JP2003208946A - Connector having lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector in which fitting and release are easily carried out, and which has a lock mechanism of retaining fitting state. <P>SOLUTION: At a surface of a housing 2 of the connector 1, plural numbers of contacts 3 are installed. A pressing member 4 has a pressing face 4B in order to press a flexible circuit board 11, pressing parts 4C on both sides of the pressing face, and a falling-out prevention part 4D projected toward the pressing face side. At both sides of the forefront end of an insertion part 2A of the housing, cross-sectionally reverse L-shaped lock parts 2B are installed, and slant faces 2C are formed on the respective lock parts. When a fitting part 11A of the flexible circuit board is inserted into the insertion part of the housing, both projection parts 11B are abutted on the both slant faces of the respective lock parts. When the pressing member 4 is closed by making both shaft parts 4A rotate as the center, the both pressing parts press the both projection parts. Then, the both projection parts slide down on the both slant faces, and reach up to the same plane level as the insertion part. At this state, the both falling-out prevention parts of the pressing member lock the both projection parts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fitting, releasing and locking mechanism for a connector used for connection with a flexible board or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, a conventional first flexible board connector will be described with reference to FIG. This connector is described in Japanese Patent No. 3029985.

A plurality of contacts 23 are arranged on the surface of the housing 22 of the connector 21. A pair of holding portions 22A are provided on both sides of the surface of the housing 22 so as to face each other, and a holding metal fitting 24 is installed inside each holding portion 22A. Each restraint fitting 24 has a restraining blade 24 </ b> A that faces the inside of the housing 22. A pressure member 25 is rotatably attached to the upper portion of the housing 22.

In the opened state of the pressing member 25 shown in FIG. 6, the flexible substrate 31 is passed under the restraining blades 24A of the respective restraint fittings 24 with the core portion of the flexible substrate 31 located on the lower surface, and the flexible substrate 31 Connector 21 at the tip
Insert until each contact 23 is positioned above. Subsequently, when the pressing member 25 is rotated to the closed position, the core wire portion of the flexible substrate 31 and each contact 23 of the connector 21 are connected.

Next, a conventional second flexible board connector will be described with reference to FIG. This connector is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-189174.

The insulator 42 of the connector 41 is
A plurality of substantially S-shaped contacts 43 and a plurality of substantially inverted S-shaped contacts 44 are provided. Each contact 43 includes a first connecting portion 43A, a fixing portion 43B, and a second connecting portion 43C. Each contact 44 includes a first connecting portion 44A, a fixing portion 44B, and a second connecting portion 44C.
Composed of and.

The insulator 42 is covered with a metal shell 45. The shell 45 has a pair of projecting portions 45A on both sides, and each of the projecting portions 45A is formed with a substantially V-shaped engaging portion 45B inside.

With the flexible substrate 51 in the inclined posture shown in FIG. 7B, the insertion portion 42 of the insulator 42 is provided.
It is inserted between the first connecting portion 43A of each contact 43 and the first connecting portion 44A of each contact 44 in A. Then, the flexible substrate 51 is rotated in the arrow direction with the first connecting portions 43A and the first connecting portions 44A as fulcrums.
Then, both sides of the flexible substrate 51 push and spread between the both engaging portions 45B of the shell 45 and pass through. The flexible substrate 51 tries to restore by the reaction force of each contact 43 and each contact 44.
Both sides of the upper surface 51A are restrained by the engaging portions 45B, and therefore cannot be restored. Therefore, the flexible substrate 51 is connected to the connector 41.

[0009]

In the conventional first flexible board connector, when the flexible board is inserted into the connector, the tip of the flexible board smoothly passes under the restraining blades of the pair of holding metal fittings. It has the drawback of being difficult.

In the conventional second flexible board connector, the width between the pair of engaging portions of the shell must be made wider than the width of the flexible board at the time of disconnection, so that the operation is complicated. There are drawbacks.

Further, both of the conventional connectors described above have a drawback that they are not provided with a lock mechanism for holding the fitted state.

Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional connectors, and to provide a connector having a lock mechanism for easily engaging and disengaging and maintaining a fitted state. is there.

[0013]

The present invention adopts the following means in order to solve the above problems.

1. The housing includes a contact held by the housing, and a pressing member that is rotatably supported by the housing and presses an object to be connected. The housing is a pair of projecting portions of the object to be connected. And a pair of lock portions that prevent movement of the connection target in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction, and when fitted, the pressing member inserts the connection target in the insertion direction and A connector having a lock mechanism that presses in a direction orthogonal to a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction to engage the protrusions with the locks.

2. 2. The connector having the lock mechanism according to 1, wherein the pressing member has a pair of retaining portions that engage with the respective protrusions in order to prevent the connection target from moving in the detaching direction.

3. 2. The connector having the lock mechanism according to 1, wherein each of the lock portions has an inclined surface that guides each of the protrusions when fitting.

4. The connector having the lock mechanism according to the above 3, wherein a width between portions of the lock portions below the slope is wider than a width between the protrusions of the connection target.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A flexible board connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the structures of the flexible board connector 1 and the flexible board 11 will be described. FIG. 1 shows a state before the flexible substrate 11 is inserted into the connector 1. A plurality of contacts 3 are provided on the surface of the housing 2 of the connector 1. Further, a substantially rectangular pressing member 4 is attached to the housing 2 so as to be rotatable around shafts 4A formed on both sides near one side thereof.

