Connector

A connector in which a housing and a retainer are coupled with sufficient strength when the connector is reduced in scale. In this connector, provisional anchoring pieces and main anchoring pieces are provided at two end portions of an inner peripheral wall of an insertion hole formed in the housing, with lengths along a direction that intersects a direction of insertion of the retainer into the insertion hole. At outer sides of two end portions of the retainer, anchorage pawls, which are formed to be engageable with the main anchoring pieces and the provisional anchoring pieces, are provided with lengths along the intersecting direction. With this structure, when the retainer is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing, the anchorage pawls engage, at two end portions of the connector, with the provisional anchoring pieces and with the main anchoring pieces.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-256078, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connector suitable for, for example, connections of wire harnesses used in vehicles and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

Connectors are employed for connections of, for example, wire harnesses used in vehicles and suchlike. More specifically, among such connectors, there are connectors which are provided with housings and retainers, one example of which has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-17484.

In this type of connector, a housing is formed in, for example, a substantially rectangular box shape, at one face of which (for example, a rear face) terminal insertion holes are plurally formed in an array, for insertion of terminals into that face.

An insertion hole is also formed in the housing, for insertion and fitting of a retainer thereinto. The insertion hole is formed to open at, for example, any face apart from the aforementioned one face and an opposing face which is opposite from the one face (for example, at a bottom face). Provisional anchoring pieces and main anchoring pieces, for engaging with the retainer, are respectively provided protruding from an inner peripheral wall of the insertion hole. Of the inner peripheral wall of the insertion hole, the peripheral anchoring pieces and the main anchoring pieces are provided at, for example, two end portions in a terminal arrangement direction, at inner peripheral walls of each of two end portions in a terminal insertion direction.

The retainer is formed to correspond with the insertion hole of the housing. The retainer is provided with provisional anchorage pawls, which correspond with the provisional anchoring pieces formed at the inner peripheral wall of the insertion hole of the housing. The retainer is also provided with main anchorage pawls, which correspond with the main anchoring pieces formed at the inner peripheral wall of the insertion hole of the housing. The provisional anchorage pawls and the main anchorage pawls are respectively protrudingly provided at two end portions of the retainer.

With a connector as described above, when the housing and the retainer are to be fitted together to be joined with one another, first, the retainer is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing and the provisional anchoring pieces of the housing are engaged with the provisional anchorage pawls of the retainer, putting the housing and the retainer into a provisional coupled state (a temporary joined state). Next, terminals are inserted into the terminal insertion holes of the housing, putting the terminals into a state of passing through the housing. Thereafter, the retainer is inserted further into the insertion hole of the housing, and the main anchoring pieces of the housing are engaged with the main anchorage pawls of the retainer. Hence, the terminals are held in place by the retainer, and are in a locked state. Moreover, the housing and the retainer are coupled with a precise positional relationship (a joined state).

However, in such a connector, the main anchoring pieces of the housing and the main anchorage pawls of the retainer, due to shapes thereof, are engaged with extremely small contact areas, similar to point contact. Consequently, when a reduction in size of the connector has been tried, these contact areas become even smaller and an engagement force between the housing and the retainer is reduced. Accordingly, there has been a disadvantage in that the housing and the retainer could not be joined with sufficient strength.

Furthermore, this problem has similarly arisen with the provisional anchoring pieces of the housing and the provisional anchorage pawls of the retainer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, schemes for coupling a housing with a retainer with sufficient strength, even when a connector is reduced in size, have been called for.

In consideration of the problem described above, a connector in which a housing and a retainer can be coupled with sufficient strength, even when reduced in scale, is required.

