阅读说明：本技术 接头连接器 (Joint connector ) 是由 小林大树 川濑治 田端正明 原照雄 松井元 于 2020-03-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种接头连接器,连接多条电线,该接头连接器具备：多个端子,分别与所述多条电线的延伸方向的前方端部连接；汇流条,与所述多个端子连接；以及壳体,在内部收纳有所述多个端子及所述汇流条,所述汇流条具有多个突片和连结所述多个突片的连结部,所述多个端子各自具有：所述多个突片各自能插入的筒部；夹持部,沿着所述延伸方向延伸,并且夹持所述电线；以及滑动部,配置于所述夹持部的外侧,并且能沿着所述延伸方向移动,所述滑动部具有加压部,所述加压部在所述电线被所述夹持部夹着的状态下将所述夹持部朝向所述电线加压。(A joint connector for connecting a plurality of wires, comprising: a plurality of terminals connected to front ends of the plurality of wires in an extending direction, respectively; a bus bar connected to the plurality of terminals; and a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminals and the bus bar therein, the bus bar having a plurality of protruding pieces and a coupling portion that couples the plurality of protruding pieces, the plurality of terminals each having: a cylindrical portion into which each of the plurality of protruding pieces is insertable; a clamping portion extending along the extending direction and clamping the electric wire; and a sliding portion that is disposed outside the clamping portion and is movable in the extending direction, the sliding portion having a pressing portion that presses the clamping portion toward the electric wire in a state where the electric wire is clamped by the clamping portion.)

1. A joint connector for connecting a plurality of electric wires,

the joint connector includes: a plurality of terminals connected to front ends of the plurality of wires in an extending direction, respectively; a bus bar connected to the plurality of terminals; and a housing in which the plurality of terminals and the bus bar are housed,

the bus bar has a plurality of tabs and a coupling portion that couples the plurality of tabs,

the plurality of terminals each have: a cylindrical portion into which each of the plurality of protruding pieces is insertable; a clamping portion extending along the extending direction and clamping the electric wire; and a sliding portion disposed outside the clamping portion and movable in the extending direction,

the sliding portion has a pressing portion that presses the clamping portion toward the electric wire in a state where the electric wire is clamped by the clamping portion.

2. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar has a positioning portion that contacts with the housing from the front in the extending direction.

3. The joint connector according to claim 2, wherein the bus bar has a front coming-off preventing portion that comes into contact with the housing from a rear of the extending direction.

4. The joint connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing has an opening portion that opens in a cross direction that crosses the extending direction, and a protective wall that covers the bus bar from the cross direction,

the inside and the outside of the housing are communicated through the opening portion.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a joint connector.

Background

A joint connector that connects a plurality of electric wires to each other is disclosed in japanese patent laid-open No. 2018-5988. Female terminals are connected to ends of the plurality of wires, respectively. The female terminal connected to the end of the electric wire is received in the mating connector.

The mating connector is fitted to the joint connector. A bus bar having a plurality of pin terminals is held by the joint connector.

The plurality of wires are connected by the female terminal and the bus bar having the pin terminal by fitting the joint connector and the mating connector.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-5988

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, according to the conventional technique, when the mating operation of the joint connector and the mating connector is performed, both connectors may shake. As a result, the bus bar is deformed or the female terminal is worn due to sliding, and there is a possibility that the reliability of the electrical connection between the two connectors is lowered.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a joint connector with improved electrical connection reliability.

Means for solving the problems

The present disclosure is a joint connector for connecting a plurality of electric wires, the joint connector including: a plurality of terminals connected to front ends of the plurality of wires in an extending direction, respectively; a bus bar connected to the plurality of terminals; and a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminals and the bus bar therein, the bus bar having a plurality of protruding pieces and a coupling portion that couples the plurality of protruding pieces, the plurality of terminals each having: a cylindrical portion into which each of the plurality of protruding pieces is insertable; a clamping portion extending along the extending direction and clamping the electric wire; and a sliding portion that is disposed outside the clamping portion and is movable in the extending direction, the sliding portion having a pressing portion that presses the clamping portion toward the electric wire in a state where the electric wire is clamped by the clamping portion.

Effects of the invention

According to the present disclosure, the electrical connection reliability of the joint connector is improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a joint connector of embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the joint connector.

