CN112701533A

CN112701533A - Restricting member and connector assembly

Info

Publication number: CN112701533A
Application number: CN202011049997.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 水泽翔一
Original assignee: Hirose Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hirose Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-10-04
Filing date: 2020-09-29
Publication date: 2021-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 2040-09-29
Also published as: CN112701533B; TWI815026B; JP7218268B2; JP2021061123A; DE102020212462A1; TW202121772A

Abstract

A restriction member and a connector assembly are provided, which can strengthen the locking of the fitting state of a first connector and a second connector. The restricting member (1) is a restricting member (1) that restricts rotation of an operating lever (21), the operating lever (21) maintaining a fitted state of a plug connector (2) and a receptacle connector (3), wherein the operating lever (21) is pivotally supported by a first housing (20) included in the plug connector (2) so as to be rotatable from a first position at which the fitted state is maintained to a second position at which the fitted state is released, the receptacle connector (3) includes a second housing (30), and the restricting member (1) includes: a restricting unit that is provided on a rotation path of the operating lever (21) that rotates from the first position to the second position, and that restricts rotation of the operating lever (21) located at the first position; and a locking portion provided so as to be continuous with the regulating portion and locked with the second housing.

Description

Restricting member and connector assembly

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a restricting member and a connector assembly for reinforcing locking of a fitted state of a first connector and a second connector.

Background

As shown in patent document 1, there is known a connector device including a locking mechanism including a locking portion and a locked portion for maintaining a fitted state between connectors. The connector device includes a plug connector (first connector) connected to an electric cable and a receptacle connector (second connector) provided in a housing of the device for use. The connector device is used by fitting the fitting portions to each other to electrically connect the terminals of the two connectors.

In order to maintain the fitted state, the plug connector is provided with an operation lever having an engagement portion, the receptacle connector is provided with an engaged portion, and the engagement portion is engaged with the engaged portion by lowering the operation lever toward the receptacle connector. Thereby, the plug connector can be latched to the receptacle connector, that is, the plug connector can be locked to the receptacle connector.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2018-206517

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

The fitting state is locked by the operating lever that maintains the fitting state of the plug connector and the receptacle connector as described above, however, the operating lever may be accidentally detached, and therefore, it is desired to further strengthen the locked state.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a restricting member capable of reinforcing locking of a fitted state of a first connector and a second connector.

Technical scheme for solving technical problem

A restricting member according to the present invention is a restricting member that restricts rotation of an operating lever that maintains a fitted state of a first connector and a second connector, wherein the operating lever is pivotally supported by a first housing included in the first connector so as to be rotatable from a first position at which the fitted state is maintained to a second position at which the fitted state is released, the second connector includes a second housing, and the restricting member includes: a restricting portion that is provided on a rotation track of the operating lever that rotates from the first position to the second position, and that restricts rotation of the operating lever located at the first position; and a locking portion provided in connection with the restricting portion and locked with the second housing.

The connector assembly of the present invention includes: a connector device having a first connector and a second connector which can be fitted to each other; an operation lever capable of maintaining a fitted state of the first connector and the second connector; and a restricting member that is attached to the connector device and restricts rotation of an operation lever that maintains the fitting state, wherein the operation lever is pivotally supported by a first housing of the first connector so as to be rotatable from a first position that maintains the fitting state to a second position that releases the fitting state, the second connector includes a second housing, and the restricting member includes: a restricting portion that is provided on a rotation track of the operating lever that rotates from the first position to the second position, and that restricts rotation of the operating lever located at the first position; and a locking portion provided in connection with the restricting portion and locked with the second housing.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a restricting member and a connector assembly that can strengthen the lock of the fitting state of the first connector and the second connector.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front side perspective view of a restricting member according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear side perspective view of the restricting member according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a connector device to which the restricting member of the first embodiment of the present invention is attached, and shows a state in which the operating lever is located at a position to maintain the fitting state.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a connector device to which the restricting member of the first embodiment of the present invention is attached, and shows a state in which the operation lever is in a position in which the fitting state is released.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a state in which the restriction member of the first embodiment of the present invention is attached to the connector device.

Fig. 6 is a right side view of a state where the restriction member of the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted to the connector device.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a state in which the restriction member of the first embodiment of the present invention is attached to the connector device.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view B-B of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view C-C of fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the state before the restraining member according to the first embodiment of the present invention is attached to the connector device.

Fig. 12 is a partially enlarged sectional perspective view of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a front side perspective view of a restricting member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a state in which the restriction member of the second embodiment of the present invention is mounted to the connector device.

