JPH09115584A - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multipolar, small, reliable, and manipulatable connector assembly by combining a socket insulator of a specific structure and two retainers. SOLUTION: This connector assembly comprises, (A) a socket insulator 10 comprising a contact container 10A providing a plurality of receiving holes 11 each receiving a contact 100 at a predetermined interval, a retainer container 10B providing a cavity 12 for receiving contact retainers 20, 30 described below; (B) at least two retainers 20, 30 received in the cavity 12 of the container for receiving retainer 10B, each having through holes 21, 31 for inserting the contact 100 at the position corresponding to the receiving hole 11 for engaging the contact 100.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector which has a large number of poles but is small in size and highly reliable, and more particularly to a waterproof type connector having similar characteristics.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a connector of this kind, for example, a multi-conductor wire terminal assembly described in JP-A-6-132049 is known. This assembly includes a terminal block having a cavity for accommodating terminal elements (contacts), a member called an end plate having an aperture for separating each conducting wire, and a wire rod for connecting the terminal block to the terminal block between the end plate and the terminal block. A fixing means for fixing to the block is included. Specifically, the fixing means is a lock plate slidably accommodated in an end plate having a U-shaped vertical section. This lock plate connects a through hole through which the wire passes and a through hole (arc) having a smaller diameter than this, and slides the lock plate from a position (first position) allowing the wire to pass therethrough. (Second position), the wire rod is locked by the through hole having the smaller diameter. The tongue (protrusion) provided on the lower side of the lock plate and the groove hole provided at the corresponding position of the end plate accommodating the lock plate lock the lock plate at the first and second positions. .

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional connector, the means for locking the wire is only the lock plate, and the end plate merely separates the wire. Moreover, the lock plate fixes the wire rod, and if the lock and release are repeated, the wire rod may be damaged. Further, the lock plate is housed in a mirror plate provided separately from the terminal block, and means for connecting the mirror plate and the terminal block is separately required, which complicates the structure.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate such defects of the conventional connector.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector that is small in size, highly reliable, and has good operability even if it has multiple poles.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a contact storage portion having a plurality of storage holes for storing contacts at predetermined intervals and a contact holding member described later are stored. A socket insulator including a holding member housing portion having a cavity for storing the contact, and the socket insulator housed in the cavity for inserting and locking the contact at a position corresponding to the housing hole of the contact housing portion. And at least two retaining members having through holes.

[0007]

1 is an exploded view of a part of a connector assembly according to the present invention. The illustrated members are the back plate member 50, the socket insulator 10 and the seal ring 70.

The back plate member covers a holding member housing portion 10B of the socket insulator, which will be described later, and locks the cap housing, which will be described later, on the top of the socket insulator (the side facing the front of FIG. 1). A locking arm 52 is provided. Further, when the back plate member is fitted in the socket insulator, the engagement groove 53 provided in the former and the projection 14 provided in the latter engage with each other to lock each other.

The seal ring 70 is provided between the contact housing portion 10A of the socket insulator and the cap housing 60 (see FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, which will be described later) which covers the contact housing portion 10A and seals the both. At this time, the hook 71 protruding from a part of the seal ring engages with the projection 15 of the socket insulator to prevent the seal ring from falling off.

Each member constituting the connector assembly will be described below in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiment.

The connector assembly according to the present application has a socket insulator (see FIGS. 2 to 4) and at least two contact holding members (see FIGS. 5 to 7).

The socket insulator is provided with a contact housing portion 10A having a plurality of housing holes 11 for housing the contacts 100 (see FIG. 12) at a predetermined interval, and a cavity 12 for housing a contact holding member. The member storage section 10B.

The two holding members are sequentially housed in the cavity, and through holes 21 and 31 are provided at positions corresponding to the contact housing holes of the contact housing portion, respectively.

