JP2017188390A - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector assembly capable of regulating movement of a slider even when an unexpected external force acts on a lever during assembly work and avoiding damage of a mating connector or the like when fitting the mating connector to a connector.SOLUTION: A mating connector 500 comprises a first pressing part 520. A connector 100 comprises a housing-side regulation part 220, a lever 300 and a slider 400. The slider 400 includes a regulated part 450. In a state where the mating connector 500 is not fitted to the connector 100, when the lever 300 is located at a first position, the housing-side regulation part 220 is engaged with the regulated part 450, thereby regulating forward movement of the slider 400. When fitting the mating connector 500 to the connector 100, the first pressing part 520 presses the housing-side regulation part 220 or the regulated part 450, thereby cancelling the regulation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector assembly including a connector and a mating connector.

  Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector assembly 900 including a connector 910 and a mating connector 960 that can be fitted to and removed from the connector 910. The mating connector 960 includes a boss 965, that is, a force receiving portion 965. The connector 910 includes a housing 920, a lever 930, a pair of sliders 940, and a wire cover 950. The lever 930 is attached to the electric wire cover 950 so as to be rotatable between a fitting start position (first position) and a fitting completion position (second position). Protrusions 955 for temporarily locking the lever 930 at the fitting start position (first position) are provided on both side surfaces of the wire cover 950. The slider 940 is provided with a cam groove 945 into which the force receiving portion 965 of the mating connector 960 is inserted and engaged with the mating connector 960, that is, a force transmitting portion 945. When the lever 930 is rotated from the first position over the protrusion 955 to the second position, the slider 940 moves to the + Y side in the Y direction. When the lever 930 is rotated from the second position over the protrusion 955 to the first position, the slider 940 moves to the −Y side in the Y direction. When the connector 910 and the mating connector 960 are fitted together, when the lever 930 is moved from the first position over the protrusion 955 to the second position, the force transmitting portion 945 of the slider 940 becomes the force receiving portion of the mating connector 960. 965 is moved to the + Z side in the Z direction, whereby the connector 910 and the mating connector 960 are in a fitted state. When the lever 930 is moved from the second position over the protrusion 955 to the first position in the fitted state between the connector 910 and the mating connector 960, the force transmitting portion 945 of the slider 940 is moved to the force receiving portion 965 of the mating connector 960. Is moved to the −Z side in the Z direction, so that the connector 910 and the mating connector 960 can be removed.

JP-A-2015-122182

  In the connector assembly 900 of Patent Document 1, if an inadvertent external force is applied to the lever 930 during the assembly operation, the temporary locking by the protrusion 955 of the lever 930 is released, and the slider 940 moves to the + Y side in the Y direction. There is a possibility that. Further, when the mating connector 960 and the connector 910 are fitted in a state where the temporary locking is released, the slider 940 and the force receiving portion 965 of the mating connector 960 come into contact with each other, and the mating connector 960 or the like is damaged. There is a fear.

  Therefore, the present invention can regulate the movement of the slider even when an inadvertent external force acts on the lever during the assembly work, and the mating connector is damaged when the mating connector is fitted to the connector. An object is to provide a connector assembly that can be avoided.

The present invention provides a first connector assembly as
A connector assembly comprising a connector and a mating connector that can be fitted and removed along the vertical direction with the connector,
The counterpart connector includes a force receiving portion and a first pressing portion,
The connector includes a housing, a lever, and a slider,
The housing is provided with a housing side restricting portion,
The lever is attached to the housing so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position;
The slider is attached to the housing so as to be movable in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction,
The lever has a gear portion having a plurality of teeth,
The slider has a rack portion having a plurality of teeth, a force transmission portion, and a regulated portion,
The gear portion and the rack portion mesh with each other to convert rotation of the lever into movement of the slider in the front-rear direction.
The force transmission unit transmits the force in the vertical direction to the force receiving unit of the mating connector by the movement of the slider in the front-rear direction.
When the lever rotates from the first position to the second position, the slider moves forward in the front-rear direction, and the force transmitting portion moves the force receiving portion of the mating connector in the up-down direction. In the above, the connector and the mating connector are in a fitted state,
When the lever rotates from the second position to the first position, the slider moves rearward in the front-rear direction, and the force transmitting portion moves the force receiving portion of the mating connector in the up-down direction. In this way, the connector and the mating connector can be removed,
When the lever is in the first position in a state where the mating connector and the connector are not fitted, the housing-side restricting portion engages with the restricted portion to move the slider forward. Restricting movement,
When the mating connector and the connector are fitted, the first pressing portion presses the housing side restricting portion or the restricted portion, thereby releasing the restriction by the housing side restricting portion. I will provide a.

