Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Takatoshi Katsuma

Shinichi Yamada

Eiji Saijo

Hiroyuki Nakata

Masaaki Tabata

Shigekazu Wakata

Hiroyuki Matsuoka

Makoto Fukamachi

Hideki Matsunaga

Mitsugu Furutani

Hikaru Ito

Hirotaka Makino

Song Zheng

Hisashi Kounoya

A lever connector that exhibits excellent space efficiency is provided. The lever connector includes female and male housings that are engageable with each other. A lever is mounted displaceably on the male housing and can be moved between an initial position and a fitting position. A cam groove is formed on the lever, and a cam follower is formed on the female housing. An entrance of the cam groove is aligned in a direction that intersects the fitting direction of the housings when the lever is at the initial position, and the female housing is assembled into a hood along the same direction.

Space efficient lever connector

A connector which can avoid lowering of a waterproof performance between a frame and a sub-housing. First and second housings are engaged by rotating a lever mounted on the first housing. The second housing has a second frame and second sub-housings are accommodated in accommodating spaces formed in the second frame. A cam follower is formed on an outer surface of a dual-purpose outer wall that faces the accommodating space out of the second frame. A seal is provided between an outer periphery of the second sub-housing and an inner periphery of the accommodating space. A frame-shaped restricting member is assembled to the second frame and surrounds the second frame to restrict outward displacement of the dual-purpose wall.

Connector

A connector has a terminal insertion opening () and a restriction () projects in at an inner corner of the terminal insertion opening (). A terminal fitting () has a rectangular tube () and a positioning projection () projects out from the rectangular tube (). The positioning projection () is offset laterally from the restriction () when the terminal fitting () is oriented properly so that the tube () can be inserted into the terminal insertion opening (). However, the positioning projection () is offset rotationally from the restriction () when the terminal fitting () is oriented improperly so that a corner () of the rectangular tube () contacts the restriction (). The corner () of the rectangular tube () has a higher strength than a cantilevered projection from the rectangular tube (). Thus, the corner () will not be deformed by contact with the restriction ().

A retainer () and a moving plate () are inserted into a hood () of a connector (F). A locking piece () projects from a front surface of the retainer (). A locking hole () is formed through the moving plate (). The locking piece () penetrates through the locking hole () to lock a locking projection () at a front end of the locking piece () to a periphery of the locking hole (). Thus, the moving plate () is supported and is prevented from moving longitudinally. A thick reinforcement () is formed on the periphery of the locking hole () of the moving plate () to fill a gap between the moving plate () and the locking projection ().

A hood () is provided in a male housing (). The hood () has an inwardly projected locking claw () for keeping the female housing () fit in the male housing () when a to-be-locked portion () of a female housing () is locked to the locking claw (). A locking means penetration space () is provided rearward from the locking claw () for receiving the to-be-locked portion () of the female housing (). The locking means penetration space () opens to the outside along a direction intersecting a fit-in/separation direction of the female housing (). A rear of the locking means penetration space () inside the hood () has an inwardly projecting reinforcing rib () opposite the locking claw () and extended in the fit-in/separation direction of the female housing ().

A female housing () has a cavities () for receiving female terminal fittings (). A front retainer () is mounted on the front of the housing (). Insertion openings () are formed on front walls () of the cavities (). An upper half of the front walls () at a lower stage are divided into a front portion () on the front retainer () and a rear portion () on the female housing (). Insertion openings () in the front portion () of the front retainer () have guide surfaces () for guiding male terminal fittings () therein. Insertion opening () in the rear portion () of the female housing () have auxiliary guide surfaces () for guiding the male terminal fittings () therein.

A terminal fitting () is formed to be mountable into a resin housing (). A metal lock () is formed by cutting and bending in a bottom plate () of the terminal fitting () and is resiliently engageable with an engaging portion () in the housing () to lock the terminal fitting (). This metal lock () has a base (A) in the form of a flat plate. An extended portion (B) is at the leading end of the base (A) and bulges out in thickness or width direction, thereby increasing an area of engagement with the engaging portion () when the terminal fitting () is pulled in withdrawing direction. Accordingly, the terminal fitting () has a terminal holding force enhanced by the presence of the extended portion (B).

Terminal fitting, a connector provided therewith and method of forming a terminal fitting

A connector has first and second housings () that are connectable with one another. A lever () is mounted on the first housing () and has cam grooves () that engage cam pins () on the second housing (). The housings () are connected partly so that cam pins () fit into the cam grooves () to a specified position and so that mountable parts () begin engaging. The lever () then is operated, and a cam action is displayed as the cam pins () move in the cam grooves (). As a result, the two housings () are connected properly.

Connector having an operable member and a method of assembling such a connector

A connector (Fa) has a housing () in which terminal fittings () are accommodated. A cover () can be assembled with the housingto cover the terminal fittings (). The connector (Fa) also has a detector () for detecting whether the housing () is connected properly with a mating connector (M) based on whether the detector () can be assembled with the housing () at a properly assembled position. The housing (), the cover () and the detector () are prepared as two units. Thus, assembling operability is better as compared to a case where these three are prepared separate.

Connector with cover retained at partly assembled position and movable to properly assembled position

A bulb socket (S) has a main body (D) and a restricting projection ( ) is formed continuously on an outer circumferential surface ( ) of the main body (D) over the entire circumference. An O-ring ( ) is fitted on the main body (D) behind the restricting projection ( ). Thus, the restricting projection ( ) contacts the O-ring ( ) during detachment of a bulb socket (S), thereby separating the O-ring ( ) from a sealing surface ( ) of an edge ( ) of a mount hole ( ). Further, the restricting projection ( ) contacts a contact surface ( ) of the edge ( ) during the mounting of the bulb socket (S), thereby preventing the bulb socket (S) from being pushed any further. This prevents the excessive squeezing of the O-ring ( ) and prevents a reduction in its sealing function.

Bulb socket and a method for mounting it

A reinforcement rib is provided at a bottom connecting wall between a tab part and a main body part of a terminal fitting. The rear end of the rib extends slightly past the front end position of the main body part, and the front end of the rib is formed to extend to a position slightly forward of the rear end of the tab part. Also, the rib is formed to have a generally U-shaped cross-section. Accordingly, reinforcement of the boundary portion is possible, and even though a stress is concentrated on the boundary portion between the tab part and the main body part, the possibility of deformation can be reduced. Thus, male terminal fittings are provided in which deformation at the boundary portion of the tab part and the main body part rarely occurs.

Male terminal fittings and male connector to which male terminal fittings are mounted

A lever-type electrical connector has resilient return members 40 which extend so as to cut across a radius of a circle which is the center of rotation of the lever 30, and have an anterior end 41 which bends outwards along the radial direction. In this configuration, the anterior end of the pushing member 40 does not protrude excessively from the arm 31, thereby allowing the interaction region of the pushing member 40 that accompanies the pivoting of the lever 30 to be small. Furthermore, the anterior end 41 is pushed in a straight line against the protrusion 25, and thus the return force is more effective.

Lever type connector

The posterior end of a connector housing 11 has contact supporting members 17 formed thereon, their posterior faces forming arc-shaped guiding faces 17a formed so as to correspond to the path of a bendable lock 23 provided on a pivoting operating member 22. When the lever 20 is latched, the bending of the operating member 22 is prevented due to the guiding faces 17a. As a result there is no possibility of the operating member 22 bending due to an unintentional external force, and thereby releasing the lock 23.

Lever-type connector

A latching member has a flange provided so as to extend along the inner face of an electric wire cover. This flange shields a space between an edge of a cut away of the cover and the external peripheral face of the latching member, thereby ensuring that the interior of the cover does not open out directly towards the exterior. Due to this, water is prevented from entering the interior of the electric wire cover.

Electrical connector with wire cover

In a latching member of a molded component, a facing face (19A) of a release member (19) located at an anterior end of a resilient latching member (17) is made parallel to a stopping face (18B) of a protrusion (18). By doing this, the moulding of the stopping face (18B) is carried out by a mould part (20C) whose mould opening direction is parallel to the stopping face (18B) and the facing face (19A), thus obviating the need to leave a mould removing hole in the release member (19).

Growing community of inventors

Yokkaichi, Japan

Takatoshi Katsuma