KR20210077486A - Connector and the connector assembly method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a connector and a method for assembling the same, capable of preventing a terminal inserted into a housing from being erroneously assembled by a front holder. The present invention relates to a connector which includes: a housing (10) including a plurality of terminal holes (13') through which a terminal inserting part (13) passes, having an outer wall (11) formed along an edge of the terminal inserting part (13), and having an inner space (12) having an open one side; and a front holder (20) including a plurality of mounting legs (26 and 27) inserted into the inner space (12) and locked to the terminal inserting part (13). An anti-reversely inserting groove (28) is formed at a front end of the mounting legs (26 and 27). Accordingly, when the housing (10) is coupled to the front holder (20), one side of the terminal is locked to the anti-reversely inserting groove (28), thereby preventing the terminal inserted into the terminal hole (13') from being erroneously assembled.

Description

Connector and connector assembly method {CONNECTOR AND THE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY METHOD}

The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly, to a connector provided with a front holder for preventing reverse insertion of a terminal, and a connector assembly method.

In general, a connector assembly is a connecting part that electrically connects a power source and a device, a device and a device, and the inside of the device. This connector assembly consists of a mating and detachable pair, for example, a male connector and a female connector. In addition, a plurality of terminals for transmitting current and signals are provided inside the connector.

In the connector assembly, a first connector and a second connector are coupled to each other to perform electrical connection. Electrical coupling of the first connector and the second connector is achieved by coupling the terminals inside each.

However, if the terminal is not properly inserted into the connector, even if the connector is coupled, the electrical connection between the terminals is not made, so that the operation of the corresponding electrical component is not properly performed.

In order to prevent this problem in advance, a front holder is inserted into the connector to align the terminals inside the connector and fix the position. When the front holder is inserted into the connector and first tightened to be temporarily fixed, the terminals are inserted into the connector. When the terminals are fully inserted into the connector and the front holder is further pressurized, they are secondarily fastened and the terminals are fixed by the front holder and do not come off.

Conventionally, when the front holder is primarily fastened with the housing and the terminals are inserted, when the front holder is secondaryly fastened in a state in which erroneous assembly occurs, such as the terminals being inserted upside down in the housing, contact with the counterpart terminal is not made smoothly Problems in electrical connection may occur, or excessive heat may occur due to incorrect contact.

Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-1586486

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector in which misassembly of a terminal inserted into a housing is prevented by a front holder in order to solve the conventional problems as described above.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, in the connector of the present invention, a plurality of terminal holes passing through the terminal inserting part are formed, and an outer wall is formed along the edge of the terminal inserting part, so that one side is open inside and a front holder provided with a plurality of mounting legs inserted into the inner space and hooked on the terminal insert, wherein a reverse insertion prevention groove is formed at the front end of the mounting leg so that the housing and the front holder are connected to each other. When coupled, one side of the terminal is hung on the reverse insertion prevention groove to prevent erroneous assembly of the terminal inserted into the terminal hole.

A mounting hole into which the front holder is inserted is formed in the terminal insertion part, and the mounting hole is formed at an edge of some of the plurality of terminal holes.

The front holder includes a base on which the mounting leg is formed, and a side wall formed along an edge of the base to have an open connection space at one side, and the mounting leg is relatively larger than the first mounting leg and the first mounting leg. It consists of a short second mounting leg.

The mounting hole includes a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole, the first mounting leg is inserted into the first mounting hole, and the second mounting leg is inserted into the second mounting hole.

The first mounting leg and the second mounting leg have a cantilever shape, are inclined in a direction away from a center line dividing the base in half, and a center line dividing the terminal insert in half in the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole A slope is formed on the surface close to the

A guide rib protrudes from the base of the front holder in the coupling direction of the housing to guide the mating connector.

The connector assembly method of the present invention comprises: a housing in which first and second mounting holes are formed, and a terminal insertion part through which the terminal hole is inserted; and a front holder in which first and second mounting legs are formed. disposing to face each other; when the first mounting leg is inserted into the first mounting hole by moving the front holder to the housing, inserting a terminal into the terminal hole of the terminal inserting unit; When the insertion of the terminal into the terminal hole of the terminal insertion part is completed and the second mounting leg is inserted into the second mounting hole, the coupling of the housing and the front holder is completed; including, between the housing and the front holder When the coupling is completed, one side of the terminal is hung on the reverse insertion prevention groove formed at the tip of the first mounting leg to prevent erroneous assembly of the terminal inserted into the terminal hole.

