A terminal fitting, a connector housing and a connector comprising the same

Abstract: [Object] To provide a terminal fitting of the type which is to be brought into contact with a contact terminal and can also be inserted into a cavity while being held upside down. [Solution] A cover 40 having a relatively high strength is integrally secured to a terminal main body 31 in such a manner as to cover substantially entirely a connection portion 32. Cuts are made in opposite side walls of the cover 40 and the cut portions are bent to project outward, thereby forming metal locking portions 42 which are elastically deformable. Openings 45 are provided in surfaces of the cover 40 adjacent to the side walls where the metal locking portions 42 are provided. Contact portions 36 which are provided on the connection portion 32 inside the cover 40 and can be brought into contact with a shorting terminal 20 are exposed through the openings 45. The contact portions 36 and the metal locking portions 42 are provided in the surfaces which are displaced substantially by 90° from each other.

Description: The present invention relates to a terminal fitting which is used such that at the same time being inserted into a cavity, it is brought into contact with a contact terminal facing a side wall of the cavity. Moreover, the invention relates to a connector housing and to a connector comprising such connector housing and one or more terminal fittings. In small-size terminal fittings, if an attempt is made to form a locking portion by cutting a portion of the terminal fitting and bending this cut portion, strength may be insufficient due to a thinning tendency of a metal plate as a material. In view of this, it has been proposed to fit a separate cover made of a stainless steel having a relatively high strength on the leading end of the terminal fitting and form this cover with a locking portion as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-189119. Some of terminal fittings of this type are used in connector housings while adjacent terminal fittings are shorted from each other. Specifically, a shorting terminal is provided outside adjacent cavities, and contact portions of the shorting terminal are caused to face the inside of the two cavities through openings formed in a side wall of each cavity. When being inserted into the two cavities, the terminal fittings are locked by locking portions and the contact portions of the shorting terminal come into contact with portions of the respective terminal fittings behind the cover fitted positions, thereby shorting the two terminal fittings from each other. These terminal fittings need to have their inserting orientation specified to one orientation when being inserted into the cavities. This specifying operation has been cumbersome. In order to lessen a load on an operator, terminal fittings which can be inserted even if they are held upside down have been proposed. If an attempt is made to apply this to the terminal fittings of the above construction, it is sufficient to form a pair of locking portions, for example, on the upper and lower surfaces of the cover if only a locking function is considered. Specifically, regardless of whether the terminal fitting is inserted erectly or upside down, either one of the locking portions can engage a locking part provided in the cavity. However, if a function of bringing the terminal fitting into contact with the shorting terminal is also considered, the unused locking portion may be caught by the shorting terminal or the opening, for example, when the terminal fitting is inserted into and withdrawn from the cavity if the pair of upper and lower locking portions are merely provided. Thus, a combination of the above two functions could not be easily coped with. In DE 197 47 115 A1 an electrical connector arrangement and an electrical contact are described. The electrical connector arrangement comprises a first connector, having a housing and at least a series of at least two contacts arranged in contact chambers, and a metal strip fixed in the housing, having contact springs which are in electrical connection with the contacts of the first connector. Further, a second connector being complementary to the first one, having a housing and at least a series of complementary contact elements and having protrusions provided on the housing which raise the contact springs during coupling of the complementary connector is described. In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal fitting, a connector housing and a connector, with which the terminal fitting can be brought into contact with a contact terminal and can be also inserted into a cavity while being held upside down. According to the invention, there is provided a terminal fitting according to claim 1, a connector housing according to claim 5 and a connector according to claim 6. Preferred embodiments of the invention are subject of the dependent claims. According to the invention, there is provided a terminal fitting to be at least partly accommodated in a cavity of a connector housing by being at least partly inserted thereinto and is to be brought into contact with a contact terminal which is so provided as to substantially face a side wall of the cavity, comprising: at least one terminal side locking portion which is provided in a specified position on an outer surface of the terminal fitting and is engageable with at least one cavity side locking portion provided in the cavity, wherein the terminal fitting can be locked in the cavity regardless of whether it is inserted into the cavity in its normal orientation or upside down by providing the terminal side locking portion in a pair, and two contact portions which can be brought into contact with the contact terminal and are provided on surfaces of the terminal fitting which are displaced by an angle different from 0° or 180°, preferably substantially by 90° in both directions from the surface where the terminal side locking portion is provided. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a terminal fitting to be accommodated in a cavity of a connector housing by being inserted thereinto and is to be brought into contact with a contact terminal which is so provided as to face a side wall of the cavity, comprising: a terminal side locking portion which is provided in a specified position on an outer surface of the terminal fitting and is engageable with a cavity side locking portion provided in the cavity, wherein the terminal fitting can be locked in the cavity regardless of whether it is inserted into the cavity in its normal orientation or upside down by providing the terminal side locking portion in a pair, and two contact portions which can be brought into contact with the contact terminal and are provided on surfaces of the terminal fitting which are displaced substantially by 90° in both directions from the one where the terminal side locking portion is provided. The terminal side locking portion and the contact portions with the contact terminal are displaced substantially by 90°, in both directions from the surface where the side locking portion is provided, i.e, the cavity side locking portion an the the cavity side locking portion and the position where the contact terminal is present are displaced substantially by 90°. Thus, in the case that the terminal fitting is inserted into or withdrawal from the cavity of the connector housing erectly or upside down turned by 180°, the moving path of the terminal side locking portion is away from the position where the contact terminal is provided, with the result that the terminal side locking portion is free from being interfered by the contact terminal. Preferably, the terminal fitting further comprises a cover provided with the terminal side locking portion and integrally fitted on a terminal main body of the terminal fitting to be connected with a mating terminal fitting. Further preferably, the cover is formed with openings for exposing the contact portions. Still further preferably, the contact portions are so formed on the outer surfaces of the terminal fitting, preferably its terminal main body as to project outward. Most preferably, the terminal fitting further comprises a cover provided with the terminal side locking portion and integrally fitted on a terminal main body of the terminal fitting to be connected with a mating terminal fitting, wherein the contact portions are so formed on the outer surfaces of the terminal main body as to project outward, and the cover is formed with openings for exposing the contact portions. The contact portions provided on the terminal main body are exposed through the openings of the cover to be brought into contact with the contact terminal. Even if the cover is mounted, the contact terminal can be directly brought into contact with the terminal main body for electrical connection. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side view in section showing a female housing before a female terminal fitting according to one embodiment of the invention is inserted, FIG. 2 is a plan view in section showing the female housing before the female terminal fitting is inserted, FIG. 3 is a partial front view of the female housing, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the female terminal fitting, FIG. 5 is a side view of the female terminal fitting, FIG. 6 is a side view in section of the female terminal fitting, FIG. 7 is a front view of the female terminal fitting, FIG. 8 is a side view in section showing the female terminal fitting inserted into a cavity, FIG. 9 is a side view showing the female terminal fitting inserted into the cavity, FIG. 10 is a side view in section showing the female terminal fitting inserted into the cavity while being turned upside down from the orientation of FIG. 8, and FIG. 11 is a plan view in section showing the female terminal fitting inserted into the cavity shown in FIG. 10. One embodiment of the invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. In this embodiment, a female terminal fitting 30 is shown. This female terminal fitting 30 is brought or bringable into contact with a shorting terminal 20 while being at least partly accommodated in a female connector housing 10 (hereinafter, "female housing 10") as shown in FIG. 1. In the female housing 10, e.g. two cavities 11 for at least partly accommodating the female terminal fittings 30 are arranged substantially side by side as shown in FIG. 3. Above or adjacent to the cavities 11, an accommodating chamber 12 for at least partly accommodating the shorting terminal 20 is so provided as to substantially extend over the two cavities 11 and be open forward. Grooves 13 are provided at the substantially opposite upper sides of the accommodating chamber 12, and the shorting terminal 20 is at least partly mounted or mountable into the accommodating chamber 12 by inserting a flat base portion 21 of the shorting terminal 20 into these grooves 13. In the bottom wall of a back part of the accommodating chamber 12, openings 14 respectively substantially communicating with the two cavities 11 located below are formed as shown in FIG. 1. Two substantially elastically deformable contact pieces 22 which substantially extend downward or toward the terminal fittings 30 from the base portion 21 of the shorting terminal 20 are or can be introduced into the openings 14 and can be brought into contact with the female terminal fittings 30 in the respective cavities 11. The two adjacent female terminal fittings 30 are shorted by bringing the contact pieces 22 and the female terminal fittings 30 into contact with each other. Further, a mount groove 15 for mounting a retainer 16 for locking the female terminal fittings 30 inserted into the cavities 11 is provided behind the accommodating chamber 12. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two locking grooves 17 engageable with metal locking portions 42 of the female terminal fitting 30 are provided preferably at the front ends of the left and right side surfaces of the cavity 11. The locking grooves 17 are substantially open forward, so that a jig for disengaging the metal locking portions 42 can be inserted from front. Behind the locking grooves 17, a pair of upper and lower insertion grooves 18 along or into which stabilizers 44 of the female terminal fitting 30 are insertable are provided. The female terminal fitting 30 is formed by integrally or unitarily securing a cover 40 made e.g. of a stainless steel or like material having a relatively high strength to a terminal main body 31 made e.g. of a plate material of a copper alloy or the like and preferably having a gold plating applied to its outer surfaces in order to improve electrical conductivity. This female terminal fitting 30 can be inserted into the cavity 11 either erectly or upside down as described in detail later. The terminal main body 31 is comprised of a connection portion 32 connectable with an unillustrated mating male terminal fitting and a barrel portion 33 connectable with, preferably crimped into connection with a wire W. The connection portion 32 is provided with a pair of tapered elastic contact pieces 34 as shown in FIG. 6. A tab of the male terminal fitting to be inserted into the connection portion 32 from front is held in contact between portions of the two contact pieces 34 closer to each other, and the contact pieces 34 substantially elastically hold or contact the tab. The cover 40 is substantially box-shaped, and is so mounted as to cover substantially the entire connection portion 32 of the terminal main body 31. As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of fixing pieces 41 project from the opposite side walls at the rear part of the cover 40, and are bent to substantially surround or to be inserted into or interact with recesses 35 formed in the connection portion 32 to substantially fix the cover 40 to the terminal main body 31. Further, the retainer 16 is or can be locked by the rear end face of the cover 40 in the cavity 11 (see FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 4, cuts are made preferably in the substantially opposite side walls of the front part of the cover 40 corresponding to the left and right side surfaces of the cavity 11 shown in FIG. 2 and the cut portions are bent to form the metal locking portions 42 projecting outward. These metal locking portions 42 are substantially elastically deformable inward. Bulging portions 43 bulging inwardly are provided at the free ends of the metal locking portions 42. The free end surfaces of the metal locking portions 42 including the bulging portions 43 are engageable with the locking grooves 17 in the cavity 11 to substantially lock the female terminal fitting 30 in the cavity 11. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, the stabilizers 44 project laterally outward preferably from the upper and lower walls of the cover 40 corresponding to the upper and lower surfaces of the cavity 11 shown in FIG. 1 behind the metal locking portions 42. A pair of stabilizers 44 are provided for each metal locking portion 42. Substantially rectangular or oblong openings 45 are so formed in the upper and lower or lateral walls of the rear part of the cover 40 as to be open outward as shown in FIG. 4. These openings 45 are also open backward, and the connection portion 32 inside the terminal main body 31 is exposed to the outside through the openings 45. Contact portions 36 with which the contact piece 22 of the shorting terminal 20 can be brought into contact are provided in the exposed portions of the connection portion 32. The contact portions 36 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the connection portion 32 which are rotated or rotationally shifted or displaced or angled by an angle different from 0° or 180°, preferably substantially by 90° from the side surfaces where the metal locking portions 42 are provided. The contact portions 36 are formed e.g. by striking portions of the connection portion 32 to project outward, such that the outer surfaces of the contact portions 36 are substantially in flush with the outer surface of the cover 40 as shown in FIG. 6. By providing one contact portion 36 on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the connection portion 32, either one of the contact portions 36 is brought into contact with the contact piece 22 of the shorting terminal 20 regardless of whether the female terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the cavity erectly or in its normal orientation (first orientation) or upside down or inverted orientation (second orientation). The action of this embodiment thus constructed is described next. When the female terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the cavity 11 of the female housing 10, the inserting orientation of the female terminal fitting 30 into the cavity 11 may be erect or upside down turned 180° from the erect orientation. The female terminal fitting 30 may be inserted into the cavity 11, for example, with the front side of the barrel portion 33 faced in a direction normal of plane of FIG. 1 as shown in FIG. 1. The female terminal fitting 30 is inserted further into the cavity 11 while the stabilizers 44 are at least partly inserted along the insertion grooves 18 and the metal locking portions 42 are substantially elastically deformed inward upon coming into contact with the side surfaces of the cavity 11. Since the contact piece 22 of the shorting terminal 20 projects into the cavity 11 from the upper surface which is displaced e.g. substantially by 90° with respect to the metal locking portions 42 provided on the side surfaces of the female terminal fitting 30, neither the contact piece 22 nor the opening 14 is provided on a path along which the metal locking portion 42 passes. As a result, the metal locking portions 42 are free from being interfered by stepped portions at the front ends of the contact piece 22 of the shorting terminal 20 and the opening 14. When the female terminal fitting 30 is inserted to a proper position, the contact piece 22 of the shorting terminal 20 is elastically brought into contact with the contact portion 36. Since this contact portion 36 is so formed as to project outward through the opening 45 of the cover 40, the shorting terminal 20 can be directly brought into contact with the terminal main body 31 having a good conductivity with a sufficient contact pressure by the contact piece 22. The two female terminal fittings 30 are shorted by the shorting terminal 20 by being inserted into the adjacent cavities 11. On the other hand, the metal locking portions 42 are elastically restored toward or substantially to their original shapes upon reaching the locking grooves 17 and their free end surfaces are locked as shown in FIG. 9, with the result that the female terminal fitting 30 is locked in the cavity 11. This female terminal fitting 30 is doubly locked by the retainer 16 at least partly mounted in the mount groove 15 being locked