JP2003203743A - Inserting method for terminal metal piece into connector housing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the inserting resistance when a metal piece as terminal is to be inserted into a cavity. <P>SOLUTION: An operating pin 17a to be engaged with a resilient engaging piece 14 to deflect it toward a deflection space 12c is inserted, and an engaging projection 14a on the engaging piece 14 is retracted from a inserting/drawout path of a terminal metal piece 13. Then the metal piece 13 is inserted into the cavity 12a. After the insertion of the metal piece 13 reaches the specified position, the pin 17a is drawn off so as to allow the engaging piece 14 to return resiliently, and the projection 14a is engaged with the engagement part 13a of the metal piece 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of inserting a terminal fitting into a connector housing, and more specifically, to reduce the inserting force when inserting the terminal into the cavity so that the terminal can be smoothly inserted. Is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a connector 1 comprises a connector housing 2 and a terminal fitting 5 housed in a cavity 2a of the connector housing 2, as shown in FIG. On the front inner peripheral surface of the cavity 2a, in order to hold the terminal fitting 3 in the cavity 2a in a retaining state,
A cantilever-shaped elastic locking piece 4 is integrally formed, and a locking projection 4a projecting from the tip of the elastic locking piece 4 is engaged with a locking hole 3a opened in the bottom surface of the terminal fitting 3. There is.

On the other hand, in order to insert the terminal metal fitting 3 into the connector housing 2, as shown in FIG. 7, the electric wire W crimped to the terminal metal fitting 3 is gripped and the terminal metal fitting 3 is sequentially mounted from the terminal insertion surface 2b side. insert. Then, as the terminal fitting 3 is inserted, the elastic locking piece 4 is pressed by the terminal fitting 3 to bend the space 2c.
When the terminal fitting 3 is flexed and deformed to the normal position, and the flexurally deformed elastic locking piece 4 elastically returns, the locking projection 4a engages with the locking hole 3a. (Fig. 6).

[0004]

As described above, when the terminal fitting 3 is inserted, the elastic locking piece 4 is inserted while being bent, so that the insertion resistance increases by that amount. Since the terminal fitting 3 must be completely inserted into the cavity 2a, the insertion operation is performed by gripping the electric wire W. When the terminal fitting 3 and the electric wire W are large to a certain extent, it is less likely that the insertion of the terminal fitting 3 will be difficult due to an increase in insertion resistance caused by bending the elastic locking piece 4. However, in the case of the small-sized terminal fitting 3 and the small-diameter electric wire W, if the insertion resistance is large, the electric wire W is bent and the terminal fitting 3 cannot be inserted to the proper position, or the terminal is contacted with the elastic locking piece 4. There is a problem that the metal fitting 3 may be deformed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and reduces insertion resistance at the time of inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity, and also when inserting a small terminal fitting to which a thin electric wire is connected. A subject is to be able to perform a smooth insertion operation.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cavity capable of accommodating a terminal fitting,
Insertion of a terminal fitting into a connector housing including an elastic locking piece having a locking projection that can be engaged with and disengaged from the locking portion of the terminal fitting, and a bending space that allows elastic bending of the elastic locking piece. In the method, an operation pin that engages with the elastic locking piece and flexibly deforms the elastic locking piece toward the bending space is inserted into the connector housing, and the locking projection of the elastic locking piece is inserted. After retracting from the insertion / removal path of the terminal fitting, then inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity, and after inserting the terminal fitting to the proper position, pull out the operation pin to elastically return the elastic locking piece. There is provided a method for inserting a terminal fitting into a connector housing, characterized in that the locking projection is locked to a locking portion of the terminal fitting.

The operation pin can be inserted into the connector housing manually or automatically to force the elastic locking piece to bend toward the bending space. At that time, the operation pin corresponds to each cavity. Or may be inserted simultaneously corresponding to a plurality of cavities. The connector housing has an insertion hole that guides the operation pin into the bending space. Further, the operation of inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity is performed by manually or automatically gripping the electric wire connected to the terminal fitting.

According to the above construction, when the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity, the terminal fitting does not bend the elastic locking piece and push it toward the space side, so that the insertion resistance of the terminal fitting is greatly reduced. You can Therefore, even when inserting a small-sized terminal fitting to which a small-diameter electric wire is connected, it is possible to prevent insufficient insertion due to bending of the electric wire and deformation of the terminal fitting due to contact with the elastic locking piece.