In the connector and the connector assembly method according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the present invention, a reverse insertion prevention groove is formed at the tip of the first mounting leg provided in the front holder for the primary fastening between the front holder and the housing, and serves as a locking groove formed in the terminal insertion part. Therefore, in order to secure a space in which the first mounting leg is to be inserted, the terminal inserted into the terminal hole in which the locking groove is not formed is hooked into the reverse insertion prevention groove, thereby preventing erroneous assembly.

According to the present invention, since the reverse insertion prevention groove is formed in the front holder rather than the housing, the first mounting leg is inserted at the position where the locking groove of the terminal insertion part should be formed, so that a relatively larger number of terminal holes are formed in the terminal insertion part. it is possible Accordingly, the space utilization in the housing is increased.

1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a connector according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a housing constituting an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a front view of a housing constituting an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a perspective view and an enlarged view of a front holder constituting an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector constituting the embodiment of the present invention in a primary fastening state.
7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector constituting the embodiment of the present invention in a secondary fastening state.
8 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end of the front holder constituting the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even though they are indicated on different drawings. In addition, in describing the embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function interferes with the understanding of the embodiment of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the essence, order, or order of the components are not limited by the terms. When it is described that a component is “connected”, “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component is between each component. It will be understood that may also be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

A preferred embodiment of the present invention connector 1 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 , the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 10 and a front holder 20 , and the front holder 20 is formed into an internal space 12 formed in the housing 10 . ) is inserted.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the housing 10 forms the exterior of the connector 1 . The housing 10 has an internal space 12 therein, and includes an outer wall 11 and a terminal insertion part 13 . One side of the inner space 12 is opened, and the front holder 20 and a counterpart connector (not shown) are inserted in the open direction. A terminal hole 13' is formed in the housing 10, and a terminal (not shown) is inserted through the housing 10 into the inner space 12 from the outside.

The outer wall 11 is formed such that the inner space 12 is opened only to one side. The shape of the outer wall 11 is determined by the number and type of terminals inserted into the connector 1 and the shape of the counterpart connector.

The terminal insertion part 13 is formed to be spaced apart from the inner surface of the outer wall 11 by a predetermined distance. A plurality of terminal holes 13' are formed in the terminal insertion part 13, and a terminal (not shown) is inserted and fixed through each terminal hole 13'.

The plurality of terminals are inserted from the rear surface of the housing 10 and seated in the terminal hole 13'. A locking groove 13" is formed in which one side of the terminal is caught. If the terminal is not hooked into the locking groove 13", the terminal seated on the inner surface of the terminal hole 13' is the terminal insertion part 13. It penetrates through, causing assembly failure or damage to the terminal itself, resulting in contact failure. The locking groove 13" prevents such a problem by preventing the erroneous assembly of the terminals.

On the other hand, a central hole 14 may be formed at approximately the center of the terminal insertion part 13 . A circular terminal (not shown) through which a high current flows through the central hole 14 is mounted and can be connected to a counterpart connector.

A connection rib 15 protrudes from the terminal insertion part 13 along the edge of the central hole 14 . The connection rib 15 has a hollow cylindrical shape and protrudes toward the inner space 12 . The connection rib 15 surrounds and protects the circular terminal (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 6 , a locking protrusion 16 protrudes from the inner surface of the central hole 14 in a direction to decrease the diameter of the central hole 14 . The locking protrusion 16 has a circular shape so that a circular terminal (not shown) passing through the central hole 14 can be seated in the central hole 14 without passing through the terminal insertion part 13 . It prevents the movement of the terminal (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3 , a central lance 17 protrudes from one surface of the inner side of the central hole 14 . The central lance 17 is hung on one side of the circular terminal (not shown) to prevent the terminal from being separated from the central hole 14 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , mounting holes 18 and 19 are formed in the terminal insertion part 13 . When the front holder 20, which will be described later, is first or secondly fastened to the housing 10, a part of the front holder 20 is inserted and fixed into the mounting holes 18 and 19. The mounting holes 18 and 19 are composed of a first mounting hole 18 and a second mounting hole 19 . When the front holder 20 is primarily fastened with the housing 10 , it is inserted into the first mounting hole 18 of the mounting holes 18 and 19 , and the front holder 20 is inserted into the housing 10 . and is inserted into the second mounting hole 19 of the mounting holes 18 and 19 when the secondary fastening is performed. The first mounting hole 18 is preferably formed to be deeper than the second mounting hole 19 . The first fastening and the second fastening will be described in detail later.

A downward slope (not shown) may be formed at the edges of the mounting holes 18 and 19 . The inclination may induce the mounting legs 26 and 27 of the front holder 20 to be elastically deformed so that the mounting legs 26 and 27 can be elastically deformed smoothly.

