FR3126069A1 - Male connector and male connector manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

A male connector 10 is provided with tab-shaped male terminals 11, an inner housing 40 having terminal housing portions 41 for accommodating the male terminals 11 therein, an outer housing 20 configured so that the inner housing 40 is nested therein, and a retaining member 30 movable between a partial locking position and a total locking position. A moving direction, in which the retainer 30 is movable, intersects with a nesting direction of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20. Insertion of the male terminals 11 into the terminal housing portions 41 is permitted. with the retainer 30 held in the partially locked position. Featured figure: Fig. 16

Description

Male connector and male connector manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a male connector and a male connector manufacturing method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A connector provided with a terminal fitting having a tab is conventionally known from Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-110701 (Patent Document 1 above). This connector has an inner casing into which the terminal fitting is inserted, an outer casing for accommodating the inner casing, and a retainer for retaining the terminal fitting in the inner casing by being mounted in the inner casing.

When assembling the above connector, the retainer is first assembled with the inner casing in such a way that a body portion of the retainer fits into a housing space of the internal box. Subsequently, the inner casing with the retainer held in a partially locked position is assembled with the outer casing. Finally, the terminal fitting is inserted into a correct insertion position in the inner casing and the retainer is moved from the partially locked position to a fully locked position, whereby the terminal fitting is retained in the inner box. Here, a direction of movement of the retainer from the partial lock position to the full lock position intersects with a direction of insertion of the terminal fitting into the inner case.

LIST OF QUOTES

PATENT DOCUMENT

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-110701

There is a front view showing a state where a retainer is held in a partially locked position in a male connector according to one embodiment,

There is a front view showing a state where the retainer is held in a fully locked position in the male connector,

There is a perspective view of an outer casing,

There is a cut according to AA of the ,

There is a cut according to BB of the ,

There is a cut according to BB of the representing the male connector mounted on a panel,

There is a front perspective view of the retainer,

There is a rear perspective view of the retainer,

There is a cut according to EE of the representing the state where the retainer is held in the partially locked position,

There is a cut according to EE of the representing the state where the retainer is held in the fully locked position,

There is a cut according to FF of the representing the state where the retainer is held in the partially locked position,

There is a cut according to FF of the representing the state where the retainer is held in the fully locked position,

There is a CC cut of the representing the state where the retainer is held in the partially locked position,

There is a CC cut of the representing the state where the retainer is held in the fully locked position,

There is a CC cut of the representing a state where a jig is inserted into a second recess of the retaining element held in the partially locked position,

There is a CC cut of the representing a state where an inner casing is nested in the outer casing with the retainer in the outer casing located in the fully locked position,

There is a front perspective view of the inner case,

There is a rear perspective view of the inner case, and

There is a cut according to DD of the .

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THIS DISCLOSURE

First, the embodiments of this disclosure are listed and described.

(1) The male connector of the present disclosure is provided with a tab-shaped male terminal, an inner casing having a terminal housing portion for accommodating the male terminal therein, an outer casing configured so that the inner casing is nested therein, and a retaining element movable between a partially locked position and a fully locked position, in which a direction of movement, the retaining element being movable in the direction of movement, intersects with a direction of interlocking of the inner casing and the outer casing, an insertion of the male terminal into the terminal housing portion is permitted with the retaining element held in the partially locked position, the male terminal is retained within the terminal housing portion with the retainer held in the fully locked position, the outer casing and the inner casing include latch structures uage to be locked with each other in the mating direction, the retainer has a retainer body, the retainer body is disposed within a housing space formed between the outer casing and the inner casing, one of the retainer and the inner casing has an inclined surface intersecting with both the moving direction and the mating direction, and the other of the retainer and the inner casing has an engagement portion for moving the retainer to the partially locked position by sliding into contact with the inclined surface when fitting the inner casing into the outer casing.

According to this configuration, since the retainer body of the retainer is disposed inside the housing space formed between the inner case and the outer case, space saving of the male connector is possible. Further, since the retainer is moved to the partially locked position by the sliding contact of the angled surface and the engaging portion when fitting the inner housing into the outer housing, the assembly of the male connector is facilitated.

(2) Preferably, the retainer has the slanted surface and the inner casing has the engaging portion, and the slanted surface is slanted to be closer to the fully locked position in the direction of upward movement. outer case in the mating direction.

According to this configuration, since the inclined surface of the retainer is inclined to be closer to the fully locked position in the direction of movement towards the outer casing in the direction of nesting, the retainer can be moved up to the partially locked position by the sliding contact of the inclined surface of the retaining element and the engagement portion of the inner casing during the engagement of the inner casing in the outer casing.

(3) Preferably, the retaining member has a locking projection, and the inner housing has a partial locking recess for holding the retaining member in the partial locking position while being locked with the locking projection and a full lock recess for holding the retainer in the full lock position by being locked with the lock protrusion.

