Connector

A connector has a flat wide housing (20) formed of synthetic resin and a plurality of female terminal fittings (41) are accommodated inside the housing (20). Each terminal fittings (41) includes a barrel (44) fixed to an end of an electric wire (70) and a box-shaped body (43) forward from the barrel (44) and configured for connection with a terminal fitting of a mating connector. A wall of the housing (20) surrounding the terminal fittings (41) is constructed of a thin part (22) forward from a midway position in a longitudinal direction of the housing (20) and of a thick part (23) thicker than the thin part (22) and rearward from the midway position. The body (43) of each of the female terminal fittings (41) is disposed partly in the thin part (22) and partly in the thick part (23).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connector.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,320 andFIG. 5herein disclose a connector for use in a wire harness that will electrically connect the body of a vehicle to a trailer. As shown inFIG. 5, the connector has a wide flat housing1formed of synthetic resin. Terminal fittings2,3arranged in a row inside the housing1in the widthwise direction of the housing1. A step4projects from the outer surface of the housing1. The housing1has a thin part forward of the step4and a thick part rearward from the step4. Each terminal fitting2,3has a box-shaped body7that can be connected with a mating terminal fitting. A barrel8is disposed rearward of the body7and is fixed to an end of an electric wire9. Almost all of the body7is accommodated in the thin part5and almost all of the barrel8is accommodated in the thick part6.

The thin part5of the housing1has a low rigidity. Additionally, the neck between the body7and the barrel8of each terminal fitting2,3is easily deformable. Thus an excessive external force on the thin part5can deform the thin part5elastically about the step4in the widthwise direction of the housing1. Consequently the body7of each of the terminal fittings2,3may incline in the width direction of the housing1, and the terminal fittings2,3may be bent.

The invention has been completed in view of the above-described situation, and an object of the invention is to prevent a terminal fitting from being bent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a connector with a wide flat housing formed of synthetic resin. Terminal fittings are accommodated in the housing in a longitudinal direction of the housing. Each terminal fitting has a barrel fixed to an end of an electric wire. A box-shaped body is disposed forward from the barrel and can be connected with a terminal fitting of a mating connector. The housing has a wall surrounding the terminal fittings. The wall has a thin cross-sectionally small part forward from a midway position in the longitudinal direction of the housing. The wall also has a thick cross-sectionally larger part that is thicker than the thin part. The thick part is disposed rearward from the midway position. The body of each terminal fitting extends across the boundary between the thin and thick parts, and hence is disposed partly in both the thin part and the thick part. The box-shaped body of each terminal fitting is stronger than the neck between the body and the barrel of the terminal fitting. Thus, the body of each terminal fitting helps to support the thin part of the housing, and the thin part of the housing is not likely to deform elastically even if an external force is applied to the thin part. Accordingly, the female terminal fitting is not likely to be bent.

The thin part can be covered with a cap for waterproofing the housing.

A bracket preferably is mounted on an outer surface of the thick part and sandwiches the thick part in a widthwise direction of the housing. The thick part preferably is thick enough to withstand the weight of the bracket mounted thereon. The housing preferably is mounted on an object through the bracket. In the conventional art (seeFIG. 5), the part corresponding to the bracket is formed from a resin material integral with the housing. Thus it is necessary to perform molding twice to form the part corresponding to the bracket. On the other hand, the bracket and the housing are formed separately according to the subject invention. Therefore, only one molding operation is necessary and labor is reduced accordingly. Additionally, the assembly of the housing and the separate bracket is smaller than the molded connector of the prior art.

At least one rib preferably projects from the outer surface of the thick part and most preferably continues entirely around the outer periphery of the thick part. A groove preferably is formed on an inner surface of the bracket and is configured for engaging the rib. The engagement of the rib and the groove prevents longitudinal movement of housing relative to the bracket. The rib projecting from the outer surface of the thick part increases the strength of the housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A connector according to the invention is identified by the numeral10inFIGS. 1 through 4. The connector10is for use in a wire harness for a vehicle, and enables electrical connection between a trailer and the vehicle. Additionally, the connector10is disposed on the body of the vehicle.

