JP2007305473A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely keep a coming-off prevention state of a terminal fitting, in a connector provided with a retainer attached by sliding it in an oblique direction. <P>SOLUTION: The frontward displacement of a retainer 40 attached at a regular position is restrained by a looseness filling part 53, and decrease of a lock margin between a lock piece 50 and a rear end part 36A of a retainer opening 36 is prevented, the retainer 40 is prevented from being lifted from a retainer mounting groove 34 by strong pulling force acting on a female terminal fitting 11. Thereby, the coming-off prevention state of the female terminal fitting 11 can be surely kept in this connector provided with the retainer 40 attached by sliding it in an oblique direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

Conventionally, as an example of a connector in which a retainer is pushed in a direction intersecting with an insertion direction of a terminal fitting, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the housing main body of this connector, a cavity into which a terminal fitting can be inserted from behind is formed in two upper and lower stages. The housing body has a retainer mounting groove that crosses the upper and lower cavities in the direction intersecting with the insertion direction of the terminal fitting. The retainer is inclined diagonally forward in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting. Slide in the direction to the normal position. In this way, when the retainer slides obliquely forward, when the terminal fitting is retained by half-insertion, the terminal fitting is pushed by the retainer and is corrected to the normal position. When the retainer reaches the normal position, the locking protrusion provided on the retainer enters the cavity and is locked to the terminal fitting, and the terminal fitting is prevented from coming off.
JP 2003-272749 A

  However, in the connector including the retainer as described above, a predetermined clearance is set between the retainer mounting groove and the retainer in order to smoothly push the retainer. For this reason, there is a possibility that the retainer rattles back and forth and the locking force between the locking projection and the terminal fitting is weakened. Furthermore, in the case where the retainer is slid and assembled in the oblique direction as described above, if a strong pulling force (force to push the retaining protrusion of the retainer backward) acts on the terminal fitting due to the wire being pulled, etc., the terminal Compared to a type that is pushed in perpendicular to the insertion direction of the metal fitting, a force in a direction in which the retainer comes out of the retainer mounting groove is likely to be generated. In particular, in the case where a large number of cavities are arranged in parallel and the retainer has a shape that is long in the width direction, the pulling force that acts on the terminal fitting may cause a curve near the center in the width direction. There is a risk of floating from the retainer mounting groove. And when such a lift arises, the latching allowance of a latching protrusion and a terminal metal fitting will reduce, and there exists a possibility that the removal prevention state of a terminal metal fitting may be cancelled | released by extension. Therefore, such a problem becomes more apparent as the number of connectors increases.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to ensure that the terminal fitting can be securely retained in a connector having a retainer that is assembled by sliding in an oblique direction. And

  As means for achieving the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 is directed to a housing body portion in which a plurality of cavities into which terminal fittings can be inserted / removed are formed in parallel, and a direction intersecting with the insertion / extraction direction of the terminal fittings Formed on the side surface of the housing main body, and a retainer that is pushed into the housing main body, is slid obliquely forward in the insertion direction of the terminal metal fitting, and is assembled at a normal position to prevent the terminal metal fitting from coming off. A retainer mounting groove that allows the retainer to be mounted in a form that communicates with the cavity from the opened opening, and is provided in the retainer. When the retainer reaches a normal position, the retainer enters the cavity, and enters the terminal fitting. A locking projection for locking and preventing the terminal fitting from coming off; and a protrusion provided on the rear edge of the retainer in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting. And a locking piece for locking the retainer to the rear edge of the opening when the retainer is assembled at a normal position, and the terminal of the retainer. It is provided on either the front edge of the metal fitting in the insertion direction and the front edge of the opening facing the edge, and protrudes toward the other side.When the retainer is assembled at a normal position, It is characterized in that it has a padding portion that pushes the retainer in a direction to increase the locking margin between the locking piece and the rear edge of the opening.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the one according to the first aspect, in the retainer, passages through which the terminal fittings pass when they are mounted in the retainer mounting grooves are arranged in parallel corresponding to the cavities, Each of the passages is formed with the locking projection, and the locking piece is characterized in that it is disposed within the width dimension of any one of the plurality of passages. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the locking piece is provided at a position corresponding to the passage that is arranged at least in a central portion in the parallel direction among the parallel passages. It has the characteristics in the place.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the locking piece is provided at a position corresponding to the passages arranged at both ends in the parallel direction of the parallel passages. It has a characteristic where it exists.

  Invention of Claim 5 is a thing in any one of Claims 1-4. WHEREIN: The said padding part is in the parallel direction center part and both ends of the said cavity in the front edge part of the said opening at least. It is characterized by where it is placed.

<Invention of Claim 1>
According to the first aspect of the present invention, at the rear edge portion of the retainer, when the retainer is assembled at the normal position, the retaining piece is retained at the rear edge portion of the opening of the housing main body portion to prevent the retainer from coming off. Is provided. When either the front edge of the retainer or the front edge of the opening facing the edge is assembled at a normal position, the locking margin between the locking piece and the rear edge of the opening is increased. A padding portion for pushing the retainer is provided in the increasing direction (backward). This prevents the retainer from moving forward and the locking margin between the locking piece and the rear edge of the opening from being reduced, so that the retainer is lifted from the retainer mounting groove by a strong pulling force acting on the terminal fitting. Can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to reliably hold the terminal fitting from being prevented from coming off in the connector having the retainer that is assembled by sliding in an oblique direction. As described above, the structure in which the retainer is prevented from being lifted and the terminal fitting is prevented from coming off is particularly advantageous when the connector is multipolar.

