阅读说明：本技术 电连接器以及该电连接器内的连接端子的卡合方法 (Electric connector and method for engaging connection terminal in electric connector ) 是由 安保次雄 于 2020-06-01 设计创作，主要内容包括：卡合板部3配置成可在箭头所示的横向上移动,将连接端子T如(a)那样,一边使连接部Ta的卡合片Tc经过卡合板部3的插通槽3d一边插入连接端子T。然后,对卡合板部3向箭头方向压入操作部件4,利用楔机构使卡合板部3横向移动,并如(b)那样,使卡合片Tc移行到设置于插通槽3d的前端侧部的卡合部3e。由此,卡合部3e卡合住卡合片Tc的后部,限制连接端子T向后方的移动。(The engaging plate portion 3 is disposed to be movable in a lateral direction indicated by an arrow, and the connecting terminal T is inserted into the connecting terminal T while the engaging piece Tc of the connecting portion Ta passes through the insertion groove 3d of the engaging plate portion 3 as shown in (a). Then, the operating member 4 is pushed into the engaging plate portion 3 in the direction of the arrow, the engaging plate portion 3 is moved laterally by the wedge mechanism, and the engaging piece Tc is moved to the engaging portion 3e provided at the distal end side portion of the insertion groove 3d as in (b). Thus, the engaging portion 3e engages the rear portion of the engaging piece Tc to restrict the rearward movement of the connection terminal T.)

1. An electrical connector, comprising: a housing main body; a terminal holder inserted into the housing main body from a rear side of the housing main body; an engaging plate portion connected to a front end of the terminal holder and movable in a lateral direction orthogonal to a direction in which the terminal holder is inserted; and an operating member that moves the engaging plate portion, which is inserted into the housing main body together with the terminal holder, in the lateral direction; and the electric connector is characterized in that a plurality of connecting terminals with clamping sheets are arranged in the terminal retainer,

a holder holding portion for holding the terminal holder at a rear portion and terminal holding portions for holding connection portions of the connection terminals at front portions are provided in the housing main body;

a plurality of openings into which the connection terminals are inserted, respectively, are provided at a rear portion of the terminal holder;

an insertion groove for allowing an engagement piece of the connection terminal to pass therethrough is formed in a substrate portion of the engagement plate portion, an insertion plate coupled to the terminal holder movably in the lateral direction is provided in a rear portion of the substrate portion, and an operated end for being moved in the lateral direction by the operation member is provided in a part of the substrate portion;

an operation portion that is pressed into the terminal holding portion provided in the housing main body from a press-fitting opening of the terminal holding portion and acts on the operated end of the engagement plate portion is provided in the operation member;

in the operation member, the operation portion moves the engagement plate portion in the lateral direction due to the press-fitting, and the engagement piece of the connection terminal is engaged by the engagement plate portion, thereby restricting the backward pull of the connection terminal.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a stepped engaging portion is provided at a front end side portion of the insertion groove of the engaging plate portion, and a pull-back of the connection terminal is restricted by the engaging portion by the movement of the engaging plate portion in the lateral direction.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein an insertion groove communicating with the insertion groove of the engagement plate portion is formed in a bottom plate of the terminal holding portion of the housing main body, and the insertion groove of the bottom plate is closed by the movement of the engagement plate portion in the lateral direction to engage with the engagement piece of the connection terminal.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the connection terminal is housed in the terminal holder in two layers, an upper layer and a lower layer, and the insertion groove of the engaging plate portion is formed on both upper and lower surfaces of the engaging plate portion.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein an insertion groove is provided in the terminal holder to communicate with the insertion groove of the engaging plate portion.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the operating member presses the operating portion into the engaging plate portion by abutting the operating portion, and moves the engaging plate portion in the lateral direction by a wedge action with the operated end of the engaging plate portion.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the operation member functions as a confirmation means for confirming the movement of the engagement plate portion in the lateral direction in the inserted state of the engagement plate portion.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the press-fitting opening of the operating member is provided on a front surface of the terminal holding portion of the housing main body.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal holder projects a housing lance having elasticity forward, and a part of the connection terminal is engaged by the housing lance.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal holding portion of the housing main body is a waterproof structure in which water does not infiltrate.

