JP2004055433A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the removing workability of a terminal metal fitting while ensuring the slip-out preventive force of the terminal metal fitting. <P>SOLUTION: A female housing 40 is formed with a cavity 41 into which a female metal terminal fitting 10 can be inserted from a rear side. A lance 43 bending and deforming in a direction intersecting in an inserting/removing direction when the female metal terminal fitting 10 is inserted, and then returning to be elastically locked to the female terminal metal fitting 10 is provided in the cavity 40. Of locking surfaces 64 to the female terminal metal fitting 10 in the lance 34, a lower side locking surface 61 that is a front side in a bending direction is tilted so as to make an obtuse angle in regard to the removing direction of the female terminal metal fitting 10. Of the locking surface 64s, an upper side locking surface 58 that is a rear side in the bending direction is set to have an angle relative to the removing direction smaller than an angle at the lower side locking surface 61. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an example in which a terminal fitting is prevented from coming off by a lance provided in a connector housing, the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-115475 is known. As shown in FIG. 17, the connector housing 1 of this connector is provided with a cavity 3 into which a terminal fitting 2 can be inserted from the rear. A locking lance 4 is provided. The lance 4 is capable of bending and deforming up and down, and protrudes from an upper surface of the arm 4a and enters into a locking hole 2a formed in a bottom wall of the terminal fitting 2 and can be locked to an edge of the hole. And a retaining projection 4b.
[0003]
By the way, when trying to reduce the size of the connector as described above, the strength of the lance 4 tends to be insufficient and the lance 4 is likely to be insufficient. There is a possibility that the battery is forcibly bent and unlocked. As a countermeasure, as shown in FIG. 18, the locking surface 5 of the retaining projection 4b with respect to the terminal fitting 2 may be inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extracting direction. With this configuration, even when a force is applied to pull the terminal fitting 2 backward from the locked state, a component force acts on the lance 4 in the direction opposite to the bending direction due to the inclination of the locking surface 5. As a result, it is difficult to release the locked state, so that the retaining force of the terminal fitting 2 can be increased.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, if the locking surface 5 is inclined as described above, the following problem occurs when the terminal fitting 2 is removed. In other words, the operation of removing the terminal fitting 2 is performed by pulling out the terminal fitting 2 while forcibly bending and deforming the lance 4 by the release jig. 17), the displacement trajectory of the locking surface 5 at the time of bending deformation is closer to the front than that of FIG. Interference was easy and workability was not good.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and has as its object to improve the workability of removing terminal fittings while securing the retaining force of the terminal fittings.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As means for achieving the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that when a terminal fitting is inserted from the rear into a cavity provided in a connector housing, a lance provided in the cavity is moved in a direction in which the terminal fitting is inserted and withdrawn. It returns after being bent and deformed in the crossing direction, and is elastically locked to the terminal fitting. Of the locking surface of the lance with respect to the terminal fitting, a front portion in the bending direction is a terminal fitting. While the slanting portion is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extracting direction, the bending direction rear portion is configured such that the angle formed with respect to the extracting direction is set smaller than the angle in the bending direction front portion. It is characterized by
[0006]
Function and effect of the present invention
<Invention of claim 1>
The terminal fitting inserted into the cavity of the connector housing is retained in a retaining state by the elastic locking of the lance. At this time, of the locking surface of the lance, the front portion in the bending direction is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the direction in which the terminal fitting is pulled out, so that a force acts to pull the terminal fitting backward from the locked state. Even in this case, since a component force acts on the lance in a direction opposite to the bending direction, the locked state is hard to be released, and the force for preventing the terminal fitting from coming off is increased.
On the other hand, when removing the terminal fitting from the connector housing, the lance is forcibly bent and deformed to release the locked state, and the terminal fitting is pulled backward. At this time, of the locking surface of the lance, the rear portion in the bending direction of the lance is formed at a smaller angle with respect to the extraction direction than the angle in the front portion of the bending direction. Compared with the case where the angle is set, the displacement trajectory of the locking surface when the lance is flexibly deformed can be retracted backward. Therefore, when the lance is flexed and deformed, the lance hardly interferes with the terminal fitting, thereby improving the workability of removing the terminal fitting.