Fig. 3 is a top sectional view showing a state where the bus bar is fitted into the housing.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the bus bar.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing the bus bar.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the bus bar is fitted into the housing.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state where the terminal and the electric wire are connected.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing a state in which the bus bar and the terminal are housed in the case.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a bus bar and a terminal are housed in a housing, and a state in which a rear holder is attached to the housing.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing a state where a core wire of an electric wire is inserted into a terminal.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing a state in which the terminal and the electric wire are connected by moving the sliding portion with the jig.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the rear holder is arranged at the final locking position with respect to the housing.

Detailed Description

[ description of embodiments of the present disclosure ]

First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

(1) The present disclosure is a joint connector for connecting a plurality of electric wires, the joint connector including: a plurality of terminals connected to front ends of the plurality of wires in an extending direction, respectively; a bus bar connected to the plurality of terminals; and a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminals and the bus bar therein, the bus bar having a plurality of protruding pieces and a coupling portion that couples the plurality of protruding pieces, the plurality of terminals each having: a cylindrical portion into which each of the plurality of protruding pieces is insertable; a clamping portion extending along the extending direction and clamping the electric wire; and a sliding portion that is disposed outside the clamping portion and is movable in the extending direction, the sliding portion having a pressing portion that presses the clamping portion toward the electric wire in a state where the electric wire is clamped by the clamping portion.

Since the bus bar and the plurality of terminals are housed in the housing, it is not necessary to mate the connector housing the bus bar and the connector housing the plurality of terminals. Therefore, the deformation of the bus bar and the sliding wear of the terminal due to the wobbling of the connector housing the bus bar and the connector housing the plurality of terminals can be suppressed. As a result, the reliability of electrical connection between the plurality of wires in the joint connector can be improved.

Preferably, the bus bar has a positioning portion that contacts the housing from the front in the extending direction.

Since the positioning portion is in contact with the case from the front, when the bus bar is pushed into the case from the front, the bus bar is prevented from being pushed too far behind the predetermined position and is positioned at the predetermined position in the case.

Preferably, the bus bar has a front retaining portion that contacts the housing from the rear in the extending direction.

When the sliding portion of the terminal is moved forward from the rear in the extending direction, the pressing portion presses the clamping portion against the electric wire to clamp the electric wire by the clamping portion, whereby the electric wire and the terminal are electrically connected. Therefore, the terminal receives a force from the rear toward the front through the sliding portion. As a result, a force is applied to the bus bar from the rear to the front by the projecting piece disposed in the cylindrical portion of the terminal. The front anti-drop part arranged on the bus bar contacts with the shell from the back. This can suppress the bus bar from moving forward. As a result, the bus bar can be suppressed from moving forward from the predetermined position in the housing.

Preferably, the housing has an opening portion that opens in a cross direction that crosses the extending direction, and a protective wall that covers the bus bar from the cross direction, and the inside and the outside of the housing are communicated through the opening portion.

The jig or the like can be inserted into the housing from the opening portion that communicates the inside and the outside of the housing, and the slide portion can be moved. This enables efficient manufacturing of the joint connector. In addition, since the bus bar is covered with the protective wall, the bus bar can be protected from collision with foreign matter.

[ details of embodiments of the present disclosure ]

Embodiments of the present disclosure are explained below. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

< embodiment 1>

Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 12. The joint connector 10 of the present embodiment electrically connects a plurality of wires 11. In the following description, the direction indicated by the arrow Z is referred to as the upper side, the direction indicated by the arrow Y is referred to as the front side, and the direction indicated by the arrow X is referred to as the left side. In addition, in some cases, only some of the same members are denoted by reference numerals, and reference numerals of other members are omitted.

As shown in fig. 1, the joint connector 10 of the present embodiment includes: a plurality of terminals 12 connected to front end portions of the plurality of wires 11 in an extending direction (direction indicated by arrow line Y); a bus bar 50 connected to the plurality of terminals 12; a housing 30 that accommodates the plurality of terminals 12 and the bus bar 50 therein; a rear holder 31 mounted to the rear of the housing 30; and a cover 60 covering the housing 30 from the front.

[ electric wire 11]

As shown in fig. 1, the plurality of wires 11 are arranged to extend in the front-rear direction (an example of the extending direction). The electric wire 11 has an outer periphery of the core wire 13 surrounded by an insulating coating 14 made of an insulating synthetic resin. The core wire 13 of the present embodiment is constituted by one metal wire. The core wire 13 may be a stranded wire formed by twisting a plurality of thin metal wires. The metal constituting the core wire 13 can be appropriately selected from any metal such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum alloy, and the like as needed. The core wire 13 of the present embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy.

