JP2009170323A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid an increase in the size of a connector in the height direction. <P>SOLUTION: One housing 10 out of a pair of housings fittable to each other has cavities 27A formed in a plurality of rows in the cross direction and in a plurality of stages in the height direction for storing terminal fittings 70 connected to the terminals of an electric wire W. On the terminal fitting 70, a connection part 73 having a contact face 73A to be fitted to the other housing 60 to electrically contact another tuning fork terminal 80 is formed in the state of being exposed from the fitted face of one housing 10. When the terminal fittings 70 are stored in all cavities 27A, the connection parts 73 are aligned to the fitted face of one housing 10 in the width direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

In Patent Document 1, a flat cable housing portion that houses a flat cable in which a plurality of conductors are arranged in parallel in the width direction is formed at the lower stage of one of the pair of housings that can be fitted to each other, An invention of a connector is disclosed in which a plurality of cavities for accommodating terminal fittings connected to the terminals of discrete wires are formed in parallel in the width direction. In addition, a mounting portion for mounting a tuning fork terminal that can be connected to a flat cable conductor is formed in the lower stage of the other housing, and a mounting portion for mounting a tuning fork terminal that can be connected to a terminal fitting is also formed in the upper stage. ing.
JP 2006-12717 A

  By the way, for example, in the case of a connector incorporated in an ECU (electronic control unit) mounted on an automobile, there is a strong demand for minimizing the height of the housing as much as possible while it tends to be multipolar. However, in the above case, since the flat cable housing part and the cavity are separately arranged in one housing in the above case, it is necessary to arrange each mounting part of the tuning fork terminal separately in the other housing corresponding to this. There is a circumstance that it is inevitable to increase the size in the height direction.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above situation, and an object thereof is to avoid an increase in the size of the connector in the height direction.

  As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that one of the pair of housings that can be fitted to each other has a cavity capable of accommodating a terminal fitting connected to the end of the electric wire. A plurality of rows in the width direction and a plurality of steps in the height direction are formed, and the terminal fitting has a connection portion having a contact surface that comes into electrical contact with the mating terminal by fitting with the other housing. It is formed to be exposed from the fitting surface of the one housing, and when the terminal fitting is accommodated in all of the cavities, the connecting portion is aligned with the fitting surface of the one housing in the width direction. It has the characteristic that it is set as the structure arranged.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, the arrangement of the cavities is staggered so as to be shifted by a half pitch in the width direction.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a support portion that supports a side surface opposite to the contact surface of the connection portion protrudes from the fitting surface of the one housing. It has the characteristics in the place.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the plate according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the mating terminal elastically sandwiches the connecting portion in the height direction by fitting with the one housing. It is characterized by the fact that it is configured by a tuning fork terminal that is mounted on the other housing so that its plate surface is along the height direction.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, a concave portion is formed on one surface in the height direction of the outer surface of the other housing, and a bottom surface of the concave portion is formed. A lock receiving portion is formed, and a lock portion is formed on one of the outer surfaces of the one housing in the height direction, and the lock portion locks the lock receiving portion, thereby The housing is held in a detachment regulation state, and the other surface in the height direction of the outer surfaces of the two housings does not overlap each other in the height direction in the fitted state of the two housings. It has the characteristics.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the one according to the fifth aspect, the one housing accommodates a cavity portion composed of a plurality of the cavities and a belt-like flat cable in which a plurality of conductors are arranged in parallel in the width direction. The flat cable housing portion is characterized in that it is disposed on both sides in the width direction across the lock portion.

<Invention of Claim 1>
Although one housing has a plurality of cavities in the height direction, when the terminal fittings are accommodated in all of these cavities, the connection portion of the terminal fitting is connected to the fitting surface of one housing in the width direction. Therefore, the mating terminals to be connected to these connecting portions can be aligned in the width direction in the other housing. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the other housing from becoming large in the height direction.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the arrangement of the cavities is a staggered arrangement with a half-pitch shift in the width direction, the protruding positions of the connecting portions in the width direction can be aligned at substantially the same position in all the terminal fittings.
<Invention of Claim 3>
Since the support surface that supports the side opposite to the contact surface of the connection portion is formed to protrude from the fitting surface of one housing, it is possible to prevent the connection portion from being broken or damaged.

