JP2002184508A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector small in size and excellent in sealing property, having a terminal easily inserted into a connector housing. SOLUTION: For the connector 1, an opening 25, into which a spacer 4 can be inserted, is formed at the front side of a connector housing 2, and a terminal locking lance 18 is formed in a terminal housing compartment 11 of the connector housing 2 located at the backside of the opening 25, and a protruded part 35 formed at the backside of a terminal 5 and the terminal locking lance 18 are primarily locked by inserting the terminal 5 into the terminal housing compartment 11, and at least a protruded part 28 at the front side of the terminal 5 and the spacer are secondarily locked by fitting the spacer 4 into the opening 25. It is so formed that the height H2 of the protruded part 28 for the secondary locking formed in front of the terminal 5, is lower than the height H1 of the protruded part 35 for the primary locking formed at the backside of the terminal 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector in which terminals can be easily inserted into a connector housing.
The present invention relates to a compact and lightweight connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG.
000-58180).
The connector 51 includes a connector housing 52 made of a synthetic resin, a front holder 54 made of a synthetic resin fitted into a front opening 53 of the connector housing 52, and an electric wire inserted into a terminal accommodating chamber 55 of the connector housing 52. Female terminal 56 with a connector and lower wall 57 of connector housing 52.
And a spacer 59 made of synthetic resin which is inserted from the opening 58 in the direction perpendicular to the terminal insertion.

The terminal accommodating chambers 55 are arranged in a plurality of stages (three in this embodiment) and in parallel in the width direction. Each terminal accommodating chamber 55 includes left and right (widthwise) partitions (outer walls at left and right ends) and upper and lower partitions 61 (upper and lower walls 62 at upper and lower ends.
57). The upper and lower partitions 61 extend to a longitudinally intermediate portion of the terminal accommodating chamber 55.

A flexible terminal locking lance 63 is integrally formed in front of the upper and lower partitions 61. The locking lance 63 is formed obliquely upward, and has, at its tip, a locking surface 65 perpendicular to the front step 64 (FIG. 6) of the terminal 56. A bending space is provided below the locking lance 63. Note that the definition of “up and down” in the specification is for convenience of description, and does not always coincide with the direction of the connector 51 when actually used. "Before and after" is defined as connector 51
Is defined as the front and the lead-out side is defined as the rear.

In front of the locking lance 63, upper and lower partitions 61 are provided.
The front portion of the terminal accommodating chamber 55 communicates vertically and continues to a rectangular front opening 53. At the periphery of the front opening 53, a portion for inserting the front holder 54 is formed.
Locking means (not shown) for the front holder 54 is provided.

The front holder 54 is a short horizontal partition 6 that forms part of the upper and lower partitions 61 of the connector housing 52.
6. The partition 66 is provided at a right angle from the vertical wall of the front holder 54, and the tip of the terminal 56 can be arranged between the upper and lower partitions 66. In the wall 67 between the upper and lower partitions 66, an insertion hole 68 for a contact tab of a mating male terminal (not shown) and a jig rod insertion for releasing the engagement of the terminal 56 are provided. A hole 69 is provided.

By providing a front opening 53 in the connector housing 52 and closing the front opening 53 with the front holder 54, the front opening 53 also serves as a die-cutting hole, and the resin of the locking lance 63 having a fine shape is formed. The molding can be easily performed, and the molding accuracy of the locking lance 63 is improved.

The spacer 59 is composed of upper and lower partitions 76, an operation wall 79 at the lower end, and a vertical side wall (not shown) connecting each partition 76 and the operation wall 79. The pitch of the upper and lower partitions 76 matches the pitch of the upper and lower partitions 61 of the terminal accommodating chamber 55, and in a state where the operation wall 79 is drawn downward,
The terminal 56 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 55. A vertical spacer insertion hole (opening) 58 is provided in the connector housing 52.
Is provided. The spacer insertion hole 58 communicates with each terminal accommodating chamber 55.

The terminal 56 has a female electrical contact 70 on the front side.
(FIG. 6), each has a wire connection portion 71 (FIG. 5) on the rear side, and the electric contact portion 70 is constituted by a box-shaped peripheral wall and an elastic contact piece in the peripheral wall. The electric wire connection portion 71 includes a crimping piece on the front side for crimping the core portion of the insulated wire 72 and a crimping piece on the rear side for crimping and fixing the insulating coating.
A step 64 (FIG. 6) for locking to the locking lance 63 is formed on the distal end side of the electric contact portion 70, and a rear end of the electric contact portion 70 is formed to a step 73 for locking to the spacer 59 (FIG. 6). 6).

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 74 denotes a flexible lock arm for a mating female connector (not shown). The connector 51 in FIG. 5 is a male connector, and a female connector (not shown) has a connector fitting chamber for the male connector 51 and the male terminal, and is provided in the connector fitting chamber. The contact tab of the male terminal is projected.

The front holder 54 is mounted on the front opening 53 of the connector housing 52 and the spacer 59 is inserted into the insertion hole 5.
The terminal 56 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 55 from the rear opening in a state where the terminal 56 is temporarily locked (temporarily pushed). In FIG. 5, the lowermost terminal 56 is completely inserted, and the second and third terminals 56 are inserted.
Indicates a state during insertion.

When the terminal 56 is inserted, the locking lance 63 is bent downward, and when the terminal 56 is completely inserted, the locking lance 63 is restored to engage with the step 64 on the distal end side of the terminal 56. Thereby, the terminal 56 is primarily locked. In FIG. 5, a state in which one terminal 56 is inserted into one terminal storage chamber 55 is shown in three terminal storage chambers 55 over time for convenience.