[ case 30]

As shown in fig. 2, the housing 30 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with flat upper and lower portions. Is formed by injection molding a material containing an insulating synthetic resin. In the housing 30, a plurality of cavities 29 are formed so as to be arranged in two stages in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction, and the plurality of cavities 29 extend in the front-rear direction (see fig. 1).

The rear half of the upper wall of the housing 30 is opened upward to form an upper opening 32A. The inside and outside of the case 30 communicate with each other through the upper opening 32A. In addition, a lower opening 32B that opens downward is formed in the rear half of the lower wall of the housing 30. The inside and outside of the housing 30 communicate through the lower opening 32B. In fig. 1, the terminals 12 accommodated in the cavities 29 of the lower layer are omitted.

As shown in fig. 2, the cavity 29 is open forward at the front end portion of the housing 30, and is formed as a bus bar insertion hole 51 into which the bus bar 50 is inserted from the front into the cavity 29.

As shown in fig. 3, a clip projecting piece protrusion 33 projecting rightward from the left side wall of the cavity 29 is formed in the housing 30 at a position corresponding to the front end portion of the projecting piece 52 on the rear side in a state where the bus bar 50 is inserted into the cavity 29 of the housing 30. The interval between the right end of the clip projecting protrusion 33 and the cavity 29 is the same as or slightly larger than the width dimension of the projecting piece 52 in the left-right direction.

As shown in fig. 1, the case 30 includes an upper protection wall 49A (an example of a protection wall) and a lower protection wall 49B (an example of a protection wall), and in a state where the bus bar 50 is inserted into the cavity 29, the upper protection wall 49A covers an upper portion of the protruding piece 52, and the lower protection wall 49B covers a lower portion of the protruding piece 52.

As shown in fig. 3, a temporary locking portion 36 and a final locking portion 37 provided at a position forward of the temporary locking portion 36 are formed to protrude outward at positions near rear end portions of both the left and right side walls of the housing 30. A lock receiving portion 38 of the rear holding body 31, which will be described later, is assembled to the temporary engagement lock portion 36 and the main engagement lock portion 37.

[ outer cover 60]

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the case 30 is covered with a cover 60 assembled from the front in a state where the rear end portion is exposed. The cover 60 is formed by injection molding an insulating synthetic resin. The cover 60 has a square tubular shape with a closed front end and an open rear. A locking claw 61 protruding upward is formed at a rear end portion of the lower wall of the housing 60.

As shown in fig. 1, in a state where the cover 60 is assembled to the housing 30, the bus bar insertion hole 51 is covered by the cover 60.

[ bus bar 50]

As shown in fig. 4, the bus bar 50 is formed by press-working a metal plate material into a predetermined shape. As the metal plate material, any metal such as copper or a copper alloy can be appropriately selected. The bus bar 50 includes a plurality of (11 in the present embodiment) projecting pieces 52 extending rearward, and a coupling portion 54 coupling the front ends of the projecting pieces 52 via a relay portion 53. The protruding piece 52 has a flat plate shape in the left-right direction. The coupling portion 54 is formed in a plate shape that is flat in the vertical direction. The relay portion 53 is formed to extend rearward from the connection portion 54. The right edge of the coupling portion 54 is bent downward and connected to the protruding piece 52.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the rear end of the coupling portion 54 is formed as a positioning portion 55 that contacts the front end of the clip projecting protrusion 33 from the front. When the bus bar 50 is inserted into the cavity 29 from the front, the positioning portion 55 contacts the front end portion of the clip projecting piece protrusion 33, so that the bus bar 50 is restrained from moving backward, and the bus bar 50 is positioned at a predetermined position in the housing 30. The positioning portion 55 is formed at a position forward of the protruding piece 52.

As shown in fig. 4, a plurality of (10 in the present embodiment) locking holes 56 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction in the coupling portion 54 penetrate the coupling portion 54. The locking hole 56 has a square shape when viewed from above. As shown in fig. 3 and 6, in a state where the bus bar 50 is inserted into the cavity 29, the locking claws 35 protruding from the housing 30 toward the connection portion 54 are received in the locking holes 56. The forward movement of the bus bar 50 can be restricted by the front edge of the locking hole 56 coming into contact with the locking claw 35 from the front. A front retaining portion 57 for suppressing forward movement of the bus bar 50 is formed at a hole edge portion on the front side of the locking hole 56.

