JP5129045B2 - Connector housing with latch - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector housing that supports connector terminals and has a side type retainer.

  An example of a connector that supports a conventional female terminal is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the female connector of Patent Document 1, a waterproof rubber ring and a holding member for supporting the terminal fitting are assembled from the front with respect to the housing body that can accommodate the terminal fitting, and from the side to the terminal fitting. A retainer for locking and preventing the retainer is assembled. When the connector is connected, the waterproof rubber ring is sandwiched between the housing and the mating housing, so that the waterproof performance of the connector is ensured.

Japanese Patent No. 3968638

  In the connector of Patent Document 1, a side type retainer that is inserted into the housing from the side of the housing is used. Therefore, an opening is formed in the side portion of the housing so that the retainer can be inserted. In a state before the connector is connected, a cover is usually attached to the opening into which the mating housing is inserted in order to prevent water or dust from entering. However, since the cover is often not attached to the opening to which the retainer is attached, water or dust tends to enter the interior of the housing from the retainer opening before the connector is connected. For example, when dust enters the inside of the housing, the dust enters between the seal ring and the housing, so that a gap is formed between the seal ring and the housing. May decrease.

  Then, even if it is a case where a side type retainer is used, this invention aims at providing the connector housing with a latch metal which can suppress that water or garbage enters into the inside.

  In order to achieve the above object, a connector housing with a latch according to the present invention is used in one of a pair of connectors connected to each other, and is electrically connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector. A main body part that is used to support the connector terminal and is connected to the mating housing of the mating connector and a pair of support parts, and is attached to the main body part. And a latch that elastically sandwiches and supports the counterpart housing so as to prevent separation from the counterpart housing, and extends from the main body, and covers a part of the latch A plate-like cover portion and a retainer attached to the main body portion to prevent the connector terminal from coming off, and the mating housing is inserted into the main body portion. And an enclosure wall that surrounds the mating housing is formed, the enclosure wall is formed with an insertion port into which the retainer is inserted, and the main body portion is formed in the mating housing. In the connected state, the counterpart housing is sandwiched between the pair of support portions, and the pair of support portions are hooked on a pair of support receiving portions formed on the counterpart housing. As a result, the latch is locked with respect to the counterpart housing, and the cover is pushed toward the body in a state where the cover covers a part of the latch. The pair of support portions spreads outward from each other while being in contact with the main body portion, and the locked state by the latch metal is released, and the cover is released. In a state in which part covers a portion of the hook fasteners, the cover portion covers the insertion opening.

  According to this configuration, the retainer prevents the connector terminal from coming off. Further, even if the retainer is of a side type, the insertion port is covered with the cover portion, so that water or dust can be prevented from entering the main body portion. Therefore, even when a side type retainer is used, water or dust can be prevented from entering the interior.

  Moreover, according to this structure, separation of both connected connectors is suppressed by the latch metal. In addition, since the cover portion prevents contact with the latch metal, a clear click feeling can be obtained when the two connectors are connected, and the connection can be reliably confirmed. In addition, by a simple operation of pushing the cover portion, the locked state by the latching metal is released, and both the connectors can be freely separated. Moreover, since the cover part is formed in a plate shape, the unlocking operation can be easily performed without causing pain to the finger. Since the cover provided for preventing contact with the latch and unlocking the lock can be effectively used to prevent foreign matter from entering, the cover is provided only for the purpose of covering the insertion slot. It does not have to be formed.

  Note that the cover portion “covers” the insertion port not only means that the cover portion is in close contact with the surface of the surrounding wall in the cover state, but also completely blocks the insertion port and the internal space of the main body. Even when the portion does not adhere to the surface of the surrounding wall, the insertion opening and the cover portion overlap each other when viewed in the retainer insertion direction.

  Further, in the connector housing with a latch according to the present invention, the main body portion is formed with a pair of rib portions, and the pair of rib portions are continuous from the surrounding wall and have the insertion opening. It may be formed so as to be sandwiched.

  If an insertion port for inserting the retainer is formed in the housing, the rigidity of the entire housing may be lowered depending on the size of the insertion port. For example, in order to prevent the two connectors from being connected to each other in the reverse direction, it is assumed that a protruding portion is formed on one of the pair of connector housings and an indented portion is formed on the other. However, even in this case, due to the effect of the insertion port formed in the housing, the entire housing is easily deformed, the protruding portion and the indented portion do not function, and both connectors remain in the opposite directions. There is a risk of being forcibly connected. On the other hand, in this configuration, since the pair of rib portions are formed so as to sandwich the insertion opening and continuously from the surrounding wall, the rigidity of the entire main body portion is improved. Therefore, for example, it can suppress that both connectors are connected in the reverse direction.

  In the connector housing with a latch according to the present invention, one of the rib portion and the cover portion is formed with a protruding portion, and the other is formed with a protruding receiving portion. In a state in which a part of the clasp is covered, the state in which the cover portion covers a part of the clasp may be maintained by the projection being hooked on the protrusion receiving part.

  According to this, the cover state can be reliably maintained while improving the rigidity of the whole main body part by hooking the cover part using the rib part.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, only preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown for convenience of explanation, but the present invention is not limited thereby.

(About overall structure)
First, the overall configuration of an electrical connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an overall configuration of an electrical connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical connector device. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the mating connector. 4A and 4B are schematic views of the mating connector, where FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a front view, and FIG. 4C is a bottom view. 5A and 5B are schematic views of the mating connector, where FIG. 5D is a right side view and FIG. 5E is a rear view. 6A and 6B are schematic views of a connector with a latch metal fitting, wherein FIG. 6A is a plan view, FIG. 6B is a front view, and FIG. 6C is a bottom view. FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic views of a connector with a latch, wherein FIG. 7D is a right side view and FIG. 7E is a rear view. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a connector with a latch. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing components of a connector with a latch. FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic views of the latch metal, where FIG. 10A is a plan view, FIG. 10B is a front view, and FIG. 10C is a right side view. FIG. 11 is an enlarged rear view of the connector with a latch. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line PP ′ of FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view at the position QQ ′ in FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing movement of the retainer, and shows a state where the retainer is in the first position. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing movement of the retainer, and shows a state where the retainer is in the second position.

  Note that the cross section of FIG. 2 corresponds to the cross section at the position Q-Q ′ when described with reference to FIG. 11. 14 and FIG. 15 corresponds to the cross section at the position M-M ′ when described with reference to FIG. 7D.

  The electrical connector device 1 is used as a device connector for supplying electric power to an airbag collision acceleration sensor in an automobile, and includes a mating connector 2 and a connector 7 with a latch. (See FIGS. 1 and 2). The electrical connector device 1 is waterproof. When the connector 7 with the latch is connected to the mating connector 2 fixed to a device or the like (not shown), the male terminal 21 of the mating connector 2 and the female of the connector 7 with the latch are Electrical connection is achieved with the terminal 41 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). As a result, the device or the like and the electric wire 64 are electrically connected.

  In the electrical connector device 1, the latch 5 attached to the connector housing 42 functions to prevent the mating housing 22 of the mating connector 2 from being separated from the connector housing 42. Moreover, in this embodiment, the material used for the other party housing 22 and the connector housing 42 is a synthetic resin material. Here, a bipolar connector having two male terminals 21 and two female terminals 41 will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of male terminals (or female terminals) is singular. Or three or more. Hereinafter, the configuration of each unit will be described.

(Mating connector)
First, the mating connector 2 will be described. The mating connector 2 includes two male terminals 21 and a mating housing 22 that supports the two male terminals 21. Details of each part will be described below.