<Invention of Claim 2>
According to invention of Claim 2, the locking piece is distribute | arranged within the width dimension of any one of several passages. Here, since a locking projection is formed in this passage, when a strong pulling force is applied to the terminal fitting, the passage receives a larger force than other portions. By disposing the locking piece at such a portion, the retainer can be effectively prevented from being lifted.

<Invention of Claim 3>
According to the invention of claim 3, the locking piece is provided at a position corresponding to at least the passage disposed in the central portion of the parallel passages. And the central part of the retainer in the width direction (the parallel direction of the passages) is the part most likely to be lifted, and by providing a locking piece at such a part, the lift of the retainer can be more effectively prevented. .

<Invention of Claim 4>
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the locking pieces are provided at positions corresponding to the passages arranged at both ends in the parallel direction among the parallel passages. Thus, in addition to the center part of the retainer in the width direction (parallel direction of the passage), the locking force can be improved in a balanced manner by providing the locking pieces at both ends.

<Invention of Claim 5>
According to the invention of claim 5, since the retainer is stuffed in the width direction (parallel direction of the passage) and the both ends, the force pushing the retainer toward the rear edge of the opening is balanced. Works well.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The female connector 10 of this embodiment can be fitted with a male connector 60 described later. Hereinafter, in each component member, the fitting surface side of both the connectors 10 and 60 will be described as the front, and the upper side in FIG. 1 will be described as the upper side and the lower side as the lower side.

  The female connector 10 includes a housing body 20 in which a plurality of cavities 21 into which the female terminal fittings 11 are inserted, and a retainer 40 that is pushed into the housing body 20 to prevent the female terminal fittings 11 from coming off. Yes. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the female connector 10 in the present embodiment, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a side view and a side sectional view of the female connector 10 in which the retainer 40 is mounted at the temporary locking position. 4 and 5 show a side view and a side sectional view of the female connector 10 in which the retainer 40 is mounted in the final locking position.

  The female terminal fitting 11 inserted into the housing body 20 is formed by bending a metal plate punched into a predetermined shape, and is formed into an elongated shape as a whole in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. The tab 71 of the terminal fitting 70 is made into a substantially rectangular tube-shaped main body part 12 from which it can enter from the front, and the rear side is a barrel part 13 for crimping the electric wire W.

  A primary locking portion 14 that can be locked to a lance 22 provided in a cavity 21 to be described later is formed in a hole shape on the upper surface of the main body portion 12, and a rear end edge of the main body portion 12 is described later. The secondary locking portion 15 is locked to the retainer 40.

  An elastic contact piece 16 that is elastically deformable in the vertical direction is formed in the main body portion 12, and when the tab 71 of the male terminal fitting 70 is inserted into the main body portion 12, the tab 71 becomes an elastic contact piece. 16 and the lower wall of the main body 12 are clamped (see also FIG. 13 and FIG. 18).

  On the other hand, the barrel portion 13 includes a pair of caulking pieces on the front and rear sides. The caulking piece on the front side is connected to the core wire exposed at the end of the electric wire W, and the caulking piece on the rear side is connected to the electric wire W by fastening the covering of the electric wire W.

  The housing body 20 is made of a synthetic resin and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. A plurality of cavities 21 for accommodating the female terminal fittings 11 are formed in the housing main body 20 in two upper and lower stages, and each cavity 21 penetrates in the front-rear direction, and the female terminal fittings 11 are inserted from the rear. It is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a lance 22 that is locked to the primary locking portion 14 of the female terminal fitting 11 is extended in a cantilevered manner on the upper surface in each cavity 21. A bending space 23 opened forward is formed above the lance 22, and the lance 22 can be elastically bent toward the bending space 23. A lance projection 22A is formed on the extending end side of the lance 22, and when the female terminal fitting 11 is inserted to the proper position and the lance 22 is elastically restored, the lance 22 is brought into contact with the primary locking portion 14 of the female terminal fitting 11. The protrusion 22A is fitted, and the female terminal fitting 11 is primary locked.

  A lock arm 23 is formed on the upper surface of the housing body 20. The lock arm 23 is disposed substantially at the center in the width direction of the housing main body 20 and extends rearward in a cantilevered manner. A lock projection 23A that protrudes upward is provided at a substantially central position in the extending direction of the lock arm 23. The lock projection 23A is engaged with the male connector 60 as the lock arm 23 is elastically deformed, and holds both the connectors 10 and 60 in a state in which both connectors 10 and 60 are restricted.

  The lower surface of the lock arm 23 in the rear region of the lock protrusion 23A is a tapered surface 24 that is inclined rearward (away from the upper surface of the housing body 20), and the lock arm 23 can be sufficiently elastically bent. It has a structure. An operation unit 25 is provided on the rear side (extension end side) of the lock arm 23.