[ terminal 12]

As shown in fig. 7, the terminal 12 includes a metal terminal body 15 and a sliding portion 16 that is slidable relative to the terminal body 15.

[ terminal body 15]

The terminal body 15 is formed into a predetermined shape by a known method such as press working, cutting, and casting. The metal constituting the terminal body 15 can be appropriately selected from any metal such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and the like as needed. The terminal body 15 of the present embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy. A plating layer may be formed on the surface of the terminal body 15. The metal constituting the plating layer can be appropriately selected from any of metals such as tin, nickel, silver, and the like as needed. The terminal body 15 of the present embodiment is plated with tin.

As shown in fig. 8, the terminal main body 15 includes: a cylindrical portion 17 into which the protruding piece 52 can be inserted; and a wire connecting portion 20 located behind the cylindrical portion 17 and connected to the wire 11. The wire connecting portion 20 includes an upper clamping portion 18A and a lower clamping portion 18B extending rearward.

As shown in fig. 7, the tube portion 17 has a square tube shape extending in the front-rear direction. The front end of the cylindrical portion 17 is opened so that the protruding piece 52 can be inserted. A metal lance 21 projecting upward is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 17. The metal lance 21 is locked from the front by a hole edge portion of a lance locking hole 22 formed in the cavity 29 of the housing 30 so as to penetrate in the vertical direction (see fig. 8). This prevents the terminal 12 from being detached rearward.

As shown in fig. 7, an elastically deformable elastic contact piece 19 is disposed inside the cylindrical portion 17. Although not shown in detail, the elastic contact piece 19 has a known structure extending inward from the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 17. The projecting piece 52 inserted into the cylindrical portion 17 presses the elastic contact piece 19 to be elastically deformed. The protruding piece 52 is sandwiched between the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 17 and the elastic contact piece 19 by the repulsive force of the elastic contact piece 19 that is elastically deformed. Whereby the tab 52 and the terminal 12 are electrically connected.

As shown in fig. 8, a wire connection portion 20 having a square cylindrical shape is provided behind the cylindrical portion 17. An upper clamping portion 18A (an example of a clamping portion) extends rearward from a rear end portion of the upper wall of the wire connecting portion 20, and a lower clamping portion 18B (an example of a clamping portion) extends rearward from a rear end portion of the lower wall of the wire connecting portion 20. The upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B have elongated shapes extending in the front-rear direction. The upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B are formed to have substantially the same longitudinal dimension in the front-rear direction.

An upper holding projection 23A projecting downward is provided on the lower surface of the upper clamping portion 18A and forward of the rear end portion. A lower holding projection 23B projecting upward is provided at a rear end portion of the upper surface of the lower clamping portion 18B. The lower holding projection 23B and the upper holding projection 23A are provided at positions shifted in the front-rear direction.

The metal surface of the core wire 13 is exposed by the lower surface of the upper clamping portion 18A and the upper surface of the lower clamping portion 18B being sunk into the oxide film formed on the surface of the core wire 13 to peel off the oxide film. The metal surface comes into contact with the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B, whereby the core wire 13 and the terminal body 15 are electrically connected.

[ sliding part 16]

As shown in fig. 7, the sliding portion 16 has a square tubular shape extending in the front-rear direction. The sliding portion 16 is formed by a known method such as cutting, casting, and pressing, as necessary. The metal constituting the sliding portion 16 can be appropriately selected from any metal such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and the like as needed. The sliding portion 16 of the present embodiment is not particularly limited, and is made of stainless steel. A plating layer may be formed on the surface of the sliding portion 16. The metal constituting the plating layer can be appropriately selected from any of metals such as tin, nickel, silver, and the like as needed.

The cross-sectional shape of the sliding portion 16 is formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the region of the terminal body 15 where the upper side holding portion 18A and the lower side holding portion 18B are provided. Thus, the sliding portion 16 is disposed outside the region of the terminal body 15 where the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B are provided.

As shown in fig. 8, a lower upper pressing portion 25A (an example of a pressing portion) protruding downward is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall of the sliding portion 16. A lower pressing portion 25B (an example of a pressing portion) protruding upward is provided on the upper surface of the lower wall of the slide portion 16.

As shown in fig. 7, a temporary locking receiving portion 26 is opened in a position near the front end portion in the front-rear direction of the side wall of the slide portion 16. Further, a main locking receiving portion 27 is opened in a side wall of the slide portion 16 at a position rearward of the temporary locking receiving portion 26. The temporary locking receiving portion 26 and the final locking receiving portion 27 can be elastically locked to a locking protrusion 28 provided on a side wall of the terminal body 15.