As described above, according to the present invention, even when the size is reduced, the retaining force of the terminal fitting can be kept high, and the workability of removing the terminal fitting can be improved.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a female connector in which the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into a female connector housing 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as a female housing 40) is shown. When the female terminal fitting 10 is housed in the female housing 40, the female terminal fitting 10 is electrically connected to the male terminal fittings (both male housings not shown) housed in a mating male housing fitted to the female housing 40. It is possible to connect. In the following, the direction in which the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the female housing 40 will be referred to as the front direction, the reverse withdrawal direction will be referred to as the rear direction, and the vertical direction will be described with reference to FIG.
[0008]
The female terminal fitting 10 is formed into a desired shape by punching or bending a metal base material into a predetermined shape. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the female terminal fitting 10 includes a main body 11 having a substantially box shape that opens roughly in the front and rear, and a barrel 12 that can be crimped to the end of the electric wire W. It has a connected configuration. The barrel portion 12 includes a pair of caulking pieces 12a and 12b at the front and rear, and the front caulking pieces 12a are caulked to the core portion Wa of the electric wire W, whereas the rear caulking pieces 12b are provided. It is configured to be caulked to the covering portion Wb of the electric wire W.
[0009]
The main body 11 has a bottom wall 13 extending back and forth, a pair of side walls 14, 15 rising from both side edges of the bottom wall 13, and protruding from the protruding end of the left side wall 14 in FIG. 4 and an outer wall 17 protruding from the protruding end of the right side wall 15 in FIG.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom wall 13 is disposed at a position where its front end is retracted rearward as compared with the other walls 14, 15, 16, and 17, and an elastic contact piece 18 protrudes from this front end. ing. The elastic contact piece 18 is formed in a substantially cantilever shape by bending a tongue piece protruding forward from the front end of the bottom wall 13 backward. The elastic contact piece 18 is capable of elastic contact with a tab of a mating male terminal fitting inserted into the main body 11 from the front. The ceiling wall 16 facing the elastic contact piece 18 is provided with a receiving portion 19 that can hold the tab in a pressed state between the elastic contact piece 18 and the elastic member 18. In addition, the bottom wall 13 has an excessive bending restricting projection that can restrict excessive bending of the elastic contact piece 18 by engaging with the elastic contact piece 18 at a stage before the elastic contact piece 18 deforms beyond the elastic limit. 20 is provided so as to be knocked inward.
[0011]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the outer wall 17 is divided into a front portion 17a and a rear portion 17b by forming a cutout portion 21 at a substantially central portion in the length direction over the entire width. When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the notch 21, the lance 43 is allowed to enter when the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41, and the lance 43 can be locked to the cut end face 21 a on the front side of the notch 21. ing. The cut end surface 21a on the front side of the cutout portion 21 which is a locking surface for the lance 43 is formed in a tapered shape which is inclined inward over the entire area. The notch 21 has a length slightly less than half of that of the outer wall 17 and is formed up to the upper end of the side wall 15 on the far side in FIG. An overhanging piece 22 protruding from a protruding end of the ceiling wall 16 abuts on an upper end surface of the side wall 15 (a side cut end surface of the cutout portion 21), thereby making the ceiling wall 16 substantially horizontal. It can be supported by posture. In the front half of the ceiling wall 16 having the receiving portion 19, a recess 23 is formed so as to be slightly lower than the rear half except for a portion of the overhanging piece 22 that abuts on the side wall 15, and accordingly, Only the locking depth of the lance 43 can be increased. The front portion 17a of the outer wall 17 is set to have a slightly shorter front-rear length than the rear portion 17b.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 6, a rear holding piece 24 bent to the bottom wall 13 side and a stabilizer 25 bent to the opposite side (outward) are provided in front and rear from the protruding end of the rear part 17b of the outer wall 17 as shown in FIG. Have been. The rear holding piece 24 is fitted in a rear holding groove 26 formed by notching the side wall 14 on the near side of the drawing of FIG. 6 so that the rear part 17b can be held in a state where it is prevented from freely moving back and forth. Has become. The stabilizer 25 can be guided in the insertion operation of the female terminal fitting 10 by being inserted into the stabilizer insertion groove 48 in the cavity 41. The front end of the rear holding piece 24 is aligned with the front end of the rear part 17b, and the rear end of the stabilizer 25 is aligned with the rear end of the rear part 17b. At the center in the width direction of the rear end of the rear portion 17b, a protruding portion 27 having substantially the same length as the stabilizer 25 is formed by beating out so as to protrude outward. When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41, the protrusion 27 can contact the lower surface of the cavity 41 (the upper surface of the protrusion insertion groove 47). A retainer 52 attached to the female housing 40 can be locked to a step 28 (rear end surface of the rear portion 17b of the ceiling wall 16 and the outer wall 17) below the rear end of the main body 11 including the protrusion 27. Has become.