11. A method of engaging a connection terminal in an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising: a housing main body; a terminal holder inserted into the housing main body from a rear side of the housing main body; an engaging plate portion connected to a front end of the terminal holder and movable in a lateral direction orthogonal to a direction in which the terminal holder is inserted; and an operating member that moves the engaging plate portion, which is inserted into the housing main body together with the terminal holder, in the lateral direction; and the electric connector is provided with a plurality of connecting terminals having an engaging piece, and the terminal holder is internally provided with the connecting terminals, and the engaging method of the connecting terminals in the electric connector is characterized in that,

the engaging plate portion is connected to the terminal holder so that a rear portion thereof is laterally movable, and when the connecting terminal is inserted, an engaging piece provided in the connecting terminal is inserted while being advanced in an insertion groove formed in the engaging plate portion, and after the connecting terminal is inserted, the operating member is pressed into the housing body through a pressing inlet provided in the housing body, and the engaging plate portion is moved in the lateral direction, whereby the rear portion of the engaging piece of the connecting terminal is engaged, and the rearward movement of the connecting terminal is restricted.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electrical connector which is used for connecting an electronic circuit of an automobile, for example, and which can reliably hold even a small connection terminal in a housing (housing), and to a method of engaging the connection terminal in the electrical connector.

Background

Conventionally, when a strong force is applied to an electric wire drawn out to the outside during a wire harness processing or when a wire harness is attached to a vehicle body of an automobile, a so-called pull-back phenomenon in which a connection terminal is pulled out rearward from a housing is likely to occur with respect to a connection terminal built in a housing of an electric connector. Since the back pull of the connection terminal breaks the function as an electrical connector, it is prevented by an engagement mechanism provided in the housing, and is usually engaged by a flexible case lance (case space) provided in the housing.

However, with the miniaturization of the connection terminal in recent years, the housing also becomes miniaturized and the housing lance also has to be miniaturized, and there are often cases where sufficient engaging force cannot be obtained only with the housing lance.

Therefore, an electrical connector is known in which a connection terminal is engaged with a housing lance in the housing, and a wide side holder is inserted from the side of the housing to engage the connection terminal with the housing, as in patent document 1.

In the electrical connector, the body of the side holder is inserted into the housing from the side of the housing, and when the connection terminal is engaged with the housing, the engagement piece attached to the connection terminal is engaged with the inserted side holder.

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2011-86504.

Disclosure of Invention

[ problems to be solved by the invention ]

However, the electrical connector of patent document 1 has to form a large hole portion into which the side retainer is inserted in a side portion of the housing, and the hole portion is difficult to be waterproofed, and water easily infiltrates into the housing, and thus is not suitable for an electrical connector requiring waterproofness when connecting terminals are connected to each other.

Also, since the end of the side holder is always exposed to the outer surface of the side portion of the housing, there is a possibility that the side holder is detached from the housing due to an accidental contact with another member.

[ means for solving problems ]

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide an electrical connector in which an engagement plate portion built in a housing is moved in the housing by an operation member inserted from the front of the housing, thereby reliably engaging a built-in connection terminal and preventing the connection terminal from being disengaged rearward, and an engagement method of the connection terminal in the electrical connector.

[ Effect of the invention ]

The electric connector and the method for engaging the connection terminal in the electric connector according to the present invention move the movable engaging plate portion provided in the housing main body by the operating member of the other member inserted from the front to engage the connection terminal, and therefore, the connection terminal can be reliably held in the housing.

Further, by forming a press-fitting opening for press-fitting the operation member in the front surface of the housing main body, the waterproof property can be maintained in a state of being fitted to the mating electrical connector.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the electrical connector in an assembled state as viewed from the front.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the rear.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the electrical connector in a disassembled state as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the assembled electrical connector cut in the vertical direction.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view obtained by cutting in the horizontal direction.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the connection terminal.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the engaging plate portion.

Fig. 8 is a front view.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the operation member.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the state in which the engagement plate portion is coupled to the terminal holder.

Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the housing cut in the vertical direction with the terminal holder temporarily inserted.

Fig. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view obtained by cutting in the horizontal direction.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of a process of initially inserting the connection terminal in a temporarily inserted state of the terminal holder.

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view in a state where the connection terminal is secondarily inserted.

Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a state in which the engaging plate portion is inserted in a fully inserted state of the terminal holder.

Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a process of pushing in the operation member and moving the engagement plate portion laterally.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments of the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment in an assembled state, as viewed from the front, fig. 2 is a perspective view as viewed from the rear, and fig. 3 is a perspective view as viewed from the rear in an exploded state. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the assembled electrical connector cut in the vertical direction, and fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the electrical connector cut in the horizontal direction.

The electrical connector is composed of: a housing main body 1; a terminal holder 2 inserted into the housing main body 1 from the rear of the housing main body 1; an engaging plate portion 3 connected to the tip of the terminal holder 2 and movable in a lateral direction orthogonal to the direction in which the terminal holder 2 is inserted; and an operation member 4 inserted from the front of the housing body 1 and moving the engagement plate 3 laterally inside. The housing body 1, the terminal holder 2, the engaging plate portion 3, and the operating member 4 are made of synthetic resin material and are manufactured by injection molding.