<Invention of Claim 4>
The mating terminal is composed of a plurality of plate-shaped tuning fork terminals, and these tuning fork terminals are mounted on the other housing with their plate surfaces along the height direction. Can be arranged, and can cope with multipolarization. Moreover, since the existing tuning fork terminal can be used, cost can be suppressed.

<Invention of Claim 5>
The lock receiving portion is formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion formed on one surface in the height direction of the other housing, and the other surface in the height direction of the outer surfaces of the two housings is in the height direction in the fitted state of both housings. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the other housing from being enlarged in the height direction in the fitted state with the one housing.

<Invention of Claim 6>
In one housing, the cavity part and the flat cable housing part are respectively arranged on both sides in the width direction across the lock part, so that each terminal fitting can be smoothly inserted into and removed from the cavity part, and the terminal Parts that do not require the metal fitting / extraction work can be covered with a flat cable, and the work efficiency is improved. Moreover, since the lock part is arrange | positioned between the cavity part and the flat cable accommodating part, the space efficiency of one housing becomes favorable.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector of the present embodiment exemplifies a connector used in an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted on an automobile, and includes a pair of housings 10 and 60 that can be fitted and detached from each other.

  Of the housings 10 and 60, the ECU housing (hereinafter referred to as the other housing 60) to which the tuning fork terminal 80 connected to the ECU circuit is mounted is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. It has a flat square block shape that is elongated in the width direction. The upper surface (one surface in the height direction) of the other housing 60 extends along the front-rear direction (the fitting / removing direction of both housings 10 and 60) at a position slightly closer to one side than the center in the width direction. Concave portions 61 are formed in the front and rear surfaces of the housing 60. A lock receiving portion 62 projects from the front end of the bottom surface of the recess 61. The lock receiving portion 62 is accommodated within the depth of the recess 61, and the upper end of the lock receiving portion 62 is located below the upper surface of the other housing 60 (the upper surface excluding the recess 61).

  In the other housing 60, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 63 are arranged side by side in a line in the width direction. Each terminal accommodating chamber 63 is arranged separately on both sides in the width direction across the lock receiving portion 62, and among these, the left side when viewed from the front is a terminal on the other side connected to the terminal of the electric wire W The first accommodation chamber 63A that receives the metal fitting 70 is provided, and the right side is a second accommodation chamber 63B that receives the mating flat cable 90 in which a plurality of conductors 91 are arranged in parallel in the width direction. Each terminal accommodating chamber 63 is formed in a vertically long slit shape, and each tuning fork terminal 80 is fitted therein by press-fitting in a vertically oriented posture.

  The tuning fork terminal 80 accommodated in each terminal accommodating chamber 63 is made of a conductive metal, has a plate shape of the same shape and the same size, and a contact piece 81 which can be elastically bent in the height direction (vertical direction) and its A substantially U-shaped portion comprising the lower support piece 82 and a substantially crank-shaped leg portion 83 extending rearward from the rear end of this portion and bent downward in the middle thereof are provided. Here, the tuning fork terminal 80 is inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber 63 from the rear while keeping its plate surface along the height direction, so that the tuning fork terminal 80 is press-fitted and held in each terminal accommodating chamber 63. The tuning fork terminal 80 is electrically connected to the ECU circuit by soldering the lower end of the portion 83 to the land of the printed circuit board 100.