Fig. 15 is a front view of a state in which the restriction member of the second embodiment of the present invention is mounted to the connector device.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of a state in which the restriction member of the second embodiment of the present invention is attached to the connector device.

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a state before the restraining member according to the second embodiment of the present invention is attached to the connector device.

Description of the symbols

1 restraining member

11 cover part (limiting part)

11a hook part

11b convex part

12 a pair of arm parts

121 first arm

121a protrusion

122 second arm

122a protrusion

122b claw

122c extension

123 recess

124 projection

2 plug type connector (first connector)

20 first shell

20a rotary shaft

20b protrusion

21 operating rod

21a shaft support part

21b locking part

210 protrusion

21c claw part

22 jig receiving part

23 clamping device

3 socket type connector (second connector)

30 second housing

30a flange part

31 support part

32 is locked part

4 electric cable

Detailed Description

[1. first embodiment ]

[1-1. schematic Structure ]

Fig. 1 is a front side perspective view of a restricting member 1 of the first embodiment, and fig. 2 is a rear side perspective view thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connector device to which the restricting member of the first embodiment is attached, and shows a state in which the operating lever is located at a position to maintain the fitting state. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the connector device to which the restricting member of the first embodiment is attached, and shows a state in which the operation lever is in a position in which the fitting state is released. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a state in which the restriction member 1 of the first embodiment is attached to the connector device.

The connector device is an object to which the regulating member 1 is attached, and is constituted by a plug connector 2 and a receptacle connector 3. The plug connector 2 is used by being connected to one end of an electric cable 4, and the receptacle connector 3 is used by being disposed on a surface of a housing of a motor or other device. The two connectors each have a cylindrical fitting portion, and terminals of the two sensors are electrically connected to each other by fitting the fitting portions to each other. The plug connector 2 and the receptacle connector 3 of fig. 3 to 5 are shown in a state of being fitted to each other (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "fitted state").

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the plug connector 2 includes a first housing 20, an operating lever 21, a jig receiving portion 22, a jig 23, a terminal, and the like. The clamp 23 fixes the electric cable 4 to the plug type connector 2 through the clamp receiving portion 22 fixed to the first housing 20. The first housing 20 is molded with an insulating resin to have, for example, a box shape, and a fitting portion for receiving a terminal electrically connected to an electric cable is provided inside the first housing. The rotating shaft 20a is provided in the vicinity of the center of the left and right side surfaces of the first housing 20 so as to face outward.

As shown in fig. 5, the connector assembly includes: a connector device having a plug connector 2 and a socket connector 3; an operation lever 21, the operation lever 21 being capable of maintaining a fitted state of the plug connector 2 and the receptacle connector 3; and a restricting member 1, the restricting member 1 being attached to the connector device and restricting rotation of the operating lever 21 in the fitting state.

Fig. 6 is a right side view of a state where the restriction member 1 of the first embodiment is mounted to the connector device. Fig. 7 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a state in which the restriction member 1 of the first embodiment is attached to the connector device. Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 8, and fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along line C-C of fig. 8.

The operation lever 21 has a band shape along the shape of the first housing 20, and maintains the fitted state of the plug connector 2 and the receptacle connector 3. As shown in fig. 3, 5, and 7, the operating lever 21 located at the position where the fitting state is maintained is a band-shaped member that spans from one side surface of the first housing 20 to the other side surface thereof via the front surface, and has a substantially U-shape. A shaft support portion 21a (see fig. 3, 4, and 10) having a shaft hole is provided on the left and right side surfaces of the operation lever 21, and the operation lever 21 is rotatably shaft-supported by the first housing 20 by inserting the shaft 20a through the shaft hole. The operating lever 21 is rotatable about the rotary shaft 20a by a prescribed angle (e.g., 90 °). The operating lever 21 is rotatable from a position (hereinafter, also referred to as a "first position") at which the fitting state shown in fig. 3 is maintained to a position (hereinafter, also referred to as a "second position") at which the fitting state is released, and conversely, as shown in fig. 4, it is also rotatable from the second position to the first position. That is, the operating lever 21 has a rotational orbit including a first position and a second position.

