JP2004311255A - Lever type connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent interference of foreign matter with a flexural lock piece. <P>SOLUTION: The flexural lock piece 14 is formed in a region covered with an arm part 22 on the outer surface of a first housing 10. In a fitting process between both the housings 10 and 30, fitting of both the housings 10 and 30 and turning of a lever 20 are restricted by locking a cam pin 31 to the lock piece 14; when turning force exceeding fitting resistance between both the housings 10 and 30 is applied to the lever 20, the lock piece 14 is separated from the cam pin 31 while elastically bending, and the fitting between both the housings 10 and 30 and the turning of the lever 20 are advanced at once by inertia immediately after the separation up to the regular fitting state. Since the lock piece 14 is covered up with the arm part 22, interference of foreign matter with the lock piece 14 is prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lever-type connector provided with inertial locking means.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a lever-type connector having an inertial lock function, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this lever-type connector, a flexible lock piece is formed on the side wall of the hood portion of the male housing, and the lever is locked to the flexible lock piece, so that the lever is in the initial position (the entrance of the cam groove opens to the female housing side). (Posture) and locked in a state where the rotation is restricted.
[0003]
From this state, the female housing is fitted shallowly into the hood portion of the male housing, and the cam pins of the female housing enter the entrance of the cam groove of the lever. When a large rotation operation exceeding the fitting resistance of both housings is applied to the lever, the flexible lock piece is dissociated from the lever while elastically bending, and the rotation of the lever rapidly advances to the normal fitting position by inertia immediately after disengagement. By the rotation of the lever, the cam action by the engagement between the cam groove and the cam pin causes the male and female housings to be in a properly fitted state.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-214653
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-mentioned conventional lever-type connector, since the flexible lock piece is exposed on the outer surface of the male housing, the flexible lock piece may be deformed or damaged by interference of foreign matter.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to prevent foreign matter from interfering with a flexible lock piece.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 has a first housing, a plate-shaped arm portion supported by the first housing and rotating along an outer surface of the first housing, and a cam groove is formed in the arm portion. And a second housing having a cam pin on an outer surface and capable of fitting with the first housing, and rotating the lever in a state where the cam groove and the cam pin are engaged. By doing so, in the lever-type connector in which the two housings are fitted by a cam action, a bending lock piece is formed in a region of the outer surface of the first housing covered with the arm portion, and In the fitting process, the fitting of the two housings and the rotation of the lever are restricted by locking the cam pins to the flexible lock pieces. Thus, by applying a rotational force to the lever that exceeds the fitting resistance between the two housings, the flexible lock piece is dissociated from the cam pin while elastically flexing, and the two housings are fitted and engaged by inertia immediately after disengagement. The configuration is such that the rotation of the lever advances at a stretch until a normal fitting state is reached.
[0007]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a hood portion for fitting the second housing is formed in the first housing, and a part of a wall portion constituting the hood portion is formed by the bending lock piece. The configuration is as follows.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the flexible lock piece has a plate-like form extending in a cantilevered manner in substantially the same direction as the moving direction of the cam pin in the fitting process of the two housings. A projection is formed on the bending lock piece so as to be flush with the wall surface of the hood portion and on the movement path of the cam pin, and the cam pin abuts on the projection to fit the two housings together. In this case, the rotation of the lever is restricted, and the flexible lock piece elastically bends parallel to its plate surface, so that the projection is disengaged from the cam pin.
[0008]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, when the two housings are fitted, the lever is turned from an initial position allowing the cam pin to enter the cam groove. When the movement is started and the lever is at the initial position, the cam pin is locked to the bending lock piece.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, in a state where the two housings are properly fitted, the cam pin is on the opposite side to the flexible lock piece when fitted. , The displacement of the cam pin in the return direction is regulated.
[0009]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the cam pin is provided with a locking surface that is flat and substantially perpendicular to a locking direction with the flexible lock piece. Configuration.
[0010]
Function and effect of the present invention
[Invention of claim 1]
Since the flexible lock piece is covered and concealed by the arm portion, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from interfering with the flexible lock piece.
[Invention of claim 2]
Since most of the flexible lock pieces can be accommodated within the range of the wall thickness of the hood portion, the size can be reduced as compared with the case where the flexible lock pieces are provided at positions protruding outward from the outer surface of the housing. it can.
[0011]
[Invention of claim 3]
Since the elastic bending direction of the flexible lock piece is parallel to the plate surface, the locking force between the flexible lock piece and the cam pin is strong, and the reliability of the inertial lock function is high.
[Invention of Claim 4]
During rotation of the lever, the cam pin is bent and locked to the lock piece to restrict the rotation of the lever. It is feared that it will end. However, in the present invention, since the inertia force is applied to the lever at the same time when the rotation of the lever starts, the rotation of the lever is not restricted during the fitting operation, and the normal fitting state is obtained. The work can be surely advanced up to.
