JP2004319126A - Lever type connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lever type connector which prevents interference of contamination on its elastic lock strip. <P>SOLUTION: The elastic lock strip 27 is contained in a containing space 26 which is formed in a plate shape arm 22, and an engaging portion 15 is formed on the outer surface of the first housing 10. In an engaging process of both housings 10 and 30, rotation of the lever 20 is regulated by close contact of the elastic lock strip 27 to the engaging portion 15, and then the elastic lock strip 27 is released from the engaging portion 15 by rotation force applied to the lever 20 which is stronger than resistance force of engaging between the housings 10 and 30, resulting in normal engagement state at one touch by inertial rotation of the lever 20 immediately after the releasing of the elastic lock strip. As the elastic lock strip 27 is contained within a plate width of the arm 22, it does not project outside the outer surface of the arm portion 22, and the interference of the contamination on the elastic lock strip 27 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-described conventional lever-type connector, the flexible lock piece is formed to protrude outward from the outer surface of the housing to enable engagement with a lever displaced along the outer surface of the housing. Therefore, the foreign matter easily interferes with the flexible lock piece, and there is a possibility that the flexible lock piece may be deformed or damaged by the interference of the foreign matter.
[0006]
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.
[0007]
[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 follower on the outer surface and capable of being fitted to the first housing, wherein the lever is rotated while the cam groove and the cam follower are engaged. In the lever-type connector in which the two housings are fitted by a cam action, the plate-shaped arm portion has a housing space opened on the inner surface side thereof, and a flexure lock housed in the housing space. And a locking portion capable of locking with the flexible lock piece is provided on an outer surface of the first housing, and in the process of fitting the two housings, the flexible lock piece is provided. The rotation of the lever is restricted by abutting on the locking portion, and from this restricted state, a turning force exceeding a fitting resistance between the two housings is applied to the lever, whereby the bending lock piece is provided. Is dissociated from the locking portion while being elastically bent, and the rotation of the lever advances at a stretch to a regular fitted state by inertia immediately after the disengagement.
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the elastic bending direction of the flexible lock piece is a direction parallel to a plate surface of the arm portion.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the accommodation space is opened to the outer surface side of the arm portion.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when the two housings are fitted, the lever is turned from an initial position allowing the cam follower to enter the cam groove. When the lever is at the initial position, the bending lock piece and the locking portion are locked.
[0009]
Function and effect of the present invention
[Invention of claim 1]
Since the flexible lock piece is accommodated within the range of the thickness of the arm portion, there is no possibility that the flexible lock piece protrudes to the outer surface side of the arm portion, and foreign matter interference with the flexible lock piece is prevented.
[Invention of claim 2]
Since the bending lock piece is displaced within the range of the thickness of the arm portion, it is not necessary to secure a bending space on the outer surface side or the inner surface side of the arm portion, and it is possible to avoid an increase in size.
[Invention of claim 3]
Since the accommodating space accommodating the flexible lock piece is opened on the outer surface side of the arm portion, it is possible to visually confirm the elastically bent state and the elastic return state of the flexible lock piece.
[0010]
[Invention of Claim 4]
If the bending of the locking piece and the locking portion is locked during the rotation of the lever and the rotation of the lever is restricted, the worker mistakenly thinks that the fitting has been completed at that time, and the Although there is a concern that the work may be completed as it is, in the present invention, the inertia force is applied to the lever at the same time as the rotation of the lever is started. There is no possibility that the rotation is restricted, and the rotation of the lever can be surely advanced until a normal fitting state is reached.
[0011]
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. In addition, upper and lower two cutout grooves 12 and 13 that are open to the front end thereof are formed in the left and right side walls forming the hood 11 in parallel with the fitting direction (front and rear direction) of the housings 10 and 30. ing. The cam follower 31 of the second housing 30 enters the upper cutout groove 12, and the release portion 32 of the second housing 30 enters the lower cutout groove 13.
