JP2006302705A - Lever type connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lever type connector capable of serving as a connector without a lever and also locking housings in a fitting state even without a lever. <P>SOLUTION: A cam follower 44 is put into a cam groove 24 of a lever 20. When the lever 20 is turned, both housings 10 and 40 are fitted with each other by a cam action due to engagement of the cam groove 24 with the cam follower 44. With the lever 20 in a state removed from the first housing 10, both housings 10 and 40 are pinched to be fitted. In either case of fitting the both housings 10 and 40 with the lever 20 in an attached state to the first housing 10 and fitting the both housings 10 and 40 with the lever 20 while being removed from the first housing 10, both housings 10 and 40 are locked in a fitted state by locking of a lock arm 31 to a lock protrusion 46 (a lock part). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lever-type connector.

Conventionally, there is a lever type connector described in Patent Document 1. This is because the lever is attached to the first housing so as to be displaced between the standby position and the fitting position, and the cam follower is provided on the second housing, and both the housings are held in the state where the lever is held at the standby position. By fitting the cam follower into the cam groove of the lever, and by displacing the lever from that state to the fitting position, both housings are fitted by cam action due to the engagement of the cam groove and the cam follower, The terminal fittings of both housings are connected to each other. When both housings are mated, the lever at the mating position is locked by the locking means provided on the lever and the first housing so that the lever at the mating position does not return to the standby position. Locked to state.
JP-A-8-78091

When a connector with a connection structure between the existing lever-type connector and the terminal fitting is common and does not have a fitting means by lever, a housing with a lever and a housing without a lever are dedicated respectively. If it is going to manufacture separately as a housing, two types of metallic molds will be needed for housing molding, and cost will become high.
As a means for avoiding an increase in cost, it is conceivable to divert the lever as a type without a lever by removing the lever in an existing lever-type connector. However, in the conventional lever type connector, the lever locking means and the locking means of the first housing are engaged as means for locking both housings in the fitted state, so that the lever is removed from the first housing. Both housings cannot be locked in the fitted state.
The lever connector of the present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and can be used as a connector without a lever, and the housings can be locked in a fitted state even without a lever. Objective.

  As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that the first housing and the first housing are detachable, and in a state of being attached to the first housing, a standby position and a fitting position. And a second housing having a cam follower, and the two housings are shallowly fitted while the cam follower is advanced into the cam groove of the lever at the standby position. In the lever-type connector in which the two housings are fitted by the cam action by the engagement of the cam groove and the cam follower by displacing the lever from the state to the fitting position. One of the housing and the second housing is provided with an elastically bendable lock arm, the first housing and the second housing. A lock portion is formed on the other housing, and when the two housings are fitted, the two housings are regulated to be separated by locking the lock arm and the lock portion. It has the characteristics.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the second housing is provided with a finger hook portion that is capable of addressing a finger from substantially the opposite side of the first housing. It has the characteristics.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the one according to the first or second aspect, the lever includes an operating portion that is displaced in a direction of approaching the second housing in a process in which the lever is displaced toward the fitting position. It is characterized in that is provided.

<Invention of Claim 1>
When the two housings are fitted with the lever attached to the first housing, the two housings are locked in the fitted state by the locking of the lock arm and the lock portion. Even when the two housings are fitted with the lever removed from the first housing, the two housings are locked in the fitted state by the locking of the lock arm and the lock portion. The lever connector of the present invention can be used as a connector without a lever and can lock the housings in a fitted state even without a lever.

<Invention of Claim 2>
If the finger of one hand is directed to the first housing and the finger-holding part, and the hand-holding part is brought close to the first housing so as to hold the hand, the two housings can be easily fitted even when the lever is removed. Can do.

<Invention of Claim 3>
Move the finger of one hand to the lever operating part and the finger-holding part, and move the lever while moving the operating part and the finger-holding part close to each other. It can be performed.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The lever 20 connector of the present embodiment is configured such that the first housing 10 and the second housing 40 are fitted and detached using the lever 20.
The first housing 10 is made of a synthetic resin and has a rectangular block shape as a whole. The terminal housing 11, a rectangular tubular fitting portion 12 that surrounds a substantially first half of the terminal housing 11, and a tubular shape It is comprised from the flat accommodation space 13 formed along the upper surface wall 12a of the fitting part 12. As shown in FIG. A plurality of female terminal fittings 14 are inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 11 from the rear.

