JP2008226590A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a lock-arm from becoming bent elastically carelessly in the lock-release direction. <P>SOLUTION: In a female connector housing 10, an elastically bendable lock-arm 11 is formed, while a lock-receiving part 35 is formed in a male connector housing 30. In the lock-arm 11, an operation part 41 for releasing is formed. Then, to the female connector housing 10, a shutter member 60 is attached which is arranged movably between an exposure position, where the operation part 41 is exposed and a covered position where the operation part 41 is covered, and is allowed to move from the exposure position to the covered position, only when both the connector housings 10, 30 are fitted normally. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

Patent Document 1 discloses a connector provided with fitting detection means. Here, a detection member is mounted on the female connector housing so as to be movable between a standby position and a detection position. The detection member is disposed so as to be able to enter a bending space of a lock arm provided in the female connector housing. When the female connector housing is half-fitted with the male connector housing, the detection member is moved to the detection position by interference with the lock arm. In a state where the female connector housing is normally fitted with the male connector housing, the lock arm is allowed to move back to the detection position and enter the lock arm bending space, thereby restricting the elastic deformation of the lock arm. To do. Therefore, the fitting state of both connector housings can be detected by whether or not the detection member can be moved to the detection position.
JP 2004-63090 A

  In the above case, since the displacement amount of the detection member from the standby position to the detection position is not so large, there is a possibility that even if the detection member forgets to move the detection member to the detection position, it is not noticed. And if the operation part of the lock arm is accidentally pressed while the detection member is held at the standby position in this way, the lock arm is elastically bent in the unlocking direction and both connector housings are inadvertently detached. There was also a risk of being done.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent the lock arm from inadvertently elastically bending in the unlocking direction.

  As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that, among a pair of connector housings that can be fitted to each other, one connector housing is formed with an elastically deflectable lock arm, and the other connector housing. Is formed with a lock receiving portion, and when the two connector housings are properly fitted, the lock arm elastically locks the lock receiving portion to restrict the detachment of the two connector housings. On the other hand, by pressing the operation part of the lock arm, the lock arm is released from the locked state with the lock receiving part, and the connector housing can be detached, and the one connector housing Is movable between an exposure position for exposing the operating portion and a covering position for covering the operating portion. Kuta housing has a feature where the shutter member movement is allowed to the covering position from the exposed position only when being fitted normal is configured to be mounted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the elastic deformation of the lock arm in a direction to disengage from the lock receiving portion is restricted by the shutter member that has reached the covering position. Have
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the shutter member moves in the same direction as the fitting direction of the other connector housing from the exposed position to the covering position. Has characteristics.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the shutter member is held on the one connector housing without being interlocked with the movement of the lock arm. The portion of the shutter member that covers the operation portion is characterized in that it is disposed at a position overlapping with the elastically bent lock arm in the bending direction.

<Invention of Claim 1>
When the shutter member is moved from the exposed position to the covering position with both the connector housings being properly fitted, the operating portion of the lock arm is covered with the shutter member. It can be clearly seen whether or not the coating position has been reached. If the shutter member has reached the covering position, the operation unit is protected by the shutter member and is not pressed. Therefore, the lock arm is elastically bent in the unlocking direction in which the lock arm is inadvertently disengaged from the lock receiving unit. It is not.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the elastic deformation in the unlocking direction is restricted by the shutter member having reached the cover position, both the connector housings are substantially double-locked, and both the connector housings are inadvertently detached. Can be surely prevented.
<Invention of Claim 3>
If both the connector housings are in a semi-fitted state, if the shutter member is moved from the exposed position to the covering position, the moving direction and the fitting direction of the other connector housing are set in the same direction. As the shutter member moves, one connector housing moves away from the other connector housing. Therefore, it can be clearly detected that both connector housings are in the half-fitted state.

<Invention of Claim 4>
The shutter member is held without being interlocked with the movement of the lock arm, and the portion of the shutter member that covers the operation portion is arranged at a position overlapping with the elastically bent lock arm in the bending direction. It is possible to avoid an increase in size in the bending direction.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector according to this embodiment includes a pair of male and female connector housings 10 and 30 that can be fitted to each other, and a shutter member 60 that can move between an exposed position and a covered position. In the following description, in the front-rear direction, the fitting surface side of both connector housings 10 and 30 is the front.