[0013]
At the approximate center (accurately, the position slightly shifted to the left in FIG. 4 from the center) of the rear end edge (the cut end on the front side of the cutout 21) along the width direction in the front portion 17a of the outer wall 17. The lance 43 is formed so as to be knocked out so that the locking projection 29 capable of locking the lance 43 projects outward. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the locking projection 29 has a substantially pyramid shape having a front end as an apex and opens rearward as a whole. The locking projection 29 has a tapered shape having a tapered shape whose width and height decrease toward the front end, and has a pyramid portion 29a composed of three slopes. It has a configuration in which a rectangular tube portion 29b composed of two side surfaces is connected to the front and rear. The pyramid portion 29a of the locking projection 29 has a tapered shape, and its front end is formed in a slightly rounded shape, so that the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41 in the process of being inserted. The insertion operation in the insertion groove 47 can be smoothly performed. The rectangular cylindrical portion 29 b of the locking projection 29 is formed so as to protrude rearward overhanging along the inclination of the cut end surface 21 a on the front side of the notch 21, and protrudes rearward from the front portion 17 a of the outer wall 17. .
[0014]
The locking protrusion 29 is set so as to protrude to a position substantially equal to the height of the protrusion 27, and can be inserted into the protrusion insertion groove 47 of the cavity 41 similarly to the protrusion 27. The rear edge of the locking projection 29 that is locked to the lance 43 is formed by the cut end surface 21a on the front side of the notch 21, and is formed in a tapered shape inclined inward. The rear end surfaces of both sides of the front portion 17a of the outer wall 17 with respect to the locking projections 29 are also formed by the cut end surfaces 21a on the front side of the cutouts 21 which are tapered inward, and the lances 43 are engaged therewith. It can be stopped (FIGS. 8 and 12).
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 6, a front holding piece 30 bent toward the bottom wall 13 is provided from a protruding end (abutting end with the side wall 14) of the front portion 17 a of the outer wall 17. The front holding piece 30 is fitted in a front holding groove 31 formed by notching the side wall 14 on the near side in FIG. 6 to hold the front part 17a in a state where the front part 17a is prevented from floating back and forth. I can do it. The front holding piece 30 is formed to protrude rearward from the front part 17 a of the outer wall 17. The notch 21 is formed at the base of the front holding piece 30 so as to expand, and the cut end face 21 a is formed in a tapered shape inclined inward as described above. Side ends can be locked.
[0016]
The female housing 40 is made of a synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, a plurality of cavities 41 into which the female terminal fittings 10 can be inserted from the rear are provided in two rows vertically and a plurality of chambers are arranged in the width direction. Have been. The female terminal fitting 10 inserted into the cavity 41 can be elastically prevented from falling off by a lance 43 (details will be described later) provided on the lower wall 42 side of the cavity 41, and the front wall of the female housing 40. 44 supports the front stop state. The front wall 44 of the female housing 40 is provided with a tab insertion hole 45 for allowing a tab of a mating male terminal fitting to enter the cavity 41 from the front. By forming the guide surface 46 having a substantially mortar shape over the entire circumference, the invasion operation of the tub is smoothly guided.