A terminal holder 2 in which a connection terminal described later is built is inserted from the rear of the housing main body 1 into the inside. The engaging plate portion 3 is coupled to the front end of the terminal holder 2 so as to be movable in the lateral direction, and is inserted into the housing body 1 together with the terminal holder 2, and the engaging plate portion 3 is operated by an operating member 4 pushed in from the front of the housing body 1. According to this operation, the engagement plate portion 3 moves relative to the terminal holder 2 in the lateral direction orthogonal to the direction in which the engagement plate portion 3 is inserted, and engages the rear end of the engagement piece of the built-in connection terminal.

In this embodiment of the electrical connector, for example, a female terminal, which is a receiving type connecting terminal having 12 rows of 6 upper and lower layers and is a male terminal, is built in from the rear side, and the female terminal and the male terminal, which is a plug-in type connecting terminal having the same number, are connected to each other at the front side, whereby the connecting terminals can be electrically connected to each other.

The size of the small-sized electrical connector is, for example, 24mm wide, 14mm high, and 24mm long in an assembled state, and an appropriate size of the electrical connector can be adopted according to the size, number, and the like of the connection terminals.

First, a description will be given of a connection terminal incorporated in the housing main body 1, which is a receiving type connection terminal having a total length of, for example, 15mm formed by press-bending a conductive metal plate such as brass having a thickness of, for example, 0.15mm, as shown in a perspective view of fig. 6. A connection portion Ta for receiving a square column shape having a width of 1.1mm, a height of 1.6mm and a length of about 4.8mm is formed at the front portion of the connection terminal T. In addition, their dimensions do not limit the size of the connection terminal T.

On one side in the width direction of the rear end of the bottom surface Tb of the coupling portion Ta, an engagement piece Tc formed by cutting into the bottom surface Tb and engaged with the engagement plate portion 3 protrudes downward and in the front-rear direction. The engaging piece Tc is formed in a U shape, for example, 0.4mm high, by once turning the edge portion of the fin-cut downward and upward again.

The engagement piece Tc also serves as a stabilizer (stabilizer) for stabilizing the posture of the inserted connection terminal T, and also serves to guide the insertion of the connection terminal T, thereby preventing the connection terminal T from separating rearward. Further, the rear upper end of the connecting portion Ta is a pressed portion Td against which a housing lance formed in the terminal holder 2 abuts from behind.

An electric wire W having an outer diameter of about 1mm covered with a covering portion Wa is connected to a rear end portion of a connection terminal T, and a core wire portion Wb of a front end of the electric wire W exposed from the covering portion Wa is crimped and connected to the connection terminal T by bending a U-shaped core wire crimping portion Te. Further, by bending the U-shaped covered pressure-bonding section Tf together with the covered section Wa, the cylindrical sealing material Wc made of synthetic rubber for waterproofing inserted to the outside of the covered section Wa is pressure-bonded and fixed to the rear of the core wire pressure-bonding section Te.

The outer shell body 1 is provided with a middle tube 1a at a central portion, an outer tube 1b is disposed outside the middle tube 1a with a gap therebetween so as to surround the middle tube 1a in a wide range, a rear portion of the outer tube 1b is connected to a rear portion of the middle tube 1a, and the middle tube 1a and the outer tube 1b are integrally molded.

The rear part of the middle tube 1a is opened rearward with a holder holding part 1c for inserting the terminal holder 2, the rear frame part of the inserted terminal holder 2 is held by the holder holding part 1c, and the inner front end of the outer tube 1b of the middle tube 1a is a waterproof part 1d having a slightly smaller outer diameter.

A cylindrical terminal holding portion 1e having a smaller diameter than the inner cylinder 1a is formed inside the inner cylinder 1a at a position further forward than the inner cylinder 1a with a slight gap therebetween. The terminal holding portion 1e is supported from the inside of the middle cylinder 1a by a plurality of ribs 1 f. Further, a gap into which a housing lance of the terminal holder 2 described later enters is provided between the ribs 1 f. The terminal holding portion 1e is for holding the connecting portion Ta of the connection terminal T inside the terminal holding portion 1e, and the front wall of the terminal holding portion 1e is substantially closed except for an opening portion and an insertion member 4 described later.

As a coupling mechanism between the housing main body 1 and the terminal holder 2, long groove-shaped coupling groove portions 1g for temporary insertion into which the coupling projections 2c for temporary insertion of the terminal holder 2 are fitted when the terminal holder 2 is temporarily inserted are formed on both side portions of the holder holding portion 1 c. As a similar coupling mechanism, two main insertion coupling groove portions 1h are formed in each of upper and lower portions of the holder holding portion 1c, and the main insertion coupling groove portions 1h serve as main insertion coupling projections 2d for receiving and accommodating the terminal holder 2 when the terminal holder 2 is fully inserted.

