Patent Publication Number: US-9431761-B2

Title: Connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation application of International Application PCT/JP2014/052518, filed on Feb. 4, 2014, and designating the U.S., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector that prevents rattling of a terminal accommodated in a cavity of a connector housing. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In order to prevent rattling of a terminal inserted in a cavity of a connector housing, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a connector has been known in which spring parts  190  protrude outside a pair of side plates  121  of a box part  120  in a terminal  110  and the spring parts  190  are made to elastically abut against inner walls  182  of a cavity  181  facing each other constantly when the terminal  110  is inserted in the cavity  181  of a connector housing  180  (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-44598). 
     However, if the spring parts  190  protrude outside the side plates  121  of the box part  120  as described above, an overall width of the terminal  110  becomes larger than the width between the side plates  121  of the box part  120 , whereby the width of the cavity  181  accommodating the terminal  110  becomes wider. As a result, there is a problem of difficulty in miniaturization of the connector because of need of a wider pitch between the terminals. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of preventing rattling of a terminal after the terminal is inserted in a cavity of a connector housing, while suppressing enlargement of the outside dimensions of the terminal. 
     In order to solve the above mentioned problem and achieve the object, a connector according to one aspect of the present invention includes a terminal configured to include a box part having a rectangular cylindrical shape formed by four face plates, and an electric wire connecting part in a rear direction of the box part; and a connector housing provided with a cavity accommodating the terminal and configured to lock the terminal with a lance provided in the cavity at the time the terminal is inserted in the cavity from the rear direction, wherein one face plate of the four face plates constituting the box part of the terminal is formed as a spring plate that is flared outward in a free state before the terminal is inserted in the cavity to be held in a regular position at which the rectangular cylindrical shape is formed, by deflecting inward and displacing by being pressed inward from the outside while accumulating a spring force, a free end of the face plate formed as the spring plate includes a stabilizer having a protrusion shape that is protruded outward, and the cavity of the connector housing includes an inclined guide portion and a holding guide portion, the inclined guide portion gradually pressing back the face plate formed as the spring plate to the regular position by sliding contact with the stabilizer while the terminal is being inserted in the cavity from the rear direction, the holding guide portion holding, at the regular position, the face plate pressed back to the regular position when the terminal is inserted to the final insertion position. 
     With the configuration of the connector described above, a face plate formed as a spring plate can be pressed back to a regular position by using a stabilizer that is protruded outward on a box part in a terminal while accumulating a spring force while the terminal is being inserted in a cavity. Accordingly, the connector can prevent rattling of the terminal housed in the cavity of a connector housing by the spring force that makes the box part of the terminal exert a pressing force on an inside wall of the cavity, and thereby improve contact reliability between the terminal and a counterpart terminal. Specifically, because the connector includes in the cavity: an inclined guide portion that presses back the face plate formed as the spring plate to the regular position; and a holding guide portion that holds the face plate pressed back to the regular position at the same position, the spring force of the face plate formed as the spring plate can be used by a slide of the stabilizer to prevent the rattling in stable conditions. In this case, because the face plate acting as the spring plate forms a rectangular cylindrical shape of the box part by being finally held at the regular position, the outside dimensions of the terminal does not expand, which means no need to enlarge the inside dimensions of the cavity. Accordingly, the connector can contribute to miniaturization of the connector without the need of enlarging the pitch between the terminals. 
     Further, in the connector according to another aspect of the present invention, the box part has the rectangular cylindrical shape formed by the four face plates including a first side face plate, a lower face plate, a second side face plate, and an upper face plate, the first side face plate through the upper face plate are formed by bending a single metal plate inward on a first bending line as a boundary between the first side face plate and the lower face plate, a second bending line as a boundary between the lower face plate and the second side face plate, and a third bending line as a boundary between the second side face plate and the upper face plate, a bending angle of the upper face plate with respect to the second side face plate is larger than a right angle so that the upper face plate is flared outward as a cantilevered-shape spring plate having a fulcrum on the third bending line, and the stabilizer having a protrusion shape protruding outward is formed by folding on a side edge in the free end side away from the third bending line on the upper face plate. 
