JP2005004990A

JP2005004990A - Insulation displacement terminal and insulation displacement connector

Info

Publication number: JP2005004990A
Application number: JP2003164018A
Authority: JP
Inventors: Ichiro Terunuma; 一郎照沼
Original assignee: Fujikura Ltd
Current assignee: Fujikura Ltd
Priority date: 2003-06-09
Filing date: 2003-06-09
Publication date: 2005-01-06

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate insulation displacement work with an electric wire by improving the reliability with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: This insulation displacement terminal 30 is constituted by being provided with a fitting connection part 31, an insulation displacement part 33 and a plate-like terminal body part 34. The body part 34 has: a box-type mold influx prevention part 37 coaxially connected with the connection part 31 on the base end side of the connection part 31 and having a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the connection part 31 with stoppers 37a and 37b for restricting mold influx formed on the tip side and the base end side; and a connection part 35 for connecting the base end side of the prevention part 37 to the insulation displacement part 33 so as to make the arrangement direction of the connection part 31 and the prevention part 37 different from the core wire direction of a wire brought into press contact with the displacement part 33. Thereby, a force applied to the terminal 30 in bringing the wire into press contact with the insulation displacement part 33 is prevented from directly influencing the connection part 31, and influent mold in sealing and fixing the insulation displacement part between the insulation displacement part 33 and the wire by resin mold is prevented from reaching the connection part 31 so that reliability of the terminal can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

【０００１】
【発明の属する技術分野】
この発明は、自動車等に用いられるフラットケーブルからなるワイヤハーネスに圧接される圧接端子及び圧接コネクタに関し、特に端子の信頼性を向上させ電線との圧接作業を容易にすることができる圧接端子及び圧接コネクタに関する。
【０００２】
【従来の技術】
従来より、電線の被覆を破ることにより電線との電気的導通を図る圧接部を有する圧接端子を収容した圧接コネクタにワイヤハーネスの電線を圧接する場合、圧接専用の治具などを用いた圧接が行われている（例えば、特許文献１参照。）。
また、複数の電線を平面状に並設した構造からなるフラットケーブルから構成されるフラットハーネスの電線を圧接コネクタに圧接する場合にも、圧接専用の治具などが用いられることがある（例えば、特許文献２参照。）。
【０００３】
【特許文献１】
実開平７−４１９８２号公報（第６頁、第７−９図）
【特許文献２】
特開平１０−１３４８６１号公報（第３−４頁、第１−７図）
【０００４】
【発明が解決しようとする課題】
しかしながら、特許文献１及び特許文献２に記載の圧接コネクタでは、電線の圧接に圧接専用の治具が必要となると共に、特に特許文献２の圧接コネクタでは、各圧接端子の圧接部にフラットハーネスの電線を位置合わせを行ってから圧接しなければならないため、圧接作業が繁雑になるという問題がある。また、特許文献２の圧接コネクタに用いられる圧接端子は、端子強度を向上させて信頼性を高めるために、相手方接続端子に嵌合される嵌合部とフラットケーブルの電線を圧接する圧接部との間に補強材としての補強板を備えるため、圧接端子の構造が複雑となる場合がある。更に、この圧接端子では、電線と圧接部との圧接部分を樹脂モールドなどにより封止固定する場合、モールド樹脂がコネクタハウジングの端子収容孔内に流れ込んで嵌合部内に浸入し、不具合を起こして信頼性を損ねることも懸念される。
【０００５】
この発明は、このような問題点に鑑みてなされたもので、簡単な構造で端子の信頼性を向上させることができると共に電線との圧接作業を容易にすることができる圧接端子及び圧接コネクタを提供することを目的とする。
【０００６】
【課題を解決するための手段】
この発明に係る圧接端子は、電線が圧接される金属製の圧接端子であって、相手方接続端子と嵌合する筒状の嵌合接続部と、この嵌合接続部の基端側に形成され前記電線が挿入されるスリット部を有する圧接部と、これら嵌合接続部及び圧接部の間を両者が同一直線上に並ばないように連結する板状の端子本体部とを備えて構成され、前記端子本体部は、前記嵌合接続部の基端側に前記嵌合接続部と同軸に連結され、前記嵌合接続部と同様の断面形状を有し、少なくとも基端側にモールド流入を規制するストッパが形成された箱型のモールド流入防止部と、前記嵌合接続部及びモールド流入防止部の配列方向と前記圧接部に圧接される電線の芯線方向とが異なるように前記モールド流入防止部の基端側と前記圧接部とを連結する連結部とを有することを特徴とする。
【０００７】
この発明の圧接端子によれば、圧接端子の嵌合接続部と圧接部との間を両者が同一直線上に並ばないように連結する端子本体部が、嵌合接続部の基端側に嵌合接続部と同軸的に連結された、嵌合接続部と同様の断面形状を有すると共に少なくとも基端側にモールド流入を規制するストッパが形成された箱型のモールド流入防止部と、嵌合接続部及びモールド流入防止部の配列方向と圧接部に圧接される電線の芯線方向とが異なるようにモールド流入防止部の基端側と圧接部とを連結する連結部とを有する。このため、例えば電線との圧接の際に圧接部に加わる力が嵌合接続部に直接影響を与えないように構成することができると共に、例えばコネクタハウジングの端子収容孔に収容した圧接端子の圧接部と電線との圧接部分を樹脂モールドにより封止固定する場合に、端子収容孔内に流れ込んだモールドの嵌合接続部への浸入を防ぐことができる。これにより、簡単な構成で端子の信頼性を向上させることができる。
【０００８】
この発明に係る圧接コネクタは、複数の電線を平面状に並設したフラットケーブルと圧接される金属製の複数の圧接端子と、これら複数の圧接端子を収容する複数の端子収容孔を有するコネクタハウジングと、このコネクタハウジングに嵌合されると共に嵌合前の状態では前記フラットケーブルを嵌合方向と交差する方向に沿って直線状に保持するリテーナと、前記コネクタハウジングと前記リテーナとの嵌合部分に形成され両者を前記電線と前記圧接部との圧接部分と共に封止固定する樹脂モールド部とを備え、前記複数の圧接端子は、相手方接続端子と嵌合する筒状の嵌合接続部と、この嵌合接続部の基端側に形成され前記電線が挿入されるスリット部を有する圧接部と、これら嵌合接続部及び圧接部の間を両者が同一直線上に並ばないように連結する板状の端子本体部とを備えて構成され、前記端子本体部は、前記嵌合接続部の基端側に前記嵌合接続部と同軸に連結され、前記嵌合接続部と同様の断面形状を有し、少なくとも基端側にモールド流入を規制するストッパが形成された箱型のモールド流入防止部と、前記嵌合接続部及びモールド流入防止部の配列方向と前記圧接部に圧接される電線の芯線方向とが異なるように前記モールド流入防止部の基端側と前記圧接部とを連結する連結部とを有し、前記コネクタハウジングは、前記相手方接続端子を収容した他のコネクタハウジングと嵌合するハウジング嵌合部と、前記複数の端子収容孔と連通すると共に前記リテーナが嵌合する環状のリテーナ嵌合壁が形成されたリテーナ嵌合部とを備えて構成され、前記リテーナは、前記リテーナ嵌合部への嵌合時に前記フラットケーブルをその嵌合方向と直交する面と平行に保持するケーブル保持部を備えて構成され、前記ケーブル保持部は、前記嵌合時に前記リテーナ嵌合部内で前記圧接部に前記電線を挿入し圧接するための端子側開口部を備えると共に、前記樹脂モールド部を形成するモールドを前記リテーナ嵌合部内に充填するための注入開口部を備えてなることを特徴とする。
【０００９】
この発明の圧接コネクタによれば、コネクタハウジングに取り付けられるリテーナのケーブル保持部に、保持したフラットケーブルの電線をコネクタハウジングに収容した圧接端子に挿入して圧接するための端子側開口部を備えると共に、リテーナ嵌合部内に樹脂モールド部を形成するモールドを充填するための注入開口部を備えたため、このリテーナをコネクタハウジングに装着することでフラットケーブルの電線と圧接端子の圧接部とを圧接することができると共にモールドを充填することでこれらの圧接部分を封止固定することができる。また、コネクタハウジングに収容される圧接端子の端子本体部が、上記のようにモールド流入防止部及び連結部を有するため、圧接時の力により嵌合接続部が変形したりモールドの充填により嵌合接続部が封止されたりすることを防ぐことが可能となる。このため、圧接端子の信頼性及び圧接部分の信頼性を向上させつつフラットケーブルと圧接端子との圧接作業を容易に行うことができる。
