connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that can maintain the locking force of the front part against the housing. [Solution] The connector 10 comprises a housing 20 having a cavity 28, and a front portion 51 that is movable along the front side of the housing 20 in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction and locks to the housing 20 in the locking position. The housing 20 has a locking portion. The front portion 51 has a tab insertion hole 61 that communicates with the cavity 28 in the locking position, an elastic portion 67, a deformation-allowing portion 65 that allows elastic deformation of the elastic portion 67, and a projection 64 that protrudes from the elastic portion 67 and faces the locking portion so as to be lockable in the locking position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 includes a housing body and a terminal holding member attached to the housing body. A terminal fitting is housed in the housing body. The terminal holding member is arranged so as to be movable between a temporary locking position and a main locking position with respect to the housing body. At the temporary locking position, insertion of the terminal fitting into the housing body is permitted. At the main locking position, removal of the terminal fitting from the housing body to the rear is suppressed. The terminal holding member has a front wall portion (hereinafter referred to as the "front portion") facing the front surface of the housing body. The front portion has a tab insertion hole communicating with the cavity at the main locking position. A tab of a mating male terminal fitting is inserted into the tab insertion hole of the front portion. The housing body has a temporary locking holding portion and a main locking holding portion. The front portion has a holding protrusion. The holding protrusion has a claw shape protruding from the left and right side end faces of the front portion. When the holding protrusion is locked to the temporary locking holding portion, the terminal holding member is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the housing body. When the holding protrusion is locked to the main locking holding portion, the terminal holding member is held at the main locking position with respect to the housing body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, for example, if the operation of moving the terminal holding member between the temporary locking position and the main locking position is repeatedly performed, the locking portion of the front portion may be plastically deformed, leading to a decrease in the locking force with respect to the temporary locking holding portion and the main locking holding portion.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a connector capable of maintaining the locking force of the front portion against the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a housing having a cavity, and a front portion that is movable along the front side of the housing in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction and locks to the housing in a locking position, wherein the housing has a locking portion, and the front portion has a tab insertion hole communicating with the cavity in the locking position, an elastic portion, a deformation-tolerant portion that allows elastic deformation of the elastic portion, and a projection that protrudes from the elastic portion and faces the locking portion so as to be lockable to the locking portion in the locking position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector that can maintain the locking force of the front portion against the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the housing of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the temporary locking portion, the permanent locking portion, and their surrounding structures in the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view of the mounting member of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a side view of the connector mounting member according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a front view of the connector mounting member according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a rear view of the connector mounting member according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an enlarged front view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1 in which the protrusion is engaged with the temporary locking portion. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an enlarged front view showing the connector according to Embodiment 1 in which the protrusion is locked to the locking portion for locking. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a front view cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the connector according to Embodiment 1, in which the protrusion is locked to the locking portion for locking. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The connector disclosed herein is (1) A housing having a cavity, and a front portion that is movable along the front side of the housing in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction and locks to the housing in a locking position, wherein the housing has a locking portion, and the front portion has a tab insertion hole communicating with the cavity in the locking position, an elastic portion, a deformation-allowing portion that allows elastic deformation of the elastic portion, and a projection that protrudes from the elastic portion and faces the locking portion so as to be lockable to the locking portion in the locking position. According to the configuration of (1) above, after the elastic part elastically deforms into the deformation-allowable part, the projection can be positioned to lock into the locking part at the locking position. Therefore, it is possible to avoid generating large stresses on the projection. For example, even if the locking and unlocking operations of the front part are repeatedly performed on the housing, the locking force of the projection against the locking part can be maintained.

[0010] (2) In the connector described in (1) above, the front side of the housing preferably has a pair of guide portions arranged on both sides of the front portion at the locking position, the locking portion is provided on the opposing surfaces of each of the pair of guide portions, the projection protrudes from the side end surface of the front portion, and the deformation-allowing portion is arranged to be visible in a front view of the front portion. According to the configuration of (2) above, by visually inspecting the state of the deformation-permissible portion from a front view, it is possible to detect whether or not the protrusion is properly locked to the locking portion.