  The other housing 60 is formed with a receiving portion 64 that crosses in the width direction so as to communicate with each terminal accommodating chamber 63. The receiving portion 64 includes a first receiving portion 64A corresponding to the first receiving chamber 63A and a second receiving portion 64B corresponding to the second receiving chamber 63B, and the first receiving portion 64A and the second receiving portion 64B are locked. They are arranged separately on both sides of the receiving part 62. And the receiving part 64 is made into the form opened in the shape of a horizontally long slit in the front surface of the other housing 60, and can accept the other side protrusion part (the support part 36 and the cable support stand 28B mentioned later) inside this front opening. It has become. The front opening of the first receiving portion 64A has a linear shape extending straight in the width direction, and the front opening of the second receiving portion 64B has a concave shape with both end portions in the width direction rounded upward.

  The housing (hereinafter referred to as one housing 10) to which the other housing 60 is connected is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. In the form of a block and in a normal fit with the other housing 60, the front fits with the other housing 60 in a state in which the front face thereof is abutted against the front face of the other housing 60. As shown in FIG. 8, the one housing 10 includes a housing main body 11 and a cover 12, and is attached so that the cover 12 covers the upper surface (one surface in the height direction) of the housing main body 11.

  The cover 12 is plate-shaped and covers both the left and right cover plates 13 located on both sides in the width direction, a pair of elastic pieces 14 that can be bent in the width direction depending on the outer edges of the cover plates 13 in the width direction, and both covers And a lock portion 15 located between the plates 13 and slightly closer to one side than the center in the width direction. The lock portion 15 includes a bridge portion 16 that extends in the width direction between the inner edges of the cover plates 13, and a lock body 17 that is positioned below the bridge portion 16 and extends in both the front and rear directions. The fulcrum part 18 provided at the lower end of the part 16 can swing in a seesaw shape in the height direction with the fulcrum part 18 as a fulcrum. Among these, the front lock body 17 has a gate-shaped frame shape having a lock hole 19 into which the other lock receiving portion 62 can be fitted when both the housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted. By fitting the portion 62, both the housings 10 and 60 are held in the detachment restricted state. The rear lock body 17 has a rectangular plate-like release operation portion 21 that is pressed when the two housings 10 and 60 in the locked state are released.

  At both ends in the width direction of the lock body 17, a pair of elastic auxiliary pieces 22 are formed to hang substantially parallel to the elastic piece 14. A pair of locking claws 23 are formed at the lower end portion of the inner surface of the elastic auxiliary piece 22 so as to protrude inward. Similarly, a pair of locking claws 23 are formed in the lower end portion of the inner surface of the elastic piece 14 so as to protrude inward.

  A pair of locking projections 24 that can be locked to the elastic piece 14 are formed on both side surfaces of the housing body 11. Since the locking claw 23 of the elastic piece 14 is elastically latched on the locking projection 24, both end portions in the width direction of the cover 12 are held and held by the housing body 11. Further, on the upper surface of the housing body 11, concave grooves 25 that extend in the front-rear direction and open on both front and rear surfaces of the housing body 11 are formed at positions slightly closer to one side than the center in the width direction. The lock body 17 of the lock portion 15 of the cover 12 can be fitted into the concave groove 25, and a pair of locking grooves 26 that can be locked with the elastic auxiliary piece 22 are formed in the bottom of the concave groove 25. ing. When the latching claw 23 of the elastic auxiliary piece 22 is elastically latched on the groove surface of the latching groove 26, the intermediate portion in the width direction of the cover 12 is retained and held by the housing body 11. Thus, the elastic piece 14 elastically locks the locking protrusion 24 and the elastic auxiliary piece 22 elastically locks the locking groove 26, whereby the cover 12 and the housing body 11 are integrated. .

  In the housing main body 11, a cavity portion 27 and a flat cable housing portion 28 are arranged in the width direction on both sides in the width direction across the concave groove 25. Among these, the flat cable housing portion 28 located on the left side when viewed from the front has a slit-like cable insertion hole 28A that penetrates in the front-rear direction and extends in the width direction, as shown in FIG. A flat cable 90 is inserted into the cable insertion hole 28A from the rear. A cable support 28 </ b> B that supports the front end of the flat cable 90 is formed at the front end of the flat cable housing 28 so as to protrude forward from the front surface of the housing body 11. A pair of side walls 28C for restricting the movement of the flat cable 90 in the width direction are formed at both ends in the width direction of the cable support base 28B so as to rise in the front-rear direction. A flat cable is provided at the front end of the cable support base 28B. A front wall 28 </ b> E having an insertion groove 28 </ b> D that restricts the forward movement of the flat cable 90 and restricts the floating of the flat cable 90 is formed to rise in the width direction. The cable support base 28B is inserted into the second receiving portion 64B by fitting with the other housing 60.