The locking groove 13" is not formed on the inner surface of the terminal hole 13' formed near the mounting holes 18 and 19. This provides a space into which a part of the front holder 20 is inserted. Since one side of the terminal hole 13' has to be opened to secure it, it is impossible to form the locking groove 13" on the inner surface of the terminal hole 13'. Therefore, in the present invention, the locking groove 13" is not formed in the terminal insertion part 13, but is formed in the front holder 20. This will be described in detail later.

The front holder 20 is inserted into the inner space 12 of the housing 10 . Referring to FIG. 5 , the front holder 20 includes a flat base 21 and a sidewall 22 formed along an edge of the base 21 . A connection space 23 having one side open by the base 21 and the sidewall 22 is formed in the front holder 20 .

A plurality of through holes 21 ′ are formed in the base 21 . A terminal (not shown), partially protruding from the terminal inserting part 13 through the terminal hole 13' of the terminal inserting part 13, is inserted into the through hole 21'. When the front holder 20 is completely coupled to the housing 10, the outer surface of the terminal inserted into the through hole 21' is fixed in close contact with the edge of the through hole 21' so as not to move. The number of the through holes 21 ′ may be changed according to the type of the connector 1 .

A connection hole 24 is formed in the base 21 at a position corresponding to the center hole 14 of the terminal insertion part 13 . The connection hole 24, like the through hole 21', penetrates the central hole 14 and fixes a circular terminal (not shown) partially protruding. The connection hole 24 is preferably formed to be equal to or larger than the diameter of the connection rib 15 formed at the edge of the central hole 14 .

A pressure lance 25 protrudes from the base 21 at one edge of the through hole 21 ′. The pressure lance 25 protrudes toward the connection space 23 . The press lance 25 is inserted into one side of the terminal hole 13' to press the terminal seated inside the terminal hole 13'. When the terminals are pressed by the press lance 25 , even if vibration or external force is applied to the terminal seating portion 13 , the terminal is firmly fixed without shaking or falling out from the inside of the terminal hole 13 ′. The pressure lance 25 is inserted into the terminal hole 13' when the housing 10 and the front holder 20 are secondarily fastened.

Mounting legs 26 and 27 protrude from the base 21 toward the connection space 23 . The mounting legs 26 and 27 include a first mounting leg 26 and a second mounting leg 27 . The first mounting leg 26 and the second mounting leg 27 have the same shape but different lengths. The first mounting leg 26 is primarily fastened by inserting the housing 10 and the front holder 20 into the first mounting hole 18 , and the second mounting leg 27 is the housing 10 . ) and the front holder 20 are inserted into the second mounting hole 19 and are secondarily fastened. Accordingly, the first mounting leg 26 is formed to be longer than the second mounting leg 27 . The first mounting leg 26 and the second mounting leg 27 may be formed to be slightly inclined in a direction away from the center line dividing the base 21 in half. When the first mounting leg 26 and the second mounting leg 27 are inserted into the first mounting hole 18 and the second mounting hole 19, respectively, the first mounting hole 18 and the inner surface of the second mounting hole 19 to prevent the front holder 20 from being easily removed from the housing 10 .

The protruding positions and number of the first mounting legs 26 and the second mounting legs 27 may be changed by a designer as needed. However, the first mounting leg 26 and the second mounting leg 27 must be formed at one edge of the through hole 21 ′. This is because the reverse insertion prevention groove 28 formed in the first mounting leg 26 and the second mounting leg 27 serves to prevent erroneous assembly of the terminal inserted into the terminal insertion part 13 . This will be described in detail later.

A first mounting end 26 ′ is formed on the first mounting leg 26 , and a second mounting end 27 ′ is formed on the second mounting leg 27 . The first mounting end 26' and the second mounting end 27' protrude away from the center line dividing the base 21 in half. Specifically, the first mounting end 26 ′ and the second mounting end 27 ′ protrude toward the terminal hole 13 ′. The first mounting end 26 ′ and the second mounting end 27 ′ ride on an inclination (not shown) formed at the edges of the first mounting hole 18 and the second mounting hole 19 , respectively. It allows the first mounting leg 26 and the second mounting leg 27 to be elastically deformed smoothly.

