Connector including front holder that is unlocked from housing by displacing opposite sides toward each other

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12266884-B2
Application number	US-202217965773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2022
Priority date	Oct 19, 2021
Publication date	Apr 1, 2025
Grant date	Apr 1, 2025

Abstract

There is provided a connector including: a housing including a cylindrical wall portion; and a hollow annular front holder attached to the cylindrical wall portion to surround an outer periphery thereof. The front holder includes: a pair of first locking portions and a pair of operating portions arranged that are arranged to face with each other in a radial direction of the front holder. The connecter is configured such that: in a state where the front holder is fitted externally on the cylindrical wall portion, the pair of first locking portions is engaged with the cylindrical wall portion; and in response to an operation of displacing the pair of operating portions to approach with each other in the radial direction, the pair of first locking portions is displaced to release an engagement between the front holder and the cylindrical wall portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector, comprising:
a terminal fitting;
an electric wire connected to the terminal fitting;
a housing including a cylindrical wall portion that accommodates the terminal fitting and is provided with a location to be fitted with a mating part;
a seal member disposed to surround an outer periphery of the cylindrical wall portion;
a front holder having a hollow annular shape, being configured to prevent the seal member from coming off from the cylindrical wall portion and attached to the cylindrical wall portion to surround the outer periphery of the cylindrical wall portion, wherein
the front holder includes:
a pair of first locking portions arranged to face with each other in a radial direction of the front holder and engageable with the cylindrical wall portion; and
a pair of operating portions arranged to face with each other in the radial direction at positions different from the pair of first locking portions; and

when the front holder is fitted externally on the cylindrical wall portion and the pair of first locking portions is engaged with the cylindrical wall portion, displacing the pair of operating portions to approach with each other in the radial direction causes the pair of first locking portions to disengage from the cylindrical wall portion and release the front holder from the housing.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the front holder includes a connecting portion disposed to connect between the first locking portions and the operating portions, the connecting portion being adjacent to the first locking portions and the operating portions in a circumferential direction of the front holder; and
a rigidity of the connecting portion is lower than a rigidity of the first locking portions, and the rigidity of the connecting portion is lower than a rigidity of the operating portions.

3. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the operating portions include a rib portion protruding from an annular inner surface of the front holder and extending along at least one direction of an axial direction and a circumferential direction of the front holder, and
the first locking portions include an engaging projection projecting from the annular inner surface.

4. The connector according to claim 3 , wherein
the first locking portions further include an extending portion extending along the circumferential direction from the engaging projection.

5. The connector according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an inner housing disposed in a cylinder of the cylindrical wall portion, wherein
the inner housing includes a pair of second locking portions engageable with the cylindrical wall portion at positions corresponding to the pair of operating portions of the front holder, and
the displacing the pair of operating portions to approach with each other in the radial direction is configured to restrain the pair of second locking portions from disengaging from the cylindrical wall portion by pressure from the pair of operating portions inward in the radial direction.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Hamai Tsuyoshi
• Suzuki Takatoshi
• Yamamoto Junya

Classifications

• H01R13/506

  assembled by snap action of the parts · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/4364

  Insertion of locking piece from the front · CPC title

• H01R13/5202 Primary

  Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings · CPC title