JP7715482B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector.

For example, an inflator in an automobile airbag system is fitted with an inflator-side connector to which a harness-side connector is connected. This inflator-side connector has a cylindrical holder with a bottom that is fixed to the inflator, and a shunt ring that fits into this holder; the shunt ring is locked to the holder by the claws of the shunt ring engaging with grooves formed in the holder (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). A mating connector on the harness side is connected to this inflator-side connector by fitting the connecting portion of the mating connector into a fitting port provided in the shunt ring, thereby electrically connecting the inflator to the wire harness.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-203722 Patent No. 6023580

However, with the connectors described above, misalignment (play) between the holder and shunt ring may occur when they are assembled due to dimensional tolerances during manufacturing. As long as this play is within the range anticipated during design, it usually does not substantially affect the quality of the connector. However, if the shunt ring comes into strong contact with a surrounding object, for example, during transportation of the inflator or assembly into a vehicle, the shunt ring may be displaced by the amount of play, potentially causing damage to the shunt ring and holder. Given that the connector is intended for use with an inflator in an airbag system, it is desirable to increase the connector's strength to withstand such unexpected contact. Naturally, high strength against similar contacts is desirable not only for connectors used with inflators, but for other connectors as well. Thus, from the perspective of further increasing the connector's strength, it is desirable to minimize play between the components that make up the connector.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a connector that can suppress rattle between the components that make up the connector.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the connector according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (6).
(1)
A connector including a first part and a second part that face each other in a mating direction with a mating connector and are assembled by approaching each other in the mating direction,
the first part has an abutment surface facing in one direction in the mating direction,
the second component has an abutted surface facing in the other direction in the fitting direction,
The connector is:
a mechanism for generating a biasing force such that the first component is biased in the one direction and the second component is biased in the other direction so that the abutting state between the abutting surface and the abutted surface is maintained after the first component and the second component are assembled;
a mechanism for engaging the first part with the second part so that the mating of the connector is not released after the first part and the second part are assembled,
the one direction corresponds to a direction in which the first component approaches the second component in the fitting direction, and the other direction corresponds to a direction in which the second component approaches the first component in the fitting direction,
The first component has an annular groove on a side surface thereof,
the second component has, on a side surface thereof, a resilient arm that is cantilevered and extends in the one direction and engages with the annular groove , and a locking arm that is cantilevered and extends in the one direction and engages with the annular groove, the resilient arm having an urging surface that is inclined so as to gradually protrude laterally toward the annular groove as it extends from the extending end thereof toward the other direction,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force includes:
the biasing surface of the elastic arm contacts an edge on the one side of the annular groove portion, and the edge is kept pressed against the biasing surface by the elastic force of the elastic arm , thereby generating the biasing force and maintaining the contact state between the contact surface and the contacted surface ,
The engaging mechanism includes:
When the abutting surface and the abutted surface are in contact with each other, the engaging surface, which is the extending end surface of the engaging arm, and the wall surface of the annular groove portion on the one side are disposed opposite to each other with a gap in the fitting direction.
It is a connector.
(2)
In the connector described in (1) above,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force and the mechanism for engaging are configured as separate bodies.
It is a connector.
(3)
In the connector described in (2) above,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force includes:
the connector is configured with an elastic portion extending from one of the first part and the second part, and a pressed portion provided on the other of the first part and the second part, and maintained in a state pressed by the elastic portion when the connector is mated,
The engaging mechanism includes:
a locking portion extending from one of the first part and the second part, and a locked portion provided on the other of the first part and the second part and engaged with the locking portion when the connectors are mated;
It is a connector.
(4)
In the connector according to any one of (1) to (3),
The first part is
A holder that is attached to an ignition terminal portion provided on an airbag inflator,
The second part is
A shunt ring is inserted into the hollow portion of the holder.
It is a connector.
(5)
In the connector according to any one of (1) to (4),
The first part is
a cylindrical portion having a cylindrical shape with an open end that opens in one direction, and an end surface of the open end being used as the contact surface;
The second part is
a main body portion that is inserted into the hollow portion of the first component and defines a fitting opening into which the mating connector is fitted; and a flange portion that extends from the main body portion toward the end face of the opening end and has a surface that overlaps and faces the end face of the opening end and is used as the abutted surface,
The flange portion is
an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach the end surface of the opening end as it moves away from the main body portion;
The main body portion is
the inclined surface has a larger inclination angle than the inclined surface of the flange portion and is less exposed in the one direction than the inclined surface of the flange portion;
It is a connector.
(6)
In the connector according to any one of (1) to (5),
The second part is
a protrusion that protrudes from the end face facing one direction and has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases as the protrusion height increases,
It is a connector.