  An inversion prevention wall 26 is erected on the upper surface of the housing body 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the inversion prevention wall 26 is formed in a gate shape as a whole and has a form surrounding the operation portion 25 of the lock arm 23. This inversion prevention wall 26 avoids a situation where the lock arm 23 is caught by the electric wire W and rolled up. Note that the ceiling portion of the inversion prevention wall 26 has a shape that is cut out from the rear edge toward the front side so that a finger can be pressed against the operation portion 25.

  A mounting frame 27 on which a front wall member 55 (to be described later) can be mounted is formed on the front surface of the housing body 20. The mounting frame 27 is composed of an upper frame portion 27U and both side frame portions 27S, and a pair of first receiving portions 28 and second receiving portions 29 are formed on the both side frame portions 27S so as to face each other. . As shown in FIG. 2, the first receiving portion 28 and the second receiving portion 29 are provided at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction, and the second receiving portion 29 is arranged at an upper position of the first receiving portion 28. ing. The first receiving portion 28 and the second receiving portion 29 form a substantially square shape having a size capable of receiving the first locking portion 57 or the second locking portion 58 of the front wall member 55 and penetrate each in the wall thickness direction. The first receiving portion 28 and the second receiving portion 29 have the same shape and the same size. The front side portions of the first receiving portion 28 and the second receiving portion 29 are respectively formed as the fall prevention walls 30 whose outer surfaces are thinned to reduce the thickness, so that the attached front wall member 55 does not fall off forward. ing.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a guide groove 31 is formed in the upper frame portion 27U so as to penetrate in the wall thickness direction (vertical direction). The guide groove 31 is formed with an opening width that is slightly larger than the width dimension of the guide wall portion 55B in the front wall member 55 described later, and the guide wall portion 55B can enter from below.

  And the lock | rock recessed part 32 of the form dented upwards is provided in the front-end edge part in the lower surface of the housing main-body part 20 (refer FIG. 6). The lock recess 32 is disposed at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the housing main body 20, has a substantially rectangular shape, and has a front end opened to the front side of the housing main body 20. The front end edge of the lock recess 32 is provided with a fitting protrusion 32A that protrudes downward. The fitting protrusion 32A has a height dimension such that the position of the protruding end (lower end) is substantially the same as the position of the lower surface of the housing body 20 (see FIG. 3). A lock piece 59 of a front wall member 55 described later is fitted into the lock recess 32.

  The housing body 20 is provided with a retainer mounting groove 34 into which a retainer 40 described later can be mounted from below. The retainer mounting groove 34 is formed so as to open over a three-surface region extending from the lower surface of the housing main body 20 to both side surfaces and communicate with each cavity 21. Of these openings, the opening on the lower surface side of the housing main body 20 corresponds to the opening in the present invention. Hereinafter, this opening will be referred to as a retainer opening 36. FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the housing main body.

  The retainer opening 36 is opened in an approximately rectangular shape that is horizontally long in the width direction as a whole when viewed from below. The front edge portion 36B of the retainer opening 36 has a form in which the lower surface of the housing main body 20 is recessed forward and upward, and in this recessed portion, a front side portion of the substrate portion 45 of the retainer 40 described later is provided. It is inserted (see FIG. 5).

  Further, a notch 54 is formed in the rear edge 36 </ b> A of the retainer opening 36. The notches 54 are provided at a total of six locations, two at the center and at both ends in the width direction (parallel direction of the cavity 21) in the rear edge 36 </ b> A of the retainer opening 36. When viewed from below, the notch 54 has a shape that is cut out in a substantially square shape from the rear edge of the retainer opening 36 to the rear, and a locking piece 50 of the retainer 40 described below is formed from below. The width dimension is such that it can pass through while being elastically bent after once contacting the rear portion of the notch 54.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional shape of the retainer mounting groove 34 viewed from the side has a substantially right triangle shape in which the rear side is inclined as a whole. The retainer mounting groove 34 is inclined such that the rear side is inclined forward in the insertion direction of the female terminal fitting 11 toward the front in the insertion direction of the retainer 40, and the front side is substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction of the female terminal fitting 11. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, bridge pieces 33 are provided on both side surfaces of the housing main body 20 to connect the front side of the retainer mounting groove 34 to the rear end of the housing main body 20. The bridge piece 33 includes an inclined portion 33A that descends from a position closer to the upper side on the front side of the retainer mounting groove 34 with an inclination that is substantially the same as an inclination on the rear side of the retainer mounting groove 34, and a rear side from the lower end of the inclined portion 33A. And a horizontal portion 33B extending substantially in the horizontal direction. And the recessed part 38 dented rather than the periphery is formed in the upper part of the horizontal part 33B in the both sides | surfaces of the housing main-body part 20. As shown in FIG.

