JP4768136B2 - Connector housing, connector using the same, and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector for electrically connecting a male terminal and a female terminal, a manufacturing method thereof, and a connector housing used therefor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The conventional general connector used for the wire harness for motor vehicles, etc. is comprised like FIG.6 and FIG.7, for example. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional connector, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional connector with a female terminal inserted therein, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of a mold structure of the conventional connector.
As shown in FIG. 6, the conventional connector 100 includes a female terminal 101 and a connector housing 102 that accommodates the female terminal 101 therein, and the female terminal 101 and the female terminal 101 are not shown in the housing 102. Electrical connection with male terminal.
As shown in FIG. 7, the housing 102 penetrates through the male terminal insertion port 111 formed on the front surface and the female terminal insertion port 112 formed on the rear surface so as to communicate with each other. A plurality of terminal storage portions 113 for storage are arranged. The female terminal 101 is formed by pressing a metal plate. The female terminal 101 includes a distal end connecting portion 101a, a proximal end side electric wire crimping portion 101b, and a proximal end side covering crimping portion 101c. It is connected to the. The female terminal 101 is inserted from the female terminal insertion port 112 on the rear surface of the terminal accommodating portion 113, and at the complete insertion position, the base edge of the distal end connecting portion 101a is connected to the lance 114 that extends forward from the inner wall surface of the terminal accommodating portion 113. Is engaged to prevent the housing 102 from coming off. In the figure, reference numeral 103 denotes an engaging portion for engaging with a connector that accommodates a male terminal (not shown).
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional connector 100 having the above-described structure, since the lance 114 is formed at the back, the elongated insertion piece 107 is inserted from the front surface of the mold 106 for forming the housing 102 as shown in FIG. Therefore, it was necessary to form the lance 114. For this reason, a device for improving the strength of the frame 107 is required. In particular, when the connector 100 is reduced in size, the housing 102 becomes smaller, and it becomes difficult to improve the strength of the insertion piece 107, and it is almost impossible to manufacture the insertion piece 107 for a very small housing.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, a connector housing capable of simplifying a mold structure for manufacturing a connector and improving the durability of the mold, a connector using the same, and a connector thereof An object is to provide a manufacturing method.
[0005]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector housing, a connector using the connector housing, and a method of manufacturing the connector housing that can sufficiently secure the holding strength of the terminal even when the device is downsized.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The connector housing according to the present invention is connected to a terminal insertion port for inserting a terminal having a distal end connection portion at the distal end portion and an engagement piece between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, and is inserted from the terminal insertion port. A connector in which a terminal housing portion for housing the terminal is formed, and a lance is formed in the terminal housing portion to be locked with the terminal in a state where the terminal is inserted and prevent the terminal from moving in the pulling direction. The housing includes a connector housing main body and first and second locking members attached to the connector housing main body, the lance is formed on the first locking member, and the second engagement The connector housing is formed with a double locking portion that double locks the terminal with the lance, and the first and second locking members are mounted on the connector housing body. Wherein between the and the ring body first and second engagement member terminal accommodating portion is a plurality of stages formed, the first and second locking member, said first engaging member is the connector housing body The lance is connected to the tip of the terminal when the terminal is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion in the first attachment state in which the second attachment member is completely attached and the second engaging member is in a state of being completely attached to the connector housing body. The rear end of the engagement piece of the terminal in the second mounting state in which the second locking member is completely mounted to the connector housing main body, and the double locking portion is The connector housing body is formed with first and second locking member storage holes in a direction orthogonal to the terminal insertion direction to the terminal storage portion so as to divide the terminal storage portion. The first and second locking members are the first and second locking members. A terminal accommodating portion is formed in each of the second locking member accommodating holes in a direction perpendicular to the terminal insertion direction to the terminal accommodating portion, and communicates with the divided terminal accommodating portion of the connector housing body in the attached state. It is characterized by being.
