JP2013201083A - Electric connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To further smoothly perform a connector fitting operation.SOLUTION: An electric connection device includes first and second connectors C1 and C2, and a mating connector C10 to which the first and second connectors are fitted. The mating connector C10 includes a housing in which the connectors C1 and C2 are fitted, and a lever member 40 which is supported by the housing and has a first fitting guide part 44 for guiding the first connector C1 and a second fitting guide part 45 for guiding the second connector C2. The first and second connectors C1 and C2 have parts 12 and 15 to be guided. The first fitting guide part 44 is engaged with the part 12 to be guided in accordance with rotation of the lever member 40, and guides the part 12 to be guided with force larger than an operation force of the lever member 40. The second fitting guide part 45 starts guiding the part 15 to be guided at timing later than the start of a guide of the part 12 to be guided, and guides the part 15 to be guided with force larger than the operation force of the lever member 40 in accordance with rotation of the lever member 40.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connection device that performs electrical connection by fitting connectors together.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an electrical connection device that performs electrical connection by fitting connectors is known that includes a lever for fitting connectors with a low operating force. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique that allows a plurality of connectors to be fitted with a low operating force.

  The electrical connection device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a collective connector in which a collective frame (lever) that supports a plurality of connectors arranged in a row and a fitting recess into which the plurality of connectors can be fitted are arranged in a row. For electrical connection, one end of the assembly frame (one end in the arrangement direction of the fitting recesses) is engaged with one end of the assembly connector (one end in the arrangement direction of the connectors), and the engagement portion is By rotating the collective frame as a fulcrum, the connectors are fitted in the fitting recesses with a low operating force in order from the connector located on one end side of the collective frame.

JP-A-6-140098

  According to the electrical connection device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a plurality of connectors can be fitted to the collective connector with a low operating force in accordance with the turning operation of the collective frame.

  However, in this electrical connection device, a plurality of connectors are integrally supported by the collective frame, and each connector has a pin provided on the connector housing of the connector in a connector drive elongated hole formed in the collective frame. Since it is supported by the assembly frame by being inserted, the position and posture of each connector are very unstable. For this reason, it is relatively difficult to insert terminals (wires) into each connector, and during connector fitting work, each connector is guided to the corresponding fitting recess while rotating the assembly frame. It is necessary, and workability is not always good.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to fit a plurality of connectors to a mating connector with a low operating force by operating a lever, and inserting a terminal (electric wire). It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connection device capable of performing work and connector fitting work more smoothly.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is an electrical connection device that performs electrical connection by fitting connectors together, and includes a first connector and a second connector each having a connector housing, and the first and second connectors. A connector housing in which the connector housings of the first and second connectors can be fitted, and a mating connector having a lever member rotatably supported by the connector housing; The lever member includes a first fitting guiding portion for guiding the first connector in the connector fitting direction and the second connector in the connector fitting direction when the lever member receives a turning operation. A connector housing of the one connector, wherein the first housing is engageable with the first fitting guiding portion of the lever member; The connector housing of the two connectors includes a second guided portion that can be engaged with a second fitting guide portion of the lever member, and the first fitting guide portion includes the first connector and Each of the second connectors is in a predetermined temporary fitting state with respect to the mating connector, and the lever member is subjected to a rotation operation from a predetermined initial rotation angle position. Formed so as to guide the first guided portion with a force greater than the operating force received by the lever member as the lever member rotates, so that the mating connector is in a completely fitted state, The second fitting guide part starts guiding the second guided part at a timing later than the start of guiding the first guided part with the rotation of the lever member, and the second The connector and the mating connector are complete. So that a fitted state, in which is formed so as to guide the second the guided part with greater force than the operation force which the lever member receives.

  According to this electrical connection device, since the first and second connectors are independent of the lever member, the terminal (electric wire) can be inserted in a stable state with respect to each connector alone. In addition, during the connector fitting operation, the first and second connectors are temporarily fitted to the mating connector, and then the lever member of the mating connector is rotated from this state. The connector can be fitted to the mating connector with a relatively low operating force. For this reason, it is not necessary to sequentially guide each connector to the mating concave portion of the mating connector while rotating the lever member (collection frame), thereby performing the connector mating operation very easily and smoothly. It becomes possible.

  In this electrical connection device, the first guided portion and the second guided portion are protrusions projecting from the side surfaces of the connector housings of the first connector and the second connector, and the first fitting It is preferable that the guide portion and the second fitting guide portion are groove portions that can be engaged with the projection portion.

  According to this configuration, with the rotation of the lever member, the projection of the first connector that is the first guided portion is guided along the groove that is the first fitting guiding portion, so that the first connector Is reliably guided in the connector fitting direction. Similarly, the projection of the second connector that is the second guided portion is guided along the groove that is the second fitting guiding portion, so that the second connector is reliably guided in the connector fitting direction. . Therefore, each connector can be reliably moved in the connector fitting direction and fitted to the mating connector in accordance with the turning operation of the lever member.

