JP3823206B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector provided with a lance.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, it is known that a terminal fitting inserted into a housing is provided with a step-shaped recess, and a lance on the housing side is locked to the recess, and an example thereof is disclosed in JP 2000-294334 A. It is described in the publication.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above, since the locking allowance with respect to the lance is ensured only for the height of the stepped portion of the recess, it has been a limitation in increasing the locking force. As a method for solving this problem, it is conceivable to increase the locking margin by projecting a protrusion on the front edge of the concave portion where the lance is locked.
On the other hand, in the process of inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity, the terminal fitting advances while pressing the lance. Usually, the surface on which the lance is pressed has an upward slope toward the insertion direction of the terminal fitting. As described above, when the protrusion is formed on the terminal fitting, the pressing against the lance is started earlier than when the protrusion is not provided. This means that the projection is pressed at a position closer to the lance deflection fulcrum. Therefore, a larger force is required to bend the lance, which increases the insertion resistance of the terminal metal fitting and reduces the insertion workability.
The present invention has been completed based on the above situation, and an object thereof is to reduce the insertion force of the terminal fitting.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As a means for achieving the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that the connector housing is provided with a cavity into which the terminal fitting can be inserted, and protrudes in the cavity, and the rear end side in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting. And a lance having a locking portion for locking to the terminal fitting when the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity to a normal depth. A box-shaped main body portion is provided, and one side portion of the main body portion is formed by overlapping the plate pieces inside and outside, and the outer plate pieces are cut out of the stacked plate pieces, A locking recess is provided that allows the locking portion to enter and be locked when the terminal fitting is properly inserted into the cavity, and the opening edge front portion is gradually formed from the front end side. Projected outward A protrusion that can be locked to the locking portion, and an angle of inclination between the locking portion and the bending fulcrum in the lance toward the insertion direction of the terminal fitting. Is formed with an ascending slope having an inclination of θ1, while the outer surface of the protrusion is formed with a descending slope with an inclination angle θ2 toward the insertion direction, and the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface is Is set to be larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the outer surface of the protrusion, and the engaging portion of the lance is provided with a receiving groove that can receive the protrusion in the process of inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity. It is characterized by having the configuration as described above .
[0005]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the front end position of the protrusion is substantially aligned with the front end position of the main body, and the front end position of the protrusion is a contact start position with respect to the inclined surface of the lance. It is characterized by
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the lance is formed in a doubly supported shape in which both front and rear ends in the insertion direction are supported, and the rigidity of the rear support portion is the front side. It is characterized in that it is larger than the support part.
[0006]
[Action and effect of the invention]
<Invention of Claim 1>
When the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity, the projection presses the lance so that the lance is elastically deformed. When the normal depth is reached, the lance is elastically restored and the locking portion enters the locked recess. However, it is locked to the protrusion.
Since the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface is set to be larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the outer surface of the protrusion, when the terminal fitting is inserted, the protrusion passes through the start end position of the inclined surface without contact, and the front end portion of the protrusion is inclined. It abuts on the front position of the surface with respect to the start position. As the insertion operation proceeds from this state, the lance is elastically deformed, and its elastic force acts as an insertion resistance. However, since the contact position of the projection with respect to the lance is a position farther from the fulcrum of the lance than in the prior art, the elastic force of the lance is smaller than in the past. Therefore, the insertion resistance of the terminal fitting can be reduced.
Further, even after the protrusion comes into contact with the lance, since the inclination angle of the outer surface of the protrusion is smaller than that of the conventional one, the low insertion force state can be maintained thereafter.
[0007]
<Invention of Claim 2>
By setting so that the front end position of the protrusion is substantially aligned with the front end position of the main body, the length dimension in which the protrusion is provided can be ensured to the maximum. Therefore, the gradient formed by the outer surface of the protrusion can be minimized. Thereby, it contributes to the reduction of the insertion force after the projection comes into contact with the lance.