As shown in fig. 4 and 10, the operating lever 21 has an engaging portion 21 b. The locking portions 21b are arm-shaped portions provided with a gap below the left and right shaft support portions 21a, and when the operating lever 21 is lowered, the locking portions 21b are locked to the locked portions 32 included in the receptacle connector 3. That is, the receptacle connector 3 has the second housing 30, and as shown in fig. 3 and 7, the second housing 30 has a pair of support portions 31, and the pair of support portions 31 are erected at opposing positions outside (in this case, on the left and right) the operating lever 21 located at the first position. A distal end portion of each support portion 31 is provided with an engaged portion 32 (see fig. 4 and 10) projecting inward, that is, toward the first housing 20 in the fitted state. Therefore, the left and right support portions 31 and the engaged portion 32 are formed in an L-shape as a whole. When the operation lever 21 is lowered, the locking portion 21b enters below the locked portion 32. In other words, the engaged portion 32 enters the gap between the shaft support portion 21a and the engaging portion 21b, and the plug connector 2 is locked to the receptacle connector 3, thereby maintaining the fitted state (see fig. 3 and 10). The position where the above state is formed is the first position. On the other hand, when the operating lever 21 is raised by a predetermined angle, the engagement relationship between the engaging portion 21b and the engaged portion 32 is released, and the fitted state is released (see fig. 4). The position where the above state is formed is the second position. The reason why the fitting state is released is that the shaft support portion 21a shown in fig. 3 and the support portion 31 located below the shaft support portion and having a tapered upper portion constitute a cam mechanism. That is, the shaft support portion 21a slides over the upper portion of the support portion 31 by the rotation of the operating lever 21. The locking portion 21b may be provided with a projection 210 projecting toward the shaft support portion 21a, and the projection may be locked by the locked portion 32 and then hooked on an edge of the locked portion 32, thereby strengthening the locked state of the operating lever 21.

As shown in fig. 3, a claw portion 21c is provided on a front surface portion of the operation lever 21, the claw portion 21c having elasticity and protruding inward, and when the operation lever 21 is lowered downward, that is, when the operation lever 21 is located at the first position, the above-mentioned claw portion 21c is hooked to a protrusion 20b provided on a front surface of the first housing 20, thereby assisting the locking of the operation lever 21.

The second housing 30 of the receptacle connector 3 is, for example, a die-cast component, and is configured to include a fitting portion that accommodates a terminal therein and a flange portion 30a that extends in a direction (horizontally with respect to the mounting surface) that intersects the fitting direction (downward direction in fig. 3) of the plug connector 2 at right angles, and the flange portion 30a forms a mating surface on the fitting side of the plug connector 2 and the receptacle connector 3. The flange portion 30a is fixed to a mounting surface of a housing of a device in which the receptacle connector 3 is provided. In the present embodiment, the support portion 31 is provided so as to protrude upward from the flange portion 30a (see fig. 3), and since the flange portion 30a is fixed, the support portion 31 is also fixed independently of the rotation of the operating lever 21. The support portion 31 has a plate shape, and the tip thereof is formed into a tapered shape (see fig. 3 and 9).

[1-2. detailed Structure ]

Next, the structure of the regulating member 1 will be described in detail. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the restricting member 1 includes a cover 11 and a pair of arms 12, the pair of arms 12 extending in parallel, and the cover 11 connects end portions of the pair of arms 12 to form a U-shape as a whole. The restriction member 1 may be made of die casting, resin, etc., here die casting.

The lid 11 is provided on a rotation track of the operation lever 21, and the lid 11 is a restricting portion that restricts rotation of the operation lever 21 at the first position. In the present embodiment, the cover 11 is a laterally long plate-like body, and covers the front surface of the operating lever 21 located at the position where the fitted state is maintained when the restraining member 1 is attached to the connector device, as shown in fig. 5. In other words, the restraining member 1 is mounted to the connector device with the position covering the front surface of the operating lever 21 located at the first position being located on the rotational orbit of the operating lever 21. The front surface of the operating lever 21 refers to the front surface provided with the claw portion 21 c.

As shown in fig. 2, a hook portion 11a extending in one direction and protruding inward is provided at a lower end portion of the inner surface of the cover portion 11. The hooking portion 11a is provided to enter a gap between the operating lever 21 and the second housing 30 in the first position when the restraining member 1 is mounted to the connector device (refer to fig. 12). The inner surface of the cover 11 referred to herein is a surface facing the front surface of the operating lever 21 located at the first position when the restraining member 1 is attached to the connector device.

Further, a convex portion 11b is provided on the inner surface of the cover portion 11, and when the restraining member 1 is attached to the connector device, the convex portion 11b abuts a claw portion 21c provided on the front surface of the operating lever 21, thereby restraining the elastic deformation.

