JP3004899B2 - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small and highly reliable connector having a large number of poles, and more particularly to a waterproof connector having similar characteristics.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a connector of this type, for example, a multi-conductor terminal assembly described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-132499 is known. This assembly includes a terminal block having a cavity for accommodating a terminal element (contact), a member called an end plate having an aperture for separating each conductive wire, and a member disposed between the end plate and the terminal block. Including fixing means for fixing to the block. The fixing means is, specifically, a lock plate slidably housed in a U-shaped end plate having a vertical cross section. The lock plate connects a through hole through which the wire passes and a through hole (arc) having a smaller diameter than the hole, and slides the lock plate from a position (first position) allowing the passage of the wire. (Second position), the wire is locked by the smaller diameter through hole. The lock plate at the first and second positions is locked by a tongue (projection) provided on the lower side of the lock plate and a slot provided at a corresponding position of the end plate storing the lock plate. .

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional connector, the means for locking the wire is only the lock plate, and the end plate merely separates the wire. Moreover, the lock plate fixes the wire, and if the lock and the release are repeated, the wire may be damaged. Further, the lock plate is housed in a head plate provided separately from the terminal block, and requires a separate means for connecting the head plate and the terminal block, so that the structure becomes complicated.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to eliminate such defects of the conventional connector.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a small, highly reliable connector with high operability even if it has multiple poles.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a contact storage portion provided with a plurality of storage holes for storing contacts at predetermined intervals and a contact holding member described later are stored. A socket insulator including a holding member storage portion provided with a cavity to be inserted, and a socket insulator stored in the cavity, each of which allows a contact to be inserted and locked at a position corresponding to a storage hole of the contact storage portion. A connector assembly having at least two retaining members having through holes.

[0007]

1 is an exploded view of a portion of a connector assembly according to the present invention. The members shown are the back plate member 50, the socket insulator 10, and the seal ring 70.

[0008] The back plate member covers a holding member accommodating portion 10B of the socket insulator, which will be described later, and locks with a cap housing, which will be described later, on the top portion (the side facing the front in FIG. 1) of the socket insulator. Arm 52 is provided. When the back plate member is fitted to the socket insulator, the engagement groove 53 provided on the former and the projection 14 provided on the latter are engaged with each other to lock each other.

A seal ring 70 is provided between the contact housing portion 10A of the socket insulator and the cap housing 60 (see FIGS. 10 and 11 described later) that covers the contact housing portion 10A, and seals both. At this time, the hook 71 protruding from a part of the seal ring engages with the projection 15 of the socket insulator to prevent the seal ring from falling off.

Hereinafter, each member constituting the connector assembly will be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiment.

The connector assembly according to the present invention includes a socket insulator (see FIGS. 2 to 4) and at least two contact holding members 20, 30 (see FIGS. 5 to 7).
Reference).

The socket insulator has a contact storage portion 10A provided with a plurality of storage holes 11 for storing the contacts 100 (see FIG. 12) at predetermined intervals, and a holding portion provided with a cavity 12 for storing a contact holding member. And a member storage section 10B.

The two holding members are sequentially housed in the cavity, and are provided with through holes 21 and 31 respectively at positions corresponding to the contact housing holes of the contact housing.

[0014] One of the holding members has a first position (allowing contact insertion) and a second position in the cavity.
(A contact plate is locked). The shape of the through hole 21 is, for example, a substantially elliptical shape or a gourd shape extending along the sliding direction of the holding plate (including a partially missing shape). The illustrated embodiment has the latter shape (see FIG. 5). When the holding plate is at the first position, the larger-diameter portion of the through hole coincides with the contact storage hole, and allows the contact to be inserted. When the holding plate is slid to the second position, the smaller diameter portion of the through hole matches the contact receiving hole, and locks the contact.

In the illustrated embodiment, the contact is a receptacle contact and is accommodated in a contact accommodating hole of the socket insulator.
At a portion 101 (see FIG. 12) of the holding plate, the holding plate is engaged with and held in the through hole of the plate. In this embodiment, the portion of the contact engaged with and held by the through hole of the holding plate is narrowed and narrowed.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the contact receiving portion, the cavity, and the holding member has a rectangular cross section intersecting the contact insertion direction, and the sliding direction of the holding plate is along the short side of the plate. Direction.

The cavity and the holding plate are provided in the first
And latch means 22 and 13 for latching the holding plate at the second position and the second position. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch means comprises a recess 22A provided on the short side of the holding plate.
And a projection 22B provided at the bottom of the recess (see FIG. 5), and at least two notches 13A provided at the short side of the cavity corresponding to the recess of the holding plate (portion C in FIGS. 3 and 3). Is enlarged in FIG. 4). The projection of the holding plate slides from one notch to the other notch in accordance with the sliding of the holding plate, and engages with any one of them. The two notches correspond to the first and second positions of the holding plate, respectively.

[0018] The latch means further includes a groove 22C provided near the recess of the holding plate and along the bottom of the recess.
(See FIG. 5). In this case, the groove 20C and the recess 2
A spring portion 22D is formed in a portion of the plate between 2A and 2A so that when the projection of the plate slides the notch in a snap manner, the spring portion provides smooth operation and provides sufficient holding force.

The holding plate further has an operation piece 23 projecting downward from the bottom of the plate (see FIG. 5).
The operation piece protrudes outside from an engagement groove 12A (see FIG. 2) provided at a corresponding portion of the cavity. When the holding plate is slid, the operation piece protruding outside is operated so as to be pushed.

Another one of the holding members has at least one pair of holding pieces 31 at the tip of a through hole 31 through which a contact is inserted.
A holding block 30 provided with A (see FIGS. 6 and 7). In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts are housed in the contact housing holes and are held by the holding pieces of the holding block. The portion of the contact held by the holding piece of the holding block has a narrow diameter.