  Further, a block-shaped pressing portion 29 that presses the flat cable 90 inserted into the cable insertion hole 28 </ b> A from above is formed at the rear end portion of the housing body 11. The holding portion 29 is integrally connected to the front side of the housing body 11 via a hinge 31 and can be displaced between a closed state and an opened state by being rotated about the hinge 31. . The flat cable 90 is inserted into the cable insertion hole 28A when the pressing portion 29 is in the open state, and the flat cable 90 is prevented from coming out backward when the pressing portion 29 is in the closed state. Since the cover 12 is integrally held by the housing main body 11, the upper portion of the pressing portion 29 is covered by the cover plate 13 of the cover 12, and the pressing portion 29 is kept closed.

  The flat cable 90 has a strip shape in which a plurality of conductors 91 are arranged at a constant pitch in the width direction, and the periphery of the conductors 91 is surrounded by an insulating resin except for a terminal portion (front end portion), and is exposed at the terminal portion. The contact piece 81 of the other tuning fork terminal 80 is in elastic contact with a conductor (hereinafter, exposed conductor 91).

  On the other hand, the cavity portion 27 located on the right side when viewed from the front is composed of a plurality of cavities 27A, and each cavity 27A is formed in parallel in the width direction and in two steps in the height direction. In addition, the upper and lower cavities 27A are alternately arranged with a half-pitch deviation in the width direction, and the arrangement of the cavities 27A as a whole of one housing 10 is staggered.

  A lance 32 is formed on the inner wall of the cavity 27A so that the terminal fitting 70 accommodated in the cavity 27A can be prevented from coming off. The lance 32 corresponding to the lower cavity 27 </ b> A is disposed so as to be exposed on the lower surface of the housing body 11, and the lance 32 corresponding to the upper cavity 27 </ b> A is disposed so as to be exposed on the upper surface of the housing body 11. It is covered in a protected state by an attached cover 12. Each cavity 27 </ b> A is opened on the rear surface of the housing body 11, while being substantially closed on the front surface of the housing body 11. When the terminal fittings 70 are inserted into the cavities 27A from the rear, the terminal fittings 70 abut against the front wall 33 of the housing body 11 and are stopped in front.

  On the front surface of the housing main body 11, a die-cutting hole 34 at the time of molding the lance 32 is opened corresponding to each lance 32, and the tip of the lance 32 faces the die-cutting hole 34. Further, a through hole 35 through which a connection portion 73 (described later) of the terminal fitting 70 passes through the front surface of the housing body 11 at a substantially central portion in the height direction of the housing body 11 and for each position corresponding to each cavity 27A. Are aligned in a line in the width direction. The through hole 35 includes a first through hole 35A that communicates with the lower end portion of the upper cavity 27A and a second through hole 35B that communicates with the upper end portion of the lower cavity 27A. Are arranged alternately. As shown in FIG. 4, the inner wall of the through hole 35 is a tapered surface 35E having a tapered shape that gradually decreases in height from the rear surface opening communicating with the cavity 27A, and is inserted from the rear by the tapered surface 35E. The connecting portion 73 to be connected is invited.

