Abstract:
A connector has a resin housing ( 10 ) molded with a cavity ( 11 ) for receiving a terminal fitting ( 30 ). A lock ( 16 ) is molded adjacent the cavity ( 11 ) and is configured to lock the terminal fitting ( 16 ). A mold-removal space ( 19 ) is formed during the molding of the lock ( 16 ). The terminal fitting ( 30 ) has a stabilizer ( 35 ) that can enter the mold-removal space ( 19 ). A protrusion ( 21 ) is formed in the mold-removal space ( 19 ) and can be engaged by the stabilizer ( 35 ) to limit inclination of the terminal fitting ( 30 ) in the cavity ( 11 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a connector.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,579 discloses a connector with a housing formed from a synthetic resin. Cavities are formed in the housing and resin locks extend along inner walls of the cavities. Terminal fittings can be inserted into the cavities and are held by the locks.  
         [0005]     The terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity of the above-described connector by holding a wire. The lock deforms resiliently at an intermediate stage of the insertion and slides in contact with the outer surface of the terminal fitting. Thus, an insertion resistance is created due to friction between the lock and the terminal fitting. A clearance is defined between the inner wall of the cavity and the outer surface of the terminal fitting to reduce a sliding resistance between the inner wall of the cavity and the terminal fitting. However, the clearance between the cavity and the terminal fitting causes the terminal fitting to shake in the cavity. The clearance takes substantially the same dimensions regardless of the size of the connector. Thus, an angle of inclination of the terminal fitting during shaking is relatively small if the connector and the terminal fitting are large. Accordingly, shaking does not hinder the contact while mating large terminal fittings. However, an angle of inclination of the terminal fittings during shaking is relatively large for a miniature connector, and such shaking can hinder the contact while mating small terminal fittings.  
         [0006]     The invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to suppress the inclination of a terminal fitting in a cavity.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The invention relates to a connector with a housing formed from a synthetic resin. At least one cavity is formed in the housing and a lock extends substantially along an inner wall of the cavity. A terminal fitting can be inserted into the cavity. The terminal fitting is engaged by the lock and held so as not to come out. The terminal fitting has at least one projection that can enter a mold-removal space that is formed while molding the lock. At least one protrusion is formed on the inner wall of the mold-removal space and for contacting the projection.  
         [0008]     Inclination of the terminal fitting in the cavity can be suppressed by forming the protrusion in the mold-removal space and by bringing the projection of the terminal fitting into contact with the protrusion. Further, the inclination of the terminal fitting is prevented by using the mold-removal space that is formed while molding the lock. Thus, the shape and construction of the connector is simple than if a separate element is used exclusively to prevent the inclination.  
         [0009]     The terminal fitting preferably has at least one stabilizer for preventing the terminal fitting from being inserted into the cavity in an improper posture. The stabilizer preferably serves as the projection. Thus, the shape of the terminal fitting is simpler than a case where a projection is separate from the stabilizer.  
         [0010]     The protrusion preferably is a long narrow rib that extends substantially parallel with an inserting direction of the terminal fitting into the cavity. Thus, a sliding resistance between the protrusion and the projection is small even if the projection contacts the protrusion while inserting the terminal fitting.  
         [0011]     A projecting distance of the protrusion preferably is larger than the clearance between the terminal fitting and the cavity and/or substantially equal to the thickness of the projection.  
         [0012]     An outer surface of the mold-removal space preferably is more outward than the side surface of the cavity.  
         [0013]     An escaping space preferably is formed by recessing a side surface of the mold-removal space to widen the mold-removal space along a widthwise direction.  
         [0014]     A clearance between the projection and an inner side surface of the escaping space and a clearance between the outer side surface of the projection and the protrusion preferably are substantially equal to a clearance between the outer surface of a substantially rectangular tube portion of the terminal fitting and the inner surface of the cavity.  
         [0015]     A projecting distance of the protrusion preferably is larger than the clearance between the terminal fitting and the cavity and/or is substantially equal to the thickness of the projection.  
         [0016]     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a longitudinal section of one preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a longitudinal section showing a state where a terminal fitting is not inserted.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a horizontal section showing a state where the terminal fitting is not inserted.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a section along  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a section similar to  FIG. 4 , but showing a state where the inclination of the terminal fitting is suppressed.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a section showing a comparative example not having a function of suppressing the inclination of the terminal fitting. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]     A connector according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  6 . The connector includes a housing  10  made e.g. of a synthetic resin. The end of the connector that mates with an unillustrated mating connector (left side of FIGS.  1  to  3 ) is referred to herein as the front. The terms upper, lower, top and bottom are used herein as a convenient frame of reference, but are not intended to imply a required gravitational orientation.  