(Mating housing)
The mating housing 22 includes a fitting portion 23 formed in a cylindrical shape and a base portion 22f. The fitting portion 23 is in a state in which the mating connector 2 and the connector 7 with the latch metal are connected (that is, a state in which a main body portion 42b to be described later is connected to the mating housing 22; hereinafter, “connected state”. 1 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2), it is inserted into an opening 43 (see FIG. 4) of the connector 7 with a latching metal, which will be described later. Moreover, in this embodiment, the insertion part 23 is formed in the square cylinder shape (refer FIG. 3, FIG.4 (b)). Further, the base portion 22f is fixed to the device or the like.

  Four rib portions 24 are formed in the fitting portion 23 (see FIG. 4B). The four rib portions 24 are directions in which a pair of connectors are connected, that is, directions in which the mating connector 2 and the connector 7 with the latch metal are connected (see direction G in FIGS. 1 and 2; hereinafter, this direction). (Referred to as “connection direction”), the outer surface portion 23s of the insertion portion 23 is formed so as to protrude along the radial direction centered on the center portion of the insertion portion 23 (FIGS. 3 and 3). 4 (b)). Moreover, the four rib parts 24 are formed in the base side (base part 22f side) of the insertion part 23 (refer FIG.3, FIG.4 (a), FIG.4 (c), FIG.5 (d)). Moreover, the four rib parts 24 are arrange | positioned at the four corner | angular parts of the insertion part 23 (refer FIG. 3, FIG.4 (b)).

  In addition, when viewed along the connection direction, four additional concave portions 25 formed along the radial direction centered on the center portion of the insertion portion 23 are formed on the outer surface portion 23s of the insertion portion 23 toward the center portion. Intrusion formation is formed (see FIGS. 3 and 4B). Moreover, the four additional recessed parts 25 are formed in the front end side of the outer surface part 23s of the insertion part 23 (refer FIG.3, FIG.4 (a), FIG.4 (c), FIG.5 (d)). In addition, the rib part 24 and the additional recessed part 25 are not necessary.

  Further, when the “connection direction” G is a direction in which the connector housing 42 is connected to the counterpart housing 22, the near side of the counterpart housing 22 with respect to the connection direction G (FIGS. 1, 2 and FIG. 5 (d) (see the K side) is formed with a pair of connecting inclined surfaces 22 s for widening the width between a pair of support portions 51 (described later) of the latch metal 5. (See FIG. 3, FIG. 4 (b), FIG. 5 (d)).

  Further, a pair of projecting portions 22x are formed to project from the side portion of the counterpart housing 22 (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 5D). And in each of a pair of protrusion part 22x, the inclined surface is formed in the back side (refer L side of FIG.4 (c)) regarding the connection direction G as the support receiving part 26 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4 ( a), FIG. 4 (c), and FIG. 5 (d)). More specifically, the inclined surface as the support receiving portion 26 has a height (projection height from the outer surface of the outer surface portion 23s) that decreases as it goes to the back side (L side) with respect to the connection direction G. So as to be inclined. In the connected state, the pair of support portions 51 of the latch metal 5 are hooked while being in close contact with the pair of support receiving portions 26. In the present embodiment, the length between the tip portions of the pair of projecting portions 22x is L2 (see FIG. 4C). Further, in the present embodiment, the length of the pair of support receiving portions 26 is The length between the portions (described later) where the pair of support portions 51 contact in the connected state is L3 (see FIG. 4A).

  In the side part of the fitting part 23, in addition to a pair of protrusion part 22x, a pair of protrusion part 22w for guides is formed (refer FIG.3, FIG.4, FIG.5). The guide protrusion 22w is formed to protrude along the connection direction G in a straight line. Further, the protrusion 22x and the guide protrusion 22w are arranged along the connection direction G. Further, the protrusion 22x and the guide protrusion 22w are not continuous, and a groove is formed between them. Further, in the groove portion, a side concave portion 27 is formed to be depressed (see FIGS. 3 and 5D).

  Further, a guide protrusion 22v for preventing erroneous fitting is formed on the bottom of the fitting portion 23 (see FIGS. 4 and 5D). The guide protrusion 22v is also formed to protrude linearly and along the connection direction. In the present embodiment, one guide protrusion 22v for preventing erroneous fitting is formed, but the number of guide protrusions may be two or more.

  Further, an internal space 23v is formed inside the fitting portion 23 (see FIGS. 3 and 4B). And the recessed part 22j for insertion is formed in the back | inner side of the internal space 23v (refer FIG.4 (b)). The insertion recess 22j has a T-shape. Furthermore, two insertion holes 22h into which the two male terminals 21 are inserted are formed in the mating housing 22 (see FIG. 5E).

(Male terminal)
The two male terminals (mating terminals) 21 are electrically connected to the two female terminals 41 in the connected state, and are formed in a rod shape (see FIGS. 2 and 3). At the tip of the male terminal 21, a contact portion 21 s that is a portion that contacts the female terminal 41 is formed. The connection state between the male terminal 21 and the female terminal 41 will be described in detail in the description of the female terminal 41. In the present embodiment, the male terminal 21 has a quadrangular cross-sectional shape, but the male terminal is not limited to such a shape. For example, the cross-sectional shape may be circular.

(Connector with latch)
Next, the connector 7 with a latch will be described. The connector 7 with a latch is electrically connected to the mating connector 2, and includes two female terminals 41, a connector housing 42 that supports the two female terminals 41, and a latch. 5 and a seal ring 62 (see FIGS. 1, 2, 8, and 9). Details of each part will be described below.

(Connector housing)
The connector housing 42 is used in the connector 7 with the latch metal which is one of a pair of connectors (the mating connector 2 and the connector 7 with the latch metal) connected to each other. And the retainer 8 and the cover 47 (see FIGS. 1, 2, 8, and 9).

(Main body)
Next, the main body 42b will be described. As shown in FIG. 15, the main body 42 b is used to support two female terminals 41 that are electrically connected to the male terminals 21 of the mating connector 2. The main body 42 b is connected to the counterpart housing 22.

  The main body 42b is formed with an opening 43 into which the mating housing 22 is inserted in the connected state (see FIGS. 7E, 8, 9, 12, and 13). In addition, an enclosing wall 46 that encloses the counterpart housing 22 is formed in the main body 42b (see FIGS. 7, 8, 11, and 12). Here, the surrounding wall 46 is a cylindrical side wall portion (a wall portion surrounding the mating housing 22 in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction G). The space into which the counterpart housing 22 is inserted is formed so as to be surrounded by the surrounding wall 46. More specifically, the main body portion 42b is formed in a rectangular tube shape (see FIG. 12 and the like), and an opening 43 is formed inside thereof. Here, the opening 43 includes a space formed inside the main body 42b and an inner surface 43s around the space (see FIGS. 7E and 11).

  In addition, a restricting portion 48b is formed in the main body portion 42b, and the restricting portion 48b is disposed on the back side of the retainer 8 with respect to the connection direction when the retainer 8 is completely attached to the main body portion 42b (see FIG. 12). ).

  The main body part 42b is formed with an abutting part 48c facing the back side (L side) with respect to the connection direction G (see FIGS. 12 and 13). The retainer 8 is restrained from moving forward in the connection direction G by the abutting portion 48c (details will be described later).