The connector assembly according to the present application further has a bushing 40 having a through hole 41 for inserting a contact at a position corresponding to the through hole of the holding block (see FIG. 9). The bushing is housed in the cavity of the socket insulator so as to overlap the holding block, and seals the opening of the cavity. In the illustrated embodiment, a guide hole (not shown) formed in a corresponding portion of the bushing is passed through a guide post 32 (see FIG. 6) provided on the holding block to insert a contact between the holding block and the bushing. Align the through holes.

The connector assembly according to the present invention further comprises a holding member housing 1 for the socket insulator.
8 has a back plate member 50 that covers the side of FIG.
reference). The back plate member has a hole 51 for inserting a wire terminated by a contact at a position corresponding to the through hole 31 of the holding block and / or the through hole 41 of the bushing on the bottom surface covering the opening of the cavity. And a locking arm 52 is provided on the top surface thereof.

The connector assembly further has a cap housing 60 (see FIGS. 10 and 11) which covers the contact housing 10A of the socket insulator. The cap housing is provided with a hole portion 61 at a position corresponding to the contact storage hole on the bottom surface covering the contact storage portion. Further, the cap housing has a projection 62 which locks with the locking arm 52 of the back plate member.
Is provided.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where each member of the above-described connector assembly (excluding the cap housing) is assembled. The back plate member is provided with a hole 51 through which a wire terminated by a contact is inserted at a position corresponding to the through hole of the bushing on the bottom surface covering the opening of the cavity (see FIG. 8).

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the members of the connector assembly (including the cap housing) described above are assembled and the wires are connected.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the first and second holding members engage and hold the contact (not the wire), so that even if the number of poles is large, the connector is reliably held and has high reliability. Can be provided.

In the present invention, if the contact holding member is configured to slide in the short side direction of the socket insulator, the pitch in the long side direction of the through hole (elongate in the sliding direction) of the holding plate can be reduced. , Conventional type (the direction in which the through hole intersects the sliding direction,
That is, the arrangement pitch of the through holes can be made narrower than in the case of being elongated in the long side direction, and the socket can be made smaller accordingly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of an embodiment of a connector assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the contact storage portion of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the contact storage section shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a first holding member used for the connector assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a second holding member used for the connector assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a second holding member shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a back plate member used in the connector assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where main parts of the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 are assembled.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a cap housing used in the connector assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the cap housing shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing an assembled state of one embodiment of the connector assembly according to the present invention.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-7-226258 (JP, A) JP-A-60-158575 (JP, A) JP-A-3-1222979 (JP, A) JP-A-5-225 144499 (JP, A) JP-A-4-22078 (JP, A) JP-A-4-282581 (JP, A) JP-B-6-90940 (JP, B2) US Patent 3,573,720 (US, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/42

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A contact storage section 1 having a plurality of storage holes 11 for storing contacts 100 at predetermined intervals.
0A and a socket insulator 10 having a holding member storage portion 10B provided with a cavity 12 for storing the contact holding members 20 and 30 described later, and a socket insulator 10 stored in the cavity 12 of the holding member storage portion 10B. At least two holding members 2 having through holes 21 and 31 for inserting a contact at a position corresponding to the storage hole 11 and locking the contact.
0, 30 wherein one of said holding members is slidable between a first position and a second position within said cavity 12. The cavity 12 and the holding plate 20 are provided with latching means 22 and 13 for latching the holding plate at the first position and the second position, respectively. A pair of recessed portions 22A provided on both sides of the holding plate 20 so as to face each other, a projection 22B provided on the bottom of each of the recessed portions, and at least two recessed portions provided on a cavity adjacent to each of the recessed portions. A step notch 13A, and the latch means further includes a groove 22C provided along a bottom side of each of the concave portions, near the pair of concave portions provided on the both side surfaces of the holding plate. A connector assembly, characterized in that: 2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the through hole through which the contact is inserted is such that the contact is inserted at the first position and the contact is locked at the second position. A connector assembly having a substantially elliptical or gourd shape extending along a sliding direction of the holding plate. 3. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the contact storage portion 10A, the cavity 12, and the holding members 20, 30 has a rectangular cross section that intersects a contact insertion direction. The connector assembly wherein the direction of sliding of the holding plate is along a short side of the plate. 4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the holding plate further has an operation piece 23 protruding downward from a bottom side of the plate.
A connector assembly protruding outside from an engagement groove (12A) provided in the cavity (12). 5. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the other one of the holding members has a plurality of through holes for inserting a contact having at least a pair of holding pieces 31A at a tip thereof. Holding block 3 having hole 31
0. A connector assembly as set forth in claim 0. 6. The connector assembly according to claim 5, further comprising a bushing provided with a through-hole for inserting a contact at a position corresponding to the through-hole of the holding block, wherein the bushing is provided. A connector assembly housed in the cavity 12 of the socket insulator together with the holding block to seal an opening of the cavity. 7. The connector assembly according to claim 5, further comprising a back plate member that covers a side of the holding member storage portion of the socket insulator.
The back plate member is for inserting a wire terminated by a contact into a position corresponding to the through hole 31 of the holding block and / or the through hole 41 of the bushing on the bottom surface covering the opening of the cavity. A connector assembly comprising: a hole 51; and a locking arm 52 provided on a top surface of the hole 51. 8. The connector assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a cap housing that covers the contact housing portion of the socket insulator, wherein the cap housing has a bottom surface that covers the contact housing portion. A connector assembly comprising: a hole portion provided at a position corresponding to a storage hole of a contact storage portion; and a projection which locks with a locking arm of the back plate member. 9. The connector assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a seal ring provided between the contact housing portion of the socket insulator and the cap housing.