[0007]
According to the present invention, the connector housing is constituted by the connector housing body and the first and second locking members which are separate parts, and the lance portion is formed on the first locking member. The structure of the first locking member including the housing body and the lance is simplified, and even a very small connector housing can be easily manufactured. Further, according to the present invention, since the double locking portion is formed on the second locking member, the locking state between the connector housing and the terminal at the time of double locking is determined by locking only the lance. It can be made stronger than the case. Thereby, even if it is a very small connector, sufficient holding strength of a terminal can be obtained.
[0008]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second locking members are connected via a hinge portion, and the first locking member is the first locking member. The lance portion when the terminal is accommodated in the terminal insertion portion in the first attachment state, which is completely attached to the connector housing body, and the second locking member is in a state of being completely attached to the connector housing body. Temporarily locks the terminal, and double-locks the terminal with the double-locking portion in the second mounting state where the second locking member is completely mounted to the connector housing body. .
[0009]
With such a configuration, the first and second locking members can be integrally molded via the hinge portion, so that the number of parts can be reduced.
[0010]
In this case, according to one more specific aspect of the present invention, the connector housing main body is provided with a first member in a direction perpendicular to the terminal insertion direction into the terminal housing portion so as to divide the terminal housing portion. First and second locking member storage holes are formed, and the first and second locking members are orthogonal to the terminal insertion direction into the terminal storage portion in the first and second locking member storage holes. The terminal housing portions are respectively mounted in the direction to be connected, and communicate with the divided terminal housing portions of the connector housing body in the mounted state.
[0011]
Moreover, the connector which concerns on this invention inserts a terminal in the said terminal accommodating part of the connector housing mentioned above. Furthermore, in the method of manufacturing a connector using the connector housing according to the present invention, the first locking member is completely mounted on the connector housing body, and the second locking member is mounted in the first mounting state. And inserting the terminal from the terminal insertion port into the terminal accommodating portion when the first locking member is in a completely mounted state and the second locking member is in the first mounted state. Temporarily engaging the terminal with the lance, and mounting the second locking member to the connector housing body until the second mounting state, and double-locking the double locking portion to the terminal. And a step of stopping.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The connector 10 includes a housing 11 and female terminals 12 housed in the housing 11. The housing 11 includes a connector housing main body (hereinafter simply referred to as “housing main body”) 13, which are separate parts, and a locking member 14 attached to the housing main body 13. The housing body 13 has a block shape as a whole, and is formed with two-stage × 6 rows of terminal storage portions 17 extending from the front male terminal insertion port 15 to the rear female terminal insertion port 16. First and second locking member receiving holes 18a and 18b having a rectangular cross section for mounting the locking member 14 are formed so as to be divided into terminal storage portions 17a, 17b and 17c slightly on the rear side from the center. It has been done. Engagement holes 19a and 19b are formed on both side surfaces of the housing main body 13 for engaging with the locking member 14 that connects the locking member receiving holes 18a and 18b to the outside.
[0013]
One locking member 14 is formed by integrally molding first and second locking members 14a and 14b and a hinge portion 14c that connects them at the upper end surface in the drawing. The first and second locking members 14a, 14b are in a block shape having a width, a length, and a height that are respectively attached to the first and second locking member receiving holes 18a, 18b of the housing body 13. When mounted on the housing body 13, two-stage × 6 rows of terminal storage portions 21 a and 21 b that connect the terminal storage portions 17 a and 17 b of the housing body 13 are formed so as to penetrate from the front surface to the rear surface. .
