Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-04
2001-01-30
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
C439S595000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179671
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electric connector to be applied mainly to a wiring harness to be mounted on a motor vehicle and more particularly, to an electric connector wherein an electric terminal accommodated in a connector housing main body is locked by a terminal locking member provided in the housing main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an electric connector provided with an terminal locking member, an electric connector K shown in
FIG. 11
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,080, for example.
The electric connector K has a with a spacing member b as a terminal locking member inserted from a side of a housing a. And, in a provisional engaging state of the spacing member b, an electric terminal c accommodated in the housing a is locked by a resilient locking piece d provided on the spacing member b, and in a final engaging state to be made by further shifting the spacing member b, the electric terminal c is locked by the coming-off preventing abutting portion e so as to secure the electric terminal c.
With respect to the above prior art electric connector K, since the resilient locking piece d and the coming-off preventing abutting portion e of the spacing member b are formed in a comb-like shape, the resilient locking piece d or the coming-off preventing abutting portion e is apt to be deformed when the spacing member b is inserted in the housing a even in case of the electric terminal c being in a state of incomplete insertion, wherein the incomplete insertion of the electric terminal c into the housing a could not necessarily be detected surely.
Also, since the lock of the electric terminal c changes from a means of the resilient locking piece d to a means of the coming-off preventing abutting portion e as the spacing member b, is inserted the terminal holding force is weakened, thereby causing coming-off of the electric terminal c.
Further, since a deformation preventing mechanism of the resilient locking piece d is not provided, the locking force by the resilient locking piece d would become weakened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric connector provided with a terminal locking member, wherein incomplete insertion of the electric terminal can be clearly detected, the electric terminal can be surely locked, and workability in connector assembly is better.
In order to achieve the above-described object, as a first aspect of the present invention, an electric connector with a terminal locking member includes a housing main body with a terminal accommodating chamber; a front holder having a terminal accommodating portion and to be fitted to the housing main body; a terminal locking member having a terminal through hole provided with an engaging portion and to be arranged between the housing main body and the front holder freely movably; and an electric terminal to be accommodated in the housing main body through the terminal accommodating chamber, the terminal through hole, and the terminal accommodating portion, wherein the electric terminal accommodated in the housing main body is locked by the engaging portion.
As a second aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the electric connector further includes a resilient locking piece provided on the housing main body so that the electric terminal accommodated in the housing main body is locked by the resilient locking piece in addition to the lock by means of the engaging portion of the terminal locking member.
As a third aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first or second aspect, the electric connector further includes: a rear holder having a terminal insertion hole and to be fitted to the housing main body; a terminal locking member driving portion having a cam groove and to be mounted on the rear holder freely movably back and forth; and a cam projection provided on the terminal locking member, wherein the terminal locking member is shifted by advancing the terminal locking member driving portion after engaging the cam projection with the cam groove and after inserting the electric terminal into the terminal accommodating portion through the terminal insertion hole.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with any one of the above aspects, the engaging portion of the terminal locking member comprises oppositely facing engaging projections formed by notching an edge of the terminal through hole and the electric terminal has a thin portion with a step portion so that the electric terminal is locked by abutting the engaging projections against the step portion.
Further, as a fifth aspect of the present invention, an electric connector with a terminal locking member includes: a housing main body with a terminal accommodating chamber and with a resilient locking piece; a front holder having a terminal accommodating portion and to be fitted to the housing main body; a terminal locking member having a terminal through-hole provided with an engaging rib and to be arranged between the housing main body and the front holder freely movably; and an electric terminal having an engaging recess and to be accommodated in the housing main body through the terminal accommodating chamber, the terminal through-hole, and the terminal accommodating portion, wherein the electric terminal accommodated in the housing main body is locked by engaging the resilient locking piece with the engaging recess and further displacement of the resilient locking piece is prevented by means of abutment of the engaging rib against the resilient locking piece.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above fifth aspect, the electric connector further includes: a rear holder having a terminal insertion hole and to be fitted to the housing main body; a terminal locking member driving portion having a cam groove and to be mounted on the rear holder freely movably back and forth; and a cam projection provided on the terminal locking member, wherein the terminal locking member is shifted by advancing the terminal locking member driving portion after engaging the cam projection with the cam groove and after inserting the electric terminal into the terminal accommodating portion through the terminal insertion hole.
According to the present invention as described hereinabove, since the electric connector in accordance with the present invention uses the frame-like terminal locking member which is not apt to be deformed compared to the prior art terminal locking member having a comb-like shape, sure locking of the electric terminal can be attained, and also, since the frame-like terminal locking member hardly deforms when impacting the electric terminal when in a state of incomplete insertion, the incomplete insertion can be detected clearly, thereby improving reliability of the detection.
And, since the electric terminal is locked by the terminal locking member besides the resilient locking piece, a terminal holding force is increased, thereby surely preventing coming-off of the electric terminal e.g. during terminal insertion work.
Further, since the vertical movement of the terminal locking member can be done by means of the terminal locking member driving portion which is moved in the coupling operation direction of the connector, a space required for operating the terminal locking member can be small, thereby improving e.g. workability of connector assembly.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5122080 (1992-06-01), Hatagishi et al.
patent: 5775957 (1998-07-01), Fink et al.
patent: 5830013 (1998-11-01), Saito et al.
Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Paumen Gary F.
Yazaki -Corporation
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