  Further, on the front surface of the housing main body 11, a support portion 36 that supports the connection portion 73 of the terminal fitting 70 from below is formed in a substantially central portion in the height direction and in front of each through hole 35. The support portion 36 has a stage shape that crosses the front surface of the housing body 11 in the width direction, and the support surface (upper surface) that supports the terminal fitting 70 has a positioning groove 36A that communicates with each through hole 35 and extends in the front-rear direction. It is formed in parallel in the direction. A connecting portion 73 of the terminal fitting 70 is positioned and fitted in each positioning groove 36A. In addition, a protective wall 36B that restricts forward movement of the connection portion 73 is formed at the front end of the support portion 36 so as to rise in the width direction. The housing body 11 has a lower surface of the housing body 11 in which a retainer 40 that locks with the terminal fitting 70 inserted into the cavity 27A and prevents the terminal fitting 70 from coming off is opposite to the attachment side of the cover 12. It is supposed to be plugged into.

  The terminal fitting 70 inserted into the cavity 27A is formed by bending a conductive metal plate. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal fitting 70 is provided with a rectangular tube-like box portion 71 at the front portion and an open barrel-like shape at the rear portion. A barrel portion 72 is provided, and a connecting portion 73 elongated in the front-rear direction is provided in front of the box portion 71. The form composed of the box portion 71 and the barrel portion 72 is the same as a known female terminal fitting, and the terminal fitting 70 can be configured by adding a connecting portion 73 to the known female terminal fitting. . Therefore, when the terminal fitting 70 is manufactured, there is no significant design change.

The box portion 71 is provided with a lance hole 74 that is elastically locked by the lance 32 when the terminal fitting 70 is normally inserted into the cavity 27 </ b> A. A retaining projection 75 that increases the engagement allowance is formed upright. At the rear end of the box portion 71, a stabilizer 76 that can be fitted into the kerf 27 </ b> B along the cavity 27 </ b> A in a process of fitting with the other housing 60 is formed so as to protrude. The barrel portion 72 includes an insulation barrel 72A that is crimped to the terminal coating of the electric wire W by caulking, and a wire barrel 72B that is also crimped to the terminal core wire of the electric wire W by caulking.
And the connection part 73 is made into the form which protrudes integrally with the box part 71 to the front from the substantially center part of the width direction in the front end of the box part 71, and in the terminal metal fitting 70 inserted in the upper stage cavity 27A, the box part 71 of FIG. The terminal fitting 70 installed at the lower edge and inserted into the lower cavity 27 </ b> A is installed at the upper edge of the box portion 71. When all the terminal fittings 70 are properly inserted into the cavity 27A, the upper and lower connecting portions 73 pass through the through holes 35 and are supported in a positioning state by the positioning grooves 36A of the support portion 36, and the other side Corresponding to one storage chamber 63A, they are arranged in a line in the width direction, and as a whole, they are arranged alternately at substantially the same position in the height direction.

Next, the operation of the connector of this embodiment will be described.
With respect to the other housing 60, the tuning fork terminals 80 are inserted and held from the rear in the respective terminal accommodating chambers 63, and the rear end portions of the respective tuning fork terminals 80 are soldered to the printed circuit board 100.

  For one housing 10, the pressing portion 29 of the housing body 11 is opened, and the flat cable 90 is inserted into the cable insertion hole 28 </ b> A of the flat cable housing portion 28 from the rear. The flat cable 90 is fixed in one housing 10 by inserting the end of the flat cable 90 into the insertion groove 28 </ b> D and closing the pressing portion 29. Then, the exposed conductor 91 of the flat cable 90 turns forward from the front surface of the housing body 11, and the exposed conductor 91 is disposed upward on the upper surface of the cable support base 28B.

