Connector

• US 9,893,462 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Youjirou, Nakai, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US15/408,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20170222358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 439456-459
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/11 End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member H01R11/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/11 Resilient sockets carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4223 comprising integral flexible contact retaining fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/424 Securing in base or case composed of a plurality of insulating parts having at least one resilient insulating part
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4364 Insertion of locking piece from the front
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5833 the cable being forced in a tortuous or curved path, e.g. knots in cable H01R13/582 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm

Abstract

A connector (F) includes a housing (10), terminal fittings (72) fixed to front end parts of wires (71) and inserted into the housing (10) from behind and a slack holding portion (43) formed on the housing (10) and configured to hold the wires (71) drawn out backward from the housing (10) in a slackened state. If the wire (71) vibrates behind the housing (10), the wire (71) held in the slackened state by the slack holding portion (43) is resiliently deformed to change a curvature thereof near the housing (10). Vibration energy of the wire (71) is attenuated by the wire (71) itself being resiliently deformed.

Claims

1. A connector, comprising:

a housing having an inner housing with a front end configured for connection to a mating connector and a rear end opposite the front end in a front-rear direction, the housing further having an outer housing surrounding the inner housing and being relatively displaceable with respect to the inner housing;

at least one slack holding portion formed on the outer housing and extending transverse to the front rear direction at a position rearward of the rear end of the inner housing;

at least one terminal fitting fixed to at least one wire and inserted into the inner housing, the wire being drawn rearward from the rear end of the inner housing and being looped around the slack holding portion formed on the outer housing and continuing rearward from the slack holding portion so that the slack holding portion holds the wire drawn out from the housing in a slackened state.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the inner housing and the outer housing are mounted via at least one resilient positioning member.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein:

the inner housing (11) is formed with at least one displacement restricting portion (36) configured to restrict a relative displacement with respect to the mating housing (80).

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein:

the inner housing is formed with a lock arm configured to hold a connected state to the mating housing by being locked to the mating housing.

5. A connector, comprising:

a housing that includes an inner housing and an outer housing that is relatively displaceable with respect to the inner housing, the inner housing including a housing body;

at least one terminal fitting fixed to at least one wire and inserted into the housing body;

at least one slack holding portion formed on the outer housing and configured to hold the wire drawn out from the housing in a slackened state;

a front retainer mounted in or to a front end part of the housing body and configured to restrict escape of the terminal fitting from the housing body; and

at least one displacement restricting portion projecting on an outer peripheral surface of the front retainer and capable of being held in close contact with an inner periphery of a receptacle a mating housing while being plastically deformed to restrict a relative displacement of the housing with respect to the mating housing.

6. The connector of claim 5, further comprising:

at least one locking lance configured to retain the terminal fitting inserted into the inner housing from behind; and

a restricting projection formed on a front wall of the front retainer and configured to restrict a movement of the terminal fitting by coming into contact with the terminal fitting and sandwiching the terminal fitting between the locking lance and the restricting projection substantially in a front-back direction.

7. A connector, comprising:

a housing that includes an inner housing and an outer housing that is relatively displaceable with respect to the inner housing, the inner housing including a housing body;

at least one terminal fitting fixed to at least one wire and inserted into the housing body;

a front retainer mounted in or to a front end part of the housing body and configured to restrict escape of the terminal fitting from the housing body; and

at least one displacement restricting portion projecting on an outer peripheral surface of the front retainer and capable of being held in close contact with an inner periphery of a receptacle of a mating housing while being plastically deformed to restrict a relative displacement of the housing with respect to the mating housing.