In order to secure the engagement of the terminal 56, the spacer 59 is pushed upward and fully engaged, so that the partition wall 76 of the spacer 59 and the operation wall 79 are connected to the step 73 (the rear side of the terminal 56). 6), and the terminal 56 is secondarily locked. Depending on the type of the connector 51, the spacer 59 may not be used. In that case, the terminal 56 is locked only by the locking lance 63.

[0014]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional connector 51, as shown in FIG. 6, a locking step 64 provided on the front side of the terminal 56, that is, a locking lance 63 is used for locking. Is set to be higher by the distance S than the locking step 73 provided on the rear side of the terminal 56, that is, the locking step 73 for the spacer 59. I have.

When the terminal 56 having such a shape is to be inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 55 of the connector housing 52,
The tip of the upper terminal 56 shown in FIG.
3 is deformed downward, and as shown in the middle terminal 56 shown in FIG.
3 and a short horizontal partition 66 so as to be in sliding contact with each other.

At this time, if the locking step 64 provided on the front side of the terminal 56 does not go over the locking lance 63, as shown in the lower terminal 56 shown in FIG. The terminal 56 could not be completely attached to the accommodation room 55. For this reason, when attaching the terminal 56 to the terminal accommodating chamber 55 of the connector housing 52, there was a concern that the terminal 56 would not be easily inserted into the accommodating chamber 55.

Further, depending on the variation in the fitting dimension between the front opening 53 of the connector housing 52 and the front holder 54, the front holder 54 may be loose in the front opening 53, in which case, as shown in FIG. Latching (Latching) L between the step 64 on the front side of the terminal 56 and the locking lance 63
And the locking force of the terminal 56 is reduced. This is a particularly important problem when the secondary locking spacer 59 is not used.

Even when the spacer 59 is used, if a strong tensile force is applied to the electric wire 72 before the spacer 59 is pushed in after the terminal 56 is inserted into the connector housing 52, the terminal 56 easily comes out. There was a concern that it would. In this case, there is a concern that re-insertion of the terminal 56 may require extra time, which is not preferable in terms of quality.

Further, according to the structure of the conventional connector 51, the locking lance 63 is provided in the terminal receiving chamber 55 on the front side of the connector housing 52, and the spacer 59 is located behind the locking lance 63. Therefore, when the connector 51 having such a structure is provided with a seal or the like to form a waterproof connector, a sealing member such as a seal is provided on the connector 51 in order to prevent water from entering the inside of the connector housing 52 from around the spacer 59. 51, that is, the rear side of the spacer 59 of the connector housing 52 (the right side in FIG. 5).

With the waterproof structure of the connector in which the sealing member is disposed at such a position, the wall of the mating connector housing (not shown) attached to the connector housing 52 is attached to the connector housing 52. 52
The connector housing 52 and the mating connector housing must be sealed in such a manner that the connector housing 52 and the mating connector housing are extended.

For this reason, the wall of the mating connector housing is set to be long so as to cover almost the entire length of the connector housing 52 in the front-rear direction, so that the connector housing 52 and the mating connector housing are mutually sealed. Had to be contacted so that the sealing could take place. However, with such a structure, it is difficult to reduce the size and weight of the mating connector housing, and it has been desired to improve this.

In view of the above, the present invention allows the terminal to be easily inserted into the terminal housing chamber of the connector housing, and allows the terminal to be securely engaged with the connector housing, thereby reducing the size and weight. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector with reduced cost. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector that is reduced in size and weight and thus reduced in cost, and that has excellent sealing performance.

[0023]

In order to achieve the above object, a connector according to the present invention is provided with an opening through which a spacer can be inserted at a front side of a connector housing, and the connector housing at a rear side of the opening. A terminal locking lance is provided in the terminal receiving chamber, and the terminal is inserted into the terminal receiving chamber, whereby the rear projection of the terminal and the terminal locking lance are primarily locked, and the opening is provided in the opening. By fitting the spacer,
At least the protrusion on the front side of the terminal and the spacer are secondarily locked (claim 1). It is also effective that the height of the secondary locking projection provided on the front side of the terminal is formed lower than the height of the primary locking projection provided on the rear side of the terminal. (Claim 2). Also,
The protrusion for primary locking provided on the rear side of the terminal,
The protrusion for secondary locking provided on the front side of the terminal is formed by extending one of the left and right side walls of the terminal and bent in a substantially inverted concave shape, and the primary locking is provided. It is also effective that both the projecting portion for secondary locking and the projecting portion for secondary locking are provided so as to be brought close to the same side wall side.
Further, the sealing member for the mating connector housing is
It is also effective to be arranged behind the spacer (claim 4). It is also effective that a waterproof sealing member is provided between a periphery of a rear opening of the connector housing and an electric wire connected to the terminal to seal the terminal accommodating chamber (claim 5).

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific examples of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of the connector according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a terminal locking structure, and FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c) are plan views, side views, and front views showing terminals. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the connector housing.

As shown in FIG. 1, a connector housing 2 provided with a female terminal 5 and a mating connector housing 2 'provided with a male terminal 5' are connected to each other by a locking means (not shown). Is configured. The connector housing 2 including the female terminal 5 will be described in detail. The connector housing 2 includes a male connector housing 2 made of synthetic resin, a front holder 3 made of synthetic resin, a spacer 4 made of synthetic resin, and a metal At least a female terminal 5 is provided.

