Patent Description:
In recent years, attention has been drawn to so-called smart clothes that can obtain user's biological data such as the heart rate and the body temperature only by being worn by the user. Such smart clothes have an electrode disposed at a measurement site and constituted of a flexible conductor, and when a wearable device serving as a measurement device is electrically connected to the electrode, biological data can be transmitted to the wearable device.

The electrode and the wearable device can be interconnected by, for instance, use of a connector connected to the flexible conductor.

However, when the wearable device is situated away from the measurement site, it is necessary to provide an electric path connecting the electrode disposed at the measurement site to the place where the connector is attached, and if such an electric path is formed from a flexible conductor, this causes higher electric resistance and higher cost.

To interconnect an electrode constituted of a flexible conductor and a wearable device by use of an electric wire that has low electric resistance and is inexpensive, it has been desired to develop a small-sized connector connecting the electric wire to the flexible conductor disposed on a garment.

As a connector for connecting an electric wire to a flexible conductor, for instance, <CIT> discloses a connector as shown in <FIG>. This connector includes a first connector <NUM> connected to an end of a substrate <NUM> and a second connector <NUM> attached to tips of electric wires <NUM>, and the electric wires <NUM> can be connected to a flexible conductor of the substrate <NUM> by fitting the second connector <NUM> to the first connector <NUM>.

However, the first connector <NUM> and the second connector <NUM> that are separately attached to the end of the substrate <NUM> and the tips of the electric wires <NUM> need to be fitted to each other in order to connect the electric wires <NUM> to the flexible conductor of the substrate <NUM>, and this causes a larger size of a device; and there is a separable connection portion between the first connector <NUM> and the second connector <NUM>, which impairs the reliability of electric connection.

From <CIT> a flexible PCB is known wrapped wound a rigid card and this is inserted along a guide channel into a cavity in a backplane, where it makes contact with a second flexible PCB. Elastomeric members push the two PCBs together. The card may have conductive portions so that the system can detect that the card is properly inserted.

From <CIT> a connector system for Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing devices is known which provides a means to detachably connect a variety of accessories to a sound processor, including batteries, earhooks, telecoils, auxiliary microphones, FM receivers, and input jacks for miscellaneous devices.

From <CIT> a plastic support halves (1a,1b) hold two foil cable ends to be joined is known. Guiders on a support half position the foil cable ends ready for joining, so that both ends interlock positively with their bared surface coated in conductive glue. Fasteners hold the ends in a joined position and compress the conductive glue forming conductive paths between conductor strips for the first foil cable end and opposite conductor strips for the second foil cable end. From <CIT>, a connector assembly composed of a plurality of parts for connecting wires to a flexible conducting element is disclosed. An element receiving the wires and presenting a cover with a protruding element closes the connection. There is no hint about connecting overlapping conducting sheet members to wires.

The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problem as above and aims at providing a connector assembly that can electrically connect a conductor portion of an electric wire to a flexible conductor exposed on a surface of a sheet type conductive member with high reliability while its size can be reduced.

The present invention also aims at providing a connecting method for electrically connecting a conductor portion of an electric wire to a flexible conductor exposed on a surface of a sheet type conductive member.

The connector assembly according to the present invention includes:.

The connecting method according to the present invention is a connecting method for connecting a conductor portion of an electric wire to a flexible conductor exposed on a surface of a sheet type conductive member, the connecting method including:.

<FIG> show a connector assembly according to Embodiment <NUM>. The connector assembly is obtained by connecting conductor portions 31A of a plurality of coated electric wires <NUM> to a sheet type conductive member <NUM> by means of a connector <NUM>.

The connector <NUM> includes a first insulator <NUM> and a second insulator <NUM> each made of an insulating resin material.

The sheet type conductive member <NUM> is formed of a sheet type insulating base 21A provided with a plurality of flexible conductors 21B on a surface thereof. The flexible conductors 21B are aligned in a predetermined alignment direction, each form a linearly extending pattern, and are exposed on a surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>.

The sheet type conductive member <NUM> has a structure in which a first sheet portion <NUM> and a second sheet portion <NUM> are joined to each other by a sheet joint portion <NUM> and is disposed between the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> with the second sheet portion <NUM> overlapping the first sheet portion <NUM> when the sheet joint portion <NUM> is folded.