  A locking window 35 communicating with the retainer mounting groove 34 is formed between the recessed portion 38 and the inclined portion 33 </ b> A of the bridge piece 33. A retainer protrusion 47 of a retainer 40, which will be described later, can be locked to the locking window 35. Of the opening edge of each locking window 35, the edge on the recess 38 side (rear side) is cut out into a two-stage bowl shape, and substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction of the female terminal fitting 11 The sides that make up the direction are a temporary locking edge 35A and a main locking edge 35B. The main locking edge 35B is formed above the temporary locking edge 35A. A locking surface 47A of a retainer projection 47 described later can be locked to the main locking edge 35B and the temporary locking edge 35A.

  A mounting recess 37 is formed in the front portion of the bridge piece 33 on both side surfaces of the housing main body 20 so as to be recessed inwardly of the bridge piece 33. The mounting recess 37 has a retainer 40 described later. The side plate 48 can be externally fitted. Each mounting recess 37 is provided with a mounting protrusion 37A that is elongated in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 1).

  The front wall member 55 attached to the front surface of the housing main body 20 is formed in a flat plate shape from a synthetic resin material, and is inserted into the mounting frame 27 along the front surface of the housing main body portion 20 from below. 7 and 8 show a front view and a bottom view of the front wall member 55.

  The front wall member 55 includes a front wall portion 55 </ b> A having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that can be mounted on the mounting frame 27 of the housing body 20. Tab insertion holes 56 for inserting the tabs 71 of the male terminal fittings 70 are provided at positions corresponding to the cavities 21 of the housing body 20 in the front wall 55A. The tab insertion holes 56 are divided into two upper and lower stages and are provided in the same number as the cavities 21 so as to communicate with the cavities 21. At the hole edge on the front side of the tab insertion hole 56, a guiding surface 56A having a substantially bowl shape is formed over the entire circumference so that the entering operation of the tab 71 of the male terminal fitting 70 is smoothly guided.

  A pair of first locking portions 57 and second locking portions 58 that are locked to the first receiving portion 28 and the second receiving portion 29 described above are opposed to each other at both end portions of the front wall portion 55A. Is formed. The first locking part 57 and the second locking part 58 are provided at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction, and the second locking part 58 is arranged at an upper position of the first locking part 57. The first locking portion 57 and the second locking portion 58 are formed in a substantially mountain shape, each having the same shape and the same size, and projecting to the side when viewed from the front. Has been.

  The front wall member 55 includes a temporary locking position where the second locking portion 58 is elastically fitted to the first receiving portion 28, and a second locking portion 58 is elastically fitted to the second receiving portion 29. At the same time, the first locking portion 57 is movable between the first locking position where the first locking portion 57 is elastically fitted into the first receiving portion 28. When the front wall member 55 is held at the temporary locking position, the tab insertion holes 56 are arranged so as to be displaced from the cavities 21, and when the front wall member 55 is held at the final locking position, the tab is inserted. When the insertion hole 56 communicates with each cavity 21, the tab 71 of the male terminal fitting 70 can be inserted into the main body portion 12 of the female terminal fitting 11.

  At the lower end of the front wall member 55, a lock piece 59 that can be fitted in the lock recess 32 formed on the lower surface of the housing body 20 is provided. As shown in FIG. 8, the lock piece 59 is provided at a substantially central position in the width direction of the front wall portion 55A, and is configured to project rearward from the rear surface of the front wall portion 55A. The lock piece 59 is formed in the front wall portion 55A. It is set as the form which does not protrude below rather than the lower end edge of (refer also FIG. 3). The lock piece 59 is formed with a fitting hole 59 </ b> A that penetrates the fitting protrusion 32 </ b> A provided in the lock recess 32 in the vertical direction. When the front wall member 55 is mounted at the final locking position, the lock piece 59 fits into the lock recess 32 without protruding downward from the housing body 20, and the fitting hole 59A and the fitting projection 32A And the front wall member 55 is locked so as not to be disengaged to the front side in a state where the front wall member 55 is mounted on the housing main body 20. At this time, the lower end surface of the front wall member 55 (the front wall portion 55A and the lower end surface of the lock piece 59) is in a state of being substantially flush with the lower surface of the housing main body portion 20. Thus, since the lock piece 59 is accommodated in the lock recess 32 without protruding from the housing main body portion 20, an unexpected external force is unlikely to be applied to the lock piece 59, thereby preventing inadvertent release of the lock. In addition, since the lock piece 59 can be locked without being elastically bent, the mounting operation of the front wall member 55 can be easily performed, and the lock piece 59 can be excessively bent and plastically deformed. Avoided.

  A guide wall 55B is provided at the upper end of the front wall member 55. The guide wall portion 55B has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front and protrudes upward from the upper end of the front wall portion 55A, and is inserted into the guide groove 31 formed in the mounting frame 27 of the housing body portion 20 from below. It is possible. The guide wall portion 55B is movable along the front surface of the housing body 20 while being guided along the guide groove 31, and the front wall when moving between the temporary locking position and the main locking position. It serves as a guide for the member 55.

  The retainer 40 to be inserted into the retainer mounting groove 34 from below is made of synthetic resin. The retainer 40 is shallowly fitted into the retainer mounting groove 34 to allow the female terminal fitting 11 to be inserted and removed, and is deeply fitted into the retainer mounting groove 34. In addition, it is possible to move in an oblique direction between the main locking position where the female terminal fitting 11 is secondarily locked. A predetermined clearance is set between the retainer 40 and the retainer mounting groove 34 so that the retainer 40 can be moved smoothly. 9, 10, and 11 are a side sectional view, a top view, and a front view of the retainer 40.