An electric wire 15 is connected to the metal female terminal 5, and a waterproof plug 8 is attached to the female terminal 5 and the electric wire 15 so as to extend over the female terminal 5 and the electric wire 15. An outer peripheral surface formed by three lip portions of a waterproof plug 8 attached so as to straddle the female terminal 5 and the electric wire 15, and a rear opening 1 of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 constituting the connector housing 2.
Since the inner wall surfaces of the inner and outer walls 4 are in close contact with each other, the two are well sealed.

The front opening 6 of the connector housing 2
A right and left vertical partition 7 (FIG. 4) is formed in the terminal insertion direction toward the terminal. The terminal receiving chamber is surrounded by such a right and left vertical partition 7 and a vertically horizontal partition 16 in a substantially rectangular shape. 11 is defined.

The mating connector housing 2 'having the male terminal 5' will be described in detail. The mating connector housing 2 'is provided with an accommodating portion for inserting the male connector housing 2 and a female mating connector made of synthetic resin. At least a connector housing 2 'and a metal male terminal 5' are provided.

The mating connector housing 2 'is provided with a wall including an upper wall 24' and a lower wall 19 'at the front so as to surround all sides, and the connector housing 2 is inserted into the mating connector housing 2'. Is formed. The rear part of the mating connector housing 2 'is provided with a partition extending in the vertical and horizontal directions for accommodating the male terminal 5' to define a terminal accommodating chamber 11 '. A terminal locking lance 18 for locking the male terminal 5 'is provided in the terminal receiving chamber 11'.

Here, the connector housing 2 is accurately and quickly inserted into the accommodating portion of the mating connector housing 2 ', whereby the electrical contact portion of the female terminal 5 and the electrical contact portion of the male terminal 5' are separated. The upper wall 2 of the mating connector housing 2 'is brought into contact so that an electrical connection is possible.
4 ′, a housing portion formed by a wall portion including the lower wall 19 ′,
A guide portion for guiding the connector housing 2 may be provided.

A plurality of engaging holes 12b for attaching the connector seal 10 are formed in a wall portion including the upper wall 24 'and the lower wall 19' of the mating connector housing 2 'and surrounding the four sides. Is provided. The engagement portions 12b such as the engagement holes 12b are provided on the wall of the mating connector housing 2 'corresponding to the positions of the locking portions 10b provided on the connector seal 10.

Further, at least one engaging portion is provided corresponding to the engaging portion 12b of the wall portion including the upper wall 24 'and the lower wall 19' of the mating connector housing 2 'and surrounding the four sides. The connector seal 10 provided at two or more locations is provided between the upper wall 24 'and the lower wall 19' of the mating connector housing 2 '.
It is attached so that it may follow the wall surface in the wall part formed continuously over. In addition, about three lip portions for improving the sealing performance are formed at the sealing portion of the connector seal 10, that is, at the inner peripheral portion of the connector seal 10 here.

An engaging portion 1 provided on the connector seal 10
0b is an engagement step portion 10c, an inclined portion 10d, and a connecting portion 1
0e. Locking part 10 of connector seal 10
The inclined portion 10d constituting b is formed to facilitate insertion of the locking portion 10b of the connector seal 10 into the engagement hole 12b provided in the mating connector housing 2 '. The locking step 10c that forms the locking portion 10b of the connector seal 10 is formed so that the connector seal 10 can be stably attached to the mating connector housing 2 'for a long period of time.

The locking portion 10b of the connector seal 10
Is provided to integrally connect the locking projection including the locking step portion 10c and the inclined portion 10d to the lip portion 10a of the connector seal 10. As described above, the locking portion 10b provided on the connector seal 10 has a substantially hook shape. A wall formed so that the locking portion 10b of the connector seal 10 having such a substantially hook shape surrounds the four sides including the upper wall 24 'and the lower wall 19' of the mating connector housing 2 '. The engaging portion 12a, ie, the engaging portion receiving hole 12a, is fitted so that the engaging portion 10b does not protrude outside the surface of the mating connector housing 2 '.

It is to be noted that not only the locking means of the connector seal 10 described above but also other locking means of the connector seal 10 may be used. For example, the locking portion 10b provided in the connector seal 10 is omitted, and the locking portion accommodation hole 12a and the engagement hole 12b provided in the corresponding wall portion of the mating connector housing 2 'are also omitted. A groove 29 is formed by attaching a second front holter 23 made of synthetic resin to the front end of the mating connector housing 2 ', and the annular connector seal 10 is fitted into the groove 29, or a rubber material or the like is used. The connector seal 10 and the mating connector housing 2 ′ may be locked by waterproofing of the connector by performing the two-color molding or the secondary molding using the connector. It is also possible to apply locking means and sealing means.

The connector seal 10 has a rectangular shape and is formed of a continuous annular member corresponding to the inner wall of the mating connector housing 2 ', and is a so-called endless ring having no end portion. . The inner peripheral surface of the connector seal 10 and the connector housing 2
The surfaces of the walls formed so as to surround the four sides including the upper wall 24 and the lower wall 19 are in close contact with each other, so that the two are well sealed.

The connector seal 10 is a rectangular and continuous annular member as a whole, and the four corners of the rectangular annular member are formed with a gentle curvature in order to maintain good sealing performance. (Not shown). Corresponding to the curvatures of the four corners of the connector seal 10, the four corners of the substantially rectangular connector housing 2 and the four corners in the housing portion of the substantially rectangular mating connector housing 2 are formed with gentle curvatures ( Not shown).

With respect to the method of manufacturing such a connector seal 10, for example, the mating connector housing 2 '
May be injection-molded into a predetermined shape from a synthetic resin material, and then two-color molding or secondary molding may be performed with a rubber material, whereby the connector seal 10 may be formed. The connector seal 10 may be formed into a predetermined shape and then attached to a mating member such as the mating connector housing 2 '.

