JP2014022155A - A connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform protection and semi-insertion detection of a lance more reliably.SOLUTION: A lance 2 that can be engaged with a terminal fitting 4 is formed so as to be flexible in the cavity 3 of a connector housing 1. A movable piece 13 is provided in the connector housing 1 so as to cover the lance 2 in the flexure region of the lance 2 from the outward of the flexure direction. Consequently, the lance 2 is protected by the movable piece. When the lance 2 flexibly deforms in a process where the terminal fitting 4 is inserted into the cavity 3, the movable piece 13 is pushed by the tip of the lance 2, and flexibly deforms and project from the outside surface of the connector housing 1.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

  Conventionally, a connector formed with a lance exposed on the outer surface of a connector housing is known (for example, see Patent Document 1 below). If comprised in this way, a lance can be protruded and bent from a connector housing. That is, since it is not necessary to secure the bending space of the lance in the connector housing, the height of the connector can be reduced accordingly.

JP 2010-40508 A

  However, when configured as described above, since the lance is exposed on the outer surface of the connector housing, it may be damaged by interference with foreign matter. Further, when the terminal fitting is in the half-inserted state, the lance protrudes from the connector housing. However, for example, even when visual half-insertion detection is performed, the amount of protrusion at this time is not necessarily sufficient.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector capable of more reliably performing lance protection and half-insertion detection.

  The connector of the present invention is a connector in which a lance that can be locked to a terminal fitting is formed in a cavity of the connector housing so that the lance can be bent. When the lance is bent and deformed in the process of inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity, a movable piece is formed that is bent by the lance and protrudes from the outer surface of the connector housing. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, since the movable piece is formed so as to cover the lance, a situation in which the lance directly interferes with a foreign object and is damaged or deformed can be avoided. In addition, since the movable piece is disposed within the bending area of the lance, even if the movable piece is formed, it can sufficiently meet the demand for a low profile connector. Further, since the movable piece bends outside the lance, the protruding amount from the connector housing is larger than the lance. Therefore, the half insertion detection can be made more reliable.

Sectional drawing which shows the state when one terminal metal fitting is half-inserted in the connector of Example 1. Similarly bottom view of connector housing Sectional drawing when it is going to insert a terminal metal fitting into a lower cavity in the connector of Example 2 when the terminal metal fitting inserted in the middle cavity is a half-insertion state Sectional drawing which shows the state when one terminal metal fitting is half-inserted in the connector of Example 3.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.
(1) In the connector according to the present invention, it is preferable that the movable piece has a structure in which the movable piece is integrally formed on a cavity constituting wall constituting the cavity.
If comprised in this way, the structure of a connector can be simplified, without increasing the number of parts of a connector.

(2) The movable piece has a cantilever shape extending in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the terminal fitting.
According to such a structure, compared with the case where a movable piece is formed in the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of a terminal metal fitting, the full length can be taken large and the movable piece becomes easy to bend by that much. Therefore, even if the movable piece is bent at the same time as the lance, an increase in operating resistance when inserting the terminal fitting can be kept low.

(3) The connector housing is provided with a plurality of cavities along the direction of bending of the lance, and the movable piece is also formed on a cavity constituting wall that divides the cavities formed in the plurality of stages, and the bending direction of the lance and the movable piece When the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity adjacent to the opposite side in a half-inserted state and the movable piece is held in a bent state together with the lance, the movable piece protrudes into the adjacent cavity in the bending direction. The insertion of the terminal fitting into the cavity is prevented.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to detect the half-insertion of the terminal fitting even in a connector having a plurality of cavities.

Next, Examples 1 to 3 embodying the connector of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<Example 1>
1 and 2 show Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  The connector (female connector) of the first embodiment has a connector housing 1 made of synthetic resin. The connector housing 1 has a two-stage cavity 3 in the illustrated vertical direction (the bending direction of the lance 2 described later). Each cavity can be inserted with a terminal fitting 4 (female terminal fitting) from the rear. In front of each cavity 3, a tab entrance 5 into which a tab of a male terminal fitting as a mating terminal enters is opened.

  The terminal fitting 4 accommodated in each cavity 3 is formed by pressing a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape. A rectangular tube-shaped terminal connection portion 6 is formed at the front portion, and a barrel portion 8 for connection to the electric wire 7 is formed at the rear portion. The barrel portion 8 is formed of a wire barrel 8A that is caulked to the wire core wire and an insulation barrel 8B that is caulked to the wire coating.

  In the connector of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 4 is accommodated in a back-to-back state with respect to the upper and lower cavities 3 shown in the figure. A lance 2 that can be bent is provided in each cavity 3 to hold the terminal fitting 4 in a state of being prevented from coming off. Each lance 2 is arranged in the center of the length direction (insertion direction of the terminal fitting 4) on the wall surface (cavity constituting wall 9) constituting the cavity 3. In the case of the present embodiment, the lance 2 provided in the cavity 3 on the upper side in the figure is integrally formed on the ceiling wall (the wall surface constituting the upper wall 1A of the connector housing 1) of the cavity constituting walls 9, and the lower stage in the figure. The lance 2 provided in the side cavity 3 is formed integrally with the bottom wall (the wall surface constituting the lower wall 1B of the connector housing 1) of the cavity constituting walls 9.

