Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-03
2004-01-27
Duverne, Jean F. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06682367
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder-equipped connector of a vehicle use, wherein a connector housing thereof is downsized.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector housing
110
shown FIG.
33
and
FIG. 34 and a
connector housing
110
′ shown in
FIG. 35
each are surrounded with respective peripheral walls
112
,
112
′ formed with ceiling walls
112
a
, bottom walls
112
b
and sidewalls
112
c
,
112
c
′. Terminal accommodating chambers
111
a,
rear openings
111
b
and front openings
112
d
,
112
d
′ are formed on the respective connector housings
110
,
110
′. And, the terminal accommodating chamber
111
a
is surrounded with a partition wall
111
c
continuing from a locking lance
111
g,
a front horizontal partition wall
111
c′,
a vertical partition wall
111
d
and a rear horizontal partition wall
111
e.
The lance
111
g
engages a male terminal
140
in the terminal accommodating chamber
111
a
of the connector housing
110
,
110
′ and is integrally formed with a partition wall
111
c
(
111
c′,
111
e
) of the connector housing
110
,
110
′.
The male terminal
140
has an electrical contact portion
144
, a wire connecting portion
141
. The electrical contact portion
144
is of a tabular tab type (male tab
144
). A cable
150
(wire) is connected to the wire connecting portion
141
.
The male terminal
140
positioned at the lower side in the connector housing
110
shown in
FIG. 33
is on the way of insertion. The male terminal
140
is inserted in a terminal accommodating chamber
111
a
from a rear opening
111
b
of the connector housing
110
. As shown in
FIG. 34
, the male terminal
140
is engaged with a lance
111
g
provided in the terminal accommodating chamber
111
a
of the connector housing
110
.
As shown in
FIG. 33
, the male terminal
140
gets over the locking lance
111
g
pressed by the male terminal
140
and elastically deformed, and subsequently as shown in
FIG. 34
the locking lance
111
g
resiles.
However, the above prior art connector C
10
is not a compact nor downsized one, even though, for example, the thickness of a peripheral wail
112
, such as a bottom wall
112
b
, forming the connector housing
110
is reduced, the bending amount of the locking lance
111
g
is reduced, and the thickness of the locking lance
111
g
is reduced.
In downsizing the connector C
10
shown in FIG.
33
and
FIG. 34
, it is effective to reduce a distance Lh.
However, if the above dimension Lh is reduced to Lh′ (
FIG. 35
) without changing the positional relation between the terminal
140
and the locking lance
111
g
or the form thereof, the bending amount of the locking lance
111
g
provided on the connector housing
110
is not secured. Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 35
, the terminal
140
can not be inserted into the lower terminal accommodating chamber
111
a
of the connector housing
110
′.
A difference between a dimension Lj shown in
FIG. 33 and a
dimension Li shown in
FIG. 34
is the bending amount of the locking lance
111
g.
As understood from
FIG. 33
, a dimension Lk is required when the terminal
140
is inserted into the lower terminal insertion chamber
111
a
of the connector housing
110
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a holder-equipped connector, for use in a motor vehicle, wherein a connector housing thereof is downsized without making a large design change while keeping a mechanical strength of the connector housing.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a holder-equipped connector comprises: a terminal; a connector housing provided with a lance to primarily lock the terminal; and a holder to hold the terminal, wherein a relief portion to secure a bending amount of the lance, being bent when the terminal is attached to the connector housing, is provided on a basewall of the connector housing.
According to the above structure, because the relief portion securing the bending amount of the lance is provided on the basewall of the connector housing, the lance pushed and bent by the terminal does not interfere with the basewall of the connector housing with all the downsized connector housing when the terminal is inserted into the connector housing.
As a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the relief portion is a groove provided from a front opening of the connector housing to a vicinity of a root of the lance linearly in a terminal inserting direction.
According to the above structure, because the groove securing the bending amount of the lance is provided in the terminal inserting direction, the mechanical strength required for the connector housing is secured though the connector housing is downsized.
As a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a pair of tapered planes are provided on a surface, facing the basewall, of the lance, and a pair of slanting planes are provided on the relief portion formed on the basewall of the connector housing correspondingly to the pair of tapered plane.
According to the above structure, when the lance is bent by the terminal, the lance can smoothly enter the relief portion provided on the basewall of the connector housing.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the relief portion is a groove provided from one sidewall to the other sidewall of the connector housing in a direction orthogonal to a terminal inserting direction.
According to the above structure, because the groove securing the bending amount of the lance can be small, the groove does not almost affect the mechanical strength of the connector housing.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the holder-equipped connector further comprises: a spacer to secondarily lock the terminal to the connector housing, wherein the spacer provisionally engaging the connector housing finally engages the connector housing when the spacer is further deeply inserted from a side of the basewall of the connector housing, and the terminal is double locked by the lance formed integrally with a terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing and by a slanting partition wall formed on the spacer.
According to the above structure, because the terminal is securely double-locked by the connector housing and the spacer, the terminal can be prevented from coming off even if the cable (wire) connected to the terminal is strongly pulled.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the holder-equipped connector further comprises: a spacer to secondarily lock the terminal to the connector housing, wherein the spacer finally engages the connector housing when the spacer is inserted from a side of the basewall of the connector housing, and the terminal is double locked by the lance formed integrally with a terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing and by a partition wall formed on the spacer.
According to the above structure, because the terminal is securely double-locked by the connector housing and the spacer, the terminal can be prevented from coming off even if the cable (wire) connected to the terminal is strongly pulled.
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: 5877622 (1999-03-01), Aoyama
patent: 5879192 (1999-03-01), Machida
patent: 6094813 (2000-08-01), Akeda et al.
Armstrong Kratz Quintos Hanson & Brooks, LLP
Duverne Jean F.
Yazaki -Corporation
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