Connector with terminal retainer

Abstract: To prevent a retainer from hooking when a terminal is installed, guide planes (26, 27) inclined to the insertion direction of a terminal (30) are formed at installation parts (23) of a retainer (20). In the case that the terminal (30) is inserted in cavities (11) and the terminal (30) hits and contacts the installation parts (23) due to a deviation of the insertion direction, position and posture of the terminal (30), the insertion direction, position and posture of the terminal (30) are properly rectified. Therefore, the terminal (30) is smoothly and accurately inserted without being hooked with the retainer (20).

Description: The present invention relates to a connector equipped with a retainer for retaining a terminal. As this kind of connector, the one shown in Fig. 11 is known. As an example of such a known connector, US-A-4,867,712 can be mentioned. It is equipped with a connector housing 1 forming cavities 2, where a terminal 3 is inserted, and a retainer 4 capable of being installed in a temporary hooking state and a normal hooking state against the connector housing. As shown in Fig. 12, after the terminal 3 is inserted in the cavities 2 in a state temporarily hooking the retainer 4, due to shifting the retainer 4 to a normal hooking state, hooking parts 4A of the retainer 4 are shifted upward and hook the stabilizer 3A of the terminal 3 from backward, and therefore, the terminal 3 is retained in the state of preventing extraction. When the terminal 3 is inserted, the retainer 4 is kept to be retained in a temporary hooking state. In order to do so, escape parts 2A for storing installation parts 5 of both edges of the retainer 4 are formed at the inner wall of the cavities 2 arranged at both edges, and projections 6 for temporarily hooking are formed in the escape parts 2A. Together with hooking the temporary hooking projections 5A of the installation parts 5 with these temporary hooking projections 6, and by hooking the hooking projections 7 of the retainer 4 at the bottom surface of the connector housing 1, the retainer 4 is regulated to move from the temporary hooking state to the direction of extraction and insertion. However, as in the temporary hooking state, the installation parts 5 exposedly exist in the cavities 2, there is a fear that the terminal 3 is hooked with the installation parts 5, when the insertion direction, position and posture of the terminal 3 deviate. When the terminal 3 is thus hooked with the installation parts 5, it causes a trouble to a smooth operation inserting the terminal 3. Particularly, when the insertion of the terminal 3 is performed by an automatic machine, there are circumstances that the deviation of the insertion direction, insertion position and insertion posture is apt to occur and therefore, a procedure to prevent the terminal 3 from hooking with the installation parts 5 has been desired. The present invention was created owing to the circumstances mentioned above and has an object to prevent the retainer from hooking at the time of the insertion of the terminal. A solution of this object is achieved by the features of claim 1. The invention is characterized in that guide planes capable of guiding the terminal to its normal inserting state are formed in the installation parts. Thus, the present invention provides a connector comprising: a connector housing forming cavities, in each of which a terminal is to be inserted, and a retainer capable of being installed in a temporary hooking state and a normal hooking state to the connector housing, wherein installation parts of the retainer protrude into ones of said cavities, said terminal is prevented from extraction by shifting said retainer from said temporary hooking state to said normal hooking state after said terminal is inserted in one of said cavities, wherein at least one guide plane is formed on each of said installation parts for guiding said terminal into its normal inserting state and is tilted so as to confront with said terminal. Thus, even though the terminal is inserted towards the direction of the installation parts of the retainer without being inserted in a normal direction, position and posture, the terminal is guided or aligned into a normal insertion state by the guide planes. Therefore, there is no fear that the insertion is obstructed because the terminal strikes against the installation parts, and an efficiency improvement and a workability improvement of the insertion operation can be designated. Preferably two guide planes are arranged one above the other and a tilt angle of one of said guide planes is different from a tilt angle of the other of said guide planes or said guide plane is tilted so as to confront with said terminal to be guided and has a constant tilting angle over its entire height. Preferably escapement parts for storing the installation parts in the inside walls of the cavities are formed, dent parts for rapping a mold in order to mold the hooking parts hooked with the installation parts are formed at the escape parts along the opening rims of the insertion inlets of the terminal, and a region where the dent parts are formed is established smaller than the outer dimension of the terminal at the opening rims of the insertion inlets. Thus, the retainer is kept in an installation state by hooking the installation parts with the hooking parts. As a formation region of the dent parts is established smaller than the outer dimension of the terminal, there is no fear that the terminal proceeds into the dent parts when inserted. Therefore, the insertion of the terminal in a state deviated from the normal direction and position hardly occurs. Preferably said dent parts are offset in height with respect to a lower opening rim of said insertion inlets. Thus it is possible to broaden the opening region of the whole dent parts while slightly suppressing a region forming the dent