JP5233814B2 - Sub-connector with protective cap for split connector and manufacturing method of split connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a subconnector with a protective cap for a split connector and a method for manufacturing the split connector.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a split connector is known in which male terminal fittings are inserted into sub-housings to form sub-connectors, and then a plurality of sub-connectors are assembled to a frame (Patent Document 1 below). The sub-connector in the divided connector of the following document is configured such that the tab portion of the male terminal fitting is exposed from the sub-housing until it is assembled to the frame. For this reason, a protective cap for protecting the exposed tab is attached to the sub-connector to prevent the tab from being deformed during transportation. The protective cap is removed from the sub-connector when the frame is assembled.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-34889

On the other hand, in order to efficiently assemble this type of split connector, it is desirable that the male terminal fitting is properly inserted into the sub-housing when each sub-connector is assembled. Each time is assembled, a jig is used to detect whether or not the male terminal fitting is inserted, and there is a problem that man-hours increase accordingly.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to detect whether or not a terminal fitting is inserted without using a jig or the like in a sub-connector with a protective cap for a split connector. .

A sub connector with a protective cap for a split connector according to the present invention is connected to an end of an electric wire, and includes a male terminal fitting provided with a tab, a sub housing into which the male terminal fitting is inserted, and a side housing of the sub housing. Split connector protection comprising a retainer that can be inserted from a retracted position that allows insertion of the male terminal fitting into a locking position that prevents the male terminal fitting from being inserted, and a protective cap that protects the tab. in sub connector cap, the protective cap is a cylindrical shape in which the sub housing Oite opened to a size capable of passing through the front and rear, the sub housing is inserted from one opening face of the protective cap It is accommodated and can be taken out from the other opening surface, and on the take-out end side of the inner surface of the protective cap When the retainer mounted on the sub-housing is in the retracted position, the retainer is in contact with the rear end of the retainer and restricts removal of the sub-housing, while when the retainer is in the locking position, It is characterized in that a detection unit is provided that allows the sub-housing to be removed while avoiding interference.

  In the sub-connector with a protective cap for a split connector according to the present invention, the sub-housing is accommodated in the protective cap to protect the tab. In this state, the sub-housing is taken out from the protective cap after being transported to the next process. Here, when the retainer is in the retracted state during the operation of taking out the sub-housing from the protective cap, the rear end of the retainer comes into contact with the detection unit. For this reason, taking out the sub-housing from the protective cap is restricted. Thereby, it can be confirmed whether the retainer is correctly mounted at the locking position by the sub-housing removal operation.

The method of manufacturing a split connector according to the present invention includes a male terminal fitting connected to an end of an electric wire and provided with a tab, a sub-housing into which the male terminal fitting is inserted, and a male terminal fitting mounted on a side surface of the sub-housing. of a retainer that can be inserted toward the locking position for retaining the male terminal fitting after insertion from the retracted position to permit insertion, the frame assembling the sub housing, the Oite the sub housing front and rear passable A split connector having a cylindrical shape opened to a large size and protecting the tab by accommodating the sub-housing, and a protective cap provided with a detection portion on the take-out end side of the sub-housing on the inner surface The sub-housing in which the retainer is mounted at the retracted position from one opening surface of the protective cap A sub-housing accommodating step of inserting and accommodating the male terminal fitting in the protective cap; a male terminal fitting inserting step of inserting the male terminal fitting into the sub-housing accommodated in the protective cap; and the protective cap. In the retainer insertion step of pushing the retainer into the locking position through the operation window and in the process of removing the sub-housing from the other opening surface of the protective cap, the retainer is in the locking position by the detection unit. A sub-housing removing step that also serves as a retainer half-insertion detecting step for detecting whether or not, and a frame assembling step for assembling the sub-housing removed from the protective cap to the frame.

  In the split connector manufacturing method of the present invention, the male terminal fitting is inserted into the sub housing after the sub housing is accommodated in the protective cap. In this way, it is easier to accommodate the sub-housing in the protective cap than to accommodate the sub-housing in which the male terminal fitting is inserted in the protective cap.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the following configuration is preferable.
(1) The protective cap has an operation window formed by opening a wall portion facing the base portion of the retainer. With such a configuration, when the sub housing in which the retainer is in the retracted position is accommodated in the protective cap, the retainer can be pushed into the locking position through the operation window.