     With the configuration of the connector described above, when bending a first side face plate through an upper face plate in order, the upper face plate is not bent to the end (to the position where the upper face plate contacts or comes most close to the first side face plate), but held at an angle halfway (held at an angle larger than a right angle). The upper face plate is thus made to serve as a cantilevered spring plate having a fulcrum on a third bending line that is a boundary between a second side face plate and the upper face plate. Thus, using the spring property of the upper face plate can prevent the rattling of the terminal inside the cavity of the connector housing by adopting such simple configuration. 
     Further, in the connector according to still another aspect of the present invention, a chamfered inclined portion is formed on a corner of a front end of the stabilizer in the terminal insertion direction to the cavity, and a flat portion is formed on a rear side of the inclined portion, the flat portion extending from an apex of the inclined portion in parallel to the terminal insertion direction. 
     With the configuration of the connector described above, an inclined portion formed on the front end corner portion of the stabilizer allows the stabilizer to smoothly move during running on the inclined guide portion in the connector housing side. In addition, a flat portion mounted on the rear side of the inclined portion allows the stabilizer to be held in stable conditions when the flat portion finally gets on a holding guide portion in the connector housing side. 
     Further, in the connector according to still another aspect of the present invention, the stabilizer is arranged to be in the same plane as the first side face plate in a free state before the terminal is inserted in the cavity, by setting a bending angle of the stabilizer with respect to the upper face plate flared outward at an angle larger than a right angle, and the inclined guide portion and the holding guide portion are provided on an inside wall with which the first side face plate of the cavity comes in contact. 
     With the configuration of the connector described above, because the stabilizer that lies in the same plane as the first side face plate falls down outward and pressingly contacts the inside wall with which the first side face plate of the cavity comes in contact when the upper face plate formed as the spring plate is pressed back to the regular position while the terminal is being inserted in the cavity, the spring force of the stabilizer can also contribute to preventing the rattling of the terminal. 
     The present invention is briefly explained as described above. Further, a detail of the present invention will be more clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) by referring to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C  are configuration diagrams illustrating a female terminal used for an embodiment of the present invention:  FIG. 1A  is an appearance perspective view illustrating a whole configuration,  FIG. 1B  is a vertical cross-sectional view, and  FIG. 1C  is an essential part cross-sectional view of a box part; 
         FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C  are configuration diagrams illustrating a connector housing including the female terminal:  FIG. 2A  is an appearance perspective view illustrating a whole configuration,  FIG. 2B  is a vertical cross-sectional view of the center of a cavity, and  FIG. 2C  is a perspective cross-sectional view of the center of the cavity; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are illustrative views illustrating that the female terminal is inserted halfway into the cavity of the connector housing:  FIG. 3A  is a vertical cross-sectional view, and  FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 3A  along the line IIIb-IIIb; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are illustrative views illustrating that the female terminal is inserted further into the cavity of the connector housing:  FIG. 4A  is a vertical cross-sectional view, and  FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 4A  along the line IVb-IVb; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are cross-sectional views illustrating that the female terminal is inserted to a final insertion position in the cavity of the connector housing until reaching:  FIG. 5A  is a vertical cross-sectional view, and  FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5A  along the line Vb-Vb; and 
         FIG. 6  is an essential part cross-sectional view of a conventional connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1A  through  FIG. 1C  are configuration diagrams of a female terminal used for an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2A  through  FIG. 2C  are configuration diagrams of a connector housing including the female terminal. 