  Moreover, the terminal fitting 70 with the electric wire W is inserted into each cavity 27A of the cavity part 27 from back. In inserting the terminal fitting 70, as shown in FIG. 6, the terminal fitting 70 in which the connecting portion 73 protrudes from the lower edge of the box portion 71 is inserted into the upper cavity 27A. As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal fitting 70 from which the connection part 73 protrudes from the upper edge of the box part 71 is inserted. In the insertion process of the terminal fitting 70, the lance 32 interferes with the box portion 71 and is elastically bent and deformed, and the connection portion 73 is inserted into the through hole 35 from the rear and exposed to the front surface of the housing body 11. When the terminal fitting 70 is properly inserted, the lance 32 is elastically restored, the tip of the lance 32 is elastically fitted into the lance hole 74 of the box portion 71 of the terminal fitting 70, and the terminal fitting 70 is moved backward into the cavity 27A. While being held in a state where it is prevented from coming off, the connecting portion 73 is fitted into the positioning groove 36A, and the tip of the connecting portion 73 comes into contact with the protective wall 36B from the rear. Thereby, the connection part 73 exposes the upper surface (hereinafter referred to as contact surface 73A) opposite to the lower surface supported by the support part 36 upward. In addition, with respect to one housing 10, the cover 12 is put on the housing main body 11 so that the both 11 and 12 are integrated.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front surfaces (fitting surfaces) of the two housings 10 and 60 are opposed to each other, and the two housings 10 and 60 are fitted to each other in this state. In the process of fitting the two housings 10 and 60, the support portion 36 is inserted into the first receiving portion 64A in a fitted state, and the cable support base 28B is inserted into the second receiving portion 64B in a fitted state. Thereby, the fitting operation | movement of both the housings 10 and 60 is guided, and the loose movement to the direction which cross | intersects a fitting direction is controlled. When the two housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted, the front surfaces of the two housings 10 and 60 are abutted with each other, and the lock portion 15 elastically locks the lock receiving portion 62 so that both the housings 10 and 60 are detached. Locked to a regulated state. Further, in this regular fitting state, the cable support 28 </ b> B and the exposed conductor 91 of the flat cable 90 supported by the cable support 28 </ b> B are inserted from the front into the second housing chamber 63 </ b> B of the terminal housing chamber 63. 91, the contact piece 81 of the tuning fork terminal 80 is elastically contacted from above to establish conduction between the two 80 and 90, and the connection portion 73 of the support portion 36 and the terminal fitting 70 supported thereby is provided in the terminal accommodating chamber. 63, the contact piece 81 of the tuning fork terminal 80 is brought into elastic contact with the contact surface 73A of the connection portion 73 from above, and electrical connection between the two 70 and 80 is established. Further, in this regular fitting state, the upper surfaces of both housings 10 and 60 including the locking portions of the lock portion 15 and the lock receiving portion 62 have portions overlapping each other in the height direction, but both housings 10 and 60 are included. Since there are no overlapping portions on the lower surface side, the enlargement in the height direction is avoided.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, although one housing 10 has the two upper and lower cavities 27A, when the terminal fitting 70 is inserted into all of the cavities 27A, Since the connection portions 73 of the terminal fittings 70 are arranged in a line in the width direction on the front surface of the housing 10, the other tuning fork terminals 80 to be connected to these connection portions 73 are aligned in the width direction in the other housing 60. Can be arranged in line with each other. Therefore, the multi-stage of the cavity 27A in the other housing 60 is prevented, and the height dimension of the other housing 60 can be suppressed.

  In this case, since the plate-like tuning fork terminal 80 is mounted in one housing 10 with the plate surface thereof being along the height direction with a narrow pitch in the width direction, it is sufficiently compatible with multipolarization of ECU circuits and the like. can do. Moreover, since the existing tuning fork terminal 80 can be used, the cost can be reduced.

Further, since the arrangement of the cavities 27A is staggered so as to be shifted from each other by a half pitch in the width direction, the protruding positions of the connecting portions 73 can be aligned with the substantially central portion in the width direction for all the terminal fittings 70, and the design Complexity can be reduced.
Moreover, since the support part 36 which supports the surface on the opposite side of the contact surface 73A of the connection part 73 protrudes and is formed in the front surface of one housing 10, it can prevent that the connection part 73 is broken and damaged. . In this case, since the support portion 36 also has a guiding function for guiding the fitting operation of both the housings 10 and 60, the configuration of one housing 10 can be simplified.

  Further, a lock receiving portion 62 is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 61 on the upper surface of the other housing 60, and in the fitted state of both housings 10, 60, a portion overlapping each other in the height direction is formed on the lower surface side of both housings 10, 60. Since it does not have, it can suppress that the other housing 60 enlarges to a height direction also in the fitting state with the one housing 10. FIG.

