Connector with retainer having means for preventing inclination of the front part
AssigneesSumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasaya Horiuchi, Toshikazu Sakurai, Satoshi Suda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector has a retainer (6) with a housing lock (4) engageable with a housing (3) and a terminal lock (5) cantilevers forward from a bottom side of the housing lock (4) to lock female terminal fittings (1). Restricting portions (7) are formed on a surface of the terminal lock (5) to face the housing (3). The restricting portions (7) can contact bottom end surfaces (3A) of the opposite side walls of the housing (3) along the width direction, thus preventing the terminal lock (5) from entering cavities (2) to hinder the insertion of the female terminal fittings (1) when the female terminal fittings (1) are inserted into the cavities (2).
Claims9
A connector, comprising:
- a housing with opposite front and rear ends and being formed with at least one cavity extending from the rear end substantially to the front end for receiving at least one terminal fitting, a retainer mount recess extending into the housing and communicating with the cavities;
- at least one retainer having opposite front and rear ends, a housing lock at the rear end of the retainer and being engageable with the housing and at least one terminal lock projecting forward from the housing lock to lock the terminal fittings, the retainer being movable obliquely forward between a first position for permitting insertion and withdrawal of the terminal fittings into and from the housing and a second position for causing a locking projection of the terminal lock to enter the cavity to lock the respective terminal fitting;
- and
- a restricting portion formed on portions of the terminal lock facing the housing when the retainer is at the first position and being dimensioned for restricting inclination of the locking projection of the terminal lock in a direction to enter the cavity by being disengageably engaged with the housing when the retainer is at the first position, but being dimensioned to permit the locking projection to engage the terminal fitting when the retainer is at the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.