[0012]
A pair of support shafts 14 for supporting the lever 20 are formed to protrude at rear end positions on both left and right outer surfaces of the first housing 10. Similarly, a pair of locking portions 15 are formed to protrude from both left and right outer surfaces of the first housing 10. The locking portion 15 is located slightly below the support shaft 14 and behind the support shaft 14. The locking portion 15 has a substantially arc shape centered on the support shaft 14 and extends vertically as a whole. The rear surface 15R of the locking portion 15 has an arc shape concentric with the support shaft 14, and the front surface 15F has an arc shape centered on a position above the support shaft 14. Therefore, the thickness of the locking portion 15 in the front-rear direction decreases upward (the same direction as the rotation direction of the lever 20 at the time of fitting). The lower end surface of the locking portion 15 is a locking surface 15S that comes into contact with the bending lock piece 27.
[0013]
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. 3) with respect to the first housing 10 by fitting the bearing holes 24 of the both arm portions 22 to the support shaft 14. ) Can be rotated by about 30 °.
[0014]
When the lever 20 is at the initial position, the entrance of the cam groove 23 opens forward (in a direction corresponding to the second housing 30) at the same height as the support shaft 14 (the center of rotation of the lever 20). Accordingly, the cam follower 31 can enter the cam groove 23.
Each of the two arm portions 22 is formed with a bending engagement piece 25. When the lever 20 is at the initial position and the housings 10 and 30 are not fitted, the bending engagement piece 25 is located on the lower side. Is locked in the notch groove 13, so that the rotation of the lever 20 to the fitting completion position side is restricted.
[0015]
Similarly, a housing space 26 is formed in each of the two arm portions 22, and a bending lock piece 27 is integrally formed so as to be located in the housing space 26. The accommodation space 26 is formed to penetrate from the outer surface to the inner surface of the arm 22, that is, to be open to both the outer surface and the inner surface of the arm 22. The accommodation space 26 is opened in a circular arc shape (fan shape) concentric with the support shaft 14, and is located behind the support shaft 14 in a state where the lever 20 is in the initial position, and also in a state where the lever 20 is in the initial position. In FIG. 5, the locking portion 15 is located in the storage space 26, and the inner peripheral surface 26a outside the storage space 26 and the rear surface 15R of the locking portion 15 are close to face each other.
[0016]
The bending lock piece 27 is in a form extending in a cantilever manner from an inner peripheral surface 26 b inside the accommodation space 26. The extending direction of the flexible lock piece 27 is substantially the same as the direction in which the lever 20 rotates when the two housings 10 and 30 are fitted, and is slightly oblique to the rotating direction. The extension end 27b of the flexible lock piece 27 is located farther from the support shaft 14 than the base end 27a of the flexible lock piece 27. The bending lock piece 27 can be elastically bent radially inward in parallel with the plate surface (outer surface) of the arm portion 22. Further, the outer side surface (surface shown in FIG. 2) of the bending lock piece 27 is located at a position deeper than the outer side surface (surface shown in FIG. 2) of the arm portion 22, that is, the inside surface of the accommodation space 26. are doing. On the other hand, the inner surface (the surface shown in FIG. 7) of the flexible lock piece 27 is flush with the inner surface of the arm portion 22 (the surface facing the outer surface of the first housing 10).
[0017]
A relief groove 28 is formed on the inner surface of the arm portion 22 and extends from the storage space 26 in an arc shape concentric with the support shaft 14 of the lever 20. The escape groove 28 is elongated in the same direction as the turning direction of the lever 20 at the time of fitting, and protrudes from the outer surface of the first housing 10 in the process of turning the lever 20 from the initial position to the fitting completed position. The locking portion 15 is moved out of the accommodation space 26 and relatively moves in the escape groove 28.
[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 followers 31 protrude from both left and right outer surfaces of the second housing 30. Similarly, a rib-shaped release portion 32 extending parallel to the fitting direction of the housings 10 and 30 is formed at a position below the cam follower 31 on the left and right outer surfaces of the second housing 30.
[0019]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.
