JP6081558B1 - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a connector that includes a plurality of housings and is easy to assemble. A connector having a fitting housing, a holding housing, and a terminal for electrically connecting a mating terminal and a flat conductor is arranged so that the fitting housing overlaps the holding housing. In this case, the fitting housing 6 is provided with a locked portion 6c for the holding housing 7 overlapped. The holding housing 7 is provided with a terminal holding groove into which the terminal 5 is fitted in the direction in which the fitting housing 6 is overlapped. By doing so, the assembly work of the connector can be easily performed. [Selection] Figure 18

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector that includes a plurality of housings and electrically connects a flat conductor and a connection object.

  As a connector having a plurality of terminals, a plurality of housings are provided, and in the assembled state, FPC (Flexible printed circuits), FFC (Flexible flat cable), etc. (in this specification and claims, “flat type” And a connection object such as a terminal of a mating connector are known. As such a connector, a connector having a first housing for fitting with an object to be connected and a second housing for holding terminals is known. The second housing is a housing that holds a plurality of terminals, and the terminals and the connection object are conductively connected in a state of being fixed to the first housing. The second housing usually has the same number of through holes as the terminals, and the terminals are held in the second housing by inserting the terminals one by one into the through holes. Further, the first housing is provided with a housing space for the second housing, and the second housing is inserted and fixed in the housing space, whereby the mounting of the terminal to the first housing is completed. The connector assembled in this way is fitted to the connection object (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-156182 A

  By the way, a through-hole is normally formed in the magnitude | size along the outer periphery of a terminal, and the accommodation space of a 1st housing is also formed in the magnitude | size along the outer periphery of a 2nd housing. Therefore, delicateness is required for the operation of inserting the terminal into the through hole or inserting the second housing into the first housing, and it may be difficult to efficiently perform the assembly operation.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the prior art as described above. The object is to provide a connector that can be assembled efficiently and easily.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
That is, the present invention relates to a connector having a first housing, a second housing, and a terminal for electrically connecting a connection object and a flat conductor, and the first housing is connected to the second housing. The second housing has an engaging portion for the second housing, and the second housing has a terminal holding groove into which the terminal is fitted in the direction in which the first housing is overlapped. A connector is provided.

  By doing so, the connector can be assembled by stacking the first housing, the second housing, and the terminals in the same direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a delicate and high-precision operation for inserting the second housing into the first housing or inserting the terminal into the second housing, so that the connector can be easily assembled. Can do.

  The terminal of the present invention has a fixing portion for the flat conductor, and the fixing portion is exposed from the second housing in a state where the terminal is held in the terminal holding groove.

  By exposing the fixing portion from the second housing in a state where the terminal is held in the terminal holding groove, the flat conductor can be easily fixed to the fixing portion of the terminal held by the terminal.

  The present invention may further include a retainer that covers the fixed portion.

  By covering the fixed portion with the retainer, it is difficult to cause a situation in which the fixed portion is separated from the flat conductor when another member or an operator contacts the fixed portion while the flat conductor is fixed to the fixed portion. can do.

  The first housing of the present invention has a wall portion that covers one end side in the extending direction of the terminal holding groove, and the wall portion is an insertion port for a connection object that communicates with one end side of the terminal holding groove. It can have.

  By providing such a wall portion in the first housing, it is possible to easily position the first housing when the first housing is overlapped with the second housing. Further, in this state, the first housing can be prevented from being displaced with respect to the second housing. Furthermore, by providing the insertion port for the connection object in the wall portion, the connection object can pass through the insertion port of the wall portion and be brought into conductive contact with the terminal held in the holding groove.

  The first housing of the present invention may have a plurality of locking portions for fixing the second housing.

  Thereby, it can fix reliably, without making the 1st housing wobble with respect to the 2nd housing.

  The fixing part according to the present invention may be a holding part that fixes the flat conductor in the thickness direction.

  By doing so, the flat conductor can be reliably fixed to the terminal.

  The sandwiching portion of the present invention includes a first sandwiching piece portion that contacts one surface of the flat conductor and a second sandwiching piece portion that contacts the other surface, and the retainer includes the first sandwiching piece. And the first housing covers the second clamping piece.

  By carrying out like this, the 1st clamping piece part and the 2nd clamping piece part can be reliably protected from a contact of another member or an operator. Therefore, it is possible to easily maintain the conductive contact with the flat conductor.

  The terminal holding groove of the present invention has an opening for inserting the terminal, and a terminal pressing portion arranged on the opening side of the terminal accommodated therein, and the terminal is the terminal pressing portion. And a bottom portion of the terminal holding groove.

  By doing so, the terminal can be reliably prevented from coming out of the terminal holding groove.

  The flat conductor of the present invention has a conductive portion and an insulating resin, and the terminal holds the flat conductor with ultrasonic welding marks of the insulating resin. it can.

  By doing so, it is possible to seal the contact portion with ultrasonic fusion marks while bringing the terminal and the conductive portion into conductive contact. Therefore, even if the conductive portion is made of a metal that easily causes electrolytic corrosion such as aluminum, moisture hardly adheres to the contact portion, and the occurrence of electrolytic corrosion can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, the terminal, the first housing, and the second housing can be assembled so as to overlap each other. Therefore, a connector that can be easily assembled can be provided.