  The accommodation space 13 is a space for accommodating the lever 20, and includes an upper surface wall 12 a of the cylindrical fitting portion 12, a low side wall 13 b that rises from both left and right edges, and an upper surface wall 12 a of the cylindrical fitting portion 12. And the outer wall 13a that connects the rising ends (upper ends) of the left and right side walls 13b, and the accommodation space 13 is a front surface (left surface in FIGS. 4 and 5) and a rear surface of the first housing 10. It is open to. A support shaft 15 is formed on the outer wall 13a of the housing space 13 so as to protrude downward from the lower surface (inner surface) thereof. A gap is provided between the lower end surface of the support shaft 15 and the upper surface wall 12a of the cylindrical fitting portion 12, and the outer wall 13a is elastically bent upward, whereby the lower end surface of the support shaft 15 and the cylindrical shape are formed. A space for inserting the lever 20 between the upper surface wall 12a of the fitting portion 12 is temporarily secured. The upper surface wall 12a of the cylindrical fitting portion 12 is formed with a notch-shaped communication portion 16 that is cut out in a substantially square shape from the front edge central portion to the rear, and the notch-shaped communication portion 16 allows the terminal accommodating portion 11 and the cylinder to be connected. A rectangular tube-shaped fitting space 17 and the accommodating space 13 between the cylindrical fitting portion 12 are communicated vertically. A receiving portion 18 is formed at the right corner of the rear end of the cutout communication portion 16. Further, a regulation protrusion 19 that protrudes downward from the outer wall 13 a of the accommodation space 13 is formed at a position obliquely left rearward of the support shaft 15 in the accommodation space 13.

  The lever 20 is made of a synthetic resin, has a generally flat plate shape as a whole, and includes a lever main body 21 and an operation unit 22. Note that the front, rear, left, and right directions in the description of the lever 20 are in a state where the lever 20 is in a fitting position (a position where the two housings 10 and 40 are fitted) with respect to the first housing 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 10). ) The planar shape of the lever body 21 is a shape in which the rear end region of the circle is partially cut into an arcuate shape (comb shape), and the plate thickness dimension (vertical dimension) of the lever body 21 is the vertical dimension of the accommodation space 13. The dimensions are the same or slightly smaller. A circular bearing hole 23 that can be fitted to the support shaft 15 is formed through the center of the lever body 21. A cam groove 24 is formed in front of the bearing hole 23 in the lever main body 21 so as to be inclined with respect to both the circumferential direction and the radial direction around the bearing hole 23. A flexure locking piece 25 is formed at a position to the right of the bearing hole 23 in the lever body 21 so as to extend rearward in a cantilevered manner and can be elastically displaced in the vertical direction. A long relief portion 26 extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the lever body 21 at an obliquely left rear side of the bearing hole 23 so as to penetrate vertically.

  Further, a first guide groove 27 is formed on the upper surface of the lever main body 21 so as to extend from the inner surface of the cam groove 24 toward the front vicinity of the bearing hole 23 in the state where the lever 20 is in the standby position. A first guide slope 27 a is formed at the rear end of the one guide groove 27. Similarly, a second guide groove 28 is formed on the upper surface of the lever main body 21 so as to extend from the outer peripheral edge of the lever main body 21 toward the front in the vicinity of the front of the escape portion 26 in a state where the lever 20 is in the standby position. A second guide slope 28 a is formed at the rear end of the guide groove 28.

  An operation portion 22 that is long in the left-right direction as a whole is integrally formed in a substantially left half region at the rear end portion of the lever main body 21. The vertical dimension (thickness dimension) of the operation part 22 is larger than the thickness dimension of the lever body 21, and the operation part 22 protrudes upward and downward of the lever body 21. In addition, the rear end surface of the operation unit 22 is a finger contact surface 29 on which an operator can point his / her finger from the rear or diagonally rear.

  When the lever 20 is attached to the first housing 10, the outer wall 13a of the accommodation space 13 is elastically deformed so as to expand upward, the lever 20 is set in the same direction as the standby position, and the lever body 21 is moved from the rear. The support shaft 15 is made to enter the housing space 13 to be submerged under the support shaft 15 and the restriction projection 19, the support shaft 15 is brought into contact with the front end portion of the upper surface of the first guide groove 27, and the restriction projection 19 is moved to the second guide groove. It is made to contact | abut to the upper surface front end part of 28. FIG. Thereafter, when the lever main body 21 is pushed from the rear, the lever main body 21 enters the accommodation space 13 while the lever 20 is maintained in the standby position while being guided by the guide grooves 27 and 28. In the process of entering, after the support shaft 15 slides on the upper surface of the first guide groove 27, the support shaft 15 rides on the upper surface of the lever body 21 by sliding on the first guide inclined surface 27a. After sliding on the upper surface of the groove 28, it slides on the second guide inclined surface 28 a to ride on the upper surface of the lever body 21.

