JP6730975B2 - Electric connector and method of locking connection terminals in the electric connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric connector that is used in an electric circuit of an automobile, for example, and can securely hold even a small connection terminal in a housing, and a method of locking the connection terminal in the electric connector.

Conventionally, the connection terminal built in the housing of the electrical connector causes a so-called rear disconnection in which the connection terminal is pulled out from the housing when a strong force is applied to the electric wire pulled out during the processing of the harness or the attachment to the vehicle body of the automobile. easy. Since the pulling-out of this connection terminal impairs the function as an electric connector, it is prevented by a locking mechanism provided in the housing. Generally, it is locked by a flexible case lance provided in the housing. There is.

However, as the connection terminals have been downsized as in recent years, the housing has to be downsized and the case lance has to be downsized, and in many cases, sufficient locking force cannot be obtained only with the case lance.

From this, as in Patent Document 1, the connection terminal is locked by the case lance inside the housing, and a wide side holder is inserted from the side of the housing to lock the connection terminal in the housing. The connector is known.

In this electrical connector, the main body of the side holder is inserted into the housing from the side of the housing, and when locking the connection terminal in the housing, the side holder has the locking piece attached to the connection terminal inserted. It is locked by the holder.

JP, 2011-86504, A

However, in the electrical connector of Patent Document 1, a large hole portion for inserting the side holder has to be formed in the side portion of the housing, and water is likely to be generated in the housing through the hole portion, so that the connection terminals are connected to each other. It is not suitable as an electrical connector for the purpose of waterproofing.

Further, since the end portion of the side holder is always exposed to the outer surface of the housing, there is a possibility that the side holder may come off due to accidental contact with other members.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to reliably lock the internal connection terminal by moving the locking plate part installed inside the housing by the operation member within the housing, and to the rear of the connection terminal. An object of the present invention is to provide an electric connector that prevents the electric connector from being pulled out and a method of locking a connection terminal in the electric connector.

An electrical connector according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a housing body, a terminal holder that is inserted into the housing body from the rear of the housing body, and a terminal holder that is connected to a front end of the terminal holder. a locking plate portion of the movable laterally perpendicular to the direction in which, the locking plate portion which is inserted into the housing body with the terminal holder, and an operating member for moving the transverse direction, the locking piece And a holder holding portion for holding the terminal holder in a rear portion of the housing body, and a connecting portion of the connecting terminal in a front portion. A terminal holding portion for holding the connecting portion is provided, a plurality of openings for respectively inserting the connection terminals are provided at a rear portion of the terminal holder, and the locking plate portion has a board portion for connecting the connection terminals. An insertion groove through which the locking piece passes is formed, an insertion plate that is movably connected to the terminal holder in the lateral direction is provided at a rear portion of the board portion, and the operation portion is provided at a part of the board portion. An operated end for moving in the lateral direction by a member is provided, and the operating member is pushed into the operated end of the locking plate portion by being pushed in from a push opening provided in a terminal holding portion of the housing body. An operating portion for operating the operating member, the operating portion of the operating member moves the locking plate portion in the lateral direction in the terminal holding portion, and the locking plate portion causes the locking plate portion to engage with the locking piece of the connection terminal. It is characterized by restricting the slip-out of the stopper.

Further, a method of locking a connection terminal according to the present invention includes a housing main body, a terminal holder inserted into the housing main body from the rear of the housing main body, and a front end of the terminal holder, which is connected to the terminal holder. a locking plate portion of the movable laterally perpendicular to the direction, the locking plate portion which is inserted into the housing body with the terminal holder, and an operating member for moving the transverse direction, the locking piece In the method of locking an electric connector capable of incorporating a plurality of connection terminals, the locking plate portion has a rear portion movably connected to the terminal holder in a lateral direction, and when the connection terminals are inserted, The locking piece provided on the connection terminal is inserted by advancing the insertion groove formed on the locking plate portion, and after the connection terminal is inserted, the operation member is moved from the pushing port provided on the housing body to the housing. By pushing in the main body and moving the locking plate part in the lateral direction, the rear part of the locking piece of the connection terminal is locked, and the rearward movement of the connection terminal is restricted. To do.

An electrical connector according to the present invention and a method for locking a connection terminal in the electrical connector are provided in which a movable locking plate portion provided inside a housing body is moved by an operating member which is a separate member to lock the connection terminal. Therefore, the connection terminal can be reliably held in the housing.