The coated electric wires <NUM> are aligned in the predetermined alignment direction as with the flexible conductors 21B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and each extend in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction in parallel to the surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>. Each coated electric wire <NUM> has a structure in which the outer periphery of the conductor portion 31A is covered with an insulating coating portion 31B. With the connector <NUM>, the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> are electrically connected to the flexible conductors 21B exposed on the surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>. The conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> may be either a so-called solid wire constituted of one conductor or a so-called stranded wire constituted of plural conductors being stranded.

For convenience, the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is defined as extending along an XY plane, the predetermined alignment direction of the flexible conductors 21B and the coated electric wires <NUM> is referred to as "X direction," the direction in which each coated electric wire <NUM> extends toward the connector <NUM> is referred to as "+Y direction," and the direction perpendicular to an XY plane is referred to as "Z direction.

<FIG> shows an assembly view of the connector assembly according to Embodiment <NUM>. The sheet type conductive member <NUM> is disposed on the -Z direction side of the coated electric wires <NUM>, and a connector forming component 11A is disposed on the -Z direction side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>.

For the assembling operation of the connector assembly, the connector forming component 11A is used. The connector forming component 11A is made of an insulating resin material and has a structure in which the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are joined to each other by an insulator joint portion <NUM>.

The first insulator <NUM> includes a first retaining surface 12A extending along an XY plane and facing in the +Z direction, and a recess portion 12B extending in the X direction and recessed in the -Z direction is formed in the first retaining surface 12A. In addition, on an outside of the recess portion 12B in the first retaining surface 12A, formed are a pair of bosses 12C protruding in the +Z direction and a pair of fixing holes 12D recessed in the -Z direction.

The second insulator <NUM> includes a second retaining surface 13A extending along an XY plane and facing in the +Z direction, and a protrusion portion 13B extending in the X direction and protruding in the +Z direction is formed in the second retaining surface 13A. In addition, on an outside of the protrusion portion 13B in the second retaining surface 13A, formed are a pair of bosses 13C protruding in the +Z direction and a pair of fixing holes 13D recessed in the -Z direction. The protrusion portion 13B corresponds to the recess portion 12B of the first insulator <NUM>, and the pair of bosses 13C and the pair of fixing holes 13D correspond to the pair of bosses 12C and the pair of fixing holes 12D of the first insulator <NUM>. The protrusion portion 13B is provided with a plurality of electric wire retaining grooves 13E each extending in a YZ plane. The electric wire retaining grooves 13E correspond to the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM>.

The insulator joint portion <NUM> joins the -Y directional side surface of the first insulator <NUM> to the -Y directional side surface of the second insulator <NUM> while the first and second insulators <NUM> and <NUM> are aligned in the X direction, and the first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM> and the second retaining surface 13A of the second insulator <NUM> are situated in the same XY plane owing to the insulator joint portion <NUM>.

The first sheet portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> has the X-directional width equivalent to the X directional length of the first insulator <NUM>, and a retained portion 22A corresponding to the first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM> is disposed at the -Y directional end portion of the first sheet portion <NUM>, while an extension portion 22B extending in the +Y direction is disposed on the +Y direction side of the retained portion 22A. The retained portion 22A and the extension portion 22B are formed integrally and continuously in the Y direction.

The retained portion 22A is provided with an H-shaped opening portion 22C extending long in the X direction. The opening portion 22C corresponds to the recess portion 12B of the first insulator <NUM>, and at the +Y directional edge and the -Y directional edge of the opening portion 22C, formed separately are fold portions 22D that are folded into the recess portion 12B of the first insulator <NUM> when the connector assembly is assembled.

On the surface of the first sheet portion <NUM> facing in the +Z direction, the flexible conductors 21B each having a linear pattern extend continuously from the retained portion 22A to the extension portion 22B along the Y direction, and the -Y directional end portions 21C of the flexible conductors 21B are arranged on a surface of the fold portion 22D positioned at the +Y directional edge of the opening portion 22C.

The second sheet portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is joined to the retained portion 22A via the sheet joint portion <NUM> so as to be arranged on the -X direction side of the retained portion 22A side by side and has a rectangular opening portion 23A extending long in the X direction. The opening portion 23A corresponds to the protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM>. The sheet joint portion <NUM> has an opening portion 24A in its center portion.