[0011] (3) In the connector described in (2) above, the deformation-allowing portion is preferably a hole shape that penetrates the front portion in the front-rear direction, and the elastic portion is preferably a double-supported beam shape defined between the side end face of the front portion and the deformation-allowing portion and extending in the direction of movement of the front portion. According to the configuration of (3) above, the elastic reaction force of the double-supported beam-shaped elastic part extending in the direction of movement of the front part can stably maintain the state in which the protrusion is locked to the locking part. In addition, by visually checking the opening shape of the deformation-permissible part of the hole shape, it becomes easier to detect whether or not the protrusion is properly locked to the locking part.

[0012] (4) In the connector described in (3) above, it is preferable that the width dimension of the elastic portion defined between the side end face of the front portion and the deformation-allowable portion is smaller than the opening width of the deformation-allowable portion, with respect to the width direction intersecting the front-rear direction and the direction of movement. According to the configuration described in (4) above, the elastic part can undergo elastic deformation with sufficient deflection allowance in the deformation-allowable part, and a large protrusion dimension of the protrusion can be secured.

[0013] (5) In the connector according to any one of (1) to (4) above, the front portion has a plurality of jig insertion holes arranged side by side with the tab insertion hole, and the plurality of jig insertion holes include a plurality of end-side jig insertion holes arranged side by side in the moving direction close to the side end surface of the front portion. A part of the deformation allowance portion is formed as a recess having a shape recessed in the side end surface of the front portion, and it is preferable that the recess is arranged between the adjacent end-side jig insertion holes with respect to the moving direction. According to the configuration of (5) above, in the moving direction, the dead area of the front portion formed between adjacent end-side jig insertion holes is effectively utilized as the formation area of the recess which is a part of the deformation allowance portion, so that the space efficiency is excellent.

[0014] <了 (6) In the connector according to any one of (2) to (5) above, it is preferable that the front portion and the housing are configured with different color schemes. According to the configuration of (6) above, the contrast difference between the front portion and the housing becomes clear, so that the visibility when detecting the state of the deformation allowance portion can be improved.

[0015] (7) In the connector according to any one of (1) to (6) above, the front portion is provided on a mounting member, and it is preferable that the mounting member has a retainer portion capable of locking the terminal fitting inserted into the cavity at the locking position. According to the configuration of (7) above, the mounting member can have the functions of both the front portion and the retainer portion.

[0016] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, and is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0017] [Embodiment 1] It should be noted that there is a character "了" in the original text at line ID=5 which seems to be an incorrect character. I translated it as it was, but it might need to be corrected in the original content.The connector 10 according to Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 1, comprises a housing 20 and a mounting member 50 that is mounted on the housing 20 so as to be movable between a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position (locking position). The housing 20 is mated with a mating connector (not shown). As shown in Figure 2, a terminal fitting 90 is housed in the housing 20. The mounting member 50 has a front portion 51 and a retainer portion 52. In the following description, the front-rear direction is defined as the direction in which the housing 20 is mated with the mating connector. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in each figure except Figure 5. The up-down direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the left-right direction is synonymous with the width direction. The symbols X, Y, and Z in Figures 1 and 2 represent the front, right, and up directions, respectively. These directional references are for convenience only and do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like (not shown).

[0018] (Housing 20 and terminal fittings 90) The housing 20 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figure 3, the housing 20 is shaped like a rectangular block overall, with its left-right dimension being longer than its up-down dimension. A flange 21 is formed at the rear end of the housing 20, protruding radially outward. An elastically deformable lock arm 22 is formed protruding from the upper surface of the housing 20. The lock arm 22 extends rearward from the left-right intermediate portion at the front end of the upper surface of the housing 20. The rear end of the lock arm 22 is positioned inside an opening 23 formed in the flange 21. The lock arm 22 locks onto a mating housing (not shown) of the mating connector, holding the connector 10 and the mating connector in a mated state.

[0019] A pair of recesses 24 are formed on both the left and right sides of the housing 20. Each recess 24 is formed in the lower part of the side surface of the housing 20, recessed by one step relative to the upper part. A retainer mounting hole 25 is also formed in the housing 20. The retainer mounting hole 25 opens from the bottom surface of the housing 20 to the back surface (the left and right outward-facing surfaces) of each recess 24. As shown in Figure 2, the retainer portion 52 of the mounting member 50 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 25 from below.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, a pair of retaining protrusions 26 and 27 are formed on the back surface of each recess 24 of the housing 20. Each retaining protrusion 26 and 27 has a rib shape that extends in the front-rear direction. Each retaining protrusion 26 and 27 is positioned at a vertical distance from the retainer mounting hole 25 on the back surface of each recess 24. Each retaining protrusion 26 and 27, together with the locking portions 35 and 36 described later, plays a role in holding the mounting member 50 in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position relative to the housing 20.

