JP4178000B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector provided with a front retainer that double-locks a terminal fitting.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A connector having a front retainer includes a housing having a plurality of cavities into which terminal fittings can be inserted, and a front retainer that can be assembled in the assembly space of the housing. The housing has a rear end of the assembly space. There is a configuration in which cavity towers constituting the front portion of each cavity are provided so as to protrude from the side in an independent manner. Also, each cavity of the housing is provided with a lance that can be elastically locked to the terminal fitting. When the front retainer is assembled in the assembly space, the front retainer enters the bending space of the lance and moves from the terminal fitting. The bending deformation in the unlocking direction is restricted. An example of a connector provided with a front retainer is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 04-102576.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional connector is not provided with a configuration for supporting each cavity tower, and the electric wire connected to the rear end of the terminal fitting is pulled before the retainer is assembled at the normal position. When a backward pulling force is applied to the terminal fitting, the terminal fitting may be tilted while being caught by the lance, and the cavity tower may be bent and deformed accordingly. At this time, if the cavity tower is greatly deformed, the displacement of the terminal fitting is increased and the locking with the lance is easily released, so that the reliability of the retaining function for the terminal fitting is lowered.
This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, The objective is to provide the connector which can improve the reliability of the securing function with respect to a terminal metal fitting.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A connector according to the invention of claim 1 for solving the above-described problems includes a housing having a plurality of cavities into which terminal fittings can be inserted from the rear, and a retainer assembled from the front into an assembly space provided in the housing. The cavity is provided with a lance for locking the terminal fitting to prevent the lance from coming off, and the retainer enters the bending space of the lance so that the lance is engaged with the terminal fitting. In the connector that restricts bending and deformation so as to release the stop, from the back end side of the assembly space in the housing, the cavity tower constituting the front part of each cavity is different from other cavities. Projected forward in an independent form, and between the adjacent cavity towers, the front direction from the back end of the assembly space In the conjunction connecting portion for connecting the two cavities towers each other are formed, the upper surface of the cavity tower is open, with deformable the lance flexing its opening vertically cover from above, the cavity The upper end surfaces of the both side walls of the tower and the side edges of the lance are opposed to each other with a gap in the vertical direction, and the retainer is housed in the assembly space and regulates the deformation of the lance. It is possible to assemble the assembly position and a temporary assembly position that retracts forward from the assembly space and allows bending deformation of the lance, and includes a fitting portion that can fit the cavity tower, The fitting portion is characterized in that it is configured to restrict the downward and left-right displacement of the tip of the cavity tower at the temporary assembly position.
[0005]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cavity towers located at both ends of the cavity towers arranged in a row in a form connected by the connecting portions and the cavity towers adjacent to each other, A feature is that a reinforcing rib extending forward from the back end side of the assembly space is formed.
[0007]
Operation and effect of the invention
According to invention of Claim 1, the deformation | transformation is controlled because adjacent cavity towers are connected by a connection part. Therefore, when a backward pulling force is applied to the terminal fitting, it is possible to prevent the cavity tower from being deformed and the terminal fitting coming off. Therefore, the reliability of the retaining function for the terminal fitting is improved.
Further, in the state where the retainer is assembled at the temporary assembly position, the distal end portion of the cavity tower enters the fitting portion, so that the displacement on the distal end side is regulated, so that the deformation of the cavity tower is prevented more reliably. .
[0008]
According to the invention of claim 2, since the cavity towers arranged in a line at the both end positions are connected to only one cavity tower, the other cavity towers connected to both adjacent cavity towers. There is concern about insufficient strength. However, according to this configuration, the strength is ensured by forming the reinforcing ribs along the front-rear direction in the cavity towers at both end positions.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[Embodiment 1]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector of this embodiment includes a housing 10, a retainer 30, and a terminal fitting 50.