[0008]
<Invention of Claim 3>
When a double-sided lance is set, the rigidity is higher than that of a cantilevered lance, and there is a concern about an increase in insertion force. However, by applying the present invention to such a lance, Thus, a significant increase in insertion force can be suppressed.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The female connector shown in this embodiment includes a connector housing 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as the housing 20), a terminal fitting 10 accommodated therein, and a retainer 50 that prevents the terminal fitting 10 from coming off. The female connector can be fitted and connected to a mating male connector (not shown). In the following, the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 10 with respect to the housing 20 is the front, and the description in the vertical direction is based on each drawing excluding FIGS. 3, 5, 7 and 9.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal fitting 10 is formed into a predetermined shape by pressing a metal plate, and a main body portion 11 that can be conductively connected to a tab terminal disposed in a mating male connector; A barrel portion 12 that can be crimped to the end of the electric wire W is provided on the front and rear sides. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body 11 has a box shape that is open front and rear, and includes a substrate 11 a extending forward and backward, a pair of side plates 11 b rising from both side edges of the substrate 11 a, and both side plates 11 b. It is comprised from a pair of protrusion board 11c, 11d which each protrudes from the protrusion end of this, and is bent inwardly so that it may mutually overlap inside and outside. In the main body 11, there is provided an elastic contact piece 13 that protrudes from the rear end of the inner protruding plate 11c and extends forward along the substrate 11a. The elastic contact piece 13 is formed in a cantilever shape and can be elastically contacted with a tab terminal inserted into the main body 11 from the front. Further, a bulging portion 14 for increasing the contact pressure with respect to the tab terminal is formed by knocking out at a portion facing the elastic contact piece 13 in the inner protruding plate 11c.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 5, a rectangular relief hole 15 (locked recess) having a length dimension of about 2/3 of the entire length is cut out at the approximate center of the outer protruding plate 11d. The lance 31 is allowed to escape into the escape hole 15. A protrusion 16 is formed on the front edge of the escape hole 15 in the outer protruding plate 11d by knocking outward, and a lance 31 can be locked to the protrusion 16 and its peripheral edge. The protrusion 16 is formed in a substantially triangular pyramid shape with the front end position (front end position of the main body portion 11) of the protrusion plate 11d as a vertex. In other words, the protrusion 16 is formed so as to gradually protrude outward from the front end side from the front end position of the protruding plate 11d to the front edge of the escape hole 15, and this triangular pyramid ridge line 16a (of the protrusion 16 protrudes from the protruding plate 11d). The edge that connects the two surfaces that form the part) has a downward slope toward the front in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 10, and the angle formed with the axis of the main body 11 is θ2 (FIG. 12). Further, the rear end portion of the protrusion 16 that is locked to the lance 31 is formed in an overhang shape that protrudes rearward toward the lower end side, and contributes to an increase in the locking force for the lance 31. A stabilizer 17 that protrudes downward along the side plate 11b is formed at the rear end of the outer protruding plate 11d. At the lower end of the rear end of the main body portion 11, a jaw portion 18 is provided on which the locking protrusion 52 of the retainer 50 can be locked. The rear surfaces of the jaw portion 18 and the stabilizer 17 are flush with each other.
[0012]
The housing 20 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 1, the whole is formed in a substantially block shape, and a cavity 21 into which the terminal fitting 10 can be inserted from the rear is vertically arranged in two stages in the width direction. Eight rooms are provided side by side. The cavities 21 adjacent in the vertical direction are partitioned by a partition wall 22. The partition wall 22 forms the lower wall of the upper cavity 21 and the upper wall of the lower cavity 21. The partition wall 22 and the bottom wall 23 which is the outer wall of the housing 20 forming the lower wall of the lower cavity 21 are elastically attached to the terminal fitting 10 inserted into each cavity 21 as will be described in detail later. A lockable lance 31 is provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, a stabilizer insertion groove 24 into which the stabilizer 17 of the terminal fitting 10 can be inserted is provided at the lower surface side edge of each cavity 21 so as to open rearward. In addition, a protrusion insertion groove 25 that allows the protrusion 16 of the terminal fitting 10 to be inserted is formed at the center position in the width direction on the lower surface of the cavity 21. The protrusion insertion groove 25 is set to such a depth that it is not in contact with the protrusion 16 that passes therethrough. Further, a lock arm 26 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 20 so as to project the mating male connector in a fitted state.
[0013]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, tab insertion holes 28 that allow the tab terminals to enter the cavities 21 from the front and outside penetrate the front walls 27 of the cavities 21 at positions corresponding to the cavities 21, respectively. Is provided. A tapered guide surface 29 for guiding the tab terminal to the tab insertion hole 28 is formed on the entire front edge of the tab insertion hole 28 over the entire circumference. The guide surface 29 is formed in a bowl shape toward the peripheral surface side of the tab insertion hole 28, and the outer width dimension and the height dimension thereof are larger than the cavity 21 and are set to substantially the same size. .