  Further, in the above electrical connection device, the lever member is formed along the side wall of the connector housing of the mating connector, substantially parallel to the side wall, and fitted to the connector housing. It forms a plate extending in the direction of alignment, and is supported by the side wall at the position of one end in the longitudinal direction of the lever member so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the thickness direction of the lever member. Is preferred.

  According to this configuration, the space occupied by the lever member in the mating connector is very small, and as a result, the mating connector is compact.

  In this case, the connector housing of the mating connector includes a lever housing chamber having a flat cross-sectional shape in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first and second connectors, and the lever member has an end on the one side. Is located between the pair of side walls as a side wall of the connector housing, and a pair of side walls that form the lever housing chamber and that are opposed to each other in the orthogonal direction. 1. When the lever member is rotated to a position where the second connector is completely engaged with the mating connector, the end of the lever member opposite to the one end It is preferable that the other portions are formed so as to be accommodated in the lever accommodating chamber.

  According to this configuration, since the lever member can be stably supported with respect to the connector housing of the mating connector, the lever member can be rotated more smoothly. Moreover, since most of the lever member is accommodated in the lever accommodating chamber after the connector is fitted, the inconvenience that the lever member is unexpectedly operated due to contact between the lever member and the outside can be suppressed, and The lever member can be protected from damage.

  In the above electrical connection device, the connector housing of the mating connector is subjected to a pivoting operation of the lever member until the first and second connectors are completely engaged with the mating connector. Accordingly, it is preferable that a locking portion for locking the lever member to the connector housing is provided.

  According to this configuration, after the connector is fitted, the inconvenience that the lever member is unexpectedly operated due to contact between the lever member and the outside can be prevented more reliably, and the fitting state of both connectors can be more reliably maintained. Is possible.

  Further, in the above electrical connection device, the lever member may be configured to rotate the lever member after the first connector and the second connector are temporarily engaged with the connector housing of the mating connector after the initial rotation. It may be provided so as to be detachable from the connector housing so that it can be arranged at an angular position.

  In this configuration, after the first connector and the second connector are temporarily engaged with the connector housing of the mating connector, the lever member is attached to the connector housing, and the rotation operation is performed from the initial rotation angle position. receive. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the lever member from interfering when the first and second connectors are fitted to the connector housing of the mating connector, and the connector fitting operation can be performed more smoothly. .

  According to the electrical connection device of the present invention as described above, the first and second connectors are independent of the lever member, and the first and second connectors are preliminarily fitted to the mating connector in advance, and the mating member is in this state. By rotating the lever member of the side connector, the first and second connectors can be fitted to the mating connector with a relatively low operating force. Therefore, it is possible to fit a plurality of connectors to the mating connector with a low operating force by lever operation, and it is possible to more smoothly perform terminal (electric wire) insertion work and connector fitting work. .

It is a perspective view which shows the electrical connection apparatus (temporary fitting state) of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an electrical connection apparatus. (A) is a perspective view which shows the connector housing of the other party connector, (b) is a top view which shows the same connector housing. (A) is a perspective view from the front side which shows a lever member, (b) is a perspective view from the back side which shows the same lever member. It is sectional drawing explaining the connector fitting point of an electrical connection apparatus (sectional drawing which shows the state (electrical connection apparatus of FIG. 1) which temporarily fitted the 1st, 2nd connector with respect to the other party connector). It is sectional drawing explaining the connector fitting point of an electrical connection apparatus, (a) is the state immediately after the induction | guidance | derivation of a 1st connector (guided part) is started, (b) is the induction | guidance | derivation of a 1st connector. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which completed, respectively. It is sectional drawing explaining the connector fitting point of an electrical connection apparatus, (a) is the state immediately after the induction | guidance | derivation of a 2nd connector (guided part) is started, (b) is the induction | guidance | derivation of a 2nd connector. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which completed, respectively. It is a perspective view which shows the electrical connection apparatus (temporary fitting state) of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an electrical connection apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the connector housing of the other party connector. It is a perspective view which shows a lever member. It is a side view explaining the connector fitting point of an electric connection device, (a) shows the state where the 1st-3rd connector was temporarily fitted to the other party connector, and (b) is the 1st The state immediately after the induction | guidance | derivation of a connector (induced part) is started is shown. It is a side view explaining the connector fitting point of an electric connection device, and (a) is the state immediately after guidance of the 1st connector (guided part) is completed (guidance of the 2nd connector (guided part) starts) (B) shows a state immediately after the second connector (guided portion) is guided (a state immediately after the third connector (guided portion) is guided). Show. It is a side view explaining the connector fitting procedure of the electrical connection device (a state in which the guidance of the third connector (melting guide part) is completed). It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the electrical connection apparatus of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
1 and 2 schematically show an electrical connection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the electrical connection device includes a first connector C1 and a second connector C2, and a mating connector C10 into which the first connector C1 and the second connector C2 are fitted.