When the electrical connector is used, the housing H of the counterpart is inserted between the inner cylinder 1a and the outer cylinder 1 b. Therefore, the periphery of the front end of the middle tube 1a is surrounded by synthetic rubber, and the synthetic rubber is made of, for example, silicone rubber as a waterproof member for the housing H. The sealing portion 1i is connected to both the inner and outer surfaces of the middle tube 1a via a small hole provided in the waterproof portion 1d, and the cross-sections of the inner and outer surfaces are formed in a wave shape to effectively prevent water from entering, respectively. The sealing portion 1i is preferably attached and crosslinked at the time of injection molding of the housing main body 1.

In the terminal holding portion 1e, a total of 12 connecting portion accommodating chambers 1j having a square cross section are provided in 6 rows on the left and right, and two stages on the upper and lower sides, and the total of 12 connecting portion accommodating chambers 1j accommodate the connecting portions Ta of the connecting terminals T, respectively. Between the upper and lower connecting part accommodating chambers 1j, bottom plates 1k, 1k 'for supporting the bottom surfaces Tb of the connecting terminals T are disposed back to back with a gap therebetween, and the total thickness of the bottom plates 1k, 1 k' including the gap is, for example, 1.4 mm.

On both upper and lower surfaces of the bottom plates 1k, 1k ', in order to partition between the right and left adjacent connection terminals T, partition walls 1l, 1l ' of a total of 10 sets of upper and lower pieces extend sufficiently long in the longitudinal direction, and a gap is provided between the partition walls 1l, 1l '. The space surrounded by the bottom plates 1k, 1k 'and the partition walls 1l, 1 l' is a connection portion accommodating chamber 1j for accommodating the connection portion Ta. A horizontal plate of an operating member 4 described later is inserted into a gap between bottom plates 1k and 1k ', and a vertical plate of the operating member 4 is inserted into a gap between partition walls 1l and 1 l'.

The front surface of the terminal holding portion 1e is closed by a front wall 1m, 6 square openings 1n each having a total of 12 are formed in the upper and lower sides corresponding to each of the connection terminals T inserted into the front wall 1m, and the insertion ends of the insertion-type connection terminals of the corresponding pair are inserted into the respective square openings 1n having a total of 12. Further, a pressure inlet 1o for the operation member 4 is provided in the front wall 1m, and the pressure inlet 1o for the operation member 4 is inserted into the housing main body 1 to move the engagement plate portion 3 in the lateral direction. Further, one horizontal groove 1p and a plurality of vertical grooves 1q are formed as the pressure inlet 1o, the horizontal groove 1p is provided between the upper and lower openings 1n, the vertical groove 1q is provided between the left and right openings 1n, the horizontal groove 1p communicates with the gap between the bottom plates 1k, 1k 'of the terminal holding portion 1e, and the vertical groove 1q communicates with the gap between the partition walls 1l, 1 l'.

On both right and left outer sides of the terminal holding portion 1e, recesses 1r into which side plates on both sides of the operation member 4 are fitted are provided. Further, a lock arm 1s having elasticity for maintaining a state of being connected to a mating connector and locking is formed at an upper center portion of the outer cylinder 1b of the housing main body 1, and a lock claw 1t is projected to an upper portion of the lock arm 1 s.

A frame portion 2a inserted into the holder holding portion 1c of the inner tube 1a is provided at the rear portion of the terminal holder 2, and a total of 12 openings 2b, into which the connection terminals T are inserted, are provided in 6 rows on the left and right sides and in two stages on the upper and lower sides of the frame portion 2a, and the openings 2b each have a circular cross section with a diameter of, for example, about 2.3 mm.

In both right and left side portions of the frame portion 2a, in a state where the terminal holder 2 is temporarily inserted, the coupling projections 2c for temporary insertion fitted into the coupling groove portions 1g for temporary insertion of the holder holding portion 1c are projected outward one by one. In addition, two main insertion coupling protrusions 2d that fit into the main insertion coupling groove portions 1h of the holder holding portion 1c in the main insertion state are provided in the upper and lower portions of the frame portion 2a in the vertical direction. Further, a stopper 2e is provided at the rear end of the terminal holder 2 in the vertical direction, and the stopper 2e stops the insertion of the terminal holder 2 into the alignment sleeve 1a at a predetermined position when the terminal holder is actually inserted.

The coupling protrusions 2c and 2d may be provided in the holder holding portion 1c, and the coupling groove portions 1g and 1h may be provided in the frame portion 2 a.

