JP2014078370A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector which can flexibly deal with the change in the number of poles, the number of stages and the number of rows and the change of the coupling position of adjacent housings.SOLUTION: This invention relates to a plug connector 1 which can constitute a plug side multipolar connector 3 in which plug housings 10 with a substantially square cross section are coupled vertically and horizontally. The plug connector 1 includes: projection strip parts 28, 32 extended in an axial direction on first surfaces on one of an upper side and a lower side, and a right side and a left side of the plug housing 10; and recession strip parts 22, 35 on second surfaces on the other of the upper side and the lower side, and the right side and the left side of the plug housing 10 so that the projection strip parts 28, 32 can be slidingly coupled thereto in the axial direction. The adjacent plug housings 10 are so constituted that the projection strip parts 28, 32 and the recession strip parts 22, 35 are slidingly couped together to form the plug side multipolar connector 3 in an alignment state in which each plug housing 10 is aligned and a non-alignment state in which each plug housing 10 is deviated by a prescribed interval to the upper and lower sides or right and left sides from the alignment state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector capable of forming a multipolar connector by connecting a housing having a substantially rectangular cross section in a plurality of upper and lower stages or a plurality of left and right rows.

  Generally, a connector that forms a multipolar connector by connecting a plurality of single-polar housings vertically or horizontally is used. The thus configured multipolar connector is used for batch connection of a large number of cables with a counterpart multipolar connector.

  Conventionally, as a connector for forming such a multipolar connector, a male slide coupling portion extending in the axial direction on one of both side surfaces of a single-polar housing having a rectangular cross section accommodating one terminal, and a male on the other side A female slide coupling portion extending in a concave-convex relationship opposite to the slide coupling portion, a male fitting portion projecting on one of the upper and lower surfaces, and a female fitting portion recessed on the other What it has is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). In this connector, the male slide coupling portion and the female slide coupling portion are slidably coupled, and the male mating portion is mated with the female mating portion, so that the housings are regularly coupled in a lattice shape. A pole connector is formed.

Japanese Patent No. 4391310

  Conventionally, when such a connector is used, for example, the number of cables (terminals) is changed, or the housings are joined in a state where the housings are shifted by half (half pitch). Sometimes you want to form a connector.

  However, in the conventional connector described above, since the plurality of housings could only be arranged in a regular and aligned manner in a lattice shape, it was not possible to form the irregularly shaped multipolar connector as described above. Therefore, in order to cope with such an irregularly shaped multipolar connector, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of types of connectors having different shapes and positions of the slide coupling portions and the like. For this reason, there existed a possibility of the increase in the cost concerning a connector, the increase in the effort of parts management, etc.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can flexibly cope with a change in the number of poles, the number of stages, the number of rows, and a change in the coupling position of adjacent housings. It is what.

  In order to solve the above problems, a first connector of the present invention is a connector capable of constituting a multipolar connector by connecting a housing having a substantially rectangular cross section having a terminal holding portion in a plurality of upper and lower stages or a plurality of left and right rows. A protruding strip extending in the axial direction of the housing on the first surface of either one of the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the housing, and the second of the upper and lower sides of the housing and the second of the left and right sides A plurality of ridges formed on the surface so as to be slidably coupled in the axial direction by arranging the two ridges apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The housings that are adjacent to each other in the vertical and left and right directions are arranged in an aligned state in which the respective housings are regularly arranged in a lattice shape by slidingly connecting the convex strips and the concave strips in the axial direction. Characterized in that said out of alignment each housing is configured to allow formation of the multipolar connector of the non-alignment which are arranged shifted by a predetermined interval in the vertical or horizontal.

  According to the first connector of the present invention, adjacent housings can be coupled in a state of being regularly arranged in a lattice shape (alignment state), and the housings can be coupled with being shifted from each other by a predetermined distance (non-alignment state). Therefore, an irregularly shaped multipolar connector can be formed. Therefore, the first connector of the present invention can flexibly cope with the change in the number of poles, the number of stages and the number of rows of the multipolar connector to be formed, and the change in the coupling position of adjacent housings. As a result, the degree of freedom in changing the formation of the multipolar connector is increased, and it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of types of connectors. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent an increase in costs, an increase in parts management, and the like.

  The second connector of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first connector described above, the non-aligned state is a state in which the housing is shifted by 1/2 of the housing vertically or horizontally. .

  According to the second connector of the present invention, another housing is coupled with a shift of a half of the height (length in the vertical direction) or the width (length in the horizontal direction) of the housing. That is, the housings are arranged and coupled in a staggered manner. Thereby, the multipolar connector of the alignment state or non-alignment state which a user desires can be formed with a high freedom degree.

  The third connector of the present invention is the above-described second connector, wherein the convex portion is extended to one central portion on the first surface, and the concave portion is provided on the second surface. When the protrusions are juxtaposed in two places on both sides of the recess so that the part extends in the center, and the housing is joined in the aligned state, the adjacent parts sandwiching the joining part Between the convex portions of the first surfaces, there are formed first coupling concave portions that can be slidably coupled with the convex portions of the second surface, and are adjacent to each other with the coupling portion of the housing interposed therebetween. Between the protruding ridges of the matching second surfaces, there is formed a second coupling groove that allows the ridges of the first surface to be slidably coupled.

  According to the third connector of the present invention, without separately providing a concave portion for connecting the housing in the non-aligned state, the convex portion for connecting the housing in the aligned state is used in the non-aligned state. Each coupling recess for coupling is formed. As a result, the number of protrusions and recesses formed can be minimized, and the configuration of the housing can be simplified, so that the cost for manufacturing the connector can be reduced.

  Further, the fourth connector of the present invention is the above-described first to third connectors, wherein each of the protruding portions is formed in a substantially trapezoidal cross section that is widened outward as viewed from the axial direction. It is characterized by.

  According to the fourth connector of the present invention, the cross-section of the ridge portion is a substantially trapezoidal shape with the outside wide, and the ridge portion has a shape corresponding to the ridge portion. In a state in which the part is slidably coupled in the axial direction, movement in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction is restricted. As a result, it is possible to prevent the housings adjacent to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions from being separated, and the shape of the multipolar connector can be appropriately maintained.

  According to a fifth connector of the present invention, in the first to fourth connectors described above, a lock coupling portion to which a lock member for fixing the connection with the mating connector can be attached is provided. The locking member is formed over at least one of the first surface and the second surface adjacent to each other when coupled in a state, and the movement of each housing in the axial direction can be restricted. It is characterized by fixing.

  According to the fifth connector of the present invention, the lock member is attached to the adjacent housings by coupling the lock members via the lock coupling portions of the aligned housings (connectors). Thereby, since the movement to the axial direction of each housing is controlled, isolation | separation of the adjacent housing is prevented and the shape of a multipolar connector can be maintained appropriately.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to flexibly cope with a change in the number of poles, the number of stages, the number of rows, and a change in the coupling position of adjacent housings.

