WO2016043000A1 - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Female terminal accommodation chambers (21) of a female housing (20) in a female connector (2) have insertion orifices (22a) via which male terminals (40) are inserted and that open in the same direction. The female housing (20) is provided with a tubular body (22) for each of the female terminal accommodation chambers (21), joints (23) that each link two neighboring tubular bodies (22), and slits (24) that each separate the two neighboring tubular bodies (22) at a section from the insertion orifice (22a) side to a bottom (24a), which corresponds to an end on the insertion orifice (22a) side in the joint (23). A male housing (50) of a male connector (3) is provided with walls (53) in a female-side accommodation chamber (51), the walls (53) being inserted into the slits (24) when the connectors are connected. The depth of each of the slits (24) at the section from the insertion orifice (22a) side to the bottom (24a) is set so that the amount of flexure arising when the connectors are connected is controlled to be equal to or below a prescribed amount at the portion at which the two neighboring tubular bodies (22) are separated.

Description

connector

The present invention relates to a connector.

Conventionally, there are connectors in which a plurality of electrical connection portions between a female terminal and a male terminal are formed when a female connector and a male connector are joined (Patent Documents 1-3). In this type of connector, it is necessary to suppress the occurrence of leakage between the connecting portions. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a connector in which two or more electrical connection portions are formed. The female connector and the male connector in this connector are each provided with two adjacent terminal accommodating chambers and terminals that are individually fitted into the terminal accommodating chambers. In this connector, in order to suppress the occurrence of leakage between two adjacent electrical connection portions, the following configuration is provided between the connection portions. The female connector is provided with a space extending in the joining direction between the female connector and the male connector between two adjacent terminal accommodating chambers. On the other hand, in the male connector, a leak extending from the wall surface of the terminal accommodating chamber toward the joining direction between the tip portions (tabs) of the respective male terminals protruding from the two adjacent terminal accommodating chambers. A prevention piece is provided. In this connector, by inserting a leak prevention piece into the space portion, the creeping distance between two adjacent electrical connection portions is increased, and the occurrence of leakage between the connection portions is suppressed.

JP 2001-32016 A US Patent Application Publication No. 2001/0044230 JP 2013-89421 A

By the way, as the space portion of the female connector, if a through-hole or a concave shape covering the periphery of the inserted leak prevention piece is also conceivable, the adjacent two terminal accommodating chambers are divided, but a shape like a notch is formed. Things are also conceivable. In the case of the former shape of the space, there is a wall that covers the periphery of the inserted leak prevention piece, so even if an external force is applied to the terminal accommodating chamber, the shape of the space can be changed. Therefore, the positional relationship between the two adjacent terminal storage chambers can be maintained in an expected state. On the other hand, in the case of a space portion such as the latter notch, there is a place without a wall around the inserted leak prevention piece, so when an external force is applied to the terminal accommodating chamber, the space portion There is a possibility that the shape changes, and the positional relationship between two adjacent terminal accommodating chambers changes with respect to the intended state. Then, the change in the positional relationship causes a change in the position of the opening on the female connector side where the tip of the male terminal is inserted, and the workability when the female connector and the male connector are joined is lowered. There is a fear. For example, in the conventional connector, since the extension amount of the space portion is significantly larger than the length of the leak prevention piece or the tip portion of the male terminal, if the space portion is notched, two adjacent terminals There is a possibility of bending between the storage chambers due to external force.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of suppressing a decrease in joining workability at the time of connector joining while increasing a creepage distance between two adjacent electrical connection portions. .

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a female connector including a plurality of female terminals and a female housing in which a plurality of female terminal accommodating chambers for individually accommodating the female terminals are formed, and the female housing after the connector is joined. A male housing having a female housing chamber in which at least a portion is accommodated, and a male housing that is disposed so as to project into the female housing chamber, and whose projecting portion abuts the female terminal individually after connector connection. Each of the female terminal accommodating chambers has an insertion opening into which the male terminal is inserted oriented in the same direction, and the female housing accommodates the female terminal accommodating chamber. A cylinder for each chamber, a connecting part for connecting two adjacent cylinders, and an end of the connecting part on the insertion port side as a bottom, the adjacent part between the insertion port side and the bottom Two A notch for dividing the body, and the male housing is inserted into the notch together with the connector joint, and includes a wall portion serving as a partition between the two adjacent cylindrical bodies in the female-side accommodation chamber, The notch has a depth at which the notch depth from the insertion port side to the bottom is kept within a predetermined amount at the time of connector joining at the divided portions of the two adjacent cylindrical bodies. It is characterized by doing.

Here, the amount of bending is the amount of change in the interval between the predetermined positions at the insertion ports of the two adjacent cylinders, and the predetermined amount is that the male terminal enters the insertion port at the time of connector joining. It is desirable to set within the range of the amount of deflection that can be achieved.

Further, when the female connector or the male connector is arranged in a housing of a device to be a connector installation target, the cylindrical body is arranged with an interval along an outer shape of a connector installation place in the housing, It is desirable to provide the connecting portion and the notch between two adjacent cylinders.

The connector according to the present invention has two electrical connection portions adjacent to each other with the notch and the wall portion interposed therebetween by the wall portion of the male housing inserted into the notch of the female housing after joining the connectors. The creepage distance between them can be increased. In this connector, the notch depth of the notch is set to such a depth that the amount of bending at the time of connector joining in the divided part of two adjacent cylindrical bodies can be suppressed within a predetermined amount. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in joining workability such that it is difficult for the male terminal to be inserted into the female terminal during connector joining. Therefore, this connector can suppress the deterioration of the joining workability | operativity at the time of connector joining, expanding the creeping distance between two adjacent electrical connection parts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state after the connector is joined and an installation target of the connector in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view showing a state after the connector is joined and an installation target of the connector in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the female connector in the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the female housing of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the female housing according to the embodiment as viewed from the distal end side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the male connector of the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a top view showing the male connector of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a modified female housing. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a modified female housing as viewed from the distal end side. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a modified male housing. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a modified male housing. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a modified male housing. FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the connector in the reference example. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the connector in the reference example. FIG. 16 is a plan view of the female housing as seen from the male terminal insertion port side. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the male housing as seen from the insertion opening side of the female housing. FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship of each plane on the outer peripheral surface of the female housing. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the respective planes on the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber of the male housing.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

[Embodiment]
One embodiment of a connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

1 to 3 indicates a connector of the present embodiment. This connector 1 is for wire-to-wire connection provided with at least two electrical male-female connections (that is, the number of terminal poles). The connector 1 includes a female connector 2 and a male connector 3. In the connector 1, the female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are joined (hereinafter referred to as “connector joining”), thereby forming an electrical male-female connection between them.

As shown in FIG. 4, the female connector 2 includes a plurality of female terminals 10 and a female housing 20 that houses the female terminals 10 therein. In the female connector 2, an electric wire 30 is connected to the female terminal 10. 5 and 6 show the female housing 20. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the male connector 3 includes a plurality of male terminals 40 and a male housing 50 that houses the male terminals 40 therein. The male terminal 40 is disposed so as to project into a female-side accommodation chamber 51 (described later) of the male housing 50, and the projecting portion (tip portion) individually contacts the female terminal 10 when the connector is joined. In the male connector 3, an electric wire (not shown) is connected to the male terminal 40. The illustrated female connector 2 includes three female terminals 10 (first to third female terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C), and an electric wire 30 (30A, 30B, and 30C) is individually provided for each of them. Electrically connected. The illustrated male connector 3 includes three male terminals 40 (first to third male terminals 40A, 40B, and 40C), and electric wires are individually electrically connected to the respective male terminals 40. Yes.

First, the female connector 2 will be described.

The female terminal 10 is a terminal fitting obtained by forming a conductive metal plate into a predetermined female shape. This female terminal 10 has a box 11 into which a male terminal 40 is inserted (FIG. 4). The box 11 is formed into a rectangular tube shape having at least one end opened, and the opening is used as an insertion port for the male terminal 40. In the box 11, the male terminal 40 is inserted into the internal space from the insertion port, and an electrical connection with the male terminal 40 is formed. As an electrical connection structure between the box 11 and the male terminal 40, a well-known one in this technical field may be used. For example, in the female terminal 10, the electrical connection state with the male terminal 40 is maintained using the spring force in the box 11. The electric wire 30 is disposed on the side opposite to the insertion port of the male terminal 40 when viewed from the box 11 and is crimped to the female terminal 10 so as to ensure electrical connection with the female terminal 10.

In the female housing 20, a plurality of spaces 21 (hereinafter referred to as “female terminal accommodating chambers”) for individually accommodating the female terminals 10 are formed. The female housing 20 includes a cylindrical body 22 for each female terminal storage chamber 21 that forms the female terminal storage chamber 21, and a connecting portion 23 that connects two adjacent cylindrical bodies 22. It can be said that the female housing 20 is an aggregate of the cylindrical bodies 22, and the respective cylindrical bodies 22 are integrated by the connecting portion 23. The female housing 20 is formed of an insulating polymer material such as synthetic resin.

