JPH11250989A - Lock structure for connector housing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the strength of a lock section and increase the reliability for the coupling of a connector housing by integrally forming a lock release operation section on a retainer for deforming and displacing a lock arm in contact with it. SOLUTION: A lock release operation section 23 is protruded from a retainer 16 toward lock arm 20, and it is molded of a resin integrally with the retainer 16. Connecting terminals inserted into a terminal storage chamber 12 are locked by lock pieces 19, and the retainer 16 is locked and assembled into contact with the outside face of a connector housing main body section 11. If the lock release operation section 23 is pushed when a male connector housing is coupled with a female connector housing, the lock arm 20 is warped, and a lock section 22 is removed from a mating lock section. The width size A of the lock section 22 is made equal to that of the lock arm 20, there is no obstacle to hinder an opening motion at the opening direction position of a molding die, thereby the lock section 22 excellent in locking strength can be integrally molded of a resin at a low cost.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a male / female electrical connector housing used for electrically connecting a wire harness arranged in, for example, an automobile.
The present invention relates to a lock structure for a connector that can increase the lock strength of the lock structure and enhance the reliability and reliability of the lock at the time of mating with a mating connector housing. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described above, a connector used for connecting a wire harness to an electric device or for connecting a wire harness to each other is, for example, a male connector housing 1 as shown in FIGS. And a female connector housing 2 into which the connector housing 1 is fitted. When the female connector housing 2 is fitted into the male connector housing 1, A lock arm 3 for maintaining (holding) the combined state is formed, and on this lock arm 3, a lock portion 4 and a lock release operation portion 5 are resin-molded integrally with the lock arm 3. When the female connector housing 2 is completely fitted with the male connector housing 1, a locking claw portion 6 that is locked by the lock portion 4 is resin-molded integrally with the female connector housing 2. Have been. In the male connector housing 1, 7 is a retainer, 8 is each connection terminal storage room, 9
Indicates a retainer connecting band portion.

In the process of fitting the male connector housing 1 into the female connector housing 2, the locking claw 6 pushes down the lock portion 4 and passes through the lock portion 4, and the fitted state is completely fitted. When the lock state is reached,
And the locking claw portion 6 are locked so that the fitted state between the male connector housing 1 and the female connector housing 2 is maintained.

[0004] In order to release the fitting between the male connector housing 1 and the female connector housing 2 fitted to each other, a lock release operation section provided on the lock arm 3 of the male connector housing 1. 5, the lock arm 3 is deflected downward, and as a result, the lock portion 4 and the locking claw portion 6 are disengaged from each other.
Can be pulled apart.

[0005]

However, when the male connector housing 1 integrally having the lock portion 4 and the lock release operation portion 5 is resin-molded, the locking surface 4a of the lock portion 4 is particularly formed. Mold pins are required. Then, in order to provide this mold pin so that it can be inserted into and removed from the mold, the mold pin must be unlocked.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the unlocking operation unit 5 has a pull-out hole 1 for the die pin.
0 is inevitably formed.

It is desirable that the mold pin pullout trace hole 10 is not provided, but for the above reason, the mold pin pullout trace hole 1 is not provided.
0 must be molded.

Therefore, assuming that the opening lateral width R of the mold pin pullout trace hole 10 becomes small, a mold pin having a small lateral width must be used, and a mold pin having a small lateral width is used. Thus, the lateral width of the lock portion 4 becomes smaller than the lateral width of the lock arm 3, and it becomes difficult to integrally form the lock portion 4 having high strength (rigidity).

In order to increase the strength of the lock portion 4 and use a large width mold pin to secure a large width of the lock portion 4, the opening width R of the mold pin pullout trace hole 10 is increased. Not only becomes larger, but also the lock release operation part 5 cannot be formed.

Therefore, in the conventional resin-made male connector housing 1, the lock release operation part 5 is integrally formed on the slide type slide line for forming the lock part 4, so that the lock part 4 is formed. A large lock portion 4 having a width substantially equal to the width of the lock arm 3 cannot be molded with resin, so that the width of the lock portion 4 becomes small, and therefore a lock having a high lock strength (rigidity). There was a problem that the part 4 could not be secured.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem. In a connector housing provided with a lock portion for maintaining a fitting state between a male connector housing and a female connector housing, It is an object of the present invention to increase the reliability of lock (coupling) when fitting the male and female connector housings by forming a large-sized lock portion configuration capable of increasing the strength (rigidity) of the lock portion.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a retainer for secondarily preventing a connection terminal inserted into each terminal storage chamber formed in a connector housing body, and a connector. In a resin connector housing which is provided on a lock arm formed on a housing main body and integrally provided with a lock portion which engages with a mating connector housing, the resin connector housing has a structure in which the lock arm is in contact with the retainer. It is characterized in that it is a lock structure of a connector housing in which a lock release operation part for deforming and displacing the lock arm is integrally formed.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a connector housing main body of a male connector housing made of resin. Inside the connector housing main body 11, a plurality of terminal storage chambers 12 are formed. In the chamber 12, connection terminals 14 to which the electric wires 13 are connected in advance can be inserted from the front openings 12A of the terminal storage chambers 12, and when the connection terminals 14 are completely inserted, the connection terminals 1
4 is primarily locked by a locking lance 15 provided in each terminal storage chamber 12 to prevent the connection terminal 14 from falling off.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a pair of upper and lower retainers connected to the connector housing main body 11 via connection bands 17 on both left and right sides of the connector housing main body 11, and these retainers 16 accommodate the terminal housings described above. Room 12
Is inserted into each of the terminal storage chambers 12 through the locking piece insertion holes 18 formed correspondingly, and is secondarily locked to the connection terminals 14 which are already primarily locked by the locking lances 15. It has a piece 19.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a lock arm which is provided so as to be able to bend in a concave groove 21 formed in the center of the upper surface of the connector housing body 11, and the lock arm 20 is provided on the lock arm 20. The lock portion 22 having a protrusion width A equivalent to the arm width dimension of the lock arm 20
And are formed integrally.

