JP3988439B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector having a retainer for preventing a terminal fitting from coming off.
[0002]
[Prior art]
13 and 14 show a connector for retaining the terminal fitting 101 inserted into the housing 100 by the retainer 102. FIG. In the housing 100, a pair of left and right cavities 105 partitioned by a partition wall 104 are formed. After the terminal fitting 101 is inserted into the cavities 105, the retainer 102 is assembled to the housing 100. The terminal fitting 101 is formed with a pair of left and right stabilizers 106 protruding from the outer surface thereof in parallel with the partition wall 104, and a locking portion 107 formed on the retainer 102 is locked to the stabilizer 106, thereby preventing the terminal fitting 101 from being removed. State.
[0003]
An example of a connector in which a retainer is locked to a stabilizer of a terminal fitting to prevent the terminal fitting from being removed is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-95367.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The stabilizer 106 in the above connector has a form extending flush from the side wall of the terminal fitting 101, and therefore is disposed at a position close to the partition wall 104. The distance between the stabilizers 106 of the two terminal fittings 101 is approximately the same as the thickness of the partition wall 104. Thus, conventionally, since the two stabilizers 106 are adjacent to each other at a narrow interval, the engaging portion 107 of the retainer 102 with respect to the two adjacent stabilizers 107 sandwiching the partition wall 104 is connected to one. Has been. As the locking portion 107 is connected to one, the partition wall 104 is formed with a notch portion 108 to avoid interference with the locking portion 107.
[0005]
However, in the notch portion 108, there is no part interposed as a partition between two adjacent stabilizers 106, and there is a concern that leakage may occur between the terminal fittings 101 via both the stabilizers 106.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to prevent leakage between terminal fittings adjacent to each other with a partition wall interposed therebetween.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is a housing in which a plurality of cavities partitioned by partition walls are formed, a terminal fitting that protrudes from the outer surface and is inserted into the cavities in a direction in which the stabilizer is parallel to the partition walls. In the connector provided with a retainer for retaining the terminal fitting by locking the locking portion with respect to the stabilizer of the terminal fitting inserted into the cavity, the retainer is provided in the housing. A mounting portion, which is a space for fitting, is formed in a form that opens on the lower surface of the housing and communicates with the plurality of cavities through a lower surface wall orthogonal to the partition wall, and the stabilizer, wherein among the perpendicular lower surface plate and the partition wall in the terminal fitting, is arranged closer to the center position than its side edges in the width direction, The retaining portion of the retainer has a plurality of protrusions that can be individually retained with respect to each stabilizer, and the partition wall is non-interfering with the plurality of retaining portions, and the partition wall is A partition portion is formed that is interposed between the stabilizers of the terminal metal fitting adjacent to each other, and a part of the lower wall perpendicular to the partition wall extends from the lower end of the partition portion to the lower surface plate of the terminal metal fitting. It is set as the extension part of the form extended toward the said stabilizer in the direction orthogonal to the said partition while being along .
[0007]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention , the retainer is formed with a protruding wall that protrudes toward the partition portion, and the partition is formed with a fitting recess for fitting the protruding wall. It was set as the structure.
[0008]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention , the terminal fitting is pulled out by locking a lance provided in the cavity at the center in the width direction of the bottom plate of the terminal fitting. The lance hole for stopping was opened, and the stabilizer was projected from the hole edge of the lance hole.
[0009]
[Action and effect of the invention]
[Invention of Claim 1]
The stabilizer is placed in a position closer to the center than the side edge on the outer surface of the terminal fitting, and the retainer's locking part is separated into multiple parts so as to be locked individually with each stabilizer. The partition part could be provided without interfering with the part. Since the partition portion is interposed between the stabilizers arranged with the partition wall in between, the creepage distance between the stabilizers becomes long, and leakage between the terminal fittings is prevented.
[0010]
Moreover, by forming the extension part in the partition part, the creeping distance between the stabilizers arranged with the partition wall in between is further increased, and the effect of preventing leakage between the two terminal fittings is improved.
[Invention of claim 2 ]
By forming the insertion recess in the partition portion, the creepage distance between the stabilizers arranged with the partition wall in between is further increased, and the effect of preventing leakage between the two terminal fittings is improved.