  Further, four concave portions 44 are formed in the inner surface portion 43s of the opening 43 (see FIGS. 7E and 11). In the connected state, the four rib portions 24 of the fitting portion 23 are fitted into the four concave portions 44. The four recesses 44 are formed in the inner surface 43s of the opening 43 along the radial direction centered on the center of the opening 43 when viewed along the connection direction (FIG. 7 ( e)). Moreover, the four recessed parts 44 are formed in the front end side of the opening part 43 (refer FIG. 8). In the main body portion 42b formed in a rectangular tube shape, the four concave portions 44 are arranged at positions corresponding to the corner portions of the fitting portion 23 in the connected state (see FIG. 7E).

  Moreover, the four additional rib parts 45 are formed in the back | inner side of the inner surface part 43s of the opening part 43 (refer FIG.7 (e) and FIG. 11). And the four additional rib parts 45 are fitted with respect to the four additional recessed parts 25 formed in the insertion part 23 in the connection state. Note that the concave portion 44 and the additional rib portion 45 may not be provided.

  Further, two guide grooves 42x are formed linearly along the connection direction G inside the main body 42b (see FIGS. 7E and 11). The two guide grooves 42x are formed in a groove shape so that the two protrusions 22x and the two guide protrusions 22w of the counterpart housing 22 are fitted in the connection operation. Further, a guide groove 42v is formed linearly along the connection direction G on the inner side of the bottom of the main body 42b (see FIG. 7E). The guide groove 42v is formed in a groove shape so that the guide protrusion 22v of the counterpart housing 22 is fitted in the connection operation. The number of guide grooves may be two or more.

  In the electrical connector device 1, the latch 5 is attached to the connector housing 42. The connector housing 42 is formed with a groove 42d to which the latch metal 5 is attached. Specifically, the groove part 42d is formed in each of two wall parts which oppose the surrounding wall 46 (refer FIG. 6-9 etc.). Here, the depth of the groove 42d is deeper than the thickness of the latch metal 5 (see W1 in FIG. 10C). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, in the electrical connector device 1, the outermost part of the latch metal 5 is located at a position deeper than the surface of the surrounding wall 46, so that the operation at the time of connection is performed. Then, touching the latch metal 5 with a finger is suppressed.

  Further, in the main body portion 42b of the connector housing 42, the back side of the groove portion 42d (in FIG. 1) with respect to the mounting direction of the latch metal 5 (refer to the direction H in FIGS. 1 and 9). On the lower side, a pair of release inclined surfaces 42p is formed (see FIGS. 1, 7D, and 8). In the present embodiment, the attachment direction H is perpendicular to the connection direction G. In this embodiment, the attachment direction of the latch metal 5 is a direction perpendicular to the connection direction G. However, the attachment direction is not limited to such a direction, and an acute angle with the connection direction G is used. It may be the direction that is formed.

  In addition, a pair of rib portions 46t is formed in the main body portion 42b (see FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 7, FIG. 11, etc.). The pair of rib portions 46t are formed so as to protrude from the surrounding wall 46 so as to sandwich the insertion opening 42f (see FIGS. 9, 14, and 15). In each rib portion 46t, a groove portion 42d is formed continuously from the surrounding wall 46 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). That is, each rib 46t is divided by the groove 42d.

  In addition, each rib portion 46t protrudes further toward the near side in the mounting direction than the intermediate portion 42y of the main body portion 42b (the portion of the upper surface portion of the surrounding wall 46 sandwiched between the rib portions 46t). (See FIGS. 6B, 7E, and 9). Then, in each of the pair of rib portions 46t, two protruding receiving portions 42t are formed in the front side (K side in FIG. 1) with respect to the connection direction G (see FIGS. 6B and 9). ). The rib portion 46t may not be formed. Moreover, the protrusion receiving part 42t may be formed in parts other than the rib part 46t. Further, the protrusion receiving portion 42t may not be provided.

  Further, a terminal support portion 42o for supporting the two female terminals 41 is formed inside the main body portion 42b (see FIGS. 9 and 13 to 15). The terminal support 42o is formed to extend along the connection direction G inside the opening 43, and the retainer 8 and the front cover 9 are attached to the terminal support 42o. Further, two first convex portions 42m and two second convex portions 42n are formed on the side portion of the terminal support portion 42o (see FIGS. 9, 14, and 15). Further, on both side portions of the terminal support portion 42o, a groove portion 42g is formed between the first convex portion 42m and the second convex portion 42n (see FIGS. 9, 14, and 15).

  Furthermore, two insertion holes 42h into which the two female terminals 41 are inserted are formed in the main body portion 42b of the connector housing 42 (see FIGS. 2 and 6B).

  The surrounding wall 46 is formed with an insertion port 42f into which the retainer 8 is inserted when the connector housing 42 is assembled (see FIGS. 2 and 9). The insertion port 42f is covered with the cover portion 47 in the cover state (see FIG. 8). When the connector housing 42 is assembled, the retainer 8 or the jig is inserted from the insertion port 42f. Further, the insertion port 42f is also a die hole used for forming a retainer indentation portion (described later) in the main body portion 42b when the connector housing 42 is molded.

  In the connected state of both connectors, the retainer 8, the front cover 9, the terminal support portion 42 o and the two female terminals 41 are inserted into the internal space 23 v of the fitting portion 23 of the mating housing 22. Further, a vibration preventing rib 42k is formed on the distal end side of the terminal support 42o (see FIG. 9). The vibration preventing rib portion 42k has a T-shape and penetrates a rib insertion hole 91k of the front cover 9 to be described later (see FIG. 8) when the two connectors are connected to each other. It is inserted into the recess 22j for use (see FIG. 2). When the vibration preventing rib portion 42k passes through the rib insertion hole 91k, the coupling of the front cover 9 to the connector housing 42 becomes stronger, and the vibration of the front cover 9 with respect to the connector housing 42 is suppressed.

  The main body portion 42b is formed with two support base portions 42r for supporting the two female terminals 41 (see FIGS. 2, 13, 14, and 15). The support base part 42r is formed as a part of the terminal support part 42o (see FIG. 9). The terminal support portion 42o has two through holes in which the two female terminals 41 are disposed. And the support stand part 42r is formed as a bottom part of this through-hole (refer FIG. 9).

  The main body 42b is formed with two lances 42q that latch the two female terminals 41 and prevent the two female terminals 41 from coming out toward the front side in the connection direction (FIGS. 2 and 2). 13). The lance 42q faces the terminal space where the female terminal 41 is disposed. Moreover, in the lance 42q, although the root part is being fixed to the main-body part 42b, it is a free state which is not being fixed except the root part, and can bend elastically. Further, the lance 42q is formed with a contact portion 42c that protrudes toward the female terminal 41 (see FIG. 13). In addition, a retainer indentation portion into which the retainer 8 is inserted is formed in the main body portion 42b. The retainer intrusion portion is formed as a space including a space between the abutting portion 48c and the limiting portion 48b (see FIG. 12).

  In this embodiment, the lance 42q prevents the female terminal 41 from coming off to the front side in the connection direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lance is not connected to the front side in the connection direction. It may be one that prevents the female terminal from coming out to the back in the direction, or one that prevents the female terminal from coming out to both sides in the connection direction.

(front cover)
The front cover 9 has two insertion holes 91h into which the two male terminals 21 are inserted (see FIGS. 9 and 13). Further, the front cover 9 prevents the female terminal 41 from coming out to the back side (L side) in the connection direction G (see FIG. 13).