  When the lever 20 reaches the normal assembly position, the support shaft 15 and the bearing hole 23 are in a corresponding positional relationship, and the support shaft 15 is lowered and fitted into the bearing hole 23 while the outer wall 13a is elastically restored. Thereby, the lever 20 is attached to the first housing 10 so as to be able to rotate in an angle range of about 45 ° around the support shaft 15 between the standby position and the fitting position. Further, at the same time when the support shaft 15 and the bearing hole 23 are fitted, the restricting projection 19 enters the escape portion 26. Thus, the assembly of the lever 20 to the first housing 10 is completed.

The lever 20 attached as described above is arranged at the standby position with respect to the first housing 10 as it is, but at this time, the bending locking piece 25 is locked to the receiving portion 18, Rotation of the lever 20 toward the fitting position is restricted, and one end of the relief portion 26 is locked to the restriction projection 19, so that turning of the lever 20 to the opposite side from the fitting position is restricted. The Thereby, the lever 20 is held in a state in which the rotation is restricted at the standby position. Further, when the locking of the bending locking piece 25 and the receiving portion 18 is released from this state, the lever 20 is allowed to rotate to the fitting position. Further, while the lever 20 rotates between the standby position and the fitting position, the restricting projection 19 moves relatively in the escape portion 26, so that the restricting projection 19 and the lever main body 21 interfere with each other. Never do.
Further, when the lever 20 is removed from the first housing 10, the outer wall 13a is elastically deformed upward while the lever 20 is held at the standby position, so that the support shaft 15 is detached from the bearing hole 23 and the restricting projection. 19 is disengaged from the escape portion 26, and in this state, the lever 20 is pulled back from the housing space 13.

  The lower surface wall 12b of the cylindrical fitting portion 12 is formed with a cutout portion 30 that is cut forward from the rear edge, and the housings 10 and 40 are locked in the fitted state in the cutout portion 30. For this purpose, a lock arm 31 is provided. The lock arm 31 has an elongated plate shape in the front-rear direction, and is disposed so as to be substantially flush with the lower surface wall 12 b of the cylindrical fitting portion 12. The lock arm 31 is supported on the lower surface of the terminal accommodating portion 11 by a pair of left and right legs 32 at a substantially central position in the front-rear direction, and is elastically tilted and displaced in a seesaw shape in the vertical direction with the legs 32 as fulcrums. To get. A lock hole 33 is formed at the front end portion of the lock arm 31, and a release portion 34 is formed at the rear end portion of the lock arm 31.

Next, the second housing 40 will be described.
The second housing 40 is made of synthetic resin, and is formed by integrally forming a block-shaped housing main body 41 and a generally rectangular tube-shaped hood portion 42 protruding forward from the housing main body 41. A plurality of male terminal fittings 43 are inserted into the housing body 41 from the rear, and a tab 43 a at the front end of the male terminal fitting 43 projects forward in the hood portion 42.

  A cam follower 44 is formed on the upper surface of the upper surface plate of the hood portion 42 at a center position in the width direction and close to the front end of the hood portion 42. The cam follower 44 is formed in a circular shape and protrudes upward with its axis line directed in the vertical direction. Similarly, a pair of left and right restriction release ribs 45 extending linearly in the front-rear direction (a direction parallel to the fitting direction with respect to the first housing 10) are formed on the left and right sides of the cam follower 44 on the upper surface of the upper plate in the hood portion 42. Yes. On the other hand, on the lower surface (outer surface) of the second housing 40 (hood portion 42), a lock protrusion 46 (a lock portion which is a constituent feature of the present invention) is formed.

  In addition, a pair of left and right finger hooks 47 that rise upward from a position near the boundary between the front end of the housing body 41 and the rear end of the hood portion 42 are formed on the upper surface of the second housing 40. The finger hooking portion 47 is disposed behind the cam follower 44 and at a position shifted in the left-right direction with respect to the cam follower 44, and includes a side edge portion inside the finger hooking portion 47, a rear end portion of the restriction release rib 45, Are connected. Each finger-hanging portion 47 is formed with a pair of left and right thinned portions 48 having a recessed rear surface side, and a reinforcing rib 49 is provided between the two thinned portions 48. On the rear surface of the finger-hanging portion 47, the operator can point the finger horizontally from behind (that is, the direction substantially opposite to the displacement direction of the operation portion 22 when the housings 10 and 40 are fitted). In addition, the finger resting surface 50 on the rear surface of the finger resting portion 47 has a shape in which the shape in plan view is recessed in a curved shape so that the addressed finger does not shift in the left-right direction.