[0014]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a retainer mounting hole 30 to which the retainer 50 can be mounted from below is provided on the lower surface of the housing 20. The retainer mounting hole 30 is disposed at a substantially central position in the front-rear direction of the housing 20 and is formed to communicate with all the cavities 21 so as to divide the partition wall 22 and the bottom wall 23 back and forth. As shown in FIG. 1, the retainer 50 has a lattice-shaped main body portion 51 having partition walls at positions corresponding to the side walls of the cavities 21 of the housing 20, and an intermediate position between both partition walls of the main body portion 51. Are provided with locking protrusions 52 that can be locked to the jaws 18 of the terminal fitting 10. A stabilizer insertion recess 53 that allows the stabilizer 17 to be inserted by communicating with the stabilizer insertion groove 24 of the housing 20 is provided on the front side of each locking projection 52 in FIG. A protrusion insertion recess 54 that allows the protrusion 16 of the terminal fitting 10 to be inserted is formed at the center position in the width direction of the locking protrusion 52. With respect to the housing 20, the retainer 50 is configured such that the stabilizer insertion recess 53 is aligned with the stabilizer insertion groove 24, the protrusion insertion recess 54 is aligned with the protrusion insertion groove 25, and the locking protrusion 52 is retracted from the cavity 21. A temporary locking position where the insertion and removal of the terminal fitting 10 into the cavity 21 is allowed (FIG. 6), and a final locking position where the locking projection 52 enters the cavity 21 and is locked to the jaw 18 ( 11) and can be held by a predetermined holding means, and is moved up and down between the two positions.
[0015]
Next, the lance 31 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 6, the lance 31 is provided on the lower surface side of each cavity 21, and is formed by cutting out the front side portion of the partition wall 22 and the bottom wall 23 from the retainer mounting hole 30 into a predetermined shape. Has been. The lance 31 is roughly provided with a both-end supported arm portion 32 supported at both front and rear ends, and a locking portion 33 that can be locked to the protrusion 16 of the terminal fitting 10 on the upper surface of the arm portion 32. It has.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 7, the arm portion 32 extends along the front-rear direction, and the rear end side is connected to the position immediately before the stabilizer insertion groove 24 in the partition wall 22 (bottom wall 23) over the entire width, and the front end side is the front wall. Since it is formed in the shape of a double-sided beam that is connected to 27, high strength and rigidity are obtained as compared with a conventional cantilever lance. The arm portion 32 has a width dimension slightly smaller than the width dimension of the cavity 21. The arm portion 32 can be elastically deformed with the supporting portions at the front and rear ends as bending fulcrums, and is retracted into a bending allowable space 34 formed below. As shown in FIG. 8, the arm portion 32 has a substantially arcuate shape with a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction being the lowest end, and the displacement trajectory of each part accompanying the bending deformation is substantially linear along the up-down direction. It has become a thing.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 6, the locking portion 33 is formed so as to protrude from the upper surface of the arm portion 32 into the cavity 21, and the height and width thereof are the edge 16 of the protrusion 16 of the terminal fitting 10 and the relief hole 15. It is set to a size that can be locked over both sides of the protrusion 16 at the front portion, and the protruding end of the protrusion 16 can be locked to the root portion of the front surface of the locking portion 33 (see FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 7, the locking portion 33 is disposed at the center position in the width direction of the arm portion 32 and extends from the rear end position of the arm portion 32 to a position closer to the front than the center in the front-rear direction. It is formed in the size. At the center in the upper width direction of the locking portion 33, a receiving groove 33 b that is substantially V-shaped when viewed from the front and that can receive the protrusion 16 is provided. The front surface of the locking portion 33 that is a locking surface for the terminal fitting 10 is an inclined surface that forms an acute angle with respect to the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 10, in other words, is formed in an overhang shape. Between the rear surface of the locking portion 33, that is, between the locking portion 33 and the rear bending fulcrum 32 a of the arm portion 32, the arm portion 32 is bent by being pressed by the terminal fitting 10 inserted into the cavity 21. The tapered surface 33a can be guided to be deformed. The taper surface 33a is formed continuously to the rear protrusion insertion groove 25, and has an upward slope in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting 10 with respect to the cavity 21, and the inclination angle is relative to the axis of the main body portion 11. Θ1 between them (FIG. 12). Here, the inclination angle θ1 formed by the tapered surface 33a is set so as to have a relation of θ1> θ2 with respect to the inclination angle θ2 of the protrusion 16 of the terminal fitting 10 described above.