[0011]
The housing 10 is made of synthetic resin, and a plurality of cavities 11 are formed in the interior thereof so as to open in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 2, these cavities 11 are divided into two upper and lower tiers, and are arranged in a form in which five are arranged in the horizontal width direction in each tier. A hood portion 12 into which a mating female connector (not shown) can be fitted is provided at the front portion of the housing 10, and an assembly space 13 into which the retainer 30 can be fitted is provided on the rear surface 12 </ b> A of the hood portion 12. It is formed in a recess.
[0012]
From the rear end face 13A of the assembly space 13, a cavity tower 14 constituting the front portion of each cavity 11 is formed so as to protrude into the assembly space 13. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper cavity tower 14 is composed of a pair of left and right side walls 16 and a front wall 17 that connects the front ends of both side walls 16. The side cavity tower 14 is composed of a pair of left and right side walls 16, a front wall 17 that connects the front ends of the side walls 16, and a bottom wall 18 that is connected to the lower edges of the side walls 16 and the front wall 17. Yes. Each cavity tower 14 is configured to protrude forward independently from the other cavity towers 14. The front wall 17 is formed with a tab hole 19 for projecting the tab 52 of the terminal fitting 50 out of the cavity 11. Further, the front end surface of the front wall 17 is located slightly on the back side (rear side) with respect to the back surface 12 </ b> A of the hood portion 12.
[0013]
An upper surface of each cavity tower 14, that is, a region between both side walls 16 is open, and a substantially rear half region in the opening is covered from above by a lance 21 formed in the housing 10. Between the left and right side edges of the lance 21 and the upper end edges of the side walls 16, there is a gap that forms a slit shape in the front-rear direction. The upper surface of the side wall 16, that is, the surface facing the lower surface of the side edge of the lance 21 is a receiving surface 22. The receiving surface 22 is substantially parallel to the insertion direction (horizontal direction) of the terminal fitting 50 with respect to the cavity 11. The receiving surface 22 also serves as a displacement restricting portion for restricting the extension end portion (front end portion) of the lance 21, that is, the locking portion 23 for the terminal fitting 50 from being displaced toward the terminal fitting 50 side (downward). Function.
[0014]
The housing 10 is a lance that is cantilevered forward from the rear end surface 13A of the assembly space 13 along the opening on the upper surface of the cavity 11, and can be elastically bent in the vertical direction. 21 is formed. The lance 21 has a convex shape in which the cross-sectional shape (the shape viewed from the front) is bilaterally symmetric, and the center in the width direction (left-right direction) is a thick portion 21A having a large vertical dimension. The left and right sides of the thick portion 21A are thin portions 21B whose upper and lower thicknesses are thinner than the thick portion 21A. On the lower surface of the lance 21 (the surface corresponding to the terminal fitting 50), the lower surfaces of the thick portion 21A and the thin portion 21B are flush with each other, but on the upper surface of the lance 21 (the surface facing the bending space 25 described later). The thick portion 21A protrudes upward from the thin portion 21B.
[0015]
The lower edge portion of the front end of the lance 21 serves as a locking portion 23 that is locked to the terminal fitting 50 and prevents the terminal fitting 50 from being pulled out. In a free state where the lance 21 is not elastically bent, the locking portion 23 protrudes into the insertion space of the terminal fitting 50 in the cavity 11, that is, protrudes downward from the ceiling surface of the cavity 11. Further, the upper surface (the surface corresponding to the bending space 25) of the thin portion 21B is a guide slope 24 which is inclined forward and downward, and a retainer 30 described later comes into contact with the guide slope 24. Yes.
[0016]
Above each lance 21 of each cavity 11, a bending space 25 for allowing elastic bending upward of the lance 21 is formed so as to open to the front end surface of the housing 10. The bending space 25 of the lower lance 21 communicates with the upper cavity 11 in a region corresponding to the thick portion 21A of the lance 21, and the lower lance 21 is connected to the upper cavity 11 and the lower cavity 21. It is located so that it may partition with the cavity 11.
