Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Toshio Yamakado

Kazunori Yamashita

A connector has a housing () with a front end that can be inserted through a mount hole () in a panel (). A receptacle () is formed by walls at the front end of the housing (). Resilient deforming pieces () are formed in the walls and cantilever rearwardly. Locking claws () project out from the free rear ends (B) of the resilient deforming pieces () and inclined walls () extend between the locking claws () and the front base ends (A) of the resilient deforming pieces (). Outer edges of the inclined walls () are concavely arcuate to reduce insertion resistance as the inclined walls () engage the panel () adjacent the mount hole ().

Connector

A connector has a housing () with cavities () for accommodating terminal fittings (). A retainer-mounting hole () is formed in a side of the housing () and communicates with the cavities (). A retainer () can be mounted in the retainer-mounting hole () at a predetermined normal depth to lock the terminal fittings () in the cavities (). The retainer () has side locks () at both sides of the retainer () that lock to a corresponding side to-be-locked surface () in the housing (). The retainer () also has an intermediate lock () at a central position of the retainer () that locks to an intermediate to-be-locked surface () in the housing (). The blocking strength of the intermediate lock () exceeds the locking strength of the side locks ().

Electrical connector with a terminal retainer with an intermediate lock

A retainer () has a penetration prevention portion () rearward from a locking projection () and configured to project into a cavity () when the retainer () is at a main locking position. A terminal fitting () erroneously inserted into a rear portion of the cavity () when the retainer () is at the main locking position will strike the penetration prevention portion () before striking the locking projection (). Thus the erroneously inserted terminal fitting () cannot push the locking projection () in a way that could return the retainer () to a temporary locking position.

Growing community of inventors

Yokkaichi, Japan

Toshio Yamakado