JP7548782B2 - Connector and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a connector and a method for manufacturing the connector.

Conventionally, various connectors are known for electrically connecting various circuit boards and various driven components in electrical and electronic devices.

For example, Patent Document 1 aims to improve the configuration of a connector so that waterproofness and dust resistance can be improved by eliminating the die-cut space within the housing, so that the connector can be made smaller without forming lances on the housing or terminals, and so that the terminals can be connected to the housing regardless of the circumferential orientation of the terminals. The patent document 1 discloses a connector that is based on a housing, a terminal that is crimped and fixed to the tip of an electric wire, and a retainer that connects the terminal to the housing, and is characterized by: (a) retainer locking means for locking the retainer to the housing 1; (b) terminal locking means for locking the terminal to the retainer; and (c) the housing and terminal are connected via the retainer.

JP 2010-123312 A

However, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a terminal on one side of a flexible electric wire that is inserted into a housing, and the other side of the electric wire is a multi-core round cable. Therefore, when the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used as a so-called relay wired connector that has terminals and housings on both ends of the electric wire, a retainer and housing are required at each end, and the above-mentioned configurations (a), (b), and (c) as well as the respective locking and coupling operations are required at each end.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a connector that allows terminals located at both ends of a flexible member such as an electric wire to be inserted into a housing accurately, easily, and in a short time, and a method for manufacturing the connector.

The present disclosure has been proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and a first aspect of the present disclosure is a connector comprising a first housing, a first terminal attached to the first housing, a second housing separate from the first housing, a second terminal attached to the second housing, a flexible member having the first terminal and the second terminal connected to both ends and connecting the first housing and the second housing, and an alignment member having a flexible member insertion cavity through which the flexible member is inserted, and arranged movably between the first housing and the second housing when the flexible member is inserted, wherein when the first terminal is attached to the first housing, the first terminal and the first housing are aligned by the alignment member, and when the second terminal is attached to the second housing, the second terminal and the second housing are aligned by the alignment member .

A second aspect of the present disclosure includes a first housing, a first terminal attached to the first housing, a second housing separate from the first housing, a second terminal attached to the second housing, a flexible member having both ends connected to the first terminal and the second terminal and connecting the first housing and the second housing, and an alignment member having a flexible member insertion cavity through which the flexible member is inserted and movably disposed between the first housing and the second housing with the flexible member inserted, wherein when the first terminal is attached to the first housing, the first terminal and the first housing are aligned by the alignment member, and when the second terminal is attached to the second housing, A manufacturing method for a connector in which the second terminal and second housing are aligned by an alignment member, comprising the steps of: preparing a flexible member having the first terminal and second terminal connected to both ends; stacking the first housing and the alignment member ; inserting the first terminal through the alignment member and attaching it to the first housing; moving the alignment member toward the second terminal while the flexible member is inserted through the alignment member; inserting the second terminal into the alignment member and causing the contact piece at its tip end to protrude from the alignment member; accommodating the contact piece of the second terminal protruding from the alignment member into the second housing, and further accommodating and attaching the second terminal in the second housing.

The present disclosure provides a connector that allows terminals located at both ends of a flexible member such as an electric wire to be inserted into a housing accurately, easily, and in a short time, as well as a method for manufacturing the connector.

1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment before assembly; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment after assembly, including a first mating connector to be connected to the first housing thereof; 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are four-sided views of the alignment member according to the first embodiment, where FIG. 3A is a top view, FIG. 3B is a side view, FIG. 3C is a bottom view, and FIG. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D are four views of a first housing according to a first embodiment, in which FIG. 4A is a top view, FIG. 4B is a side view, FIG. 4C is a bottom view, and FIG. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D are four views of the second housing according to the first embodiment, in which FIG. 4A is a top view, FIG. 4B is a side view, FIG. 4C is a bottom view, and FIG. 1A and 1B are two-sided views of a flexible member according to a first embodiment, in which (a) is a first side view and (b) is a second side view seen from a direction intersecting (a). 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a first mating connector is connected to a first housing of the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining an assembly procedure for the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a step of inserting the first terminal side of the flexible member into the alignment member. 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining the assembly procedure of the connector according to the first embodiment, showing the step of engaging the alignment member with the first housing and inserting the first terminal of the flexible member into the first housing. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first terminal of the flexible member is inserted into the first housing in FIG. 9 . 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining the assembly procedure of the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a step of moving the alignment member away from the first housing and restricting the second terminal of the flexible member by the alignment member. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the second terminal of the flexible member is restricted by the alignment member in FIG. 11 . 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining an assembly procedure for the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a step of inserting the second terminal of the flexible member, which is restricted by the alignment member, into the second housing. 10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining an assembly procedure for the connector according to the first embodiment, showing a step of moving the alignment member away from the second terminal of the flexible member. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the alignment member is placed on the first housing and spaced apart from the second terminal of the flexible member in FIG. 14 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a second embodiment before assembly. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the connector according to the second embodiment after assembly. 11A is a top view, FIG. 11B is a bottom view, FIG. 11C is a side view, and FIG. 11D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 11A. 11A to 11D are four-sided views of a second housing according to a second embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a bottom view, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in (a). 11A and 11B are views of the vicinity of the second terminal of the flexible member according to the second embodiment, in which (a) is a first side view, (b) is a second side view seen from a direction intersecting (a), and (c) is a third side view seen from a direction opposite to (a). 13 is a diagram for explaining an assembly procedure for the connector according to the second embodiment, showing a step of moving the alignment member away from the first housing and restricting the second terminal of the flexible member by the alignment member. FIG. 22 is an enlarged view of the upper surface side of the alignment member in FIG. 21. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining an assembly procedure of the connector according to the second embodiment, showing a step of inserting the second terminal of the flexible member restricted by the alignment member into the second housing. 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining an assembly procedure of the connector according to the second embodiment, showing a step of attaching an alignment member to a second housing. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a connector according to a second embodiment after assembly, in which (a) is a top view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in (a). FIG. 25B is an enlarged view of the main part.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that, throughout the description of the embodiment, the same elements will be described with the same reference numerals. Note that, in the description, directional expressions such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" used to describe the configuration and operation of each part of the connector 10 and other members are relative and are appropriate in the postures shown in the drawings, but when the posture is changed, they should be interpreted by appropriately changing them according to the change in posture.

