JP2004014271A - Connector with retainer and tool for detaching retainer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector which prevents the retainer from flicking away when detached, and a tool for detaching a retainer. <P>SOLUTION: A pair of overhangs 40 are formed in a hole 38 for inserting the tool J of the retainer 30. The tool J has protrusions of hooks Jb. When the tool J is inserted into the hole 38, the hooks Jb are caught in the overhangs 40 to prevent the tool J from separating from the hole 38. This makes the retainer 30 hard to separate from the tool J after detached from a terminal housing 11 and prevents the retainer 30 from flicking away. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector having a retainer and a jig for removing the retainer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector of a type in which a retainer is mounted from the front in a hood portion of a connector housing is known. This device includes a housing formed by projecting a hood portion forward from around a terminal accommodating portion having a cavity, and a retainer mounted from the front of the terminal accommodating portion. In the cavity, a lance extending forward in a cantilever manner along the inner wall surface of the cavity and a bending space allowing elastic bending of the lance are formed, and a terminal fitting inserted into the cavity from the rear is It is stopped by locking to the lance. Then, when the retainer is assembled to the terminal accommodating portion, the flexure restricting portion of the retainer enters the flexure space and regulates the elastic deformation of the lance so that the lance is disengaged from the terminal fitting. It is locked and securely stopped.
[0003]
In such a connector, when removing the retainer for maintenance or the like, first, a rod-shaped jig is inserted into the hood portion from the front, and the tip is hooked on the hook portion of the retainer. In this state, the jig is brought into contact with the opening edge of the hood to be in an oblique posture, and the end of the jig protruding outside the hood is tilted in the direction opposite to the direction in which the retainer is removed. Then, remove the retainer using the leverage.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this removal work, the retainer must be removed against the locking force to the terminal accommodating portion, so that it is necessary to operate the jig with a large force. For this reason, the retainer detached from the terminal accommodating portion may be blown out of the hood portion with excessive force. In particular, in the case of a connector installed in a vehicle or the like in which many devices and the like are installed in a complicated manner, there is a possibility that the retainer that has been blown off may be lost, and improvement has been demanded.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector and a jig for removing a retainer that can prevent the retainer from being blown off during removal.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprising: a housing; a terminal accommodating portion provided inside the housing and accommodating a terminal fitting; A connector for retaining a metal fitting in a retaining state, wherein the retainer is provided with a jig insertion hole into which a removing jig for removing the retainer can be inserted; In the hole, an overhanging portion is provided, which protrudes on the insertion / removal path of the removal jig and engages with a hook provided on the removal jig to regulate the removal of the removal jig. It is characterized by having been done.
[0007]
The invention according to claim 2 is the connector according to claim 1, wherein an engagement surface of the overhanging portion that engages with the hooking portion is capable of housing a hooking protrusion protruding from the hooking portion. A concave portion is provided.
[0008]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detachment jig for detaching a retainer which is assembled to a terminal accommodating portion of a connector and locks a terminal fitting accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion in a retaining state. An arm that can be inserted into a jig insertion hole provided in a retainer, and is provided in the jig insertion hole by projecting from the arm in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the arm is inserted into and removed from the jig insertion hole. It is characterized by comprising a hooked portion engageable with the extended portion provided.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the detachment jig according to the third aspect, wherein the hooking surface of the hooking portion that engages with the overhanging portion can be housed in a housing recess formed in the overhanging portion. It is characterized by having a hooking projection.
[0010]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the detaching jig according to the third or fourth aspect, the hook portion includes a pair of the arm portions, and one end of the pair of the arm portions is connected to each other. And the hook portion protrudes from the other end.
[0011]
Function and effect of the present invention
According to the first and third aspects of the present invention, the projecting portion is provided in the jig insertion hole of the retainer so as to project onto the insertion / removal path of the removal jig. On the other hand, the removal jig has a hook portion projecting in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction with respect to the jig insertion hole. When the removal jig is inserted into the jig insertion hole, the hook portion is hooked on the overhanging portion, so that the detachment of the removal jig from the jig insertion hole is regulated. Even after being disengaged from the part, it does not easily come off the removal jig. Thus, it is possible to prevent the retainer from being flipped during removal.