[0021] The housing 20 has multiple cavities 28 formed within it. As shown in Figure 2, each cavity 28 extends in the front-to-back direction, with its front end opening to the front surface of the housing 20 and its rear end opening to the rear surface of the housing 20. In this embodiment 1, each cavity 28 is arranged in three rows vertically and in multiple columns horizontally within the housing 20. Inside the housing 20, each cavity 28 is divided into a front portion 28A and a rear portion 28B, separated by a retainer mounting hole 25. The housing 20 has an elastically deformable lance 29 that protrudes from the inner wall of the front portion 28A of each cavity 28. The front end of the lance 29 is exposed on the front side of the housing 20 when the housing 20 is alone (see Figure 3), and is covered by the front portion 51 when the mounting member 50 is attached to the housing 20 (see Figure 2). A terminal fitting 90 is inserted into the cavity 28 of the housing 20 from the rear. The terminal fitting 90 is locked to the lance 29, temporarily preventing it from coming out of the cavity 28 towards the rear.

[0022] The terminal fitting 90 is made of conductive metal. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal fitting 90 has an overall elongated shape that extends in the front-to-back direction. The terminal fitting 90 has a cylindrical connecting portion 91 and a barrel portion 92 located behind the connecting portion 91. The tab 191 of the mating male terminal fitting 190 is inserted into the connecting portion 91 for connection. The lance 29 is locked into a projection at the front end of the connecting portion 91. The barrel portion 92 is crimped to the end of the electric wire W. The electric wire W extends rearward from the rear surface of the housing 20. The retainer portion 52 secondarily prevents the terminal fitting 90 from coming out of the cavity 28 to the rear.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, a rib-shaped projection 31 extending in the left-right direction is formed at the upper end of the front surface of the housing 20. The projection 31 extends across the entire width of the housing 20 in the left-right direction. The left and right intermediate portions of the projection 31 constitute the front end portion 22A of the lock arm 22. This front end portion 22A of the lock arm 22 protrudes forward from its surroundings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the left and right intermediate portions of the front portion 51 can be locked onto the front end portion 22A of the lock arm 22 from below.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, a pair of rib-shaped guide portions 32 extending in the vertical direction are formed at the left and right ends of the front surface of the housing 20. The upper ends of each guide portion 32 are connected to the left and right ends of the protruding portion 31. Each guide portion 32 and the protruding portion 31 are formed in a gate shape when viewed from the front at the upper front surface of the housing 20. As shown in Figure 1, when the mounting member 50 is attached to the housing 20, each guide portion 32 is positioned to sandwich the front portion 51 from both the left and right sides.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, each guide portion 32 has opposing surfaces 33 (only one is shown in Figure 3) that face each other in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 4, a guide groove 34 extending in the vertical direction is recessed in the rear portion of the opposing surfaces 33 of the guide portion 32. A permanent locking portion 35 and a temporary locking portion 36 are recessed in the groove surface (the rear surface on the back side in the depth direction) of the guide groove 34 of the guide portion 32, spaced apart in the vertical direction. The temporary locking portion 36 is positioned below the permanent locking portion 35. The permanent locking portion 35 and the temporary locking portion 36 are formed across the entire width of the guide groove 34 in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 11, the inner lower surfaces (the surfaces facing upward on the lower side) of the permanent locking portion 35 and the temporary locking portion 36 are both positioned horizontally along the left-right direction. The inner upper surfaces (upper surfaces facing downwards) of the main locking portion 35 and the temporary locking portion 36 are both inclined downwards toward the left and right outwards. A ride-up surface 37 is formed in the groove surface of the guide groove 34 between the inner upper surface of the temporary locking portion 36 and the inner lower surface of the main locking portion 35, oriented in the vertical direction. A retractable surface 38 is formed in the groove surface of the guide groove 34 below the inner lower surface of the temporary locking portion 36, at a position to the left and right outwards from the ride-up surface 37, oriented in the vertical direction. A sliding surface 39 is formed in the groove surface of the guide groove 34 between the inner lower surface of the temporary locking portion 36 and the retractable surface 38, at the same position in the left-right direction as the ride-up surface 37, oriented in the vertical direction. The protrusion 64 of the front portion 51, described later, moves from the retractable surface 38 side over the sliding surface 39 and fits into the temporary locking portion 36 during the assembly process of the mounting member 50, and then moves over the ride-up surface 37 and fits into the permanent locking portion 35.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the front portion of the opposing surface 33 of the guide portion 32 is positioned vertically and horizontally along the front-back direction, on the left and right sides inward from the groove surface of the guide groove 34. Each guide portion 32 has a pair of window holes 41 that are spaced apart vertically on its front surface. Each window hole 41 is formed as a result of withdrawing a mold (not shown) that forms the main locking portion 35 and the temporary locking portion 36, respectively. Each window hole 41 is positioned to fit within the left-right thickness range of each guide portion 32. In this embodiment 1, each window hole 41 is formed in individual correspondence with the main locking portion 35 and the temporary locking portion 36, respectively. Each window hole 41 has a cross-sectional shape (opening shape) similar to that of the main locking portion 35 and the temporary locking portion 36, respectively. The upper window opening 41 has its rear end communicating with the internal space of the main locking portion 35, and its front end opening to the front surface of the guide portion 32, and is closed in the circumferential direction intersecting the front-rear direction. The lower window opening 41 has its rear end communicating with the internal space of the temporary locking portion 36, and its front end opening to the front surface of the guide portion 32, and is similarly closed in the circumferential direction. The protrusions 64 that are locked to the locking portions 35 and 36 are visible from the front through each window opening 41.