A reverse insertion prevention groove 28 is formed at the first mounting end 26 ′ of the first mounting leg 26 . The reverse insertion prevention groove 28 is a locking groove 13" formed on the inner surface of the terminal hole 13' when the front holder 20 is secondarily fastened with the housing 10 and fully coupled. That is, when the first mounting leg 26 of the front holder 20 is inserted into the first mounting hole 18, the first mounting end 26' of the first mounting leg 26 ) becomes a part of the terminal insertion part 13, and the reverse insertion prevention groove 28 serves as the locking groove 13". That is, since the locking groove 13" is not formed inside the terminal hole 13' located at the edge of the first mounting hole 18, the first mounting leg 26 of the front holder 20 is is inserted into the first mounting hole 18, so that the reverse insertion prevention groove 28 takes over the role of the locking groove 13". As a result, erroneous assembly of all terminals inserted into the terminal inserting unit 13 is prevented.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , guide ribs 29 are formed on the base 21 . The guide rib 29 protrudes in the opposite direction in which the connection space 23 is formed. The guide rib 29 serves to guide the insertion of the counterpart connector when the counterpart connector is inserted, and also serves as a kind of key code to prevent the counterpart connector from being inserted in the reverse direction. In addition, the guide rib 29 also serves as a pressing point for the operator to press the guide rib 29 to the second fastening of the front holder 20 in the primary fastening state.

Next, a process in which the housing 10 and the front holder 20 of the connector 1 constituting the preferred embodiment of the present invention are coupled will be described.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the front holder 20 is disposed in a direction in which the inner space 12 of the housing 10 is opened. The front holder 20 is disposed so that the opening directions of the connection space 23 and the inner space 12 face each other.

The operator inserts the front holder 20 into the inner space 12 of the housing 10 . When the front holder 20 enters the inner space 12, the operator uses a jig (not shown) or a manual operation on the upper surface of the front holder 20, that is, the surface on which the guide rib 29 of the base 21 is formed. pressurize

When the front holder 20 is pressed and moved toward the terminal insertion part 13 , the first mounting leg 26 of the front holder 20 comes into contact with the edge of the first mounting hole 18 . At this time, since the first mounting leg 26 is slightly inclined in a direction away from the center line of the base 21 , the first mounting end 26 ′ is inclined at the edge of the first mounting hole 18 . (not shown), the first mounting leg 26 is elastically deformed and inserted into the first mounting hole 18 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , when the front holder 20 is continuously pressed toward the terminal insertion part 13 , the first mounting leg 26 inserted into the first mounting hole 18 exerts a restoring force, and the It is fastened to one side of the terminal hole 13 ′ and generates a fastening sound. As such, a state in which the first mounting end 26 ′ of the first mounting leg 26 is hung on the inner surface of the first mounting hole 18 is defined as primary fastening.

7, when the operator confirms that the primary fastening between the housing 10 and the front holder 20 is completed, a plurality of terminals ( not shown) is inserted. The terminals are caught in the locking groove 13" formed on one side of the terminal hole 13' and do not completely penetrate the terminal hole 13', and stop progressing after entering a predetermined distance. However, the If the terminal is inserted into the terminal hole 13' in the wrong direction, the terminal is not caught in the locking groove 13", but passes through the terminal hole 13'. The operator can check whether the terminals are not incorrectly assembled through whether the plurality of terminals are caught in the locking grooves 13" of the terminal holes 13'.

However, in this embodiment, not all of the terminal holes 13' formed in the terminal insertion part 13 are provided with the locking grooves 13". The first mounting legs 26 of the front holder 20 are This is because the terminal hole 13' adjacent to the first mounting hole 18 into which the ) is inserted is in contact with the first mounting leg 26. At the position where the engaging groove 13" is to be formed, the first The mounting leg 26 is positioned.

When the insertion of the terminal is completed, the operator presses the guide rib 29 to push the second mounting leg 27 into the second mounting hole 19 . The second mounting leg 27 inserted into the second mounting hole 19 has a restoring force, so that the second mounting end 27 ′ is hung on the inner surface of the second mounting hole 19 and fixed, and the fastening sound causes As such, a state in which the second mounting end 27 ′ of the second mounting leg 27 is hung on the inner surface of the upper extremity second mounting hole 19 is defined as secondary fastening.

When the secondary fastening is completed, the pressure lance 25 is inserted into the terminal hole 13' to press the terminal to completely fix it, and the coupling between the housing 10 and the front holder 20 is completed. do.