The perspective view which shows the front of the connector of embodiment, a right side, and a plane. The perspective view which shows the back surface, left side surface, and bottom face of the connector of FIG. The perspective view which shows the front, right side, and plane of the fitting housing of FIG. The perspective view which shows the back surface, left side surface, and plane of the fitting housing of FIG. The right view which shows the fitting housing of FIG. The bottom view which shows the fitting housing of FIG. The perspective view which shows the holding | maintenance housing front surface of FIG. 1, a right side surface, and a plane. The perspective view which shows the holding | maintenance housing back surface, left side surface, and plane of FIG. The top view which shows the holding | maintenance housing of FIG. The front view which shows the holding | maintenance housing of FIG. The perspective view which shows the retainer of FIG. The perspective view which shows the front of the terminal of FIG. The perspective view which shows the back surface, left side surface, and plane of the terminal of FIG. The expanded view which shows the terminal of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the terminal of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the state which fixes a terminal to the holding | maintenance housing of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the state which fixes a flat type conductor to the terminal of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the state which fixes a fitting housing to the holding | maintenance housing of FIG. The perspective view which shows the front of the connector main body of FIG. 1, a right side, and a plane. The front view of the connector main body of FIG. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line SA-SA in FIG. 20. Explanatory drawing which shows the state which fixes a retainer to the connector main body of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the connection method of the terminal of FIG. 1, and a flat type conductor, Comprising: (A) is explanatory drawing which shows the state before inserting a flat type conductor in a clamping part, (B) is a clamping part Explanatory drawing which shows the state which inserted the flat type conductor in FIG. 2, (C) is explanatory drawing which shows the state which press-contacted the clamping piece part with respect to the flat type conductor. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection method of the terminal of FIG. 1, and a flat type conductor, Comprising: (A) is sectional drawing which shows the state which softens or fuse | melts an insulator, A dividing figure (B) is a dividing figure (A). Sectional drawing which shows the state which welded the front-end | tips of a protrusion part. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection method of the terminal and flat conductor of FIG. 1, Comprising: (A) is an arrow SB-SB sectional view taken on the line in FIG. 24 (A), and (B) is FIG. B) The arrow SC-SC sectional view taken on the line. Explanatory drawing which shows the state which the terminal fixed to the holding | maintenance housing of FIG. 1, and the other party terminal contact-conduct.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the connector of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, a connector 1 that is electrically connected to a mating terminal 2 fixed to a substrate (not shown) is shown. The terminal 4 of the connector 1 and the mating terminal 2 of the mating connector (not shown) are in conductive contact.

  In this specification, in the connector 1, the width direction along the arrangement direction of the plurality of terminals 4 is the X direction, and the front-rear direction along the insertion direction of the flat conductor 5 such as FPC or FFC to the connector 1 is the Y direction. The description will be made assuming that the vertical direction is the Z direction. The connector 1 is configured by fixing a fitting housing 6 (described later) and a holding housing 7 so as to overlap each other in the height direction Z.

  In the height direction Z, the side of the fitting housing 6 is referred to as “upper side”, and the holding housing 7 side is described as “lower side”. Further, in the front-rear direction Y, the back side in the insertion direction of the flat conductor 5 to the connector 1 will be described as “front side”, and the front side will be described as “rear side”. However, these do not limit the mounting method and usage method of the connector 1.

Embodiment [FIGS. 1 to 26]:
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector 1 of this embodiment includes a fitting housing 6 as a “first housing”, a holding housing 7 as a “second housing”, a terminal 4, and a retainer 8. With.

[Mating housing]
The fitting housing 6 is made of an insulating resin and has a substantially box shape as shown in FIGS. Further, the fitting housing 6 includes a main body portion 6a, a side wall portion 6b, a holding housing receiving portion 6d, a wall portion 6e, and a flat conductor insertion portion 6f.

  The main body 6a has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Further, on the top surface side, an operation portion 6a1 for releasing a fitting state with a mating connector (not shown) not shown is provided. The operation portion 6a1 is formed in a cantilever shape and can be elastically deformed by being pressed. In addition, the main body 6a has a restricting portion 6a2 that prevents excessive deformation in a direction in which the operation portion 6a1 is separated from the main body 6a. The restricting portion 6a2 has a bridge shape, and is formed so as to pass the upper side of the operating portion 6a1 in the width direction X from one end side to the other end side of the operating portion 6a1.

  The side wall portions 6b are provided one by one connected to both end sides in the width direction X of the main body portion 6a. The side wall portion 6b has a plate surface along the height direction Z, and has a locked portion 6c as a “locking portion” locked by a locking portion 7a of the holding housing 7 described later. A plurality of the locked portions 6c are provided along the front-rear direction Y at positions corresponding to the locking portions 7a. Particularly in the present embodiment, two locked portions 6c are provided. In this way, by having a plurality of the locked portions 6 c along the front-rear direction Y, the holding housing 7 can be reliably fixed without being wobbled with respect to the fitting housing 6.

  The wall 6e is disposed on the front side in the front-rear direction Y. The wall portion 6e has a plurality of mating terminal insertion ports 6e1 as “insertion ports” that are through holes along the front-rear direction Y. The plurality of counterpart terminal insertion openings 6e1 are arranged in parallel along the width direction X.

  The holding housing receiving portion 6d has a concave portion 6g that is disposed on the lower side of the main body portion 6a and is formed by a smooth cover portion 6d1, a side wall portion 6b, and a wall portion 6e. The holding housing 7 is accommodated in the recess 6g. The wall 6e is disposed so as to cover the front side of the holding housing 7 in a state where the holding housing 7 is housed and fixed in a holding housing receiving portion 6d described later. In this state, the terminal mating terminal insertion port 6 e 1 of the wall 6 e communicates with the fitting space 9 d of the terminal 4 held in the terminal holding groove 7 b of the holding housing 7.

  The flat conductor insertion portion 6f is disposed on the rear side in the front-rear direction Y. Further, the flat conductor insertion portion 6f has a recess for accommodating a retainer 8 described later. The flat conductor insertion portion 6f is provided with a fixing portion 6f1 protruding in the width direction X from the side wall portion 6b. A retainer locking hole 6f2 is provided in the fixing portion 6f1, and the retainer locking hole 6f2 is provided as a through hole that penetrates the plate thickness along the width direction X. A retaining portion 7a of a retainer 8, which will be described later, is fitted into the retainer retaining hole 6f2 from the inside of the recess. In this way, the retainer 8 is fixed to the fitting housing 6, and an insertion port 6 h through which the flat conductor 5 is inserted is formed between the flat conductor insertion portion 6 f and the retainer 8.

[Holding housing]
The holding housing 7 is made of an insulating resin and has a substantially box shape as shown in FIGS. The holding housing 7 includes a bottom plate 7c, a plurality of partition walls 7d, a terminal holding groove 7b, and a locking portion 7a.

