JP2003132986A - Terminal fitting and connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize terminal fittings and a connector. SOLUTION: The terminal fittings 20 have an almost square-cylinder-shaped body 26 and a barrel 29 on the front and rear, respectively. The body 26 comprises a base plate 21 and projected plates 24, 25 opposed to the base plate above it, where the external width of both projected plates are smaller than that of the base plate. The body 26 also includes side plates 22, 23, which are formed in such a way that they slope inward in the middle of their bent surfaces formed from the base plate to the projected plates. Therefore, with part of the external width of the body 26 reduced, the whole of the body 26 is formed as a vertically asymmetrical shape. A cavity 11, in which the terminal fittings 20 are inserted, is formed into a shape fitting into that of the body 26. If the inserting position of the terminal metal fittings 20 of the cavity 11 is incorrect, the body 26 cannot be fitted into the cavity 11, resulting in bumping against the rim of the cavity, thus the insertion operation of the body 26 is regulated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a terminal fitting and a connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it is known that a terminal fitting has a function of detecting an incorrect insertion posture when the terminal fitting is inserted into a cavity of a housing, one example of which is disclosed in JP-A-7-94230. It is described in Japanese Patent Publication No. This one is provided with a rectangular tube-shaped main body part that can be conductively connected to a mating terminal and a barrel part connected to the end of an electric wire, and has a plate-like shape that projects downward from the lower side edge of the main body part. It has a stabilizer. On the other hand, an insertion groove is formed on the lower surface side edge of the cavity of the housing to allow insertion of the stabilizer when the terminal fitting is in the proper insertion posture. Therefore, according to the above configuration, when the inserting posture of the terminal fitting is an upside down inverted posture, for example,
By the stabilizer hitting the upper edge of the cavity,
The insertion operation of the terminal fitting is restricted, and it is detected that the terminal fitting is in an incorrect insertion posture.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned terminal fitting, the stabilizer is formed so as to project outward from the main body, and the housing is also provided with the insertion groove at the side edge of the cavity. Therefore, the size of the terminal fitting is increased by the amount of the protrusion of the stabilizer, and the housing is
The pitch between the upper and lower cavities is increased by the amount corresponding to the recessed insertion groove, which has been a problem in reducing the size of the terminal fitting and the connector. The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce the size of terminal fittings and connectors.

[0004]

As a means for achieving the above object, a terminal fitting according to the invention of claim 1 is a terminal fitting to be inserted into a cavity of a connector housing and has a substantially cylindrical shape. In the case where the body portion is provided with an asymmetrical shape having a reduced outer width dimension, and the posture of insertion into the cavity formed along the outer shape of the body portion is incorrect. The main feature is that the main body abuts against the peripheral edge of the cavity and the insertion operation is restricted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the main body portion is formed in a substantially rectangular tube shape, and the outer width dimensions of both opposing sides thereof are set to be different from each other. The side part connecting both opposing sides should reduce the width dimension between both sides continuously from the side with the larger outer width dimension to the side with the smaller outer width dimension of both opposing sides, or include a part of equal width in part. It is characterized in that it is formed in.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, an elastic contact piece capable of elastically contacting a mating terminal inserted in the main body portion is provided. A feature is that the piece is formed by folding back from the side of the opposite sides having the larger outer width dimension. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the side portion connecting the opposite sides is bent in the middle, so that the space in the main body portion is divided into a narrow region and a wide region. In the wide area, the elastic contact piece is arranged, while in the narrow area, the mating terminal can be inserted, and the width of the side portion connecting the opposite sides is wide. The feature is that the inner surface of the portion forming the narrow region can contact the outer edge of the counterpart terminal.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the locked portion provided on the main body portion is inserted in the cavity of the connector housing. In the device which is prevented from coming out of the cavity by locking the disengagement prevention means to the cavity, the side portion connecting the opposite sides is formed in a taper shape, and the taper portion serves as the locked portion. It has a feature in that it is configured.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector including the terminal fitting according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the connector housing has a lateral side across the cavity. A retainer mounting hole, which is formed by opening and into which a retainer having a locking portion can be inserted, is provided, and the retainer is arranged with respect to the connector housing with the locking portion retracted from the cavity. Is temporarily movably mounted between the temporary locking position and the main locking position where the locking part enters the cavity and is locked by the locked part provided in the main body of the terminal fitting,
Further, at the temporary locking position, the locking portion is arranged at a position between both opposing sides of the retainer mounting hole in the main body of the terminal fitting and within the maximum outer width dimension of the main body. It has a feature in that it exists.