[0017]
Now, between the cavity towers 14 adjacent to the left and right, a connecting portion 26 that connects the side walls 16 is formed on the base end side. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the connecting portion 26 has the same thickness dimension as that of the side wall 16, and protrudes forward from the rear end face 13 </ b> A of the assembly space 13 by a predetermined dimension. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, among the cavity towers 14 arranged in a horizontal row in each of the upper and lower stages, the cavity towers 14 positioned at both left and right ends have reinforcing ribs 27 along the front-rear direction on the outer side in the width direction. Overhang is formed. The reinforcing rib 27 is formed from the back end surface 13 </ b> A of the assembly space 13 to the front end of the cavity tower 14.
[0018]
The retainer 30 is made of a synthetic resin, and has a cross-section with a cross-sectional shape extending rearward from the lower edge and the left and right edges on the rear surface side of the front wall 31 as shown in FIGS. A peripheral wall portion 32 having a letter shape is formed to protrude. The retainer 30 is assembled to the housing 10 from the front, and is fully assembled in the assembly space 13 (see FIGS. 10 to 12), and retracted from the assembly space 13 to the front. The temporary assembly position (see FIGS. 8 and 9) is assembled. The length dimension in the front-rear direction of the peripheral wall portion 32 is substantially equal to the depth dimension of the assembly space 13, and when the retainer 30 is assembled at the main assembly position, the rear end surface of the peripheral wall portion 32 is assembled. The front face of the front wall 31 substantially coincides with the rear face 12 </ b> A of the hood portion 12 while substantially coincident with the position of the rear end face 13 </ b> A of the space 13. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a pair of upper and lower engaging claws 33 are formed to protrude in the vicinity of the rear ends of the left and right inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 32. On the other hand, an engagement groove 28 is formed on the outer side wall 16 of the cavity tower 14 at the left and right end positions of the upper and lower cavity towers 14 so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and the engagement claw 33 of the retainer 30 is engaged therewith. By combining, the retainer 30 is held so as to be displaceable between the regular assembly position and the temporary assembly position.
[0019]
On the rear surface side of the front wall 31 of the retainer 30, a fitting portion 34 for fitting each cavity tower 14 individually without backlash in the vertical and horizontal directions is formed. Since the cavity tower 14 is aligned vertically and horizontally, when viewed as an assembly of the fitting portions 34 having a rectangular tube shape, the cavity tower 14 has a lattice shape as a whole. Each fitting portion 34 has a substantially rectangular tube shape and is fitted so as to surround the front end portion of the cavity tower 14. In the state where the retainer 30 is assembled at the temporary assembly position, only the distal end portion of the cavity tower 14 enters the fitting portion 34 so that the downward displacement and the lateral displacement of the distal end portion are regulated. Is set to Further, a through hole 36 for allowing the tab 52 of the terminal fitting 50 to pass through is formed in the front wall 31 of the retainer 30 so as to correspond to the tab hole 19 of the cavity 11. Also, a receiving groove that can receive and engage the reinforcing ribs 27 provided on the cavity tower 14 at both end positions so as to penetrate the front wall 31 from the rear end of the inner side surface of the peripheral wall portion 32 along the front-rear direction. 37 is formed.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 4, a lock protrusion 38 projects from the inner surface of the upper and lower fitting portions 34 located at the center in the width direction of the front wall 31. On the other hand, a groove-like lock receiving portion 29 is formed on the side wall 16 of the corresponding cavity tower 14 at the center in the width direction, and the retainer 30 is properly assembled by engaging the lock protrusion 38 of the retainer 30 therewith. It is designed to be held in position. In the state where the retainer 30 is assembled to the housing 10 at the main assembly position, the front end surface of the fitting portion 34 and the front end surface 26A of the connecting portion 26 are set to substantially coincide with each other.
[0021]
A fitting portion 39 corresponding to the thin portion 21 </ b> B of each lance 21 is formed at the top of each fitting portion 34. The fitting portion 39 constitutes a part of the fitting portion 34 (a portion surrounding the cavity tower 14). A pressing slope 40 corresponding to the guide slope 24 of the lance 21 is formed on the lower surface of the fitting portion 39. An escape groove 41 for avoiding interference with the thick portion 21 </ b> A of the lance 21 is formed in the fitting portion 39.
