Patent Publication Number: US-9407040-B2

Title: Connector with functional portion projecting from side surface of connector hosing and terminal accommodating chamber in the functional portion

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a connector. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-12501 discloses a connector assembly in which a rib project on an outer surface of a female connector, a fitting groove is formed on an inner surface of a receptacle of a male connector, and the rib is pushed into the fitting groove while sliding in contact therewith to prevent prying between the female connector and the male connector when the female connector is fit into the receptacle. 
     The rib preferably is thickened to increase strength and to enhance the reliability of a prying preventing function by the rib. The rib and the fitting groove also have a positioning function when the female connector and the male connector are connected. A large rib is easily visible and increases the reliability of the positioning function. 
     However, a large thick rib is likely to have “sinks” formed during a molding process. An improperly deformed rib cannot be fit into the fitting groove and the prying preventing function may be lost. This problem occurs in connectors with a rib that has a prying preventing function, and also in connectors with projections that perform other functions. 
     The invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to enlarge a projection-like functional portion while avoiding the formation of sinks in a molding process. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a connector with a block-like main body formed with terminal accommodating chambers. A projection-like functional portion made of synthetic resin projects from an outer surface of the main body. A terminal accommodating chamber is formed in the projection-like functional portion, and terminal fittings are accommodated into the terminal accommodating chambers. 
     A space constituting the terminal accommodating chamber is present in the projection-like functional portion. Thus, sinks will not form in a molding process of the projection-like functional portion even if the projection-like functional portion is large. 
     The main body may be substantially rectangular when viewed from the front, and the projection-like functional portion may be arranged in a substantially central part of the front of the main body. According to this configuration, a diameter of a virtual circle circumscribing the connector can be made smaller as compared with the case where the projection-like functional portion is on an end part of the side of the main body. Thus, when the connector is inserted into a circular mounting hole or the like formed on a panel, an inner diameter of the mounting hole can be suppressed to a minimum dimension. 
     The main body may be fit into a receptacle, and the projection-like functional portion may be define a rib projecting parallel to a fitting direction into the receptacle for fitting into a groove on an inner surface of the receptacle. Engagement of the rib-like projection-like functional portion into the groove stabilizes the posture of the main body during a fitting process into the receptacle. Thus, the projection-like functional portion exhibits a prying preventing function. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a female connector in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a housing of the connector. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of a male connector. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view in section showing a state where the female connector and the male connector are connected. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A specific embodiment of the invention is described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . A female connector F of this embodiment includes a housing  10  made of synthetic resin, a front retainer  30  mounted on the housing  10 , and terminal fittings  40  accommodated in the housing  10 . 
     The housing  10  includes a block-shaped main body  11  and two projection-like functional portions  16  projecting from outer surfaces of the main body  11 . The main body  11  and the projection-like functional portions  16  are molded unitarily by an unillustrated mold so that the housing  10  is a single unitary component. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the main body  11  is a substantially rectangular (square) in front view. This substantially rectangular shape is defined by a substantially horizontal upper surface  12 , opposite left and right side surfaces  13 , and a substantially horizontal lower surface  14 . A lock arm  15  is located in a laterally central part of the upper surface  12 . 
     The two projection-like functional portions  16  are bilaterally symmetrical and project outwardly in the width direction from the opposite left and right side surfaces  13 . Each projection-like functional portion  16  is a substantially rectangular in front view. A height of the projection-like functional portions  16  is small, i.e. approximately ⅕ of a height of the main body  11 . Further, the projection-like functional portions  16  are at central parts of the side surfaces  13  in a height direction. Projecting distances of the projection-like functional portions  16  from the main body  11  is smaller than a width of the main body  11  and is slightly larger than twice the width of terminal accommodating chambers  17  to be described later. 
     The projection-like functional portions  16  extend over the entire length of the main body  11  from the front end to the rear end of the main body  11 . Thus, the projection-like functional portions  16  define ribs extending long and straight in the front-back direction. A length direction of the projection-like functional portions  16  is parallel to a fitting direction of the female connector F into a receptacle  51  of a male connector M. Thus, the projection-like functional portions  16  exhibit a guide function (prying preventing function) in a fitting process into the receptacle  51 . 
