Connector

• US 10,644,416 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanemura, Keisuke, Mitsui, Shohei, Matsuda, Hidekazu, Nakanishi, Yuichi, Hirano, Ai
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon, Edwin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Matthew T
• Application Number:
  US16/231,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20190199008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 439 52, 439595, 439585, 4397525, 439394, 439610
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/111 co-operating with pins having a circular transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4223 comprising integral flexible contact retaining fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4362 comprising a temporary and a final locking position
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/50 formed as an integral body H01R13/514 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6582 with resilient means for engaging mating connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/185 combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0518 Connection to outer conductor by crimping or by crimping ferrule

Abstract

A connector (C) includes a housing (60), a terminal fitting (10) and a retainer (80). The housing (60) includes a cavity (64) extending in a front-rear direction and a retainer insertion hole (72) intersecting and communicating with the cavity and open in an outer surface. The terminal fitting (10) is inserted into the cavity (64) from behind, and a stabilizer configured to guide an inserting operation into the cavity (64) and restrict the inserting operation in an erroneous posture projects on an outer side. The retainer (80) is inserted into the retainer insertion hole (72) and include a retaining portion (85) configured to face the stabilizer from behind.

Claims

1. A connector, comprising:

a housing including a cavity extending in a front-rear direction, a retainer insertion hole intersecting and communicating with the cavity and open in an outer surface and a resiliently deflectable locking lance projecting into the cavity;

a terminal fitting to be inserted into the cavity from behind, the terminal fitting having opposite front and rear ends, a tubular portion at the front end, a cable connecting portion at the rear end and a coupling extending between the tubular portion and the cable connecting portion, first and second stabilizers projecting out in a common direction from opposite first and second side walls of the coupling and configured to guide an insertion into the cavity and to restrict the insertion in an erroneous posture, the second stabilizer being disposed to be engaged from behind by the locking lance when the terminal fitting is inserted completely into the cavity; and

a retainer to be inserted into the retainer insertion hole, the retainer including a retaining portion configured to face the first stabilizer from behind.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first stabilizer is longer than the second stabilizer in a front-rear direction.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the common projecting direction of the first and second stabilizers intersects an inserting direction of the retainer into the retainer insertion hole.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein:

the terminal fitting includes an inner conductor having a mating connecting portion to be connected to a mating terminal fitting and a center conductor crimping portion to be crimped to a center conductor of the cable, and an outer conductor having the tubular portion configured to surround the mating connecting portion and a shield crimping portion to be crimped to a shield layer of the cable; and

the first and second stabilizers are provided at positions separated from the tubular portion on the outer conductor.

5. The connector of claim 4, wherein the center conductor crimping portion disposed inside the coupling, and the connector further comprises a cover configured to electrically contact the outer conductor while covering the center conductor crimping portion, at least part of the cover being disposed in a space inside the coupling.

6. The connector of claim 4, wherein the outer conductor is formed from a single metal plate.

7. The connector of claim 2, wherein a surface of the first stabilizer that faces the retaining portion of the retainer is rearward of a surface of the second stabilizer that is engaged by the locking lance.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second stabilizers includes an inner plate extending continuously from the respective first and second side walls of the coupling and an outer plate folded from a projecting end of the respective inner plate and disposed in face to face contact with the respective inner plate.