JP2022133546A - Multipolar connector and wiring harness with multipolar connector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a multipolar connector which can suppress the generation of a new member cost and a processing cost for mutually conducting an electrically separated electric circuit.SOLUTION: A multipolar connector comprises: a male terminal; a female terminal electrically connected to the male terminal; and a terminal protection plate in which a through hole having a conductive layer of which at least one of the male terminal and the female terminal is electrically connected is formed. A conductor electrically connecting at least two through holes is formed in the terminal protection plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multipolar connector having a structure in which an external circuit pattern is electrically connected to a printed circuit board inside the multipolar connector, and a wire harness with the multipolar connector.

2. Description of the Related Art Connectors such as multipolar connectors used for connecting wire harnesses, which are electrical components of a vehicle, conventionally employ a configuration in which one terminals are electrically connected to each other. Further, in the composite multipolar connector, a terminal protection plate called a moving plate made of resin or the like is provided in order to protect the terminals of the male connector before the male connector and the female connector are mated.

For example, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 provides a connector with a moving plate that achieves a waterproof function without increasing the size.

Specifically, the connector includes a male housing having a hood portion, in which male terminal fittings are accommodated with their tabs protruding into the hood portion, and female terminal fittings that can be fitted into the hood portion. and a female housing. Further, the connector includes a moving plate having a holding hole through which the tab of the male terminal fitting penetrates, and is inserted into the receptacle so as to be movable along the fitting direction of both housings.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-015811

However, since the connectors of the prior art are configured such that one terminals are electrically connected to each other, in order to electrically connect the electric circuits electrically connected to the connector, joint terminals are provided on the wire harness, or joint terminals are provided on the wire harness. You have to connect the connector. That is, in order to electrically connect the electric circuits of various vehicle-mounted devices to each other via the connector, it is necessary to electrically connect the member such as the harness connected to the other end of the connector. Therefore, in order to connect the electric circuits to each other, new material costs and processing costs are incurred, which may increase the cost. The electric circuit includes not only a power circuit for a power supply but also an electronic circuit for various control signals and data signals.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art. It is another object of the present invention to provide a multipolar connector capable of suppressing the cost of new materials and processing in order to connect electrically separated electric circuits to each other.

A multipolar connector according to an aspect of the present invention has a male terminal, a female terminal electrically connected to the male terminal, and a conductive layer electrically connected to at least one of the male terminal and the female terminal. and a terminal protection plate having through holes formed thereon, wherein the terminal protection plate is preferably formed with a conductor that electrically connects the conductive layers of at least two of the through holes.

A wire harness with a multipolar connector according to another aspect of the present invention preferably includes the multipolar connector according to the aspect described above and electrical members connected to the multipolar connector.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a multipolar connector capable of suppressing the occurrence of new material costs and processing costs in order to connect electrically separated electric circuits to each other.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the overall configuration of a composite multipolar connector according to this embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a mode in which a female connector and a terminal protection plate of the composite multipolar connector according to this embodiment face each other; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a mode in which male terminals protrude from a terminal protection plate of the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a manner in which male terminals and female terminals of the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment are fitted through a terminal protection plate; (A) is a plan view showing an example of a plane before processing of a terminal protection plate, which also has a function of conducting an electric circuit, in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment; (B) is a plan view showing an example of an AA cross section before processing of a terminal protection plate, which also has a function of conducting an electric circuit, in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment; (A) is a plan view showing an example of a plane after processing of a terminal protection plate, which also has a function of conducting an electric circuit, in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment; (B) is a plan view showing an example of a BB cross section after processing of the terminal protection plate, which also has a function of conducting an electric circuit, in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a manner in which the male terminals and the female terminals are fitted through the terminal protection plate of the double-sided board and the male terminals are electrically connected to each other in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a mode in which the male terminals and the female terminals are fitted through the terminal protection plate of the double-sided board and the male terminals are electrically connected to each other in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a mode in which the male terminals and the female terminals are fitted through the terminal protection plate of the double-sided board and the male terminals are electrically connected to each other in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing still another example of a manner in which the male terminals and the female terminals are fitted through the terminal protection plate of the double-sided board and the male terminals are electrically connected to each other in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mode in which the male terminals and the female terminals are fitted through the terminal protection plate of the double-sided board and the female terminals are electrically connected to each other in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of a manner in which the male terminals and the female terminals are fitted through the terminal protection plate of the single-sided board and the male terminals are electrically connected to each other in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a manner in which the male terminals and the female terminals are fitted through the terminal protection plate of the single-sided board and the male terminals are electrically connected to each other in the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a manner in which electric circuits are electrically connected by the composite multipolar connector according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mode in which electric circuits are electrically connected by a composite multipolar connector and a joint connector according to a comparative example;