  In the front cover 9, a chamfer surface 91s serving as an insertion guide for the male terminal 21 is formed over the entire periphery of the insertion hole 91h. Specifically, the shape of the insertion hole 91h is a quadrangle, and four chamfer surfaces 91s are formed on the front cover 9 so as to surround the four sides of the insertion hole 91h (FIGS. 8, 11 to 13). reference). Since such a chamfer surface 91s is formed, even if both connectors contact at a slightly inclined angle, both connectors are connected while the tip of the male terminal 21 is in contact with the chamfer surface 91s. The male terminal 21 is guided to the insertion hole 91h along the chamfer surface 91s. Further, a T-shaped rib insertion hole 91k is formed in the center of the front cover 9 (see FIGS. 9 and 11). The shape of the insertion hole is not limited to a quadrangle, and may be a circle, a polygon such as a triangle or a pentagon. In that case, the shape and number of chamfer surfaces are also adapted to the shape of the insertion hole.

  Further, inside the front cover 9, a pair of projecting portions 91t are formed so as to project toward each other (see FIG. 12). In a state where the front cover 9 is attached to the main body portion 42b, the pair of protruding portions 91t are hooked to the main body portion 42b so that the front cover 9 cannot be removed from the main body portion 42b (see FIG. 12).

(Retainer)
Next, the retainer 8 will be described. Hereinafter, the state in which the retainer 8 is completely attached to the main body 42b is referred to as an “attached state” (see FIGS. 2, 12, 13, and 15). The retainer 8 is attached to the main body portion 42b. In the present embodiment, the retainer 8 is made of a synthetic resin material. The retainer 8 includes a top plate portion 83, an insulating wall 82, and two side wall portions 84.

  The retainer 8 prevents the female terminal 41 from coming off (see FIG. 13). Moreover, in the attachment completion state, the movement of the retainer 8 with respect to the connection direction G is restricted. Moreover, in the attachment completion state, the retainer 8 is in a state of being fitted into the retainer intrusion portion (see FIGS. 12 and 13).

  The retainer 8 is a side type retainer that is inserted from the insertion port 42f and attached to the main body 42b. In this embodiment, the direction (insertion direction) in which the retainer 8 is inserted into the main body portion 42 b is equal to the direction H.

  Moreover, the top plate part 83 is an upper wall part of the retainer 8, and the retainer 8 is attached to the main body part 42b by pressing this part with a finger or a jig. In addition, an insulating wall 82 is formed on the retainer 8. In the attachment completion state, the insulating wall 82 is sandwiched between the two female terminals 41 (see FIGS. 12 and 15). The retainer 8 has two through holes 85 (see FIGS. 14 and 15).

  Moreover, the two protrusion parts 84m are formed in the inner surface part of the retainer 8 (refer FIG. 14, FIG. 15). Specifically, protrusions 84 m are formed on the inner surface portions of the two side wall portions 84. And the two protrusion parts 84m protrude in the direction of each other. The side wall portion 84 may not be provided. Moreover, the protrusion part 84m may be provided in parts other than a side wall part.

(Cover part)
Next, the cover part 47 will be described. The cover portion 47 covers a part of the latch metal 5 (intermediate support portion 53), and is formed to extend from the main body portion 42b (see FIGS. 2, 8, 9, and 13). Moreover, the cover part 47 has the cover main-body part 47b which contact | connects the latch metal 5, and the cover connection part 47c which connects the said cover main-body part 47b with respect to the main-body part 42b. And the cover part 47 and the main-body part 42b are integrally shape | molded via the cover connection part 47c (refer FIG.2, FIG.8, FIG.9, FIG. 13). Moreover, the cover part 47 is couple | bonded with the main-body part 42b at one place.

  The cover part and the main body part 42b may be formed as separate bodies. In this case, the cover part and the main body part 42b are connected using a hinge of a separate member instead of the cover connecting part 47c. It may be. Further, the cover part may be separate from the main body part, and the base part may be inserted into the connection hole of the main body part. Moreover, the cover part does not need to be combined with the main body part at one place. For example, the cover part may be combined with the main body part at both ends (two places).

  Further, a latch metal space 42s is formed so as to be surrounded by the cover 47, the main body part 42b, and the pair of rib parts 46t, and the intermediate support part 53 of the latch metal 5 is used for this latch metal. It is accommodated in the space 42s (see FIGS. 2, 6B, and 13). As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 47 is in an upright state in which the cover 47 is raised with respect to the main body 42b. When assembling the connector 7 with the latch, the cover 47 is bent with the cover connecting portion 47c bent while the latch 5 is attached to the main body 42b. The part is covered (this is referred to as “covered state”).

  Further, a cover groove portion 47d is formed in a groove shape on the main body portion 42b side of the cover portion 47 (see FIG. 13), and when the cover portion 47 is brought into a cover state, the intermediate support portion 53 is accommodated in the cover groove portion 47d. . In the cover state, the latch metal 5 is accommodated in the cover groove portion 47d, so that the connector housing 42 can be prevented from being enlarged in the vertical direction in FIG. 13, and the connector can be reduced in height. Further, since the positional relationship between the cover portion 47 and the latch metal 5 is stabilized, the latch metal 5 can be reliably pushed by the cover portion 47 in the unlocking operation described later. Note that the cover groove portion 47d may not be formed.

  Moreover, the cover part 47 is arrange | positioned at the intermediate part 42y (refer FIG.7 (e) and FIG. 9). That is, the cover portion 47 is disposed in a portion where the groove portion 42d is not formed. In the present embodiment, the groove part 42d is not formed in the intermediate part 42y of the main body part 42b, but a groove part may be formed in this intermediate part. Further, in the present embodiment, the cover portion 47 is disposed so as to extend from the back side to the near side in the connection direction G. However, the arrangement is not limited to this, and conversely, the cover portion may be arranged so as to extend from the near side to the far side with respect to the connection direction G. Moreover, the cover part may be arrange | positioned so that it may extend along the left-right direction of FIG.7 (e).

  Further, two cover protrusions (protrusion parts) 47t are formed so as to protrude from the side portion at the tip of the cover main body part 47b (see FIGS. 6B and 9). In this embodiment, the cover protrusion 47t is formed on the cover 47 and the protrusion receiving part 42t is formed on the main body 42b. However, this may be reversed, and the protrusion is formed on the main body. And the protrusion receiving part may be formed in the cover part.

  In the cover state, each of the two cover protrusions 47t is hooked on each of the two protrusion receiving parts 42t (see FIG. 6B). With such a configuration, the cover part 47 is inverted. It is possible to maintain the cover state by returning to the state, and the cover protrusion 47t and the protrusion receiving part 42t may not be provided, and one of the two cover protrusions 47t may not be provided. Good.

  Moreover, the inclined surface 47f is formed in the front-end | tip part of the cover main-body part 47b (refer FIG. 2, FIG. 13). A jig insertion hole 47g is formed at the center of the cover body 47b (see FIGS. 8 and 13). Further, in the cover state, the cover portion 47 covers the insertion opening 42f. When the insertion opening 42f is viewed along the retainer insertion direction (direction H), the insertion hole 91h and the cover portion 47 overlap each other (see FIG. 6A).

(Female terminal)
Next, the female terminal (connector terminal) 41 will be described. The two female terminals 41 are electrically connected to the two male terminals 21 and are each formed in a rectangular tube shape (see FIGS. 9, 12, and 13). More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, the female terminal 41 has an outer peripheral wall portion 41 w that surrounds the male terminal 21. And the plate-shaped contact part 41s is formed in the inside of the female terminal 41 formed in the square cylinder shape (refer FIG. 13). In the connected state, the contact portion 41 s contacts the contact portion 21 s of the male terminal 21. The contact portion 41 s is formed integrally with the outer peripheral wall portion 41 w of the female terminal 41, and when connected to the male terminal 21, the contact portion 21 s is elastically bent and deformed at the base portion thereof, and the contact portion 21 s of the male terminal 21 is The contact portion 21s is brought into contact with the wall portion 41w. Further, a hook 41t is formed in the vicinity of the tip of the outer peripheral wall 41w, and the tip of the lance 42q is hooked on this portion.

