JP2013016389A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce height and manufacturing costs of a connector in constructing an electrical fitting detection mechanism to a connector.SOLUTION: A detection terminal 40 electrically detecting normal fitting of both of a male housing 10 and a female housing 20 by contacting a terminal 16 for a contact provided to enter the male housing 10 toward the female housing 20 to close a detection circuit is provided in a displacement space 35 of a lock arm 30 provided on the female housing 20, so that it can be elastically displaced in a direction crossing with an elastic deformation direction of the lock arm 30. An actuation part 50 engaged with a detection terminal 40 in association with the elastic deformation of the lock arm 30 to elastically displace the detection terminal 40 in a direction away from an entry path L of the terminal 16 for the contact, and disengaged from the detection terminal 40 to allow the detection terminal 40 to be restored and displaced to the entry path L of the terminal 16 for the contact when the lock arm 30 is restored and displaced is provided on the lock arm 30.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector having an electrical fitting detection function.

  Conventionally, a connector described in Patent Document 1 below is known as this type of connector. In this structure, a lock arm that locks both the housings in a fitted state is provided on one of the paired housings so as to be elastically swingable, and a board fixed to the housing is provided on the lower surface side of the lock arm. The elastic detection piece is folded forward from the rear edge, and has a structure in which a detection terminal capable of contacting a contact terminal projecting from a mating housing is mounted. The two housings are fitted while elastically displacing the lock arm, and during this time, the elastic detection piece of the detection terminal is pressed by the lower surface of the elastically displaced lock arm and elastically bent downward, thereby When the terminal enters but avoids contact, when both housings are properly fitted, the locking arm is restored and displaced to engage with the locked part provided on the mating housing. As the lock arm is restored and displaced, the elastic detection piece of the detection terminal moves back and comes into contact with the contact terminal of the other party that entered, and the detection circuit is closed, so that both housings are closed. The normal fitting is detected electrically.

JP 2009-1117045 A

In the above conventional device, the detection terminal is elastically displaced in the same direction as the displacement direction of the lock arm on the lower surface side of the lock arm, so that the displacement space of the lock arm is detected on the lower surface side of the lock arm. It is necessary to set the displacement space of the terminal in an overlapping manner, and the height of the housing is increased, that is, the height reduction is hindered. Further, the detection terminal needs to be manufactured by a complicated process in which a metal plate is punched and bent, leading to a problem of high cost, and further improvement has been desired.
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to reduce the height of the connector and reduce the manufacturing cost when constructing an electrical fitting detection mechanism for the connector. There is in place to plan.

  The connector of the present invention is provided with a pair of housings to be fitted to each other, and one housing is elastically displaced during the fitting process with the other housing, and is restored when the housing is properly fitted with the other housing. A lock arm is provided for locking the two housings in a normal fitting state by being displaced and locked to a locked portion provided in the other housing, and in the displacement space of the lock arm, the other housing A detection terminal that electrically detects that the two housings are properly fitted by contacting a contact terminal provided so as to be capable of entering toward the one housing and closing the detection circuit is provided on the lock arm. The lock arm is provided so as to be elastically displaceable in a direction intersecting the elastic displacement direction, and the lock arm is provided with the detection terminal according to the elastic displacement of the lock arm. Engage and elastically displace the detection terminal in a direction away from the entry path of the contact terminal, and when the lock arm is restored, the engagement with the detection terminal is released and the detection terminal becomes the contact It is characterized in that an actuating portion is provided that allows a return displacement to the entry path of the service terminal.

  According to the above configuration, both housings are fitted while elastically displacing the lock arm, and during this time, the detection terminal is pushed by the operating portion of the displaced lock arm and elastically in a direction crossing the displacement direction of the lock arm. When it is displaced and escapes from the entry path of the other contact terminal, and then both housings are properly fitted, the lock arm is restored and displaced and locked to the locked part provided on the other housing. As the lock arm is restored and displaced, the detection terminal is restored to its original position and contacts the contact terminal of the other party entering along the approach path, and the detection circuit is closed. As a result, it is electrically detected that both housings are properly fitted.

  Since the detection terminal constituting the movable contact in the detection circuit can be elastically displaced in the displacement space of the lock arm in a direction crossing the displacement direction of the lock arm, for example, the detection terminal is in the same direction as the lock arm. Compared to those that are elastically displaced, it is not necessary to provide the displacement space of the detection terminal in the same direction in addition to the displacement space of the lock arm, and it is possible to cover the displacement space of the detection terminal within the displacement space of the lock arm. Therefore, it can be avoided that the height of the housing is increased, that is, the height of the housing can be reduced. In addition, the detection terminal can be formed without being bent only by punching from the material, and the detection terminal itself can be manufactured at a low cost, thereby contributing to a reduction in the manufacturing cost of the connector.