[Invention of claim 3 ]
Since a part of the outer plate that is removed along with the formation of the lance hole can be used as a stabilizer, the material cost can be reduced. In addition, since it is not necessary to make a dedicated opening for forming the stabilizer separately from the lance hole on the outer wall which is the formation base of the lance hole, it is possible to avoid a decrease in strength of the outer surface plate.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. The connector according to the present embodiment includes a pair of terminal fittings 20, a housing 10 into which the both terminal fittings 20 are inserted, and a retainer 30 assembled to the housing 10, and the terminal fittings inserted into the housing 10. 20 is retained by a retainer 30. In the following description, in the front-rear direction, the right side in FIG.
[0012]
The housing 10 is made of a synthetic resin material, and a pair of left and right cavities 11 penetrating in the front-rear direction are formed inside the housing 10 in a state of being partitioned by a partition wall 12 having a vertically long flat plate shape. A lance 13 is formed on the lower wall of the housing 10 perpendicular to the partition wall 12 so as to extend forward in a cantilevered manner along the lower surface of each cavity 11 and at the center in the width direction of each cavity 11.
In addition, the housing 10 is formed with a mounting portion 14 that opens squarely on the lower surface of the housing 10 over the entire width and communicates with both of the pair of cavities 11 so as to penetrate the lower surface wall. In addition, a pair of locking holes 15 that allow the attachment portion 14 and the inside of the cavity 11 to communicate with each other are formed in the lower surface wall so as to be bilaterally symmetrical with respect to the lance 13. The front end edge of the locking hole 15 is located slightly behind the locking projection 13 a of the lance 13.
[0013]
Of these locking holes 15, the locking hole 15 positioned on the partition wall 12 side is positioned closer to the center than the partition wall 12 in the width direction, and the locking hole 15 positioned on the outer wall 16 side forming the cavity 11 is It is located closer to the center than the outer wall 16 in the width direction. Therefore, a part of the lower wall remains between the partition wall 12 and the locking hole 15 and between the outer wall 16 and the locking hole 15 in a form that is connected to the lower end portion of the partition wall 12 at a right angle. . And the lower end part of this partition 12 is the partition part 17 located between the stabilizers 27 of the two terminal metal fittings 20 which are inserted in the cavity 11 and on both sides of the partition 12. A part of the lower wall extending from the lower end portion of the partition wall 12 to the locking hole 15 is an extension portion 18 extending from the lower end of the partition portion 17 in a direction orthogonal to the partition wall 12. Further, the partitioning portion 17 and the partition wall 12 are formed with an insertion recess 19 that opens in the lower end surface of the partitioning portion 17 and forms a slit shape parallel to the partitioning wall 12 and the partitioning portion 17. The lower surface of the partition portion 17 is set to be lower than the stabilizer 27 of the terminal fitting 20 in the cavity 11, and the upper end of the fitting recess 19 is set to be higher than the stabilizer 27. .
[0014]
The outer wall 16 is formed with a retaining recess 16a in which the inner wall surface facing the cavity 11 is recessed and communicated with the mounting portion 14. A retainer 30 is provided in the retaining recess 16a. A retaining protrusion 16b for locking in the retaining state is formed.
The terminal fitting 20 is a male type having a flat tab 21 at the front end, and a main body portion 22 having a substantially rectangular tube shape is coupled to the rear end of the tab 21, and the rear end of the main body portion 22. An electric wire crimping portion 23 is coupled to the end, and an electric wire 24 is crimped to the electric wire crimping portion 23. A lance hole 26 that opens in a square shape is formed in the lower surface plate 25 in the direction orthogonal to the partition wall 12 of the main body 22 at the center position in the width direction. In addition, a pair of left and right stabilizers 27 project downward in parallel to the partition wall 12 from the left and right side edges of the opening edge of the lance hole 26. The stabilizer 27 is formed by punching out a portion of the lower surface plate 25 corresponding to the opening area of the lance hole 26 when the lance hole 26 is formed. The distance between the pair of stabilizers 27 is slightly larger than the width of the lance 13, and the stabilizers 27 are arranged so as to correspond to the locking holes 15.