With the connector of the configuration (1) above, after assembling the first component (e.g., a holder) and the second component (e.g., a shunt ring), not only do the first component and the second component engage, but a biasing force is generated to maintain the abutting state between the abutting surface of the first component and the abutted surface of the second component. Therefore, compared to the conventional connectors described above, the connector of this configuration is able to reduce rattle between the first component and the second component that make up the connector.

In the connector with the configuration (2) above, the mechanism that generates the biasing force and the engagement mechanism are constructed from separate components. This allows for a high degree of design freedom for each mechanism, allowing for the selection of an appropriate layout and shape for each mechanism.

In a connector with the configuration (3) above, an example of a mechanism for generating a biasing force is to assemble one part while pressing an elastic part (e.g., an arm-shaped protrusion) against a pressed part (e.g., a recess) on the other part, thereby generating a biasing force between the two. Also, an example of an engagement mechanism is to engage a locking part (e.g., a convex part) different from the elastic part with a locked part (e.g., a concave part) to engage the two parts.

The connector of the above (4) configuration allows the connector of the present invention to be applied to connectors for airbags, which require particularly high safety standards.

With the connector configured as described in (5) above, the inclined surfaces on the flange and main body allow the shunt ring to deflect any external force that may be applied during transport, etc., along the inclined surfaces. Furthermore, even if an external force large enough to be deflected is applied, the inclined surfaces of the flange will deform preferentially over the inclined surfaces of the main body, making it less likely that excessive deformation will occur in the main body, which defines the mating opening of the mating connector.

With the connector configured as described in (6) above, when an external force is applied to the end face of the second component, the protrusion on that end face deforms preferentially, thereby suppressing deformation of the mating opening of the mating connector. In particular, because the protrusion has a tapered shape, the deformed protrusion is less likely to be pushed out toward the mating opening compared to when the protrusion is deformed by an external force if it does not have a tapered shape (such as a simple rectangular prism).

The present invention provides a connector that can suppress rattle between the components that make up the connector.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to this embodiment connected to a mating connector. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment and the mating connector as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment and the mating connector as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5(a) is a front view of the connector according to this embodiment, and FIG. 5(b) is a front view of the shunt ring. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 6A. 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 5, FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 7A. FIG. 8(a) is an enlarged perspective view of the tip of the connector, and FIG. 8(b) is a side view of the tip of the connector. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an annular groove and an arm showing a modified example of a mechanism for generating a biasing force. FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the tip of the connector, showing a modified example of a protrusion formed on the end surface of the shunt ring.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to the present embodiment connected to a mating connector, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment and the mating connector as viewed from the front side, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment and the mating connector as viewed from the rear side.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector 12 according to this embodiment is connected to a mating connector 11. The connector 12 and the mating connector 11 together constitute an electrical connector for an in-vehicle airbag system. The connector 12 is an inflator-side connector provided on an inflator of the airbag system, and the mating connector 11 is a wire harness-side connector.

The connector 12 has a mating opening 12a, and the mating connector 11 has a connection portion 11a. The connector 12 is connected to the mating connector 11 by mating the connection portion 11a of the mating connector 11 with the mating opening 12a.