[0012]
According to the second and fourth aspects of the present invention, the recess is provided on the engaging surface of the projecting portion of the retainer. On the other hand, a hooking projection is provided on the hooking surface of the hooking portion of the removal jig. When the removal jig is inserted into the jig insertion hole, the hook of the removal jig is hooked in the accommodation recess, so that the retainer is more difficult to be detached from the removal jig. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the retainer from being flipped during removal.
[0013]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the detaching jig is provided with the hook portions on the pair of arms, and is configured to be hooked on the retainer at two places. It becomes harder to come off. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the retainer from being flipped during removal.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
<First embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The connector 1 according to the present embodiment is a male connector, and includes a housing 10, a retainer 30, and a terminal fitting 50. In the following description, the front side (the right side in FIG. 2) where the connector 1 is fitted with the mating connector will be described.
[0015]
The housing 10 of the connector 1 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin, and includes a terminal receiving portion 11 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a hood portion 12 provided around the terminal receiving portion 11 ( 1 to 3). The hood portion 12 has a shape in which a central portion in the front-rear direction of the terminal accommodating portion 11 is outwardly protruded and a projecting end thereof is protruded forward, and surrounds a periphery of a front half portion of the terminal accommodating portion 11. It is formed as follows. The space between the outer wall surface of the terminal accommodating portion 11 and the inner wall surface of the hood portion 12 is an assembly space 13 into which a retainer 30 described later can be fitted.
[0016]
A plurality of cavities 14 capable of receiving the terminal fittings 50 are provided in the terminal accommodating portion 11 so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 2). These cavities 14 are provided in two rows vertically. The first half of the terminal accommodating portion 11 protruding into the hood portion 12 has a form in which tower portions 15 divided for each cavity 14 are arranged in parallel.
[0017]
Each of the cavities 14 is open on the upper surface side, and a lance 17 extending forward in a cantilever form is formed from the rear end face of the assembly space 13 so as to cover the open portion. The lance 17 has a convex shape whose lateral cross section is symmetrical in the left-right direction. The center in the width direction (left-right direction) is a thick portion 17A having a large vertical dimension, and the left and right sides of the thick portion 17A are on both sides. The upper and lower portions are thinner portions 17B which are thinner than the thicker portions 17A. On the lower surface of the lance 17 (the surface corresponding to the terminal fitting 50), the lower surfaces of the thick portion 17A and the thin portion 17B are continuous in a plane, but on the upper surface of the lance 17 (the surface facing the bending space 18 described later). Has a configuration in which the thick portion 17A protrudes upward from the thin portion 17B.
[0018]
Above the lance 17 of the upper cavity 14, a bending space 18 for allowing elastic bending of the lance 17 upward is formed so as to open forward. On the other hand, with respect to the lance 17 of the lower cavity 14, a bending space 18 for allowing the lance 17 to elastically bend upward is formed by partially notching the lower wall of the upper tower portion 15. I have.
[0019]
Temporary lock grooves 19 are respectively recessed in the side walls 16A of the upper and lower tower portions 15A located at both ends in the width direction of the tower portion 15 at positions slightly behind the front end. The temporary lock claw 35 is engaged (see FIG. 3). Further, in the side walls 16B of the upper and lower tower portions 15B located at the center in the width direction, main lock grooves 20 are respectively recessed at positions slightly behind the front ends, and the main lock grooves 20 of the retainer 30 described later are provided here. The claw 36 is engaged.
[0020]
The terminal fitting 50 housed in the cavity 14 is provided with a tab 52 projecting from the distal end side of a rectangular tube portion 51 formed in a rectangular tube shape. A barrel portion 54 for crimping the portion is formed (see FIG. 2). A waterproof rubber plug 55 is crimped to the barrel portion 54 together with the end of the electric wire W, and the waterproof rubber plug 55 is brought into close contact with the inner wall of the cavity 14 so that the inside of the cavity 14 is waterproofed. . A lance entry recess 56 is formed on the upper surface of the rectangular tube portion 51 at the center position in the front-rear direction, and the tip of the lance 17 is engaged in the lance entry recess 56 so that the terminal fitting 50 is primarily engaged with the cavity 14. Is stopped.
[0021]
The retainer 30 assembled to the terminal accommodating portion 11 is of a front type, and is formed of a synthetic resin (see FIGS. 4 to 6). The retainer 30 includes a front plate 31 that covers the front surface of the terminal housing 11, and a peripheral wall portion 32 formed on a side edge of the front plate 31.