[0015]
The terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 from the rear. When the terminal fitting 20 is properly inserted, the lower surface plate 25 of the main body portion 22 contacts the lower surface of the cavity 11 and the retaining protrusion 13a of the lance 13 is provided. The stabilizer 27 is locked to the lance hole 26, and the stabilizer 27 protrudes into the locking hole 15.
The retainer 30 is made of a synthetic resin material and has a plate-like base portion 31 that is fitted to the mounting portion 14 of the housing 10. A pair of retaining portions 32 are formed on the upper surface of the base portion 31 so as to protrude upward from the left and right side edges. The retaining portion 32 is formed with a pair of front and rear elastic locking pieces 33 extending in a cantilevered manner upward, and the elastic locking pieces 33 enter the retaining recess 16 a of the housing 10 to prevent the retaining portion 32. The retainer 30 is held in the assembled state with respect to the housing 10 by engaging with the protrusion 16b.
[0016]
On the upper surface of the base portion 31, two pairs of locking portions 34 corresponding to the locking holes 15 of the housing 10 are formed so as to correspond to the stabilizers 27. The locking portion 34 has a plate shape and is fitted into the locking hole 15 almost tightly. The two pairs of locking portions 34 have a plurality of protrusions that can be locked individually to the stabilizers 27. The upper end surface of the locking portion 34 is substantially the same height as the lower surface of the cavity 11 in a state where the retainer 30 is attached to the housing 10, that is, does not interfere with the lower surface of the main body portion 22 of the terminal fitting 20 inserted into the cavity 11. Moreover, it is set to a height that can be locked with the stabilizer 27 of the terminal fitting 20 in the inserted state. Further, the front end of the locking portion 34 is set to correspond to the rear end edge of the stabilizer 27 of the terminal fitting 20 that is normally inserted into the cavity 11 at a slightly rearward position.
[0017]
On the upper surface of the base portion 31, a plate-like protruding wall 35 corresponding to the fitting recess 19 of the housing 10 is formed. The protruding wall 35 is inserted into the insertion recess 19 without back-and-forth and back-to-back rattling by assembling the retainer 30 to the housing 10, and the upper end surface of the protruding wall 35 in this assembled state is inserted into the cavity 11. It is set to be higher than the stabilizer 27 of the terminal fitting 20. The front end of the protruding wall 35 is positioned in front of the front end of the locking portion 34 (the front end edge of the locking hole 15), and the rear end of the protruding wall 35 is the locking portion 34 (the rear end edge of the locking hole 15). ) Is located behind. In other words, the region where the protruding wall 35 is formed in the front-rear direction is a large range so as to cover the region where the locking hole 15 is formed.
[0018]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
When the terminal fitting 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 with the retainer 30 removed from the housing 10, the lance hole 26 of the terminal fitting 20 is engaged with the retaining protrusion 13 a of the lance 13, so that the terminal fitting 20 is in a retaining state. While being held, the stabilizer 27 is positioned in the locking hole 15.
Thereafter, when the retainer 30 is assembled to the housing 10 from below, the protruding wall 35 is inserted into the insertion recess 19, and each locking portion 34 is inserted into the locking hole 15, and the stabilizer in the locking hole 15. 27 is locked from the rear. By the secondary locking to the stabilizer 27 by the locking portion 34 and the primary locking of the lance 13 and the lance hole 26, the terminal fitting 20 is brought into a double locking state and securely pulled out.
[0019]
In the present embodiment, the stabilizer 27 is arranged at a position closer to the center than the side edge of the lower surface plate 25 of the terminal fitting 20, and a plurality of locking portions 34 of the retainer 30 are locked to each stabilizer 27 individually. Since it was set as the separated form, the partition part 17 could be provided in the partition 12 without interfering with the latching | locking part 34. FIG. Since the partitioning portion 27 is interposed between the stabilizers 27 arranged with the partition wall 12 in between, the creepage distance between the stabilizers 27 is increased, thereby preventing leakage between the terminal fittings 20.