According to this configuration, the retaining member can be held in the partial locking position by the partial locking recess of the inner casing and the retaining member can be held in the full locking position by the full locking recess of the inner case.

(4) Preferably, the outer casing has a first guide portion to allow the retainer to move freely in the direction of movement between the partially locked position and the fully locked position.

According to this configuration, since the retaining member can be moved freely in the moving direction with respect to the inner casing by the first guide portion, the retaining member is easily moved to the partial locking position by the contact sliding from the inclined surface and the engaging portion when fitting the inner casing into the outer casing.

(5) Preferably, the outer casing has a second guide portion to guide the fitting of the inner casing and the outer casing.

According to this configuration, the inner casing and the outer casing can be fitted smoothly by the second guide portion.

(6) A male connector manufacturing method of the present disclosure manufactures a male connector having a tab-shaped male terminal, an inner housing having a terminal housing portion for accommodating the male terminal therein, a outer casing configured such that the inner casing is nested therein, and a retainer movable between a partially locked position and a fully locked position, a direction of movement, the retainer being movable in the direction of displacement, intersecting with a direction of interlocking of the inner casing and the outer casing, an insertion of the male terminal into the terminal housing portion being permitted with the retaining element maintained in the partially locked position, the terminal male being retained within the terminal housing portion with the retainer held in the fully locked position, the outer housing and the the inner casing having locking structures to be locked with each other in the mating direction, the retainer having a retainer body, the retainer body being disposed therein a housing space formed between the outer casing and the inner casing, one of the retaining member and the inner casing having an inclined surface intersecting with both the moving direction and the mating direction, and the other of the retainer and the inner casing having an engaging portion, and the manufacturing method includes a first step of inserting the retainer into the outer casing, and a second step of movement of the retainer to the partially locked position by fitting the inner casing into the outer casing and sliding the engagement portion and the inclined surface in contact with one another and the other.

According to this male connector manufacturing method, since the retainer can be moved to the partially locked position by the interlocking of the inner casing and the outer casing in the second step after the first step of inserting the retainer in the outer casing, the assembly of the male connector is facilitated.

[Details of the embodiment of this disclosure]

One embodiment of the present disclosure is described below. This disclosure is not limited to these illustrations and is intended to be represented by the claims and to include all changes in the scope of the claims and in the meaning and scope of their equivalents.

<Embodiment>

The embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to Figures 1 to 19. In the following description, a direction indicated by an arrow Z is referred to as the up direction, a direction indicated by an arrow X is referred to as the down direction. forward and a direction indicated by an arrow Y is called a left direction. It should be noted that, for a plurality of identical organs, only certain organs may be designated by a reference sign and the other organs may not be designated by the reference sign.

[Male connector]

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, a male connector 10 of this embodiment includes male terminals 11, an inner housing 40 to house the male terminals 11 therein, a retainer 30 to retain the male terminals 11 inside the inner casing 40 and an outer casing 20 to house the inner casing 40 inside. In this embodiment, a front-to-rear direction is an example of an interlocking direction of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20. Further, a lateral direction is an example of a moving direction in which the retainer 30 is movable.

As shown on the , the male connector 10 of this embodiment is a waterproof connector to be mounted on a panel P of a device or the like. Although not shown, the male connector 10 is connected to a complementary connector in the front-to-rear direction and the connection surfaces of these connectors are made waterproof. In particular, the male connector 10 is, for example, fitted into a complementary receptacle of the complementary male connector and an elastic member is arranged in a compressed state between the external peripheral surface of the male connector 10 and the internal peripheral surface of the complementary receptacle.

[External box]

The outer casing 20 is made of insulating synthetic resin. As shown on the , the outer casing 20 comprises a body portion 21 and a receptacle 22 extended in size from the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 21 and open towards the front. The body portion 21 is provided with a plurality of wire housing portions 23 penetrating in the front-back direction. Two types of large and small wire housing portions 23 are provided. The large wire housing portions 23 are disposed in both side end portions of the body portion 21. The small wire housing portions 23 are disposed in a laterally central portion of the body portion 21.

As shown on the , a rear receptacle 24 open to the rear is provided behind the receptacle 22. The rear receptacle 24 covers the body portion 21 from the outside. A rear half of the rear receptacle 24 is extended in size like a flange and has a groove-shaped water blocking recess 24A. A sealing member 24B serving as an annular elastic member is mounted in the water blocking recess 24A. A tubular nesting portion 24C provided on the panel P is nested in the water blocking recess 24A, whereby the sealing member 24B is compressed between the nesting portion 24C and the blocking recess of water 24A. In this way, a watertight seal is provided between the outer casing 20 and the panel P.