     A connector of the embodiment includes: a required number of female terminals  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1A  through  FIG. 1C ; and a connector housing  80  illustrated in  FIG. 2A  to  FIG. 2C . As illustrated in  FIG. 1A  through  FIG. 1C , the female terminal  10 , which is a terminal of the present invention, includes a box part  20  having a rectangular cylindrical shape formed by four face plates (which will be described later as a first side face plate  21 , a lower face plate  22 , a second side face plate  23  and an upper face plate  24 ) in the front portion. A tab mounted on a counterpart male terminal is inserted to the inside of the box part  20  and held by a contact piece  28  and the lower face plate  22 . The female terminal  10  also includes an electric wire connecting part  50  in the rear direction of the box part  20 . The electric wire connecting part  50  includes: a conductor crimping part  51  in the front side that crimps a conductor of an electric wire W; and a cover crimping part  52  in the rear side that crimps a covered portion of the electric wire W. The whole terminal is so formed by pressing one metal plate that the box part  20  and the electric wire connecting part  50  are linked together with a common bottom plate  11 . A lance locking portion  40  locked by a locking portion  84  (described later) of a lance  83  in the connector housing  80  is formed in the rear end of the box part  20 . 
     In the following explanation about the connector, typically, the side in which the counterpart male terminal is connected is referred to as “front” and the side in which the electric wire W is connected is referred to as “rear”. Namely, “front” and “rear” with respect to the connector apply respectively to the following examples: “Front side” means the side in which the counterpart male terminal is connected, while “rear side” means the side in which the electric wire W is connected; “Front direction” means the direction in which the counterpart male terminal is connected, while “rear direction” means the direction in which the electric wire W is connected; “Front portion” means the portion in which the counterpart male terminal is connected, while “rear portion” means the portion in which the electric wire W is connected; and “Front end” means the end in which the counterpart male terminal is connected, while “rear end” means the end in which the electric wire W is connected. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2A  through  FIG. 2C , the connector housing  80  formed by resin molding includes a plurality of the cavities  81  housing the female terminal  10 . The connector housing  80  is so designed that the female terminal  10  is locked by the locking portion  84  of the lance  83  mounted inside the cavity  81  after the female terminal  10  is inserted in each of the cavity  81  from the rear direction, or an insertion slot  82  in the rear end. 
     One face plate (described later as an upper face plate  24 ) of the four face plates constituting the box part  20  of the female terminal  10 : is flared outward in a free state before the female terminal  10  is inserted in the cavity  81 ; is deflected inward and displaced by being pressed inward from the outside while accumulating a spring force; and then is formed as the spring plate into a rectangular cylindrical shape held at a regular position. 
     Namely, the box part  20  having the rectangular cylindrical shape is formed by the first side face plate  21 , the lower face plate  22 , a second side face plate  23  and the upper face plate  24  as the four face plates. One metal plate of the first side face plate  21  through the upper face plate  24  is formed by being bent inward on: a first bending line  25  as a boundary between the first side face plate  21  and the lower face plate  22 ; a second bending line  26  as a boundary between the lower face plate  22  and the second side face plate  23 ; and a third bending line  27  as a boundary between the second side face plate  23  and the upper face plate  24 . In addition, the upper face plate  24  is formed so as to be flared outward as a cantilevered-shape spring plate having a fulcrum on the third bending line  27  by being held at a bending angle θ1 of the upper face plate  24  with respect to the second side face plate  23  that is an angle larger than a right angle. A stabilizer  30  having a protrusion shape is formed by folding so as to be protruded outward on the side edge in the free end side of the upper face plate  24  formed as the spring plate. The free end of the upper face plate  24  means: a free end of the spring plate formed in a cantilevered shape as described above; in other words, a top end of the upper face plate  24  formed in a cantilevered shape having a fulcrum on the third bending line  27 ; and typically an end of the side facing the third bending line  27  in the upper face plate  24 . 
     The stabilizer  30  is formed to include: an inclined portion  31  that is chamfered at a corner of the front end of the terminal insertion direction into the cavity  81 ; and a flat portion  32  that continues to the rear side of the inclined portion  31  and extends from the apex of the inclined portion  31  in parallel to the terminal insertion direction. The stabilizer  30  is arranged to be in the same plane as the first side face plate  21  in the free state before the female terminal  10  is inserted in the cavity  81  by setting a bending angle θ2 of the stabilizer  30  with respect to the upper face plate  24  flared outwardly at an angle larger than a right angle. The terminal insertion direction typically means an insertion direction in which the female terminal  10  is inserted toward the cavity  81 . 