【００１０】
なお、それぞれ対向する一対のリテーナ嵌合壁の内壁面とケーブル保持部の側面とには、例えばリテーナのリテーナ嵌合部への嵌合時にフラットケーブルを屈曲した状態で保持するための凹部がそれぞれ形成されている。これにより、電線と圧接部との圧接部分に対するストレインリリーフ構造を実現することが可能となる。
【００１１】
また、圧接コネクタに上記凹部が形成された場合、その内壁面及び側面以外のそれぞれ対向する一対の内壁面及び側面には、例えばリテーナとリテーナ嵌合部との嵌合状態を保持するためのリテーナ係止部が形成されており、この場合リテーナ係止部は、内壁面及び側面のいずれか一方に形成されたリテーナ係止突起と、いずれか他方に形成されたリテーナ係止突起と係合するリテーナ係止凹部とから構成されている。
【００１２】
この圧接コネクタのリテーナのケーブル保持部としては、以下のようなものでも良い。即ち、ケーブル保持部は、例えばフラットケーブルを介して対向配置されフラットケーブルをその厚さ方向に挟み込んで挟持固定する分割可能な構造の複数の挟持部材から構成されており、複数の挟持部材のうちの一方の挟持部材に形成された係合凹部と、複数の挟持部材のうちの他方の挟持部材に形成された、係合凹部と係合する係合突起部を有する係合片部とからなる係合部を備えてなる。
【００１３】
また、ケーブル保持部は、例えばフラットケーブルを介して対向配置されフラットケーブルをその厚さ方向に挟み込んで挟持固定する複数の挟持部材と、これら複数の挟持部材の一方の端部同士を結合するヒンジ部と、複数の挟持部材の他方の端部同士を係合して固定する係合部とを一体的に形成して構成されており、係合部は、複数の挟持部材のうちの一方の挟持部材の他方の端部に形成された係合凹部と、複数の挟持部材のうちの他方の挟持部材の他方の端部に形成された、係合凹部と係合する係合突起部を有する係合片部とから構成されている。
【００１４】
なお、この場合、複数の挟持部材は、例えばフラットケーブルとの対向面にフラットケーブルを構成する各電線の被覆外周径に合わせて形成された、各電線の芯線方向に延び各電線の配列方向に複数配列形成された固定溝部を備える。
【００１５】
【発明の実施の形態】
以下、添付の図面を参照して、この発明の好ましい実施の形態を説明する。
図１は、この発明の一実施形態に係る圧接端子を示す斜視図、図２は、この発明の他の実施形態に係る圧接端子を示す斜視図である。
図１に示すように、圧接端子３０は、例えば板状の金属母材を打ち抜き／折り曲げ加工して形成されており、例えば相手方接続端子（図示せず。以下同じ。）が嵌合する筒状の嵌合接続部３１と、この嵌合接続部３１の基端側に形成され後述するフラットケーブルの電線が挿入される圧接スリット部３２を有する圧接部３３と、これら嵌合接続部３１及び圧接部３３の間を、例えば両者が同一直線上に並ばないように連結する板状の端子本体部３４とを備えて構成されている。この端子本体部３４は、嵌合接続部３１の基端側に嵌合接続部３１と同軸的に連結され、嵌合接続部３１と同様の断面形状を有すると共に先端側及び基端側にモールド流入を規制するためのストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂが形成された箱型のモールド流入防止部３７と、嵌合接続部３１及びモールド流入防止部３７の配列方向と圧接部３３に圧接される電線の芯線方向とが異なる（例えば、交差したり直交したりする）ようにモールド流入防止部３７の基端側と圧接部３３とを連結する連結部３５とを有している。この連結部３５の折曲げ部分には、例えばビード３６が形成されており、連結部３５の折曲げ部分の機械的強度を高めるべく補強が施されている。なお、モールド流入防止部３７は、後述する圧接コネクタのコネクタハウジングの端子収容孔に、嵌合接続部３１と共にその内壁面にぴったりと嵌る状態で収容される構造となっているため、ストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂが端子収容孔に流れ込むモールドの嵌合接続部３１への流入を堰き止める。なお、モールド流入防止部３７には、少なくとも基端側のストッパ３７ｂが形成されていれば良い。
【００１６】
このように構成された圧接端子３０では、連結部３５により圧接部３３への電線の圧接時に圧接端子３０に加わる力が直接嵌合接続部３１に影響を与えることは無く、圧接の際に起こる嵌合接続部３１の変形などを防止して端子の信頼性を向上させることができる。また、モールド流入防止部３７により例えばコネクタハウジングの端子収容孔に収容した圧接端子３０の圧接部３３と電線との圧接部分を後述する樹脂モールド部により封止固定する場合に、端子収容孔内に流れ込むモールドの圧接部３３側から嵌合接続部３１側への浸入を防止することができるため、嵌合接続部３１がモールドにより封止されてしまう不具合を防いで端子の信頼性を向上させることができる。なお、例えば嵌合接続部３１とモールド流入防止部３７との間の部分の端子本体部３４を湾曲形状に成形すれば、嵌合接続部３１への相手方接続端子の嵌合時に圧接端子３０に対して発生する応力を十分に吸収することが可能となり、端子の信頼性を更に向上させることができる。
【００１７】
一方、圧接端子３０´は、上記圧接端子３０と同様に嵌合接続部３１、圧接スリット部３２を有する圧接部３３及び端子本体部３４を備えるが、折り曲げ加工等の仕方により端子本体部３４に、図２に示すような形状のモールド流入防止部３７´が備えられている点が、先の圧接端子３０と相違している。このモールド流入防止部３７´は、圧接端子３０のモールド流入防止部３７で形成されていた端子本体部３４と対向する端部の部分が開口状態の開口部３７ｃとして形成されると共に、ストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂにそれぞれスリット状の隙間部３８ａ，３８ｂが形成されているが、この圧接端子３０´においても両ストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂが端子収容孔に流れ込むモールドの流入を規制して嵌合接続部３１への浸入を防止する点には変わりは無い。この場合、例えばストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂの隙間部３８ａ，３８ｂの隙間間隔は、例えば０．１ｍｍ以下となるように構成されているので、仮に圧接部３３側のストッパ３７ｂに形成された隙間部３８ｂからモールドが流れ込んだ場合でも、そのモールドは先ず隙間部３８ｂにより流入量が規制されたうえでモールド流入防止部３７´の内部空間内に充満するため、嵌合接続部３１に到達する可能性は少ない。更に、この圧接端子３０´には、モールド流入防止部３７´内に充満したモールドの嵌合接続部３１への到達を防止するために、嵌合接続部３１側の隙間部３８ａを有するストッパ３７ａもいわゆる二重防止策として備えられているため、嵌合接続部３１がモールドにより封止されてしまうことはほぼ皆無である。なお、樹脂モールド部を形成するモールドの充填量や射出速度などを調節すれば、モールド流入防止部３７´に形成されるストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂは、ストッパ３７ｂ１つだけでも十分にモールドを堰き止めることが可能である。
【００１８】
このように構成された圧接端子３０´でも、連結部３５により圧接部３３への電線の圧接時に圧接端子３０´に加わる力が直接嵌合接続部３１に影響を与えることは無く、圧接の際に起こる嵌合接続部３１の変形などを防止して端子の信頼性を向上させることができると共に、モールド流入防止部３７´により圧接部３３と電線との圧接部分を樹脂モールド部により封止固定する場合に、端子収容孔内に流れ込むモールドの圧接部３３側から嵌合接続部３１側への浸入を防止することができる。このため、嵌合接続部３１が封止されてしまう不具合を防いで端子の信頼性を向上させることができる。また、この圧接端子３０´においても、例えば嵌合接続部３１とモールド流入防止部３７´との間の部分の端子本体部３４を湾曲形状に成形すれば、嵌合接続部３１への相手方接続端子の嵌合時に圧接端子３０に対して発生する応力を十分に吸収することが可能となり、端子の信頼性を更に向上させることが可能となる。
【００１９】
図３〜図５は、この発明の一実施形態に係る圧接コネクタを説明するための斜視図、図６は、この圧接コネクタのリテーナの展開斜視図、図７は、この圧接コネクタの他のリテーナの展開斜視図、図８は、図５のＡ−Ａ´断面図、図９は、図５のＢ−Ｂ´断面図、図１０は、図５のＣ−Ｃ´断面図、図１１は、樹脂モールド部が形成された圧接コネクタを示す斜視図、図１２は、図１１のＤ−Ｄ´断面図である。なお、以降において、既に説明した部分と重複する説明は割愛する。
圧接コネクタ１は、主に例えば樹脂成型部材からなるコネクタハウジング８０と、このコネクタハウジング８０に収容される複数の上記圧接端子３０´と、コネクタハウジング８０に装着（嵌合）されると共に嵌合前の状態ではフラットケーブル５０を嵌合方向と交差する方向に沿って直線状に保持するコネクタハウジング８０と同じく樹脂成型部材からなるリテーナ９０´と、このリテーナ９０´とコネクタハウジング８０との嵌合部分を圧接端子３０´とフラットケーブル５０との圧接部分と共に封止固定する樹脂モールド部７０（図１１及び図１２参照）とを備えて構成されている。
【００２０】
コネクタハウジング８０は、主に圧接端子３０´を内部に収容する複数の端子収容孔８１（図８及び図１０参照）と、圧接端子３０´と接続する相手方接続端子を内部に収容した他のコネクタハウジング（図示せず。以下同じ。）と嵌合するハウジング嵌合部８２と、端子収容孔８１と連通しリテーナ９０´が内部に嵌合する環状のリテーナ嵌合壁８３が形成されたリテーナ嵌合部８４とを備えて構成されている。
【００２１】
リテーナ９０´に保持されるフラットケーブル５０は、この例では絶縁被覆５１に芯線５２が覆われた複数の電線５３を平面状に並設し、各電線５３の間を絶縁被覆５１と同じく絶縁樹脂からなるブリッジ部５４で連結した構造からなり、可撓性を備えて構成されている。なお、圧接端子３０´の圧接部３３との圧接を容易にするために、例えばフラットケーブル５０の少なくともリテーナ９０´に保持される部分には、ブリッジ部５４に該当する部分にスリット５５が形成されている。また、このフラットケーブル５０としては、例えば単体からなる複数の電線５３をブリッジ部５４で連結せずに各々独立して平面状に並設したものでも良い。
【００２２】
コネクタハウジング８０の端子収容孔８１に収容される圧接端子３０´は、既述したように、筒状の嵌合接続部３１と、圧接スリット部３２を有する圧接部３３と、連結部３５及びモールド流入防止部３７´を有する端子本体部３４とを備えて構成されており、図８に示すように、嵌合接続部３１には、例えば相手方接続端子との接続状態を良好にするための弾性接触片３９が形成されている。なお、既述の通り、端子本体部３４に形成されたモールド流入防止部３７´は、嵌合接続部３１と共に端子収容孔８１にぴったりと嵌る状態で収容され、その短手方向外周面及び開口部３７ｃの端部３７ｄ（図２参照）がコネクタハウジング８０の端子収容孔８１の内壁面に密着した状態で嵌り収容されている。