[0018]
Note that the upper surface of the arm portion 32 (both sides of the locking portion 33) constitutes the lower surface of the cavity 21 so that the terminal fitting 10 inserted into the cavity 21 can be supported. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a taper surface that forms an upward slope toward the front is formed in the upper portion of the upper surface of the arm portion 32 in front of the locking portion 33, and is opposed to the taper surface. A tapered surface having substantially the same gradient is also formed on the upper surface of the cavity 21 to be formed. With these two tapered surfaces, the front end portion of the cavity 21 is formed so as to be narrowed to a height dimension that allows the front end portion of the terminal fitting 10 to be fitted. The cavity 21 has a height dimension that allows the terminal fitting 10 to be loosely inserted in an area excluding the front end.
[0019]
At the center position in the width direction of the arm portion 32, a first die-cutting hole 35 that opens forward from the front surface position of the locking portion 33 is provided. The first die punching hole 35 opens the arm portion 32 and the front wall 27 forward as the die pin for forming the locking portion 33 is die forward when the housing 20 is molded. Is formed. A release jig (not shown) can be inserted into the first mold punching hole 35 from outside the front, and the lance 31 is forcibly pressed by pressing the arm portion 32 downward with the inserted release jig. Can be elastically deformed. At the front end of the arm portion 32 in the center in the width direction, a guide surface 36 that forms an upward slope toward the insertion direction of the release jig so that the release jig inserted into the first die punching hole 35 can be guided deeper. Is formed at a position deepened by a predetermined depth. The front wall 27 and the arm part 32 are formed with a second die punching hole 37 for punching out the guide surface 36 so as to communicate with the first die punching hole 35. The front end portion of the arm portion 32 is formed by being bifurcated by the both mold punching holes 35 and 37, and both divided side portions are connected to the front wall 27. Accordingly, the arm portion 32 is connected to the front wall 27 at two locations on the front side, and is connected to the partition wall 22 (bottom wall 23) at one location across the entire width of the arm portion 32, thereby supporting the rear support portion. The flexural rigidity of is higher than that of the front support portion.
[0020]
The present embodiment has the above-described structure, and the operation thereof will be described subsequently. As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal fittings 10 are inserted into the cavities 21 from the rear in a state where the retainer 50 is attached to the housing 20 in the temporary locking position. Then, the stabilizer 17 is slidably contacted with the peripheral surfaces of the stabilizer insertion groove 24 and the stabilizer insertion recess 53, and the protrusion 16 is slidably contacted with the peripheral surfaces of the protrusion insertion groove 25 and the protrusion insertion recess 54, so that The insertion operation is smoothly guided (see FIG. 9). When the terminal fitting 10 is inserted to a predetermined depth, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the protrusion 16 is engaged with the taper surface 33a of the locking portion 33 of the lance 31, and the taper surface as the insertion proceeds further. While being guided by 33a, the arm portion 32 is gradually bent and deformed downward. At this time, the lance 31 is deformed into a substantially arcuate shape with the connecting portions at the front and rear ends as fulcrums.
[0021]
When the terminal fitting 10 is inserted to a normal depth, as shown in FIG. 10, the arm portion 32 is elastically restored while the locking portion 33 enters the escape hole 15 of the main body portion 11 and the locking portion. The front surface of 33 is locked with respect to the projection 16 and the hole edge front portion of the escape hole 15, and primary locking of the terminal fitting 10 is achieved.
[0022]
When all the terminal fittings 10 have been inserted into the cavity 21, the retainer 50 is pushed from the temporary locking position to the final locking position. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the locking projection 52 of the retainer 50 is locked to the jaw portion 18 of the main body 11, so that the terminal fitting 10 is locked secondarily. Accordingly, the terminal fitting 10 can be held from the housing 20 in a state of being prevented from coming off.