An example of the multipolar connector according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below represent generic or specific examples. Numerical values, shapes, materials, components, installation positions and connection forms of components, and the like shown in the following embodiments are examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in independent claims representing the highest concept will be described as optional constituent elements. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

Further, the following embodiments and modifications thereof may include similar components, and the same components are given common reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

(1) Overview of Overall Configuration of Multipolar Connector An overview of a multipolar connector 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the overall configuration of a multipolar connector 100 according to this embodiment. The multipolar connector 100 includes a female housing 110 , a female connector 120 , a terminal protection plate 130 , a male connector 140 and a male housing 150 .

Female housing 110 is configured to accommodate female connector 120 . A protrusion 111 is provided on the side surface of the female housing 110 , and the protrusion 111 is configured to be insertable into a recess 153 through a notch 152 of a lever 151 of the male housing 150 . The female housing 110 is drawn into the male housing 150 by rotating the lever portion 151 in the D1 direction. In the female connector 120, female terminals 121d and the like to which electric wires DSdf and the like are connected by fitting or the like are individually inserted. The female connector 120 is inserted into the female housing 110 and fixed to the female housing 110 by a structure not shown.

The female connector 120 is accommodated in the female housing 110, and includes, for example, female terminals 121d into which the male terminals 141d of the male connector 140 are inserted. be prepared for However, there are exceptions, which will be discussed later. Although the female connector 120 is divided into three parts in FIG. 1, it is not limited to this form, and the female connector 120 may be divided into any number of parts or may not be divided.

The terminal protection plate 130 is provided on the front surface of the male housing 150, and also has the function of protecting the male terminals 141d and the like protruding outside the male connector 140 from coming into contact with external objects and deforming or damaging the male terminals 141d. have. Also, when the lever portion 151 is rotated in the direction D<b>1 , which is the rear side of the male housing 150 , the terminal protection plate 130 is pressed against the female housing 110 and accommodated inside the male housing 150 . Note that the interlocking structure of the female housing 110 and the lever portion 151 is a known technique, so the details thereof will be omitted.

Further, the terminal protection plate 130 is provided with through holes 131 d and the like at positions corresponding to all the male terminals 141 d and the like of the male connector 140 . For example, the male terminal 141d passes through the through hole 131d and is inserted into the female terminal 121d so that the male terminal 141d and the female terminal 121d are electrically connected. It is also possible that the female terminal 121d is inserted into the through hole 131d and the female terminal 121d and the male terminal 141d are electrically connected, the details of which will be described later.

The male connector 140 is inserted into the male housing 150 from the rear side of the male housing 150 and fixed to the male housing 150 . Also, as described above, when the lever portion 151 of the male housing 150 is tilted in the direction D 1 , which is the back side of the male housing 150 , the female housing 110 approaches the position of the rotation center 154 of the lever portion 151 of the male housing 150 . Therefore, the terminal protection plate 130 is pressed against the female housing 110, and for example, the male terminal 141d is inserted into the through hole 131d of the terminal protection plate 130, and the male terminal 141d is inserted into the female terminal 121d. In this manner, the male terminal 141d and the female terminal 121d are electrically connected to ensure conduction. Therefore, in FIG. 1, the electric wire DSdm connected to the male terminal 141d and the electric wire DSdf connected to the female terminal 121d are conducted.

In this embodiment, it is possible to form a printed circuit board by forming conductive patterns of copper foil or the like between the through holes of the terminal protection plate 130 as necessary. The printed circuit board electrically connects the male terminals and the female terminals inserted into the through holes in which the conductive patterns are formed. Therefore, wires connected to different male terminals and female terminals can be electrically connected by the printed circuit board in the multipolar connector according to this embodiment. It should be noted that the male terminal and the female terminal can be configured to be directly connected to an external electric board. In any case, it is assumed that different electric circuits are connected to the male terminal and the female terminal. Therefore, according to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a multipolar connector that can suppress the occurrence of new material costs and processing costs in order to connect electrically separated electric circuits to each other. .

2 is a side view of the female connector 120 housed in the female housing 110 and the male connector 140 housed in the male housing 150 facing the terminal protection plate 130 without pulling the lever portion 151. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows a state.

