Abstract:
A connector comprises a pair of mutually engageable male and female connector housings ( 10,11 ) and a housing retaining member ( 40 ) retained in one of the connector housings ( 10 ). The retaining member ( 40 ) is movable between a temporary fitted position whereupon the connector housings ( 10,11 ) can be slid together in a fitting direction, and a fully fitted position which locks the connector housings ( 10,11 ) together. The retaining member ( 40 ) is provided with resilient locking arms ( 46 ) extending laterally from opposing sides thereof. The locking arms ( 46 ) are received in corresponding recesses of the connector housing ( 10 ) when the retaining member ( 40 ) is in the temporary fitted position. As the connector housings ( 10,11 ) are slid together, abutment surfaces ( 19, 19 A) of the other of the connector housings ( 11 ) urge the locking arms ( 46 ) from the recesses ( 26 ). The retaining member ( 40 ) can then be moved to the fully fitted position.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a connector retaining a pair of connector housings by means of a housing retainer member. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     A conventional example of this type of connector is described in EP 0090502, A2. As shown in FIG. 13 of this specification, this connector is provided with a pair of housings  1  and  2  capable of fitting mutually together. When the housings  1  and  2  are in a completely fitted state, a locking member  3  formed on an upper face of the housing  1  passes through and engages a protruding member  4  shaped like an inverted U and formed on the housing  2 . In this state, a housing retaining member  5  is passes horizontally through the locking member  3  and the housings  1  and  2  are thereby retained in a fitted state. At this juncture a half-fitted state can be detected because member  5  cannot be installed into the locking member  3 . 
     However, the two housings of a connector are usually installed into the ends of separate harnesses at a harness factory and are then transported to an assembly site (such as an automobile assembly site, etc.). At this juncture, the housing retaining member  5  and the housings  1  and  2  of the conventional connector are in a separated state. Consequently, it is troublesome to control these components, and a troublesome assembly operation must be performed at the assembly site. Alternatively, in a configuration whereby the housing retaining member temporarily stops the housings and is pushed into a main stopping position at the assembly site, there is the risk that the housing retaining member might strike against other components while being transported and thereby move into the main stopping position. If the temporary stopping strength of the housing retaining member is merely increased in order to deal with this problem, the operation of pushing in the housing retaining member at the assembly site is rendered more difficult. 
     The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a connector in which the housing retaining member can be reliably retained in a temporary stopping position while the connector is in a separated state, and in which the assembly operation of the housing retaining member can be performed easily. 
     According to the present invention there is provided a connector comprising male and female connector housings mutually engageable in a fitting direction, one of said connector housings being provided with a housing retaining member movable in a direction intersecting said fitting direction between a temporary fitted position and a fully fitted position, the temporary fitted position allowing the connector housings to be fitted together and the fully fitted position retaining the connector housings in a fully fitted state, the housing retaining member being provided with a resilient locking arm protruding in a direction intersecting said fitting direction, and said one of the connector housings being provided with a recess within which the locking arm is received when the retaining member is in the temporary fitted position, wherein the other of the connector housings is provided with an abutment surface adapted to move the locking arm as the connector housings are fitted together, thereby disengaging the locking arm from the recess and permitting movement of the housing retaining member from the temporary fitted position to the fully fitted position. 
     With the locking arm of the housing retaining member received in the recess of the connector housing, the housing retaining member is resistant to external forces, for example experienced during transportation, acting to move it to the fully fitted position. The aforementioned problems associated with having a separate housing retaining member are also alleviated. 
     In a preferred embodiment the recess is provided in a partition wall of said one of the connector housings and the locking arm overlies an edge of said partition wall when the housing retaining member is in the fully fitted position. By overlying an edge of the wall, the locking arm retains the housing retaining member in the fully fitted position. 