One of the holding members has a first position (allowing insertion of a contact) and a second position in the cavity.
The holding plate 2 is provided so as to be slidable between the positions (locking the contacts). The shape of the through hole 21 is, for example, a substantially elliptical shape or a gourd shape (including a partly lacking shape) extending along the sliding direction of the holding plate. The illustrated embodiment has the latter shape (see FIG. 5). When the holding plate is in the first position, the larger diameter portion of the through hole coincides with the contact receiving hole, and allows the contact to be inserted. When the holding plate slides to the second position, the smaller diameter portion of the through hole coincides with the contact receiving hole and locks the contact.

In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts are receptacle contacts and are housed in the contact housing holes of the socket insulator,
At the portion 101 (see FIG. 12) of the holding plate, it is engaged and held with the through hole of the plate. In this embodiment, the portion of the contact that is engaged and held with the through hole of the holding plate has a narrow diameter and is constricted.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, each of the contact housing portion, the cavity, and the holding member has a rectangular cross section that intersects with the insertion direction of the contact, and the holding plate slides along the short side of the plate. It becomes the direction.

The cavity and the holding plate are the first
And latching means 22, 13 for latching the holding plate in the second position. In the illustrated embodiment, this latch means is a recess 22A provided on the short side of the holding plate.
And a protrusion 22B (see FIG. 5) provided on the bottom of the concave portion, and at least two notches 13A (portion C of FIGS. 3 and 3) provided on the short side position of the cavity corresponding to the concave portion of the holding plate. 4) which is an enlarged view of FIG. The projections on the retaining plate slide in a snap fit from one notch to the other notch as the retaining plate slides and engage either one. The two notches correspond to the first and second positions of the holding plate, respectively.

The latch means is further provided with a groove 22C provided near the concave portion of the holding plate and along the bottom side of the concave portion.
(See FIG. 5). In this case, the spring portion 22D is formed in the plate portion between the groove and the recessed portion, so that when the projection of the plate slides in the notch in the snap type, the spring portion allows smooth operation and sufficient holding force. give.

The holding plate further has an operation piece 23 protruding downward from the bottom side of the plate (see FIG. 5).
This operation piece projects to the outside from an engagement groove 12A (see FIG. 2) provided at a corresponding position of the cavity. When the holding plate is slid, the operation piece protruding to the outside is pushed in.

Another one of the holding members is at least a pair of sandwiching pieces 31 at the tip of a through hole 31 through which a contact is inserted.
It is a holding block 30 provided with A (see FIGS. 6 and 7). In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts are housed in the contact housing holes and are held by the sandwiching pieces of the holding block. The part (102) of the contact held by the sandwiching piece of the holding block has a narrow diameter.

The connector assembly according to the present application further has a bushing 40 having a through hole 41 for inserting a contact at a position corresponding to the through hole of the holding block (see FIG. 9). The bushing is housed in the cavity of the socket insulator so as to overlap the holding block, and seals the opening of the cavity. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide post 32 (see FIG. 6) provided on the holding block is passed through a guide hole (not shown) formed at a corresponding position of the bushing to insert a contact between the holding block and the bushing. Align the through holes that are used.

The connector assembly according to the present application further includes a holding member housing portion 1 for the socket insulator.
The back plate member 50 that covers the OB side is provided (see FIG. 8).
reference). The back plate member has a bottom surface that covers the opening of the cavity, and has a hole portion 51 for inserting a wire material terminated by a contact at a position corresponding to the through hole 31 of the holding block and / or the through hole 41 of the bushing. And the locking arm 52 is provided on the top surface thereof.

The connector assembly further includes a cap housing 60 (see FIGS. 10 and 11) that covers the contact housing portion 10A of the socket insulator. The cap housing is provided with a hole portion 61 at a position corresponding to the contact storage hole on the bottom surface that covers the contact storage portion. Further, the cap housing includes a protrusion 62 for locking with the locking arm 52 of the back plate member.
Is provided.

FIG. 9 shows a vertical cross section of the above-mentioned connector assembly (excluding the cap housing) in an assembled state. It should be noted that the back plate member is provided with a hole portion 51 through which the wire material terminated by the contact is inserted, at a position corresponding to the through hole of the bushing on the bottom surface covering the opening of the cavity.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which the members of the connector assembly (including the cap housing) described above are assembled and the wire rods are connected.