  The first connector C1 includes a plurality of female terminals (not shown), and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped male connector housing 10 (hereinafter, abbreviated as the housing 10) made of an insulating resin material that holds these terminals. Is provided. The housing 10 is formed with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 10a penetrating in the connector fitting direction. In each of the terminal accommodating chambers 10a, the plurality of female terminals attached to the ends of the electric wires 11 are respectively provided. Is retained.

  The second connector C2 has the same configuration as the first connector C1. That is, the second connector C2 is a male connector housing 13 (hereinafter referred to as a substantially rectangular parallelepiped) made of an insulating resin material in which a plurality of female terminals (not shown) and a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 13a are formed. , And abbreviated as housing 13), and the plurality of female terminals attached to the ends of the electric wires 14 are respectively held in the terminal accommodating chambers 13 a.

  On the other hand, the mating connector C10 includes a plurality of male terminals (not shown), a connector housing 20 (hereinafter abbreviated as “housing 20”) made of an insulating resin material that holds these terminals, And a lever member 40 that is rotatably supported.

  The housing 20 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped female connector housing made of an insulating resin material. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIGS. 3A and 3B, the housing 10 of the first connector C1 is fitted. It has a possible first fitting recess 22 and a second fitting recess 23 into which the housing 13 of the second connector C2 can be fitted. These fitting recesses 22 and 23 are arranged in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3B). A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 22a and 23a are formed in the inner bottoms of the fitting recesses 22 and 23, and the plurality of male terminals (not shown) attached to the ends of the electric wires 25 and 26, respectively. The tab-like contact pieces are held in the terminal accommodating chambers 22a and 23a in a state where the tab-like contact pieces protrude into the fitting recesses 22 and 23, respectively.

  The first and second connectors C1 and C2 and the mating connector C10 are connected (fitted) by connecting the first and second connectors C1 and C2 to the first and second mating recesses of the mating connector C10. 22 and 23, and the first and second connectors C1 and C2 are inserted into the first and second fitting recesses 22 and 23 from the front end side to fit the housings 10 and 13 to each other. Is done. As described above, the first and second connectors C1 and C2 and the mating connector C10 are fitted to each other, whereby the first and second connectors C1 and C2 and the mating connector C10 are electrically connected. The electrical connection is made through male and female terminals.

  The lever member 40 reduces the operating force required to fit the first and second connectors C1, C2 and the mating connector C10 as described above, and is provided on the housing 20 of the mating connector C10. It is incorporated. Then, when the lever member 40 receives the turning operation, a fitting force larger than the force operated for the fitting together with the housings 10 and 13 of the first and second connectors C1 and C2 is generated. Configure the booster mechanism.

  More specifically, on one side surface of the housing 10 of the first connector C1 (one side surface in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the connectors C1 and C2 are arranged), as shown in FIG. A guiding portion 12 (corresponding to the first guided portion of the present invention) is provided. The guided portion 12 is configured by a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the side surface of the housing 10, and is provided at a specific position in the connector fitting direction that is an intermediate position in the width direction of the housing 10. The same applies to the second connector C2, and a guided portion guided by the lever member 40 is provided on one side surface of the housing 13 (the side surface on the same side as the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1). 15 (corresponding to the second guided portion of the present invention) is provided. The guided portion 15 is a protruding portion similar to the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1, and is provided at a specific position in the connector fitting direction, which is an intermediate position in the width direction of the housing 13.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 (a) and 4 (b), the lever member 40 has an elongated plate shape having a predetermined thickness and a predetermined thickness. A shaft hole 42 serving as a rotation fulcrum of the lever member 40 is formed at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the lever member 40 (the right end portion in FIG. 4A). A guide groove 42a is formed that extends straight from the lower end of the lever member 40 to the lower end of the lever member 40 (the lower end in FIG. 4A). The shaft hole 42 is formed by a circular recess, and the guide groove 42a is formed shallower than the shaft hole 42.

  On the other hand, on the back surface of the lever member 40, the first connector C1 for guiding the first connector C1 so that the first connector C1 is fitted to the mating connector C10, and the second connector C2 are mated. A second fitting guiding portion 45 for guiding the second connector C2 is formed so as to be fitted to the side connector C10. The first fitting guiding portion 44 is configured by a groove portion that can be engaged with the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1, and is the position of the shaft hole 42 in the longitudinal direction of the lever member 40, and the lever member It is formed in a substantially spiral shape from the upper end of 40 (the upper end in FIG. 4B) toward the position of the shaft hole 42. Specifically, the first fitting guiding portion 44 is engaged with the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1 to substantially guide the guided portion 12, and is continuous with the effective portion 44a. And an ineffective portion 44b that escapes the guided portion 12 as the lever member 40 rotates. On the other hand, the second fitting guiding portion 45 is configured by a groove portion that can be engaged with the guided portion 15 of the second connector C2, and is located at a substantially intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the lever member 40. It extends downward from the upper end.

