JP2009104863A - Female connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a female connector which has a female terminal inserted in a female connector housing and ensures sufficient pullout strength. <P>SOLUTION: The female connector includes the female terminal 4 and the female connector housing 1 housing the female terminal 4. The female terminal 4 has a lance hole 44 and a locking nail 45 that are on a box portion 41, and a reinforcing portion 46c on one side of the lance hole 44. The female connector housing 1 has a lance 3 which locks the female terminal 4, and the lance 3 has a locking face 33a in contact with the locking nail 45 and a locking projection 32 fitted into the lance hole 44. The locking projection 32 is cut out into a shape that prevents the locking projection 32 from interfering with the reinforcing portion 46c even when the female terminal 4 inserted in a cavity 2 of the female connector housing 1 inclines at the maximum angle within an allowable range of inclination. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a female connector used for a wire harness or the like.

  Conventionally, a female connector housing is generally formed of a resin such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) or nylon, and has a cavity for accommodating a female terminal therein. The female terminal is formed by pressing a copper plate, and includes a box portion connected to the male terminal, a wire barrel connected to the wire, and an insulation barrel. When assembling the female connector, the female terminal to which the wire is crimped is inserted into the female connector housing.

  At that time, the female connector housing is equipped with a lance so that it can be easily inserted without excessively high insertion force, and has a sufficient locking force to prevent pulling out after insertion. Is provided with a locking claw or a lance hole that engages with a lance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As described above, since the female terminal is formed by pressing a copper plate, a part of the upper surface of the box portion of the locking claw is projected by pressing, and a part of the upper surface of the lance hole is pressed by pressing. It has been pulled out. When a copper plate with a punched portion like a lance hole is formed into a box-shaped box, the periphery of the punched portion is easily deformed. It is connected by a reinforcement.

On the other hand, the box part is formed by forming a flat copper plate into a U-shape and bending the upper side of both sides of the U-shaped inward to form an upper surface to form a box-shaped box. Is formed by overlapping two plates. Therefore, the lance hole is asymmetrical left and right, and one of the left and right has a bridge-shaped reinforcing portion that is the same height as the upper plate on the upper surface, while the other is the same height as the lower plate. This is because if it is attempted to form a portion equivalent to the reinforcing portion, it is extremely difficult to bend the portion with high accuracy.
JP 2004-335305 A

  Thus, since the lance hole provided on the female terminal is asymmetrical in the left-right direction, the lance of the connector housing engaged with the lance hole is also asymmetrical in the left-right direction. More specifically, the locking projection that is a portion that fits into the lance hole is asymmetrical, and the reinforcing projection side of the locking projection is cut away to avoid interference with the reinforcing portion.

  However, when inserting the female terminal into the female connector housing, a certain amount of clearance is required between the female connector housing and the female terminal, and therefore the female terminal may be inserted with a slight inclination. If the inclination is large, the notch part of the locking projection of the lance may run over the reinforcement, and the insertion is completed with the lance deformed upward, and the locking projection does not fully fit into the lance hole. There is.

  Then, the front surface of the locking projection and the lance hole are not engaged. Further, the locking surface and the locking claw do not sufficiently come into contact with each other, and only a part is caught. Therefore, there is a problem that the pulling force is reduced and the terminal is easily pulled out.