From the upper and lower portions of the front portion of the opening 2b of the frame portion 2a, 6 casing lances 2f having a total of 12 elasticity protrude forward for each built-in connection terminal T. In the connection terminal T, upper and lower housing lances 2f are provided vertically symmetrically with respect to each other so that 6 connection portions Ta are vertically symmetrically housed in upper and lower connection portion housing chambers 1j of the terminal holding portion 1 e. Further, near the front end of each housing lance 2f, a hook 2g is formed, the hook 2g abutting from behind and pressing against a pressed portion Td of the connection portion Ta of the connection terminal T, and upper and lower hooks 2g are provided vertically symmetrically to each other.

A partition part 2h is provided between the upper and lower openings 2b of the frame part 2a, the partition part 2h vertically partitions the openings 2b and is continuous with the openings 2b, the inner cross section is formed in a semicircular arc shape, and the thinnest part of the partition part 2h is formed to have a thickness of 0.45 mm. A flat plate-like terminal mounting plate 2i extends forward of the partition portion 2 h. The terminal mounting plate 2i is, for example, 1.4mm thick, and the bottom surface Tb of each connection terminal T is mounted on both the upper and lower surfaces.

On both the upper and lower surfaces of the terminal mounting plate 2i, 6 insertion grooves 2j each having a width of, for example, 0.6mm and a depth of 0.4mm are formed in the front-rear direction so that the engagement piece Tc passes forward when the connection terminal T is inserted. Further, since the engagement piece Tc is formed closer to one side in the width direction of the connection portion Ta, the vertical insertion grooves 2j are formed so as to be shifted from each other in left-right symmetry.

In this way, the insertion grooves 2j are formed to be offset in one direction, and the same applies to insertion grooves in both the upper and lower surfaces of the engagement plate portion 3 shown in fig. 8 described later. A wide slit-shaped coupling hole 2k is formed at the tip of the terminal mounting plate 2i, and the coupling hole 2k is an insertion plate for receiving the engagement plate portion 3 described later in a laterally movable manner.

As shown in the plan view of fig. 7 and the front view of fig. 8, the engaging plate portion 3 is composed of a base plate portion 3a, an insertion plate 3b projecting rearward, and two operated ends 3c projecting forward. The substrate portion 3a is a substantially rectangular plate having a thickness of 1.4mm, which is the same as the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1 k' of the terminal holding portion 1e and the gap between the terminal mounting plates 2i of the terminal holder 2.

In the upper and lower surfaces of the base plate portion 3a, at the insertion and connection position of the engagement plate portion 3 to the terminal holder 2, a total of 6 insertion grooves 3d of 12 are formed in the front-rear direction, and these insertion grooves 3d communicate with the insertion grooves 2j provided in the terminal mounting plate 2i, and have the same width of 0.6mm and depth of 0.4mm as the insertion grooves 2 j. Further, a stepped notch provided in the width direction is formed at the front end side of each insertion groove 3d to serve as an engagement portion 3e for engaging the engagement piece Tc, so that the connection terminal T is not separated rearward.

In fig. 8, a state in which the engagement piece Tc of the connection terminal T is inserted into the insertion groove 3d of the engagement plate portion 3 is indicated by a one-dot chain line.

An insertion plate 3b is fitted into the coupling hole 2k of the terminal holder 2, and the insertion plate 3b is in the form of a plate having a width smaller than the width of the coupling hole 2k and a thickness of about 0.6 mm. The operated end 3c is a strip plate having a thickness of about 0.6mm and protruding forward from the front edge 3f of the base plate portion 3 a. A receiving slope 3g is formed on the distal end side of the operated end 3c, and this receiving slope 3g is a wedge mechanism for changing the direction in which the engaging plate 3 is moved laterally with respect to the housing body 1 and the terminal holder 2 by the operating member 4.

The operation member 4 is a member that is press-fitted into the terminal holding portion 1e from the press-fitting opening 1o of the front wall 1m of the housing main body 1 and moves the engaging plate portion 3 inside laterally. As shown in the plan view of fig. 9, the operation member 4 is composed of a horizontal plate 4a having a thickness of 0.6mm entering the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k ', a plurality of vertical plates 4b having a thickness of 0.6mm entering the gap between the partition walls 1l and 1 l', and a pair of side plates 4c on both sides.