The connection portion 11a of the mating connector 11 is formed integrally with the housing 20. Terminals and a ferrite core (not shown) are attached to the rear of the housing 20. A cover 30 is attached to the rear of the housing 20, covering the terminals and ferrite core. The terminals are housed in terminal accommodating chambers (not shown) formed in the connection portion 11a. An insertion hole 22a communicating with the terminal accommodating chamber is formed at the tip of the connection portion 11a. An electric wire 43 of a wiring harness is connected to the terminal, and the electric wire 43 is pulled out from the bottom end of the housing 20. A ferrite core is attached to the electric wire 43 and prevents noise currents from flowing through the electric wire 43 due to various external electromagnetic waves.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment.
4, the connector 12 according to this embodiment, to which the mating connector 11 is connected, has a holder (first component) 70 and a shunt ring (second component) 80. The holder 70 is attached to an ignition terminal portion provided on the airbag inflator.

The holder 70 is formed as a cylindrical tube with a cylindrical portion 71 and a bottom portion 72 on one side of the cylindrical portion 71. The inside of the cylindrical portion 71 of the holder 70 is a hollow portion 73, and the hollow portion 73 has an opening 73a on the side where the mating connector 11 is mated. Two pins (ignition terminals) 75 are fixed to the bottom 72 of the holder 70 with a gap between them, and these pins 75 extend toward the opening 73a. The pins 75 are made of a conductive metal material and are connected to the inflator-side circuit of the airbag system.

The shunt ring 80 is molded from synthetic resin. The shunt ring 80 is attached by fitting it into the hollow portion 73 of the holder 70 through the opening 73a. This allows the holder 70 and shunt ring 80 to be assembled so that they face each other in the mating direction with the mating connector 11.

The shunt ring 80 has a main body 81, which has a mating opening 12a formed therein. The connecting portion 11a of the housing 20 is mated with this mating opening 12a. When the shunt ring 80 is attached to the holder 70, the pin 75 is positioned in the mating opening 12a of the main body 81.

To mate the mating connector 11 with the connector 12, the connection portion 11a of the mating connector 11 is inserted into the mating opening 12a of the main body 81 of the connector 12. In this way, the pin 75 of the connector 12 is inserted into the insertion hole 22a formed in the connection portion 11a of the mating connector 11. This inserts the pin 75 into the terminal, electrically connecting the pin 75 to the terminal.

Next, the structures of the holder 70 and the shunt ring 80 that constitute the connector 12 will be described in detail.
Fig. 5(a) is a front view of the connector according to this embodiment, and Fig. 5(b) is a front view of the shunt ring. Fig. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 5, and Fig. 6(b) is an enlarged view of part C in Fig. 6(a). Fig. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 5, Fig. 7(b) is an enlarged view of part D in Fig. 7(a), and Fig. 7(c) is an enlarged view of part E in Fig. 7(a). Fig. 8(a) is an enlarged perspective view of the tip of the connector, and Fig. 8(b) is a side view of the tip of the connector.

As shown in Figures 5(a), 6(a), and 7(a), the holder 70 of the connector 12 has an abutment surface 76. The abutment surface 76 is the end face of the open end of the holder 70, which has the opening 73a, and faces in one direction A1 of the mating direction of the cylindrical portion 71 of the holder 70. In addition, an annular groove 77 is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 71 of the holder 70. The annular groove 77 is formed near the open end of the holder 70.