(Overall Overview of Connector 10)
The connector 10 according to the present embodiment is a relay connector that electrically connects a substrate (not shown) and a mating member (not shown) that faces the substrate. The connector 10 is preferably used as a type of so-called floating connector that has flexibility that allows a certain degree of freedom in the positional relationship between the two. The substrate may be, for example, a printed circuit board, a flexible flat cable (FFC), a flexible circuit board (FPC), or the like used in electrical devices and electronic equipment, but may be any type of substrate.

1, which is an exploded view of the connector 10 before assembly, includes a first lower housing 11A, a first terminal 51A attached to the first housing 11A, an upper second housing 11B separate from the first housing 11A, a second terminal 51B attached to the second housing 11B, a flexible flexible member 81 to which the first terminal 51A and the second terminal 51B are connected at both ends and which connects the first housing 11A and the second housing 11B, and an alignment member 41 having a flexible member insertion cavity 44 through which the flexible member 81 is inserted and movably disposed between the first housing 11A and the second housing 11B when the flexible member 81 is inserted. The first housing 11A and the second housing 11B have a partially common structure, and when both are described together in this disclosure, they may be described as the housing 11.

The relative positions of the first housing 11A and the second housing 11B are not particularly limited, but in the following description, the first housing 11A is the side that connects to the board, and the second housing 11B is the side that connects to an electrical device, etc. The housing 11 may be integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

The flexible members 81 may be arranged in multiple rows on the inside and outside of a concentric circle, but here, as shown in FIG. 1, a case where four flexible members are arranged in a single circle is described. The flexible members 81 may be any long and thin member that is conductive and flexible, and may be, for example, an electric wire. Furthermore, when the flexible members 81 are used suitably as a type of so-called floating connector, they should be hard enough and long enough to be able to stand on their own. Here, they are described as relatively short, self-supporting rod-shaped members extending in the vertical direction, formed by pressing a conductive metal plate.

A first terminal 51A made of a conductive metal is connected to the lower end of the flexible member 81, and a second terminal 51B made of a conductive metal is connected to the upper end. The first terminal 51A and the second terminal 51B have substantially the same structure, and when both are described together in this disclosure, they may be described as terminal 51.

Returning to the housing 11, the first housing 11A and the second housing 11B have in common that they are members having an approximately cylindrical shape, and include a base end 11a located on the side of the flexible member 81, and a tip end 11b located on the opposite side of the flexible member 81, with an outer diameter smaller than that of the base end 11a. The housing 11 is formed with a terminal accommodating cavity 13, which is a through hole penetrating in the vertical direction, and the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the first housing 11A accommodates the entire first terminal 51A and the vicinity of the lower end of the flexible member 81, while the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the second housing 11B accommodates the entire second terminal 51B and the vicinity of the upper end of the flexible member 81. The shape of the housing 11 is not particularly limited to an approximately cylindrical shape, and may be, for example, a square prism with rounded corners.

The second housing 11B has a base end surface 11c of the base end 11a located on the side of the flexible member 81, and a tip end surface 11d of the tip end 11b located on the opposite side of the flexible member 81. On the other hand, the first housing 11A is common to the second housing 11B in that the tip end 11b has a tip end surface 11d, but differs from the second housing 11B in that an alignment member accommodating recess 11e for accommodating the alignment member 41 is provided on the side of the flexible member 81 of the base end 11a. The alignment member accommodating recess 11e is further provided with a positioning recess 11f for positioning the alignment member 41 when it is accommodated.

The alignment member 41 is a member for aligning the flexible flexure member 81 and aligning the position and orientation of the terminal 51 to accommodate and attach it to the housing 11 when assembling the connector 10. The alignment member 41 includes a main body 42 located on the side of the flexure member 81, i.e., the side of the second housing 11B, and a protrusion 43 having a smaller outer diameter than the main body 42 and located on the opposite side of the flexure member 81, i.e., the side of the first housing 11A. The alignment member 41 is formed with a flexure member insertion cavity 44, which is a through hole that penetrates the main body 42 and the protrusion 43 in the vertical direction. The main body 42 of the alignment member 41 has an outer diameter substantially the same as the base end 11a of the housing 11, and the protrusion 43 has an outer diameter that can be accommodated in the alignment member accommodation recess 11e of the first housing 11A. In this disclosure, the alignment member 41 is shown as being roughly cylindrical with a two-stage configuration, but is not limited to being roughly cylindrical. For example, if the shape of the housing 11 is a rectangular prism with rounded corners, the alignment member 41 may be a rectangular prism with rounded corners with a two-stage configuration to match.

The alignment member 41 has a positioning protrusion 45 that protrudes downward, i.e., toward the first housing 11A, at the boundary between the main body 42 and the protruding portion 43. When the protruding portion 43 is accommodated in the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A, the positioning protrusion 45 engages with the positioning recess 11f, thereby positioning the alignment member 41 and therefore the flexible member 81 relative to the first housing 11A.