  The bottom plate 7c is a plate surface having a smooth back surface. A plurality of partition walls 7d extend upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 7c. The plurality of partition walls 7d are arranged in parallel along the width direction X. The partition wall 7d has a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the front-rear direction Y, and has a plate surface along the YZ plane.

  The terminal holding groove 7b is formed by a bottom plate 7c and two partition walls 7d adjacent to each other. Further, the terminal holding groove 7 b has an opening 7 e on the upper side, and has a long and narrow groove shape that follows the shape of the terminal 4 in the extending direction. A plurality of terminal holding grooves 7 b are arranged in parallel along the width direction X. The terminal holding groove 7b is provided with a positioning portion 7b1, a retaining portion 7b2, and a terminal pressing portion 7b3, which are sequentially arranged from the front side to the rear side in the front-rear direction Y.

  The positioning portion 7b1 is provided on the front end side in the front-rear direction Y of the terminal holding groove 7b. The positioning portion 7b1 protrudes from the bottom plate 7c toward the inside of the terminal holding groove 7b. Further, in the present embodiment, the positioning portions 7b1 are arranged one by one on both end sides in the width direction X in the terminal holding groove 7b.

  The retaining portion 7b2 is provided so as to protrude upward from the approximate center in the front-rear direction Y of the bottom portion 7b4. The retaining portion 7b2 has a substantially trapezoidal cross section that tapers from the base side toward the tip side.

  The terminal pressing portion 7b3 is provided so as to protrude toward the inside of the terminal holding groove 7b from a substantially upper center in the front-rear direction Y of the partition wall 7d. Each terminal holding groove 7b is provided with a plurality of terminal pressing portions 7b3. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the terminal pressing portions 7b3 are provided on both sides in the width direction X of the partition wall 7d, two terminal pressing portions 7b3 are provided in each terminal holding groove 7b.

  The locking portions 7 a are disposed on both end sides in the width direction X of the holding housing 7. The locking part 7 a is key-shaped and is locked so as to be caught from the outside with respect to the locked part 6 c of the fitting housing 6. A plurality of locking portions 7 a are provided in the holding housing 7 along the front-rear direction Y. In the present embodiment, since two locked portions 6c are provided along the front-rear direction Y on each side surface of the holding housing 7, the holding housing 7 has four locking portions 7a as a whole.

[Flat conductor]
As shown in FIG. 17, the flat conductor 5 includes a conductive portion 5a, a first insulating portion 5b, and a second insulating portion 5c.

  The conductive portion 5a is made of an elongated thin piece of aluminum material, and a plurality of the conductive portions 5a are arranged in parallel along the plate width direction.

  The first insulating portion 5b and the second insulating portion 5c are made of an insulating thermoplastic resin material. The first insulating portion 5b and the second insulating portion 5c are stacked on the one surface side and the other surface side of the conductive portion 5a, respectively. Specifically, the first insulating portion 5b covers one surface side of the conductive portion 5a. The second insulating portion 5c covers the other surface side of the conductive portion 5a. In this way, the conductive portion 5a is covered with the insulating portions 5b and 5c on both sides. The aluminum material has the property of easily causing electric corrosion. However, by covering both surfaces with the insulating portions 5b and 5c in this way, it is possible to make it difficult for moisture and foreign matter to adhere to the conductive portion 5a made of aluminum. Can be suppressed. Further, the portion where the conductive portion 5a and the insulating portions 5b and 5c are laminated is the connecting portion 5A which is sandwiched by the sandwiching portion 12 of the terminal 4 which will be described later and is electrically connected. It becomes.

(Terminal)
The terminal 4 is obtained by press molding a metal plate formed by punching a copper plate. The terminal 4 has the contact connection part 9, the connection part 10, and the conductor connection part 11, as shown in FIGS. The terminal 4 is a conductive metal and may be provided with a metal other than copper as long as the flat conductor 5 is strong enough to fix the flat conductor 5 to the conductor connection portion 11.

  The contact connecting portion 9 includes a lower piece portion 9a, a connecting piece portion 9b, and an upper piece portion 9c. The contact connection part 9 is formed by folding back a terminal piece in the longitudinal direction of the terminal 4. When the contact connecting portion 9 is viewed from the side, a lower piece portion 9a, a connecting piece portion 9b, and an upper piece portion 9c are formed in a substantially Z shape.

The lower piece 9a has a plate shape, and the plate surface is provided parallel to the XY plane. Side piece portions 9a2 parallel to the YZ plane are provided on both end sides in the width direction X of the lower piece portion 9a. The side piece portions 9a2 extend one by one from both end sides in the width direction X of the lower piece portion 9a. Further, the side piece portion 9a2 is provided with an engaging portion 9a3 having an uneven shape.
Further, a locking portion 9a4 for locking the positioning portion 7b1 of the holding housing 7 is provided at the front end of the lower piece portion 9a. Furthermore, a locking portion 9a1 that locks the retaining portion 7b2 of the holding housing 7 is provided at the rear end of the lower piece portion 9a. In the present embodiment, the locking portion 9 a 4 and the locking portion 9 a 1 included in the lower piece 9 a are provided on the plate edge of the metal plate that forms the terminal 4.

  The connecting piece 9b is a substantially U-shaped metal piece that connects the lower piece 9a and the upper piece 9c. The connecting piece portion 9b has a guide piece portion 9b1 connected to the lower piece portion 9a, and the guide piece portion 9b1 is provided to be inclined toward the upper side and the rear side of the lower piece portion 9a. A contact protrusion 9b2 that protrudes toward the mating terminal 2 in a fitted state with the mating connector is formed at the rear end of the guide piece 9b1 in the insertion direction of the mating terminal 2 of the mating connector (not shown). Is done. Further, a contact protrusion 9b3 is formed on the connecting piece 9b at a position facing the contact protrusion 9b2. The contact protrusion 9b2 and the contact protrusion 9b3 are in conductive contact so as to sandwich the mating terminal 2 from both sides.

