Connector with retainer

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6607407
  • Patent Number
    6,607,407
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, November 1, 2001
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 19, 2003
    20 years ago
Abstract
A connector including a connector housing with a retainer attachment hole that receives and stabilizes a retainer as it is inserted into the connector housing. The retainer attachment hole extends into an anterior face of the connector housing. Male terminal fittings inserted into the connector housing are maintained therein by a removal preventing member of the retainer that is inserted into the retainer attachment hole. Guiding members formed on the retainer enter the retainer attachment hole before the removal preventing member enters therein. Consequently, the retainer is stabilized and maintained in position relative to the connector housing while it is being attached to the retainer attachment hole.
Description




TECHNICAL FIELD




The present invention relates to an electrical connector provided with a retainer.




BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION




One example of a connector provided with a retainer for retaining terminal fittings has the retainer attached from the anterior to a connector housing which houses terminal fittings, this retainer retaining the terminal fittings. This type of conventional connector provided with a retainer is described in JP 11-97098.




In this connector, wherein a front retainer is attached to the connector housing from the anterior, a cylindrical guiding member is formed on the retainer. This cylindrical guiding member fits with the exterior of the connector housing, thereby fixing the position of the retainer relative to the connector housing, and stabilising the retainer while it is being attached thereto.




However, stabilising the retainer or fixing its position have proved problematic in the case where a retainer is housed within the retainer attachment hole formed in an anterior face of the connector housing.




The present invention has taken the above problem into consideration and aims to stabilise and fix the position of this retainer in a connector to which a retainer is attached by being inserted into a retainer attachment hole that opens onto an anterior face of a connector housing.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a housing having a terminal fitting exposed at one side thereof for connection to a corresponding terminal of a mating connector, and a retainer insertable into a retainer attachment hole of said housing from said one side to retain said terminal fitting in said housing, characterised in that said retainer has a plate-like preventing member for retaining said terminal fitting, and a protruding guiding member, said guiding member being adapted to enter said attachment hole in advance of said preventing member to stabilise said retainer therein.




Since the guiding member enters the retainer attachment hole in advance of the preventing member, movement of the retainer is stabilised, and the retainer can move smoothly and easily.




In a preferred embodiment the preventing member is inserted between upper and lower terminal fittings so that a single preventing member can retain two such fittings.




Preferably a plurality of preventing members are arranged side by side for engagement with an upper and lower row of terminal fittings. In such an arrangement a guiding member is preferably provided at each end of the retainer. The guiding member preferably extends substantially at right angles to length of the retainer and in the insertion direction thereof.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS




Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings in which:





FIG. 1

is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a retainer in a temporary retaining state.





FIG. 2

is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing terminal fittings in an inserted state whereby they are temporarily retained by the retainer.





FIG. 3

is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the retainer in a main retaining state.





FIG. 4

is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a connector fitted with a corresponding connector.





FIG. 5

is a front view of a connector housing.





FIG. 6

is a front view showing the retainer fitted through a window hole of a moving plate.





FIG. 7

is a front view of the moving plate.





FIG. 8

is a vertical cross-sectional view of the moving plate.





FIG. 9

is a front view of the retainer.





FIG. 10

is a side face view of the retainer.





FIG. 11

is a plan view of the retainer.





FIG. 12

is a rear face view of the retainer.





FIG. 13

is a partially enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view showing the retainer in a removed state.





FIG. 14

is a partially enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view showing the retainer in the temporary retaining state.





FIG. 15

is a partially enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view showing the retainer in the main retaining state.











DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




An embodiment of the present invention is described below with the aid of

FIGS. 1

to


15


.




A connector M of the present embodiment is provided with a connector housing


10


, male terminal fittings


20


, a moving plate


30


, and a retainer


40


. In the following description, the anterior direction is on the left side with reference to

FIG. 1

, and the up-down direction is also taken with reference to FIG.


1


.




The connector housing


10


is formed from plastic. A hood


11


protrudes to the anterior from an outer circumference of an anterior end face of this connector housing


10


. A plurality of cavities


12


are formed within the connector housing


10


, these cavities


12


being located therein in an approximately central location relative to the up-down direction thereof, and being horizontally aligned in an upper and a lower row. The male terminal fittings


20


, which are inserted into these cavities


12


, are doubly retained therein by plastic lances


13


and the retainer


40


. Large diameter cavities


14


are formed to the left and right of the two rows of cavities


12


. Terminal fittings (not shown) inserted into these large diameter cavities


14


are retained only by plastic lances


15


. Housing grooves


16


, into which sub connectors (not shown) are fitted from the posterior, are formed above and below the cavities


12


.




