Connector with coupling portion

This specification relates to a connector.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-152990 discloses a connector that includes a connector housing and terminal fittings to be mounted into the connector housing from behind.

The terminal fitting includes a tubular body that extends in a front-rear direction and has open front and rear ends. A wire connecting portion extends substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the body and is to be crimped and connected to an end of a wire. A coupling extends from the rear end of the body to the wire connecting portion and is substantially L-shaped when viewed laterally.

The connector housing is composed of an accommodating portion in the form of a vertically long thick plate and a tower projects forward from an upper part of the accommodating portion so that the connector housing is substantially L-shaped. Cavities are formed in the tower and can receive the bodies of the terminal fittings so that the body of each terminal fitting is in a substantially horizontal posture along the front-rear direction.

If the wire is pulled in the extending direction, a load acts on the coupling of the terminal fitting and the coupling may deform or break.

A connector disclosed in this specification has a terminal and a housing including a terminal accommodating portion configured to accommodate the terminal. The terminal includes a terminal connecting portion extending in a first direction and a wire connecting portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The wire connecting portion is to be connected to an end of a wire extending in the second direction. A plate-like coupling couples the terminal connecting portion and the wire connecting portion. The coupling includes a first and second coupling portions. The first coupling portion is connected to the terminal connecting portion and extends in the first direction. The second coupling portion extends in the second direction from an extending end of the first coupling portion toward the wire connecting portion. A projection projects from a side edge of the first coupling portion in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions. A groove is open in a third inner wall of the terminal accommodating portion of the housing and faces in the third direction. The groove is configured to accommodate the projection so that the projection can contact an inner wall of the groove in the second direction.

The contact of the projection of the coupling with the inner wall of the groove in the terminal accommodating portion is in the second direction. This contact prevents the coupling from being deformed or broken by being pulled in the second direction when the wire connecting portion is pulled in the second direction, for example, when the wire extending in the second direction is pulled in the second direction.

The terminal accommodating portion of the housing may include a tubular first accommodating portion extending in the first direction, and the terminal connecting portion of the terminal may be accommodated into the first accommodating portion. A locking lance may be provided on a second inner wall facing in the second direction, and the locking lance may be resiliently displaceable in the second direction. A lock may project on the locking lance and may be inserted into a locking hole in the terminal connecting portion. The lock may contact an inner wall of the lock hole to suppress a displacement of the terminal in the first direction. The lock of the locking lance may slide on a surface of the terminal connecting portion in which the lock hole is formed and may be displaced resiliently in the second direction with the projection accommodated in the groove portion when the terminal connecting portion is accommodated into the first accommodating portion.

The projection of the terminal is accommodated in the groove of the housing during the insertion of the terminal connecting portion into the first accommodating portion and before the terminal connecting portion contacts the lock of the locking lance. The lock of the locking lance resiliently contacts the surface of the terminal connecting portion that has the lock hole and urges the terminal connecting portion in the second direction. However, at this time, the projection already is in contact with the inner wall of the groove in the second direction. Thus, a displacement of the terminal connecting portion in the second direction can be suppressed and the terminal connecting portion can be inserted in a stable posture into the first accommodating portion.

The terminal connecting portion may be open rearward, and the first coupling portion may be connected to an opening edge located on a side opposite to the second coupling portion in the second direction. Thus, the entire terminal can be reduced in size in the second direction, as compared to the case where the first coupling portion is connected to an opening edge located on the side of the second coupling portion. Associated with this, the terminal accommodating portion of the housing configured to accommodate the terminal also can be reduced in size.

Two of the projections may be provided on both side edges of the first coupling portion, and two of the grooves may be provided in two of the third inner walls. Thus, a displacement of the first coupling portion in the second direction is suppressed more firmly.

Accordingly, the coupling that couples the terminal connecting portion and the wire connecting portion is not likely to be deformed or broken if the wire connected to the L-shaped terminal is pulled down.

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of a connector in a state where a terminal is accommodated.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the connector.

FIG. 3 is a section along A-A in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a side view partly in section of the connector in a state while the terminal is being accommodated.

FIG. 5 is a back view of a housing.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the terminal.

FIG. 7 is a back view of the terminal.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the terminal before crimping.

An embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 . In the following description, an X side in FIGS. 1 to 8 is referred to as a front in a front-rear direction (first direction), a Z side is referred to as an upper side in a vertical direction (second direction perpendicular to the first direction) and a Y side is referred to as a right side in a lateral direction (third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction).