[0027] (Mounting member 50) The mounting member 50 is made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the mounting member 50 has a front portion 51 on the front end side and a retainer portion 52 on the rear end side. The mounting member 50 also has a pair of left and right side plate portions 53 between the front portion 51 and the retainer portion 52.

[0028] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, both the front portion 51 and the retainer portion 52 have a rectangular external shape when viewed from the front and rear, with the left-right dimension being longer than the vertical dimension. As shown in Figure 7, the front portion 51 is plate-shaped and positioned with its plate surface facing the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 8, the retainer portion 52 is lattice-shaped and positioned opposite the front portion 51 with a gap between them in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 6, the side plate portions 53 are plate-shaped and positioned with their plate surfaces facing the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 5, each side plate portion 53 extends in the front-rear direction, with its front end connected to the left-right end of the front portion 51 and its rear end connected to the left-right end of the retainer portion 52. Overall, the mounting member 50 has a rectangular frame-shaped internal space 54 when viewed from above.

[0029] The mounting member 50 is mounted to the housing 20 from below and is held in a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position relative to the housing 20 by a locking structure described later. The mounting member 50 moves upward from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position relative to the housing 20. The front portion 51 is positioned along the front side of the housing 20. The retainer portion 52 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 25 of the housing 20. Each side plate portion 53 is fitted into each recess 24 of the housing 20 and is positioned along the back side of each recess 24. As shown in Figure 2, the front portion of the housing 20 (the portion having the front portion 28A of each cavity 28) is fitted into the internal space 54 of the mounting member 50.

[0030] As shown in Figure 8, the retainer portion 52 has a plurality of through holes 55. In this embodiment 1, each through hole 55 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape (opening shape) that is long in the vertical direction and is arranged in two rows in the vertical direction and in multiple rows in the horizontal direction. Each through hole 55 communicates with the cavities 28 of the lower two stages, excluding the uppermost stage, at the temporary locking position and the permanent locking position. A plurality of retaining portions 56 are formed protruding from the inner wall of each through hole 55 of the retainer portion 52. Each retaining portion 56 is positioned to be able to lock onto each terminal fitting 90 inserted into each cavity 28 of the lower two stages (see Figure 2 for the middle cavity 28). Each retaining portion 56 is also formed protruding from the upper surface of the retainer portion 52. Each retaining portion 56 on the upper surface side of the retainer portion 52 is positioned to be able to lock onto each terminal fitting 90 inserted into each cavity 28 of the uppermost stage.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, each side plate portion 53 has a pair of left and right retaining bodies 57. The retaining bodies 57 are rib-shaped extending in the front-rear direction at the upper end of the side plate portion 53 and protrude into the internal space 54.