  The male connector housing 30 (corresponding to “the other connector housing” in the present invention) is made of synthetic resin, and, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, a flat base wall 31 standing upright and a base wall And a cylindrical hood portion 32 that protrudes forward from the front surface of 31. A male terminal fitting 33 is inserted through the base wall 31, and a tab 34 of the male terminal fitting 33 projects from the hood portion 32. A lock receiving portion 35 that can be elastically locked to the lock arm 11 is formed on the outer surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 32 at a substantially central portion in the width direction. The front surface of the lock receiving portion 35 is an inclined surface that is upwardly inclined toward the rear, and the rear surface of the lock receiving portion 35 is a vertical surface that is substantially vertical. In addition, a pair of left and right release portions 36 that can release the locked state of the shutter member 60 project on both sides of the lock receiving portion 35 and forward of the lock receiving portion 35 on the outer surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 32. Is formed. The front surface of the release portion 36 is a vertical surface that is cut substantially vertically, and the rear surface of the release portion 36 is a slope that slopes downward toward the rear.

  The female connector housing 10 (corresponding to “one connector housing” in the present invention) is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 11, a substantially block-shaped terminal accommodating portion 12 and a fitting cylinder portion surrounding the periphery thereof. 13 and a connecting portion 14 that is located at the rear end portion and is connected to the outer surface of the terminal accommodating portion 12 and the inner surface of the fitting cylindrical portion 13, and the hood portion 32 between the terminal accommodating portion 12 and the fitting cylindrical portion 13. Can enter. The terminal housing portion 12 is formed with two upper and lower cavities 15 corresponding to the male terminal fittings 33 on the other side, and when the connector housings 10 and 30 are not fitted above the upper cavity 15. An accommodating portion 17 for a short-circuit terminal (not shown) for short-circuiting the pair of terminal fittings 16 is formed. A terminal fitting 16 connected to the end of the electric wire 18 from behind can be inserted into the cavity 15. A release piece 37 for releasing the short-circuited state of the two terminal fittings 16 due to the short-circuit terminal is disposed in the mating hood portion 32 so as to protrude.

A bulging portion 19 having a substantially gate-shaped cross section is formed along the front-rear direction at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the upper wall of the fitting cylinder portion 13. A space 20 between the inner surface of the bulging portion 19 and the outer surface of the fitting cylinder portion 13 is an assembly space 20 for the shutter member 60. A guide plate 21 that moves and guides the shutter member 60 is formed on the inner wall side surface of the bulging portion 19 so as to extend in the front-rear direction.
The bulging portion 19 is formed with an operation window 22 that allows the shutter member 60 and the lock arm 11 to operate by cutting away the rear end side. The fitting cylinder portion 13 is cut off at the front side while leaving a portion facing the operation window 22, and the shutter member 60 is moved rearward (coating position side described later) on both sides in the width direction of the cutout portion 23. A pair of left and right receiving portions 24 that hold the head in a restricted state are formed to protrude forward. A guide portion 25 having a sliding surface 25 </ b> A that is in sliding contact with the shutter member 60 is formed in the fitting cylinder portion 13 continuously behind the receiving portion 24, and is behind the rear end of the guide portion 25. A stopper portion 26 is formed so as to project at a distance from the shutter member 60 so as to restrict the rearward movement of the shutter member 60.

  Further, the lock arm 11 is disposed between the inner surface of the bulging portion 19 and the outer surface of the fitting cylinder portion 13 (assembly space 20) so as to be elastically deformable. The lock arm 11 includes an arm portion 28 that is elongated in the front-rear direction, and a support portion that is continuous between the lower surface of the arm portion 28 and the upper surface of the fitting tube portion 13 (specifically, the substantially central portion in the width direction of the notch portion 23). 49, and the arm portion 28 is swingable and displaceable in a seesaw shape (elastically displaceable) around the support portion 49. A claw-like lock projection 29 is projected downward on the front end portion of the arm portion 28, and the lock projection 29 can be locked to the rear surface of the lock receiving portion 35.