The cylindrical body 22 is a rectangular cylindrical box having both ends opened, and the internal space is used as the female terminal accommodating chamber 21. In this cylindrical body 22, the opening at one end serves as the insertion port 22a of the male terminal 40 when the connector is joined. The one end is an end portion in the joining direction at the time of connector joining as viewed from the female connector 2. In this female housing 20, the respective female terminal accommodating chambers 21 (each cylindrical body 22) are arranged side by side with the respective insertion openings 22a being opened in the same direction, and the respective female terminal accommodating chambers 21 (each cylindrical body 22) are arranged. ) Are made to coincide with each other in the extending direction (axial direction). In this female housing 20, each female terminal accommodating chamber 21 (each cylindrical body 22) is arranged so that each insertion port 22a is substantially flush.

The female terminal 10 is inserted from the opening at the other end of the cylindrical body 22 to a predetermined position in the female terminal accommodating chamber 21 with the insertion port of the male terminal 40 in the box 11 at the top. The predetermined position is a position where the insertion port of the male terminal 40 in the box 11 is brought close to the insertion port 22a of the male terminal 40 in the cylindrical body 22. The inserted female terminal 10 is maintained in a predetermined position in the cylindrical body 22 by a locking mechanism (not shown). The locking mechanism includes, for example, an elastically deformable protrusion (lance) provided in the cylindrical body 22, and a through hole (lance hole) provided in the box 11 and into which the protrusion is inserted at a predetermined position. It is comprised by. The male terminal 40 is inserted into the insertion port of the box 11 through the insertion port 22a of the cylindrical body 22 when the connector is joined, and then inserted into the internal space of the box 11.

Further, the female housing 20 has a bottom portion 24a at the end of the connecting portion 23 on the insertion port 22a side, and a notch that divides the two adjacent cylindrical bodies 22 from the insertion port 22a side to the bottom portion 24a. 24. In other words, the connecting portion 23 extends from the bottom 24 a of the notch 24 to the other end of the cylindrical body 22. That is, between two adjacent cylindrical bodies 22, a notch 24 is provided on one end side (insertion port 22a side), and a connecting portion 23 is provided on the other end side.

Here, in the female housing 20, if the depth of the notch 24 (hereinafter referred to as “notch depth”) is too deep, two cylindrical bodies adjacent to each other with the notch 24 interposed therebetween. When an external force is applied to the divided portion 22 (hereinafter referred to as “divided portion”), the divided portion may be bent. The notch depth is a distance from the insertion port 22a side to the bottom 24a in the notch 24, and from the virtual plane including the end surfaces on the insertion port 22a side of the two adjacent cylindrical bodies 22 to the bottom 24a. The shortest distance between them. The external force may act, for example, from a joining operator or a joining work jig that holds the female connector 2 at the time of connector joining, or may act as a reaction force from the male housing 50 that contacts at the time of connector joining. is there.

Therefore, the notch depth is set to a depth that suppresses the amount of bending at the time of connector joining at the divided portion within a predetermined amount. The amount of deflection is, for example, the amount of change in the interval between predetermined positions (such as the central portion) in each insertion port 22a of two adjacent cylindrical bodies 22. The predetermined amount is set so as not to impair the joining workability at the time of connector joining. For example, the predetermined amount is set within the range of the amount of bending that allows the male terminal 40 to enter the insertion port 22a of the cylindrical body 22 even if the bent portion is bent at the time of connector connection.

Specifically, this exemplary connector 1 has three terminal poles (electrical connection portions). For this reason, in this illustrated female housing 20, the first female terminal accommodating chamber 21A for accommodating the first female terminal 10A, the second female terminal accommodating chamber 21B for accommodating the second female terminal 10B, and the third And a third female terminal accommodating chamber 21C in which the female terminal 10C is accommodated. The female housing 20 includes a first cylinder 22A constituting the first female terminal accommodating chamber 21A, a second cylinder 22B constituting the second female terminal accommodating chamber 21B, and a third cylinder constituting the third female terminal accommodating chamber 21C. And a body 22C.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, this connector 1 is arranged in a casing CA of a device to be a connector installation target. A device to be a connector installation target is, for example, a device to be a power supply target via the connector 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the connector 1 is disposed on a plane portion CAf of a cylindrical casing CA that is at least one end closed. In this example, the connector 1 is arranged so as not to protrude from the plane portion CAf. Specifically, when the connector 1 (female connector 2 or male connector 3) is arranged in such a casing CA, the cylinders 22 are spaced apart along the outer shape of the connector installation location in the casing CA. Deploy. More specifically, the cylindrical bodies 22 are arranged at intervals along the outer shape of the planar portion CAf of the casing CA. When the female connector 2 or the male connector 3 is arranged in the cylindrical casing CA as shown in this example, the cylinder 22 (the first to third cylinders 22A, 22B, and 22C in this example) is attached to the casing. It arrange | positions at intervals along the circumferential direction of plane part CAf of body CA. In this example, the male connector 3 is disposed on the plane portion CAf, and the female connector 2 is joined to the male connector 3.

In the illustrated female housing 20, the first cylindrical body 22A and the second cylindrical body 22B are disposed adjacent to each other, and the first cylindrical body 22A and the third cylindrical body 22C are disposed adjacent to each other. In the female housing 20, while the insertion direction of the male terminal 40 is kept constant, the adjacent cylindrical body 22 (female terminal accommodating chamber 21) is moved along the circumferential direction of the planar portion CAf, while Tilt inward. In this illustration, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the first female terminal accommodating chamber 21 </ b> A is arranged substantially parallel to a certain tangential direction in the circular shape of the casing CA. That the first female terminal accommodating chamber 21A is parallel to the circular tangential direction of the casing CA is that the distal end portion (for example, a plate) of the first male terminal 40A inserted into the first female terminal 10A of the first female terminal accommodating chamber 21A. The tabs of the shape are parallel to the circular tangential direction of the casing CA. Then, the second female terminal accommodating chamber 21B disposed on one side of the first female terminal accommodating chamber 21A is inclined so as to rotate counterclockwise around its own axis with respect to the tangential direction. Let Further, the third female terminal accommodating chamber 21C arranged on the other side of the first female terminal accommodating chamber 21A is inclined with respect to the tangential direction as if rotating clockwise about its own axis.

In the female housing 20, the first connecting portion 23A and the first notch 24A are provided between the first cylindrical body 22A and the second cylindrical body 22B, and the first cylindrical body 22A and the third cylindrical body 22C are provided. A second connecting portion 23B and a second notch 24B are provided therebetween.

The first connecting portion 23A extends between the first cylindrical body 22A and the second cylindrical body 22B in parallel with these axial directions. The first notch 24A is a portion that divides between the first cylindrical body 22A and the second cylindrical body 22B, between the first cylindrical body 22A and the second cylindrical body 22B, and the first connection. It is provided closer to the insertion port 22a than the portion 23A. The end of the first connecting portion 23A on the insertion port 22a side is the bottom 24a of the first notch 24A. The notch depth of the first notch 24A is set to a depth that suppresses the amount of bending at the time of connector joining at the divided portion between the first cylinder 22A and the second cylinder 22B within the predetermined amount. . On the other hand, the second connecting portion 23B extends between the first cylindrical body 22A and the third cylindrical body 22C in parallel with these axial directions. The second notch 24B is a portion that divides between the first cylindrical body 22A and the third cylindrical body 22C, between the first cylindrical body 22A and the third cylindrical body 22C, and the second connection. It is provided closer to the insertion port 22a than the portion 23B. The end of the second connecting portion 23B on the insertion port 22a side is the bottom 24a of the second notch 24B. The notch depth of the second notch 24B is set to a depth that suppresses the amount of bending at the time of connector joining at the divided portion between the first cylinder 22A and the third cylinder 22C within the predetermined amount. .

In this female housing 20, even if an external force acts on at least one of the divided portions at the time of connector bonding, the occurrence of bending at the divided portion can be suppressed. Sex is not impaired. Further, in this female housing 20, even if an external force is applied to at least one of the divided portions when the connector is joined and bending occurs in the divided portion, the amount of bending is within the above predetermined amount. Since it is suppressed, the joining workability at the time of connector joining is not impaired. Therefore, in this female connector 2, even if the notches 24 (the first notches 24A and the second notches 24B) are provided, the joining workability at the time of joining the connectors is not impaired. Can be suppressed.

Next, the male connector 3 will be described.

The male terminal 40 of the male connector 3 is a terminal metal fitting formed of a conductive metal material, and its tip portion (so-called tab) is formed into a predetermined rod shape or plate shape. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the tip portion is formed into a plate shape. The male terminal 40 is press-fitted into the male housing 50 at the tip. In addition, the electric wire connected to this male terminal 40 is arrange | positioned in said housing | casing CA.

The male housing 50 is formed of an insulating polymer material such as synthetic resin. The male housing 50 is formed with a female-side accommodation chamber 51 that accommodates at least a part of the female housing 20 after the connector is joined. In this example, the female-side accommodation chamber 51 is formed so that each box 11 in the female housing 20 is accommodated. The female-side storage chamber 51 has a space shape corresponding to the outer shape of a part of the female housing 20 to be stored. The male housing 50 has a wall portion 52 that covers a part of the female housing 20 from the outside, and a female-side accommodation chamber 51 is formed by the wall portion 52. The illustrated wall portion 52 has an inner wall surface corresponding to the outer shape of a part of the female housing 20, but is opened so as not to cover a part thereof from the inside. The outer side and the inner side refer to the positional relationship between the inside and the outside in the radial direction of the circular planar portion CAf.