  Moreover, in the connector 7 with a latch metal fitting, the two female terminals 41 are supported by the two support base parts 42r. Each female terminal 41 is connected to the electric wire 64.

  In the present embodiment, a seal cover 65 made of a rubber material is attached to the electric wire 64 (see FIGS. 2, 12, and 13). The seal cover 65 is inserted into the insertion hole 42h of the connector housing 42, thereby ensuring the airtightness and watertightness of the connector 7 with the latching metal fitting. The seal cover 65 may not be provided.

(Holding bracket)
Next, the latch metal 5 will be described. The latch metal 5 is for suppressing the separation between the mating housing 22 and the connector housing 42, and is formed by bending a single metal rod-shaped member. More specifically, the latch metal 5 is attached to the main body portion 42b of the connector housing 42, and the mating housing 22 is prevented from being separated from the mating housing 22 and the main body portion 42b of the connector housing 42. 22 is elastically sandwiched and supported.

The latch metal 5 has a straight intermediate support portion 53, a pair of hanging portions 54 extending perpendicularly to the intermediate support portion 53 from both ends of the intermediate support portion 53, and a curve inward from the pair of hanging portions 54. However, a pair of inclined portions 56 formed to extend while extending, a pair of support portions 51 that are curved portions formed at the tip thereof, and a pair of tip portions 55 formed to extend outward at the tip thereof. (See FIG. 10B). In the present embodiment, the distance between the pair of support portions 51 in a no-load state in which the latch metal 5 is not attached to the connector housing 42 is L1 (see FIG. 10B). The length of L3 (see FIG. 4A) is larger than the length of L1, and the length of L2 is larger than the length of L3. That is, the following relationship is established among L1, L2, and L3.
L1 <L3 <L2 (1)
Since L2 is larger than L1 and L3 is smaller than L2, a click feeling is obtained by elastically returning the latch metal 5 to the original state in accordance with the connection operation. Further, since L3 is larger than L1, in the connected state, the pair of support receiving portions 26 are sandwiched between the pair of support portions 51 by the action of a force that elastically returns to the original state. The relationship among L1, L2, and L3 is an example, and is not limited to this.

  In the connection state in which the connector 7 with the latch metal is connected to the mating connector 2, the mating housing 22 is sandwiched between the pair of support portions 51. In this connected state, the pair of support portions 51 are hooked to the pair of support receiving portions 26 formed on the counterpart housing 22. In this connected state, the latch metal 5 is locked with respect to the counterpart housing 22. This state is referred to as a “lock state”. Here, “locking” means that the movement of the latching metal 5 toward the front side in the connection direction G is suppressed so that the latching metal 5 is not detached from the counterpart housing 22. In this locked state, the movement of the connector 7 with the latching metal to the near side in the connection direction G with respect to the counterpart housing 22 is suppressed.

  The latch metal 5 has a C-shape that is curved so that its curvature continuously changes on the same plane in the metal body 52 (see the portion surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 10B). (See FIG. 10 (b) and FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (c)). Here, the metal fitting main body 52 includes an intermediate portion between the pair of support portions 51. In the present embodiment, the metal fitting main body portion 52 includes an intermediate support portion 53, a pair of hanging portions 54, and a pair of inclined portions 56. And the latch metal 5 is comprised so that the elastic supporting force can be arbitrarily set only by changing the thickness of the diameter. The latch metal may have a U-shape that is curved so that its curvature continuously changes on the same plane in the metal body.

  Further, the latch metal 5 is attached along a direction perpendicular to the connection direction G so as to be located on a plane perpendicular to the connection direction G (see plane J in FIG. 3).

  In addition, in this embodiment, although the latch metal 5 is comprised including a pair of support part 51, the latch metal may have two or more pairs of support parts. Further, the latch metal may be any one that supports the counterpart housing 22 while elastically sandwiching the counterpart housing 22 so as to prevent separation between the counterpart housing 22 and the second housing. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment. For example, the metal fitting main body portion may not be curved so that the curvature continuously changes on the same plane, and may have a three-dimensional structure. Moreover, the shape of the metal fitting main body is not limited to a C shape and a U shape, and may be, for example, a V shape, an H shape, or the like.

(Seal ring)
Moreover, the connector 7 with a latch metal fitting includes a seal ring 62 in addition to the above. The seal ring 62 is a member for ensuring airtightness and watertightness, and is made of a rubber material. The seal ring 62 may not be provided.

(Connector housing with latch)
Next, the connector housing 3 with the latching bracket will be described. The connector housing 3 with latching metal includes a connector housing 42 and a latching metal 5 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Moreover, the connector housing 3 with a latching metal is used for the connector 7 with a latching metal which is one of a pair of connectors (the connector 7 with the latching metal and the mating connector 2) connected to each other. In other words, the connector 7 with the latch metal is configured to include the connector housing 3 with the latch metal and the two female terminals 41.

(connector)
Next, the connector 4 will be described. The connector 4 is electrically connected to the mating connector 2, and includes two female terminals 41, a connector housing 42 that supports the two female terminals 41, and a seal ring 62. A combination of the connector 4 and the latch metal 5 corresponds to the connector 7 with the latch metal.

(About operation when connected)
Next, the operation at the time of connection of the electrical connector device 1 will be described. It is assumed that the connector 7 with the latching metal is in the cover state in the initial state. When the electrical connector device 1 is connected, the connector 7 with the latch is connected to the mating connector 2. In connecting the electrical connector device 1, for example, the connection operation is performed by grasping the surrounding wall 46 of the connector 7 with the latch metal by hand.

  First, a description will be given of a state at the start of connection in which the mating connector 2 and the connector 7 with the latch are started. At the start of the connection, with the connection operation of the electrical connector device 1, the tip of the latch metal 5 comes into contact with the connecting inclined surface 22s, and a pair of the connecting inclined surfaces 22s is in contact with the connecting inclined surface 22s. The space between the support portions 51 is widened. As a result, the connector 7 with the latch is smoothly moved toward the mating connector 2 without being caught.

  Further, at the start of the connection, by connecting the connector 7 with the latching bracket to the mating connector 2 in such a direction that the guide protruding portion 22v fits into the guide groove 42v, the wrong connection between the front and the back is performed. Is prevented. Here, the insertion opening 42f is formed in the main body portion 42b as described above, but the entire connector housing 42 is reinforced by the pair of rib portions 46t. Is prevented from being connected to.

  Further, even if both connectors come into contact with each other at a slightly inclined angle, both connectors are connected while the tip of the male terminal 21 is in contact with the chamfer surface 91s, so that the male terminal 21 has an insertion hole along the chamfer surface 91s. It is guided to the inside of 91h.

  Next, a state during the connection operation will be described. During the connection operation, the guide protrusion 22v of the counterpart housing 22 is fitted in the guide groove 42v of the connector housing 42, and the two protrusions 22x of the counterpart housing 22 and the two guide protrusions are provided. The portion 22w is in a state of being fitted into the two guide grooves 42x of the connector housing 42. Therefore, during the connection operation, the connector 7 with the latching metal is pushed into the mating connector 2 along these guide grooves, that is, along the connection direction G.