  A pair of shaft-like operation portions 48 projecting outward from the lever member 40 in the thickness direction are provided at the other longitudinal end of the lever member 40 (the end opposite to the side where the support recess 42 is provided). Is formed. These operation parts 48 are for operating the lever member 40 using a fingertip or the like.

  The lever member 40 is disposed substantially parallel to the side wall of the housing 20 of the mating connector C10 and is pivotable about an axis parallel to the thickness direction of the lever member 40. It is supported by the housing 20.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, 3B, one side of the side wall of the housing 20 that is aligned in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the recesses 22 and 23 for fitting are aligned. The (side wall 30) has a double wall structure having an inner wall 30a that forms the fitting recesses 22 and 23 and an outer wall 30b that is positioned outside the inner wall 30a. The inner wall 30a and the outer wall 30b are connected to each other at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 20 (both ends in the arrangement direction of the fitting recesses 22 and 23) and the front end in the connector fitting direction (lower end in FIG. 2). As a result, a lever housing chamber that is flat in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 20 and opens rearward (upward in FIG. 2) with respect to the connector fitting direction is formed between the walls 30a and 30b. Has been. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, a support shaft 34 constituted by a protruding portion protruding from the inner side surface is located at a position facing the first fitting recess 22 in the inner side surface of the outer wall 30b. The lever member 40 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 34. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the lever member 40 is positioned above the housing 20 in a posture in which the shaft hole 42 is located on the outer wall 30 b side (a posture in which the fitting guide portions 44 and 46 face the inner wall 30 a side). 2 is inserted into the lever housing chamber 32 from above, and the support shaft 34 is inserted into the shaft hole 42 so that the support shaft 34 can be rotated while being sandwiched between the inner wall 30a and the support shaft 34. It is supported. When the lever member 40 is assembled to the housing 20, the insertion resistance of the lever member 40 is reduced by introducing the support shaft 34 into the shaft hole 42 while the support shaft 34 is interposed in the guide groove 42a. The lever member 40 can be assembled to the housing 20 relatively easily.

  In the housing 20, inside the lever accommodating chamber 32 and at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 20, regulating portions 33a and 33b for regulating the rotation range by contacting the lever member 40 are formed. ing. As a result, the lever member 40 extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 20 and the initial rotation angle position (position shown in FIG. 1) at which the operating portion 48 protrudes greatly to one end in the longitudinal direction of the housing 20 is approximately 180 ° from this position. It can be rotated over a rotated position (see FIG. 7B).

  Here, the effective portion 44a of the first fitting guide portion 44 of the lever member 40 is in a temporarily fitted state, which will be described later, when the lever member 40 receives a turning operation from the initial turning angle position. It has a shape for guiding the guided portion 12 so that the first connector C1 and the mating connector C10 are fitted with a force larger than the operating force while receiving the guided portion 12 of the one connector C1. The non-effective portion 44b has a shape that allows the guide portion 12 to escape as the lever member 40 further rotates. On the other hand, the second fitting guiding portion 45 receives the guided portion 15 of the second connector C2 in the temporarily fitting state with the turning operation of the lever member 40 and receives a second force with a force larger than the operation force. It has a shape for guiding the guided portion 15 so that the connector C2 and the mating connector C10 are fitted. However, the second fitting guiding portion 45 is temporarily fitted after the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1 reaches the ineffective portion 44b of the first fitting guiding portion 44 as the lever member 40 rotates. The position of the second fitting guiding portion 45 in the lever member 40 is set so as to receive the guided portion 15 of the second connector C2 in the state. Thus, as will be described in detail later, during the connector fitting operation, the first and second connectors C1 and C2 are fitted to the mating connector C10 with a relatively low operating force as the lever member 40 is rotated. To get.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the inner wall 30a of the housing 20 extends in the connector fitting direction at the position corresponding to the first fitting recess 22 in the inner wall 30a and is located on the rear side in the same direction. A slit 36 is formed to open. Similarly, a slit 37 extending in the connector fitting direction and opening rearward in the same direction is formed at a position corresponding to the second fitting recess 23 in the inner wall 30a. These slits 36 and 37 are for interposing the guided portions 12 and 15 of the connectors C1 and C2, respectively, and when the connectors are fitted, the guided portions 12 and 15 pass through the slits 36 and 37, respectively. It protrudes into the lever housing chamber 32.