  Therefore, in the present invention, when the female terminal is inserted into the female connector housing, even if the female terminal is inclined and inserted within the clearance range, it is prevented that the locking projection of the lance rides on the reinforcing portion when the insertion is completed, An object of the present invention is to provide a female connector in which a locking projection can be surely fitted into and engaged with a lance hole, and the locking surface and the locking claw can sufficiently come into contact with each other to ensure sufficient pulling strength. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a female connector including a female terminal and a female connector housing that accommodates the female terminal, and the female terminal is connected to a male terminal. A box portion, a lance hole and a locking claw on the upper surface of the box portion, a reinforcing portion that connects the front and back of the lance hole on the upper surface of the box portion on one side of the lance hole, A lance for locking the female terminal, the lance including a locking surface that comes into contact with the locking claw, and a locking protrusion that fits into the lance hole, the locking protrusion being a female connector housing The female connector is cut out in a shape that does not interfere with the reinforcing portion even when the female terminal is inserted with the maximum inclination within the allowable range of inclination in the cavity of Data, it is an.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a female connector including a female terminal and a female connector housing that accommodates the female terminal, the female terminal including a box portion to which a male terminal is connected, A lance hole and a locking claw are provided on the upper surface of the box portion, and a reinforcing portion is provided on one side surface of the lance hole to connect the front and rear of the lance hole on the upper surface of the box portion, and the female connector housing engages the female terminal. A lance that stops, and the lance includes a locking surface that contacts the locking claw and a locking projection that fits into the lance hole, and the locking projection is a female terminal within the cavity of the female connector housing. Is inserted with a maximum inclination within the allowable range of inclination, there is a portion that interferes with the reinforcing portion, and the interference portion has a surface that is inclined with respect to the deformation direction of the lance. Characterized is for female connectors, and.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the locking protrusion provided on the lance can be inserted into the cavity of the female connector housing even when the female terminal is inserted with the maximum inclination within the allowable range of inclination. Since it is cut out in a shape that does not interfere with the reinforcing portion, the locking projection of the lance is prevented from riding on the reinforcing portion.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the female terminal is inserted in the cavity of the female connector housing with the maximum inclination within the allowable inclination range, the locking protrusion provided on the lance is Although there is a part that interferes with the part, the interference part has a surface that is inclined with respect to the deformation direction of the lance. Since it abuts on the surface, it is guided to reduce the inclination of the female terminal, and when the insertion is completed, the inclination of the female terminal becomes sufficiently small, and the ride is eliminated.

  For this reason, the locking projection is securely fitted into the lance hole and engaged. On the other hand, since the locking surface and the locking claw sufficiently abut, the pulling strength between the female connector housing and the female terminal can be improved.

(Example 1)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a female connector housing. FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which only the lance portion of FIG. 1 is taken out. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portion of the lance showing the first embodiment of the present invention as seen from below. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the female terminal accommodated in the female connector housing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the female connector housing 1 is formed by injection molding of PBT, and includes a cavity 2 for housing the female terminal and a lance 3 for locking the female terminal. The direction of the female connector housing 1 is such that the side where the lance 3 is provided (upper side in FIG. 1) is the upper side, and the side where the male terminal is inserted (lower left side in FIG. 1) is the front side. The lance 3 is supported in a cantilevered manner in a space 11 provided on the upper surface of the female connector housing 1, and is formed integrally with the female connector housing 1 by a rear fixing portion 31. It is formed so as to be elastically deformable.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the female terminal 4 is formed by pressing a thin copper plate, a box part 41 into which a male terminal (not shown) is inserted, a wire barrel 42 to which a conductor 51 of the wire 5 is crimped, and a wire covering part. An insulation barrel 43 for holding 52 is provided. The box part 41 is formed by bending a copper plate into a box shape. In the female terminal 4, the surface of the box part 41 closed in a box shape (upper side in FIG. 4) is the upper side, and the box part side (lower left side in FIG. 4) is the front side.

  A lance hole 44 and a locking claw 45 are provided on the upper surface of the box portion 41 of the female terminal 4. The lance hole 44 is formed by punching the upper copper plate 46 out of the two copper plates overlapped on the upper surface, and the upper surface of the lower copper plate 47 is the bottom surface 44a of the lance hole. The upper copper plate 46 is divided into front and rear by a lance hole 44, a locking claw 45 adjacent to the lance hole 44 is formed by pressing at the rear end of the front portion 46a, and a bridge is formed between the front portion 46a and the rear portion 46b. Are connected by a reinforced portion 46c. Furthermore, the front end of the box part 41 is provided with a tongue piece 48 for fixing a male terminal (not shown).