As shown in FIG. 1 , a connector 10 includes an L-shaped housing 12 , an L-shaped terminal 14 to be accommodated into the housing 12 , and a retainer 16 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the terminal 14 includes a rectangular tubular terminal connecting portion 18 that is open in the front-rear direction, a wire connecting portion 20 extending in the vertical direction, and a plate-like coupling 22 that couples the terminal connecting portion 18 and the wire connecting portion 20 . As shown in FIG. 6 , an end 24 A of a wire 24 is crimped and connected to the wire connecting portion 20 , and the wire 24 extends down from the wire connecting portion 20 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the coupling 22 is composed of a first coupling portion 22 A extending rearward from a rear end opening edge 26 of the terminal connecting portion 18 and a second coupling portion 22 B extending down from the rear extending end of the first coupling portion 22 A to the wire connecting portion 20 . As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , two projections 30 respectively project left and right from left and right side edges 28 of the first coupling portion 22 A.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the first coupling portion 22 A is connected to an opening edge 26 A on a side opposite to the second coupling portion 22 B in the vertical direction (i.e. located on an upper side). In this way, a vertical length of the entire terminal 14 can be made shorter by a vertical length of the terminal connecting portion 18 as compared to the case where the first coupling 22 A is connected to an opening edge 26 B located on the lower side of the second coupling portion 22 B, and the terminal 14 can be reduced in size. Associated with this, a later-described terminal accommodating portion 36 of the housing 12 for accommodating the terminal 14 also can be reduced in size in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 8 , a lock hole 32 A is open in an upper surface 32 of the terminal connecting portion 18 and receives a lock 44 A of a locking lance 44 of the housing 12 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the housing 12 is L-shaped and includes the terminal accommodating portion 36 having a rear opening 34 , and the terminal 14 is accommodated into the terminal accommodating portion 36 from behind through the rear opening 34 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the terminal accommodating portion 36 has first and second accommodating portions 38 and 40 . The first accommodating portion 38 is a rectangular tube extending in the front-rear direction and accommodates the terminal connecting portion 18 and the coupling 22 of the terminal 14 inside. The second accommodating portion 40 extends vertically down from a rear end of the first accommodating portion 38 and is configured to accommodate the wire connecting portion 20 of the terminal 14 inside. The insides of the first and second accommodating portions 38 and 40 communicate with each other.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the first accommodating portion 38 is open both forward and rearward. An unillustrated mating terminal is inserted through a front opening of the first accommodating portion 38 and is fit into the terminal connecting portion 18 of the terminal 14 . The second accommodating portion 40 is open both down and rearward, and the wire 24 is inserted through a lower opening of the second accommodating portion 40 .

The first accommodating portion 38 includes two second inner walls 38 B facing each other in the vertical direction and two third inner walls 38 A facing each other in the lateral direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , two grooves 42 extend in the front-rear direction in the left and right inner walls 38 A of the first accommodating portion 38 . The rear ends of the grooves 42 are located in the rear opening 34 . The grooves 42 are bottomed recesses recessed leftward and rightward from the inside of the first accommodating portion 38 , and also rearward. The projections 30 of the terminal 14 are accommodated into the grooves 42 through the rear opening 34 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the locking lance 44 is cantilevered forward on a front part of the upper inner wall (second inner wall) 38 B of the first accommodating portion 38 . The lock 44 A projects down on a front part of the locking lance 44 . When the terminal connecting portion 18 of the terminal 14 is accommodated into the first accommodating portion 38 from behind, the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 is displaced up and is inserted into the lock hole 32 A in the upper surface 32 of the terminal connecting portion 18 while the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 and the upper surface 32 of the terminal connecting portion 18 are sliding on each other. When the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 is inserted into the lock hole 32 A, the locking lance 44 returns to an initial position and the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 is located to contact an inner wall of the lock hole 32 A. In this way, when the terminal 14 is displaced rearward, the inner wall of the lock hole 32 A contacts the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 from the front to prevent the rearward escape of the terminal 14 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , a rearwardly cantilevered lock arm 46 is provided on the upper surface of the first accommodating portion 38 . The lock arm 46 is displaced resiliently down and engages an unillustrated protrusion of an unillustrated mating housing when being fit to the mating housing. A front part of the locking lance 44 is displaced resiliently in an upward direction D 1 and a rear part of the lock arm 46 when the lock arm 46 is displaced resiliently in a downward direction D 2 to partially overlap in a range R in the vertical direction. In this way, the housing 12 is reduced in size in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the projections 30 of the terminal 14 enter the grooves 42 of the housing 12 from behind as the terminal 14 is accommodated into the housing 12 . When the projections 30 of the terminal 14 are located on rear ends of the grooves 42 , as shown in FIG. 4 , the front end of the upper surface 32 of the terminal connecting portion 18 of the terminal 14 is behind the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 of the first accommodating portion 38 . Further, when the terminal connecting portion 18 of the terminal 14 is displaced forward, the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 and the upper surface 32 of the terminal connecting portion 18 slide on each other to displace the locking lance 44 up. At this time, a front of the terminal connecting portion 18 is pressed down by a reaction force of the locking lance 44 , and a rear end of the terminal connecting portion 18 is biased up. However, the projections 30 of the terminal 14 are accommodated in the grooves 42 , and the projections 30 of the terminal 14 contact inner walls of the grooves 42 from below to suppress an upward displacement of the terminal connecting portion 18 . In this way, the terminal connecting portion 18 can be inserted in a stable posture into the first accommodating portion 38 .