As shown on the , the outer casing 20 has a plurality of ridge portions 25 (an example of a second guide portion) projecting inwardly from the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle 22. The plurality of ridge portions 25 are provided extending in the front-to-back direction. As shown on the , the plurality of ridge portions 25 guide the insertion of the inner casing 40 into the outer casing 20 by sliding in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner casing 40. Among the plurality of ridge portions 25, that located at a central position vertical on a right side of the inner peripheral surface of the receptacle 22 functions as a right ridge portion 25A (an example of a first guide portion). As described later, the right ridge portion 25A guides movement of the retainer 30 in the lateral direction by sliding into contact, also, with the outer peripheral surface of the retainer 30 (see Figures 9 and 10).

As shown on the , the outer casing 20 has a plurality of latch portions 26 (an example of a latch structure) projecting from the inner peripheral surfaces of a pair of left and right side walls of the receptacle 22. latch 26 on the right side wall project to the left, and the latch portions 26 on the left side wall project to the right. As shown on the , a front part of the latch portion 26 protrudes further toward a rear side. The latch portion 26 has a rear end surface 26A substantially parallel to a rear wall 22A of the receptacle 22. The latch portion 26 is interlocked with a latch receiving portion 42 (an example of the latch structure) of the internal box 40 which will be described later.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the outer casing 20 has a protruding portion 27 (an example of the first guide portion) projecting forward from the back wall 22A of the receptacle 22. The protruding portion projection 27 is formed in a front part of a central part of the body portion 21. The projection portion 27 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The protruding portion 27 is arranged to include the small wire housing portions 23, among the wire housing portions 23. The outer casing 20 has a coupling portion 27A coupling an upper part of the protruding portion 27 and the wall upper part of the receptacle 22. The coupling portion 27A protrudes forward from the rear wall 22A and a protruding dimension thereof is smaller than that of the protruding portion 27.

[Retainer]

The retainer 30 is made of insulating synthetic resin. As shown on the , the retainer 30 has a retainer body 31 and an operative portion 32 projecting forward from the front surface of the retainer body 31. As shown in Fig. , in the male connector 10, the retainer body 31 is sandwiched between the outer casing 20 and the inner casing 40 in the front-back direction. In other words, the retainer body 31 is disposed inside a housing space 45 provided between the outer casing 20 and the inner casing 40. The operational portion 32 is provided on an upper end part of the retainer body 31 and disposed outside the housing space 45. The retainer 30 is movable in the lateral direction between a partially locked position shown in the and a fully locked position shown on the . The full lock position is located to the left of the partial lock position. As described below, the retainer 30 can be moved to the partially locked position or the fully locked position in the male connector 10 by operating the operative portion 32 using a template G (see ).

As shown on the , the retainer 30 has a baffle piece 33 projecting to the left from the left end edge of the retainer body 31. The baffle piece 33 is formed by being thin in the vertical direction and elastically deformable in the vertical direction. A locking projection 33A projecting upward from the upper surface of the baffle piece 33 is formed on the tip of the baffle piece 33. As described later, the retainer 30 is held in the locking position. partial by locking the locking projection 33A and a partial locking recess 48 of the inner housing 40 (see ). The retainer 30 is held in the fully locked position by the locking of the locking projection 33A and a full locking recess 49 of the inner housing 40 (see ).

As shown on the , the retainer body 31 has a plurality of through holes 34 penetrating in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the plurality of through holes 34 are provided at positions communicating with the plurality of wire housing portions 23 of the outer casing 20. Similar to the plurality of wire housing portions 23, the plurality of through holes 34 have two types of large and small through holes 34. As shown in the , a right hole edge portion of each through hole 34 serves as a retaining portion 34A. Note that recess-shaped step portions 34B are formed in a left end portion of the retainer body 31, and retainer portions 34A are formed in the step portions 34B. As described later, with retainer 30 held in the fully locked position, retainer portions 34A retain male terminals 11 housed in inner housing 40 (see Figures 10 and 12).

As shown on the , a retainer side recess 35 recessed forward from the rear surface of the retainer body 31 is provided on a rear side of the retainer body 31. As shown in Fig. , the retainer-side recess 35 is formed to receive the projecting portion 27 and the coupling portion 27A of the outer casing 20. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the internal shape of the retainer-side recess 35 is larger than the outer shape of the projecting portion 27 in the lateral direction. The inner peripheral surface of the retainer-side recess 35 has portions which slide in contact with upper and lower side portions of the outer peripheral surface of the projecting portion 27. In this way, vertical movement of the retainer 30 relative to outer housing 20 is restricted. By the sliding contact of the retainer-side recess 35 and the projecting portion 27, the retainer 30 is movable in the lateral direction between the partially locked position (see ) and the fully locked position (see ) relative to the outer case 20.

As shown on the , the retainer 30 has an engaging recess 36 at a vertical center position on a right end portion of the retainer body 31. The engaging recess 36 is recessed to the left at from the right end edge of the retainer body 31. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the engagement recess 36 of the retainer 30 is provided at a position to receive the portion right ridge portion 25A of outer housing 20. The inner surface of engagement recess 36 slides into contact with the outer surface of right ridge portion 25A. By the sliding contact of the engagement recess 36 and the right ridge portion 25A, the insertion of the retainer 30 into the outer housing 20 is guided. Further, movement of the retainer 30 in the lateral direction is guided by the sliding contact of the engagement recess 36 and the right ridge portion 25A.