  The upper piece portion 9c is connected to the connecting piece portion 9b so as to face the lower piece portion 9a, and is provided so that the plate surfaces are parallel to each other. Side pieces 9c2 parallel to the YZ plane are formed on the upper piece 9c. The side piece portions 9c2 extend one by one from both ends in the width direction X of the upper piece portion 9c. The side piece 9c2 is provided with an engaged portion 9c3, and the engaged portion 9c3 has an uneven shape corresponding to the shape of the engaging portion 9a3. By engaging the engaging portion 9a3 of the lower piece portion 9a and the engaged portion 9c3 of the upper piece portion 9c with each other, the overall shape of the bag-like or box structure of the contact connecting portion 9 can be maintained.

  In this state where the contact connecting portion 9 forms a box structure, the fitting space portion 9d for accommodating the mating terminal 2 of the mating connector (not shown) is provided between the upper piece portion 9c and the connecting piece portion 9b. Is formed.

  The connecting portion 10 is connected to the contact connecting portion 9 and extends toward the rear side. The connection part 10 has the connection board part 10a and the support part 10a1. The connecting plate portion 10a has a plate surface along the YZ plane, and is provided extending from the side piece portions 9a2 and 9a2 of the lower piece portion 9a to the rear side. The connecting part 10 has a plurality of connecting plate parts 10a. The connector 1 of the present embodiment has two connecting plate portions 10a, and the connecting plate portions 10a are arranged to face each other in parallel. Moreover, it has the support part 10a1 extended toward the lower side along the height direction Z from the connection board part 10a.

  The conductor connecting portion 11 is connected to the connecting piece portion 9b and provided on the rear side. The conductor connection portion 11 includes a sandwiching portion 12 that sandwiches the flat conductor 5 and a connecting portion 12c.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the holding unit 12 includes a first holding piece 12 a and a second holding piece 12 b.

  The 1st clamping piece part 12a has the 1st clamping board 12a1, 1st protrusion part 12a2, and 1st contact protrusion 12a5.

  The first sandwiching plate 12a1 has a substantially rectangular plate shape having a flat plate surface.

  The first projecting portion 12a2 is provided to project from the first sandwiching plate 12a1 toward the second sandwiching plate 12b1 facing the first sandwiching plate 12a1. The first clamping piece 12a has two first protrusions 12a2 along the longitudinal direction of the first clamping plate 12a1. The first protrusion 12a2 has an arch shape, and the cross section along the longitudinal direction of the first sandwiching plate 12a1 has a substantially inverted U shape (FIGS. 12 and 13). The first projecting portion 12a2 is formed by making a cut in the first sandwiching plate 12a1, and further pressing and projecting, and an opening 12a3 is provided in the notched portion. The most projecting portion of the first projecting portion 12a2 is a ridge portion 12a4 having a linear shape along the short direction of the first sandwiching plate 12a1.

  The first contact protrusion 12a5 is disposed between the first protrusions 12a2 and 12a2. The first contact protrusion 12a5 has an arch shape similar to the first protrusion 12a2, and has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section. However, the first contact protrusion 12a5 has a smaller protrusion amount from the first clamping plate 12a1 than the first protrusion 12a2. Specifically, in a state where the tips of the first protrusion 12a2 and the second protrusion 12b2 are in contact with each other, the tip of the first contact protrusion 12a5 is connected to the first insulating portion 5b of the flat conductor 5. It has a protruding amount that penetrates and contacts the surface of the conductive portion 5a or slightly sinks.

  The 2nd clamping piece part 12b is arrange | positioned above the 1st clamping piece part 12a. The structure is similar to that of the first sandwiching piece 12a, and includes a second sandwiching plate 12b1, a second projecting portion 12b2, and a second contact projecting portion 12b5.

  The second sandwiching plate 12b1 has a substantially rectangular plate shape having a flat plate surface. The second sandwiching plate 12b1 faces the first sandwiching plate 12a1 with the flat conductor 5 interposed therebetween.

  The second projecting portion 12b2 is provided to project from the second sandwiching plate 12b1 toward the opposing first sandwiching plate 12a1. The second sandwiching piece 12b has two second protrusions 12b2 along the longitudinal direction of the second sandwiching plate 12b1. The second protrusions 12b2 and 12b2 have the same shape and protrude from the second sandwiching plate 12b1 by the same height. The second protrusion 12b2 has an arch shape, but unlike the first protrusion 12a2, the cross section along the short direction of the second sandwiching plate 12b1 has a substantially U-shape (FIGS. 12 and 12). 13). The second protrusion 12b2 is formed by making a cut in the second sandwiching plate 12b1, and further pressing, and an opening 12b3 is provided in the cut. The most projecting portion of the second projecting portion 12b2 is a ridge portion 12b4 having a linear shape along the longitudinal direction of the second sandwiching plate 12b1.

  The second contact protrusion 12b5 is disposed between the second protrusions 12b2 and 12b2. The second contact protrusion 12b5 has an arch shape similar to the second protrusion 12b2, and has a substantially U-shaped cross section. However, the amount of protrusion of the second contact protrusion 12b5 from the second clamping plate 12b1 is smaller than that of the second protrusion 12b2. Specifically, in a state where the tips of the first protrusion 12a2 and the second protrusion 12b2 are in contact with each other, the tip of the second contact protrusion 12b5 is connected to the second insulating portion 5c of the flat conductor 5. It has a protruding amount that penetrates and contacts the surface of the conductive portion 5a or slightly sinks. Therefore, the first contact protrusion 12a5 and the second contact protrusion 12b5 do not come into contact with each other so strongly as to be welded.

  The first protrusion 12a2 and the second protrusion 12b2 face each other. Therefore, the protrusion 12a4 of the first protrusion 12a2 and the protrusion 12b4 of the second protrusion 12b2 intersect each other in a plan view of the sandwiching plates 12a1 and 12b1. In particular, in this embodiment, they are orthogonal. By sandwiching the conductive portion 5a of the flat conductor 5 with the protruding portions 12a4 and 12b4, the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2 can be reliably connected to the conductive portion 5a from both sides.