     Terminal accommodating chambers  17  are formed in the main body  11 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a locking lance  18  is cantilevered forward along a bottom surface of each terminal accommodating chamber  17  and is unitary with the main body  11 . In this embodiment, the terminal accommodating chambers  17  are arranged in five stages (i.e. an odd number of stages) separated in the vertical direction. Further, the terminal accommodating chambers  17  are arranged at constant intervals in the width direction in each stage. 
     Two terminal accommodating chambers  17  are formed in each of the projection-like functional portions  16  and have the same shape as those in the main body  11 . The two terminal accommodating chambers  17  formed in each projection-like functional portion  16  are arranged side by side in the width direction. Further, the two terminal accommodating chambers  17  formed in the projection-like functional portion  16  are at the same height as a row of terminal accommodating chambers  17  arranged in the vertically middle stage (third stage from top) of the main body  11 . Further, the arrangement interval of the terminal accommodating chambers  17  of the main body portion  11  in the width direction is set to be equal to that of the two terminal accommodating chambers  17  in the projection-like functional portion  16  in the width direction. Furthermore, an interval between the terminal accommodating chamber  17  on a widthwise end part of the main body portion  11  and the terminal accommodating chamber  17  of the projection-like functional portion  16  located on the side of the main body  11  is equal to the arrangement intervals of the terminal accommodating chambers  17  in the main body  11  and the projection-like functional portions  16 . 
     The front retainer  30  is mounted on a front end of the housing  10 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the front retainer  30  includes a front wall  31  that forms front ends of the terminal accommodating chambers  17  and deflection restricting portions  32  are insertable into deflection spaces  19  for the locking lances  18 . The front wall  31  corresponds to all the terminal accommodating chambers  17  of the main body  11  and all the terminal accommodating chambers  17  of the projection-like functional portions  16 . Thus, a front shape of the front retainer  30  is substantially the same as that of the entire housing  10  including the main body  11  and the projection-like functional portions  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the terminal fittings  40  are accommodated in the respective terminal accommodating chambers  17  in the housing  10 . Each terminal fitting  40  is long in the front-back direction and narrow laterally. A wire  41  is connected to a rear part of the terminal fitting  40 . The terminal fitting  40  is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber  17  from behind the housing  10 . The locking lance  18  interferes with the terminal fitting  40  during the insertion process and is deflected resiliently into the deflection space  19 . The locking lance  18  resiliently restores when the terminal fitting  40  reaches a proper insertion position to lock the terminal fitting  40  in the respective terminal accommodating chamber  17  of the housing  10 . 
     The front retainer  30  is held at a partial locking position on the housing  10  when inserting the terminal fittings  40  into the terminal accommodating chambers  17 . The deflection restricting portion  32  is retracted forward from the deflection space  19  for the locking lance  18  when the front retainer  30  is at the partial locking position. Thus, the locking lance  18  can be deflected resiliently into the deflection space  19  and insertion of the terminal fitting  40  is not hindered. The front retainer  30  is pushed from the front and moved to a full locking position after all of the terminal fittings  40  are inserted. Thus, the deflection restricting portions  32  enter the deflection spaces  19 , and displacements of the locking lances  18  in directions to separate from the terminal fittings  40  is restricted. In this way, the terminal fitting  40  is locked doubly and retained reliably. 
     The male connector M includes a terminal holding portion  50  and a rectangular tubular receptacle  51  extends forward from the outer periphery of the terminal holding portion  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Male terminals  53  are mounted in the terminal holding portion  50  and tabs  54  on the tips of the male terminals  53  are surrounded by the receptacle  51 . A lock  52  projects in from an upper wall of the receptacle  51 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , opposite left and right side walls  55  constituting the receptacle  51  project out in the width direction to form fitting recesses  56 . The fitting recesses  56  are bilaterally symmetrical and are arranged in substantially central parts of the side walls in the vertical direction (height direction). The fitting recesses  56  form grooves from the front end to the rear end of the receptacle  51  (i.e. over the entire length of the receptacle  51 ). 
