Connector assembly and connecting method

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 comprising:

• in a connector forming component in which a first insulator and a second insulator are joined to each other by an insulator joint portion such that a first retaining surface of the first insulator and a second retaining surface of the second insulator are situated in a same plane, disposing a retained portion of a first sheet portion of the sheet type conductive member having the flexible conductor exposed thereon on the first retaining surface, and a second sheet portion of the sheet type conductive member joined to the retained portion via a sheet joint portion on the second retaining surface,
• disposing the conductor portion of the electric wire along a surface of a protrusion portion formed on the second retaining surface to protrude therefrom,
• cutting and removing the insulator joint portion from the connector forming component,
• folding the sheet joint portion to thereby accommodate the protrusion portion and the conductor portion of the electric wire together with an end portion of the flexible conductor exposed on the retained portion of the first sheet portion into a recess portion formed in the first retaining surface of the first insulator, with the first retaining surface and the second retaining surface being opposed to each other, and
• fixing the first insulator and the second insulator to each other while 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 makes contact with and is electrically connected to the conductor portion of the electric wire in the recess portion.