Further, by providing a waterproof member and forming a pushing port for pushing the operation member on the front surface of the housing main body, a waterproof structure is realized in a connected state with the mating electric connector.

It is the perspective view which looked at the electrical connector of the assembled state from the front. It is the perspective view seen from back. It is the perspective view seen from the rear of the disassembled state. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which cut|disconnected the electric connector of the assembled state in the perpendicular direction. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view cut in the horizontal direction. It is a perspective view of a connection terminal. It is a top view of a lock put. It is a front view. It is a top view of an operation member. It is a perspective view of the state where the locking plate part was connected to the terminal holder. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the housing in a state where the terminal holder is temporarily inserted and which is cut in the vertical direction. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view cut in the horizontal direction. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a process of primary insertion of the connection terminal in a temporarily inserted state of the terminal holder. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state where the connection terminal is secondarily inserted. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the terminal holder with the locking plate inserted in the main insertion state. It is explanatory drawing of the process of pushing in an operation member and moving a locking plate part laterally.

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric connector of an embodiment in an assembled state as seen from the front, FIG. 2 is a perspective view as seen from the rear, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view as seen from the rear in an exploded state. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the assembled electrical connector taken in the vertical direction, and FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken in the horizontal direction.

The electrical connector includes a housing body 1, a terminal holder 2 that is inserted into the housing body 1 from the rear side of the housing body 1, a lateral end that is connected to a front end of the terminal holder 2, and is orthogonal to a direction in which the terminal holder 2 is inserted. and the locking plate 3 movable in a direction, and an operating member 4 for moving the locking plate 3 in the lateral direction within the housing body 1.

The terminal holder 2 and the locking plate portion 3 are inserted into the housing main body 1 and the connection terminal is provided therein. The terminal holder 2 is fitted from the rear portion of the housing main body 1 and holds the rear end portion of the connection terminal. The locking plate 3 is movably connected to the tip of the terminal holder 2 in the lateral direction, is inserted into the housing body 1 together with the terminal holder 2, and is pushed by the operating member 4 pushed from the front of the housing body 1. Operated. By this operation, the locking plate portion 3 moves in the lateral direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the locking plate portion 3 with respect to the terminal holder 2, and locks the rear end of the locking piece of the internal connection terminal.

The electrical connector can accommodate, for example, 12 so-called female terminals, which are 6 receiving terminals in total in 6 rows in the upper and lower rows, from the rear side, and a mating side in which so-called male terminals, which are the same number of inserting-type connecting terminals, are incorporated. The electric connector is connected to the front side to electrically connect the connection terminals.

The size of this small electrical connector is, for example, 24 mm in width, 14 mm in height, and 24 mm in length in the assembled state, and an appropriate size may be adopted according to the number of connecting terminals and the like. it can.

First, the connection terminal installed in the housing body 1 will be described. The connection terminal is formed by punching and bending a conductive metal plate such as brass having a thickness of 0.15 mm as shown in the perspective view of FIG. For example, the receiving connection terminal has a total length of 15 mm. At the front portion of the connection terminal T, a rectangular tubular receiving portion Ta having a width of 1.1 mm, a height of 1.6 mm and a length of 4.8 mm is formed.

On one side of the rear end of the bottom surface Tb of the connecting portion Ta in the width direction, a locking piece Tc formed by cutting into the bottom surface Tb and locked by the locking plate portion 3 is directed downward and in the front-back direction. Is projected along. In this locking piece Tc, the tip of the side portion cut out in the shape of a fin is once directed downward, and is folded back again in a U shape to have a height of 0.4 mm, for example.

The locking piece Tc plays a role of a guide when the connection terminal T is inserted, a role of a stabilizer for stabilizing the posture of the connection terminal T after insertion, and a prevention of the connection terminal T itself from coming out backward. It also has a function. Furthermore, the upper end of the rear portion of the connecting portion Ta is a pressed portion Td with which the case lance formed on the terminal holder 2 abuts from the rear.

An electric wire Tf having an outer diameter of about 1 mm of the covering portion Te is connected to the rear end portion of the connection terminal T, and the core wire portion Tg exposed from the covering portion Te bends the U-shaped core wire crimping portion Th. It is crimped and connected. Further, behind the core wire crimping portion Th, a cylindrical sealing material Ti made of synthetic rubber for waterproofing, which is attached to the outside of the covering portion Te, bends the U-shaped covering crimping portion Tj together with the covering portion Te. It is fixed by crimping.

