1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-123890 discloses a connector with a housing formed with a cavity for receiving a terminal fitting. A lance is formed in the housing and projects sufficiently into the cavity to lock the terminal fitting therein. However, the lance can deflect into a flexible space in the housing so that the terminal fitting can be inserted into the cavity or removed from the cavity.
A retainer is mounted to the front end of the housing and is movable between a temporary locking position and a main locking position. The retainer is outside the flexible space of the lance when the retainer is at the temporary locking position. Thus, the terminal fitting can be inserted into the cavity and removed from the cavity when the retainer is at the temporary locking position. However, the retainer enters the flexible space of the lance and prevents the lance from deflecting when the retainer is at the main locking position.
A temporary locking groove and a main locking groove extend transversely into a front part of the housing. A temporary locking projection and a main locking projection are formed on an inner surface of the retainer at positions spaced longitudinally from one another. The temporary locking projection engages the front end of the temporary locking groove when the retainer is at the temporary locking position. Conversely, the main locking projection engages the front end of the main locking groove when the retainer is at the main locking position.
A guide groove extends longitudinally in the cavity for guiding a stabilizer of the terminal fitting. The need for a longitudinally extending guide groove and transversely extending locking grooves results in a complicated construction.
The invention was made in view of the above-described situation, and it is an object of the invention to provide a connector with a simple construction.
The invention relates to a connector with a housing that has opposite front and rear ends. Cavities extend longitudinally through the housing from the rear end to the front end, and terminal fittings are inserted respectively into the cavities. Each terminal fitting has a stabilizer projecting therefrom. Guides are formed in the housing and guide the stabilizers when the terminal fittings are inserted into the cavities. The connector further includes a mounting member mounted on the front of the housing. The mounting member is locked to the guides for the stabilizers.
The above-described conventional connector housing has guides for the stabilizer formed separately from the locking grooves for the retainer. Thus the conventional housing has a complicated construction. However, the connector of the subject invention is configured to lock the mounting member to the guide for the stabilizer. Therefore the connector of the present invention has a simple construction.
Each guide preferably is a groove formed on the exterior of the housing. Each guide groove extends longitudinally along an insertion direction of the terminal fittings, and at least a portion of each guide groove communicates with the inside of the cavity. Thus, the stabilizer moves along the guide groove of the housing as the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity.
At least one locking edge preferably is formed at a front end of each guide groove and intersects the respective guide groove at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the guide groove. The mounting member is formed with at least one lock that engages the locking edge to prevent the mounting member from slipping off the housing.
The housing preferably has resiliently deformable lances that can project into the cavities for locking the terminal fittings in the cavities. Each lance preferably has an outer surface that defines part of an outer surface of the housing. Therefore the connector has a simpler construction than the conventional connector in which the outer surfaces of the lance and the housing are formed separately.
The mounting member preferably is a front retainer formed in the shape of a cap and configured for mounting on the front of the housing. The front retainer penetrates into a flexible region of each lance and prevents each lance from deforming out of locked engagement with the terminal fitting.
The lances can deform elastically to project out from the outer surface housing. A deformed lance can prevent proper mounting of the front retainer.
The at least one locking edge of the guide groove preferably includes a temporary locking edge and a main locking edge that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the housing. The at least one locking projection preferably includes a temporary locking projection and a main locking projection formed on the front retainer at positions corresponding to the guide grooves. The temporary locking projection is shifted from the main locking projection in a longitudinal direction of the front retainer. The temporary locking projection can be locked to the temporary locking edge to hold the front retainer in a position that permits elastic deformation of the lances so that the terminal fittings can be inserted into the respective cavities and removed therefrom. However, the front retainer can be moved to a position on the housing where the main locking projection locks to the main locking edge. Part of the front retainer penetrates into the flexible region of the lance and prevents the lance from deforming when the main locking projection engages the main locking edge. The connectors can be shipped from a manufacturing location to an assembly location with the front retainers in the temporary locked position on the respective housings. The front retainers then can be moved to the main locking position after the terminal fittings have been inserted into the cavities. Therefore, assembly efficiency and inventory control are improved.
A connector in accordance with the invention includes a housing identified by the numeral 10 in
As shown in
The housing 10 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in
A flange 14 projects out from an approximately longitudinal central portion of the body 11. However, the flange 14 is discontinuous on the upper surface of the body 11 to accommodate deflection of the locking arm 12. The flange 14 also is discontinuous on the bottom surface of the body 11 at a position substantially opposite to the locking arm 12 and aligned with a receiving portion 17. A step 15 projects from the bottom surface of the body 11 at a position forward from the flange 14. Housing-fixing portions 16 project from the left and right side surfaces of the housing 10 at approximately the rear end of the body 11. The housing 10 can be fixed to a panel or wall (not shown) by sandwiching edge regions of the panel between the housing-fixing portion 16 and the flange 14. A front part of the body 11 is block-shaped and oblong in section, and a waterproof rubber plug (not shown) can be fit on an outer surface of the front part of the body 11.
A terminal locking portion 19 extends forward from the body 11 to the front end of the housing 10. The cavities 13 for accommodating the terminal fittings 20 are partitioned from each other. However, portions of the left and right cavities 13 in the terminal-locking portion 19 do not have an outer side wall. Thus square tubular portions 26 of the terminal fittings 20 are exposed in the cavities 13 at the left and right sides in the terminal-locking portion 19. Portions of each cavity 13 in the terminal-locking portion 19 have a lance 22 and a support 23 opposite the lance 22.