It is a perspective view of a plug connector concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the plug connector concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a right view of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom view of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a left view of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a rear view of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the plug connector concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the procedure which couple | bonds the plug housing of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention in the alignment state so that it may adjoin on right and left. It is a perspective view explaining the procedure which couple | bonds the plug housing of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention in the aligned state so that it may adjoin up and down. It is a perspective view explaining the procedure which couple | bonds the plug housing of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention in the L-shape in an alignment state, and couple | bonds another plug housing with the upper side and left side of a plug housing. It is a perspective view explaining the procedure which couple | bonds the plug housing of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention in an L-shape, and joins another plug housing to the lower surface and right side of a plug housing. It is a perspective view explaining the procedure which couple | bonds the plug housing of the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention in a non-aligned state. It is a perspective view of the plug side multipolar connector comprised by the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view explaining the procedure which couple | bonds the plug connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention in the alignment state so that it may adjoin on right and left, and attaches a plug side locking member. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a bottom view of the receptacle connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the receptacle side multipolar connector comprised by the receptacle connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view explaining the connection of the plug side multipolar connector and receptacle side multipolar connector which concern on one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are set with reference to the directions indicated by arrows in the drawing.

<Plug connector>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plug connector 1 according to the present embodiment. 2 to 7 are a plan view, a right side view, a bottom view, a left side view, a rear view, and a front view of the plug connector 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the plug connector 1 includes a plug housing 10 that has a main appearance, and a fitting portion 11 that is connected to the front end surface of the plug housing 10. The part 11 can hold a plug terminal 12 (see FIG. 13) connected to one end of the plug-side cable 2. Further, the plug housing 10 and the fitting portion 11 are both integrally formed of an insulating material such as resin to form the plug connector 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the plug housing 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape elongated in the front-rear direction (axial direction), and includes an upper side wall part 13, a right side wall part 14, a lower side wall part 15, and a left side. Wall 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 5 to 7, the upper side wall portion 13 includes a pair of left and right upper ridges 20 extending in the front-rear direction (axial direction) and a pair of left and right upper ridges. The upper connecting portion 21 that connects the front end of the portion 20 in the left-right direction, the upper concave portion 22 formed between the pair of left and right upper convex portions 20, and the upper surface 201 of each upper convex portion 20 are provided. The lock coupling portion 23 is formed.

  The upper outer surface 131 of the upper side wall portion 13 includes a central upper outer surface 132 exposed between the pair of left and right upper ridge portions 20, an upper right outer surface 133 exposed at the right outer end of the right upper ridge portion 20, and a left side And the upper left outer surface 134 exposed at the left outer end of the upper ridge portion 20.

  Each upper ridge portion 20 is formed in a rectangular shape elongated in the front-rear direction (axial direction) in plan view. Each upper ridge portion 20 is projected from the upper outer surface 131 of the upper side wall portion 13, and its cross section is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape widened upward (outward) when viewed from the front-rear direction. Yes. The pair of left and right upper ridges 20 are provided equally spaced from the left and right center of the upper side wall 13. Further, the rear end surfaces of the upper ridge portions 20 and the upper side wall portion 13 are formed flush with each other.

  The upper connecting portion 21 is connected to the front end of each upper ridge portion 20, and its upper surface 211 is provided so as to form the same plane as the upper surface 201 of each upper ridge portion 20. The upper connecting portion 21 is formed in a rectangular shape that is elongated in the left-right direction in plan view, and its front-rear width is formed to be substantially the same as the left-right width of each upper ridge portion 20. The front end surfaces of the upper connecting portion 21 and the upper side wall portion 13 are formed flush with each other. The rear end surface 213 of the upper connecting portion 21 includes a central rear end surface 214 exposed between the pair of left and right upper ridge portions 20, a right rear end surface 215 exposed at the right outer end of the right upper ridge portion 20, and a left side. The left rear end face 216 exposed at the left outer end of the upper ridge portion 20 is formed.

  The upper concave portion 22 includes the left side surface 203 of the right upper convex portion 20, the right side surface 204 of the left upper convex portion 20, the center upper outer surface 132 of the upper side wall portion 13, and the center of the upper connecting portion 21. A space surrounded by the rear end surface 214 extends in the front-rear direction at the left and right center of the upper side wall portion 13. The upper concave portion 22 is formed in the front-rear direction with a cross-sectional shape that opens the rear end and has a concave-convex relationship opposite to the upper convex portion 20. That is, the cross section of the upper concave ridge portion 22 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape that is widened downward (inward) when viewed from the front-rear direction.

  The lock coupling portion 23 has a pair of front and rear lock projections 24 that are projected on the upper surface 201 of each upper ridge portion 20 and a lock recess 25 formed between each pair of front and rear lock projections 24. doing.

  Each lock projection 24 is formed in a rectangular shape slightly longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction in plan view, and the cross section thereof is the same as the cross-section of each upper ridge portion 20 as viewed from the left-right direction. It is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape widened toward the outside. The pair of front and rear locking projections 24 are provided in the front-rear direction on the front side of the upper surface 201 of each upper projection 20. That is, four lock convex parts 24 are arranged side by side on the pair of left and right upper ridges 20 side by side. To be precise, the front locking projections 24 are provided slightly behind the connecting portions of the upper projections 20 and the upper coupling portions 21.

  Each lock recess 25 is formed by a space surrounded by a pair of front and rear lock protrusions 24 and the upper surface 201 of the upper protrusion 20. Each of the lock recesses 25 is formed in a cross-sectional shape that opens at the left and right ends and has an uneven relationship opposite to that of the lock protrusions 24, similar to the upper recess 22. That is, the cross section of each lock recess 25 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape that is widened downward (inward) when viewed from the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the right side wall portion 14 includes a right front wall portion 26 provided in front of the front and rear direction substantially center of the plug housing 10 and a rear side of the right front wall portion 26. A right ridge 28 extending in the front-rear direction (axial direction) across the right front wall 26 and the right rear wall 27.

  The right rear wall portion 27 is thicker than the right front wall portion 26, protrudes one step rightward from the right front wall portion 26, and a step is formed between the right rear wall portion 26 and the right front wall portion 26. The right rear outer surface 272 of the right rear wall portion 27 includes an upper right rear outer surface 273 exposed above the right ridge 28 and a lower right rear outer surface 274 exposed below the right ridge 28. It is formed with.

  The right ridge portion 28 has substantially the same shape (planar shape, cross-sectional shape, etc.) as each of the upper ridge portions 20 described above, and is provided at the upper and lower centers of the right front wall portion 26 and the right rear wall portion 27. . The right ridge portion 28 is formed so that the amount of protrusion of the right rear wall portion 27 in the right direction from the right rear outer surface 272 is the same as the amount of protrusion of each upper ridge portion 20 above. Yes. The right ridge 28 is formed to have a length substantially the same as the length in the front-rear direction of the upper ridge 22 described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the lower wall portion 15 has the same configuration as the right side wall portion 14 described above, and has a lower front wall portion 30 and a lower rear wall portion 31. The lower ridge 32 extends in the front-rear direction (axial direction) across the lower front wall 30 and the lower rear wall 31.