  In addition, when the support portion 51 is pushed further into contact with the connecting inclined surface 22s and the projecting portion 22x along with the connection operation of the electrical connector device 1, the latching metal fitting 5 is It deform | transforms so that the distance between the support parts 51 may become large. Here, in a state in which the pair of support portions 51 are located at the distal end portion of the protruding portion 22x, the distance between the pair of support portions 51 is the maximum L2. When the connector 7 with latching metal is further pushed in from this state, the pair of support portions 51 move toward the inclined surfaces as the pair of support receiving portions 26. At this time, when the latch metal 5 that has been elastically deformed tries to return to its original shape, the support portion 51 moves over the inclined surface as the support receiving portion 26 beyond the protruding portion 22x.

More specifically, (A) immediately before the connection completion state, the distance between the pair of support portions 51 (this distance is Ls) is larger than L1 (see FIG. 10B), And in the (B) connection completion state, the distance (this distance is set to Le) between a pair of support parts 51 becomes smaller than Ls. That is, the following relationship is established.
L1 <Ls (2)
Le <Ls (3)
For this reason, since the latch metal 5 once deformed is elastically returned to the original state, a click feeling can be obtained when the connection is completed. In particular, in the present embodiment, the following relationship is established.
Ls = L2 (4)

  As described above, a click feeling can be obtained by elastically returning to the original state after the latch 5 is once deformed with the connection operation of the electrical connector device 1. That is, when the support portion 51 exceeds the mountain-shaped protrusion 22x, the click metal fitting 5 that attempts to return from the elastically deformed state to the original state is allowed, thereby obtaining a click feeling. With this click feeling, the operator can confirm that the pair of connectors are normally connected.

  As described above, when the electrical connector device 1 is connected, the latch 5 is once deformed in connection with the connection operation and then elastically returns to the original state, and a clear click feeling due to the connection sound and connection feeling is obtained. It is done. The click feeling at the time of connection is obtained by allowing the deformation operation without restricting the elastic deformation of the latch metal 5 in connection with the connection operation. If it is pressed down with a finger, the connection sound and connection feeling of the latch metal 5 at the time of connection will be suppressed. However, since the cover portion 47 is formed in the connector housing 42, even if the connection operation is performed with the finger touching the cover portion 47, the click feeling is not hindered.

  Next, a connection state in which the connector 7 with the latch metal is connected to the mating connector 2 will be described. In this state, the insertion portion 23 is inserted into the opening 43, while the retainer 8, the front cover 9, the terminal support portion 42 o and the two female terminals 41 are moved to the internal space 23 v of the insertion portion 23 of the counterpart housing 22. Is inserted. In this state, the pair of connectors are connected to each other, and the male terminal 21 and the female terminal 41 are electrically connected.

  Further, in this connected state, the vibration preventing rib portion 42k is inserted into the inserting concave portion 22j. Then, the four rib portions 24 of the fitting portion 23 are fitted into the four concave portions 44, and the four additional rib portions 45 are fitted into the four additional concave portions 25 formed in the fitting portion 23.

  In the connected state, the counterpart housing 22 is sandwiched between the pair of support portions 51, and the pair of support portions 51 is hooked on the pair of support receiving portions 26 formed in the counterpart housing 22. As a result, the latch metal 5 that elastically sandwiches and supports the counterpart housing 22 prevents the pair of connectors from being separated (locked state). Hereinafter, the locked state will be described more specifically. In the connected state, each of the pair of support portions 51 of the latch metal 5 is hooked while being in close contact with the inclined surface as the support receiving portion 26. In the connected state, the pair of support portions 51 is hooked to the support receiving portion 26 at an intermediate portion between the tip end portion of the protruding portion 22x and the outer surface of the outer surface portion 23s. Then, the latch metal 5 is hooked on the back side of the protruding portion 22x in the connection direction G. Therefore, the latch metal 5 is prevented from being detached from the counterpart housing 22 toward the front side in the connection direction.

  Thus, when the mating connector 2 and the connector 7 with the latching metal are in the connected state with the latching metal fitting 5 attached to the connector housing 42, the latching metal fitting 5 is attached to the attachment position (a pair of support members). Position where the pair of support portions 51 are hooked on the receiving portion 26). A state in which the latching metal fitting 5 is in the attachment position in the connected state is particularly referred to as a “connection completed state” (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2).

  Next, the separation operation between the mating connector 2 and the connector 7 with the latching metal will be described. In order to perform the separation operation, it is necessary to release the lock state. In the electrical connector device 1, when the latch metal 5 is in the attachment position, when the cover 47 is pushed with a finger or the like, the latch metal 5 is further pushed inward with respect to the attachment direction, and a pair of release inclined surfaces. While 42p and a pair of support part 51 contact, a pair of support part 51 spreads mutually outside, and it will be in a lock release state. In the electrical connector device 1, the unlocking operation for releasing the lock by the latch 5 can be easily performed in this way. Then, after unlocking, both connectors can be separated by pulling out the connector 7 with a latch (with the cover 47 pushed).

  When the cover portion 47 is pushed into the main body portion 42b for unlocking, the inclined surface 47f at the tip of the cover portion 47 is in contact with the surface of the main body portion 42b. In the unlocking operation, the tip of the cover part and the surface of the main body part do not have to be in contact with each other.

  In the present embodiment, the support receiving portion 26 is formed as an inclined surface of the protruding portion 22x, but the support receiving portion is not limited to the one in the present embodiment. For example, the support receiving portion may be formed perpendicular to the surface of the outer surface portion 23s instead of the inclined surface. In addition, instead of using the surface on the back side of the protruding portion as a support receiving portion, a groove may be formed in the housing main body portion, and that portion may be used as the support receiving portion. In any case, a click feeling can be obtained when the connection is completed by configuring the support receiving portion so as to satisfy the relations of the expressions (2) and (3).

(Operation after retainer is inserted)
Here, the attaching operation of the retainer 8 in the connector housing 42 will be described. The retainer 8 is inserted into the main body part 42b along the direction H. After the retainer 8 is inserted into the main body part 42b, the first position and the second position with respect to the insertion direction (direction H) with respect to the main body part 42b. It will be in the state which can move between these positions. More specifically, FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 can explain. 14 and 15 show the states of the retainer 8 moved with respect to the main body 42b, FIG. 14 shows the first position, and FIG. 15 shows the second position. As shown in these drawings, the retainer 8 after being inserted into the connector housing 42 can move along the direction H.

(Assembly of connector with latch)
Next, the assembly of the connector 7 with the latching metal will be described. The two members (female terminal 41, lance 42q, etc.) have the same configuration as each other, so only one will be described, and the description of the other will be omitted as appropriate. FIG. 14 shows a state after the cover process, and FIG. 15 shows a state in which the assembly of the connector 7 with the latch metal has been completed.

(Installation process)
First, the seal ring 62 and the front cover 9 are inserted into the connector housing 42 from the opening 43 and attached in this order (attachment process).

(First insertion process)
Next, the retainer 8 is inserted along the direction H into the opening 43 of the main body 42b, and is disposed at the first position (temporary fixing position) (first insertion step). In the first position, the protruding portion 84m of the retainer 8 is sandwiched between the first convex portion 42m and the second convex portion 42n of the main body portion 42b on both sides of the terminal support portion 42o ( (Refer to FIG. 14 for the first position of the retainer 8). That is, the projecting portion 84m enters the groove portion 42g. In this process, the retainer 8 may be pushed in using a jig or directly with a finger.

