JP2012009176A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector into which a terminal fitting can be inserted smoothly.SOLUTION: A retainer 30 comprises: a body part 31 which engages with a terminal fitting 20 so as to prevent the detachment of the terminal fitting 20 from a terminal housing chamber 11; and a pair of engagement parts 32 arranged on both sides of the body part 31 to keep the retainer 30 attached in a retainer attachment opening 13. A connector housing 10 includes a pair of housing spaces 15 which are arranged along the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 20 in the terminal housing chamber 11, and which accommodate the engagement parts 32 of the retainer 30. The housing spaces 15 are communicated with the terminal housing chamber 11, and leading walls 17 and 33 extending in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 20 are arranged at a boundary portion between the terminal housing chamber 11 and the housing spaces 15.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector provided with a retainer for preventing a terminal fitting from coming off.

  For example, a connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a connector for retaining a terminal fitting inserted into a housing by a retainer. In this connector, terminal fittings are inserted from the rear into a plurality of cavities arranged side by side through the housing in the front-rear direction, and the retainer is attached to a retainer mounting opening that is open to the outer wall of the housing in communication with each cavity. Is inserted into the retainer to be locked to the stepped portion of the terminal fitting, thereby restricting the movement of the terminal fitting in the removal direction. The retainer has a block-shaped main body portion having a retaining portion, and a pair of side walls that protrude from both side portions of the main body portion and extend along the insertion direction of the terminal fitting, and have locking portions at both front and rear ends thereof. . A jig insertion port for inserting a removal jig when the retainer is removed from the retainer mounting opening is formed at the edge of the retainer sandwiched between the side walls.

  By the way, when the terminal fitting accommodated in the connector to which the above configuration is applied is a single terminal connector, that is, a single-pole connector, the width of the retainer is set to the dimension corresponding to the width of the cavity corresponding to the width of one terminal fitting. In this case, side wall accommodating spaces for accommodating the side walls of the retainer are provided on both sides of the cavity. For example, if a wall is not provided between the side wall housing space and the cavity and the two spaces are communicated with each other, the connector can be reduced in size.

JP 2008-243692 A

  However, this single-pole retainer has a smaller width than the multi-pole retainer, so that the minimum width required to insert the removal jig at the jig insertion port sandwiched between the side walls. Dimensions may not be secured. Therefore, if the width of the jig insertion slot is increased in accordance with the size of the extraction jig, the distance between the side walls also increases. In the connector housing, the side wall housing space for housing the side wall and the cavity that matches the width of the terminal fitting are provided. An unnecessary space is created between them. If the degree of freedom in the lateral width direction of the terminal fitting is increased due to this unnecessary space, so-called dotting that strikes the inside of the cavity occurs due to the tip portion swinging in the width direction, and there is a concern about damage to the terminal fitting.

  This invention is completed based on the above situations, Comprising: It aims at providing the connector which can insert a terminal metal fitting smoothly.

  The present invention includes a connector housing having a terminal housing chamber therein and a retainer mounting opening formed in an outer wall portion so as to communicate with the terminal housing chamber; a terminal fitting housed in the terminal housing chamber; and the retainer A retainer mounted in a mounting opening, wherein the retainer engages with the terminal fitting to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed from the terminal accommodating chamber; and the main body A pair of locking portions arranged on both sides of the retainer and held in a state of being mounted in the retainer mounting opening, and the connector housing is disposed along the insertion direction of the terminal fitting in the terminal accommodating chamber. A pair of housing spaces for housing the locking portions, and the housing space and the terminal housing chamber communicate with each other at a boundary portion between the terminal housing chamber and the housing space. , Characterized in that the guiding wall extending along the insertion direction of the terminal fitting is arranged.

  According to such a configuration, since the guide wall extending along the insertion direction of the terminal fitting is arranged at the boundary portion between the terminal accommodating chamber and the accommodation space, the inserted terminal fitting moves in the width direction. By being regulated and inserting the terminal fitting along the guiding wall, the terminal fitting can be smoothly inserted.

  The locking portion includes side walls disposed on both sides of the main body portion, and a pair of locking piece portions arranged on both sides of the side walls so as to be in series with the side wall, and The wall may include a guide rib projecting from a portion of the side wall facing the terminal accommodating chamber. According to such a configuration, the guiding wall can be provided without changing the structure of the connector housing. In addition, if the guide rib is protruded from the side of the retainer facing the terminal accommodating chamber, the guide rib can be adjusted to the width of the terminal fitting without affecting the locking function as compared with the locking piece. It is possible to set the projecting height.