The state in which the locking projection 28 of the terminal main body 15 is locked to the temporary locking receiving portion 26 of the slide portion 16 is a state in which the slide portion 16 is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the terminal main body 15 (see fig. 8). In this state, the upper pressing portion 25A and the lower pressing portion 25B of the sliding portion 16 are spaced rearward from the rear end edges of the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B of the terminal body 15. In this state, the distance between the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B is set to be larger than the diameter of the core wire 13.

The state in which the locking projection 28 of the terminal main body 15 is locked to the primary locking receiving portion 27 of the slide portion 16 is a state in which the slide portion 16 is locked to the primary locking position with respect to the terminal main body 15 (see fig. 7 and 11). In this state, the upper pressing portion 25A of the sliding portion 16 contacts the upper clamping portion 18A from above the upper clamping portion 18A. The lower pressing portion 25B of the slide portion 16 contacts the lower clamping portion 18B from below the lower clamping portion 18B.

As described above, the slide portion 16 is slidably movable between the temporary locking position and the final locking position in a state of being externally fitted to the region of the terminal body 15 where the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B are provided.

As shown in fig. 11, in a state where the slide portion 16 is held at the final locking position with respect to the terminal body 15, the upper pressing portion 25A presses the upper clamping portion 18A from above, and the upper clamping portion 18A deforms downward. Further, the lower clamping portion 18B is deformed upward by the lower pressing portion 25B pressing the lower clamping portion 18B from below. Thus, in the space between the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B, the core wire 13 is disposed in a state of extending in the front-rear direction (extending direction), and the core wire 13 is clamped from the vertical direction by the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B that are elastically deformed in a state where the slide portion 16 is held at the final locking position with respect to the terminal body 15. That is, the upper clamping portion 18A is pressed downward by the upper pressing portion 25A to be in contact with the core wire 13 from above, and the lower clamping portion 18B is pressed upward by the lower pressing portion 25B to be in contact with the core wire 13 from below.

As shown in fig. 11, in a state where the slide portion 16 is held at the main locking position with respect to the terminal body 15, the upper holding projection 23A of the upper clamping portion 18A presses the core wire 13 from above, and the lower holding projection 23B of the lower clamping portion 18B presses the core wire 13 from below. In this way, the core wire 13 is held in a state of being bent in the vertical direction (an example of a direction intersecting the extending direction) by being pressed from above by the upper holding projection 23A and also being pressed from below by the lower holding projection 23B arranged at a position shifted from the upper holding projection 23A in the front-rear direction. The core wire 13 and the terminal 12 are also electrically connected by the upper holding projection 23A and the lower holding projection 23B.

As shown in fig. 11, a jig contact portion 46 protruding upward from the upper wall is provided at the front end portion of the slide portion 16. The jig 45 contacts the jig contact portion 46 from the rear, and the slide portion 16 is pushed forward by the jig 45, whereby the slide portion 16 can move forward. The jig 45 is relatively small in size compared to a mold and a device for operating the mold. Therefore, the increase in cost due to the jig 45 can be suppressed.

As shown in fig. 8, a pair of insertion portions 47 protruding inward of the slide portion 16 are provided on both left and right side walls of the slide portion 16 at positions close to the rear end portion. The width of the insertion portion 47 is narrowed from the rear to the front. The core wire 13 is guided to the inside of the sliding portion 16 by sliding the core wire 13 against the inner surface of the insertion portion 47.

[ rear holder 31]

As shown in fig. 2, the rear holder 31 has a box shape opened forward. The rear holder 31 is formed by injection molding an insulating synthetic resin. The rear holder 31 is externally fitted to the rear half of the housing 30. Lock receiving portions 38 that can be elastically locked to the temporary locking portions 36 and the main locking portions 37 of the housing 30 are provided at positions near the front end portions of the left and right side walls of the rear holding body 31. The lock receiving portion 38 has a substantially door shape.

The temporary locking lock portion 36 of the housing 30 and the lock receiving portion 38 of the rear holding body 31 are locked, whereby the rear holding body 31 is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the housing 30 (see fig. 9). The rear holder 31 is held at the final locking position with respect to the housing 30 by locking the final locking portion 37 of the housing 30 with the lock receiving portion 38 of the rear holder 31 (see fig. 12).

