Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-08
2003-12-02
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655994
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector in which the engagement of a retaining lance, provided within a connector housing, with a terminal can be easily canceled without prying (or prizing) the retaining lance by a jig rod.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-97259, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11
shows a related terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector which is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 7-14577.
In this structure, a jig rod
53
is inserted obliquely into a connector housing
51
of a synthetic resin through an opening
52
formed through an upper wall thereof, and an elastic retaining lance
54
is pried (or prized) by this jig rod
53
, thereby canceling the engagement between a terminal
55
and the retaining lance
54
.
A stop wall
56
is provided adjacent to the upper opening
52
, and is disposed in a direction of prying of the retaining lance
54
, and this stop wall
56
prevents excessive deformation of the retaining lance
54
. A support wall
58
, having a short slanting guide surface
57
, is provided adjacent to the upper opening
52
at a front end of the connector housing
51
. The jig rod
53
is inserted into the connector housing
51
along the guide surface
57
through the opening
52
, and is turned on the support wall
58
(serving as a fulcrum) to raise or pry the distal end of the retaining lance
54
. Molding holes
60
for molding the retaining lances
54
are formed through a front end wall
59
of the connector housing
51
.
Two (upper and lower) rows of terminal receiving chambers
61
are formed within the connector housing
51
, and the terminals
55
are received back to back in the upper and lower terminal receiving chambers
61
, respectively. The opening
52
is provided outwardly of each terminal receiving chamber
61
, and the upper openings
52
and the lower openings
52
are disposed symmetrically. The retaining lance
54
is disposed between the stop wall
56
and the terminal
55
. A projection
54
a,
formed on an inner surface of the retaining lance
54
at the distal end thereof, is fitted into an engagement hole in the terminal
55
, thereby retaining the terminal
55
against rearward withdrawal. Thus, the connector
62
mainly comprises the connector housing
51
and the terminals
55
.
In the above structure, however, the jig rod-inserting openings
52
are formed through the upper and lower outer walls of the connector housing
51
, and therefore the terminal receiving chambers
61
could be arranged only in one or two rows (stages), thus inviting a problem that a multi-pole connector, having terminal receiving chambers arranged in a plurality of stages (more than two stages), could not be obtained. And besides, each molding hole
60
for molding the retaining lance is formed through the front end wall
59
of the connector housing
51
, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the operator sometimes inserts the jig rod
53
into the molding hole
60
by mistake, and pries the terminal
55
to deform the same.
FIGS. 12A and 12B
show another related terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector.
In this structure, a jig rod-inserting hole
67
is formed through a front end wall
66
of a connector housing
65
, and aug rod
68
is inserted horizontally into the connector housing
65
through the hole
67
from the front side thereof, and is engaged with a distal end of a retaining lance
69
, and then the jig rod
68
is turned on an edge (serving as a fulcrum) of the hole
67
in a direction of arrow B (
FIG. 12B
) to raise or pry the retaining lance
69
, thereby canceling the engagement between a terminal
70
and the retaining lance
69
.
A molding hole for molding the retaining lance serves as the jig rod-inserting hole
67
, and the hole
67
is considerably large in size. A mating terminal-inserting hole
71
is formed through the front end wall
66
of the connector housing
65
, and is disposed at the lower side of the jig rod-inserting hole
67
. The terminal
70
is of the female type, and a mating terminal of the male type in a mating connector (not shown) is inserted through the hole
71
, and is connected to the terminal
70
. In this structure, the terminals
70
can be arranged in a plurality of rows (stages).
In the structure of
FIGS. 12A and 12B
, however, the large molding hole for molding the retaining lance serves as the jig rod-inserting hole
67
, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the jig rod
68
can not always be inserted into a proper position, and therefore it has been difficult to accurately pry the retaining lance
69
. And besides, the jig rod
68
is brought into engagement with the retaining lance
69
in a fumbling manner, and the retaining lance
69
is pried in a fumbling manner, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the retaining lance
69
and the terminal
70
are liable to be damaged. In this structure and the structure of
FIG. 11
, the jig rod
53
,
68
is turned by leverage, and therefore an unduly-large force is liable to be applied, which leads to a possibility that the retaining lance
54
,
69
is pressed hard against the outer wall
56
,
72
of the connector housing
51
,
65
, and is deformed. And besides, the jig rod
53
,
68
is first inserted into the connector housing
51
,
65
, and then the retaining lance is pried by the jig rod, and thus the two operations are required, and this has invited a problem that the retainment-canceling operation is cumbersome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector in which terminals can be arranged in a plurality of rows (stages), and a jig rod can accurately approach a retaining lance, and the retaining lance can be accurately flexed (elastically deformed) with a simple operation without deforming (permanently deforming) and damaging the retaining lance.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which comprises a connector housing into which a jig rod is insertable through a hole, an elastic retaining lance, by which a terminal is retained, formed within the connector housing, the retaining lance which is flexed in a retainment-canceling direction by the jig rod inserted through the hole, a guide plate attachable into the connector housing so as to extend from the hole toward a distal end of the retaining lance, the guide plate which guides the jig rod inserted from the hole, and a slanting guide surface, with which a distal end of the jig rod is brought into sliding contact, formed on the distal end portion of the retaining lance.
Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the hole is formed to stabilize an insertion of the jig rod without shaking.
Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a guide groove is formed in the guide plate to guide an insertion of the jig rod, and an inner surface of the hole is flush with a guide surface of the guide groove.
Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the guide plate extends to a position near to the distal end of the retaining lance.
Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the connector further comprises a retaining projection formed on the retaining lance in juxtaposed relation to the slanting guide surface.
Further, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the jig rod includes, at the distal end thereof, a press-contact portion brought into contact with the slanting guide surface, and an abutment step portion brought into contact with a front end surface
Figueroa Felix O.
Luebke Renee
Yazaki -Corporation
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