  The guiding wall may include an upright wall protruding from the inner wall of the retainer mounting opening. If the guide wall is constituted by the standing wall, the terminal fitting can be smoothly guided without changing the structure of the retainer.

  The standing wall may include a support wall that connects a convex portion projecting toward the center of the opening of the retainer mounting opening and an opposing wall of the convex portion. With such a configuration, the support wall not only guides the insertion direction of the terminal fitting as a guide wall, but also can reinforce the convex portion from the terminal accommodating chamber side and improve the strength of the convex portion itself. .

  The standing wall may include the support wall and a guide wall that extends from the support wall to the insertion side of the terminal fitting. With such a configuration, the movement in the width direction can be regulated at an earlier stage when the terminal fitting is inserted.

  The main body portion of the retainer includes a concave portion that fits into the convex portion, and a jig insertion port for inserting a retainer extraction jig into a boundary portion between the convex portion and the concave portion May be provided. When the retainer is removed, an external force may be applied to the peripheral portion of the jig insertion opening, for example, as a support point for the extraction jig. Therefore, if a jig insertion port is provided at the boundary between the convex part and the concave part, the convex part that is the peripheral part is reinforced by the support wall, so even if an external force is applied, due to insufficient strength Deformation can be prevented.

  In the leading wall, an inclined leading portion is formed at an insertion edge of the terminal fitting, and the leading portion guides the inserted terminal fitting to the back side of the terminal accommodating chamber. May be. If the guiding portion is formed on the guiding wall, the inserted terminal fitting can be smoothly guided to the back side of the guiding wall.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the connector which can insert a terminal metal fitting smoothly can be provided.

The perspective view of the connector housing which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention Front view AA sectional view of FIG. Top view of connector housing BB sectional view of FIG. CC sectional view of FIG. The side view of the retainer concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Plan view Front view DD sectional view of FIG. Sectional view showing the retainer in the temporary locking position Sectional view showing the retainer in the fully locked position The top view of the connector housing which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention EE sectional view of FIG. The front view of the retainer concerning Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Plan view Sectional view showing the retainer in the temporary locking position Sectional view showing the retainer in the fully locked position

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The connector according to the present embodiment is a single-pole connector that accommodates one female terminal fitting 20 (corresponding to a terminal fitting), and has a connector housing 10 and a retainer attached to the outer surface of the connector housing 10. And a retainer 30 that is inserted into the opening 13 to lock the female terminal fitting 20. In the following description, the right side of FIG. 4 is described as the rear side, the left side as the front side, and the vertical direction as the width direction.

  The connector housing 10 is made of synthetic resin and is formed by integral molding. As shown in FIG. 1, a cavity 11 (corresponding to a terminal accommodating chamber) that can accommodate the female terminal fitting 20 penetrates in the front-rear direction. Is formed. The width of the cavity 11 is set to be larger than the width dimension of the female terminal fitting 20 as a whole, and a substantially intermediate portion in the front-rear direction is in a state where one side surface is opened by a retainer mounting opening 13 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the female terminal fitting 20 has a well-known configuration in which a wire crimping portion 22 extends rearward from the rear end of the rectangular tube portion 21, and an electric wire (not shown) is provided in the wire crimping portion 22. It is fixed. The female terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 from the rear side of the connector housing 10, and is locked by a locking means such as a lance provided in the cavity 11 at the regular insertion position (see FIG. 3), thereby preventing the female terminal fitting 20 from coming off. The The electric wire connected to the female terminal fitting 20 is led out from the rear of the connector housing 10.

  Of the outer surface of the connector housing 10, a retainer mounting opening 13 is formed in the retainer mounting surface 12 that constitutes the lower portion of the front side of the paper in FIG. 4. The retainer mounting opening 13 is for accommodating the retainer 30, and includes a communication space 14 that communicates with a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the cavity 11, and a pair of locking spaces 15 that communicate with both ends in the width direction of the communication space 14. (Corresponding to the accommodation space). The opening edge on the front side of the communication space 14 is a convex portion 14A extending rearward from the opening edge on the front side of the locking space 15, and the jig insertion port 16 is recessed on the protruding end edge of the convex portion 14A. It is installed. The jig insertion port 16 is formed to have a width that allows insertion of a removal jig (not shown) when the retainer 30 mounted in the retainer mounting opening 13 is removed. The locking space 15 has a slit shape that is elongated in the front-rear direction, and accommodates a locking portion 32 of a retainer 30 described later. A front receiving portion 15A protruding from the front edge wall and a rear receiving portion 15B protruding from the rear edge wall are formed in each locking space 15.