The housing body 1 is provided with a middle cylinder 1a in the central portion, and an outer cylinder 1b is arranged outside the middle cylinder 1a with a gap so as to largely surround the middle cylinder 1a. A rear portion of the outer cylinder 1b is located behind the middle cylinder 1a. The inner cylinder 1a and the outer cylinder 1b are connected and are integrally molded. The rear portion of the middle cylinder 1a is opened rearward to form a cylindrical holder holding portion 1c that holds the rear frame portion of the terminal holder 2, and the front end of the middle cylinder 1a inside the outer cylinder 1b has an outer diameter The waterproof portion 1d is made smaller.

A tubular terminal holding portion 1e having a smaller diameter than the middle cylinder 1a is formed further forward from the inside of the waterproof portion 1d, and the terminal holding portion 1e is supported from the inside of the waterproof portion 1d by a plurality of ribs 1f. .. A gap is provided between the ribs 1f so that a case lance of the terminal holder 2, which will be described later, can enter. The terminal holding portion 1e is for holding the connection portion Ta of the connection terminal T therein, and the front end portion is closed.

On both sides of the holder holding portion 1c, long groove-shaped temporary insertion groove portions 1g into which the temporary insertion locking projections of the terminal holder 2 are inserted when the terminal holder 2 is temporarily inserted are formed. Further, in the upper and lower portions of the holder holding portion 1c, two two main insertion groove portions 1h for receiving the main insertion locking projections of the terminal holder 2 when the terminal holder 2 is fully inserted are formed.

A sealing portion 1i is circumferentially attached to the waterproof portion 1d at the tip of the middle cylinder 1a, and the sealing portion 1i is connected to both the inner and outer surfaces through a small hole provided in the waterproof portion 1d, and water invades into both the inner and outer surfaces. The cross section is wavy to prevent this. When the housing body 1 is injection-molded, it is preferable that the seal portion 1i is formed by two-color molding of silicon rubber and attached, and is further cross-linked.

In the terminal holding portion 1e, there are provided a total of twelve upper and lower two connecting portion accommodating chambers 1j each having a rectangular cross section for individually accommodating the connecting portions Ta of the connecting terminals T. Bottom plates 1k and 1k' for supporting the bottom surfaces Tb of the connection terminals T are arranged back to back with a gap between the upper and lower connection portion accommodating chambers 1j, including the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k'. The total thickness is 1.4 mm.

On the upper and lower surfaces of the bottom plates 1k, 1k', in order to partition the connection terminals T adjacent to each other on the left and right, a total of 10 sets of partition walls 1l, 1l' are extended in the longitudinal direction by a set of two sheets, A gap is provided between the partition walls 1l and 1l'. The space surrounded by the bottom plates 1k and 1k' and the partitions 11 and 1'is a connection portion accommodating chamber 1j that individually accommodates the connection portions Ta. A horizontal plate of the operating member 4 described later is inserted into the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k', and a vertical plate of the operating member 4 is inserted into the gap between the partition walls 1l and 1l'.

Further, the front surface of the terminal holding portion 1e is closed by the front wall 1m, and the insertion ends of the mating insertion type connection terminals are inserted into the front wall 1m in correspondence with the individual connection terminals T inserted. Six openings 1n are formed on each of the upper and lower sides. Further, the front wall 1m is provided with a push-in opening 1o for the operating member 4 which is inserted into the housing body 1 and laterally moves the locking plate portion 3. In addition, one horizontal groove 1p and a plurality of vertical grooves 1q are formed as the push-in port 1o. The horizontal groove 1p is provided between the upper and lower openings 1n, and the vertical groove 1q is provided between the left and right openings 1n. The horizontal groove 1p communicates with the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k' of the terminal holding portion 1e, and the vertical groove 1q communicates with the gap between the partition walls 1l and 1l'.

Recesses 1r into which side plates on both sides of the operation member 4 are fitted are provided on both outer sides of the terminal holding portion 1e. Further, an elastic locking arm 1s for locking the outer cylinder 1b of the housing body 1 in a coupled state with the mating connector is formed, and a locking claw 1t is projected on the upper part thereof. Has been done.