3 shows a side view of the female connector 120 housed in the female housing 110 and the male connector 140 housed in the male housing 150 facing the terminal protection plate 130 with the lever portion 151 slightly rotated. It is a schematic diagram showing a state from. By pulling the lever portion 151 in the D1 direction on the back side of the male housing 150, the terminal protection plate 130 pressed against the female housing 110 is accommodated so as to gradually slide inside the male housing 150. As shown in FIG. The male terminal 141 d is inserted into the female terminal 121 d through the through hole 131 d of the terminal protection plate 130 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the male terminals 141 d and the like of the male connector 140 housed in the male housing 150 are inserted into the female terminals 121 d and the like of the female connector 120 housed in the female housing 110 . FIG. 4 is also a schematic diagram showing a state in which the female terminal 121d and the like and the male terminal 141d and the like are electrically connected. With the lever portion 151 pulled to the rear side of the male housing 150 , the surface of the terminal protection plate 130 contacts the surface of the male connector 140 , and the terminal protection plate 130 is fixed by pressing the lever portion 151 . Also, at least part of the female housing 110 is inserted into the male housing 150 . Note that the female housing 110 may be wholly housed in the male housing 150 .

(2) Details of configuration example of terminal protection plate (before mating male and female terminals)
A detailed configuration example of the terminal protection plate 130 of the multipolar connector 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. Also, the terminal protection plate functions as a printed circuit board. The terminal protection plate 130 that has been subjected to the plating process will be described. Also, referring to FIG. 6, a step of forming a conductive through-hole group after performing the processing in FIG. 5 will be described.

FIG. 5A is a schematic front view of the terminal protection plate 130 showing the through holes formed in the terminal protection plate 130. FIG. The terminal protection plate 130 has through holes for allowing the male terminals formed on the male connector 140 to pass through substantially vertically from the back side to the front side in FIG. 5 or from the front side to the back side in FIG. is provided. For example, through holes 131a, 131b, 131c and 131d are provided in the AA section. The openings similar to the through-holes 131a, 131b, 131c and 131d in FIG. 5(A) and not labeled indicate other through-holes. The through holes 131a, 131b, 131c, and 131d may be collectively referred to as the through hole 131 in some cases.

In this embodiment, a case where a double-sided substrate is used for the terminal protection plate 130 will be described. The configuration of the double-sided board is (surface pattern layer (conductor layer such as copper foil) + base material (glass epoxy, paper phenol, paper epoxy, glass composite, Teflon (registered trademark), etc.) non-conductor) + back pattern layer (layer of conductor such as copper foil)). It should be noted that the materials of the conductor layer and base material are not limited to the above materials, and any known materials used for substrates can be used. Moreover, the terminal protection plate 130 is not limited to a double-sided board, and may be a single-sided board or a laminated board. Moreover, the terminal protection plate 130 is not limited to a rigid board, and may be a flexible board or a rigid flexible board.

FIG. 5(B) is a diagram showing the outline of the structure up to the plating process of the through hole 131 in the AA cross section of FIG. 5(A). FIG. 5B shows a state in which through holes are formed in the surface pattern layer, the back pattern layer, and the base material by a drilling device such as a drill, and a conductive plating layer is formed over the entire substrate including the surface of the through holes. It is a schematic diagram showing. Specifically, a plated layer 134 is formed on the front and back surfaces of the through hole 131c, and the plated layer 134 also covers the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b. In the case of FIG. 5B, the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b are formed on both sides of the base material 132 except for the through-hole portions. through-holes are electrically connected. Therefore, in order to form the through holes to be conducted, it is necessary to etch the plated layer 134, the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b that connect the through holes to be conducted and other through holes.

FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram showing an example of a group of three through holes formed in the terminal protection plate 130 and electrically connected to each other. The pattern separating portion 135a is a portion that electrically separates the through holes 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f, 131g, and 131h inside the pattern separating portion 135a from other through holes. The pattern separating portion 135a has an arbitrary width, and the plated layer 134, the surface pattern layer 133a and the rear pattern layer 133b are etched and removed from the substrate 132 in the pattern separating portion 135a. Therefore, the inside and the outside of the pattern separating portion 135a are electrically separated. Similarly, the pattern separating portion 135b removes the plated layer 134, the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b from the substrate 132 with an arbitrary width. As a result, the through holes 131i and 131j are electrically connected and electrically isolated from the other through holes. Further, similarly, the pattern separating portion 135c removes the plated layer 134, the front pattern layer 133a and the rear pattern layer 133b from the substrate 132 with an arbitrary width. As a result, through holes 131k, 131l, 131m, and 131n are made conductive and electrically separated from the other through holes.

