Waterproof connector

Disclosed is a waterproof connector which is capable of controlling the inserting posture of the terminal members with respect to the connector housing in the earlier stages of terminal insertion. The waterproof connector includes: a plurality of terminal members having inserting posture controlling protrusions; and a connector housing having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers for accommodating the terminal members. A waterproof plug which has a plurality of sealing insertion holes corresponding to the terminal accommodating chambers is fitted into the rear section of the connector housing, and a waterproof plug retaining cover is mounted on the rear end section of the housing. The waterproof plug retaining cover has terminal insertion holes corresponding to the sealing insertion holes, and the terminal insertion holes have inserting posture controlling recesses allowing passage of the inserting posture controlling protrusions formed on the terminal members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a waterproof connector to be used for the 
connection of an automobile wire harness, etc. and, in particular, to a 
waterproof connector in which the terminal members to be inserted into the 
terminal accommodating chambers of the connector housing have inserting 
posture controlling protrusions. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Conventional waterproof connectors of this type includes a plurality of 
terminal members each having an inserting posture controlling protrusion 
on the outer surface of its front end section, and a connector housing 
having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers for accommodating 
the terminal members. A waterproof plug fitting chamber is provided on the 
terminal-insertion side, i.e., the rear side, of the connector housing, 
and a waterproof plug having a plurality of insertion holes corresponding 
to the terminal accommodating chambers is fitted into this waterproof plug 
fitting chamber. Recesses for controlling the inserting posture of the 
terminal members are formed in the inner surfaces of the terminal 
accommodating chambers, and the inserting posture controlling protrusions 
of the terminal members engage with these recesses. By correctly inserting 
the terminal members into the terminal accommodating chambers while 
keeping the protrusions of the terminal members in engagement with the 
recesses of the terminal accommodating chambers, the terminal members are 
enabled to be reliably secured in the terminal accommodating chambers by a 
locking means. 
Inserting posture controlling marks which are in alignment with the 
recesses of the terminal accommodating chambers are formed in the 
peripheral edges of the insertion holes of the waterproof plug. Thus, when 
performing the terminal member inserting operation with respect to the 
connector, the operator inserts the terminal members into the insertion 
holes of the water proof plug while keeping the protrusions of the 
terminal members in alignment with the marks of the waterproof plug. 
However, it often happens that these marks are erroneously read. In such 
cases, the terminal members once inserted into the insertion holes must be 
drawn out of the waterproof plug, which is formed of an elastic material 
like rubber, and inserted again, resulting in a waste of time. (See 
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-204980). 
The present invention has been made in view of the above problem in the 
prior art. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a waterproof 
connector in which any error in the inserting posture of the terminal 
members with respect to the terminal accommodating chambers of the 
waterproof connector can be detected in the earlier stages of insertion. 
To achieve the above object, in accordance with this invention, there is 
provided a waterproof connector comprising: a plurality of terminal 
members having inserting posture controlling protrusions; a connector 
housing having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers for 
accommodating the terminal members; and a waterproof plug which has a 
plurality of sealing insertion holes corresponding to the terminal 
accommodating chambers and which is fitted into the rear section of the 
connector housing, wherein a waterproof plug retaining cover is mounted on 
the rear end section of the housing, and wherein insertion holes 
corresponding to the sealing insertion holes are formed in the waterproof 
plug retaining cover, the insertion holes having inserting posture 
controlling recesses allowing passage of the inserting posture controlling 
protrusions formed on the terminal members. 
In accordance with the present invention, the terminal members are inserted 
into the terminal accommodating chambers through the sealing insertion 
holes of the waterproof plug when the inserting posture controlling 
protrusions of the terminal members are aligned with the inserting posture 
controlling recesses of the insertion holes formed in the waterproof plug 
retaining cover. Thus, there is no fear of the terminal members being 
erroneously inserted into the insertion holes of the waterproof plug, 
thereby improving the efficiency of the terminal member inserting 
operation. 