[0032] As shown in Figures 5-7, the front section 51 has a rectangular plate-shaped front wall section 58 and a plurality of rib-shaped end wall sections 59 that extend vertically and are arranged in a horizontal direction on the rear side of the front wall section 58. Each end wall section 59, although not shown, is connected in the front-rear direction to the partition between adjacent cavities 28 in the left-right direction within the housing 20, forming an integrated partition wall as a whole. Each end wall section 59 is positioned to cover the front end of the connection section 91 of the terminal fitting 90 from both the left and right sides.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7, the front wall portion 58 has a plurality of tab insertion holes 61. In this embodiment 1, each tab insertion hole 61 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and is arranged in three rows vertically and in multiple rows horizontally. On the front surface of the front wall portion 58, a guide surface portion 62 that expands forward is formed at the opening edge of each tab insertion hole 61. Each tab insertion hole 61 communicates with each cavity 28 at the locking position. The tabs 191 of the mating male terminal fitting 190 are guided into the guide surface portion 62 and inserted into the tab insertion hole 61, and connected to the terminal fitting 90 housed in the cavity 28.

[0034] Furthermore, the front wall portion 58 has a plurality of jig insertion holes 63 positioned to the left and right of each tab insertion hole 61. Each jig insertion hole 63 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and is positioned to correspond individually to each tab insertion hole 61. In this embodiment 1, each jig insertion hole 63 is alternately positioned at the same height to the left of the corresponding tab insertion hole 61. Of the jig insertion holes 63, the leftmost one is configured as an end-side jig insertion hole 63A. The end-side jig insertion holes 63A are located close to the left side end face 68 of the front wall portion 58 and are arranged in a row of three in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 9, each jig insertion hole 63 is positioned opposite the front end of the lance 29 in the temporary locking position. When the mounting member 50 is in the temporary locking position, a release jig (not shown) contacts the front end of the lance 29 through the jig insertion hole 63, allowing the lance 29 to bend downwards in Figure 9 (in the direction that releases the locking with the terminal fitting 90). With the lance 29 bent downwards, the terminal fitting 90 can be removed from the cavity 28 by pulling the electric wire W backwards.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the front portion 51 has a pair of left and right projections 64. Each projection 64 is provided on the end wall portion 59 located at the left and right ends of each end wall portion 59, projecting from the left and right outer side end faces 68 of the end wall portion 59. In the vertical direction, each projection 64 is positioned within the height range between the uppermost tab insertion hole 61 (jig insertion hole 63) and the tab insertion hole 61 (jig insertion hole 63) adjacent to it below it. As shown in Figure 6, the projection 64 is rib-shaped extending in the front-rear direction and is formed over the entire thickness of the end wall portion 59 in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 11, the external shape of the projection 64, in a front view, consists of a portion that slopes downward toward the left and right outwards, a portion located at the lower end that extends horizontally toward the left and right outwards, and a portion that is curved and continuous toward the left and right outwards.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, the front portion 51 has a pair of left and right deformation-allowing portions 65. In this embodiment 1, each deformation-allowing portion 65 is configured as a hole with a vertical dimension longer than its horizontal dimension, located at the left and right ends of the end wall portion 59 and the left and right ends of the front wall portion 58. Each deformation-allowing portion 65 is positioned on the left and right sides inward from each projection 64 in the end wall portion 59. As shown in Figure 11, the upper and lower intermediate portions of the deformation-allowing portion 65 extend in the vertical direction with a constant left and right width. The upper end of the deformation-allowing portion 65 curves upward from the upper and lower intermediate portion. The lower end of the deformation-allowing portion 65 curves downward from the upper and lower intermediate portion. The projection 64 is positioned on the left and right outer side end faces 68 of the end wall portion 59 at a height corresponding to the upper and lower intermediate portions of the deformation-allowing portion 65.