If the wire 24 is pulled down with the terminal 14 accommodated is in the terminal accommodating portion 36 of the housing 12 , the projections 30 on the first coupling 22 A contact the inner walls of the grooves 42 of the first accommodating portion 38 from above to suppress a downward displacement of the first coupling 22 A and to suppress deformation or breakage of the coupling 22 . The terminal 14 includes the left and right projections 30 . Thus, a downward displacement of the first coupling portion 22 A is suppressed more firmly as compared to a configuration where only one of the left and right projections is provided.

As described above, the projections 30 on the coupling 22 are located to contact the inner walls of the grooves 42 provided in the terminal accommodating portion 36 of the housing 12 in the vertical direction. Thus, the projections 30 contact the inner walls of the grooves 42 of the housing 12 , for example, when the wire 24 extending in the vertical direction is pulled in the vertical direction and the wire connecting portion 20 is pulled in the vertical direction. Thus, the coupling 22 that is pulled in the vertical direction is not likely to be deformed or broken.

When inserting the terminal connecting portion 18 into the first accommodating portion 38 , the projections 30 of the terminal 14 enter the grooves 42 of the housing 12 before the terminal connecting portion 18 contacts the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 . In this way, when the terminal connecting portion 18 contacts the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 , the lock 44 A of the locking lance 44 contacts the upper surface 32 of the terminal connecting portion 18 in the vertical direction (second direction) to displace the terminal connecting portion 18 vertically. However, at this time, the projections 30 contact the inner walls of the grooves 42 in the vertical direction so that a displacement of the terminal connecting portion 18 in the vertical direction is suppressed and the terminal connecting portion 18 can be inserted in a stable posture into the first accommodating portion 38 .

Further, the first coupling 22 A is connected to the opening edge 26 A located on the side opposite to the second coupling 22 B, thus the entire terminal 14 can be reduced in size in the vertical direction (second direction) as compared to the case where the first coupling 22 A is connected to the opening edge 26 A located on the side of the second coupling portion 22 B. Associated with this, the terminal accommodating portion 36 of the housing 12 into which the terminal 14 is accommodated can also be reduced in size.

Further, the projections 30 are brought into contact with the inner walls of the grooves 42 so that a vertical displacement of the first coupling 22 A.

This specification is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following various modes are also included.

Although the terminal 14 is provided with the two projections 30 in the above embodiment, only one projection may be provided.

The terminal accommodating portion 36 of the housing 12 is composed of the first accommodating portion 38 and the second accommodating portion 40 in the above embodiment. However, the second accommodating portion may not be provided and the wire connecting portion of the terminal may be exposed to outside.

Although the locking lance 44 is provided on the front part of the upper inner wall 38 B of the first accommodating portion 38 in the above embodiment, the locking lance may be provided on any one of the lower inner wall and the both left and right inner walls of the first accommodating portion. In this case, the lock hole of the terminal connecting portion also is provided at a position corresponding to the locking lance.

10 : connector

12 : housing

14 : terminal

18 : terminal connecting portion

20 : wire connecting portion

22 : coupling

22 A: first coupling portion

22 B: second coupling portion

24 : wire

24 A: end

26 : rear end opening edge

26 A, 26 B: opening edge

28 : side edge

30 : projection

32 : upper surface

32 A: lock hole

36 : terminal accommodating portion

38 : first accommodating portion

38 A: inner wall (third inner wall)

38 B: inner wall (second inner wall)

42 : groove

44 : locking lance

44 A: lock