An electric wire 15 'is connected to the male terminal 5', and a waterproof plug 9 is attached so as to straddle the male terminal 5 'and the electric wire 15'. An outer peripheral surface formed by three lip portions of a waterproof plug 9 attached so as to straddle the male terminal 5 'and the electric wire 15', and an inner wall surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 'of the mating connector housing 2'. Are tightly contacted with each other, so that the two are well sealed. The waterproof plugs 8 and 9 are provided with a plurality of sealing lip portions on the outer peripheral portion and have a substantially cylindrical shape through which the electric wires 15 and 15 'can be inserted on the inner peripheral portion. An appropriate tightening force is generated by the crushing of the crushing margin, and the object can be sealed well.

The sealing members such as the waterproof plugs 8 and 9 and the connector seal 10 are sealed with the corresponding sealing surfaces of the mating members so as to prevent water from entering the inside of the connector 1. And at least two peaks. The sealing members such as the waterproof plugs 8 and 9 and the connector seal 10 are made of a material having a potential restoring elastic force such as a rubber material such as silicone rubber or nitrile rubber or an elastomer material. By selecting such a material, a sealing member that can be reliably sealed can be obtained.

The front holder 3 has four partition walls defining the front part of the terminal accommodating chamber 11, and is provided in parallel in the height direction. The uppermost partition 17a is located in contact with the horizontal surface of the upper wall 24 of the connector housing 2, and the lowermost partition 1
7 b is located along the thin portion 20 of the lower wall 19 of the connector housing 2. The middle two bulkheads 17 are located at substantially the same height as the upper and lower horizontal bulkheads 16 provided at the rear of the connector housing 2. At the lower end of the upper three partitions 17 and 17a constituting the front holder 3, an inclined portion 1 is provided.
7 ', that is, a tapered guide surface 17' is provided.

When the terminal 5 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2, the tapered guide surface 17 'is used.
The secondary locking projection 28 provided on the distal end side of the terminal 5 is provided to prevent the terminal 5 from being difficult to be inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2 by, for example, hitting the front holder 3.

The distance in the height direction between the partition walls 17a, 17 and 17b, that is, the distance from the lower surface of the upper partition wall 17a to the upper surface of the lower partition wall 17b is provided at the rear of the connector housing 2 and is formed together with the upper wall 24. The distance from the lower surface of the upper partition thus set to the upper surface of the lower partition also serving as the lower wall 19 is set to be substantially equal. The inner surface of the vertical wall portion 12 constituting the front holder 3, that is, the vertical surface 22 of the front holder 3 is a terminal surface for abutting the female terminal 5 inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2. Also serves as. Thus, the front holder 3
Is also used as a stop wall of the terminal such as the female terminal 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, a mating connector housing 2 'is provided on a vertical wall 12 of the front holder 3.
Terminal insertion hole 13 for male terminal 5 'provided in
And a jig rod insertion hole (not shown) for releasing the locking lance. Vertical wall 1 of front holder 3
Reference numeral 2 also serves as a front end wall of the connector housing 2.

To facilitate insertion of the male terminal 5 ′ as a mating terminal into the mating terminal insertion hole 13 provided in the front holder 3, the mating terminal insertion hole 13 of the front holder 3 is formed.
Is formed at the front end portion thereof with an inclined portion 13a extending from the inside of the mating terminal insertion hole 13 to the outside. That is, a tapered terminal guide surface 13 is formed on the entrance side of the mating terminal insertion hole 13.
a is formed.

The left and right vertical partition walls 7 are formed as vertical partition walls 7 from the rear opening 14 to the front opening 6 of the connector housing 2. A notch is provided in a part of the vertical partition wall 7 corresponding to a portion where the spacer 4 is inserted into the connector housing 2. 2, a space portion, that is, a spacer insertion hole 25 is provided.

The left and right partitions 7 are composed of a plurality of vertical and horizontal terminal receiving chambers 1.
1, the partition walls outside the terminal accommodating chamber 11 located at the right end and the left end of the connector housing 2 also serve as left and right outer walls (not shown) of the connector housing 2. Here, "left and right" in this specification means the width direction of the connector 1 arranged horizontally, and up and down means the height direction of the connector 1 similarly. The connector of the present invention may be used in any posture as long as it does not impair the purpose of the present invention.

The upper and lower partitions 16 of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 (FIG. 1)
Is formed from the rear half of the connector housing 2 to a position slightly extended forward from the rear half. Upper and lower horizontal partitions 16 that define the terminal accommodating chamber 11 from the rear end side of the connector housing 2 are provided toward the inside of the connector housing 2. A flexible terminal locking lance 18 is provided.

[0049] A portion of the connector housing 2 which is located in front of the terminal locking lance 18 and substantially in the middle of the terminal accommodating chamber 11,
That is, a space is provided near the periphery including a portion where the spacer 4 is inserted into and fixed to the connector housing 2. The space provided in the connector housing 2 is vertically communicated with each other, and is a so-called spacer insertion hole 25. As described above, the spacer insertion hole 25 is located in front of the terminal locking lance 18, and after the spacer 4 is inserted into the spacer insertion hole 25,
The spacer 4 is fitted to the connector housing 2.