  Each lance 2 is formed in a cantilever shape extending obliquely forward along the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 4. A locking projection 10 is formed on the surface (inner surface) of each lance 2 on the side facing the terminal fitting 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the locking protrusion 10 can be locked to the rear end of the terminal connection portion 6 when the terminal fitting 4 is inserted to the normal position in the cavity 3. Further, a release protrusion 11 for releasing the lock is formed on the front end surface of each lance 2 on the outer surface side so as to extend forward in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 4. Unlocking the terminal fitting 4 is performed by inserting a release jig (not shown) from the front of each cavity and hooking the release protrusion 10 to bend the lance 2 in the unlocking direction. Made.

  Each lance 2 bends and deforms in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 4 (the vertical direction in the figure) in the process of inserting the terminal fitting 4, and returns to the terminal fitting when the terminal fitting 4 is inserted to the proper position. 4 is locked. A bending space 12 of the lance 2 is retained between the lance 2 and the inner surface of the cavity constituting wall 9 to which the lance 2 is connected. However, the maximum amount that the lance 2 bends while the terminal fitting 4 is inserted is that the tip of the release protrusion 11 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the connector housing 1 beyond the bending space 12, as shown in FIG. It is set to an extent that can be done.

  A movable piece 13 as shown in FIG. 2 is integrally provided on the outer surface of the cavity constituting wall 9 where the lance 2 is formed. The movable piece 13 is formed so as to be cut out by cutting 14 around it except for the front end. As a result, the movable piece 13 is cantilevered from the front end of the cavity constituting wall 9 in which the lance 2 is formed, and can be bent in the same direction as the lance 2. . The movable piece 13 is arranged below the lance 2 in the bending region, and the center axis in the width direction and the center axis in the width direction of the lance 2 are substantially coincident. Further, the rear end (free end) of the movable piece 13 has a positional relationship with the front end portion of the lance 2 so as to wrap in the length direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the lance 2 is bent and deformed as the terminal fitting 4 is inserted, the tip of the release protrusion 11 can press the rear end of the movable piece 13. As a result, the movable piece 13 is forcibly bent and deformed by the bending of the lance 2, and protrudes outward from the outer surface of the connector housing 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the movable piece 13 is formed slightly narrower than the lance 2.

  In the cavity constituting wall 9 in which the lance 2 is formed, the end edge portion facing the free end of the movable piece 13 is within a range that does not interfere with the lance 2 when the lance 2 is bent and deformed. This is a base end side protection region 15 that covers a part of the base end side protection region 15.

  Next, the function and effect of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  A terminal fitting 4 is inserted into each cavity 3 from behind. In the case of the present embodiment, the terminal fitting 4 is inserted back-to-back with respect to the upper and lower cavities 3. During insertion of the terminal fitting 4, the locking projection 10 of the lance 2 is in sliding contact with the terminal connection portion 6 of the terminal fitting 4, so that the lance 2 bends outward in the bending direction and the release projection 11 has the movable piece 13. In order to push the free end, the movable piece 13 is bent similarly. When the terminal fitting 4 is inserted to the normal position with respect to the cavity 3, both the movable piece 13 and the lance 2 are elastically restored. As a result, the locking projection 10 is locked to the rear end of the terminal connection portion 6. The terminal fitting 4 is held in a retaining state.

  By the way, if the terminal metal fitting 4 remains in the half-inserted state where it does not reach the normal position with respect to the cavity 3, the lance 2 remains bent together with the movable piece 13, as shown in FIG. . In this state, the front part of the connector is fitted into the detection space 16 of the detection jig J indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. At this time, if the terminal fitting 4 is inserted in the cavity 2 in a normal state, the movable piece 13 and the lance 2 are elastically restored, and the outer surface of the movable piece 13 is flush with the outer surface of the connector housing 1. is there. Therefore, the connector can be fitted into the detection space 16 of the detection jig J to a normal depth. However, when the terminal fitting 4 is in the half-inserted state and the movable piece 13 protrudes from the outer surface of the connector housing 1, interference with the entrance of the detection space 16 occurs on the base end side of the movable piece 13. I ca n’t fit it any deeper. The operator knows that one of the upper and lower terminal fittings 4 is in a half-inserted state.