A connector according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is a connector including the terminal fitting according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, wherein the connector housing has a plurality of cavities. Characteristically, the cavities are arranged side by side in a direction substantially parallel to the opposite sides of the body of the terminal, and the adjacent cavities are formed so that the opposite sides of the body of the terminal fitting can be accommodated in the opposite directions. Have.

[0010]

<Advantages and Effects of the Invention><Invention of Claim 1> When the inserting attitude of the terminal fitting into the cavity is normal, the inserting operation is allowed because the main body is aligned with the cavity. On the other hand, if the insertion posture is incorrect, the body will be misaligned with the cavity and the body will hit the peripheral edge of the cavity to restrict the insertion operation. Is detected. Since the outer width of the main body was reduced to form the main body in an asymmetrical shape in order to prevent unauthorized insertion of the terminal fittings, the stabilizer was projected outward from the main body as in the past. The terminal fitting can be downsized as compared with the case.

<Invention of Claim 2> Since the main body is formed in a shape not to be constricted, the shape of the terminal fitting can be simplified. <Invention of Claim 3> Since the elastic contact piece is formed by folding back from the side of the opposite sides having the larger outer width dimension, the elastic contact piece is elastic as compared with the case of being provided from the side of the opposite sides having the smaller outer width. It is possible to secure a large width dimension of the contact piece, and thus it is possible to obtain a sufficient contact pressure with the mating terminal.

<Invention of Claim 4> Even if the width of the mating terminal is smaller than that of the wide area, by setting the width of the narrow area according to the width of the terminal,
A terminal that is inserted into the narrow region can be rattled and regulated by the portion that forms the narrow region among the side portions that connect the opposite sides, and thus the contact state between the terminal and the elastic contact piece is stable. Can be

<Invention of Claim 5> Since the taper portion of the side portion connecting both opposing sides of the main body is the locked portion to which the retaining means is locked, for example, the side portion connecting both opposing sides. It is possible to secure a large locking area with respect to the retaining means as compared with a case where the retaining means is bent at a right angle to form the retaining means at the straight portion.

<Invention of Claim 6> Between both opposing sides of the main body of the terminal fitting inserted in the cavity as a standby position of the locking portion when the retainer is temporarily mounted in the retainer mounting hole. And since the position within the maximum outer width dimension of the main body is set, the cavity formed along the outer shape of the main body with the reduced outer width dimension effectively uses the space vacated in the retainer mounting hole. can do. As a result, the size of the connector can be reduced.

<Invention of Claim 7> Since the cavities are arranged so that the opposite sides of the body portions of the terminal fittings inserted into the adjacent cavities are mutually inverted, the pitch between the cavities can be reduced. Therefore, the connector can be downsized.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, a connector housing 10 (hereinafter, simply referred to as a housing 10) having a cavity 11 and a retainer mounting hole 12, a female-side terminal fitting 20 inserted into the cavity 11, and a retainer mounting hole 12 are provided. A female connector provided with a retainer 14 that is inserted to retain the terminal fitting 20 can be held. In the following description, the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 20 into the cavity 11 will be described as the front.