[0017]
In the lower wall 42 of the cavity 41, a protrusion insertion groove 47 through which the locking protrusion 29 and the protrusion 27 of the female terminal fitting 10 can be inserted, and a stabilizer insertion groove 48 through which the stabilizer 25 can be inserted are respectively opened rearward. It is formed in the form which does. The protrusion insertion groove 47 is disposed substantially at the center of the cavity 41 in the width direction, while the stabilizer insertion groove 48 is disposed on the right side in FIG. 2 with respect to the protrusion insertion groove 47. The protrusion insertion groove 47 is formed continuously on the lance 43 side as described later, while the stabilizer insertion groove 48 has its front end position set slightly behind the lance 43.
[0018]
At the front end of the upper surface of the cavity 41 (the surface facing the lance 43), there is provided an overhang 49 that projects inward (toward the lance 43) over the entire width in a tapered manner. The locking depth of the lance 43 can be increased by pushing the front end of the female terminal fitting 10 inserted into the 41 toward the lance 43. The peripheral edge of the rear end of the cavity 41 is formed in a tapered shape so that the female terminal fitting 10 can be guided over substantially the entire circumference except for a part. At the upper left position in FIG. 2 of the peripheral edge of the rear end of the cavity 41, there is provided a regulating portion 50 which forms a steep end surface orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction of the female terminal fitting 10. When the metal fitting 10 is placed in an incorrect posture that is upside down from the normal insertion posture with respect to the cavity 41, the insertion operation can be restricted by the stabilizer 25 abutting. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the cavity 41 is formed so that the front half is narrower than the rear half.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 7, a retainer mounting hole 51 through which a retainer 52 for secondary locking the female terminal fitting 10 can be mounted from below is provided on the lower surface of the female housing 40. The retainer mounting hole 51 is formed at a position where a central portion in the longitudinal direction of each cavity 41 (a portion slightly behind the lance 43) is opened downward and outward. The retainer 52 has upper and lower two-stage retaining portions 53 corresponding to the respective cavities 41, and the retaining portions 53 are arranged to be retracted downward from the respective cavities 41 with respect to the female housing 40. And a temporary locking position (FIG. 7) allowing insertion and removal of the female terminal fitting 10 into and from each cavity 41, and each retaining portion 53 can advance into each cavity 41 and be locked to the female terminal fitting 10. It can be moved in the up-down direction between two positions with the final locking position (FIG. 14). The retainer 52 can be selectively held at the temporary locking position and the full locking position by holding means (not shown). 9 and 13, illustration of the retainer 52 is omitted.
[0020]
Here, the structure of the lance 43 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the lance 43 is provided on the front side of the lower wall 42 of the cavity 41 (at the front of the retainer mounting hole 51), and is a two-sided support having both front and rear ends supported. An arm 54 is provided. On the upper surface of the arm 54, a retaining projection 55 that enters the cutout portion 21 of the female terminal fitting 10 and can be locked to the cut end surface 21 a on the front side thereof is provided so as to protrude into the cavity 41. ing. The lance 43 has a substantially symmetrical shape as a whole when viewed from the front.