Two recessed portions 4d are formed at the front end in the insertion direction of the horizontal plate 4a, the recessed portions 4d receive the operated ends 3c of the engaging plate portions 3, and pressing inclined surface portions 4e as operating portions are provided at two locations on one side of the entrance of the recessed portions 4d, and the pressing inclined surface portions 4e move the engaging plate portions 3 in the lateral direction in cooperation with the receiving inclined surface portions 3g of the operated ends 3 c. A press-fitting piece 4f is provided at the rear end of the horizontal plate 4a, and the press-fitting piece 4f is used to press-fit the operation member 4 and to pull out the operation member 4 as necessary.

In assembling the electrical connector, as shown in fig. 10, the insertion plate 3b of the engagement plate portion 3 is inserted into the coupling hole 2k at the front end of the terminal holder 2, and the engagement plate portion 3 is coupled to the terminal holder 2 so as to be laterally movable. In this case, the insertion plate 3b is biased to one side with respect to the coupling hole 2k of the terminal mounting plate 2 i. Thus, the insertion groove 3d of the engagement plate portion 3 communicates with the insertion groove 2j of the terminal mounting plate 2i, and the engagement piece Tc of the connection terminal T can pass through these insertion grooves 2j, 3d in sequence.

In this way, the assembly in which the terminal holder 2 and the engaging plate portion 3 are integrated is inserted into the holder holding portion 1c of the inner tube 1a from the rear of the housing main body 1 along a guide mechanism not shown. By this insertion, as shown in fig. 11 and 12, the frame portion 2a of the terminal holder 2 is assembled to the holder holding portion 1c in a temporarily inserted state.

In this temporarily inserted state, the tip of the operated end 3c of the engaging plate portion 3 is positioned in the vicinity of the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1 k' of the terminal holding portion 1 e. When the terminal holder 2 and the engaging plate portion 3 are temporarily inserted into the housing main body 1, the temporarily inserting coupling projections 2c of the terminal holder 2 push the holder holding portion 1c of the housing main body 1 to the left and right to be fitted into and coupled to the temporarily inserting coupling groove portions 1g, and the front ends of the permanently inserting coupling projections 2d come into contact with the rear end portions of the holder holding portion 1 c. In this temporarily inserted state, the housing lances 2f provided to the terminal holder 2 are positioned between the ribs 1f between the terminal holding portion 1e and the waterproof portion 1 d.

In this temporarily inserted state, the rear end portion of the holder holding portion 1c is sandwiched and fixed by the coupling projection 2c for temporary insertion and the coupling projection 2d for final insertion, and therefore the terminal holder 2 and the engaging plate portion 3 are not detached from the housing main body 1, and the temporarily inserted state is maintained. In this way, even if an assembly in which the terminal holder 2 and the engaging plate portion 3 are temporarily inserted into the housing body 1 is conveyed to the insertion work site of the connection terminal T in the next step, the assembled state of these assemblies is not disturbed.

Next, as shown in fig. 13, each connection terminal T is first inserted into the terminal holder 2 from the opening 2b of the terminal holder 2, including the connection portion Ta of the connection terminal T. Each of the connecting portions Ta advances on the terminal mounting plate 2i while being guided by the partition walls 1l, 1 l' extending rearward from the terminal holding portion 1e, and the engaging piece Tc of the connecting portion Ta advances in the insertion groove 2j of the terminal mounting plate 2i and further in the insertion groove 3d of the engaging plate portion 3 in accordance therewith.

In addition, the connection terminals T are disposed vertically symmetrically in the housing main body 1 when mounted to the terminal holder 2, and the bottom surfaces Tc are inserted back to back with each other.

In the first insertion of the connection terminal T, as for the upper and lower limit connection terminals T, the hook portion 2g of the housing lance 2f is pushed up and down by the connection portion Ta at the front end as in the upper connection terminal T, and the connection portion Ta enters the connection portion accommodating chamber 1j through the hook portion 2g of the housing lance 2 f. The case lance 2f has a plurality of gaps with the waterproof portion 1d of the middle tube 1a, and the case lance 2f is deformable to the outside. When the coupling portion Ta passes through the hook portion 2g, the housing lance 2f returns to the original posture, and the hook portion 2g abuts against the pressed portion Td of the coupling portion Ta. Then, each connection terminal T stops at the first insertion position, like the connection terminal T of the lower stage.

After the first insertion of all the connection terminals T is completed, the terminal holder 2 is further pushed into the inner tube 1a together with the engaging plate portion 3. As a result, as shown in fig. 14, the hook portions 2g of the housing lances 2f push the pressed portions Td of the connecting portions Ta forward to advance the connecting terminals T from the primary insertion position to the secondary insertion position, and thereby all the connecting portions Ta of the connecting terminals T are pushed into the predetermined positions in the connecting portion accommodating chambers 1 j.