The assembled state of the connector 10 described above is as shown in FIG. 2. The assembled connector 10 is connected to the first mating housing 111A of the first mating connector provided on the board, and the first terminal 51A clamps the plug terminal 151 provided inside the first mating housing 111A, thereby achieving electrical continuity. The state in which the first housing 11A and the first mating housing 111A are connected will be described later with reference to FIG. 7. Although not shown, the second terminal 51B is also connected in the same manner as the second mating connector, but when describing both together in this disclosure, they may be described as the mating housing 111.

(Alignment member 41)
The components constituting the connector 10 will be examined separately. First, the alignment member 41 has the configuration shown in each of the views of (a) top view, (b) side view, (c) bottom view, and (d) cross-sectional view in Fig. 3. As described above, the alignment member 41 includes a main body portion 42 located on the second housing 11B side and having a relatively large outer diameter, and a protrusion portion 43 located on the first housing 11A side and having a relatively small outer diameter, which is accommodated in the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A. Since the alignment member 41 is left as a part of the connector 10 after the connector 10 is assembled, it is preferable that the main body portion 42 not accommodated in the alignment member accommodating recess 11e has substantially the same outer diameter as the base end portion 11a of the housing 11 so as not to be an obstacle when mounting the alignment member 41 on an electric device or the like.

The flexible member insertion cavity 44 provided in the alignment member 41 shown in FIG. 3(d) is an opening through which the first terminal 51A and the second terminal 51B can be inserted and which arranges the first terminal 51A and the second terminal 51B so that they can be attached to the first housing 11A and the second housing 11B. The opening shape of the flexible member insertion cavity 44 is formed in a square shape (including rounded corners) to match the shape of the terminal 51 so that the terminal 51 can pass freely through the flexible member insertion cavity 44, but does not rotate significantly around the axis of the insertion direction (e.g., the vertical direction in FIG. 2) when passing through, and the terminal 51 is oriented so that it can be accommodated in the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the housing 11 without shifting its position in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction (e.g., the horizontal direction in FIG. 2). The position of the flexible member insertion cavity 44 corresponds to the arrangement of the terminal accommodating cavities 13 of the first housing 11A and the second housing 11B.

As a result, when attaching the first terminal 51A to the first housing 11A and connecting the flexible member 81 to the housing 11, the alignment member 41 and the first housing 11A are aligned and stacked so that the flexible member insertion cavity 44 and the terminal accommodating cavity 13 are in communication, and the first terminal 51A is inserted from the upper opening of the flexible member insertion cavity 44, and then the first terminal 51A is further pushed in to pass through the flexible member insertion cavity 44 and accommodated in the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the first housing 11A.

The positioning protrusion 45 that protrudes downward at the boundary between the main body 42 and the protruding portion 43 of the alignment member 41 is provided to correspond to the positioning recess 11f provided on the outer edge of the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A. By engaging the positioning protrusion 45 with the positioning recess 11f, the flexible member insertion cavity 44 and the terminal accommodating cavity 13 are aligned so that they communicate with each other, and when assembling the connector 10, the corresponding first terminal 51A and the flexible member insertion cavity 44 and the terminal accommodating cavity 13 are appropriately positioned, preventing the flexible member 81 from being twisted.

(First housing 11A)
Next, the first housing 11A has the configuration shown in each of the views of Fig. 4 (a) top view, (b) side view, (c) bottom view, and (d) cross-sectional view. As described above, the first housing 11A includes the base end portion 11a located on the side of the flexible member 81, i.e., on the side of the second housing 11B, and having a relatively large outer diameter, and the tip end portion 11b located on the side opposite the flexible member 81, i.e., on the side opposite the second housing 11B, and having a relatively small outer diameter.

As shown in FIG. 4(d), unlike the second housing 11B, the first housing 11A has an alignment member accommodating recess 11e at the base end 11a to accommodate the protrusion 43 of the alignment member 41. A positioning recess 11f is provided at the outer edge of the alignment member accommodating recess 11e to correspond to the positioning protrusion 45 provided on the alignment member 41. The terminal accommodating cavity 13 is formed to penetrate from the bottom surface of the alignment member accommodating recess 11e to the tip surface 11d, and the first terminal 51A passes through the flexible member insertion cavity 44 and is inserted into the terminal accommodating cavity 13 from the bottom surface of the alignment member accommodating recess 11e.

In the terminal accommodating cavity 13, a lance 15 is formed on the wall surface on the central axis side of the first housing 11A to engage with a locking piece 55 provided on the inserted first terminal 51A (see FIG. 6 for the locking piece 55 and FIG. 7 for the engagement between the locking piece 55 and the lance 15). The lance 15 is a cantilever-like member whose base end is integrally connected to the wall surface of the terminal accommodating cavity 13 and whose tip is a free end that extends obliquely toward the inside of the terminal accommodating cavity 13 and toward the tip surface 11d. This prevents the first terminal 51A accommodated inside the terminal accommodating cavity 13 from being displaced toward the alignment member accommodation recess 11e, and does not come out even if the flexible member 81 is pulled toward the second housing 11B.

(Second housing 11B)
Next, the second housing 11B has an aspect shown in each of the drawings of Fig. 5 (a) top view, (b) side view, (c) bottom view, and (d) cross-sectional view. As described above, the second housing 11B includes a base end portion 11a located on the side of the flexible member 81, i.e., on the side of the first housing 11A, and having a relatively large outer diameter, and a tip end portion 11b located on the side opposite the flexible member 81, i.e., on the side opposite the first housing 11A, and having a relatively small outer diameter.