As shown on the , the retaining member 30 has a first recess 32A, a second recess 32B and a third recess 32C recessed upward from a lower side of the outer peripheral surface of the operating portion 32. The first recess 32A is provided in a right end part of a front part of the operational portion 32. As shown in the , the first recess 32A has an inclined surface 37 intersecting both a virtual axis A1 extending in the front-back direction and a virtual axis A2 extending in the lateral direction. As shown on the , the inclined surface 37 is oriented forward in the male connector 10. As described below, when fitting the inner housing 40 into the outer housing 20 housing the retaining element 30 in an assembly process of the male connector 10, the inclined surface 37 and an engagement portion 47 of the inner housing 40 slide into contact with each other, whereby the retainer 30 moves to the partially locked position (see ).

As shown on the , the second recess 32B is formed to the right of the first recess 32A. The second recess 32B has a template contact surface 38 inclined to the right towards the rear side. As shown on the , the jig contact surface 38 faces forward in the male connector 10. As described below, the retainer 30 is moved from the partially locked position to the fully locked position by pressing the gauge G against the gauge contact surface 38 from the front (see ). As shown on the , the third recess 32C is provided behind the first recess 32A in the operational portion 32. As shown in the , the third recess 32C receives the engagement portion 47 of the inner housing 40 which will be described later if the retaining element 30 moves to the fully locked position in the male connector 10. By locking the engaging portion 47 and the inner wall of the third recess 32C in the front-rear direction, the inner casing 40 retains the retainer 30 in the outer casing 40.

[Inner box]

The inner casing 40 is made of insulating synthetic resin. As shown on the , the inner casing 40 is in the form of a long block in the lateral direction. The inner case 40 has a plurality of terminal housing portions 41 penetrating in the front-rear direction. Similar to wire housing portions 23 and through-holes 34, terminal housing portions 41 have two types of large and small terminal housing portions 41.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, with retainer 30 and inner casing 40 assembled with outer casing 20, terminal housing portions 41, through-holes 34, and wire housing portions 23 communicate in the forward-backward direction. A lance receiving portion 41A is provided on the inner wall of the terminal housing portion 41. The lance receiving portion 41A is a surface substantially parallel to the front surface of the inner casing 40. By locking the receiving lance 41A and a metal locking lance 16 from the male terminal 11, the male terminal 11 is held in the terminal housing portion 41.

With retainer 30 held in the partially locked position, retainer portions 34A are disposed in positions not interfering with male terminals 11 and male terminals 11 may be inserted into inner housing 40 as shown in Figures 9 and 11. With the retainer 30 held in the fully locked position, the retainer portions 34A are disposed in positions overlapping the male terminals 11 in the fore-aft direction as shown in Figures 10 and 12 In this way, the male terminals 11 are prevented from coming out rearward from the terminal housing portions 41 by locking the retaining portions 34A on rear end portions of trunk portions 13 as shown in the figures. Figures 4 and 5.

As shown on the , the latch receiving portions 42 are formed on the left and right sides of the outer peripheral surface of the inner casing 40. The latch receiving portion 42 has a forward open gate shape and is elastically deformable in the direction lateral. The latch receiving portion 42 has a latch surface 42A substantially parallel to the front surface of the inner housing 40. As shown in the , the lock surface 42A is locked with the rear end surface 26A of the lock portion 26 of the outer casing 20 in the front-rear direction.

As shown on the , a plurality of inwardly recessed ridge portion receiving portions 43 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner casing 40. As shown in Fig. , the plurality of ridge portion receiving portions 43 are disposed at positions corresponding to the plurality of ridge portions 25 of the outer casing 20. By the sliding contact of the respective ridge portions 25 and the ridge portion receiving portions 43 respectively, the insertion of the inner casing 40 in the outer casing 20 is guided. As shown on the , a housing recess 44 recessed forward from the rear end surface of the inner casing 40 is formed on a rear side of the inner casing 40.

As shown on the , the housing recess 44 is configured to house the retainer body 31 inserted from the front. On the other hand, the outer casing 20 carries the retainer body 31 from the rear, and the projecting portion 27 and the coupling portion 27A of the outer casing 20 are engaged with the retainer side recess 35. of the retainer body 31. Therefore, the retainer body 31 is sandwiched between the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the housing recess 44 and the rear wall 22A, the projecting portion 27 and the coupling portion 27A of the outer casing 20 constitute the housing space 45 for housing the retainer body. 31. The retainer body 31 disposed in the housing space 45 is movable in the lateral direction between the partially locked position and the fully locked position as described above.