  The lower rear wall portion 31 is thicker than the lower front wall portion 30, and protrudes one step downward from the lower front wall portion 30. The lower rear wall portion 31 and the right rear wall portion 27 are integrally formed by bending at a right angle when viewed from the front, and the front end surface 311 of the lower rear wall portion 31 is the front end surface of the right rear wall portion 27. 271 and the same plane as H.271. Further, the lower rear outer surface 312 of the lower rear wall portion 31 includes a right lower rear outer surface 313 exposed to the right of the lower convex strip portion 32 and a left lower portion exposed to the left of the lower convex strip portion 32. And a rear outer surface 314.

  The lower ridge 32 has the same shape as the right ridge 28 described above, and is provided at the left and right centers of the lower front wall 30 and the lower rear wall 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 to 7, the left side wall portion 16 has the same configuration as the above-described upper side wall portion 13, and the left side wall portion 16 has a pair of upper and lower left ridge portions 33. And the left side connection part 34 and the left side groove part 35 are formed.

  The left outer surface 161 of the left side wall 16 includes a central left outer surface 162 exposed between the pair of left and right upper ridges 20, an upper left outer surface 163 exposed at the upper outer end of the upper left ridge 33, And a lower left outer surface 164 exposed at the lower outer end of the left convex portion 33 on the side.

  The pair of upper and lower left ridges 33 have the same shape as each of the upper ridges 20 described above, and are provided evenly spaced from the upper and lower centers of the left wall 16. Further, the rear end surfaces of the left ridge portions 33 and the left wall portion 16 are formed flush with each other.

  The left connecting portion 34 has substantially the same shape as each of the upper connecting portions 21 described above, and is formed integrally with the upper connecting portion 21 by being bent at a right angle when viewed from the rear. The rear end surface 343 of the left connecting portion 34 includes a central rear end surface 344 exposed between the pair of upper and lower left convex portions 33, and an upper rear end surface 345 exposed at the upper outer end of the upper left convex portion 33. And a lower rear end face 346 exposed at the lower outer end of the lower left ridge 33.

  The left concave portion 35 includes a lower side surface 333 of the upper left convex portion 33, an upper side surface 334 of the lower left convex portion 33, a central left outer surface 162 of the left wall portion 16, and a left connecting portion 34. A space surrounded by the central rear end surface 344 extends in the front-rear direction at the center of the left side wall portion 16 in the vertical direction. The left groove portion 35 has the same shape as the upper groove portion 22 described above.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the plug housing 10 includes a plug terminal holding portion 36 having a substantially square cross section surrounded by an upper side wall portion 13, a right side wall portion 14, a lower side wall portion 15, and a left side wall portion 16. Is formed. A plug terminal opening 37 having a rectangular shape substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the plug terminal holding portion 36 is formed on the rear end surface of the plug housing 10.

  Next, the fitting part 11 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 5, FIG. The fitting portion 11 is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape that is smaller than the plug housing 10. The fitting portion 11 is formed integrally with the plug housing 10 at a substantially vertical center of the front end surface 101 of the plug housing 10. The front end surface 101 of the plug housing 10 is exposed on the upper side, the lower side, and the left side of the fitting portion 11, and the right surface of the fitting portion 11 is substantially flush with the right front outer surface 261 of the right front wall portion 26. ing.

  A mating terminal insertion opening 45 having a convex shape in front view is opened on the front surface of the fitting portion 11. The above-described plug terminal holding part 36 is drilled to the inside of the fitting part 11, and the mating terminal insertion port 45 communicates with the front end of the plug terminal holding part 36.

  Next, the plug terminal 12 will be briefly described. The plug terminal 12 is made of a conductive material, and has a cable holding portion (not shown) that is connected to the plug-side cable 2 and a contact piece that is in contact with the receptacle terminal 71. The cable holding portion is connected to the cable core of the plug-side cable 2 by being crimped (or pressed). The contact piece includes a plurality of upper contact pieces 46 and a plurality of lower contact pieces 47 provided below the upper contact pieces 46 (see FIG. 13). Each upper contact piece 46 is formed in a tongue-like shape that has an end bent upward and can be elastically deformed. Each lower contact piece 47 is formed in a block shape, and is arranged to be spaced downward from each upper contact piece 46. The plurality of upper contact pieces 46 and the plurality of lower contact pieces 47 are each arranged in a line in the left-right direction.

  The plug terminal 12 is inserted into the plug terminal holding part 36 from the plug terminal opening 37 in a state where it is connected to the tip of the plug side cable 2 (see FIG. 18), and is fitted in the vicinity of the mating terminal insertion port 45. 11 is fixed inside.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 and FIGS. 8 to 12, a procedure for coupling the above-described plug connector 1 (plug housing 10) vertically and horizontally will be described. FIG. 8 thru | or FIG. 11 is a perspective view explaining the procedure which couple | bonds the plug housing 10 of the plug connector 1 which concerns on this embodiment in an aligned state. FIG. 12 is a perspective view for explaining a procedure for coupling the plug housing 10 of the plug connector 1 according to the present embodiment in a non-aligned state. Here, in order to simplify the description, in FIGS. 8 to 12, reference numerals A, B, C, D, and E are added to the reference numerals assigned to the respective components of the plug connector 1. For example, the symbol “1A” is attached to the plug connector 1 indicated as “A”.

  First, a procedure for joining a plurality of plug housings 10 in a state where adjacent plug housings 10 are regularly arranged in a lattice shape (hereinafter referred to as “aligned state”) will be described. here. As an example, it is assumed that the plug housing 10 is coupled so as to form a grid of 2 rows and 2 columns.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, in order to connect the right side wall part 14B of the plug housing 10B to the left side wall part 16A of the plug housing 10A, the operator connects the plug housing 10B to the plug housing 10A. On the left side, it is made to face the rear of the opening surface of the plug terminal opening 37. Then, the operator inserts the right convex portion 28B formed on the right side wall portion 14B of the plug housing 10B from the rear side with respect to the left concave portion 35A formed on the left side wall portion 16A of the plug housing 10A. Slide forward while touching.