Moreover, this invention is a 1st connector assembly as a 2nd connector assembly,
The first pressing portion provides a connector assembly that performs the pressing against the regulated portion.

Moreover, this invention is a 2nd connector assembly as a 3rd connector assembly,
The slider further includes an elastically deformable arm portion,
The regulated portion is provided at a tip of the arm portion, and provides a connector assembly that is movable in a width direction orthogonal to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction.

Moreover, this invention is a 3rd connector assembly as a 4th connector assembly,
The arm portion provides a connector assembly extending rearward in the front-rear direction.

Moreover, this invention is a connector assembly in any one of 2nd-4th as a 5th connector assembly,
The mating connector further includes a cam projection and a second pressing portion,
The cam protrusion functions as the force receiving portion,
The slider further includes a slider-side pressed portion and a cam groove,
The slider-side pressed portion has a slope that obliquely crosses both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction,
The cam groove functions as the force transmission portion,
When the mating connector moves upward when the mating connector is mated with the connector, the second pressing portion is pressed against the slider side pressed after the regulation of the housing side regulating portion is released. A connector assembly is provided in which the slider is moved forward by pressing the slope of the portion.

Moreover, this invention is a 3rd or 4th connector assembly as a 6th connector assembly,
The mating connector further includes a second pressing portion,
The slider further includes a slider side restricting portion,
The slider side regulating portion has a plane orthogonal to the up and down direction,
When the mating connector moves upward when the mating connector is mated with the connector, after the regulation of the housing side regulation portion is released, the slider moves a predetermined amount forward, Provided is a connector assembly in which the upward movement of the mating connector is restricted when the second pressing portion abuts against the flat surface of the slider side restricting portion.

Moreover, this invention is a 6th connector assembly as a 7th connector assembly,
The housing has a flat portion;
The flat portion is located in front of the housing side regulating portion in the front-rear direction,
When the slider is moved forward by the predetermined amount, the regulated portion and the flat portion are aligned in the width direction, and the arm portion is elastically deformed.

Moreover, this invention is a 7th connector assembly as an 8th connector assembly,
The housing has a hole penetrating in the width direction,
The hole is located in front of the flat portion in the front-rear direction,
When the lever is rotated from the first position to the second position after the slider has moved forward by the predetermined amount, the restricted portion is located in the hole in the front-rear direction, and The arm portion provides a connector assembly that is not elastically deformed.

Further, the present invention is any one of the second to fourth connector assemblies as the ninth connector assembly,
The mating connector further includes a second pressing portion,
The slider further includes a slider-side pressed portion and a slider-side regulating portion,
The regulated part, the slider-side pressed part, and the slider-side regulated part are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction,
The first pressing part and the second pressing part are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction,
When the mating connector moves upward when the mating connector is mated with the connector, the second pressing portion is pressed against the slider side pressed after the regulation of the housing side regulating portion is released. By moving the slider forward by a predetermined amount by pressing the part,
Provided is a connector assembly in which, after the slider has moved forward by the predetermined amount, the second pressing portion abuts against the slider-side restricting portion, whereby the upward movement of the mating connector is restricted.

Moreover, this invention is a 5th connector assembly as a 10th connector assembly,
The slider includes a pair of side plate portions,
Each of the side plate portions is provided with two cam grooves,
The two cam grooves provide a connector assembly aligned in the front-rear direction.

Further, the present invention is any one of the second to tenth connector assemblies as the eleventh connector assembly,
Each of the regulated portion and the first pressing portion has a contact portion that contacts each other when the mating connector and the connector are fitted,
At least one of the contact parts of the regulated part and the contact part of the first pressing part has a slope,
The inclined surface provides a connector assembly that is inclined so as to move the regulated portion in an intersecting direction intersecting the front-rear direction when the mating connector is fitted to the connector.

