JP3415141B1 - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the workability of removing a terminal fitting while securing a retaining force of the terminal fitting. SOLUTION: A female housing 40 is provided with a cavity 41 into which the female terminal fitting 10 can be inserted from the rear. In the cavity 41, when the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted, a lance 43 is provided, which is bent and deformed in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction and then returns to return to the female terminal fitting 10 so as to be elastically locked. Have been. Of the locking surfaces 64 of the lance 43 with respect to the female terminal fitting 10, a lower locking surface 61, which is a front portion in the bending direction, is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the drawing direction of the female terminal fitting 10. Locking surface 64
Among them, the upper locking surface 58 which is the rear portion in the bending direction has an angle formed with respect to the extracting direction smaller than the angle of the lower locking surface 61.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an example in which a terminal fitting is retained by a lance provided in a connector housing, there is known one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-115475. As shown in FIG. 17, the connector housing 1 of this connector is provided with a cavity 3 into which the terminal fitting 2 can be inserted from the rear side, and the lower surface of the cavity 3 is elastic with respect to the terminal fitting 2 to be inserted. A lance 4 that can be locked mechanically. Lance 4
Is an arm 4a that can be bent and deformed in the vertical direction, and a retainer that protrudes from the upper surface of the arm 4a and enters into a locking hole 2a formed in the bottom wall of the terminal fitting 2 and can be locked to the edge of the hole. It is composed of a protrusion 4b.

By the way, when attempting to downsize the connector as described above, the strength of the lance 4 tends to be insufficient, so that when an excessive pulling force acts on the terminal fitting 2 in the locked state, There is a possibility that the lance 4 may be forcibly bent and the lock may be released. As a countermeasure against this, as shown in FIG. 18, the locking surface 5 of the retaining projection 4b with respect to the terminal fitting 2 is provided.
It is conceivable to incline the so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extraction direction. With this configuration, even when a force pulling the terminal fitting 2 rearward is applied from the locked state, a component force in a direction opposite to the bending direction is applied to the lance 4 due to the inclination of the locking surface 5. As a result, the locked state is less likely to be released, and thus the retaining force of the terminal fitting 2 can be increased.

[0004]

However, when the locking surface 5 is inclined as described above, the following problems occur when the terminal fitting 2 is removed. That is, the work of removing the terminal fitting 2 is performed by pulling out the terminal fitting 2 while forcibly bending and deforming the lance 4 by the releasing jig, but the locking surface 5 is on the upper end side (the rear end in the bending direction). 17), and the displacement locus of the locking surface 5 at the time of bending deformation is closer to the front than that of FIG. Interference was likely to occur and workability was poor. The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances,
The purpose is to improve the workability of removing the terminal fittings while ensuring the retaining strength of the terminal fittings.

[0005]

As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is provided in a cavity provided in a connector housing by inserting a terminal fitting from the rear into the cavity. The lance is flexibly deformed in a direction intersecting the insertion / extraction direction of the terminal fitting, and then returns to be elastically locked to the terminal fitting.
Is a direction front engaging surface deflection is inclined to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extraction direction of the terminal fitting, Ru is set smaller than the angle in the direction front engaging surface deflection angle the forming to the extraction direction Consists of a locking surface on the rear side in the bending direction
The bending direction front locking surface and the bending direction rear side engagement surface.
The stop surface is characterized in that it is configured so as to be able to be locked to the terminal fitting . The invention of claim 2 is a contract
The thing of claim 1 WHEREIN: Said bending direction front side locking surface
And the rear locking surface in the bending direction are opposite to each other in the extraction direction.
The feature is that it is a plane with different angles to
Have.