As shown in FIG. 5(d), unlike the first housing 11A, the second housing 11B does not have an alignment member accommodating recess 11e. The terminal accommodating cavity 13 is formed to penetrate from the base end face 11c to the tip end face 11d, and its opening shape and arrangement are formed to correspond to the alignment member 41 and the first housing 11A. The second terminal 51B is inserted into the terminal accommodating cavity 13 from the base end face 11c.

In the terminal accommodating cavity 13, a lance 15 is formed on the wall surface on the central axis side of the second housing 11B to engage with a locking piece 55 provided on the inserted second terminal 51B (see FIG. 6 for the locking piece 55 and FIG. 15 for the engagement between the locking piece 55 and the lance 15). The lance 15 is a cantilever-like member whose base end is integrally connected to the wall surface of the terminal accommodating cavity 13 and whose tip is a free end that extends obliquely toward the inside of the terminal accommodating cavity 13 and toward the tip surface 11d. This prevents the second terminal 51B accommodated inside the terminal accommodating cavity 13 from being displaced toward the base end surface 11c, and does not come out even if the flexible member 81 is pulled toward the first housing 11A.

(Flexible member 81)
6A is a first side view of the flexible member 81, and FIG. 6B is a second side view of the flexible member 81. The first terminal 51A and the second terminal 51B provided on both ends of the flexible member 81 each include a base 52 connected to an end of the flexible member 81, a pair of contact pieces 54 extending from the base 52 toward the tip, and a locking piece 55 protruding in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the flexible member 81 near the base end of the contact piece 54.

The pair of contact pieces 54 are bent from the bottom plate 53 extending from the base 52 to the tip to form a U-shape, with the tip bent inward. The locking piece 55 is formed by forming a protrusion on the opposite side of the bottom plate 53 of each contact piece 54 and bending the protrusion inward. The terminal 51 is formed by the pair of contact pieces 54, the bottom plate 53 and the locking piece 55 so as to form a rectangle when viewed from the insertion direction of the flexible member 81. The first terminal 51A and the second terminal 51B are attached to the flexible member 81 so that they face in opposite directions in the axial direction, but are in the same direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

The opening shape of the aforementioned flexible member insertion cavity 44 is a rectangle that is slightly larger than the rectangle formed by the pair of contact pieces 54, the bottom plate portion 53, and the locking piece 55 of this terminal 51. This allows the terminal 51 to be inserted through the flexible member insertion cavity 44 and accommodated in the terminal accommodating cavity 13, and to be attached to the housing 11, without significant rotation around the axis of the insertion direction, and without misalignment in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

Here, when the flexible member 81 is formed of an electric wire, the base 52 may be connected by crimping to the end of the electric wire. When the pair of contact pieces 54 are accommodated in the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the first housing 11A from the alignment member accommodating recess 11e side and attached to the first housing 11A, the pair of contact pieces 54 clamp the plug terminal 151 (see FIG. 2) of the first mating housing 111A inserted into the first housing 11A from the tip surface 11d side. The same applies to the second housing 11B.

(Connection status)
Considering the configuration of each of the above-mentioned components, Fig. 7 shows a state in which the first housing 11A and the first mating housing 111A are connected and the protruding portion 43 of the alignment member 41 is accommodated in the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A. As shown in Fig. 7, the first terminal 51A passes through the flexible member insertion cavity 44 of the alignment member 41, and the locking piece 55 engages with the lance 15 inside the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the first housing 11A, thereby being fixed. In addition, the tip portion 11b of the first housing 11A is fitted into the inside of the first mating housing 111A surrounded by the bottom plate 111a and the side wall 111b, and the pair of contact pieces 54 of the first terminal 51A clamp the plug terminal 151 of the first mating housing 111A.

7, the alignment member 41 is shown in a state where its positioning protrusion 45 is engaged with the positioning recess 11f of the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A, and the protrusion 43 is accommodated in the alignment member accommodating recess 11e. This accommodated state shows the state where the alignment member 41 is placed on the base end 11a or the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A, and is in a state where it can move along the flexible member 81 to the side of the second housing 11B (upper side in the figure). Note that, if it is desired to prevent the alignment member 41 from moving freely relative to the flexible member 81 after the connector 10 is assembled, the positioning protrusion 45 may be provided at a location offset from the boundary between the base end 11a and the tip end 11b toward the tip end 11b, and the positioning recess 11f may be formed into an L-shape in a side view, so that the alignment member 41 can be used as a simple locking mechanism to the extent that it does not interfere with the twisting of the flexible member 81.

(Assembly procedure)
Next, the procedure for assembling the connector 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, referring to FIG. 8, step S1 of inserting the first terminal 51A side of the flexible member 81 into the alignment member 41 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, the alignment member 41 is positioned above the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A so that the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the first housing 11A and the flexible member insertion cavity 44 of the alignment member 41 face each other. At that time, the positioning protrusion 45 of the alignment member 41 and the positioning recess 11f of the alignment member accommodating recess 11e of the first housing 11A are also naturally positioned to face each other. Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the positioning protrusion 45 and the positioning recess 11f are engaged to overlap the alignment member 41 and the first housing 11A, and the flexible member 81 is inserted from the first terminal 51A into the flexible member insertion cavity 44 as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 8.

Next, step S2 of inserting the first terminal 51A into the first housing 11A will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Following step S1, the first terminal 51A is passed through the interior of the flexible member insertion cavity 44, and the first terminal 51A is inserted into the first housing 11A.

