Engaging structure of a terminal and a connector housing

• US 5,746,628 A
• Filed: 10/23/1995
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US08/553,765
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 439/752, 439/595, 439/862, 439/744, 439/597, 439/598, 439/599
• US Class Current: 439/752
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4362 comprising a temporary and a final locking position

Abstract

Engaging structure of a terminal and a connector housing comprises a contact piece 5 and an electric wire connecting portion 7, and can be inserted into a terminal receiving cavity 23 of a housing 22, which includes a retainer 28 provided with a detecting protrusion 57. The terminal 1 is provided with a projecting portion 9 which allows the retainer to be moved to the primary locking position, by slipping off from a moving path of the detecting protrusion 57 toward the front side B of a terminal insertion direction, when the retainer is at the provisional locking position and the terminal is completely inserted at the normal position, and which prevents the retainer 28 to be moved to the primary locking position, by abutting against the detecting protrusion 57, when the terminal 1 is incompletely inserted before the normal locking position. The projecting portion 9 is provided with a detection hole 73 for detecting faulty insertion of the terminal. The detection hole is engaged with the detecting protrusion 57 when the terminal 1 is inserted with the retainer 28 located at the primary locking position. Thereby, easy detection for falsely insertion of a terminal into a housing with a retainer locked at a primary locking position can be ensured.

Claims

1. An engaging structure of a terminal and a connector housing comprising:

a housing including a terminal receiving cavity;

the terminal including a base plate, a contact piece formed at a front end portion of the base plate, and an electric wire connecting portion formed at a rear end portion of the base plate, the terminal being inserted into the terminal receiving cavity from the front end of the base plate; and

a retainer being movable along a direction intersecting a direction of inserting the terminal into the terminal receiving cavity between a provisional locking position and a primary locking position and being allowed to be locked at these positions, the retainer having a detecting protrusion protruded into the terminal receiving cavity;

the terminal being provided with a projecting portion for moving the retainer to the primary locking position by slipping off from a moving path of the detecting protrusion toward the front side of a terminal insertion direction when the retainer is at the provisional locking position and the terminal is completely inserted at a normal position, and said projecting portion prevents the retainer from moving to the primary locking position by abutting against the detecting protrusion when the terminal is incompletely inserted just before the normal position,

wherein said projecting portion is provided with a detection hole which is formed between said contact piece and an end edge of said projecting portion and which is engageable with the detecting protrusion as the terminal moves toward said normal position when the terminal is inserted into the housing where the retainer is located at the primary locking position, and

wherein a protecting portion for protecting the contact piece is arranged between the detection hole and the contact piece.

2. The engaging structure of the terminal and the connector housing according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing portion is arranged at said end edge of said projecting portion in a rear side along said terminal insertion direction, for reinforcing the projecting portion.

3. An engaging structure of a terminal and a connector housing comprising:

a housing including a terminal receiving cavity;

the terminal including a base plate, a contact piece formed at a front end portion of the base plate, and an electric wire connecting portion formed at a rear end portion of the base plate, the terminal being inserted into the terminal receiving cavity from the front end of the base plate; and

a retainer being movable along a direction intersecting a direction of inserting the terminal into the terminal receiving cavity between a provisional locking position and a primary locking position and being allowed to be locked at these positions, the retainer having a detecting protrusion protruded into the terminal receiving cavity;

the terminal being provided with a projecting portion for moving the retainer to the primary locking position by slipping off from a moving path of the detecting protrusion toward the front side of a terminal insertion direction when the retainer is at the provisional locking position and the terminal is completely inserted at a normal position, and said projecting portion prevents the retainer from moving to the primary locking position by abutting against the detecting protrusion when the terminal is incompletely inserted just before the normal position,

said projecting portion having a detection hole which is formed between said contact piece and an end edge of said projecting portion and which is engageable with the detecting protrusion as the terminal moves toward said normal position when the terminal is inserted into the housing where the retainer is located at the primary locking position, wherein a reinforcing portion is arranged at said end edge of said projecting portion in a rear side along said terminal insertion direction, for reinforcing the projecting portion.