  Next, the process of fitting the housings 10 and 40 using the lever 20 will be described. First, the lever 20 is held at the standby position, and the inlet of the cam groove 24 is opened forward. In this state, most of the lever main body 21 is accommodated in the accommodating space 13, and the operation portion 22 is inclined with respect to the fitting direction of the two housings 10 and 40 and protrudes rearward from the accommodating space 13. It will be in the state. At this time, the finger contact surface 29 is oriented obliquely with respect to the rear end surface 10R of the first housing 10 and at the same time obliquely with respect to both the fitting directions of the housings 10 and 40.

  From this state, the hood portion 42 of the second housing 40 is shallowly fitted into the fitting space 17 of the first housing 10. Then, the cam follower 44 enters the inlet of the cam groove 24, and the restriction releasing rib 45 elastically displaces the bending locking piece 25 upward and dissociates it from the receiving portion 18, whereby the rotation restriction state of the lever 20 is set. Canceled.

  Thereafter, the lever 20 is rotated to the fitting position side. At this time, the thumb 20 is applied to the finger contact surface 29 of the operating portion 22 from the diagonally rear side of the first housing 10, and the second The index finger and the middle finger are placed from the rear of the second housing 40 to the finger resting surfaces 50 of the left and right finger rests 47 of the housing 40 so that the operation part 22 and the finger rest 47 are brought close to each other. When force is applied to the finger, the lever 20 can be rotated in the fitting direction. As the rotation of the lever 20 proceeds, the operating portion 22 approaches the finger-hanging portion 47 while being displaced in a direction substantially parallel to the fitting direction of the two housings 10 and 40, and the orientation of the finger contact surface 29 is determined by the orientation of the two housings. 10 and 40 are displaced so as to approach a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction.

  As the lever 20 rotates, the second housing 40 is pulled toward the first housing 10 by a cam action (a boost action) due to the engagement between the cam groove 24 and the cam follower 44. When the lever 20 reaches the fitting position, both the housings 10 and 40 reach the normal fitting state, and the tab 43a enters the first housing 10 so that the male terminal fitting 43 and the female terminal fitting 14 are electrically connected. Connected as possible.

  In the process of turning the lever 20, the front end portion of the lock arm 31 interferes with the lock protrusion 46 and elastically bends. When the lever 20 reaches the mating position, the two housings 10 and 40 are in a proper mating state, the lock arm 31 is elastically restored, and the lock hole 33 is engaged with the lock projection 46, whereby both the housings 10 and 10 are engaged. , 40 are locked in the disengagement restricted state, and the lock of both the housings 10, 40 locks the lever 20 in a state in which the rotation (return) to the standby position side is restricted at the fitting position. Further, when the front surface of the operation portion 22 abuts against the upper surface wall 12a of the cylindrical fitting portion 12 and the rear end surface of the outer wall 13a of the accommodating space 13, excessive rotation after passing the fitting position of the lever 20 is restricted. At the same time, when the front end of the hood portion 42 abuts against the back end surface of the fitting space 17, relative displacement (approaching operation) in the fitting direction of both the housings 10 and 40 is also restricted.

  When the fitted housings 10 and 40 are removed, the release portion 34 at the rear end of the lock arm 31 is pushed up with a finger from below, thereby elastically displacing the front end of the lock arm 31 downward and the lock hole 33. Is released from the lock projection 46. Accordingly, the lock is released by the lock arm 31 and the lock projection 46, and the housings 10 and 40 are allowed to be detached, and at the same time, the lever 20 is allowed to be displaced to the standby position. Thereafter, while the unlocked state is maintained, the lever 20 is rotated to the standby position side, or both the housings 10 and 40 are picked and pulled apart, whereby the both housings 10 and 40 are detached.

  The lever type connector of the present embodiment can establish the fitted state of both housings 10 and 40 even when the lever 20 is removed from the first housing 10. In this case, the hood part 42 may be inserted into the fitting space 17 and the housings 10 and 40 may be brought close to each other as they are. At this time, the thumb is directed to the rear end surface 10R of the first housing 10, and the index finger and the middle finger are placed on the left and right finger-hanging portions 47 so that the operation portion 22 and the finger-hanging portion 47 are brought close together (hold the hand). If a force is applied to the finger, both housings 10 and 40 can be fitted.