As shown in fig. 9, the rear holder 31 is provided with a plurality of insertion holes 39 through which the wires 11 are inserted, the insertion holes being arranged in a horizontal direction and arranged in two stages in an upper and lower direction. The insertion hole 39 is provided at a position corresponding to the cavity 29 of the housing 30. The inner diameter of the insertion hole 39 is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the insulating coating 14 of the electric wire 11.

As shown in fig. 9, in the rear holder 31, the cover 41 into which the case 30 is fitted opens forward. A pair of projecting walls 42A, 42B are provided near the center in the vertical direction at the rear end of the cover 41, and the pair of projecting walls 42A, 42B project forward in the cover 41 and are arranged at a vertical interval. The vertical interval between the pair of projecting walls 42A, 42B is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the vertical thickness of the partition wall 34 of the housing 30.

As shown in fig. 9, in a state where the rear holder 31 is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the housing 30, the pair of protruding walls 42A, 42B of the rear holder 31 are positioned rearward of the rear end edge of the partition wall 34 of the housing 30. As shown in fig. 12, in a state where the rear holder 31 is held at the final locking position with respect to the housing 30, the partition wall 34 of the housing 30 is fitted between the pair of projecting walls 42A, 42B of the rear holder 31. This can prevent the rear holder 31 from being displaced in the vertical direction with respect to the housing 30.

As shown in fig. 1, a cover locking portion 48 projecting downward is provided on the lower surface of the rear holding body 31 at a position close to the rear end portion. The rear holder 31 and the connector are held in the cover 60 so as to prevent rearward detachment by the latch claws 61 of the cover 60 coming into contact with the cover latch portions 48 of the rear holder 31 from behind.

[ Assembly Process of the Joint connector 10 ]

Next, an example of an assembling process of the joint connector 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. The assembling process of the joint connector 10 is not limited to the following description. In fig. 6 and 8 to 12, the terminal 12 and the wire 11 disposed in the cavity 29 of the lower layer are omitted.

The terminal body 15 and the sliding portion 16 are formed by a known method. The slide portion 16 is assembled from the rear with respect to the terminal main body 15. The front end edge of the slide portion 16 abuts against the locking projection 28 of the terminal main body 15 from the rear, and the side wall of the slide portion 16 is expanded and deformed. When the slide portion 16 is further pushed forward, the side wall of the slide portion 16 is restored and deformed, and the temporary locking receiving portion 26 of the slide portion 16 is locked to the locking protrusion 28 of the terminal main body 15. Thereby, the slide portion 16 is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the terminal main body 15. Thereby obtaining the terminal 12.

The case 30 and the rear holder 31 are formed by injection molding a synthetic resin.

As shown in fig. 3 and 6, the bus bar 50 is inserted into the bus bar insertion hole 51 of the housing 30 from the front. The bus bar 50 is held in the housing 30 in a state where it is not detached by inserting the locking claws 35 of the housing 30 into the locking holes 56 of the bus bar 50. In addition, the bus bar 50 is held in a previously stopped state at a predetermined position within the case 30 by the positioning portion 55 of the bus bar 50 contacting the front end portion of the clip projecting piece protrusion 33 of the case 30.

As shown in fig. 8, the terminals 12 are inserted rearwardly into the cavities 29 of the housing 30. The metal lance 21 of the terminal 12 is locked to the lance locking hole 22 of the housing 30 from the front, and the terminal 12 is held so as to be prevented from being disengaged from the rear. The protruding piece 52 of the bus bar 50 is inserted into the cylindrical portion of the terminal 12. The tab 52 and the terminal 12 are electrically connected by the contact of the tab 52 and the elastic piece. Thereby, the plurality of terminals 12 are electrically connected through the bus bar 5.

As shown in fig. 9, a rear holder 31 is assembled from the rear to the rear end of the housing 30. Then, the front end portion of the rear holder 31 abuts on the temporary lock portion 36 of the housing 30 from behind, and the front end portion of the rear holder 31 is expanded and deformed. When the rear holding body 31 is pressed forward further, the front end portion of the rear holding body 31 is restored and deformed, and the lock receiving portion 38 of the rear holding body 31 elastically locks the temporary locking portion 36 of the housing 30. Thereby, the rear holder 31 is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the housing 30. In this state, the rear holding body 31 is disposed at a position separated rearward from the rear end edge of the slide portion 16.

The core wire 13 of the electric wire 11 is exposed by peeling the insulating coating 14 by a known method. As shown in fig. 10, the front end portion of the core wire 13 is inserted from the rear into an insertion hole 39 provided at the rear end portion of the rear holder 31.