[0022]
The front plate 31 is formed in a lattice shape having an opening 33 capable of receiving the tip of each tower 15. From the upper wall portion of each opening 33, a bending restricting portion 34 which can enter the bending space 18 of the lance 17 and restrict the bending of the lance 17 is formed to project rearward. The flexure restricting portions 34 are provided for each of the lances 17 so as to correspond to both the thin portions 17B of the lance 17, and each of the left and right lances 17 is provided with a pair of thin portions 17A and 17B. It is designed to enter a step space formed by the difference.
[0023]
A pair of upper and lower temporary lock claws 35 project from rear ends of the left and right inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 32, respectively. The upper and lower open ports 33A located at both ends in the width direction of the open ports 33 are respectively provided with main lock claws 36 at rear end positions on the inner surface thereof. The temporary lock claw 35 and the final lock claw 36 engage with the temporary lock groove 19 and the final lock groove 20 of the tower portions 15A and 15B when the retainer 30 is pushed into the temporary lock position and the final lock position, respectively. It is supposed to.
[0024]
The peripheral wall portion 32 extends rearward from the lower edge and the left and right side edges of the front plate 31, and can be accommodated in the assembly space 13 of the housing 10 without play. On the lower surface side of the peripheral wall portion 32, a wide bulging portion 37 bulging downward in the front-rear direction is formed at the center position in the width direction. The bulging portion 37 is provided with a jig insertion hole 38 into which a removing jig J for removing the retainer 30 can be inserted, which is opened in a horizontal rectangular shape on the front side (see FIG. 11). The rear end side of the jig insertion hole 38 is closed by the back wall 38A except for both ends in the width direction. A pair of overhangs 40 are provided in the opening 39 of the jig insertion hole 38 by projecting inward at both ends in the width direction, and a rear surface of the overhang 40 is provided with a removal jig. The engagement surface 40A is engaged with the tool J. The engagement surface 40A is inclined so as to slightly descend toward the center in the width direction. The lower wall of the jig insertion hole 38 and the inner wall of the overhanging portion 40 are guide walls 41A and 41B for guiding the jig J, respectively.
[0025]
Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
[0026]
When assembling the connector 1 of the present embodiment, first, the retainer 30 is assembled to the housing 10 in a temporarily locked state (see FIGS. 7 and 8). When the retainer 30 is lightly pushed in from the front end side of the terminal accommodating portion 11, the peripheral wall portion 32 of the retainer 30 is lightly inserted into the assembling space 13, and the front end of each tower portion 15 is inserted into the opening 33 of the retainer 30. Lightly inserted. Then, the temporary lock claw 35 is locked in the temporary lock groove 19, and the retainer 30 reaches the temporary locked state. At this time, since the flexure restricting portion 34 is located further forward than the front end of the lance 17, elastic flexure of the lance 17 toward the flexure space 18 is allowed.
[0027]
From this state, the terminal fitting 50 is assembled to each cavity 14. When the terminal fitting 50 is inserted from the rear side of the cavity 14, the front end of the rectangular tube portion 51 comes into contact with the lower surface of the lance 17, and thereafter, the lance 17 moves upward as the insertion of the terminal fitting 50 proceeds. And is advanced into the bending space 18. When the terminal fitting 50 reaches the proper position, the lance 17 returns downward, and its front end enters the lance entry recess 56 of the terminal fitting 50, so that the terminal fitting 50 is prevented from falling backward.
[0028]
When all the terminal fittings 50 are inserted, the retainer 30 at the temporary locking position is pushed to the final locking position (see FIGS. 9 and 10). When the retainer 30 is moved to the back, each of the tower portions 15 is inserted into the opening 33 to a position where the front end surface thereof is flush with the front end surface of the retainer 30. Further, the main lock claw 36 is locked in the main lock groove 20, and the retainer 30 is held in the main locked state. In this state, the bending restricting portion 34 enters the bending space 18 and corresponds to the thin portion 17B of the lance 17, and the lance 17 is moved toward the bending space 18 by the contact between the thin portion 17B and the bending restricting portion 34. Is held in a state of being locked to the terminal fitting 50. As a result, the terminal fitting 50 is in the double locking state, and the removal is reliably prevented.
[0029]
When removing the terminal fitting 50 from the housing 10 for maintenance or the like, it is necessary to first remove the retainer 30 that double-locks the terminal fitting 50 from the housing 10.