[0021]
The arm 54 has a shape in which both lower corners of a horizontally long rectangle as viewed from the front are cut off in a tapered shape (FIG. 1), and is substantially equal to the width dimension of the cavity 41 (more precisely, the width of the cavity 41). It has a width dimension (slightly smaller than the width dimension) (FIG. 9). The arm 54 can be bent and deformed in a vertical direction (a direction intersecting with the insertion / removal direction of the female terminal fitting 10) using the front and rear support portions as a fulcrum. (FIG. 10). Below the arm 54, a flexure space allowing a flexure deformation is secured by a predetermined height. A pair of excessively bending restricting rails 56 having a substantially triangular cross section is provided in a lower position where a bending space is provided with respect to both side portions (a portion where the lower surface is tapered) of the arm 54 in the longitudinal direction of the lance 43. It is provided along. The excessive flexure restricting rail section 56 can regulate the excessive flexure by engaging with the lance 43 at a stage before the lance 43 flexes and deforms beyond the elastic limit. The rear portion 54 b of the arm 54 is connected to the lower wall 42 over the entire width and is formed in an inclined shape that forms an upward slope forward, while the front portion 54 a is formed as a front wall of the female housing 40. 44 and is formed substantially horizontally. The rear portion 54b of the arm 54 is provided with a projection insertion groove 47 formed in the lower wall 42, and the portions left on both sides of the projection insertion groove 47 can support the female terminal fitting 10. The rear support portion 57 is provided.
[0022]
The retaining projection 55 has a width dimension that extends over the entire width of the arm 54 (FIG. 9), and is provided so that the rear end 54b of the arm 54 is aligned with the front end position. It is formed in a continuous taper shape. The retaining projection 55 is provided with a projection insertion groove 47 formed in the rear portion 54b of the arm 54, so that the central portion in the width direction of the retaining projection 55 is recessed when viewed from the front. It has an irregular shape (FIG. 1). The front surface of the retaining protrusion 55 is an upper locking surface 58 that can be mainly locked to both side portions of the locking protrusion 29 in the front cut end surface 21a of the notch 21 of the female terminal fitting 10. 12 (FIG. 12), and is formed as a steep surface that is substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction (the insertion / removal direction of the female terminal fitting 10).
[0023]
At the center in the width direction of the upper surface of the front portion 54a of the arm 54, there is provided an operation groove portion 59 which is opened forward and into which a release jig J (FIG. 15) for forcibly bending and deforming the lance 43 from the front outside can be inserted. The portions that are formed over the entire length and that are left on both sides of the operation groove portion 59 are front support portions 60 that can support the female terminal fitting 10. In other words, the front portion 54a of the arm 54 is formed to be thinner than the rear portion 54b by the operation groove 59. The operation groove portion 59 is formed at a depth of about half the thickness of the front portion 54 a of the arm 54, and has an upward slope toward the side so that both side surfaces thereof substantially conform to the outer shape of the arm 54. It has a curved surface shape (FIG. 1). The locking projection 29 of the female terminal fitting 10 to be inserted into the cavity 41 can enter into the operation groove 59, and is connected to the above-described upper locking surface 58 at the rear end side. At the same time, a lower locking surface 61 that can be locked to the rear edge of the locking projection 29 in the front cut end surface 21a of the cutout portion 21 of the female terminal fitting 10 is formed. The lower locking surface 61 is formed so as to have a slope (the slope along the cut end surface 21a on the front side of the cutout portion 21 in the female terminal fitting 10) such that the lower locking surface 61 is retracted more rearward than the upper locking surface 58. Have been.
[0024]
A jig insertion groove 62 that allows the release jig J to be inserted is formed in the front half of the front portion 54 a of the arm 54 so as to communicate with the operation groove 59. The jig insertion groove 62 is formed so that the front half of the front portion 54a of the arm 54 branches in a forked shape. A guide surface 63 is formed on the rear end side of the jig insertion groove 62, which has a slope that rises rearward and can guide the release jig J to the operation groove 59.