[0006]

<Operation and Effect of the Invention><Invention of Claim 1> The terminal fitting inserted into the cavity of the connector housing is held in the retaining state by the elastic locking of the lance. In this case, out of the locking surface of the lance, wrinkles
The front locking surface is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extraction direction of the terminal fitting, so even if a force that pulls the terminal fitting backward is applied from the locked state, the lance will bend in the bending direction. Since a component force acts in the direction opposite to that, it becomes difficult for the locked state to be released, and thus the retaining force of the terminal fitting is increased. On the other hand, when removing the terminal fitting from the connector housing, the lance is forcibly bent and deformed to release the locked state and the terminal fitting is pulled out rearward. At this time, of the locking surfaces of the lance, the angle of the rear locking surface in the bending direction with respect to the extraction direction is set to be smaller than the angle of the front locking surface in the bending direction. Compared to the case where the same inclination angle is used over the entire length, the displacement locus of the locking surface when the lance flexes and deforms can be retracted backward. Therefore, when the lance is flexibly deformed, the lance is less likely to interfere with the terminal fitting, and the workability of removing the terminal fitting is improved. As described above, according to the present invention, the retaining force of the terminal fitting can be kept high even when the size is reduced, and the workability of removing the terminal fitting can be improved. <Invention of Claim 2> The bending direction front locking surface and the bending direction rear locking surface are separated from each other.
The planes have different angles with respect to the scraping direction.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the female connector housing 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as the female housing 40)
1 shows a female connector having a female terminal fitting 10 inserted therein. The female terminal fitting 10 is electrically connected to a male terminal fitting (neither male housing is shown) housed in a mating male housing that is fitted to the female housing 40 while being housed in the female housing 40. It is possible to connect. In the following, the insertion direction of the female terminal fitting 10 into the female housing 40 will be referred to as the front, the opposite extraction direction will be referred to as the rear, and the description of the up-down direction will be made with reference to FIG. 7 and the like.

The female terminal fitting 10 is formed in a desired shape by punching or bending a metal base material into a predetermined shape and subjecting the metal base material to punching or bending. This female terminal fitting 10
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, it has a structure in which a box-shaped main body 11 that roughly opens in the front and back and a barrel 12 that can be crimp-connected to the end of the electric wire W are connected in the front and back. .
Of these, the barrel portion 12 is provided with a pair of caulking pieces 12a and 12b at the front and rear, and both caulking pieces 12a on the front side are caulked to the core wire portion Wa of the electric wire W, whereas both caulking pieces 12b on the rear side are caulked. It is adapted to be caulked to the covering portion Wb of the electric wire W.

The main body portion 11 has a bottom wall 13 extending forward and backward.
And a pair of side walls 14 rising from both side edges of the bottom wall 13,
4, a ceiling wall 16 protruding from the protruding end of the left side wall 14 in FIG. 4 so as to face the bottom wall 13, and a ceiling wall 16 protruding from the protruding end of the right side wall 15 in FIG. And an outer wall 17 that is formed.

The bottom wall 13 is another wall 1 as shown in FIG.
The front end is arranged at a position retracted rearward as compared with 4, 15, 16, and 17, and an elastic contact piece 18 is projected from the front end. The elastic contact piece 18 is formed by folding back a tongue piece protruding forward from the front end of the bottom wall 13 toward the rear side.
It is formed in a cantilever shape that is almost mountain-shaped. The elastic contact piece 18 is capable of elastic contact with the tab of the mating male terminal fitting that is inserted into the body 11 from the front. Further, on the ceiling wall 16 facing the elastic contact piece 18, a receiving portion 19 capable of holding the tab in a sandwiched state with the elastic contact piece 18.
Is provided overhanging inward. Further, the elastic contact piece 18 is engaged with the bottom wall 13 at a stage before the elastic contact piece 18 is deformed beyond the elastic limit, so that the elastic contact piece 1
8 is provided with an excessive-flexure restricting protrusion 20 that can restrict excessive flexure and is struck inward.

The outer wall 17, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7,
A notch portion 21 is formed over the entire width at a substantially central portion in the lengthwise direction, so that the notch portion 21 is divided into a front portion 17a and a rear portion 17b. When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41, the lance 43 can be inserted into the notch 21, and the lance 43 can be locked to the front cutting end face 21 a of the notch 21. ing. The front cutting end surface 21a of the notch 21 that is the locking surface for the lance 43
Is formed in a taper shape that is inclined inward over the entire area. The notch 21 has a length of a little less than half of the outer wall 17 and is formed up to the upper end of the side wall 15 on the back side in FIG. An overhanging piece 22 projecting from a projecting end of the ceiling wall 16 is brought into contact with the upper end surface of the side wall 15 (a side cut end surface of the cutout portion 21), so that the ceiling wall 16 is made substantially horizontal. It can support the posture. A recess 23 is formed in the front half of the ceiling wall 16 having the receiving portion 19 so as to be slightly lower than the rear half, except for the contact portion of the overhanging piece 22 with the side wall 15. Only the locking depth of the lance 43 can be earned. The front portion 17a of the outer wall 17 has a front-rear length set to be slightly shorter than the rear portion 17b.