In the female-side accommodation chamber 51, the tip portion of the male terminal 40 that is press-fitted is disposed. Specifically, first to third male terminals 40 </ b> A, 40 </ b> B, 40 </ b> C are disposed in the female-side accommodation chamber 51. The tip portions of the first to third male terminals 40A, 40B, and 40C are arranged in accordance with the positions of the first to third female terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C. That is, the front end portion of the first male terminal 40A has a plane portion arranged substantially parallel to the tangential direction in the circular shape of the casing CA. Then, the tip end portion of the second male terminal 40B is inclined with respect to the tangential direction as if rotating counterclockwise around a certain axis in the extending direction of the second male terminal 40B. Further, the tip end portion of the third male terminal 40C is inclined with respect to the tangential direction as if rotating clockwise about a certain axis in its extending direction.

The tip of the male terminal 40 in the female-side accommodation chamber 51 is inserted into the female terminal 10 by connector joining. Therefore, after the connector is joined, the first female terminal 10A and the first male terminal 40A are electrically connected, the second female terminal 10B and the second male terminal 40B are electrically connected, and the third female terminal 10C and the third male terminal 40C are electrically connected. Therefore, in this connector 1, an electrical connection between the first female terminal 10A and the first male terminal 40A (hereinafter also referred to as “first connection”), the second female terminal 10B, and the first female terminal 10A. Electrical connection between the second male terminal 40B (hereinafter also referred to as “second connection”) and electrical connection between the third female terminal 10C and the third male terminal 40C (hereinafter referred to as “second connection”). , Also referred to as “third connection portion”).

By the way, this type of connector includes, for example, a connector that is disposed in a fuel tank together with a fuel pump of a vehicle and is used for supplying power to the fuel pump. That is, this type of connector may be used when the device having the above-described casing CA is a vehicle fuel pump. For this reason, in such a connector, it is necessary to suppress the transmission of fuel between the electrical connection portions and to suppress the occurrence of leakage between the connection portions. The connector 1 according to the present embodiment is configured so that a creepage distance between electrical connection portions (that is, between adjacent electrical connection portions) with the shortest distance being closest is increased, and liquid between the connection portions is formed. Prevents leaks from entering. For this purpose, the connector 1 employs the following creepage distance expansion structure. The creepage distance corresponds to the shortest distance along the surface of the insulator between two conductive parts (between adjacent electrical connection parts).

Here, the notch 24 of the female housing 20 described above divides two adjacent cylindrical bodies 22 (female terminal accommodating chambers 21) from the insertion port 22a side of the male terminal 40. For this reason, the notch 24 (the 1st notch 24A, the 2nd notch 24B) is utilized for the expansion structure of the creeping distance of this embodiment. Specifically, the creeping distance expanding structure is constituted by the notch 24 and a wall 53 inserted into the notch 24. As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the wall portion 53 is provided in the female-side accommodation chamber 51 of the male housing 50, and is inserted into the notch 24 from the insertion port 22a side together with the connector. This wall portion 53 is connected from the wall surface (wall surface on the flat surface portion CAf side) or the flat surface portion CAf of the female-side storage chamber 51 to the bonding direction when the connector is viewed from the male connector 3 (when the connector is viewed from the female connector 2). It protrudes in the direction opposite to the joining direction. The wall portion 53 is formed into a rectangular or rectangular plate shape according to the shape of the notch 24.

The wall part 53 after connector joining becomes a partition which divides the insertion port 22a side between two adjacent cylinders 22 from the male connector 3 side. For this reason, in this enlarged structure, the creeping distance between the adjacent electrical connection parts can be enlarged by the wall part 53 inserted into the notch 24. Therefore, this connector 1 can suppress the occurrence of leakage due to the ingress of liquid between the electrical connection portions.

Specifically, the female-side storage chamber 51 is provided with a first wall portion 53A inserted into the first notch 24A and a second wall portion 53B inserted into the second notch 24B. The first wall portion 53A is disposed between the first male terminal 40A and the second male terminal 40B, and connects the central portion of the planar portion CAf and the inner wall of the wall portion 52. For this reason, this 1st wall part 53A can expand the creeping distance between a 1st connection part and a 2nd connection part. The second wall portion 53B is disposed between the first male terminal 40A and the third male terminal 40C, and connects the central portion of the planar portion CAf and the inner wall of the wall portion 52. For this reason, this 2nd wall part 53B can expand the creeping distance between a 1st connection part and a 3rd connection part. The illustrated first and second wall portions 53A and 53B are arranged radially with the central portion of the planar portion CAf as the center.

Here, in this enlarged structure, the creepage distance can be increased as the wall portion 53 extends in the notch depth direction of the notch 24. That is, the creepage distance can be changed to a desired size by adjusting the extension amount of the wall portion 53. However, as described above, the notch depth of the notch 24 is the upper limit depth in view of the joining workability at the time of connector joining (the amount of bending at the time of connector joining at the divided portion is kept within a predetermined amount. Depth) is set. Therefore, the extension amount of the wall part 53 sets the upper limit depth of the notch depth as an upper limit. Therefore, the connector 1 can increase the creeping distance between two adjacent electrical connection portions without impairing the joining workability at the time of connector joining.

As described above, the connector 1 of the present embodiment can suppress a decrease in joining workability at the time of joining the connectors while increasing the creeping distance between two adjacent electrical connection portions. Furthermore, the connector 1 is a terminal having a plurality of poles without increasing the size of the casing CA (for example, a cylindrical radial size) by adopting the arrangement on the casing CA described above. Can be arranged. That is, the connector 1 can increase the number of terminal poles of the connector 1 on the casing CA having a determined physique. In other words, the connector 1 can appropriately determine the arrangement, shape, and size of each terminal according to the desired number of terminal poles even if the physique of the casing CA is limited.

[Modification]
In the connector 1 of the above-described embodiment, the one having three terminal poles is illustrated. And in this connector 1, even if the number of terminal poles becomes four or more, each cylindrical body 22 is supposed to be arranged at intervals along the outer shape of the planar portion CAf of the housing CA. In this modification, an arrangement in another form when four or more terminal poles are provided will be described.

When the connector of the present modification includes four or more terminal poles (electrical connection portions), the cylindrical body related to the number of terminal poles excluding one is the same as that of the embodiment in the plane portion of the casing CA. The cylinders related to the remaining one terminal pole number are arranged so as to be spaced along the outer shape of the CAf and surrounded by these cylinders. In this modified example, a connector in which the number of terminal poles is increased by one in the connector 1 of the embodiment will be described as an example. 9 and 10 show a female housing 120 of the female connector in this connector. 11 to 13 show a male housing 150 of the male connector in this connector.

The female housing 120 includes first to fourth female terminal accommodating chambers 121A, 121B, 121C, 121D. The female housing 120 includes first to fourth cylinders 122A, 122B, 122C, and 122D that respectively form first to fourth female terminal accommodating chambers 121A, 121B, 121C, and 121D. In the female connector, female terminals (not shown) are inserted into the first to fourth female terminal accommodating chambers 121A, 121B, 121C, 121D.

The first to third female terminal accommodating chambers 121A, 121B, and 121C (first to third cylindrical bodies 122A, 122B, and 122C) are respectively connected to the first to third female terminals in the female housing 20 of the embodiment. It is equivalent to the storage chambers 21A, 21B, 21C (first to third cylinders 22A, 22B, 22C). The first to third female terminal accommodating chambers 121A, 121B, 121C (first to third cylindrical bodies 122A, 122B, 122C) are respectively connected to the first to third female terminal accommodating chambers 21A, 21B, 21C (first to third cylinders 22A, 22B, 22C) are arranged in the same positional relationship. For this reason, in the first to third cylinders 122A, 122B, 122C, the insertion ports 122a of the respective male terminals (not shown) are arranged substantially flush with each other.

The fourth female terminal housing chamber 121D (fourth cylinder 122D) is disposed at a position surrounded by the first to third cylinders 122A, 122B, 122C and adjacent to the first cylinder 122A. To do. For example, when this connector is disposed in the above-described cylindrical casing CA, the fourth female terminal accommodating chamber 121D (fourth cylinder 122D) is formed of the first to third cylinders 122A, 122B, 122C. Arranged near the center of the planar portion CAf when viewed from the aggregate.

In the female housing 120, the first connecting portion 123A and the first notch 124A are provided between the first cylindrical body 122A and the second cylindrical body 122B, and the first cylindrical body 122A and the third cylindrical body 122C are provided. A second connecting portion 123B and a second notch 124B are provided therebetween. The first and second connecting portions 123A, 123B and the first and second cutouts 124A, 124B are respectively the first and second connecting portions 23A, 23B and the first and second notches in the embodiment. It is the same as the notches 24A and 24B. Therefore, the first and second cutouts 124A and 124B have the cutout depths (that is, the positions of the bottom portions 124a of the first and second cutouts 124A and 124B) in the first and second embodiments. Set in the same manner as the notches 24A and 24B. Therefore, in this female connector, even if the first notch 124A and the second notch 124B are provided, it is possible to suppress a decrease in joining workability at the time of connector joining.

The female housing 120 includes a cover portion 125 that covers the first cylindrical body 122A with a space therebetween. A first locking portion 126 in the locking mechanism is provided between the first cylindrical body 122A and the cover portion 125 (FIG. 10). The locking mechanism is for locking the female housing 120 and the male housing 150 to each other after the connector is joined. For example, the first locking portion 126 is a protruding portion and enters a second locking portion (through hole) 152b of the male housing 150 (to be described later) after the connector is joined, thereby engaging the female housing 120 and the male housing 150 with each other. Stop.

