JP2006127960A - Connector device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector device, of which fitting of connectors is recognized by an operator, even if the connectors are fitted to each other by operating a locking device. <P>SOLUTION: A female housing 3 of a female connector 2 and a male housing 5 of a male connector 4 are each provided with a lock lever 35 and a lock protrusion 55 getting engaged with each other to go into a locked state. The female housing 3 has a pair of bent pieces 38, provided separately from the lock lever 35, which are pressed and moved at insertion-coupling of the connectors 2, 4 by a pressing part 56 formed at the male housing 5, and, after going astride the pressing part 56, gets in touch with a collision part 57 fitted at the male housing 5 to generate noise and notify of completion of the insertion-coupling of the connectors 2, 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector device including a pair of connectors for engaging terminal fittings by fitting each other.

As a prior art, a connector having a housing with a terminal fitting inside, and the housing has a lock lever, and when the mating connector is fitted to the mating connector, the locking lever is bent to lock the locking portion of the mating connector. There is a connector provided with a lock device that engages with the lock portion by moving over and then returns to its shape to lock it, and prevents both from coming off (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This connector overswings when the lock lever returns to its shape and makes a noise when part of the connector abuts against the housing of the mating connector, and both connectors are fully mated to the mating operator. To let you know. However, in the connector of this configuration, when the operator engages the connector while operating the lock lever, it is difficult to know whether the connector has been completely fitted without generating a sound to notify that the connector has been completely fitted. was there.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-50269 (FIGS. 6-8)

  The present invention has been completed based on the circumstances as described above, and provides a connector device that allows an operator to know that connectors are fitted even when a lock device is operated and fitted. Objective.

  As means for achieving the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 includes a pair of connectors for accommodating the terminal fittings therein and engaging the terminal fittings by fitting each other, Any one of the connectors is bent over the lock portion of the mating connector while being bent, and then when the fitting of the pair of connectors is completed, the shape is restored and engaged with the lock portion. In the connector device provided with the lock lever for preventing the disconnection, the pair of connectors have a fitting sound generating mechanism for generating a sound when the fitting is completed. The connector device is provided separately from the lock portion.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the fitting sound generating mechanism is formed in the housing of the connector on one side, and is formed in a bending piece that is bent in the fitting direction of the pair of connectors, and in the housing of the connector on the other side. And a pressing portion that abuts on the bending piece when the pair of connectors are fitted to bend the bending piece, and the bending piece that is formed on one of the housings of the pair of connectors and returns to its shape after bending. 2. The connector device according to claim 1, further comprising a collision portion that generates a sound by abutting with.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the connector device according to claim 2, wherein the collision portion is formed behind the pressing portion in the housing of the connector on the other side.

<Invention of Claim 1>
The pair of connectors is provided with a fitting sound generation mechanism that generates a sound when the pair of connectors are completely engaged, separately from the lock lever and the lock portion, so that the lock device can be operated. Even if the connectors are fitted together, a sound can be generated notifying that the connectors are fitted together, and the operator knows that the connectors are fitted together.

<Invention of Claim 2>
The fitting sound generating mechanism is formed in the housing of the connector on one side and is bent in the fitting direction of the pair of connectors, and the bending piece is formed in the housing of the connector on the other side. A pressing part that abuts the bending piece and deflects the bending piece, and a collision part that is formed in any one of the housings of the pair of connectors and comes into contact with the bending piece whose shape has been restored after being bent. Thus, it is possible to generate a sound when the connector is fitted with a simple configuration.