(2) The confirmation window which makes the said retainer visible from the side is formed by opening the location which opposes the side wall of the said retainer among the side walls of the said sub housing. With such a configuration, the side of the retainer can be visually observed through the confirmation window, so that the operation of pushing the retainer of the sub-housing accommodated in the protective cap into the locking position is facilitated.

  According to the present invention, it can be confirmed that the retainer is in the locking position in the sub-connector with the protective cap for the split connector. When the retainer is in the locking position, the male terminal fitting is prevented from being pulled out by the retainer and is in a properly inserted position. As a result, it is possible to detect whether or not the male terminal fitting is inserted without using a jig or the like.

The partially cutaway side view which shows the operation | movement which attaches a subconnector to the flame | frame which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention (a frame shows the AA sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 2) Top view of the frame Partially cutaway side view showing the sub connector assembly operation (sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 15) Side sectional view showing the sub-connector with the retainer in the retracted position (cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 17) Enlarged view of the vicinity of the retainer in FIG. Sectional view showing the sub-connector with the retainer in the locked position Enlarged view of the vicinity of the retainer in FIG. Side view showing sub-housing and protective cap Top view showing sub-housing and protective cap DD sectional view of FIG. EE sectional view of FIG. View of the protective cap as seen from the rear in the fitting direction with the sub-housing Side view showing male terminal fitting insertion operation FF sectional view of FIG. Top view showing insertion of male terminal fitting Side view showing the sub-connector with the retainer in the retracted position Plan view showing sub-connector Side view of sub housing removed from protective cap Top view of the sub housing removed from the protective cap Side sectional view of the retainer when half-insertion is detected

<Embodiment>
(1) Configuration An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a male split connector 10 that can be fitted to a female split connector (not shown) is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, the split connector 10 includes a frame 20 and a plurality of sub-connectors 11 (only one is shown in the figure) housed in the frame 20. The sub-connector 11 is a sub-connector with a cap that is accommodated in the protective cap 80 and transported before being assembled to the frame 20 (FIG. 4). In the following description, the fitting direction (left side in FIG. 1) of the divided connector 10 is the front, the reverse direction to the fitting direction (right side in FIG. 1) is the rear, and the top and bottom in FIG.

  The frame 20 is made of synthetic resin and has a substantially box shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A hood portion 21 is formed in the front portion of the frame 20 so as to open forward. The hood portion 21 accommodates a tab 32 of a male terminal fitting 30 described later. The rear part of the frame 20 is opened rearward and is partitioned by a partition wall 23 to form a total of four storage chambers 22 aligned in the vertical direction in FIG. Each accommodation chamber 22 has a substantially rectangular shape communicating with the hood portion 21 and penetrating in the front-rear direction, and is set to a size that can accommodate a sub-housing 40 of the sub-connector 11 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sub-connector 11 includes a male terminal fitting 30 connected to the end of the electric wire W, a sub-housing 40 into which the male terminal fitting 30 can be inserted and removed, a retainer 60 attached to the sub-housing 40, Consists of

  The male terminal fitting 30 is formed of a metal plate having excellent electrical conductivity, and a tab 32 protrudes from the front end of the main body 31 having a rectangular tube shape, and the barrel 33 provided on the rear end side is caulked to thereby wire the electric wire W. It is fixed to the terminal. On the front side of the main body 31, a lance hole 34 is formed by opening a lower surface. A locking step 35 for locking the retainer 60 is formed at the rear end of the main body 31. A protrusion 36 that can be locked by the retainer 60 is struck out on the locking step 35.

  The sub housing 40 is made of synthetic resin and is formed in a substantially block shape. At the front end of the upper wall of the sub-housing 40, an engaging recess 48 is formed by being recessed (see FIG. 9). The engaging recess 48 has a function of fixing the sub-housing 40 to the housing chamber 22 by engaging with the engaging protrusion 23A protruding from the partition wall 23 of the frame 20 described above. On both side walls 49 of the sub-housing 40, positioning protrusions 51 that protrude outward are formed. The positioning protrusion 51 is formed along the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a cavity 41 is formed by penetrating the inside of the sub housing 40 along the front-rear direction (illustrated by a broken line). The cavities 41 are arranged in two upper and lower tiers and arranged in a plurality of chambers in the width direction, and the male terminal fittings 30 corresponding to the cavities 41 can be inserted from the rear.