[0025]
As described above, the locking surface 64 of the lance 43 with respect to the female terminal fitting 10 includes, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper locking surface 58 formed by the front surface of the retaining projection 55 and the back surface of the operation groove 59. And a lower locking surface 61 formed by the lower surface. In other words, the upper locking surface 58 constitutes an upper portion of the locking surface 64, that is, a rear portion of the lance 43 in the bending direction, whereas the lower locking surface 61 is a lower portion of the locking surface 64. A side portion, that is, a front portion in the bending direction of the lance 43 is formed. The upper locking surface 58 and the lower locking surface 61 are discontinuous surfaces having different angles from each other with respect to the direction in which the female terminal fitting 10 is removed. That is, the lower locking surface 61 is inclined so that the angle α with respect to the extracting direction of the female terminal fitting 10 is 90 ° or more, that is, forms an obtuse angle, while the upper locking surface 58 has the angle β with respect to the extracting direction. Is almost 90 °. Therefore, the angle β formed by the upper locking surface 58 with respect to the extracting direction is smaller than the angle α of the lower locking surface 61. The angle α formed by the lower locking surface 61 with respect to the extracting direction of the female terminal fitting 10 is defined by the cutting end face 21a of the female terminal fitting 10 at the front side of the notch 21 with respect to the extracting direction of the female terminal fitting 10. It is almost the same as the angle.
[0026]
The present embodiment has the above structure, and its operation will be described below. After attaching the retainer 52 to the female housing 40 at the temporary locking position, the female terminal fitting 10 with the electric wire W crimped is inserted into the cavity 41 as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. At this time, if the female terminal fitting 10 is to be inserted in an incorrect posture in which the stabilizer 25 is turned upside down from the normal insertion posture in which the stabilizer 25 is directed downward, the front end face of the stabilizer 25 that faces upward is located behind the cavity 41. The insertion operation is regulated by hitting the regulating portion 50 formed on the end periphery. Thereby, reverse insertion of the female terminal fitting 10 is reliably prevented.
[0027]
When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41 while maintaining the normal insertion posture, the locking projection 29 is first inserted into the projection insertion groove 47, and then the projection 27 is inserted into the projection insertion groove 47. Since the stabilizer 25 is inserted into the stabilizer insertion groove 48, the female terminal fitting 10 is smoothly inserted while suppressing rattling up, down, left, and right. Then, when the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted to a predetermined depth, as shown in FIG. 10, the lance 43 is pressed by the locking projection 29 and the arm 54 is bent and deformed downward. At this time, the arm 54 is deformed so as to have a V-shape as a whole as viewed from the side, and the rear portion 54b is inclined forward while the front portion 54a is inclined backward. In this process, since the locking projection 29 is formed in a substantially pyramid shape having the front end as a vertex, the insertion operation in the projection insertion groove 47 becomes smooth, and the lance 43 can be pressed smoothly. It has become.
[0028]
As described above, even though the female terminal fitting 10 is in the half-inserted state, the operator may mistakenly think that the depth has reached the normal depth and move the retainer 52 to the final locking position. In this case, the retaining operation of the retainer 52 abuts against the lower surface of the main body 11 of the female terminal fitting 10, thereby restricting the movement operation to the final locking position. Thus, it is detected that the female terminal fitting 10 is half-inserted.
[0029]
When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41 to a regular depth, the locking projection 29 rides over the retaining projection 55 of the lance 43 as shown in FIGS. 59, the lance 43 is elastically restored. Then, the retaining projection 55 of the lance 43 enters the notch 21, and the lower locking surface 61 is engaged with the rear edge of the locking projection 29 in the front cut end surface 21 a of the notch 21. It is stopped (FIG. 11), and the upper locking surface 58 is locked to both sides of the locking projection 29 in the front cut end surface 21a of the notch 21 (FIG. 12). As a result, the female terminal fitting 10 is retained and retained by the lance 43. In the process of regular insertion, the front end of the main body 11 is pushed down by the overhang 49 on the upper surface of the cavity 41 and displaced so as to approach the lance 43 side. Is getting bigger.