A connector relating to the present invention includes: a housing which is formed overall in a substantial box shape, the housing including an insertion hole which opens at one face thereof; a retainer which is formed to correspond with the insertion hole of the housing, the retainer being inserted into and fitting with the insertion hole for being put into a coupled state with the housing; a provisional anchoring piece formed, at each of two end portions of an inner peripheral wall of the insertion hole of the housing, with length in a direction along the inner peripheral wall that intersects a direction of the insertion of the retainer; a main anchoring piece formed at each of the two end portions of the inner peripheral wall of the insertion hole, at a downstream side in the insertion direction relative to the provisional anchoring piece, with length in the intersecting direction along the inner peripheral wall; and an anchorage pawl formed, at each of two end portions of the retainer, with length in the intersecting direction, the anchorage pawl being engageable with the provisional anchoring piece and the main anchoring piece, and the anchorage pawl engaging with the provisional anchoring piece for putting the housing and the retainer into a provisional joined state and engaging with the main anchoring piece for putting the housing and the retainer into the coupled state.

With the connector relating to the present invention, when the housing is to be joined with the retainer, the retainer is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing. When the retainer is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing, first, the anchorage pawls formed at the two end portions of the retainer engage with the provisional anchoring pieces formed at the two end portions of the inner periphery wall of the insertion hole of the housing. As a result, the housing and the retainer are provisionally coupled (temporarily joined).

Subsequently, when the retainer is inserted further into the insertion hole of the housing, the anchorage pawls of the retainer engage with the main anchoring pieces formed at the two end portions of the inner periphery wall of the insertion hole of the housing. As a result, the housing and the retainer are coupled.

Now, in this connector, the provisional anchoring pieces and main anchoring pieces of the housing are formed at the two end portions of the inner periphery wall of the insertion hole, with long sides in the direction along the inner periphery wall which intersects the direction of insertion of the retainer. The anchorage pawls of the retainer are also formed with long sides in this intersecting direction. Therefore, even if the connector itself is made smaller, contact areas of engaging portions between the housing and the retainer can be kept larger than in a conventional connector. In consequence, an engagement force of the provisional anchoring pieces with the anchorage pawls that is required for provisional joining of the housing with the retainer, and an engagement force of the main anchoring pieces with the anchorage pawls that is required for joining of the housing with the retainer can be thoroughly assured. Consequently, it is possible to couple (and provisionally couple) the housing and the retainer with sufficient strength.

In the present invention, a doubly supported beam portion may be formed at each of two side walls of the housing by a cutout, which communicates between the insertion hole and an exterior of the housing, being formed along the intersecting direction to give a retainer insertion side relative to the cutout the form of a doubly supported beam, with the provisional anchoring piece and the main anchoring piece being provided at the doubly supported beam portion.

In the connector in such a case, the cutouts are formed in each of the two side walls of the housing. The cutouts pass through between the insertion hole and the exterior of the housing. The cutouts are formed along the direction intersecting the direction of insertion of the retainer, and consequently the retainer insertion sides of the side walls relative to the cutouts are put into doubly supported beam states. Further, the provisional anchoring pieces and the main anchoring pieces are provided at the portions which are in these doubly supported beam states (which is to say, the doubly supported beam portions).

Hence, when the retainer is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing, the doubly supported beam portions are pushed aside, to outer sides thereof, by the retainer (the doubly supported beam portions are directed outward). When the anchorage pawls have moved to positions for engaging with the provisional anchoring pieces, or when the anchorage pawls have moved to positions for engaging with the main anchoring pieces, the doubly supported beam portions return to positions of a natural state thereof (i.e., the positions thereof prior to being pushed aside by the anchorage pawls).

Thus, as well as the insertion of the retainer into the insertion hole of the housing being simplified, the engagement pawls of the retainer reliably engage with the provisional anchoring pieces and the main anchoring pieces of the housing.