  The front end of the cavity 41 passes through the front wall of the sub housing 40, and the tab 32 protrudes forward of the sub housing 40. In addition, a front stop portion 42 is formed at the front end of the cavity 41 so as to be inclined downward. When the male terminal fitting 30 is inserted, the forward movement of the male terminal fitting 30 is restricted by the front end portion of the main body 31 of the male terminal fitting 30 coming into contact with the front stop 42.

  A lance 43 is formed so as to extend forward from the lower surface of each cavity 41 in a cantilevered manner. The lance 43 can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction (direction intersecting with the insertion / extraction direction of the male terminal fitting 30). The front end of the lance 43 is notched in an L shape and forms a locking receiver 43A. When the lance 43 is not elastically deformed (the state shown in FIG. 4), the locking receiver 43A is set at a height that can be locked (primary locking) from the rear with respect to the lance hole 34 of the male terminal fitting 30. Yes. 6, 20, and 21, the lance 43 is not shown.

  In the sub-housing 40, a retainer mounting portion 45 that opens to the lower wall (an example of a side surface) of the sub-housing 40 and communicates with each cavity 41 is formed at a position behind the lance 43. As shown in FIG. 5, a temporary locking receiving portion 46 is formed on the front upper edge of the retainer mounting portion 45. The lower surface of the temporary latch receiving portion 46 is a contact surface 46A that is inclined upwardly toward the rear side. At the upper edge of the rear side of the retainer mounting portion 45 and at a position slightly higher than the temporary locking receiving portion 46, a main locking receiving portion 47 having a protruding shape that protrudes forward is formed. The lower surface of the lock receiving portion 47 is an abutting surface 47A that is inclined upwardly toward the front side.

  The retainer 60 prevents the male terminal fitting 30 inserted in the sub-housing 40 from coming off (secondary locking). The retainer mounting portion 45 is fitted with a board portion 61 fitted to the inlet of the retainer mounting portion 45. The main body 62 is erected and a pair of side plate portions 65 erected on both the left and right sides of the substrate 61 are mainly configured to have a generally box shape as a whole.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of front and rear temporary locking arms 66 and main locking arms 68 are formed on the front and rear sides of each side plate portion 65 so as to be able to bend and deform in a back-to-back posture. ing. A temporary locking projection 67 that can be locked with the temporary locking receiving portion 46 of the retainer mounting portion 45 is formed at the upper end of the temporary locking arm 66, and the upper surface of the temporary locking projection 67 is on the rear side. The contact surface 67A is inclined upward (to the right in FIG. 5).

  A main locking projection 69 that can be locked with the main locking receiving portion 47 of the retainer mounting portion 45 is formed at the upper end of the main locking arm 68. The contact surface 69A is inclined downward. Further, the temporary locking protrusion 67 and the main locking protrusion 69 are arranged at the same height.

  The retainer 60 is shallowly fitted to the retainer mounting portion 45 of the sub-housing 40 to allow the male terminal fitting 30 to be inserted and removed, and the retainer 60 is deeply fitted to the retainer mounting portion 45 and secondarily locked to the male terminal fitting 30. It is possible to move up and down between the locking positions. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the retracted position is where the retainer 60 is inserted into the retainer mounting portion 45 from below and the temporary locking protrusion 67 is locked to the temporary locking receiving portion 46. When the retainer 60 is in the retracted position, the lower portion of the retainer 60 (specifically, a part of the side plate portion 65 and the substrate portion 61, hereinafter referred to as an exposed portion) protrudes from below the sub housing 40 and is exposed. Yes.

  On the other hand, the position where the retainer 60 is further inserted from the retracted position and the main locking projection 69 is locked to the main locking receiving portion 47 is the locking position (see FIGS. 6 and 7). When the retainer 60 is in the locking position, the bottom surface 61A of the retainer 60 is flush with the bottom surface 40A of the sub-housing 40.

  A window frame 63 is formed through the body portion 31 at a location corresponding to the lower-side cavity 41 in the front-rear direction (broken line in FIG. 4). Each window frame 63 is formed so that the retainer 60 can communicate with the lower cavity 41 of the sub-housing 40 in the retracted position, and has a function of allowing the male terminal fitting 30 to be inserted and removed.