The second sheet portion <NUM> consists only of the insulating base 21A that constitutes the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, and the flexible conductor 21B is not provided in the second sheet portion <NUM>.

Moreover, the first sheet portion <NUM> is provided with a plurality of through holes 22E on the periphery of the opening portion 22C, and the second sheet portion <NUM> is provided with a plurality of through holes 23B on the periphery of the opening portion 23A.

The through holes 22E and 23B correspond to the pair of bosses 12C and the pair of fixing holes 12D of the first insulator <NUM> and the pair of bosses 13C and the pair of fixing holes 13D of the second insulator <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the electric wire retaining groove 13E of the second insulator <NUM> is continuously formed in the -Y directional side surface, the +Y directional side surface, and the +Z directional top surface of the protrusion portion 13B in a YZ plane. The electric wire retaining groove 13E is used to retain the conductor portion 31A of the corresponding coated electric wire <NUM> when the connector assembly is assembled.

In the assembling operation of the connector assembly, first, the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is disposed on the connector forming component 11A as shown in <FIG>. In this process, the retained portion 22A of the first sheet portion <NUM> is disposed on the first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM>, and the opening portion 22C of the retained portion 22A is situated on the +Z direction side of the recess portion 12B of the first insulator <NUM>. The protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM> penetrates the opening portion 23A of the second sheet portion <NUM>, and the second sheet portion <NUM> is disposed on the second retaining surface 13A of the second insulator <NUM>.

In addition, the pair of bosses 12C of the first insulator <NUM> penetrate the corresponding through holes 22E of the first insulator <NUM>, and the pair of bosses 13C of the second insulator <NUM> penetrate the corresponding through holes 23B of the second sheet portion <NUM>.

Subsequently, the coated electric wires <NUM> are disposed on the -Y direction side of the second insulator <NUM>, and the conductor portion 31A drawn from the insulating coating portion 31B of each coated electric wire <NUM> is inserted in the corresponding electric wire retaining groove 13E of the protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM>, the protrusion portion 13B penetrating the opening portion 23A of the second sheet portion <NUM> to project in the +Z direction. The conductor portion 31A is inserted in the electric wire retaining groove 13E that is formed continuously from the -Y directional side surface to the +Y directional side surface via the +Z directional top surface of the protrusion portion 13B such that the conductor portion 31A crosses over the protrusion portion 13B, whereby the conductor portion 31A is retained by the protrusion portion 13B.

The depth of the electric wire retaining groove 13E is designed to be shallower than the diameter of the conductor portion 31A; the conductor portion 31A is retained by the protrusion portion 13B in such a manner that the conductor portion 31A is not fully buried in the electric wire retaining groove 13E but partly sticks out from the side surfaces and the top surface of the protrusion portion 13B.

In this state, the insulator joint portion <NUM> is cut and removed from the first and second insulators <NUM> and <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. It may be designed such that, by preliminarily forming a cut at a root part of the insulator joint portion <NUM> joined to the first and second insulators <NUM> and <NUM>, for example, the insulator joint portion <NUM> can be easily cut and removed without use of a dedicated cutting jig or another tool.

When the insulator joint portion <NUM> is cut and removed, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are separated from each other, while the first sheet portion <NUM> and the second sheet portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> are joined to each other by the sheet joint portion <NUM>.

Here, the sheet joint portion <NUM> is folded along a folding line L extending along the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction that is the alignment direction of the coated electric wires <NUM> and the flexible conductors 21B, whereby the second insulator <NUM> together with the second sheet portion <NUM> and the coated electric wires <NUM> retained by the second insulator <NUM> is rotated about the folding line L by <NUM> degrees such that the first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM> and the second retaining surface 13A of the second insulator <NUM> are opposed to each other.

In this process, the sheet joint portion <NUM> can be easily folded because the opening portion 24A is formed in the center portion of the sheet joint portion <NUM>.

Accordingly, the protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM> and the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> retained by the protrusion portion 13B are accommodated in the recess portion 12B of the first insulator <NUM> via the opening portion 22C while folding the fold portion 22D of the retained portion 22A of the first sheet portion <NUM>.

This process leads to a state where the fold portion 22D of the retained potion 22A and the conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> are held between the side surface of the protrusion portion 13B and an inner side surface of the recess portion 12B as shown in <FIG>. At this time, since the -Y directional end portion 21C of the flexible conductor 21B is disposed on the surface of the fold portion 22D of the retained portion 22A, the end portion 21C of the flexible conductor 21B makes contact with the conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> with predetermined contact pressure and is electrically connected to the conductor portion 31A.