  The retainer 40 includes a retainer main body 41 having a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side. The rear side of the retainer main body 41 is formed with an inclination that matches the inclination of the rear side of the retainer mounting groove 34, and when the retainer 40 is pushed into the retainer mounting groove 34, The inclination and the inclination of the retainer 40 are in sliding contact, and the retainer 40 is pushed while sliding obliquely forward. In this way, the retainer 40 is pushed while sliding obliquely forward, so that even if the female terminal fitting 11 is left in the half-inserted state, the female terminal fitting 11 is pushed forward by the retainer 40 to the normal position. It will be corrected.

  The retainer body 41 is formed with a plurality of through holes 42 penetrating in the front-rear direction. The through holes 42 are formed so as to communicate with the lower cavities 21 among the cavities 21 provided in the housing body 20 when the retainer 40 is mounted at the final locking position. The space above the upper plate portion 43 serving as the ceiling of the through hole 42 corresponds to the upper cavity 21 of the housing body 20, and the upper surface of the upper plate portion 43 is the lower surface of the upper cavity 21. It is designed to form a part of. And the part corresponding to the upper cavity 21 in the upper plate portion 43, in other words, the cavity 21 in the upper plate portion 43 and the lower plate portion 44 serving as the bottom surface of the through hole 42 is partitioned. A portion excluding the partition wall and through which the female terminal fitting 11 passes corresponds to a passage in the present invention, and this portion is hereinafter referred to as a passage 39.

  Below the lower plate portion 44, a plate-like substrate portion 45 having a slightly larger area than the lower plate portion 44 is provided. Since the area of the substrate portion 45 is relatively large, it is easy to push the retainer 40. And the protrusion part 45A of the form which protrudes below over the full width is provided in the rear-end edge part of the board | substrate part 45. As shown in FIG. When the retainer 40 is mounted at the final locking position, the base plate portion 45 fits into the retainer mounting groove 34 so that the portion excluding the protruding portion 45A does not protrude below the housing main body portion 20. .

  As shown in FIG. 11, locking protrusions 46 are formed on the upper surface of the upper plate portion 43 and the upper surface of the lower plate portion 44 for each position corresponding to each passing path 39. Each locking projection 46 is provided at the front end portion of the upper plate portion 43 and the lower plate portion 44 and protrudes upward, and enters the cavity 21 when the retainer 40 reaches the final locking position. Then, it is secondarily locked to the secondary locking portion 15 of the female terminal fitting 11.

  A pair of retainer protrusions 47 are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the retainer main body 41. Each retainer protrusion 47 protrudes laterally at an upper end portion on both side surfaces so as to follow the inclination on the rear side of the retainer 40. On the rear surface of each retainer protrusion 47, a locking surface 47A that is substantially orthogonal to the insertion direction of the female terminal fitting 11 is formed. When the retainer 40 is in the temporary locking position, the locking surface 47A is When the retainer 40 is locked at the temporary locking edge 35A of the locking window 35 formed in the housing body 20 and the retainer 40 is at the final locking position, the locking surface 47A is locked at the final locking edge 35B (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 4).

  A pair of side plates 48 are erected on the left and right ends of the substrate portion 45 of the retainer 40. The pair of side plates 48 is formed at the front side portion of the substrate portion 45, and the upper portions of the side plates 48 are provided with protrusions 49 that protrude to the opposite sides. The upper surface of each protrusion 49 is a guide slope 49A inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the retainer 40, and the lower surface is a locking surface 49B substantially orthogonal to the insertion direction of the retainer 40. When the retainer 40 is mounted at the main locking position, the both side plates 48 are fitted into the mounting recess 37 without protruding laterally from the housing body 20, and the mounting protrusion 37 </ b> A provided in the mounting recess 37. The locking surface 49B is locked from above, and the retainer 40 is held at the full locking position.

  A locking piece 50 is provided at the rear end of the retainer 40 to lock the retainer 40 by retaining the rear edge 36A of the retainer opening 36 when the retainer 40 is assembled at the final locking position. It has been. As shown in FIG. 10, the engaging piece 50 is arranged at two passages 39 arranged at the central portion in the parallel direction and at both ends in the parallel direction among the passages 39 arranged in parallel with the retainer main body 41. There are a total of six positions corresponding to two passages 39.

  As shown in FIG. 9, each locking piece 50 has a form that cantilevered from the rear end portion (rear end portion of the substrate portion 45) of the retainer 40 toward the rear, and is slightly elastically bent downward. It is possible. When each locking piece 50 is viewed from above, as shown in FIG. 10, it has a substantially square shape that can pass through a notch 54 formed in the rear edge 36 </ b> A of the retainer opening 36. The upper surface of each locking piece 50 is a tapered surface 51 inclined downward, and the lower surface is a locking surface 52 that locks the rear edge 36A of the retainer opening 36 from above. The width dimension of each locking piece 50 is set to be smaller than the width dimension of each passing path 39. In other words, each locking piece 50 has a shape that fits within the width dimension of the region through which the female terminal fitting 11 passes. Has been.