  As the slide progresses, the right rear outer surface 272B (upper right rear outer surface 273B and lower right rear outer surface 274B) of the right rear wall portion 27B comes into sliding contact with the left surface 331A of each left convex portion 33A. When the front end surface 282B of the right ridge 28B comes into contact with the central rear end surface 344 of the left connecting portion 34A, the sliding of the right ridge 28B with respect to the left recess 35A is restricted, and the right ridge 35A has a right side. The protruding portion 28B is in a fitted state. In this state, the plug terminal openings 37 of both plug housings 10A and 10B are open on the same plane. Further, a gap (not shown) is formed between the left surface 341 of the left connecting portion 34 </ b> A, the left surface 331 of each left convex portion 33, and the right front outer surface 261 of the right front wall portion 26. As a result, the plug housing 10A and the plug housing 10B are slidably coupled in an aligned state (see FIG. 9).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 and FIG. 9, in order to connect the plug housing 10C to the upper wall portion 13A of the plug housing 10A, the operator performs the same procedure as described above on the upper side of the upper wall portion 13A. The lower ridge portion 32C formed on the lower wall portion 15C of the plug housing 10C is inserted from the rear side with respect to the ridge portion 22A, and is slid forward while being in sliding contact.

  As the slide progresses, the lower rear outer surface 312C (the right lower rear outer surface 313C and the left lower rear outer surface 314C) of the lower rear wall portion 31C comes into sliding contact with the upper surface 201A of each upper ridge 20A. Further, the lower front outer surface 301C of the lower front wall portion 30C is in sliding contact with the upper surface 241A of each lock convex portion 24A. Since the lower front wall portion 30C is formed one step above the lower rear wall portion 31C, the lower front wall portion 30C is prevented from interfering with each lock projection 24A, and the plug housing 10C is moved forward. Can be slid.

  The front end surface 322C of the lower ridge portion 32C is in contact with the central rear end surface 214A of the upper connecting portion 21A, and the front end surface 311C of the lower rear wall portion 31C is a pair of left and right lock protrusions disposed rearward. The slide is restricted by coming into contact with the rear end surface 242A of the portion 24A, and the lower ridge portion 32C is engaged with the upper ridge portion 22A. As a result, the slide housing 10A and the plug housing 10C are slidably coupled in an aligned state in which the left and right side wall portions coincide with each other. Up to this point, the plug housings 10A, 10B, and 10C (plug connectors 1A, 1B, and 1C) are slidably coupled in an L shape when viewed from the rear (see FIG. 10).

  Next, a case where the plug housing 10D is coupled to the upper side wall portion 13B of the plug housing 10B and the left side wall portion 16C of the plug housing 10C will be described. In this case as well, the procedure is the same as described above, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and 10, the operator applies the upper concave portion 22B of the upper side wall portion 13B and the left concave portion 35C of the left side wall portion 16C. On the other hand, the lower ridge portion 32D formed on the lower wall portion 15D of the plug housing 10D and the right ridge portion 28D formed on the right wall portion 14D are respectively inserted from the rear and moved forward while being brought into sliding contact with each other. Slide.

  As the slide progresses, the lower rear outer surface 312D (the right lower rear outer surface 313D and the left lower rear outer surface 314D) of the lower rear wall portion 31D comes into sliding contact with the upper surface 201B of each upper ridge 20B. Further, the lower front outer surface 301D of the lower front wall portion 30D is in sliding contact with the upper surface 242B of each lock convex portion 24B. Further, the right rear outer surface 272D (the upper right rear outer surface 273B and the lower right rear outer surface 274) of the right rear wall portion 27D is in sliding contact with the left surface 331A of each left convex portion 33A.

  Then, the front end surface 322D of the lower ridge portion 32D is in contact with the central rear end surface 214B of the upper connection portion 21B, and the front end surface 311D of the lower rear wall portion 31D is a pair of left and right lock protrusions disposed rearward. It contacts the rear end surface 242B of the portion 24B. In addition, the front end surface 282D of the right ridge portion 28D is in contact with the central rear end surface 344B of the left connection portion 34B. As a result, the sliding of the plug housing 10D is restricted, and the lower convex portion 32D and the right convex portion 28D are fitted to the upper concave portion 22B and the left concave portion 35C. Thus, the plug housings 10A to 10D are joined in an aligned state in which the plug terminal openings 37 are opened on the same plane, and the left and right side walls and the upper and lower side walls are aligned.

  In the above, the plug housings 10A, 10B, and 10C are coupled in an L shape, and the plug housing 10D is coupled to the space formed by the upper side wall portion 13 of the plug housing 10B and the left side wall portion 16 of the plug housing 10C. Explained. In this case, recesses 22B and 35C need to be provided on the upper side wall 13B of the plug housing 10B and the left side wall 16C of the plug housing 10C, respectively. On the other hand, the lower side wall portion 15D and the right side wall portion 14D of the plug housing 10D that are to be coupled to each other are required to be provided with protrusions 32D and 28D, respectively. In other words, the two surfaces to be joined are formed in the same shape (concave / concave relationship), and the two surfaces to be joined are formed in the same concavity and reverse shape on the side to be joined. (Concavity and convexity relationship must be the same).

  The reason will be explained. For example, when the above plug housings 10A, 10B, and 10D are slidably coupled, and the plug housing 10C is slidably coupled to the space formed by the upper side wall portion 13A of the plug housing 10A and the right side wall portion 14D of the plug housing 10D. Think. In this case, an upper concave portion 22A is provided on the upper side wall portion 13A of the plug housing 10A that is a side to be coupled, and a right convex portion 28D is provided on the right side wall portion 14D of the plug housing 10D. Here, when the plug housing 10C, which is the coupling side, is to be slid from the rear to the front, the left connecting portion 34C of the left wall portion 16C interferes with the right protruding portion 28D. The strip 28D cannot be inserted. Further, when the plug housing 10C, which is the coupling side, is to be slid from the front to the rear, the lower ridge portion 32C interferes with the upper connecting portion 21A of the upper side wall portion 13A, so the lower ridge portion 22A The ridge 32C cannot be inserted.

  Therefore, as described above, the slide coupling configurations formed on the two surfaces to be coupled are formed in the same concave-convex relationship, and the slide coupling configurations formed on the two surfaces to be coupled are The concave and convex relations opposite to those to be joined must be formed, and the same concave and convex relations must be used.

  As shown in FIG. 11, for example, the plug housings 10B, 10C, and 10D described above are slidably coupled to each other in a space formed by the right side wall portion 14B of the plug housing 10B and the lower side wall portion 15C of the plug housing 10C. When the plug housing 10A is slidably coupled, the plug housing 10A is slid from the front toward the rear. Even in this case, the right side wall part 14B of the plug housing 10B to be joined and the lower side wall part 15C of the plug housing 10C are provided with the protruding strips 28B and 32C, and the upper side wall part 13A of the plug housing 10A to be joined is provided. The left side wall portion 16A is provided with concave strip portions 22A and 35A (each having the same concave-convex relationship).

  Next, a procedure for coupling a plurality of plug housings 10 in a state where the plug housings 10 are displaced from the aligned state by 1/2 of the plug housings 10 on the upper and lower sides or right and left sides (hereinafter referred to as “non-aligned state”) will be described. However, prior to this, a configuration for coupling in an unaligned state will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the plug housings 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are slidably coupled in an aligned state so as to form a 2 × 2 grid.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 and FIG. 12, the lower ridge portion 32A adjacent to the lower wall portions 15A and 15B of the plug housing 10A and the plug housing 10B adjacent to each other in the lower stage with the coupling portion interposed therebetween. A first coupling groove 48 is formed between the first protrusion 32B and the lower protrusion 32B.