【００２３】
一方、リテーナ９０´は、コネクタハウジング８０のリテーナ嵌合部８４への嵌合時にフラットケーブル５０をその嵌合方向に対して直交する面と平行に保持する板状のケーブル保持部９１を備えて構成されている。この例のケーブル保持部９１は、例えばフラットケーブル５０をその厚さ方向に挟み込んで挟持固定する矩形板状の第１挟持部材９２及び矩形枠状の第２挟持部材９３（図６参照）と、これら第１及び第２挟持部材９２，９３の一方の端部同士を結合するヒンジ部９４と、第１及び第２挟持部材９２，９３の他方の端部同士を係合して固定する係合部９５´とを一体的に形成して構成されている。
【００２４】
なお、係合部９５´は、例えば第１挟持部材９２のヒンジ部９４側と反対側の端部に形成された係合凹部９６と、第２挟持部材９３のヒンジ部９４側と反対側の端部に形成された、係合凹部９６と係合する係合突起部９８を有する係合片部９７とから構成されている。
【００２５】
ここで、例えば第１及び第２挟持部材９２，９３は、ヒンジ部９４で一体的に連結された構造以外に、図７に示すように、互いに分割可能な構造からなるものでも良い。この場合、係合部９５´は、例えば第１及び第２挟持部材９２，９３のうちの一方（ここでは第１挟持部材９２）の端部に対角状に形成された係合凹部９６と、他方（ここでは第２挟持部材９３）の端部に係合凹部９６と対応する対角状に形成された係合片部９７とから構成されていると良い。このように構成された係合部９５´では、両挟持部材９２，９３を確実に一体的に係合可能である。
【００２６】
なお、ケーブル保持部９１の第２挟持部材９３には、圧接端子３０´の圧接部３３にフラットケーブル５０の電線５３を挿入して圧接するための端子側開口部９３ａが形成されている。また、第１挟持部材９２には、リテーナ９０´が嵌合したコネクタハウジング８０のリテーナ嵌合部８４内に樹脂モールド部７０を形成するモールドを充填するための注入開口部９２ｂと、圧接部３３の電線５３との圧接時に、圧接部３３が第１挟持部材９２に当接しないようにするための逃げ凹み部９２ａとが形成されている。ここで、第１挟持部材９２に形成された注入開口部９２ｂは、例えば保持したフラットケーブル５０の各電線５３のうちの少なくとも１つの電線５３をケーブル保持部９１において切断する切断刃９９（図８参照）を挿入するための切断刃挿入開口部としての役割を兼ねるものである。
【００２７】
このケーブル保持部９１では、第２挟持部材９３において、切断刃９９が挿入される第１挟持部材９２の注入開口部９２ｂと対応する部分に切断刃挿通開口部９３ｂが形成されており、切断刃９９がケーブル保持部９１を注入開口部９２ｂ及び切断刃挿通開口部９３ｂを通して貫通する構造となっている。この圧接コネクタ１では、リテーナ９０´のケーブル保持部９１が、このように構成された第１及び第２挟持部材９２，９３を備えるため、例えばフラットケーブル５０を挟持固定した後、第１挟持部材９２の注入開口部９２ｂに切断刃９９を挿入し、フラットケーブル５０の各電線５３が構成する回路を、所定の電線５３を切断することにより変更等することができる。そして、そのリテーナ９０´を図３中矢印で示す方向に移動させてコネクタハウジング８０に装着するだけで、フラットケーブル５０の回路数を任意に変更した電線５３を圧接端子３０´の圧接部に挿入して圧接することが可能となる。なお、フラットケーブル５０の回路数を変更する必要が無い場合は、第２挟持部材９３に切断刃挿通開口部９３ｂが形成されていなくても良い。
【００２８】
このリテーナ９０´のケーブル保持部９１の第１及び第２挟持部材９２，９３のそれぞれの対向端部には、例えばフラットケーブル５０を構成する各電線５３の被覆外周径に合わせて形成された各電線５３の芯線５２方向に延びると共に各電線５３の配列方向に複数配列形成された、各電線５３を安定して確実にケーブル保持部９１で保持するための固定溝部９１ｃが備えられている。
【００２９】
このケーブル保持部９１の第１挟持部材９２の一対の側面には、例えばフラットケーブル５０の各電線５３の被覆外周径に合わせて複数形成されたリテーナ側凹部９１ａが備えられており、コネクタハウジング８０のリテーナ嵌合部８４においてリテーナ９０´がリテーナ嵌合部８４に嵌合した際に、これらリテーナ側凹部９１ａと対向するリテーナ嵌合壁８３の一対の内壁面には、同じくフラットケーブル５０の各電線５３の被覆外周径に合わせて複数形成されたハウジング側凹部８３ａが備えられている。
【００３０】
このように、ケーブル保持部９１とリテーナ嵌合壁８３とにリテーナ側凹部９１ａ及びハウジング側凹部８３ａが備えられていると、これらリテーナ側凹部９１ａ及びハウジング側凹部８３ａで、リテーナ９０´のリテーナ嵌合部８４への嵌合時にケーブル保持部９１がその嵌合方向に対して直交する面と平行に保持していたフラットケーブル５０を、図４に示すような屈曲した状態に保持することができるため、圧接コネクタ１のリテーナ嵌合部８４内における圧接端子３０´の圧接部３３とフラットケーブル５０の電線５３との圧接部分に対して、いわゆるストレインリリーフ構造を具備することが可能となる。
【００３１】
なお、図５に示すように、リテーナ９０´とコネクタハウジング８０とで屈曲状態に保持したフラットケーブル５０を、例えばリテーナ嵌合壁８３の周縁部で再び折り曲げるようにすれば、圧接端子３０´の圧接部３３とフラットケーブル５０の電線５３との圧接部分に対して更に強いストレインリリーフ構造を具備することが可能となる。
【００３２】
また、リテーナ９０´のケーブル保持部９１とリテーナ嵌合部８４のリテーナ嵌合壁８３におけるリテーナ側凹部９１ａ及びハウジング側凹部８３ａが形成された以外の側面及び内壁面には、例えばリテーナ係止部８９が形成されている。このリテーナ係止部８９は、例えばケーブル保持部９１の第１挟持部材９２の側面に形成されたリテーナ係止突起９１ｂと、リテーナ嵌合壁８３の内壁面に形成されたリテーナ係止突起９１ｂと係合するリテーナ係止凹部８３ｂとから構成されている。このように構成されたリテーナ係止部８９により、リテーナ９０´とコネクタハウジング８０との嵌合状態を確実に維持することが可能となる。
【００３３】
こうして、フラットケーブル５０を保持したリテーナ９０´をコネクタハウジング８０のリテーナ嵌合部８４に嵌合し、リテーナ９０´とリテーナ嵌合部８４とを電線５３と圧接部３３との圧接部分と共に樹脂モールド部７０で封止固定すれば、リテーナ９０´とコネクタハウジング８０とを更に確実に固定することができる。このとき、樹脂モールド部７０を形成するモールドはリテーナ９０´のケーブル保持部９１の第１挟持部材９２に形成された注入開口部９２ｂからリテーナ嵌合部８４内を満たすように充填されるが、圧接端子３０´の端子本体部３４にはストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂを有するモールド流入防止部３７´が備えられているため、図１２に示すように、注入開口部９２ｂからリテーナ嵌合部８４内に充填されたモールドが端子収容孔８１内に流れ込んだとしても、圧接端子３０´の嵌合接続部３１まで到達して嵌合接続部３１を封止し塞いでしまうなどの不具合が発生することはない。
【００３４】
従って、このように構成された圧接コネクタ１では、フラットケーブル５０を保持したリテーナ９０´を図３中矢印で示す方向に移動させてコネクタハウジング８０に装着するだけで、フラットケーブル５０の電線５３を圧接端子３０´の圧接部３３に挿入して圧接することができる。このため、フラットケーブル５０と圧接端子３０´との圧接作業を容易に行うことが可能となる。
【００３５】
また、コネクタハウジング８０の端子収容孔８１に収容される圧接端子３０´が、嵌合接続部３１の基端側に嵌合接続部３１と同軸的に連結された、嵌合接続部３１と同様の断面形状を有すると共にモールド流入を規制するストッパ３７ａ，３７ｂが形成されたモールド流入防止部３７´と、嵌合接続部３１及びモールド流入防止部３７´の配列方向と圧接部３３に圧接される電線５３の芯線５２方向とが異なるようにモールド流入防止部３７´の基端側と圧接部３３とを連結する連結部３５とを有する端子本体部３４を備え、この端子本体部３４で嵌合接続部３１と圧接部３３とを両者が同一直線上に並ばないように連結すると共に、嵌合接続部３１と共にモールド流入防止部３７´が端子収容孔８１内にぴったりと嵌った状態で収容されるため、電線５３の圧接部３３への圧接時に圧接端子３０´に加わる力により嵌合接続部３１が変形したりすることを防ぐことができると共にモールドの圧接部３３側から嵌合接続部３１側への浸入を防ぐことができる。このため、圧接端子３０´の信頼性を向上させることが可能となる。
【００３６】
また、例えばフラットケーブル５０を保持したリテーナ９０´の第１挟持部材９２の注入開口部９２ｂに切断刃９９を挿入し、フラットケーブル５０の各電線５３が構成する回路を所定の電線５３を切断することにより容易に変更等することが可能となる。
【００３７】
更に、リテーナ９０´とコネクタハウジング８０とでフラットケーブル５０をケーブル保持部９１で保持した部分に対して屈曲した状態で保持することができるため、圧接端子３０´と電線５３との圧接部分に対してストレインリリーフ構造を具備することが可能となる。
【００３８】
【発明の効果】
以上述べたように、この発明の圧接端子によれば、圧接端子の嵌合接続部と圧接部との間を両者が同一直線上に並ばないように連結する端子本体部が、嵌合接続部の基端側に嵌合接続部と同軸的に連結された、嵌合接続部と同様の断面形状を有すると共に少なくとも基端側にモールド流入を規制するストッパが形成された箱型のモールド流入防止部と、嵌合接続部及びモールド流入防止部の配列方向と圧接部に圧接される電線の芯線方向とが異なるようにモールド流入防止部の基端側と圧接部とを連結する連結部とを有する。このため、例えば電線との圧接の際に圧接部に加わる力が嵌合接続部に直接影響を与えないように構成することができると共に、例えばコネクタハウジングの端子収容孔に収容した圧接端子の圧接部と電線との圧接部分を樹脂モールドにより封止固定する場合に、端子収容孔内に流れ込んだモールドの嵌合接続部への浸入を防ぐことができる。これにより、簡単な構成で端子の信頼性を向上させることができる。
【００３９】
また、この発明の圧接コネクタによれば、コネクタハウジングに取り付けられるリテーナのケーブル保持部に、保持したフラットケーブルの電線をコネクタハウジングに収容した圧接端子に挿入して圧接するための端子側開口部を備えると共に、リテーナ嵌合部内に樹脂モールド部を形成するモールドを充填するための注入開口部を備えたため、このリテーナをコネクタハウジングに装着することでフラットケーブルの電線と圧接端子の圧接部とを圧接することができると共にモールドを充填することでこれらの圧接部分を封止固定することができる。また、コネクタハウジングに収容される圧接端子の端子本体部が、上記のようにモールド流入防止部及び連結部を有するため、圧接時の力により嵌合接続部が変形したりモールドの充填により嵌合接続部が封止されたりすることを防ぐことが可能となる。このため、圧接端子の信頼性及び圧接部分の信頼性を向上させつつフラットケーブルと圧接端子との圧接作業を容易に行うことができる。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】この発明の一実施形態に係る圧接端子を示す斜視図である。