The operation pin is inserted from the fitting surface side opposite to the terminal insertion surface side of the terminal fitting, and the guide slope formed at the tip of the operation pin is attached to the tip of the elastic locking piece. By contacting, the elastic locking piece is bent toward the bending space. If the insertion pin can be inserted from the mating surface side in this way, the operation pin can be individually inserted into the bending space corresponding to any cavity of the connector housing, and the operation pin can be inserted according to the insertion order of the terminal fittings. Can be inserted to bend the elastic locking piece. Further, since the operation of bending the elastic locking piece can be converted into the operation of the elastic locking piece in the bending direction by the guide slope of the operation pin tip, it is only necessary to insert the operation pin in one direction. When using an automatic machine, the operation mechanism of the operation pin can be simplified.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a method of inserting a terminal fitting 13 connected to an end of an electric wire W into a connector housing 12 by an automatic machine. The connector housing 12 has a general structure similar to the conventional one, and has a plurality of cavities 12a and a fitting surface 12 from the terminal insertion surface 12b side toward the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 13 on one side surface of each cavity.
A cantilever-shaped elastic locking piece 14 extending to the d side is provided. The elastic locking piece 14 is elastically bendable in a direction away from the cavity 12a, and a bending space 12c capable of receiving the elastically deformed elastic locking piece 14 is provided at a position adjacent to the cavity 12a. An insertion hole 12e communicating with the fitting surface 12d is continuously provided in the bending space 12c, and an operation pin 17a described later is inserted into the bending space 1 through the insertion hole 12e.
It can be inserted into 2c.

On the upper surface of the tip of the elastic locking piece 14, a locking projection 14a is provided so as to project into the cavity 12a, and the locking projection 14a is a locking hole of the terminal fitting 13 inserted into the cavity 12a. By engaging with 13a, the terminal fitting 1
I am trying to prevent 3 from coming off. Also, the elastic locking piece 1
4, a locking release piece 14b is integrally formed on the lower surface of the tip of the projection 4 and protrudes into the bending space 12c. The locking release piece 14b is further pushed down to the bending space 12c to move the locking projection 14a into the cavity 12a. It is possible to retract from the internal terminal insertion / removal path.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 15 is a holding frame for positioning and fixing the connector housing 12.
The fitting recess 15a corresponding to the outer diameter shape of No. 2 is provided.
16 is a clamp for the terminal insertion machine.
Is a first grip portion 16a for gripping a required position of the terminal fitting 13.
And a second grip portion 16b for gripping the electric wire W connected to the terminal fitting 13. Although not shown, the clamp 16 includes a first grip portion 16a and a second grip portion 16b.
Is associated with a driving unit that performs a gripping and opening operation by the above and a moving operation in the terminal insertion direction. At the initial stage of inserting the terminal fitting 13 into the cavity 12a, the first grip 16
a and the second grip portion 16b is gripped and inserted at two points. Then, in the final stage of insertion, the first grip 16a is opened and the electric wire W gripped by the second grip 16b is pushed in to insert the terminal fitting 13 into the regular position.

Reference numeral 17 denotes an unlocking mechanism for the elastic locking piece 14, which is arranged so as to face the fitting surface 12d of the connector housing 12 held by the holding frame 15. It is provided with an operation pin 17a associated with driving means in the three-dimensional direction. The operation pin 17a is made of a thin rod-shaped body that can be inserted into the bending space 12c through the insertion hole 12e, and the tip of the operation pin 17a abuts the locking release piece 14b of the elastic locking piece 14 so that the elastic locking piece 14 can be inserted. Deflection space 12c
A guide slope 17b for flexural deformation is formed. By the action of the guide slope 17b, the operation pin 17a
The operation in the inserting direction can be converted into the bending operation of the elastic locking piece 14 orthogonal to this.

Next, a method of inserting the terminal fitting 13 into the connector housing 12 using the operation pin 17a will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the connector housing 12 is positioned and held by the holding frame 15, and the terminal fitting 13 held by the clamp 16 at a position facing the terminal insertion surface 12b in the lower cavity 12a into which the terminal fitting 13 is to be inserted. And the operation pin 17a is arranged at the facing position on the fitting surface 12d side. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation pin 17a is moved forward (direction A in the figure) and inserted into the bending space 12c through the insertion hole 12e. Then, the guide slope 17b at the tip of the operation pin 17a abuts against the locking release piece 14b of the elastic locking piece 14 and presses it, so that the elastic locking piece 14 is flexibly deformed in the bending space 12c. Accordingly, the locking protrusion 14a is in a state of being retracted from the terminal insertion / removal path in the cavity 12a.