The upper and lower rows of cavities


12


are symmetrical. The plastic lances


13


are formed in the anterior end portions thereof and extend towards the anterior in a cantilevered shape. The plastic lances


13


of the upper rows extend along lower faces of the cavities


12


, and the plastic lances


13


of the lower rows extend along upper faces of the cavities


12


. Bending spaces


17


A, which allow the plastic lances


13


to bend resiliently, are formed between the upper and lower rows of plastic lances


13


and open onto an anterior end face of the connector housing


10


. The plastic lances


13


bend resiliently into the bending spaces


17


A as a result of making contact with the male terminal fittings


20


while these are being inserted from the posterior into the cavities


12


. This contact is released after the male terminal fittings


20


have been inserted to a correct position, the plastic lances


13


return resiliently to their original position and engage with the male terminal fittings


20


, thereby retaining them. After the male terminal fittings


20


have been inserted, tabs


21


at anterior ends thereof protrude from the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


into the hood


11


.




The bending spaces


17


A join with one another between the adjacent cavities


12


, thereby forming, in their entirety, a long and narrow slit that extends in a left-right direction. When the bending spaces


17


A are in a free state, whereby the plastic lances


13


have not bent resiliently therein, a removal preventing member


41


of the retainer


40


can be fitted into the bending spaces


17


A from the anterior in a manner whereby this removal preventing member


41


does not rattle up or down. Furthermore, a left and right pair of guiding holes


17


B is formed at the left and right sides, respectively, of the bending spaces


17


A. These guiding holes


17


B join with the bending spaces


17


A and open into the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


. Guiding members


42


of the retainer


40


can be fitted into these guiding holes


17


B in a manner whereby they do not rattle in the up-down or left-right directions. The bending spaces


17


A and the guiding holes


17


B form a retainer attachment hole


17


. Moreover, temporary retaining receiving members


18


A and main retaining receiving members


18


B protrude from inner side faces of the guiding holes


17


B. Stopping members


43


of the retainer


40


engage with these receiving members


18


A and


18


B, thereby maintaining the retainer


40


in a temporary retaining position and a main retaining position, respectively, relative to the connector housing


10


. Further, the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


, into which the retainer attachment hole


17


opens, refers to the inner face of the hood


11


.




Next, the moving plate


30


will be described. The moving plate


30


is made from plastic, and fixes the position of the tabs


21


of the male terminal fittings


20


(these tabs


21


protrude from the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


into the hood


11


). The moving plate


30


is formed in a unified manner from a sheet-shaped plate main body


31


, which is parallel to and has the same shape as the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


, and a guiding cylindrical member


32


that protrudes towards the anterior from the outer circumference of the plate main body


31


and makes contact with the inner circumference of the hood


11


. The plate main body


31


is provided with position fixing holes


33


,


34


and


35


. The tabs


21


of the male terminal fittings


20


that have been inserted into the upper and lower rows of cavities


12


pass through the position fixing holes


33


. Tabs protruding from male terminal fittings (not shown) of the sub connectors fitted into the housing grooves


16


pass through the position fixing holes


34


. Tabs of the male terminal fittings (not shown) inserted into the large diameter cavities


14


pass through the position fixing holes


35


.




A window hole


36


, which connects with the bending spaces


17


A and the guiding holes


17


B of the connector housing


10


, passes through the plate main body


31


from the anterior face to the posterior face thereof. The shape and dimensions of the window hole


36


are such that the retainer


40


can be passed therethrough. The window hole


36


is located between the rows of position fixing holes


33


(the tabs


21


of the male terminal fittings


20


inserted into the upper and lower rows of cavities


12


are passed through these position fixing holes


33


). Recessed members


37


are formed at upper and lower edges of the window hole


36


, each recessed member


37


joining individually with one of the position fixing holes


33


. Supporting members


45


of the retainer


40


pass through these recessed members


37


.




A sealing member


38


is formed in a unified manner on the guiding cylindrical member


32


of the moving plate


30


. This sealing member


38


is formed from an outer circumference sealing member


38


A, which extends along an outer circumference of a posterior end portion of the guiding cylindrical member


32


(i.e., the portion thereof close to the plate main body


31


), and an inner circumference sealing member


38


B, this being located further towards the anterior than the outer circumference sealing member


38


A and extending along an inner circumference of the guiding cylindrical member


32


. These sealing members


38


A and


38


B are connected via a plurality of joining holes


39


formed at intervals along the circumference thereof.