The housing 10 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in FIG. 1, is entirely formed in a flat block shape. On the rear surface of the housing 10, from the rear, the terminal fitting 2
A cavity 11 into which 0 can be inserted is formed so as to open, and the four chambers are arranged side by side in the width direction. The cavity 11 is formed in a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the main body portion 26 of the terminal fitting 20 as described later in detail. Also the cavity 11
Is also open to the front, and a male terminal M housed in a male connector (not shown) can enter the cavity 11 from the outside of the front. On the left side surface of the housing 10 in the drawing, a retainer mounting hole 12 into which the retainer 14 can be attached is opened from the left side. As shown in FIG. 3, the retainer mounting hole 12 is formed along the width direction so as to cross the upper portions of all the cavities 11. The retainer 14 is provided with four locking portions 16 that can be locked to each terminal fitting 20 from an elongated base portion 15 extending in the width direction, and the four locking portions 16 project from the elongated base portions 15 at positions corresponding to the cavities 11. It is formed in a comb shape. The retainer 14 has a temporary locking position that allows the terminal fittings 20 to be inserted into and removed from the cavities 11 by arranging the locking parts 16 so as to be retracted to the sides of the cavities 11, and as shown in FIG. Predetermined holding means (not shown) in a movable state along the width direction between the locking portions 16 and the main locking position where the locking portions 16 are locked to the terminal fittings 20 by entering the cavities 11. It is held in the retainer mounting hole 12 by the. The shape of the locking portion 16 will be described later in detail.

The terminal fitting 20 is formed into a shape as shown in FIG. 1 by bending a metal plate punched into a predetermined shape and bending it. The terminal fitting 20 has a board 21 extending in the front-rear direction and a pair of side plates 22 and 23 that are raised from both side edges of the board 21 over the entire length thereof. A part (about 2/5 of the total length) is formed so as to project upward in a stepwise manner with respect to the other part, and projecting plates 24 and 25 project from the projecting ends, respectively. By bending inward so as to overlap with each other in the vertical direction, a main body portion 26 having a substantially rectangular tube shape is formed. On the other hand, a barrel portion 29 is formed by raising a pair of front and rear caulking pieces 27 and 28 from the rear portions of the side plates 22 and 23 which are spaced apart from the main body portion 26 by a predetermined distance. In the barrel portion 29, both front crimping pieces 27 are conductively connected to the core wire by crimping the coating of the wire W placed on the substrate 21 to the core wire exposed. Both of the crimping pieces 28 are fixed to the covering by crimping the ends of the electric wire W to the covering. The substrate 21
Is formed such that the width dimension is slightly reduced from the main body portion 26 to the barrel portion 29.

The body portion 26 will be described in detail. Figure 2
As shown in FIG. 5, the projecting plate 24 (the main body portion 26 when viewed from the front side) with respect to the outer width dimension A of the substrate 21 (the lower side of both vertically facing sides of the main body portion 26 when viewed from the front surface) of the main body portion 26 The outer width dimension B of the upper side of the two opposite sides of the upper and lower sides is smaller, and the side plates 22,
By bending 23 so as to incline inward as it goes upward, the outer width dimension of the main body portion 26 is partially reduced, and the entire main body portion 26 is formed in an asymmetrical shape in the vertical direction. There is. More specifically, both side plates 22, 2
3, the upper portions 22a and 23a and the lower portions 22c and 23c are formed parallel to each other in the vertical direction, so that the width dimension between both upper portions 22a and 23a and the width dimension between both lower portions 22c and 23c (both upper portions 22a , 23a) which are equal in width to each other, and the middle portion 22b,
Since 23b is formed as a taper portion that is inclined inward, the width between the two middle portions 22b and 23b increases upward (from the substrate 21 side to both the projecting plates 24 and 25 sides).
It is decreasing continuously. As a result, the main body 26 is
It is formed in a shape that does not have a waist. Due to the shapes of the side plates 22 and 23 as described above, the space inside the main body portion 26 is divided into three upper and lower regions with two bent portions of the side plates 22 and 23 as boundaries. That is, both side plates 2
Wide regions Tc of equal width are formed by the lower portions 22c and 23c of Nos. 2 and 23, intermediate regions Tb whose inner width dimensions are gradually reduced as they go upward by the middle portions 22b and 23b, and wide regions of the upper portions 22a and 23a. A narrow region Ta having a uniform width and an inner width smaller than Tc is formed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cavity 11 formed along the outer shape of the main body portion 26 having such a shape is asymmetrical in the vertical direction, and more specifically, of the inner peripheral surface. The lower surface is formed to be wide, while the upper surface is formed to be narrow, and the upper and lower portions of both side surfaces are formed parallel to each other in the vertical direction, while the middle portion goes upward. It is formed so as to gradually project inward. Therefore, in the partition wall 13 that partitions the cavities 11 that are adjacent to each other in the width direction, the thickness increases at the portion where the inner side surface of the cavity 11 projects inward, and the thickness dimension D of the upper portion is larger than the thickness dimension C of the lower portion. It is getting bigger. Then, the partition wall 13 of the retainer mounting hole 12
An engaging portion 16 of the retainer 14 attached to the temporary engaging position is arranged at a notched portion of the upper portion of the retainer 14. The locking portion 16 has a width dimension substantially the same as the thickness dimension D of the upper portion of the partition wall 13, and a height dimension of the main body portion 26.
The heights of the upper portions 22a and 23a of the side plates 22 and 23 are substantially the same. That is, when the retainer 14 is in the temporary locking position, the locking portion 16 is provided in the retainer mounting hole 12 between the substrate 21 of the main body portion 26 inserted into the cavity 11 and the both projecting plates 24, 25 (both It is arranged at a height position (between opposite sides) and within the outer width dimension (maximum outer width dimension of the main body portion) of the substrate 21 of the main body portion 26.