  The lance 3 is provided with a locking projection 32 fitted to the lance hole 44 on the lower surface, and the front surface of the locking projection 32 is a first locking surface that engages a side surface 44b on the front side of the lance hole 44 of the female terminal. 32a. Further, a storage portion 33 of a space for storing the locking claw 45 of the female terminal is provided on the upper front side of the locking projection 32, and the rear surface of the storage portion 33 is engaged with the locking claw 45 of the female terminal. The locking surface 33a is formed.

  When the female connector is assembled using the female connector housing 1, the female terminal 4 to which the wire 5 is crimped is inserted from the rear of the female connector housing 1. When the insertion is started, the locking claw 45 hits the lance 3, but since the lance 3 is a cantilever, it bends upward so as to be lifted by the locking claw 45 and allows the female terminal 4 to enter.

  When the female terminal 4 is further inserted, the locking claw 45 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 33, the locking projection 32 is accommodated in the lance hole 44, and the deformation of the lance 3 is recovered. Thereby, the insertion of the female terminal 4 into the female connector housing 1 is completed. After the insertion is completed, the locking claw 45 contacts the second locking surface 33a, and the front side surface 44b of the lance hole 44 contacts the first locking surface 32a. Thereby, even if the female terminal 4 is pulled rearward of the female connector housing 1, the female terminal 4 is prevented from coming off.

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view (cross-section AA in FIG. 1) of the female connector housing 1. In FIG. 5, the outline of the box portion 41 in a state where the female terminal 4 is further inserted is indicated by a broken line. As apparent from FIG. 5, the locking claw 45 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 33, and the locking projection 32 is accommodated in the lance hole 44. Further, since the locking projection 32 is greatly cut out on the right side of the drawing, even if the box portion 41 of the female terminal is inclined to the left, the locking projection 32 does not run on the reinforcing portion 46c.

  (Example 2)

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the lance 3 showing the second embodiment of the present invention as seen from below. Although it is substantially the same as FIG. 3, the difference is that a locking projection 32b is also provided on the right side in FIG. The front surface of the locking projection 32b forms a third locking surface 32c. Further, the locking projection 32b is obliquely cut off on the right side in FIG. 6 to form an inclined surface 32d.

  Also in the second embodiment, the other parts of the female connector housing 1 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the female terminals 4 are the same as those of the first embodiment. The procedure for inserting the female terminal 4 into the female connector housing 1 is the same.

  7 and 8 are schematic cross-sectional views (cross-section AA in FIG. 1) of the female connector housing 1 when the female terminal 4 is inserted in an inclined manner in the second embodiment. In FIG. 7, an outline of the box portion 41 in a state where the female terminal 4 is being inserted is further indicated by a broken line. In FIG. 8, an outline of the box portion 41 in a state where the female terminal 4 is completely inserted into the female connector housing 1 is indicated by a broken line.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the female terminal 4 is inserted at an angle, the locking protrusion 32b may try to ride on the reinforcing portion 46c. However, since it is the slope 32d that rides, the reinforcing portion 46c is pushed in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. Thereby, the inclination of the female terminal 4 is corrected, and when the insertion is completed, the inclination of the female terminal 4 becomes sufficiently small, and the ride-up is eliminated.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the insertion is completed, the locking claw 45 is stored in the storage portion 33, and the locking protrusions 32 and 32 b are stored in the lance hole 44. A front side surface 44b of the lance hole 44 abuts on the first locking surface 32a and the third locking surface 32c. As a result, the contact area between the female terminal 4 and the lance 3 is increased, so that the pulling force of the female terminal 4 is increased and it is further difficult to remove.

  The female connector housing 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be used alone as shown in the embodiment of the present invention, but is used in a form integrally formed so that a plurality are connected by the hatched portion in FIG. May be.

  (Comparative example)

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the lance 6 in the comparative example viewed from below. 3 is substantially the same as that in FIG. 3, but a locking protrusion 62 b is also provided on the right side in FIG. 9, and the locking protrusion 62 b has a width that can be fitted to the reinforcement portion 46 c side of the lance hole 44. It is different.

  Also in the comparative example, the other parts of the female connector housing 1 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the female terminals 4 are the same as those of the first embodiment. The procedure for inserting the female terminal 4 into the female connector housing 1 is the same.