Similarly, the end portions 21C of the plurality of flexible conductors 21B are electrically connected to the conductor portions 31A of the plurality of coated electric wires <NUM> on a one-by-one basis.

When the second sheet portion <NUM> is superposed on the retained portion 22A with the first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM> and the second retaining surface 13A of the second insulator <NUM> facing each other, the second sheet portion <NUM> overlaps and makes contact with the retained portion 22A, and the pair of bosses 12C of the first insulator <NUM> shown in <FIG> penetrate the corresponding through holes 23B of the second sheet portion <NUM> and are fitted in the fixing holes 13D of the second insulator <NUM>, while the pair of bosses 13C of the second insulator <NUM> penetrate the corresponding through holes 22E of the first sheet portion <NUM> and are fitted in the pair of fixing holes 12D of the first insulator <NUM>.

In this manner, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are fixed to each other, whereby the connector <NUM> is formed. It should be noted that when the first insulator <NUM>, the retained portion 22A, the second sheet portion <NUM>, and the second insulator <NUM> superposed on one another are glued with use of, for example, a water-resistant adhesive, a waterproof connector can be realized.

As described above, in the connector forming component 11A in which the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is positionally aligned by means of the through holes 22E of the first sheet portion <NUM> and the through holes 23B of the second sheet portion <NUM> together with the bosses 12C of the first insulator <NUM> and the bosses 13C of the second insulator <NUM>, the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> are retained by the electric wire retaining grooves 13E of the protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM>, whereby the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> can be positionally aligned with the flexible conductors 21B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> to establish electrical connection with high reliability while the size of the connector assembly can be reduced.

In addition, with use of the single connector forming component 11A having a structure in which the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are joined to each other by the insulator joint portion <NUM>, the number of components can be reduced, and after the insulator joint portion <NUM> is separated, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are joined to each other via the sheet j oint portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, enabling easy assembly of the connector assembly by folding the sheet joint portion <NUM>.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, since a root part of the conductor portion 31A drawn from the coated electric wire <NUM> is held between the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> via the first sheet portion <NUM> and the second sheet portion <NUM>, the coated electric wire <NUM> is firmly retained in connection to the connector <NUM>; the coated electric wire <NUM> can be prevented from being damaged even when an external force acts on the coated electric wire <NUM> or the connector <NUM>.

While the sheet joint portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> folded in the assembly operation of the connector assembly sticks out in the -X direction to an outside of the connector <NUM> composed of the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, the sheet joint portion <NUM> thus sticking out can be cut and removed.

<FIG> show a connector assembly according to Embodiment <NUM>. This connector assembly is configured such that, in the connector assembly of Embodiment <NUM>, a connector <NUM> is composed of a first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM>, the first insulator <NUM> being used in place of the first insulator <NUM>, and that a plurality of spring members to be described later are further incorporated in the connector <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an assembly view of the connector assembly according to Embodiment <NUM>. The sheet type conductive member <NUM> is disposed on the -Z direction side of the coated electric wires <NUM>, a plurality of spring members <NUM> joined to a carrier <NUM> are disposed on the -Z direction side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, and a connector forming component 41A is disposed on the -Z direction side of the spring members <NUM>.

The sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the coated electric wires <NUM> are the same as those used in Embodiment <NUM>.

The connector forming component <NUM> is configured such that, in the connector forming component 11A used in Embodiment <NUM>, the first insulator <NUM> in place of the first insulator <NUM> is joined to the second insulator <NUM> via the insulator joint portion <NUM>, and is made of an insulating resin material.

The first insulator <NUM> is obtained by forming a plurality of spring member retaining grooves 42A in the first insulator <NUM> used in Embodiment <NUM>. That is, the first insulator <NUM> includes the first retaining surface 12A extending along an XY plane and facing in the +Z direction, and the recess portion 12B extending in the X direction and recessed in the -Z direction is formed in the first retaining surface 12A. The spring member retaining grooves 42A are formed on the +Y direction side of the recess portion 12B. The spring member retaining grooves 42A each extend from the first retaining surface 12A to the +Y directional inner surface of the recess portion 12B.