The pair of arm portions 12 are provided so as to be connected to each other by the cover portion 11, and are locked to a pair of support portions 31 fixed independently of the rotation of the operation lever 21. Specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the pair of arm portions 12 includes a pair of first arms 121 and a pair of second arms 122. The pair of first arms 121 are provided so as to be connected to both ends of the cover 11 and extend straight in a direction orthogonal to the cover 11. Specifically, one of the first arms 121 is provided so as to be bent from one end of the cover 11 and extend straight in a direction orthogonal to the cover 11, and the other of the first arms 121 is provided so as to be bent from the other end of the cover 11 and extend straight in a direction orthogonal to the cover 11. Thus, the pair of first arms 121 are parallel to each other.

A protrusion 121a (see fig. 1, 2, 7, and 9) protruding toward the other first arm 121 is provided at the tip of each first arm 121. When the first arm 121 and the protrusion 121a are viewed as a whole, an L-shape is formed. When the restriction member 1 is attached to the connector device in the fitted state, the pair of first arms 121 are along the outer sides of the pair of support portions 31, and the protrusions 121a are hooked to the edges of the support portions 31 on the side away from the cap portion 11, so that the restriction member 1 is latched to the support portions 31.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the second arm 122 is provided separately from the first arm 121 and connected to the end of the cover 11. Here, the second arm 122 is disposed above the first arm 121. The second arm 122 has a wall thickness smaller than that of the first arm 121, and the second arm 122 is bent from an end of the cover 11 to an inner side of the first arm 121, and a bent front end extends in a direction orthogonal to the cover 11.

A protrusion 122a (see fig. 1, 2, and 10) protruding inward is provided on the inner side of the tip of the second arm 122, that is, on the other second arm 122 side. The projection 122a is provided to abut against the lower end of the shaft support portion 21a of the operating lever 21 when the restricting member 1 is attached to the connector device. The protrusion 122a has a reverse tapered shape protruding inward toward the tip end of the second arm 122.

An extension portion 122c (see fig. 1 and 2) extending from the second arm 122 is provided on an upper edge of the distal end portion of the second arm 122. In the present embodiment, the extension portion 122 extends outward of the second arm 122. The protruding portion 122c is provided so as to fall within the projection range of the first arm 121 in the up-down direction. The protruding portion 122c may be provided so as to protrude toward the inside of the second arm 122, i.e., the other second arm 122 side.

A claw 122b (see fig. 2) is provided at the distal end of the second arm 122. The claw 122b is provided to protrude from the front end portion of the second arm 122, and is hooked to use of the claw 122b when a user pushes the pair of second arms 122 apart, for example.

[1-3. Effect ]

A method of attaching the restricting member 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a state before the restraining member 1 of the first embodiment is attached to the connector device, and fig. 12 is a partially enlarged sectional perspective view of fig. 11. In fig. 12, the cross-sections of the

connectors

2 and 3 are not shown in detail.

As shown in fig. 11, the restriction member 1 is attached in a state where the plug connector 2 is fitted to the receptacle connector 3 and the operation lever 21 is located at the first position. First, as shown in fig. 11, the user tilts the pair of arm portions 12 of the restricting member 1 by, for example, more than 30 ° with respect to the mounting surface, and the hooking portion 11a of the restricting member 1 is inserted into a gap (see fig. 12) between the operating lever 21 and the second housing 30 (more specifically, the flange portion 30a) located at the first position, and in this case, the hooking portion 11a is hooked to the second housing 30 (the flange portion 30a) and the lower end of the operating lever 21, and the restricting member 1 is rotated with the hooking portion 11a as a rotation axis so that the pair of arm portions 12 is parallel to the mounting surface.

At this time, the first arm 121 moves from above the support portion 31 to the outside of the support portion 31, and the protruding portion 121a at the tip end of the first arm 121 is hooked to the edge of the support portion 31, which is away from the lid 11, by bypassing the support portion 31 from above the support portion 31, so that the regulation member 1 is locked to the support portion 31 (see fig. 7 and 9). In other words, since the protrusion 121a moves along an arc-shaped path that passes through the space above the support portion 31 and goes around to the edge of the support portion 31 that is away from the lid 11, the pair of first arms 121 move to the outside of the pair of support portions 31 only by rotating, and do not need to be pushed outward.

In this way, the restricting member 1 is locked by the protrusion 121a and the support portion 31, and the cover 11 is positioned to cover the front surface of the operation lever 21. Since the position covering the front surface of the operation lever 21 is the position on the rotation orbit of the operation lever 21, even if the operation lever 21 is to be rotated from the first position, the rotation is restricted by the lid portion 11 connected to the protrusion 121a and the first arm 121, so that the locking of the operation lever 21 can be strengthened.