As shown in FIG. 6, a rear holding piece 24 bent to the bottom wall 13 side and a stabilizer 25 bent to the opposite side (outward) are provided from the projecting end of the rear part 17b of the outer wall 17. It is provided before and after. Rear holding piece 24
6 is fitted into a rear holding groove 26 formed in a notch in the side wall 14 on the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 6, so that the rear portion 17b can be held in a state where the rear portion 17b is prevented from moving back and forth. The stabilizer 25 is inserted into the stabilizer insertion groove 48 in the cavity 41, whereby the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted.
It is possible to guide the insertion operation of. Also, the rear holding piece 2
The front end of 4 is aligned with the front end of the rear portion 17b, and the rear end of the stabilizer 25 is aligned with the rear end of the rear portion 17b. At the center of the rear end of the rear portion 17b in the width direction, a protrusion 27 having substantially the same length as the stabilizer 25 is formed by being knocked out so as to protrude outward. When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41, the protrusion 27 can contact the lower surface of the cavity 41 (the upper surface of the protrusion insertion groove 47). A step portion 28 below the rear end of the main body 11 including the protrusion 27 (the rear portion 17 of the ceiling wall 16 and the outer wall 17).
A retainer 52 mounted on the female housing 40 can be engaged with the rear end surface b).

The front end 17a of the outer wall 17 has a rear end edge portion (a front end of the notch 21) along the width direction substantially in the center (correctly, slightly displaced to the left side of FIG. 4 from the center). )
A locking projection 29 is formed on the outer surface of the locking projection 29 so that the locking lance 43 can be locked. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the locking projection 29 has a substantially pyramid shape with the front end as the apex as a whole, and opens rearward. The locking projection 29 has a tapered shape in which the width dimension and the height dimension decrease toward the front end side, and the pyramidal portion 29a composed of three slopes and the width dimension and the height dimension are constant and 3 It has a configuration in which a rectangular tube portion 29b composed of two side surfaces is connected to the front and rear. The pyramid portion 29a of the locking projection 29 is tapered and the front end thereof is formed to have a slightly rounded shape, so that the projection is formed in the process of inserting the female terminal fitting 10 into the cavity 41. The insertion operation in the insertion groove 47 can be smoothly performed. The rectangular tube portion 29b of the locking projection 29 has the cutout portion 21.
It is formed so as to project rearward in the form of an overhang along the inclination of the cut end face 21a on the front side of the outer wall 17, and projects rearward from the front portion 17a of the outer wall 17.

The locking projection 29 is set so as to project to substantially the same height as the projection 27, and can be inserted into the projection insertion groove 47 of the cavity 41 like the projection 27. . The trailing edge of the locking projection 29, which is locked to the lance 43, is formed by the front cutting end surface 21a of the notch 21, and is formed in a tapered shape that is inclined inward. The rear end surfaces of both sides of the front portion 17a of the outer wall 17 with respect to the locking projection 29 are also formed by the front cutting end surface 21a of the notched portion 21 that is inclined inward, and the lance 43 is engaged therewith. It can be stopped (FIGS. 8 and 12).

From the projecting end of the front portion 17a of the outer wall 17 (the end that abuts against the side wall 14), as shown in FIG.
A front holding piece 30 that is bent toward the bottom wall 13 is provided. The front holding piece 30 is fitted into the front holding groove 31 formed in the notch in the side wall 14 on the front side of the paper surface of FIG.
The front portion 17a can be held in a state in which the front portion 17a is prevented from moving back and forth. The front holding piece 30 is provided on the outer wall 1
7 is formed so as to project rearward from the front portion 17a.
The cutout 2 is formed at the root of the front holding piece 30.
1 is expanded and formed, and the cut end surface 21a thereof is formed in a tapered shape that is inclined inward as described above, and the side end portion of the lance 43 can be locked therein.