In addition, on an outside of the recess portion 12B in the first retaining surface 12A, formed are the pair of bosses 12C protruding in the +Z direction and the pair of fixing holes 12D recessed in the -Z direction.

The spring members <NUM> joined to the carrier <NUM> are made of a metal material and each include a band plate-shaped retaining portion 52A extending in the -Y direction from the carrier <NUM> along an XY plane and a spring portion 52B bending at the -Y directional end of the retaining portion 52A to extend in the -Z direction.

In the assembly operation of the connector assembly, the spring members <NUM> are separately disposed from the +Z direction in the spring member retaining grooves 42A of the first insulator <NUM> shown in <FIG> to be retained therein. The spring members <NUM> are retained by the first insulator <NUM> while being joined to the carrier <NUM>, and the spring members 52B face an inner surface of the recess portion 12B of the first insulator <NUM>.

Next, as shown in <FIG>, the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is disposed on the connector forming component 41A and the spring members <NUM>. In this process, similarly to Embodiment <NUM>, the retained portion 22A of the first sheet portion <NUM> is disposed on the first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM>, and the second sheet portion <NUM> is disposed on the second retaining surface 13A of the second insulator <NUM>.

In addition, the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> are separately inserted in the corresponding electric wire retaining grooves 13E of the protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM> to be retained therein, the protrusion portion 13B penetrating the opening portion 23A of the second sheet portion <NUM> to project in the +Z direction.

At this time, as shown in <FIG>, the carrier <NUM> joined to the spring members <NUM> is situated on the rear surface facing in the -Z direction of the extension portion 22B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> extending from the first insulator <NUM> in the +Y direction.

In this state, the insulator joint portion <NUM> is cut and removed from the first and second insulators <NUM> and <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Accordingly, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are separated from each other, while the first sheet portion <NUM> and the second sheet portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> are joined to each other by the sheet joint portion <NUM>.

Here, the sheet joint portion <NUM> is folded along the folding line L extending along the Y direction, whereby the second insulator <NUM> together with the second sheet portion <NUM> and the coated electric wires <NUM> retained by the second insulator <NUM> is rotated about the folding line L by <NUM> degrees.

As shown in <FIG>, the second insulator <NUM> is superposed on the first insulator <NUM> on its +Z direction side, and similarly to Embodiment <NUM>, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are fixed to each other, whereby the connector <NUM> is formed. At this time, the spring members <NUM> shown in <FIG> are pressed from the +Z direction by the rear surface facing in the -Z direction of the retained portion 22A of the first sheet portion <NUM> to be thereby fixed in the connector <NUM>.

After the connector <NUM> is formed in this manner, the carrier <NUM> extending from the first insulator <NUM> in the +Y direction along the rear surface facing in the -Z direction of the extension portion 22B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is separated from the spring members <NUM>. It may be designed such that, by preliminarily forming cuts or grooves in the band plate-shaped retaining portions 52A of the spring members <NUM>, for example, the carrier <NUM> can be easily separated out without use of a dedicated cutting jig or another tool.

As shown in <FIG>, inside the connector <NUM>, the fold portion 22D of the retained portion 22A and the conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> are held between a side surface of the protrusion portion 13B and the spring portion 52B of the spring member <NUM>, and the end portion 21C of the flexible conductor 21B disposed on the surface of the fold portion 22D makes contact with the conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> with predetermined contact pressure owing to an elastic force of the spring portion 52B and is electrically connected to the conductor portion 31A.

As described above, in the connector assembly of Embodiment <NUM>, while the second insulator <NUM> is fixed to the first insulator <NUM> to thereby reduce the size of the connector assembly, presence of the spring members <NUM> can improve reliability in electrical connection between the flexible conductors 21B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a connector assembly according to Embodiment <NUM>. The connector assembly is obtained by connecting the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> to a sheet type conductive member <NUM> by means of a connector <NUM>.

The connector <NUM> includes the first insulator <NUM> and a second insulator <NUM> each made of an insulating resin material.

The electric wires <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are the same as those used the connector assembly of Embodiment <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an assembly view of the connector assembly according to Embodiment <NUM>. The sheet type conductive member <NUM> is disposed on the -Z direction side of the coated electric wires <NUM>, and a connector forming component 61A is disposed on the -Z direction side of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>.