Thus, the operated end 3c of the engaging plate portion 3 is inserted into the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1 k', and the stopper 2e of the terminal holder 2 abuts against the rear end portion of the housing main body 1, whereby the terminal holder 2 and the engaging plate portion 3 stop advancing at this position. In this final insertion process, the retainer holding portion 1c of the housing body 1 is pushed up and down by the final insertion coupling projection 2d of the terminal retainer 2 and fitted into the final insertion coupling groove portion 1h, and the terminal retainer 2 is coupled to the housing body 1 in a final insertion state. In this final insertion state, the rear end portion of the holder holding portion 1c is sandwiched and fixed by the final insertion coupling projection 2d and the stopper 2e of the terminal holder 2, and thus the terminal holder 2 incorporating the connection terminal T and the engagement plate portion 3 do not move in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing main body 1.

In this secondary insertion state, the tip of the connection portion Ta in the connection portion accommodating chamber 1j of the connection terminal T abuts against the inside of the front wall 1m and is fixed in the forward position. In the stopped state of the connection terminal T, the hook portion 2g of the housing lance 2f abuts against the pressed portion Td of the connection terminal T from behind, preventing the connection terminal T from being pulled back. At this time, the engagement piece Tc of the connection terminal T stops at the tip of the insertion groove 3d of the engagement plate portion 3 as a stabilizer via the insertion groove 2j of the terminal mounting plate 2 i.

In the fully inserted state of the terminal holder 2 and the engaging plate portion 3, as shown in fig. 15, the horizontal plate 4a and the vertical plate 4b are press-fitted into the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1k 'and the partition walls 1l and 1 l' from the press-fitting opening 1o provided in the front wall 1m of the housing body 1 with respect to the other operation member 4. The side plates 4c on both sides of the operating member 4 are fitted into the concave portions 1r of the terminal holding portion 1 e.

As a result, as shown in fig. 16 (a), the engaging plate portion 3 and the operating member 4 face each other in the housing body 1. The connecting portion Ta and the engaging piece Tc of the connecting terminal T are indicated by a one-dot chain line. Here, when the operation member 4 is strongly pushed into the engagement plate portion 3 by the push-in piece 4f as indicated by the arrow a, the operated end 3c of the engagement plate portion 3 enters the recess 4d of the horizontal plate 4a of the operation member 4 as shown in fig. 16 (b). The pressing force of the operating member 4 presses the inclined surface portion 4e against the receiving inclined surface portion 3g of the operated end 3c, and a force advancing in the lateral direction of the arrow B is applied to the engaging plate portion 3 by the wedge action of the inclined surfaces.

In a state where the insertion plate 3b of the engagement plate portion 3 is positioned in the coupling hole 2k of the terminal mounting plate 2i, the operated end 3c moves laterally in the gap between the bottom plates 1k and 1 k'. Thereby, the engaging plate portion 3 moves in the right lateral direction when viewed from the front with respect to the terminal holder 2 and the housing body 1. Then, the movement of the engaging plate portion 3 in the left direction at this position is restricted by the operating member 4, so the engaging plate portion 3 does not return to the original position from time to time.

Due to the lateral movement of the engagement plate portion 3, the connection terminal T is not moved, the engagement piece Tc located at the front end of the insertion groove 3d of the engagement plate portion 3 is engaged by the engagement portion 3e provided near the front end of the insertion groove 3d, and the movement of the engagement piece Tc toward the rear is restricted. The lateral movement distance of the engaging plate portion 3 is about 0.6mm, which is larger than the width of the engaging piece Tc. Thus, the engagement plate portion 3 does not return to the original position as long as the operation member 4 is inserted, and the engagement state of the engagement piece Tc of the connection terminal T is maintained by the engagement portion 3 e.

Note that, although the description in fig. 16 is of the operation of the upper surface of the engaging plate portion 3, the rear portion of the engaging piece Tc of the connecting terminal T disposed on the lower surface side is engaged with the engaging portion 3e on the lower surface side in the same manner as the lower surface.

If the operating member 4 is sufficiently pushed in, the engagement plate portion 3 should reliably move laterally, and the engagement of the engagement piece Tc can be visually confirmed from the front. Here, when the operation member 4 is colored in a color different from, for example, the housing main body 1, the mounted state of the operation member 4 can be more easily visually recognized. The mechanism for moving the engaging plate portion 3 by the operating member 4 may be another embodiment.

In this way, the connection terminal T is reliably prevented from being pulled back by the wire W being pulled out rearward of the connection terminal T or the like by the two engagement units in which the pressed portion Td is engaged by the housing lance 2f and the engagement piece Tc is engaged by the engagement portion 3e of the engagement plate portion 3.