(Metal fitting process, cover process)
Next, the latch metal 5 is attached to the connector housing 42 (metal attachment process). Then, the standing cover part 47 is brought down to be in a cover state (cover process). FIG. 14 shows a state after these steps. In this state, the retainer 8 is temporarily fixed at the first position. For example, in this state (the state shown in FIG. 14), the retainer 8 is shipped from the manufacturer to the assembler. May be.

(Terminal insertion process)
Next, the two female terminals 41 are inserted into the two insertion holes 42h of the main body 42b (terminal insertion process). At the time of this insertion, the catch portion 41t of the female terminal 41 comes into contact with the contact portion 42c (see FIG. 13) formed to protrude toward the female terminal 41 in the lance 42q, and the lance 42q is moved upward in FIG. The female terminal 41 enters the inside of the main body portion 42b while being bent. When the female terminal 41 is inserted all the way back, the lance 42q is elastically returned to the original state, and the contact portion 42c is disposed on the front side in the connection direction of the hook portion 41t. Therefore, the movement of the female terminal 41 toward the front side in the connection direction is suppressed by the lance 42q (this is set to the latched state).

  In the terminal insertion step, when the female terminal 41 is inserted to the final attachment position, the retainer indented portion is not blocked by the female terminal 41, and the retainer 8 can be inserted into the retainer indented portion.

(Second insertion process)
Next, the retainer 8 in the first position is pushed inward along the direction H and disposed in the second position (second insertion step). This insertion operation is performed, for example, by inserting a rod-shaped jig or the like through the jig insertion hole 47g and the insertion port 42f, pressing the retainer 8 with this jig, and moving the retainer 8 along the sliding direction. In addition to this, the retainer 8 may be slid by inserting a jig from the opening 43 and pushing down the retainer 8.

  When the retainer 8 is moved from the first position to the second position, the two side wall portions 84 of the retainer 8 are bent outward, and the projecting portion 84m gets over the second convex portion 42n. And in the state of the 2nd position, the projection part 84m of the retainer 8 will be in the state hooked in the back of the 2nd convex part 42n of the main-body part 42b in the both sides of the terminal support part 42o (the 1st of the retainer 8). (See FIG. 15 for the position 2). When the retainer 8 is in the second position, the “mounting complete state” is set. As described above, the assembly of the connector 7 with the latch is completed (see FIGS. 12, 13, and 15).

  Further, in the terminal insertion step, when the attachment of the female terminal 41 to the main body portion 42b is not completed (when the female terminal 41 is not inserted up to the final attachment position), the retainer indented portion is blocked. The outer peripheral wall part 41w of the female terminal 41 will be in the state arrange | positioned. Therefore, in this case, even if the retainer 8 is pushed from the first position to the second position, the retainer 8 comes into contact with the outer peripheral wall portion 41w of the female terminal 41 and the movement is hindered. 8 cannot move to the second position. Therefore, the attachment of the retainer 8 to the main body portion 42b is not completed.

  Hereinafter, the state of the retainer 8 and the female terminal 41 in the attachment completed state will be further described. First, the retainer 8 is restricted from moving forward in the connection direction by the abutting portion 48c (see FIGS. 12 and 13). Further, the movement of the retainer 8 toward the back side in the connection direction G is restricted by the restriction portion 48b (see FIG. 12). Further, the female terminal 41 is restricted from moving forward in the connection direction by the lance 42q and the retainer 8 (see FIG. 13). Moreover, the movement of the female terminal 41 to the back side in the connection direction is restricted by the front cover 9 (see FIG. 13).

  In addition, in the attachment completion state, the hook portion 41t and the lance 42q may be in close contact with each other, or there may be a slight gap between them.

(effect)
Next, the effect of the connector housing 3 with a latch according to the present embodiment will be described. The connector housing 3 with a latch according to the present embodiment is used in the connector 7 with a latch as one of a pair of connectors (the connector 7 with the latch and the mating connector 2) connected to each other. And used to support the two female terminals 41 electrically connected to the two male terminals 21 of the counterpart connector 2 and connected to the counterpart housing 22 of the counterpart connector 2. The mating housing 22 is formed to include the main body portion 42b and the pair of support portions 51. The mating housing 22 is elastically attached to the main body portion 42b so as to prevent the main body portion 42b and the mating housing 22 from being separated. A latch 5 that is sandwiched and supported, a plate-shaped cover 47 that extends from the main body 42 b and covers a part of the latch 5, and a main body Attached to 2b, it includes a retainer 8 that prevents loss of two female terminals 41, the. An opening 43 into which the counterpart housing 22 is inserted and an surrounding wall 46 that surrounds the counterpart housing 22 are formed in the main body portion 42b. The surrounding wall 46 is formed with an insertion port 42f into which the retainer 8 is inserted. In the connected state in which the main body portion 42 b is connected to the counterpart housing 22, the counterpart housing 22 is sandwiched between the pair of support portions 51, and the pair of support receiving portions 26 formed on the counterpart housing 22. As a result of the pair of support portions 51 being hooked, the latch metal 5 is locked with respect to the counterpart housing 22. In a state where the cover portion 47 covers a part of the latch metal 5, when the cover portion 47 is pushed toward the main body portion 42b, the pair of support portions 51 spread outwardly while contacting the main body portion 42b. Thus, the locked state by the latch metal 5 is released. In the state where the cover portion 47 covers a part of the latch metal 5, the cover portion 47 covers the insertion port 42f.

  According to this configuration, the retainer 8 prevents the two female terminals 41 from coming off. Moreover, even if the retainer 8 is a side type as in the present embodiment, the insertion port 42f is covered by the cover portion 47, so that water or dust can be prevented from entering the main body portion 42b. Therefore, even when a side type retainer is used, water or dust can be prevented from entering the interior.

  Moreover, according to this structure, the latching metal fitting 5 suppresses separation of both connected connectors. In addition, since the cover 47 prevents the latch metal 5 from being contacted, a clear click feeling can be obtained when the two connectors are connected, and the connection can be reliably confirmed. Further, by a simple operation of pushing the cover portion 47, the locked state by the latch metal 5 is released, and both the connectors can be freely separated. Further, since the cover portion 47 is formed in a plate shape, the unlocking operation can be easily performed without causing pain to the finger. And since the cover part 47 provided for the contact prevention to the latch metal 5 and unlocking can be used effectively in order to prevent a foreign material from entering, it is only for the purpose of covering the insertion port 42f. The cover part may not be formed.

  Further, in the connector housing 3 with latching metal fittings, a pair of rib portions 46t are formed in the main body portion 42b, and the pair of rib portions 46t are continuous from the surrounding wall 46 and sandwich the insertion opening 42f. It is formed so as to protrude.

  In this configuration, since the pair of rib portions 46t are formed so as to sandwich the insertion port 42f and continuously from the surrounding wall 46, the rigidity of the entire main body portion 42b is improved. Therefore, it can suppress that both connectors are connected in the reverse direction.

  Further, in the connector housing 3 with the latch metal fitting, the cover portion 47 is formed with two cover projecting portions 47t, and each of the pair of rib portions 46t is formed with a projecting receiving portion 42t. In a state where a part of the latch metal 5 is covered, the cover part 47 covers a part of the latch metal 5 by the two cover projecting parts 47 t being hooked on the two projecting receiving parts 42 t. Is maintained.

  According to this, by covering the cover portion 47 using the pair of rib portions 46t, the cover state can be reliably maintained while improving the rigidity of the entire main body portion 42b.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the electrical connector device 1 is used as a device connector for supplying power, but may be used as a device connector for transmitting and receiving electrical signals. In addition, the electrical connector device may be used for uses other than for equipment (for example, for relay use and for board use).