When the electric wire 11 is further pushed forward, the front end of the core wire 13 is introduced into the sliding portion 16 from the rear end of the sliding portion 16. The core wire 13 is guided to the slide portion 16 by coming into contact with the insertion portion 47 of the slide portion 16. When the electric wire 11 is further pushed forward, the distal end portion of the core wire 13 enters the terminal body 15 and reaches the space between the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B.

As shown in fig. 10, in a state where the slide portion 16 is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the terminal main body 15 and in a state where the rear holding body 31 is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the housing 30, the interval between the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B is set larger than the outer diameter of the core wire 13.

Next, as shown in fig. 11, the jig 45 is inserted into the housing 30 from the upper opening 32A, the jig 45 is brought into contact with the jig contact portion 46 from behind to slide the slide portion 16 forward, and then the rear holder 31 is moved forward. The slide portion 16 moves forward relative to the terminal body 15. At this time, the locking projections 28 of the terminal body 15 and the temporary locking receiving portions 26 of the slide portion 16 are locked and released, and the side wall of the slide portion 16 is expanded and deformed over the locking projections 28.

When the slide portion 16 moves forward, the side wall of the slide portion 16 is restored and deformed, and the locking projection 28 of the terminal main body 15 and the main locking receiving portion 27 of the slide portion 16 are elastically locked. Thereby, the slide portion 16 is held at the final locking position with respect to the terminal main body 15.

In a state where the slide portion 16 is held at the final locking position with respect to the terminal body 15, the upper pressing portion 25A of the slide portion 16 abuts against the upper clamping portion 18A of the terminal body 15 from above and is pressed downward. The lower pressing portion 25B of the sliding portion 16 abuts against the lower clamping portion 18B of the terminal body 15 from below and is pressed upward. Thereby, the core wire 13 is sandwiched by the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B from the top and bottom (see fig. 11).

As shown in fig. 11, the core wire 13 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the upper clamping portion 18A and the upper surface of the lower clamping portion 18B, so that the oxide film formed on the surface of the core wire 13 is peeled off, and the metal surface constituting the core wire 13 is exposed. The metal surface is brought into contact with the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B, whereby the electric wire 11 and the terminal 12 are electrically connected. Thereby, the plurality of wires 11 are electrically connected through the terminal 12 and the bus bar 50.

In a state where the core wire 13 is sandwiched from above and below by the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B, the core wire 13 is sandwiched by the upper holding projection 23A of the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower holding projection 23B of the lower clamping portion 18B, and is held in a state extending in the front-rear direction and in a state bent in the up-down direction. As a result, the core wire 13 can be firmly held, and therefore, when a pulling force acts on the electric wire 11, the holding force between the electric wire 11 and the terminal 12 can be increased.

Then, when the rear holding body 31 is pressed forward, the front end portion of the rear holding body 31 is expanded and deformed across the main lock portion 37 of the housing 30. When the rear holding body 31 is further pressed forward, the main lock portion 37 of the housing 30 is locked to the lock receiving portion 38 of the rear holding body 31. Thereby, as shown in fig. 12, the rear holder 31 is held at the final locking position with respect to the housing 30.

Finally, as shown in fig. 1, the cover 60 is fitted into the housing 30 from the front of the housing 30. The housing 30 is held in the housing 60 in a state of being prevented from being separated rearward by the latch claw 61 provided at the rear end portion of the housing 60 coming into contact with the cover latch portion 48 provided at the rear holding body 31 from rearward. Thereby, the joint connector 10 is completed.

[ Effect of the present embodiment ]

Next, the operation and effects of the present embodiment will be described. The joint connector 10 for connecting a plurality of wires 11 includes: a plurality of terminals 12 connected to the front ends of the plurality of wires 11 in the extending direction; a bus bar 50 connected to the plurality of terminals 12; and a housing 30 that accommodates the plurality of terminals 12 and the bus bar 50 therein, the bus bar 50 having a plurality of protruding pieces 52 extending along the rear and a coupling portion 54 that couples the plurality of protruding pieces 52, each of the plurality of terminals 12 having: a cylindrical portion 17 into which the plurality of projecting pieces 52 are inserted; an upper clamping part 18A and a lower clamping part 18B extending along the extending direction and clamping the electric wire 11; and a slide portion 16 which is disposed outside the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B and is movable in the front-rear direction, the slide portion 16 having an upper pressing portion 25A and a lower pressing portion 25B, the upper pressing portion 25A and the lower pressing portion 25B pressing the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B toward the electric wire 11 in a state where the electric wire 11 is clamped by the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B.