[0023]
By the way, in the process of inserting the terminal fitting 10 described above, the protrusion 16 passes through the protrusion insertion groove 25 in a non-contact state, and then comes close to the tapered surface 33 a of the locking portion 33 of the lance 31. Even if the terminal fitting 10 further advances, the protrusion 16 is not in contact with the lance 31 at a predetermined depth due to the relationship between the inclination angle of the protrusion 16 and the inclination angle of the tapered surface 33a of the lance 31 (θ1> θ2). Maintained in a state. Thereafter, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the front end of the protrusion 16 abuts in the vicinity of the top of the tapered surface 33a. This abutting position is a position that is sufficiently away from the rear bending fulcrum 32a in the arm portion 32, and therefore, a force required to bend the lance 31 is small. If the relationship between the inclination angle of the protrusion 16 and the inclination angle of the tapered surface 33a of the lance 31 is set opposite to that of the present embodiment (θ1 <θ2), the rear end of the protrusion 16 is not the front end but the lance 31. Since the contact position is relatively close to the bending fulcrum 32a on the rear side of the arm portion 32, the force required to bend the lance 31 is increased. End up. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the insertion resistance of the terminal fitting 10 can be reduced. In addition, even after the protrusion 16 comes into contact with the lance 31, the inclination angle of the outer surface of the protrusion 16 is smaller than that of the conventional case, so that the low insertion force state can be maintained thereafter.
[0024]
In addition, according to the present embodiment, by setting the front end position of the protrusion 16 to be substantially aligned with the front end position of the main body 11, it is possible to secure the maximum length dimension in which the protrusion 16 is provided. Therefore, the gradient formed by the outer surface of the protrusion 16 can be minimized. This contributes to a reduction in insertion force after the protrusion 16 comes into contact with the lance 31.
[0025]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lance 31 is formed in a double-supported manner so that the partition wall 22 between the cavities 21 and the bottom wall 23 of the housing 20 are also used, thereby achieving a reduction in the height of the connector. For this reason, the lance 31 tends to have higher bending rigidity than that of the cantilever type, but such a problem is also eliminated by adopting the configuration of the present embodiment.
[0026]
<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the protrusion has a substantially triangular pyramid shape is shown. However, for example, the protrusion may have a conical shape, and the shape can be arbitrarily set.
(2) In the above-described embodiment, the lance has a double-sided lance. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to a cantilevered lance.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the housing. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the housing. 6 is a side sectional view of the housing and the terminal fitting in which the retainer is assembled at the temporary locking position. FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view of the housing. FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a state in the middle of inserting the terminal fitting. [Fig. 10] A cross-sectional plan view showing a state in which the terminal fitting is being inserted. [Fig. 10] A side sectional view showing a state in which the terminal fitting is inserted to a normal depth. [Fig. Side sectional view [Fig. 12] Enlarged sectional view for explaining the relationship between the inclination angle of the protrusion and the inclination angle of the tapered surface of the lance [Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Terminal metal fitting 11 ... Main-body part 11c ... Projection board (plate piece)
11d ... Projecting plate (outer plate)
15 ... Relief hole (locked recess)
16 ... Projection 16a ... Ridge (outer surface of projection)
20 ... Housing 21 ... Cavity 31 ... Lance 32a ... Deflection fulcrum (flexion fulcrum on the rear end side in the insertion direction)
33 ... Locking portion 33a ... Tapered surface (inclined surface)

Claims (3)

The connector housing has a cavity into which the terminal fitting can be inserted, a protrusion projecting into the cavity, a bending fulcrum on the rear end side in the insertion direction of the terminal fitting, and the terminal fitting extending to a normal depth in the cavity. A lance having a locking portion for locking to the terminal fitting when inserted,
On the other hand, the terminal fitting is provided with a substantially box-shaped main body portion, and one side portion of the main body portion is formed by overlapping the plate pieces inside and outside, and the outside of the overlapped plate pieces. By cutting out the plate piece, a locked recess is provided that allows the locking portion to enter and be locked when the terminal fitting is properly inserted into the cavity, and in front of the opening edge. The part is provided with a protrusion that is formed to gradually protrude outward from the front end side and can be locked to the locking part,
In the lance, an inclined surface having an upward slope with an inclination angle θ1 toward the insertion direction of the terminal fitting is formed between the locking portion and the bending fulcrum, while the outer surface of the projection is It is formed with a downward slope with an inclination angle θ2 toward the insertion direction, and the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface is set larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the outer surface of the protrusion ,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion of the lance is provided with a receiving groove capable of receiving the protrusion in the process of inserting the terminal fitting into the cavity .   The connector according to claim 1, wherein a front end position of the protrusion is substantially aligned with a front end position of the main body portion, and a front end position of the protrusion is a contact start position with respect to the inclined surface of the lance.   The lance is formed in a double-sided shape in which both front and rear ends in the insertion direction are supported, and the rigidity of the rear support part is larger than that of the front support part. The connector according to claim 2.

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