A cam pin receiving member


32


A is formed in each of the upper and lower sides of the guiding cylindrical member


32


. While the connector M is being fitted with a corresponding connector F, cam pins (not shown) of this corresponding connector F fit into the cam pin receiving members


32


A to form a unified state, then are fitted into cam grooves of a lever (not shown). The lever is rotated using rotative axes


32


B of the guiding cylindrical member


32


as its centre, the cam operation causing the corresponding connector F to become unified with the moving plate


30


and to be drawn towards the connector housing


10


until a fitted state is reached.




The retainer


40


is made from plastic, and is moulded in a unified manner so that it has the removal preventing member


41


that extends as a long horizontal plate in a left-right direction, and the pair of guiding members


42


that are formed on the left and right ends of the removal preventing member


41


, these guiding members


42


having long plate-shaped faces which extend in an anterior-posterior direction and are formed at approximate right angles to the removal preventing member


41


. Both the removal preventing member


41


and the guiding members


42


form an approximately unified face at the anterior end face of the retainer


40


. However, posterior end portions of the guiding members


42


protrude further towards the posterior (the direction in which the retainer


40


is attached to the connector housing


10


) than the removal preventing member


41


.




The stopping members


43


are formed as an anterior and posterior protruding pair in each of outer side faces of the posterior end portions of the guiding members


42


(i.e., those portions protruding to the posterior relative to the removal preventing member


41


). The stopping members


43


fit with the temporary retaining receiving members


18


A of the guiding holes


17


B in a manner whereby they grip into the temporary retaining receiving members


18


A from the anterior and posterior sides thereof, thereby maintaining the retainer


40


in the temporary retaining position relative to the connector housing


10


. When the retainer


40


is in the temporary retaining position, the removal preventing member


41


is not in an inserted state within the bending spaces


17


A. Consequently, the plastic lances


13


are able to bend resiliently into these bending spaces


17


A, allow the male terminal fittings


20


to be inserted into or removed from the cavities


12


.




When the retainer


40


is pushed inwards from the temporary retaining position to the main retaining position, the stopping members


43


fit with the main retaining receiving members


18


B of the guiding holes


17


B in a manner whereby they grip the anterior and posterior sides thereof, this maintaining the retainer


40


in the main retaining position relative to the connector housing


10


. When the retainer


40


is in the main retaining position, the removal preventing member


41


is fitted into the bending spaces


17


A in such a manner that it does not rattle. Consequently, the plastic lances


13


are prevented from bending resiliently towards the bending spaces


17


A (i.e., in the direction for removing the male terminal fittings


20


), thereby preventing the male terminal fittings


20


from being removed.




Further, the posterior end portions of the guiding members


42


(i.e., the tips thereof relative to the direction in which the retainer


40


is attached to the retainer attachment hole


17


) grow gradually smaller in the up-down direction, forming tapered guiding tips


44


. The anterior end portion of the removal preventing member


41


has the supporting members


45


formed thereon at locations corresponding to the cavities


12


(i.e., corresponding to each plastic lance


13


), these supporting members


45


protruding upwards and downwards, respectively. When the retainer


40


is in the main retaining position, these supporting members


45


make contact, via the bending spaces


17


A, with the anterior end portions of the male terminal fittings


20


. Consequently, the anterior end portions of the male terminal fittings


20


are prevented from inclining towards the bending spaces


17


A, thereby maintaining the male terminal fittings


20


in a stable position. Moreover, when the retainer


40


is in the main retaining position, the supporting members


45


make contact with anterior ends of the plastic lances


13


, thereby functioning as stoppers which prevent the retainer


40


from being pushed in too far.




The present embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the operation thereof will be described.




When the connector M of the present embodiment is to be assembled, the moving plate


30


is first housed within the hood


11


(see FIG.


1


). The moving plate


30


is maintained in a fitting waiting position located to the anterior of the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


, a space remaining between the two. Next, the retainer


40


is attached, in a temporary retaining state, to the connector housing


10


by being passed through the window hole


36


of the moving plate


30


. At this juncture, posterior end portions of the guiding members


42


of the retainer


40


are fitted into the guiding holes


17


B of the retainer attachment hole


17


, and the stopping members


43


of the retainer


40


engage with the temporary retaining receiving members


18


A. By this means, the retainer


40


is maintained in the temporary retaining position (see FIG.