[0026]

In the present invention, since the contact (not the wire) is engaged and held by the first and second holding members, a connector that is reliably held and has high reliability even if the number of poles is large. Can be provided.

In the present invention, if the contact holding member is slid in the short side direction of the socket insulator, the pitch of the through holes (elongated in the sliding direction) of the holding plate in the long side direction can be narrowed. , Conventional type (direction where the through hole intersects the sliding direction,
That is, the arrangement pitch of the through holes can be made narrower, and the socket can be made smaller accordingly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of an embodiment of a connector assembly according to the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of a contact storage portion of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the contact storage portion shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a first holding member used in the connector assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a second holding member used in the connector assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the second holding member shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a back plate member used in the connector assembly according to the present invention.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a main part of the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 is assembled.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a cap housing used in the connector assembly according to the present invention.

11 is a cross-sectional view of the cap housing shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembled state of one embodiment of the connector assembly according to the present invention.

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A contact storage part 1 having a plurality of storage holes 11 for storing contacts 100 at predetermined intervals.
0A and a socket insulator 10 including a holding member housing portion 10B provided with a cavity 12 for housing the contact holding members 20 and 30, which will be described later, and a socket insulator 10 housed in the cavity 12 of the holding member housing portion 10B. At least two holding members 2 having through holes 21 and 31 for inserting a contact therethrough and locking the contact at a position corresponding to the storage hole 11.
A connector assembly having 0, 30. 2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the holding members is the cavity 12.
In the holding plate 20 provided so as to be slidable between the first position and the second position, the shape of the through hole 21 into which the contact is inserted is such that the contact is inserted at the first position. A connector assembly having a substantially oval or gourd shape extending along the sliding direction of the holding plate so as to lock the contact at the second position. 3. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the cavity 12 and the retaining plate 20.
The connector assembly is characterized in that latch means 22, 13 for latching the holding plate are provided in the first position and the second position. 4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the contact housing portion 10A and the cavity 1 are provided.
2. The connector assembly, wherein each of the holding members 20 and 30 has a rectangular cross section that intersects the insertion direction of the contact, and the sliding direction of the holding plate is along the short side of the plate. 5. The connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein the holding plate further includes an operating piece 23 protruding downward from a bottom side of the plate, the operating piece comprising:
A connector assembly characterized in that the connector assembly projects from an engaging groove 12A provided in the cavity 12 to the outside. 6. The connector assembly according to claim 5, wherein the latch means includes a recess 22A provided on a short side of the holding plate 20 and a protrusion 2 provided on a bottom of the recess.
2B, and at least two notches 13A provided at the short side position of the cavity adjacent to the recess, a connector assembly characterized by the above. 7. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein the latching means further comprises a groove 22 provided adjacent the recess of the holding plate and along the bottom of the recess.
A connector assembly having C. 8. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the other one of the holding members has a plurality of through holes for contact insertion, each of which has at least a pair of sandwiching pieces 31A at a tip thereof. Holding block 3 having holes 31
A connector assembly characterized by being zero. 9. The connector assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a bushing 40 having a through hole 41 through which a contact is inserted at a position corresponding to the through hole 31 of the holding block 30, and the bushing includes A connector assembly that is housed in the cavity 12 of the socket insulator together with the holding block and seals the opening of the cavity. 10. The connector assembly according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising a back plate member 50 for covering the side of the socket insulator holding member housing portion 10B.
The back plate member has a bottom surface that covers the opening of the cavity, and is for inserting a wire material that terminates at a contact at a position corresponding to the through hole 31 of the holding block and / or the through hole 41 of the bushing. And a locking arm 52 is provided on the top surface of the connector assembly. 11. The connector assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a cap housing 60 that covers the contact housing portion 10A of the socket insulator.
The cap housing is provided with a hole portion 61 on a bottom surface covering the contact storage portion at a position corresponding to the storage hole 11 of the contact storage portion, and a projection 62 for locking the locking arm 52 of the back plate member. A connector assembly characterized by the following. 12. The connector assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a seal ring 70 between the contact housing portion 10A of the socket insulator and the cap housing 60.