  Then, locking projections 64 (shown by broken lines) projecting upward correspond to the cavities 41 at the lower portions of the window frames 63 and the portions corresponding to the upper cavities 41 of the main body 31. (The same number as the cavities 41). When the retainer 60 is in the retracted position, each locking projection 64 is retracted downward from each cavity 41 so that the male terminal fitting 30 can be inserted into and removed from the cavity 41 (see FIG. 4). On the other hand, each locking projection 64 enters the cavity 41 when the retainer 60 is in the locking position, and faces the locking step 35 of the main body 31 of the male terminal fitting 30, and engages it from the rear. It can be stopped (FIG. 6).

  The protective cap 80 protects the tab 32 protruding from the front of the sub housing 40 and prevents the tab 32 from being deformed when the sub connector 11 is transported. The protective cap 80 is removed from the sub-housing 40 before the frame 20 accommodates the sub-connector 11.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the protective cap 80 is made of synthetic resin and has a rectangular tube shape. The length of the protective cap 80 in the front-rear direction is set to a size that can accommodate the sub-housing 40 with the male terminal fitting 30 attached thereto.

  Both front and rear surfaces of the protective cap 80 are opened, and the inside on the front side is a tab housing chamber 85 that surrounds and protects the tab 32 of the male terminal fitting 30. The rear interior is a housing accommodation chamber 86 in which the sub-housing 40 is accommodated. The tab storage chamber 85 and the housing storage chamber 86 are communicated with each other inside the protective cap 80. As a result, the sub-housing 40 can be inserted from the front side (one opening surface) of the protective cap 80 and taken out from the rear side (the other opening surface).

  As shown in FIG. 11, the facing distance B <b> 2 between the front side walls 81 of the protective cap 80 is set to be larger than the width B <b> 1 of the sub-housing 40. Of the both side walls 81 of the protective cap 80, the rear and lower portions are set to have a facing distance smaller than other portions of the side wall 81 and serve as fitting walls 83. The facing distance B3 between the fitting walls 83 is set to be substantially the same as the width B1 of the sub-housing 40 (the length excluding the positioning protrusion 51 described above). Further, the front end sides of both the fitting walls 83 can be slightly elastically deformed.

  Engaging protrusions 84 are formed on the front end sides of the fitting walls 83 so as to protrude inward. This engagement protrusion 84 can be engaged with an engagement recess 50 formed by recessing the side wall 49 of the sub-housing 40 (see FIGS. 8 and 11). As a result, in the protective cap 80, the sub-housing 40 is regulated in the front-rear direction so that it can be fixed at the normal position (position in FIG. 6).

  As shown in FIG. 10, the vertical length A3 of the tab housing chamber 85 is the height A2 of the sub-housing 40 including the retainer 60 in the retracted position (the height A1 of the sub-housing 40 and the height of the exposed portion of the retainer). Is set to be slightly larger than the total length (A5).

  As shown in FIG. 12, the upper wall 93 of the protective cap 80 has a step shape at both ends in the width direction, and the upper wall 93 has inner wall surfaces 93B at both ends in the width direction from the inner wall surface 93A at the center side. It is formed to be low. As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom wall at the rear end of the housing accommodation chamber 86 (the take-out end side on the inner surface) is a detection unit 88 disposed above the bottom wall on the front side (tab accommodation chamber 85 side). The The facing distance A4 between the inner wall surface 93B of the protective cap 80 and the detection unit 88 is set to be smaller than the height A2 of the sub housing 40 including the retainer 60 in the retracted position, and slightly smaller than the height A1 of the sub housing 40. Is set to be large.

  An operation window 90 is formed through the bottom wall in front of the detection unit 88 in the vertical direction. The operation window 90 is formed by opening a portion corresponding to the bottom surface 61 </ b> A of the retainer 60 in a substantially rectangular shape when the sub-housing 40 is at a normal position (position in FIG. 6). As a result, the retainer 60 in the retracted position can be pushed through the operation window 90 from below. The front end side of the detection unit 88 is a retainer contact surface 88 </ b> A that stands upright so as to be orthogonal to the insertion direction of the sub-housing 40.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a confirmation window 82 is formed at a position corresponding to the side wall of the retainer 60 in one side wall of the protective cap 80. Specifically, the confirmation window 82 communicates with one end in the width direction of the operation window 90 and opens upward. The opening length of the confirmation window 82 is set such that the upper surface 82 </ b> A of the confirmation window 82 is the same height as the upper surface of the detection unit 88. As a result, the exposed portion of the retainer 60 in the retracted position can be viewed through the confirmation window 82 from the side of the protective cap 80.

