Abstract:
In a connector including a housing and a contact held in the housing for being brought into contact with a connection object, the contact includes a contacting portion surrounded by a wall portion to which a locking portion connected. The housing has a displaceable housing lance. The wall portion has first and second side walls faced to each other with a space left therebetween. The locking portion extends from the first wide wall towards the second side wall and has an extending end. The second side wall has a locking/holding portion holding the extending end. Thus, the locking portion is adapted to be engaged with the housing lance.

Description:
This application claims priority to prior Japanese application JP 2003-70154, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a connector in which a contact is prevented from being released from a housing. 
   A connector of the type is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H06-215821. The connector comprises an insulating housing having a contact receiving portion and a contact held in the contact receiving portion. The contact is inserted into the contact receiving portion through one end of the housing. Herein, a direction along which the contact is inserted will be called an inserting direction while another direction opposite to the inserting direction will be called a removing direction. 
   In order to prevent the contact from being released from the housing, the housing is provided with an elastic arm while the contact is provided with a protruding portion protruding outward and engaged with the elastic arm in the removing direction. By engagement between the elastic arm and the protruding portion, the contact is steadily held in the contact receiving portion to be prevented from being released. 
   However, since the above-mentioned protruding portion protrudes outward, the size of the contact is increased and the contact is inhibited from being stably held in the housing. Further, when the contact is inserted into the contact receiving portion, the protruding portion may excessively deform the elastic arm to destroy the elastic arm. If the contact receiving portion is designed to be greater in size in order to prevent excessive deformation of the elastic arm, the connector is increased in size as a whole. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a small-sized break-proof connector which is capable of increasing the strength of holding a contact. 
   Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds. 
   According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector comprising a housing and a contact held in the housing, the housing having a displaceable housing lance, the contact having a contacting portion to be contacted with a connection object, a wall portion surrounding the contacting portion, and a locking portion connected to the wall portion and adapted to be engaged with the housing lance, the wall portion having first and second side walls faced to each other with a space left therebetween, the locking portion extending from the first wide wall towards the second side wall and having an extending end, the second side wall having a holding portion holding the extending end. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view showing a contact illustrated in  FIG. 1  before a cable is connected thereto; 
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a left side view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 2  as seen from the left side; 
       FIG. 6  is a right side view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 2  as seen from the right side; 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along a line VII—VII in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line VIII—VIII in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line IX—IX in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged front view of a locking/holding portion illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a plan view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 4  in a developed shape together with a carrier; 
       FIG. 12  is a sectional view of a housing lance in the connector illustrated in  FIG. 1  in a broken state; 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of a contact of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention before a cable is connected thereto; 
       FIG. 14  is a rear view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 13 ; 
       FIG. 15  is a plan view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 13 ; 
       FIG. 16  is a left side view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 13  as seen from the left side; 
       FIG. 17  is a right side view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 13  as seen from the right side; 
       FIG. 18  is a sectional view taken along a line XVIII—XVIII in  FIG. 15 ; 
       FIG. 19  is a sectional view taken along a line XIX—XIX in  FIG. 13 ; 
       FIG. 20  is a front view of a contact of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention before a cable is connected thereto; 
       FIG. 21  is a rear view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 20 ; 
       FIG. 22  is a plan view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 20 ; 
       FIG. 23  is a left side view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 20  as seen from the left side; 
       FIG. 24  is a right side view of the contact illustrated in  FIG. 20  as seen from the right side; 
       FIG. 25  is a sectional view taken along a line XXV—XXV in  FIG. 22 ; and 
       FIG. 26  is a sectional view taken along a line XXVI—XXVI in FIG.  20 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , description will be made of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
   The connector illustrated in the figure comprises a plurality of conductive contacts  11  having a long size in an axial direction, an insulating housing  31  having a generally box-like shape and holding the contacts  11  at a predetermined space, and a key member  41  having a generally box-like shape and coupled to the housing  31 . Each of the contacts  11  is connected to a cable  51 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2  to  7  in addition to  FIG. 1 , the contact  11  will be described. In  FIGS. 2 through 7 , the contact  11  not connected to the cable  51 . 
   Each of the contacts  11  has a coupling portion  13  having a long size in the axial direction and formed into a cylindrical shape, a press-fit portion  17  connected to one end of the coupling portion  13  through a connecting portion  15 , and a cable holding portion  19  connected to one end of the press-fit portion  17 . The coupling portion  13 , the connecting portion  15 , the press-fit portion  17 , and the cable holding portion  19  have a coupling bottom portion  21   a , a connecting bottom portion  21   b , a press-fit bottom portion  21   c , and a holding bottom portion  21   d , respectively, along a predetermined axial direction (which is transversal or horizontal direction in FIG.  1 ). 