  Furthermore, since the cavity portion 27 and the flat cable housing portion 28 are respectively disposed on one side of the housing 10 in the width direction across the lock portion 15, the insertion and removal of each terminal fitting 70 to the cavity portion 27 is facilitated. In addition, the flat cable 90 can cover a portion that does not require the work of inserting and removing the terminal fitting 70, and the working efficiency is improved. Moreover, since the lock part 15 is arrange | positioned between the cavity part 27 and the flat cable accommodating part 28, the space efficiency of one housing 10 becomes favorable.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) The cavity may be arranged in three stages or more in the height direction in one housing.
(2) The other housing is configured by mixing the cavity portion into which the terminal fitting with the electric wire is inserted and the flat cable housing portion, but may be configured by only the cavity portion by omitting the flat cable housing portion. Good.
(3) A known female terminal fitting or the like having a box portion into which the connection portion is inserted instead of the tuning fork terminal may be attached to one housing.
(4) One housing may have only a housing main body having a lock portion without a cover.
(5) The upper and lower cavities may be arranged coaxially in the height direction. In this case, in the terminal fitting inserted into the upper cavity, the connecting portion is installed on one end side in the width direction of the lower edge of the box portion, and in the terminal fitting inserted in the lower cavity, the other end in the width direction of the upper edge of the box portion. It is good to install a connecting part on the side.

The principal part sectional side view which shows the state by which both housings were normally fitted in the connector of this invention Cross-sectional side view of the main part showing the state before fitting both housings Side view of terminal fitting Cross-sectional side view of the main part of the housing body Cross-sectional side view of the main part of the housing body with the terminal fitting inserted into the lower cavity Cross-sectional side view of the main part of the housing body with the terminal fitting inserted into the upper cavity Sectional view on the flat cable housing part side showing the state before fitting both housings Cross-sectional side view of the main part showing the state before the cover is attached to the housing body Plan view of one housing Front view of the housing body Top view of the housing body Rear view of housing body Enlarged front view of the main part of the housing body Front view of the other housing

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... One housing 11 ... Housing main body 12 ... Cover 27A ... Cavity 36 ... Support part 60 ... The other housing 70 ... Terminal metal fitting 73 ... Connection part 73A ... Contact surface 80 ... Tuning fork terminal

Claims (6)

In one of the pair of housings that can be fitted to each other, cavities that can accommodate terminal fittings connected to the ends of the electric wires are formed in a plurality of rows in the width direction and in a plurality of steps in the height direction. And
In the terminal fitting, a connecting portion having a contact surface that comes into electrical contact with the mating terminal by fitting with the other housing is formed to be exposed from the fitting surface of the one housing,
When the terminal fitting is accommodated in all the cavities, the connector is arranged on the fitting surface of the one housing so as to be aligned in the width direction.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the cavities are arranged in a staggered manner with a half-pitch shift in the width direction.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein a support portion that supports a side surface opposite to the contact surface of the connection portion is formed to protrude from the fitting surface of the one housing.   The mating terminal is constituted by a plate-shaped tuning fork terminal that elastically sandwiches the connection portion in the height direction by fitting with the one housing, and the other surface is arranged so that the plate surface is along the height direction. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connector is mounted on a housing.   A concave portion is formed on one surface in the height direction of the outer surface of the other housing, and a lock receiving portion is formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion, and one surface in the height direction of the outer surface of the one housing. Is formed with a lock portion, and the lock portion engages the lock receiving portion so that the two housings are held in a disengagement restricted state, and the two housings are fitted together. 5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein in the state, the other surface in the height direction of the outer surfaces of the two housings does not overlap each other in the height direction.   In the one housing, a cavity portion composed of a plurality of the cavities and a flat cable housing portion for housing a belt-like flat cable in which a plurality of conductors are arranged in parallel in the width direction are respectively sandwiched in the width direction. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the connector is disposed on both sides of the connector.

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