  The rear end side of the upper wall of the protective cap 80 is opened upward to form an upper wall opening 91. Thereby, when the sub housing 40 is accommodated in the regular position, the rear end portion of the upper wall of the sub housing 40 is exposed from the upper wall opening 91.

  As shown in FIG. 10, receiving portions 92 that protrude inward are formed on the inner surface side of each side wall 81 of the protective cap 80. The receiving portion 92 is formed along the front-rear direction, and has a function of supporting the positioning projection 51 of the sub housing 40 by the upper surface 92A of the receiving portion 92. The height of the receiving portion 92 is set so that the bottom surface 40A of the sub housing 40 is slightly higher than the upper surface of the detecting portion 88 in a state where the positioning protrusion 51 of the sub housing 40 is supported by the receiving portion 92 ( (See FIG. 6).

(2) Manufacturing method of split connector 10 The split connector 10 of this embodiment includes (2-1) a sub-housing accommodation step, (2-2) a male terminal fitting insertion step, (2-3) a retainer insertion step, (2 -4) It is manufactured through 5 steps of a sub-housing taking-out step and (2-5) a frame assembling step. Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

(2-1) Sub-housing accommodation step First, the sub-housing 40 (FIGS. 8 and 10) in a state where the retainer 60 is assembled at the retracted position is inserted from the front side of the protective cap 80. At this time, the sub housing 40 is moved backward with respect to the protective cap 80 while the positioning protrusion 51 of the sub housing 40 is supported by the receiving portion 92 of the protective cap 80.

  When the sub-housing 40 is moved rearward, the engaging protrusions 84 of the protective cap 80 are pushed by the side walls 49 of the sub-housing 40, and the front end side of the fitting wall 83 is slightly elastically deformed outward. Further, when the sub-housing 40 is moved rearward and each engaging projection 84 reaches each engaging recess 50, the front end side of each fitting wall 83 is elastically restored. Thereby, each engagement protrusion 84 engages with each engagement recess 50, and the sub-housing 40 is positioned at the normal position in the protective cap 80 (see FIG. 14).

(2-2) Male Terminal Fitting Insertion Step Next, the corresponding male terminal fitting 30 is inserted from the rear into each cavity 41 of the sub-housing 40 positioned at the normal position. In the insertion process, the lance 43 is elastically displaced downward by contacting the lower surface of the front end of the main body 31 of the male terminal fitting 30. When the front end portion of the main body portion 31 is inserted to the normal insertion position where the front end portion contacts the front stop portion 42, the locking receiver 43A of the lance 43 is disengaged from the lower surface of the front end of the main body portion 31, and the lance 43 is elastically restored. As a result, the locking receiver 37 </ b> A is locked with the lance hole 34. As a result, the rearward movement of the male terminal fitting 30 from the sub housing 40 is restricted (primary locking). At the same time, the tab 32 protrudes from the front of the sub-housing 40 and is housed in the tab housing chamber 85 of the protective cap 80 (see FIG. 4).

(2-3) Retainer Insertion Step After the male terminal fittings 30 are primarily locked in all the cavities 41, the retainer 60 is pushed further upward from the retracted position through the operation window 90. Then, the contact surface 47A of the main locking receiving portion 47 pushes the contact surface 69A of the main locking protrusion 69 forward, so that the main locking arm 68 is elastically deformed with its base end as a fulcrum and moved forward. Bend. When the main locking projection 69 reaches above the main locking receiving portion 47, the main locking arm 68 is elastically restored backward.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the main locking projection 69 is locked to the main locking receiving portion 47, and the retainer 60 is restricted from returning to the retracted position and is held at the locking position. At the locking position, each locking projection 64 of the retainer 60 enters the corresponding cavity 41 and is locked to the locking step 35 and the projection 36 of each male terminal fitting 30 (FIG. 6). As a result, the male terminal fitting 30 is secondarily locked. The retainer 60 is completely accommodated in the retainer mounting portion 45. The sub-connector 11 is completed through the above steps (see FIG. 17).