  The retainer 30 is made of a synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, a block-shaped main body portion 31 and locking portions 32 protruding from both side portions in the width direction of the main body portion 31 are integrally formed. Is. With respect to the retainer mounting opening 13, the retainer 30 has a temporary locking position (see FIG. 11) protruding from the retainer mounting surface 12 of the connector housing 10 and a main locking position (see FIG. 12) substantially flush with the retainer mounting surface 12. It is attached so that it can move between two positions.

  The configuration of the retainer 30 will be described in detail. First, the main body portion 31 has an outer peripheral shape along the opening edge of the retainer mounting opening 13 as shown in FIG. 8, and the portion that fits the convex portion 14A is a concave portion 31A. It is said that. A retaining portion 31C protrudes from the surface opposite to the bottom surface 31B, which is substantially flush with the retainer mounting surface 12 when mounted at the main locking position. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the retaining portion 31 </ b> C is fitted to the upper portion of the wire crimping portion 22 of the female terminal fitting 20 inserted in the regular insertion position when the retainer 30 is mounted in the final locking position. This prevents the female terminal fitting 20 from coming off.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the locking portion 32 protrudes forward from the plate-like side wall 32 </ b> A projecting substantially at the center in the front-rear direction of the main body 31 and the front end surface of the main body 31. It is comprised from the front latching piece part 32B provided in the position, and the back latching piece part 32C provided in the position extended along the back end surface. Each of the front locking piece 32B and the rear locking piece 32C is an elastic piece extending in a cantilever shape, and can be elastically deformed in a direction approaching the side wall 32A. The locking part 32 is accommodated in the locking space 15 of the retainer mounting opening 13 as the locking piece parts 32B and 32C are bent and deformed toward the side wall 32A, and the front locking piece part 32B is placed in the front receiving part 15A. The rear locking piece 32C is locked to the rear receiving portion 15B.

  Now, guide ribs 33 project from the inner peripheral surfaces of the respective side walls 32A (surfaces that become the cavity 11 side when mounted in the retainer mounting opening 13). The distance between the opposing guide ribs 33 is set slightly larger depending on the width dimension of the female terminal fitting 20, and the female terminal fitting 20 can regulate the movement in the width direction. Further, the rear end portion of the guide rib 33 is a guiding portion 33 </ b> A that is inclined rearward, and has a function of guiding the inserted female terminal fitting 20 forward of the guide rib 33. In the present embodiment, the guide rib 33 is one of the guiding walls that is a constituent of the present invention.

  Furthermore, the support wall 17 which supports the convex-shaped part 14A shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the support wall 17 rises at right angles from both ends of the convex portion 14 </ b> A in the width direction, and its tip is connected to the back wall 11 </ b> A of the cavity 11. Of the cavity 11, the portion covered with the convex portion 14 </ b> A is separated from the locking space 15 located on both sides by the support wall 17, and the distance between the support walls 17 is the distance between the guide ribs 33. The width is such that the female terminal fitting 20 can be inserted.

Then, the effect | action in this embodiment is demonstrated.
In order to attach the female terminal fitting 20 to the connector housing 10, first, the retainer 30 is held at the temporary locking position shown in FIG. 11 and the female terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 from the rear. At this time, the retaining portion 31C of the main body 31 is located in the cavity 11 at a position retracted closer to the retainer mounting surface 12 than a position serving as an insertion path for the female terminal fitting 20, and thus the female terminal fitting 20 to be inserted is inserted. There is no risk of being caught on the upper surface (the surface on the near side in FIG. 3). The guide ribs 33 are located on both sides of the female terminal fitting 20 to be inserted. When the female terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11, the guiding portion 33 </ b> A first draws the female terminal fitting 20 forward of the cavity 11. Subsequently, the guide rib 33 along the width dimension of the female terminal fitting 20 guides the inside of the communication space 14 toward the convex portion 14A. When the female terminal fitting 20 is inserted to a position corresponding to the convex portion 14A in the front-rear direction, the support wall 17 guides the insertion direction of the female terminal fitting 20 in addition to the guide rib 33.

