Connector

Details Connector Connector

1999-08-05

2001-02-27

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part including flexing insulation

Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...

C439S752000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06193551

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector in which retaining lances for retaining terminals serve also as partition walls, separating terminal receiving chambers in a housing from one another, thereby achieving a compact design in a direction of the height of the connector.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 10-223975, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 7
to
10
show the related connector that has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model No. 2567958.
FIG. 7
is a vertical cross-sectional view of the related connector,
FIG. 8
is a vertical cross-sectional view of the related connector, showing a condition in which terminals are inserted therein,
FIG. 9
is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX—IX of
FIG. 7
, and
FIG. 10
is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X—X of FIG.
8
.
In this connector
41
(FIG.
8
), a receiving recess
46
(
FIG. 9
) for receiving a reinforcing projection
45
a
of an elastic retaining lance
45
is formed in a partition wall
44
of each terminal receiving chamber
43
in a connector housing
42
, and with this construction a compact design of the connector housing
42
in the direction of the height thereof is achieved while securing a margin for the flexion of the retaining lance
45
.
The retaining lance
45
serves to retain a terminal
47
(FIG.
8
), and extends obliquely upwardly from the partition wall
44
, and has a retaining projection
45
b
formed at its distal end for engagement in an engagement hole
48
in the terminal
47
. A flexing space
49
is formed at the lower side of the retaining lance
45
. The reinforcing projection
45
a
is formed integrally on the lower side of the retaining lance
45
, and the receiving recess
46
for receiving the reinforcing projection
45
a
is formed through the partition wall
44
.
When the terminal
47
is inserted into the terminal receiving chamber, the retaining lance
45
is displaced into the flexing space
49
, and the reinforcing projection
45
a
is engaged in the receiving recess
46
, and the lower surface of the retaining lance
45
is held against the upper surface of the partition wall
44
, thereby preventing excessive displacement of the retaining lance
45
. Simultaneously when the insertion of the terminal
47
is completed, the retaining lance
45
is restored upwardly to retain the terminal
47
.
In the above-described connector
41
, although part (the reinforcing projection
45
a
) of the retaining lance
45
is inserted into the recess in the partition wall
44
, thereby increasing the flexing margin, the amount of this increase is only an amount corresponding to the height of the reinforcing projection
45
a
, and this could not achieved a sufficient effect with respect to the compact design in the direction of the height of the connector housing
42
. And besides, because of the reduced thickness of the retaining lance
45
, the reinforcing projection
45
a
is formed on the retaining lance
45
, and also the engagement recess
46
is formed in the partition wall
44
, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the construction is complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector in which a more compact design in a direction of a height of a connector housing is achieved, and the construction of the connector is simple, and the rigidity of retaining lances is not reduced.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which comprises a connector housing including a plurality of terminal receiving chambers into which terminals are respectively insertable, the terminal receiving chambers having horizontal rear partition walls, a plurality of elastic retaining lances that retain the terminals in the terminal receiving chambers, respectively, wherein the retaining lances serve as partition walls of terminal receiving chambers, and project into the terminal receiving chambers, a plurality of slanting partition walls respectively located rearwardly of the retaining lances, the slanting partition walls being respectively extended toward the retaining lances and the horizontal rear partition walls, a plurality of front partition walls respectively located forwardly of the retaining lances, the front partition walls being disposed at respective levels equal to respective levels of the rear partition walls, and a plurality of tapering guide surfaces respectively formed on the front partition walls, wherein each of the tapering guide surfaces urges a distal end of each of the terminals in a direction of flexion of each of the retaining lances.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, preferably, a distance between adjacent two of the front partition walls is at least the sum of a height of the related one of the terminals and a margin for flexion of the related one of the retaining lances.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the connector may further comprise a front holder attachable to the connector housing. In this case, preferably, the front partition walls are formed on the front holder.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the connector may further comprise a terminal-retaining spacer insertable into the connector housing. In this case, preferably, the slanting partition walls are formed on the terminal-retaining spacer to retain the respective terminals when the terminal-retaining spacer is inserted into the connector housing.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, preferably, each of the terminals includes a first engagement step portion for engagement with each of the retaining lances, and a second engagement step portion for engagement with each of the slanting partition walls, and the second engagement step portion is lower in height than the first engagement step portion.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5141452 (1992-08-01), Yoneda et al.
patent: 5145419 (1992-09-01), Yamanashi et al.
patent: 5782657 (1998-07-01), Wolla et al.
patent: 2-567958 (1998-01-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Connector does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Connector, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Connector will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2612886