1


). The retainer


40


is located such that the anterior end face thereof forms an approximately unified face with the anterior end face of the plate main body


31


of the moving plate


30


.




From this state, the male terminal fittings


20


are inserted into the cavities


12


and are retained by the plastic lances


13


. Moreover, the tips of the tabs


21


protruding from the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


are fitted into the position fixing holes


33


of the moving plate


30


(see FIG.


2


). By this means, the tabs


21


are maintained in a state whereby they do not move in the up-down or left-right directions, and are ready to be fitted with female terminal fittings (not shown) of the corresponding connector F.




After all the male terminal fittings


20


have been fitted, the retainer


40


is pushed in from the temporary retaining position to the main retaining position. This may be done by pushing, with a finger, the anterior end face of the retainer


40


that is protruding from the window hole


36


of the moving plate


30


. After the retainer


40


has been pushed to the main retaining position, the removal preventing member


41


fits within the bending spaces


17


A, thereby preventing the plastic lances


13


from bending resiliently in the direction that allows the male terminal fittings


20


to be removed. By this means, the male terminal fittings


20


are maintained in a doubly retained state within the cavities


12


, being retained by the plastic lances


13


and doubly retained by the retainer


40


.




After the connector has been assembled in the manner described above, the corresponding connector F may be fitted into the hood


11


. The corresponding connector F and the moving plate


30


are moved as a single unit while the corresponding connector F is being fitted, and the tabs


21


that are maintained in position by the position fixing holes


33


of the moving plate


30


are reliably fitted together with and make contact with the female terminal fittings of the corresponding connector F.




As shown in

FIG. 4

, when the corresponding connector F is in a fitted state, the outer circumference sealing member


38


A of the moving plate


30


fits tightly with the inner circumference of the hood


11


, thereby waterproofing the space between the moving plate


30


and the hood


11


. Furthermore, the inner circumference sealing member


38


B of the moving plate


30


fits tightly with an outer circumference of the corresponding connector F, thereby waterproofing the space between the moving plate


30


and the corresponding connector F. The sealing member


38


thus seals the space between the hood


11


and the corresponding connector F. Moreover, the retainer attachment hole


17


is located inwards relative to the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


on which the sealing member


38


is located. Consequently, the retainer attachment hole


17


is also waterproofed by the sealing member


38


.




In the embodiment described above, the moving plate


30


has the window hole


36


formed therein. The retainer


40


protrudes towards the anterior via this window hole


36


, this allowing the retainer


40


is be pushed (from the temporary retaining position to the main retaining position) from the anterior of the moving plate


30


. That is, the retainer


40


can be attached from the anterior relative to the connector housing


10


. Furthermore, the retainer


40


can pass in an anterior-posterior direction through the window hole


36


of the moving plate


30


. Consequently, the retainer


40


can be attached after the moving plate


30


has been attached within the hood


11


. In the present embodiment, the moving plate


30


is attached first, then the retainer


40


is attached thereafter. However, the retainer


40


may equally well be attached first, and the moving plate


30


attached thereafter.




Since the moving plate


30


has the window hole


36


formed therein, the retainer


40


can be attached from the anterior. This means that the connector housing


10


requires no opening on its outer side face for attaching the retainer


40


. Further, the retainer attachment hole


17


is located in the anterior end face of the connector housing


10


(i.e., with the hood


11


). Consequently, the fitting portion of the corresponding connector F and the retainer attachment hole


17


can simultaneously be waterproofed merely by providing the sealing member


38


between the hood


11


and the corresponding connector F.




The retainer


40


is provided with the guiding members


42


which are inserted prior to the removal preventing member


41


when the retainer


40


is inserted into the retainer attachment hole


17


. Consequently, the guiding members


42


are inserted first into the retainer attachment hole


17


when the retainer


40


is being attached, this stabilising and maintaining the position of the retainer


40


relative to the connector housing


10


. By this means, the retainer


40


can be attached smoothly and reliably.




The guiding members


42


are provided as a pair, one at either end of the removal preventing member


41


. Consequently, the retainer


40


is less likely to become inclined than in the case where a guiding member is provided on only one end. Further, the tapered guiding tips


44


are formed at the tip ends of the guiding members


42


. These simplify the insertion of the guiding members


42


into the retainer attachment hole


17


.