FIG. 6B shows a state in which the plated layer 134, the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b are removed from the substrate 132 at the position of the pattern separation portion 135a in the BB cross section of FIG. 6A. It is a diagram schematically showing the. From the configuration of FIG. 6B, it can be understood that the through holes 131a, 131b, 131c, and 131d are separated from the peripheral portion of the terminal protection plate .

By inserting the conductive male terminals into the through holes 131a, 131b, 131c, and 131d shown in FIG. 6B and electrically contacting the male terminals with the plated layer 134, the male terminals are electrically connected to each other. Also, the female terminals fitted to the male terminals are also electrically connected to each other. Therefore, external electric circuits connected to the male terminals or female terminals can be electrically connected to each other through the through holes of the terminal protection plate 130 . In addition, the male terminal and the female terminal are directly connected to another printed circuit board including an electronic device (not shown), or electrically connected to the other printed circuit board through an electric wire (not shown) electrically connected to the male terminal and the female terminal. A connected configuration is possible.

5 and 6, the surface of the terminal protection plate 130 is covered with the conductive plated layer 134, and therefore resist processing is required. Also, the through-holes are provided with lands during the etching process in order to maintain electrical connection between the plated layer 134 and the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b. A mode of electrically connecting the male terminal and the female terminal by performing the etching process and the resist process will be described below.

(3) Details of configuration example of terminal protection plate (after mating male and female terminals)
Details of an arrangement example of the terminal protection plate 130 and the male terminals and female terminals of the multipolar connector 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 13 .

In FIG. 7, the male terminal side surface 141b1, which is the side surface of the male terminal 141b, is brought into contact with the plated layer side surface 134b3 of the side surface of the through hole 131b to electrically connect the male terminal 141b with the surface pattern layer 133a and the back surface pattern layer 133b. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration for causing FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which the front portion 141b2 of the projection portion of the male terminal 141b is engaged with the resist layer 136a, and the tip portion 121b1 of the female terminal 121b is in electrical contact with the land portion 134b2 on the rear surface of the terminal protection plate 130. be. The projecting front portion 141b2 of the male terminal faces the land portion 134b1 of the plated layer through the resist layer 136a. On the other hand, the tip portion 121b1 of the female terminal 121b is directly electrically connected to the land portion 134b2 of the plated layer 134b. At least a portion of the pin-shaped portion of the male terminal 141b is inserted into and fitted to the female terminal 121b, and the male terminal 141b and the female terminal 121b are electrically connected. The conductor of the electric wire DSbm is electrically connected to the male terminal 141b, and the male terminal side surface 141b1 of the male terminal 141b is electrically connected to the plating layer side surface 134b3 formed on the inner surface of the through hole 131b. Also, since the plated layer 134b is electrically connected to the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b, it is electrically connected to the plated layer 134c of the adjacent through hole 131c. Since the side surface of the male terminal 141c is connected to the side surface of the plated layer of the adjacent through hole 131c, the conductor of the electric wire DScm electrically connected to the male terminal 141c is electrically connected to the plated layer 134c of the through hole 131c. be done. That is, since the conductor of the electric wire DSbm is connected to the conductor of the electric wire DScm, an electric circuit (not shown) connected to the electric conductor of the electric wire DSbm is connected to the electric conductor of the electric wire DScm. An electric circuit (not shown) is electrically connected through the terminal protection plate 130 . Also, since the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the male terminal 141b and accommodates the male terminal 141b, the conductor of the electric wire DSbf is electrically connected to the conductor of the electric wire DSbm and the conductor of the electric wire DScm. Furthermore, if there is an electric circuit (not shown) connected to a conductor such as the electric wire of the electric wire DSbf, an electric circuit electrically connected to the electric wire DSbm, an electric circuit electrically connected to the electric wire DScm, and an electric circuit to the electric wire DSbf. The connected electrical circuits can be electrically connected to each other.

Therefore, by forming the pattern for electrically connecting the through holes 131b and 131c of the terminal protection plate 130 separately from other patterns, the following becomes possible. That is, by fitting the female terminal 121b and the male terminal 141b through the through hole 131b of the terminal protection plate 130 and inserting the male terminal 141c into the through hole 131c, the female terminal 121b, the male terminal 141b and the male terminal 141c are connected. are electrically connected.