[0030]
The upper locking surface 58 of the lance 43 is formed in the entire width of the lance 43, that is, a width region equivalent to the width dimension of the cavity 41, and the cut end surface 21a on the front side of the notch 21 in the female terminal fitting 10 is locked. The female terminal fitting 10 is formed so as to extend to the front part 17a of the outer wall 17 including the protrusion 29 and the front holding piece 30, that is, to a width region substantially covering the entire width of the female terminal fitting 10. The cavity 41 is held in a retaining state by force. In addition, since the front cut end surface 21a of the notch 21 and the lower locking surface 61 are both inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the direction in which the female terminal fitting 10 is removed, the locked state via the electric wire W is established. Even when a force pulling the female terminal fitting 10 backward acts on the lance 43, a component force acts obliquely upward and backward, that is, in a direction opposite to the downward direction, which is a bending direction, so that the lance 43 is locked. Are hardly released, and the retaining force of the female terminal fitting 10 is further strengthened.
[0031]
After all the female terminal fittings 10 have been inserted into the corresponding cavities 41, as shown in FIG. 14, when the retainer 52 is moved to the final locking position, the retaining portions 53 advance into the respective cavities 41. And is locked to the step portion 28 including the protrusion 27. In this manner, the female terminal fitting 10 is retained and retained in the cavity 41 in a state where the female terminal fitting 10 is double locked by the lance 43 and the retainer 52.
[0032]
On the other hand, the female terminal fitting 10 may be removed from the female housing 40 due to circumstances such as maintenance. In this case, first, the retainer 52 is returned from the full locking position to the temporary locking position as shown in FIG. 11, and then the lance 43 is forcibly bent and deformed by the release jig J. In order to bend the lance 43, the release jig J is inserted into the jig insertion groove 62 or the operation groove 59 from the front of the female housing 40. At this time, the entrance to the release jig J is widely secured by the jig insertion groove 62, so that the initial insertion operation can be easily performed. Moreover, since the inner surface of the jig insertion groove 62 is the guide surface 63 inclined toward the operation groove 59, the release jig J can be smoothly guided to the operation groove 59.
[0033]
The release jig J is inserted into the depth of the operation groove 59, and as shown by the arrow in FIG. 15, is pushed further inward while tilting its axis along the inclination of the outer surface of the locking projection 29. Then, the wall of the operating groove 59 is pressed downward by the tip of the release jig J, so that the lance 43 is forcibly bent and deformed downward as shown in FIG. When the lance 43 is bent until the locked state with the female terminal fitting 10 is released, the female terminal fitting 10 can be pulled out from the cavity 41 by pulling the electric wire W rearward.
[0034]
Here, as for the upper locking surface 58 of the locking surfaces 64, the angle β formed with respect to the extracting direction of the female terminal fitting 10 is set smaller than the angle α of the lower locking surface 61. Also, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 16, the displacement trajectory of the locking surface 64 in the process of bending and deforming the lance 43 can be retracted backward as compared with the locking surface having the same inclination angle over the entire length. Therefore, the locking surface 64 does not easily interfere with the locking projection 29 in the process of bending and deforming the lance 43. Even if the locking surface 64 interferes with the locking projection 29, the hooking becomes shallower than that of the imaginary line, so that the female terminal fitting 10 is slightly pushed forward through the electric wire W to easily interfere. The lance 43 can be bent while solving the problem.
[0035]
As described above, the fact that the displacement trajectory of the locking surface 64 retracts in the process of bending and deforming the lance 43 means that the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41 to the normal depth (FIG. 11). Means that the clearance between the locking surface 64 of the female terminal fitting 10 and the cut end surface 21a on the front side of the cutout portion 21 of the female terminal fitting 10 is reduced. Therefore, the range in which the female terminal fitting 10 rattles back and forth in the cavity 41 in the normal insertion state is reduced, so that the connection becomes unstable when the female terminal fitting 10 is electrically connected to the mating male terminal fitting. be able to.
