Connector

• US 7,445,524 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Horiuchi, Hidefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen; Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US11/879,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 439/752, 439/595
• US Class Current: 439/752
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4361 Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion

Abstract

When a retainer (30) is at a full locking position, back ribs (41) are located at positions right behind reinforcing portions (38). Thus, if a force acts to withdraw terminal fittings (10) and the retainer (30) tries to incline by having retaining portions (32) pushed backward, the reinforcing portions (38) come into contact with the back ribs (41) to prevent any further inclination of the retainer (30). Thus, even in a connector (1) in which cavities (21) are arranged in a row, the terminal fittings (10) can be reliably held retained by suppressing the inclination of the retainer (30). Since it is sufficient to provide the back ribs (41) in the housing (20), at least the retainer (30) needs not change its shape.

Claims

1. A connector comprising:

a housing with cavities for receiving terminal fittings along an inserting direction;

a retainer insertable into the housing along a mounting direction that intersects the inserting direction and being movable between a first position that permits the insertion and withdrawal of the terminal fittings and a second position where the retainer locks and retains the terminal fittings in the cavities, the retainer including a main body, at least one side plate on the main body and extending substantially in the mounting direction of the retainer; and

at least one side-plate inclination preventing part on at least one of the housing and the retainer and cooperating with the side plate and preventing inclination of the retainer, the side-plate inclination preventing part comprising locking arms formed on the side plate and cantilevered substantially in the mounting direction, the locking arms being engageable with the housing for locking when the retainer is at one of the first and second positions, a reinforcement being disposed between the locking arms, the side-plate inclination preventing part further comprising front and rear ribs provided on a surface of the housing and disposed so that the reinforcement is inserted between the front and rear ribs when the retainer is at the second position in the housing.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein a retainer mounting portion extends into a side of the housing and communicates with the cavities, the retainer being mountable into the retainer mounting portion.

3. The connector of claim 1, further comprising retaining portions on the retainer main body at positions corresponding to the respective cavities, the retaining portions being retracted from the cavities when the retainer is at the first position and locking the respective terminal fittings when the retainer is at the second position.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the front and rear ribs extend substantially along front and rear edges of the reinforcement.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein an interval between the front and rear ribs is slightly larger than a width of the reinforcements in forward and backward directions.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the side-plate inclination preventing part comprises locking pieces provided on the retainer and corresponding locking-piece mounting portions on the housing, the locking pieces being fit into the corresponding locking-piece mounting portions when the retainer is at the second position.

7. The connector of claim 6, wherein, distal surfaces of the locking pieces substantially face ceiling surfaces of the locking-piece mounting portions when the retainer is at the second position.

8. A connector, comprising:

a housing with opposite front and rear ends, cavities extending between the ends and aligned along an inserting direction, the housing further having opposite first and second side walls extending between the front and rear ends, a retainer mounting portion extending into a surface of the housing between the side walls, the retainer mounting portion extending along a mounting direction at an angle to the inserting direction, spaced apart front and back ribs on parts of each of the side walls facing into the retainer mounting portion; and

a retainer insertable along the mounting direction and into the retainer mounting portion of the housing, the retainer being movable to a full locking position where parts of the retainer project into the cavities, the retainer including first and second side plates formed respectively with first and second reinforcements disposed for sliding insertion between the front and back ribs as the retainer is moved towards the full locking position for preventing inclination of the retainer.

9. The connector of claim 8, further comprising two locking arms formed on each of the side plates and cantilevered substantially in the inserting direction of the retainer, the locking arms being engageable with the housing for locking the retainer selectively either at a partial locking position where no part of the retainer blocks the cavities or at the full locking position.

10. The connector of claim 9, wherein the reinforcements are between the locking arms of the respective side plate.

11. The connector of claim 10, wherein each of the ribs is insertable between the respective reinforcement and one of the locking arms.