On the other hand, the male housing 150 includes a female-side accommodation chamber 151 in which at least a part of the female housing 120 is accommodated when the connector is joined. The female-side storage chamber 151 has a space shape corresponding to the outer shape of a part of the first to fourth cylinders 122A, 122B, 122C, 122D. The male housing 150 includes a first wall 152A that covers a part of the first to third cylinders 122A, 122B, and 122C from the outside, and a second wall 152B that covers the fourth cylinder 122D from the inside. . The first wall 152A is equivalent to the wall 52 in the male housing 50 of the embodiment. However, the first wall 152A is provided with an opening 152a on the end side in the joining direction at the time of connector joining as viewed from the male connector in the portion covering the first cylindrical body 122A. Further, the first wall portion 152A includes a second locking portion 152b that is one of the configurations of the locking mechanism described above in a portion that covers the first cylindrical body 122A. The second locking part 152b is a through hole into which the first locking part (projection part) 126 of the female housing 120 enters after connector connection.

First to fourth press-fitting holes 151a, 151b, 151c, 151d are provided in the female-side storage chamber 151. A distal end portion of a male terminal (not shown) to be inserted into the female terminal of the first female terminal accommodating chamber 121A is press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole 151a. A distal end portion of a male terminal (not shown) to be inserted into the female terminal of the second female terminal accommodating chamber 121B is press-fitted into the second press-fitting hole 151b. A distal end portion of a male terminal (not shown) to be inserted into the female terminal of the third female terminal accommodating chamber 121C is press-fitted into the third press-fitting hole 151c. The distal end portion of the male terminal to be inserted into the female terminal of the fourth female terminal accommodating chamber 121D is press-fitted into the fourth press-fitting hole 151d. The tip portions (tabs) of the respective male terminals are arranged in a state of protruding into the female-side accommodation chamber 151. The tip portions of the male terminals of the first to third press- fit holes 151a, 151b, and 151c are formed in the same shape as the tip portions of the first to third male terminals 40A, 40B, and 40C in the embodiment. The first to third male terminals 40A, 40B, 40C are arranged in the same positional relationship as the tip portions. The distal end portion of the male terminal of the fourth press-fitting hole 151d is arranged in parallel with a distance from the distal end portion of the male terminal of the first press-fit hole 151a. The tip part of the male terminal of the fourth press-fitting hole 151d is in the joining direction at the time of connector joining as seen from the male connector, compared to the tip part of the male terminal of the first to third press-fitting holes 151a, 151b, 151c. It is protruding. The amount of protrusion is determined in accordance with the amount of dent in the insertion port 122a of the fourth cylinder 122D described later.

Here, the connector of this modification is also provided with an enlarged structure of creepage distance.

For example, in the female housing 120, the insertion port 122a of the fourth cylinder 122D is shifted in the extending direction (axial direction) with respect to the insertion ports 122a of the first to third cylinders 122A, 122B, 122C. To do. The illustrated insertion port 122a of the fourth cylinder 122D is provided at a position recessed from the insertion port 122a of the first to third cylinders 122A, 122B, and 122C. Accordingly, in this connector, the positions of the insertion port 122a of the first cylinder 122A and the insertion port 122a of the fourth cylinder 122D are shifted from each other in the extending direction (axial direction). The electrical connection portions of the fourth female terminal accommodating chamber 121D are also arranged so as to be shifted in the extending direction (axial direction). Therefore, in this connector, the creepage distance between the electrical connection portions of the first female terminal accommodating chamber 121A and the fourth female terminal accommodating chamber 121D is increased by the displacement of the insertion port 122a.

On the other hand, between the adjacent first cylindrical body 122A and the second cylindrical body 122B and between the first cylindrical body 122A and the third cylindrical body 122C, as in the connector 1 of the embodiment, the respective electrical Increase the creepage distance between connections. That is, in the meantime, the first and second notches 124A and 124B described above, and the first and second wall portions 153A and 153B inserted into the first and second notches 124A and 124B, respectively, , To increase the creepage distance between each electrical connection. The first and second wall portions 153A and 153B have the same shape and arrangement as the first and second wall portions 53A and 53B in the embodiment. However, the first and second wall portions 153A and 153B connect the inner wall surface of the first wall portion 152A and the second wall portion 152B, respectively. Also in this enlarged creepage distance structure, the creepage distance is the extension of the first and second wall portions 153A, 153B within the range of the upper limit depth of the first and second cutouts 124A, 124B. Adjust the weight and change it to the desired size.

As described above, the connector according to this modification can increase the creepage distance between two adjacent electrical connection portions, and can suppress the occurrence of leakage due to the ingress of liquid between the electrical connection portions.

As described above, this connector, like the connector 1 of the embodiment, suppresses a decrease in joining workability at the time of connector joining while increasing the creeping distance between two adjacent electrical connection portions. Can do. Furthermore, even if this connector adopts the above-described arrangement on the casing CA, it is possible to arrange a plurality of terminals without causing an increase in the size of the casing CA. The same effect as the connector 1 can be obtained.

[Reference example]
By the way, Patent Document 3 exemplified above discloses a connector having three electrical connection portions arranged in parallel. In this connector, the female housing of the female connector is formed so that three rectangular female terminal accommodating chambers are arranged in parallel, and the assembly of the three female terminal accommodating chambers also forms a rectangular parallelepiped shape. For this reason, the main part of the female housing has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that matches the shape of the aggregate. In the male housing, the accommodation chamber (female-side accommodation chamber) of the female housing is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape corresponding to the outer shape of the female housing. In such a connector, when designing the outer shape of the female housing, for example, two orthogonal planes in the assembly of the female terminal housing chambers are used as reference planes, and a rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed using the reference plane as a base point. The positions of the four planes (outer wall surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber, etc.) of the outer shape of the female housing can be determined. In this case, for the male housing, for example, a reference plane may be set at a position substantially equal to the two reference planes of the female housing after joining, and the position of the plane facing the reference plane may be determined.

On the other hand, when the plurality of female terminal accommodating chambers are inclined with respect to each other, in the female housing, when the outer wall surfaces of the female terminal accommodating chambers are similarly inclined, the respective outer wall surfaces are opposed to each other. There is no common reference plane as described above. In the case of such a female housing, such a common reference plane does not exist even in the male housing that accommodates the female housing. For this reason, in the female housing and the male housing, the above two reference surfaces are arbitrarily set, and the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the female housing (such as the outer wall surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber) is set based on these reference surfaces. In addition, the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber in the male housing is determined. At that time, the wall surface shape of the outer wall surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber is determined by defining the positions from the two reference surfaces to the two sides of the outer wall surface, for example. Moreover, in this female housing, the actual or virtual inclined surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber with respect to the reference surface can be defined, and the position of the outer wall surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber can be determined based on this inclined surface. The same applies to the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber. Therefore, in the connector in this case, when determining the position of the outer wall surface of the female terminal housing chamber and the position of the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber, the number of places where the design dimensions should be specified is increased compared to the conventional one. , The amount of tolerance increases accordingly. Therefore, in this connector, in order to enable the joining between the female housing and the male housing, the gap between them must be made larger than that of the conventional one. There is a possibility of causing a gap between them.

Therefore, here, a connector capable of suppressing a shift between the female housing and the male housing when the connector is joined will be described.

The connector includes a female connector including a plurality of female terminals and a female housing in which a plurality of female terminal accommodating chambers are individually accommodated, and a female side that accommodates at least a part of the female housing after the connector is joined. A male housing having a housing chamber, and a male connector having a male terminal with a distal end portion projecting in the same direction in the female housing chamber and abutting with the female terminal individually after connector connection; . Then, at least one of the female terminal accommodating chambers has a first and second virtual reference plane orthogonal to each other along the connector joining direction and the male terminal insertion port of the other female terminal accommodating chamber. An inclined male terminal insertion slot is provided. The female housing has an outer peripheral surface that is parallel to a connector joining direction and has an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the first and second virtual reference surfaces, and at least the male terminal is inserted in the outer peripheral surface. A female side first plane parallel to the first virtual reference plane on the mouth side and a plane opposite to the female side first plane and including the female side first plane A female-side second plane disposed parallel to and spaced from the plane; a female-side third plane parallel to the second virtual reference plane; and a plane opposite to the female-side third plane. And a female fourth flat surface arranged parallel to the female second virtual plane including the female third flat surface with a space therebetween. The male housing is disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber with respect to the female-side first plane, the female-side second plane, the female-side third plane, the female-side fourth plane, and the inclined surface. And a male first plane, a male second plane, a male third plane, a male fourth plane, and an inclined surface, which are respectively opposed to each other after connector connection. A gap between the female first plane and the male first plane, a gap between the female second plane and the male second plane, the female third plane and the male third The gap between the plane and the gap between the female fourth plane and the male fourth plane are reduced within a range where the connector can be joined.

Here, in this connector, the female side first plane, the female side second plane, the female side third plane, and the female side fourth plane are the female side first virtual plane and the female side second virtual plane. Each said female terminal accommodating chamber is contained in the rectangular area | region enclosed by the female side 3rd virtual plane containing the plane, the said female side 2nd plane, and the female side 4th virtual plane containing the said female side 4th plane. It is desirable to arrange so that.

