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A joint connector includes a housing that includes terminal chambers. At least two neighboring joint terminals are housed in terminal chambers neighboring among the terminal chambers, respectively. Each of the neighboring joint terminals includes a wire-crimping portion, a terminal body housed in a

A joint connector includes a housing that includes terminal chambers. At least two neighboring joint terminals are housed in terminal chambers neighboring among the terminal chambers, respectively. Each of the neighboring joint terminals includes a wire-crimping portion, a terminal body housed in a terminal chamber among the plurality of terminal chambers, and a pair of first and second contact portions, respectively. The first contact portion of one of the neighboring joint terminals is electrically contacted with the second contact portion of another of the neighboring joint terminals. The connector housing is provided with pairs of elastically deformable tabs, each of the pairs including two opposed deformable tabs and provided in each of the plurality of the terminal chambers. The opposed deformable tabs contact with sidewalls of the terminal body of the each of the neighboring joint terminals, respectively, by an elastic restoration behavior of the opposed deformable tabs.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A joint connector comprising: a connector housing that includes a plurality of terminal chambers segmented by a plurality of partitions; andat least two neighboring joint terminals that are housed in terminal chambers neighboring among the plurality of terminal chambers, respectively, whereineach

1. A joint connector comprising: a connector housing that includes a plurality of terminal chambers segmented by a plurality of partitions; andat least two neighboring joint terminals that are housed in terminal chambers neighboring among the plurality of terminal chambers, respectively, whereineach of the neighboring joint terminals includes a wire-crimping portion with which a wire is connected, a terminal body housed in a terminal chamber among the plurality of terminal chambers, and a pair of first and second contact portions laterally extended outward from respective sides of the terminal body,the first contact portion of one of the neighboring joint terminals is electrically contacted with the second contact portion of another of the neighboring joint terminals in a slit that is formed on a partition among the plurality of partitions located between the neighboring joint terminals,the connector housing is provided with pairs of elastically deformable tabs, each of the pairs including two opposed deformable tabs and being provided in each of the plurality of terminal chambers, andthe opposed deformable tabs contact with sidewalls of the terminal body of each of the neighboring joint terminals, respectively, by an elastic restoration behavior of the opposed deformable tabs, whereinthe second contact portion of each of the neighboring joint terminals includes an upper contact tab and a lower contact tab that are located parallel and a gap is formed between the upper contact tab and the lower contact tab, andthe first contact portion of the one of the neighboring joint terminals is wedged into the gap between the upper contact tab and the lower contact tab of the second contact portion of the other of the neighboring joint terminals. 2. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the opposed deformable tabs are formed integrally with neighboring partitions among the plurality of partitions so as to have a cantilever structure, respectively, and free ends of the opposed deformable tabs are contacted with the sidewalls, respectively. 3. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the terminal chambers comprises a lance integrally formed on the connector housing. 4. The joint connector according to claim 3, wherein the lance locks the joint terminal inserted into the terminal chamber to prevent the joint terminal from being pulled out from the terminal chamber. 5. The joint connector according to claim 3, wherein the lances are formed as barbed tabs having pawls protruded from bottoms of the terminal chambers, respectively. 6. The joint connector according to claim 5, wherein the terminal body comprises a bottom wall and a lance receiving hole formed on the bottom wall. 7. The joint connector according to claim 6, wherein the lance receiving hole is configured to be engaged with the lance such that each of the joint terminals is prevented from being pulled out from the terminal chamber due to a respective engagement of the lance receive hole with the pawl of the lance. 8. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein a height level of the first contact portion is set in a range between a height level of the upper contact tab and a height level of the lower contact tab. 9. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the lower contact tab passes through a hole formed on the sidewall, so that an end portion of the lower contact tab locates just beneath the upper contact tab. 10. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the opposed deformable tabs contact with the sidewalls of the terminal body of each of the neighboring joint terminals such that the joint terminals are prevented from being vibrated when the joint connector is located under a vibrational environment. 11. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic restoration behavior of the opposed deformable tabs locates the joint terminals at a constant position in the terminal chamber to compensate for changes to clearances between the partitions and the sidewalls of the terminal body due to temperature variations. 12. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic restoration behavior of the opposed deformable tabs restricts an increase of a contact resistance generated by vibrations and temperature variations. 13. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein one end of the deformable tab is a base end that is fixedly connected to the partition, and another end of the deformable tab is a free end. 14. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the first contact portion of the one of the neighboring joint terminals is wedged into the gap between the upper contact tab and the lower contact tab of the second contact portion of the other of the neighboring joint terminals to increase a total contacting area of the first contact portion and the second contact portion. 15. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the first contact portion of the one of the neighboring joint terminals is wedged into the gap between the upper contact tab and the lower contact tab of the second contact portion of the other of the neighboring joint terminals to surely hold the first contact portion between the upper contact tab and the lower contact tab of the second contact portion. 16. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the first contact portion of the one of the neighboring joint terminals is wedged into the gap between the upper contact tab and the lower contact tab of the second contact portion of the other of the neighboring joint terminals to provide a secure electrical contact between the neighboring joint terminals. 17. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein one group of the joint terminals and another group of the joint terminals are electrically separated by a hollow terminal chamber such that the joint terminals in the one group or the other group are electrically connected with each other. 18. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion is formed at a free end of the opposed deformable tab in order to contact the free end with the joint terminal such that the opposed deformable tab is slightly inclined toward an inside of the terminal chamber in order to contact the free end with the joint terminal.