<Invention of Claim 3>
The collision part is formed behind the pressing part in the housing of the connector on the other side, so that when the fitted housings are separated from each other, the collision part is separated from the bending piece, so that the bending piece does not interfere with the collision part. It is possible to bend in the opposite direction to that when mating, and there is no problem in releasing the mating of the connector.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the description, the upper side in FIG. 1 is the front side of the female connector 2, and the lower side is the front side of the male connector 4. The female connector 2 constituting the connector device 1 corresponds to a connector on one side of the present invention, and includes a female housing 3 having a terminal fitting (not shown) inside. The female housing 3 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material, has a terminal accommodating portion 31 to which a terminal fitting is attached at the rear, and a hood portion 32 for receiving a male connector 4 described later at the front thereof. Yes. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of guide grooves 32 a that engage with protrusions 54 of the male housing 5 described later are formed on the side of the inner peripheral surface of the hood portion 32. The terminal accommodating portion 31 is formed with a pair of terminal insertion holes 33 into which terminal fittings (not shown) of the male connector 4 are inserted when the male and female connectors 2 and 4 are fitted. In a female cavity (not shown) of the terminal accommodating portion 31, a lance 34 that can be bent protrudes from below to prevent the terminal fitting from coming off.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a bendable lock lever 35 that engages with a lock protrusion 55 of the male housing 5 described later is formed on the upper surface of the female housing 3. The lock lever 35 may be cantilevered or may be both-sided. On the rear side of the lock lever 35, an operation portion 35a that is operated to release the engagement with the lock protrusion 55 is integrally provided. Also, a lock cover 36 is formed above the operation unit 35a so as to cover the operation unit 35a to prevent the lock lever 35 from being accidentally released by the operation unit 35a coming into contact with another member. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a downward projecting portion 37 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the hood portion 32, and a pair of flexure pieces 38 are provided on the inside thereof. The pair of flexure pieces 38 project in the lateral direction so as to face each other from the standing wall portion 37 a of the projecting portion 37. Each of the bending pieces 38 can be bent in the front-rear direction (the vertical direction from the state of FIG. 1), which is the fitting direction of the female connector 2, with the attachment position to the standing wall portion 37a as a base point. A contact point 38 a that protrudes forward is formed in the vicinity of the tip of each bending piece 38.

  On the other hand, the male connector 4 corresponds to the connector on the other side of the present invention, and includes a male housing 5 having a terminal fitting (not shown) inside. The male housing 5 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material like the female housing 3, and a terminal accommodating portion 51 for accommodating a terminal fitting is provided behind the male housing 5. The terminal accommodating part 51 is formed with a pair of terminal holes 52 through which the attached terminal fitting protrudes forward (shown in FIG. 3). In a male cavity (not shown), a lance 53 for preventing the terminal fittings from coming off is provided so as to be bent. On the outer peripheral surface of the side portion of the male housing 5, a protrusion 54 that engages with the guide groove 32a of the female housing 3 extends in the front-rear direction. Further, a lock protrusion 55 (corresponding to the lock portion of the present invention) that engages with the lock lever 35 when the male and female connectors 2 and 4 are fitted protrudes on the lower surface of the male housing 5 in FIG.

  A pair of pressing portions 56 are erected on the upper surface of the male housing 5 in FIG. 3 so as to face the front end surface thereof. The pair of pressing portions 56 are juxtaposed at a central portion in the width direction of the male housing 5 so as to have a predetermined interval, and an outwardly inclined surface 56a is formed on each rear surface (shown in FIG. 1). A pair of collision portions 57 are also formed behind the pressing portion 56 of the male housing 5 by a predetermined distance. The pair of collision parts 57 are provided in a wall shape so as to extend upward in FIG. 3 from the outer peripheral surface of the male housing 5, and are juxtaposed with each other at a predetermined interval. The bending piece 38 formed on the female housing 3, the pressing portion 56 and the collision portion 57 provided on the male housing 5 constitute a fitting sound generating mechanism different from the lock lever 35 and the lock projection 55. .

  Next, a method for fitting the connector device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. When the male and female connectors 2 and 4 each having a built-in terminal fitting are opposed to each other (shown in FIG. 1) and the male connector 4 is inserted into the hood portion 32 of the female housing 3, the terminal fitting of the male connector 4 becomes the female housing. 3 enters the terminal insertion hole 33 and engages with the terminal fitting of the female connector 2. At the same time, the pressing portions 56 formed at the front end of the male housing 5 abut against the front portions of the pair of flexure pieces 38 of the female housing 3 (shown in FIG. 4). When the male and female connectors 2 and 4 are further fitted, the pressing portions 56 respectively press the bending pieces 38 to be bent rearward of the female housing 3 (shown in FIG. 5).

  When the fitting of the male and female connectors 2, 4 progresses, and eventually the bending piece 38 gets over the pressing portion 56 in the horizontal direction and is disengaged from the pressing portion 56, the respective bending piece 38 is attached to the female housing 3. The shape bends forward and returns to its shape, and its contact point 38a contacts the front surface of the collision portion 57 (shown in FIG. 6). At this time, since the shape of the bending piece 38 is restored with a considerable momentum, a sound is generated between the contact point 38a and the collision portion 57 to notify that the fitting of the male and female connectors 2 and 4 is completed. Each contact point 38a indicates that even if the bending piece 38 is tilted and contacted with the collision portion 57, the contact state of both is stabilized, thereby completing the fitting of the male and female connectors 2 and 4. The sound to inform can be generated reliably. On the other hand, the lock lever 35 of the female connector 2 is bent as the fitting of the male and female connectors 2 and 4 progresses, and after the lock projections 55 of the male connector 4 are climbed upward, the fitting of the connectors 2 and 4 is completed. In this state, the shape is restored and engaged with the lock projection 55. As a result, the male and female connectors 2 and 4 are locked, and can be prevented from coming off.