[0030]
A removal jig J for removing the retainer 30 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “jig J”) is formed in a substantially L-shape in which a hook Jb is provided at the tip of a rod-shaped arm Ja, The inner surface of the hook portion Jb is a hook surface Jc that is locked to the engaging surface 40A of the overhang portion 40 (see FIG. 11).
[0031]
When the retainer 30 is removed, the jig J is inserted into the jig insertion hole 38 from the hook Jb side such that the side surface of the arm Ja is along the lower guide wall 41A. Then, the hook portion Jb is sunk into the rear of the left or right overhang portion 40, and the surface of the arm portion Ja on which the hook portion Jb is formed is along the side guide wall 41B, so that the hook surface is formed. Jc is hooked on the engagement surface 40 </ b> A of the overhang portion 40. Thus, by operating the jig J along the guide walls 41A and 41B, it is possible to prevent the jig J from rattling inside the hood portion 12 and causing damage to the inner wall surface of the hood portion 12.
[0032]
In this state, when the arm Ja of the jig J is pulled forward, the retainer 30 is pulled forward by the force of the hooking surface Jc pressing the engagement surface 40A. As a result, the engagement between the main lock groove 20 and the main lock claw 36 is released, and the retainer 30 moves to the temporary locking position. When the arm portion Ja of the jig J is further pulled forward, the temporary lock groove 19 and the temporary lock claw 35 are disengaged, and the retainer 30 is detached from the terminal accommodating portion 11.
[0033]
As described above, since the retainer 30 must be removed against the locking force of the lock grooves 19 and 20 and the lock claws 35 and 36 on the terminal accommodating portion 11, it is necessary to pull the jig J with a large force. There is. For this reason, there is a possibility that the retainer 30 that has been disengaged may be flicked off. However, since the projecting portion 40 is provided in the jig insertion hole 38 of the retainer 30 and the hook Jb of the jig J is hooked here, the retainer 30 is disengaged from the terminal accommodating portion 11. After that, the jig does not come off easily. Thus, it is possible to prevent the retainer 30 from being flipped during removal.
Even if the retainer 30 is relatively moved forward (to the right in FIG. 11) with respect to the jig J, the back wall 38A of the jig insertion hole 38 immediately hits the hook Jb of the jig J. The hooking surface Jc of the tool J and the engaging surface 40A of the overhang portion 40 do not largely deviate. For this reason, the catch of both is held, and it can be reliably prevented that the retainer 30 is flipped at the time of removal.
Further, since the jig J is pulled in the direction in which the retainer 30 is removed, no twisting of the retainer 30 occurs as in the conventional method, and the retainer 30 may be damaged by the tip of the jig J There is no danger of damaging the sealing surface of the outer periphery of 12. Further, even when the mounting position of the retainer 30 with respect to the hood portion 12 is deep, the operation of removing the retainer 30 can be easily performed.
[0034]
<Second embodiment>
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The difference between the connector 60 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is the shape of the overhang portion 63 of the retainer 61. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0035]
In the retainer 61 of the present embodiment, accommodation recesses 64 are respectively formed in the pair of engagement surfaces 63A. The accommodation recesses 64 are provided at the outer ends of the engagement surface 63A, respectively, and are recessed forward.
[0036]
On the other hand, a detaching jig K for detaching the retainer 61 (hereinafter simply referred to as “jig K”) has a hook Kb provided at the tip of a rod-shaped arm Ka, and the tip of the hook Kb. The portion is a hook protrusion Kd protruding in the same direction as the arm portion Ka, and is formed in a substantially J-shape as a whole.
[0037]
When removing the retainer 61, the removal jig K is inserted into the jig insertion hole 62 from the hook Jb side in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Then, the hook portion Kb is sunk into the rear of the left or right overhang portion 63, and the hook surface Kc is brought into contact with the engagement surface 63 </ b> A of the overhang portion 63 while the hook protrusion Kd is housed in the housing recess 64. Let it. In this state, when the arm Ka of the jig K is pinched with a finger and pulled forward, the retainer 61 is pulled forward by the force of the hooking surface Kc pressing the engagement surface 63A. Thereby, the retainer 30 is detached from the terminal accommodating portion 11 as in the first embodiment.
[0038]
At this time, an accommodation recess 64 is provided in the engagement surface 63A of the overhang portion 63, and the hooking projection Kd of the jig K is hooked here, so that the retainer 61 is more difficult to be detached from the jig K. I have. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the retainer 61 from being flipped during removal.