  In the state where the retainer 40 is assembled at the temporary locking position, the locking piece 50 is located below the rear edge 36A of the retainer opening 36 (specifically, the rear portion of the notch 54 as shown in FIG. 3). Located on the lower side). When the retainer 40 is pushed upward, when the locking piece 50 passes through the cutout portion 54, the tapered surface 51 comes into contact with the rear portion of the cutout portion 54 from below, and the locking piece 50 is elasticated slightly downward. It passes through the notch 54 while bending. Thus, since the surface which contacts the rear edge part 36A of the retainer opening 36 in the locking piece 50 is the tapered surface 51, the locking piece 50 is compared with the case where this surface is a flat surface. The retainer 40 can be pushed into the main locking position relatively smoothly.

  Then, when the locking piece 50 gets over the rear edge 36A of the retainer opening 36 and the retainer 40 reaches the final locking position, the locking surface 52 of the locking piece 50 becomes the retainer as shown in FIG. It will be in the state latched by the rear edge part 36A of the opening part 36 from upper direction. Thus, the locking piece 50 is locked to the rear edge 36 </ b> A of the retainer opening 36 from above, so that the retainer 40 is not displaced downward from the retainer mounting groove 34.

  In addition, each locking piece 50 is arranged in the width region of each passage 39. A portion in the width region of the passage 39 is a portion where the pulling force of the female terminal fitting 11 directly acts, and an arrangement is made efficient by providing the locking piece 50 at such a place.

  The front edge portion 36B of the retainer opening 36 has a padding portion 53 for pushing the retainer 40 in a direction (rearward) in which the locking margin between the locking piece 50 and the rear edge portion 36A of the retainer opening 36 is increased. Is formed. FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of the female connector 10 in which the retainer 40 is mounted at the final locking position. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 12, the padding portion 53 is provided at a total of three locations, that is, the center portion in the width direction and both end portions of the front edge portion 36 </ b> B of the retainer opening 36.

  Each of the padding portions 53 is configured to protrude rearward from the front edge portion 36B of the retainer opening portion 36, and a clearance set between the retainer opening portion 36 and the substrate portion 45 of the retainer 40 is provided. Has protruding dimensions that can be filled. Each padding portion 53 has a pointed shape, and the crushing allowance is easily adjusted. The upper surface of the backpacking portion 53 is connected to a portion facing the retainer opening 36 on the lower surface of the housing main body portion 20, and the strength is higher than that when the backpacking portion 53 is supported only by the root portion. Improve and dropout is regulated.

  The retainer 40 is mounted at the final locking position so that the substrate portion 45 crushes the padding portions 53. Each padding portion 53 is elastically crushed between the front edge portion 36B of the retainer opening 36 and the front edge portion of the base plate portion 45 of the retainer 40 in a state in which the retainer 40 is mounted at the final locking position. The retainer 40 is pressed in the drawing direction (rearward) of the electric wire W by the elastic restoring force of the padding portion 53. In this way, the retainer 40 is restricted from being displaced to the gap side (front side), and the retainer 40 is pressed rearward so that the locking margin between the locking piece 50 and the rear edge 36A of the retainer opening 36 is ensured. Secured. Therefore, the locking projection 46 is pushed rearward by a strong pulling force acting on the female terminal fitting 11, and the rear end of the retainer 40 has a force to pull out from the retainer mounting groove 34 (the rear end of the retainer 40 is moved downward). Even if a pressing force is applied, the locking piece 50 is securely locked to the rear edge portion 36A of the retainer opening 36, so that the downward displacement of the retainer 40 is prevented.

  Further, in the connector in which the plurality of cavities 21 are arranged in the width direction as in the present embodiment, the retainer 40 also has a shape that is long in the width direction (the direction in which the cavities 21 are arranged in parallel). For this reason, when the above-described force is applied to the retainer 40 that is engaged with the housing body 20 at both end portions, the vicinity of the central portion in the width direction is curved, that is, the vicinity of the central portion is likely to be lifted from the retainer mounting groove 34. Therefore, as in this embodiment, the structure in which the retainer 40 is prevented from being lifted by the locking piece 50 and the padding portion 53 and the retaining state of the female terminal fitting 11 is maintained is particularly as the number of connectors increases. It is valid.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the locking piece 50 is provided at a position corresponding to the two passages 39 disposed in the central portion in the parallel direction, the central portion of the retainer 40 can be effectively prevented from being lifted. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent the vicinity of the center portion of the retainer 40 from being lifted from the retainer mounting groove 34, thereby avoiding the release state of the female terminal fitting 11 being released. Furthermore, in addition to the center part of the retainer 40 in the width direction (parallel direction of the passages 39), the locking force is improved in a well-balanced manner by providing the locking pieces 50 at both ends.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the retainer 40 is assembled at the normal position, the retainer 40 is displaced forward by the padding portion 53 and the locking piece 50 and the rear edge portion 36A of the retainer opening 36 are arranged. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the retainer 40 from being lifted from the retainer mounting groove 34 by a strong pulling force acting on the female terminal fitting 11. Therefore, in the connector provided with the retainer 40 that is slid and assembled in an oblique direction, the retaining state of the female terminal fitting 11 can be reliably held.