In addition, as the first arm 121 rotates, the second arm 122 integrated with the lid 11 also rotates. At this time, the extension portion 122c may be pushed downward. As necessary, the user hooks the claws 122b of the pair of second arms 122 to push the pair of second arms 122 outward, and rotates the pair of second arms 122 along the left and right side surfaces of the operating lever 21, so that the projections 122a are turned into the lower end of the shaft supporting portion 21 a. When the projection 122a is rotated into the lower end of the shaft support portion 21a as described above, the space is provided below the shaft support portion 21a, and therefore, the pair of second arms 122 are returned to the inside from the state of being expanded outward. This allows the projection 122a to abut against the lower end of the shaft support portion 21a (see fig. 10). Therefore, even if the restricting member 1 attempts to rotate about the hook portion 11a as a rotation axis to lift the pair of arm portions 121 by an external force or the like, the projection 122a abuts against the lower end of the shaft support portion 21a, and therefore, the restricting member 1 can be prevented from being erroneously detached. Further, the force applied from the shaft support portion 21a to the projection 122a by the operation lever 21 attempting to rotate is received by the second housing 30 via the first arm 121.

When the restricting member 1 is removed, the claw 122b is hooked to expand the pair of second arms 122 outward, and the pair of arm portions 12 rotate about the hook portion 11a as a rotation axis to be lifted upward. This releases the engagement between the projection 122a and the lower end of the shaft support portion 21, and allows the projection 122a and the protrusion 121a to pass through the left and right side surfaces of the operating lever 21, thereby allowing the regulating member 1 to be removed.

[1-4. Effect ]

(1) The restricting member 1 of the present embodiment is a restricting member 1 that restricts rotation of an operating lever 21, the operating lever 21 maintaining a fitted state of a plug connector 2 and a receptacle connector 3, wherein the operating lever 21 is pivotally supported by a first housing 20 provided in the plug connector 2 so as to be rotatable from a first position at which the fitted state is maintained to a second position at which the fitted state is released, the receptacle connector 3 includes a second housing 30, and the restricting member 1 includes a restricting portion that is provided on a rotational orbit of the operating lever 21 rotating from the first position to the second position and restricts and locks rotation of the operating lever 21 positioned at the first position, and a locking portion that is provided so as to be continuous with the restricting portion and to be locked with the second housing 30. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the second housing 30 includes a pair of support portions 31, the pair of support portions 31 are erected at opposing positions outside the operating lever 21 located at the first position, the locking portions are provided as a pair of arm portions 12, and the pair of arm portions 12 are provided so as to be continuous with the restricting portion and locked with the pair of support portions 31.

This can strengthen the lock of the fitted state of the plug connector 2 and the receptacle connector 3. That is, since the restricting portion is provided on the rotation orbit of the operating lever 21 and the pair of arm portions 12 connected to both ends of the restricting portion are engaged with the pair of support portions 31 independent of the rotation of the operating lever 21, the rotation of the operating lever 21 from the first position can be suppressed and the lock in the fitted state can be strengthened. The locking portion may be fixed independently of the rotation of the operating lever 21, and may be a support portion 31 as in the present embodiment, or may be any portion of the second housing 30 such as an edge of the flange portion 30 a.

(2) The restricting portion is a cover portion 11 that covers the front surface of the operating lever 21, and the pair of arm portions 12 includes a pair of first arms 121 that are connected to both ends of the cover portion 11 and extend straight in a direction orthogonal to the cover portion 11, and a protruding portion 121a that protrudes toward the other first arm 121 side is provided at each of the distal ends of the first arms 121.

This allows the protrusion 121a to be hooked to the edge of the support portion 31 on the side away from the lid 11, which is independent of the rotation of the operating lever 21, and the restricting member 1 to be fixed to the receptacle connector 3 (second housing 30). Therefore, the position of the lid 11 provided on the rotation track of the operation lever 21 is also fixed. Therefore, even if the operation lever 21 attempts to rotate, the rotation of the operation lever 21 is restricted by the lid 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the state in which the fitted state of the plug connector 2 and the receptacle connector 3 is released due to the rotation of the operating lever 21.

(3) The restriction member 1 is provided with a hook portion 11a that extends in a direction at a lower end portion of an inner surface of the cover portion 11 opposed to the operation lever 21 to enter a gap between the operation lever 21 located at the first position and the second housing 30, and protrudes inward.

This allows the restricting member 1 to be attached to the receptacle connector 3 (second housing 30) by rotating about the hook 11a that enters the gap. That is, by performing a water flow operation in which the hook 11a is inserted into the gap and the restricting member 1 is rotated about the hook 11a as a rotation axis, the protruding portion 121a of the first arm 121 can be hooked to the edge of the support portion 31 on the side away from the lid 11, and the restricting member 1 can be attached, thereby improving the work efficiency.