According to the configuration as described above, the terminal protection plate 130 can be used instead of the joint connector to electrically connect the electric circuits electrically connected to the electric wires to each other. In addition, the female terminal 121b increases the electrical connection area between the female terminal 121b and the rear pattern layer 133b and the front pattern layer 133a by crimping the tip 121b1 of the female terminal 121b to the land 134b2 of the plated layer. becomes possible.

FIG. 8 differs from FIG. 7 in that the projecting front portion 141b2 of the male terminal 141b is electrically connected directly to the land portion 134b1 of the plated layer without the resist layer 136a interposed therebetween. That is, the resist layer 136a of the through-hole 131b into which the male terminal 141b is inserted is formed on the periphery of the through-hole 131b in such a size as to avoid the projection front portion 141b2 of the male terminal 141b. For example, it is possible to form the above configuration by setting a radius portion extending from the center of the through-hole 131b to the length of the projection front portion 141b2 or more as a region from which the resist layer 136a is removed. Also, the area of the land portion 134b1 needs to have an area at least partially in contact with the protrusion front portion 141b2. The distance from the center of the through-hole 131b to the portion of the land portion 134b1 that contacts the protrusion front portion 141b2 can be longer or shorter than the length of the protrusion front portion 141b2. However, the resist layer 136a is formed above the surface pattern layer 133a so as to avoid the projection front portion 141b2. In FIG. 8, the land portion 134b1 is formed in the direction from the end face to the through hole 131c, bordering on the end face farthest from the center of the through hole 131b of the projection front portion 141b2. Also, a resist layer 136a is formed in a direction away from the end face in the opposite direction to the through hole 131c. The male terminal side surface 141b1, which is the side surface of the male terminal 141b, is in contact with the plated layer side surface 134b3 of the side surface of the through hole 131b, and the male terminal 141b is electrically connected to the surface pattern layer 133a and the back surface pattern layer 133b. Similar to 7. At least a portion of the pin-shaped portion of the male terminal 141b is inserted into and fitted to the female terminal 121b, and the male terminal 141b and the female terminal 121b are electrically connected. A layer such as a resin layer having insulation and weather resistance may be formed on a portion of the land portion 134b1 that is not in contact with the projection front portion 141b2.

Therefore, by forming a pattern for electrically connecting the through holes 131b and 131c of the terminal protection plate 130, the following can be achieved in the same manner as in FIG. That is, by fitting the female terminal 121b and the male terminal 141b through the through hole 131b of the terminal protection plate 130 and inserting the male terminal 141c into the through hole 131c, the female terminal 121b, the male terminal 141b and the male terminal 141c are connected. are electrically connected.

According to the configuration as described above, the terminal protection plate 130 can be used instead of the joint connector to electrically connect the electric circuits electrically connected to the electric wires to each other. In addition, the male terminal 141b has an electrical connection portion between the male terminal 141b and the rear pattern layer 133b and the front pattern layer 133a by crimping the front portion 141b2 of the projection portion of the male terminal 141b to the land portion 134b1 of the plated layer. can be increased.

FIG. 9 differs from FIG. 8 in that the tip portion 121b1 of the female terminal 121b faces the land portion 134b2 of the plated layer through the resist layer 136b, and the tip portion 121b1 and the land portion 134b2 are not directly electrically connected. . That is, the surface of the land portion 134b2 is covered with the resist layer 136b, and a hole region through which the male terminal 141b passes is formed in the land portion 134b2 and the resist layer 136b. Therefore, the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the male terminal 141b and thereby electrically connected to the male terminal 141c inserted into the through hole 131c via the back pattern layer 133b and the front pattern layer 133a.

By forming a pattern for electrically connecting the through holes 131b and 131c of the terminal protection plate 130, the following can be achieved in the same manner as in FIGS. That is, by fitting the female terminal 121b and the male terminal 141b through the through hole 131b of the terminal protection plate 130 and inserting the male terminal 141c into the through hole 131c, the female terminal 121b, the male terminal 141b and the male terminal 141c are connected. are electrically connected.

According to the configuration as described above, the terminal protection plate 130 can be used instead of the joint connector to electrically connect the electric circuits electrically connected to the electric wires to each other. Further, according to the configuration of FIG. 9, by covering the land portion 134b2 with the resist layer 136b, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the land portion 134b2 over time.