As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the first terminal 51A is attached to the first housing with the locking piece 55 engaging with the lance 15, and is prevented from slipping out of the first housing 11A toward the second housing 11B. Note that Figure 10 shows a cross section of Figure 9 in which the first terminal 51A has been inserted into the first housing 11A, but the alignment member 41 has been omitted.

11 and 12, step S3 will be described in which the alignment member 41 is moved away from the first housing 11A and the second terminals 51B are aligned by the alignment member 41. Following step S2, the alignment member 41 is moved away from the first housing 11A and moved along the flexible member 81 toward the second housing 11B as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 11. Then, the second terminals 51B are inserted from the base 52 side into the flexible member insertion cavity 44 of the alignment member 41 through the opening on the protruding portion 43 side. The second terminals 51B are aligned by accommodating each of the second terminals 51B in each of the flexible member insertion cavities 44. The second terminal 51B and the alignment member 41 are held together by the frictional resistance force when the locking piece 55 and base 52 are in a position where they are housed inside the alignment member 41's flexure insertion cavity 44 and each terminal 51 comes into contact with the inner surface of the flexure insertion cavity 44. At this time, the tip side of the contact piece 54 of the second terminal 51B is held in a position where it protrudes from the alignment member 41.

As a result, even if the flexible bending member 81 is bent or oriented in various directions, the first terminal 51A engages with the lance 15 inside the first housing 11A and will not come out. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the flexible member 81 is pulled, and each of the second terminals 51B can be accurately positioned in correspondence with the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the second housing 11B in all three directions, X, Y, and Z, shown in FIG. 1.

Next, referring to FIG. 13, step S4 will be described in which the second terminals 51B aligned by the alignment member 41 are inserted into the second housing 11B. Following step S3, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 13, the protruding contact pieces 54 held by the alignment member 41 are inserted so as to be accommodated in the terminal accommodating cavities 13 opening into the base end face 11c of the second housing 11B. At this time, the position and orientation of the second terminals 51B are aligned with the openings of the terminal accommodating cavities 13 of the second housing 11B by the alignment member 41, eliminating the need to individually align each terminal with the corresponding terminal accommodating cavities 13 of the second housing 11B.

Next, referring to FIG. 14, step S5 of separating the alignment member 41 from the second terminal 51B will be described. Following step S4, the second terminal 51B is completely passed from the base end surface 11c to the tip end surface 11d of the second housing 11B and accommodated in the second housing 11B, and the lance 15 is engaged with the locking piece 55 to attach it to the second housing 11B, completing the assembly of the connector 10. Since the alignment member 41 can move freely relative to the flexible member 81, when the first housing 11A is the lower housing and the second housing 11B is the upper housing, it may move to the alignment member accommodation recess 11e of the first housing 11A as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 14.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, it is possible to provide a connector 10 in which terminals 51 located at both ends of a flexible bending member 81 such as an electric wire can be accurately, easily, and quickly inserted into a housing 11 using a single alignment member 41, and an alignment member 41 used therein.

The effects of this disclosure can be achieved if there are two or more flexible members 81 such as electric wires, and are even more effective if the number of members, i.e., the number of poles of the terminal 51, is large and the distance between the housings 11 at both ends connected by the flexible members 81, i.e., the length of the flexible members 81, is short.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are given to components having the same structures as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. Also, the description of the same operations and effects as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, when the assembly of the connector 10 is completed, the alignment member 41 is accommodated in the alignment member accommodation recess 11e of the first housing 11A as shown in Figs. 14 and 15. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the assembly of the connector 10 is completed, the alignment member 41 is attached to the second housing 11B via the first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B. The first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B have substantially the same structure, and when both are described together in this disclosure, they may be described as the attachment 21. The attachment 21 may be formed of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin, like the housing 11.

(Overall Overview of Connector 10)
As shown in Fig. 16, which is an exploded view of the connector 10 before assembly, the connector 10 in this embodiment includes a first attachment 21A and a second attachment 21B. After assembly of the connector 10, the alignment member 41 is attached to the second housing 11B via the first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B, as shown in Fig. 17.

In the example shown in the figure, there are six flexible members 81, but the number and arrangement of the flexible members 81 can be changed as appropriate.

(Alignment member 41)
The alignment member 41 in the first embodiment includes the protrusion 43 and the positioning protrusion 45 , but the alignment member 41 in the present embodiment does not include the protrusion 43 or the positioning protrusion 45 .

As shown in Fig. 18, the alignment member 41 in this embodiment has a rotation prevention pole 48 as a square prism attached to the main body 42 so as to penetrate the center of the main body 42 in the thickness direction (the insertion direction of the flexible member 81). In the example shown in the figure, the rotation prevention pole 48 is a rod-shaped member of a hexagonal prism, and protrudes in the vertical direction (the insertion direction of the flexible member 81) from the second housing side surface 42c and the first housing side surface 42d of the main body 42.

The outer peripheral surface of the main body 42 is formed with multiple claws 42a that protrude outward, and also has one groove 42b that extends in the vertical direction (the insertion direction of the flexible member 81).

Furthermore, a protrusion engagement groove 44a is formed at the end of each flexible member insertion cavity 44 on the second housing side surface 42c side. The protrusion engagement groove 44a is an elongated recess whose upper end is open at the second housing side surface 42c and extends a predetermined length (depth) downward from the second housing side surface 42c (toward the first housing side surface 42d), and is capable of accommodating an engagement protrusion 57 of the second terminal 51B, which will be described later.