Further, in the case where the hook 11a is not present, the pair of first arms 121 can be attached so as to be pushed outward so that the protruding portion 121a of the first arm 121 does not hinder the attachment of the restriction member 1, but the restriction member 1 can be attached so that the protruding portion 121a of the first arm 121 bypasses the support portion 31 and is hooked to the edge of the support portion 31 on the side away from the cover 11 by providing the hook 11a by rotating the hook 11a as a rotation shaft, and therefore, it is not necessary to attach the first arm 121 by expanding the first arm 121, and the work efficiency can be improved. For example, in the case where the regulating member 1 is die-cast, although die-cast has a certain hardness, plastic deformation may occur in the regulating member 1 by an external force of a certain level or more, but since it is not necessary to spread the first arm 121, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of plastic deformation.

(4) The pair of arm portions 12 each have a second arm 122 connected to an end portion of the cover portion 11, and a projection 122a is provided on an inner side of a tip end of the second arm 122, and the projection 122a projects inward so as to abut against a lower end of a shaft support portion 21a that supports a rotation shaft of the operation lever 21. Thus, the projection 122a is hooked to the lower end of the shaft support portion 21a, and the restriction member 1 can be prevented from coming off due to the rotation of the hooking portion 11a serving as the rotation shaft.

(5) The wall thickness of the second arm 122 is thinner than that of the first arm 121, and the second arm 122 is bent from the end of the lid 11 to the inner side of the first arm 121, and the bent front end extends in the direction orthogonal to the lid 11. The second arms 122 are thereby elastic inward, and the pair of second arms 122 are urged inward by slightly expanding the second arms 122 during mounting. Further, when the mounting is completed, the second arm 122 is restored so as to enter the lower end of the shaft support portion 21a, and the projection 122a abuts against the lower end of the shaft support portion 21a, so that the restriction member 1 can be prevented from coming off due to the rotation. Further, when the restricting member 1 is removed, the second arm 122 is pushed open to release the engagement with the operating lever 21, and the restricting member 1 can be easily removed by a line production by rotating the engaging portion 11a as a rotation axis.

(6) The protrusion 122a has an inverted cone shape protruding inward the closer to the front end of the second arm 122. Therefore, when the second arm 122 is pushed outward when the restricting member 1 is attached, the surface of the projection 122a and the side surface of the operation lever 21 are easily made parallel to each other, and the attachment can be easily performed.

(7) An extension portion 122c extending from the second arm 122 is provided on the upper edge of the front end portion of the second arm 122. Thus, when the restricting member 1 is attached, the restricting member 1 can be pushed downward, and the projection 122a of the second arm 122 can be easily turned downward below the shaft support portion 21a of the operating lever 21, thereby facilitating attachment.

(8) The protruding portion 122c is provided so as to fall within the projection range of the first arm 121 in the up-down direction. Thus, the size of the restricting member 1 can be reduced as compared with a case where the extension portion 122c extends beyond the projection range of the first arm 121 in the vertical direction.

(9) A pawl 122b is provided at the tip end of the second arm 122. Therefore, when the restricting member 1 is removed, the second arm 122 can be easily removed by hooking the hook 122b and pushing the second arm 122 outward.

(10) A convex portion 11b is provided on an inner surface of the cover portion 11 facing the front surface of the operation lever 21, and the convex portion 11b abuts on a claw portion 21c provided on the front surface of the operation lever 21. Accordingly, the claw 122b on the front surface of the operating lever 21 can be pressed by the convex portion 11b, and therefore, the engagement relationship between the claw 122b and the projection provided on the front surface of the first housing 20 can be maintained, and the rotation of the operating lever 21 can be prevented.

[2. second embodiment ]

[2-1. Structure ]

A restriction member 1 of a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The basic structure of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, only the points different from the first embodiment will be described, and the same portions as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Fig. 13 is a front side perspective view of the restricting member 1 of the second embodiment. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a state in which the restriction member 1 of the second embodiment is attached to the connector device. Fig. 15 is a front view of a state in which the restriction member 1 of the second embodiment is mounted to the connector device. Fig. 16 is a plan view of the mounting of the restricting member 1 of the second embodiment to the connector device. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of fig. 16. Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the state before the restraining member 1 of the second embodiment is attached to the connector device.

