Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Hideshi Tachi

Kiyofumi Ichida

Yasushi Okayasu

Teruaki Hasegawa

Yasumitsu Makita

Yukihiro Fukatsu

Toshikazu Sakurai

Izumi Suzuki

Masaya Horiuchi

Yukihiro Toyoda

A rubber boot () is fit on a peripheral surface of a connector housing (). Wires () pulled out of a rear surface of the housing () are folded back midway, and a folded region of the electric wires () is disposed along a peripheral surface of the boot (). In this state, a tightening member () is tightened to the peripheral surface of the boot () to fix the wires () and the housing () together. A positioning portion () for regulating a longitudinal position of the tightening member () is provided on the peripheral surface of the boot (). The phase of the wires () and the housing () become almost equal to each other when the connector is subjected to vibration. Therefore it is possible to prevent the terminal fittings () from vibrating inside the housing ().

Connector

A connector has a housing (). A rotary lever () is mountable on shafts () of the housing () in either of two symmetric orientations selected in accordance with space restrictions and/or the orientation of a wire cover () on the housing (). The rotary lever () has cam grooves () for engaging follower pins () on a mating housing (). The housing () also has an insertion path () and a slide lever () is mountable in the insertion path () from either of two opposite directions selected in accordance with space restrictions. The slide lever () has cam grooves () for engaging the follower pins (). The housing () has locks () for releasably holding the rotary lever () or the slide lever () at an initial position.

Connector having a movable member and connector assembly

Female terminal fittings () crimped into connection with ends of wires (W) are accommodated in a female housing (). The wires (W) drawn out from the female housing () are surrounded by a corrugate tube (). The corrugate tube () is fixed to the female housing () via a cover (). The cover () has a main body () and a lid () that can open and close the main body (). The main body () and the lid () have rubber plates () to hold wires (W) resiliently therebetween as the lid () is closed.

Fixing member and a connector

A divided connector has an auxiliary connector ( A) displaceably mounted in a frame ( ). The auxiliary connector ( A) is held in a semi-locked state by resilient locks ( ) on the frame ( ). When female and male connectors (F, M) are fitted to each other, the auxiliary connector ( A) is held by unlock preventing portions ( ) of the mating connector that prevent the resilient locks ( ) from being deformed in unlocking direction, and is connected with a mating side prior to the other auxiliary connector ( B). When this connection is completed, the resilient locks ( ) are released and deform in unlocking direction to unlock the auxiliary connector ( A). The auxiliary connector ( B) is subsequently connected while displacing the auxiliary connector ( A) to a back side with respect to the connecting direction.

Divided connector and a connection method of a divided connector with a mating connector

A connector has an auxiliary housing ( ) with cavities ( ) and locks ( ) cantilevered into the cavities ( ). The locks ( ) deform into deformation permitting spaces (S) during insertion of terminal fittings ( ) into the cavities ( ). The locks ( ) resiliently return to an undeflected condition to engage locking holes ( ) in terminal fittings ( ) after insertion to proper depth. Deformation restricting portions ( ) are integrally provided in an accommodation recess ( ) of a housing main body ( ) for accommodating the auxiliary housing ( ). The deformation restricting portions ( ) enter the deformation permitting spaces (S) for the locks ( ) as the auxiliary housing ( ) is accommodated into the accommodation recess ( ), thereby preventing the locks ( ) from inadvertently undergoing an elastic deformation.

Connector with plural housings accommodated in a casing

A connector housing ( ) has supporting walls ( ) and support shafts ( ) project in from the inner side surfaces of supporting walls ( ). A lever ( ) has arms ( ) disposed inwardly of the supporting walls ( ). Bearing holes ( ) formed in the arms ( ) are mounted rotatably on the support shafts ( ). The arms ( ) try to move wider apart upon the engagement of cam grooves ( ) on the arms ( ) with cam pins (Mp) on a mating connector (M). However, the arms ( ) are displaced in directions to move the bearing holes ( ) from the projecting ends toward the base ends of the support shafts ( ). Therefore, engaging areas of the bearing holes ( ) and the support shafts ( ) are not reduced.

Lever-type connector

A connector has a housing ( ) and a rubber plug ( ) mounted to the housing ( ). A plug holder ( ) can be held at a partial locking position on the housing ( ) where it is spaced back from the rubber plug ( ) and can be moved to a full locking position where it is located immediately behind the rubber plug ( ). The plug holder ( ) is dimensioned and configured to correct the orientation of the terminal fittings ( ) when the plug holder ( ) is at the partial locking position. Thus, terminal fittings ( ) can be inserted into the housing ( ) without damaging the rubber plug ( ).

Watertight connector and a method for mounting it

An upper and lower pair of flat cables are provided with cut-away portions . The flat cables are crimped at these portions by connecting terminals . A pair of half-members that form a protecting member are attached to the flat cables in a manner whereby they clamp them from above and below, thereby surrounding and protecting the connecting portions.

Protecting configuration for flat cables

A female terminal fitting has a wall member which is not weakened as a result of cutting away bending regulating members therefrom, these bending regulating members preventing the excessive bending of a resilient contacting member. Anterior and posterior bending regulating members F and R are formed by cutting away a portion of a fitting member . These bending regulating members F and R prevent a resilient contacting member firm bending excessively. The anterior bending regulating members R are formed on a base wall , and the posterior bending regulating members F are formed on side walls . These bending regulating members F and R are formed on differing walls. Consequently, compared to the case where both bending regulating members F and R are formed on a single wall, the opening area formed by cutting away the bending regulating members is smaller on each wall, and accordingly the strength of the walls is maintained.

Female terminal fitting

The invention prevents terminal fittings from vibrating within cavities. Female terminal fittings ( ) are inserted into cavities ( ), these female terminal fittings ( ) being retained by lances ( ). Next, a retainer ( ) is attached to an anterior end of a terminal housing ( ), regulating members ( ) thereof entering bending spaces ( ), thereby regulating the bending of the lances ( ) and doubly retaining the female terminal fittings ( ). Simultaneously, base member contacting members ( ) formed on the regulating members ( ) enter opening grooves ( ) in base walls of the cavities ( ) and press base faces of connecting members ( ) of the female terminal fittings ( ) upwards. These connecting members ( ) are gripped between the base member contacting members ( ) and ceiling faces of the cavities ( ). In addition, anterior contacting members ( ) make contact with anterior faces of the connecting members ( ) and push the female terminal fittings ( ) back towards the posterior. Stopped ends ( A) at posterior ends of the connecting members ( ) are pushed against stopping faces ( A) of protrusions ( ) of the lances ( ), thereby filling a clearance. Rubbing between resilient contacting members ( ) and tabs ( ) of male terminal fittings is thereby prevented.

A tab ( A) is comprised of a flat base ( ), a substantially U-shaped turning portion ( ), a flat overlapping portion ( ) which is connected to a side end of the base ( ) via the turning portion ( ) and faces the base ( ) substantially in parallel, and a raising portion ( ) extending substantially at right angles from an end of the overlapping portion ( ) and held in contact with the base ( ). Thickness ta of the tab ( A) can be set at a desired value regardless of thickness tb of a terminal material by changing a curvature of the turning portion ( ) and a projecting distance tc of the raising portion ( ).

Male terminal fitting and a production method therefore

Female terminal fittings are inserted into cavities formed in a terminal housing of a female housing , and are doubly retained therein by a retainer . Insertion grooves are formed in an anterior portions of ceiling walls of the cavities , and cut-away grooves are formed in anterior ends of an upper face of the retainer , these cut-away grooves passing through to the insertion grooves . Innermost faces of the cut-away grooves form inclined faces which are inclined downwards. When the female terminal fittings are housed within the cavities and are doubly retained therein, upper faces of anterior ends of connecting members are located directly below the insertion grooves . When a conductivity checking operation is performed, a conducting probe is inserted from the anterior with a tip thereof being inclined downwards. The conducting probe passes through the cut-away grooves of the retainer , being guided by the inclined faces at the innermost faces thereof. The conducting probe , while still in an inclined state, is inserted into the insertion groove and makes contact with the relatively rigid upper face of the connecting member ; damage to the terminal fittings is avoided.

Female electrical connector

Connecting members F and R pierce conductors in a state whereby plate faces of these connecting members F and R are approximately at a right angle with respect to the length-wise direction of the conductors . Consequently, if a pulling force is exerted on flat cables A and B along the length-wise direction of the conductors , the connecting members F and R will not cause edges of slit-shaped piercing locations to split. The piercing locations of the connecting members F and R (locations where the rigidity has decreased due to their having been pierced) are provided along the length-wise direction of the conductors in a location that is clamped between the connecting members F and R and a base (the rigidity of these locations does not decrease due to piercing). As a result, if a bending force is exerted on the flat cables A and B this bending force is absorbed at the clamping locations, and does not reach the piercing locations . Consequently, bending at the piercing locations is prevented.

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Yokkaichi, Japan

Hideshi Tachi