(First housing 11A)
The first housing 11A in the first embodiment includes the alignment member accommodating recess 11e and the positioning recess 11f, but the first housing 11A in this embodiment does not include the alignment member accommodating recess 11e or the positioning recess 11f.

In this embodiment, a groove 11g extending in the vertical direction (the insertion direction of the flexible member 81) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base end 11a of the first housing 11A. Furthermore, a rotation prevention hole 18 that opens to the center of the base end surface 11c is formed in the base end 11a. In the example shown in the figure, the rotation prevention hole 18 is a square hole with a hexagonal cross section, and a rotation prevention pole 48 is inserted into the hole.

(Second housing 11B)
In the second housing 11B in the first embodiment, the lance 15 is formed on the wall surface of the terminal accommodating cavity 13, but in the second housing 11B in this embodiment, the lance 15 is not formed on the wall surface of the terminal accommodating cavity 13.

As shown in FIG. 19, in the second housing 11B of this embodiment, a protrusion engagement groove 13a is formed at the end of each terminal accommodating cavity 13 on the base end face 11c side. The protrusion engagement groove 13a is an elongated recess whose upper end is open at the base end face 11c and extends a predetermined length (depth) downward from the base end face 11c (toward the tip face 11d), and is capable of accommodating an engagement protrusion 57 of the second terminal 51B, which will be described later.

The base end 11a is formed to have a smaller outer diameter than the tip end 11b, and a circumferentially continuous attachment engagement groove 11a1 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the portion adjacent to the tip end 11b. Furthermore, a groove 11g extending in the vertical direction (the insertion direction of the flexible member 81) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip end 11b. The base end 11a and tip end 11b are also formed with a rotation prevention hole 18 that opens in the center of the base end surface 11c and tip end surface 11d. In the example shown in the figure, the rotation prevention hole 18 is a square hole with a hexagonal cross section, and a rotation prevention pole 48 is inserted into it.

(Flexible member 81)
In this embodiment, a second terminal 51B provided at one end of a flexible member 81 has a partly different shape from that of the second terminal 51B in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 20, the second terminal 51B in this embodiment includes a base 52 connected to the end of the flexible member 81, and a main body 56 extending from the base 52 toward the tip. The main body 56 includes a locking piece 55 formed on the base 52 side so as to protrude in one direction intersecting the axial direction of the flexible member 81.

The main body 56 has a pair of side walls 56a that face each other and extend toward the tip, a deformation prevention wall 56b formed at the tip of the side walls 56a, and a pair of contact pieces 54 that face each other and extend toward the tip. The tip side portion of the main body 56 is formed by the pair of side walls 56a and the pair of contact pieces 54 so as to form a rectangle when viewed from the insertion direction of the flexible member 81. The deformation prevention wall 56b is a continuous rectangular tubular member that forms a rectangle when viewed from the insertion direction of the flexible member 81.

Furthermore, the main body 56 has a pair of engagement protrusions 57 that protrude toward both the left and right sides in Figs. 20(a) and (c) in a portion adjacent to the locking piece 55 so as to intersect with the axial direction of the flexible member 81 and also with the protruding direction of the locking piece 55. After the connector 10 is assembled, the engagement protrusions 57 are accommodated in the protrusion engagement grooves 44a of the alignment member 41 or the protrusion engagement grooves 13a of the second housing 11B, and function as a rotation stopper for the second terminal 51B.

It is desirable to set the length l1 (see FIG. 18(d)) of the projection engagement groove 44a of the alignment member 41 slightly longer than the axial length L (see FIG. 20(a)) of the engagement projection 57. As a result, the entire engagement projection 57 is accommodated in the projection engagement groove 44a and does not protrude from the second housing side surface 42c of the alignment member 41, so that it does not get in the way when attaching the second housing 11B to the alignment member 41. Furthermore, if the length l1 is made even longer, for example, about twice the length L, even if there are a large number of flexible members 81 and there is a tolerance in the position of the engagement projection 57, it is possible to prevent all of the engagement projections 57 from protruding from the second housing side surface 42c of the alignment member 41 in the state shown in FIGS. 21 and 22.

(Assembly procedure)
The procedure for assembling the connector 10 in this embodiment will now be described.

The procedure for stacking the alignment member 41 and the first housing 11A, passing the first terminal 51A of each flexible member 81 through each flexible member insertion cavity 44 of the alignment member 41, and inserting it into each terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the first housing 11A is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted. In the first embodiment, the alignment member 41 and the first housing 11A are stacked by engaging the positioning protrusion 45 and the positioning recess 11f, but in this embodiment, the rotation stop pole 48 protruding downward from the first housing side surface 42d of the main body 42 is inserted into the rotation stop hole 18 opening at the center of the base end surface 11c of the base end 11a, and the first housing side surface 42d and the base end surface 11c are abutted or brought into close proximity to each other to stack the alignment member 41 and the first housing 11A. The anti-rotation pole 48 is inserted into the anti-rotation hole 18 to prevent relative rotation between the alignment member 41 and the first housing 11A.

As shown in FIG. 18, the rotation prevention pole 48 protruding downward from the first housing side surface 42d of the alignment member 41 has an outwardly protruding rib 48a formed on the side at the base portion thereof. When the rotation prevention pole 48 is inserted into the rotation prevention hole 18 of the first housing 11A, the alignment member 41 is fixed to the first housing 11A with the rib 48a lightly pressed into the inner wall surface of the rotation prevention hole 18. This allows the first terminal 51A to be inserted into the terminal receiving cavity 13 of the first housing 11A in a stable manner. Also, since the rib 48a is only lightly pressed into the inner wall surface of the rotation prevention hole 18, there is no hindrance to the subsequent operation of separating the alignment member 41 from the first housing 11A.