     A stabilizer guide  90 , on which the inclined portion  31  and the flat portion  32  of the stabilizer  30  are slid when the female terminal  10  is inserted in the cavity  81  from the rear side, is included inside the cavity  81  of the connector housing  80 . The cavity  81  is a rectangular space surrounded by a bottom wall  85 , a ceiling wall  86  and both side walls  87 , the stabilizer guide  90  is protruded inside (inside wall) of the one side wall  87  contiguous to the first side face plate  21  of the cavity  81 . A lance  83  is disposed on the bottom wall  85  side so as to be bent upward and downward. 
     The stabilizer guide  90  includes: a inclined guide portion  91  that gradually presses back the upper face plate  24  formed as the spring plate to the regular position by sliding contact with the stabilizer  30  while the female terminal  10  is being inserted in the cavity  81  from the rear direction; and a holding guide portion  92  that holds the upper face plate  24  pressed back to the regular position at the same position when the female terminal  10  is inserted to the final insertion position. Here, the final insertion position means: typically, the final position at which the insertion of the female terminal  10  against the cavity  81  completes; for example, the position at which the female terminal  10  is pressed into the cavity  81  to the front direction side to the extent possible. 
     Functions during assembly will be explained below. 
       FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B  are illustrative drawings illustrating that the female terminal is inserted halfway into the cavity of the connector housing,  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B  are illustrative drawings illustrating that the female terminal is inserted further, and  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  are illustrative drawings illustrating that the female terminal is inserted to the final insertion position. 
     A thing to note about the connector is that the female terminal  10  is turned upside down, in which the upper face plate  24  is turned downward and the lower face plate  22  is turned upward, and then inserted in the cavity  81  of the connector housing  80 . Therefore, the lower face plate  22  of the box part  20  in the female terminal  10  faces the ceiling wall  86  of the cavity  81 , the both side plates  21  and  23  face the both side walls  87  of the cavity  81 , and the upper face plate  24  faces the bottom wall  85  of the cavity  81  on which the lance  83  is mounted. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , when the box part  20  faces toward the front direction and then the female terminal  10  is inserted in the cavity  81  of the connector housing  80  from the rear direction, the box part  20  moves so as to be bending the lance  83  downward, and accordingly the inclined portion  31  of the stabilizer  30  runs on the inclined guide portion  91  of the stabilizer guide portion  90 . When the female terminal  10  is inserted further, the upper face plate  24  is pressed inward (the upper sides of  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B ) while gradually accumulating a spring force by the slide of the stabilizer  30  on the inclined guide portion  91  of the stabilizer guide  90 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , when the female terminal  10  is inserted deep further, the flat portion  32  of the stabilizer  30  runs on from the inclined guide portion  91  to the holding guide portion  92  of the stabilizer guide  90 . By this movement, the angle θ1 of the bending portion in which the upper face plate  24  is bent to the second side face plate  23  changes to θ1′ closed to a right angle. Simultaneously, because the stabilizer  30  tends to turn outward by contacting the side wall  87  of the cavity  81 , the angle θ2 of the bending portion in which the stabilizer  30  is bent to the upper face plate  24  changes to θ2′ closed to a right angle. 
     At this time, a spring force F 1  accumulated by the bend of the upper face plate  24  acts downward to the stabilizer guide  90  via the stabilizer  30 , and its reaction force presses the lower face plate  22  of the box part  20  against the ceiling wall  86  of the cavity  81 . The up-and-down rattling of the female terminal  10  is thereby prevented. 
     While a slight gap is provided between the side face plates (the first side face plate  21  and the second side face plate  23 ) of the box part  20  and the side wall  87  of the cavity  81  to facilitate insertion of the female terminal  10 , the stabilizer  30  exerts a pressing force on the side wall  87  of the cavity  81  because the stabilizer  30  is prevented from bending outward together with the bend of the upper face plate  24  by the side wall  87  of the cavity  81 . Accordingly, the rattling of the right and left directions of the female terminal  10  is prevented by the pressing force. 