  The first coupling recess 48 includes a left side 324A of the lower protrusion 32A of the plug housing 10A, a lower front outer surface 301A of the lower front wall 30A, and a left lower rear outer surface of the lower rear wall 31A. 314A, the right side surface 325B of the lower ridge 32B of the plug housing 10B, the lower front outer surface 301B of the lower front wall 30B, and the right lower rear outer surface 313B of the lower rear wall 31B. The connecting portion extends in the front-rear direction. The first coupling concave portion 48 is formed to have a length in the left-right direction that is approximately three times longer than the upper concave portion 22 and the like, and its cross section is upward (inward) when viewed from the front-rear direction. It is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape that is widened toward.

  In addition, the upper side wall portions 13C and 13D of the plug housing 10C and the plug housing 10D that are adjacent to each other on the upper and lower sides in the upper stage include a second portion between the upper ridge portion 20C and the upper ridge portion 20D that are adjacent to each other with the coupling portion interposed therebetween. The connecting recess 49 is formed.

  The second coupling groove portion 49 includes a left side surface 203C of the left upper projection portion 20C on the left side of the plug housing 10C, an upper left outer surface 134C of the upper side wall portion 13C, a left rear end surface 216C of the upper connection portion 21A, and a plug housing. A space surrounded by the right side surface 204D of the upper ridge portion 20D on the right side of 10D, the upper right outer surface 133D of the upper side wall portion 13D, and the right rear end surface 215D of the upper connection portion 21D extends in the front-rear direction. Has been. The second connecting groove 49 has substantially the same shape as the upper groove 22 and the left groove 35 described above.

  Next, a procedure for connecting the plurality of plug housings 10 in a non-aligned state will be described. Here, as an example, in the plug housings 10A to 10D that are slidably coupled in an aligned state of 2 rows and 2 columns, the first coupling formed below the plug housing 10A and the plug housing 10B that are adjacent to each other in the lower stage. It is assumed that the plug housing 10E is slidably coupled to the recess 48.

  First, the operator causes the plug housing 10E to face forward of the fitting portions 11A and 11B below the plug housings 10A and 10B. And an operator is a pair of right and left formed in the upper wall part 13E of the plug housing 10E with respect to the 1st coupling concave part 48 formed over the lower wall parts 15A and 15B of the plug housings 10A and 10B. The upper ridge portion 20E is inserted from the front and slid rearward while being in sliding contact. That is, the pair of left and right upper ridges 20E are integrated to form one ridge.

  The left side surface 203E of the upper ridge portion 20E on the left side of the plug housing 10E with respect to the left side surface 324A of the lower ridge portion 32A and the right side surface 325B of the lower ridge portion 32B forming the first coupling recess portion 48. The right side surface 204E of the right upper ridge portion 20E is in sliding contact with each other. Further, the upper right outer surface 133E of the upper side wall portion 13E is in sliding contact with the lower surface 321A of the lower convex strip portion 32A, and the upper left outer surface 134E of the upper side wall portion 13E is in sliding contact with the lower surface 321B of the lower convex strip portion 32B.

  As the slide proceeds, the upper surface 241E of each lock convex portion 24E comes into sliding contact with the lower front outer surfaces 301A and 301B of the lower front wall portion 30A and the lower front wall portion 30B. Further, a pair of left and right plug housings 10E with respect to the lower left rear outer surface 314A of the lower rear wall portion 31A and the lower right rear outer surface 313B of the lower rear wall portion 31B forming the first coupling recess 48 are formed. The upper surfaces 201E of the upper ridges 20E are in sliding contact with each other.

  Then, the front end surface 322A of the lower convex strip portion 32A contacts the right rear end surface 215E of the upper connection portion 21E, and the front end surface 322B of the lower convex strip portion 32B contacts the left rear end surface 216E of the upper connection portion 21E. Further, the front end surfaces 311A and 311B of the lower rear wall portion 31A and the lower rear wall portion 31B are in contact with the rear end surfaces 242E of the pair of left and right lock convex portions 24E disposed rearward. Thereby, the sliding of the pair of left and right upper ridges 20E with respect to the first coupling groove 48 is restricted, and the pair of left and right upper ridges 20E are fitted to the first coupling groove 48. . In this state, the plug terminal openings 37 of the plug housings 10A, 10B, and 10E are opened on the same plane. As described above, on the lower side of the plug housing 10A and the plug housing 10B adjacent to the left and right, they are slidably coupled in a state shifted by ½ of the plug housing 10 to the left and right.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, a procedure for configuring the plug-side multipolar connector 3 by connecting the plug connector 1 (plug housing 10) in an aligned state or an unaligned state will be described. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the plug-side multipolar connector 3 according to this embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a procedure for attaching the plug-side lock member 4 by connecting the plug connectors 1 according to the present embodiment in an aligned state so as to be adjacent to each other on the left and right. In FIG. 13, as an example, a plug-side multipolar connector 3 in which four plug connectors 1 are coupled in an aligned state (2 rows and 2 columns) and one plug connector 1 is coupled in a non-aligned state at the bottom. Show.

  The plug-side multipolar connector 3 is configured by holding the plug terminals 12 and attaching the plug-side lock member 4 to the plurality of plug housings 10 slidably coupled in the above-described procedure. Prior to the description of the configuration procedure of the plug-side multipolar connector 3, the configuration of the plug-side lock member 4 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the plug-side lock member 4 includes a plug lock main body 50 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right provided at the front left and right ends of the plug lock main body 50. End-side plate-like portion 51, a central plate-like portion 52 provided substantially at the center in the front left-right direction of the plug lock main body 50, and a pair of front and rear lock recesses extending in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the plug-lock main body 50. 53, and a lock protrusion 54 formed between the pair of front and rear lock recesses 53.

  The plug lock main body 50 has a pair of left and right cutouts 60 at the front left and right ends in plan view. The lower surface of the plug lock main body 50 is formed to have substantially the same size as the upper side wall portion 13 of the plug housing 10 joined side by side on the left and right. The right side surface 61 and the left side surface 62 of the plug lock body 50 are formed so as to be substantially flush with the right surface 281 of the right convex portion 28 and the left surface 331 of the left convex portion 33 of the plug housing 10, respectively. The front end of the upper surface portion 63 of the plug lock body 50 extends slightly to the rear position from the front end of the fitting portion 11.

  The plug lock main body 50 has a pair of left and right engaging hole portions 64 formed between the end plate portions 51 and the central plate portion 52. Each engagement hole 64 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front-rear direction, and is formed so as to penetrate the plug lock body 50 in the front-rear direction. In addition, each engagement hole 64 has a front lower surface of the plug lock body 50 cut out and opened downward. Further, the plug lock main body 50 is provided with a rectangular central hole 65 penetrating in the front-rear direction at the upper portion of the central plate-like portion 52. The pair of left and right engaging hole portions 64 and the central hole portion 65 are partitioned by a pair of left and right partition portions 66 arranged in parallel in the left and right direction.