A frame portion 2a that is inserted into the holder holding portion 1c of the middle cylinder 1a is provided at the rear portion of the terminal holder 2, and the connection terminal T is individually inserted into the frame portion 2a, for example, a circular shape having a diameter of about 2.3 mm. The openings 2b having a cross section are provided in two rows and six columns for each connection terminal T.

Temporary insertion locking projections 2c, which fit into the temporary insertion groove 1g of the holder holding portion 1c when the terminal holder 2 is in the temporary insertion state, are projected outward from the frame portion 2a one by one. ing. Further, on the upper and lower portions of the frame portion 2a, two main insertion locking protrusions 2d for fixing the terminal holder 2 to the housing body 1 in the main insertion state are provided in the vertical direction. Further, a stopper 2e is provided at the rear end portion of the terminal holder 2 in the up-down direction for stopping the insertion of the terminal holder 2 into the middle cylinder 1a during the main insertion at a predetermined position.

Six elastic case lances 2f project forward from the upper and lower portions of the front portion of the frame portion 2a for each connection terminal T to be installed. Since the connecting terminals T are vertically symmetrically installed with six connecting portions Ta each in the upper and lower connecting portion accommodating chambers 1j, the upper and lower case lances 2f are vertically symmetrical. ing. Further, a hook portion 2g is formed at the tip of each case lance 2f for pressing against the pushed portion Td of the connecting portion Ta of the connecting terminal T while abutting from the rear.

Between the upper and lower openings 2b of the frame portion 2a, there is provided a partition portion 2h which partitions the openings 2b into upper and lower portions and which is continuous with the opening 2b and has an inner cross section of a semi-arc shape. The thinnest part has a thickness of 0.45 mm. A flat plate-shaped terminal placement plate 2i extends in front of the partition 2h. The terminal mounting plate 2i has a thickness of 1.4 mm, and the bottom surfaces Tb of the connection terminals T are mounted on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively.

Six insertion grooves 2j each having a width of 0.6 mm and a depth of 0.4 mm for allowing the locking piece Tc to pass forward when inserting the connection terminal T are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the terminal mounting plate 2i in the front-back direction. Is formed toward. The locking piece Tc is formed close to one side in the width direction of the connecting portion Ta, and the upper and lower insertion grooves 2j are laterally displaced from each other in order to arrange the upper and lower connecting terminals T in a vertically symmetrical manner. Are arranged.

This also applies to the insertion grooves on the upper and lower surfaces of the locking plate portion 3 shown in FIG. 8 described later. Further, a wide slit-shaped connecting hole 2k is formed at the front end of the terminal mounting plate 2i so as to receive the insertion plate of the locking plate portion 3 so as to be movable in the lateral direction.

As shown in the plan view of FIG. 7 and the front view of FIG. 8, the locking plate portion 3 includes a base plate portion 3a, an insertion plate 3b protruding rearward, and an operated end 3c protruding forward. There is. The thickness of the board portion 3a is a substantially rectangular plate body of 1.4 mm, which is the same as the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k' of the terminal holding portion 1e and the gap between the terminal mounting plates 2i of the terminal holder 2. The upper and lower surfaces of the board portion 3a communicate with the insertion groove 2j provided in the terminal mounting plate 2i at the insertion connection position of the locking plate portion 3 to the terminal holder 2 and have the same width 0.6 mm as the insertion groove 2j. , 6 insertion grooves 3d each having a depth of 0.4 mm are formed in the front-rear direction. Further, a rectangular notch provided in the width direction is formed on the front end side portion of each insertion groove 3d, and a member for locking the locking piece Tc so that the connection terminal T does not come out backward. It is used as a stop 3e.

Note that FIG. 8 shows a state in which the locking piece Tc of the connection terminal T is inserted into the insertion groove 3d of the locking plate portion 3 by a chain line.

The insertion plate 3b is fitted into the connection hole 2k of the terminal holder 2, has a width smaller than that of the connection hole 2k, and has a plate shape with a thickness of about 0.6 mm. Further, the operated end 3c is formed as two strip-shaped portions having a thickness of about 0.6 mm protruding forward from the front edge 3f of the substrate portion 3a. On the tip end side of the operated end 3c, there is provided a beveled surface portion 3g which serves as a direction changing wedge mechanism for laterally moving the locking plate portion 3 with respect to the housing body 1 and the terminal holder 2 by the operating member 4. Has been formed.