  Further, since the retainer 40 is stuffed at the width direction center portion and both end portions, a force that pushes the retainer 40 toward the rear edge portion 36A side of the retainer opening 36 (the retaining piece 50 of the retainer 40 and the retainer opening). The force in the direction of increasing the locking margin with the rear edge portion 36A of the portion 36) works well.

  The male connector 60 that can be fitted to the female connector 10 will also be briefly described. FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the male connector 60 and the female connector 10 are fitted.

  The male connector 60 is made of synthetic resin, and has a form in which a hood portion 61 having a substantially rectangular tube shape opening forward and a terminal housing portion 62 having a substantially block shape are connected in the front-rear direction.

  In the terminal accommodating portion 62, a plurality of cavities 63 into which the male terminal fittings 70 can be inserted from the rear are formed in two upper and lower stages like the housing main body portion 20 of the female connector 10. On the lower wall of each cavity 63, a lance 64 that can be primarily locked with respect to the male terminal fitting 70 is provided, and a stabilizer insertion groove 65 into which a stabilizer 76 of the male terminal fitting 70 described later can be inserted is recessed. ing.

  A retainer mounting groove 66 for mounting the retainer 68 is formed on the upper surface of the terminal accommodating portion 62. The retainer 68 and the retainer mounting groove 66 have substantially the same shape as the retainer 40 and the retainer mounting groove 34 of the female connector 10, and the retainer 68 is assembled by sliding obliquely forward and is secondary-locked to the male terminal fitting 70. It is supposed to be.

  The hood portion 61 has a shape in which the female connector 10 can be fitted from the front, and a lock hole 67 into which the lock projection 23A of the female connector 10 can be fitted is provided on the upper wall. 14, 15, and 16 show a side view, a bottom view, and a front view of the male terminal fitting 70. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the cross-sectional shape of the tab 71 of the male terminal fitting 70, and FIG. 18 shows a state in which the tab 71 of the male terminal fitting 70 has entered the main body 12 of the female terminal fitting 11. A cross-sectional view is shown.

  The male terminal fitting 70 accommodated in the male connector 60 is formed by bending a metal plate punched into a predetermined shape and formed into an elongated shape as a whole in the front-rear direction, and is a tab that can be connected to the female terminal fitting 11 in order from the front side. 71, a main body portion 72 having a substantially box shape, and a barrel portion 73 for crimping the electric wire W.

  The tab 71 is formed by bending a long plate piece extending forward and backward from the front edge of the main body 72 so that the cross section has a substantially square shape as follows. First, the side surface portion 71B on the short side and the side surface portion 71C on the long side are bent at both side edges of the bottom surface portion 71A. The difference in height between the short side surface portion 71B and the long side surface portion 71C is substantially the same as the plate thickness. Then, the top surface portion 71D is bent in a substantially right angle direction at the upper end edge of the side portion 71C on the long side, and the end portion is brought into contact with the upper end portion of the side portion 71B on the short side. Thus, the tab 71 as a whole is formed in a rectangular tube shape elongated in the front-rear direction. Thus, the cross-sectional shape of the tab 71 is made into a substantially square shape, and it becomes a cross-sectional shape which is hard to roll at the time of a bending process, It becomes easy to process.

  A primary locking portion 74 that can be locked to a lance 64 provided in the cavity 63 is formed in a hole shape on the lower surface of the main body 72, and a retainer 68 is provided at the rear end edge of the main body 72. It is set as the secondary latching | locking part 75 to latch next. The main body 72 is formed with a stabilizer 76 extending downward from the lower surface, and erroneous insertion of the male terminal fitting 70 is restricted.

  The barrel part 73 is provided with a pair of caulking pieces on the front and back, the caulking piece on the front side is connected to the wire W by tightening the core wire exposed at the end of the electric wire W, and the caulking piece on the rear side is tightening the covering of the electric wire W. ing.

  Then, the male terminal fitting 70 inserted into each cavity 63 of the terminal accommodating portion 62 is accommodated in a state where the tip of the tab 71 protrudes forward from the back surface of the hood portion 61 and assembled to the final locking position. Retained by retainer 68.

Next, the fitting of both the connectors 10 and 60 will be briefly described.
First, the female connector 10 and the male connector 60 are inserted into the female terminal fitting 11 and the male terminal fitting 70, respectively, and the retainers 40 and 68 are assembled in the final locking positions.

  Then, the male connector 60 and the female connector 10 are pushed so as to push the female connector 10 toward the back of the hood portion 61 while positioning so that the housing main body portion 20 of the female connector 10 fits inside the hood portion 61. And gradually fit. Then, the tab 71 of the male terminal fitting 70 gradually enters the main body portion 12 of the female terminal fitting 11 after passing through the tab insertion hole 56 of the front wall member 55 of the female connector 10. At this time, even if the positions of the tab 71 and the tab insertion hole 56 are slightly shifted, the position of the tip of the tab 71 is corrected by the guide surface 56A formed around the tab insertion hole 56, and the female terminal fitting 11 It is reliably guided into the main body 12.