The front holder 3 is locked to the inner peripheral edge of the front opening 6 of the connector housing 2 by locking means (not shown) such as locking projections and engaging holes. Terminal accommodation room 1 at the bottom
1 is integrally and thinly protruded from the lower wall 19 of the connector housing 2 to form the front holder 3.
Also serves as a stop wall. The connector housing 2 and the mating connector housing 2 ′
They are locked to each other by a lock projection or the like of a flexible lock arm (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 of the present invention is provided with an opening 25 into which the spacer 4 can be inserted at the front side of the connector housing 2, and the connector housing behind the opening 25. A terminal locking lance 18 is provided in the terminal receiving chamber 11 of the second terminal 2. When the female terminal 5 is inserted into the terminal receiving chamber 11, the protrusion 35 on the rear side of the female terminal 5 and the terminal locking lance 18 are provided. And the spacer 4 is fitted into the opening 25, so that at least the protrusion 28 on the front side of the female terminal 5 and the spacer 4 are secondarily locked.

In this manner, when the female terminal 56 is inserted into the connector housing 52 and attached as in the prior art described above with reference to FIG. The female terminal 56 is caught by a narrow portion in the accommodation chamber 55 and is connected to the connector housing 5.
Without being difficult to attach to the second terminal housing 55,
The terminal can be easily and quickly attached to the connector housing.

Therefore, the feeling at the time of assembling when the female terminal 5 is inserted into and attached to the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2 is improved, and the primary connection between the connector housing 2 and the female terminal 5 is ensured. The connector 1 that can be locked can be provided.

Here, the overall width of the terminal such as the female terminal 5 is extremely small, for example, about 3 mm or less, and the overall width of the terminal locking lance 18 is also small corresponding to the terminal, for example, about 3 mm. Alternatively, the overall width is 3 mm or less. Therefore, the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2
When the female terminal 5 is inserted into the terminal 5, there is no concern that the sliding resistance between the terminal such as the female terminal 5 and the terminal locking lance 18 increases.

The spacer 4 is connected to the connector housing 2.
The female terminal 5 is securely fixed to the connector housing 2 by being inserted and fitted into the spacer insertion hole 25 through the opening 25 of the connector housing 2, so that the female terminal 5 is partially inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2. There is no attachment in the state of fitting. The electric wire 1 to which the female terminal 5 is attached
5. Even if an unreasonable tensile force is applied carelessly,
The female terminal 5 is not pulled out of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2 by being pulled by the connected electric wire 15.

Further, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the mating connector housing 2 'attached to the connector housing 2 having such a structure, whereby the overall size and weight of the connector 1 can be reduced. It is possible to provide the connector 1 including the double locking mechanism whose cost has been reduced.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the connector housing 2, that is, a terminal locking lance 18 provided in the terminal accommodating chamber 11 and a peripheral portion thereof. As shown in FIG. 4, a vertical locking surface 26 is formed on the left half of the distal end of the terminal locking lance 18, and an inclined unlocking surface 27 is formed on the right half of the distal end of the terminal locking lance 18, respectively. Is formed. Here, “lance” means “spear”, but the terminal locking lance 18 is not limited to a spear shape, and may be in various forms such as an arm shape.

The locking surface 26 is a rear end surface of the rear locking projection 35 provided on the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5, that is, the stepped portion 3.
5a (FIG. 3). The tip of a jig bar (not shown) is brought into contact with the unlocking surface 27 (FIG. 4), whereby the terminal locking lance 18 is bent upward to engage with the step 35a (FIG. 3). Is released. Front holder 3 (Fig. 1)
Is provided with a jig rod insertion hole (not shown) through which such a jig rod penetrates.

The locking surface 26 of the terminal locking lance 18 (FIG. 4)
The lock release surface 27 is formed at the distal end portion of the terminal lock lance 18 on the distal end side. The terminal locking lance 18 continues to the inclined portion 30 from the front end portion, and the inclined portion 30 continues to the horizontal straight portion 31 on the rear end side. In FIG. 4, the straight portion 31 also serves as the horizontal partition 16 of the terminal accommodating chamber 11, but the shape of the terminal locking lance 18 can be any shape.

The terminal locking lance 18 shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example. For example, a straight portion parallel to the upper and lower horizontal partition walls 16 is provided from the front end portion of the locking lance 18, and this straight portion is provided. The terminal locking lance is extended so as to follow the inclined portion 30 from the portion, and the inclined portion 30 continues to the horizontal straight portion 31 on the rear end side, and the straight portion 31 continues to the horizontal partition 16 of the terminal accommodating chamber 11. Terminal locking lance 18
(Not shown) may be used.

Further, the terminal locking lance used in the connector of the present invention may not have the locking release surface 27, and the terminal locking lance of any shape may be used as long as it can lock the terminal. Any shape can be selected for the shape of the terminal locking lance.

The electrical contact portion 2 of the female terminal 5 shown in FIG.
1 is a box shape having a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape, but other forms of the female terminal may be, for example, a female terminal (not shown) having a substantially circular cylindrical shape. A female terminal (not shown) provided with the elastic curl piece described above. When a female terminal having a pair of left and right elastic curl pieces is used, the distal end surfaces of the terminal locking lances 18 may be abutted against the rear ends of the pair of elastic curl pieces. The terminal used in the present invention may be of any type such as a female terminal and a male terminal.