  When the female terminal fitting 20 guided by the support wall 17 is inserted to the normal insertion position, the retainer 30 can be moved to the full locking position shown in FIG. When the retainer 30 is pushed into the main locking position, the retaining portion 31C of the main body 31 is fitted into the upper portion of the wire crimping portion 22 of the female terminal fitting 20, and the rearward movement of the rectangular tube portion 21 is prevented. The female terminal fitting 20 is prevented from coming off. Further, the concave portion 31 </ b> A of the main body 31 matches the convex portion 14 </ b> A of the retainer mounting opening 13, and the bottom surface 31 </ b> B is flush with the retainer mounting surface 12. As described above, the retainer 30 is held in the final locking position, whereby the attachment of the female terminal fitting 20 to the connector housing 10 is completed.

  In order to remove the retainer 30 mounted at the main locking position, although not shown in the drawing, a removal jig is inserted into the jig insertion port 16 so that the recessed portion 31A of the retainer 30 is connected to the retainer mounting surface from the communication space 14 side. What is necessary is just to push up to 12 side.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the guiding wall composed of the support wall 17 and the guide rib 33 of the retainer 30 is arranged at the boundary portion between the communication space 14 and the locking space 15 of the retainer mounting opening 13. Yes. Thereby, even if the locking space 15 that accommodates the locking portion 32 and the communication space 14 that is a part of the cavity 11 communicate with each other, the width of the female terminal fitting 20 inserted by the guide rib 33 and the support wall 17. The movement of the direction is restricted, and the female terminal fitting 20 can be smoothly inserted. Specifically, the movement of the distal end portion of the female terminal fitting 20 inserted into the cavity 11 is regulated first by the guide rib 33 and then by the support wall 17. It is possible to prevent the female terminal fitting 20 from being damaged.

  Further, by providing the guide rib 33 on the side wall 32A of the locking portion 32, the locking piece portions 32B and 32C having a locking function toward the connector housing 40 are not affected at all. In addition, since the side wall 32A having no locking function has a high degree of freedom in setting its thickness dimension, the protruding height of the guide rib 33 should be set in accordance with the width dimension of the corresponding female terminal fitting 20 Is possible. Further, by forming the guiding portion 33A at the rear end of the guide rib 33, the inserted female terminal fitting 20 is more easily guided forward.

  Further, the support wall 17 serves not only to smoothly insert the female terminal fitting 20 into the cavity 11 as a guide wall, but also to improve the strength of the convex portion 14A of the retainer mounting opening 13. A jig insertion port 16 for inserting a removal jig is recessed in the convex portion 14A, and an external force acts as a support point for the insertion jig inserted when the retainer 30 is released. Is expected to be added. Since the support wall 17 reinforces the convex portion 14A to which the external force is applied from the cavity 11 side, deformation due to insufficient strength of the convex portion 14A can be prevented in advance.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the portion and shape constituting the guide wall, the guide wall 41 is extended behind the support wall 17, and the retainer 50 is not provided with the guide rib 33. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a guide wall 41 extends from the rear side of the support wall 17 to the entire boundary portion between the communication space 14 and the locking space 15 of the retainer mounting opening 13 in the connector housing 40. ing. As shown in FIG. 14, the protruding height of the guide wall 41 from the inner wall 11A of the cavity 11 is lower than that of the support wall 17, and when the retainer 50 is mounted at the final locking position, The height is set so as not to contact (see FIG. 18).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the retainer 50 is not formed with the guide rib 33 provided in the first embodiment, and the side wall 32 </ b> A of the locking portion 32 has the locking piece portions 32 </ b> B, It is formed to have substantially the same thickness as 32C. Thus, in this embodiment, the guiding wall is constituted by the support wall 17 and the guide wall 41 (corresponding to a standing wall).