  Further, as the female connector 10 is pushed in, the lock arm 23 formed on the upper surface of the housing main body 20 abuts against the hood portion 61 and elastically bends downward, so that both the connectors 10 and 60 are brought into a normal fitting state. At the same time, the lock arm 23 is elastically restored and the lock projection 23A is fitted into the lock hole 67 and locked. At this time, the tab 71 of the male terminal fitting 70 that has entered the body portion 12 of the female terminal fitting 11 is sandwiched between the elastic contact piece 16 and the lower wall of the body portion 12 as shown in FIG. Both connectors 10 and 60 are assembled and locked in a state in which the female terminal fitting 11 and the male terminal fitting 70 are connected in a conductive manner.

<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 further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.

(1) In the said embodiment, although the example which applied this invention to the female connector 10 side was shown, this invention is applicable also to the male connector side.
(2) In the above embodiment, the backpacking portion 53 is provided on the front edge portion 36B side of the retainer opening 36, but the backpacking portion may be provided on the substrate portion side of the retainer.

  (3) In the above-described embodiment, the width dimension of each locking piece 50 is smaller than the width dimension of each passing path 39 and is configured to fit within the width dimension of the region through which the female terminal fitting 11 passes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the width dimension of each locking piece may be the width dimension of two adjacent passages, and may be provided so as to straddle both passages.

  (4) In the said embodiment, the latching piece 50 is a position corresponding to the two passages 39 distribute | arranged to the parallel direction center part, and the two passages 39 each distribute | arranged to the parallel direction both ends. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the locking piece may be provided at a position corresponding to all of the parallel passages, and for example, only the passage arranged in the center or both ends. It may be provided at a position corresponding to only the passage route arranged in the section.

  (5) In the above-described embodiment, the padding portion 53 is provided at a total of three locations, that is, the central portion in the width direction and both ends of the front edge portion 36B of the retainer opening 36. It may be provided in any number of places, and may be provided in one place, two places, or four places or more.

External perspective view of female connector in this embodiment Side view of female connector with retainer mounted in temporary locking position Side cross-sectional view of female connector with retainer mounted in temporary locking position Side view of female connector with retainer installed in full locking position Side cross-sectional view of female connector with retainer installed in full lock position Bottom view of housing body Front view of front wall member Bottom view of front wall member Side sectional view of retainer Retainer top view Retainer front view Bottom view of female connector with retainer installed in full lock position Side sectional view showing a state in which a male connector and a female connector are fitted Side view of male terminal fitting Bottom view of male terminal fitting Front view of male terminal fitting The perspective view showing the cross-sectional shape of the tab of the male terminal fitting Sectional drawing showing the state where the tab of the male terminal fitting has entered the main body of the female terminal fitting

Explanation of symbols

10 ... Female connector (connector)
11 ... Female terminal fitting (terminal fitting)
20 ... Housing main body 21 ... Cavity 34 ... Retainer mounting groove 36 ... Retainer opening (opening)
36A: Rear edge of retainer opening (rear edge of opening)
36B: Front edge of retainer opening (front edge of opening)
39 ... Passing path 40 ... Retainer 46 ... Locking protrusion 50 ... Locking piece 53 ... Packing part

Claims (5)

A housing main body part in which a plurality of cavities into which terminal fittings can be inserted and removed are formed in parallel;
A retainer that is pushed into the housing main body in a direction intersecting with the insertion / removal direction of the terminal fitting, slides obliquely forward in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting, and is assembled at a normal position to prevent the terminal fitting from coming off; ,
A retainer mounting groove capable of mounting the retainer in a form communicating with the cavity from an opening formed in a side surface of the housing body;
A locking projection that is provided in the retainer, enters the cavity when the retainer reaches a normal position, and locks the terminal fitting to prevent the terminal fitting from coming off;
The retainer is provided at the rear edge of the terminal fitting in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting and protrudes rearward in the insertion direction. When the retainer is assembled at a normal position, the retainer is locked to the rear edge of the opening. A locking piece for retaining the retainer,
The retainer has a form that is provided on either the front edge of the terminal fitting in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting or the front edge of the opening facing the edge and projects toward the other side, and the retainer is in a normal position. And a padding portion that pushes the retainer in a direction to increase the locking allowance between the locking piece and the rear edge of the opening when assembled to,
A connector characterized by comprising: When the retainer is mounted in the retainer mounting groove, the retainer has a passage through which the terminal fitting passes in parallel with each of the cavities, and each passage has a locking protrusion. ,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking piece is disposed within a width dimension of any one of the plurality of passages. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the locking piece is provided at a position corresponding to a passage that is arranged at least in a central portion in the parallel direction among the passages that are arranged in parallel. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the locking pieces are also provided at positions corresponding to the passages arranged at both ends in the parallel direction of the passages arranged in parallel. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the backpacking portion is arranged at least in a central portion and both end portions in the parallel direction of the cavity at a front edge portion of the opening. .

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