[0020]
Further, since the partition portion 17 is formed with the extension portion 18 extending toward the stabilizer 27 along the lower surface plate 25 that is perpendicular to the partition wall 12 in the terminal fitting 20, the partition portion 17 is formed between the left and right side surfaces of the partition portion 17. The creepage distance is increased by the length of the extension 18, and as a result, the creepage distance between the stabilizers 27 arranged across the partition wall 12 is further increased. The prevention effect is improved.
[0021]
Furthermore, the retainer 30 is formed with a protruding wall 35 that protrudes toward the partition portion 17, and the partition wall 12 is formed with a fitting recess 19 into which the protruding wall 35 is fitted. The creepage distance between them is increased by the height of the protruding wall 35, and as a result, the creepage distance between the stabilizers 27 arranged across the partition wall 12 is further increased. It is further improved.
Further, since the stabilizer 27 is formed so as to protrude from the hole edge of the lance hole 26, a part of the lower surface plate 25 that is removed along with the formation of the lance hole 26 can be used as the stabilizer 27. Reduction can be achieved. In addition, the lower surface plate 25, which is a base for forming the lance hole 26, does not need to have a dedicated opening for forming the stabilizer separately from the lance hole 26, so that a decrease in strength of the lower surface plate 25 due to the formation of the stabilizer 27 is avoided. can do.
[0022]
[Embodiment 2]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The second embodiment is configured such that, in the first embodiment, the insertion recess 19 is not provided in the partition wall 12 and the partition part 17, and the protruding wall 35 is not provided in the retainer 30. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of structures, operations, and effects are omitted.
[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment 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, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
[0023]
(1) In Embodiments 1 and 2, the partition portion may not be provided with an extension portion that extends to the stabilizer side along the outer wall of the terminal fitting, and the partition portion may extend substantially flush with the partition wall. .
(2) In Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, the stabilizer may be provided at a position different from the hole edge of the lance hole.
(3) Although the male connector into which the male terminal fitting is inserted has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to a female connector into which the female terminal fitting is inserted.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a cross-sectional view of a retainer assembled to a housing. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a retainer removed from a housing. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a retainer assembled to a housing. [Figure 5] Partially cutaway side view of the terminal fitting [Figure 6] Front view of the terminal fitting [Figure 7] Plan view of the terminal fitting [Figure 8] Bottom view [Fig. 9] Side view of retainer [Fig. 10] Plan view of retainer [Fig. 11] Cross-sectional view of retainer assembled to housing in Embodiment 2 [Fig. 12] Transverse with retainer removed from housing FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional example with the retainer assembled to the housing. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional example with the retainer removed from the housing.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Housing 12 ... Partition 13 ... Lance 17 ... Partition part 18 ... Extension part 19 ... Insertion recessed part 20 ... Terminal metal fitting 26 ... Lance hole 27 ... Stabilizer 30 ... Retainer 34 ... Locking part 35 ... Projection wall

Claims (3)

A housing in which a plurality of cavities partitioned by a partition are formed;
A terminal fitting inserted into the cavity in a direction in which the stabilizer protrudes from the outer surface and the stabilizer is parallel to the partition,
In the connector provided with a retainer for retaining the terminal fitting by locking the locking portion against the stabilizer of the terminal fitting inserted into the cavity,
In the housing, a mounting portion that is a space for fitting the retainer opens in the lower surface of the housing and communicates with the plurality of cavities through the lower wall perpendicular to the partition wall. Formed,
The stabilizer is arranged at a position closer to the center than the side edge in the width direction of the bottom plate perpendicular to the partition wall in the terminal fitting,
The locking portion of the retainer has a plurality of protrusions that can be locked individually to the stabilizers.
The partition wall is formed with a partition portion that is non-interfering with the plurality of locking portions and is interposed between the stabilizers of the terminal fitting adjacent to the partition wall ,
A part of the lower surface wall orthogonal to the partition wall is an extension portion extending from the lower end of the partition portion toward the stabilizer in a direction orthogonal to the partition wall along the lower surface plate of the terminal fitting. connector, characterized in that is. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the retainer is formed with a protruding wall that protrudes toward the partition portion, and the partition is formed with a fitting recess for fitting the protruding wall . At the center position in the width direction of the lower surface plate of the terminal fitting, a lance hole is opened for retaining the terminal fitting by locking the lance provided in the cavity. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer protrudes from the connector.

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