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the walls constituting 
the terminal accommodating chambers have grooves into which the inserting 
posture controlling protrusions formed on the terminal members are allowed 
to penetrate, thereby stabilizing the posture of the terminal members 
inserted into the terminal accommodating chambers. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 
from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the 
accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a waterproof connector according to the present 
invention includes a connector housing A whose rear end is open. A 
plurality of longitudinally extending terminal accommodating chambers 1 
for accommodating male terminal members D are formed within the connector 
housing A. Each of the terminal accommodating chambers 1 is formed by a 
cylindrical member 15, and includes a front wall having a front opening, 
and an upper wall 2 having an integrally formed cantilever-like flexible 
lock member 3. A flexible displacement permitting space 4 is defined 
between the flexible lock member 3 and the upper wall 2. Each terminal 
accommodating chamber 1 further includes a bottom wall 5 having a guide 
groove 6' and a guide slit 6. 
Formed on the rear side, i.e., the terminal insertion side, of the 
connector housing A is a fitting chamber 7 into which a waterproof plug B 
is fitted. The waterproof plug B, which is formed of an elastic material 
like rubber, is fitted into the fitting chamber of the housing, thereby 
realizing a waterproof sealing for the terminal members inserted into the 
terminal accommodating chambers. The waterproof plug B has a plurality of 
circular sealing insertion holes 8 respectively corresponding to the 
terminal accommodating chambers 1. The rear end section of the connector 
housing A is covered with a waterproof plug retaining cover C. Formed on 
the upper wall of the cover C are two flexible arms 9 each having an 
engagement hole 9a. Formed on the upper wall of the connector housing A, 
in turn, are two engagement projections 10, which are engaged with the 
engagement holes 9a so as to secure the cover C to the connector housing, 
thereby preventing the waterproof plug B from slipping off. The waterproof 
plug retaining cover C has rectangular insertion holes 11 respectively 
corresponding to the sealing insertion holes 8 of the waterproof plug B. 
The insertion holes 11 have inserting posture controlling recesses 11a for 
the terminal members D, which insertion holes are formed so as to be on 
the same side as the guide grooves 6' and the guide slits 6 in the 
terminal accommodating chambers 1. 
Each terminal member D has a forwardly extending male-tab-like electrical 
contact portion 14 and an intermediate portion 12 having a relatively 
large diameter. An inserting posture controlling protrusion 13 is formed 
at the bottom of the intermediate portion 12. 
In the above construction, the terminal member D, connected to an electric 
wire W beforehand, is inserted into one of the insertion holes 11 of the 
waterproof plug retaining cover C while keeping its inserting posture 
controlling protrusion 13 in alignment with the inserting posture 
controlling recess 11a of the insertion hole 11. Then, the terminal member 
D is passed through the corresponding sealing insertion hole 8 of the 
waterproof plug B until it enters the terminal accommodating chamber 1, 
which is formed by the cylindrical member 15 having a front opening 15a. 
The terminal member D, having thus entered the terminal accommodating 
chamber 1, is secured in position by engaging the shoulder of its 
intermediate portion 12 with the lock engaging member 3, with its 
electrical contact portion 14 protruding beyond the opening 15a. In this 
process, the above-mentioned protrusion 13 is shifted from the guide 
groove 6' to the guide slit 6 to be engaged with the latter, thereby 
stabilizing the posture of the terminal member D in the terminal 
accommodating chamber 1. 
The connector housing A is equipped with terminal fastening members 16 
having spacers 17. When the terminal member D in the half-engaged 
condition shown in FIG. 2 is forced into the connector housing A, the 
spacer 17 is brought into the flexible displacement permitting space 4, 
whereby the engagement of the terminal member D with the flexible lock 
member 3 is secured. 
In accordance with the present invention, the inserting posture of the 
terminal members with respect to the waterproof connector can be reliably 
controlled in the earlier stages of insertion, so that the efficiency of 
the terminal member inserting operation can be enhanced. Further, since 
the inserting posture controlling protrusions provided on the terminal 
members engage with the guide grooves of the terminal accommodating 
chambers, the posture of the terminal members is stabilized.