  The connecting portion 12c has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and connects the first holding piece portion 12a and the second holding piece portion 12b. Further, the connecting portion 12c is connected to the two connecting plate portions 10a.

[Retainer]
The retainer 8 is made of an insulating resin and is formed in a substantially plate shape as shown in FIG. The retainer 8 is accommodated in the recess of the flat conductor insertion portion 6f in a state where the terminal 4 with the flat conductor 5 is fixed to the holding housing 7. The retainer 8 has a locking portion 8 a, and the locking portion 8 a is inserted into the retainer locking hole 6 f 2 of the fitting housing 6, whereby the retainer 8 is fixed to the fitting housing 6. The flat conductor insertion portion 6f and the retainer 8 form an insertion port 6h.

[Description of fixing terminal to the holding housing]
First, as shown in FIG. 16, the terminal 4 is fixed to the terminal holding groove 7 b of the holding housing 7. An opening 7e is provided above the terminal holding groove 7b, and the terminal 4 is inserted into the terminal holding groove 7b along the height direction Z from the opening 7e. At that time, by inserting the plurality of terminals 4 into the holding housing 7 in a state of being connected to a carrier (not shown), the plurality of terminals 4 can be collectively inserted into the holding housing 7. The locking portion 9a4 of the terminal 4 is positioned by the positioning portion 7b1. With the terminal 4 fixed in the terminal holding groove 7 b in this way, the connecting portion 10 of the terminal 4 is disposed below the terminal pressing portion 7 b 3 of the holding housing 7. Further, a support portion 10a1 extending downward is provided from the connecting portion 10 that is directly below the terminal pressing portion 7b3. The connecting portion 10 is arranged so that the tip of the support portion 10a1 contacts the bottom portion 7b4 of the terminal holding groove 7b and the support portion 10a1 is fitted between the terminal holding portion 7b3 and the bottom portion 7b4. Even if it is pressed from above by 7b3, it can be prevented from bending downward. However, the terminal pressing part 7b3 does not always need to press the connecting part 10 of the terminal 4 downward. Even if the terminal holding portion 7b3 is not in contact with the connecting portion 10 in a state where the terminal 4 is accommodated in the terminal holding groove 7b, the terminal holding portion when the terminal 4 is pulled in the pulling direction from the terminal holding groove 7b. 7b3 can prevent it from coming off.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 17, the flat conductor 5 is fixed to the terminal 4 in a state where the terminal 4 is accommodated in the terminal holding groove 7 b. As this fixing method, ultrasonic vibration is used in this embodiment. By fixing the flat conductor 5 to the terminal 4 in a state where the plurality of terminals 4 are fixed to the terminal holding groove 7b first, even if the terminal 4 receives ultrasonic vibration, the position of the flat conductor 5 is shifted. You can avoid it. Therefore, compared with the case where the flat conductor 5 is fixed to the terminal 4 before the terminal 4 is fixed to the holding housing 7, the fixing work of the flat conductor 5 to the terminal 4 can be easily performed. Details of the fixing method will be described later.

[Description of fixing method of mating housing and holding housing]
As shown in FIG. 18, the fitting housing 6 is fixed so as to overlap with the upper side of the holding housing 7 in a state where the terminals 4 are fixed. Thereafter, the locking portion 7 a of the holding housing 7 is locked to be hooked from the outside with respect to the locked portion 6 c provided on the side surface of the fitting housing 6. At that time, the holding housing 7 can be positioned with respect to the fitting housing 6 by the wall 6e. In this state, the opening 7 e of the terminal holding groove 7 b is covered with the fitting housing 6. Further, the mating terminal insertion port 6e1 and the fitting space portion 9d of the contact connecting portion 9 of the terminal 4 communicate with each other. Thus, the connector main body 1A including the fitting housing 6, the holding housing 7, and the terminals 4 is formed (see FIGS. 19 to 21). Since the connector main body 1A can be assembled so that the fitting housing 6, the holding housing 7, and the terminal 4 are superposed along the height direction Z, for example, the terminal 4 is inserted into the hole of the holding housing 7. The connector 1 can be easily assembled because it does not require a delicate and highly accurate operation such as inserting the holding housing 7 into the housing space of the fitting housing 6. Such a connector 1 can be particularly automatically assembled by a robot. Therefore, assembly can be performed more efficiently.

[Description of retainer mounting method]
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 22, the retainer 8 is attached to the lower side of the connector main body 1A. Specifically, the retainer 8 is fixed to the fitting housing 6 so as to cover the first clamping piece 12a of the terminal 4 exposed from the lower side of the connector main body 1A. The retainer 8 is fixed to the fitting housing 6 by inserting the locking portion 8 a of the retainer 8 into the retainer locking hole 6 f 2 of the fixing portion 6 f 1 of the fitting housing 6. Therefore, the retainer 8 can also be easily attached to the connector main body 1A along the height direction Z.

  In the present embodiment, when the terminal 4 is fixed to the holding housing 7 and the holding housing 7 is fixed to the fitting housing 6, the one surface side (upper side) of the second holding piece 12 b of the terminal 4 is the fitting housing. 6 is covered. However, the other surface side (lower side) of the first clamping piece 12 a of the terminal 4 has a structure exposed without being covered by the bottom plate 7 c of the holding housing 7. This is because, in the present embodiment, ultrasonic welding is used when the flat conductor 5 is fixed to the terminal 4 in a state where the terminal 4 is fixed to the holding housing 7 as described later. That is, when performing this ultrasonic welding process, the clamping part 12 is pinched | interposed from the upper and lower sides with the anvil 13b and the horn 13a. Therefore, the terminal 4 is fixed to the holding housing 7 and the upper surface of the second holding plate 12b1 and the bottom surface of the first holding plate 12a1 are exposed from the holding housing 7 in a state where the fitting housing 6 is not fixed. , Making it easier to do that.