[0022]
In a state where the retainer 30 is in the temporary assembly position, the insertion portion 39 is located at a position farther forward than the lance 21. However, when the retainer 30 is pushed into the main assembly position, each insertion portion 39 is inserted into the bending space 25. Is done. The insertion portion 39 inserted into the upper deflection space 25 interrupts between the ceiling surface of the deflection space 25 and the upper surface of the thin portion 21B of the lance 21, and the pressing slope 40 of the retainer 30 is the guide slope 24 of the lance 21. Press down. The fitting portion 39 fitted into the lower bending space 25 interrupts between the lower end surface of the side wall 16 constituting the upper cavity 11 and the upper surface of the thin portion 21B, and the pressing inclined surface 40 of the retainer 30 is the guide inclined surface of the lance 21. 24 is pressed downward. Thereby, each lance 21 is forcibly pushed down to the position on the terminal fitting 50 side (downward) from the free state, and the bending toward the bending space 25 side (upward) is restricted.
[0023]
The terminal fitting 50 is formed by bending a metal plate material punched into a predetermined shape, and has a shape elongated in the front-rear direction as a whole. A substantially central portion in the length direction of the terminal fitting 50 is a rectangular tube portion 51, and a tab 52 extends forward from the rectangular tube portion 51, and a wire crimping portion 53 at the rear end portion of the terminal fitting 50. An electric wire 54 is connected to the wire by crimping. The terminal fitting 50 is inserted into each cavity 11 from the rear.
[0024]
The upper surface plate of the rectangular tube portion 51 is formed with an upper cutout portion 55 in a form in which a part in the front-rear direction is cut out over the entire width. Side cut portions 56 corresponding to the upper cut portions 55 of the face plate are formed. The front end edges of these notches 55 and 56 form a retaining portion 57 that is locked from the front with respect to the locking portion 23 of the lance 21. The horizontally extending upper edge of the side notch 56 serves as a displacement restricting portion 58 for restricting the locking portion 23 at the extending end of the lance 21 from being displaced toward the terminal fitting 50. The displacement restricting portion 58 of the terminal fitting 50 has substantially the same height as the receiving surface 22 of the housing 10 (side wall 16 constituting the cavity 11).
[0025]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In assembling the connector of the present embodiment, first, the retainer 30 is assembled into the assembly space 13 of the housing 10 from the front. The peripheral wall portion 32 is inserted into the assembly space 13, and the reinforcing ribs 27 of the cavity tower 14 at both end positions enter the receiving groove 37 to be engaged with each other, and the insertion posture of the retainer 30 is guided. The When the retainer 30 is pushed into the temporary assembly position, the engagement claw 33 engages with the engagement groove 28 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). In this temporarily assembled state, the insertion portion 39 is further forward than the front end of the lance 21, so that the elastic deformation of the lance 21 toward the bending space 25 is allowed. Further, the distal end portion of the cavity tower 14 enters the inside of the fitting portion 34, and the bending deformation in the downward direction and the left-right direction of the cavity tower 14 distal portion is restricted.
[0026]
The terminal fitting 50 is inserted into each cavity 11 from this state. When the insertion proceeds and approaches the normal insertion position, the front end of the upper surface of the rectangular tube portion 51 comes into contact with the lower surface of the lance 21, and thereafter the lance 21 elastically bends upward as the insertion of the terminal fitting 50 proceeds. It is made to advance in the bending space 25.
When the terminal fitting 50 that has undergone the semi-insertion state reaches the normal insertion position, the lance 21 elastically returns downward, and the locking portion 23 at the front end falls into the cutout portions 55 and 56 of the rectangular tube portion 51, thereby preventing the retaining portion. Lock to 57 from behind. Due to the locking of the lance 21, the terminal fitting 50 is brought into a retaining state in which backward movement is restricted. In addition, when the rectangular tube portion 51 abuts against the front wall 17 of the cavity 11, the terminal fitting 50 is stopped at the normal insertion position.