  FIG. 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view (cross-section AA in FIG. 1) of the female connector housing 1 when the female terminal 4 is inserted at an angle in the comparative example. In FIG. 10, the outline of the box portion 41 of the female terminal 4 is further indicated by a broken line.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when the female terminal 4 is inserted at an angle, the locking protrusion 62b rides on the reinforcing portion 46c. The locking protrusion 62b presses the reinforcing portion 46c downward, but in this state, almost no force is generated to push the reinforcing portion 46c to the right side of the figure, and the inclination of the female terminal 4 cannot be corrected. Therefore, the insertion is completed while the locking projection 62b rides on the reinforcing portion 46c, and the lance 6 remains deformed upward.

  As a result, even when the insertion of the female terminal 4 into the female connector housing 1 is completed, the locking claw 45 is only partially accommodated in the accommodating portion 63, and the area in contact with the second locking surface 63a is small. The locking projections 62 and 62 b are not accommodated in the lance hole 44. For this reason, the pulling-out force of the female terminal 4 is small and it is easy to come off.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the female connector housing used as embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which took out only the part of the lance of FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the part of the lance in the 1st Embodiment of this invention from the bottom. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the female terminal accommodated in the female connector housing used as embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the female connector housing in the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and is the state which the female terminal completed insertion and was accommodated. It is the perspective view which looked at the part of the lance which shows the 2nd Embodiment of this invention from the bottom. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the female connector housing in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and a female terminal is a state in the middle of insertion. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the female connector housing in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and is a state which the female terminal completed insertion and was accommodated. It is the perspective view which looked at the part of the lance in a comparative example from the bottom. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the female connector housing in a comparative example, and is the state which the female terminal completed insertion and was accommodated.

Explanation of symbols

1 ··· Female connector housing 2 · · Cavity 3 · Lance 4 · Female terminal 5 · · Wire 6 · · Lance 11 · · Space 31 · · Fixing portion 32 · · Locking protrusion 32a · · 1 Locking surface 32b ... Locking protrusion 32c ... Third locking surface 32d ... Slope 33 ... Storage part 33a ... Second locking surface 41 ... Box part 42 ... Wire barrel 43 ... Insulation barrel 44.. Lance hole 44 a. Bottom surface of the lance hole 44 b. Front side surface of the lance hole 45.. Locking claw 46... Upper copper plate 46 a. 46c ··· Copper plate reinforcement 48 ·· Lower copper plate 48 · · Tongue piece 51 · · Wire conductor 52 · · Wire covering 62 · · Lance locking projection 62b of comparative example ..Comparative example Lance locking projection 63 ··· Lance housing portion 63a of the comparative example 63 ··· Second locking surface of the comparative lance

Claims (2)

A female connector having a female terminal and a female connector housing for accommodating the female terminal,
The female terminal includes a box portion to which a male terminal is connected, and includes a lance hole and a locking claw on an upper surface of the box portion, and one side surface of the lance hole is provided on the front and back of the lance hole on the upper surface of the box portion. It has a reinforcing part to connect,
The female connector housing includes a lance for locking the female terminal,
The lance includes a locking surface that comes into contact with the locking claw, and a locking projection that fits into the lance hole,
The locking protrusion is cut out in a shape that does not interfere with the reinforcing portion even when the female terminal is inserted with the maximum inclination within the allowable range of inclination in the cavity of the female connector housing. And
Female connector. A female connector having a female terminal and a female connector housing for accommodating the female terminal,
The female terminal includes a box portion to which a male terminal is connected, and includes a lance hole and a locking claw on an upper surface of the box portion, and one side surface of the lance hole is provided on the front and back of the lance hole on the upper surface of the box portion. It has a reinforcing part to connect,
The female connector housing includes a lance for locking the female terminal,
The lance includes a locking surface that comes into contact with the locking claw, and a locking projection that fits into the lance hole,
The locking protrusion has a portion that interferes with the reinforcing portion when the female terminal is inserted in the cavity of the female connector housing with the maximum inclination within the allowable range of inclination. It has a surface inclined with respect to the deformation direction of
Female connector.

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