The pressing member 4 has a pressing surface 4B for pressing the flexible substrate 11 on one surface thereof. Further, the pressing member 4 has a retaining portion 4D protruding toward the pressing portion 4C and the pressing surface 4B on both sides in the vicinity of one side facing the one side.
Have.

The front surface of the housing 2 serves as the insertion portion 2A of the flexible substrate 11. Locking parts 2B having an inverted L-shaped cross section are provided on both sides of the front end of the inserting part 2A
A slope 2C is formed on each lock portion 2B. Holddowns 5 are attached to both sides of the bottom surface of the housing 2. Each contact 3 is housed in each groove 2D formed in the insertion portion 2A of the housing 2.

The front end side of the flexible substrate 11 serves as a fitting portion 11A, and projecting portions 11B are formed on both sides of a portion slightly apart from the front end of the flexible substrate 11.

Next, the flexible substrate 11 and the connector 1
Fitting and disengagement with and will be described. When the fitting portion 11A of the flexible substrate 11 is inserted into the insertion portion 2A of the housing 2 of the connector 1 in the opened state of the pressing member 4 shown in FIG. 1, the state of FIG. 2 is reached, that is, the state of FIG. In this state, both protrusions 1 of the flexible substrate 11
1B contacts the slopes 2C of both lock portions 2B of the housing 2.

In the state shown in FIG. 3A, when the pressing member 4 is rotated about both shafts 4A and closed, both pressing parts 4C press both projecting parts 11B of the flexible substrate 11. Then, both protrusions 11B slide down on both slopes 2C, and after reaching the state of FIG. 3B, reach the same plane as the insertion portion 2A shown in FIG. 3C. In this state, the both retaining portions 4D of the pressing member 4 lock the both protruding portions 11B of the flexible substrate 11.

Therefore, in the state of FIG. 3C, that is, the state of FIG. 4, even if an unexpected pulling force is applied to the flexible substrate 11 in the direction of the arrow, the flexible substrate 11 is prevented from being detached from the connector 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the pressing member 4 is opened, both the retaining portions 4D of the pressing member 4 unlock the both protruding portions 11B of the flexible substrate 11. Therefore, when the flexible board 11 is pulled in the direction of the arrow, the tips of the both protruding portions 11B are not in pressure contact with the insides of the both lock portions 2B, so that the flexible board 11 can be smoothly detached from the connector 1.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects.

1. Since the insertion portion of the connector is opened upward, the connection target (for example, the flexible substrate) can be easily inserted into the connector from diagonally above.

2. The width between the pair of lock parts of the connector is
Since it is wider than the width between the pair of protrusions of the connection target, the connection target can be easily separated from the connector.

3. Since each lock portion of the connector has an inclined surface that guides each protrusion of the connection target object at the time of fitting, the connection target object easily fits into the connector.

4. In the fitted state, both projecting parts of the connection target are locked by the both retaining parts of the pressing member, so that the connection target will be disconnected from the connector even if a pulling force is applied to the connection target inadvertently. Be prevented.

5. In the fitted state, both projecting portions of the connection target are engaged with both locks, so that the connection target is prevented from coming off the connector even if the connection target is inadvertently lifted up. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flexible board and a state in which a pressing member of a flexible board connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is opened.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the flexible board is inserted into the connector.

3A to 3C are front views sequentially showing a process from opening to closing of the pressing member in a state where the flexible substrate is inserted into the connector.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which an inadvertent pulling force is applied to the flexible board in the direction of the arrow when the connector and the flexible board are fitted together.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the pressing member is opened prior to detachment of the flexible board from the connector.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state before a flexible board is inserted into a conventional first flexible board connector.

FIG. 7 is a second conventional flexible board connector and a flexible board, (a) is a perspective view before insertion,
(B) shows each sectional drawing after insertion.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Flexible board connector (connector) 2 housing 2A insertion part 2B lock part 2C slope 2D groove 3 contacts 4 Pressing member 4A shaft 4B Pressing surface 4C pressing part 4D retaining part 5 Holddown 11 Flexible substrate 11A fitting part 11B protrusion

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Naofumi Ikenaga             1-221 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Japan             Aviation Electronics Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takaaki Kudo             1-221 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Japan             Aviation Electronics Industry Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5E021 FA05 FA11 FB01 FC36 HC11                 5E023 AA04 AA16 BB01 BB11 BB23                       DD26 GG02 GG09 GG11 HH17                       HH30

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A housing, a contact held by the housing, and a pressing member that is rotatably supported by the housing and presses an object to be connected, wherein the housing is the object to be connected. Has a pair of lock portions that engage with the pair of protruding portions of the connection object and that prevent the connection object from moving in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction, and at the time of fitting, the pressing member causes the connection object to move. A connector having a lock mechanism, wherein the connector is pressed in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction and a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction to engage the protrusions with the locks. 2. The pressing member has a pair of retaining portions that engage with each of the protrusions in order to prevent the connection target from moving in the detaching direction.
A connector having the described locking mechanism. 3. The connector having a lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein each of the lock portions has an inclined surface that guides each of the protrusions when fitting. 4. The lock mechanism according to claim 3, wherein a width between portions of the lock portions below the inclined surface is wider than a width between the protrusions of the connection target. connector.