In this embodiment, outer casing 20 and retainer 30 are not configured to lock together in the front-to-back direction. However, the retainer body 31 is sandwiched between the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20 in the front-rear direction and the latch receiving portions 42 of the inner casing 40 and the latch portions 26 of the external 20 are locked in the front-rear direction (see ). In this way, the retainer 30 can be positioned in the fore-aft direction relative to the outer housing 20. That is, the male connector 10 is more easily reduced in size by omitting a configuration to lock the outer casing 20 and retainer 30.

As shown on the , the partial lock recess 48 and the full lock recess 49 are formed in a rear end portion of an upper left side of the inner casing 40. The full lock recess 49 is disposed to the left and distance from the partial locking recess 48. The partial locking recess 48 and the full locking recess 49 are formed to be recessed upward from the inner peripheral surface of the top wall of the housing recess 44. As depicted in the , when the retainer 30 is in the partial locking position, the locking projection 33A of the retaining member 30 is disposed in the partial locking recess 48. As shown in Fig. , when the retainer 30 is in the fully locked position, the locking projection 33A is disposed in the fully locking recess 49.

As shown on the , a downwardly recessed operational portion receiving recess 46 is formed in a laterally central part of an upper part of the inner casing 40. The bottom surface of the operational portion receiving recess 46 is further downwardly recessed than the top wall of housing recess 44. As shown in Fig. , the operating portion 32 of the retainer 30 is disposed within the operating portion receiving recess 46. A side dimension of the operating portion receiving recess 46 is set to be larger than that of the operational portion 32.

As shown on the , the engaging portion 47 is formed in a left portion inside the operational portion receiving recess 46. The engaging portion 47 protrudes from a corner portion where the surface of bottom and the left inner surface of the operational portion receiving recess 46 are connected. The engagement portion 47 is mainly shaped by extending in the lateral direction. The engaging portion 47 has an engaging surface 47A slanted leftward to the rear side on a protruding end portion thereof. Engagement surface 47A faces rearward.

When inserting the inner casing 40 into the outer casing 20, the engagement surface 47A and the inclined surface 37 of the retainer 30 are offset in the lateral direction and are not opposite each other. the other in the front-to-rear direction when the retainer 30 disposed in the outer casing 20 is in the partially locked position. Thus, when the interlocking of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20 is completed, the retaining element 30 is maintained in the partially locked position (see ).

When inserting the inner casing 40 into the outer casing 20, the engagement surface 47A and the inclined surface 37 of the retainer 30 are arranged to face each other in the direction forward-backward when the retainer 30 disposed in the outer casing 20 is in a position other than the partial locking position (for example, a case shown in the ). Thus, as the engagement of the inner housing 40 and the outer housing 20 proceeds, the engagement portion 47 and the inclined surface 37 slide into contact with each other and the retainer 30 moves until 'in the partially locked position (this is described in detail in the description of a method of manufacturing the male connector 10 below).

[Male terminals]

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the plurality of male terminals 11 of the male connector 10 have two types of large and small male terminals. The male terminal 11 includes a leg-shaped tip portion 12, the trunk portion 13 to be disposed inside the terminal housing portion 41, and a wire connection portion 14 to be connected to a end of a wire W. The trunk portion 13 is provided with a metal locking spear 16 formed by cutting and lifting. The metal lock lance 16 protrudes toward an inner wall of the terminal housing portion 41. The metal lock lance 16 is interlocked with the lance receiving portion 41A of the terminal housing portion 41. The tip parts 12 male terminals 11 are inserted into female terminal connecting tube portions of the unillustrated female connector, whereby the male connector 10 and the female connector are electrically connected.

[Male Connector Manufacturing Process]

The male connector 10 of this embodiment is configured as described above. An example of a manufacturing process for male connector 10 is described below. The manufacturing method of the male connector 10 of this embodiment comprises a first step, a second step, a third step and a fourth step.

First, as a first step, the retainer 30 is inserted into the receptacle 22 of the outer casing 20. At this point, the right ridge portion 25A of the outer casing 20 and the mounting recess Receptacle 36 of retainer 30 slides into contact with each other, whereby insertion of retainer 30 into receptacle 22 is guided.

When the insertion of the retainer 30 into the receptacle 22 is completed, the protruding portion 27 of the outer casing 20 and the retainer side recess 35 of the retainer 30 are nested together with each other. other (see Figures 5, 9 and 10). The outer peripheral surface of the projecting portion 27 and the inner peripheral surface of the retainer-side recess 35 partially slide in contact with each other, and the retainer 30 is freely movable in the lateral direction. between the partially locked position (see ) and the fully locked position (see ) in the receptacle 22. In other words, the retainer 30 is movable to any position between the partially locked position and the fully locked position in the lateral direction in the receptacle 22.

Subsequently, as a second step, the inner casing 40 is inserted into the receptacle 22 of the outer casing 20 and the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20 are snapped together. The plurality of ridge portion receiving portions 43 of the inner casing 40 and the plurality of ridge portions 25 of the outer casing 20 slide into contact with each other, whereby insertion of the inner casing 40 into the receptacle 22 is guided.