Since the bus bar 50 and the plurality of terminals 12 are housed in the housing 30, it is not necessary to fit the connector housing the bus bar 50 and the connector housing the plurality of terminals 12. Therefore, deformation of the bus bar 50 and sliding wear of the terminals 12 due to rattling of the connector housing the bus bar 50 and the connector housing the plurality of terminals 12 can be suppressed. As a result, the reliability of electrical connection between the plurality of wires 11 in the joint connector 10 can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, the bus bar 50 has the positioning portion 55 that contacts the housing 30 from the front.

Since positioning portion 55 is in contact with case 30 from the front, when bus bar 50 is pushed into case 30 from the front, it is possible to suppress excessive pushing into the rear of the predetermined position and to position it at the predetermined position in case 30.

According to the present embodiment, the bus bar 50 has the front stopper portion 57 which comes into contact with the clip projecting protrusion 33 of the housing 30 from behind.

The electric wire 11 and the terminal 12 are moved forward from the rear in the extending direction by the sliding portion 16 of the terminal 12, and the upper pressing portion 25A presses the upper clamping portion 18A downward, and the lower pressing portion 25B presses the lower clamping portion 18B upward, so that the core wire 13 of the electric wire 11 is sandwiched between the upper clamping portion 18A and the lower clamping portion 18B, thereby electrically connecting the electric wire 11. Therefore, the terminal 12 receives a force from the rear toward the front by the sliding portion 16. As a result, a force is applied to the bus bar 50 from the rear to the front by the protruding piece 52 disposed in the cylindrical portion 17 of the terminal 12. A front retaining portion 57, which is a hole edge portion on the front side of the locking hole 56 provided in the coupling portion 54 of the bus bar 50, is in contact with the locking claw 35 of the housing 30 from behind. This can suppress the forward movement of the bus bar 50 by the locking pawl 35. As a result, the bus bar 50 can be suppressed from moving forward from the predetermined position in the housing 30.

According to the present embodiment, the case 30 has an upper opening 32A opened upward and a lower opening 32B opened downward, and an upper protective wall 49A and a lower protective wall 49B covering the bus bar 50 from above and below, and the inside and the outside of the case 30 communicate with each other through the upper opening 32A and the lower opening 32B.

The jig 45 and the like can be inserted into the housing 32 from the upper opening 32A and the lower opening 32B that communicate the inside and the outside of the housing 30, and the slide portion 16 can be moved. This enables the manufacturing operation of the joint connector 10 to be effective. Further, since the bus bar 50 is covered with the upper protection wall 49A and the lower protection wall 49B from above and below, the bus bar 50 can be protected from collision with foreign matter.

< other embodiment >

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described by the above-described techniques and the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the techniques disclosed in the present specification.

(1) The positioning portion 55 may be omitted.

(2) The front retaining portion 57 may be omitted.

(3) The cavity 29 may be formed in one layer in the vertical direction, or may be formed in three or more layers.

(4) The cover 60 may also be omitted. In this case, for example, the cavity 29, the upper opening 32A, and the lower opening 32B may be closed by winding a tape around the case 30.

(5) The terminal may have one or more than three clamping portions.

Description of the reference numerals

10: joint connector

11: electric wire

12: terminal with a terminal body

13: core wire

14: insulating coating

15: terminal body

16: sliding part

17: barrel part

18A: upper side clamping part

18B: lower clamping part

19: elastic contact piece

20: electric wire connecting part

21: metal lance

22: lance-shaped part locking hole

23A: upper side holding projection

23B: lower side holding projection

25A: upper pressurizing part

25B: lower pressurizing part

26: temporary stop receiving part

27: formal locking receiving part

28: locking projection

29: chamber

30: shell body

31: rear holding body

32A: upper side opening part

32B: lower side opening part

33: clip tab projection

34: partition wall

35: clamping claw

36: temporary stop locking part

37: formal locking part

38: lock receiving part

39: plug-in hole

41: cover part

42A, 42B: projecting wall

45: jig tool

46: contact part of jig

47: inducing part

48: lid locking part

49A: upper side protective wall

49B: lower side protection wall

50: bus bar

51: bus bar insertion hole

52: tab

53: relay part

54: connecting part

55: positioning part

56: locking hole

57: front anti-slip part

60: outer cover

61: lock claw