The shunt ring 80 has a main body 81 inserted into the hollow portion 73 of the holder 70. This attaches the shunt ring 80 to the holder 70. The shunt ring 80 has a flange 84. The flange 84 is formed so as to protrude outward from the end face 82 of the main body 81. The outer diameter of the flange 84 is larger than the inner diameter of the tubular portion 71 of the holder 70. The flange 84 is formed circumferentially and overlaps the abutment surface 76, which is the end face of the open end of the holder 70. The surface of the flange 84 that overlaps and faces the abutment surface 76 of the holder 70 is the abutted surface 85. The flange 84 has a flange inclined surface 86. The flange inclined surface 86 is the surface of the flange 84 opposite the abutted surface 85. The flange inclined surface 86 is inclined so that it approaches the end surface of the open end of the holder 70, which is the abutment surface 76 of the holder 70, as it moves away from the main body portion 81. A pair of flange portions 84 are formed, and a gap G is provided between the circumferential ends of these flange portions 84. These gaps G are positioned opposite each other.

As shown in Figure 7(b), the main body portion 81 has a main body inclined surface 87 in the gap G between the ends of the flange portions 84. The main body inclined surface 87 is formed on the outer periphery of the main body portion 81. The main body inclined surface 87 has a larger inclination angle than the flange inclined surface 86 of the flange portion 84. Furthermore, this main body inclined surface 87 is not exposed in the one direction A1 of the mating direction with the mating connector 11 as compared to the flange inclined surface 86.

The shunt ring 80 has a resilient arm 91 and a locking arm 95 in each gap G. In each gap G, the resilient arm 91 and the locking arm 95 are adjacent to each other. Both the resilient arm 91 and the locking arm 95 extend in one direction A1 of the mating direction. Furthermore, both the resilient arm 91 and the locking arm 95 protrude outward from the outer periphery of the main body 81.

As shown in Figure 6(b), the elastic arm 91 has a biasing surface 92. The biasing surface 92 is inclined so that the biasing surface 92 gradually protrudes outward from the extending end of the elastic arm 91 (i.e., the tip end in one mating direction A1 in Figure 6(b)) toward the other mating direction A2. As shown in Figure 7(b), the locking arm 95 has a locking surface 96. The locking surface 96 is a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the mating direction.

As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the shunt ring 80 has a pair of protrusions 97 on the end surface 82 of the main body 81 in one direction A1. These protrusions 97 protrude from the end surface 82 of the main body 81. These protrusions 97 are inclined on the outer periphery of the shunt ring 80. As a result, these protrusions 97 have a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases as the protrusion height increases.

The shunt ring 80 has an end face 82 that serves as a connection surface that abuts against the connection portion 11a of the mating connector 11 and is positioned accordingly. As shown in Figure 8(b), a small step 83 is provided between the end face 82 (connection surface) and the flange portion 84, making the end face 82 and the flange portion 84 discontinuous. The dimension of this step 83 along the mating direction is approximately 0.1 mm. Providing this step 83 allows the end face 82 to be made highly smooth and precise when molding the shunt ring 80. This improves positioning accuracy when connecting to the mating connector 11.

When the shunt ring 80 having the above structure is fitted into the hollow portion 73 of the holder 70, the elastic arm 91 and the locking arm 95 come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the shunt ring 80 and elastically deform toward the center. The shunt ring 80 is then fitted into the holder 70 up to the mounting position, and when the shunt ring 80 is assembled to the holder 70, the ends of the elastic arm 91 and the locking arm 95 enter the annular groove portion 77 of the holder 70 (see Figures 6(a) and 7(a)).