【図２】この発明の他の実施形態に係る圧接端子を示す斜視図である。
【図３】この発明の一実施形態に係る圧接コネクタを説明するための斜視図である。
【図４】同圧接コネクタを説明するための斜視図である。
【図５】同圧接コネクタを説明するための斜視図である。
【図６】同圧接コネクタのリテーナの展開斜視図である。
【図７】同圧接コネクタの他のリテーナの展開斜視図である。
【図８】図５のＡ−Ａ´断面図である。
【図９】図５のＢ−Ｂ´断面図である。
【図１０】図５のＣ−Ｃ´断面図である。
【図１１】樹脂モールド部が形成された同圧接コネクタを示す斜視図である。
【図１２】図１１のＤ−Ｄ´断面図である。
【符号の説明】１…圧接コネクタ、３０，３０´…圧接端子、３１…嵌合接続部、３２…圧接スリット部、３３…圧接部、３４…端子本体部、３５…連結部、３６…ビード、３７，３７´…モールド流入防止部、３７ａ，３７ｂ…ストッパ、３８ａ，３８ｂ…隙間部、３９…弾性接触片、５０…フラットケーブル、５１…フラットケーブル、５２…芯線、５３…電線、５４…ブリッジ部、５５…スリット、８０…コネクタハウジング、８１…端子収容孔、８２…ハウジング嵌合部、８３…リテーナ嵌合壁、８４…リテーナ嵌合部、９０´…リテーナ、９１…ケーブル保持部、９２…第１挟持部材、９３…第２挟持部材、９４…ヒンジ部、９５´…係合部、９６…係合凹部、９７…係合片部、９８…係合突起部、９９…切断刃。[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a press contact terminal and a press contact connector that are press-contacted to a wire harness made of a flat cable used in an automobile or the like. Concerning connectors.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, when a wire harness wire is press-contacted to a press-connecting connector containing a press-connecting terminal having a press-contact portion that makes electrical continuity with the wire by breaking the coating of the wire, the press-contact using a jig dedicated to the press-contact is performed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
In addition, when a flat harness electric wire composed of a flat cable having a structure in which a plurality of electric wires are arranged side by side in a flat shape is press-contacted to a press-connecting connector, a press-dedicated jig or the like may be used (for example, (See Patent Document 2).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-41982 (6th page, Fig. 7-9)
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-134861 (page 3-4, FIG. 1-7)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the pressure connector described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 requires a dedicated jig for pressure welding of the electric wire. In particular, in the pressure connector of Patent Document 2, a flat harness is attached to the pressure contact portion of each pressure contact terminal. There is a problem in that the pressure welding work becomes complicated because the wires must be pressed after positioning. In addition, the press contact terminal used in the press contact connector of Patent Document 2 includes a fitting portion that is fitted to the mating connection terminal and a press contact portion that presses the electric wire of the flat cable in order to improve terminal strength and improve reliability. Since a reinforcing plate as a reinforcing material is provided between the two, the structure of the press contact terminal may be complicated. Furthermore, in this press-contact terminal, when the press-contact portion between the electric wire and the press-contact portion is sealed and fixed with a resin mold or the like, the mold resin flows into the terminal housing hole of the connector housing and enters the fitting portion, causing a problem. There is also concern that reliability may be impaired.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem. A pressure contact terminal and a pressure contact connector that can improve the reliability of a terminal with a simple structure and can easily perform a pressure contact operation with an electric wire. The purpose is to provide.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The press contact terminal according to the present invention is a metal press contact terminal to which an electric wire is press-contacted, and is formed on a cylindrical fitting connection portion to be fitted to a mating connection terminal, and a proximal end side of the fitting connection portion. A pressure contact portion having a slit portion into which the electric wire is inserted, and a plate-like terminal main body portion that connects the fitting connection portion and the pressure contact portion so that they are not aligned on the same straight line; The terminal main body is coaxially connected to the fitting connection portion on the proximal end side of the fitting connection portion, has the same cross-sectional shape as the fitting connection portion, and restricts mold inflow at least on the proximal end side. A box-shaped mold inflow prevention portion in which a stopper is formed, and the mold inflow prevention portion so that an arrangement direction of the fitting connection portion and the mold inflow prevention portion is different from a core wire direction of the electric wire pressed against the pressure contact portion. A connecting portion that connects the base end side of the metal plate and the pressure contact portion. And wherein the Rukoto.