FIG. 10 is different from FIG. 9 in that the projecting front portion 141b2 of the male terminal 141b faces the land portion 134b1 of the plating layer 134b via the resist layer 136a, and the projecting portion front portion 141b2 and the land portion 134b1 are electrically directly connected. The difference is that they are not connected. That is, the surface of the land portion 134b1 is covered with the resist layer 136a, and a hole region through which the male terminal 141b passes is formed in the land portion 134b1 and the resist layer 136a. The male terminal 141b is electrically connected to the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b by electrically contacting the male terminal side surface 141b1 with the plated layer side surface 134b3 on the side surface of the through hole 131b. do. Therefore, the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the male terminal 141b and thereby electrically connected to the male terminal 141c inserted into the through hole 131c via the back pattern layer 133b and the front pattern layer 133a.

According to the configuration as described above, the terminal protection plate 130 can be used instead of the joint connector to electrically connect the electric circuits electrically connected to the electric wires to each other. Further, according to the configuration of FIG. 10, by covering the land portion 134b1 with the resist layer 136a, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the land portion 134b1 over time.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which a female terminal side surface 121b2 on the side surface of the female terminal 121b is in electrical contact with a plated layer side surface 134b3 on the side surface of the through hole 131b, unlike FIGS. With the above configuration, the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the surface pattern layer 133a and the back pattern layer 133b. The female terminal 121c is also inserted into the through-hole 131c, and the female terminal side surface 121c2 and the plated layer side surface 134c3 are in electrical contact, so the female terminal 121c is electrically connected to the female terminal 121b. Further, by fitting the female terminal 121b and the male terminal 141b through the through hole 131b of the terminal protection plate 130 and inserting the female terminal 121c into the through hole 131c, the female terminal 121b, the male terminal 141b and the female terminal 121c are connected. are electrically connected. Further, in the above case, the projecting front portion 141b2 of the male terminal 141b is configured to be in direct contact with the resist layer 136a and not in direct contact with the land portion 134b1 by covering the land portion 134b1 with the resist layer 136a. Further, in the case of the configuration of FIG. 11, it is preferable that the electric wire DScf is connected to the female terminal 121c side, and another electric circuit to be connected is connected to the electric wire DScf. In the above case, the projecting front portion 141b2 of the male terminal 141b may be electrically connected directly to the land portion 134b1 without the resist layer 136a interposed therebetween.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which the present disclosure is applied to a single-sided substrate in which a pattern is formed on one side of a base material. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which the back pattern layer 133b, the land portion 134b2 and the resist layer 136b are removed from the configurations of FIGS. The tip portion 121b1 of the female terminal 121b contacts the base material 132, and the tip portion 121b1 may be electrically connected to the plated layer 134b at a portion facing the tip portion 121b1 of the plated layer 134b. A land (not shown) of the plated layer 134b may be provided between the tip 121b1 and the base material 132, and the tip 121b1 may be electrically connected to the land. Since the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the male terminal 141b by fitting or the like, the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the surface pattern layer 133a and also electrically connected to the male terminal 141c. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the material cost and processing cost of the printed circuit board, so it is possible to reduce the cost of the multipolar connector. Also, when the male connector 140 is accommodated in the male housing 150, the back pattern layer 133b of the terminal protection plate 130 is removed, so the resist layer is accidentally broken from the outside of the male housing 150 and the back pattern layer 133b is removed. no longer hurt.

FIG. 13, like FIG. 12, is a schematic diagram showing another configuration in which the present disclosure is applied to a single-sided substrate in which a pattern is formed on one side of a base material. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which the back pattern layer 133b, the land portion 134b2 and the resist layer 136b are removed from the configurations of FIGS. The projecting front portion 141b2 of the male terminal 141 is in direct contact with the land portion 134b1 and electrically connected to the surface pattern layer 133a. On the other hand, the tip portion 121b1 of the female terminal 121b is in contact with the base material 132 in the same manner as in FIG. good too. A land (not shown) of the plated layer 134b may be provided between the tip 121b1 and the base material 132, and the tip 121b1 may be electrically connected to the land. Since the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the male terminal 141b by fitting or the like, the female terminal 121b is electrically connected to the surface pattern layer 133a and also electrically connected to the male terminal 141c. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the material cost and processing cost of the printed circuit board, so it is possible to reduce the cost of the multipolar connector. Also, when the male connector 140 is accommodated in the male housing 150, the back pattern layer 133b of the terminal protection plate 130 is removed, so the resist layer is accidentally broken from the outside of the male housing 150 and the back pattern layer 133b is removed. no longer hurt.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mode of connecting electrical circuits of in-vehicle equipment using the multipolar connector according to the present embodiment. The vehicle-mounted device A has an electric circuit (not shown), and a wire DSd and a wire DSe to be electrically connected from the vehicle-mounted device A come out as harnesses. In addition, the vehicle-mounted device B has an electric circuit (not shown), and electric wires DSf and DSg to be electrically connected from the vehicle-mounted device B come out as harnesses. The electric wire DSd, the electric wire DSe, the electric wire DSf, and the electric wire DSg are electrically connected to a male terminal or a female terminal (not shown) of the multipolar connector 100 and can be electrically connected to each other through the through holes of the terminal protection plate 130. . As described above, by simply extending one electric wire DSh from the female terminal or male terminal of the multipolar connector 100, the electric wire DSh can take out the same signals as those of electric wires DSd, electric wires DSe, electric wires DSf and electric wires DSg. It is possible. A wire DSo1 from another vehicle-mounted device (not shown) is also connected to the multipolar connector 100, and a wire DSh and a wire DS02 electrically connected to the wire DSo1 are output.