   The coupling portion  13  has a first side wall or coupling wall portion  13   a  connected to one edge of the coupling bottom portion  21   a  and extending in one direction to be generally perpendicular to the coupling bottom portion  21   a , and a second side wall or coupling wall portion  13   b  connected to the other edge of the coupling bottom portion  21   a  opposite to the one edge and extending in the one direction to be generally perpendicular to the coupling bottom portion  21   a . Thus, the first and the second coupling wall portions  13   a  and  13   b  are faced to each other with a space left therebetween. The first coupling wall portion  13   a  is connected to a top wall or upper wall portion  13   d  extending from an upper edge of the first coupling wall portion  13   a  to an upper edge of the second coupling wall portion  13   b  to be generally perpendicular to the first and the second coupling wall portions  13   a  and  13   b . Thus, the coupling portion  13  is formed into a rectangular cylindrical shape by the coupling bottom portion  21   a , the first coupling wall portion  13   a , the second coupling wall portion  13   b , and the upper wall portion  13   d.    
   The coupling portion  13  has a locking portion  13   e . The locking portion  13   e  is connected to one edge of the first coupling wall portion  13   a  adjacent to the connecting portion  15  and extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction to be generally perpendicular to the first coupling wall portion  13   a . The locking portion  13   e  is faced to one edge of the upper wall portion  13   d  on the side adjacent to the connecting portion  15 . Therefore, a most part of an opening of the coupling portion  13  on the side adjacent to the connecting portion  15  is closed by the locking portion  13   e . The locking portion  13   e  has an upper part located at a level substantially same as that of the upper wall portion  13   d  of the coupling portion  13 . 
   The coupling portion  13  has an axial one end provided with a guide portion  13   g  extending from the upper wall portion  13   d  towards an opening of the coupling portion  13  on a front side to be generally perpendicular to the upper wall portion  13   d . Inside the coupling portion  13 , a connecting piece or connecting spring portion  13   k  bent from the upper wall portion  13   d  to face the upper wall portion  13   d  and connected to one end of a contacting base portion  13   j , and an auxiliary piece or auxiliary spring portion  13   n  connected to the other end of the contacting base portion  13   j . The auxiliary spring portion  13   n  has an end portion located between the contacting base portion  13   j  and an end portion of the contacting spring portion  13   k . The contacting spring portion  13   k  is contacted with a conductive mating contact  61  of a mating connector illustrated in  FIG. 1. A  combination of the coupling bottom portion  21   a , the first coupling wall portion  13   a , the second coupling wall portion  13   b , and the upper wall portion  13   d  forms a wall portion surrounding the contacting spring portion  13   k  and the auxiliary spring portion  13   n.    
   The connecting portion  15  has a first connecting wall portion  15   a  connected to one edge of the connecting bottom portion  21   b  and extending in one direction to be generally perpendicular to the connecting bottom portion  21   b , and a second connecting wall portion  15   b  connected to the other edge of the connecting bottom portion  21   b  opposite to the one edge and extending in the one direction to be generally perpendicular to the connecting bottom portion  21   b . The first connecting wall portion  15   a  is connected to the first coupling wall portion  13   a . The second connecting wall portion  15   b  is connected to the second coupling wall portion  13   b . Between the second connecting wall portion  15   b  and the second coupling wall portion  13   b , a cut-out portion or locking/holding portion  15   f  is formed to receive an end portion  13   e   1 , namely, an extending end of the locking portion  13   e , as illustrated in  FIG. 10  (showing a part of  FIG. 3  in an enlarged scale). As shown in  FIG. 7 , the locking/holding portion  15   f  has a groove-like cut-out shape formed by cutting an upper end of the wall part positioned between the second connecting wall portion  15   b  and the second coupling wall portion  13   b.    
   The press-fit portion  17  has a first press-fit wall portion  17   a  connected to one edge of the press-fit bottom portion  21   c  and extending in one direction to be generally perpendicular to the press-fit bottom portion  21   c , and a second press-fit wall portion  17   b  connected to the other edge of the press-fit bottom portion  21   c  opposite to the one edge and extending in the one direction to be generally perpendicular to the press-fit bottom portion  21   c . The first press-fit wall portion  17   a  is connected to the first connecting-side wall portion  15   a . The second press-fit wall portion  17   b  is connected to the second connecting wall portion  15   b.    
   The cable holding portion  19  has a first holding wall portion  19   a  connected to one edge of the holding bottom portion  21   d  and extending in one direction to be generally perpendicular to the holding bottom portion  21   d , and a second holding wall portion  19   b  connected to the other edge of the holding bottom portion  21   d  opposite to the one edge and extending in the one direction to be generally perpendicular to the holding bottom portion  21   d . The first holding wall portion  19   a  is connected to the first press-fit wall portion  17   a . The second holding wall portion  19   b  is connected to the second press-fit wall portion  17   b.    
   Referring to  FIG. 11 , description will be made of a method of producing the contact  11 . In the figure, the contact  11  is shown in a developed shape. For convenience of illustration, like reference numerals are used. 