The connector forming component 61A is configured such that, in the connector forming component 11A used in Embodiment <NUM>, the second insulator <NUM> in place of the second insulator <NUM> is joined to the first insulator <NUM> via a pair of insulator joint portions <NUM>, and is made of an insulating resin material.

The second insulator <NUM> is obtained by forming a plurality of electric wire accommodation grooves 63A in the second insulator <NUM> used in Embodiment <NUM>. That is, the second insulator <NUM> includes the second retaining surface 13A extending along an XY plane and facing in the +Z direction, and the protrusion portion 13B extending in the X direction and protruding in the +Z direction is formed in the second retaining surface 13A. The protrusion portion 13B is provided with the electric wire retaining grooves 13E each extending in a YZ plane, and the electric wire accommodation grooves 63A each extending from the second retaining surface 13A in the -Z direction are formed on the +Y directional side surface of the second insulator <NUM> so as to correspond to the electric wire retaining grooves 13E.

In addition, on an outside of the protrusion portion 13B in the second retaining surface 13A, formed are the pair of bosses 13C protruding in the +Z direction and the pair of fixing holes 13D recessed in the -Z direction.

The second insulator <NUM> is disposed at the same X directional position as that of the first insulator <NUM> and arranged on the +Y direction side of the first insulator <NUM> side by side, and the +X directional side surface and the -X directional side surface of the first insulator <NUM> are separately joined to the +X directional side surface and the -X directional side surface of the second insulator <NUM> by the pair of insulator joint portions <NUM>. The first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM> and the second retaining surface 13A of the second insulator <NUM> are situated in the same XY plane owing to the pair of insulator joint portions <NUM>.

The sheet type conductive member <NUM> is obtained by, in the sheet type conductive member <NUM> used in Embodiment <NUM>, disposing the first sheet portion <NUM> such that the extension portion 22B is situated on the -Y direction side of the retained portion 22A, and joining the first sheet portion <NUM> to the second sheet portion <NUM> via a sheet joint portion <NUM> such that the second sheet portion <NUM> is arranged on the +Y direction side of the retained portion 22A side by side. That is, the first sheet portion <NUM> and the second sheet portion <NUM> are disposed at the same X directional position. The flexible conductors 21B extend in the -Y direction from the H-shaped opening portion 22C in the retained portion 22A of the first sheet portion <NUM>, and the end portions 21C of the flexible conductors 21B are disposed at the fold portion 22D formed at the -Y directional edge of the opening portion 22C.

The second sheet portion <NUM> is provided with the rectangular opening portion 23A extending long in the X direction. In addition, the sheet joint portion <NUM> has an opening portion 74A in its center portion.

In the assembling operation of the connector assembly, first, the sheet type conductive member <NUM> is disposed on the connector forming component 61A as shown in <FIG>. In this process, the retained portion 22A of the first sheet portion <NUM> is disposed on the first retaining surface 12A of the first insulator <NUM>, and the second sheet portion <NUM> is disposed on the second retaining surface 13A of the second insulator <NUM>. The protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM> penetrates the opening portion 23A of the second sheet portion <NUM>.

Subsequently, as shown in <FIG>, the coated electric wires <NUM> are disposed on the +Y direction side of the second insulator <NUM>, and the conductor portion 31A drawn in the -Y direction from the insulating coating portion 31B of each coated electric wire <NUM> is inserted in the corresponding electric wire retaining groove 13E of the protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM>.

The conductor portion 31A drawn in the -Y direction from the coated electric wire <NUM> is bent in the +Z direction and accommodated in the corresponding electric wire accommodation groove 63A of the second insulator <NUM> shown in <FIG>, and the conductor portion 31A is further bent in the -Y direction at the +Y directional end portion of the second sheet portion <NUM> and inserted in the corresponding electric wire retaining groove 13E of the protrusion portion 13B.

In this state, the pair of insulator joint portions <NUM> are cut and removed from the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Accordingly, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are separated from each other, while the first sheet portion <NUM> and the second sheet portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> are joined to each other by the sheet joint portion <NUM>.

Here, the sheet joint portion <NUM> is folded along the folding line L extending along the X direction that is the alignment direction of the coated electric wires <NUM> and the flexible conductors 21B, whereby the second insulator <NUM> together with the second sheet portion <NUM> and the coated electric wires <NUM> retained by the second insulator <NUM> is rotated about the folding line L by <NUM> degrees.