When they interfere with the front portions of the latch portions 26 on the outer peripheral surface of the receptacle 22, the latch receiving portions 42 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner casing 40 are elastically deformed inwardly of the receptacle. 22 and overlap the latch portions 26. If the inner casing 40 is further inserted toward the rear side of the receptacle 22, the latch receiving portions 42 overlap the latch portions 26 and are restored. In this way, the latch surfaces 42 of the latch receiving portions 42 and the rear end surfaces 26A of the latch portions 26 are locked (see ), and the interlocking of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20 is completed.

At the second step, the retainer body 31 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 44 of the inner case 40 from the front. As shown on the , when the second step is completed, the retainer body 31 of the retainer 30 is disposed in the housing space 45 formed between the outer casing 20 and the inner casing 40.

If the retainer 30 is disposed in the partially locked position in the receptacle 22 in the second step, the engagement portion 47 of the inner housing 40 does not slide into contact with the inclined surface 37 of the retaining member. retainer 30 and the retainer 30 does not move in the lateral direction. By moving the inner casing 40 to the rear side of the receptacle 22, the locking projection 33A of the retainer 30 is disposed in the partial locking recess 48 of the inner casing 40 (see ). The second stage is completed with retainer 30 held in the partially locked position by inner housing 40.

Furthermore, if the retainer 30 in the receptacle 22 is disposed in a position other than the partially locked position, i.e. a position closer to the fully locked position than (to the left of ) the partially locked position, in the second step, the engagement portion 47 of the inner housing 40 slides into contact with the inclined surface 37 of the retainer 30. Then, the retainer 30 moves until 'in the partially locked position until the second stage is completed, and is maintained in the partially locked position when the second stage is completed.

For example, the shows a state in which the engagement portion 47 of the inner casing 40 inserted into the receptacle 22 is in contact with the inclined surface 37 of the retainer 30 in the partially locked position. By the sliding contact of the ridge portion receiving portions 43 and the plurality of ridge portions 25, the inner casing 40 moves only in the fitting direction (front-rear direction) in the receptacle 22. Thus, the engagement portion 47 slides into contact with the inclined surface 37 while moving only in the forward-backward direction. Since the inclined surface 37 is inclined to the left (to the right on the ) to the rear side (lower side on the ), the retaining element 30 having the inclined surface 37 moves to the right (to the left on the ) when the inner housing 40 moves to the rear side of the receptacle 22. Accordingly, the retainer 30 moves to the partially locked position before the engagement of the inner housing 40 and the outer housing 20 be completed.

After movement of retainer 30 to the partially locked position is completed by sliding contact of engagement portion 47 and angled surface 37, inner housing 40 moves further downward. back side of receptacle 22 and locking projection 33A of retaining member 30 enters partial locking recess 48 of inner housing 40. When the second step is completed, retaining member 30 is held in the partial locking position by the internal box 40 (see ).

As described above, in this embodiment, regardless of what position between the partial lock position and the full lock position where the retainer 30 is located when the first step is completed, the retainer 30 is maintained in the partially locked position when the second step of fitting the inner casing 40 into the outer casing 20 is completed. Thus, in this embodiment, retainer 30 may not be moved to the partially locked position until a transition is made to the second stage. Further, retainer 30 need not be moved to the partially locked position after the second step is completed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the assembly of the male connector 10 is facilitated.

Subsequently, as a third step, the male terminals 11 connected to the wires W are inserted into the inner casing 40. Since the retainer 30 is held in the partially locked position, the insertion of the male terminals 11 into the inner case 40 is permitted (see Figures 9 and 11). The male terminals 11 are held in the terminal housing portions 41 by the locking of the metal locking spears 16 and the spear receiving portions 41A (see Figures 4 and 5).

In the fourth step, the retainer 30 is moved to the fully locked position to retain the male terminals 11 housed in the terminal housing portions 41. To move the retainer 30 from the locked position partial to the fully locked position, the operative portion 32 of the retainer 30 is operated by the jig G as shown in figure . The template G is in the form of a bar insertable into the second recess 32B of the operative portion 32. A front end portion of the template G is preferably angled to extend along the template contact surface 38. This is because a force required to operate the operating portion 32 can be reduced and the jig G can be slid smoothly into the second recess 32B.

The jig G is inserted into the second recess 32B and pushed rearward against the jig contact surface 38. Since the jig contact surface 38 is inclined to the right towards the rear side, the retainer be moved to the left by the sliding of the template G in contact with the template contact surface 38. If the retainer 30 moves to the left from the partially locked position (see ), the locking projection 33A is brought into engagement with the inner surface of the partial locking recess 48 and the deflector piece 33 is elastically deformed downward. In this way, the locking projection 33A is disposed outside of the partial locking recess 48. Further, if the retainer 30 moves to the left, the locking projection 33A is disposed within the fully locked recess 49 and the deflector piece 33 is restored, whereby the retainer 30 is maintained in the fully locked position (see ).