At a connector relating to the present invention as described above, it is possible to couple a housing with a retainer with sufficient strength, even with a reduction in scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A connector10relating to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereafter, for convenience of description, a direction which is shown by an arrow A where appropriate in the drawings is referred to as rearward, a direction shown by an arrow B, which intersects arrow A, is referred to as leftward, and a direction shown by an arrow C, which intersects arrow A and arrow B, is referred to as upward.FIG. 1shows an exploded perspective view of the connector10, andFIG. 2shows a bottom view of a housing12of the connector10. Further,FIG. 3shows a right side view of the connector10according toFIG. 1, andFIG. 4shows a cross-sectional view of the connector10, cut along line4—4ofFIG. 3.

As shown inFIG. 1, the connector10is provided with the housing12and a retainer30. The housing12of the connector10is constituted of a resin material and is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape. Terminal insertion holes24, for insertion of unillustrated terminals, are formed in the housing12. The terminal insertion holes24are formed in the front-rear direction and, in a state in which the terminals have been inserted through the terminal insertion holes24and mounted at the housing12, the terminals pass through the housing12in the front-rear direction. These terminal insertion holes24are formed at two levels, an upper level and a lower level. The terminal insertion holes24of the lower level are provided at a plurality of locations which are equidistant along the left-right direction. The terminal insertion holes24of the upper level are provided above the terminal insertion holes24of the lower level at a plurality of locations which are equidistant along the left-right direction, except at a central portion. In other words, in a rear face view, the group of terminal insertion holes24form a substantial ‘U’ shape overall.

An insertion hole13, for insertion of the retainer30, is formed at a bottom face side of the housing12. The insertion hole13is formed to be long in the left-right direction, has a form which is incised further in the forward and rearward directions at each of two left-right direction end portions thereof (seeFIG. 2), and opens to the bottom face side (i.e., downward). In other words, in a bottom face view, the insertion hole13is formed in a substantial ‘H’ shape overall. Furthermore, the insertion hole13is formed to correspond with the group of terminal insertion holes24, and is thus formed in a substantial ‘U’ shape in a rear cross-sectional view.

A pair of side walls18define the two left-right direction ends of the housing12. Cutouts16are formed in the left-right direction through the side walls18, and communicate between an outer side of each side wall18(the exterior) and the insertion hole13. As shown inFIG. 3, each cutout16is formed to be long in the front-rear direction, and an incision further downward is formed at the front-rear direction forward side of the cutout16. Overall, the cutout16is formed in a substantial ‘L’ shape. At a time of molding of the housing12, these cutouts16are utilized as holes for slide pieces.

At each side wall18, a lower side of the cutout16(a side of insertion of the retainer30, which is described later) is formed to be long in the front-rear direction, and has the form of a doubly supported beam which is supported at two front-rear direction end portions of the side wall18. This portion serves as a beam19, which serves as a doubly supported beam portion.

As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, a provisional anchoring piece22is formed at an inner side (the insertion hole13side) of the beam19. The provisional anchoring piece22is formed below the front-rear direction forward side of the cutout16. The provisional anchoring piece22is formed to be long in the front-rear direction. An upper end of the provisional anchoring piece22serves as a flat surface, the normal direction of which is the up-down direction. The provisional anchoring piece22also features a taper surface, which is angled toward a left-right direction outer side from a left-right direction inner side end portion of the upper end of the provisional anchoring piece22to the lower end of the provisional anchoring piece22. This provisional anchoring piece22corresponds with an anchorage pawl34of the later-described retainer30, and is formed to be capable of engaging with the anchorage pawl34.

A main anchoring piece20is also formed at the inner side of the beam19, below the front-rear direction rearward side of the cutout16. The main anchoring piece20is formed to be long in the front-rear direction. This main anchoring piece20is provided to be formed continuously with the above-described provisional anchoring piece22in the front-rear direction but spaced apart from the provisional anchoring piece22in the up-down direction. An upper end of the main anchoring piece20serves as a flat surface, the normal direction of which is the up-down direction. The main anchoring piece20also features a taper surface, which is angled toward the left-right direction outer side, from a left-right direction inner side end portion of the upper end of the main anchoring piece20to the lower end of the main anchoring piece20. The main anchoring piece20corresponds with the anchorage pawl34of the later-described retainer30, and is formed to be capable of engaging with the anchorage pawl34. A space between the main anchoring piece20and the above-described provisional anchoring piece22serves as a provisional engagement position of the anchorage pawl34of the retainer30(a position at which the housing12and the retainer30are provisionally joined). Further, the top of the upper face of the provisional anchoring piece22serves as a main engagement position of the anchorage pawl34(a position at which the housing12and the retainer30are joined).