When the two housings 10 and 30 are fitted together, the lever 20 is held in the initial position by locking the flexible locking piece 25 in the lower cutout groove 13 in the first housing 10. In this state, as shown in FIG. 4, the end surface 27 c of the extended end of the flexible lock piece 27 is in contact with or locked to the locking surface 15 </ b> S of the locking portion 15. At this time, the direction in which the flexible lock piece 27 abuts against the locking portion 15 is substantially the same as the direction of rotation of the lever 20 during fitting, and the rotation of the lever 20 in the fitting direction is restricted by this contact. Have been. In this state, since the bending lock piece 27 remains housed in the housing space 26, foreign matter does not interfere with the bending lock piece 27 from outside.
[0020]
Even if a relatively small foreign matter enters the storage space 26 and abuts against the outer surface of the bending lock piece 27, the outer surface of the bending lock piece 27 protrudes from the outer surface of the first housing 10. Since it is adjacent to the outer surface of the stopper 15 at the same height as the outer surface, the foreign matter does not come into contact with the stopper 15 and can enter the interior space 26 further. ing. Therefore, there is no possibility that the bending lock piece 27 is deformed by being pushed toward the first housing 10 by the foreign matter.
[0021]
Now, when the second housing 30 is fitted into the hood portion 11 shallowly from the state where the bending lock piece 27 abuts the locking portion 15, the cam follower 31 enters the entrance of the cam groove 23 and the front end of the release portion 32. Abuts on the flexure locking piece 25 to elastically flex the flexure locking piece 25 toward the outer surface of the arm 22. As a result, the flexure locking piece 25 is disengaged from the lower cutout groove 13, and the rotation restricted state of the lever 20 due to the locking of the flexure lockpiece 25 and the cutout groove 13 is released.
[0022]
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, The flexible lock piece 27 elastically bends obliquely to the upper left in FIG. 4 with its base end 27 a as a fulcrum, and the extended end 27 b is disengaged from the locking portion 15. Then, at the moment of dissociation, the rotation power applied to the lever 20 is released, so that the rotation restricted state of the lever 20 due to the locking between the bending lock piece 27 and the locking portion 15 is released, and at the same time, A large inertial force is applied to the lever 20. By this inertial force, the lever 20 is pivoted to the fitting completed position at a stretch, and the two housings 10 and 30 move at once to the normal fitting state by the cam action by the engagement between the cam groove 23 and the cam follower 31. The elastic locking piece 27 in the elastically deformed state remains housed in the housing space 26 and does not protrude to the outer surface side of the arm 22.
[0023]
In the process in which the two housings 10 and 30 reach the normal fitting state, the elastically bent bending lock piece 27 causes the extended end 27b to slide on the front (inside) arc surface 27F of the locking portion 15. It returns elastically while doing. Even in this state, the bending lock piece 27 remains in the accommodation space 26. Therefore, the foreign matter does not bend from the outside and interfere with the lock piece 27.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the bending lock piece 27 as a means for applying inertial force to the lever 20 is in a state of being housed in the housing space 26 formed to open on the inner side surface of the arm 22. Will be kept. That is, the bending lock piece 27 falls within the range of the plate thickness of the arm 22. Therefore, there is no possibility that the bending lock piece 27 protrudes to the outer surface side of the arm portion 22, and it is possible to prevent foreign matter from interfering with the bending lock piece 27.
[0024]
In addition, since the elastic bending direction of the bending lock piece 27 is set to a direction parallel to the plate surface of the arm section 22, the bending lock piece 27 is displaced (elastic bending and elastic return) within the range of the plate thickness of the arm section 22. be able to. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a bending space on the outer surface side or the inner surface side of the arm portion, and the enlargement of the lever 20 is avoided.
Further, since the accommodation space 26 in which the flexible lock piece 27 is stored is also opened on the outer surface side of the arm portion 22, it is possible to visually confirm the elastically bent state and the elastic return state of the flexible lock piece 27. it can.
[0025]
Also, when the lever starts to rotate when the two housings are fitted together and the bending lock piece and the locking portion are locked to restrict the rotation of the lever, the worker completes the fitting at that time. There is a concern that the operator may mistakenly end the work without fitting. However, in the present embodiment, the bending lock piece 27 and the locking portion 15 are locked at the time when the rotation of the lever 20 is started (the state in which the lever 20 is at the initial position). At the same time as the rotation is started, an inertial force is applied to the lever 20, and there is no possibility that the rotation of the lever 20 is restricted during the fitting operation. 20 can be surely advanced.