  Next, the point of the fitting operation | work with the connectors C1 and C2 and the other party connector C10 in the electrical connection apparatus mentioned above is demonstrated using FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, the lever member 40 is brought into contact with the restricting portion 33a, so that the lever member 40 is disposed at the initial rotation angle position, and in this state, the second connector C10 (housing 20) The housing 10 of the first connector C1 is inserted into the first fitting recess 22 and the housing 13 of the second connector C2 is inserted into the second fitting recess 23. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 1, the connectors C1 and C2 and the mating connector C10 are brought into a predetermined provisional fitting state before they reach a complete fitting state (main fitting state). . In this example, the temporary fitting state is an initial state of terminal fitting in which, for example, each terminal of the connectors C1 and C2 and a terminal of the mating connector C10 start to contact each other.

  Next, the lever member 40 (operation unit 48) is picked, and the lever member 40 is rotated as shown in FIG. When the lever member 40 is thus rotated, the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1 is first guided along the effective portion 44a while being received by the effective portion 44a of the first fitting guiding portion 44. . As a result, the guided portion 12 is guided in the connector fitting direction with a fitting force larger than the operating force of the lever member 40, whereby the first connector C1 is fitted to the mating connector C10 toward the fully fitted state. The match starts. When the lever member 40 is turned to a position substantially parallel to or close to the connector fitting direction, as shown in FIG. 6B, the first connector C1 and the mating connector C10 are completely fitted. It will be in a combined state (this fitting state).

  When the lever member 40 is further rotated, the guided portion 15 of the second connector C2 is then received by the second fitting guiding portion 45 of the lever member 40 as shown in FIG. Then, the guidance of the guided part 15 by the second fitting guiding part 45 is started. Thereby, fitting of the 2nd connector C2 with respect to the other party connector C10 is started toward this fitting state. At this stage, the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1 has moved to the position of the ineffective portion 44b in the first fitting guiding portion 44. As described above, the ineffective portion 44b is formed so as to allow the guided portion 12 to escape with the rotation of the lever member 40. Therefore, even if the lever member 40 is continuously subjected to a rotation operation, the first connector Unnecessary force does not act on C1 (guided portion 12).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the lever member 40 is rotated by approximately 180 ° from the initial movable angle position and is subjected to a rotation operation to a position where it comes into contact with the restricting portion 33b, as shown in FIG. The 2nd connector C2 and the other party connector C10 will be in a perfect fitting state. Thus, the fitting operation between the first and second connectors C1 and C2 and the mating connector C10 is completed. When the fitting operation is completed as described above, the lever member 40 is accommodated in the lever accommodating chamber 32 except for the end portion on the operation portion 48 side, as shown in FIG.

  Here, the fitting operation between the connectors C1 and C2 and the mating connector C10 has been described. However, if the lever member 40 is rotated in the reverse direction from the connector fitting state shown in FIG. The connectors C1 and C2 can be separated from the mating connector C10 in the reverse procedure. Also in this case, the connectors C1 and C2 can be separated from the mating connector C10 with a relatively low operating force as in the case of the connector fitting.

  According to the electrical connecting device as described above, the first and second connectors C1 and C2 are fitted to the mating connector C10 with a relatively low operating force by rotating the lever member 40 (main fitting). Combined).

  In addition, in this electrical connection device, the plurality of connectors are not held in advance in the lever member (collection frame) as in the conventional device, but the first and second connectors C1 and C2 are independent of the lever member 40. Yes. Therefore, it is possible to insert terminals (electric wires) or the like into the individual connectors C1 and C2 alone, whereby the insertion work can be performed smoothly. Moreover, at the time of connector fitting work, if the first and second connectors C1 and C2 are temporarily fitted to the mating connector C10, then the lever member 40 can be simply rotated from this state. The connectors C1 and C2 can be easily fitted to the mating connector C10 with a relatively low operating force. In other words, unlike the conventional device, there is no need to further guide each connector to the mating recess of the mating connector while operating the lever member (aggregate frame). Compared with the apparatus, the connector fitting operation can be performed more easily and smoothly.

  Further, the mating connector C10 of the electrical connecting device has the housing 20 so that the lever member 40 is plate-shaped as described above, and the lever member 40 is substantially parallel to the side wall along the side wall of the housing 20. Therefore, the overall structure is very compact while having a function of fitting the plurality of connectors C1 and C2 with a low operating force.

  In addition, since the lever member 40 is disposed in the lever accommodating chamber 32 of the housing 20 and is rotatably supported by the support shaft 34 while being sandwiched between the inner wall 30a and the support shaft 34, the lever member 40 is stably provided. A rotation operation can be performed. That is, since the lever member 40 rotates along the wall surface of the inner wall 30a, the lever member 40 is very stable and can be rotated smoothly.

  Furthermore, the lever member 40 is supported in the lever accommodating chamber 32 of the housing 20, and in a state where the connector fitting operation has been completed, many portions of the lever member 40 except for the end on the operation unit 48 side are levers. It is accommodated in the accommodation chamber 32 (see FIG. 7B). Therefore, after the connector is fitted, the inconvenience that the lever member 40 is unexpectedly operated due to contact between the lever member 40 and the outside can be suppressed, and the lever member 40 can be protected from damage due to the contact. is there.