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross section of the locking member 14 after molding. As is apparent from this figure, the locking member 14 is formed with the first and second locking members 14a and 14b opened 180 degrees, and the locking members 14a and 14b are centered on the hinge portion 14c when used. Is bent 180 degrees and used in a state in which the terminal storage portions 21a and 21b communicate with each other. The terminal housing portion 21a of the first locking member 14a is formed with a lance 22 that protrudes forward to the upper position in the use state, and that the front end faces the front surface. The lance 22 is formed with a locking portion 22a for temporarily locking with the female terminal 12 at the tip. In the terminal storage portion 21b of the second locking member 14b, a double locking portion 23 for double locking the female terminal 12 is formed at an upper position in the use state. On both side surfaces of the first and second locking members 14a and 14b, engagements respectively engaged with engagement holes 19a and 19b on both side surfaces of the housing body 13 in a temporary locking state and a double locking state which will be described later. The mating protrusions 24a and 24b are provided to project.
[0015]
The female terminal 12 is formed by pressing a metal plate, and has a cylindrical tip connection portion 12a, an engagement piece 12b rising at the base end portion, an electric wire crimping portion 12c on the base end side, and a base thereof. An end-side covering caulking portion 12 d is provided and connected to the tip end of the electric wire 20.
[0016]
Next, a method for assembling the connector 10 according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described.
3 to 6 are longitudinal sectional views showing the assembly process of the connector 10 in the order of processes.
First, as shown in FIG. 3, the locking member 14 is inserted into the locking member accommodation hole 18 of the housing body 13 from above in the drawing. When the first and second locking members 14a and 14b are inserted into the first and second locking member receiving holes 18a and 18b, respectively, the engaging protrusions 24a and 24b formed on the side surfaces of the locking members 14a and 14b, respectively. The first and second locking members 14a, 14b are inserted into the locking member receiving holes 18a, 18b while the side walls of the locking member receiving holes 18a, 18b are spread outward, and eventually, as shown in FIG. As shown, the bottom of the first locking member 14a reaches a fully mounted position where the bottom of the first locking member receiving hole 18a is in close contact with the bottom, and the bottom of the second locking member 14b is the second locking member. The first mounting position just before fitting with the bottom of the accommodation hole 18b is reached, and the engagement protrusions 24a, 24b fit into the engagement holes 19a, 19b. In this state, the terminal accommodating portions 17a, 17b, 17c formed in the housing main body 13 and the terminal accommodating portions 21a, 21b formed in the first and second locking members 14a, 14b are coupled to each other, and the female The mold terminal 12 can be stored in the terminal storage portions 17a, 17b, 17c, 21a, and 21b.
[0017]
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, when the female terminal 12 is inserted from the female terminal insertion port 16 of the housing body 13 toward the terminal accommodating portions 17a, 17b, 17c, 21a, 21b, the female terminal 12 is The lance 22 is moved forward while elastically deforming upward, and finally, as shown on the lower side of FIG. 4, the tip portion is inserted to a position near the male terminal insertion port 15. 22a fits into the base end of the distal end connecting portion 12a of the female terminal 12, and the female terminal 12 is temporarily locked in the terminal accommodating portions 17a, 17b, 17b, 21a, 21b.
[0018]
When the second locking member 14b is pushed further from above in this state, the second locking member 14b is moved from the first mounting position in the temporarily locked state to the second position as shown in FIG. It moves to the 2nd mounting position where the bottom of locking member 14b and the bottom of locking member accommodation hole 18b contact. In this state, the double locking portion 23 of the second locking member 14b fits into the position of the wire crimping portion 12b immediately behind the engaging piece 12b of the female terminal 12, so that the female terminal 12 It is completely locked and cannot be pulled out in the pulling direction. This state is a double-locking state, whereby the assembly of the connector 10 is completed.
[0019]
According to the connector 10 of the present embodiment described above, since the lance 22 is formed on the first locking member 14a side which is a separate member from the housing main body 13, there is no need to use an elongated insertion piece at the time of molding. Both the housing body 13 and the locking member 14 have an advantage that they can be easily molded.
Further, as described above, according to the connector 10 of the present embodiment, since the second locking member 14b constitutes a double locking, the female terminal 12 can be firmly fixed to the housing 11. .