The operation member 4 is a member for pushing the inside of the terminal holding portion 1e through the pushing opening 1o of the front wall 1m of the housing body 1 to move the locking plate portion 3 therein in the lateral direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the operating member 4 includes a horizontal plate 4a having a thickness of 0.6 mm which is inserted into the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k', and a plurality of vertical plates having a thickness of 0.6 mm which is inserted into the gap between the partition walls 1l and 1l'. 4b and a pair of side plates 4c on both sides.

At the front end of the horizontal plate 4a, two recesses 4d for receiving the operated end 3c of the locking plate 3 are formed, and one side of the entrance of the recess 4d cooperates with the inclined surface portion 3g of the operated end 3c. Thus, a push slope 4e serving as an operation unit for laterally moving the locking plate 3 is provided. Further, a pushing piece 4f for pushing in the operating member 4 and pulling out the operating member 4 if necessary is provided at the rear end of the horizontal plate 4a.

At the time of assembling the electric connector, as shown in FIG. 10, the insertion plate 3b of the locking plate portion 3 is fitted into the connection hole 2k at the tip of the terminal holder 2 and is movably connected in the lateral direction. In this case, the insertion plate 3b is placed on one side of the connection hole 2k of the terminal mounting plate 2i. As a result, the insertion groove 3d of the locking plate portion 3 is communicated with the insertion groove 2j of the terminal mounting plate 2i, and the locking piece Tc of the connection terminal T can sequentially pass through these insertion grooves 2j and 3d.

In this way, the terminal holder 2 and the locking plate portion 3 are integrated and inserted from the rear of the housing body 1 into the holder holding portion 1c of the middle cylinder 1a along a guide mechanism (not shown). By this insertion, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the frame portion 2a of the terminal holder 2 is assembled to the holder holding portion 1c in a temporarily inserted state.

In this temporary insertion state, the front end of the operated end 3c of the locking plate portion 3 is positioned near the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k' of the terminal holding portion 1e. In addition, in order to allow the locking plate portion 3 to be inserted in this temporary insertion state and to be able to insert the locking plate portion 3 in the main insertion state described later and also to move laterally, the side surface of the terminal holding portion 1e A slit is formed in the.

When the terminal holder 2 and the locking plate portion 3 are temporarily inserted, the temporary insertion locking projection 2c of the terminal holder 2 pushes the holder holding portion 1c of the housing body 1 to expand and fit into the temporary insertion groove portion 1g, Further, the front end of the main insertion locking projection 2d contacts the rear end of the holder holding portion 1c. In this state, the case lance 2f is located between the ribs 1f between the terminal holding portion 1e and the waterproof portion 1d.

In the temporary insertion state of the terminal holder 2, since the rear end of the holder holding portion 1c is clamped by the temporary insertion locking projection 2c and the main insertion locking projection 2d, the terminal holder 2 and the locking plate portion 3 Does not fall off from the housing body 1, and the temporarily inserted state is maintained. As described above, even if the assembled body in which the terminal holder 2 and the locking plate portion 3 are temporarily inserted into the housing body 1 is transported to the work place for inserting the connection terminal T in the next step, The assembled state does not collapse.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the connection terminals T are first inserted into the inside of the terminal holder 2 through the openings 2b of the terminal holder 2 with the connection portion Ta first. The individual connecting portions Ta proceed on the terminal mounting plate 2i while being guided by the partition walls 11 and 11' extending rearward from the terminal holding portion 1e, and accordingly, the locking pieces Tc of the connecting portions Ta are It advances in the insertion groove 2j of the mounting plate 2i and the insertion groove 3d of the locking plate portion 3.

In the primary insertion process of the connection terminal T, the connection portion Ta at the tip pushes up the case lance 2f like the connection terminal T in the upper stage to pass through the hook portion 2g of the case lance 2f, and the connection portion Ta is accommodated in the connection portion. Enter the room 1j. There is a slight gap between the case lance 2f and the waterproof portion 1d of the middle cylinder 1a, and the case lance 2f can be deformed outward. When the connecting portion Ta passes through the hook portion 2g, the case lance 2f is restored, and the hook portion 2g abuts against the pressed portion Td of the connecting portion Ta. Then, as shown in the lower connection terminals T, each connection terminal T stops at this primary insertion position.