[0027]
In a state in which the lance 21 is prevented from being pulled out, the lance 21 is in a free state in which the lance 21 is not elastically bent, and between the locking portion 23 of the lance 21 and the displacement restricting portion 58 of the terminal fitting 50 and the locking portion. A gap in the vertical direction is provided between each of 23 and the receiving surface 22. Therefore, the lance 21 can be elastically bent downward by this gap.
[0028]
In this state, when a rearward pulling force is applied to the terminal fitting 50 due to the electric wire 54 being pulled or the like, the terminal fitting 50 is tilted and the cavity tower 14 is bent and deformed downward or left and right, There is a concern that the locking with the lance 21 is released and the terminal fitting 50 comes off. However, in this embodiment, since the base end side of the adjacent cavity tower 14 is connected by the connection part 26, the deformation | transformation of the base end side of the cavity tower 14 is controlled. Further, since the distal end portion of the cavity tower 14 has entered the fitting portion 34 of the retainer 30, deformation of the distal end portion is restricted. Further, the deformation of the cavity tower 14 at both end positions is restricted by the formation of the reinforcing ribs 27. As a result, deformation of the cavity tower 14 is restricted, so that the terminal fitting 50 can be prevented from coming out of the cavity 11.
[0029]
Now, when all the terminal fittings 50 have been inserted, the retainer 30 at the temporary assembly position is pushed backward to the final assembly position shown in FIGS. In the process of pushing in the retainer 30, the fitting portion 39 enters each bending space 25 to bring the pressing inclined surface 40 into contact with the guide inclined surface 24 of the lance 21, and thereafter the pushing of the retainer 30 proceeds. The pressing slope 40 pushes and moves the guide slope 24 downward, and the lance 21 is forcibly bent from the free state to the terminal fitting 50 side (downward) and assumes a forward-lowering posture. Due to the displacement of the lance 21, the locking margin (the locking region in the vertical direction) between the locking portion 23 of the lance 21 and the retaining portion 57 of the terminal fitting 50 is increased as compared to the free state. Further, since the thin portion 21 </ b> B is pressed from above by the fitting portion 39, the lance 21 is held in a state in which elastic bending toward the bending space 25 (upward) is restricted and locked to the terminal fitting 50. . Thereby, the terminal metal fitting 50 will be in a double locking state, and a reliable removal prevention is made.
[0030]
In a state where the retainer 30 is pushed into the fully assembled position, the retainer 30 is held at the same position by engaging the lock protrusion 38 in the lock receiving portion 29. In addition, since the fitting portion 34 is fitted deeper into each cavity tower 14 than at the temporary assembly position, the cavity tower 14 is more reliably prevented from being deformed in the vertical and horizontal directions.
[0031]
In addition, when a strong rearward tensile force is applied to the terminal fitting 50 in this state, the lance 21 deflects the portion between the locking portion 23 and the fulcrum of deflection (the rear end of the lance 21). There is concern about buckling deformation in such a manner that it bulges to the 25 side. However, in the present embodiment, when the retainer 30 pushes the lance 21 into the forward inclined posture, the fitting portion 39 of the retainer 30 is behind the locking portion 23 with respect to the upper surface of the lance 21 (the lance 21). And abutment portion 23 of lance 21 abuts against receiving surface 22 and displacement restricting portion 58 to restrict displacement downward. Has been. Therefore, even if a rearward tensile force is applied to the terminal fitting 50 and the locking portion 23, the lance 21 is not likely to buckle.
[0032]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the adjacent cavity towers 14 are connected to each other by the connecting portion 26, so that the deformation thereof is restricted. Therefore, when a backward pulling force is applied to the terminal fitting 50, it is possible to prevent the cavity tower 14 from being deformed and the terminal fitting 50 coming off. Accordingly, the reliability of the retaining function for the terminal fitting 50 is improved.