As shown in fig. 13 to 15, the pair of arm portions 12 are provided in parallel with the operating lever 21 located at the first position interposed therebetween, and the lid portion 11 is provided so as to connect the pair of arm portions 12 together. Therefore, the restricting member 1 has a U-shape as a whole.

As shown in fig. 13, a recess 123 is provided inside the front ends of the pair of arm portions 12. The recess 123 has a shape along the edge of the support portion 31, and the support portion 31 is inserted into the recess. As shown in fig. 13 and 15, the pair of arm portions 12 are provided with projections 124. The projecting portion 124 projects inward at a position where the pair of arm portions 12 are separated from the front end by the width of the operating lever 21. The width of the operating lever 21 is a length from the lower end to the upper end of the operating lever 21 located at the first position, and the inner side is the other arm portion 12 side, and the protrusions 124 provided on the pair of arm portions 12 face each other. The protruding portion 124 may be provided with a step portion inside the regulating member 1, for example, so as to protrude from the end of the cover 11 where the arm portion 12 is provided toward the tip of the arm portion 12 to a position where the tip of the pair of arm portions 12 is separated from the width of the operation lever 21.

The restricting member 1 of the present embodiment is attached from above as shown in fig. 18. That is, from the state where the pair of arm portions 12 are provided in the vertical direction, the support portion 31 is inserted into the recess 123 to attach the restricting member 1. By inserting the support portion 31 into the recess 123, the regulation member 1 is locked to the support portion 31 (see fig. 17).

Further, when the restricting member 1 is lowered downward (for example, the tip ends of the pair of arm portions 12 abut on the flange portion 30a), the projecting portion 124 abuts on the upper end of the side surface of the operating lever 21 as shown in fig. 15. At this time, since the projection 124 is located on the rotation orbit of the operation lever 21, the projection 124 functions as a restricting portion that suppresses the rotation of the operation lever 21. In other words, since the pair of arm portions 12 locked to the support portion 31 are provided with the projecting portions 124, the projecting portions 124 can suppress the rotation of the operation lever 21.

[2-2. action and Effect ]

In the restricting member 1 of the present embodiment, the second housing 30 includes the support portion 31, the support portion 31 is erected outside the operating lever 21 located at the first position, the recess 123 is provided inside the tip of the arm portion 12 as the locking portion, the recess 123 has a shape along the edge of the support portion 31 and into which the support portion 31 is inserted, the projecting portion 124 projecting inward is provided at a position of the arm portion 12 away from the tip of the arm portion 12 by the width of the operating lever 21, and the projecting portion 124 is used as the restricting portion.

Thereby, the projecting portion 124 abuts on the upper end of the operation lever 21 at the first position, and further, the restricting member 1 is fixed to the receptacle connector 3 (the second housing 30) through the recess portion 123. Therefore, even if the operation lever 21 is to be rotated, the rotation of the operation lever 21 is restricted by the projection 124. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the state in which the fitted state of the plug connector 2 and the receptacle connector 3 is released due to the rotation of the operating lever 21.

The arm portions 12 are provided in parallel in a pair so as to sandwich the operating lever 21 located at the first position, and the restricting member 1 includes a lid portion 11 that connects the pair of arm portions 12 together. This makes it possible to form a single member in which the pair of arm portions 12 are integrated by the lid portion 11, and improve workability as compared with a case in which the recess portions 123 of the arm portions 12 are inserted into the support portions 31, respectively.

[3 ] other embodiments ]

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and includes other embodiments shown below. The present invention also includes an embodiment in which all or any combination of the above-described embodiment and the other embodiments described below is used. Various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made in the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and such changes are also encompassed by the invention.

For example, in the first and second embodiments, the engaged portion 32 is provided so as to protrude from the support portion 31 inward, that is, toward the first housing 20 in the fitted state, but may be provided so as to protrude outward from the support portion 31 as long as it engages with the engaging portion 21 b. That is, the restricting member 1 attached to the connector device in which the engaged portion 32 is provided so as to protrude outward from the supporting portion 31 is also included in the scope of the present invention.

In the first embodiment, the pair of arm portions 12 are connected by the restricting portion, and the pair of arm portions 12 are provided as locking portions to be locked to the second housing, but any one of the arm portions 12 may be used.