[0036]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the lower locking surface 61 of the locking surface 64, which is the front portion in the bending direction of the lance 43, is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the drawing direction of the female terminal fitting 10. Therefore, even if a force is applied to pull the female terminal fitting 10 backward from the locked state, a component force acts on the lance 43 in a direction opposite to the bending direction. The state is less likely to be released, and the retaining force of the female terminal fitting 10 is increased. On the other hand, the upper locking surface 58 of the locking surface 64, which is the rear portion in the bending direction of the lance 43, has an angle β with respect to the extracting direction of the female terminal fitting 10 larger than the angle α of the lower locking surface 61. Since it is set small, the displacement trajectory of the locking surface 64 when the lance 43 bends and deforms can be retracted backward as compared with a conventional locking surface having the same inclination angle over the entire length. Therefore, the lance 43 does not easily interfere with the female terminal fitting 10 when the lance 43 is flexed and deformed during the removal work of the female terminal fitting 10, thereby improving the workability of removing the female terminal fitting 10. As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the strength of the lance 43 is reduced due to miniaturization, the retaining force of the female terminal fitting 10 can be kept high, and the workability of removing the female terminal fitting 10 can be improved. Can be improved.
[0037]
<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and furthermore, besides the following, within the scope not departing from the gist. Can be implemented with various modifications.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the angle formed by the upper locking surface with respect to the extracting direction of the female terminal fitting is set to approximately 90 °, but if the angle is smaller than the angle of the lower locking surface. , 90 ° or more, or 90 ° or less.
(2) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the upper locking surface is provided on the retaining projection and the lower locking surface is provided on the arm is shown, for example, the upper locking surface and the lower locking surface. Both of which are provided on the retaining projection are also included in the present invention.
[0038]
(3) In the embodiment described above, a double-sided lance is illustrated, but the present invention is also applicable to a cantilevered lance.
(4) In the above-described embodiment, the female terminal fitting is provided with the locking projection. However, the present invention includes a female terminal fitting that stores the female terminal fitting without the locking projection.
(5) In the above-described embodiment, the female connector accommodating the female terminal fitting in the female housing is illustrated, but the present invention is also applicable to a male connector accommodating the male terminal fitting in the male housing.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a front view of a female housing according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a rear view of the female housing; FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the female housing; FIG. 4 is a front view of a female terminal fitting; FIG. 6 is a left side view of the female terminal fitting. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a state before the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing in which the retainer is mounted in the temporary locking position. (The female housing is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 4.)
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a state before the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing in which the retainer is mounted in the temporary locking position (the female housing is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1; 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE).
FIG. 9 is a plan cross-sectional view showing a state before the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing in which the retainer is mounted at the temporary locking position (the female housing is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is flat; (Fig.)
10 is a sectional side view showing a state in which the female terminal fitting is being inserted into the female housing (the female housing is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 4);
11 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing (the female housing is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 4).
12 is a side sectional view showing a state where the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing (the female housing is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1; the female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 4);
FIG. 13 is a plan cross-sectional view showing a state where the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing (the female housing is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a plan view).
14 is a sectional side view showing a state where the retainer has been moved to the full locking position (the female housing is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 4);
FIG. 15 is a sectional side view showing a state in which the release jig is inserted into the operation groove (the female housing is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 4);
16 is a sectional side view showing a state in which the lance is flexed and deformed by the release jig (the female housing is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 4);
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional example. FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a modification of the conventional example.
10 Female terminal fittings (terminal fittings)
40 ... female housing (connector housing)
41: cavity 43: lance 58: upper locking surface (rear part in the bending direction)
61: Lower locking surface (the front part in the bending direction)
64 ... locking surface

Claims (1)

When the terminal fitting is inserted from the rear into the cavity provided in the connector housing, the lance provided in the cavity is bent and deformed in a direction intersecting with the insertion / removal direction of the terminal fitting, and then returns and resilient to the terminal fitting. Is locked in place,
Of the locking surface of the lance with respect to the terminal fitting, the front part in the bending direction is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the drawing direction of the terminal fitting, whereas the rear part in the bending direction is in the drawing direction. The connector is characterized in that an angle to the connector is set smaller than an angle of the front portion in the bending direction.

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