In particular, in the present embodiment, the front end surface 26A of the connecting portion 26 is set so as to substantially coincide with the front end of the fitting portion 34 of the retainer 30 in the main assembly position, so the rear end surface of the retainer 30 and the assembly space 13 is set. There is no dead space with respect to 13A, and space waste can be eliminated.
[0033]
In addition, since the cavity towers 14 arranged at both ends of the cavity towers 14 arranged in a horizontal row are connected only to the cavity tower 14 on one side, it is compared with other cavity towers 14 connected to the adjacent cavity towers 14. Then, there is a concern about insufficient strength against deformation. However, according to the present embodiment, the strength is ensured by forming the reinforcing ribs 27 along the front-rear direction in the cavity tower 14 at both end positions. Further, since the reinforcing rib 27 engages with the receiving groove 37 of the retainer 30, the insertion of the retainer 30 is guided, so that the assembly can be performed smoothly.
[0034]
Further, in the state where the retainer 30 is assembled at the temporary assembly position, the distal end portion of the cavity tower 14 enters the fitting portion 34, so that the displacement on the distal end side is restricted. It is surely prevented.
[0035]
[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.
(1) In the above embodiment, an example in which a male connector having a male tab is inserted into a male connector has been described. However, the present invention provides a female connector into which a female terminal fitting without a male tab is inserted. It can also be applied to.
(2) In the above embodiment, only the base end portions of the pair of cavity towers adjacent to each other in the connecting portion are connected. However, according to the present invention, the tip ends of the pair of cavity towers adjacent to each other in the connecting portion. Alternatively, the intermediate portion may be connected in a bridging manner.
(3) In the above embodiment, the cavity towers arranged in a horizontal row are connected by the connecting portion. However, according to the present invention, it is possible to connect the cavity towers arranged vertically.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded side sectional view of a connector in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of a housing. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a cavity tower. Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the housing. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the retainer. Fig. 7 is a rear view of the retainer. Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged side sectional view of the retainer assembled at a temporary assembly position. Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the retainer assembled in the main assembly position. Fig. 11 is a partially enlarged side cross-sectional view of the retainer. Fig. 12 is a partially enlarged flat cross-sectional view of the retainer.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Housing 11 ... Cavity 13 ... Assembly space 14 ... Cavity tower 21 ... Lance 26 ... Connection part 27 ... Reinforcement rib 30 ... Retainer 34 ... Fitting part 50 ... Terminal metal fitting

Claims (2)

A housing having a plurality of cavities into which terminal fittings can be inserted from the rear;
A retainer assembled from the front to the assembly space provided in the housing,
The cavity is provided with a lance for locking the terminal fitting so as to prevent it from coming off, and the retainer enters the bending space of the lance so that the lance is released from the terminal fitting. In a connector that regulates bending and deformation to
From the back end side of the assembly space in the housing, a cavity tower constituting the front part of each cavity protrudes forward in a form independent of other cavities, and between adjacent cavity towers. Is formed at a position forward of the rear end of the assembly space, and a connecting portion for connecting the two cavity towers is formed.
The upper surface of the cavity tower has an opening, and the lance that can be bent and deformed from above and below is covered from above, and the upper end surfaces of both side walls of the cavity tower and the side edges of the lance are spaced vertically. It is a form that is opposed to each other,
In addition, the retainer is housed in the assembly space so as to restrict the bending deformation of the lance, and the temporary assembly position retracted forward from the assembly space to allow the lance bending deformation. The fitting portion is provided with a fitting portion that can be fitted to the cavity tower, and the fitting portion regulates the downward and lateral displacements of the tip of the cavity tower at the temporary assembling position. A connector characterized in that it is configured as described above.   Reinforcing ribs extending forward from the back end side of the assembly space are formed on the cavity towers located at both ends of the cavity towers arranged in a row in a form connected with the cavity towers adjacent to each other. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is formed.

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