parts within the range of the opening rim sides of the insertion inlets. Therefore, the degree of freedom for designing the retainer and the escape parts becomes high. Preferably said installation parts are arranged at the two free end sides of said retainer. The following is a description of preferred embodiments, which is to be seen in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector housing according to a first embodiment of the invention with retainer and terminal removed; Fig. 2 is a back view representing the state wherein the retaiiner is removed from the connector; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the retainer; Fig. 4 is a sectional view representing the state wherein the retainer is removed; Fig. 5 is a sectional view representing the state wherein the terminal is inserted while the retainer is temporarily hooked in the connector; Fig. 6 is a sectional view representing the state wherein the terminal is retained while the retainer is normally hooked in the connector; Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective partial view of the retainer; Fig. 8 is a back view representing the state wherein the retainer of the connector according to a second embodiment of the invention is removed; Fig. 9 is a sectional view representing the state wherein the terminal is inserted while the retainer is temporarily hooked in the connector according to the second embodiment; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the retainer according to the second embodiment; Fig. 11 is a back view representing the state wherein the retainer of the known connector is removed; and Fig. 12 is a sectional view representing the state wherein the terminal is inserted while the retainer is temporarily hooked in the known connector. A first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as follows by referring to Figs. 1 to 7. The connector of the first embodiment is constituted by a connector housing 10 and a retainer 20. The connector housing 10 is molded with a mold by using a synthetic resin material. In the connector housing 10, a plural number of cavities 11 opened at the front and the back (5 rooms in the present embodiment) are formed. The front side openings of each of the cavities 11 are proceeding inlets where a terminal 30 of the counter side connector (not illustrated) proceeds and the back side openings are the insertion inlets for inserting the terminal 30. In the bottom plane of the connector housing 10, installation holes 14 for a retainer 20 widely opened over the almost all width are formed. The installation holes 14 for the retainer are lead through the bottom parts of all the cavities 11 and the terminal 30 is to be retained in a hooking state at the normal insertion position by the retainer 20 installed in this installation holes 14. At both rim parts of the fore and back directions (the left and right directions in Figs. 4 to 6) at leading parts to the cavities 11 of the installation holes 14 of the retainer, the hooking parts, where normal hooking projections 25 of the retainer 20 mentioned afterward are hooked, are formed, and the retainer 20 is to be retained in the normal hooking state by hooking the normal hooking projections 25 with hooking parts 15 at the connector housing 10. In the cavities 11 of two rooms located at both edges among the cavities 11 of five rooms, escape parts 16 are formed by cutting off the inner wall planes of their outsides. The escape parts 16 are lead through the installation holes 14 of the retainer, and installation parts 23 of the retainer 20 are to be stored therein. At the leading parts with the installation holes 14 of the retainer in the lower rims of the above-mentioned escape parts 16, the hooking parts 15 as the above-mentioned escape parts 16 are formed. Temporary hooking projections 24 of the retainer 20 are hooked with these hooking parts 15 and the retainer 20 is to be retained in the temporary hooking state by hooking the temporary hooking projections 24 with these hooking parts 15. As shown in Fig. 2, the opening of insertion inlets 13 is, as a whole, a rectangle corresponding to the front shape of the terminal 30, and the proceeding parts of stabilizers 17 corresponding to stabilizers 31 of the terminal 30 are formed by cutting off downward at both edge parts of a lower side. At these insertion inlets 13, the terminal 30 can proceed into the cavities 11 by passing without having a large gap. At the two insertion inlets 13 located at the both edges among the five insertion inlets 13, dent parts 18 for rapping a mold (not illustrated) molding the hooking parts 15 are formed at the above-mentioned escapement parts 16 so as to be opened in succession with the insertion inlets 13. As shown in Fig. 2, the dent parts 18 are formed so as to be continuously longitudinally opened along the outside rims of the insertion inlets 13 and over the region from about the middle height of the rims side to the further lower position than the lower ends of the proceeding parts of stabilizers 17. For the connector housing 10, the retainer 20 has a long base part 21 in the direction crossing the cavities 11, the four hooking parts 22 arranged in a fixed pitch in the longitudinal direction of the long base part 21 and the pair of the installation parts 23 are formed at both edges of the base part 21. The hooking parts 22 are projected to the same direction as the insertion direction of the terminal 30 from the base part 21, and form a block shape rising higher than the base part 21. As shown in Fig. 5, in a state hooking the retainer 20, the hooking parts 22 wait at a lower position so as not to interrupt the insertion of the terminal 30. When the retainer 20 shifts to the normal hooking state, the hooking parts 22 hook with the stabilizers 31 from the rear so as to block movement of the terminal 30 in the extraction direction as shown in Fig. 6. At this time, the hooking