As shown in Figure 6(b), by assembling the shunt ring 80 to the holder 70, the elastic arm 91, whose end is inserted into the annular groove 77, has its biasing surface 92 constantly in contact with the edge 77a on one side A1 of the annular groove 77 in the mating direction, and is elastically deformed as it is pressed inward by the edge 77a. As a result, the edge 77a of the annular groove 77 remains pressed against the biasing surface 92 by the elastic force of the elastic arm 91. Then, due to the component of the pressing force applied by the biasing surface 92 to the edge 77a of the annular groove 77, the holder 70 is biased in one side A1 of the mating direction, and the shunt ring 80 is biased in the other side A2 of the mating direction. Therefore, the contact surface 76 of the holder 70 and the contacted surface 85 of the shunt ring 80 are maintained in contact with each other by the biasing force generated by the elastic arm 91, preventing the shunt ring 80 from lifting up from the holder 70.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7(b), by assembling the shunt ring 80 to the holder 70, the locking arm 95, whose end is inserted into the annular groove 77, has its locking surface 96 positioned opposite the wall surface 77b on the one side of the mating direction A1 that forms the annular groove 77. As a result, when the shunt ring 80 assembled to the holder 70 is displaced in the one side of the mating direction A1 against the biasing force generated by the elastic arm 91, the locking surface 96 of the locking arm 95 abuts against the wall surface 77b of the annular groove 77. This maintains the holder 70 and the shunt ring 80 in an engaged state. Therefore, when the connector 12 is mated with the mating connector 11, the locking arm 95 engages the connector 12 so that the mating with the mating connector 11 is not released.

As explained above, with the connector 12 according to this embodiment, after the holder 70 and the shunt ring 80 are assembled, not only do the holder 70 and the shunt ring 80 engage with each other, but a biasing force is generated to maintain the abutting state between the abutting surface 76 of the holder 70 and the abutted surface 85 of the shunt ring 80. Therefore, misalignment between the holder 70 and the shunt ring 80 is unlikely to occur during transportation, etc.

Therefore, the connector 12 of this embodiment can be applied to connectors for airbags, which require high safety standards.

In particular, by making the mechanism that generates the biasing force and the engagement mechanism separate components, the design freedom for each mechanism is increased, allowing for the selection of an appropriate layout and shape for each mechanism.

Specifically, the mechanism for generating a biasing force is to assemble the shunt ring 80 in a state in which the biasing surface 92 of the elastic arm (elastic portion) 91 provided on the shunt ring 80 is pressed against the edge portion (pressed portion) 77a of the annular groove portion 77 provided on the holder 70, thereby generating a biasing force between the holder 70 and the shunt ring 80. Additionally, the mechanism for engaging the two is to engage the locking surface 96 of a locking arm (locking portion) 95, which is different from the elastic arm 91, with the wall surface (locked portion) 77b of the annular groove portion 77.

In addition, the inclined surfaces 86, 87 on the flange portion 84 and main body portion 81 allow external forces to be deflected along the inclined surfaces 86, 87, even if they are applied to the shunt ring 80 during transport, etc. Even if an external force too large to be deflected is applied, the inclined surface 86 of the flange portion 84 will deform before the inclined surface 87 of the main body portion 81, making it less likely that deformation will occur in the main body portion 81, which defines the mating opening 12a of the mating connector 11.

Furthermore, when an external force is applied to the end face 82 of the shunt ring 80, the protrusion 97 deforms preferentially, thereby suppressing deformation of the mating opening 12a of the mating connector 11. In particular, because the protrusion 97 has a tapered shape, the deformed protrusion 97 is less likely to be pushed out toward the mating opening 12a than when the protrusion 97 is deformed by an external force if it does not have a tapered shape (such as a simple rectangular prism).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. Furthermore, the materials, shapes, dimensions, numbers, locations, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they achieve the present invention.

For example, to generate a biasing force that causes the abutment surface 76 of the holder 70 and the abutted surface 85 of the shunt ring 80 to abut against each other, an annular groove may be formed on the shunt ring 80 side, and an elastic arm may be provided on the holder 70 side.

In addition, in the above embodiment, two elastic arms 91 are provided in opposing positions, but a structure may also be adopted in which a single elastic arm 91 is provided and this single elastic arm 91 generates a biasing force that causes the abutment surface 76 of the holder 70 and the abutted surface 85 of the shunt ring 80 to abut against each other.