  In addition, an operation portion 41 that is widened in the width direction is formed at the rear end portion of the arm portion 28, and the front end side of the arm portion 28 can be lifted and disengaged from the lock receiving portion 35 by pressing this downward. It has become. The operation portion 41 includes a portion that protrudes thinly only on the upper end side of the arm portion 28, and its vertical movement is restricted by being held by the shutter member 60 in the thickness direction. And between the bulging part 19 and the fitting cylinder part 13, the left-right paired support | pillar part 42 which connects both 13 and 19 in an up-down direction (height direction) is formed, and it reaches the exposure position mentioned later. In addition, the shutter member 60 is stopped against the both column portions 42.

  The shutter member 60 is made of a synthetic resin and has a generally plate shape. The shutter member 60 is inserted into the assembly space 20 of the female connector housing 10 from the rear to expose the operation portion 41 while allowing the lock arm 11 to bend. It is possible to move between the exposure position and a covering position that covers the operation portion 41 while restricting the bending operation of the lock arm 11 behind the exposure position. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the shutter member 60 covers a cover portion 61 that is substantially horizontally formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and a substantially central portion in the width direction of the lower surface of the cover portion 61. A pair of left and right leg portions 62 extending over the entire length of the portion 61, and a pair of left and right projecting portions 63 projecting on both sides in the width direction slightly forward from the center in the front-rear direction of the outer surface of the lower end of the leg portion 62. It is symmetrical with respect to the center. The shutter member 60 can move independently along the guide plate 21 without being interlocked with the operation of the lock arm 11.

The cover portion 61 can be displaced along the guide plate 21 between the upper surface of the arm portion 28 of the lock arm 11 and the upper wall lower surface of the bulging portion 19, and exposes the operation portion 41 of the lock arm 11 at the exposed position. On the other hand, at the covering position, the operating portion 41 of the lock arm 11 is covered in a concealed state. And the cover part 61 is comprised by the magnitude | size which can cover the substantially whole operation window 22 in the covering position.
Moreover, the cover part 61 is distribute | arranged to the position which overlaps with the arm part 28 elastically bent in the exposure position in the up-down direction used as the bending direction. Further, a rib-like knob 64 is formed on the upper surface of the rear end of the cover 61 over the entire width, and the knob 64 has a finger insertion space 65 between the front end of the operation window 22 at the exposed position. On the other hand, in the covering position, the knob 64 is arranged at a position corresponding to the rear end of the operation unit 41.

  Both leg portions 62 have a horizontally long plate shape arranged in parallel with each other in the width direction, and a restriction piece 66 for restricting the bending operation of the lock arm 11 is formed to protrude inward on the inner surface of the lower end. A space defined by the inner surfaces of both regulating pieces 66, the inner surfaces of both leg portions 62, and the lower surface of the cover portion 61 is an entry space 67 into which the operation portion 41 of the lock arm 11 enters when the shutter member 60 reaches the covering position. It is said. When the lower surface of the operation portion 41 that has entered the entry space 67 contacts the inner surface of the restricting piece 66, the elastic deflection of the lock arm 11 in the downward direction (the unlocking direction that is disengaged from the lock receiving portion 35) is restricted.

  Further, the protrusions 63 are rod-shaped, specifically a square bar, and a pair of left and right engaging projections 68 that hold the shutter member 60 in the exposed position by contacting the receiving portion 24 at the tip thereof are downward. Is formed to protrude. The engaging protrusion 68 is substantially in the shape of a square block, and of these, one corner of the front end that comes into contact with the receiving portion 24 is chamfered to form an inclined surface 68A that is inclined downward. When the rear surface of the engaging protrusion 68 and the front surface of the receiving portion 24 are in contact with each other, the movement of the shutter member 60 to the covering position is restricted, and the engaging protrusion 68 rides on the releasing portion 36 along the inclined surface 68A. As a result, the contact state with the receiving portion 24 is dissociated, and the movement of the shutter member 60 to the covering position is allowed.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
First, the shutter member 60 is inserted into the assembly space 20 of the female connector housing 10 from behind, and the shutter member 60 is held at the exposed position. At the exposure position, the engagement protrusion 68 of the shutter member 60 abuts on the receiving portion 24 to restrict the backward displacement of the shutter member 60, and the front end of the shutter member 60 abuts both the column portions 42 to release the shutter. The forward displacement of the member 60 is restricted. Further, at the exposed position, as shown in FIG. 9, the operation portion 41 of the lock arm 11 is exposed through the operation window 22 and can be visually recognized. Covered. Note that the terminal fitting 16 connected to the end of the electric wire 18 is inserted into the cavity 15 before and after the assembly of the shutter member 60.