After completing the primary insertion of all the connection terminals T, the terminal holder 2 is further pushed into the middle cylinder 1a together with the locking plate portion 3. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14, the hook portion 2g of the case lance 2f pushes the pushed portion Td of the connection portion Ta to move the connection terminal T forward from the primary insertion position to the secondary insertion position. The connecting portion Ta of the connecting terminal T is pushed to a predetermined position in the connecting portion housing chamber 1j.

At the same time, the operated end 3c of the locking plate portion 3 is inserted into the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k', and the stopper 2e of the terminal holder 2 abuts on the rear end portion of the housing body 1 so that the terminal holder 2 and the locking plate are engaged. The part 3 stops advancing at this position. In this main insertion process, the main insertion locking protrusion 2d of the terminal holder 2 pushes and expands the holder holding portion 1c of the housing body 1 and fits into the main insertion groove portion 1h, and the terminal holder 2 is attached to the housing body 1 with respect to the housing body 1. It is connected in this inserted state. In this main insertion state, the rear end of the holder holding portion 1c is clamped by the main insertion locking projection 2d of the terminal holder 2 and the stopper 2e, so that the terminal holder 2 and the locking plate portion 3 are attached to the housing main body 1. It becomes immobile in the front-back direction.

Further, the position of the connecting terminal T is determined by the front end of the connecting portion Ta in the connecting portion housing chamber 1j abutting against the inside of the front wall 1m in this secondary insertion state. In the stopped state of the connection terminal T, the hook portion 2g of the case lance 2f abuts the pressed portion Td of the connection terminal T from the rear side, and the rearward disconnection of the connection terminal T is prevented. At this time, the locking piece Tc of the connection terminal T stops at the tip of the insertion groove 3d of the locking plate portion 3 via the insertion groove 2j of the terminal mounting plate 2i as a stabilizer.

In such a state that the terminal holder 2 and the locking plate portion 3 are fully inserted, the operation member 4 that is a separate body is inserted into the horizontal plate from the push-in port 1o provided in the front wall 1m of the housing body 1 as shown in FIG. 4a and the vertical plate 4b are pushed into the gaps between the bottom plates 1k and 1k' and the partitions 11 and 1l', respectively. Further, the side plates 4c on both sides of the operation member 4 are fitted into the recesses 1r of the terminal holding portion 1e.

As a result, in the housing body 1, the locking plate portion 3 and the operating member 4 face each other as shown in FIG. The connecting portion Ta of the connecting terminal T and the locking piece Tc are indicated by a chain line. Here, when the operating member 4 is strongly pushed in as indicated by the arrow A, as shown in FIG. 16B, the operated end 3c of the locking plate 3 is inserted into the recess 4d of the horizontal plate 4a of the operating member 4. Goes in. Due to the further pressing force of the operating member 4, the pushing inclined surface portion 4e applies a force to the locking plate portion 3 in the lateral direction of the arrow B to the receiving inclined surface portion 3g of the operated end 3c by the wedge action of the inclined surfaces.

The insertion plate 3b of the locking plate portion 3 moves laterally within the connection hole 2k of the terminal mounting plate 2i, and the operated end 3c moves laterally within the gap between the bottom plates 1k, 1k'. 3 moves in the right lateral direction with respect to the terminal holder 2 and the housing body 1 when viewed from the front. Further, the locking plate portion 3 is restricted from moving to the left at this position by the operating member 4, so that the locking plate portion 3 does not unnecessarily return to its original position.

By moving the locking plate 3 in the lateral direction, the locking piece Tc located at the front end of the insertion groove 3d of the locking plate 3 is moved to the side of the tip of the insertion groove 3d without moving the connection terminal T. It relatively moves laterally into the locking portion 3e provided at. As a result, the rear portion of the locking piece Tc is locked by the locking portion 3e, and the rearward movement of the locking piece Tc is restricted. The lateral movement distance of the locking plate portion 3 is about 0.6 mm, which is larger than the width of the locking piece Tc. Thus, as long as the operating member 4 is inserted, the locking plate portion 3 does not return to the original position, and the locked state of the locking piece Tc is maintained by the locking portion 3e.