  By the way, in the case of a present Example, since the movable piece 13 was provided in the bending direction outer side of the lance 2, it protrudes from the outer surface of the connector housing 1 used as a semi-insertion parameter | index compared with the conventional which does not have the movable piece 13. Becomes more prominent. Therefore, since the interference with the detection jig J at the time of half insertion of the terminal fitting 4 can be more reliably performed, the detection function for half insertion is effectively enhanced. In the present embodiment, the case where half-insertion is detected using the detection jig J is shown, but visual detection is also possible. In the present embodiment, it goes without saying that this visual detection is also more effective.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can also be obtained. When the connector housing 1 is a single unit, the tip of the lance 2 is covered by the free end of the movable piece 13, so that the lance 2 is prevented from being interfered with foreign matter by the movable piece 13 and protected from damage or deformation. can do. In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, since the base end portion of the lance 2 is also protected by the base end side protection region 15, the lance 2 can be covered in a wider range, thereby contributing to the improvement of the protection function of the lance 2. .
Furthermore, in the conventional case, when the half insertion is detected, the detection jig J and the lance 2 in a bent state are directly interfered with each other, so that the lance 2 may be deformed. However, in this embodiment, since the lance 2 does not need to directly interfere with the detection jig J, the protection of the lance 2 can be achieved even when half-insertion is detected.

<Example 2>
FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The connector housing 20 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the cavity 3 has three or more steps with respect to the bending direction of the lance 2. Regarding the insertion posture of the terminal fittings 4 with respect to the respective cavities 3, the back-to-back posture is used in the first embodiment, but in this embodiment, the insertion is performed in the same posture for each stage.

  In the second embodiment, the portion where the lance 2 and the movable piece 13 are provided is a cavity forming wall 9 that partitions the cavities 3 in addition to the cavity forming wall 9 that forms the bottom wall of the cavity 3 at the lowest stage in the drawing. . Since the configuration of each lance 2 and the movable piece 13 is the same as that of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  According to the second embodiment configured as described above, the terminal fitting 4 is inserted, for example, in order from the uppermost side in the drawing toward the lowermost side. In the cavity 3 in which the terminal fitting is half-inserted during this time, the lance 2 and the movable piece 13 protrude into the cavity 3 adjacent to the lower stage while being bent (the lance formed in the middle cavity 3 in FIG. 3). 2 and the movable piece 13). After that, when the terminal fitting 4 is inserted into the cavity 3 adjacent to the lower side of the cavity 3 where the half insertion has occurred, the tip of the movable piece 13 abuts on the front surface of the terminal connection portion 6 of the terminal fitting 4, and no more than this. Insertion is prevented (see the bottom cavity 3 in FIG. 3). In this situation, the operator can know that the terminal fitting 4 is half-inserted in the cavity 3 adjacent to the upper side of the cavity 3.

  Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same operational effects can be exhibited.

<Example 3>
FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In Example 1 and Example 2, the extending direction of the movable piece 13 was the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 4 (backward), but the movable piece 30 of this example is in the same direction as the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 4. Is set. That is, the extending direction of the movable piece 30 is the same as the extending direction of the lance 2.

According to the third embodiment configured as described above, when the connector is fitted into the detection space 16 of the detection jig J, the tip of the movable piece 30 is abutted against the opening edge of the detection space 16 to perform half-insertion detection. Therefore, the insertion into the detection space 16 is surely prevented, and the detection accuracy of the half-insertion detection can be increased. Further, since the movable piece 30 can be covered over almost the entire length of the lance 2, there is an effect that the protection of the lance 2 is ensured.
Further, since the lance 2 does not directly interfere with the detection jig J at the time of half-insertion detection, the point that lance protection is achieved is the same as in the first embodiment.

<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) Although the movable piece is formed integrally with the connector housing in the above embodiment, a separate structure (for example, a front holder or a front retainer) may be mounted on the connector housing. In that case, it is also possible to form the movable piece in a double-sided manner.
(2) In the above embodiment, the movable piece is formed in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the terminal fitting, but it may be formed in the intersecting direction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,20 ... Connector housing 2 ... Lance 3 ... Cavity 4 ... Terminal metal fitting 9 ... Cavity component wall 13, 30 ... Movable piece

Claims (4)

A connector is formed so that a lance that can be locked to a terminal fitting is formed in a cavity of a connector housing so as to be able to bend,
The connector housing is arranged so as to cover the lance in the bending area of the lance from the outside in the bending direction, and when the lance is bent and deformed in the process of inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity, A connector is formed, wherein a movable piece which is pushed by the lance and which is bent and deformed so as to protrude from an outer surface of the connector housing is formed.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the movable piece is formed integrally with a cavity constituting wall constituting the cavity.   The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the movable piece has a cantilever shape extending in a direction parallel to an insertion direction of the terminal fitting. The connector housing is provided with a plurality of cavities along the bending direction of the lance, and the movable piece is also formed on the cavity constituting wall that partitions the cavities formed in a plurality of stages.
When the terminal fitting is inserted in a semi-inserted state in the cavity adjacent to the opposite side of the lance and the movable piece in the bending direction, and the movable piece is held in a bent state together with the lance, the movable piece is movable. 4. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the piece protrudes into a cavity adjacent to the bending direction to prevent the terminal fitting from being inserted into the cavity.

Images