Therefore, when the connector 1 is used as a mating connector (not shown) with the holding housing 7 fixed to the fitting housing 6, another member may collide with the first clamping piece 12 a and come off from the flat conductor 5. It becomes easy for foreign matters to come into contact and the conductive contact to become unstable. Therefore, by fixing the first contact piece 12a covered with the retainer 8, the contact portion between the first sandwiching piece 12a and the flat conductor 5 can be protected.
Thus, the assembly of the connector 1 is completed.

  In this state, the connector 1 is fitted with a mating connector (not shown). As shown in FIG. 26, the mating terminal 2 is inserted from the mating terminal insertion port 6e1 into the fitting space portion 9d, and the tip thereof is guided by the guide piece 9b1 to the back side (front-rear direction) of the fitting space portion 9d. Up to the rear side in Y). Thus, the mating terminal 2 is inserted into the gap between the contact protrusions 9b2 and 9b3. Since the interval between the contact protrusion 9b2 and the contact protrusion 9b3 is formed to be shorter than the width of the counterpart terminal 2, the counterpart terminal 2 is inserted so as to spread between the contact protrusions 9b2 and 9b3. At this time, even if the contact connecting portion 9 is strongly pressed from the counterpart terminal 2, the box structure of the contact connecting portion 9 is formed by the engaged portion 9c3 of the upper piece portion 9c and the engaging portion 9a3 of the lower piece portion 9a. Can be maintained. Further, since the contact connecting portion 9 has a box structure, the mating terminal 2 can be reliably brought into conductive contact with the contact protrusions 9b2 and 9b3 without being detached from the contact connecting portion 9.

[Explanation of terminal fixing method for flat conductor by ultrasonic vibration]
First, as shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the conductive portion 5a, the first insulating portion 5b, and the second insulating portion 5c are laminated on the front end side of the flat conductor 5. The connecting portion 5 </ b> A is inserted into the clamping portion 12 of the terminal 4. Specifically, the connecting portion 5A is inserted between the first holding piece 12a and the second holding piece 12b. By making the interval between the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2 facing each other longer than the plate thickness of the flat conductor 5, this insertion operation can be easily performed. The insulating portions 2a and 2b may be in contact with either side of the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2, but in the present embodiment, as described above, the first protruding portion 12a2 is in contact with the first insulating portion 5b. The case where the second projecting portion 12b2 is in contact with the second insulating portion 5c is illustrated.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 23C, the terminal 4 and the flat conductor 5 are placed on the anvil 13b of the ultrasonic device (not shown) with the first sandwiching piece 12a side down. And the horn 13a is contact | abutted to the 2nd clamping piece part 12b, and an ultrasonic vibration is added. Here, the second projecting portion 12b2 may be brought into contact with the second insulating portion 5c in advance, but may be brought into contact with the second insulating portion 5c by pressing the second projecting portion 12b2 with the horn 13a. .

  By applying ultrasonic vibration to the terminal 4, the protrusions 12 a 2 and 12 b 2 and the contact protrusions 12 a 5 and 12 b 5 vibrate. Friction heat is generated at the contact portions of the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 and the contact protrusions 12a5 and 12b5 and the insulating portions 5b and 5c, and the insulating portions 5b and 5c are softened or melted by the heat (FIG. 24A). 25 (A)). By performing this process by ultrasonic vibration, the target portion can be locally softened or melted. Moreover, according to ultrasonic vibration, even a portion that is difficult to visually recognize or a portion that is not exposed to the outside can be easily softened or melted. In this way, the second holding plate 12b1 is directed toward the first holding plate 12a1 by the horn 13a while softening or melting the insulating portions 5b and 5c at positions where they come into contact with the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2 and the contact protruding portions 12a5 and 12b5. And press. And the front-end | tip of protrusion part 12a2, 12b2 is penetrated into the inside of insulation part 5b, 5c, and is made to contact the surface of the electroconductive part 5a. The openings 12a3 and 12b3 of the sandwiching pieces 12a and 12b push the resin material 5d of the insulating parts 5b and 5c softened or melted when the sandwiching pieces 12a and 12b are pressed against the insulating parts 5b and 5c. You can escape. Thus, while the resin material 5d is pushed out from the openings 12a3 and 12b3 and escaped, the load received from the insulating parts 5b and 5c can be reduced, and the tips of the projecting parts 12a2 and 12b2 can easily reach the conductive part 5a. Thus, the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2 can sandwich the conductive portion 5a of the flat conductor 5.

  By the way, since the electroconductive part 5a of this embodiment consists of aluminum materials, compared with the copper material etc. which form the terminal 4, it is soft and easy to deform | transform. Therefore, by pressing the second protrusion 12b2 in a direction approaching the first protrusion 12a2 from the state in which the tips of the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 are in contact with the conductive portion 5a from both sides, the conductive portion A through hole 5e is formed by being recessed from both sides with respect to 5a (see FIG. 24B). When the second protrusion 12b2 is further pressed by the horn 13a from there, the tip portions 12a6 and 12b6 including the protrusions 12a4 and 12b4 of the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 inside the through hole 5e of the conductive part 5a are electrically connected to each other. It contacts in the state which pinched | interposed the aluminum material which forms 5a. Such tip portions 12a6 and 12b6 are pressed against each other and deformed to form curved portions 12a7 and 12b7.

  Foreign matter adheres to the surface of the metal or an oxide film is formed. Therefore, even if it is the same kind of metals, it is difficult to weld them by simply pressing them, and there may be further difficulties between different kinds of metals. Therefore, ultrasonic welding is known in which two or more metals are brought into press contact with each other while applying ultrasonic vibrations to remove an oxide film or foreign matter, thereby welding the metals together. Since aluminum forms a particularly thick oxide film, when the conductive portion 5a is made of an aluminum material, it is difficult to make a conductive connection with the terminal 4 unless the oxide film is broken.

  However, according to this ultrasonic welding, the conductive connection with the terminal 4 can be easily performed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by applying ultrasonic vibration to the terminal 4, a copper material that forms the protruding portions 12a4 and 12b4 of the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2, and an aluminum material that forms the conductive portion 5a sandwiched therebetween. Can be welded (welded portion 14 shown in FIG. 25B). As described above, the copper material forming the projecting portions 12a2 and 12b2 and the aluminum material forming the conductive portion 5a are welded, so that the conductive portion 5a and the terminal 4 are less likely to be separated from each other, and the conductive connection is reliably established. Can do.