Further, since the first and second locking members 14a and 14b are joined by the hinge portion 14c, the locking member 14 can be configured as a single component, so that the number of components can be reduced and the mold can be reduced. Costs can be reduced.
[0020]
In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment described above, A various deformation | transformation or change is possible. For example, in the said embodiment, although the 1st locking member 14a and the 2nd locking member 14b were connected by the hinge part 14c, these are good also as another components.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the connector housing is constituted by the connector housing body and the first and second locking members, which are separate parts, and the lance portion is formed on the first locking member. Therefore, the structure of the first locking member including the connector housing main body and the lance is simplified, the mold structure can be simplified and the durability of the mold can be improved, and even a very small connector housing is easy. Can be manufactured. Further, according to the present invention, since the double locking portion is formed on the second locking member, the locking state between the connector housing and the terminal at the time of double locking is determined by locking only the lance. It can be made stronger than the case. Thereby, even if it is a very small connector, sufficient holding strength of a terminal can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view after forming a locking member in the connector.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the assembly process of the connector.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the assembly process of the connector.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the assembly process of the connector.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional connector.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional mold structure of a connector.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,100 ... Connector, 11,102 ... Connector housing, 12, 101 ... Female terminal, 13 ... Connector housing main body, 14 ... Locking member, 14a ... First locking member, 14b ... Second locking member , 14c ... hinge part, 15, 111 ... male terminal insertion port, 16, 112 ... female terminal insertion port, 17, 17a, 17b, 17c, 21a, 21b, 113 ... terminal housing part, 18a ... first engagement Stop member accommodating hole, 18b ... second locking member accommodating hole, 22, 114 ... lance, 23 ... double locking portion.

Claims (4)

A terminal housing portion that communicates with a terminal insertion port for inserting a terminal having a distal end connection portion at the distal end portion and an engagement piece between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, and stores the terminal inserted from the terminal insertion port. In the connector housing in which the lance that is locked to the terminal in the state in which the terminal is inserted and prevents the terminal from moving in the pulling direction is formed in the terminal housing portion,
A connector housing body, and first and second locking members attached to the connector housing body,
The lance is formed on the first locking member, and a double locking portion for locking the terminal with the lance is formed on the second locking member. With the first and second locking members mounted, the connector housing body and the first and second locking members form a plurality of stages of the terminal accommodating portions ,
In the first and second locking members, the first locking member is completely attached to the connector housing main body, and the second locking member is the first before the full attachment to the connector housing main body. When the terminal is housed in the terminal housing portion in the mounted state, the lance temporarily locks the proximal end side of the distal end connecting portion of the terminal, and the second locking member is completely attached to the connector housing body. Double-locking the rear side of the engagement piece of the terminal with the double-locking portion in the second mounting state to be mounted,
The connector housing body is formed with first and second locking member accommodation holes in a direction orthogonal to the terminal insertion direction to the terminal accommodation portion so as to divide the terminal accommodation portion.
The first and second locking members are respectively mounted in the first and second locking member storage holes in a direction orthogonal to a terminal insertion direction into the terminal storage portion, and the connector housing body in the mounted state A connector housing that forms a terminal housing portion that communicates the divided terminal housing portions . Said first and second locking member, a connector housing according to claim 1, characterized in that linked via a hinge portion. A connector formed by inserting a terminal into the terminal housing portion of the connector housing according to claim 1 . A method of manufacturing a connector using the connector housing according to claim 1 ,
Attaching the first locking member to the connector housing body and mounting the second locking member to the first mounting state; and
When the first locking member is in a fully mounted state and the second locking member is in the first mounted state, the terminal is inserted into the terminal housing portion from the terminal insertion port, and the terminal is inserted into the lance. A step of temporarily locking with,
Mounting the second locking member to the connector housing main body until the second mounting state, and double-locking the double locking portion to the terminal. Production method.

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