[0007]
According to the press contact terminal of the present invention, the terminal main body portion that connects the fitting connection portion and the press contact portion of the press contact terminal so that they are not aligned on the same straight line is fitted to the proximal end side of the fit connection portion. A box-shaped mold inflow prevention portion that is coaxially coupled to the joint connection portion and has a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the fitting connection portion, and at least a stopper that restricts mold inflow on the base end side, and a fitting connection And a connecting portion for connecting the base end side of the mold inflow prevention portion and the press contact portion so that the arrangement direction of the parts and the mold inflow prevention portion is different from the core line direction of the electric wire press-contacted to the press contact portion. For this reason, for example, the force applied to the press contact portion at the time of press contact with the electric wire can be configured not to directly affect the fitting connection portion, and the press contact of the press contact terminal accommodated in the terminal housing hole of the connector housing, for example. When the pressure contact portion between the portion and the electric wire is sealed and fixed with a resin mold, it is possible to prevent the mold flowing into the terminal accommodating hole from entering the fitting connection portion. Thereby, the reliability of a terminal can be improved with a simple configuration.
[0008]
A press-connecting connector according to the present invention includes a connector housing having a plurality of metal press-connecting terminals that are press-contacted with a flat cable in which a plurality of electric wires are arranged in a plane, and a plurality of terminal receiving holes that receive the plurality of press-connecting terminals. And a retainer that is fitted to the connector housing and holds the flat cable in a straight line along a direction intersecting the fitting direction in a state before the fitting, and a fitting portion between the connector housing and the retainer And a resin mold part that seals and fixes both the electric wire and the pressure contact part together with the pressure contact part, and the plurality of pressure contact terminals include a cylindrical fitting connection part that fits into the mating connection terminal, A press-contact portion formed on the base end side of the fitting connection portion and having a slit portion into which the electric wire is inserted, and the fitting connection portion and the press-contact portion are not arranged on the same straight line. A plate-like terminal main body portion that is connected to each other, and the terminal main body portion is connected to the proximal end side of the fitting connection portion coaxially with the fitting connection portion, and is similar to the fitting connection portion. A box-shaped mold inflow prevention portion formed with a stopper that restricts mold inflow at least on the base end side, and the direction of arrangement of the fitting connection portion and the mold inflow prevention portion and the pressure contact portion And a connector that connects the base end side of the mold inflow prevention portion and the press contact portion so that the direction of the core of the electric wire is different, and the connector housing is another connector that accommodates the counterpart connection terminal. The retainer is configured to include a housing fitting portion that fits into the housing, and a retainer fitting portion that communicates with the plurality of terminal receiving holes and is formed with an annular retainer fitting wall into which the retainer is fitted. Is The cable holding portion is configured to hold the flat cable in parallel with a plane orthogonal to the fitting direction when the retainer is fitted to the retainer fitting portion, and the cable holding portion is fitted to the retainer at the time of fitting. A terminal side opening for inserting and pressing the electric wire into the pressure contact portion within the portion, and an injection opening for filling the mold forming the resin mold portion into the retainer fitting portion. It is characterized by.
[0009]
According to the press contact connector of the present invention, the cable holding portion of the retainer attached to the connector housing is provided with the terminal side opening for inserting and holding the wire of the held flat cable into the press contact terminal accommodated in the connector housing. Since the retainer fitting part has an injection opening for filling the mold that forms the resin mold part, the retainer is attached to the connector housing, so that the electric wire of the flat cable and the press contact part of the press contact terminal are pressed. These pressure contact portions can be sealed and fixed by filling the mold. In addition, since the terminal main body of the press contact terminal accommodated in the connector housing has the mold inflow prevention portion and the connecting portion as described above, the fitting connection portion is deformed by the force at the time of press contact or is fitted by filling the mold. It is possible to prevent the connection portion from being sealed. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform the pressure contact work between the flat cable and the pressure contact terminal while improving the reliability of the pressure contact terminal and the reliability of the pressure contact portion.
[0010]
In addition, a recess for holding the flat cable in a bent state when the retainer is fitted to the retainer fitting portion of the retainer fitting wall and the side surface of the cable holding portion, for example, respectively Is formed. Thereby, it becomes possible to realize a strain relief structure for the press-contact portion between the electric wire and the press-contact portion.
[0011]
Further, in the case where the concave portion is formed in the pressure contact connector, a retainer for holding a fitting state between, for example, a retainer and a retainer fitting portion on a pair of opposed inner wall surfaces and side surfaces other than the inner wall surface and side surfaces. An engaging portion is formed. In this case, the retainer engaging portion engages with a retainer engaging protrusion formed on one of the inner wall surface and the side surface and a retainer engaging protrusion formed on either one of the other. It is comprised from the retainer latching recessed part.
[0012]
The cable holding part of the retainer of this press contact connector may be as follows. That is, the cable holding portion is composed of, for example, a plurality of sandwiching members that are arranged to face each other via a flat cable and that can be sandwiched and fixed by sandwiching the flat cable in its thickness direction. An engaging recess formed on one of the holding members, and an engagement piece having an engaging protrusion that engages with the engaging recess formed on the other of the plurality of holding members. An engagement part is provided.
[0013]
In addition, the cable holding portion includes, for example, a plurality of holding members that are arranged to face each other via a flat cable and sandwich and fix the flat cable in the thickness direction thereof, and a hinge that connects one end portions of the plurality of holding members And an engaging portion that engages and fixes the other ends of the plurality of holding members, and the engaging portion is one of the plurality of holding members. An engaging recess formed at the other end of the holding member, and an engaging protrusion formed at the other end of the other holding member among the plurality of holding members to engage with the engaging recess. It is comprised from the engagement piece part.