[0037] As shown in Figure 7, the left and right inner portions of each deformation-allowing portion 65 extend continuously from the end wall portion 59 to the front wall portion 58, with their front ends opening to the front surface of the front wall portion 58. As shown in Figures 6, 9, and 10, recesses 66 are formed as cutouts in the left and right outer side end faces 68 of the front wall portion 58, as part of each deformation-allowing portion 65. The left and right outer portions of each deformation-allowing portion 65 open to the front surface of the end wall portion 59 behind the front surface of the front wall portion 58. The rear end of each deformation-allowing portion 65 opens to the rear surface of the end wall portion 59. The recesses 66 are located, for example, at the left end of the front wall portion 58, in a range that overlaps vertically with the area between the vertically adjacent end-side jig insertion holes 63A.

[0038] As shown in Figure 7, the front portion 51 has a pair of left and right elastic portions 67. Each elastic portion 67 has a width defined between the left and right outer side end faces 68 of the end wall portion 59 and the left and right outer inner surfaces of the deformation-allowing portion 65, and extends vertically according to the vertical dimension of the deformation-allowing portion 65. The vertical ends of the elastic portion 67 are supported by the corresponding connecting portions of the end wall portion 59. In other words, the elastic portion 67 is in the shape of a cantilevered beam supported by the above-mentioned connecting portions. Each projection 64 is provided protruding from the upper and lower intermediate portion of the left and right outer side end faces 68 of each elastic portion 67. The elastic portion 67 is elastically deformable in a direction that narrows the left and right width of the deformation-allowing portion 65.

[0039] (Function of connector 10) The mounting member 50 is assembled to the housing 20 from below. During the assembly process, the projection 64 slides along the sliding surface 39 from the retractable surface 38 side, and the elastic part 67 elastically deforms toward the deformation-allowable part 65. When the mounting member 50 reaches the temporary locking position, the elastic part 67 elastically returns to its original position, and the projection 64 fits into the temporary locking part 36 (see Figure 9). Then, although not shown, the retaining body 57 fits between the pair of retaining protrusions 26, 27 in the vertical direction. At this point, the projection 64 contacts the inner lower surface of the temporary locking part 36, and the retaining body 57 contacts the upper surface of the lower retaining protrusion 27, thereby preventing the mounting member 50 from detaching downward from the housing 20 once it reaches the temporary locking position. Furthermore, the projection 64 contacts the inner upper surface of the temporary locking portion 36, and the holding body 57 contacts the lower surface of the upper holding projection 26, thereby preventing the mounting member 50, which has reached the temporary locking position, from moving to the permanent locking position.

[0040] With the mounting member 50 held in a temporary locking position relative to the housing 20, the terminal fittings 90 are inserted into each cavity 28 of the housing 20 from the rear. The terminal fittings 90 are temporarily prevented from coming out within the cavity 28 by the lance 29.

[0041] Next, the mounting member 50 is pushed upward relative to the housing 20 toward the main locking position. The end wall portions 59 located at the left and right ends move along the corresponding guide grooves 34. As the mounting member 50 moves toward the main locking position, the projection 64 slides on the ride surface 37 (see Figure 11), and the elastic portion 67 elastically deforms in an arc toward the deformation-allowing portion 65. When the mounting member 50 reaches the main locking position, the elastic portion 67 elastically returns to its original position, and the projection 64 fits into the locking portion 35 for main locking. Then, although not shown in the figures, the retaining body 57 is positioned on the upper side of the upper retaining projection 26. The projection 64 contacts the inner lower surface of the locking portion 35 for main locking, and the retaining body 57 contacts the upper surface of the upper retaining projection 26, thereby preventing the mounting member 50, which has reached the main locking position, from moving downward toward the temporary locking position (see Figure 10). Furthermore, the projection 64 contacts the inner upper surface of the locking portion 35 for the main locking, and the retaining body 57 contacts the inner lower surface of the recess 24, thereby preventing the mounting member 50, which has reached the main locking position, from moving any further upward. Thus, the mounting member 50 is held in the main locking position relative to the housing 20. Here, the terminal fitting 90 is secondarily prevented from coming loose by the retaining portion 56. The tab insertion hole 61 is positioned to communicate with the cavity 28.