         [0024]     Cavities  11  penetrate the housing  10  from the front end to the rear end. The cavities  11  are long and narrow along forward and backward directions FBD are arranged substantially side by side to. Each cavity  11  has a substantially rectangular cross section along a direction normal to the forward and backward directions FBD, and has a height that is slightly larger than the width. The front end of the cavity  11  is narrowed to define a smaller tab insertion opening  12  through which a narrow tab (not shown) of a mating terminal can be inserted. The cavity  11  also has a terminal insertion opening  13  at the rear end of the housing  10 . An accommodation space  14  is formed in the bottom surface of the housing  10  and communicates with the cavities  11 . The accommodation space  14  is located in an intermediate portion of the cavities  11  along forward and backward directions FBD and accommodates a retainer  15 .  
         [0025]     A lock  16  is formed unitarily on the bottom wall of each cavity  11  and is resiliently deformable substantially vertically in directions substantially normal to the inserting direction ID of the terminal fitting  30  into the cavity  11 . The lock  16  is substantially in the form of a flat plate that is narrower than the cavity  11 . Two substantially rib-shaped locking projections  17  are formed at the opposite left and right edges of the upper surface of the lock  16  and extend along the forward and backward directions FBD. The rear end of the lock  16  is continuous with the bottom wall of the cavity  11  over substantially the entire width, and two supports  18  extend forward from the opposite left and right sides of the front end of the lock  16 . Thus, the lock  16  is supported in the cavity  11  at both the front and rear ends, and an intermediate part with respect to the forward and backward directions FBD can curve down.  
         [0026]     Two long narrow mold-removal spaces  19  are formed in the housing  10  and extend along the opposite side surfaces of the lock  16 . Each mold-removal space  19  has a vertically long narrow rectangular cross section, see e.g.  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The upper ends of the mold-removal spaces  19  are above the bottom walls of the cavities  11  and above the upper surfaces of the lock  16 , and communicate with the left and right ends of the bottom end of the corresponding cavities  11 . The locks  16  are narrower than the cavities  11 , as described above. Thus, the width of the mold-removal spaces  19  may be narrowed. However, the side surface of each mold-removal space  19  opposite from the lock  16  is more outward than the side surface of the cavity  11 . Therefore, the mold-removal space  19  is wide and leads to an increased stronger mold (not shown) for forming the mold-removal space  19 . More particularly, the outer surface of each mold-removal space  19  is positioned in a widthwise direction WD normal to the inserting direction ID more outward than the sidewall of the cavity  11 .  
         [0027]     Each mold-removal space  19  is open only in the rear end of the housing  10 , and is divided by the accommodation space  14  into a front area  19 F and a rear area (not shown). The lock  16  faces the front area  19 F. An escaping space  20  is formed by lightly recessing the side surface of the lock  16  at a rear part of the front area  19 F of the mold-removal space  19 . The escaping space  20  extends from a position corresponding to the rear end of the lock  16  to the accommodation space  14  and widens the mold-removal space  19  along the widthwise direction WD.  
         [0028]     A rib-shaped protrusion  21  is formed on a side surface of the right mold-removal space  19  opposite from the lock  16 . The protrusion  21  extends substantially straight along forward and backward directions FBD and has a substantially rounded cross section along a direction normal to forward and backward directions FBD. The protrusion  21  extends over substantially the entire front area  19 F before the accommodation space  14 .  
         [0029]     The connector further includes terminal fittings  30 . A metallic plate material with a specified shape is bent, embossed, folded, stamped and/or cut to form each terminal fitting  30 . A substantially rectangular tube  31  is formed at substantially a front half of the terminal fitting  30  and a wire-crimping portion  32  is formed at substantially a rear half. The wire-crimping portion  32  is crimped, bent or folded into connection with the front end of a wire  33  to electrically connect the terminal fitting  30 . A front portion of the bottom wall of the rectangular tube  31  is embossed down to form a fastening projection  34 . The fastening projection  34  engages the locking projection  17  of the lock  16  so that the properly inserted terminal fitting  30  is held in the cavity  11 .  
         [0030]     A plate-shaped stabilizer  35  extends unitarily down from the bottom of the right wall of the rectangular tube  31  and is narrower than the mold-removal spaces  19 . The stabilizer  35  enters the rear of the right mold-removal space  19  and the accommodation space  14  in the process of inserting the terminal fitting  30  into the cavity  30  in the inserting direction ID, and then passes the accommodation space  14 . The stabilizer  35  is in the escaping space  20  at the rear of the front area  19 F of the right mold-removal  19  and behind the locking projection  17  of the lock  16  when the terminal fitting  30  reaches the proper position.  