by the rear end surface of the cover 40. If the female terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the cavity 11 with its inserting orientation turned by 180° from the above inserting orientation, i.e. with the rear side of the barrel portion 33 facing in the direction normal to the plane of FIG. 10 as shown in FIG. 10, the contact piece 22 of the shorting terminal 20 is brought into contact with the opposite contact portion 36, and the metal locking portions 42 are locked by the locking grooves 17 as shown in FIG. 11. A terminal inserting operation can be simplified since the female terminal fitting 30 can be inserted erectly or upside down in this way. This is particularly effective when the female terminal fitting 30 is small, because it is cumbersome to specify the inserting orientation. As described above, according to this embodiment, since the shorting terminal 20 is not provided in the paths along which the metal locking portions 42 pass when the female terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the cavity 11, it securely prevents the metal locking portions 42 from being interfered by the shorting terminal 20 and the opening 14. <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, following embodiments are also embraced by the technical scope of the invention as defined in the claims. (1) Although the pair of locking grooves are provided in the cavity and the pair of metal locking portions are provided on the female terminal fitting in the foregoing embodiment, only either one of the locking grooves and the metal locking portions may be provided in a pair and only one of the other thereof may be provided when only 180° turning of the inserting orientation of the female terminal fitting is considered. Such an embodiment is also embraced by the present invention. (2) Although the pair of the metal locking portions are provided on the female terminal fitting in the foregoing embodiment, only one metal locking portion may be provided if it can provide a sufficient locking force. (3) Although the metal locking portions of the female terminal fitting are locked by the locking grooves formed in the cavity in the foregoing embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. For instance, an embodiment in which a resin locking portion provided in the cavity is locked by a locking hole provided in the terminal fitting is also embraced by the present invention. (4) Although the cover provided with the metal locking portions is secured to the terminal main body in the foregoing embodiment, the metal locking portions may be provided in the terminal main body. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 10 female connector housing (connector housing) 11 cavity 17 locking groove (cavity side locking portion) 20 shorting terminal (contact terminal) 30 female terminal fitting (terminal fitting) 31 terminal main body 36 contact portion 40 cover 42 metal locking portion (terminal side locking portion) 45 opening

Claims: A terminal fitting (30) to be at least partly accommodated in a cavity (11) of a connector housing (10) by being at least partly inserted thereinto and is to be brought into contact with a contact terminal (20) which is so provided as to substantially face a side wall of the cavity (11), comprising: at least one terminal side locking portions (42) which is provided in a specified position on an outer surface of the terminal fitting (30) and is engageable with at least one cavity side locking portion (17) provided in the cavity (11), characterized in that the terminal fitting (30) can be locked in the cavity (11) regardless of whether it is inserted into the cavity (11) in its normal orientation or upside down by providing the terminal side locking portion (42) in a pair, and two contact portions (36) which can be brought into contact with the contact terminal (20) and are provided on surfaces of the terminal fitting (30) which are displaced by an angle different from 0° or 180°, preferably substantially by 90° in both directions from the surface where the terminal side locking portion (42) is provided. A terminal fitting according to claim 1, further comprising a cover (40) provided with the terminal side locking portion (42) and integrally fitted on a terminal main body (31) of the terminal fitting (30) to be connected with a mating terminal fitting. A terminal fitting according to claim 2, wherein the cover (40) is formed with openings (45) for exposing the contact portions (36). A terminal fitting according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the contact portions (36) are so formed on the outer surfaces of the terminal fitting (30), preferably the terminal main body (31) as to project outward. A connector housing (10) comprising : at least one cavity (11) to at least partly accommodate a terminal fitting (30) being at least partly inserted thereinto, and a contact terminal (20) to be brought into contact with the terminal fitting (30) which is so provided as to substantially face a side wall of the cavity (11), wherein at least one cavity side locking portion (17) is provided in the cavity (11) for coming into engagement with at least one terminal side locking portion (42) provided in a specified position on an outer surface of the terminal fitting (30), characterized in that the terminal fitting (30) can be locked in the cavity (11) regardless of whether it is inserted into the cavity (11) in its normal orientation or upside down by providing the cavity side locking portion (17) in a pair, and wherein with the contact terminal (20) can be brought into contact with one of two contact portions (36) provided on surfaces of the terminal fitting (30) which are displaced by an angle different from 0° or 180°, preferably substantially by 90° in both directions from the surface where the terminal side locking portion (42) is provided. A connector comprising a connector housing (10) according to claim 5 and one or more terminal fittings (30) according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 4.

Inventors: CHISHIMA MASAMITSU, SAKA YUKINORI, CHISHIMA, MASAMITSU, SAKA, YUKINORI, Chishima, Masamitsu, Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Saka, Yukinori, Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
Applicants: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: H01R13