  In the above embodiment, the four rib portions 24 are formed on the outer surface portion 23 s of the fitting portion 23 and the four concave portions 44 are formed on the inner surface portion 43 s of the opening portion 43, but the number of rib portions and concave portions is four. It is not limited to one.

  Further, the electrical connector device is not limited to connecting the connector 7 with the latching metal to the fixed mating connector 2 but connects the mating connector to the fixed connector with the latching metal. It may be anything.

  Further, the shape of the insertion portion may be a shape other than the above. For example, the insertion portion may be formed in a cylindrical shape or a cylindrical shape whose cross section is a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a pentagon.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the latch metal 5 and the cover portion 47 are configured to contact in the cover state, but may be configured not to contact each other. Further, as in the above-described embodiment, when the latch metal 5 and the cover part 47 are in contact, the latch metal 5, the cover part 47, and the main body so as to obtain a click feeling during the locking operation. Between the portions 42b, there is a need for a play portion that allows the latch metal 5 to be allowed to recover from the elastically deformed state without being disturbed.

  Further, the connecting inclined surface 22s may not be provided. Further, the guide protrusion 22w, the guide protrusion 22v, the guide groove 42x, and the guide groove 42v may be omitted. Further, the side recess 27 may be omitted. Further, the jig insertion hole 47g may not be provided. Further, the vibration preventing rib portion 42k and the rib insertion hole 91k may not be provided.

  Moreover, the terminal shape in said embodiment is an example, and the shape of a terminal is not limited to a thing like said embodiment. For example, the shape of the female terminal is not limited to a rectangular tube shape, and may be a cylindrical shape, or may have a triangular or pentagonal cross section. Contrary to the above-described embodiment, the connector terminal may be inserted into the mating terminal. That is, the mating terminal may be a female terminal and the connector terminal may be a male terminal. In that case, the front cover and the chamfer surface are unnecessary in the connector housing with the latching metal fitting.

  In the above-described embodiment, the mounting direction of the latch metal 5 and the insertion direction of the retainer 8 coincide (direction H), but they do not have to be the same direction.

  In the above embodiment, the latch metal 5 is formed by bending a single bar-shaped member, but is not limited to this, for example, formed by bending a plate-shaped member. There may be.

  In the above embodiment, the connector housing 42 is made of a synthetic resin material, but the synthetic resin material may contain glass in order to improve the strength.

  In the above embodiment, the insertion direction of the retainer 8 is “a direction perpendicular to the connection direction G”. Here, the insertion direction of the retainer 8 may be a direction that can prevent the terminal from being pulled out. For this reason, the insertion direction includes not only a direction that is completely perpendicular to the connection direction G but also a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the extent that the terminal can be prevented from being pulled out.

  In the above embodiment, the front cover 9 is formed as a separate member from the main body 42b, but the front cover may be formed integrally with the main body.

1 is a schematic side view showing an overall configuration of an electrical connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a section schematic diagram of an electric connector device. It is the disassembled perspective view which showed the component of the other party connector. It is the schematic of a other party connector, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) shows a bottom view. It is the schematic of a other party connector, (d) shows a right view, (e) shows a rear view. It is the schematic of a connector with a latch metal fitting, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) shows a bottom view. It is the schematic of a connector with a latch metal fitting, (d) shows a right view, (e) shows a rear view. It is a perspective view of a connector with a latch metal fitting. It is the disassembled perspective view which showed the component of the connector with a latching metal fitting. It is the schematic of a latch metal fitting, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) shows a right view. It is an expansion rear view of a connector with a latch metal fitting. It is sectional drawing in the P-P 'position of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the Q-Q 'position of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the movement of a retainer, and shows the state which has a retainer in a 1st position. It is sectional drawing which shows the movement of a retainer, and shows the state which has a retainer in a 2nd position.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electrical connector device 2 Mating connector 21 Male terminal (mating terminal)
21s Contact portion 22 Counterpart housing 22f Base portion 22h Insertion hole 22j Insertion recess 22s Connection inclined surface 22v Guide projection 22w Guide projection 22x Projection 23 Insertion portion 23s Outer surface 23v Internal space 24 Rib 25 Additional recess 26 Support receiving portion 27 Side surface recessed portion 3 Connector housing 4 with latch bracket 4 Connector 41 Female terminal (connector terminal)
41s Contact part 41t Hook part 41w Outer peripheral wall part 42 Connector housing 42b Main body part 42d Groove part 42c Contact part 42f Insertion port 42g Groove part 42h Insertion hole 42k Vibration preventing rib part 42m First convex part 42n Second convex part 42o Terminal support part 42p Release inclined surface 42q Lance 42r Support base portion 42s Latch bracket space 42t Projection receiving portion 42v Guide groove 42x Guide groove 42y Intermediate portion 43 Open portion 43s Inner surface portion 44 Recess 45 Additional rib portion 46 Enclosure wall 46t Rib portion 47 Cover Portion 47b cover body portion 47c cover connecting portion 47d cover groove portion 47f inclined portion 47g jig insertion hole 47t cover protruding portion (protruding portion)
48b Limiting part 48c Butting part 49 Rib part 49s Guide part 5 Latch metal fitting 51 Support part 52 Metal body part 53 Intermediate support part 54 Suspended part 55 Tip part 56 Inclined part 62 Seal ring 64 Electric wire 65 Seal cover 7 Connector with latch metal 8 Retainer 82 Insulating wall 83 Top plate part 84 Side wall part 84m Protrusion part 85 Through hole 86 Bottom face part 9 Front cover 91s Chamfer surface 91h Insertion hole 91k Rib insertion hole 91t Protrusion part

Claims (3)

A connector housing with a latch used in one of a pair of connectors connected to each other,
A main body part used to support a connector terminal electrically connected to a mating terminal of the mating connector, connected to a mating housing of the mating connector;
A latch that is formed to include a pair of support portions, and is attached to the main body portion and elastically sandwiches and supports the counterpart housing so as to prevent separation of the main body portion and the counterpart housing. Metal fittings,
A plate-like cover portion that is formed to extend from the main body portion and covers a part of the latch metal;
A retainer that is attached to the main body and prevents the connector terminal from coming off;
The main body is formed with an opening into which the counterpart housing is inserted, and an enclosure wall that surrounds the counterpart housing,
The surrounding wall is formed with an insertion port into which the retainer is inserted,
In the connection state in which the main body is connected to the counterpart housing, the counterpart housing is sandwiched between the pair of support portions, and the pair of support receiving portions formed in the counterpart housing. When the pair of support portions are hooked, the latch metal is locked with respect to the counterpart housing,
In a state where the cover part covers a part of the latch metal, when the cover part is pushed toward the main body part, the pair of support parts spreads outward from each other while contacting the main body part. And the locked state by the latch is released,
The connector housing with a latch metal, wherein the cover part covers the insertion port in a state where the cover part covers a part of the latch metal. A pair of ribs is formed on the main body,
2. The connector housing with a latch according to claim 1, wherein the pair of rib portions are formed so as to protrude from the surrounding wall so as to sandwich the insertion port. A protrusion is formed on one of the rib part and the cover part, and a protrusion receiving part is formed on the other,
In a state where the cover part covers a part of the latch metal, the cover part covers a part of the latch metal by being hooked on the projection receiving part. The connector housing with a latch according to claim 2, wherein the connector housing is maintained.

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