  When the fitting of the connectors 2 and 4 is released, first, the housings 3 and 5 are pulled apart from each other while releasing the operation portion 35a to release the engagement between the lock lever 35 and the lock projection 55. As shown in FIG. 7, when both the housings 3 and 5 are further separated, the rear surface of the flexible piece 38 of the female housing 3 comes into contact with the inclined surface 56 a of the pressing portion 56, and then the female portion is pressed by the pressing portion 56. 3 is bent forward (shown in FIG. 8). Eventually, the engagement with the pressing portion 56 is released, the flexure piece 38 returns to its shape, and the fitting of the male and female connectors 2 and 4 is released. The inclined surface 56a formed on the rear surface of the pressing portion 56 is provided on the rear surface of the pressing portion 56 in order to prevent the plastic deformation and protect the bending piece 38 when the fitting of the connectors 2 and 4 is released. The amount of bending of the bending piece 38 that is in contact with is reduced.

  According to the present embodiment, the bending piece 38 of the female housing 3 and the collision portion 57 of the male housing 5 come into contact with each other, thereby generating a sound other than the lock lever 35 when the connectors 2 and 4 are fitted with a simple configuration. Even if the lock lever 35 is operated and fitted, a sound can be generated to notify that the connectors 2 and 4 are fitted together. I understand. Further, since the collision part 57 is formed behind the pressing part 56 in the male housing 5, when the fitted housings 3 and 5 are pulled apart from each other, the collision part 57 is separated from the bending piece 38. Without interfering with the collision part 57, it can bend in the direction opposite to that at the time of fitting, and there is no problem in releasing the fitting of the connectors 2 and 4. Further, the engagement between the bending piece 38 and the pressing portion 56 can give a feeling of moderation to the fitting work of the connectors 2 and 4, and can prevent the incomplete fitting of the connectors 2 and 4.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
(1) You may form both a bending piece and a collision part in the same housing.
(2) You may form a bending piece, a press part, and a collision part one each.
(3) A plurality of fitting sound generating mechanisms may be formed in order to generate a loud sound at the time of fitting.
(4) The bending piece, the pressing portion, and the collision portion may be formed on either male or female connector.

It is an external view of the male connector by this embodiment, and AA sectional drawing of FIG. 2 of a female connector. It is a top view of the female connector shown in FIG. It is a bottom view of the male connector shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the place which the male and female connectors shown in FIG. 1 were fitted, and the bending piece contacted the press part. It is a figure which shows the place where fitting of the male and female connectors progressed and the bending piece was bent by the press part. It is a figure which shows the place where fitting of the male and female connectors was completed and the bending piece contacted the collision part. It is a figure which shows the place which the male and female connectors in the fitting state were pulled apart, and the bending piece contact | abutted to the rear surface of the press part. It is a figure which shows the place where fitting cancellation | release of the male and female connectors progressed and the bending piece was bent ahead by the press part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Connector apparatus 2 ... Female connector 3 ... Female housing 4 ... Male connector 5 ... Male housing 35 ... Lock lever 38 ... Deflection piece 55 ... Locking protrusion 56 ... Pressing part 57 ... Colliding part

Claims (3)

Each terminal fitting is accommodated inside and provided with a pair of connectors that engage with each other by being fitted to each other, and the housing of either of the pair of connectors is bent while locking the mating connector In a connector device provided with a lock lever that gets over the part and then engages with the lock part to prevent it from coming off when the paired connectors are completely fitted.
The connector device, wherein the pair of connectors is provided with a fitting sound generating mechanism that generates a sound when the fitting is completed, separately from the lock lever and the lock portion. The fitting sound generating mechanism is formed in a housing of the connector on one side, is formed in a bending piece that is bent in a fitting direction of the pair of connectors, and is formed in a housing of the connector on the other side. The contact portion is brought into contact with the flexure piece when fitted, and the flexure piece is deformed and brought into contact with the flexure piece that is formed in one of the pair of connectors and is restored after being bent. The connector device according to claim 1, further comprising a collision portion that generates The connector device according to claim 2, wherein the collision portion is formed behind the pressing portion in the housing of the connector on the other side.

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