In this process, the sheet joint portion <NUM> can be easily folded because the opening portion 74A is formed in the center portion of the sheet joint portion <NUM>.

Accordingly, the protrusion portion 13B of the second insulator <NUM> and the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> retained by the protrusion portion 13B are accommodated in the recess portion 12B of the first insulator <NUM> via the opening portion 22C while folding the fold portion 22D of the retained portion 22A of the first sheet portion <NUM>. In addition, similarly to Embodiment <NUM>, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are fixed to each other, whereby the connector <NUM> is formed.

As a result, the fold portion 22D of the retained potion 22A and the conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> are held between the side surface of the protrusion portion 13B and the inner side surface of the recess portion 12B as shown in <FIG>. At this time, since the end portion 21C of the flexible conductor 21B is disposed on the surface of the fold portion 22D of the retained portion 22A, the end portion 21C of the flexible conductor 21B makes contact with the conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> with predetermined contact pressure and is electrically connected to the conductor portion 31A.

While the extension portion 22B of the first sheet portion <NUM> of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the coated electric wire <NUM> both extend in the -Y direction from the connector <NUM> in <FIG>, since part of the conductor portion 31A of the coated electric wire <NUM> is accommodated in the electric wire accommodation groove 63A formed in the side surface of the second insulator <NUM> and extending in the Z direction, the insulating coating portion 31B of the coated electric wire <NUM> is situated on the surface facing in the +Z direction of the extension portion 22B. In other words, the insulating coating portion 31B of the coated electric wire <NUM> and the extension portion 22B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> can extend in the -Y direction without interfering with each other in the Z direction.

As described above, also in the connector assembly of Embodiment <NUM>, while the second insulator <NUM> is fixed to the first insulator <NUM> to thereby reduce the size of the connector assembly, the flexible conductors 21B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> can be electrically connected to the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> with high reliability.

Similarly to Embodiment <NUM>, it is also possible to improve reliability in electric connection between the flexible conductors 21B of the sheet type conductive member <NUM> and the conductor portions 31A of the coated electric wires <NUM> by incorporation of the spring members <NUM> in the connector <NUM> in Embodiment <NUM>.

While three flexible conductors 21B exposed on the surface of the sheet type conductive member <NUM>, <NUM> are electrically connected to the conductor portions 31A of three coated electric wires <NUM> in Embodiments <NUM> to <NUM> above, the invention is not limited thereto; one or more flexible conductors 21B can be electrically connected to the conductor portion 31A or conductor portions 31A of one or more coated electric wires <NUM> in the similar manner.

Claim 1:
A connector assembly for connecting a conductor portion (31A) of an electric wire (<NUM>) to a flexible conductor (21B) exposed on a surface of a sheet type conductive member (<NUM>, <NUM>), the connector assembly comprising:
a sheet type conductive member (<NUM>, <NUM>) including a flexible conductor (21B) exposed on a surface thereof;
an electric wire (<NUM>) including a conductor portion (31A); and
a connector (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) for connecting the conductor portion to the flexible conductor,
wherein the connector includes a first insulator (<NUM>, <NUM>) and a second insulator (<NUM>, <NUM>), the first insulator including a first retaining surface (12A) and a recess portion (12B) formed in the first retaining surface, and the second insulator including a second retaining surface (13A) opposed to the first retaining surface and a protrusion portion (13B) formed on the second retaining surface to protrude therefrom and corresponding to the recess portion,
the sheet type conductive member includes a first sheet portion (<NUM>) and a second sheet portion (<NUM>), the first sheet portion including a retained portion (22A) disposed on the first retaining surface, and the second sheet portion being disposed on the second retaining surface,
the flexible conductor is exposed on a surface of the retained portion of the first sheet portion, and an end portion of the flexible conductor is disposed in the recess portion,
the protrusion portion and the conductor portion of the electric wire are accommodated in the recess portion in a state where the conductor portion of the electric wire is disposed along a surface of the protrusion portion, and
the first insulator and the second insulator are fixed to each other such that overlapping portions of the retained portion of the first sheet portion and the second sheet portion are held between the first retaining surface and the second retaining surface, whereby the flexible conductor (21B) makes contact with and is electrically connected to the conductor portion (31A) of the electric wire in the recess portion.