With retainer 30 held in the fully locked position, retainer portions 34A are disposed behind trunk portions 13 of male terminals 11 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Thus, male terminals 11 are retained in the terminal housing portions 41. In the above manner, the second step is completed and the manufacture of the male connector 10 is completed.

It should be noted that when the male terminal 11 of the male connector 10 is repaired or the like, an operation of moving the retainer 30 from the fully locked position to the partially locked position is required. In this case, an unillustrated release jig is inserted into the first recess 32A or the second recess 32B of the operative portion 32 and operated to move the operative portion 32 to the right, whereby the retainer 30 can be moved from fully locked to partially locked (see Figures 13 and 14).

[Functions and Effects of the Embodiment]

The following functions and effects are accomplished according to this embodiment.

The male connector 10 according to this embodiment is provided with the tab-shaped male terminals 11, the inner casing 40 having the terminal housing portions 41 for accommodating the male terminals 11 inside, the outer casing 20 configured so that the inner casing 40 is nested therein, and of the retaining element 30 movable between the partial locking position and the total locking position, in which the direction of displacement (lateral direction), in which the element retainer 30 is movable, intersects with the interlocking direction (front-rear direction) of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20, the insertion of the male terminals 11 into the terminal housing portions 41 is permitted with the retaining element 30 maintained in the partially locked position, the male terminals 11 are retained inside the terminal housing portions 41 with the retaining element 30 maintained in the fully locked position, outer casing 20 and inner casing 40 include the locking structures (lock portions 26 and lock receiving portions 42) to be locked together in the mating direction, retainer 30 includes the retainer body 31, the retainer body 31 is disposed in the housing space 45 formed between the outer case 20 and the inner case 40, one of the retainer 30 and the case inner 40 has the inclined surface 37 intersecting with both the moving direction and the mating direction, and the other of the retainer 30 and the inner casing 40 has the engaging portion 47 for moving the retaining element 30 to the partially locked position by sliding in contact with the inclined surface 37 during the fitting of the inner casing 40 in the outer casing 20.

According to this configuration, since the retainer body 31 of the retainer 30 is disposed inside the housing space 45 formed between the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20, a space saving of the male connector 10 is possible. Further, since the retainer 30 is moved to the partially locked position by the sliding contact of the inclined surface 37 and the engagement portion 47 when the inner housing 40 is fitted into the housing external 20, the assembly of the male connector 10 is facilitated.

In this embodiment, retainer 30 has angled surface 37, inner housing 40 has engagement portion 47, and angled surface 37 is angled closer to the fully locked position (towards left) in the direction of movement toward the outer casing 20 (rearward) in the direction of nesting.

According to this configuration, since the inclined surface 37 of the retainer 30 is inclined to be closer to the fully locked position in the direction of movement towards the outer casing 20 in the nesting direction, the retainer 30 can be moved to the partially locked position by the sliding contact of the inclined surface 37 of the retainer 30 and the engagement portion 47 of the inner housing 40 during the fitting of the inner housing 40 in the outer box 20.

In this embodiment, retainer 30 includes locking protrusion 33A, and inner housing 40 includes partial locking recess 48 for retaining retainer 30 in the partial locking position while locked with the locking protrusion 33A and the full locking recess 49 to maintain the retainer 30 in the full locking position while being locked with the locking protrusion 33A.

According to this configuration, the retaining element 30 can be maintained in the partially locked position by the partial locking recess 48 of the inner housing 40, and the retaining element 30 can be maintained in the fully locked position by the total locking recess 48 of the inner casing 40.

In this embodiment, the outer casing 20 has the first guide portion (projection portion 27 and right ridge portion 25A) to allow the retainer 30 to move freely in the direction of movement between the position partial lock position and full lock position.

According to this configuration, since the retaining member 30 can be moved freely in the direction of movement relative to the outer casing 20 by the first guide portion, the retaining member 30 easily moves to the partially locked position. by the sliding contact of the inclined surface 37 and the engagement portion 47 during the nesting of the inner casing 40 in the outer casing 20.

In this embodiment, the outer casing 20 includes the second guide portion (a plurality of crest portions 25) to guide the interlocking of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20.

According to this configuration, the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20 can be fitted smoothly by the second guide portion.