     The partition wall and locking arm may be provided with respective angled portions which face one another when the housing retaining member is in the fully fitted position, these angled portions being adapted to urge the locking arm from its position overlying the partition wall when the housing retaining member is moved from the fully fitted position. The tapered portions allow the housing retaining member to be moved to the temporary fitted position, for example to allow the connector housings to be separated, without damaging the locking arm. The angled portions are arranged so as to deflect the locking arm away from the edge of the partition wall when the housing retaining member is moved from the fully fitted position. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the housing retaining member includes an upstanding contact member adapted to contact said other of the connector housings if the connector housings are fitted together with the housing retaining member in the fully fitted position, the contact member being adapted to move the housing retaining member to the temporary fitted state as a result of further movement of said other of the connector housings in the fitting direction. The contact member is preferably provided with a tapered contact face, said tapered contact face intersecting diagonally with the direction of fitting of the connector housings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example only, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagonal view of a connector of an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the centre, in a width-wise direction, of the connector when a housing retaining member is in a main stopping position; 
     FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the retaining member when it has been pushed from a main stopping position into a temporary stopping position by a corresponding connector housing; 
     FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector in a completely fitted state; 
     FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the housing retaining member having been pushed into the main stopping position when the connector is in the completely fitted state; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged diagonal view showing the housing retaining member in the temporary stopping position, a portioning wall and a regulating rail; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged diagonal view showing the housing retaining member in the main stopping position, a portioning wall and a regulating rail; 
     FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector in a separated state and the housing retaining member in the temporary stopping position; 
     FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector in the fitted state and the housing retaining member in the temporary stopping position; 
     FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the connector in the fitted state and the housing retaining member in the main stopping position; 
     FIG. 11 is a plan cross-sectional view of a locking member in a protruding state; 
     FIG. 12 is a plan cross-sectional view of the locking member in a moved-away state; and 
     FIG. 13 is a diagonal view of a conventional connector. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of the present invention is described below with the aid of FIGS. 1 to  12 . A connector of the present embodiment, shown in its entirety in FIG. 1, is provided with a female connector housing  10  and a male connector housing  11  capable of fitting mutually together. Hereafter, the fitting face side of the female connector housing  10  and of the male connector housing  11  shall be referred to as the anterior side. 
     As shown on the right side of FIG. 1, the female connector housing  10  (hereafter referred to as the female housing  10 ) forms a rectangular parallelipiped shape, the interior thereof housing female terminal fittings (not shown). A locking arm  13  is provided on a lower face  10 A of this female housing  10 . As shown in FIG. 2, the locking arm  13  forms a cantilever which drops downwards from an anterior end of the female hosing  10  and extends horizontally, a pushing member  14  being provided on the posterior end thereof. Further, a slit  15  which extends in a longitudinal direction is formed in the centre (with respect to the width-wise direction) of the locking arm  13 . This slit  15  is intersected by a stopping wall  16  located at the centre, in a longitudinal direction, of the locking arm  13 . A receiving wall  17  drops downwards from the anterior end of the lower face  10 A of the female housing  10 . As shown in FIG. 2, a portion of this receiving wall  17  intersects with the end of the slit  15 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of regulating rails  18  are provided symmetrically to the left and right at the two edges of the lower face  10 A of the female housing  10 . These regulating rails  18 , which are shown in an enlarged form in FIG. 6, are cross-sectionally L-shaped and have projecting members  19  which protrude from tips of inner side faces thereof towards the locking arm  13 . Tapered faces  19 A are provided on the anterior sides of these projecting members  19 , these tapered faces  19 A inclining further away from the locking arm  13  the closer they are to the anterior side. 