  Each end-side plate-like portion 51 is formed in a plate shape, has a rear end face connected to each notch portion 60, and extends forward to substantially the same position as the front end of the fitting portion 11. The front end of each notch 60 below each end plate 51 is formed so as to be flush with the front end of the upper wall 13 of the plug housing 10 and above each end plate 51. The front end of each notch 60 is formed to protrude slightly forward from the front end of the upper side wall 13.

  The central plate-like portion 52 is formed in a plate shape that has substantially the same length in the front-rear direction as each end-side plate-like portion 51 and is longer in the left-right direction than each end-side plate-like portion 51. The central plate-like portion 52 is supported by the rear lower ends of the pair of left and right partitioning portions 66, and the front end protrudes slightly forward from the front end of the plug lock body 50.

  The pair of front and rear locking recesses 53 are formed so as to be recessed upward from the lower surface of the plug lock body 50 when viewed from the left direction, and the cross section is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape widened upward. Each lock recess 53 has a left end opened to the lower end of the left side surface 62 of the plug lock body 50 and is recessed to extend to the vicinity of the right side surface 61 of the plug lock body 50. That is, a stop portion (not shown) is formed at the right end of each lock recess 53.

  Further, the lock ridge 54 is formed so as to relatively protrude downward between the pair of front and rear lock ridges 53 as viewed from the left, and its cross section is substantially widened downward. It is formed into a trapezoid. That is, the lower surface of the lock protrusion 54 constitutes a part of the lower surface of the plug lock body 50.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 14, the procedure for installing the plug-side lock member 4 and configuring the plug-side multipolar connector 3 will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the plug housing 10A and the plug housing 10B are slidably connected in an aligned state, similarly to the description of the connection in the non-aligned state.

  First, the operator causes the plug-side lock member 4 to face the right side of the right side wall portion 14A of the plug housing 10A above the aligned plug housings 10A and 10B. And an operator inserts each lock convex part 24 juxtaposed in the left-right direction in upper wall part 13A, 13B of plug housings 10A and 10B with respect to a pair of front and back lock concave part 53 of plug side lock member 4 Let At this time, the lock protrusions 54 of the plug-side lock member 4 are inserted into the lock recesses 25A and 25B arranged side by side in the left and right directions on the upper side walls 13A and 13B of the plug housings 10A and 10B. Then, the lower surface of the plug lock body 50 comes into sliding contact with the upper surfaces 201A and 201B of the upper protruding portions 20A and 20B of the plug housings 10A and 10B, and the plug side lock member 4 is slid leftward.

  As the slide advances, the lock projections 24A on the right side of the plug housing 10A come into contact with the stop portions of the lock recesses 53, whereby the slide of the plug-side lock member 4 is restricted. As a result, the lock projections 24A and 24B of the plug housings 10A and 10B are fitted into the lock recesses 53 of the plug-side lock member 4, and the lock projections 54 of the plug-side lock member 4 are connected to the plug housing. It will be in the state fitted to each lock | rock recessed part 25A, 25B of 10A, 10B. As described above, the plug-side lock member 4 is joined so as to extend over the plug housings 10A and 10B, and the plug-side multipolar connector 3 is configured.

<Receptacle connector>
Next, the receptacle connector 5 as a mating connector will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector 5 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the receptacle connector 5 according to the present embodiment. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are set with reference to the directions indicated by arrows in the drawing. The detailed description of the same configuration as that of the plug connector 1 described above is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the receptacle connector 5 includes a receptacle housing 70 having a main appearance, and the receptacle housing 70 holds a receptacle terminal 71 (see FIG. 17) connected to one end of the receptacle-side cable 6. It is possible.

  The receptacle housing 70 is made of an insulating material such as resin and is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape elongated in the front-rear direction (axial direction), and includes an upper side wall portion 72, a right side wall portion 73, a lower side wall portion 74, and a left side wall. Part 75.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the upper side wall 72 has a pair of left and right upper ridges 76 extending in the front-rear direction (axial direction), and front ends of the pair of left and right upper ridges 76 in the left and right direction. An upper connecting portion 77 to be connected, an upper concave portion 78 formed between the pair of left and right upper convex portions 76, and a lock coupling portion 79 provided on the upper surface 771 of the upper connecting portion 77 are formed. Yes.

  Each of the upper ridges 76 and the upper ridges 78 extend from the rear end of the upper side wall 72 to the front side slightly from the center in the front-rear direction. The upper surface 771 of the upper connection part 77 is formed flush with the upper surface 761 of each upper ridge 76.

  The lock coupling portion 79 includes a pair of front and rear lock projections 80 that are provided on the upper surface 771 of the upper connection portion 77 so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and a lock recess 81 formed between the pair of front and rear lock projections 80. ,have. Each lock protrusion 80 is formed by rotating the upper protrusion 76 by 90 degrees in plan view, and extends to the vicinity of the right wall 73.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a pair of upper and lower right ridge portions 82, a right connection portion 83, and a right ridge portion 84 are formed on the right wall portion 73. Each configuration formed on the right side wall portion 73 is substantially the same as each configuration of the upper side wall portion 72 described above (excluding the lock coupling portion 79), and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the lower wall portion 74 includes a lower front wall portion 85 provided in front of the front and rear sides of the receptacle housing 70 and a lower portion provided behind the lower front wall portion 85. A rear rear wall portion 86, and the lower surface 861 of the lower rear wall portion 86 extends in the front-rear direction (axial direction) with substantially the same length as the upper concave strip portion 78 described above. A lower ridge 87 is provided in a protruding manner.

  The lower rear wall portion 86 is formed with a wall thickness thicker than that of the lower front wall portion 85, and protrudes downwardly by one step from the lower front wall portion 85.

  As shown in FIG. 16, a left convex portion 88 having the same shape as the above-described lower convex portion 87 extends in the front-rear direction on the left wall portion 75.

  The receptacle housing 70 is formed with a receptacle terminal holding portion 89 having a substantially square cross section surrounded by an upper side wall portion 72, a right side wall portion 73, a lower side wall portion 74, and a left side wall portion 75. On the rear end surface of the receptacle housing 70, a rectangular receptacle terminal opening (not shown) having substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the receptacle terminal holding portion 89 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 15, a fitting portion insertion port 91 is opened in a substantially square shape in front view on the front end surface 701 of the receptacle housing 70.

  The receptacle terminal 71 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape extending in the left-right direction with a conductive material (see FIG. 17). The receptacle terminal 71 is formed to have a thickness that can be inserted between each upper contact piece 46 and each lower contact piece 47 of the plug terminal 12. The receptacle terminal 71 is inserted into the receptacle terminal holding portion 89 from the receptacle terminal opening while being connected to the distal end of the receptacle-side cable 6 (see FIG. 18), and is fixed in the vicinity of the fitting portion insertion port 91. .