In the above embodiment, the shunt ring 80 is provided with a resilient arm 91 having a biasing surface 92 and a locking arm 95 having a locking surface 96. However, as shown in FIG. 9, an arm 90 having a biasing surface 92 and a locking surface 96 may also be provided. When the shunt ring 80 provided with this arm 90 is assembled to the holder 70, the biasing surface 92 of the arm 90 is constantly in contact with the edge 77a on the one side A1 of the annular groove 77 in the mating direction, generating a biasing force that maintains the abutment surface 76 of the holder 70 and the abutted surface 85 of the shunt ring 80 in abutting contact. Furthermore, when the shunt ring 80 is displaced in the one side A1 of the mating direction against the biasing force, the locking surface 96 of the arm 90 abuts against the wall surface 77b of the annular groove 77, maintaining the holder 70 and the shunt ring 80 in an engaged state.

Furthermore, the protrusion 97 protruding from the end surface 82 of the main body 81 of the shunt ring 80 may have a tapered shape, as shown in Figure 10, in which the edge on the fitting opening 12a side is inclined, so that the cross-sectional area decreases as the protrusion height increases.

Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the connector according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [6].
(1)
A connector (12) comprising a first part (holder 70) and a second part (shunt ring 80) that are assembled so as to face each other in a mating direction with a mating connector (11),
The first part (holder 70) has an abutment surface (76) facing in one direction (A1) in the fitting direction,
The second component (shunt ring 80) has an abutment surface (85) facing the other direction (A2) in the fitting direction,
The connector (12)
a mechanism for generating a biasing force such that the first component (holder 70) is biased in the one direction (A1) and the second component (shunt ring 80) is biased in the other direction (A2) so that the abutting state between the abutting surface (76) and the abutted surface (85) is maintained after the first component (holder 70) and the second component (shunt ring 80) are assembled;
and a mechanism for engaging the first part (holder 70) with the second part (shunt ring 80) so that the engagement of the connector (12) is not released after the first part (holder 70) and the second part (shunt ring 80) are assembled.
connector.
(2)
In the connector described in (1) above,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force and the mechanism for engaging the biasing force are configured as separate members.
connector.
(3)
In the connector described in (2) above,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force includes:
the connector (12) is configured from an elastic portion (elastic arm 91, urging surface 92) extending from one of the first part (holder 70) and the second part (shunt ring 80), and a pressed portion (annular groove portion 77, edge portion 77a) provided on the other of the first part (holder 70) and the second part (shunt ring 80) and maintained in a pressed state by the elastic portion (elastic arm 91, urging surface 92) when the connector (12) is mated;
The engaging mechanism includes:
The connector (12) is configured to include a locking portion (locking arm 95, locking surface 96) extending from one of the first part (holder 70) and the second part (shunt ring 80), and a locked portion (annular groove portion 77, wall surface 77b) provided on the other of the first part (holder 70) and the second part (shunt ring 80) and engaged with the locking portion (locking arm 95, locking surface 96) when the connector (12) is mated.
connector.
(4)
In the connector according to any one of (1) to (3),
The first part is
A holder (70) attached to an ignition terminal portion provided on an airbag inflator,
The second part is
A shunt ring (80) is inserted into the hollow portion (73) of the holder (70).
connector.
(5)
In the connector according to any one of (1) to (4),
The first part (holder 70) is
a cylindrical portion (71) having a cylindrical shape with an open end that opens in the one direction (A1), and an end surface of the open end is used as the abutment surface (76);
The second part (shunt ring 80) is
The connector has a main body (81) that is inserted into the hollow portion (73) of the first part (holder 70) and defines a fitting opening (12a) into which the mating connector (11) is fitted, and a flange (84) that extends from the main body (81) toward the end face of the opening end and has a surface that overlaps and faces the end face of the opening end and is used as the abutted surface (85),
The flange portion (84)
The inclined surface (86) is inclined so as to approach the end surface of the opening end as it moves away from the main body portion (81),
The main body portion (81) is
The flange portion (84) has an inclined surface (87) having a larger inclination angle than the inclined surface (86) of the flange portion (84) and being less exposed in the one direction (A1) than the inclined surface (86) of the flange portion (84).
connector.
(6)
In the connector according to any one of (1) to (5),
The second part (shunt ring 80) is
A protrusion (97) protruding from the end face in the one direction (A1) and having a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area becomes smaller as the protruding height increases.
connector.