The female housing 40 is made of synthetic resin,
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7, a plurality of cavities 41 into which the female terminal fittings 10 can be inserted from the rear are arranged in two rows in the vertical direction and in a plurality of chambers in the width direction. The female terminal fitting 10 inserted into the cavity 41 can be elastically retained by a lance 43 (details will be described later) provided on the lower wall 42 side of the cavity 41, and the female housing 40
The front wall 44 is supported in a front stop state. The front wall 44 of the female housing 40 is provided with a tab insertion hole 45 that allows the tab of the mating male terminal fitting to enter into the cavity 41 from the front side. Since the guide surface 46 having a substantially mortar-like shape is formed over the entire circumference, the tab entry motion is smoothly guided.

On the lower wall 42 of the cavity 41, there are provided a projection insertion groove 47 through which the locking projection 29 and the projection 27 of the female terminal fitting 10 can be inserted, and a stabilizer insertion groove 48 through which the stabilizer 25 can be inserted. It is formed so as to open rearward. The protrusion insertion groove 47 is arranged substantially at the center in the width direction of the cavity 41, while the stabilizer insertion groove 48 is arranged on the right side in FIG. 2 with respect to the protrusion insertion groove 47. The protrusion insertion groove 47 is formed continuously on the lance 43 side as described later, while the stabilizer insertion groove 48 has its front end position set slightly behind the lance 43.

At the front end of the upper surface of the cavity 41 (the surface facing the lance 43), there is provided an overhanging portion 49 which projects inward (on the lance 43 side) in a tapered shape over the entire width. By pushing the front end portion of the female terminal fitting 10 inserted into the cavity 41 by 49 toward the lance 43 side, the locking depth of the lance 43 can be increased. The rear end peripheral edge of the cavity 41 is formed in a tapered shape so that the female terminal fitting 10 can be guided in over almost the entire circumference except a part. At the upper left position of FIG. 2 in the rear edge of the cavity 41, the female terminal fitting 10
Regulating part 50 forming a steep end surface orthogonal to the inserting / removing direction of
The restricting portion 50 is provided with a female terminal fitting 1
When 0 is set to the cavity 41 in an illegal posture which is vertically inverted from the regular insertion posture, the stabilizer 25 abuts on the cavity 41 to restrict the insertion operation. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the cavity 41 is formed such that the first half portion is narrower than the second half portion.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lower surface of the female housing 40 is provided with a retainer mounting hole 51 into which a retainer 52 for secondarily locking the female terminal fitting 10 can be mounted from below. . The retainer mounting hole 51 is formed at a position where the central portion of each cavity 41 in the length direction (a portion rearward of the lance 43) is opened downward. The retainer 52 has upper and lower retaining portions 53 corresponding to the respective cavities 41, and the retaining portions 53 are arranged to be retracted downward from the respective cavities 41 with respect to the female housing 40. And a temporary locking position (FIG. 7) that allows the female terminal fitting 10 to be inserted into and removed from each cavity 41.
A main locking position where each retaining portion 53 advances into each cavity 41 and can be locked to the female terminal fitting 10 (see FIG. 1).
4) and 2) can be moved in the vertical direction. The retainer 52 can be selectively held at the temporary locking position and the main locking position by a holding means (not shown). The retainer 5 is shown in FIGS. 9 and 13.
2 is omitted.

Now, the structure of the lance 43 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the lance 43 is provided on the front side of the lower wall 42 of the cavity 41 (retainer mounting hole 5).
The arm 54 is provided on the front side of (1) and has both ends in the front and rear directions. On the upper surface of the arm 54, there is provided a retaining projection 55 that is inserted into the notch 21 of the female terminal fitting 10 and can be locked to the cut end surface 21a on the front side thereof so as to project into the cavity 41. ing. The lance 43 has a generally symmetrical shape when viewed from the front as a whole.