The following configuration may also be used.
(1) A pair of the contact terminals are arranged side by side with a space between them, and the detection terminals are connected to each other at a connection portion between base ends of a pair of elastic detection pieces that can contact the contact terminals. The connection portion of the detection terminal is fixed to the fulcrum portion of the lock arm so that the both elastic contact pieces are supported so as to be elastically openable and closable. On both side edges of the arm, there are provided cam surfaces that are engaged with the respective elastic detection pieces of the detection terminal in accordance with the elastic displacement of the lock arm to elastically displace both elastic detection pieces.

  Both housings are fitted while elastically displacing the lock arm. During this time, both elastic detection pieces of the detection terminal are pushed by the respective cam surfaces provided on the displaced lock arm and intersect the displacement direction of the lock arm. When the two housings are properly fitted, the lock arm is restored and the two housings are fitted. As the lock arm is restored and displaced, both elastic detection pieces of the detection terminal are restored and opened so that they come into contact with the other pair of contact terminals that have entered along the approach path. When the circuit is closed, it is electrically detected that both housings are properly fitted.

  Since both elastic detection pieces of the detection terminal can be elastically displaced so as to open and close in a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the lock arm in the displacement space of the lock arm, the displacement space of the detection terminal is the lock arm. It is covered in the displacement space, and the height of the housing can be reduced accordingly. Moreover, since the detection terminal is formed in the substantially U shape which connected the base ends of a pair of elastic detection pieces with the connection part, it can be formed only by stamping from the metal plate used as the material, and the detection terminal itself and thus the manufacture of the connector This can contribute to cost reduction.

(2) The lock arm is formed in a cantilever shape in which the distal end side is swingable and displaceable with a base end portion as a fulcrum, and a press-fit portion projects from the outer surface of the connection portion of the detection terminal, A mounting hole into which the press-fitting portion of the detection terminal is press-fitted is formed at the base end portion of the lock arm.
The detection terminal is supported in a displacement space of the lock arm so that it can be opened and closed in a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the lock arm by press-fitting the press-fitting portion into the mounting hole. With a simple mounting structure, the detection terminal can be arranged at a normal position.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the height of the connector and reduce the manufacturing cost when constructing an electrical fitting detection mechanism for the connector.

The rear view in the fitting initial state of the male-female connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1 before the male and female connectors are mated. The same vertical cross-sectional view of the initial mating state The same vertical section in the middle of mating The same vertical cross-sectional view in a properly fitted state Sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. VII-VII sectional view of FIG. VIII-VIII sectional view of FIG. The perspective view which shows the engagement form of the lock arm and the detection terminal in the state before fitting of the male and female connectors The perspective view in the initial mating state The perspective view in a state of being properly fitted The expanded sectional view which shows the engagement form of the lock arm and the detection terminal in the initial state of fitting of the male and female connectors The same enlarged sectional view in the middle of mating The same expanded sectional view in the state of regular fitting Perspective view of detection terminal Plan view

<Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The connector of the present embodiment illustrates an airbag connector, and includes a pair of male and female connectors M and F that can be fitted to each other as shown in FIG. Below, about each connector M and F, the fitting surface side is demonstrated as the front.

  The male connector M is a device connector, and a male housing 10 made of synthetic resin is integrally formed from the side wall of the device. As shown in FIG. 1, the male housing 10 is formed in a hood shape having a horizontally long rectangle when viewed from the front. Except for the rear wall 11A of the same male housing 10, specifically the upper position of the center in the lateral width direction. A plurality of tab-shaped male terminals 12 project in a vertical and horizontal manner from all remaining areas.

  The female connector F is a harness connector connected to the end of the wire harness, and has a female housing 20 made of synthetic resin. The female housing 20 has a block shape, and a substantially first half portion can be fitted into the male housing 10 described above. In the female housing 20, a plurality of cavities 21 for receiving the female terminals 25 are formed in an array aligned with the male terminals 12 mounted on the male connector M described above.

  The female terminal 25 has a rectangular tube portion 26 into which the male terminal 12 is inserted and connected, and a barrel 27 provided on the rear side is caulked and fixed to the end of the electric wire w. Thus, when the female terminal 25 connected to the terminal of the electric wire w is inserted into the corresponding cavity 21 of the female housing 20 from the rear and inserted into a normal position such as hitting the front wall 22 of the cavity 21, A lance 24 provided on the bottom surface is elastically locked to be prevented from coming off. The female terminal 25 is accommodated in the cavity 21 by being double-locked by a retainer (not shown). The front wall 22 of the cavity 21 has a terminal insertion port 23 into which the mating male terminal 12 can enter.