  Moreover, since the side of the retainer 60 can be visually observed through the confirmation window 82 during the operation of inserting the retainer 60 (see FIG. 16), the work of pushing the retainer 60 into the locking position becomes easy. After the steps (2-1) to (2-3) are repeated to assemble the plurality of subconnectors 11, the plurality of subconnectors 11 are collectively moved to the next step (subhousing removal step). Transported. At this time, the tab 32 is covered and protected by the protective cap 80. For this reason, it can prevent that the tab 32 of the subconnector 11 deform | transforms at the time of conveyance.

(2-4) Sub-housing Removal Step Next, when the sub-housing 40 is pulled out from the rear of the protective cap 80, each engaging protrusion 84 of the protective cap 80 becomes a front wall of each engaging recess 50 of the sub-housing 40. The front end side of the fitting wall 83 is slightly elastically deformed outward. As a result, the engagement between the engagement protrusion 84 and the engagement recess 50 is released, and the sub-housing 40 can be moved rearward with respect to the protective cap 80.

  At this time, in the protective cap 80, the positioning protrusion 51 of the sub-housing 40 is supported by the receiving portion 92 of the protective cap 80, and the bottom surface 40A of the sub-housing 40 is slightly more than the upper surface of the detecting portion 88. It is high. The retainer 60 is in the locking position and is housed in the retainer mounting part 45. For this reason, even if the sub-housing 40 is moved rearward, the retainer 60 and the detection unit 88 are prevented from interfering with each other and can be taken out from the protective cap 80 (see FIGS. 18 and 19).

  Here, if the male terminal fitting 30 is not inserted to the proper position in the male terminal fitting insertion step, the retaining projection 64 of the retainer 60 interferes with the male terminal fitting 30, so that the retainer 60 is correctly locked. It is in the retracted position without being inserted to the position. When the sub-housing 40 is to be taken out from behind the protective cap 80 in a state where the retainer 60 is in the retracted position, the rear end (rear end of the exposed portion) of the side plate portion 65 of the retainer 60 is the retainer contact surface of the detecting portion 88. 88A (see FIG. 20). For this reason, removal of the sub-housing 40 is restricted. Thereby, it can be confirmed that the retainer 60 or the male terminal fitting 30 is half-inserted. That is, in the sub-housing removal step, it is detected whether or not the retainer is in the locking position during the removal of the sub-housing 40 (retainer half-insertion detection step).

  When the removal of the sub-housing 40 is restricted, the retainer 60 may be pushed from the operation window 90 to the locking position after the male terminal fitting 30 is inserted to the normal position. As a result, interference between the retainer 60 and the detection unit 88 is avoided, so that the sub-housing 40 can be removed from the protective cap 80.

(2-5) Frame Assembly Step As shown in FIG. 1, the subconnector 11 taken out from the protective cap 80 is inserted into the accommodation chamber 22 from the rear of the frame 20. Thereby, the engaging protrusion 23A protruding from the partition wall 23 and the engaging recess 48 of the sub housing 40 are engaged. At the same time, the tab 32 of the sub-connector 11 is accommodated in the hood portion 21 of the frame 20. As described above, each sub-connector 11 is assembled in each storage chamber 22 to complete the assembly of the divided connector 10.

(3) Effect As described above, in the divided connector 10 of the present embodiment, when the retainer 60 is in the retracted position when the sub-housing 40 is taken out from the protective cap 80, the exposed portion of the retainer 60 becomes the detection portion 88. The contact of the sub-housing 40 is regulated by the contact. For this reason, the half insertion of the retainer 60 can be confirmed by the removal operation of the sub-housing 40, and whether or not the male terminal fitting 30 is inserted can be detected without using a jig or the like.

  In addition, the protective cap 80 of the present embodiment includes a tab storage chamber 85 and a housing storage chamber 86, and is configured to cover not only the tab 32 but the entire sub-housing 40. For this reason, the contact location with the sub housing 40 becomes larger than the protective cap aiming mainly at covering only the conventional tab. As a result, it is possible to prevent the protective cap 80 from being loose or from being removed from the sub-housing 40 during transportation.