Next, the alignment member 41 is moved away from the first housing 11A and moved relatively along the flexible member 81 toward the second terminals 51B, and each second terminal 51B is inserted from the second housing side surface 42c side of the main body 42 into each flexible member insertion cavity 44 and aligned, as shown in Figures 21 and 22. In this state, each second terminal 51B has its base 52 and locking piece 55 housed in the flexible member insertion cavity 44, and a pair of engagement protrusions 57 housed in and engaged with the protrusion engagement grooves 44a formed at the end on the second housing side surface 42c side. Therefore, each of the aligned second terminals 51B cannot move any further within the flexible member insertion cavity 44 toward the first housing side surface 42d, and as shown in Figures 21 and 22, the contact piece 54, the side wall 56a, and the deformation prevention wall 56b are stopped relative to the alignment member 41 in a state where they protrude upward from the second housing side surface 42c. Note that for convenience of explanation, some of the flexible members 81 are omitted from the illustration in Figures 21 and 22.

Next, as shown in Figure 23, the second housing 11B is aligned with the alignment member 41. Specifically, the base end face 11c faces the second housing side face 42c in parallel, the anti-rotation hole 18 opening in the center of the base end face 11c faces the anti-rotation pole 48 protruding upward from the second housing side face 42c, and each terminal accommodating cavity 13 opening in the base end face 11c faces each second terminal 51B.

Next, the second housing 11B is moved relatively toward the alignment member 41, the anti-rotation pole 48 is inserted into the anti-rotation hole 18, and each second terminal 51B protruding upward from the second housing side surface 42c is inserted into each terminal accommodating cavity 13, and the second housing side surface 42c and the base end surface 11c are brought into contact or close to each other to overlap the alignment member 41 and the second housing 11B. By inserting the anti-rotation pole 48 into the anti-rotation hole 18, relative rotation between the alignment member 41 and the second housing 11B is prevented. The anti-rotation pole 48 may be press-fitted into the anti-rotation hole 18. As a result, each of the second terminals 51B is accommodated in the corresponding terminal accommodating cavity 13 in the second housing 11B.

As shown in FIG. 18, the rotation prevention pole 48 protruding upward from the second housing side surface 42c of the alignment member 41 has a rib 48a protruding outward on the side at the base portion thereof. When the rotation prevention pole 48 is inserted into the rotation prevention hole 18 of the second housing 11B, the alignment member 41 is fixed to the second housing 11B with the rib 48a lightly pressed into the inner wall surface of the rotation prevention hole 18. This allows the second terminal 51B to be inserted into the terminal receiving cavity 13 of the second housing 11B in a stable manner. In addition, if the shape of the rib 48a is changed so that the rib 48a is strongly pressed into the inner wall surface of the rotation prevention hole 18, the fixing force of the alignment member 41 to the second housing 11B can be strengthened, and the first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B to be used thereafter can be omitted.

The above steps can also be performed by sliding the first housing 11A, the alignment member 41, or the second housing 11B along a guide member. For example, a workbench is prepared with a straight rail attached as a guide member to a horizontal upper surface. Then, the first housing 11A, the alignment member 41, and the second housing 11B are each turned sideways, and the groove 11g formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base end 11a of the first housing 11A, the groove 42b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 42 of the alignment member 41, and the groove 11g formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip end 11b of the second housing 11B are slidably fitted into the rail. In this way, the first housing 11A, the alignment member 41, or the second housing 11B can be moved closer to or farther away from each other by sliding them along a single rail.

Next, as shown in Figures 24 to 26, the alignment member 41 stacked on the second housing 11B is attached to the second housing 11B using the first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B. The first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B each have a main body 22 having an overall shape like a semi-cylinder obtained by vertically dividing a cylinder into two, a window 23 formed in the main body 22, a visor 24 that protrudes inward at the upper end of the main body 22 (the end on the second housing 11B side), and a step 25 that protrudes inward below the window 23 in the main body 22. In addition, the portion corresponding to the batten that divides the side end of the window 23 is a locking piece 23a.

The first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B are attached so as to cover the peripheral surface of the main body 42 of the alignment member 41 from both the left and right sides. Then, the locking piece 23a is locked to the claw portion 42a of the main body 42 of the alignment member 41. The locking piece 23a is a member that has elasticity and functions as a spring, and exerts a spring force, so that the locking state with the claw portion 42a is not easily released. In addition, the visor portion 24 enters and engages with the attachment engagement groove 11a1 of the second housing 11B. Furthermore, the step portion 25 engages with the first housing side surface 42d of the main body 42 of the alignment member 41. In this way, the visor 24 engages with the attachment engagement groove 11a1 of the second housing 11B, and the step 25 engages with the first housing side surface 42d of the main body 42 of the alignment member 41, so that the alignment member 41 is maintained attached to the second housing 11B by the first attachment 21A and the second attachment 21B. This stabilizes the positional relationship between the alignment member 41 and the second housing 11B, preventing a load from being applied to the flexible member 81.

