This invention relates to a connector terminal-joint structure for connecting a plurality of terminals together.
For connecting insulated wires, juxtaposed in the same direction, there have been used previously either a branch connection (also called "joint") or a technique utilizing a branch connection box.
Here, the branch connection relates to a technique in which an insulative covering is peeled from one insulated wire intermediate opposite ends thereof to thereby expose its conductor, and an insulative covering is peeled from a front end portion of the other insulated wire to thereby expose its conductor, and the two conductors are compressively clamped together by a compressively-clamping terminal to thereby make an electrical and mechanical connection between the conductors.
One conventional branch connection box has been proposed, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 61-277180. More specifically, insulated wires, each having a female terminal connected to its front end, are inserted at their front end portions into a connector housing having a plurality of terminal receiving chambers, and a plurality of male terminals, which can be inserted respectively into the female terminals disposed respectively in the above terminal receiving chambers, are provided at the branch connection box that can receive the connector housing therein. The male terminals are connected respectively to their mating female terminals.
In this construction, the female terminals are connected respectively to the front ends of the insulated wires to be connected together and are inserted respectively into the terminal receiving chambers of the connector housing. Then, when the connector housing is inserted into the branch connector box, the male terminals, connected together at the branch connection box, are inserted respectively into their mating female terminals, so that the plurality of female terminals and hence the insulated wires are electrically connected together through the male terminals.
In the above technique of achieving the connection by the branch connection, however, cumbersome operations such as the peeling of the insulative coverings and the compressive clamping of the terminals, have been required, and therefore it has been difficult to introduce an automated system, thus resulting in low operation efficiency.
The technique utilizing the branch connection box, in addition to the connector housing, requires a separate branch connection box, and therefore extra space for mounting the box is required. When this is to be installed, for example, in an engine room or compartment of an automobile, there has been encountered a problem that the efficiency of mounting is poor. In addition, the branch connection box requires the box to be affixed to a car body or the like by tape or a bracket. This has resulted in a problem that the number of steps of the assembling operation is increased.