal 44 abuts against the annular surface at the upper end of the mating terminal 16. As a result, the fastening with the fastening bolt 18 is completed, and the first terminal fitting 12a and the mating terminal 16 are fastened together by the fastening bolt 18.
[0065] With the connector 10 of Embodiment 1 having the structure described above, two types of connectors 10a and 10b with different extension directions for the insulated wire 34 can be constructed using the same components other than the first terminal part 32a and the second terminal part 32b. This reduces the number of component types and thus the cost compared to forming multiple connectors with different extension directions for the insulated wire 34 using dedicated components for each. In particular, when manufacturing two types of connectors 10a and 10b with different extension directions for the insulated wire 34, instead of bending the insulated wire 34, the insulated wire 34 can be fixed to the wire connection portion 22 of each terminal fitting 12a and 12b by making the shapes of the terminal fittings 12 (first terminal fitting 12a and second terminal fitting 12b) different, thereby reliably preventing damage such as bending of the insulated wire 34.
[0066] Multiple terminal parts 32 include a first terminal part 32a in which the connection angle between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22 is 180 degrees, and a second terminal part 32b in which the connection angle between the terminal part 20 and the wire connection part 22 is 90 degrees. This makes it possible to stably manufacture two types of connectors 10a and 10b in which the extension directions of the insulated wire 34 are mutually orthogonal directions.
[0067] In particular, each intermediate resin member 30, 188 is integrally molded with respect to each terminal fitting 12a, 12b by embedding the intermediate portion 24 of each terminal fitting 12a, 12b. This eliminates the need to assemble each terminal fitting 12a, 12b with each intermediate resin member 30, 188, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, each terminal part 32a, 32b can be handled as a single unit, improving the ease of handling the parts.
[0068] <Modifications> Although Embodiment 1 has been described in detail above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the purpose of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.
[0069] (1) In the above embodiment, one mating terminal 16 was held by the second housing 184 and one connector 10 (first connector 10a or second connector 10b) was fastened to it, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the second housing may hold a plurality of mating terminals, and each mating terminal may be fastened with a connector according to the present disclosure. In this case, for example, a connector for the positive electrode and a connector for the negative electrode may be provided, and the housing used for the connector for the positive electrode (for example, the first housing 36) may be inverted upside down to become the housing used for the connector for the negative electrode. Note that the connector according to the present disclosure does not need to share components between the connector for the positive electrode and the connector for the negative electrode, and components dedicated to the connector for the positive electrode and components dedicated to the connector for the negative electrode may be used. In this case, in the above embodiment, the positioning locking portions 164, 164a protruded from both the vertical and horizontal sides of the first housing 36, but the positioning locking portions may protrude only downward.
[0070] (2) In the above embodiment, the first housing 36 is provided with positioning locking portions 164, 164a, and the mounting component 168 is provided with positioning locking portions 174, and the extension direction of each terminal fitting 12a, 12b (i.e., insulated wire 34) toward the mating terminal 16 is made variable by selecting any positioning locking portion 174 from among the positioning locking portions 174, but the invention is not limited to this embodiment. That is, in the connector according to the present disclosure, the configuration that makes the extension direction of the terminal fitting (i.e., insulated wire) toward the mating terminal variable is not essential, and positioning locking portions and positioning locking portions may not be provided. Therefore, when fastening a terminal fitting to a mating terminal, the mounting component 168 as in the above embodiment is not essential.
[0071] (3) When a second terminal holds multiple mating terminals and the connector according to the present disclosure is fastened to these mating terminals, a combination of a first connector on which the insulated wire extends straight and a second connector on which the insulated wire extends in a direction perpendicular to it may be used.
[0072] 10 Connector 10a First connector 10b Second connector 12 Terminal fitting 12a First terminal fitting 12b Second terminal fitting 14 In-vehicle equipment 16 Mating terminal 18 Fastening bolt 20 Terminal section 22 Wire connection section 24 Intermediate section 26 First connecting section 28 Second connecting section 30 Intermediate resin member (of the first terminal part) 32 Terminal part 32a First terminal part 32b Second terminal part 34 Insulated wire 36 First housing (housing) 38 Wire outlet 40 Wire guide cylinder section 42 First bolt insertion hole 43 Through hole 44 Intermediate terminal 46 Intermediate through hole 48 Mounting cylinder section 50 Cylindrical projection 52 Press-fit rib 54 Recess 56 Inner hole 58 Base section 60 Front cylinder section 62 Front locking frame 64 Clamping part 66 Positioning groove 68 Rear cylinder part 70 Rear locking frame 72 Front seal rubber 74 Rear seal rubber 76 Bolt shaft part 78 Bolt body 80 Bolt head 82 Lower insertion recess 84 Engaging shaft part 86 Upper insertion recess 88 Engaging projection 90 Tip side cap 91 Insertion part 92 Finger-proof cap 94 Operating part 96 Upper seal rubber 98 Displacement restricting part 100 Annular seal mounting part 102 Recess 104 Engaging groove part 106 Insertion part 108 Insulating coating 110 Core wire 112 Annular seal rubber 114 Back retainer 116 Central hole 118 Locking frame 120 Bolt fastening cylinder part 122 Terminal insertion cylinder part 124 Peripheral wall 126 Bolt fastening hole 128 Upper opening 130 Lower opening 132 Intermediate opening 134 Engaging projection 136 Positioning recess 138 Lock recess 140 Upper retainer 142 Positioning projection (of upper retainer) 144 Locking projection (of upper retainer) 146 Lower sealing rubber 148 Lower retainer 150 Positioning projection (of lower retainer) 152 Locking projection (of lower retainer) 154 Terminal holding wall 156 Terminal housing gap 158 Locking claw 160 Positioning projection 162 Indicator 164 Positioning locking part 164a Positioning locking part (at circumferential end) 166 Locking claw part 168 Mounting part 170 Annular assembly part 172 Cover part 174 Positioning locking part 176 Cylinder wall portion 178 Locking claw 180 Positioning groove 182 Locking claw 184 Second housing186 Second bolt insertion hole 188 Intermediate resin member (of the second terminal part) 190 Base part 192 Clamping part 194 Positioning groove L Central axis extending in the front-rear direction in the housing
Claims
1. A terminal part comprising: a terminal fitting including a terminal portion provided at one end, a wire connection portion provided at the other end, and an intermediate portion provided between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion, to which an intermediate resin member covering the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting and including a first connecting portion provided on the terminal portion side and a second connecting portion provided on the wire connection portion side is assembled; an insulated wire connected to the wire connection portion of the terminal part; a housing that accommodates the terminal portion of the terminal part and is detachably connected to the first connecting portion of the intermediate resin member; and a wire guide cylinder portion that accommodates the wire connection portion of the terminal part and is detachably connected to the second connecting portion of the intermediate resin member and has a wire outlet through which the insulated wire is pulled out to the outside, wherein a plurality of the terminal parts are prepared, each having a different connection angle between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion in the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting. The housing and the wire guide tube portion can be used in common with any of the multiple terminal parts, and the connector is configured by assembling the housing and the wire guide tube portion to any arbitrarily selected terminal part.
2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminal parts include a first terminal part having a connection angle of 180 degrees between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion, and a second terminal part having a connection angle of 90 degrees between the terminal portion and the wire connection portion.
3. The connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the intermediate resin member is integrally molded with respect to the terminal fitting, with the intermediate portion of the terminal fitting embedded in it.