  When all the terminal fittings 16 are inserted into the cavity 15, the female connector housing 10 is opposed to the male connector housing 30 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. In this state, the connector housings 10 and 30 are fitted together while the hood portion 32 is inserted between the terminal accommodating portion 12 and the fitting cylinder portion 13. In the process of fitting, as shown in FIG. 2, the release part 36 enters the front space of the notch part 23 of the fitting cylinder part 13 and comes into contact with the engagement protrusion 68 of the shutter member 60. The top portion is in sliding contact with the inclined surface 68A. Then, the engaging protrusion 68 is displaced upward and is separated from the receiving portion 24, and the holding state at the exposed position of the shutter member 60 is released. In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 6, the arm portion 28 of the lock arm 11 takes a tilted posture that rises forward due to the interference between the lock protrusion 29 and the lock receiving portion 35. At this time, a tilt space 71 of the arm portion 28 is secured below the cover portion 61 of the shutter member 60, and the cover portion 61 and the arm portion 28 do not interfere with each other.

Thus, when both the connector housings 10 and 30 are properly fitted, as shown in FIG. 7, the arm portion 28 moves backward to return to the original natural state, and accordingly, the lock projection 29 is formed on the rear surface of the lock receiving portion 35. The two connector housings 10 and 30 are locked in a detachment restricted state by being elastically locked. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the cover portion 61 of the shutter member 60 is in pressure contact with the inner surface of the fitting cylinder portion 13, and the lower surface of the engagement protrusion 68 of the shutter member 60 is the release portion. It is located at substantially the same height as the sliding surface 25A of the guide portion 25 while contacting the upper end surface of 36.
Thereafter, the shutter member 60 is moved backward (in the same direction as the detaching direction of the female connector housing 10 and in the same direction as the fitting direction of the male connector housing 30) while picking the knob 64. Then, after the shutter member 60 retreats while being slidably guided by the guide plate 21 and the guide portion 25, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. It fits in the clearance gap between 25 and the stopper part 26, and it will be in the state by which the back-and-forth movement was controlled by the rear end of the guide part 25 and the front end of the stopper part 26. Further, at the covering position, as shown in FIG. 10, the operation portion 41 of the lock arm 11 is completely covered with the cover portion 61, and the pressing operation on the operation portion 41 is restricted. Further, at the covering position, the operation portion 41 enters the entry space 67 and the downward displacement (unlock direction) is restricted by the restriction piece 66.

  On the other hand, when the connector housings 10 and 30 are not yet in the normal fitting position and are in the half-fitted state, the bending operation of the lock arm 11 is not canceled and the rear end portion of the arm portion 28 takes an inclined posture. Will remain. Then, even if the shutter member 60 is to be moved to the covering position side in this state, the restricting piece 66 abuts against the rear end portion of the arm portion 28 and the backward movement operation of the shutter member 60 with respect to the female connector housing 10 is restricted. Further, as the shutter member 60 is pushed into the covering position, a backward pressing force acts on the female connector housing 10, and the female connector housing 10 is separated from the male connector housing 30. When both the connector housings 10 and 30 are separated from each other in this manner, the two connector housings 10 and 30 are deeply fitted again to reach the normal fitting position.

  Further, when the connector housings 10 and 30 are detached for maintenance or the like, contrary to the above, the shutter member 60 is returned to the exposed position side, and the operation portion 41 is removed from the entry space 67. From the state in which the bending operation is enabled, the operation portion 41 is pressed downward to bend the lock arm 11 in the unlocking direction away from the lock receiving portion 35, and then both the connector housings 10 and 30 are separated from each other. .

Thus, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
When the shutter member 60 is moved from the exposed position to the covering position with both the connector housings 10 and 30 being properly fitted, the operating portion 41 of the lock arm 11 is covered with the shutter member 60. By visually recognizing the state, it can be clearly seen whether or not the shutter member 60 has reached the covering position. If the shutter member 60 has reached the covering position, the operation unit 41 is protected by the shutter member 60 and is not pressed. Therefore, the unlocking direction in which the lock arm 11 is inadvertently disengaged from the lock receiving unit 35. There is no risk of elastic deformation. On the other hand, when the unlocking operation of the lock arm 11 is performed by a regular procedure, the shutter member 60 is returned to the exposure position to expose the operation unit 41, and the operation unit 41 is pressed from this state.