(Second Embodiment)
8 and 9 schematically show an electrical connection apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The basic configuration of the electrical connection device of the second embodiment is the same as that of the electrical connection device of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, in the following description, parts common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Thus, the description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described in detail.

  As shown in the figure, the electrical connection device of the second embodiment includes a third connector C3 in addition to the first and second connectors C1 and C2 as a connector fitted to the mating connector C10. The third connector C3 has the same configuration as the other connectors C1 and C2. That is, the third connector C3 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped male connector housing 16 (hereinafter referred to as an insulating resin material) in which a plurality of female terminals (not shown) and a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 16a are formed. And a plurality of female terminals attached to the ends of the electric wires 17 are respectively held in the terminal accommodating chambers 16a. Further, a guided portion 18 guided by the lever member 40 is provided on one side surface of the housing 16.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the fitting recesses 22 and 23 of the first and second connectors C1 and C2, the housing 20 of the mating connector C10 has a third fitting in which the third connector C3 can be fitted. A combined recess 24 is formed. These fitting recesses 22 to 24 are arranged in a line. A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 24a are formed in the inner bottom portion of the third fitting recess 24, and a plurality of male terminals (not shown) attached to the ends of the electric wires 27 are respectively tab-shaped contacts. Each piece is accommodated in each terminal accommodating chamber 24a in a state of protruding into the fitting recess 24. A slit 38 for releasing the guided portion 18 of the third connector C3 is formed in the inner wall 30a at a position corresponding to the third fitting recess 24 in accordance with the connector fitting.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the lever member 40 does not include the shaft hole 42 or the guide groove 42 a as in the first embodiment, but instead has one end in the longitudinal direction (one end opposite to the operation unit 48). ) Includes a shaft portion 41 extending in the thickness direction of the lever member 40. That is, the lever member 40 of the second embodiment is rotatably supported by the housing 20 via the shaft portion 41. Specifically, of the opposing surfaces of the inner wall 30a and the outer wall 30b forming the lever accommodating chamber 32, one end of the housing 20 in the longitudinal direction (the end on the first fitting recess 22 side) is the shaft portion. As shown in FIG. 9, the shaft portion 41 of the lever member 40 is inserted into the support grooves 39 from the upper side of the housing 20 (upper side in the same figure), as shown in FIG. 9. The lever member 40 is rotatably supported by the housing 20. Therefore, the support shaft 34 as in the first embodiment is not formed in the housing 20.

  In the lever member 40, between the shaft portion 41 and the operation portion 48, first to first guide portions 12, 15 and 18 of the connectors C1 to C3 are sequentially provided from the shaft portion 41 side. Third fitting guiding portions 44 to 46 are formed in this order. Each of these fitting guide portions 44 to 46 is common to the first embodiment in that it is constituted by a groove portion into which the guided portions 12, 15, 18 can be engaged. However, the first fitting guide portion 44 is not spiral as in the embodiment, but has a shape that traverses the lever member 40 in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 11). Of these, the lower side is an effective part 44 a that substantially guides the guided part 12, and the upper side is an ineffective part 44 b that allows the guided part 12 to escape. The second fitting guide portion 45 is formed so as to extend from the lower end of the lever member 40 toward the upper end, and a lower effective portion 45a that substantially guides the guided portion 15 and the effective portion 45a. And an upper ineffective portion 45b that allows the guided portion 15 to escape as the lever member 40 rotates. On the other hand, the third fitting guide portion 46 is formed to extend from the lower end of the lever member 40 toward the upper end. The first fitting guiding portion 44 (effective portion 44a), the second fitting guiding portion 45 (effective portion 45a), and the third fitting guiding portion 46 each correspond to a force larger than the operating force received by the lever member 40. The guided portion to be guided is guided in the connector fitting direction.

  A locking portion 49 for locking the lever is formed at a position between the third fitting guide portion 46 and the operation portion 48 on the side surface of the lever member 40 (side surface on the outer wall 30b side). The locking portion 49 is formed by a protruding portion protruding from the side surface, and when the lever member 40 reaches a position where connector fitting is completed, a locking hole 52 (see FIG. 8) formed in the outer wall 30b. Engaging the lever member 40 to the housing 20 (see FIG. 10).

  Next, the point of the fitting operation | work with the connectors C1-C3 and the other party connector C10 in the electrical connection apparatus of this 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated using FIGS. 12-14.