parts 22 are located between two adjacent terminals 30, and simultaneously hook with the two stabilizers 31 of the both terminals 30. The installation parts 23 have a shape rising up like a wall from the base part 21. In a state being temporarily hooked, the retainer 20 is slightly projected in the escape parts 16 as shown in Fig. 5, and at this time, the upper parts of installation parts 23 face in the cavities 11. When the retainer 20 shifts to the normal hooking state, it is protruded in the escape parts 16 as shown in Fig. 6. At the upper edge positions of both the fore and back rim parts (the left and right directions in Figs. 4 to 6) of the installation parts 23, a pair of the temporary hooking projections 24 for retaining the retainer 20 in the temporary hooking state against the connector housing 10 are formed. At the position corresponding to the both edges of the hooking parts 22 in the base part 21, the normal hooking projections 25 for retaining the retainer 20 in the temporary hooking state and the normal hooking state are formed. As shown in Fig. 5, when the temporary hooking projections 24 are hooked with the hooking parts 15 of the escape parts 16 and the normal hooking projections 25 are hooked with the bottom plane of the connector housing 10, the retainer 20 is retained in the temporary hooking state. As shown in Fig. 6, when the normal hooking projections 25 are hooked with the hooking parts 15 in the cavities 11, the retainer 20 is retained in the normal hooking state. At the above-mentioned retainer 20, means preventing the hooking of the terminal 30 to be inserted in the cavities 11 are provided. Namely, at the-right edge rim part (the edge rim part of the side confronting with the terminal 30 inserted) of the installation parts 23 of Figs. 4 to 6, established are guide planes 26, 27 which are arranged one above the other and incline inside against the insertion direction of the terminal 30. As shown in Fig. 7, the tilt or inclination angle of the upper guide planes 26 at the temporary hooking projections 24 and the tilt or inclination angle of the lower guide planes 27 formed remote from the temporary hooking projections 24 of the installation parts 23 are different angles, and the angle against the insertion direction of the terminal 30 is established by reducing the angle where the guide planes 26 at the temporary hooking projections 24 are protruding. By this constitution, at the edge rim parts of the installation parts 23 confronting with the terminal 30, there is no flat plane being perpendicular to the insertion direction at both the upper side region forming the temporary hooking projections 24 and the lower side region remote from the temporary hooking projections 24. The action of the present embodiment is described in the following. When the insertion direction and the insertion position of the terminal 30 deviate outside or the insertion posture inclines obliquely at the time of insertion of the terminal 30 in a temporarily hooking state of the retainer 20, the terminal 30, particularly the extremities of the stabilizers 31 protruding downward, proceeds to the escapement parts 16 and might hit and contact the edge rim parts of the installation parts 23. However, as the oblique guide planes 26, 27 are formed at the edge rim parts of these installation parts 23, the insertion direction, position and posture of the terminal 30 are properly rectified or aligned according to the inclination of the guide planes 26, 27, even though the terminal 30 and the stabilizers 31 hit and contact the installation parts 23. Therefore, the terminal 30 is smoothly inserted into the cavities 11. In this manner, in the present embodiment, the insertion direction, position and posture of the terminal 30 can be rectified or guided in a proper state by establishing the guide planes 26, 27 at the retainer 20. Therefore, even in case that the terminal 30 is inserted by an automatic machine which is apt to bring about the deviation of the insertion direction, position and posture of the terminal 30, it is prevented that the terminal 30 is hooked with the retainer 20, and a smooth and accurate insertion can be carried out. Particularly, in the present embodiment, as the guide planes 26, 27 are established so that no flat plane being perpendicular to the inserting direction at the edge rim parts of the installation parts 23 confronting with the terminal 30 may exist, the hooking of the terminal 30 is surely prevented. Besides, at the insertion inlets 13 where the terminal 30 proceeds, as the dent parts 18 for rapping a mold are formed so as to open at a lower region than an about middle position against the whole height of the insertion inlets 13, it is prevented that the terminal 30 is inserted in a state deviating largely crosswise in the dent parts 18. Even if it invades into the dent parts 18 due to the inclination of the posture of the terminal 30, a smooth and accurate insertion comes to be carried out because the posture is properly rectified due to the guide planes 26, 27 of the retainer 20 as mentioned above. Particularly, in the present embodiment, as the dent parts 18 are formed so as to be further cut off downward over the lower edge parts of the opening rim sides, the dent parts 18 are in a state shifting downward against the insertion inlets 13. Therefore, while slightly suppressing the opening region of the dent parts 18 within the range of the rim sides of the insertion inlets 13, the opening region as the whole dent parts 18 become large. In this manner, as the open region of the dent parts 18 is able to be secured, the degree of freedom for designing the retainer 20 and the escape parts 16 is high. A second embodiment 2 of the present invention is illustrated as follows by referring to Figs. 8 to 10. The second embodiment differs from the first one by the constitution of the dent parts for rapping a mold and the retainer. As