[0014]
In this case, the plurality of clamping members are formed on the surface facing the flat cable, for example, in accordance with the outer peripheral diameter of each electric wire constituting the flat cable, and extend in the core direction of each electric wire in the arrangement direction of each electric wire. A plurality of fixed grooves formed in an array are provided.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a press contact terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a press contact terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the press contact terminal 30 is formed by punching / bending a plate-shaped metal base material, for example, and is, for example, a cylindrical shape into which a counterpart connection terminal (not shown; the same applies hereinafter) is fitted. Of the fitting connection portion 31, a pressure contact portion 33 having a pressure contact slit portion 32 formed on the proximal end side of the fitting connection portion 31 and into which a flat cable electric wire to be described later is inserted, and the fitting connection portion 31 and the pressure contact. For example, a plate-like terminal main body 34 that connects the portions 33 so as not to line up on the same straight line is provided. The terminal main body 34 is coaxially coupled to the proximal end side of the mating connection portion 31 with the mating connection portion 31, has the same cross-sectional shape as the mating connection portion 31, and is molded on the distal end side and the proximal end side. Box-shaped mold inflow prevention portion 37 in which stoppers 37a and 37b for restricting inflow are formed, the arrangement direction of the fitting connection portion 31 and the mold inflow prevention portion 37, and the direction of the core wire of the electric wire pressed against the pressure contact portion 33 Are different from each other (for example, intersecting or orthogonally crossing), and have a connecting portion 35 that connects the base end side of the mold inflow preventing portion 37 and the press contact portion 33. For example, a bead 36 is formed in the bent portion of the connecting portion 35, and reinforcement is applied to increase the mechanical strength of the bent portion of the connecting portion 35. The mold inflow prevention portion 37 has a structure in which the mold inflow prevention portion 37 is accommodated in a terminal housing hole of a connector housing of a press-connecting connector, which will be described later, in a state of being fitted to the inner wall surface together with the fitting connection portion 31. 37b blocks the inflow of the mold flowing into the terminal accommodating hole into the fitting connection portion 31. It should be noted that at least the base end side stopper 37b may be formed in the mold inflow prevention portion 37.
[0016]
In the press contact terminal 30 configured in this way, the force applied to the press contact terminal 30 at the time of the press contact of the electric wire to the press contact portion 33 by the connecting portion 35 does not directly affect the fitting connection portion 31 and occurs at the time of the press contact. It is possible to improve the reliability of the terminal by preventing deformation of the fitting connection portion 31 and the like. Further, when the pressure contact portion 33 of the pressure contact terminal 30 accommodated in the terminal housing hole of the connector housing, for example, is sealed and fixed by the resin mold portion described later by the mold inflow prevention portion 37, the terminal housing hole has Since it is possible to prevent intrusion from the pressure contact portion 33 side of the mold flowing into the fitting connection portion 31 side, it is possible to improve the reliability of the terminal by preventing the fitting connection portion 31 from being sealed by the mold. Can do. For example, if the terminal main body part 34 between the fitting connection part 31 and the mold inflow prevention part 37 is formed into a curved shape, the pressure contact terminal 30 is fitted when the mating connection terminal is fitted to the fitting connection part 31. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently absorb the stress generated, and the reliability of the terminal can be further improved.
[0017]
On the other hand, the press contact terminal 30 ′ includes a fitting contact portion 31, a press contact portion 33 having a press contact slit portion 32, and a terminal main body portion 34, similar to the press contact terminal 30, but is connected to the terminal main body portion 34 by a method such as bending. 2 is different from the previous press contact terminal 30 in that a mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ having a shape as shown in FIG. 2 is provided. The mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ is formed as an opening portion 37 c in an open state with an end portion facing the terminal main body portion 34 formed in the mold inflow prevention portion 37 of the press contact terminal 30, and stoppers 37 a, 37b, slit-shaped gap portions 38a and 38b are formed, respectively. Even in this press contact terminal 30 ', both stoppers 37a and 37b restrict the inflow of the mold flowing into the terminal accommodating hole to the fitting connection portion 31. There is no change in the point of preventing intrusion. In this case, for example, the gap interval between the gap portions 38a and 38b of the stoppers 37a and 37b is configured to be, for example, 0.1 mm or less, and therefore, from the gap portion 38b formed on the stopper 37b on the pressure contact portion 33 side. Even when the mold flows in, the mold first fills the inner space of the mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ after the inflow amount is regulated by the gap portion 38 b, so that the possibility of reaching the fitting connection portion 31 is low. . Further, the press contact terminal 30 ′ has a stopper 37 a having a gap portion 38 a on the fitting connection portion 31 side in order to prevent the mold filled in the mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ from reaching the fitting connection portion 31. Is also provided as a so-called double prevention measure, the fitting connection portion 31 is hardly sealed by the mold. If the filling amount and injection speed of the mold for forming the resin mold part are adjusted, the stoppers 37a and 37b formed on the mold inflow prevention part 37 ′ can sufficiently dam the mold with only one stopper 37b. Is possible.
[0018]
Even in the press contact terminal 30 ′ configured in this way, the force applied to the press contact terminal 30 ′ when the wire is pressed to the press contact portion 33 by the connecting portion 35 does not directly affect the fitting connection portion 31. The reliability of the terminal can be improved by preventing the deformation of the fitting connection portion 31 that occurs in the process, and the pressure contact portion 33 and the wire are sealed and fixed by the resin mold portion by the mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′. In this case, it is possible to prevent the mold flowing into the terminal accommodating hole from entering from the pressure contact portion 33 side to the fitting connection portion 31 side. For this reason, the malfunction that the fitting connection part 31 is sealed can be prevented, and the reliability of a terminal can be improved. Further, in the press contact terminal 30 ′, for example, if the terminal main body portion 34 between the fitting connection portion 31 and the mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ is formed in a curved shape, the counterpart connection to the fitting connection portion 31 is achieved. It is possible to sufficiently absorb the stress generated on the press contact terminal 30 when the terminals are fitted, and the reliability of the terminals can be further improved.
[0019]
3 to 5 are perspective views for explaining a pressure contact connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a retainer of the pressure contact connector, and FIG. 7 is another retainer of the pressure contact connector. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 5, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 5, FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line CC ′ of FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ of FIG. 11. In the following, descriptions that overlap with those already described are omitted.
The press-connecting connector 1 is mounted (fitted) to the connector housing 80 mainly before, for example, a connector housing 80 made of, for example, a resin molded member, the plurality of press-connecting terminals 30 ′ accommodated in the connector housing 80, and before fitting. In this state, a retainer 90 ′ made of a resin-molded member similar to the connector housing 80 that holds the flat cable 50 linearly along the direction intersecting the fitting direction, and a fitting portion between the retainer 90 ′ and the connector housing 80. And a resin mold portion 70 (see FIGS. 11 and 12) for sealing and fixing together with the pressure contact portion between the pressure contact terminal 30 ′ and the flat cable 50.
[0020]
The connector housing 80 mainly includes a plurality of terminal accommodating holes 81 (see FIGS. 8 and 10) for accommodating the press contact terminal 30 'inside, and other connectors in which the other connection terminals connected to the press contact terminal 30' are accommodated. Retainer fitting in which a housing fitting portion 82 to be fitted with a housing (not shown; the same applies hereinafter), and an annular retainer fitting wall 83 communicating with the terminal receiving hole 81 and into which a retainer 90 'is fitted. And a joint portion 84.
[0021]
In this example, the flat cable 50 held by the retainer 90 ′ has a plurality of electric wires 53 in which a core wire 52 is covered with an insulating coating 51 in a plane, and an insulating resin is provided between the electric wires 53 in the same manner as the insulating coating 51. It consists of the structure which connected with the bridge part 54 which consists of, and is comprised with flexibility. In order to facilitate the press contact with the press contact portion 33 of the press contact terminal 30 ′, for example, a slit 55 is formed in a portion corresponding to the bridge portion 54 in at least a portion of the flat cable 50 held by the retainer 90 ′. ing. In addition, as the flat cable 50, for example, a plurality of single electric wires 53 may be independently arranged in parallel without being connected by the bridge portion 54.
[0022]
As described above, the press contact terminal 30 ′ accommodated in the terminal housing hole 81 of the connector housing 80 includes the tubular fitting connection portion 31, the press contact portion 33 having the press contact slit portion 32, the connecting portion 35, and the mold. As shown in FIG. 8, the fitting connection portion 31 has, for example, elasticity for improving the connection state with the counterpart connection terminal. A contact piece 39 is formed. As described above, the mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ formed in the terminal main body portion 34 is accommodated together with the fitting connection portion 31 in a state of being fitted snugly in the terminal accommodation hole 81, its outer circumferential surface and opening The end portion 37d (see FIG. 2) of the portion 37c is fitted and housed in a state of being in close contact with the inner wall surface of the terminal housing hole 81 of the connector housing 80.
[0023]
On the other hand, the retainer 90 ′ includes a plate-like cable holding portion 91 that holds the flat cable 50 in parallel with a surface orthogonal to the fitting direction when the connector housing 80 is fitted to the retainer fitting portion 84. It is configured. The cable holding portion 91 of this example includes, for example, a rectangular plate-shaped first clamping member 92 and a rectangular frame-shaped second clamping member 93 (see FIG. 6) that sandwich and fix the flat cable 50 in its thickness direction. The hinge part 94 which couple | bonds one edge part of these 1st and 2nd clamping members 92 and 93, and the engagement which engages and fixes the other edge part of the 1st and 2nd clamping members 92 and 93 The portion 95 ′ is integrally formed.