The arm 54 has a shape in which both lower corners of a horizontally long rectangle are cut off in a taper shape when viewed from the front (FIG. 1), and is substantially comparable to the width dimension of the cavity 41 (to be exact, to be exact). It has a width dimension (slightly smaller than the width dimension of the cavity 41) (FIG. 9). The arm 54 is flexibly deformable along the up-down direction (direction intersecting the insertion / extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10) with the front and rear supporting portions as fulcrums.
At the time of deformation, it becomes a substantially arcuate shape with the center part in the length direction being the lowermost end (FIG. 10). Below the arm 54, a bending space for allowing the bending deformation is secured by a predetermined height. A pair of excessive bending restriction rail portions 56 having a substantially triangular cross section are provided in the longitudinal direction of the lance 43 at a lower position where a bending space is formed with respect to both sides of the arm 54 (a portion where the lower surface is tapered). It is provided along. The excessive bending restriction rail portion 56 is capable of restricting the excessive bending by engaging with the lance 43 at a stage before the lance 43 bends and deforms beyond the elastic limit. The rear part 5 of the arm 54
4b is connected to the lower wall 42 over the entire width and is formed in an inclined shape that forms an upward slope toward the front, while the front portion 54a is formed in the front wall 4 of the female housing 40.
It is partially connected to 4 and is formed substantially horizontally. A projection insertion groove 47 formed in the lower wall 42 is continuously provided on the rear portion 54b of the arm 54,
The portions left on both sides of the protrusion insertion groove 47 are the female terminal fittings 1.
The rear side support portion 57 can support 0.

The retaining projection 55 has a width dimension across the entire width of the arm 54 (FIG. 9) and is provided so as to align the front end position with the rear portion 54b of the arm 54.
A rear surface of the arm 54 is formed in a taper shape continuous with the inclination of the rear portion 54b of the arm 54. The retaining projection 55 has
A protrusion insertion groove 47 formed in the rear portion 54b of the arm 54 is continuously provided, whereby the retainer protrusion 5 is provided.
5 has a shape in which the central portion in the width direction is recessed when viewed from the front (FIG. 1). The front surface of the retaining projection 55 is an upper locking surface 58 that can be mainly locked to both side portions of the locking projection 29 of the front cutting end surface 21 a of the cutout 21 of the female terminal fitting 10. (FIG. 12), and is formed as a raised surface that is substantially orthogonal to the front-rear direction (the insertion / removal direction of the female terminal fitting 10).

The front portion 54a of the arm 54 has a central opening in the width direction of the upper surface, which opens forward and is provided with a lance 43 from the outside of the front.
Release jig J (Fig. 15) for forcibly bending and deforming
An operation groove 59 into which the female terminal fitting 10 can be inserted is formed over the entire length, and portions left on both sides of the operation groove 59 serve as a front side support portion 60 capable of supporting the female terminal fitting 10. In other words, the front portion 54a of the arm 54 is formed to be thinner than the rear portion 54b by the operation groove portion 59. The operation groove 59 is formed to a depth that is about a little more than half of the thickness of the front portion 54a of the arm 54, and has an upward slope toward the side so that both side surfaces thereof substantially follow the outer shape of the arm 54. It has a curved surface shape (Fig. 1). The locking projection 29 of the female terminal fitting 10 inserted into the cavity 41 is allowed to enter the operation groove 59, and the rear end thereof is connected to the upper locking surface 58. At the same time, a lower locking surface 61 that can be locked to the rear edge of the locking projection 29 of the front cutting end surface 21a of the notch 21 of the female terminal fitting 10 is formed. This lower locking surface 6
1 is formed so as to be inclined toward the lower end side toward the rear side of the upper locking surface 58 (inclination along the cut end surface 21a on the front side of the cutout portion 21 of the female terminal fitting 10).

A jig insertion groove 62 which allows the release jig J to be inserted is formed in the front half of the front portion 54a of the arm 54 so as to communicate with the operation groove 59. The jig insertion groove portion 62 is formed such that the front half portion of the front portion 54a of the arm 54 is bifurcated. On the rear end side of the jig insertion groove portion 62, a guide surface 63 is formed which has an upward slope toward the rear so that the release jig J can be guided to the operation groove portion 59.