Reference numeral 23 denotes an unlocking operation portion projecting from the retainer 16 toward the lock arm 20. The unlocking operation portion 23 includes a retainer 16
And are integrally molded with resin.

As described above, the connector housing of the present embodiment is a one-piece resin molded product in which the connector housing main body 11 and the retainer 16 are connected to the connector housing main body 11 via the connecting band 17. The shape of the connector housing immediately after the mold release after the resin molding is performed, as shown by the chain line in FIG.
Are formed outside the connector housing body 11 via the connecting band 17.

Therefore, after the connection terminals 14 are inserted into the respective terminal storage chambers 12 of the connector housing main body 11 to perform primary locking by locking lances, the respective locking pieces 19 of the retainer 16 are connected to the connector pieces. Secondary locking of the connection terminal 14 by each locking piece 19 is performed through the locking piece insertion hole 18 provided in the housing main body 11, and at the same time, the retainer 16 abuts on the outer surface of the connector housing main body 11. By stopping, the assembly of each connection terminal to the connector housing main body 11 is completed. At this time, the end surface 23 </ b> A of the lock release operation portion 23 provided on the retainer 16 approaches or comes into contact with the surface of the lock arm 20.

By completely fitting the connector housing M in such a state into the mating connector housing L similar to the female connector housing 2 described in the conventional example,
The locking claw portion 24 of the mating connector housing L is locked to the locking portion 22 formed in the connector housing M, and the connector housing M and the mating connector housing L are locked.
Is maintained (locked state).

To release the fitting state between the connector housing M and the mating connector housing L, the lock arm 20 is bent as shown in FIG. Further, since the engagement between the lock portion 22 and the locking claw portion 24 is released, the mating connector housing L can be removed from the connector housing M.

FIG. 2A shows the connector housing M having the above-mentioned fitting action. The molding position of the lock portion 22 and the molding position of the lock release operation portion 23 during resin molding of the connector housing M are shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the width of the mold which is displaced in the vertical direction and which is required to form the lock portion 22 is extended and set to a dimension equal to the groove width B of the groove 21 for accommodating the lock arm 20. Since the width C of the lock portion 22 can be set to a dimension equal to the width D of the lock arm 20, the size of the lock portion 22 can be reduced.
Can be set to a shape that enhances the coupling strength to the lock portion, whereby a lock portion having excellent lock strength (rigidity) can be resin-molded. In addition, a slide die is not required to form the lock portion of the present embodiment as in the related art, and therefore, economical die cost is maintained.

[0022]

As described above, according to the connector housing lock structure of the present invention, the position of the forming die required for forming the locking surface of the lock portion 22 protruding from the lock arm 20 is set in the mold opening direction. Since there is no obstacle that hinders the mold opening operation of the mold, a mold having a size (width) corresponding to the size of the lock portion 22 to be formed can be used, thereby increasing the lock strength. The resin molding of the portion 22 becomes possible. Further, since the present invention does not have an undercut portion, a slide die is not required as in the related art, and therefore, economical die cost is maintained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a connector housing provided with a lock structure according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a lock mechanism of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional explanatory view thereof, and FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the lock structure.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a connector housing showing a conventional lock structure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connector housing having a conventional lock structure.

[Description of Symbols] 11 ... Connector housing main body 12 ... Terminal storage chamber 13 ... Electric wire 14 ... Connection terminal 15 ... Locking lance 16 ... Retainer 17 ... Connecting band 18 ... Locking piece insertion hole 19 ... Locking piece 20 ... Lock Arm 21 ... concave groove 22 ... lock part 23 ... lock release operation part 24 ... locking claw part

Claims (1)

[Claims] A retainer (16) for secondarily preventing a connection terminal (14) inserted into each terminal storage chamber (12) formed in a connector housing main body (11).
And a resin connector protruding from a lock arm (20) formed in the connector housing body (11) and integrally provided with a lock (22) engaged with a mating connector housing. A connector housing, wherein a lock release operation portion (23) for deforming and displacing the lock arm (20) in contact with the lock arm (20) is integrally formed on the retainer (16). Lock structure.