[0024]
For example, the engagement portion 95 ′ includes an engagement recess 96 formed at the end opposite to the hinge portion 94 side of the first clamping member 92, and the opposite side of the hinge portion 94 side of the second clamping member 93. It is comprised from the engagement piece part 97 which has the engagement protrusion part 98 formed in the edge part and engaged with the engagement recessed part 96. As shown in FIG.
[0025]
Here, for example, the first and second holding members 92 and 93 may have a structure that can be divided from each other as shown in FIG. 7 in addition to the structure integrally connected by the hinge portion 94. In this case, the engagement portion 95 ′ includes, for example, an engagement recess 96 formed diagonally at the end of one of the first and second holding members 92 and 93 (here, the first holding member 92). On the other end (here, the second holding member 93), the engaging recess 96 and the engaging piece 97 formed in a corresponding diagonal shape may be used. In the engaging portion 95 ′ configured as described above, both the holding members 92 and 93 can be reliably engaged integrally.
[0026]
The second holding member 93 of the cable holding portion 91 is formed with a terminal side opening 93a for inserting and pressing the electric wire 53 of the flat cable 50 into the press contact portion 33 of the press contact terminal 30 ′. Further, the first clamping member 92 has an injection opening 92b for filling a mold for forming the resin mold portion 70 in the retainer fitting portion 84 of the connector housing 80 in which the retainer 90 'is fitted, and the pressure contact portion 33. An escape recess 92 a is formed to prevent the press contact portion 33 from coming into contact with the first clamping member 92 during the press contact with the electric wire 53. Here, the injection opening 92b formed in the first clamping member 92 has, for example, a cutting blade 99 for cutting at least one of the electric wires 53 of the held flat cable 50 at the cable holding portion 91 (FIG. 8). It also serves as a cutting blade insertion opening for inserting a reference).
[0027]
In the cable holding portion 91, a cutting blade insertion opening 93b is formed in a portion of the second holding member 93 corresponding to the injection opening 92b of the first holding member 92 into which the cutting blade 99 is inserted. 99 has a structure that penetrates the cable holding portion 91 through the injection opening 92b and the cutting blade insertion opening 93b. In this press-connecting connector 1, since the cable holding portion 91 of the retainer 90 'includes the first and second holding members 92 and 93 configured as described above, for example, after holding the flat cable 50, the first holding member The cutting blade 99 is inserted into the injection opening 92b of 92, and the circuit formed by each electric wire 53 of the flat cable 50 can be changed by cutting the predetermined electric wire 53. Then, by simply moving the retainer 90 'in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3 and attaching it to the connector housing 80, the electric wire 53 in which the number of circuits of the flat cable 50 is arbitrarily changed is inserted into the press contact portion of the press contact terminal 30'. It is possible to press-contact. When there is no need to change the number of circuits of the flat cable 50, the cutting blade insertion opening 93b may not be formed in the second holding member 93.
[0028]
For example, each of the first and second holding members 92 and 93 of the cable holding portion 91 of the retainer 90 ′ is formed at the opposing end portion according to the outer diameter of the covering of each electric wire 53 constituting the flat cable 50. A fixed groove portion 91 c is provided that extends in the direction of the core wire 52 of the electric wire 53 and is arranged in a plurality in the arrangement direction of the electric wires 53 for stably and surely holding the electric wires 53 with the cable holding portion 91.
[0029]
A pair of side surfaces of the first holding member 92 of the cable holding portion 91 is provided with, for example, a plurality of retainer-side recesses 91 a that are formed in accordance with the outer peripheral diameter of each wire 53 of the flat cable 50, and the connector housing 80. When the retainer 90 ′ is fitted to the retainer fitting portion 84 in the retainer fitting portion 84, each of the flat cable 50 is similarly provided on the pair of inner wall surfaces of the retainer fitting wall 83 facing the retainer-side recess 91 a. A plurality of housing-side recesses 83 a formed in accordance with the outer peripheral diameter of the wire 53 are provided.
[0030]
As described above, when the cable holding portion 91 and the retainer fitting wall 83 are provided with the retainer-side recess 91a and the housing-side recess 83a, the retainer fitting of the retainer 90 ′ is performed by the retainer-side recess 91a and the housing-side recess 83a. The flat cable 50 that is held by the cable holding portion 91 in parallel with the plane orthogonal to the fitting direction at the time of fitting to the mating portion 84 can be held in a bent state as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to provide a so-called strain relief structure for the press contact portion between the press contact portion 33 of the press contact terminal 30 ′ and the electric wire 53 of the flat cable 50 in the retainer fitting portion 84 of the press contact connector 1.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 5, if the flat cable 50 held in a bent state by the retainer 90 ′ and the connector housing 80 is bent again, for example, at the peripheral edge of the retainer fitting wall 83, the press contact terminal 30 ′ It becomes possible to provide a stronger strain relief structure with respect to the pressure contact portion between the pressure contact portion 33 and the electric wire 53 of the flat cable 50.
[0032]
Further, the retainer-side concave portion 91a and the housing-side concave portion 83a of the retainer-fitting wall 83 of the retainer 90 'and the retainer-fitting portion 84 other than the retainer-side concave portion 91a and the housing-side concave portion 83a are formed on, for example, a retainer locking portion. 89 is formed. The retainer locking portion 89 includes, for example, a retainer locking projection 91b formed on the side surface of the first holding member 92 of the cable holding portion 91, and a retainer locking projection 91b formed on the inner wall surface of the retainer fitting wall 83. It is comprised from the retainer latching recessed part 83b to engage. With the retainer locking portion 89 configured in this manner, the fitting state between the retainer 90 ′ and the connector housing 80 can be reliably maintained.
[0033]
Thus, the retainer 90 ′ holding the flat cable 50 is fitted into the retainer fitting portion 84 of the connector housing 80, and the retainer 90 ′ and the retainer fitting portion 84 are resin molded together with the pressure contact portion between the electric wire 53 and the pressure contact portion 33. If the portion 70 is sealed and fixed, the retainer 90 ′ and the connector housing 80 can be more securely fixed. At this time, the mold forming the resin mold portion 70 is filled so as to fill the retainer fitting portion 84 from the injection opening 92b formed in the first holding member 92 of the cable holding portion 91 of the retainer 90 ′. Since the terminal main body portion 34 of the press contact terminal 30 ′ is provided with a mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ having stoppers 37a and 37b, the retainer fitting portion 84 is filled from the injection opening 92b as shown in FIG. Even if the molded mold flows into the terminal accommodating hole 81, there is no problem such as reaching the fitting connection portion 31 of the press contact terminal 30 ′ and sealing and closing the fitting connection portion 31. .
[0034]
Therefore, in the press-connecting connector 1 configured as described above, the electric wire 53 of the flat cable 50 can be attached simply by moving the retainer 90 'holding the flat cable 50 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. It can be inserted into the press contact portion 33 of the press contact terminal 30 ′ and press contacted. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform the pressure contact work between the flat cable 50 and the pressure contact terminal 30 ′.
[0035]
Further, the press contact terminal 30 ′ accommodated in the terminal housing hole 81 of the connector housing 80 is the same as the fitting connection part 31 coaxially connected to the fitting connection part 31 on the proximal end side of the fitting connection part 31. The mold inflow prevention part 37 ′ having the cross-sectional shape and the stoppers 37a and 37b for restricting the mold inflow are formed, and the arrangement direction of the fitting connection part 31 and the mold inflow prevention part 37 ′ and the pressure contact part 33 are pressed against each other. A terminal main body portion 34 having a connecting portion 35 for connecting the proximal end side of the mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ and the press contact portion 33 so as to be different from the direction of the core wire 52 of the electric wire 53 is provided. The connection portion 31 and the pressure contact portion 33 are coupled so that they are not aligned on the same straight line, and the mold inflow prevention portion 37 ′ is accommodated together with the fitting connection portion 31 in a state of being fitted in the terminal accommodation hole 81. Ruta Therefore, it is possible to prevent the fitting connection portion 31 from being deformed by the force applied to the pressure contact terminal 30 ′ when the wire 53 is pressed against the pressure contact portion 33, and from the pressure contact portion 33 side of the mold to the fitting connection portion 31 side. Can be prevented from entering. For this reason, it is possible to improve the reliability of the press contact terminal 30 '.
