Double locked terminal connector

Details Double locked terminal connector Double locked terminal connector

2000-12-21

2002-04-23

Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part including flexing insulation

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

Reexamination Certificate

active

06375503

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a double locked terminal connector having a holder. In an incomplete insertion state of a terminal into a housing of the connector, a locking arm for the terminal abuts against the holder, which notices the incomplete insertion of the terminal. In a complete insertion state of the terminal, the extended piece prevents the deflection of the terminal to double lock the terminal in the connector housing.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 5
to
8
show a known double locked terminal connector.
As illustrated in
FIG. 5
, the double locked terminal connector
40
has a plug connector housing
41
made of a synthetic resin material, a receptacle terminal
28
connected to an electrical wire, and a front holder
42
made of a synthetic resin material. The terminal
28
is inserted from a rear opening of the connector housing
41
into a terminal accommodation chamber
17
. The holder engages with a forward end portion of the connector housing
41
and locks the terminal
28
in the connector housing
41
.
The connector housing
41
has a resilient locking arm
5
formed therein. The locking arm
5
has a lock protrusion
13
which is protruding into the terminal accommodation chamber
17
when the locking arm
5
is free. In a complete insertion state of the terminal
28
into the terminal accommodation chamber
17
, the protrusion
13
of the locking arm
5
can engage with a locking opening (not shown) formed in a base portion
30
of the terminal
28
. The base portion
30
has a box-shaped electrical connection portion
29
unitarily formed therewith at one side thereof. The electrical connection portion
29
has a resilient contact piece (not shown) formed therein. The base portion
30
has an electrical wire connection portion (crimping portion)
43
at the other side thereof.
In
FIG. 5
, the terminal
28
is in a half insertion state. The protrusion
13
of the locking arm
5
abuts against the base portion
30
of the terminal
28
, so that the locking arm
5
is deflecting toward a deflection space
22
formed in the connector housing
41
. The connector housing
41
is formed with an insertion space
44
of a hollow or a channel shape for receiving the front holder
42
. The insertion space
44
is extending toward a fore side of the connector housing
41
so as to be contiguous to the deflection space
22
.
The front holder
42
is of a substantially rectangular frame shape. The holder
42
has an extended piece
45
of a small width plate which can be inserted into the insertion space
44
. The extended piece
45
extends from a front wall
8
of the holder
42
in a longitudinal direction of the housing inside a frame wall
7
of the holder
42
. The frame wall
7
engages with a forward outer surface of the connector housing
41
. Optionally, the connector housing
41
has a hood (not shown) unitarily formed with the housing
41
with a clearance from an outer surface of the housing
41
. The front holder
42
slides into and engages with the connector housing
41
opposite to the terminal insertion direction.
As illustrated in
FIG. 5
, in an incomplete insertion state of the terminal
28
, a fore end of the locking arm
5
which is deflecting abuts against the tip of the extended piece
45
. This prevents a further advancement of the front holder
42
to notice the incomplete insertion of the terminal
28
.
Meanwhile, in a complete insertion state of the terminal
28
into the terminal accommodation chamber
17
, the protrusion
13
of the locking arm
5
enters the electrical connection portion
29
of the terminal
28
, so that the locking arm
5
returns to its free position. Thus, the extended piece
45
does not abuts against the locking arm
5
to advance into the insertion space
44
, so that the extended piece
45
prevents the movement of the locking arm
5
to lock the terminal
28
. That is, the extended piece
45
serves to inspect an incomplete insertion state of the terminal
28
and also to lock the terminal
28
. The extended piece
45
described above prevents the movement of the locking arm
5
to surely lock the terminal. In another example of a terminal double locking connector (not shown), an extended piece directly locks a shoulder
46
of the electrical connection portion
29
of the terminal
28
.
FIG. 6
shows a preliminary engaging state of the front holder
42
with the connector housing
41
, and
FIG. 7
shows a complete engaging state of the front holder
42
with the connector housing
41
.
For the front holder
42
and the connector housing
41
, there are provided a preliminary locking means and a final locking means (not shown). The preliminary locking means consists of a preliminary locking protrusion and a preliminary lock opening. The final locking means consists of another locking protrusion and another lock opening. In the preliminary engaging state of the front holder
42
of
FIG. 6
, the terminal accommodation chamber
17
receives the terminal
28
(FIG.
5
).
After the insertion of the terminal, the front holder
42
is pushed toward the terminal side to engage with the connector housing
41
. Then, the front holder
42
becomes in a finally locked state as illustrated in FIG.
7
. In the finally locked state, the extended piece
45
limits the movement of the locking arm
5
.
However, in the above-mentioned constitution, as illustrated in
FIG. 8
, the position of the extended piece
45
is unstable within the insertion space
44
when the terminal
28
is incompletely inserted into the connector housing
41
. Furthermore, there are dimensional tolerances of the extended piece
45
and the insertion space
44
to cause an inadequate looseness between them. Thus, the position of the extended piece
45
is variable within the insertion space
44
, so that the fore end of the locking arm
5
which is deflecting abuts against the extended piece
45
with a variable abutment area. As illustrated in
FIG. 8
, there is no problem when the best abutting distance A is achieved. However, when the locking arm
5
abuts against the extended piece
45
with the smallest abutting distance B, the locking arm
5
may be pushed toward the terminal side. This enlarges a clearance
47
of the insertion space
44
to release the extended piece
45
from the locking arm
5
. Thus, there is the disadvantage that the extended piece
45
unintentionally advances into the insertion space
44
.
Furthermore, in a final locking state of the front holder
42
as illustrated in
FIG. 7
, there may be a variable clearance
48
between the locking arm
5
and the extended piece
45
due to the variable position of the extended piece
45
. Thus, the locking arm
5
tends to deflect so that the locking arm
5
disadvantageously provides a reduced locking force on the terminal. The reduced locking force may disengage the terminal
28
from the connector housing
41
. These disadvantages of the front holder
42
are found also when a rear holder (not shown) is coupled to a rear portion of a connector housing to limit the movement of a locking arm for locking a terminal. In this connector, the locking arm is extending rearward.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a double locked terminal connector in which an incomplete insertion state of a terminal is reliably recognized. In an incomplete insertion state of the terminal in a connector housing, a fore end of a locking arm surely abuts against an extended piece of a holder.
For achieving the object, a double locked terminal connector according to the invention includes a connector housing having a resilient locking arm for locking a terminal. The connector also includes a holder having an extended piece inserted into an insertion space of the connector housing. In an incomplete insertion state of the terminal, the locking arm deflects so that a free end surface of the locking arm protrudes from an inner wall of the insertion space to cause the extended piece to abut ag

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