  Now, when the retainer 50 is held in the temporary locking position in the connector housing 40 having such a configuration, the guide wall 41 functions as a guide wall instead of the guide rib 33 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the female terminal fitting 20 inserted into the cavity 11 is guided along the guide wall 41 to the front of the communication space 14. When the female terminal fitting 20 is inserted to a position corresponding to the convex portion 14A in the front-rear direction, the support wall 17 guides the insertion direction of the female terminal fitting 20 in addition to the guide wall 41. Then, when the female terminal fitting 20 is inserted to the normal insertion position, the retainer 50 can be pushed into the final locking position as shown in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the guide wall composed of the support wall 17 and the guide wall 41 is arranged at the boundary portion between the communication space 14 and the locking space 15 of the retainer mounting opening 13. Thereby, even if the locking space 15 that accommodates the locking portion 32 and the communication space 14 that is a part of the cavity 11 communicate with each other, the female terminal fitting 20 inserted by the guide wall 41 and the support wall 17 can be used. The movement in the width direction is restricted, and the female terminal fitting 20 can be smoothly inserted.

  Further, if a guide wall composed of the guide wall 41 and the support wall 17 is provided on the connector housing 40 side, the female terminal fitting 20 can be smoothly inserted without providing the retainer 50 with a portion corresponding to the guide wall. be able to.

<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.

  (1) In the first embodiment, the guide wall is configured by the support wall 17 and the guide rib 33. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the guide wall is configured by one of the support wall 17 and the guide rib 33. Also good. In the second embodiment, the guiding wall is configured by the support wall 17 and the guide wall 41. Similarly, the guiding wall may be configured by either the support wall 17 or the guide wall 41.

  (2) In the above-described embodiment, the terminal fittings accommodated in the connector housings 10 and 40 are the female terminal fittings 20, but are not limited thereto, and may be male terminal fittings, for example.

  (3) In the above-described embodiment, the connector is a single-pole connector that accommodates one female terminal fitting 20, but is not limited thereto, and may be applied to, for example, a multi-pole connector. Even in a multipolar connector, the cavity arranged on both sides in the width direction is connected to the locking space, and if the present invention is applied, the connector can be reduced in size and the terminal fitting is placed in the cavity. It becomes possible to insert smoothly.

10, 40 ... Connector housing 11 ... Cavity (terminal accommodating chamber)
12 ... Retainer mounting surface 13 ... Retainer mounting opening 14 ... Communication space 15 ... Locking space (accommodating space)
16 ... Jig insertion slot 17 ... Support wall (guide wall)
20 ... Female terminal fitting (terminal fitting)
30, 50 ... Retainer 31 ... Body part 31A ... Concave part 32 ... Locking part 32A ... Side wall 32B ... Front locking piece part 32C ... Rear locking piece part 33 ... Guide rib (guiding wall)
33A ... invitation part 41 ... guide wall (invitation wall)

Claims (7)

A connector housing having a terminal housing chamber therein and a retainer mounting opening formed in communication with the terminal housing chamber in the outer wall;
A terminal fitting accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber;
A retainer mounted on the retainer mounting opening, and a connector comprising:
The retainer is engaged with the terminal fitting to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed from the terminal accommodating chamber, and is held on both sides of the body portion and attached to the retainer mounting opening. A pair of locking portions
The connector housing includes an accommodation space that is arranged along an insertion direction of the terminal fitting in the terminal accommodation chamber and accommodates the locking portion of the retainer, and the accommodation space and the terminal accommodation chamber communicate with each other. Because
A connector wall characterized in that a guiding wall extending along the insertion direction of the terminal fitting is disposed at a boundary portion between the terminal accommodating chamber and the accommodating space. The locking part includes a side wall disposed on both sides of the main body part, and a pair of locking piece parts arranged on both sides of the side wall,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide wall includes a guide rib protruding from a portion of the side wall facing the terminal accommodating chamber.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide wall includes an upright wall protruding from a rear wall of the retainer mounting opening.   The standing wall includes a support wall that connects a convex portion projecting toward the center of the opening of the retainer mounting opening and a facing wall of the convex portion. The connector according to claim 3.   The connector according to claim 4, wherein the standing wall includes the support wall and a guide wall that extends from the support wall to an insertion side of the terminal fitting. The main body portion of the retainer includes a concave portion that fits into the convex portion,
6. The jig insertion port for inserting the removal jig of the retainer is provided at a boundary portion between the convex portion and the concave portion. connector.   An inclined lead-in part is formed on an edge of the lead-in wall on the insertion side of the terminal fitting, and the lead-in part guides the inserted terminal fitting toward the back side of the terminal accommodating chamber. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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