  In a state in which both housings 10 and 40 are fitted, the lock arm 31 that has been elastically bent is elastically restored and the lock holes 33 are locked to the lock projections 46 in the same manner as described above. While being locked in the disengagement restricted state, the relative displacement (approaching operation) in the fitting direction of both housings 10 and 40 is restricted by the front end of the hood portion 42 abutting against the back end surface of the fitting space 17. Both housings 10, 40 are locked in the fitted state.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the housings 10 and 40 are fitted with the lever 20 attached to the first housing 10, the housings 10 and 40 are locked by the locking arm 31 and the locking projection 46. Even when the two housings 10 and 40 are fitted with the lever 20 being detached from the first housing 10, the two housings 10 and 40 are fitted by the locking of the lock arm 31 and the lock projection 46. Locked to the combined state. Thus, the lever-type connector of this embodiment can be used as a connector without a lever, and can lock the housings 10 and 40 in a fitted state even without a lever.

  In addition, since the second housing 40 is provided with a finger hooking portion 47 that can be touched with a finger from the substantially opposite side to the first housing 10, the finger of one hand is hooked with the first housing 10. If the finger resting portion 47 is brought close to the first housing 10 so as to reach the portion 47 and hold the hand, the housings 10 and 40 can be easily fitted even when the lever 20 is removed.

  Further, since the lever 20 is provided with an operation portion 22 that is displaced in a direction approaching the second housing 40 in the process of the lever 20 being displaced toward the fitting position side, the finger of one hand can be operated by operating the lever 20. If the lever 20 is displaced while approaching the operation unit 22 and the finger-hanging portion 47 so as to reach the portion 22 and the finger-hanging portion 47 and hold the hand, the fitting operation by the lever 20 can be performed with only one hand. Can do.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment 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, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above embodiment, the lever is rotated, but the present invention can also be applied to a lever-type connector in which the lever slides linearly.
(2) In the above embodiment, the lock arm is provided in the first housing, which is the mounting base of the lever, and the lock portion is provided in the second housing. However, according to the present invention, the lock arm is provided in the second housing. May be provided in the first housing which is the mounting base of the lever.
(3) In the above embodiment, the lock arm is disposed on the surface opposite to the side on which the lever is disposed. However, according to the present invention, the lock arm is disposed on a surface perpendicular to the surface on which the lever is disposed. It may be arranged on the same surface as the surface on which the lever is arranged.
(4) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the lever has a single plate shape has been described. However, the present invention applies to a case where the lever has a portal shape in which a pair of arm portions are extended from both ends of the operation portion. Is also applicable.
(5) In the above embodiment, the lever and the first housing are not provided with the lever locking means for locking the lever in the fitting position. However, according to the present invention, such a lever locking means is provided. Also good.
(6) In the above embodiment, the lock arm is tilted and displaced in a seesaw shape. However, according to the present invention, the lock arm may be tilted and displaced with one end thereof as a fulcrum.
(7) In the above embodiment, the lever is accommodated inside the housing. However, according to the present invention, the lever may be exposed on the outer surface of the housing.

The front view of the 1st housing of Embodiment 1 Rear view of the first housing Top view of the first housing XX sectional view of FIG. YY sectional view of FIG. Plan view of second housing Bottom view of second housing ZZ sectional view of FIG. A longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the first housing and the second housing are fitted using a lever Horizontal sectional view showing a state in which the first housing and the second housing are fitted using a lever A longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the first housing and the second housing are fitted without using a lever.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st housing 20 ... Lever 22 ... Operation part 24 ... Cam groove 31 ... Lock arm 40 ... 2nd housing 44 ... Cam follower 46 ... Lock protrusion (lock part)
47 ... Fingering part

Claims (3)

A first housing;
A lever that is detachable with respect to the first housing, and that can be displaced between a standby position and a fitting position when attached to the first housing;
A second housing having a cam follower,
By engaging the cam groove and the cam follower by displacing the lever to the fitting position from a state where both the housings are shallowly fitted while the cam follower is inserted into the cam groove of the lever at the standby position. In the lever type connector in which both the housings are fitted by cam action,
One of the first housing and the second housing is provided with an elastically bendable lock arm,
A lock portion is formed on the other housing of the first housing and the second housing,
A lever-type connector characterized in that in a state in which the two housings are fitted, the two housings are regulated to be detached by the locking of the lock arm and the lock portion. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the second housing is provided with a finger hook portion that is capable of receiving a finger from a substantially opposite side to the first housing. The lever-type connector according to claim 2, wherein the lever is provided with an operation portion that is displaced in a direction of approaching the second housing in a process in which the lever is displaced toward the fitting position.

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