As described above, according to the multipolar connector 100 according to the present embodiment, by omitting members such as joint connectors that are necessary for connecting wires, it is possible to reduce member costs and processing costs. be possible. In addition, the protective terminal plate has been conventionally used, and by using the printed circuit board as the protective terminal plate, it is possible to suppress the member cost and significantly reduce the processing cost.

(Comparative example)
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a method of realizing the functions of FIG. The on-vehicle device C has an electric circuit (not shown), and electric wires DSi and electric wires DSj to be electrically connected from the on-vehicle device C come out as harnesses. Further, the vehicle-mounted device D has an electric circuit (not shown), and the electric wire DSk and the wire DSl to be electrically connected from the vehicle-mounted device D come out as a harness. The electric wire DSi, the electric wire DSj, the electric wire DSk, and the electric wire DSl are electrically connected by a joint plate (not shown) or the like of the joint connector 300 , and the electrically connected electric wire DSm is connected to the composite multipolar connector 200 . A wire DSo3 from another vehicle-mounted device (not shown) is also connected to the composite multipolar connector 200, and a wire DSm and a wire DS04 electrically connected to the wire DSo3 are output. Therefore, conventionally, the material cost of the joint connector 300 and the processing cost of the harness including the joint connector 300 were incurred.

Features of the multipolar connector 100 and the harness with the multipolar connector 100 according to the present embodiment are described below.

The multipolar connector 100 according to the first aspect of the present disclosure preferably includes male terminals 141 and female terminals 121 electrically connected to the male terminals 141 . Moreover, the multipolar connector 100 preferably includes a terminal protection plate 130 having a through hole 131 having a conductive layer to which at least one of the male terminal 141 and the female terminal 121 is electrically connected. Furthermore, it is preferable that the terminal protection plate 130 is formed with a conductor that electrically connects the conductive layers of at least two through holes 131 .

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a multipolar connector capable of suppressing the occurrence of new material costs and processing costs in order to connect electrically separated electric circuits to each other.

The conductive layer formed on the terminal protection plate 130 of the multipolar connector 100 according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is preferably formed on both sides or one side of the terminal protection plate 130 .

According to the above configuration, if a single-sided substrate is used for the terminal protection plate 130, the material cost can be further reduced, and if a double-sided substrate is used for the terminal protection plate 130, male or female terminals and conductive layers can be used. It becomes possible to further improve the reliability of the electrical connection with.

In the multipolar connector 100 according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, when the male terminal 141 is inserted into the through hole 131, the male terminal 141 is electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole. is preferred.

According to the above configuration, since the male terminal 141 is electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole, it is possible to further improve the reliability of the electrical connection between the male terminal and the conductive layer. become.

In the multipolar connector 100 according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, at least one of the male terminals 141 electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole 131 should be connected to the male terminal 141. Preferably, the female terminal 121 is not mounted.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to omit the female terminals 121 that do not need to be mounted without impairing the function of the multipolar connector 100, thus providing a multipolar connector capable of suppressing material costs and processing costs. it becomes possible to

When the female terminal 121 of the multipolar connector 100 according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is inserted into the through hole 131, the female terminal 121 is electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole 131. is preferred.

According to the above configuration, since the female terminal 121 is electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole, it is possible to further improve the reliability of the electrical connection between the female terminal 121 and the conductive layer. be possible.