On the other hand, when the secondary fastening is completed, the first mounting leg 26 reaches the rear surface of the terminal insertion part 13, and as shown in FIG. 8, the reverse formed on the first mounting end 26' as shown in FIG. The insertion prevention groove 28 is formed in the same position as the locking groove 13" and serves the same role as the locking groove 13". When the terminal is properly assembled in the terminal hole 13' in which the reverse insertion prevention groove 28 is seated, when the front holder 20 is inserted into the inner space 12, the terminal insertion part 13 The terminal protruding from the is caught in the reverse insertion prevention groove (28) and pushed in. Conversely, if the terminal is erroneously assembled in the terminal hole 13' where the first mounting leg 26 is seated, when the front holder 20 is inserted into the inner space 12, the terminal insertion part ( The terminal protruding from 13) is caught in the reverse insertion prevention groove 28 and is not pushed in, and the front holder 20 is caught in the misassembled terminal and does not perform secondary fastening, so the operator can check whether the assembly is erroneous. have.

In the above, even though all components constituting the embodiment according to the present invention have been described as being combined or operated in combination as one, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this embodiment. That is, within the scope of the object of the present invention, all the components may operate by selectively combining one or more. In addition, terms such as "comprises", "comprises" or "have" described above mean that the corresponding component may be inherent, unless otherwise stated, excluding other components. Rather, it should be construed as being able to further include other components. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms such as terms defined in the dictionary should be interpreted as being consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art, and are not interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present invention.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit of the present invention, and various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

1: connector 10: housing
11: exterior wall 12: interior space
13: terminal insertion part 13': terminal hole
13": locking groove 14: central hall
15: connection rib 16: locking projection
17: central lance 18: first mounting hole
19: second mounting hole 20: front holder
21: base 21': through hole
22: side wall 23: connection space
24: connection hole 25: pressurization lance
26: first mounting leg 26': first mounting end
27: second mounting leg 27': second mounting end
28: reverse insertion prevention groove 29: guide rib

Claims (11)

A housing having a plurality of terminal holes penetrating through the terminal insertion portion, and an outer wall formed along an edge of the terminal insertion portion and having an inner space with one side open;
and a front holder provided with a plurality of mounting legs inserted into the inner space and hung on the terminal insertion unit;
A reverse insertion prevention groove is formed at the front end of the mounting leg, and when the housing and the front holder are coupled, one side of the terminal is hooked into the reverse insertion prevention groove to prevent erroneous assembly of the terminal from being inserted into the terminal hole.
The connector according to claim 1, wherein a mounting hole into which the front holder is inserted is formed in the terminal insertion part, and the mounting hole is formed at an edge of a portion of the plurality of terminal holes.
The method of claim 2, wherein the front holder is
a base on which the mounting legs are formed;
and a side wall formed along the edge of the base so that one side has an open connection space,
wherein the mounting leg includes a first mounting leg and a second mounting leg having a relatively shorter length than the first mounting leg.
The method of claim 3, wherein the mounting hole is composed of a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole,
A connector in which the first mounting leg is inserted into the first mounting hole and the second mounting leg is inserted into the second mounting hole.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first mounting leg and the second mounting leg are cantilevered and inclined in a direction away from the center line dividing the base in half,
A connector in which an inclination is formed on a surface close to a center line dividing the terminal insert in half in the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole.
The connector according to claim 5, wherein a guide rib protrudes from the base of the front holder in the coupling direction of the housing to guide the mating connector.
disposing a housing having a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole, a terminal insertion part through which the terminal hole is inserted, and a front holder having the first mounting leg and the second mounting leg formed to face each other;
when the first mounting leg is inserted into the first mounting hole by moving the front holder to the housing, inserting a terminal into the terminal hole of the terminal inserting unit;
When the insertion of the terminal into the terminal hole of the terminal insertion part is completed and the second mounting leg is inserted into the second mounting hole, the step of completing the coupling of the housing and the front holder;
When the coupling between the housing and the front holder is completed, one side of the terminal is hung in a reverse insertion prevention groove formed at the tip of the first mounting leg to prevent erroneous assembly of the terminal from being inserted into the terminal hole.
The method of claim 7, wherein the front holder
a base on which the mounting legs are formed;
and a side wall formed along the edge of the base so that one side has an open connection space,
wherein the mounting leg includes a first mounting leg and a second mounting leg having a relatively shorter length than the first mounting leg.
The method of claim 8, wherein the first mounting leg and the second mounting leg have a cantilever shape and are inclined in a direction away from a center line dividing the base in half,
A method of assembling a connector in which an inclination is formed on a surface close to a center line dividing the terminal insertion part in half in the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first mounting leg and the second mounting leg are cantilever-shaped, and are formed to be inclined in a direction away from the center line dividing the base in half,
A method of assembling a connector in which an inclination is formed on a surface close to a center line dividing the terminal insertion part in half in the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole.
The connector assembly method according to claim 10, wherein a guide rib protrudes from the base of the front holder in the coupling direction of the housing to guide the mating connector.

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