[0012]
[Invention of claim 5]
In a state where the two housings are properly fitted, the cam pin is bent and the displacement in the return direction is restricted by the contact with the lock piece, so that the rotation of the lever in the return direction and the detachment operation of the two housings are restricted. Thereby, both housings are locked in a properly fitted state.
[Invention of claim 6]
The cam pin is provided with a locking surface that is flat and substantially perpendicular to the locking direction with the flexible lock piece, and the locking surface is brought into contact with the flexible lock piece. Is securely locked.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The lever connector according to the first embodiment includes a first housing 10, a lever 20, and a second housing 30.
The first housing 10 is made of a synthetic resin, and has a hood portion 11 that protrudes forward (to the left in FIG. 1) into a rectangular tube shape. A male terminal fitting (not shown) having a tab at the tip is accommodated in the first housing 10, and the tab projects forward in the hood portion 11. A pair of support shafts 12 for supporting the lever 20 are formed at the rear end positions of the left and right outer surfaces of the first housing 10.
[0014]
The left and right side wall portions 11S constituting the hood portion 11 are each formed with a cutout portion 13 which is open at the front end thereof. A plate-like flexible lock piece 14 that protrudes forward from the rear end edge of the notch 13 in a cantilever shape is formed in a region on the lower end side of the notch 13. The flexible lock piece 14 extends linearly in parallel with the fitting direction of the two housings 10 and 30, and the outer surface and the inner surface of the flexible lock piece 14 correspond to the outer surface and the inner surface of the side wall 11S, respectively. It is flush.
[0015]
On the upper edge of the flexible lock piece 14, a projection 15 is formed which is flush with the flexible lock piece 14 and in a plate shape. The front edge of the projection 15 is a locking edge 15 a perpendicular to the fitting direction of the two housings 10, 30, and the rear edge is the return regulating edge inclined with respect to the fitting direction of the two housings 10, 30. It is a part 15b. The protrusion 15 is located on a movement path of the cam pin 31 when the second housing 30 is fitted to the hood portion 11.
[0016]
The flexible lock piece 14 can be elastically bent downward in parallel with the plate surface. In addition, a bending space 16 for allowing the bending lock piece 14 to be elastically bent is formed below the bending lock piece 14 in the cutout portion 13. Further, the bending lock piece 14 is arranged such that at least a part thereof is covered and hidden by an arm portion 22 of a lever 20 described later.
The lever 20 is made of synthetic resin, and extends from the left and right ends of the operating portion 21 disposed above the first housing 10 along both left and right outer surfaces of the first housing 10. A pair of plate-like arm portions 22 are integrally formed. A cam groove 23 having an entrance opened to the outer peripheral edge of the arm 22 is formed on the inner surface of the arm 22 (the surface facing the outer surface of the first housing 10). The lever 20 has an initial position (see FIGS. 1 and 2) and a fitting completed position (see FIG. 4) with respect to the first housing 10 by fitting the bearing holes 24 of the both arm portions 22 to the support shaft 12. ) Can be rotated by about 90 °.
[0017]
In the state where the lever 20 is in the initial position, the entrance of the cam groove 23 is located along the upper edge of the flexible lock piece 14 and at the height corresponding to the projection 15 and forward (in the direction corresponding to the second housing 30). , Whereby the cam pin 31 can enter the cam groove 23.
Each of the two arm portions 22 is formed with a flexure locking piece 25. When the lever 20 is in the initial position, the flexure locking piece 25 is moved relative to the locking portion 17 on the upper edge of the notch 13. By locking the lever 20 from below, the rotation of the lever 20 to the fitting completed position side is restricted.
[0018]
The second housing 30 is made of a synthetic resin, has a block shape as a whole, and accommodates therein a female terminal fitting (not shown) having a square tube portion that can be fitted with a tab of the male terminal fitting. ing.
A pair of cam pins 31 protrude from both left and right outer surfaces of the second housing 30. The cam pin 31 is formed by forming a concave portion 32 in which a lower front portion (lower right portion in FIG. 1) of the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion is cut out in a quarter arc shape, and the front surface of the concave portion 32 fits into both housings 10 and 30. The locking surface 32a has a flat shape perpendicular to the mating direction.
[0019]
Also, the left and right outer surfaces of the second housing 30 are arranged in the front-rear direction (parallel to the fitting direction of the second housing 30 to the hood portion 11) at the same height as the flexible locking piece 25 when the lever 20 is at the initial position. ) Is formed with a pair of rib-shaped release portions 33 that extend in a slender manner.
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.