[0042] If the mounting member 50 stops at an intermediate position between the temporary locking position and the permanent locking position relative to the housing 20, the projection 64 remains in contact with the ride-on surface 37, and the elastic deformation of the elastic part 67 is not resolved. Therefore, by visually observing the elastic deformation state of the elastic part 67 (the deformation state of the deformation-allowable part 65) from a front view, it can be determined that the projection 64 is still on the ride-on surface 37 and the mounting member 50 has not yet reached the permanent locking position. In contrast, as shown in Figure 10, by visually observing the state in which the elastic part 67 extends vertically and returns to its elastic state through the upper window hole 41, it can be determined that the projection 64 has overcome the ride-on surface 37 and the mounting member 50 has reached the permanent locking position. In particular, in this embodiment 1, the housing 20 is black and the mounting member 50 is white, so the housing 20 and the mounting member 50 are composed of different colors. Therefore, a contrast difference is created between the housing 20 and the mounting member 50, which improves the reliability of detecting the mounting state of the mounting member 50 on the housing 20.

[0043] Incidentally, when the mounting member 50 repeatedly moves between a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position relative to the housing 20, the protrusion 64 moves back and forth between the permanent locking portion 35 and the temporary locking portion 36. At this time, stress accumulates in the protrusion 64 each time it rides onto the ride-on surface 37, so there is a risk that the protrusion 64 will undergo plastic deformation. However, in the case of this embodiment 1, when the protrusion 64 rides onto the ride-on surface 37, the elastic portion 67 undergoes elastic deformation, which can alleviate the stress generated in the protrusion 64. As a result, it is possible to avoid situations in which the protrusion 64 undergoes plastic deformation such as fracture or breakage.

[0044] As described above, the connector 10 according to this embodiment 1 comprises a housing 20 having a cavity 28, and a front portion 51 that is movable along the front side of the housing 20 in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction and is locked to the housing 20 in the locking position. The housing 20 has a locking portion 35 for locking. The front portion 51 has a tab insertion hole 61 that communicates with the cavity 28 in the locking position, an elastic portion 67, a deformation-allowing portion 65 that allows elastic deformation of the elastic portion 67, and a projection 64 that protrudes from the elastic portion 67 and faces the locking portion 35 so as to be lockable in the locking position.

[0045] According to the above configuration, after the elastic portion 67 elastically deforms into the deformation-allowable portion 65, the projection 64 can be positioned to be locked to the locking portion 35 at the main locking position. Therefore, it is possible to avoid generating large stresses on the projection 64. In particular, even if the front portion 51 is repeatedly locked (locked at the main locking position) and unlocked (unlocked from the main locking position) relative to the housing 20, the locking force of the projection 64 can be maintained.

[0046] Furthermore, the front side of the housing 20 has a pair of guide portions 32 positioned on both sides of the front portion 51 at the locking position. The locking portion 35 for this locking is provided in the guide grooves 34 on the opposing surfaces 33 of each of the pair of guide portions 32. The protrusion 64 protrudes from the side end surface 68 of the end wall portion 59 of the front portion 51. The deformation-allowing portion 65 is positioned so as to be visible in a front view of the front portion 51. With this configuration, by visually checking the state of the deformation-allowing portion 65 in a front view, it is possible to determine whether or not the protrusion 64 is properly locked to the locking portion 35. In particular, since the front portion 51 and the housing 20 are made of different colors, the contrast difference can be made clear, improving visibility.

[0047] Furthermore, the deformation-allowing portion 65 has a hole shape that penetrates the front portion 51 in the front-to-back direction. The elastic portion 67 is defined between the side end face 68 of the front portion 51 and the deformation-allowing portion 65, and has a double-supported beam shape that extends in the direction of movement (up and down direction) of the front portion 51. With this configuration, the elastic reaction force of the double-supported beam-shaped elastic portion 67 can stably maintain the state in which the projection 64 is locked to the locking portion 35.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment 1, with respect to the width direction (left-right direction), the width dimension of the elastic portion 67 defined between the side end face 68 of the front portion 51 and the deformation-allowing portion 65 is smaller than the opening width of the deformation-allowing portion 65. With this configuration, the elastic portion 67 can elastically deform with sufficient deflection allowance in the deformation-allowing portion 65, and a large protrusion dimension of the projection portion 64 can be secured.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment 1, the front portion 51 has a plurality of jig insertion holes 63 arranged alongside the tab insertion hole 61. The plurality of jig insertion holes 63 include a plurality of end-side jig insertion holes 63A arranged in close proximity to the side end face 68 of the front portion 51 and aligned in the direction of movement (vertical direction). A portion of the deformation-allowing portion 65 is formed as a recess 66 that is recessed into the side end face 68 of the front portion 51. The recess 66 is located between adjacent end-side jig insertion holes 63A in the direction of movement. With this configuration, the dead area of ​​the front portion 51 formed between adjacent end-side jig insertion holes 63A in the direction of movement is effectively utilized as the formation area of ​​the recess 66, which is part of the deformation-allowing portion 65. Therefore, it is space-efficient, and for example, the deformation-allowing portion 65 can be formed on the front portion 51 without increasing the size of the existing front portion 51.