In the final insertion position, as shown in fig. 15, the rear end of the connection terminal T is positioned in the opening 2b of the terminal holder 2, and the cylindrical sealing member Wc attached to the connection terminal T is closely attached to the inner wall of the opening 2b, thereby preventing water from entering from the rear into the terminal holder 2 and the inner tube 1 a. Further, the inner side of the middle tube 1a and the outer side of the terminal holder 2 are sealed by the inner part of the sealing part 1i provided in the waterproof part 1d, and water is prevented from entering from the gap between the middle tube 1a and the terminal holder 2.

The electrical connector configured as described above is fitted to the housing of the mating electrical connector in use, and the housings are locked to each other by the locking claws 1t of the locking arms 1 s. The insertion end of the other connection terminal is inserted from the opening 1n of the front wall 1m and fitted into the connection portion Ta of the connection terminal T, and both connection terminals are electrically connected. At this time, the press-fitting piece 4f of the operating member 4 is held in a state of slightly protruding forward from the terminal holding portion 1e of the housing main body 1a, and when the connectors are fitted to each other, the press-fitting piece 4f is inserted into the recess of the housing of the mating connector.

The mating electrical connector is also provided with a waterproof structure, and the outer tube of the mating housing H is inserted between the outer tube 1b of the housing body 1 and the inner tube 1a, and the outer part of the sealing part 1i provided in the inner tube 1a seals the space between the inner tube 1a and the outer tube of the mating housing H so that water does not enter the space therebetween. In this way, water does not enter the holder holding portion 1c due to the sealing structure formed by the sealing portion 1i and the cylindrical sealing member Wc, and functions as a waterproof connector by fitting with the housing H of the waterproof structure of the counterpart.

In the embodiment, since the bottom surfaces Tb of the connection terminals T are inserted into the upper and lower stages of the electrical connector so as to face each other, the insertion grooves 3d formed in the terminal mounting plate 2i of the terminal holder 2 and the engagement pieces Tc of the engagement plate portion 3 are formed in the upper and lower stages. However, if the electrical connector is an electrical connector in which a layer of the connection terminals T is built, the insertion groove may be formed only on one side.

For example, in order to remove the connection terminal T from the housing main body 1 during repair, the operation member 4 is pulled out by the push-in piece 4f, and then the engaging plate portion 3 is moved leftward by the auxiliary tool, so that the pull-back restriction of the engaging piece Tc is released. Then, the dedicated auxiliary tool is inserted through the opening 1n of the front wall 1m, the engagement of the housing lances 2f with the connection terminal T is released, and the connection terminal T is pulled out rearward.

In the above embodiment, the engaging plate portion 3 is provided with an engaging portion 3e for engaging the engaging piece Tc of the connection terminal T. However, when the length of the bottom plates 1k and 1k 'in the front-rear direction is increased and the connection terminal T is inserted twice, the insertion grooves for the engagement pieces Tc are also provided in the bottom plates 1k and 1 k' so that the connection portions Ta reach the bottom plates 1k and 1k ', and thus the engagement pieces Tc can be press-fitted into the insertion grooves provided in the bottom plates 1k and 1 k' when the connection terminal T is inserted twice. The engagement of the engagement piece Tc can be performed not by the engagement portion 3e but by closing the insertion groove provided in the bottom plates 1k and 1 k' by the front edge 3f of the laterally moving engagement plate portion 3.

Further, although the insertion groove 2j is also provided in the terminal mounting plate 2i of the terminal holder 2, the insertion groove 2j of the terminal holder 2 may be omitted if the engagement piece Tc of the connection terminal T is directly guided to the insertion groove 3d of the engagement plate portion 3 when the connection terminal T is inserted.

In the embodiment, the connection terminal T is a receiving type connection terminal, but the present invention can also be applied to an electrical connector in which the connection terminal is an insertion type connection terminal. Further, the number of the connection terminals T can be changed to one or more than three layers.

The top, bottom, left, right, front, and rear in the embodiments are descriptions of the drawings, and may be different from the top, bottom, left, right, and front, and rear in an actual electrical connector.

In the figure:

1: main body of the housing

1a middle cylinder

1b outer cylinder

1c holder holding part

1e terminal holding part

1j connecting part accommodating chamber

1k, 1 k' bottom plate

1l, 1 l' partition wall

1m front wall

1n is an opening part

1o: press-in port

2 terminal holder

2a frame part

2b opening of a hole

2f case spear

2i terminal mounting plate

2j, 3d insertion groove

3 engaging plate part

3a substrate portion

3b insert plate

3c operated end

3e an engaging part

3g, receiving inclined plane part

4 operating part

4a horizontal plate

4b vertical plate

4e pressing the inclined surface portion

T connection terminal

Ta connecting part

Tc is a fastener piece

W is an electric wire