When the two housings 10 and 30 are fitted to each other, the lever 20 is held at the initial position by locking the flexible locking piece 25 to the locking portion 17 in the first housing 10. In this state, the entirety of the bending lock piece 14 is covered by the arm 22. In this state, when the second housing 30 is fitted into the hood portion 11 shallowly, the cam pin 31 enters the entrance of the cam groove 23, and the front end of the release portion 33 comes into contact with the flexure locking piece 25 so that the flexure locking is performed. The piece 25 is elastically bent toward the outer surface of the arm 22. As a result, the bending locking piece 25 is disengaged from the locking portion 17, and the rotation restricted state of the lever 20 due to the locking of the bending locking piece 25 and the locking portion 17 is released.
[0020]
When the cam pin 31 enters the entrance of the cam groove 23, the locking surface 32 a of the cam pin 31 is bent, and the locking edge 15 a of the lock piece 14 is parallel to the fitting direction of the two housings 10, 30. The engagement of the second housing 30 with the hood 11 is restricted by the engagement between the engagement surface 32a and the engagement edge 15a perpendicular to the abutment direction. That is, the rotation of the lever 20 is restricted.
In this state, when a turning force that exceeds the fitting resistance between the two housings 10 and 30 due to the frictional resistance between the male terminal fitting and the female terminal fitting is applied to the operating portion 21 of the lever 20, As shown in FIG. 3, the bending lock piece 14 is disengaged from the cam pin 31 while elastically bending downward. At the moment of disengagement, the rotation power applied to the lever 20 is released, so that the rotation restricted state of the lever 20 due to the engagement between the bending lock piece 14 and the cam pin 31 is released, and at the same time, the lever 20 is released. Has a large inertial force. By this inertial force, the lever 20 is pivoted to the fitting completed position at a stretch, and the housings 10 and 30 move at a stretch to the normal fitting state by the cam action by the engagement between the cam groove 23 and the cam pin 31.
[0021]
In a state where the flexible lock piece 14 is elastically bent, substantially the entirety of the flexible lock piece 14 is covered and concealed by the arm portion 22, and the flexible lock piece 14 is formed between the outer surface of the second housing 30 and the inside of the arm portion 22. It is in a state of being guided between the side surfaces. By this guide action, the flexible lock piece 14 can be elastically displaced in a direction parallel to the plate surface while keeping its plate surface flat. That is, the bending of the bending lock piece 14 and the elastic deformation of the bending lock piece 14 in an oblique direction with respect to the plate surface are prevented.
[0022]
When the two housings 10 and 30 reach the normal fitting state, the cam pin 31 passes through the protrusion 15 of the flexible lock piece 14, so that the flexible lock piece 14 elastically returns upward, and the return regulating edge 15b of the protrusion 15 is moved. It comes into contact with the cam pin 31. Accordingly, the displacement of the cam pin 31 in the return direction, that is, the movement of the second housing 30 in the direction in which the second housing 30 is detached from the hood portion 11 is restricted. In the normal fitting state, the extended end of the flexible lock piece 14 is exposed from the arm portion 22, but the inner surface of the flexible lock piece 14 is in a state of being substantially in close contact with the outer surface of the second housing 30. Therefore, even if a foreign substance interferes with the flexible lock piece 14 from outside and presses the flexible lock piece 14 inward, the flexible lock piece 14 does not deform.
[0023]
During the rotation of the lever 20 between the initial position and the fitting completed position, the concave portion 32 of the cam pin 31 does not correspond to the inner surface of the cam groove 23 and does not slide. That is, only the arc surface of the cam pin 31 comes into sliding contact with the inner surface of the cam groove 23, so that the sliding contact between the cam groove 23 and the cam pin 31 is performed smoothly.
As described above, in the present embodiment, since the bending lock piece 14 is disposed in a region of the outer surface of the first housing 10 that is covered by the arm portion 22, it is possible to prevent foreign matter interference with the bending lock piece 14. it can.
[0024]
Further, a part of the side wall portion 11S constituting the hood portion 11 is formed as a bending lock piece 14, and the bending lock piece 14 is accommodated within the range of the wall thickness of the side wall portion 11S of the hood portion 11. Therefore, the size can be reduced as compared with the case where the flexible lock piece is provided at a position protruding outward from the outer surface of the first housing.
Further, since the elastic bending direction of the flexible lock piece 14 is parallel to the plate surface, the locking force between the flexible lock piece 14 and the cam pin 31 is strong, and the reliability of the inertial lock function is high.
[0025]
Further, when the cam pin 31 is bent to lock the locking piece 14 during the rotation of the lever 20 and the rotation of the lever 20 is restricted, the operator mistakenly thinks that the fitting has been completed at that time, and the worker does not fit. It is feared that the work will be completed as it is. However, in the present embodiment, since the inertia force is applied to the lever 20 at the same time as the rotation of the lever 20 starts, the rotation of the lever 20 is not restricted during the fitting operation. Thus, the operation can be surely performed until a proper fitting state is reached.