Similarly to the illustration, the connector includes a female connector including a plurality of female terminals and a female housing in which a plurality of female terminal accommodating chambers for individually accommodating the female terminals are formed, and the female housing after the connector is joined. A male housing in which a female housing chamber is formed for housing at least a portion thereof, and a male terminal in which a distal end portion arranged so as to protrude in the same direction in the female housing chamber comes into contact with the female terminal individually after connector connection; The male connector is provided, but may be configured as follows. In this case, at least one of the tip portions of each male terminal is in relation to the first and second virtual reference planes orthogonal to each other along the connector joining direction and the tip portions of the other male terminals. Tilt. The female housing chamber of the male housing has an inner peripheral surface provided with an inclined surface that is parallel to the connector joining direction and inclined with respect to the first and second virtual reference surfaces. A male side first plane parallel to the first virtual reference plane and a plane opposite to the male side first plane on a peripheral surface, the male side first virtual plane including the male side first plane A male second plane arranged parallel to the plane at a distance; a male third plane parallel to the second virtual reference plane; and a plane opposite to the male third plane. And a male fourth plane disposed at a distance from and parallel to the male second virtual plane including the male third plane. The female housing includes at least a male first plane, a male second plane, a male third plane, and a male fourth plane on the male terminal insertion port side of the female terminal accommodating chamber on the outer peripheral surface. A female-side first plane, a female-side second plane, a female-side third plane, a female-side fourth plane, and an inclined surface that face each other after the connector is joined to the inclined surface. A gap between the male first plane and the female first plane, a gap between the male second plane and the female second plane, the male third plane and the female third The gap between the flat surfaces and the gap between the male fourth flat surface and the female fourth flat surface are made small within a range where the connector can be joined.

Here, in this connector, the male side first plane, the male side second plane, the male side third plane, and the male side fourth plane are the male side first virtual plane and the male side second virtual plane. Each male terminal is included in a rectangular region surrounded by a plane, a male third virtual plane including the male second plane, and a male fourth virtual plane including the male fourth plane. It is desirable to arrange.

In these connectors, the female housing includes a projecting portion extending in the connector joining direction on the outer peripheral surface, and the male housing is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side housing chamber when the connector is attached or detached. It is desirable to provide a groove for guiding the above.

Further, in this connector, it is desirable that the gap between the wall surface of the protruding portion and the wall surface of the groove portion facing the wall surface is made small within a range where the connector can be joined.

The following describes these connectors in detail.

14 and 15 indicate a connector of this reference example. This connector 201 is for wire-to-wire connection, which has at least two electrical male / female connection portions (that is, the number of terminal poles). The connector 201 includes a female connector 202 and a male connector 203. In the connector 201, the female connector 202 and the male connector 203 are joined (connector joining), thereby forming an electrical male-female connection portion therebetween.

The female connector 202 includes a plurality of female terminals 210 and a female housing 220 that houses the female terminals 210 therein. In the female connector 202, an electric wire 230 is connected to the female terminal 210. FIG. 15 is a view of the connector 201 as viewed from the female terminal insertion port 221b side of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221 to be described later, but the electric wire 230 is omitted for convenience of illustration. On the other hand, the male connector 203 includes a plurality of male terminals 240 and a male housing 250 that accommodates the male terminals 240 therein. In the male connector 203, an electric wire (not shown) is connected to the male terminal 240.

First, the female connector 202 will be described.

The female terminal 210 is a terminal fitting obtained by forming a conductive metal plate into a predetermined female shape. The female terminal 210 has a box 211 into which the male terminal 240 is inserted. The box body 211 is formed into a rectangular tube shape having at least one end opened, and the opening is used as an insertion port for the male terminal 240. In the box 211, the male terminal 240 is inserted into the internal space from the insertion port, and electrical connection with the male terminal 240 is formed. As an electrical connection structure between the box 211 and the male terminal 240, a well-known one in this technical field may be used. For example, in the female terminal 210, the electrical connection state with the male terminal 240 is maintained using the spring force in the box 211. The electric wire 230 is disposed on the side opposite to the insertion port of the male terminal 240 when viewed from the box 211 and is crimped to the female terminal 210 so as to ensure electrical connection with the female terminal 210.

The female housing 220 is formed of an insulating polymer material such as synthetic resin. The female housing 220 is a space that is open at both ends in the connector joining direction, and as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a plurality of rooms (female terminal storage chambers) 221 that individually store the female terminals 210 are formed. ing. In the female terminal accommodating chamber 221, an opening at one end serves as an insertion port (hereinafter referred to as “male terminal insertion port”) 221a of the male terminal 240 when the connector is joined. The one end is an end portion of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221 in the joining direction at the time of connector joining as viewed from the female connector 202. In this female housing 220, the extending direction (axial direction) of each female terminal accommodating chamber 221 is made to coincide with the connector joining direction, thereby opening each male terminal insertion port 221a in the same direction. In the female housing 220, the male terminal insertion ports 221a are arranged so as to be substantially flush with each other.

Here, the female terminal accommodating chamber 221 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape or a cubic shape in accordance with the shape of the box 211 of the female terminal 210. The male terminal insertion port 221a is a rectangle having four sides parallel to each side in the cross-sectional shape {the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the axial direction (connector joining direction)} of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221. It is formed in a square shape.

The female terminal 210 is inserted from the opening (female terminal insertion port 221b) at the other end of the female terminal storage chamber 221 to a predetermined position in the female terminal storage chamber 221 with the insertion port of the male terminal 240 in the box 211 as the head. To do. The predetermined position is a position where the insertion port of the male terminal 240 in the box 211 is close to the male terminal insertion port 221a of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221. The inserted female terminal 210 is maintained in a predetermined position by a locking mechanism (not shown). The locking mechanism includes, for example, an elastically deformable protrusion (lance) provided on the inner wall surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221 and a through hole (provided on the box body 211 where the protrusion is inserted at a predetermined position). Lance hall). The male terminal 240 is inserted into the insertion port of the box body 211 through the male terminal insertion port 221a of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221 when the connector is joined, and then inserted into the internal space of the box body 211.

Next, the male connector 203 will be described.

The male terminal 240 of the male connector 203 is a terminal metal fitting formed of a conductive metal material, and its tip portion (so-called tab) is formed in a predetermined rod shape or plate shape. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the tip portion is formed into a plate shape. The male terminal 240 is press-fitted into the male housing 250 at the tip. The tip portion is inserted into the box body 211 of the female terminal 210 along with the connector connection.

The male housing 250 is formed of an insulating polymer material such as synthetic resin. The male housing 250 is formed with a female-side accommodation chamber 251 that accommodates at least a part of the female housing 220 after connector connection. In this example, the female-side accommodation chamber 251 is formed so that the respective box bodies 211 in the female housing 220 are accommodated. The female-side storage chamber 251 has a space shape corresponding to the external shape of a part of the female housing 220 to be stored. The distal end portion of the male terminal 240 protrudes in the same direction within the female-side accommodation chamber 251 and is brought into contact with the female terminal 210 individually after connector connection. Note that the protruding direction of the tip portion coincides with the connector joining direction.

By the way, in the female housing 220 of the connector 201, at least one of the female terminal accommodating chambers 221 includes first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2 (FIG. 16) orthogonal to each other along the connector joining direction. The male terminal insertion port 221a inclined with respect to the male terminal insertion port 221a of the other female terminal accommodating chamber 221 is provided. The male terminal insertion port 221a is inclined on a plane orthogonal to both the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2. The female terminal housing chamber 221 having the inclined male terminal insertion port 221a also has a cross-sectional shape (a cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the connector joining direction) of each of the inclined male terminal insertion ports 221a. It has four sides parallel to the sides. The female terminal 210 accommodated in the inclined female terminal accommodating chamber 221 is accommodated in a state inclined according to the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221 and the male terminal insertion port 221a. On the other hand, the tip portion of the male terminal 240 inserted into the inclined male terminal insertion port 221a is disposed in the female-side accommodation chamber 251 in a state of being inclined in accordance with the inclination angles θ1 and θ2. That is, at least one of the front end portions of each male terminal 240 is inclined with respect to the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2 and the front end portions of the other male terminals 240. The inclination angles θ1 and θ2 are angles with respect to the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2. In this illustration, the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 with respect to the first virtual reference plane P1 are illustrated.

In this connector 201, the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 are formed into the following shapes, thereby suppressing the displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 when the connectors are joined.

First, the female housing 220 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 16, the female housing 220 has a female first flat surface 222 parallel to the first virtual reference plane P1 on at least the male terminal insertion port 221a side on the outer peripheral surface, and the female first flat surface. 222 is a plane opposite to the female side first virtual plane Pvf1 including the female side first plane 222, and is arranged in parallel with a distance from the female side second plane 223, and a second virtual reference plane A female-side third plane 224 parallel to P2 and a plane opposite to the female-side third plane 224 are spaced from the female-side second virtual plane Pvf2 including the female-side third plane 224. And a female-side fourth flat surface 225 arranged in parallel with a space between them. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220 (at least the male terminal insertion port 221a side on the outer peripheral surface) can be defined by a combination of one design dimension and design tolerance with the first virtual reference plane P1 as a base point. The female side third plane 224 and the female side second plane 223 that can be defined by a combination of one design dimension and design tolerance with the female side first plane 222 and the female side second plane 223 as the base point and the second virtual reference plane P2. 4 planes 225 are provided. In this example, the female third flat surface 224 is disposed on the second virtual reference plane P2. Therefore, the female second virtual plane Pvf2 represents the same plane as the second virtual reference plane P2.

