Connector

• US 9,306,311 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitajima, Mitsunori, Kataoka, Shigeto
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Hien
• Application Number:
  US14/322,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20150031230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 439/752, 439/595
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/4367 Insertion of locking piece from the rear

Abstract

A connector includes a housing (10), terminal fittings (30) to be inserted into the housing (10), a retainer (20) configured to retain the terminal fittings (30) by being mounted into the housing (10) in a direction intersecting an inserting direction of the terminal fittings (30), resilient locks (25) formed on a base end of the retainer (20) in a mounting direction into the housing (10) and configured to hold the retainer (20) in a state mounted in the housing (10) by being locked to the housing (10). Slide-contact portions (28) formed on a tip side of the retainer (20) in the mounting direction into the housing (10) and extending parallel to the mounting direction of the retainer (20), and guides (16) formed in the housing, extending parallel to the mounting direction of the retainer (20) and to be brought into sliding contact with the slide-contact portions (28).

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

a housing with opposite front and rear ends spaced apart in a terminal inserting direction and opposite first and second side surfaces, terminal chambers extending through the housing in the terminal inserting direction, a mounting hole extending from the first side surface toward the second side in a mounting direction intersecting the terminal inserting direction, guide surfaces formed in the mounting hole and extending parallel to the mounting direction and at least one locking projection formed in the mounting hole in proximity to the first side surface;

terminal fittings to be inserted respectively into the terminal chambers;

a long narrow retainer comprising;

a tip configured for insertion into the mounting hole;

a base end opposite the tip;

retaining portions between the tip and the base end and configured to retain the terminal fittings in the terminal chambers;

an operation portion having resilient locks in proximity to the base end of the retainer and configured to engage the locking projection and hold the retainer in the housing; and

at least one slide-contact portion between the tip and the resilient locks and extending parallel to a mounting direction of the retainer, wherein slides in contact with the guide surfaces to restrict vertical displacement of the retainer.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein:

the retainer includes an operating portion cantilevered in a direction intersecting the mounting direction from the base end; and

the resilient locks are cantilevered substantially parallel to the mounting direction from the operating portion.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein:

the at least one slide-contact portion is in the form of at least one rib formed on a side of the retainer from which the operating portion is cantilevered.

4. An electrical connector, comprising:

a housing with terminal chambers extending through the housing in a terminal inserting direction, a mounting hole extending from a first side surface toward a second side in a mounting direction transverse to the terminal inserting direction, guide surfaces formed in the mounting hole and extending parallel to the mounting direction and at least one locking projection formed in the mounting hole in proximity to the first side surface;

a long narrow retainer comprising;

a tip configured for insertion into the mounting hole;

a base end opposite the tip;

an operation portion having resilient locks in proximity to the base end of the retainer and configured to engage the locking projection and hold the retainer in the housing;

at least one slide-contact portion between the tip and the resilient locks and extending parallel to a mounting direction of the retainer, wherein the at least one slide-contact portion slides in contact with the guide surfaces to restrict vertical displacement of the retainer.

5. The connector of claim 4, wherein:

the retainer includes an operating portion cantilevered in a direction intersecting the mounting direction from the base end; and

the resilient locks are cantilevered substantially parallel to the mounting direction from the operating portion.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one slide-contact portion is at least one rib formed on a side of the retainer from which the operating portion is cantilevered.