Yazaki Corporation

Toshiyuki Yamaguchi

Haruki Yoshida

Masaaki Ikegaya

Motohisa Kashiyama

A joint connector includes housings which can be stacked together, with a predetermined gap formed therebetween, each of the housings having a plurality of juxtaposed terminals received therein, and a circuit forming element which is inserted into the gap between the stacked housings, and connects arbitrarily-selected ones of the terminals in the adjacent housings, adjoining to each other in a stacking direction, and also connects arbitrarily-selected ones of the terminals in the same housing. By inserting the circuit forming element, the connection of the terminals can be effected easily, and besides a desired circuit can be easily obtained by the circuit structure of the circuit forming element.

Joint connector

A bus bar is constituted by integrally forming pairs of terminal contact pieces, each pair of which is in contact with an opposed terminal, a pair of connecting base portions, which integrally connect the base-side portions of the terminal contact pieces arranged on the same side thereof, and connecting pieces for connecting the pair of connecting base portions. This bus bar is integrally coupled to a bus bar fixing member constituted by an insulating member. An arbitrary circuit including so-called a skip connection can be constructed by suitably cutting the connecting base portions and the connecting piece. Thus, the entire circuit forming element is constituted as one component.

Circuit forming element

A conductive member is provided in a first connector together with a plurality of terminal fittings. The conductive member includes elastic arms associated with the respective terminal fittings. Each elastic arm is divided into a first conductive piece and a second conductive piece which are moved together. The first conductive piece is brought into contact with the terminal fitting when the first connector and the second connector are disengaged. The second conductive piece is away from the terminal fitting when the first connector and the second connector are disengaged. Insulative members are provided in the second connector so as to be associated with the respective elastic arms. Each insulative member includes a first insulative piece and a second insulative piece. The first insulative piece is inserted between the terminal fitting and the first conductive piece when the first connector and the second connector are engaged. The second insulative piece moves the second conductive piece in a direction away from the terminal fitting when the first connector and the second connector are engaged.

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Shizuoka, Japan

Toshiyuki Yamaguchi