As described above, the female housing 220 has the shortest distance between the female first virtual plane Pvf1 and the female third virtual plane Pvf3 shown in FIG. 1 distance ”) and the shortest distance between the female second virtual plane Pvf2 and the female fourth virtual plane Pvf4 shown in FIG. 18 including the female fourth plane 225 (hereinafter referred to as“ female second distance ”). In each case, the number of design tolerances to be stacked can be reduced to a small amount, and the amount of deviation within the range of design tolerances relative to the design dimensions (that is, the maximum variation with respect to the design dimensions) can be reduced to a small amount. . In other words, in this female housing 220, the design tolerances to be stacked at the respective positions of the female first flat surface 222, the female second flat surface 223, the female third flat surface 224, and the female fourth flat surface 225 on the outer peripheral surface. Thus, the amount of deviation within the range of the design tolerance with respect to the design dimension (maximum variation with respect to the design dimension) can be suppressed to a small amount.

Next, the male housing 250 will be described. For example, in the male housing 250, the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2 are set at substantially the same position as the female housing 220.

On the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251, as shown in FIG. 19, a male-side first plane 252 that is parallel to the first virtual reference plane P1, and the male-side first plane 252 are opposite to each other. A male-side second plane 253 which is a plane and is arranged parallel to the male-side first virtual plane Pvm1 including the male-side first plane 252 with a space therebetween, and parallel to the second virtual reference plane P2. The male side third plane 254 and the male side third plane 254 are opposite planes, and are arranged in parallel with a gap with respect to the male side second virtual plane Pvm2 including the male side third plane 254. The male fourth plane 255 is provided. That is, on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251, the male-side first flat surface 252 and the male-side first surface that can be defined by a combination of one design dimension and design tolerance with the first virtual reference plane P1 as a base point. There are provided two planes 253 and a male third plane 254 and a male fourth plane 255 that can be defined by a combination of one design dimension and design tolerance with the second virtual reference plane P2 as a base point. In this example, the male third plane 254 is disposed on the second virtual reference plane P2. For this reason, the male second virtual plane Pvm2 represents the same plane as the second virtual reference plane P2.

This male housing 250 is the shortest distance (hereinafter referred to as “male-side first distance”) between the male-side first virtual plane Pvm1 and the male-side third virtual plane Pvm3 shown in FIG. 19 including the male-side second plane 253. And the shortest distance between the male second virtual plane Pvm2 and the male fourth virtual plane Pvm4 shown in FIG. 19 including the male fourth plane 255 (hereinafter referred to as “male second distance”). In each case, the number of design tolerances to be stacked can be suppressed to a small amount, and the amount of deviation within the range of the design tolerance with respect to the design dimensions (maximum variation with respect to the design dimensions) can be suppressed to a small amount. That is, in the male housing 250, each of the male first plane 252, the male second plane 253, the male third plane 254, and the male fourth plane 255 on the inner peripheral surface of the female storage chamber 251. With respect to the position, the number of design tolerances to be stacked can be suppressed to a small amount, and a deviation amount (maximum variation with respect to the design dimensions) within the range of the design tolerance with respect to the design dimensions can be suppressed to a small amount.

The male housing 250 has, for example, a position where a predetermined thickness is provided from the inner peripheral surface of the female-side accommodation chamber 251 as an outer peripheral surface.

By the way, in this male housing 250, any one of the male side first plane 252 and the male side second plane 253 may be set as the first virtual reference plane P1, and the male side third plane 254 and the male side second plane 253 may be set. Any one of the side fourth planes 255 may be set as the second virtual reference plane P2. In such a setting, the number of design tolerances accumulated for the male first distance and the male second distance can be minimized, and the amount of deviation within the range of the design tolerance with respect to the design dimension ( (Maximum variation with respect to design dimensions) can be further reduced. For this reason, in this case, the respective positions of the male first plane 252, the male second plane 253, the male third plane 254, and the male fourth plane 255 on the inner peripheral surface of the female storage chamber 251. Therefore, the number of design tolerances to be stacked can be minimized, and the amount of deviation (maximum variation with respect to the design dimensions) within the range of the design tolerance with respect to the design dimensions can be further reduced.

In this connector 201, the female first flat surface 222 and the male first flat surface 252 are opposed to each other, the female second flat surface 223 and the male second flat surface 253 are opposed to each other, and the female third flat surface 224 is disposed. And the male third plane 254 are opposed to each other, and the female fourth plane 225 and the male fourth plane 255 are opposed to each other.

Further, in this connector 201, a gap between the female first plane 222 and the male first plane 252; a gap between the female second plane 223 and the male second plane 253; The gap between the plane 224 and the male third plane 254 and the gap between the female fourth plane 225 and the male fourth plane 255 are the maximum due to design tolerances in the female first plane 222 and the like. In consideration of the variation, it is reduced within a range where each connector can be joined. That is, in the connector 201, the female side first plane 222, the female side second plane 223, the female side third plane 224, the female side fourth plane 225, and the male side are set so that these gaps have such a size. The side first plane 252, the male side second plane 253, the male side third plane 254, and the male side fourth plane 255 are arranged.

In the female housing 220, the female first flat surface 222 and the female second flat surface 223 are opposite to each other, and the female third flat surface 224 and the female fourth flat surface 225 are opposite to each other. It is facing the wall. In the male housing 250, the male first flat surface 252 and the male second flat surface 253 are opposite to each other, and the male third flat surface 254 and the male fourth flat surface 255 are formed. The walls are opposite to each other. For this reason, in this connector 201, the first direction (relative to the first virtual reference plane P1) is defined by the female first plane 222, the female second plane 223, the male first plane 252 and the male second plane 253. The amount of deviation between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 with respect to (the orthogonal direction) can be suppressed to a small amount. Further, in this connector 201, the female side third plane 224, the female side fourth plane 225, the male side third plane 254, and the male side fourth plane 255 are arranged in the second direction (orthogonal to the second virtual reference plane P2). The displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 with respect to (direction) can be suppressed to a small amount. Therefore, the connector 201 can suppress the displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of connector joining while ensuring the joining workability at the time of connector joining.

When it is assumed that such a wall surface such as the female first flat surface 222 is not provided, the connector 201 is connected to the female housing 220 when the connector is joined, for example, due to a displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250. There is a possibility that an unnecessary force is applied to the male terminal 240, or that the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 are not joined at the correct position and a contact failure is caused between the female terminal 210 and the male terminal 240. There is. However, since this connector 201 has a small shift amount between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of such inconvenience.

Here, the female housing 220 is provided with an inclined surface 226 that is parallel to the connector joining direction and inclined with respect to the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2 on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The inclined surface 226 is set according to the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 of the female terminal accommodating chamber 221, for example. For example, the inclined surface 226 is an outer wall surface of a wall portion that forms the female terminal accommodating chamber 221. Therefore, the inclined surface 226 has an inclination angle equivalent to the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 or an inclination angle rotated by 90 degrees with respect to the inclination angles θ1 and θ2. The male housing 250 has an inclined surface 256 that is parallel to the connector joining direction and inclined with respect to the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2 on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251. Provided. The inclined surface 256 is set according to the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 of the male terminal 240, for example. For example, the inclined surface 256 is disposed at a position facing the inclined surface 226 of the female housing 220. Therefore, the inclined surface 256 has an inclination angle equivalent to the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 or an inclination angle rotated by 90 degrees with respect to the inclination angles θ1 and θ2. Even if the connector 201 is provided with such inclined surfaces 226 and 256, the displacement amount between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 can be reduced while ensuring the joining workability at the time of connector joining. Can do. Therefore, this connector 201 can suppress the occurrence of the above disadvantages.

By the way, depending on the arrangement and area of each of the female first flat surfaces 222, etc., between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250, the female first distance (male first distance) and the female first When 2 distance (male-side second distance) is short, as compared with the case where female-side first distance (male-side first distance) and female-side second distance (male-side second distance) are long, the shift suppression effect May become low. For this reason, in this connector 201, it is desirable that the female first distance (male first distance) and the female second distance (male second distance) be long.

For example, in the female housing 220, as shown in FIG. 18, the female-side first flat surface 222 and the female-side first inner wall 221 (each male terminal insertion port 221a) are included in the rectangular area S1. The two planes 223, the female side third plane 224, and the female side fourth plane 225 are arranged. The rectangular area S1 is a rectangular area surrounded by the female first virtual plane Pvf1, the female second virtual plane Pvf2, the female third virtual plane Pvf3, and the female fourth virtual plane Pvf4. . Further, in the male housing 250, as shown in FIG. 19, the male side first plane 252, the male side second plane 253, and the male side third plane 254 so that each male terminal 240 is included in the rectangular region S2. And a male-side fourth plane 255 are arranged. The rectangular area S2 is a rectangular area surrounded by the male first virtual plane Pvm1, the male second virtual plane Pvm2, the male third virtual plane Pvm3, and the male fourth virtual plane Pvm4. . Thereby, in this connector 201, since the female side 1st distance, the male side 1st distance, the female side 2nd distance, and the male side 2nd distance can be set long, joining workability | operativity at the time of connector joining In addition, the displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of connector connection can be further suppressed.