The method of manufacturing the male connector 10 of this embodiment makes it possible to manufacture the male connector 10 provided with the tab-shaped male terminals 11, the internal casing 40 comprising the terminal housing portions 41 for housing the male terminals 11 at the interior, of the outer casing 20 configured so that the inner casing 40 is nested therein, and of the retainer 30 movable between the partial locking position and the total locking position, the direction of movement, in which the retainer 30 is movable, intersecting with the interlocking direction of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20, the insertion of the male terminals 11 into the terminal housing portions 41 being permitted with the retainer 30 held in the partially locked position, the male terminals 11 being retained within the terminal housing portions 41 with the retainer 30 held in the locked position total, the outer casing 20 and the inner casing 40 having the locking structures to be locked with each other in the nesting direction, the retainer 30 having the retainer body 31, the body of the retainer 31 being disposed within the housing space 45 formed between the outer casing 20 and the inner casing 40, one of the retainer 30 and the inner casing 40 having the inclined surface 37 intersecting with both the moving direction and the mating direction, and the other of the retainer 30 and the inner casing 40 having the engagement portion 47, and the manufacturing method includes the first step of inserting the retainer 30 into the outer casing 20 and the second step of moving the retainer 30 to the partially locked position by fitting the inner casing 40 into the outer casing 20 and the grout ment of the engagement portion 47 and the inclined surface 37 in contact with each other after the first step.

According to this method of manufacturing the male connector 10, as the retaining element 30 can be moved to the partially locked position by the interlocking of the inner casing 40 and the outer casing 20 in the second step after the first step of insertion of the retainer 30 into the outer casing 20, the assembly of the male connector 10 is facilitated.

<Other Embodiments>

(1) Although the retainer 30 has the inclined surface 37 and the inner case 40 has the engagement portion 47 in the above embodiment, there is no limitation to this and a retainer may have an engaging portion and an inner housing may have an angled surface.

(2) Although the outer casing 20 has the lock portions 26 and the inner casing 40 has the lock receiving portions 42 in the above embodiment, there is no limitation thereto. An outer casing and an inner casing need only have latch structures capable of being locked together in an interlocking direction and, for example, the outer casing may have latch receiving portions and the inner casing may include lock portions.

(3) Although the retainer 30 has the second recess 32B, into which the jig G is inserted, in the above embodiment, there is no limitation thereto. For example, a retainer may have an operative projection projecting forward from an operative portion and the retainer may be made movable by directly bringing a jig or a worker's finger into contact with the operational protrusion.

(4) Although the male connector 10 is a waterproof connector in the above embodiment, there is no limitation thereto and a connector may be a non-waterproof connector having no no sealing member or the like.

Claims (6)

Male connector, comprising:
a paw-shaped male terminal;
an inner case having a terminal housing portion for housing the male terminal therein;
an outer casing configured such that the inner casing is nested therein; And
a retaining element movable between a partial locking position and a total locking position,
in which :
a direction of movement, the retaining element being movable in the direction of movement, intersects with a direction of interlocking of the inner casing and the outer casing,
insertion of the male terminal into the terminal housing portion is permitted with the retainer held in the partially locked position,
the male terminal is retained inside the terminal housing portion with the retaining element held in the fully locked position,
the outer casing and the inner casing have interlocking structures to be interlocked with each other in the mating direction,
the retainer includes a retainer body,
the retainer body is disposed within a housing space formed between the outer casing and the inner casing,
one of the retainer and the inner housing has an inclined surface intersecting both the moving direction and the mating direction, and
the other of the retainer and the inner housing has an engagement portion for moving the retainer to the partially locked position by sliding into contact with the inclined surface when fitting the housing internal in the outer case. Male connector according to claim 1, in which:
the retainer has the sloped surface and the inner housing has the engaging portion, and
the inclined surface is inclined to be closer to the fully locked position in the direction of movement towards the outer casing in the direction of engagement. Male connector according to claim 1 or 2, in which:
the retainer has a locking projection, and
the inner housing has a partial locking recess for holding the retaining member in the partial locking position while locked with the locking protrusion and a full locking recess for holding the retaining member in the full locking position while being locked with the locking protrusion. Male connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the outer housing has a first guide portion to allow the retaining element to move freely in the direction of movement between the partially locked position and the full lockdown. Male connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the outer casing comprises a second guide portion to guide the fitting of the inner casing and the outer casing. A male connector manufacturing method for manufacturing a male connector having a tab-shaped male terminal, an inner casing having a terminal housing portion for accommodating the male terminal therein, an outer casing configured such that the inner casing is nested therein, and a retaining element movable between a partially locked position and a fully locked position, a direction of movement, the retaining element being movable in the direction of movement, intersecting with a direction d interlocking of the inner casing and the outer casing, an insertion of the male terminal into the terminal housing portion being permitted with the retaining element maintained in the partially locked position, the male terminal being retained inside the terminal housing portion with the retainer held in the fully locked position, the outer casing and the inner casing having structures s to be locked with each other in the mating direction, the retainer including a retainer body, the retainer body being disposed within a space of housing formed between the outer casing and the inner casing, one of the retainer and the inner casing having an inclined surface intersecting with both the moving direction and the mating direction, and the other of the retainer and the inner housing having an engaging portion,
the manufacturing process comprising:
a first step of inserting the retainer into the outer casing; And
a second step of moving the retainer to the partially locked position by fitting the inner casing into the outer casing and sliding the engagement portion and the inclined surface in contact with each other with the other.