  Further, as described above, the contact protrusions 12a5 and 12b5 provided in the sandwiching portion 12 have a shorter protrusion amount in the height direction Z from the sandwiching plates 12a1 and 12b1 than the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2. Therefore, the contact protrusions 12a5 and 12b5 can be in conductive contact with the surface of the conductive part 5a or in a state of being recessed into the conductive part 5a while the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 are in contact with each other and pressed. Therefore, the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 are securely fixed by ultrasonic welding, while the contact protrusions 12a5 and 12b5 can be in conductive contact with the conductive portion 5a. Thus, the contact protrusions 12a5 and 12b5 can be reliably brought into conductive contact with the conductive part 5a, while the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 have a role of being fixed so as not to move with respect to the flat conductor 5.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the first protrusion 12a2 and the second protrusion 12b2 are formed in an arch shape, and the protrusion 12a4 of the first protrusion 12a2 and the protrusion of the second protrusion 12b2. 12b4 is provided so as to cross each other in plan view of the sandwiching plates 12a1 and 12b1. Therefore, for example, when applying ultrasonic vibration to the terminal 4, even if the second protrusion 12b2 is displaced with respect to the first protrusion 12a2 due to the vibration, the length of the protrusions 12a4 and 12b4 The contactable distance can be extended by as much. Therefore, it is possible to tolerate a position shift over a longer distance.

  When the tip portions 12a6 and 12b6 of the arch-shaped projecting portions 12a2 and 12b2 are in contact with each other as described above, they are deformed so as to press each other and sink into the other side to form the curved portions 12a7 and 12b7. By forming such curved portions 12a7 and 12b7, the contact area between the tip portions 12a6 and 12b6 and the conductive portion 5a can be increased, so that more conductive portions 5a can be sandwiched between them to facilitate confinement. . Therefore, the copper material forming the terminal 4 and the aluminum material forming the conductive portion 5a can be brought into contact with each other in a wider range and can be welded, making it difficult to reliably separate them. Thus, the welded portion 14 is formed by the tip portions 12a6, 12b6 including the ridge portions 12a4, 12b4 and the conductive portion 5a. Further, the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 also partially penetrate the conductive part 5a, come into contact with each other, and are ultrasonically welded (welded part 16 between the protrusions shown in FIG. 25B). Furthermore, in the portions other than the protrusions 12a4 and 12b4 in the tip portions 12a6 and 12b6, the welded portion 14 can be formed in a state where the conductive portion 5a is sandwiched without penetrating the conductive portion 5a.

  The ultrasonic vibration process is stopped in a state where the fixing process for the conductive part 5a of the sandwiching part 12 by ultrasonic welding is completed. As a result, the softened or melted insulating portions 5b and 5c are cooled to form an ultrasonic fusion mark 15 made of a solidified body. Since the terminal 4 of this embodiment is made of a copper material and the conductive portion 5a is made of an aluminum material, galvanic corrosion due to contact with different metals is likely to occur. However, since the ultrasonic fusion mark 15 forms the seal portion 15a that covers the periphery of the welded portion 14 between the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2 and the conductive portion 5a, moisture and foreign matter are less likely to adhere to the welded portion 14. Can be sealed. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the said electrolytic corrosion by the dissimilar metal contact of the terminal 4 and the electroconductive part 5a can be suppressed.

  Also, the insulating portions 5b and 5c that have been softened or melted adhere to the sandwiching piece portions 12a and 12b of the terminal 4, and the seal portion 15a is provided by the ultrasonic fusion marks 15 that are solidified in that state. Since the seal portion 15 a is fixed to the terminal 4, there is no need to newly provide a structure for fixing the terminal 4 to the flat conductor 5. Therefore, the terminal 4 and the flat conductor 5 can have a simpler structure. In addition, the seal portion 15a has both the role of sealing the periphery of the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2 of the terminal 4 and the welded portion 14 of the conductive portion 5a and the role of being fixed to the terminal 3 of the flat conductor 5. Therefore, the number of parts can be further reduced as compared with the case where different members play these roles.

  Furthermore, the softened or melted resin material 5d pushed out of the terminals 4 from the openings 12a3 and 12b3 when the clamping pieces 12a and 12b are pressed against the flat conductor 5 is solidified, and then the terminals 4 are fixed. It becomes the holding part 5d1 to hold. That is, the resin material 5d is solidified in a state where the protrusions 12a2 and 12b2 wrap around to the side opposite to the side in contact with the insulating portions 5b and 5c, whereby the terminal 4 can be held as the holding portion 5d1.

  According to the method of connecting the terminal 4 and the flat conductor 5, the operation of bringing the terminal 4 and the conductive portion 5a into contact by softening or melting the insulating portions 5b and 5c by applying ultrasonic vibration to the terminal 4, welding, The operation of covering and sealing the periphery of the portion 14 with the seal portion 15 a and the operation of fixing the flat conductor 5 to the terminal 4 can be continuously performed. Therefore, the connection work of the terminal 4 to the flat conductor 5 can be performed efficiently and easily. The conductive portion 5a is covered with the flat conductor 5 on both sides, and the conductive portion 5a is not exposed to the outside even in the step of connecting the terminal 4 and the flat conductor 5. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably protect the conductive portion 5a from adhesion of moisture and foreign matter. In addition, by forming the seal portion 15a with the insulating portions 5b and 5c, it is possible to suppress adhesion of moisture and foreign matters to the conductive portion 5a without using other members. Therefore, in the case where the conductive portion 5a is provided with a metal material such as an aluminum material that is susceptible to electric corrosion, it is advantageous in terms of suppressing the occurrence of electric corrosion. Furthermore, the flat conductor 5 can be fixed to the terminal 4 without providing the terminal 4 with a fixing structure. Therefore, the work process can be further reduced.