When imagining such a rectangular region S1, the female first flat surface 222 and the female second flat surface 223 are the first virtual reference on the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220 (at least on the male terminal insertion port 221a side on the outer peripheral surface). It is desirable to dispose them on the outermost sides in a plane parallel to the plane P1. Similarly, the female third flat surface 224 and the female fourth flat surface 225 are parallel to the second virtual reference plane P2 on the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220 (at least on the male terminal insertion port 221a side on the outer peripheral surface). Of these, it is desirable that they be arranged on the outermost sides of each other. Furthermore, when imagining the rectangular region S2, the male first flat surface 252 and the male second flat surface 253 are within a plane parallel to the first virtual reference plane P1 on the inner peripheral surface of the female accommodating chamber 251. It is desirable to arrange them on the outermost sides. Similarly, the male side third plane 254 and the male side fourth plane 255 are arranged on the outermost sides in the plane parallel to the second virtual reference plane P2 on the inner peripheral surface of the female side storage chamber 251. It is desirable to do. Thereby, in this connector 201, it becomes possible to further suppress the deviation between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of connector joining while ensuring the joining workability at the time of connector joining.

Here, as described above, the inclined surface 226 of the female housing 220 must define the positions of two opposing sides from the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2, respectively. Since the number of design tolerances to be stacked is larger than that of the plane 222 or the like, a deviation amount with respect to the design dimension is increased. The same applies to the inclined surface 256 of the male housing 250. Therefore, in the female housing 220, it is desirable to arrange the inclined surface 226 in the rectangular region S1 to suppress an increase in the size of the female housing 220 itself. Further, in the male housing 250, the inclined surface 256 is disposed in the rectangular region S2, and an outer peripheral surface is set based on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side accommodation chamber 251, thereby increasing the size of the male housing 250 itself. It is desirable to suppress. By configuring in this way, the connector 201 can not only suppress the displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of connector joining, but also increase the size of the physique while ensuring the joining workability at the time of connector joining. Can also be suppressed.

When adopting the arrangement of the inclined surface 226, in the female housing 220, for example, the thickness between the female first virtual plane Pvf1 and the female terminal accommodating chamber 221, the female second virtual plane Pvf2 and the female terminal accommodating, for example. The wall thickness between the chamber 221, the wall thickness between the female third virtual plane Pvf 3 and the female terminal housing chamber 221, and the wall thickness between the female side fourth virtual plane Pvf 4 and the female terminal housing chamber 221. May be thinned within a range in which the required strength of the female housing 220 can be secured. Thereby, the female housing 220 can suppress the enlargement of a physique more. Further, when adopting the arrangement of the inclined surface 256, in the male housing 250, for example, the thickness between the male-side first virtual plane Pvm1 and the outer peripheral surface of the male housing 250, the male-side second virtual plane Pvm2, The wall thickness between the outer peripheral surface of the male housing 250, the wall thickness between the male third virtual plane Pvm3 and the outer peripheral surface of the male housing 250, and the outer peripheral surface of the male fourth virtual plane Pvm4 and the male housing 250. The thickness between the two may be reduced within a range in which the required strength of the male housing 250 can be secured. Thereby, the male housing 250 can suppress the enlargement of a physique more. Therefore, in this connector 201, the displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of connector joining is further suppressed while sacrificing the size of the physique without sacrificing joining workability at the time of connector joining. be able to.

In this connector 201, the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber 251 in the male housing 250 is determined according to the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220, and the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber 251 is determined. In some cases, the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220 is determined.

In the former case, the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber 251 is set based on the shape of at least the male terminal insertion port 221a side on the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220. In this case, on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251, the female-side first plane 222, the female-side second plane 223, the female-side third plane 224, the female-side fourth plane 225, and the inclined surface 226 A male-side first plane 252, a male-side second plane 253, a male-side third plane 254, a male-side fourth plane 255, and an inclined surface 256 that face each other after connector joining are provided. In other words, on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251, one design dimension and design tolerance with the first virtual reference plane P1 as a base point are the same as the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220 that is the base of the shape. The male side that can be defined by a combination of one design dimension and a design tolerance with the second virtual reference plane P2 as a base point, the male side first plane 252 and the male side second plane 253 that can be defined by a combination of The third plane 254 and the male-side fourth plane 255 are provided.

In this case, in the connector 201, the male first distance is reduced within a range where the connector can be joined to the female first distance, and the male second distance is joined to the female second distance. By reducing within a possible range, the gap between the female first plane 222 and the male first plane 252, the gap between the female second plane 223 and the male second plane 253, the female side The gap between the third plane 224 and the male third plane 254 and the gap between the female fourth plane 225 and the male fourth plane 255 are reduced.

In the latter case (when the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220 is determined in accordance with the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber 251), the female housing 220 has a male terminal at least on the male terminal insertion port 221a side on the outer peripheral surface. Female side first plane 222 and male side second plane 253, male side third plane 254, male side fourth plane 255, and inclined surface 256 are respectively opposed to female side first plane 222 and female side Two planes 223, a female side third plane 224, a female side fourth plane 225, and an inclined surface 226 are provided. That is, the first virtual reference is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220 (at least on the male terminal insertion port 221a side on the outer peripheral surface) in the same manner as the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251 that is the basis of the shape. One design dimension based on the second virtual reference plane P2 and the female first plane 222 and the female second plane 223 that can be defined by a combination of one design dimension and design tolerance from the plane P1. And a female-side third plane 224 and a female-side fourth plane 225 that can be defined by a combination of design tolerances.

In this case, in the connector 201, the female first distance is increased within a range where the connector can be joined to the male first distance, and the female second distance is connected to the male second distance. By increasing within a possible range, the gap between the female first plane 222 and the male first plane 252, the gap between the female second plane 223 and the male second plane 253, the female side The gap between the third plane 224 and the male third plane 254 and the gap between the female fourth plane 225 and the male fourth plane 255 are reduced.

As described above, the connector 201 can be joined at the time of connector joining even if the inclined surfaces 226 and 256 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the female housing 220 and the inner circumferential surface of the female housing chamber 251 of the male housing 250. While ensuring workability, it is possible to suppress the displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 when the connector is joined.

Specifically, here, a connector 201 having two terminal poles (electrical connection portions) is illustrated. The illustrated female connector 202 includes two female terminals 210 (first and second female terminals 210A and 210B), and electric wires 230 (230A and 230B) are electrically connected to each of the female terminals 210. Has been. For this reason, the female housing 220 of the female connector 202 has two female terminal accommodating chambers 221 (first and second female terminal accommodating chambers 221A and 221B). The illustrated male connector 203 includes two male terminals 240 (first and second male terminals 240A and 240B), and electric wires are individually connected to the respective male terminals. In connector 201 after connector joining, first female terminal 210A and first male terminal 240A are electrically connected, and second female terminal 210B and second male terminal 240B are electrically connected. Therefore, in this connector 201, an electrical connection between the first female terminal 210A and the first male terminal 240A (hereinafter also referred to as “first connection”), the second female terminal 210B, An electrical connection (hereinafter also referred to as “second connection”) between the two male terminals 240B is formed.

On the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220, two female first flat surfaces 222A and 222B (222) are formed across the entire surface between the male terminal insertion port 221a and the female terminal insertion port 221b along the connector joining direction. Two female second planes 223A and 223B (223), two female third planes 224A and 224B (224), and one female fourth plane 225 are provided. The female first flat surface 222A and the female second flat surface 223A face each other with the first virtual reference plane P1 as the center. The female first flat surface 222B and the female second flat surface 223B face each other with the first virtual reference plane P1 as the center.

On the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber 251 of the male housing 250, there are two male first planes 252A, 252B (252), two male second planes 253A, 253B (253), and two male sides. Third planes 254A and 254B (254) and one male fourth plane 255 are provided. The male side first plane 252A and the male side second plane 253A are opposed to each other with the first virtual reference plane P1 as the center. The male first plane 252B and the male second plane 253B are opposed to each other with the first virtual reference plane P1 as the center.

In this connector 201, the female first flat surfaces 222A and 222B and the male first flat surfaces 252A and 252B are opposed to each other, and the female second flat surfaces 223A and 223B and the male second flat surfaces 253A and 253B are respectively connected. Is facing. Furthermore, in this connector 201, the female third flat surfaces 224A and 224B and the male third flat surfaces 254A and 254B are opposed to each other, and the female fourth flat surface 225 and the male fourth flat surface 255 are opposed to each other. I am letting. In this connector 201, variation in the positions of these planes can be kept small, so that it is possible to reduce the gap between these opposing planes while ensuring the joining workability at the time of connector joining. it can. For this reason, this connector 201 can suppress the shift | offset | difference between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of connector joining to a small quantity, ensuring the joining workability | operativity.

Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220, a plurality of inclined surfaces 226A, 226A are formed on the inner side of the rectangular region S1 over the entire surface between the male terminal insertion port 221a and the female terminal insertion port 221b along the connector joining direction. 226B, 226C, 226D, 226E, and 226F (226) are provided. In addition, a plurality of inclined surfaces 256A, 256B, 256C, 256D, 256E, and 256F (256) are also provided on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251 inside the rectangular region S2. In this connector 201, the inclined surfaces 226A, 226B, 226C, 226D, 226E, and 226F and the inclined surfaces 256A, 256B, 256C, 256D, 256E, and 256F face each other. In this connector 201, a plurality of inclined surfaces 226A, 226B, 226C, 226D, 226E, and 226F are provided inside the rectangular region S1, and a plurality of inclined surfaces 256A, 256B, 256C, 256D, 256E, and 256F are provided in the rectangular region S2. It is provided inside. For this reason, the connector 201 can secure the joining workability at the time of joining the connectors and suppress the displacement between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of joining the connectors while suppressing the increase in the size of the physique. it can.