  Between the male connector M and the female connector F, there is provided a lock mechanism that locks both the connectors M and F in the normal fitting state. A lock arm 30 is provided at the center in the width direction on the upper surface of the female housing 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the lock arm 30 is formed in the form of a cantilever extending rearward from the upper surface of the fulcrum portion 31 provided to be raised at the front edge of the female housing 20. The extension end provided with the operation portion 32 as a center is elastically displaced in the vertical direction. Therefore, a displacement allowing the elastic displacement of the lock arm 30 between the lower surface of the lock arm 30 and the upper surface of the female housing 20. A space 35 is secured. A lock portion 33 is formed so as to protrude from a substantially central portion in the length direction on the upper surface of the lock arm 30. The lock portion 33 has a locking surface 34 </ b> A with a rear surface side and an arcuate guide surface 34 </ b> B with a front surface side.

  On the other hand, in the upper wall 11B of the male housing 10, more specifically, in the center portion in the width direction on the lower surface of the front edge of the upper wall 11B, a locked portion that is locked to the lock portion 33 provided in the lock arm 30 described above. 13 is formed. The locked portion 13 includes a locking surface 14 </ b> A with a rear surface side and a guide surface 14 </ b> B with an inclined front surface side.

When the female housing 20 is fitted into the male housing 10, the lock portion 33 of the lock arm 30 hits the locked portion 13 (see FIG. 3), and when further pressed, the guide surfaces 34B and 14B are engaged with each other. Then, the lock portion 33 rides on the locked portion 13, the lock arm 30 is pushed in while being elastically displaced downward (see FIG. 4), and the female housing 20 is pushed to a normal position where it hits the rear wall 11A of the male housing 10. When the lock portion 33 passes through the locked portion 13, the lock arm 30 is restored and displaced upward, and the locking surface 34A of the lock portion 33 is locked to the locking surface 14A on the rear surface of the locked portion 13. Thus, both housings 10 and 20 are locked in the fitted state (see FIG. 5).
During this time, the male terminal 12 on the male housing 10 side enters from the terminal insertion port 23 of the corresponding cavity 21 of the female housing 20 and is inserted into the rectangular tube portion 26 of the female terminal 25 accommodated in the cavity 21. Corresponding male terminal 12 and female terminal 25 are normally connected.

Now, between the male connector M and the female connector F, a fitting detection mechanism for electrically detecting that both the connectors M and F are properly fitted is provided.
A pair of left and right contact terminals 16 having a tab shape project from the upper position of the center in the width direction of the back wall 11A of the male housing 10 in a parallel posture with a predetermined interval therebetween. More specifically, the terminals 16 for both contacts are projected at a height position corresponding to the position near the upper end of the fulcrum 31 of the lock arm 30 with an interval slightly wider than the width of the lock arm 30. Yes. Further, the contact terminal 16 has a longer projecting length than the male terminal 12 described above, and projects to a position just before the locked portion 13 as shown in FIG.
On the device side where the male connector M is provided, a detection circuit using the pair of contact terminals 16 as a fixed contact is configured.

One female connector F is provided with a detection terminal 40 serving as a movable contact. The detection terminal 40 is formed by punching a metal plate having excellent conductivity. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the detection terminal 40 is a base of a pair of elastic detection pieces 41 arranged in parallel to each other. The ends are formed in a substantially U-shaped plane connected by a connecting portion 42 having a substantially arc shape. At the tip of each elastic detection piece 41, a contact portion 43 facing outward at a right angle is formed, and a square press-fit portion 44 is formed to project at the center in the length direction on the outer surface of the connection portion 42. ing.
As for the detection terminal 40, the front end side of both the elastic detection pieces 41 can open and close elastically. In the natural state, the detection terminal 40 has a space between the outer surfaces of both elastic detection pieces 41 that is slightly larger than the width of the lock arm 30 described above, and a space between the outer end surfaces of both contact portions 43 is a male housing. The distance between the inner surfaces of the pair of contact terminals 16 on the 10 side is set slightly larger.