     The male connector housing  11 , shown on the left side in FIG. 1, is provided with an angular tubular shaped hood member  21  to the anterior of a terminal housing member  20  which houses male terminal fittings (not shown). A lower wall  22  of the hood member  21 , at the lower side of FIG. 1, has a locking protrusion  23  which protrudes from the centre of the anterior end of the lower wall  22  towards the interior of the hood member  21 . As shown in FIG. 2, the locking protrusion  23  has a tapered face  23 A at its anterior side, and its posterior side has a stopping face  23 B which is approximately perpendicular. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of short columns  24  are formed on an inner face of the lower wall  22 , these short columns being formed symmetrically to the left and right of the locking protrusion  23 . Angular column shaped partitioning walls  25  extend between each short column  24  and the innermost wall of the hood member  21 . More specifically, the partitioning walls  25  are connected to the end portions of the short columns  24  at side faces thereof which are on the sides opposite to the locking protrusion  23 . These partitioning walls  25  protrude outwards in a sideways direction away from the short columns  24 . As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, opening spaces  26  that open to the anterior of the male housing  11  are formed between the partitioning walls  25  and the lower wall  22 , the projecting members  19  of the regulating rails  18  being inserted therein. Moreover, tapered faces  25 A inclining towards the interior side are formed on upper faces of the partitioning wails  25 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, three slits  30  extending in the direction of fitting pass through the lower wall  22  of the hood member  21 . These slits  30  are formed farther to the interior, in the direction of fitting, than the locking protrusion  23  and the short columns  24 . As shown in FIG. 8, the anterior of each of the two slits  30  located at the sides has an inner face, these forming a unified face with a posterior face of the short columns  24 . A pair of stopping protrusions  27  are formed in an up-down direction thereon. A protecting wall  28  drops downwards from a posterior end of the lower wall  22 , and stopping protrusions  29  protrude in an anterior direction from a lower end of a portion of the protecting wall  28  that is closer to the two side slits  30 . A housing retaining member  40  (to be explained next) is engaged by these stopping protrusions  27  and  29 . 
     The housing retaining member  40 , shown in its entirety in FIG. 1, is provided with a pair of main protruding walls  42  rising vertically upwards from locations adjacent to two edges of a plate-shaped base member  41 , and a secondary protruding wall  43  rising vertically from the centre of the base member  41 . The housing retaining member  40  is installed on the male housing  11  by passing these protruding walls  42  and  43  through the slits  30  of the hood member  21 . 
     The secondary protruding wall  43 , shown from the side in FIG. 2, is provided with a returning tapered face  43 A that relates to the present invention, this returning tapered face  43 A facing in an anterior direction from the anterior end portion of the secondary protruding wall  43  and inclining downwards. 
     Each of the main protruding walls  42 , shown from the side in FIG. 8, is provided at the anterior and posterior with a pair of stopping arms  44  and  45 . The first stopping arm  44 , located at the anterior, is formed so as to be a portion of the main protruding wall  42 , being separated therefrom by a slit  44 S which opens into the main protruding wall  42  and extends from an upper edge thereof down towards a base edge. The second stopping arm  45 , located at the posterior, extends upwards from an upper edge of a posterior face of the main protruding wall  42  and then extends vertically downwards. A stopping protrusion  44 A protruding in an anterior direction is formed on each first stopping arm  44  adjacent to the end thereof, and a stopping protrusion  45 A protruding in a posterior direction is formed on each second stopping arm  45  adjacent to the lower edge thereof. These stopping protrusions  44 A and  45 A are engaged by the stopping protrusions  27  and  29  formed on the hood member  21 . 
     A locking member  46  relating to the present invention is provided on the upper edge of each main protruding wall  42 . A cavity  47  opens from the upper edge of the main protruding wall  42 , and the locking member  46  is located therein. This locking member  46  has a cantilevered shape and extends in a posterior direction from an inner face at the anterior end of the main protruding wall  42 . More specifically, each locking member  46  has an angular column shape and, as shown in FIG. 11 inclines further away from the secondary protruding wall  43  the further it extends towards the posterior, relative to the direction of fitting of the connector. The tip portion of each locking member  46  turns back towards the secondary protruding wall  43  and extends in the direction of fitting of the connector, forming a stopping end  48 . Each stopping end  48  protrudes out beyond the side face of the main protruding wall  42  and, as shown in FIG. 6, is housed within the opening space  26  below the partitioning wall  25  when the housing retaining member  40  is pushed into the temporary stopping position. As shown in FIG. 7, each stopping end  48  is housed on the upper side of the partitioning wall  25  when the housing retaining member  40  is pushed into the main stopping position. The upper face of each stopping end  48  is flat and, when the housing retaining member  40  is in the temporary stopping position, is face-to-face with a lower face of the partitioning wall  25  in the direction of sliding of the housing retaining member  40 . A tapered face  48 A (see FIGS. 7 and 8) is formed at a lower side of each stopping end  48  and, when the housing retaining member  40  is in the main stopping position, it is face-to-face with the tapered face  25 A on the upper face of the partitioning wall  25  in a direction intersecting with the direction of sliding of the housing retaining member  40 . 