Separately from this, the female housing 220 is parallel to the second virtual reference plane P2 across the entire surface between the male terminal insertion port 221a and the female terminal insertion port 221b along the connector joining direction. A plurality of flat surfaces 227A, 227B, 227C are also provided. These planes 227A, 227B, and 227C are arranged inside the rectangular region S1. Furthermore, a plurality of flat surfaces 257A, 257B, 257C parallel to the second virtual reference plane P2 are also provided on the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251 separately from them. These flat surfaces 257A, 257B, and 257C are arranged inside the rectangular region S2. The planes 227A, 227B, and 227C are opposed to the planes 257A, 257B, and 257C, respectively.

Here, the plane 227A of the female housing 220 can be handled as the same as the female side third planes 224A and 224B by pairing with the female side fourth plane 225. That is, the plane 227A can be set to be equivalent to the female side third planes 224A and 224B. Further, the planes 227B and 227C of the female housing 220 can be handled as being equivalent to the female side fourth plane 225 by being paired with the female side third planes 224A and 224B. That is, the planes 227B and 227C can be set to be equivalent to the female fourth plane 225. Further, the flat surface 257A of the male housing 250 can be handled as the same as the male third flat surfaces 254A and 254B by pairing with the male fourth flat surface 255. That is, the plane 257A can be set to be equivalent to the male third planes 254A and 254B. Further, the planes 257B and 257C of the male housing 250 can be handled as being equivalent to the male side fourth plane 255 by being paired with the male side third planes 254A and 254B. That is, the planes 257B and 257C can be set to be equivalent to the male-side fourth plane 255. For this reason, the planes 227A, 227B, and 227C and the planes 257A, 257B, and 257C can be used to suppress a shift between the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 at the time of connector connection. However, the planes 227A, 227B, and 227C and the planes 257A, 257B, and 257C are not used for setting the rectangular areas S1 and S2.

Each of the female first flat surface 222A and the female third flat surface 224A is constituted by two flat surfaces that form a rectangular parallelepiped extending portion 228A that extends in a direction orthogonal to the first virtual reference plane P1 ( FIG. 16). As another plane of the extending portion 228A, the plane 227B is present. The female third plane 224A and the plane 227B are opposed to each other in the direction orthogonal to the second virtual reference plane P2. The female second flat surface 223A and the female third flat surface 224B are each composed of two flat surfaces that form a rectangular parallelepiped extending portion 228B that extends in a direction orthogonal to the first virtual reference plane P1. To do. As another plane of the extension 228B, the plane 227C is present. The female third flat surface 224B and the flat surface 227C are opposed to each other in the direction orthogonal to the second virtual reference plane P2.

In the female housing 220, the female side first planes 222A and 222B, the female side second planes 223A and 223B, the female side third planes 224A and 224B, and the female side fourth plane 225 form a rectangular region S1. Variations in the outermost shape of the surface can be suppressed to a small amount, and an increase in size can be suppressed. In the male housing 250, the male side first planes 252A and 252B, the male side second planes 253A and 253B, the male side third planes 254A and 254B, and the male side fourth plane 255 forming the rectangular region S2 are Variation in the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the female-side storage chamber 251 can be suppressed to a small amount. For this reason, this male housing 250 can suppress the enlargement of the physique.

By the way, in this connector 201, two protrusions 229A and 229B are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the female housing 220, and grooves 259A and 259B that cover the protrusions 229A and 229B are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the female housing chamber 251. . The projecting portions 229A and 229B and the groove portions 259A and 259B are for preventing twisting when the female housing 220 and the male housing 250 are attached / detached (when the connector is attached / detached). Therefore, the protruding portions 229A and 229B extend over the entire surface between the male terminal insertion port 221a and the female terminal insertion port 221b along the connector joining direction. The groove portions 259A and 259B also have a function as a guide portion for guiding the protruding portions 229A and 229B when the connectors are attached and detached, and extend in the connector joining direction. Furthermore, the gap between the wall surfaces of the protruding portions 229A and 229B and the wall surfaces of the groove portions 259A and 259B facing the wall surfaces is reduced within a range where the connector can be joined. Thereby, in this connector 201, the twist at the time of connector attachment / detachment can be prevented. In addition, in this connector 201, in combination with the female first flat surfaces 222A, 222B, etc., the effect of preventing twisting when the connector is attached or detached can be enhanced.

Here, each of the projecting portions 229A and 229B and the groove portions 259A and 259B has a plane parallel to the first virtual reference plane P1 and a plane parallel to the second virtual reference plane P2. May be. In this case, the planes of the projecting portions 229A and 229B form the boundary of the rectangular region S1, and the planes of the groove portions 259A and 259B form the boundary of the rectangular region S2. For this reason, in this case, an increase in the size of the connector 201 can be suppressed as it is.

However, in this exemplary connector 201, since the protrusions 229A and 229B and the grooves 259A and 259B have inclined surfaces with respect to the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2, the protrusions 229A and 229B are rectangular. The groove portions 259A and 259B protrude from the region S1, and the groove portions 259A and 259B protrude from the rectangular region S2. For this reason, when the protrusion amount from the rectangular areas S1 and S2 is increased, the size of the connector 201 may be increased. Therefore, the protruding portions 229A and 229B are partly projected from the rectangular region S1 by projecting a part thereof from the rectangular region S1 (in this example, by projecting a part from the rectangular region S1 near the female fourth plane 225). Reduce the amount of protrusion. Further, the grooves 259A and 259B protrude from the rectangular area S2 by partially protruding from the rectangular area S2 (in this example, by partially protruding from the rectangular area S2 near the male fourth plane 255). Reduce the amount. In this way, in this connector 201, an increase in the size of the physique can be suppressed while securing a function of preventing twisting.

Here, in this exemplary connector 201, a kink prevention structure is provided at two locations (by a combination of the protruding portion 229A and the groove portion 259A and by a combination of the protruding portion 229B and the groove portion 259B). However, the structure for preventing the twisting may be arranged at least one place as long as the function can be secured.

As described above, in the specific example of the connector 201, all the female terminal accommodating chambers 221 and the male terminal insertion ports 221a are inclined with respect to the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2. However, in this connector 201, for example, the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2 are set parallel to two orthogonal wall surfaces in a certain female terminal accommodating chamber 221, and the remaining female terminal accommodating chambers are set. 221 may be inclined with respect to the first and second virtual reference planes P1 and P2. Even in this case, the female housing 220 is provided with the female-side first plane 222, the female-side second plane 223, the female-side third plane 224, and the female-side fourth plane 225 arranged as described above. The male side first plane 252, the male side second plane 253, the male side third plane 254, and the male side fourth plane 255 are provided as described above. Thereby, even if it is such a connector 201, the effect similar to said illustration can be acquired.

1,201 connector 2,202 female connector 3,203 male connector 10 female terminal 10A first female terminal 10B second female terminal 10C third female terminal 20,120 female housing 21 female terminal accommodating chamber 21A, 121A first female terminal accommodating Chambers 21B, 121B Second female terminal accommodating chambers 21C, 121C Third female terminal accommodating chambers 22 Cylinders 22a, 122a Insertion ports 22A, 122A First cylinders 22B, 122B Second cylinders 22C, 122C Third cylinders 23 Connection Part 23A, 123A First connection part 23B, 123B Second connection part 24 Notch 24a, 124a Bottom part 24A, 124A First notch 24B, 124B Second notch 40 Male terminal 40A First male terminal 40B Second male terminal 40C 3rd male terminal 50,150 Male housing 51,151 Female side accommodation room 53 Wall part 53A, 153 The first wall portion 53B, 153B second wall portion 121D fourth female terminal accommodating chamber 122D fourth cylindrical body

Claims (3)

1. A female connector comprising: a plurality of female terminals; and a female housing in which a plurality of female terminal accommodation chambers for individually accommodating the female terminals are formed;
   A male housing in which a female-side accommodation chamber for accommodating at least a part of the female housing is formed after the connector is joined, and is protruded into the female-side accommodation chamber, and the projecting portion contacts the female terminal individually after the connector is joined. A male connector comprising:
   Have
   Each of the female terminal accommodating chambers opens an insertion port into which the male terminal is inserted in the same direction,
   The female housing includes a cylindrical body for each female terminal housing chamber that forms the female terminal housing chamber, a connecting portion that connects two adjacent cylindrical bodies, and an end portion on the insertion port side in the connecting portion that is a bottom portion. And a notch for dividing the two adjacent cylinders from the insertion port side to the bottom portion,
   The male housing is inserted into the notch together with the connector joint, and includes a wall portion serving as a partition between the two adjacent cylindrical bodies in the female-side accommodation chamber,
   The notch has a depth at which the notch depth from the insertion port side to the bottom is kept within a predetermined amount at the time of connector joining at the divided portions of the two adjacent cylindrical bodies. A connector characterized by
2. The amount of bending is the amount of change in the interval between the predetermined positions in the insertion ports of the two adjacent cylinders,
   2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount is set within a range of the bending amount that allows the male terminal to enter the insertion port when the connector is joined. 3.
3. When the female connector or the male connector is arranged in a housing of a device that is a connector installation target, the cylinders are arranged with an interval along the outer shape of the connector installation place in the housing, and are adjacent to each other. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion and the notch are provided between two cylindrical bodies.

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