A press-fit portion 44 protruding from the connection portion 42 of the detection terminal 40 can be press-fitted at a height position below the bottom surface of the base end side of the lock arm 30 on the rear surface of the fulcrum portion 31 of the lock arm 30. A mounting hole 37 made of a square hole is formed.
The detection terminal 40 is attached by press-fitting the press-fitting portion 44 into the attachment hole 37 after taking a horizontal posture in which the tips of both elastic detection pieces 41 face rearward. As a result, the detection terminal 40 is located at a height lower than the lower surface on the proximal end side of the lock arm 30 in the natural state by a predetermined dimension in the front region of the displacement space 35 of the lock arm 30, in other words, a pair of contact terminals of the counterpart. It is arranged in a horizontal position at 16 projecting height positions. Specifically, the contact portion 43 at the tip of both elastic detection pieces 41 of the detection terminal 40 extends from the position of the lock portion 33 of the lock arm 30 to a position slightly rearward in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. Further, in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 6, it faces the entry path L of the mating contact terminal 16. As described above, the detection terminal 40 attached in this way is configured such that the ends of both elastic detection pieces 41 are elastically opened and closed.

The left and right side edges at the base end portion of the lock arm 30 are integrally formed with an operating portion 50 that opens and closes both elastic detection pieces 41 of the detection terminal 40. The actuating portion 50 has a thick plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction, a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape with a lower end pointed in a mountain shape, and a lower portion that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the lock arm 30.
Specifically, when the lock arm 30 is in a natural state, as shown in FIG. 6, the entire length of the operating portion 50 corresponds to a region extending over the almost entire length of the detection terminal 40 near the base end of the elastic detection piece 41. Yes. As shown in FIG. 12, the tip 51 of the operating unit 50 protrudes to a position directly above the detection terminal 40, and the tip 51 is positioned just outside the outer surface of each elastic detection piece 41 in the left-right direction. Yes. An inner surface from the inclined surface 53 </ b> A to the vertical surface 53 </ b> B in each operating portion 50 is a cam surface 52.

Then, the effect | action of this embodiment is demonstrated.
As shown in FIG. 2, after the detection terminal 40 is attached to the lower surface side of the lock arm 30 in the female housing 20, the female terminal 25 fixed to the end of the electric wire w is accommodated in the cavity 21 of the female housing 20. Thus, the female connector F is assembled. The female connector F assembled in this way is fitted to the mating male connector M as indicated by the arrow in the figure.

  When the female housing 20 is fitted into the male housing 10, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock portion 33 of the lock arm 30 comes into contact with the locked portion 13 formed on the upper wall 11 </ b> B of the male housing 10 and is temporarily stopped. The During this time, as shown in the figure, the tip of the male terminal 12 enters the corresponding cavity 21 of the female housing 20 through the terminal insertion port 23, and the rectangular tube portion 26 of the female terminal 25 accommodated in the cavity 21. It faces in the tip part of. The pair of contact terminals 16 are advanced through both sides of the fulcrum 31 of the lock arm 30 as shown in FIG. 10, and then the respective tips are provided on the lock arm 30 as shown in FIG. 6. The left and right operating portions 50 have advanced to positions just outside the front end portions.

  When the female housing 20 is further pushed in from this state, as shown in FIG. 4, the lock portion 33 rides on the locked portion 13, and the lock arm 30 is pushed in while being elastically displaced downward. As the lock arm 30 is displaced, the operating unit 50 moves downward, and the cam surface 52 formed on the inner surface of each operating unit 50 detects each elasticity of the detection terminal 40 as shown in FIGS. Specifically, when the slant surface 53A of the cam surface 52 hits the outer surface of the piece 41, the elastic detection piece 41 is elastically displaced so as to be closed, and subsequently the vertical surface 53B comes into contact with the elastic detection piece 41 to close. Is kept in the state. As a result, the contact portions 43 of the both elastic detection pieces 41 escape to the inside of the approach path L of the contact terminal 16. Therefore, even if the contact terminal 16 further advances, it does not interfere with the contact portion 43 of the elastic detection piece 41.

  When the female housing 20 is further pushed in and pushed into a normal position where it hits the back wall 11A of the male housing 10, as shown in FIG. 5, the lock arm 30 is restored upward by the lock portion 33 exceeding the locked portion 13. The housings 10 and 20 are locked in the fitted state by the displacement and the locking part 33 being locked to the rear surface of the locked part 13. During this time, the male terminal 12 enters deeply into the rectangular tube portion 26 of the corresponding female terminal 25, and the corresponding male terminal 12 and female terminal 25 are properly connected.