As described above, the locking surface 64 of the lance 43 for the female terminal fitting 10 is, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper locking surface 58 formed by the front surface of the retaining projection 55,
The lower engaging surface 61 is formed by the inner surface of the operating groove 59. In other words, the upper engagement surface 58 constitutes an upper portion of the engagement surface 64, that is, a rear portion in the bending direction of the lance 43, whereas the lower engagement surface 61.
Is a lower portion of the locking surface 64, that is, the lance 43.
It constitutes the front part in the bending direction of. The upper locking surface 58 and the lower locking surface 61 are discontinuous surfaces having different angles with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10. That is, the lower locking surface 61 is inclined so that the angle α with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10 is 90 ° or more, that is, an obtuse angle, while the upper locking surface 58 is inclined with respect to the extraction direction β. Is almost 90 °. Therefore, the angle β formed by the upper locking surface 58 with respect to the extraction direction
Is smaller than the angle α at the lower locking surface 61. The angle α formed by the lower locking surface 61 with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10 is defined by the cutting end surface 21a of the front side of the notch 21 in the female terminal fitting 10 with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10. It is almost the same as the angle.

The present embodiment has the above-mentioned structure, and its operation will be described below. After the retainer 52 is attached to the female housing 40 at the temporary locking position, the female terminal fitting 10 with the wire W crimp-connected is inserted into the cavity 41 as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. At this time, when it is attempted to insert the female terminal fitting 10 in an improper posture in which the stabilizer 25 is turned downward, the front end face of the stabilizer 25 faces upwards after the cavity 41. Restriction part 5 formed on the edge periphery
The insertion operation is restricted by hitting 0. As a result, the reverse insertion of the female terminal fitting 10 is reliably prevented.

When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41 while keeping the proper insertion posture, the locking projection 29 is inserted into the projection insertion groove 47 first, and then the projection 27 is inserted into the projection insertion groove 47. By inserting the stabilizers 25 into the stabilizer insertion grooves 48, the female terminal fittings 10 can be smoothly inserted while suppressing rattling in the vertical and horizontal directions. Then, when the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted to a predetermined depth, as shown in FIG. 10, the locking protrusion 29 presses the lance 43 and the arm 54 thereof is bent and deformed downward. At this time, the arm 54 is deformed so as to have a shallow V-shape when viewed from the side, and the front portion 54a tilts backward, whereas the rear portion 54b tilts forward. In this process,
Since the locking projection 29 is formed in a substantially pyramidal shape with the front end as the apex, the insertion operation in the projection insertion groove 47 becomes smooth and the lance 43 can be pressed smoothly. .

Although the female terminal fitting 10 is in the half-inserted state, the operator may misunderstand that the normal depth has been reached and move the retainer 52 to the main locking position. In that case, the retaining portion 53 of the retainer 52 abuts against the lower surface side of the main body portion 11 of the female terminal fitting 10 to restrict the movement operation to the main locking position. With this, it is detected that the female terminal fitting 10 is half-inserted.

When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41 to the normal depth, the locking projection 29 passes over the slip-out preventing projection 55 of the lance 43 as shown in FIGS. The lance 43 enters the operation groove 59, and the lance 43 elastically returns accordingly. Then Lance 43
Of the retaining projection 55 in the notch 21 and the lower locking surface 61 is locked to the rear edge of the locking projection 29 of the front cutting end surface 21a of the notch 21 (see FIG. 11), the upper locking surface 58 is locked to both side portions of the locking projection 29 of the front cutting end surface 21a of the notch 21 (FIG. 12). As a result, the female terminal fitting 10 is retained and held by the lance 43. In the normal insertion process, the front end portion of the main body portion 11 is pushed down by the overhanging portion 49 on the upper surface of the cavity 41 and displaced so as to approach the lance 43 side. Is getting bigger.