     To connect the female connector F and the male connector M, the housing  10  is fit into the receptacle  51  and the projection-like functional portions  16  are fit into the fitting recesses  56 . In the fitting process, the rib-like projection-like functional portions  16  slide in contact with the inner surfaces of the groove-like fitting recesses  56 . Thus, the housing  10  is not inclined in the vertical direction in the receptacle  51 , and the two connectors F, M are connected smoothly without binding. In the connecting process, the lock arm  15  deflects resiliently due to interference with the lock projection  52 . The lock arm  15  resiliently restores to lock the lock projection  52  when the two connectors F, M are connected properly so that the two connectors F, M cannot be separated. Further, the tabs  54  are inserted into the terminal fittings  40  and connected to the terminal fittings  40  when the two connectors F, M are connected. 
     The strength of the projection-like functional portions  16  is increased by increasing the height of the projection-like functional portions  16  and the projecting distance thereof from the main body  11  in the width direction, thereby enhancing the reliability of a prying preventing function by the projection-like functional portions  16 . The projection-like functional portions  16  also function as a positioning means when connecting the female connector and the male connector. Thus, the enlarged projection-like functional portions  16  are easily visible to increase the reliability of a positioning function. Sinks could be formed when molding enlarged projection-like functional portions  16  and could impede smooth fitting of the projection-like functional portions  16  into the fitting recesses  56 , thereby losing the prying preventing function. 
     However, the terminal accommodating chambers  17  for accommodating the terminal fittings  40  are formed in the projection-like functional portions  16 . Thus, spaces constituting the terminal accommodating chambers  17  are present in the projection-like functional portions  16 , and each of the projection-like functional portions  16  has a lower wall  20 , an upper wall  21  and a side wall  22 . The walls are sufficiently thin to avoid forming sinks in the projection-like functional portions  16  when molding the housing  10 . Accordingly, the projection-like functional portions  16  can be enlarged while avoiding the formation of sinks in the projection-like functional portions  16  in the molding process. 
     Further, the front view shape of the main body  11  is substantially rectangular and the projection-like functional portions  16  are at substantially central parts of the side surfaces  13  of the main body  11  in the height direction. Accordingly, a diameter of a virtual circle circumscribing the female connector F (housing  10 ) can be smaller as compared with the case where the projection-like functional portions  16  are on upper end parts or lower end parts of the side surface portions  13  of the main body  11 . Thus, when the connector is inserted into a circular mounting hole (not shown) on a panel or the like, an inner diameter of the mounting hole can be suppressed to a minimum dimension. 
     Further, in the female connector F of this embodiment, the main body  11  is fit into the receptacle  51  and the projection-like functional portions  16  are in the form of ribs projecting parallel to the fitting direction into the receptacle  51 . The projection-like functional portions  16  are fit into the groove-like fitting recesses  56  formed on inner surfaces of the receptacle  51 . The posture of the main body  11  is stabilized by fitting the rib-like projection-like functional portions  16  into the groove-like fitting recesses  56  in the fitting process into the receptacle  51 . Thus, the projection-like functional portions  16  exhibit the prying or binding preventing function. 
     The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiments also are included in the scope of the invention. 
     Although two terminal accommodating chambers are formed in one projection-like functional portion in the above embodiment, the number of the terminal accommodating chamber(s) formed in one projection-like functional portion may be only one or three or more. 
     The main body and the projection-like functional portions are formed unitarily in the above embodiment. However, they may be separate components. 
     Although the main body is a single body in the above embodiment, a plurality of constituent components may be united into the main body. In this case, projection-like functional portion(s) may be formed integrally on any one of the constituent components. 
     Two projection-like functional portions are formed in the above embodiment. However, the number of the projection-like functional portion(s) to be formed may be only one or three or more. 
     The projection-like functional portions are bilaterally symmetrical in the above embodiment, but they may be bilaterally asymmetrical. 
     Although the projection-like functional portions exhibit the prying binding preventing function in the above embodiment, they may have another function (e.g. inverted connection preventing function) in addition to the prying preventing function or may have another function without having the prying preventing function. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
         F . . . female connector 
           11  . . . main body 
           13  . . . side surface 
           16  . . . projection-like functional portion 
           17  . . . terminal accommodating chamber 
           40  . . . terminal fitting 
           51  . . . receptacle 
           56  . . . fitting recess