The primary locking projection 35 provided on the rear side of the female terminal 5 is formed by extending the left side wall 33 of the electric contact part 21 upward and bending it into a substantially inverted concave shape. ing. A step 35a is formed on the rear end surface of the primary locking projection 35, and the step 35a coincides with the rear end of the electric contact portion 21, and the rear end of the electric contact portion 21 is connected to the intermediate connecting portion 36. Through the rear wire connection portion 32 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The conductor crimping piece 32a is the conductor 15a of the electric wire 15.
The crimping piece 32b is firmly fixed to the waterproof plug 8 and the covering material 15b of the electric wire 15, and the female terminal 5 and the electric wire 15 are crimped and connected (FIG. 2). Further, the primary locking projection 35 is connected to the terminal locking lance 18 (FIG. 4).
Corresponding to the position of the locking surface 26 of the female terminal 5 and is located on the left half side of the electrical contact portion 21 of the female terminal 5.

The secondary locking projection 28 provided on the front side of the female terminal 5 extends the side wall 33 of the electrical contact portion 21 upward like the primary locking projection 35 on the rear side. It is formed by being bent into a substantially inverted concave shape. The rear end of the front projection 28 serves as a secondary locking step 28a.
8a is located near the middle of the electric contact portion 21.

The shape of the female terminal 5 used in the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The height H2 of the secondary locking projection 28 provided on the front side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5 is equal to the height of the primary locking projection 35 provided on the rear side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5. (See FIG. 2). Here, the positional relationship between the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5 and the substrate 34 'shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is described. The connector of the present invention is such that the connector 1 shown in FIG. And can be used in any posture. Here, for convenience, reference numeral 34 of the female terminal 5 shown in FIGS.
4 'is called a substrate.

If the primary locking projection 35 and the secondary locking projection 28 are formed as described above, the female terminal 5
Of the secondary locking projection 28 provided on the front side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5 is lower than the height of the primary locking projection 35 provided on the rear side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5. When the female terminal 5 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2 and attached, the secondary locking projection 28 provided on the front side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5 is formed. The terminal lock lance 18 for primary locking provided in the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2 is strongly caught by the female terminal 5.
Does not become difficult to be inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2. The female terminal 5 is smoothly inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2 without being hindered by the terminal locking lance 18.

Since the terminal locking lance 18 for primary locking provided in the terminal accommodating chamber 11 of the connector housing 2 is flexible, the height H1 of the projection 35 for primary locking is provided.
It is necessary to make the terminal locking lance 18 and the female terminal 5 large in terms of the locking allowance, and to prevent the terminal locking lance 18 from sagging. On the other hand, the secondary locking spacer 4 inserted through the opening 25 of the connector housing 2
Has rigidity. Spacer 4 for secondary locking
Is rigid, the height H2 of the secondary locking projection 28 is
Is set low, and the engagement between the female terminal 5 and the connector housing 2 is properly maintained even if the amount of engagement between the female terminal 5 and the spacer 4 is small.

The state in which the female terminal 5 is secondarily locked to the connector housing 2 and the spacer 4 by the spacer 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The wall portion 39 also serving as the operation wall 40 of the spacer 4 and another horizontal plate-shaped wall portion 39 are formed by an upper surface 4a, a lower surface 4b, and side surfaces 4c and 4d, and have a substantially rectangular cross section.

The side surface 4 c on the front side of the horizontal plate-shaped wall portion 39 of the spacer 4 and the step portion 28 a of the secondary locking projection 28 provided on the front side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5 are in contact with each other. As a result, the spacer 4 and the female terminal 5 are securely locked, and thus the female terminal 5 is fixed in the front-rear direction.

The horizontal plate-like wall 39 of the spacer 4
And a step 35b on the front side of the primary locking projection 35 provided on the rear side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5,
The spacer 4 and the female terminal 5 may be more securely locked by being in contact with each other. In addition, the lower surface 4b of the horizontal plate-shaped wall portion 39 of the spacer 4 is in contact with the upper surface of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5, so that the spacer 4 and the female terminal 5 are securely locked, Thus, the female terminal 5 is fixed in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a primary locking projection 35 provided on the rear side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5, The secondary locking projection 28 provided on the front side of the wall 34 is formed by extending one of the left and right side walls 33, 33 'of the female terminal 5 upward and bending it into a substantially inverted concave shape. In addition, both the primary locking projection 35 and the secondary locking projection 28 are provided so as to be brought closer to the same side wall 33 ′. Also, this wrap width is
It is approximately half (substantially ２) of the entire width of the female terminal 5.

As described above, the primary locking projection 35 provided on the rear side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5, and the secondary locking projection 35 provided on the front side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5. Since the projection 28 is provided to be shifted toward the same side wall 33 ′, a jig rod (not shown) for unlocking is inserted through a jig rod insertion hole (not shown) of the front holder 3. It is inserted into the connector housing 2 and the tip of the jig rod is pressed against the inclined unlocking surface 27 of the terminal locking lance 18 to easily and quickly lock the connector housing 2 and the female terminal 5. Can be released.

Further, both the primary locking projection 35 and the secondary locking projection 28 extend the right or left side wall 33, 33 ′ of the female terminal 5 to form a substantially inverted concave shape. Is formed by being bent toward the same side wall 33 'side, and only by punching and bending the terminal fitting material, the primary locking projection 35 and The secondary locking projection 28 can be formed. The primary locking projection 35 and the secondary locking projection 28 formed in a substantially inverted concave shape can be formed by the terminal locking lance 18 and the spacer 4. It is possible to secure an allowance for engagement with a counterpart member, and maintain stable and secure engagement.

As shown in FIG. 3, the primary locking projection 3 of the female terminal 5 is used.
5. The length of each of the secondary locking projections 28 in the front-rear direction is short, for example, about 1/5 to 1/3 of the length of the electric contact section 21. In front of the primary locking projection 35 of the female terminal 5, a secondary locking projection 28 for the spacer 4 (FIG. 1) is formed to have the same width as the width of the primary locking projection 35. . The height of the uppermost surface of the front secondary locking projection 28 is lower than the height of the uppermost surface of the rear primary locking projection 35.