     When the female terminal  10  is inserted to the final insertion position, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B , the female terminal  10  is fixed so as not to come off backward by locking the locking portion  84  of the lance  83  on the lance locking portion  40  in the rear side of the box part  20  while the lance  83  returns to its original position after the box part  20  passes. At this time, when the flat portion  32  of the stabilizer  30  fully gets on the holding guide portion  92  of the stabilizer guide  90 , the upper face plate  24  in a bending state is stably hold on the regular position where the rectangular cylindrical shape of the box part  20  is formed. The insertion of the female terminal  10  is finished and the connector is completed in this manner. 
     As explained above, with the connector of this embodiment, because the upper face plate  24  formed as the spring plate can be pressed back to the regular position with accumulating the spring force while the female terminal  10  is being inserted in the cavity  81  by using the stabilizer  30  protruded outward on the box part  20  of the female terminal  10 , the rattling of the female terminal  10  housed in the cavity  81  of the connector housing  80  can be prevented by the box part  20  of the female terminal  10  that exerts the pressing force on the inside wall of the cavity  81  by using the spring force. As a result, contact reliability between the female terminal  10  and a counterpart male terminal can be improved in this manner. 
     In particular, because the connector includes: the inclined guide portion  91  that presses back the upper face plate  24  formed as the spring plate to the regular position; and the holding guide portion  92  that holds the upper face plate  24  pressed back to the regular position at the same position, the spring force of the upper face plate  24  formed as the spring plate can be used by the slide of the stabilizer  30  inside the cavity  81  to prevent the rattling in stable conditions. 
     When bending the first side face plate  21  through the upper face plate  24  in order, the upper face plate  24  is not bent to the end (to the position where the upper face plate contacts or comes most close to the first side face plate  21 ), but is held at the bending angle θ1 halfway (held at an angle larger than a right angle). The connector thereby makes the upper face plate  24  service as a cantilevered spring plate having a fulcrum on the third bending line  27  that is the boundary between the second side face plate  23  and the upper face plate  24 . Thus, using the spring property of the upper face plate  24  can prevent the rattling of the female terminal  10  inside the cavity  81  of the connector housing  80  while adopting such simple configuration. 
     The connector including the inclined portion  31  on the front end corner of the stabilizer  30  allows the stabilizer  30  to smoothly move during getting on the inclined guide portion  91  of the stabilizer guide  90  in the side of the connector housing  80 . The connector including also the flat portion  32  on the rear side of the inclined portion  31  allows the stabilizer  30  to be held in stable conditions when the flat portion  32  finally gets on the holding guide portion  92  of the stabilizer guide  90 . 
     In the connector, the spring force of the stabilizer  30  can also contribute to the rattling prevention of the female terminal  10 , because the stabilizer  30  that lies in the same plane as the first side face plate  21  turns outward and pressingly contacts the side wall  87  with which the first side face plate  21  of the cavity  81  comes in contact when the upper face plate  24  formed as the spring plate is pressed back to the regular position while the female terminal  10  is being inserted in the cavity  81 . 
     The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements or the like may be made at any time. Also quality of materials, shape, dimensions, number, installation places, or the like of each component in the above-described embodiment are not specifically limited as long as an object of the present invention may be achieved. 
     In the above-described embodiment, it is explained about the configuration in which the connector includes the female terminal  10 , the tab of the counterpart male terminal is inserted in the box part  20  of the female terminal  10 , and the box part  20  of the female terminal  10  holds the tab of the counterpart male terminal. The configuration is not limited to the above description. In a connector including a box part having a rectangular cylindrical shape formed by four face plates and a male terminal with a tab, the configuration of the present invention may apply to the box part of the male terminal. 
     The present invention can prevent the rattling of the terminal after the terminal is inserted in the cavity of the connector housing while suppressing enlargement of the outside dimensions of the terminal. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.