11 Mating connector 12 Connector 12a Fitting port 70 Holder (first part)
71 Cylindrical portion 73 Hollow portion 76 Contact surface 77 Annular groove portion (pressed portion, locked portion)
77a Edge portion (pressed portion)
77b Wall surface (locked part)
80 Shunt ring (second part)
81 Main body portion 84 Flange portion 85 Contact surface 86, 87 Inclined surface 91 Elastic arm (elastic portion)
92 biasing surface (elastic portion)
95 Locking arm (locking part)
96 Locking surface (locking part)
97 Protrusion A1 One way A2 Other way

Claims (6)

A connector including a first part and a second part that face each other in a mating direction with a mating connector and are assembled by approaching each other in the mating direction,
the first part has an abutment surface facing in one direction in the mating direction,
the second component has an abutted surface facing in the other direction in the fitting direction,
The connector is:
a mechanism for generating a biasing force such that the first component is biased in the one direction and the second component is biased in the other direction so that the abutting state between the abutting surface and the abutted surface is maintained after the first component and the second component are assembled;
a mechanism for engaging the first part with the second part so that the mating of the connector is not released after the first part and the second part are assembled,
the one direction corresponds to a direction in which the first component approaches the second component in the fitting direction, and the other direction corresponds to a direction in which the second component approaches the first component in the fitting direction,
The first component has an annular groove on a side surface thereof,
the second component has, on a side surface thereof, a resilient arm that is cantilevered and extends in the one direction and engages with the annular groove , and a locking arm that is cantilevered and extends in the one direction and engages with the annular groove, the resilient arm having an urging surface that is inclined so as to gradually protrude laterally toward the annular groove as it extends from the extending end thereof toward the other direction,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force includes:
the biasing surface of the elastic arm contacts an edge on the one side of the annular groove portion, and the edge is kept pressed against the biasing surface by the elastic force of the elastic arm , thereby generating the biasing force and maintaining the contact state between the contact surface and the contacted surface ,
The engaging mechanism includes:
When the abutting surface and the abutted surface are in contact with each other, the engaging surface, which is the extending end surface of the engaging arm, and the wall surface of the annular groove portion on the one side are disposed opposite to each other with a gap in the fitting direction.
connector. 2. The connector according to claim 1,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force and the mechanism for engaging are configured as separate bodies.
connector. 3. The connector according to claim 2,
The mechanism for generating the biasing force includes:
the connector is configured with an elastic portion extending from one of the first part and the second part, and a pressed portion provided on the other of the first part and the second part, and maintained in a state pressed by the elastic portion when the connector is mated,
The engaging mechanism includes:
a locking portion extending from one of the first part and the second part, and a locked portion provided on the other of the first part and the second part and engaged with the locking portion when the connectors are mated;
connector. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first part is
A holder that is attached to an ignition terminal portion provided on an airbag inflator,
The second part is
A shunt ring is inserted into the hollow portion of the holder.
connector. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The first part is
a cylindrical portion having a cylindrical shape with an open end that opens in one direction, and an end surface of the open end being used as the contact surface;
The second part is
a main body portion that is inserted into the hollow portion of the first component and defines a fitting opening into which the mating connector is fitted; and a flange portion that extends from the main body portion toward the end face of the opening end and has a surface that overlaps and faces the end face of the opening end and is used as the abutted surface,
The flange portion is
an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach the end surface of the opening end as it moves away from the main body portion;
The main body portion is
the inclined surface has a larger inclination angle than the inclined surface of the flange portion and is less exposed in the one direction than the inclined surface of the flange portion;
connector. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The second part is
a protrusion that protrudes from the end face facing one direction and has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases as the protrusion height increases,
connector.