In the electrical contact portion 21 of the female terminal 5, an elastic contact piece 37 is formed on the lower side, and a contact projection 38 is formed on the upper side, respectively. ′
The tab-shaped electric contact portion (FIG. 1) is inserted and connected at the same time as the mating of the male and female connectors. The metal female terminal 5 and the male terminal 5 'made of such a metal are made by stamping, bending, or the like on a terminal metal material such as a copper alloy such as bronze or brass, or an aluminum alloy. Being manufactured.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the spacer 4 is inserted downward from the opening 25 in the upper wall 24 of the connector housing 2 into the spacer insertion hole 25 in the terminal insertion orthogonal direction. The portion 39 contacts the step 28a on the front side of the female terminal 5. The spacer insertion hole 25 indicates a space corresponding to the spacer 4 from the upper wall 24 to the vicinity of the lower wall 19 of the connector housing 2, and the opening 25 is the spacer insertion hole 25 of the upper wall 24 of the connector housing 2.
In FIG. 1, for convenience, reference numeral 25 indicates a nearby portion.
Indicate both the opening and the spacer insertion hole.

Each wall portion 39 of the spacer 4 is integrally connected to the upper operation wall 40 via a vertical connecting wall (not shown) on the side. The insertion of the female terminal 5 is performed in a state in which the spacer 4 is pulled out one step upward from the state of FIG. 1 (temporarily locked state). The spacer 4 is temporarily and permanently locked to the connector housing 2 by a not-shown temporary locking means and a full locking means.

In place of the spacer 4 shown in FIG. 1, a so-called side spacer (not shown) is applied to the present invention, and the spacer is horizontally moved from an opening (not shown) provided in the side wall of the connector housing 2. To lock the plate-like wall portion of the side spacer and the step 28a of the secondary locking projection 28 provided on the front side of the upper wall 34 of the female terminal 5. is there. The spacer 4 can have any shape, such as a cantilevered shape or a doubly supported spacer 4 (not shown) having excellent rigidity and a substantially symmetrical shape.
It is preferable that the spacer 4 has a bilateral holding shape having a substantially symmetrical shape with excellent rigidity, since the mechanical strength can be maintained.

Further, if possible in performing resin molding,
Without using the front holder 3, a front end wall (not shown) having the same shape as the front holder 3 is formed integrally with the connector housing 2, and the left and right partitions 7 and the upper and lower partitions 16 are formed on the front end wall (not shown). May be integrally formed.

The connector housing 2 shown in FIG.
The connector 1 composed of molded products such as 2 ', the front holders 3, 23, and the spacer 4 is a so-called comb connector having a narrow pitch, and such a comb connector has a complicated shape. In order to mass-produce these molded products with good productivity, injection molding of, for example, polybutylene terephthalate resin (abbreviated as PBT), polyamide resin (abbreviated as PA), etc. is possible and has thermoplastic properties. It is preferable to manufacture each of the molded articles using a synthetic resin.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the connector 1 of the present invention, the sealing member 10 for the mating connector housing 2 ′, that is, the connector seal 10 here, is disposed behind the spacer 4 attached to the connector housing 2. It is a structure that is performed.

In this way, the inside of the connector 1 is good without water penetrating into the electrical contact portion in the connector 1 through the gap between the spacer 4 and the spacer insertion hole 25 of the connector housing 2 in which the spacer 4 is fitted. , And the size and weight of the mating connector housing 2 'of the connector 1 can be reduced.

In the connector 1 of the present invention, an opening 25 for inserting the spacer 4 for secondary locking is provided on the front side of the connector housing 2 where the spacer 4 is mounted. Therefore, the connector housing 2 to which the spacer 4 is attached is connected to the mating connector housing 2 ′.
Connector seal 1 as sealing member 10 attached to
0 can be positioned closer to the front side of the connector housing 2.

At the same time, the mating connector housing 2 ′
Of the wall portion including the upper wall 24 ′ and the lower wall 19 ′ and surrounding the four sides can be reduced in the front-rear direction, thereby reducing the size of the entire waterproof connector.
It is possible to provide a waterproof connector whose weight can be reduced and whose cost is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 1, a waterproof plug 8 is provided between the periphery of the rear opening 14 of the connector housing 2 and the electric wire 15 connected to the female terminal 5 as a waterproof sealing member. Thereby, the terminal accommodating chamber 11 is sealed.

In this way, the connector housing 2
Can be sealed between the periphery of the rear opening 14 and the electric wire 15 connected to the female terminal 5, so that water can be prevented from entering the inside of the connector 1 from the rear opening 14 of the connector housing 2. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of poor contact due to water in the electrical contact portion inside 1.

In particular, a sealing member such as the waterproof plug 8 described above,
If the above-described arrangement structure of the connector seal 10 is employed in combination, the infiltration of water into the electrical contact portion in the connector 1 can be completely blocked, and the connector 1 has excellent sealing performance. The connector 1 of the present invention.
Can be used as a complete waterproof connector. Therefore, it is possible to provide a waterproof connector having excellent sealing performance, that is, a waterproof structure of a connector having a double locking mechanism with improved sealing performance.

[0089]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the terminal is inserted into and attached to the connector housing, the terminal is caught in a narrow portion of the terminal housing of the connector housing, and the terminal is attached to the connector housing. The terminal can be easily and quickly attached to the connector housing without being difficult to attach to the terminal housing. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a connector that can improve the feeling at the time of assembling when the terminal is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing and mount the terminal, and that can securely primary-lock the connector housing and the terminal. it can.

Further, since the terminal is securely fixed to the connector housing by inserting the spacer into the opening of the connector housing, the terminal is mounted in the terminal receiving chamber of the connector housing in a half-fitted state. Nor. Further, even if an unreasonable tensile force is applied to the electric wire to which the terminal is attached, the terminal is not pulled out of the terminal receiving chamber of the connector housing by being pulled by the connected electric wire.

Further, the mating connector housing attached to the connector housing having such a structure is small in size.
It is possible to reduce the weight, thereby making it possible to reduce the size and weight of the entire connector and to provide a connector provided with a double locking mechanism at a reduced cost.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the height of the secondary locking projection provided on the front side of the terminal is equal to the height of the primary locking projection provided on the rear side of the terminal. When the terminal is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing and attached, the secondary locking projection provided on the front side of the terminal is provided in the terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing. In addition, the terminal locking lance for primary locking is strongly caught, and therefore, it is not difficult to insert the terminal into the housing chamber of the connector housing. The terminal is smoothly inserted into the terminal receiving chamber of the connector housing without being hindered by the terminal locking lance.

Since the terminal locking lance for primary locking provided in the housing chamber of the connector housing has flexibility, the terminal locking lance and the terminal are provided with a large locking allowance, and the terminal locking lance is provided with a large margin. There is a need to prevent settling of the locking lance. On the other hand, the secondary locking spacer inserted from the opening of the connector housing has rigidity. Since the secondary locking spacer has rigidity, the locking between the terminal and the connector housing can be maintained satisfactorily even with a small locking allowance between the terminal and the spacer.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the primary locking projection provided on the rear side of the terminal and the secondary locking projection provided on the front side of the terminal are provided. The jig rod for unlocking is inserted into the connector housing from the jig rod insertion hole of the front holder, and the tip of the jig rod is connected to the terminal locking lance. The connector can be easily and quickly released from the locked state between the connector housing and the terminal by being pressed against the inclined release surface.

Further, both the primary locking projection and the secondary locking projection are formed by extending one of the left and right side walls of the terminal and bent in a substantially inverted concave shape. And, since they are provided on the same side wall side, by simply punching and bending the terminal fitting material, the primary locking projection and the secondary locking projection can be easily achieved. The primary locking projection and the secondary locking projection, which are formed in a substantially inverted concave shape, can secure a locking allowance with a mating member, and provide stable and reliable Locking can be maintained.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the sealing member for the mating connector housing is disposed rearward of the spacer, the gap between the spacer and the opening of the connector housing in which the spacer is fitted. Accordingly, the inside of the connector is sealed well without water penetrating to the electrical contact portion in the connector, and the size and weight of the mating connector housing of such a connector can be reduced.

In the connector of the present invention, an opening for inserting the spacer and secondarily locking it is provided on the front side of the connector housing on which the spacer is mounted. Therefore, the sealing member of the mating connector housing can be positioned closer to the front side of the connector housing than the connector housing to which the spacer is attached. At the same time, it is possible to reduce the length of the mating connector housing in the front-rear direction, thereby making it possible to reduce the size and weight of the entire waterproof connector and to provide a waterproof connector with reduced cost. .

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the space between the periphery of the rear opening of the connector housing and the electric wire connected to the terminal can be sealed, so that water from the rear opening of the connector housing to the inside of the connector can be sealed. It is possible to prevent intrusion, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of poor contact due to water in the electrical contact portion inside the connector.

In particular, if the invention described in claim 5 is employed in combination with the invention described in claim 4 described above, it is possible to completely block water from entering the electrical contact portion in the connector.
A connector having excellent sealing performance can be obtained, and the connector of the present invention can be used as a completely waterproof connector.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a terminal locking structure.

3A and 3B show one mode of a terminal, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view, FIG. 3B is a side view, and FIG. 3C is a front view.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the connector housing.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one form of a conventional connector.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a terminal locking structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 2, 2 'Connector housing 3, 23 Front holder 4 Spacer 5 Terminal (female terminal) 5' Terminal (male terminal) 8, 9 Sealing member (waterproof plug) 10 Sealing member (connector seal) 11, 11 ' Terminal accommodating chamber 14 Rear opening 15, 15 'Wire 18 Terminal locking lance 25 Opening (spacer insertion hole) 28 Projection (secondary projection) 33, 33' Side wall 35 Projection (primary projection) Part) H1, H2 height

Claims (5)

[Claims] An opening in which a spacer can be inserted is provided at a front side of the connector housing, and a terminal locking lance is provided at a terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing behind the opening.
By inserting the terminal into the terminal receiving chamber, the rear protrusion of the terminal and the terminal locking lance are primarily locked, and by fitting the spacer into the opening, at least the terminal A connector wherein the front projection and the spacer are secondarily locked. 2. The height of the secondary locking projection provided on the front side of the terminal is smaller than the height of the primary locking projection provided on the rear side of the terminal. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is formed. 3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion for primary locking provided on the rear side of the terminal and the protrusion for secondary locking provided on the front side of the terminal are provided on either side of the terminal. One of the side walls is extended to be bent in a substantially inverted concave shape, and both the primary locking projection and the secondary locking projection are moved toward the same side wall. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is provided. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a sealing member for the mating connector housing is disposed behind the spacer. 5. The terminal housing according to claim 1, wherein a sealing member for waterproofing is provided between a periphery of a rear opening of the connector housing and an electric wire connected to the terminal. 5. The connector according to any one of items 4 to 4.