     Next, the operation and effects of the connector of the present embodiment will be explained. In the case of the connector of the present embodiment, the housing retaining member  40  is installed at the connector production side as far as the temporary stopping position of the male housing  11 . As shown in FIG. 6, as this happens the stopping ends  48  of the locking members  46  provided on the housing retaining member  40  enter into the opening spaces  26  of the male housing  11  and are gripped between the lower wall  22  and the partitioning walls  25 . Simultaneously, the stopping protrusions  44 A and  45 A formed on the stopping arms  44  and  45  of the housing retaining member  40  are engaged by the stopping protrusions  27  and  29  formed on the male housing  11 , and the up-down movement of the housing retaining member  40  is thus regulated. Next, the connector is shipped to, for example, a harness factory with the housings  10  and  11  in a separated state. 
     At the harness factory, the two housings  10  and  11  are installed into the ends of separate harnesses (not shown) and those harnesses are transported in a separated state to, for example, an automobile assembly site. It is possible that, during these processes, the housing retaining member  40  may make contact with other components and be pushed towards the main stopping position. However, the locking members  46  and the stopping arms  44  and  45  engage with the parts (described above) of the male housing  11  and therefore prevent the housing retaining member  40  from moving to the main stopping position. At this point, the stopping ends  48  of the locking members  46  are face-to-face with the partitioning wall  25  in the direction of sliding of the housing retaining member  40 , and therefore, even if the housing retaining member  40  is pushed strongly, this pushing force does not cause the stopping ends  48  of the locking members  46  to move resiliently in a direction of release of contact with the partitioning wall  25 . In this manner, the movement of the housing retaining member  40  into the main stopping position can reliably be prevented. 
     The housings  10  and  11  are fitted together as follows. The female housing  10  is pushed into the hood member  21  of the male housing  11 . Next, the stopping wall  16  of the locking arm  13  provided on the female housing  10  rises over the locking protrusion  23  provided inside the hood member  21  of the male housing  11  and engages the stopping face  23 B provided at the innermost side of this locking protrusion  23  (see FIG.  4 ). The two housings  10  and  11  are thereby locked in a fitted state. During this fitting process, the regulating rails  18  of the female housing  10  are inserted into the opening spaces  26  of the male housing  11 , and the stopping ends  48  of the locking members  46  slide along the tapered faces  19 A of the regulating rails  18  and are pushed into the interior. next, as shown in FIG. 12, when the connector has reached a completely fitted state, the locking members  46  resilient change shape and the stopping ends  48  reach a state whereby they have moved away from the opening spaces  26 . 
     While the locking members  46  are in this moved-away state, the housing retaining member  40  is pushed into the main stopping position. While this is being done, the first stopping arms  44  rise over the stopping protrusions  27  of the male housing  11  and change shape (see FIG. 3) and, immediately after the housing retaining member  40  has reached the main stopping position, the first stopping arms  44  return to their original position and are retained against the upper faces of the stopping protrusions  27  of the male housing  11  (see FIG.  4 ). At this juncture, the locking members  46  are in the moved-away state (see FIG.  12 ), and the stopping ends  48  of the locking members  46  and the partitioning walls  25  do not interfere with the direction of sliding of the housing retaining member  40 . Consequently, the housing retaining member  40  can easily be pushed into the main stopping position. When the housing retaining member  40  reaches the main stopping position, the locking members  46  return to their original position and remain above the upper faces for the partitioning walls  25  (see FIG.  7 ). 
     As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, after the housing retaining member  40  has been engaged in the main stopping position, posterior end faces of the main protruding wails  42  and the secondary protruding wall  43  provided on the housing retaining member  40  are engaged against a posterior end face of the receiving wall  17  formed on the female housing  10 . In this manner, the housings  10  and  11  are doubly stopped by both the locking arm and the housing retaining member  40 . 