The retainer30is constituted by a resin material, and is formed to correspond with the insertion hole13of the housing12. The retainer30is provided with a main portion31, which corresponds with portions of the insertion hole13apart from two left-right direction end portions thereof. The main portion31is formed with a shape corresponding with the group of terminal insertion holes24of the housing12(seeFIG. 1), and is formed in a substantial ‘U’ shape in a rear view.

A substantially plate-like plate-form portion32is integrally formed at each of two left-right direction end portions of the main portion31of the retainer30. Plate thickness directions of this pair of plate-form portions32are parallel with the left-right direction. An outer side (a left-right direction end portion) of each plate-form portion32corresponds with an inner side (a left-right direction end portion) of the insertion hole13of the housing12. When the retainer30has been inserted into and fitted with the housing12, the outer sides of the plate-form portions32oppose the inner sides of the side walls18of the housing12.

The anchorage pawls34, which are formed to be somewhat longer than the cutouts16in the front-rear direction, are formed integrally at the outer sides of the plate-form portions32which are provided at the retainer30described above. The anchorage pawls34correspond with the provisional anchoring pieces22of the housing12, and are formed to be engageable with the provisional anchoring pieces22. When the retainer30is inserted into the insertion hole13of the housing12from below, each anchorage pawl34of the retainer30pushes the provisional anchoring piece22of the housing12aside, to the outer side. When the anchorage pawl34has moved to the position between the provisional anchoring piece22and the main anchoring piece20in the up-down direction (i.e., the aforementioned provisional engagement position), the provisional anchoring piece22returns to a position of a natural state thereof (i.e., a position thereof prior to the side wall18, and the provisional anchoring piece22, being pushed aside by the anchorage pawl34), and the anchorage pawl34engages with the provisional anchoring piece22. Thus, the retainer30is locked in the housing12(seeFIGS. 5 and 6).

Further, the anchorage pawl34also corresponds with the main anchoring piece20provided at the housing12, and is formed to be engageable with the main anchoring piece20. Further to the state in which the retainer30has been locked in the housing12(the provisional joining state), the unillustrated terminals are inserted into the terminal insertion holes24and passed through the housing12. From this state, the anchorage pawl34of the retainer30is advanced further upward from the above-described provisionally stopped position. The anchorage pawl34pushes the main anchoring piece20of the housing12aside, to the left-right direction outer side, and moves to above the upper face of the main anchoring piece20(i.e., the aforementioned main engagement position). When the anchorage pawl34has moved to this position, the main anchoring piece20returns to a position of the natural state (i.e., a position thereof prior to the side wall18, and the main anchoring piece20, being pushed aside by the anchorage pawl34), and the anchorage pawl34engages with the main anchoring piece20. The retainer30pushes the unillustrated terminals against upper sides of inner faces of the terminal insertion holes24and locks the unillustrated terminals in the housing12. In addition, the retainer30itself is locked in the housing12(seeFIGS. 7 and 8).

Next, operations of this embodiment of the present invention will be described.

From a state in which the housing12and the retainer30are unassembled, the retainer30is inserted into the insertion hole13of the housing12.

At this time, the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30abut against the taper surfaces of the provisional anchoring pieces22, which are provided at the inner sides of the side walls18of the housing12, while the anchorage pawls34are being inserted upward relative to the housing12. When the anchorage pawls34are inserted, the provisional anchoring pieces22, and therefore the beams19, are pushed aside to the left-right direction outer sides (the beams19are directed to the outer sides thereof). As a result, the retainer30, and more specifically the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30, becomes capable of proceeding to upward of the provisional anchoring pieces22.