[0039]
<Third embodiment>
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the removal jig L. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0040]
In the removal jig L of the present embodiment, one end of a pair of elongated plate-shaped arms La is connected to each other, and the other end is formed in a tweezers shape in which the other end is slightly opened outward. On the free end side of each arm La of the jig L, a hook Lb having the same shape as that of the removal jig J of the first embodiment projects outwardly.
[0041]
When the retainer 30 is removed, the jig L is inserted into the jig insertion hole 38 from the hook Lb while elastically deforming the jig L so as to close the arm La by pressing the jig L from both sides. Then, the pressing force on the jig L is released to return the free end of the arm portion La to the open state, and the hook portions Lb are respectively sunk into the rear portions of the left and right overhang portions 40, and the hook surfaces Jc of the overhang portions 40 are formed. Hook each on the engagement surface 40A.
[0042]
In this state, when the connection end side of the arm La is pinched with a finger and pulled forward, the retainer 30 is pulled forward by the force of the hooking surface Jc pressing the engagement surface 40A. Thereby, the retainer 30 is detached from the terminal accommodating portion 11 as in the first embodiment.
[0043]
At this time, the jig L is provided with a hook Lb on each of the pair of arms La, so that the jig L is hooked on the retainer 30 at two places, so that the retainer 30 is harder to come off from the jig L. I have. Further, the tip end of the arm portion La is kept open by the elastic restoring force of the jig L itself inside the jig insertion hole 38, so that the hook portion Lb further comes off from the overhanging portion 40 of the jig insertion hole 38. It has become difficult. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the retainer 30 from being flipped during removal.
[0044]
The technical scope of the present invention is not limited by the above-described embodiments. For example, the followings are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the technical scope of the present invention extends to an equivalent range.
(1) In the above embodiment, the overhanging portions 40 are provided as a pair at the left and right ends of the opening 39 in the jig insertion hole 38, but may be provided at only one of them. Alternatively, it may be provided on one or both of the upper end and the lower end.
(2) In the above embodiment, the connector is a male connector provided with a male terminal fitting, but may be a female connector provided with a female terminal fitting.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a connector according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1 FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a retainer FIG. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the retainer. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view when the retainer is in the temporary locking position. FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view when the retainer is in the temporary locking position. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view when the retainer is at a final locking position. FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view when the retainer is at a final locking position. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the retainer is removed by a removal jig. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the retainer of the embodiment is removed by a removal jig. FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a state in which the retainer of the third embodiment is removed by a removal jig.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Connector 10 ... Housing 11 ... Terminal accommodating parts 30, 61 ... Retainers 38, 62 ... Jig insertion holes 40, 63 ... Overhanging parts 40A, 63A ... Engaging surface 50 ... Terminal fitting 64 ... Accommodating concave parts J, K, L … Removal jigs Ja, Ka, La… Arm parts Jb, Kb, Lb… Hooks Jc, Kc, Lc… Hook surface Kd… Hook protrusion

Claims (5)

A housing,
A terminal housing portion provided inside the housing and capable of housing a terminal fitting;
A connector that is assembled to the terminal accommodating portion and that retains the terminal fitting in a retaining state.
The retainer is provided with a jig insertion hole into which a removal jig for removing the retainer can be inserted,
In the jig insertion hole, the detachment of the removal jig is regulated by projecting on the insertion / removal path of the removal jig and engaging with a hook provided on the removal jig. A connector having an overhang portion. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the engaging surface of the overhanging portion that engages with the hooking portion is provided with a housing recess that can house a hooking protrusion protruding from the hooking portion. 3. . A detachment jig for detaching a retainer that is assembled to a terminal accommodating portion of the connector and locks a terminal fitting accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion in a retaining state,
An arm that can be inserted into a jig insertion hole provided in the retainer,
A hook portion protruding from the arm portion in a direction intersecting with the insertion / removal direction of the arm portion into / from the jig insertion hole and capable of engaging with a projection provided in the jig insertion hole. Jig for removal. 4. The detaching device according to claim 3, wherein the hooking surface of the hooking portion that engages with the overhanging portion is provided with a hooking protrusion that can be housed in a housing recess that is recessed in the overhanging portion. 5. jig. The hook portion is provided with a pair of the arm portions, one end of each of the pair of arm portions is connected to each other, and the hook portion protrudes from the other end. The removal jig according to claim 3 or 4.

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