     If the operation should mistakenly attempt to complete the fitting operation as if the two housings  10  and  11  were in a completely fitted stated when they are actually in a half-fitted state, when the member  40  acts as a fitting detecting member and is pushed in, anterior end faces of the protruding walls  42  and  43  of the member  40  will make contact with a lower face of the receiving wall  17  of the female housing  10 , thereby making it impossible to push the member  40  to the main stopping position. By this means, the operator can detect that the housings  10  and  11  are in a half-fitted state. 
     In the connector of the present embodiment, even if the housing retaining member  40  were to somehow reach the main stopping position while the connector is in a separated state, assembly can be performed merely by fitting the two housings  10  and  11  together. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 to  4 , when the housings  10  and  11  are fitted together, the returning tapered face  43 A provided on the secondary protruding wall  43  of the housing retaining member  40  makes contact with the female housing  10  and the housing retaining member  40  is pushed downwards. Consequently, the tapered faces  48 A and  25 A provided on opposing portions of the locking members  46  and the partitioning walls  25  are pushed (see FIG.  7 ), the locking members  46  resiliently change shape and move into the moved-away state, and the engagement with the partitioning walls  25  is released. Furthermore, the stopping protrusions  44 A of the first stopping arms  44  and the stopping protrusions  27  of the make housing  11  all have tapered faces (see FIG. 2) which make sliding contact with one another and thereby release the engagement of the stopping protrusions  44 A and the stopping protrusions  27 . As a result, the housing retaining member  40  is able to move downwards and, when the housings  10  and  11  have reached the fully fitted state, the housing retaining member  40  automatically returns to the temporary stopping position. Next, the housing retaining member  40  may be pushed into the main stopping position. 
     In this manner, according to the connector of the present invention, the housing retaining member  40  can be reliably retained in the temporary stopping position when the connector is in a separated state. Consequently, unlike the conventional example, there is no danger that housing retaining members which have been inadvertently moved into the main stopping position while connectors were being fitted together need to be returned one by one to the temporary stopping position. Moreover, when the connector is in a fitted state, the housing retaining member  40  can easily be pushed into the main stopping position, and consequently the operability of assembling the connector improves. In addition, even if the housing retaining member  40  were somehow to be in the main stopping position, an operation to return the housing retaining member  40  to the temporary stopping position when the housings  10  and  11  are being fitted together is not required, and efficiency of operability therefore improves. 
     The housings  10  and  11  can be separated from a fitted state by pulling the housing retaining member  40  from the main stopping position to the temporary stopping position, and pushing the pushing member  14  of the locking arm  13  while simultaneously pulling the female housing  10  out of the hood member  21 . 
     The present invention is no limited to the embodiments described above with the aid of figures. For example, the embodiments described below also lie within the technical range of the present invention. In addition, the present invention may be embodied in various other ways without deviating from the scope thereof. 
     (1) The locking arm  46  of the embodiment described above has a cantilevered shape. However, it may equally well have, for example, an arched shape, the centre thereof being provided with a protrusion which protrudes towards the opening space  26 . 
     (2) The locking arm  46  of the embodiment described above extends in the direction of fitting of the connector. However, it may equally well have a configuration whereby it extends in a direction which intersects with the direction of fitting of the connector. 
     A connector which can reliably retain a housing retaining member in a temporary stopping position when the connector is separated, and in which an assembly operation of the housing retaining member can be performed easily is provided. 
     A housing retaining member  40  provided in a manner capable of sliding within a male housing  11  has locking members  46  provided thereon, these locking members  46  being capable of changing shape in a direction intersecting with the direction of sliding. When two housings  10  and  11  are in a separated state, the locking members  46  are engaged against partitioning walls  25  provided on the male housing  11  and prevent the housing retaining member  40  from moving into a main stopping position. When the housings  10  and  11  have been fitted together, the locking members  46  resiliently change shape and their engagement with the partitioning walls  25  is released. The housing retaining member  40  can then be moved into the main stopping position.