Next, the clamp 16 is moved in the terminal insertion direction to start the insertion of the terminal fitting 13 into the cavity 12a, and finally by the second grip portion 16b which grips the electric wire W as shown in FIG. Insert the terminal fitting 13 to the proper position. At this time, the elastic locking piece 14 is
Since the terminal fitting 13 is retracted from the terminal insertion path in a, the terminal fitting 13 does not interfere with the elastic locking piece 14 at the time of insertion, so that the terminal fitting 13 has only a contact resistance with the inner wall of the cavity 12a. In contrast, the insertion resistance of the terminal fitting 13 can be significantly reduced. Therefore, even when inserting the small terminal fitting 13 to which the thin wire W is connected,
Problems such as insufficient insertion of the electric wire W due to bending of the waist and deformation of the terminal fitting 13 due to contact with the elastic locking piece 14 can be prevented.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation pin 17
When a is retracted (in the direction B in the drawing) and pulled out from the bending space 12c and the insertion hole 12e, the elastic locking piece 14 that has been bending in the bending space 12c elastically returns to the cavity 12a side. Along with this, the locking protrusion 14a engages with the locking hole 13a of the terminal fitting 13 in the regular position, and the terminal fitting 13 is held in the cavity 12a in a retaining state. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when inserting the terminal into the other cavity 12a on the upper stage side, the operation pin 17a is inserted.
Is moved to the upper stage side (direction C in the figure), and the operation pin 17a is inserted into the bending space 12c in the same manner as the lower stage side, and the elastic locking piece 1
4 is retracted into the bending space 12c and the terminal fitting 13
The insertion operation of is sequentially performed. And all cavities 12
When the insertion of the terminal fitting 13 into the a is completed, the holding frame 15
The connector housing 12 is removed from the.

In the above embodiment, the method of inserting the terminal fitting 13 into the connector housing 12 by the automatic machine has been described, but the operation pin 17a is inserted into the bending space 12c by manual operation and the terminal is also manually operated. It is also applicable when the metal fitting 13 is inserted into the cavity 12a. Further, the operation pin 17a may be operated by an automatic machine and the terminal fitting 13 may be inserted manually.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the operation pin 17a is processed corresponding to each cavity 12a has been shown, but by connecting the operation pin 17a horizontally and / or vertically, a plurality of cavities 12a are simultaneously formed. You may make it correspond to the insertion process of the terminal metal fitting 13 in. Further, the method of the present invention is not limited to a small terminal fitting connected with a small-diameter electric wire, and even when a large terminal fitting connected with a large-diameter electric wire is inserted, by reducing the insertion force, the terminal insertion work can be performed. Workability can be improved.

[0018]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity,
Since the elastic locking piece is retracted from the terminal insertion path to the bending space by the operation pin, the terminal fitting can be inserted without receiving insertion resistance due to contact with the elastic locking piece. Therefore, even when inserting a small terminal metal fitting to which a small-diameter electric wire is connected, the electric wire does not bend,
There is no risk of damage to the terminal fitting due to contact with the elastic locking piece.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an initial state of a method for inserting a terminal fitting into a connector housing according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which an operation pin is inserted into a bending space and an elastic locking piece is bent and operated.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a terminal fitting is inserted.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which an operation pin is pulled out.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a step of inserting a terminal fitting into a cavity at another position.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a conventional connector.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a step of inserting a terminal into a conventional connector housing.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 connector housing 12a cavity 12b Terminal insertion surface 12c Deflection space 12d mating surface 12e insertion hole 13 terminal fittings 13a Locking hole (locking part) 14 Elastic locking piece 14a Locking protrusion 17a Operation pin 17b Guide slope

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cavity capable of accommodating a terminal fitting, an elastic locking piece having a locking projection capable of engaging with and disengaging from a locking portion of the terminal fitting, and elastic bending of the elastic locking piece. A method of inserting a terminal fitting into a connector housing having a bending space, wherein an operation pin that engages with the elastic locking piece and flexibly deforms the elastic locking piece toward the bending space is provided in the connector housing. After inserting, the locking protrusion of the elastic locking piece is retracted from the insertion / extraction path of the terminal fitting, then the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity, and after the terminal fitting is inserted to the regular position, the operation described above is performed. A method of inserting a terminal fitting into a connector housing, characterized in that the pin is pulled out to elastically return the elastic locking piece so that the locking projection is locked to the locking portion of the terminal metal fitting. 2. The operation pin is inserted from a fitting surface side opposite to a terminal insertion surface side of the terminal fitting, and a guide slope formed at a tip of the operation pin is attached to the elastic locking piece. The method of inserting a terminal fitting into a connector housing according to claim 1, wherein the elastic locking piece is bent toward the bending space by abutting on the tip.