  In the method for manufacturing a split connector according to this embodiment, the male terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the sub-housing 40 after the sub-housing 40 is accommodated in the protective cap 80. In this way, the housing operation of the sub-housing 40 in the protective cap 80 is facilitated compared to housing the sub-housing 40 with the male terminal fitting 30 inserted therein in the protective cap 80.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments 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.

  (1) In the above embodiment, a part of the bottom wall of the protective cap 80 is the detection unit 88, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the detection part 88 may be a protrusion protruding at a height that interferes with the exposed part of the retainer from the wall part of the protective cap 80 facing the bottom surface 61A of the retainer 60. The protrusion may be configured to restrict the sub housing 40 from being taken out.

  (2) In the manufacturing method of the split connector 10 of the above embodiment, the sub housing 40 with the retainer 60 in the retracted position is accommodated in the protective cap 80, and after inserting the male terminal fitting 30, the retainer 60 is locked. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sub-housing 40 in a state where the male terminal fitting 30 is inserted and the retainer 60 is in the locking position may be accommodated in the protective cap 80. With such a configuration, it is not necessary to push the retainer 60 into the locking position in the protective cap 80, so that the operation window 90 can be omitted. In the configuration in which the operation window 90 is omitted, if the retainer 60 is accommodated in the protective cap 80 at the retracted position, the sub-housing 40 is taken out from the front side of the protective cap 80, and then the retainer 60 is moved to the locking position. Just push it in.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Split connector 20 ... Frame 30 ... Male terminal metal fitting 32 ... Tab 40 ... Sub housing 60 ... Retainer 80 ... Protection cap 82 ... Confirmation window 88 ... Detection part 90 ... Operation window W ... Electric wire

Claims (4)

After insertion from the retraction position that is connected to the end of the electric wire and has a tab, a sub housing into which the male terminal fitting is inserted, and a side housing that allows insertion of the male terminal fitting. A sub-connector with a protective cap for a split connector, comprising: a retainer that can be inserted toward a locking position for retaining the male terminal fitting; and a protective cap that protects the tab.
The protective cap, a cylindrical shape in which the sub housing Oite opened to a size that can pass through the front and rear, the sub-housing while being accommodated is inserted from one opening face of the protective cap, the other It can be taken out from the opening surface of
And, when the retainer mounted on the sub-housing is in the retracted position on the take-out end side of the inner surface of the protective cap, the take-out of the sub-housing is restricted by contacting the rear end of the retainer, A sub-connector with a protective cap for a divided connector, characterized in that when the retainer is in the locking position, a detection unit is provided that allows the sub-housing to be removed while avoiding interference with the retainer. A sub-connector with a protective cap for a split connector according to claim 1,
The sub-connector with a protective cap for a split connector, wherein the protective cap is formed with an operation window by opening a wall portion facing the bottom surface of the retainer. A sub-connector with a protective cap for a split connector according to claim 2,
A confirmation window that allows the retainer in the retracted position to be viewed from the side by opening a portion of the wall portion of the protective cap that faces the side wall of the retainer is formed. Sub connector with protective cap for split connector. After insertion from the retraction position that is connected to the end of the electric wire and has a tab, a sub housing into which the male terminal fitting is inserted, and a side housing that allows insertion of the male terminal fitting. None of the retainer that can be inserted toward the locking position for retaining the male terminal fittings, and a frame assembling the sub housing, a cylindrical shape wherein the sub housing Oite opened to a size capable of passing through the front and rear A method of manufacturing a split connector comprising: a protective cap that houses the sub-housing and protects the tab, and a protective cap provided on the inner surface of the sub-housing with a detection portion;
A sub-housing housing step of inserting the sub-housing to which the retainer is mounted at the retracted position from one opening surface of the protective cap, and housing the sub-housing in the protective cap;
A male terminal fitting insertion step of inserting the male terminal fitting into the sub-housing accommodated in the protective cap;
A retainer insertion step of pushing the retainer into the locking position through an operation window formed in the protective cap;
A sub-housing removing step that also serves as a retainer half-insertion detecting step of detecting whether or not the retainer is in the locking position by the detecting unit in the step of taking out the sub-housing from the other opening surface of the protective cap; ,
And a frame assembling step for assembling the sub-housing taken out of the protective cap to the frame.

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