  The receptacle connector 5 (receptacle housing 70) described above can be slidably coupled so as to be in an aligned state or a non-aligned state, similarly to the plug connector 1 (plug housing 10) described above. The procedure for slidingly connecting the receptacle housing 70 is the same as the procedure for slidingly connecting the plug housing 10, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the configuration of the receptacle-side lock member 8 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 17, as an example, a receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 in which four receptacle connectors 5 are coupled in an aligned state (2 rows and 2 columns) and one receptacle connector 5 is coupled in a non-aligned state at the lowermost stage. Show.

  The receptacle-side lock member 8 includes a base portion 92 formed in a thick plate shape, a lock main body 93 provided on the upper surface of the base portion 92, and a pair of left and right upper portions provided at the left and right side rear ends of the base portion 92. An extension portion 94, a pair of front and rear lock groove portions (not shown) extending in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the base portion 92, and a lock protrusion portion formed between the pair of front and rear lock groove portions (Not shown). Note that the lock groove and lock protrusion of the receptacle-side lock member 8 have substantially the same configuration as the lock groove 53 and lock protrusion 54 of the plug-side lock member 4, and detailed description thereof is omitted. .

  The base portion 92 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and is formed to have a length in the front-rear direction that is substantially half the length of the housing, and a length in the left-right direction is substantially the same as the receptacle housing 70 that is coupled adjacent to the left and right. It is formed in the length.

  The lock body 93 is formed in a substantially U shape in a plan view by a pair of left and right arm portions 95 provided to be separated from each other left and right, and an engagement operation portion 96 that connects the rear ends of the pair of left and right arm portions 95. Has been. Each arm portion 95 is formed by a pair of left and right partial arms 95a arranged side by side slightly apart from each other. Each partial arm 95 a has a front end portion 951 fixed to the front portion of the upper surface 921 of the base portion 92, extends rearward in parallel with the upper surface 921, and a rear end portion 952 connected to the engagement operation portion 96. . The engagement operation portion 96 is formed to be inclined rearward upward from a portion where it is connected to the partial arm 95a. As a result, a gap S is formed between the lock main body 93 (each arm portion 95 and the engagement operation portion 96) and the base portion 92, and the lock main body 93 can be bent downward with the front end portion 951 as a fulcrum. It has become. Note that a pair of left and right arm portions 95 are connected to each other below the engagement operation portion 96 by a connecting portion 95b.

  In addition, a hook-shaped engagement portion 97 protruding upward is provided at approximately the center in the front-rear direction of each arm portion 95. Each engaging portion 97 is disposed between a pair of left and right partial arms 95a. Further, on both outer side surfaces of the engagement operation portion 96, block-like contact portions 98 are provided so as to project.

  Each upward extending portion 94 extends upward from the upper surface 921 of the base portion 92. At the upper end portion of each upwardly extending portion 94, an arm restricting portion 99 that is bent at a right angle in a direction approaching each other and protrudes above the contact portion 98 of the engagement operation portion 96 is formed.

  The lock recesses and the lock protrusions of the receptacle-side lock member 8 described above are the lock coupling portions 79 (the lock protrusions 80 and the lock recesses 81) formed on the upper side wall 72 of each receptacle housing 70, respectively. To fit. As a result, the receptacle-side lock member 8 is attached so as to span the left and right receptacle connectors 5 joined in an aligned state. In addition, since the attachment procedure of the receptacle side lock member 8 is substantially the same as the attachment procedure of the plug side lock member 4, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 13, FIG. 17, and FIG. 18, the connection between the plug-side multipolar connector 3 and the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 configured in an aligned state or a non-aligned state will be briefly described. FIG. 18 is a side view for explaining the connection between the plug-side multipolar connector 3 and the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 according to this embodiment.

  First, the plug-side multipolar connector 3 and the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 are arranged so that the fitting portion 11 of each plug connector 1 faces the fitting portion insertion port 91 of each receptacle connector 5. Then, when the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 is pressed against the plug-side multipolar connector 3 and each fitting portion 11 is inserted into each fitting portion insertion port 91, each receptacle terminal 71 is connected to each plug terminal 12. While pushing up the upper contact piece 46, the upper contact piece 46 and the lower contact piece 47 are inserted and sandwiched. The pair of left and right arm portions 95 of the receptacle-side lock member 8 are inserted into the pair of left and right engagement hole portions 64 of the plug-side lock member 4. At the same time, the pair of left and right end side plate-like portions 51 of the plug-side lock member 4 enters the space outside each arm portion 95, and the central plate-like portion 52 enters the space between the pair of left and right arm portions 95. . When the engaging portion 97 of each arm portion 95 comes into contact with the front end portion 67 of the plug lock body 50, each arm portion 95 bends downward with the front end portion 951 as a fulcrum.

  Further, when the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 is pressed against the plug-side multipolar connector 3, each engaging portion 97 enters into each engaging hole portion 64 and moves upward by the restoring force of each arm portion 95. Thus, it is locked (locked) to the front end 67 of the plug lock body 50. As a result, the plug-side multipolar connector 3 and the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 are fixed (connected) in a retaining state. At this time, the front end surface 101 of the plug housing 10 and the front end surface 701 of the receptacle housing 70 are in contact with each other. It should be noted that the arm restricting portion 99 of each upwardly extending portion 94 interferes with each abutting portion 98 formed in the engaging operation portion 96, and prevents each arm portion 84 from being excessively deformed upward.

  On the other hand, in a state where the plug-side multipolar connector 3 and the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 are connected, the engaging operation portion 96 is pressed downward, and the front end portion 67 of the plug lock body 50 and each engaging portion 97 are By releasing the engagement (lock), the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 can be pulled out from the plug-side multipolar connector 3. At this time, since the plug-side lock member 4 is attached by sliding in the direction (left-right direction) orthogonal to the slide direction (front-rear direction) of each plug housing 10A, the lock is released and the plug-side multipolar connector is released. Even if a stress is applied in a direction (front-rear direction) in which 3 and the receptacle-side multipolar connector 7 are separated from each other, the stress can be counteracted.

  As described above, according to the plug connector 1 and the receptacle connector 5 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the adjacent housings 10 and 70 can be coupled (aligned state) in a regularly arranged state in a lattice shape. At the same time, the housings 10 and 70 can be coupled with a predetermined distance from each other (non-aligned state). In the present embodiment, the other housings 10 and 70 are displaced by a half length (half-pitch displacement) of the height (length in the vertical direction) or the width (length in the left-right direction) of the housings 10 and 70. Combined. That is, the housings 10 and 70 are arranged and coupled in a staggered manner. Therefore, the connectors 1 and 5 according to the present embodiment flexibly correspond to the change in the number of poles, the number of stages and the number of rows of the multipolar connectors 3 and 7 to be formed, and the change in the coupling position of the adjacent housings 10 and 70. be able to. As a result, the degree of freedom in changing the formation of the multipolar connectors 3 and 7 is increased, and it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of types of connectors. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent an increase in costs, an increase in labor for component management, and the like.