  In this electrical connection device, the connectors C1 to C3 are inserted into the fitting recesses 22 to 24 of the housing 20 with the lever member 40 removed from the mating connector C10. As a result, the connectors C1 to C3 and the mating connector C10 are brought into a temporarily fitted state. In this state, the lever member 40 is attached to the housing 20 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the shaft portion 41 of the lever member 40 is inserted into the support groove 39 of the lever housing chamber 32 in a state where the lever member 40 extends substantially in the connector fitting direction (a state indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure). To do.

  Next, with this position as the initial rotation angle position, the lever member 40 is rotated from this position. When the lever member 40 is thus rotated, first, the guided portion 12 of the first connector C1 is received by the effective portion 44a of the first fitting guiding portion 44 as shown in FIG. While being guided along the effective portion 44a, the guided portion 12 is guided in the connector fitting direction with a fitting force larger than the operating force of the lever member 40. Thereby, fitting of the 1st connector C1 with respect to the other party connector C10 is started toward this fitting state.

  Then, when the first connector C1 and the mating connector C10 are in a completely fitted state, the guided portion 15 of the second connector C2 is then fitted into the second fitting of the lever member 40 at the same time or at a later timing. Accepted by the effective portion 45a of the combined guiding portion 45, the guidance of the guided portion 15 by the second fitting guiding portion 45 is started (FIG. 13A). Thereby, the guided portion 15 is guided in the connector fitting direction with a fitting force larger than the operating force of the lever member 40, and the fitting of the second connector C2 to the mating connector C10 is started toward the main fitting state. Is done.

  Further, at the same time as the second connector C2 and the mating connector C10 are completely fitted or at a later timing, the guided portion 18 of the third connector C3 is then fitted into the third fitting of the lever member 40. The guiding part 46 is received, and the guidance of the guided part 18 by the third fitting guiding part 46 is started (FIG. 13B). Accordingly, the guided portion 18 is guided in the connector fitting direction with a fitting force larger than the operating force of the lever member 40, and the fitting of the third connector C3 to the mating connector C10 is started toward the main fitting state. Is done.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 14, when the lever member 40 is rotated to a position where it abuts against the restricting portion 33b, the third connector C3 and the mating connector C10 are completely fitted as shown in FIG. It becomes a state. Thereby, the fitting operation | work with the 1st-3rd connectors C1-C3 and the other party connector C10 is completed. In the state where the fitting operation is completed in this way, as shown in the figure, most of the lever member 40 is accommodated in the lever accommodating chamber 32 except for the end on the operation unit 48 side. The lever member 40 is locked (locked) to the housing 20 by the locking portion 49 engaging with the locking hole 52.

  Here, the fitting operation between the connectors C1 to C3 and the mating connector C10 has been described. However, if the lever member 40 is rotated in the reverse direction from the connector fitting state shown in FIG. Thus, the connectors C1 to C3 can be separated from the mating connector C10. Also in this case, the connectors C1 to C3 can be separated from the mating connector C10 with a relatively low operating force as in the case of the connector fitting.

  Also in the electrical connection device of the second embodiment as described above, the first to third connectors C1 to C3 are respectively connected by rotating the lever member 40 in the same manner as the electrical connection device of the first embodiment. The mating connector C10 can be fitted (mainly fitted) with a relatively low operating force, and the same effects as the electrical connection device of the first embodiment can be enjoyed. Moreover, according to the electrical connecting device of the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12A to 14, the rotation operation angle of the lever member 40 is approximately 90 °. Compared to the electrical connection device, there is an advantage that the connectors C1 to C3 can be fitted to the mating connector C10 with a smaller operation amount.

  In addition, about the electrical connection apparatus of this 2nd Embodiment, it is also possible to employ | adopt a structure as shown in FIG. In the electrical connection device shown in the figure, the lever member 40 of the mating connector C10 has a configuration including a pair of unit lever members 40a and 40b and the operation portion 48 that connects one end of these. Each unit lever member 40a, 40b includes a shaft portion 41, and first to third fitting guide portions 44, 45, 46 are formed on opposing surfaces of the unit lever members 40a, 40b, respectively. ing.

  The housing 20 of the mating connector C10 includes a pair of lever housing chambers 32 positioned on both sides of the fitting recesses 22 to 24 as the lever housing chamber 32, and the lever member 40 includes unit lever members 40a and 40b. The shaft portions 41 are inserted into the support grooves 39 in the lever housing chamber 32, so that the shaft portions 41 are rotatably supported by the housing 20.

  The first connector C1 is a pair of guided portions 12 that can be guided by the fitting guide portions 44 formed in the unit lever members 40a and 40b of the lever member 40 as the guided portions 12, respectively. It has. The same applies to the second connector C2 and the third connector C3.

  According to such an electrical connection device, each connector C1 (guided portion 12) or the like can be guided at positions on both sides of the housing 10 or the like, and therefore, as shown in FIG. Compared to the case where the connector C1 is guided at a position on one side of the housing 10 or the like, there is an advantage that the connectors C1 to C3 can be more stably and smoothly fitted to the mating connector C10. In this electrical connection device, the electric wires 11, 14, and 17 of the first to third connectors C1 to C3 are connected to the unit lever members 40a and 40b of the lever member 40 when the lever member 40 is attached to the housing 20. Just keep it in between.