[0026]
[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, the accommodation space is opened also on the outer surface side of the arm portion. However, according to the present invention, the accommodation space may not be opened on the outer surface side of the arm portion.
[0027]
(2) In the above embodiment, the lever is supported on the male side housing for holding the male terminal fitting having the tab at the tip, but according to the present invention, the female terminal fitting which is the connection partner with the male terminal fitting is held. Alternatively, the lever may be supported by the female housing.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, the elastic bending direction of the flexible lock piece is a direction parallel to the plate surface of the arm portion (a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation center axis of the lever). May be a direction substantially perpendicular to the plate surface of the arm portion. In this case, even if the bent lock piece temporarily protrudes to the outer surface side of the arm portion, interference with foreign matter can be prevented if it is within the plate thickness of the arm portion in the elastic recovery state.
[0028]
(4) In the above embodiment, the state in which the flexible lock piece is accommodated within the thickness of the lever (in the accommodation space) is maintained even when the flexible lock piece is elastically flexed. You may make it protrude out of the board thickness of an arm part temporarily when a lock piece elastically bends.
(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.
[0029]
(6) In the above-described embodiment, when the lever is at the initial position, the locking portion and the flexible lock piece are locked, so that the lever starts to rotate in the fitting direction and simultaneously imparts an inertial force to the lever. However, according to the present invention, the locking portion and the flexible lock piece may be locked after the lever starts rotating from the initial position to the fitting completed position side.
(7) In the above embodiment, the extending direction of the flexible lock piece is substantially the same as the rotation direction of the lever at the time of fitting. However, according to the present invention, the extending direction of the flexible lock piece is set at the time of fitting. The direction may be opposite to the direction of rotation of the lever. In this case, a lateral projection may be formed on the locking flexure, and the engaging portion may be engaged with the projection.
[0030]
(8) In the above embodiment, the extending direction of the flexible lock piece is set to a direction substantially parallel to the contact direction of the locking portion with the flexible lock piece. However, according to the present invention, the extending direction of the flexible lock piece is The direction may be oblique or substantially perpendicular to the direction of contact of the locking portion with the flexible lock piece.
(9) In the above embodiment, the flexible lock piece is elastically restored when the fitting of the two housings is completed. However, according to the present invention, the flexible lock piece is elastically bent when the fitting of the housing is completed. It may be left as it is.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a first housing showing a state where a lever is at an initial position in Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state where a second housing is fitted shallowly into the first housing. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state where both housings are properly fitted. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged side view showing a state where a flexible lock piece is in contact with a locking portion. FIG. 6 is a side view of a first housing showing a state where a lever is removed. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lever. FIG. 8 is a side view of a second housing. ]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st housing 15 ... locking part 20 ... lever 22 ... arm part 23 ... cam groove 26 ... accommodation space 27 ... flexible lock piece 30 ... second housing 31 ... cam follower

Claims (4)

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 follower on an outer surface and capable of being fitted to the first housing;
By rotating the lever in a state where the cam groove and the cam follower are engaged with each other, in a lever-type connector adapted to fit the two housings by a cam action,
The plate-shaped arm portion is provided with a storage space that opens on the inner surface side thereof and a bending lock piece that is stored in the storage space,
On the outer surface of the first housing, a locking portion capable of locking with the flexible lock piece is provided,
In the process of fitting the two housings, the rotation of the lever is restricted by the flexible lock piece abutting on the locking portion,
From this regulated state, by applying a turning force exceeding the fitting resistance between the two housings to the lever, the flexible lock piece is dissociated from the locking portion while elastically flexing, and the lever is released by inertia immediately after disengagement. A lever-type connector characterized in that the rotation of the lever-type connector progresses at a stretch to a proper fitting state. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein an elastic bending direction of the bending lock piece is a direction parallel to a plate surface of the arm portion. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing space is opened on an outer surface side of the arm portion. When the two housings are fitted, the rotation of the lever starts from an initial position that allows the cam follower to enter the cam groove,
The lever-type connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the lever is at an initial position, the bending lock piece and the locking portion are locked.

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