the other elements are the same as in the first embodiment mentioned above, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements and the description of structure, action and effect is abbreviated. In the second embodiment, dent parts 40 are formed over the whole height in the insertion inlets 13 except the proceeding parts 17 of the stabilizer. That is, the dent parts 40 of the second embodiment are shifted upward as compared with the dent parts 18 of the first embodiment. In accordance with this, the height of installation parts 42 of a retainer 41 becomes higher than the retainer 20 of the first embodiment, and in a state temporarily hooking the retainer 41, the region where the installation parts 42 face in the cavities 11 becomes larger than in the first embodiment. Temporary hooking parts 44 are formed at a comparatively high position of escape parts 43 faced and formed in the cavities 11 located at both edges, and normal hooking parts 45 are formed at a lower position. By hooking temporary hooking projections 46 of the retainer 41 with the temporary hooking parts 44 and hooking normal hooking projections 47 with the bottom plane of the connector housing 10, the retainer 41 is retained in the temporary hooking state as shown in Fig. 9. When the retainer 41 moves to the normal hooking state by moving upward from the temporary hooking state, the retainer 41 is retained in the same state by hooking the normal hooking projections 47 with the normal hooking parts 45. In the second embodiment, guide planes 48 which are inclined or tilted so as to confront with the terminal 30 to be inserted are formed at the installation parts 42 of the retainer 41 and have a constant tilting or inclination angle over their entire height. The insertion direction, position and posture of the terminal 30 is properly rectified or aligned due to the guide planes 48 in the same manner as in the first embodiment and a smooth and accurate insertion can be performed. In the second embodiment, as the height of the installation parts 42 becomes high, at the time of installation and removal of the retainer 41 to and from the connector housing 10 and at the time of shift from the temporary hooking state to the normal hooking state, the installation parts 42 guide so as to in parallel move the retainer 41 in a stabilized posture, and this is superior in the operationability of the retainer 41. The present invention is not restricted to the embodiments as illustrated by the above description and the drawings and for example, the following modification is also included in the technical field of the present invention, and it can be enforced furthermore by changing in various ways. (1) For example in the second embodiment, the dent parts are formed by opening inlets over the whole height of the insertion inlets but according to a modification thereof, there may be a constitution wherein the height of the upper edges of the dent parts is lowered, and the opening height of the dent parts becomes remarkably smaller as compared with the height of the terminal. When such constitution is taken, the proceeding in the dent parts by the terminal hardly occurs in similar manner as in the first embodiment. (2) In the second embodiment mentioned above, the case that the dent parts for rapping a mold are formed at the insertion inlets is illustrated, but the present invention can be adopted to a connector wherein the dent parts for stamping a mold are not formed at the insertion inlets. Also, in this case, it is prevented by the guide planes to hook the terminal with the retainer, and the efficiency improvement of insertion work and the improvement of workability can be attained.

Claims: A connector comprising: a connector housing (10) forming cavities (11), in each of which a terminal (30) is to be inserted, and a retainer (20; 40) capable of being installed in a temporary hooking state and a normal hooking state to the connector housing (10), wherein installation parts (23; 42) of the retainer (20; 40) protrude into ones of the cavities (11), said terminal (30) is prevented from extraction by shifting said retainer (20) from said temporary hooking state to said normal hooking state after said terminal (30) is inserted in one of said cavities (11), wherein at least one guide plane (26, 27; 48) is formed on each of said installation parts (23; 42) for guiding said terminal (30) into its normal inserting state and is tilted so as to confront with said terminal (30). The connector according to claim 1, wherein: two guide planes (26, 27) are arranged one above the other and a tilt angle of one (26) of said guide planes is different from a tilt angle of the other (27) of said guide planes. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: said guide plane (48) has a constant tilt angle over its entire height. The connector according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: escape parts (16) for accomodating said installation parts (23) in inside walls of said cavities (11) are formed, dent parts (18) for rapping a mold in order to mold hook parts (15) to be hooked with said installation parts (23) at the escape parts are formed along the opening rims of insertion inlets (13) for said terminal, and a region where said dent parts (18) are formed is established smaller than the outer dimension of said terminal at the opening rims of said insertion inlets (13). The connector according to claim 4, wherein: said dent parts (18) are offset in height with respect to a lower opening rim of said insertion inlets (13). The connector according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein: said installation parts (23; 42) are arranged at the two free end sides of said retainer (20; 40).

Inventors: MATSUOKA HIROYUKI, MATSUOKA, HIROYUKI, Matsuoka, Hiroyuki, Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
Applicants: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: H01R13