Although the description in FIG. 16 is for the operation on the upper surface of the locking plate portion 3, similarly for the lower surface, the rear portion of the locking piece Tc of the connection terminal T arranged on the lower surface side is on the lower surface side. It is locked by the locking portion 3e. If the operating member 4 is pushed in, the locking plate portion 3 should be surely moved in the lateral direction, and the locking of the locking piece Tc can be confirmed. Here, if the operating member 4 is colored in a color different from that of the housing body 1, for example, the mounting state of the operating member 4 can be visually recognized more easily. Note that the mechanism for moving the locking plate portion 3 by the operation member 4 may be of another type.

In this way, the connection terminal T is locked by the two locking means in which the pressed portion Td is locked by the case lance 2f and the locking piece Tc is locked by the locking portion 3e of the locking plate portion 3. The rear pull-out due to pulling out the electric wire Tf to the rear of the connection terminal T is prevented.

Further, at the main insertion position, as shown in FIG. 15, the rear end portion of the connection terminal T is located in the opening 2b of the terminal holder 2, and the cylindrical sealing material Ti attached to the connection terminal T is the inner wall of the opening 2b. To prevent water from entering the terminal holder 2 and the middle cylinder 1a from the rear. Further, the inside portion of the seal portion 1i provided in the waterproof portion 1d seals between the inside of the middle cylinder 1a and the outside of the terminal holder 2, and water from the gap between the middle cylinder 1a and the terminal holder 2 into the inside is sealed. Intrusion is prevented.

In use, the electric connector of the embodiment thus configured is connected to the housing of the mating electric connector, and the housings are locked by the locking claw 1t of the locking arm 1s. The insertion end of the mating connection terminal is inserted from the opening 1n of the front wall 1m and fitted into the connection portion Ta of the connection terminal T, so that both connection terminals are electrically connected.

The mating electric connector also has a waterproof structure, and the outer cylinder of the mating electric connector is inserted between the outer cylinder 1b of the housing body 1 and the middle cylinder 1a, and the seal portion 1i of the middle cylinder 1a is provided. The outer portion seals between the middle cylinder 1a and the outer cylinder of the mating connector, and seals water so that water does not enter inside. As described above, the sealing structure of the seal portion 1i and the cylindrical sealing material Ti prevents water from entering the inside of the holder holding portion 1c, and by coupling with the electric connector of the waterproof structure on the other side, it functions as a waterproof connector. Will be done.

In the embodiment, since it is premised that the connection terminals T are inserted in the upper and lower two stages of the electric connector with their bottom surfaces Tb facing each other, the terminal mounting plate 2i and the locking plate portion 3 of the terminal holder 2 are arranged. The insertion grooves of the locking pieces Tc formed respectively on the upper and lower sides are formed on both upper and lower surfaces. However, in the case of the electric connector having the connection terminals T built in one step, the insertion groove may be formed on only one surface.

In order to take out the connection terminal T from the housing body 1 for repair, for example, the operating member 4 is pulled out by the pushing piece 4f and the locking plate portion 3 is laterally moved to the left by a jig. The restriction on Tc is lifted. Then, a dedicated jig may be inserted from the opening 1n of the front wall 1m to unlock the case lance 2f from the connection terminal T and pull out the connection terminal T rearward.

In the above embodiment, the locking plate 3 is provided with the locking portion 3e for locking the locking piece Tc of the connection terminal T. However, the lengths of the bottom plates 1k and 1k′ in the front-rear direction are increased so that all the connecting portions Ta reach the bottom plates 1k and 1k′ when the connection terminal T is secondarily inserted, and the bottom plates 1k and 1k′ are also An insertion groove for the locking piece Tc is provided, and when the connection terminal T is secondarily inserted, the locking piece Tc can be pushed to the insertion groove provided on the bottom plates 1k, 1k'. The locking piece Tc is locked not by the locking portion 3e, but by closing the insertion grooves provided in the bottom plates 1k, 1k' by the front edge 3f of the locking plate portion 3 moved in the lateral direction. Locking can also be performed.

Further, the terminal mounting plate 2i of the terminal holder 2 is also provided with the insertion groove 2j. However, when the connection terminal T is inserted, the locking piece Tc of the connection terminal T is directly guided to the insertion groove 3d of the locking plate portion 3. If possible, the insertion groove 2j of the terminal holder 2 can be omitted.

In the embodiment, the connection terminal T is the receiving type connection terminal, but it can be applied to an electric connector in which the connection terminal is an insertion type connection terminal. Furthermore, it is possible to change the number of the connection terminals T or to set the number of stages to one or three or more.