[0036]
Further, for example, a cutting blade 99 is inserted into the injection opening 92 b of the first holding member 92 of the retainer 90 ′ that holds the flat cable 50, and a predetermined electric wire 53 is cut through a circuit formed by each electric wire 53 of the flat cable 50. Thus, it is possible to easily change it.
[0037]
Further, since the retainer 90 ′ and the connector housing 80 can hold the flat cable 50 in a bent state with respect to the portion held by the cable holding portion 91, the press contact portion between the press contact terminal 30 ′ and the electric wire 53 can be held. Thus, a strain relief structure can be provided.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the press contact terminal of the present invention, the terminal main body portion that connects the fitting connection portion and the press contact portion of the press contact terminal so that they are not aligned on the same straight line is the fitting connection portion. Box-shaped mold inflow prevention having a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the mating connection portion, which is coaxially coupled to the mating connection portion on the base end side, and having a stopper for restricting mold inflow at least on the base end side And a connecting portion that connects the base end side of the mold inflow prevention portion and the pressure contact portion so that the arrangement direction of the fitting connection portion and the mold inflow prevention portion is different from the core line direction of the electric wire pressed against the pressure contact portion. Have. For this reason, for example, the force applied to the press contact portion at the time of press contact with the electric wire can be configured not to directly affect the fitting connection portion, and the press contact of the press contact terminal accommodated in the terminal housing hole of the connector housing, for example. When the pressure contact portion between the portion and the electric wire is sealed and fixed with a resin mold, it is possible to prevent the mold flowing into the terminal accommodating hole from entering the fitting connection portion. Thereby, the reliability of a terminal can be improved with a simple configuration.
[0039]
Further, according to the press contact connector of the present invention, the terminal side opening for inserting and pressing the held flat cable wire into the press contact terminal accommodated in the connector housing is provided in the cable holding portion of the retainer attached to the connector housing. In addition, the retainer fitting part is provided with an injection opening for filling the mold that forms the resin mold part. By attaching this retainer to the connector housing, the flat cable electric wire and the press contact part of the press contact terminal are pressed together. These pressure contact portions can be sealed and fixed by filling the mold. In addition, since the terminal main body of the press contact terminal accommodated in the connector housing has the mold inflow prevention portion and the connecting portion as described above, the fitting connection portion is deformed by the force at the time of press contact or is fitted by filling the mold. It is possible to prevent the connection portion from being sealed. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform the pressure welding operation between the flat cable and the pressure contact terminal while improving the reliability of the pressure contact terminal and the reliability of the pressure contact portion.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a press contact terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a press contact terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining a pressure contact connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the same pressure contact connector.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the same pressure contact connector.
FIG. 6 is a developed perspective view of a retainer of the pressure contact connector.
FIG. 7 is a developed perspective view of another retainer of the pressure contact connector.
8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG.
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG.
10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC ′ of FIG.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the same pressure contact connector in which a resin mold portion is formed.
12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ of FIG.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Press contact connector, 30, 30 '... Press contact terminal, 31 ... Fitting connection portion, 32 ... Press contact slit portion, 33 ... Press contact portion, 34 ... Terminal body portion, 35 ... Connecting portion, 36 ... Bead 37, 37 '... mold inflow prevention part, 37a, 37b ... stopper, 38a, 38b ... gap part, 39 ... elastic contact piece, 50 ... flat cable, 51 ... flat cable, 52 ... core wire, 53 ... electric wire, 54 ... Bridge part 55 ... Slit 80 ... Connector housing 81 ... Terminal receiving hole 82 ... Housing fitting part 83 ... Retainer fitting wall 84 ... Retainer fitting part 90 '... Retainer 91 ... Cable holding part 92 ... first clamping member, 93 ... second clamping member, 94 ... hinge portion, 95 '... engagement portion, 96 ... engagement recess, 97 ... engagement piece portion, 98 ... engagement projection, 99 ... cutting blade .

Claims

It is a metal pressure contact terminal to which the electric wire is pressed,
A cylindrical fitting connection portion that fits into the mating connection terminal, a pressure contact portion that is formed on the proximal end side of the fitting connection portion, and has a slit portion into which the electric wire is inserted, and the fitting connection portion and the pressure contact portion. And a plate-like terminal main body that is connected so that both are not aligned on the same straight line,
The terminal body is
The base end side of the fitting connection portion is coaxially coupled to the fitting connection portion, has a cross-sectional shape similar to the fitting connection portion, and a stopper for restricting mold inflow is formed at least on the base end side. A box-shaped mold inflow prevention section;
A connecting portion for connecting the proximal end side of the mold inflow prevention portion and the pressure contact portion so that the arrangement direction of the fitting connection portion and the mold inflow prevention portion is different from the core line direction of the electric wire pressed against the pressure contact portion; A press contact terminal characterized by comprising:

A plurality of metal press-contact terminals that are press-contacted with a flat cable in which a plurality of electric wires are arranged in parallel;
A connector housing having a plurality of terminal accommodating holes for accommodating the plurality of press contact terminals;
A retainer that is fitted to the connector housing and holds the flat cable in a straight line along the direction intersecting the fitting direction in a state before the fitting.
A resin mold part that is formed in a fitting part between the connector housing and the retainer and seals and fixes both together with the pressure contact part between the electric wire and the pressure contact part;
The plurality of press contact terminals are:
A cylindrical fitting connection portion that fits into the mating connection terminal, a pressure contact portion that is formed on the proximal end side of the fitting connection portion, and has a slit portion into which the electric wire is inserted, and the fitting connection portion and the pressure contact portion. And a plate-like terminal main body that is connected so that both are not aligned on the same straight line,
The terminal main body is coaxially connected to the fitting connection portion on the proximal end side of the fitting connection portion, has the same cross-sectional shape as the fitting connection portion, and restricts mold inflow at least on the proximal end side. A box-shaped mold inflow prevention portion in which a stopper is formed, and the mold inflow prevention portion so that an arrangement direction of the fitting connection portion and the mold inflow prevention portion is different from a core wire direction of the electric wire pressed against the pressure contact portion. A connecting portion that connects the base end side of the pressure contact portion and the pressure contact portion,
The connector housing is
Retainer fitting formed with a housing fitting portion that fits with another connector housing that accommodates the counterpart connection terminal, and an annular retainer fitting wall that communicates with the plurality of terminal accommodating holes and that fits the retainer. And comprising
The retainer is
It is configured to include a cable holding part that holds the flat cable in parallel with a surface orthogonal to the fitting direction when fitting to the retainer fitting part,
The cable holding portion includes a terminal-side opening for inserting and pressing the electric wire into the pressure contact portion in the retainer fitting portion during the fitting, and a mold that forms the resin mold portion is fitted to the retainer. A pressure contact connector comprising an injection opening for filling the inside of the part.

A concave portion for holding the flat cable in a bent state at the time of the fitting is formed on the inner wall surface of the pair of retainer fitting walls and the side surface of the cable holding portion, respectively. The pressure contact connector according to claim 2.

A retainer engagement portion for holding the fitting state of the retainer and the retainer fitting portion is formed on the inner wall surface of the pair of retainer fitting walls and the side surface of the cable holding portion, respectively,
The retainer locking portion includes a retainer locking protrusion formed on one of the inner wall surface and the side surface, and a retainer locking concave portion that engages with the retainer locking protrusion formed on the other side. The pressure contact connector according to claim 2, wherein the pressure contact connector is provided.

The cable holding portion is configured by a plurality of pinching members having a severable structure that is arranged to face each other via the flat cable and pinches and fixes the flat cable in its thickness direction.
An engagement recess formed on one of the plurality of clamping members, and an engagement protrusion formed on the other clamping member of the plurality of clamping members to engage with the engagement recess. The press-connecting connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising an engaging portion including an engaging piece portion having a contact.

A plurality of clamping members that are arranged to face each other through the flat cable and clamp the flat cable in the thickness direction;
A hinge portion that joins one ends of the plurality of clamping members;
An engagement portion that engages and fixes the other ends of the plurality of sandwiching members is integrally formed, and is configured.
The engaging portion is
An engagement recess formed in the other end of one of the plurality of clamping members;
It is comprised from the engaging piece part which has an engaging protrusion part engaged with the said engaging recessed part formed in the said other edge part of the other clamping member among these clamping members. The pressure contact connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

The plurality of clamping members are:
A plurality of fixed groove portions formed in the arrangement direction of the electric wires extending in the core line direction of the electric wires, formed in accordance with the outer peripheral diameter of the electric wires constituting the flat cable on the surface facing the flat cable. The pressure connector according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: