Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Tomoki Okano

Tsutomu Tanaka

Shinjiro Kida

Tomonari Itou

A connection detector () is mounted on a lock arm () of a first housing () and is movable in a direction interesting a resilient displacement direction of a lock arm () between an initial position and a detection position. The first housing () is formed with supporting wall portions () substantially parallel to the resilient displacement direction of the lock arm (). The supporting wall portions () are formed with recesses (). The connection detector () is formed with projections () that fit into the recesses () for restricting a displacement of the lock arm () in an unlocking direction when the connection detector () is at the detection position.

Connector

A connector has a tube () formed such that a first half tube () and a second half tube () are connected via maximum width portions (). The first half tube () is formed with a high rigidity portion () that has a higher rigidity than the second half tube () and is arranged substantially in a central part of the first half tube () in a width direction. The first half tube () is formed with first thin portions () by being partly thinned in areas deviated from the high rigidity portion (). The second half tube () is formed with second thin portions () by being partly thinned and the second thin portions () have an axial dimension shorter than that of the first thin portions ().

A terminal fitting has a rectangular tube () with first and second side plates () extending from a receiving plate (). A supporting plate () extends from a front of the first side plate () and is connected to a resilient contact (). An outer plate () extends from a front of the second side plate () and is placed on the outer surface of the supporting plate (). A first ceiling plate () extends from a rear of the first side plate () and is at an inner side of the supporting plate (). A second ceiling plate () extends from a rear area of the second side plate (), at an inner side of the supporting plate () and is placed on the first ceiling plate (). A retainer () is formed on the rear of the outer plate ().

Terminal fitting and production method therefor

A terminal fitting () is provided with a box-shaped main portion () capable of receiving a tab () of a mating terminal fitting () and a resiliently deformable resilient contact piece () arranged in the main portion () to be connected to the tab () inserted into the main portion (). The resilient contact piece () includes a supporting portion () for resilient deformation in the main portion (). The main portion () includes a base portion () facing the resilient contact piece () in a resilient deforming direction of the resilient contact piece (). The base portion () includes a recess () formed within the thickness range thereof the base portion (), and the supporting portion () is in contact with the bottom surface of the recess ().

Terminal fitting

A terminal fitting () is inserted into a housing () from behind and includes a tubular connecting portion (), with which a mating terminal () is connectable from front. A bent piece () including both front and rear edges () is formed at a position of a peripheral wall of the connecting portion () behind the front end of the connecting portion (). The bent piece () is formed with a locking projection () to be retained and locked in the connector housing () by being bent toward an outer side over the entire length in forward and backward directions. The front end surface of the locking projection () is a curved surface receding toward the back.

Terminal fitting with a bent piece with a locking projection tapering towards its front

A male terminal protection plate () is moved together with a female housing () in a direction separating from a receptacle (), any further movement of the male terminal protection plate () in the separating direction can be prevented when a pair of locking projections () come into engagement with the upper edges of a pair of engaging grooves (). Since the pair of locking projections () and the pair of engaging grooves () are arranged at the opposite sides of a cam pin (), about which the male terminal protection plate () could be inclined, in a direction normal to moving directions of the male terminal protection plate (), the inclination of the male terminal protection plate () can be prevented.

Growing community of inventors

Yokkaichi, Japan

Tomoki Okano