The connector10has a housing20that is molded unitarily from a synthetic resin to define a wide flat shape. The housing20accommodates a plurality of terminal fittings41,42arranged widthwise in a row. The housing20has a step21formed midway on its outer surface in its longitudinal direction. A region forward from the step21is thinned to define a small cross-section. Thus a wall of the housing20surrounding the terminal fitting40has a thin cross-sectionally small part22forward of the step21and of a thick cross-sectionally larger part23rearward of the step21. The thick part23is thicker and cross-sectionally larger than the thin part22.

As shown inFIG. 1, the thin part22is covered with a rubber cap80before the connector10is fit on a mating connector. Although not shown in detail inFIG. 1, the cap80is tethered to the housing20through a string-shaped band (not shown inFIG. 1) made of flexible synthetic resin. The cap80has an open edge that abuts against the step21when the cap80is fit on the housing20to a predetermined depth to stop the cap80from moving forward. Thus, the cap80covers the entire thin part22, and the outer surfaces of the cap80and the thick part23are almost flush with each other.

Two spaced-apart ribs24project from the outer surface of the thick part23. The ribs24are approximately at the longitudinal center of the thick part24and extend continuously around the outer periphery of the thick part23. The housing20has a medium part25rearward from the thick part23. The medium part25is thinner than the thick part23and thicker than the thin part22. Two spaced-apart ribs26project from the outer surface of a thickest part27disposed rearward of and adjacent to the medium part25. Each rib26extends continuously around the outer periphery of the thickest part27. The thickest part27has a thickness approximately equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the thick part23. The thickest part27has a concave peripheral groove28rearward of the ribs26.

A bracket60is mounted on the outer surface of the thick part23of the housing20and sandwiches against the wider surfaces of thick part23. The bracket60can be mounted on the body of the vehicle while holding the housing20.

The bracket60is formed by punching a metal plate into a predetermined configuration and then bending the punched metal plate into the shape shown inFIG. 3. The bracket60has a U-shaped holding part61and two mounting flanges62that extend away from one another at the free ends of the U-shaped holding part61. A reinforcement63extends rearward along both side surfaces of the holding part61, and a cap-mounting part64projects out in the width direction of the housing20from one of the side surfaces of the holding part61. The cap80can be mounted on the cap-mounting part64when the connectors are fit together.

The holding part61has two opposed sandwiching walls65and a connecting wall66that extends between the bottom ends of the sandwiching walls65. Each sandwiching wall65can be opened elastically by flexing substantially about the connection to the connection wall66. The housing20can be inserted into the holding part61from above so that the sandwiching walls65of the holding part61closely contact the wider surfaces of the thick part23. Mounting holes67are formed in the mounting flanges62to allow the bracket60to be mounted on the body of the vehicle. One of the mounting holes67is circular. However, the other mounting hole67is elliptic and has a long axis that extends parallel to a line connecting the two mounting flanges62.

A groove68extends around the U-shaped holding part61substantially from one mounting flange62to the other and is formed so that a concave surface of the groove68faces into the U-shaped holding part61. Additionally, the groove68is substantially centrally between the opposite front and rear edges of the U-shaped holding part61. The width of the groove68in a front to rear direction on the U-shaped holding part61substantially corresponds to the outside dimension defined by the spaced-apart ribs24on the thick part23of the housing20. Thus, the ribs24can be fit in the groove68to prevent the bracket60from moving in the longitudinal direction of the housing20.

The reinforcing part63has a pair of L-shaped sandwiching pieces69with tips that project towards one another. The tips of the sandwiching pieces69are dimensioned and spaced apart an appropriate distance to slide into portions of the peripheral groove28formed on the wider surfaces of the medium part25of the housing20.

In this embodiment, three female terminal fittings41and one male terminal fitting42are arranged at regular intervals in the width direction of the housing20. At least parts of the terminal fittings41,42are insert molded for tight accommodation in the housing20. Thus, parts of each terminal41,42are surrounded by a unitary matrix of the synthetic resin that forms the housing20.