The upper locking surface 58 of the lance 43 is formed in the entire width of the lance 43, that is, in the width region comparable to the width dimension of the cavity 41, and the cut end surface 21a on the front side of the notch 21 in the female terminal fitting 10 is formed. , The front portion 17a of the outer wall 17 including the locking projection 29 and the front holding piece 30
Up to, that is, in the width region over almost the entire width of the female terminal fitting 10, the female terminal fitting 10 is retained in the cavity 41 in a retaining state with a strong retaining force. Moreover, since the front cutting end surface 21a of the notch 21 and the lower locking surface 61 are both inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10, the wire W is inserted from the locked state. Even if a force pulling the female terminal fitting 10 rearward is applied, a component force is exerted on the lance 43 diagonally upward and rearward, that is, in the direction opposite to the downward direction which is the bending direction. Is difficult to be released, and thus the retaining force of the female terminal fitting 10 is stronger.

After inserting all the female terminal fittings 10 into the corresponding cavities 41, as shown in FIG. 14, when the retainer 52 is moved to the main locking position, each retaining portion 53 is removed.
Advances into each cavity 41 and is locked to the step portion 28 including the protrusion 27. In this way female terminal fitting 1
0 is retained and retained in the cavity 41 in a state of being doubly locked by the lance 43 and the retainer 52.

On the other hand, the female terminal fitting 10 may be removed from the female housing 40 due to circumstances such as maintenance. In this case, first, the retainer 52 is returned from the main locking position to the temporary locking position as shown in FIG. 11, and then the release jig J is used to forcibly bend and deform the lance 43. In order to bend the lance 43, the release jig J is inserted from the front of the female housing 40 into the jig insertion groove portion 62 and the operation groove portion 5.
Insert in 9. At this time, since the jig insertion groove 62 ensures a wide entrance to the release jig J, the initial insertion operation can be easily performed. Moreover, since the inner surface of the jig insertion groove portion 62 is the guide surface 63 inclined toward the operation groove portion 59 side, the release jig J is moved to the operation groove portion 59.
You can smoothly guide to.

The releasing jig J is inserted into the back of the operation groove 59, and as shown by the arrow in FIG. 15, the axis of the locking projection 29 is tilted along the outer surface of the locking projection 29 to the further back. Plunge. Then, the tip of the releasing jig J presses the wall surface of the operation groove 59 downward, so that the lance 43 is forcibly bent and deformed downward as shown in FIG. When the lance 43 is bent until the locking state with the female terminal fitting 10 is released, and the wire W is pulled and pulled backward, the female terminal fitting 10 can be pulled out from the cavity 41.

Here, of the locking surfaces 64, the upper locking surface 58
Is the angle β with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10.
Is set to be smaller than the angle α of the lower side locking surface 61, therefore, as compared with the case where the locking surface has the same inclination angle over the entire length as shown by imaginary lines in FIGS. 15 and 16,
The displacement trajectory of the locking surface 64 in the process of the lance 43 flexibly deforming can be retracted backward. Therefore, in the process of flexing and deforming the lance 43, the locking surface 64 becomes the locking projection 2
It becomes difficult to interfere with 9. Even if the locking surface 64 interferes with the locking projection 29, the catch becomes shallower than that of the imaginary line, so the interference is easily achieved by pushing the female terminal fitting 10 slightly forward through the wire W. It is possible to bend the lance 43 while eliminating the above.

Further, as described above, the displacement locus of the locking surface 64 in the process of flexing and deforming the lance 43 retracts rearward when the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 41 to the normal depth (FIG. 11). Lance 4 in
This means that the clearance between the engagement surface 64 of No. 3 and the cut end surface 21a on the front side of the cutout portion 21 of the female terminal fitting 10 becomes smaller. Therefore, in the properly inserted state, the range in which the female terminal fitting 10 rattles back and forth inside the cavity 41 becomes small, so that the connection is prevented from becoming unstable when the female terminal fitting 10 is conductively connected to the mating male terminal fitting. be able to.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
Since the lower locking surface 61 of the locking surface 64, which is the front portion in the bending direction of the lance 43, is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10, the female terminal fitting is locked from the locked state. Even when a force pulling 10 backward is applied, a component force in the direction opposite to the bending direction acts on the lance 43, so that the locked state is hard to be released, and thus the female terminal fitting 10 The retaining force of is increased.
On the other hand, in the upper locking surface 58, which is a rear portion of the locking surface 64 in the bending direction of the lance 43, the angle β formed with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting 10 is the angle α of the lower locking surface 61.
Since the locking surface is set smaller than that of the conventional locking surface, the locking surface 64 when the lance 43 flexes and deforms is compared with a conventional locking surface having the same inclination angle over the entire length.
The displacement locus of can be retracted back. Therefore,
When the lance 43 is bent and deformed during the work of removing the female terminal fitting 10, the lance 43 is less likely to interfere with the female terminal fitting 10, and thus the workability of removing the female terminal fitting 10 is improved. As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the strength of the lance 43 is reduced due to downsizing, the retaining force of the female terminal fitting 10 can be kept high and the workability of removing the female terminal fitting 10 can be improved. Can be improved.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition to the above, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the angle formed by the upper locking surface with respect to the extraction direction of the female terminal fitting is approximately 90 ° has been described, but if the angle is smaller than the angle of the lower locking surface. , 90 ° or more, or 90 ° or less. (2) In the above-described embodiment, the upper locking surface is provided on the retaining protrusion and the lower locking surface is provided on the arm. However, for example, the upper locking surface and the lower locking surface are provided. The present invention also includes those in which both and are provided in the retaining projection.