  By the way, the electrical connection apparatus of each embodiment mentioned above is an illustration of preferable embodiment of the electrical connection apparatus of this invention, The concrete structure can be suitably changed in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

  For example, in the electrical connection device of the first embodiment, after the induction of the first connector C1 (guided portion 12) is completed, that is, after the first connector C1 is fully fitted to the mating connector C10, the second connector C2 is used. The lever member 40 is formed so that the guidance of the (guided portion 15) is started, but the lever member 40 is formed so that the guidance of the second connector C2 is started during the guidance of the first connector C1. May be. However, in order to fit the connectors C1 and C2 to the mating connector C10 with a lower operating force, the configuration in which the guidance of the second connector C2 is started after the guidance of the first connector C1 is completed as in the above embodiment. Is desirable. This also applies to the relationship between the first connector C1 and the second connector C2 and the relationship between the second connector C2 and the third connector C3 of the electrical connection device of the second embodiment.

  In the electrical connection device of the second embodiment, the first to third connectors C1 to C3 are configured to be fitted to one counterpart connector C10, but four or more connectors are fitted to the counterpart connector C10. It may be configured to be combined.

  Moreover, in each said embodiment, although the other party connector C10 is a connector provided in the terminal of a wiring material (electric wire), this other party connector C10 is a connector mounted (fixed) on a printed circuit board etc. Also good.

10, 13, 16 Connector housing 12, 15, 18 Guided portion 40 Lever member 44 First fitting guiding portion 45 Second fitting guiding portion 46 Third fitting guiding portion C1 First connector C2 Second connector C3 Third Connector C10 Mating connector C

Claims (6)

An electrical connection device for electrical connection by fitting between connectors,
A first connector and a second connector each having a connector housing;
A connector housing in which the connector housings of the first and second connectors can be fitted in a state in which the first and second connectors are arranged in parallel, and a lever that is rotatably supported by the connector housing. A mating connector having a member,
The lever member has a first fitting guiding portion for guiding the first connector in the connector fitting direction and a second for guiding the second connector in the connector fitting direction when the lever member receives a turning operation. Having a fitting guide,
The connector housing of the one connector includes a first guided portion that can be engaged with the first fitting guide portion of the lever member,
The connector housing of the two connectors includes a second guided portion that can be engaged with a second fitting guide portion of the lever member,
In the first fitting guiding portion, the first connector and the second connector are each in a predetermined temporary fitting state with respect to the mating connector, and the lever member is moved from a predetermined initial rotation angle position. By receiving a turning operation, a force larger than the operating force received by the lever member as the lever member rotates so that the first connector and the mating connector are in a completely fitted state. Formed to guide the first guided portion;
The second fitting guide part starts guiding the second guided part at a timing later than the start of guiding the first guided part with the rotation of the lever member, and the second The second guided portion is configured to be guided with a force larger than an operation force received by the lever member so that the connector and the mating connector are in a completely fitted state. Electrical connection device. The electrical connection device according to claim 1,
The first guided portion and the second guided portion are protrusions that project from the side surfaces of the connector housings of the first connector and the second connector,
The electrical connection device, wherein the first fitting guide portion and the second fitting guide portion are grooves that can be engaged with the protrusions. The electrical connection device according to claim 1 or 2,
The lever member has a plate-like shape extending along the side wall of the connector housing of the mating connector, substantially parallel to the side wall, and extending in the direction in which the first and second connectors are fitted to the connector housing. The electrical connecting device is supported by the side wall at a position of one end in the longitudinal direction of the lever member so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the thickness direction of the lever member. The electrical connection device according to claim 3.
The connector housing of the mating connector includes a lever housing chamber having a flat cross-sectional shape in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first and second connectors,
The lever member has an end on the one side positioned in the lever housing chamber, and is a side wall forming the lever housing chamber, and a pair of side walls opposed in the orthogonal direction are used as the side walls of the connector housing. When the lever member is turned to a position that is supported between the side walls and the first and second connectors are fully engaged with the mating connector, the one side of the lever member The electrical connection device is characterized in that a portion other than the end portion on the opposite side of the end portion is accommodated in the lever accommodating chamber. In the electrical connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the connector housing of the mating connector, the lever member is subjected to a turning operation until the first and second connectors are completely fitted to the mating connector, whereby the lever member is moved to the connector housing. An electrical connection device comprising a locking portion that locks to the electrical connection device. The electrical connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The lever member can be disposed at the initial rotation angle position after the first connector and the second connector are temporarily engaged with the connector housing of the mating connector. The electrical connection device is provided so as to be detachable from the connector housing.

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