Connector

• US 10,644,427 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F
• Application Number:
  US16/273,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20190273337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 439595, 439752
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4223 comprising integral flexible contact retaining fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts

Abstract

A connector includes a housing (10) formed with a terminal accommodation chamber (13), a terminal fitting (21) to be inserted into the terminal accommodation chamber (13) from behind the housing (10), a locking lance (14) disposed to face the terminal accommodation chamber (13), cantilevered forward and resiliently displaceable in a direction away from the terminal accommodation chamber (13) and in a direction to enter the terminal accommodation chamber (13), and a recess (20) formed in an area on a side of the locking lance (14) opposite to the terminal accommodation chamber (13).

Claims

1. A connector, comprising:

a housing formed with a terminal accommodation chamber extending from a rear end to a front end of the housing, the housing further having a wall extending laterally across the terminal accommodating chamber at a position between the front and rear ends;

a terminal fitting to be inserted into the terminal accommodation chamber from behind the housing;

a locking lance cantilevered forward from the wall so that the locking lance is disposed to face the terminal accommodation chamber, the locking lance being resiliently displaceable in a direction away from the terminal accommodation chamber in response to insertion of the terminal fitting and to return and enter the terminal accommodation chamber upon insertion of the terminal fitting; and

a recess extending laterally across the locking lance on a side of the locking lance opposite to the terminal accommodation chamber and at a rear end part of the locking lance.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the recess includes a curved surface.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein the housing is formed by stacking two sub-housings, in each of which the recess is exposed in an outer surface, such that the recesses of the two sub-housings are opposed to one another and face each other when the sub-housings are stacked.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein a front surface of the locking lance includes:

a first locking surface for locking the terminal fitting from behind with the locking lance resiliently displaced; and

a second locking surface for locking the terminal fitting from behind with a resilient displacement amount of the locking lance increased when the terminal fitting is displaced rearward from a locking position by the first locking surface.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the recess includes a curved surface.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed by stacking two sub-housings, in each of which the recess is exposed in an outer surface, such that the recesses of the two sub-housings are opposed to one another and face each other when the sub-housings are stacked.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein a front surface of the locking lance includes:

a first locking surface for locking the terminal fitting from behind with the locking lance resiliently displaced; and

a second locking surface for locking the terminal fitting from behind with a resilient displacement amount of the locking lance increased when the terminal fitting is displaced rearward from a locking position by the first locking surface.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein the recess is substantially adjacent the wall from which the locking lance is cantilevered.