[0050] [Other embodiments of this disclosure] Embodiment 1 disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In the first embodiment described above, the front portion 51 was configured as part of the mounting member 50. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the front portion may consist only of the part located on the front side of the housing. For example, the front portion may be separate from the housing and consist of a front mask, a front holder, or a front retainer. In the first embodiment described above, the deformation-allowing portion 65 was configured as a hole penetrating the front portion 51. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the deformation-allowing portion may be configured as a deformable portion in the front portion that is thinner than the surrounding area. In the first embodiment described above, the mounting member 50 (front portion 51) was movable between a temporary locking position and a permanent locking position relative to the housing 20. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the mounting member (front portion) may be configured to reach the permanent locking position (locking position) directly without passing through a temporary locking position relative to the housing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10… Connectors 20… Housing 21... Tsuba (guard) 22... Lock Arm 22A... Front end of the lock arm 23...Opening hole 24…recess 25…Retainer mounting hole 26…Upper retaining projection 27...Lower retaining projection 28... Cavity 28A... Front of the cavity 28B... Rear of the cavity 29... Lance 31...Protruding part 32… Guide Section 33… Opposite side 34… Guide groove 35... Locking part for this purpose (locking part) 36... Temporary locking part 37… Ride surface 38…Evacuation area 39... Sliding surface 41... Window opening 50… Mounting component 51…Front section 52... Retainer part 53...Side plate part 54…Interior space 55... Through hole 56... Retaining part 57...Holding body 58...Front wall part 59…End wall section 61... Tab insertion hole 62... Invitation surface 63... Jig insertion hole 63A... End-side jig insertion hole 64… protrusion 65...Deformation tolerance area 66...dent 67...Elastic part 68…Side end surface 90…Terminal fittings 91...Connection part 92... Barrel section 190...Male terminal fittings 191... Tab W…Electric wire

Claims

1. A housing with a cavity, The housing comprises a front portion that is movable along the front side of the housing in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction and that locks to the housing in a locking position, The housing has a locking portion, The connector wherein the front portion has a tab insertion hole that communicates with the cavity at the locking position, an elastic portion, a deformation-allowing portion that allows elastic deformation of the elastic portion, and a projection that protrudes from the elastic portion and faces the locking portion so as to be lockable at the locking position.

2. The front side of the housing has a pair of guide portions arranged on both sides of the front portion at the locking position, The locking portion is provided on the opposing surfaces of each of the pair of guide portions, The aforementioned projection protrudes from the side end face of the front portion, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-allowing portion is arranged to be visible in a front view of the front portion.

3. The deformation-allowing portion has a hole shape that penetrates in the front-to-back direction in the front portion. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the elastic portion is defined between the side end face of the front portion and the deformation-allowing portion and has a double-supported beam shape extending in the direction of movement of the front portion.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein, with respect to the front-rear direction and the width direction intersecting the movement direction, the width dimension of the elastic portion defined between the side end face of the front portion and the deformation-allowable portion is smaller than the opening width of the deformation-allowable portion.

5. The front portion has a plurality of jig insertion holes arranged alongside the tab insertion hole, The plurality of jig insertion holes include a plurality of end-side jig insertion holes arranged in the direction of movement, adjacent to the side end face of the front portion. A portion of the deformation-allowing portion is formed as a recess in the side end face of the front portion, The connector according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the recess is located between adjacent end-side jig insertion holes with respect to the direction of movement.

6. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the front portion and the housing are composed of different color schemes.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the front portion is provided on a mounting member, and the mounting member has a retainer portion capable of locking a terminal fitting inserted into the cavity at the locking position.

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