  The operating portion 50 moves upward to the original position in accordance with the upward restoring displacement of the lock arm 30, and as a result, the cam surface 52 of the operating portion 50 has both elasticities of the detection terminal 40 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 14. In order to escape above the outer surface of the detection piece 41, both elastic detection pieces 41 are opened and displaced toward the original position. During this time, since the pair of contact terminals 16 have entered the positions outside the contact portions 43 of the two elastic detection pieces 41, the contact portions 43 of the elastic detection pieces 41 that have been displaced open correspond to the corresponding contact points. The terminal 16 is elastically pressed and brought into contact with the inner surface of the distal end portion of the terminal 16. As a result, the detection circuit is closed, and it is electrically detected that the male and female housings 10 and 20, that is, the male and female connectors M and F are properly fitted.

  According to this embodiment, the detection terminal 40 constituting the movable contact in the detection circuit can be opened and closed in the lateral direction intersecting the displacement direction of the lock arm 30 in the displacement space 35 of the lock arm 30. Therefore, for example, compared with the case where the detection terminal is elastically displaced in the vertical direction like the lock arm 30, it is not necessary to provide the displacement space for the detection terminal in the same vertical direction in addition to the displacement space 35 of the lock arm 30. Can cover the displacement space of the detection terminal 40 in the displacement space 35 of the lock arm 30, and the height of the female housing 20 can be avoided by that much, that is, the female housing 20 can be lowered. Moreover, since the detection terminal 40 is formed in the substantially U shape which connected the base ends of a pair of elastic detection piece 41 with the connection part 42, it can be formed only by stamping from the metal plate used as a raw material, and the detection terminal 40 itself As a result, the manufacturing cost of the female connector F can be reduced.

  Further, the detection terminal 40 is inserted into the mounting hole 37 provided in the fulcrum portion 31 of the lock arm 30 by press-fitting the press-fit portion 44 protruding from the connection portion 42, so that the lock The arm 30 is supported so that it can be opened and closed in the left-right direction intersecting the displacement direction. That is, the detection terminal 40 can be arranged at the normal position with a simple mounting structure.

<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) Depending on the circuit configuration of the detection circuit, there may be a structure in which there is only one contact terminal and the detection circuit is closed by bringing the same contact terminal into contact with the detection terminal. is there.
(2) In the above embodiment, the case where the elastically displaceable lock arm is formed in a cantilever shape is illustrated, but the lock arm may be in a double-supported shape.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the male connector is a device-side connector that is directly connected to the device is illustrated, but the same male connector may be a harness connector that is connected to the terminal of the wire harness.

M ... male connector F ... female connector 10 ... male housing 13 ... locked portion 16 ... contact terminal 20 ... female housing 30 ... lock arm 31 ... fulcrum (base end of lock arm 30)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 33 ... Lock part 35 ... Displacement space (of lock arm 30) 37 ... Mounting hole 40 ... Detection terminal 41 ... Elasticity detection piece 42 ... Connection part 43 ... Contact part 44 ... Press-fit part 50 ... Actuation part 52 ... Cam surface L ... Entry Road

Claims (3)

A pair of housings fitted together,
One housing is elastically displaced during the mating process with the other housing, and when it is normally fitted with the other housing, it is restored and displaced to be locked to a locked portion provided in the other housing. By providing a lock arm that locks the two housings in a properly fitted state,
In this displacement space of the lock arm, the two housings are properly fitted by contacting a contact terminal provided so as to be able to enter the other housing toward the one housing and closing the detection circuit. A detection terminal for electrical detection is provided so as to be elastically displaceable in a direction crossing the elastic displacement direction of the lock arm,
The lock arm is engaged with the detection terminal in accordance with the elastic displacement of the lock arm and elastically displaces the detection terminal in a direction away from the entry path of the contact terminal, and the lock arm is restored and displaced. The connector is provided with an actuating portion that disengages the detection terminal and allows the detection terminal to be restored and displaced to the entry path of the contact terminal. A pair of contact terminals are arranged side by side with a gap between them,
The detection terminal is formed in a substantially U shape in which the base ends of a pair of elastic detection pieces that can come into contact with the contact terminals are connected by a connection portion, and the connection portion of the detection terminal is a fulcrum of the lock arm. The two elastic contact pieces are supported so as to be elastically openable and closable by being fixed to the part,
On both side edges of the lock arm, there are provided cam surfaces that are engaged with the respective elastic detection pieces of the detection terminal in accordance with the elastic displacement of the lock arm to elastically displace both elastic detection pieces. The connector according to claim 1. The lock arm is formed in a cantilever shape whose tip side is swingable and displaceable with a base end portion as a fulcrum, and a press-fit portion projects from an outer surface of the connection portion of the detection terminal. The connector according to claim 2, wherein a mounting hole into which the press-fitting portion of the detection terminal is press-fitted is formed at a base end portion of the connector.

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