In addition, since the elastic deformation of the lock arm 11 in the unlocking direction is restricted by the restriction piece 66 of the shutter member 60 at the covering position, both the connector housings 10 and 30 are substantially double-locked. It is possible to reliably prevent the connector housings 10 and 30 from being inadvertently detached.
Further, if the shutter member 60 is moved from the exposed position to the covering position when both the connector housings 10 and 30 are in the half-fitted state, the female connector housing 10 is moved to the male connector as the shutter member 60 moves. Since it is separated from the housing 30, it can be clearly detected that the connector housings 10 and 30 are in the half-fitted state.

  Further, the shutter member 60 is held with respect to the female connector housing 10 without being interlocked with the movement of the lock arm 11, and the cover portion 61 of the shutter member 60 is positioned so as to overlap the elastically bent lock arm 11 in the bending direction. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the connector in the vertical direction (height direction) that is the bending direction of the lock arm 11.

<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.
(1) When the shutter member is in the covering position, the operation unit may have a portion (exposed portion) that is not covered by the cover portion within a range in which the release operation to the operation unit can be restricted. Absent.
(2) The shutter member may not include a means (regulating piece) that regulates the bending operation of the lock arm.
(3) The shutter member may be assembled to the lock arm and interlocked with the movement of the lock arm.
(4) The shutter member may be assembled on the male connector housing side.
(5) The shutter member may be configured to be integrated with a female connector housing (male connector housing) via a hinge.

Sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the location corresponding to an engaging protrusion which shows the state before fitting of both connector housings in Embodiment 1. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the state which fitting of both connector housings advanced and the engagement protrusion contact | abutted with the cancellation | release part Sectional view cut at a position corresponding to the engaging protrusion, showing a state in which both connector housings are properly fitted Sectional drawing cut at a position corresponding to the engaging protrusion, showing the state where the shutter member has reached the covering position Sectional view cut at the location corresponding to the lock arm, showing the state before both connector housings are mated Sectional drawing which shows the state which fitting of both connector housings advanced and the lock arm contact | abutted the lock receiving part, and was elastically bent Sectional view cut at a position corresponding to the lock arm, showing the state where both connector housings are properly fitted Sectional view cut at a position corresponding to the lock arm, showing the shutter member reaching the covering position The top view which shows the state which left the shutter member in the exposure position before fitting of both connector housings Both connectors are plan views showing a state in which the shutter member is moved to the covering position after the wings are fitted. Front view of female connector housing with shutter member assembled Top view of shutter member Front view of shutter member

Explanation of symbols

10: Female connector housing (one connector housing)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Lock arm 12 ... Terminal accommodating part 22 ... Operation window 28 ... Arm part 29 ... Lock protrusion 30 ... Male connector housing (other connector housing)
35 ... Lock receiving part 36 ... Release part 41 ... Operation part 60 ... Shutter member 61 ... Cover part

Claims (4)

Of the pair of connector housings that can be fitted to each other, one connector housing is formed with an elastically bendable lock arm, and the other connector housing is formed with a lock receiving portion. The lock arm elastically locks the lock receiving portion to restrict the detachment of the two connector housings, while pressing the operation portion of the lock arm causes the lock arm to A connector in which the locking state with the lock receiving part is released and the two connector housings can be detached,
The one connector housing is movable between an exposed position for exposing the operation portion and a covering position for covering the operation portion, and the exposure is performed only when both the connector housings are properly fitted. A connector having a shutter member that is allowed to move from a position to the covering position. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein elastic deformation of the lock arm in a direction of disengagement from the lock receiving portion is restricted by the shutter member that has reached the covering position. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the shutter member moves in the same direction as a fitting direction of the other connector housing from the exposed position to the covering position. The shutter member is held with respect to the one connector housing without being interlocked with the movement of the lock arm, and the portion of the shutter member that covers the operation portion is the elastically bent lock arm and its The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connector is arranged at a position overlapping in a bending direction.

Images