JP2003257533A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely couple a housing with another including a rear holder by locking them with the rear holder. <P>SOLUTION: A rear holder main body 2 of the rear holder 1 is provided with a plurality of locking lances 3 with elasticity for locking connecting terminals 14 each inserted into a terminal housing hole 12 of the housing. At around a center top part of the rear holder main body 2 is provided a locking arm 4 with elastic snapping property, the upper arm 6 of which is equipped with a locking claw 7. When the housing 11 is insertion-coupled with a counterpart housing 21, the housing 11 enters into the counterpart housing 21 to have the connecting terminals 14, 22 insertion-coupled with each other to be electrically connected. The locking claw 7 fitted to the locking arm 4 of the rear holder 1 gets engaged with a claw part 23 of the counterpart housing 21 to get locked. <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 an electric connector which is used by connecting and disconnecting a pair of housings respectively accommodating connection terminals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a connection terminal is housed in a housing and the connection terminal is locked, it is common to use a locking lance provided in the housing. Further, in order to ensure this locking, a rear holder is often attached to the rear part of the housing, and the rear holder often prevents the connection terminal from coming off later.

[0003]

After the housings have been fitted together, they are locked together by a locking mechanism provided between the housings. However, normally, the rear holder does not have any involvement in this locking, so the fixing of the rear holder is not always sufficient.

Further, if a large force is applied to the rear holder when the connector is fitted, the rear holder will not come off from the housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an electrical connector in which a rear holder is locked to a mating housing so that the rear holder can be securely fixed.

[0006]

An electrical connector according to the present invention for achieving the above object is an electrical connector in which housings are fitted to each other and connecting terminals incorporated in the housings are connected to each other. A rear holder for preventing the connection terminal from coming out backward is attached to at least one rear portion, and the rear holder is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the mating housing.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiments. 1 and 2 are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a rear holder. A rear holder body 2 of a rear holder 1 has a plurality of flexible members that are inserted into terminal housing holes of a housing to lock connection terminals. A book locking lance 3 is provided. Further, a locking arm 4 having elasticity is provided at the upper center of the rear holder body 2, the locking arm 4 is formed in a U shape having a folding back portion 5 in the front, and the upper arm 6 is folded back. A hook 7 is provided on the upper arm 6. An unlocking portion 8 is provided at the tip of the upper arm 6, and this unlocking portion 8 is used for the rear holder body 2
To the flexible arm 9 via a flexible arm 9. Incidentally, 10 is a locking portion for locking the rear holder 1 to the housing.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of one of the connectors, in which the rear holder 1 is fitted in the housing 11 from the rear side. Inside the housing 11, there are 2 rows of upper and lower rows, 8 rows of upper rows, and 9 rows of lower rows.
A terminal accommodating hole 12 is provided in the row, and, for example, a female type connecting terminal 14 to which an electric wire 13 is connected is inserted into the terminal accommodating hole 12, and the connecting terminal 14 is a locking portion 15 at the front end of the terminal accommodating hole 12. It is locked to the front to prevent it from coming off. When the rear holder 1 is pushed into the housing 11 from the rear, the locking lance 3 enters the terminal accommodating hole 12 and the locking lance 3
Locks the rear edge of the connection portion of the connection terminal 14.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front end portion of a mating housing 21 that fits with the housing 11. The housing 21 is provided with a male connecting terminal 22 connected to the female connecting terminal 14 of the housing 11. ing. The housing 21 is provided with a claw portion 23 for engaging with the latch claw 7 of the rear holder 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the two housings 11 and 21 are fitted together. The housing 11 is inserted into the mating housing 21, and the connection terminals 14 and 22 are fitted to each other for electrical connection. There is. The locking claw 7 provided on the locking arm 4 of the rear holder 1 once bends, then passes under the claw portion 23 of the housing 21 to be restored, and is engaged with the claw portion 23 to be locked. With this lock, the housing 1
1,21 will not dissociate unintentionally.

When the lock is released, the lock release portion 8 attached to the lock arm 4 is pushed downward with a finger as shown in FIG. The pawl 7 and the pawl portion 23 are disengaged. Therefore, housing 1
1 may be separated from the housing 21.

7 and 8 are a plan view and a vertical sectional view of a rear holder 31 of another embodiment. In this embodiment, the rear holder main body 32 is provided with a locking lance 33, and further, the locking arm 34 has its free end projecting forward, and a locking claw 35 is formed at this free end. There is.
A lock release portion 36 is provided in the middle of the lock arm 34, and the lock release portion 36 is connected to the rear holder body 32 via a flexible arm 37.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a state in which the rear holder 31 is fitted into the housing 41 accommodating the connection terminal 14, and the female connection terminal sent into the terminal accommodating hole 42 by the locking lance 33 of the rear holder 31. 14 connection parts are locked. Further, the housing 41 includes an auxiliary arm 43 for reinforcing the elasticity of the locking arm 34 of the rear holder 31.
Is provided to push the locking arm 34 upward.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the housings 41 and 21 are fitted to each other. The locking claw 35 of the locking arm 34 of the rear holder 31 engages with the claw portion 23 of the housing 21 to lock the housing. It has been stopped.

FIG. 11 shows a state in which the lock release mechanism 36 is pushed down to sink the lock arm 34 and the lock mechanism is released.

In the above-described embodiment, the rear holder provided in one of the housings locks the mating housing, but the rear holders provided in both housings are locked together. You may do it.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the rear holder locks the mating housing, rattling of the connection terminal housed in the housing can be reduced. If the rear holder is not completely attached to the housing, the incomplete state cannot be detected because the rear holder cannot be locked with the counterpart housing.

[0018]

As described above, in the electrical connector according to the present invention, the rear holder provided at the rear portion of the housing locks with the mating housing, so that the housings do not dissociate from each other unless the locking mechanism is released. Of course, there is no risk that the rear holder will come off the housing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rear holder.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a connector.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a front end portion of a mating housing.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a mating state with a mating housing.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the fitting with the mating housing is released.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a rear holder according to another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the connector.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a mating housing in a fitted state.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the fitting with the mating housing is released.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,31 Rear holder 2,32 Rear holder body 3, 33 Locking lance 4,34 Locking arm 7,35 hooks 8,36 Lock release part 11,41 Housing 12, 42 Terminal receiving hole 14,22 connection terminals 21 Opposite housing 23 Claw 43 Auxiliary arm

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yoshikazu Tanaka             529-1 Toyohamakita, Nerima-ku, Tokyo Ryosei             Denso Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Makoto Enari             529-1 Toyohamakita, Nerima-ku, Tokyo Ryosei             Denso Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5E021 FA05 FA09 FB07 FC36 HC12                       HC31                 5E087 EE02 EE14 FF03 FF06 FF13                       GG25 GG32 HH04 RR49

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An electric connector for fitting housings to each other and connecting connection terminals incorporated therein, wherein at least one rear portion of the housing is provided with a rear portion for preventing the connection terminals from coming off. An electrical connector, characterized in that a rear holder is attached, and the rear holder is provided with a locking mechanism for locking with a mating housing. 2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the rear holder is locked to the mating housing body. 3. The rear holder is locked to the rear holder attached to the mating housing.
Related electrical connector. 4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism of the rear holder is provided with a locking arm on the rear holder, and is a hooking claw provided on the locking arm. 5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the rear holder is provided with a locking lance for locking the connection terminal in the housing.