The female terminal fittings41have the same configuration and size. Each female terminal fitting41is shaped by punching a metal plate into a predetermined configuration and then bending the punched plate. More specifically, the female terminal fitting41has a box-shaped body43that is long and narrow in the longitudinal direction of the housing20and a barrel44, fixed to the terminal of an electric wire70, which is disposed rearward from the body43. The barrel44is crimped into connection with a wire70. A neck45is interposed between the body43and the barrel44and becomes gradually narrower towards the barrel44.

The male terminal fitting of a mating connector enters the body43when the connector10fits on the mating connector. Contact between the female terminal fitting41and the mating male terminal fitting establishes electrical connection. The barrel44has two caulking pieces46that are caulked to the core wire of the electric wire70and wound circumferentially around the electric wire70.

Like the female terminal fitting41, the male terminal fitting42has a box-shaped body43and a barrel44is disposed rearward of the body43. The barrel44is fixed to the end of an electric wire70. As shown inFIG. 1, a front part of the body43of the male terminal fitting42is exposed to the outside from the front-end surface of the housing20. However, a rear end portion of the body43is disposed in the housing20. The body43of the male terminal fitting42fits into a socket of mating connector when the connector10fits on the mating connector.

As shown inFIG. 2, the body43of the female terminal fitting41accommodated in the housing20is disposed in both the thin part22and the thick part23. The body43is exposed to the outside with the front-end surface thereof slightly rearward from the front-end surface of the housing20. That is, the length of the body43of the female terminal fitting41exceeds the length of the body of the terminal fitting currently available. The neck45is rearward from the body43and is coincident with the region where the rib24of the thick part23is formed. The barrel44is disposed rearward from the neck45and is coincident with an approximately central region of the thick part23in the longitudinal direction of the thick part23. The end of the electric wire70to which the barrel44is to be caulked is disposed in a range from the thick part23to the entire region of the medium thick part25.

The connector is assembled by initially fixing the terminal fittings41,42to the ends of the respective electric wires70. A resin material then is molded around the periphery of the terminal fittings41,42and around the ends of the electric wires70. Thus, part of each terminal fitting41,42is surrounded by a unitary matrix of the resin. A heat-shrinkable tube or the like may be mounted over the connection of the terminal fitting41,42to the wire70to protect the end of the wire70from the molten resin during the molding process. The housing20then is juxtaposed to the holding part61of the bracket60, as shown inFIG. 3, and is moved along a direction shown by the arrow ofFIG. 3to fit the housing20into the holding part61of the bracket60. The housing20is accommodated entirely in the holding part61so that upper surface of the housing20is flush with the upper surface of the holding part61and, the mounting part62of the bracket60is disposed uppermost. The upper surface of the mounting part62then closely contacts a mounting surface of the body of the vehicle to fix the bracket60to the body of the vehicle with an unshown fixing tool through the mounting hole67.

As described above, the body43of the box-shaped female terminal fitting41is disposed in both the thin part22and the thick part23, and extends across the boundary between the thin part22and the thick part23. Thus, an external force applied to the thin part22will not cause the thin part22to deform elastically on the step21in the width direction of the housing20. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the female terminal fitting41from being bent.

The thin part22is covered with the cap80to waterproof the housing20.

The outer surface of the thick part23is covered with the bracket60. The bracket60enables the housing20to be mounted efficiently on the body of the vehicle.

The ribs24of the thick part23fit in the groove68of the bracket60. Thus, the bracket60is prevented from moving in the longitudinal direction of the housing20and is held securely by the housing20. The ribs24project from around the entire periphery of the outer surface of the thick part23to increase the strength of the housing20.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above with reference to the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are included in the technical scope of the present invention. Further, various modifications of the embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The terminal fitting is accommodated in the housing by molding in the above-described embodiment. However, the terminal fitting may be inserted into a cavity formed inside the housing.

In the above-described embodiment, several female terminal fittings are disposed in both the thin part and the thick part. However, only one female terminal fittings may be disposed in both the thin part and the thick part.

The body of the female terminal fitting is disposed in both the thin part and the thick part in the above-described embodiment. However, the body of a male terminal fitting may be disposed in both the thin part and the thick part.