Each lance 22 extends forward from a front end of the upper wall of the body 11. A slit is formed between the adjacent lances 22 so that the lances 22 are independently vertically flexible. A locking claw 22A is formed at the front of each lance 22 (see
Each support 23 extends forward from a front end of the body 11. The front end of the support 23 is disposed forward from the lance 22. Each support 23 has a supporting wall 23A for supporting the bottom surface of the square tubular portion 26 of the terminal fitting 20. Additionally, each support 23, except for the left end support 23 in
As shown in
Either a long projection 37 or a short projection 24 projects transversely from the front end of each supporting wall 23A. In the illustrated embodiment, the long and short projections 37, 24 define an alternating array, starting with a long projection 37 at the left-end position in
As shown in
The front retainer 30 is made of synthetic resin, and, as shown in
As shown in
As shown with broken lines of
The width of each of the locking projections 35, 36 is set so that they fit in the guide slits 18. The locking projections 35, 36 are capable of entering the guide slits 18 when the front retainer 30 is at the temporary locking position and the main locking position and are capable of moving along the guide slits 18, when the front retainer 30 moves from the temporary locking position to the main locking position.
The front retainer 30 initially is fit on the housing 10 from the front and is mounted at the temporary locking position inside the housing 10. At this time, the rear locking projections 35 contact front surfaces of the short projections 24. The rear side of the front locking projection 35 is inclined. Thus, the front retainer 30 deforms elastically so that the rear locking projection 35 can ride over the tapered surface 38 of the short projection 24. Accordingly, the front retainer 30 moves smoothly to the temporary locking position without generating a high fit-on resistance. The front retainer 30 returns elastically to its original state upon reaching the temporary locking position. As a result, the rear locking projection 35 enters the guide slit 18 and is locked to a rear surface of the short projection 24. Thus the front retainer 30 is prevented from being unlocked and separated. At this time, the front locking projection 36 abuts to the pressing prevention surface 37A of the long projection 37. Thus the front retainer 30 is prevented from moving accidentally from the temporary locking position to the main locking position.
The terminal fittings 20 then are inserted into the cavities 13 from the rear end of the housing 10. More particularly, the stabilizers 21 enter the guide slits 18 to guide the terminal fittings 20 to the predetermined normal mounting position. When the terminal fitting 20 reaches the predetermined normal mounting position, the front end of the terminal fitting 20 contacts the stop 24A disposed at the front end of the support 23. Thus, the terminal fitting 20 is stopped at the predetermined front position. At the same time, the locking claw 22A of the lance 22 penetrates into the lance hole 28 of the terminal fitting 20 to lock the terminal fitting 20 thereto. Thus, the terminal fitting 20 will not slip off rearward.
The front retainer 30 then is pushed rearwardly from the temporary locking position to the main locking position. More particularly, an operational force that exceeds the fit-on resistance is applied to the front retainer 30. As a result, the front retainer deforms elastically a sufficient amount to relieve the fit-on resistance and the front locking projection 36 rides over the tapered surface 38 of the long projection 37. Accordingly, the front retainer 30 is moved towards the main locking position, and this movement is guided as the rear locking projection 35 slides along the guide slit 18. The front locking projection 36 aligns with the guide slit 18 when the front retainer 30 reaches the main locking position. As a result, the front retainer 30 elastically returns to its original state, and the front locking projection 36 locks to the rear surface of the long projection 37. Thus, the front retainer 30 is held and cannot slip off the housing 10.
As described above, the locking edges defined by the short projections 24 and the long projections 37 for locking the front retainer 30 to the housing 10 are formed on the guide slits 18 that guide the stabilizers 21. Thus, the connector has a simpler construction than the conventional connector in which the guide slit and the locking edge are formed separately. Further the lance 22 is part of the outer wall of the housing 10, and the flexing of the lance 22 is performed outside the housing 10. Therefore the connector has a simpler construction than the conventional connector in which the flexible space of the lance is inside the housing. Hence, the above-described construction contributes to the miniaturization of the connector. Furthermore the longitudinal positions of the locking projections 35 and 36 are shifted from each other, and the temporary locking position and the main locking position are set. Therefore it is possible to ship the connector by mounting the front retainer 30 on the housing 10 at the temporary locking position. That is, the above-described construction improves the workability in assembling the connector.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are included in the technical scope of the invention. Further, modifications of the embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The front retainer is exemplified as the mounting member to be mounted on the front of the housing. However, a front mask with no retaining function but only a function of stopping the terminal fitting at the predetermined front position may be mounted on the front of the housing.
The projection is exemplified as the locking portion of the front retainer. However, a concave member can be used alternatively, provided that it can lock the mounting member to the locking edge of the housing.
The locking projections serve both as the temporary locking projection and the main locking projection. However, the temporary locking projection and the main locking projection may be formed separately.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-040625 | Feb 2005 | JP | national |
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5209676 | Endo et al. | May 1993 | A |
5607327 | Tsuji et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
5820417 | Yamada | Oct 1998 | A |
5989066 | Cox | Nov 1999 | A |
6109965 | Seko et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
7114992 | Sagawa et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
7114997 | Sagawa et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2003-123890 | Apr 2003 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20060183376 A1 | Aug 2006 | US |