When the retainer 14 is moved to the main locking position, the locking portion 16 is provided on the rear surface of the main body 26 at substantially the entire area of both the projecting plates 24 and 25 and the inner edges of the upper portions 22a and 23a of the side plates 22 and 23. It is designed to be locked to the end,
This portion is the locked portion 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). As shown in FIG. 2, from the front end of the substrate 21 of the main body portion 26, there is provided an elastic contact piece 31 which is folded back and is formed in a substantially mountain shape. The elastic contact piece 31 is arranged over the wide region Tc and the intermediate region Tb, and is elastically contactable with the male terminal M inserted into the main body portion 26 from the front outside. The outer width dimension of the elastic contact piece 31 is slightly smaller than the inner width dimension of the wide area Tc, but is set larger than the inner width dimension of the narrow area Ta. A contact portion 32 for the male terminal M is formed at the apex portion of the substantially mountain-shaped elastic contact piece 31 so as to project upward by hitting. A projecting portion 33 for increasing the contact pressure to the male terminal M is formed to project from the inner projecting plate 25 facing the elastic contact piece 31 into the lower narrow region Ta. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, a holding piece 34 is projected from the outer protruding plate 24,
The holding piece 34 is fitted into a holding groove 35 formed by cutting out the side plate 23 on the front side of FIG.
Can be held in a predetermined shape.

The male terminal M is formed into a substantially quadrangular shape when viewed from the front, and is inserted into a region of the body portion 26 that extends over the intermediate region Tb and the narrow region Ta, and its outer width dimension is It is almost the same as or slightly smaller than the inner width dimension of the narrow region Ta. Therefore, when the male terminal M is inserted into the main body portion 26, both outer side surfaces of the male terminal M are narrowed in the narrow region Ta.
By contacting the inner surfaces of the upper portions 22a and 23a of the both side plates constituting the above, it is held without rattling in the width direction. The height of the male terminal M is 3
The elastic contact piece 31 can be inserted into the main body portion 26 while bending the elastic contact piece 31 downward by making it slightly larger than the distance between the contact point portion 32 and the contact portion 32.

The present embodiment has the above-mentioned structure, and its operation will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, with the retainer 14 attached to the housing 10 at the temporary locking position, the terminal fitting 2 is inserted into each cavity 11 from the rear side.
Insert 0 respectively. At this time, when the terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 in a proper posture, that is, when the substrate 21 of the main body 26 faces the lower surface of the cavity 11 and the projecting plate 24 faces the upper surface of the cavity 11. The main body 2 with respect to the cavity 11.
6 is aligned and the insertion operation is allowed. In the inserting process, the outer peripheral surface of the main body 26 is brought into sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cavity 11 to guide the inserting operation.