  Moreover, according to the connectors 1 and 5 which concern on embodiment of this invention, each for connecting in a non-alignment state using each convex-line part 20, 32 etc. for connecting the housings 10 and 70 in an alignment state. Coupling recesses 48 and 49 are formed. Therefore, the number of the ridges and the number of the ridges can be minimized without separately providing the ridges for coupling the housings 10 and 70 in the non-aligned state, and the configuration of the housings 10 and 70 can be reduced. Since it can be simplified, the cost for manufacturing the connectors 1 and 5 can be reduced.

  Moreover, according to the connectors 1 and 5 which concern on embodiment of this invention, the cross section of the lower side protruding item | line part 32 of one plug connector 1 is a substantially trapezoid shape where the outer side is wide, for example, another plug connector 1 Since the upper concave ridge portion 22 has a shape corresponding to the lower convex ridge portion 32, the lower convex ridge portion 32 and the upper concave ridge portion 22 are slidably coupled in the axial direction in the axial direction. Movement in the orthogonal direction (vertical direction) is restricted. Thereby, separation of the housings 10 and 70 adjacent to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions can be prevented, and the shapes of the multipolar connectors 3 and 7 can be appropriately maintained.

  Further, according to the connectors 1 and 5 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the adjacent housings 10 can be obtained by connecting the lock members 4 and 8 via the lock connecting portions 23 and 79 of the aligned housings 10 and 70. , 70 are attached to the locking members 4, 8. As a result, the movement of the housings 10 and 70 in the axial direction (the front-rear direction in this embodiment) is restricted, so that the separation of the adjacent housings 10 and 70 is prevented, and the shapes of the multipolar connectors 3 and 7 are appropriately set. Can be maintained.

  In the above description of the embodiment, the plug connector 1 has been described as a specific example of a connector and the receptacle connector 5 has been described as a specific example of a mating connector. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the receptacle connector 5 is a connector. The plug connector 1 may be a specific example of the mating connector.

  In the plug connector 1 (plug housing 10), the right side wall portion 14 and the lower side wall portion 15 are specific examples of the first surface, and the upper side wall portion 13 and the left side wall portion 16 are specific examples of the second surface. It is an example. Similarly, in the receptacle connector 5 (receptacle housing 70), the lower side wall 74 and the left side wall 75 are specific examples of the first surface, and the upper side wall 72 and the right side wall 73 are the second surface. It is a specific example.

  In the description of the procedure for connecting the plurality of plug housings 10 in the non-aligned state described above, as an example, the pair of left and right upper ridges 20 of another plug housing 10 are slidably connected to the first connection recess 48. However, for example, the lower ridge 32 of another plug housing 10 may be slidably coupled to the second coupling ridge 49. In this case, the lower ridge portion 32 of the other plug housing 10 is inserted from the rear side into the second coupling groove portion 49, and slides forward so that the second coupling groove portion 49 becomes the second coupling groove portion 49. Mating. Further, another plug housing 10 is attached to the first coupling concave portion 48 or the second coupling concave portion 49 formed on the right side wall portion 14 or the left side wall portion 16 of the plug housings 10 which are adjacently aligned in the vertical direction. You may slide-join in a non-aligned state.

  In the plug connector 1 and the receptacle connector 5 according to the present embodiment, the single terminals 12 and 71 are held. However, the plug connector 1 and the receptacle connector 5 may be configured to hold a plurality of terminals. In this case, the housings 10 and 70 may be configured in a shape in which a plurality of the housings 10 and 70 are connected in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  In the description of this embodiment, when the housings 10 and 70 are joined in a non-aligned state, they are joined at a so-called half pitch. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, they may be combined with a predetermined gap such as ¼ or ¼.

  The above description of each embodiment of the present invention describes a preferred embodiment of the connector (plug connector 1, receptacle connector 5) according to the present invention, and therefore various technically preferable limitations are attached. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless specifically described to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the components in the embodiment of the present invention described above can be appropriately replaced with existing components and the like, and various variations including combinations with other existing components are possible. The description of the embodiment of the present invention described above does not limit the contents of the invention described in the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Plug connector 3 Plug side multipolar connector 4 Plug side locking member 5 Receptacle connector 7 Receptacle side multipolar connector 8 Receptacle side locking member 10 Plug housing 13 Upper side wall part 14 Right side wall part 15 Lower side wall part 16 Left side wall part 20 Upper convex part Ridge 22 upper ridge 28 right ridge 32 lower ridge 33 left ridge 35 left ridge 36 plug terminal holding portion 48 first coupling ridge 49 second coupling ridge 70 Receptacle housing 72 Upper side wall portion 73 Right side wall portion 74 Lower side wall portion 75 Left side wall portion 76 Upper convex portion 78 Upper concave portion 82 Right convex portion 84 Right concave portion 87 Lower convex portion 88 Left convex portion 89 Receptacle terminal holder

Claims (5)

A connector capable of constituting a multipolar connector by connecting a housing having a substantially rectangular cross section having a terminal holding portion in a plurality of upper and lower stages or left and right rows,
A convex strip extending in the axial direction of the housing on the first surface of either the upper or lower side and the left or right side of the housing;
By arranging the two ridges spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction on the second surface of either the upper or lower side and the left or right side of the housing, the ridges are arranged in the axial direction. A recess formed to be slidably connectable to,
The housings that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction or the left and right sides are arranged in an aligned state in which the housings are regularly arranged in a lattice shape and the aligned state by slidingly connecting the convex strips and the concave strips in the axial direction. A connector configured to be able to form the multi-pole connector in a non-aligned state in which the housings are arranged at predetermined intervals vertically and horizontally.   2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the non-aligned state is a state in which the housing is shifted by ½ of the housing vertically or horizontally. The convex portion is extended to one central portion on the first surface, and the concave portion is extended to two locations on both sides of the concave portion so that the concave portion extends to the center on the second surface. The ridges are arranged side by side,
When the housing is coupled in the aligned state, the ridges on the second surface can be slidably coupled between the ridges on the first surfaces adjacent to each other with the coupling portion interposed therebetween. A first coupling concave portion is formed, and the convex portion of the first surface slides between the convex portions of the second surfaces adjacent to each other across the coupling portion of the housing. The connector according to claim 2, wherein a second coupling recess that can be coupled is formed.   4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the ridges is formed in a substantially trapezoidal cross section that is widened outward as viewed from the axial direction. 5. It has a lock coupling part to which a lock member that fixes the connection with the mating connector can be attached,
The lock coupling portion is formed over at least one of the first surface and the second surface adjacent to each other when coupled in the aligned state, and allows the housings to move in the axial direction. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is fixed in a restrictable state.

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