25 and 26, the base 52 and the locking piece 55 of each second terminal 51B are accommodated in the flexible member insertion cavity 44 of the alignment member 41, and the contact piece 54, the side wall 56a, and the deformation prevention wall 56b are accommodated in the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the second housing 11B. However, since the lance 15 is not formed on the wall surface of the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the second housing 11B as described above, each second terminal 51B is movable to some extent in the insertion direction of the flexible member 81 (up and down direction in FIGS. 25 and 26). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 26, the engaging protrusion 57 of the second terminal 51B is located in the protrusion engaging groove 13a in the terminal accommodating cavity 13, but may be located in the protrusion engaging groove 44a in the flexible member insertion cavity 44. In addition, with respect to the insertion direction of the flexible member 81, it is desirable that the length l2 of the projection engagement groove 13a in the terminal accommodating cavity 13 is set longer than the length l1 of the projection engagement groove 44a in the flexible member insertion cavity 44. In this way, when the length l2 of the projection engagement groove 13a and the length l1 of the projection engagement groove 44a are longer than the length L of the engagement projection 57, the second terminal 51B is movable in the insertion direction of the flexible member 81, so even if there is a tolerance in the dimensions of the flexible member 81 or the press-fit position of the first terminal 51A in the terminal accommodating cavity 13 of the first housing 11A, such a tolerance can be absorbed.

If the length l1 of the protrusion engagement groove 44a in the flexible member insertion cavity 44 is sufficiently long, the protrusion engagement groove 13a in the terminal accommodating cavity 13 can be shortened or the protrusion engagement groove 13a can be omitted.

As a result, it is possible to provide a connector 10 in which terminals 51 located at both ends of a flexible bending member 81 such as an electric wire can be accurately, easily, and quickly inserted into a housing 11 using a single alignment member 41, and an alignment member 41 used therein.

The rest of the configuration and operation of the connector 10 in this embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description of it will be omitted.

Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims.

For example, in this embodiment, the first terminal 51A and the second terminal 51B are described as receptacle terminals of the same shape, but either one may be connected to the flexible member 81 as a rod-shaped terminal and protrude from the housing 11, and may be directly connected to a wiring board or device without using a mating connector. Also, in this embodiment, the opening shape of the flexible member insertion cavity 44 of the alignment member 41 and the shape of the terminal 51 are described as being rectangular, but the opening shape is not particularly limited as long as the terminal 51 does not rotate significantly around the axis of the insertion direction and does not shift position.

10: Connector 11: Housing (11A: First housing, 11B: Second housing)
11a...base end portion 11b...tip portion 11c...base end surface 11d...tip surface 11e...alignment member accommodating recess 11f...positioning recess 13...terminal accommodating cavity 15...lance 41...alignment member 42...main body portion 43...projection portion 44...flexible member insertion cavity 45...positioning protrusion 51...terminal (51A...first terminal, 51B...second terminal)
52...base portion 53...bottom plate portion 54...contact piece 55...locking piece 81...flexible member 111...mating housing of mating connector (111A...first mating housing)

Claims (11)

A first housing;
a first terminal attached to the first housing;
A second housing separate from the first housing;
a second terminal attached to the second housing;
a flexible member having the first terminal and the second terminal connected to both ends thereof and connecting the first housing and the second housing;
an alignment member having a flexible member insertion cavity through which the flexible member is inserted, the alignment member being movably disposed between the first housing and the second housing with the flexible member inserted therethrough ;
When the first terminal is attached to the first housing, the first terminal and the first housing are aligned by the alignment member, and when the second terminal is attached to the second housing, the second terminal and the second housing are aligned by the alignment member .
A connector characterized by: The connector according to claim 1, wherein the flexible member insertion cavity of the alignment member is an opening through which the first terminal and the second terminal can be inserted and through which the first terminal and the second terminal are arranged so as to be attachable to the first housing and the second housing. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alignment member includes a main body portion located on the second housing side and a protrusion portion protruding from the main body portion on the first housing side. the alignment member has a positioning protrusion protruding at a boundary between the main body portion and the protrusion,
The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the positioning protrusion is engaged with a positioning recess provided on the first housing. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the flexible member insertion cavity of the alignment member is an opening through which the first terminal can be inserted, but which stops the second terminal with the contact piece of the second terminal protruding, and which positions the first terminal and the second terminal so that they can be attached to the first housing and the second housing. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the alignment member includes a main body and a rectangular column protruding from the main body toward the first and second housings, and the rectangular column is inserted into a rectangular hole provided in the first and second housings. The connector according to claim 6, wherein the alignment member is attached to the second housing by an attachment. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the second terminal includes an engagement protrusion, and the flexible member insertion cavity of the alignment member is formed on the side of the second housing and includes a protrusion engagement groove capable of accommodating the engagement protrusion. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the length of the projection engagement groove is longer than the axial length of the engagement projection. A first housing;
a first terminal attached to the first housing;
A second housing separate from the first housing;
a second terminal attached to the second housing;
a flexible member having the first terminal and the second terminal connected to both ends thereof and connecting the first housing and the second housing;
an alignment member having a flexible member insertion cavity through which the flexible member is inserted, the alignment member being movably disposed between the first housing and the second housing with the flexible member inserted therethrough ;
A method for manufacturing a connector, the method comprising: when the first terminal is attached to the first housing, the first terminal and the first housing are aligned by the alignment member; and when the second terminal is attached to the second housing, the alignment member is aligned to the second housing,
providing a flexible member having the first and second terminals connected to opposite ends thereof;
stacking the first housing and the alignment member;
attaching the first terminal to the first housing by passing the first terminal through the alignment member;
moving the alignment member toward the second terminal while the flexible member is inserted through the alignment member;
a step of inserting the second terminal into the alignment member and causing a contact piece at a tip end side of the second terminal to protrude from the alignment member;
a step of accommodating a contact piece of the second terminal protruding from the alignment member in the second housing, and further accommodating and attaching the second terminal in the second housing;
A method for manufacturing a connector comprising: The method for manufacturing a connector according to claim 10, further comprising the step of attaching the alignment member to the second housing by an attachment.

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