  Thus, since the connector 1 of this embodiment can be assembled so that the fitting housing 6, the holding | maintenance housing 7, and the terminal 4 may overlap in the same direction, it shall be the connector 1 which can be assembled easily. Can do. Further, the flat conductor 5 can be easily and reliably fixed to the terminal 4.

Variation of the embodiment:
In the said embodiment, the electroconductive part 5a of the flat conductor 5 showed the example which consists of aluminum materials, and the terminal 4 consists of copper materials. On the other hand, both the conductive portion 5a and the terminal 4 can be made of a copper material. Even in such a case, the connection reliability can be enhanced by performing ultrasonic welding while sandwiching the conductive portion 5a between the protruding portions 12a2 and 12b2.

  In the said embodiment, the flat conductor 5 showed the example by which the 1st insulating part 5b and the 2nd insulating part 5c were laminated | stacked and provided in the electroconductive part 5a. On the other hand, at least one of the two insulating portions 5b and 5c may be separate from the conductive portion 5a. In this case, before connecting the terminal 4 to the conductive portion 5a, the insulating portions 5b and 5c, which are separate from the conductive portion 5a, are stacked on the conductive portion 5a, and the flat conductor 5 in this state is sandwiched between the sandwiching portions 12 Ultrasonic vibration is applied to the terminal 4. By carrying out like this, the sealing part 15a can be provided by the insulation parts 5b and 5c, and the welding part 14 can be sealed.

  In the embodiment, ultrasonic vibration is used as a method of softening or melting the resin material 5d forming the insulating portions 5b and 5c. However, another method may be used as long as the resin material 5d can be solidified again after being softened or melted. For example, the terminal 4 may be heated to soften or melt the target portion of the resin material 5d that forms the insulating portions 5b and 5c. Further, the resin material 5d forming the insulating portions 5b and 5c may be softened or melted by chemical treatment.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, the example which provided the clamping part 12 in which the terminal 4 has clamping piece part 12a, 12b was shown. On the other hand, it is good also as the clamping part 12 having only any one of the 1st clamping piece part 12a and the 2nd clamping piece part 12b. In this case, only one of the projecting portions 12a2 and 12b2 and one of the contact projecting portions 12a5 and 12b5 are provided. The terminal 4 is conductively connected to only one side of the conductive portion 5a. In addition, either one of the sandwiching piece portions 12a and 12b sandwiches the flat conductor 5 with another member, so that the projecting portions 12a2 and 12b2 penetrate the insulating portions 5b and 5c and the flat conductor. 5 can be fixed and conductively connected to the conductive portion 5a.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 1A Connector main body 2 Opposite side terminal 4 Terminal 5 Flat conductor 5A Connection part 5a Conductive part 5b 1st insulating part 5c 2nd insulating part 5d Resin material 5d1 Holding part 5e Through-hole 6 Fitting housing 6a Main body part 6a1 Operation portion 6a2 Restriction portion 6b Side wall portion 6c Locked portion 6d Holding housing receiving portion 6d1 Cover portion 6e Wall portion 6e1 Mating terminal insertion port 6f Flat conductor insertion portion 6f1 Fixing portion 6f2 Retainer locking hole 6g Recessed portion 6h Inserting port 7 Holding housing 7a Locking part 7b Terminal holding groove 7b1 Positioning part 7b2 Retaining part 7b3 Terminal pressing part 7b4 Bottom part 7c Bottom plate 7d Bulkhead 7e Opening part 8 Retainer 8a Locking part 9 Contact connecting part 9a Lower piece part 9a1 Locking part 9a2 side One piece 9a3 Engagement part 9a4 Locking part 9b Connection piece part 9b1 Guide piece part 9b2 First Contact protrusion 9b3 Second contact protrusion 9c Upper piece 9c2 Side piece 9c3 Engagement portion 9d Fitting space portion 10 Connection portion 10a Connection plate portion 10a1 Support portion 11 Conductor connection portion 12 Holding portion 12a First holding piece portion 12a1 1st clamping plate 12a2 1st protrusion part 12a3 opening part 12a4 ridge part 12a5 1st contact protrusion part 12a6 front-end | tip part 12a7 curved part 12b 2nd clamping piece part 12b1 2nd clamping board 12b2 2nd protrusion Part 12b3 Opening part 12b4 Projection part 12b5 Second contact projection part 12b6 Tip part 12b7 Curved part 12c Connection part 13a Horn 13b Anvil 14 Welding part 15 Ultrasonic fusion mark 15a Seal part 16 Welding part

Claims (10)

A first housing;
A second housing;
In a connector having a terminal for conductively connecting a connection object and a flat conductor,
The first housing is disposed so as to overlap with the second housing, and has a locking portion for the stacked second housing,
Said second housing has to have a terminal holding groove in the direction of superimposing the first housing fitted the terminals,
The terminal has a fixing portion for the flat conductor,
The connector is characterized in that the fixing portion is a holding portion that fixes the flat conductor in a plate thickness direction . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion is exposed from the second housing in a state where the terminal is held in the terminal holding groove. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a retainer that covers the fixing portion. The first housing has a wall portion covering one end side in the extending direction of the terminal holding groove, and the wall portion has an insertion port for a connection object communicating with one end side of the terminal holding groove. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first housing has a plurality of the locking portions for fixing the second housing. The clamping portion, the flat and the first clamping piece portion for contacting a first surface of the conductor, claim 1, Ru and a second clamping piece portion for contacting a second surface, according to claim 2, claim 4, wherein Item 6. The connector according to any one of Items 5. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the sandwiching portion includes a first sandwiching piece portion that contacts one surface of the flat conductor and a second sandwiching piece portion that contacts the other surface. The retainer covers the first clamping piece;
The connector according to claim 7, wherein the first housing covers the second clamping piece. The terminal holding groove has an opening for inserting the terminal, and a terminal pressing portion disposed on the opening side of the accommodated terminal,
The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal has a support portion disposed between the terminal pressing portion and a bottom portion of the terminal holding groove. The flat conductor has a conductive portion and an insulating resin,
The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the terminal holds a flat conductor by ultrasonic fusion marks of the insulating resin.

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