The stopping members


43


are formed in the guiding members


42


, these maintaining the retainer


40


in the temporary retaining position or the main retaining position. Consequently, the retainer


40


, as a whole, is simpler and smaller than in the case where stopping members are provided in locations separate from the guiding members


42


.




Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above with the aid of figures. For example, the possibilities described below also lie within the technical range of the present invention. In addition, the prevent invention may be embodied in various other ways without deviating from the scope thereof.




(1) In the embodiment described above, the guiding members are provided at both ends of the stopping member. However, according to the present invention, a guiding member may equally well be provided at only one end, or in a central location.




(2) In the embodiment described above, the stopping members, for fixing the retainer in the temporary stopping position or the main retaining position, are formed in the outer side faces of the guiding members. However, according to the present invention, the stopping members may equally well be formed in inner side faces of the guiding members, or at locations separate from the guiding members.




(3) In the embodiment described above, an example was described which was suitable for a connector provided with a moving plate. However, the present invention can be made equally suitable for a connector which is not provided with a moving plate.




(4) In the embodiment described above, an example was described which was suitable for a lever-type connector. However, the present invention can be made equally suitable for a connector which is not a lever-type connector.




(5) In the embodiment described above, an example was described which was suitable for a waterproof connector. However, the present invention can be made equally suitable for a connector which is not a waterproof connector.



Claims
  • 1. An electrical connector comprising a housing having a first end face and an opposing second end face, a terminal fitting positioned within said housing and being exposed at said first end face of said housing for connection to a corresponding terminal of a mating connector that is insertable through said first end face, a plate including an opening and a plurality of terminal receiving holes positioned within said housing, and a retainer insertable into a retainer attachment hole of said housing and said opening of said plate from said first end face to retain said terminal fitting in said housing, wherein said plate is moveable relative to both the housing and the retainer and said retainer has a plate-like preventing member for retaining said terminal fitting, and a protruding guiding member, said guiding member being adapted to enter said attachment hole in advance of said preventing member to stabilize said retainer therein during insertion.
  • 2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said guiding member includes a tapered entry end that enters said attachment hole in advance of said preventing member.
  • 3. A connector according to claim 2 wherein said guiding member is tapered symmetrically on both sides of the entry end thereof.
  • 4. A connector according to claim 1 wherein a said guiding member is provided on either side of said preventing member.
  • 5. A connector according to claim 4 wherein said retainer is elongate and has a plurality of said preventing members side by side thereon, for retaining a plurality of terminal fittings in said housing.
  • 6. A connector according to claim 5 wherein a said guiding member is provided at each end of said retainer.
  • 7. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said guiding member includes a disengageable latching member thereon for engagement with said housing, said latching member maintaining said retainer at a predetermined insertion depth in said attachment hole.
  • 8. A connector according to claim 7 wherein said guiding member is resilient and comprises said latching member.
  • 9. A connector according to claim 8 wherein said latching member is engageable with said housing at two insertion depths so as to provide a waiting position at which said terminal is not retained and a retaining position.
  • 10. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said housing has upper and lower terminal fittings, and said retainer preventing member is insertable between said upper and lower terminal fittings to retain said fittings in said housing.
  • 11. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said protruding guiding member has a greater length than said preventing member.
  • 12. An electrical connector comprising a housing having a first end face and an opposing second end face, a terminal fitting positioned within said housing, said terminal fitting being inserted within said housing from a first direction through said second end face, a plate including an opening and a plurality of terminal receiving holes positioned within said housing, and a retainer insertable through said first end face and into a retainer attachment hole of said housing and through said opening of said plate from a second direction to retain said terminal fitting in said housing, said second direction being opposite said first direction, wherein said plate is moveable relative to both the housing and the retainer and said retainer has a plate-like preventing member for retaining said terminal fitting, and a protruding guiding member, said guiding member being adapted to enter said attachment hole in advance of said preventing member to stabilize said retainer therein during insertion.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
2000-334891 Nov 2000 JP
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
5211583 Endo et al. May 1993 A
5252088 Morello et al. Oct 1993 A
5439397 Yamanashi et al. Aug 1995 A
5713760 Chemin Feb 1998 A
5738551 Matsuoka Apr 1998 A
5989066 Cox Nov 1999 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number Date Country
0 716 475 Jun 1966 EP
0 827 236 Mar 1998 EP