It should be noted that the terms “upper, lower, left, right” in the embodiments are only for the drawings and may be different from “up, down, left, right” in an actual electrical connector.

1 Housing Main Body 1a Middle Cylinder 1b Outer Cylinder 1c Holder Holding Part 1e Terminal Holding Part 1i Sealing Part 1j Connection Part Storage Chamber 1k, 1k' Bottom Plate 1l, 1l' Partition Wall 1m Front Wall 1n Opening 1o Inlet 2 Terminal Holder 2a Frame 2b Opening 2f Case lance 2i Terminal mounting plate 2j, 3d Insertion groove 3 Locking plate part 3a Substrate part 3b Insertion plate 3c Operated end 3g Inclined surface part 4 Operating member 4a Horizontal plate 4b Vertical plate 4e Pushing slope part T Connection terminal Ta Connection part Tc Locking piece Tf Electric wire Ti Cylindrical seal member

Claims (11)

A housing body, a terminal holder to be inserted into said housing body from the rear of the housing body, is connected to the front end of the terminal holder, the terminal locking plate of the movable laterally perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the holder And an operating member for moving the locking plate portion inserted into the housing body together with the terminal holder in the lateral direction, the electrical connector capable of internally mounting a plurality of connection terminals having locking pieces. There
The housing main body is provided with a holder holding portion for holding the terminal holder at a rear portion, and a terminal holding portion for holding a connecting portion of the connection terminal is provided at a front portion,
A plurality of openings for inserting the connection terminals are provided in the rear portion of the terminal holder,
An insertion groove is formed in the base plate of the locking plate to allow the locking pieces of the connection terminals to pass therethrough, and an insertion groove is movably connected to the terminal holder in the rear of the base of the base. An insert plate is provided, and an operated end for moving in the lateral direction by the operation member is provided in a part of the substrate portion,
The operation member is provided with an operation portion that is pushed in from a pressing opening provided in the terminal holding portion of the housing body and acts on the operated end of the locking plate portion.
The operation portion of the operation member moves the locking plate portion in the lateral direction in the terminal holding portion, and the locking plate portion restricts rearward removal of the locking piece with respect to the locking piece of the connection terminal. An electrical connector characterized by:
A rectangular locking portion is provided on the front end side portion of the insertion groove of the locking plate portion, and the rearward removal of the connecting terminal from the locking piece is performed by moving the locking plate portion in the lateral direction. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is regulated by a stop portion. An insertion groove communicating with the insertion groove of the locking plate portion is formed on the bottom plate of the terminal holding portion of the housing body, and the insertion groove of the bottom plate is closed by moving the locking plate portion in the lateral direction. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking piece of the connection terminal is locked. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the insertion groove of the locking plate portion is formed on both upper and lower surfaces of the locking plate portion. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an insertion groove is provided in the terminal holder so as to communicate with the insertion groove of the locking plate portion. The operating member is moved in the lateral direction by a wedge mechanism with the operated end of the locking plate by pushing the operating part into contact with the locking plate. The electrical connector according to any one of 5 above. 7. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the operation member functions as a confirmation unit for confirming the lateral movement of the locking plate portion in the inserted state. connector. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the push-in port of the operation member is provided on the front surface of the terminal holding portion of the housing body. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal holding portion of the housing body has a waterproof structure in which water does not enter. 10. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal holder projects a case lance having elasticity to the front and locks a part of the connection terminal by the case lance. .. A housing body, a terminal holder to be inserted into said housing body from the rear of the housing body, is connected to the front end of the terminal holder, the terminal locking plate of the movable laterally perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the holder And an operating member for moving the locking plate portion inserted into the housing main body together with the terminal holder in the lateral direction, the electrical connector capable of incorporating a plurality of connection terminals having locking pieces. In the locking method,
The locking plate portion has a rear portion movably connected to the terminal holder in a lateral direction, and when inserting the connection terminal, a locking piece provided on the connection terminal is formed on the locking plate portion. After inserting the insertion groove by advancing and inserting the connection terminal, the operation member is pushed into the housing body from a pushing opening provided in the housing body to move the locking plate portion in the lateral direction. A method of locking a connection terminal in an electric connector, characterized in that the rear portion of the locking piece of the connection terminal is locked by means of which the rearward movement of the connection terminal is restricted.

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