         [0031]     In a state where the properly inserted terminal fitting  30  is neither transversely inclined nor transversely displaced with respect to the cavity  11 , the inner side surface of the stabilizer  35  is parallel to and slightly spaced from the inner side surface of the escaping space  20 , and the outer side surface of the stabilizer  35  faces and is slightly spaced from the protrusion  21  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The clearance between the inner side surface of the stabilizer  35  and the inner side surface of the escaping space  20  and the clearance between the outer side surface of the stabilizer  35  and the protrusion  21  preferably are substantially equal to a clearance between the outer surface of the rectangular tube  31  of the terminal fitting  30  and the inner surface of the cavity  11 . A projecting distance of the protrusion  21  is larger than the clearance between the terminal fitting  30  and the cavity  11  and substantially equal to the thickness of the stabilizer  35 .  
         [0032]     An attempt could be made to insert the terminal fitting  30  in an improper posture, e.g. an upside-down posture or transversely inclined posture with respect to a proper inserting posture. In this situation, the stabilizer  35  will contact the rear end surface of the housing  10  without being able to enter the mold-removal space  19 . Thus, the terminal fitting  30  cannot be inserted into the cavity  11  in the improper posture.  
         [0033]     The terminal fitting  30  is inserted by holding the wire  33 . After sufficient insertion, the rectangular tube  31  engages the lock  16 . As a result, the lock  16  deforms resiliently and slides in contact with the bottom surface of the terminal fitting  30 . An insertion resistance is created due to friction between the lock  16  and the terminal fitting  30 . Accordingly, to reduce the insertion resistance (i.e. sliding resistance between the inner wall of the cavity  11  and the terminal fitting  30 ), the clearance is defined between the inner wall of the cavity  11  and the outer surface of the terminal fitting  30  as described above. However, the clearance may cause the terminal fitting  30  in shake in the cavity  11 , and to make a transverse movement (see  FIG. 6 ).  
         [0034]     In view of the above, the terminal fitting  30  is formed with the stabilizer  35  that enters the mold-removal space  19  formed during the molding of the lock  16 . Additionally, the protrusion  21  is formed on the inner wall of the mold-removal space  19  for contacting the stabilizer  35 . The contact between the stabilizer  35  and the protrusion  21  suppresses the inclination of the terminal fitting  30 , as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0035]     The stabilizer  35  prevents the terminal fitting  30  from being inserted into the cavity  11  in an improper posture and also suppresses or prevents inclination of the terminal fitting  30 . Thus, the shape of the terminal fitting  30  is simpler as compared to a case where a projecting piece separate from the stabilizer  35  is provided to suppress inclination.  
         [0036]     The protrusion  21  is a narrow rib substantially parallel with the inserting direction ID of the terminal fitting  30 . Thus, the projecting piece will not achieve more than a line contact with the protrusion  21  in the inserting process of the terminal fitting  30 . Thus, a sliding resistance between the protrusion  21  and the projecting piece is low.  
         [0037]     The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiment is also embraced by the technical scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. Beside the following embodiment, various changes can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the claims.  
         [0038]     Although the stabilizer is the projecting piece in the foregoing embodiment, the projecting piece may be separate from the stabilizer according to the present invention.  
         [0039]     The protrusion is formed only in one of the left and right mold-removal spaces in the foregoing embodiment. However, the terminal fitting may have left and right stabilizers, and both left and right mold-removal spaces may have protrusions. The stabilizers may be caused to enter the corresponding mold-removal spaces.  
         [0040]     The mold-removal spaces communicate with the rear ends of the cavities in the foregoing embodiment. However, the invention is also applicable to connectors with mold-removal spaces that communicate with front ends of cavities.  
         [0041]     The protrusion is formed on the surface of the mold-removal space opposite from the lock in the foregoing embodiment. However, the protrusion may be formed on the side surface of the lock according to the invention.  
         [0042]     The left and right mold-removable spaces (excluding the protrusion) are transversely asymmetric in the foregoing embodiment. However, they may be transversely symmetric according to the invention.  
         [0043]     The protrusion is substantially semicircular or rounded when viewed in the inserting direction ID of the terminal fitting in the foregoing embodiment. However, the protrusion may have a cross section that is rectangular, trapezoidal, rectangular or other shape.  
         [0044]     The lock is supported at both front and rear ends in a bridge-like manner in the foregoing embodiment. However, the invention is also applicable to connectors with cantilevered locks.  
         [0045]     Female terminal fittings are described in the foregoing embodiment. However, the invention also is applicable to connectors with male terminal fittings that have narrow tabs at their front ends.  
         [0046]     The outer side surface of the stabilizer faces the protrusion with a small clearance defined when the terminal fitting is neither transversely displaced nor inclined with respect to the cavity in the foregoing embodiment. However, the stabilizer may be substantially in contact with the protrusion according to the present invention.  
         [0047]     The inner side surface of the stabilizer substantially faces the side surface of the escaping space with a small clearance when the terminal fitting is neither transversely displaced nor inclined with respect to the cavity in the foregoing embodiment. However, the inner side surface of the stabilizer may be substantially in contact with the side surface of the escaping space according to the present invention.