At least one of the female terminals 121 electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole 131 of the multipolar connector 100 according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a male terminal to be connected to the female terminal 121 . Preferably, terminal 141 is not mounted.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to omit the male terminals 141 that do not need to be mounted without impairing the function of the multipolar connector 100, thus providing a multipolar connector capable of suppressing material costs and processing costs. it becomes possible to

In multipolar connector 100 according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, it is preferable that land portions are provided for through holes 131 on one or both of the front and back surfaces of terminal protection plate 130 on which conductors are formed. At least one of male terminal 141 and female terminal 121 is preferably electrically connected to the land portion.

According to the above configuration, the presence of the male terminal 141 or the female terminal 121 in electrical contact with the land makes it possible to further improve the reliability of the electrical connection with the conductor through the land. become.

In the multipolar connector 100 according to the aspect of the present disclosure, it is preferable that at least one of the lands is provided with a resist layer on the surface of the terminal protection plate 130 that does not face the base material 132 . At least one of the male terminal 141 and the female terminal 121, which are not electrically connected to the land portion, preferably faces the resist layer.

According to the above configuration, by improving the weather resistance of the substrate, it is possible to further improve the reliability of the electrical connection with the conductor.

Terminal guard plate 130 of multipolar connector 100 according to aspects of the present disclosure is preferably attached to the front surface of male housing 150 that accommodates male terminals 141 of multipolar connector 100 . Also, when the terminal protection plate 130 is accommodated in the male housing 150 , it is preferable that the male terminals 141 protrude through the through holes 131 of the terminal protection plate 130 .

According to the above configuration, while using a part of the conventional configuration, it is possible to electrically connect the electric circuits electrically separated through the through holes with a simple configuration.

A wire harness 1000 with a multipolar connector according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure may include the multipolar connector 100 according to any one of the first to sixth aspects and an electrical material connected to the multipolar connector 100. preferable.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a harness with a multipolar connector that can suppress the occurrence of new material costs and processing costs in order to connect electrically separated electric circuits to each other.

(Supplement to the embodiment)
The block diagrams used to describe the above-described embodiments show blocks in units of functions. A method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. For example, each functional block may be implemented using one physically or logically coupled device, or may be implemented by directly or indirectly connecting two or more physically or logically separated devices. , may be implemented using these multiple devices.

As long as there is no contradiction, the order of each aspect, processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of modifications/embodiments described herein may be interchanged. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of the various steps using a sample order, and are not limited to the specific order presented.

The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements. It can also include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. Couplings or connections between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof.

Any reference to elements using the designations "first," "second," "first," "second," etc. used in this disclosure generally refer to the quantity or order of those elements. Not limited. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, reference to a first and second element does not imply that only two elements can be employed or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

"Unit" in the configuration of each device described above may be replaced with "means", "device", or the like.

Where "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are inclusive, as is the term "comprising." is intended. Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this disclosure is not intended to be an exclusive OR.

In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean that "A and B are different from C". Terms such as "separate," "coupled," etc. may also be interpreted in the same manner as "different."

Each aspect/embodiment described in the present disclosure may be used alone, may be used in combination, or may be used by switching according to execution.

Although the embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited by the contents described in the above embodiments. In addition, the components described above include components that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and components that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be combined as appropriate. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

110 female housing 120 female connector 121 female terminal 130 terminal protection plate 131 through hole 140 male connector 141 male terminal 150 male housing 1000 wire harness with multipolar connector

Claims (7)

a male terminal;
a female terminal electrically connected to the male terminal;
a terminal protection plate formed with a through hole having a conductive layer to which at least one of the male terminal and the female terminal is electrically connected;
A multipolar connector in which a conductor is formed on the terminal protection plate to electrically connect the conductive layers of at least two of the through holes. 2. The multipolar connector according to claim 1, wherein the conductive layer formed on the terminal protection plate is formed on both sides or one side of the terminal protection plate. 3. The multipolar connector according to claim 1, wherein the male terminal is electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole when the male terminal is inserted into the through hole. 4. The multipole according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the male terminals electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole is not mounted with the female terminal to be connected to the male terminal. connector. 3. The male terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the female terminals electrically connected to the conductive layer formed on the side surface of the through hole is not mounted with the male terminal to be connected to the female terminal. Multi-pole connector. A land portion is provided for the through hole on one or both of the front surface and the back surface of the terminal protection plate on which the conductor is formed, and at least one of the male terminal and the female terminal is connected to the terminal protection plate. 6. The multipolar connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, electrically connected to the land portion. A multipolar connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
A wire harness with a multipolar connector including electric members connected to the multipolar connector.

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