   The contact  11  may be produced from a strip-like thin conductive plate by a series of punching processes. Upon production, the contact  11  in the developed shape is subjected to a bending process in the state where the coupling portion  13  is connected to a first carrier  71  and the cable holding portion  19  is connected to a second carrier  73 . Thus, the contact  11  illustrated in  FIG. 2  is formed. After separating the contact  11  from the first and the second carriers  71  and  73 , a core wire  51   a  of the cable  51  is placed on the press-fit bottom portion  21   c  of the press-fit portion  17  and an end portion of the cable  51  is placed on the holding bottom portion  21   d . Thereafter, the first and the second press-fit wall portions  17   a  and  17   b  are subjected to a bending process so that the core wire  51   a  of the cable  51  is press fitted. By bending the first and the second holding wall portions  19   a  and  19   b , the end portion of the cable  51  is held and secured. 
   Turning back to  FIG. 1 , each of the contacts  11  with the cable  51  and the core wire  51   a  connected thereto is inserted in the inserting direction depicted by an arrow A into each of a plurality of contact receiving portions  33  formed in the housing  31  illustrated in FIG.  1 . On an upper wall surface of an intermediate portion of the contact receiving portion  33 , a housing lance  35  is formed. The housing lance  35  is displaceable and has elasticity. The housing lance  35  has a base portion integrally connected to the upper wall surface and obliquely extends frontward in the inserting direction A and towards a space of the contact receiving portion  33 . 
   In the state where the contact  11  is fitted to the contact receiving portion  33 , the coupling bottom portion  13   a  of the coupling portion  13  is faced to a bottom wall surface of the contact receiving portion  33 . The first and the second coupling wall portions  13   a  and  13   b  of the coupling portion  13  are faced to side wall surfaces of the contact receiving portion  33 , respectively. The upper wall portion  13   d  of the coupling portion  13  is faced to the upper wall surface of the contact receiving portion  33 . 
   When the contact  11  is inserted into the contact receiving portion  33 , the housing lance  35  is bent because its end portion is pressed by the guide portion  13   g  of the contact  11 . When the contact  11  is further inserted in the inserting direction A, a lance locking portion  35   a  of a protruding shape formed at an end portion of the housing lance  35  moves over the locking portion  13   e  of the contact  11  at a predetermined position of the contact receiving portion  33 . Then, the lance locking portion  35   a  is slightly inserted between the first and the second coupling wall portions  15   a  and  15   b  of the coupling portion  15  so that the housing lance  35  is recovered into an original state. At this time, the lance locking portion  35   a  is faced to the locking portion  13   e  of the contact  11 . The locking portion  13   e  faced to the housing lance  35  has a surface wider than the lance locking portion  35   a  of the housing lance  35 . 
   Further, after the lance locking portion  35   a  is faced to the locking portion  13   e  of the contact  11 , a key portion  41   a  of the key member  41  is inserted between the housing lance  35  and an internal wall surface so as to restrict swinging movement of the housing lance  35 . Even if it is tried to remove the cable  51  in the removing direction B reverse to the inserting direction A, removal is normally impossible. Thus, the housing lance  35  and the key member  41  prevent the contact  11  from being removed out of the housing  31 . 
   If large tensile force is applied in the removing direction B in the state where the connector is fixed as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the contact  11  is moved in a direction of the tensile force within the contact receiving portion  33 . Even if the locking portion  13   e  collides with the lance locking portion  35   a  of the housing lance  35  as a result of the above-mentioned movement, the load is concentrated to the base portion of the housing lance  35 . Therefore, buckling of the housing lance  35  is prevented. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 13 through 19 , description will be made of a contact used in a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Similar parts similar to those of the contact  11  described in conjunction with the first embodiment are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described any longer. 
   In the contact  11  illustrated in  FIGS. 13 through 19 , the coupling portion  13  has an auxiliary locking portion  13   p  formed on the side of the connecting portion  15 . The auxiliary locking portion  13   p  is connected to the second coupling wall portion  13   b  and is generally perpendicularly bent so as to be brought into contact with the locking portion  13   e . When the locking portion  13   e  collides with the lance locking portion  35   a  and is pressed and applied with a load, the auxiliary locking portion  13   p  serves to help the locking portion  13   e  to endure a heavy load. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 20 through 26 , description will be made of a contact of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Similar parts to those of the contact  11  described in conjunction with the first embodiment are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described any longer. 
   In the contact  11  illustrated in  FIGS. 20  to  26 , the coupling portion  13  has an auxiliary locking portion  13   r  formed on the side of the connecting portion  15 . The auxiliary locking portion  13   r  is connected to the upper wall portion  13   d  and is generally perpendicularly bent so as to be brought into contact with the locking portion  13   e . When the locking portion  13   e  collides with the lance locking portion  35   a  and is pressed and applied with a load, the auxiliary locking portion  13   r  serves to help the locking portion  13   e  to endure a heavy load. 
   Although the present invention has been shown and described in conjunction with the several preferred embodiments thereof, it will readily be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing description but may be changed and modified in various other manners without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.