(3) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the double-ended lance is illustrated, but the present invention is also applicable to a single-ended lance. (4) In the above-described embodiments, the female terminal fitting is shown to include the locking projection, but the present invention also includes a female terminal fitting containing the locking projection. (5) In the above-described embodiment, the female connector that accommodates the female terminal fitting in the female housing is illustrated, but the present invention is also applicable to the male connector that accommodates the male terminal fitting in the male housing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a female housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 Rear view of female housing

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a female housing.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the female terminal fitting.

[Figure 5] Bottom view of female terminal fittings

FIG. 6 is a left side view of the female terminal fitting.

7 is a side sectional view showing a state before the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing in which the retainer is mounted at the temporary locking position (the female housing is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, the female terminal fitting is Four
D-D line sectional view of)

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a state before the female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing in which the retainer is mounted at the temporary locking position (the female housing is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1, and the female terminal fitting is a diagram). Four
EE line sectional view)

FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view showing a state before inserting the female terminal fitting into the female housing in which the retainer is mounted at the temporary locking position (the female housing is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1, the female terminal fitting is a flat surface). (Figure)

10 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the female terminal fitting is being inserted into the female housing (a female housing is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and a female terminal is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 4).

11 is a side sectional view showing a state where a female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing (a female housing is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and a female terminal is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 4).

12 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a female terminal fitting is inserted into a female housing (a female housing is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1, and a female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. 4).

FIG. 13 is a plan sectional view showing a state in which a female terminal fitting is inserted into the female housing (a female housing is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1, a female terminal fitting is a plan view).

14 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the retainer is moved to a main locking position (a female housing is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, and a female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 4).

15 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the releasing jig is inserted into the operation groove portion (a female housing is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and a female terminal fitting is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 4).

16 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the lance is flexibly deformed by a releasing jig (a female housing is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and a female terminal is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 4).

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a conventional example.

FIG. 18 is a partial sectional view showing an improved conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Female terminal fitting (terminal fitting) 40 ... Female housing (connector housing) 41 ... Cavity 43 ... Lance 58 ... Upper locking surface (rear direction rear portion) 61 ... Lower locking surface (front part in the bending direction) 64 ... Locking surface

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yuichi Nankou 1-14 Nishi-Suehiro-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. (56) References JP 2002-100432 (JP, A) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/42

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. When a terminal fitting is inserted into a cavity provided in a connector housing from the rear side, the lance provided in the cavity is bent and deformed in a direction intersecting the inserting / removing direction of the terminal fitting, and then is returned to the terminal. It is one which elastically locked with respect to bracket locking surface for said terminal fitting in said lance, direction front engaging surface deflection is inclined to form an obtuse angle with respect to the extraction direction of the terminal fitting When, is composed of a set that deflection direction rear locking surface smaller than the angle of the angle is the deflection direction front engaging surface makes with the extraction direction,
The bending direction front locking surface and the bending direction rear locking surface
Is a connector capable of being locked to the terminal fitting . 2. The bending direction front locking surface and the bending direction
The rear locking surfaces are mutually angled with respect to the extraction direction.
2. The planes are different from each other.
Connector.