[0026]
Further, in a state where the two housings 10 and 30 are properly fitted, the cam pin 31 is restricted from being displaced in the return direction by the contact with the bending lock piece 14, so that the rotation of the lever 20 in the return direction and the two housings are performed. The detachment operation of the first and second housings 10 and 30 is regulated, and thereby the two housings 10 and 30 are locked in a properly fitted state.
Further, the cam pin 31 is provided with a locking surface 32a which is flat and substantially perpendicular to the locking direction with the flexible lock piece 14, and the locking surface 32a is brought into contact with the flexible lock piece 14. Thus, the locking between the cam pin 31 and the bending lock piece 14 is reliably performed.
[0027]
[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above with reference to the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Can be implemented with various modifications.
(1) In the above embodiment, most of the flexible lock pieces are accommodated within the range of the wall thickness of the side wall of the hood portion. However, according to the present invention, the flexible lock pieces protrude from the outer surface of the first housing. It may be formed in a form.
[0028]
(2) In the above embodiment, the lever and the bending lock piece are provided on the male side housing that holds the male terminal fitting having the tab at the tip. However, according to the present invention, the square tube portion that fits with the tab of the male terminal fitting is provided. A lever and a flexible lock piece may be provided on the female housing housing the female terminal fitting having the above.
(3) In the above embodiment, the elastic bending direction of the bending lock piece is a direction parallel to the wall surface of the side wall portion of the hood portion (a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation center axis of the lever). The elastic bending direction of the lock piece may be a direction substantially perpendicular to the wall surface of the side wall of the hood.
[0029]
(4) In the above embodiment, the cam pin has a flat shape and the locking surface substantially perpendicular to the locking direction with the flexible lock piece is provided. However, according to the present invention, the cam pin is not provided and the locking surface is not provided. The arcuate surface on the outer periphery of the flexible lock piece may be locked.
(5) In the above embodiment, the flexible lock piece is configured to be cantilevered, but according to the present invention, the flexible lock piece may be configured to support both ends.
(6) In the above embodiment, when the lever is at the initial position, the cam pin locks to the bending lock piece. However, according to the present invention, the lever starts rotating from the initial position to the mating completion position side. After that, the cam pins may be locked to the bending lock pieces.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which both housings are not fitted in Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which both housings are fitted shallowly and cam pins are flexed and locked to lock pieces. FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away side view showing a state in which an inertial force is applied to a lever while releasing the engagement with a cam pin while a bending lock piece is elastically bending. FIG. 4 shows a state in which both housings are properly fitted. FIG. 5 is a side view of the first housing with the lever removed.
10 First housing 11 Hood 11S Side wall (wall constituting the hood)
14 Deflection lock piece 15 Projection 20 Lever 22 Arm part 23 Cam groove 30 Second housing 31 Cam pin 32 a Locking surface

Claims (6)

A first housing;
A lever having a plate-shaped arm supported by the first housing and rotating along the outer surface of the first housing, and having a cam groove formed in the arm;
A second housing having a cam pin on an outer surface thereof and capable of being fitted to the first housing;
By rotating the lever in a state where the cam groove and the cam pin are engaged with each other, a lever-type connector adapted to fit the two housings by a cam action is provided.
A bending lock piece is formed in a region of the outer surface of the first housing that is covered by the arm portion,
In the fitting process of the two housings, the fitting of the two housings and the rotation of the lever are regulated by locking the cam pins to the bending lock pieces,
From this restricted state, by applying a turning force exceeding the mating resistance between the two housings to the lever, the flexible lock piece is dissociated from the cam pin while elastically flexing, and the inertia of the two housings immediately after disengagement. A lever-type connector, wherein the fitting and the rotation of the lever proceed at a stretch to a proper fitting state. A hood portion for fitting the second housing is formed in the first housing,
The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein a part of a wall part constituting the hood part is the bending lock piece. The flexible lock piece has a plate-like form extending in a cantilevered manner in substantially the same direction as the movement direction of the cam pin in the fitting process of the two housings,
A projection is formed on the bending lock piece so as to be flush with the wall surface of the hood portion and project on a movement path of the cam pin.
When the cam pin abuts on the protrusion, fitting of the two housings and rotation of the lever are regulated,
The lever type connector according to claim 2, wherein the projection is disengaged from the cam pin by elastically bending the bending lock piece in parallel with its plate surface. When the two housings are fitted, the rotation of the lever is started from an initial position that allows the cam pin to enter the cam groove,
The lever-type connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cam pin is engaged with the flexible lock piece when the lever is in an initial position. In a state where the two housings are properly fitted, the cam pin abuts against the flexible lock piece from the side opposite to the time of fitting, so that the displacement of the cam pin in the return direction is restricted. The lever type connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The lever type according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cam pin is provided with a locking surface having a flat shape and substantially perpendicular to a locking direction with the flexible lock piece. connector.

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