By the way, when the terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 when the inserting attitude of the terminal fitting 20 is upside down from the normal attitude, as shown in FIG. As a result, the main body 26 becomes inconsistent. Therefore, both ends of the substrate 21 of the main body portion 26 and the lower portions 22c and 23c of the side plates 22 and 23 (arranged upward in FIG. 5) abut against the upper edge of the peripheral edge of the cavity 11, so that the insertion operation is restricted. To be done. As a result, it is detected that the terminal fitting 20 is inserted in an incorrect posture, and the terminal fitting 20 is again placed in the proper insertion posture, and then the insertion work into the cavity 11 is performed again.

After inserting all the terminal fittings 20 into the respective cavities 11, the retainer 14 is moved from the temporary locking position to the main locking position. When the retainer 14 reaches the main locking position, as shown in FIG. 4, each locking portion 16 enters the cavity 11 and the locked portion 30 of the terminal fitting 20.
The terminal fitting 20 is held in a state of being prevented from coming off from the cavity 11 by being locked with respect to. Retainer 14
If there is a terminal fitting 20 having an insufficient insertion depth into the cavity 11 when moving the retainer to the main locking position, the locking portion 16 abuts against the side plate 22 of the terminal fitting 20, thereby causing the retainer to move. Since the movement operation of 14 is restricted, the half insertion of the terminal fitting 20 is detected. In that case, after inserting the terminal fitting 20 to the regular depth again, the retainer 14 is moved to the main locking position again.

When the mating male connector is fitted to the female connector assembled in this way, the male terminal M is inserted into the cavity 11 from the front and the main body 2
It enters into the range within 6 that spans the narrow region Ta and the intermediate region Tb. In this process, the male terminal M is, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion 2 of the side plates 22 and 23 forming the narrow region Ta.
The elastic contact pieces 31 are elastically contacted in a narrow pressure state between the overhanging portion 33 and the contact portion 32 while being abutted against the inner side surfaces of the 2a and 23a and bending the elastic contact piece 31 downward. In this state, both outer side surfaces of the male terminal M have upper portions 22a, 23a of the side plates 22, 23.
When the male terminal M is brought into contact with the inner surface of the elastic contact piece 3
Shaking in the width direction from the state of elastically contacting 1 is restricted. Therefore, the contact state of both terminals can be made stable without causing problems such as fine sliding wear.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
When forming the main body 26 in a vertically asymmetrical shape,
The outer width dimension of the main body portion 26 is partially reduced,
Further, since the cavity 11 is formed to have a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the body portion 26, the stabilizer is projected outward from the body portion as in the conventional case, and the insertion groove for inserting the stabilizer is recessed on the inner surface of the cavity. The terminal fitting 20 and the female connector can be downsized as compared with the case where they are formed. Moreover, while the conventional stabilizer is formed by cutting and raising the main body portion, this does not occur in the present embodiment, and the strength of the terminal fitting 20 can be kept high.

Further, in the main body portion 26, the outer width dimension of the projecting plate 24 is smaller than that of the substrate 21, and the width portions of the side plates 22 and 23 are continuously reduced upward. 23b and upper portions 22a, 2 which are equal width portions
By having 3a and the lower portions 22c and 23c, the whole is formed in a shape without constriction.
Also, the shape of the cavity 11 can be simplified. Further, since the elastic contact piece 31 is formed by folding back from the front end of the substrate 21 having a larger outer width dimension than the both projecting plates 24, 25, it is possible to secure a large outer width dimension of the elastic contact piece 31. A sufficient contact pressure with respect to the male terminal M can be obtained.

Further, while the outer width dimension of the male terminal M is smaller than the width dimension of the wide area Tc of the main body portion 26, the width dimension of the narrow area Ta is adjusted according to the outer width dimension of the male terminal M. By setting, both side plates 22 and 2 forming the narrow region Ta with respect to both outer side surfaces of the male terminal M inserted into the main body portion 26.
It is possible to bring the inner side surfaces of the upper portions 22a and 23a of the No. 3 into contact with each other to regulate the rattling in the width direction thereof, and thereby to stabilize the contact state between the male terminal M and the elastic contact piece 31. it can.

The retainer 1 is attached to the housing 10.
4 as the standby position of the locking portion 16 when it is mounted in the temporary locking position, between the board 21 and the projecting plates 24, 25 in the main body portion 26 of the terminal fitting 20 inserted into the cavity 11, and the main body. Since the position is set within the maximum outer width dimension of the portion 26, by forming the cavity 11 along the outer shape of the main body portion 26, the space provided in the retainer mounting hole 12 can be effectively used. As a result, the size of the connector can be reduced.

<Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, a case in which the inserting direction of the retainer with respect to the housing is changed and the locked portion of the terminal fitting is changed will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the terminal fitting 20A has a board 21A and a pair of side plates 22A and 23A projecting downward from both side edges of the board 21A.
Both projecting plates 24A, 25A projecting from the front of A, 23A
Is bent inward and is vertically overlapped with each other to form a rectangular tubular main body portion 26A. Body 2
Substrate 21A with respect to the outer width dimension A of the projecting plate 24A out of 6A
The outer width dimension B of the main body portion 26A is smaller than the outer width dimension B of the two side plates 22A, 23A and is formed as a taper portion that inclines inward as it goes upward. The width dimension is partially reduced, and the entire shape is vertically asymmetrical. The elastic contact piece 31A is provided so as to project from the front end of the inner projecting plate 25A, and is arranged over the wide region Tc and the intermediate region Tb in the main body portion 26A. Also, the elastic contact piece 3
The outer width dimension of 1A is larger than the inner width dimension of the narrow region Ta. The overhanging portion 33A is formed by tapping inward the portion of the substrate 21A facing the contact portion 32A of the elastic contact piece 31A, and is arranged so as to project into the narrow region Ta. The male terminal M has a narrow area Ta in the main body 26A.
The elastic contact piece 31A is elastically contacted in a narrow pressure state between the contact portion 32A of the elastic contact piece 31A and the overhanging portion 33A. Also male terminal M
The outer side surfaces of the side plates 22A and 2A that form the narrow region Ta.
The upper surfaces 22Aa and 23Aa of the 3A can be brought into contact with the inner side surfaces thereof. By the way, the middle part 22 of both side plates 22A, 23A
Ab, 23Ab and lower parts 22Ac, 23Ac and both projecting plates 2
The left and right ends of 4A and 25A are formed so as to project to the outside of the base plate 21A, and the left and right ends of the retainer 14A can be engaged with the pair of left and right locked portions by which the locking portion 16A of the retainer 14A can be locked. The part 30A is configured.

As shown in FIG. 6, a retainer mounting hole 12A for inserting the retainer 14A from above is formed on the upper surface of the housing 10A. In the retainer mounting hole 12A, a portion for accommodating the base portion 15A of the retainer 14A is formed elongated along the width direction, whereas a portion for accommodating the locking portion 16A is formed in the width direction as shown in FIG. Partition wall 1 for partitioning adjacent cavities 11A
It is formed so as to pass through 3A in the vertical direction, so that adjacent cavities 11A are communicated with each other. Locking part 1
6A has a width dimension that is slightly smaller than the thickness dimension D of the upper portion of the partition wall 13A, and the tip portion thereof has a cavity 11A.
Is formed obliquely along the taper portion of the middle part of the side surface. With the retainer 14A installed in the temporary locking position,
The lower end surface of the locking portion 16A (the thickness dimension C of the lower portion of the partition wall 13A
A slightly smaller width dimension) reaches the lower end of the cavity 11A (lower end of the middle part).

After inserting the terminal fittings 20A into the cavities 11A with the retainer 14A mounted in the temporary locking position, the retainer 14A is pushed downward to move to the final locking position. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, each locking portion 16A has a side portion of the cavity 11A (both side plates 22A, 23 of the body portion 26A of the terminal fitting 20A during the insertion process).
A middle part 22Ab, 23Ab and lower part 22Ac, 23Ac
And a portion through which both left and right end portions of both projecting plates 24A and 25A pass, and are locked to two left and right locked portions 30A of the main body portion 26A, respectively.
At this time, one locking portion 16A enters into the two adjacent cavities 11A and holds and holds the two terminal fittings 20A inserted into both cavities 11A. In other words, one terminal fitting 20A is prevented from coming off by the two locking portions 16A that are locked to the locked portions 30A at the two left and right positions.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
Both side plates 22A, 23A of the body portion 26A, the middle portion 22Ab,
Since 23Ab is formed as a tapered portion and the tapered portion is included as the locked portion 30A, for example, both side plates are formed by bending at a right angle, and the locking portion is locked to the straight portion. Compared with the case where
It is possible to secure a large locking area for. Therefore, the terminal fitting 20A can be firmly held. The other structures, operations, and effects are the same as those in the above-described first embodiment, and a duplicate description will be omitted.

<Third Embodiment> A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, the arrangement of the cavities in the housing is changed.

In this housing 10B, as shown in FIG. 10, four cavities 11B are arranged side by side in the width direction (direction parallel to the substrate and both side plates which are opposite sides of the main body).
Are arranged so that they are inverted upside down. In other words, the cavities 11B are arranged in such a direction that the substrate and the two projecting plates in the main body of the terminal fittings respectively inserted into the adjacent cavities 11B are inverted from each other (see FIG. 1). That is, since the wide portions and the narrow portions of the adjacent cavities 11B are alternately arranged and the tapered portions of the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent cavities 11B are parallel to each other, the thickness dimension C of the partition wall 13B is almost all over. It becomes a certain size. Therefore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, when the adjacent cavities are arranged in the same direction in the vertical direction and the wide portion is arranged on the lower side and the narrow portion is arranged on the upper side, the thickness of the partition wall is different in the vertical direction. Compared with the above (see FIGS. 3 and 8), the pitch between the cavities 11B can be made smaller, and thus the housing 10B can be made smaller in the width direction. As for the terminal fitting to be inserted into the cavity 11B, if the male terminal is set to be inserted at the center position in the height direction of the main body, all the male terminals arranged in the male connector have the same height position. Can be aligned in position. In addition, other structures, actions and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.
Since it is the same as the embodiment, the duplicated description will be omitted.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition to the above, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the outer width dimension of the main body portion is partially reduced has been described. However, by reducing the outer width dimension of the main body portion over the entire area, the main body portion has a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front. Alternatively, it may be formed in a triangular shape. Further, the other main body may be formed in a polygonal shape such as a pentagon. Further, the shape of the main body may be, for example, a cylindrical shape other than the rectangular tube shape, and may be formed in an oval shape when viewed from the front so as to be formed in a vertically asymmetrical shape. Further, the shape of the main body portion that is asymmetrical in the left-right direction is also included in the present invention. Further, as the shape of the main body portion, the present invention also includes a shape in which both side plates are bent at a right angle to form, for example, a convex shape.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the retainer is attached to the housing as the retaining means for the terminal fitting. However, for example, a resin lance is projected from the inner side surface of the cavity, and the terminal fitting is provided in the cavity. , The resin lance is once bent and deformed by being pressed by the terminal fitting, and when the terminal fitting reaches the normal depth, the resin lance elastically returns and is locked to the locked portion of the terminal fitting. The present invention can also be applied to the products. (3) In the above-described embodiment, the female terminal fitting is shown, but the present invention can be similarly applied to the male terminal fitting having a structure in which the tab is provided to project from the tubular main body. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing and a terminal fitting according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Front view of the terminal fitting

FIG. 3 is a partial lateral cross-sectional view of a housing in which a retainer is mounted at a temporary locking position.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing in which the retainer is mounted in the main locking position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear view showing the relationship between the terminal fitting and the cavity that are in an incorrect insertion posture.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a housing and a terminal fitting according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 7] Front view of terminal fittings

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing with the retainer mounted in a temporary locking position.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing in which the retainer is mounted in the final locking position.

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the housing according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 10A, 10B ... Housing 11, 11A, 11B ... Cavity 12, 12A ... Retainer mounting hole 14, 14A ... Retainer (retaining means) 16, 16A ... Engaging portion 20, 20A ... Terminal metal fitting 21, 21A ... Board ( Opposite sides 22, 22A, 23, 23A ... Side plates (side portions) 22a, 22Aa, 23a, 23Aa ... Upper portions of side plates (portions forming narrow regions of side portions) 22Ab, 23Ab ... Middle portions of side plates (tapered portions) ) 24, 24A, 25, 25A ... Projection plate (opposing side) 26, 26A ... Main body part 30, 30A ... Engagement part 31, 31A ... Elastic contact piece M ... Male terminal (corresponding terminal) Ta ... Narrow area Tc … Wide area

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Osamu Kawase             Sumitomo Den 1-14 Nishi-Suehiro-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie Prefecture             Sozo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kenji Tsuji             Sumitomo Den 1-14 Nishi-Suehiro-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie Prefecture             Sozo Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5E087 EE04 EE14 FF07 GG13 GG26                       MM03 MM18 RR04 RR49

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A terminal fitting to be inserted into a cavity of a connector housing, the terminal fitting having a substantially tubular main body, wherein the main body is formed in an asymmetrical shape with a reduced outer width dimension. When the insertion posture with respect to the cavity formed in a shape along the outer shape of the main body portion is incorrect, the main body portion hits the peripheral edge of the cavity and the insertion operation is restricted. The terminal metal fittings. 2. The main body portion is formed in a substantially rectangular tube shape, and the outer width dimensions of both opposing sides thereof are set to be different from each other, and the side portion connecting the both opposing sides is one of the opposing sides. The width dimension between both side portions is continuously reduced from the side having a large outer width dimension to the side having a small outer dimension, or a portion having a uniform width portion is formed.
The described terminal fittings. 3. An elastic contact piece capable of elastically contacting a mating terminal inserted into the main body, wherein the elastic contact piece is a side having a larger outer width dimension among the opposite sides. The terminal fitting according to claim 2, wherein the terminal fitting is formed by folding back from the side. 4. A space in the main body is divided into a narrow region and a wide region by bending a side portion connecting the opposite sides in the middle, and the space in the wide region is formed in the wide region. While the elastic contact piece is arranged, in the narrow area, the other terminal can be inserted, and the inner surface of the portion forming the narrow area of the side portion connecting both opposing sides is the opposite side. The terminal fitting according to claim 3, wherein the terminal fitting can be brought into contact with the outer edge of the terminal. 5. In a state in which the retaining means is locked to a locked portion provided in the main body in a state of being inserted into the cavity of the connector housing, thereby preventing the retaining from the cavity. The side portion connecting the opposite sides is formed in a taper shape, and the taper portion constitutes the locked portion. Terminal fittings. 6. A connector including the terminal fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the connector housing is formed to laterally open across the cavity. A retainer mounting hole into which a retainer having a locking portion can be inserted is provided, and the retainer with respect to the connector housing has a temporary locking position where the locking portion is retracted from the cavity, and a temporary locking position.
The locking portion is movably mounted between the locking portion and the main locking position where the locking portion enters the cavity and is locked by the locked portion provided on the main body of the terminal fitting. The connector is characterized in that the locking portion is arranged at a position between both opposite sides of the main body of the terminal fitting in the retainer mounting hole and within a maximum outer width dimension of the main body. . 7. A connector comprising the terminal fitting according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the connector housing has a plurality of cavities on opposite sides of a main body of the terminal fitting. A connector characterized in that the cavities are arranged side by side in a substantially parallel direction, and adjacent cavities are formed so that they can be accommodated in a direction in which opposite sides of a main body of a terminal fitting are inverted from each other.