In the first embodiment, the restricting portion provided on the rotation orbit of the operating lever 21 that rotates from the first position to the second position and restricting the rotation of the operating lever 21 located at the first position is the lid portion 11, and the locking portion provided so as to be continuous with the restricting portion and locked to the second housing is the arm portion 12, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, it is also within the scope of the present invention to use the protrusion 122a as the restricting portion and to use the first arm 121, more specifically, the bottom surface of the first arm 121 as the engaging portion. That is, when the operation lever 21 is intended to rotate in a state where the restriction member 1 is attached to the connector device in which the operation lever 21 is located at the first position where the fitting state is maintained, as shown in fig. 10, the shaft support portion 21a abuts on the projection 122a, and the rotation of the operation lever 21 is restricted. In other words, the protrusion 122a is provided on a rotation track of the operation lever 21 that rotates from the first position to the second position, and restricts the rotation of the operation lever 21. When the rotation of the operating lever 21 is stopped by the projection 122a, the projection 122a is pressed downward, and accordingly, the first arm 121 (specifically, the lower surface of the first arm 121) connected to the projection 122a is pressed against the second housing 30 (specifically, the upper surface of the flange portion 30 a). Here, the second housing 30 (the flange portion 30a) is fixed independently of the rotation of the operating lever 21, and therefore, the first arm 121 is locked to the second housing 30 (the flange portion 30a) by the first arm 121 coming into contact with the second housing 30 (the flange portion 30 a).

Claims

1. A restricting member that restricts rotation of an operation lever that maintains a fitted state of a first connector and a second connector,

the operation lever is pivotally supported by a first housing of the first connector so as to be rotatable from a first position where the fitting state is maintained to a second position where the fitting state is released,

the second connector includes a second housing,

the restricting member includes:

a restricting portion that is provided on a rotation track of the operating lever that rotates from the first position to the second position, and that restricts rotation of the operating lever located at the first position; and

a locking portion provided in connection with the restricting portion and locked with the second housing.

2. The restriction member according to claim 1,

the second housing has a pair of support portions erected at opposite positions outside the operating lever located at the first position,

the engaging portion is a pair of arm portions that are provided so as to be continuous with the restricting portion and engage with the pair of support portions.

3. The restriction member according to claim 2,

the restricting portion is a cover portion that covers a front surface of the operating lever,

the pair of arm portions have a pair of first arms connected to both ends of the cover portion and extending straight in a direction orthogonal to the cover portion,

the first arms are provided at the distal ends thereof with protruding portions protruding toward the other first arm.

4. The restriction member according to claim 3,

the pair of arm portions each have a second arm connected to an end of the cover portion,

a projection projecting inward so as to abut against a lower end of a shaft support portion supporting a rotating shaft of the operating lever is provided inside a front end of the second arm.

5. The restriction member according to claim 4,

the second arm has a smaller wall thickness than the first arm, is bent from an end of the cover portion to an inner side than the first arm, and has a bent tip extending in a direction orthogonal to the cover portion.

6. The restriction member according to claim 4 or 5,

the protrusion has an inverted conical shape protruding further toward the inner side as the protrusion approaches the leading end of the second arm.

7. The restriction member according to any one of claims 4 to 6,

an extension portion extending from the second arm is provided on an upper edge of a front end portion of the second arm.

8. The restriction member according to claim 7,

the extension portion is set to fall within a projection range in the vertical direction of the first arm.

9. The restriction member according to any one of claims 4 to 8,

a claw is provided at a front end portion of the second arm.

10. The restriction member according to any one of claims 3 to 9,

in the case of the restraining member,

a hook portion is provided at a lower end portion of an inner surface of the cover portion that faces the operation lever, the hook portion extending in one direction so as to enter a gap between the operation lever and the second housing at the first position and protruding inward.

11. The restriction member according to any one of claims 3 to 10,

a protruding portion that abuts a claw portion provided on the front surface of the operation lever is provided on an inner surface of the cover portion that faces the front surface of the operation lever.

12. The restriction member according to any one of claims 1 to 11,

the restraining member is die cast.

13. The restriction member according to claim 1,

the second housing has a support portion that is erected at a position outside the operating lever located at the first position,

a recess portion having a shape along an edge of the support portion and into which the support portion is inserted is provided inside a front end of the locking portion,

a projecting portion projecting inward is provided at a position of the locking portion apart from a front end of the locking portion by a width of the operating lever,

the projection is the restricting portion.

14. The restriction member according to claim 13,

the locking portion is a pair of arm portions provided in parallel to sandwich the operation lever located at the first position,

the restricting member has a cover portion that connects the pair of arm portions together.

15. A connector assembly, comprising:

a connector device having a first connector and a second connector which can be fitted to each other;

an operation lever capable of maintaining a fitted state of the first connector and the second connector; and

a restriction member that is attached to the connector device and restricts rotation of the operation lever maintaining the fitting state,

the connector assembly is characterized in that,

the second connector includes a second housing,

the restricting member includes: