Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Autonetworks Technologies, Limited

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Masahide Hio

Hitoshi Hashiba

Kenji Okamura

Isao Isshiki

Takao Nozaki

Eiji Kojima

Seiji Ueda

Yoshiharu Nakai

Hiroshi Kobayashi

Masahiko Aoyama

Hiroshi Nakano

Tetsuya Aihara

Kozue Takatsuki

Hiroki Hirai

Masato Minakata

Hajime Okada

Atsushi Nishida

Fumiyoshi Tanigawa

Soji Kihira

Itaru Wada

Masaaki Tabata

Hajime Kawase

Yasuo Omori

Hajime Matsui

Nori Inoue

Teruo Hara

Yoshihiro Mizutani

Shunya Takeuchi

Hiroomi Hiramitsu

Hideki Matsunaga

Takamaru Amano

Hirotaka Makino

Shigeki Shimada

Takeshi Misaiji

Osamu Hirabayashi

Toshihiro Toda

Yoshiro Kakuda

Tatsuya Maeda

A female terminalis a female terminal including a terminal bodyincluding a deformable upper connection pieceA and a deformable lower connection pieceB, the upper and lower connection piecesA andB having contact surfacesA andB that come in contact with a coreof a wire, respectively, and extending in an extension direction, and a slideconfigured to move along the extension direction. The slidehas an upper contact portionA and a lower contact portionB that press the upper connection pieceA and the lower connection pieceB, respectively, to the corewhile the coreis disposed in contact with the contact surfacesA andB of the upper and lower connection piecesA andB along the extension direction.

Terminal and connector

A board connector () has a housing () with a terminal holding portion () for holding terminals () in forward and backward directions and a receptacle extends forward from the terminal holding portion (). Mount grooves () are formed in side walls () of the receptacle (). Board fixing portions () are held in the mount grooves () within the thickness range of the side walls and are soldered to the upper surface of a printed board (P). Mounting portions () are formed in the side walls () and have open front ends. Restricting members () are formed separately from the mating connector and mountable within the thickness range of the side walls () forward of the board fixing portions (). One end of each restricting member () engages lower surfaces (A) of the mounting portions () and the other end engages the lower surface of the printed board (P).

Connector for an electric device such as a board

A board connector () has a housing () and terminal fittings () penetrate through the back wall () of the housing (). A board connecting portion () of each terminal fitting () penetrates through the back wall () and is solder-connected to a board (). The housing () has a heat transfer inhibiting portion for inhibiting heat transfer to the back wall (). The heat transfer inhibiting portion has a through-hole () or heat-insulating grooves () in the back wall (). As a result, heat transfer to the back wall () is inhibited and deformation of the back wall () due to thermal expansion also is inhibited. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the terminal fittings () from separating from the board () and going into a state of being not solder-connected thereto.

Board connector

A plurality of terminal fittingsare mounted to a housingboard connecting portionshaving mounting portionsat lower ends protrude rearward, fixed fittingshaving mounting platesat lower edges are mounted to opposite side surfaces of the housingand the mounting portionof each terminal fittingand the mounting platesof the fixed fittingsare secured to a PCBby reflow soldering. During the reflow soldering, a drawing force toward the PCBacts on each of the terminal fittingsand the fixed fittingsbased on surface tension of molten solder H, but the center of the fixed fittingin the fore/aft direction of the board connecting portionis positioned forward of the center of gravity position O of a connectorand rotation moment Mb toward the PCBacts on the front of the housingbased on a drawing force Fb on the side of the fixed fittingto prevent the front from being raised.

A male connector (M) is provided with a receptacle () and a female connector (F) is provided with a housing () that can fit into the receptacle () from the front. Mounting grooves () are formed by recessing both side walls () of the receptacle () and fixing members () are mounted into the mounting grooves (). The fixing members () are fixed to a circuit board () by soldering. Engaging projections () bulge out sideways from the opposite side surfaces of the housing (). Engaging grooves () are recessed in the inner side surfaces of the both side walls () of the receptacle () at positions before the mounting grooves () and engage with the engaging projections () as the connectors (F, M) are connected to resist a tensile force acting when the housing () is pulled away from the circuit board ().

Connector and a connector assembly

Collision preventing projections () are provided on an outer surface of a female housing () and will contact an opening of a receptacle () of a male housing () if a main portion () of the female housing () is inserted into a receptacle () in an oblique posture. Thus, the collision preventing projections () ensure that the main portion () and male terminals () are spaced apart when the main portion () is pushed into the receptacle () in this oblique posture.

Connector with a collision preventing projection

A combined terminal fitting assembly is provided to fix ends of three or more wires to one fixing place. Engaging portions ( ) for holding a right terminal fitting (TR) and a left terminal fitting (TL) assembled are provided on both upper and lower surfaces of terminal main bodies. Thus, the right terminal fittings (TR) and the left terminal fittings (TL) can be placed alternately one over another. As a result three or more wires (W) can be fixed to one fixing place. Upon assembling, the wire (W) of the right terminal fitting (TR) and the wire (W) of the left terminal fitting (TL) are brought gradually closer to each other from most distant positions. Thus, the left and right wires (W) neither overlap nor interfere with each other.

Combined terminal fitting

A terminal fitting ( ) has connecting portion ( ) with an engaging portion ( ) to be engaged with a resin lock ( ) of a connector ( ). The engaging portion ( ) projects with a step from an upper wall ( ) to ensure a large engaging area with the resin lock ( ). An outer edge ( A) of the engaging portion ( ) is closer to the resin lock ( ) than an inner edge ( B) thereof. Thus, when the terminal fitting ( ) is pulled back in withdrawing direction, a force acts to move the leading end of the resin lock ( ) from the outer edge ( A) of the engaging portion ( ) toward the inner edge ( B). Therefore, the terminal fitting ( ) is difficult to disengage from the resin lock ( ), and a large engaging force is secured.

Terminal fitting with outwardly projecting engagement portion for engaging a resin lock and a method of forming the terminal fitting

In a terminal of an FFC ( ), upper and lower surfaces of a conductive path ( ) are covered with an insulation sheet ( ). A terminal fitting ( ) for the FFC ( ) includes a base plate ( ) extended from the rear end of a terminal fitting ( ). Contact blades ( ) are erected on both side edges of the base plate ( ). A pressing plate ( ) that can be opened and closed confronts the base plate ( ). The contact blades ( ) pierce through the rear surface of the conductive path ( ) of the FFC ( ) and project from the upper surface thereof. The pressing plate ( ) then is closed in sliding contact with the contact blades ( ) at both side edges of the base plate ( ) to press the FFC against the base plate ( ). Upper end portions of the contact blades ( ) then are crimped to the side edge of the pressing plate ( ). Because the FFC ( ) is pressed against the base plate ( ), the conductive path ( ) interposed between the contact blades ( ) is straight, horizontal and compressed vertically. Consequently, cut surfaces of the conductive path ( ) project widthwise and contact the inner surfaces of the contact blades ( ) at a high pressure.

Terminal fitting for flat conductor and method of connecting terminal fitting to flat conductor

An insulation-displacement terminal fitting ( ) has plate-shaped blades ( ) disposed before V-shaped contact portions ( ) along a wire-insertion direction. The blades ( ) make cuts (C) in an insulation coating (Wb) of a wire (W). The insulation coating (Wb) then is cut open by the V-shaped contact portions ( ). A cut-open piece (Wc) of the insulation coating (Wb) that is caught by the contact portions ( ) is not forcibly stretched. Thus, a core (Wa) is not pulled in a direction to be withdrawn from a clearance between the contact portions ( ). An accommodation space ( ) in which the caught cut-open piece (Wc) of the insulation coating (Wb) is accommodated is located within a height range of side walls ( ). Thus, the cut-open piece (Wc) of the insulation coating (Wb) does not project above the side walls ( ).

Insulation-displacement terminal fitting

A connector has opposed side walls ( ) with a wire-receiving space therebetween. Insulation displacement portions ( ) are cantilevered from the side walls ( ) by cutting portions of the side walls ( ) and bending the cut portions into the wire-receiving space. Bent portions ( A) are formed by bending free ends ( B) of the insulation-displacement portions ( ) back toward the respective side wall ( ).

An insulation-displacement terminal has opposed side walls ( ) and a wire-receiving space therebetween. V-shaped insulation-displacement portions ( ) are formed by a pair of plates ( F, R) that are bent from the side walls ( ) and project into the wire-receiving space. A bending angle (&bgr;) between one plate ( R) and the side wall ( ) is larger than a bending angle (&agr;) between the other plate ( F) and the side wall ( ). A pulling force on the wire (W) does not make a loose movement since the bending angle of the plate ( F) located at the side behind with respect to a pulling direction is a right angle. Further, since the bending angle (&bgr;) between the plate ( R) and the side wall is larger, an angle (&ggr;) between the plates ( F) and ( R) of the insulation-displacement portion ( ) is sufficiently large to ensure a wide contact area with a core (Wb) of the wire (W). Thus, a high contact reliability can be secured.

In terminals of an FFC ( ), an upper-side insulation sheet ( ) is torn off in a predetermined range to expose an upper side of conductive paths ( ) and leave conductive path-disposing portions of the FFC ( ) in the shape of the teeth of a comb to form connection regions ( ). A terminal fitting ( ) has a bottom plate ( ) and a ceiling plate ( ) both extended rearward from a connection part ( ), such that the ceiling plate ( ) can be opened and closed. Each of the connection regions ( ) is pressed and sandwiched between the bottom plate ( ) and the ceiling plate ( ). A crimping piece ( ) of the bottom plate ( ) is crimped to a side edge of the ceiling plate ( ), with the connection region ( ) held in the crimping piece ( ). The entire terminal fittings ( ) are accommodated in cavities ( ) of a connector housing ( ) respectively, with the connection regions ( ) connected to the terminal fittings ( ) respectively. The cavities ( ) can accommodate a terminal fitting ( A) of crimping type connected to a terminal of a covered electric wire ( ) and a terminal fitting ( B) of pressure connection type connected to the terminal thereof.

Terminal construction of flat conductor

A conductive path ( ) is exposed on an upper surface of an FFC ( ). At the rear end of the terminal fitting ( ), a wavy bottom plate ( ) and a wavy ceiling plate ( ) confront each other such that the ceiling plate ( ) can be opened and closed relative to the bottom plate ( ). A piercing piece ( ) whose front end is sharp is formed at the rear end of the ceiling plate ( ) in about the half of the entire width of the rear end thereof by bending the piercing piece ( ) perpendicularly. The terminal of the FFC is sandwiched between the bottom plate ( ) and the ceiling plate ( ), and both crimping blades ( ) are crimped to side edges of the ceiling plate ( ). As a result, the conductive path ( ) is bent wavily, the ceiling plate ( ) contacts the conductive path ( ), and the piercing piece ( ) is pierced into the conductive path ( ) and projects from the lower surface thereof. The FFC ( ) is sandwiched the bottom plate ( ) and the ceiling plate ( ). The piercing piece ( ) having a width in a direction perpendicular to a tensile force applied to the FFC ( ) is pierced into the conductive path ( ), thus providing a strong catching force and a holding force in resistance to the tensile force.

Terminal fitting for flat conductor

A connector (A) includes a connector housing ( ) with a locking arm ( ) extending from an outer surface ( A) of the connector housing ( ). A groove ( ) is formed on a base part ( ) of the locking arm ( ) along a direction in which the base part ( ) is erected. A groove ( ) is formed on an arm part ( ) of the locking arm ( ) along a direction in which the arm part ( ) extends. A thickness Tk between a bottom surface ( A) of the groove ( ) of the base part ( ) and a rear surface ( R) thereof is set larger than a vertical thickness Ta of the arm part ( ). When the locking arm tilts in a direction in which the locking arm ( ) moves away from the connector housing ( ), with the base part ( ) acting as the supporting point of the tilting motion of the locking arm ( ), a rib-shaped portion ( B) at both sides of the groove ( ) makes the base part ( ) less flexible than the arm part ( ). Thus, the degree of the strain of the base part ( ) is low. On the other hand, the formation of the groove ( ) allows the arm part ( ) to be more flexible than the base part ( ). The deformation of the arm part ( ) relaxes a tilting force that is applied to the base part ( ). Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the locking arm ( ) from being broken at its base part ( ).

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Yokkaichi, Japan

Masahide Hio