When the retainer30is inserted further into the insertion hole13and the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30advance to upward of the provisional anchoring pieces22, the provisional anchoring pieces22, and therefore the beams19, of the housing12return to the original positions thereof at the left-right direction inner sides (i.e., the positions thereof prior to being pushed aside by the anchorage pawls34), and the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30are provisionally fixed at the provisional engagement positions between the provisional anchoring pieces22and main anchoring pieces20of the housing12(seeFIGS. 5 and 6).

Here, when the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30are provisionally fixed at the provisional engagement positions, the retainer30is provisionally fixed to the housing12. In this state, the retainer30is locked in the housing12(i.e., a provisional joined state of the housing12with the retainer30).

Then, while the retainer30is provisionally fixed to the housing12, the unillustrated terminals are inserted into the terminal insertion holes24, from the rear side, until the terminals pass through the housing12.

Thereafter, in the state in which the unillustrated terminals pass through the housing12, the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30are inserted further upward relative to the housing12while abutting against the taper surfaces of the main anchoring pieces20of the housing12. Accordingly, the main anchoring pieces20, and therefore the beams19, are pushed aside to the left-right direction outer sides (the beams19are directed to the outer sides). As a result, the retainer30, and more specifically the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30, becomes capable of proceeding to upward of the main anchoring piece20.

When the retainer30is inserted further into the insertion hole13and the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30advance to upward of the main anchoring pieces20, the main anchoring pieces20, and therefore the beams19, of the housing12return to the original positions thereof at the left-right direction inner sides (i.e., the positions thereof prior to being pushed aside by the anchorage pawls34), and the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30are fixed at the main engagement positions above the main anchoring pieces20of the housing12(seeFIGS. 7 and 8).

When the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30are fixed at the main engagement positions of the housing12, the retainer30locks the unillustrated terminals which have been inserted into the terminal insertion holes24of the housing12, and the retainer30itself is locked in the insertion hole13of the housing12(i.e., a proper joined state of the housing12with the retainer30).

Thus, the retainer30is assembled to the housing12, and the connector10is completed.

Now, in this connector10, the provisional anchoring pieces22and main anchoring pieces20of the housing12are formed at the inner sides of the side walls18with lengths in a direction along the side walls18that intersects a direction of insertion of the retainer30into the insertion hole13(i.e., in the front-rear direction). The anchorage pawls34of the retainer30are also formed with lengths in this intersecting direction. Therefore, even if the connector10as a whole is made smaller, contact areas of engagement portions between the housing12and the retainer30can be kept larger than in conventional connectors. As a result, an engagement force between the provisional anchoring pieces22and the anchorage pawls34that is required for provisional joining of the housing12with the retainer30, and an engagement force between the main anchoring pieces20and the anchorage pawls34that is required for joining of the housing12with the retainer30can be thoroughly assured. Consequently, it is possible to couple (and provisionally couple) the housing12and the retainer30with sufficient strength.

Moreover, because the beams19at which the provisional anchoring pieces22and the main anchoring pieces20are provided have the form of doubly supported beams, when the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30push aside the provisional anchoring pieces22or main anchoring pieces20of the housing12to the left-right direction outer sides thereof, the beams19formed at the side walls18of the housing12act as doubly supported beams. Hence, when the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30move to the provisional engagement position or the main engagement position, the provisional anchoring pieces22or main anchoring pieces20of the housing12resiliently return to natural state positions thereof, due to forces opposite to forces of when the provisional anchoring pieces22or main anchoring pieces20are pushed aside to the left-right direction outer sides by the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30.

Thus, as well as insertion of the retainer30into the insertion hole13of the housing12being simple, the provisional anchoring pieces22and the main anchoring pieces20of the housing12can reliably engage with the anchorage pawls34of the retainer30, which is appropriate.