Further, the present invention is any one of the second to tenth connector assemblies as the twelfth connector assembly,
The regulated portion has a locking projection, and the locking projection protrudes inward in the width direction orthogonal to both the front-rear direction and the vertical direction,
The locking protrusion provides a connector assembly having a lower surface obliquely intersecting both the vertical direction and the width direction.

Moreover, this invention is a 12th connector assembly as a 13th connector assembly,
The locking protrusion provides a connector assembly having a rear surface obliquely intersecting both the front-rear direction and the width direction.

Further, the present invention is a twelfth or thirteenth connector assembly as the fourteenth connector assembly,
There is provided a connector assembly in which an angle formed between a front surface of the locking protrusion and the front-rear direction is 90 ° or less.

In addition, the present invention provides any one of the first to fourteenth connector assemblies as the fifteenth connector assembly,
The housing includes a housing body and a cover portion,
The cover portion is attached to the housing body,
The lever and the slider provide a connector assembly attached to the housing body.

Further, the present invention provides a fifteenth connector assembly as the sixteenth connector assembly,
The cover part is provided with an initial position restricting part,
When the lever is located at the first position, the initial position restricting portion provides a connector assembly that restricts forward movement of the lever in the front-rear direction.

  In the connector assembly of the present invention, when the lever is in the first position in a state where the mating connector and the connector are not fitted, the housing side regulating portion and the regulated portion are engaged, Forward movement is restricted. This prevents the slider from moving even if an inadvertent external force acts on the lever during assembly work. When the mating connector and connector are mated, the connector slider and the mating connector abut against each other. Damage to connectors etc. can be avoided.

1 is a side view showing a connector assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Here, the lever of the connector is located at the first position. In the drawing, a part of the lever is indicated by a dotted line. It is a perspective view which shows the connector contained in the connector assembly of FIG. Here, the lever of the connector is located at the first position. It is a bottom view which shows the connector of FIG. In the figure, a part of the connector is shown enlarged. It is a side view which shows the connector of FIG. In the figure, a part of the lever is indicated by a dotted line. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector of FIG. 4 along the AA line. It is another perspective view which shows the connector of FIG. Here, the lever of the connector is located at the second position. It is a bottom view which shows the connector of FIG. In the drawing, a part of the connector is shown enlarged. It is a side view which shows the connector of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector of FIG. 8 along the BB line. It is a perspective view which shows the other party connector contained in the connector assembly of FIG. It is another perspective view which shows the other party connector of FIG. It is a top view which shows the other party connector of FIG. It is a side view which shows the other party connector of FIG. It is a rear view which shows the other party connector of FIG. It is another perspective view which shows the other party connector of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the slider contained in the connector of FIG. It is a side view which shows the slider of FIG. It is another perspective view which shows the slider of FIG. It is a bottom view which shows the slider of FIG. It is a rear view which shows the slider of FIG. It is a side view which shows the connector contained in the connector assembly by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Here, the lever of the connector is located at the first position. In the drawing, a part of the lever is indicated by a dotted line. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector of FIG. 21 along CC line. FIG. 22 is another side view showing the connector of FIG. 21. Here, the lever of the connector is located at the second position. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector of FIG. 23 along DD line. 10 is a perspective view showing a connector assembly of Patent Document 1. FIG. Here, the connector and the mating connector included in the connector assembly are not fitted, and the lever of the connector is located at the first position. FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the connector assembly of FIG. 25. Here, the connector and the mating connector are fitted, and the lever of the connector is located at the second position.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the connector assembly 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a connector 100 and a mating connector 500. The mating connector 500 can be fitted to and removed from the connector 100 along the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the vertical direction is the Z direction. The upper direction is the + Z direction, and the lower direction is the -Z direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, the mating connector 500 according to the present embodiment includes a mating connector housing 505 and a plurality of male terminals 550. The mating connector housing 505 of this embodiment is integrally formed of resin. The male terminal 550 is made of metal.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, the mating connector housing 505 includes a surrounding portion 507, a terminal holding portion 508, and a bottom portion accommodating portion 509.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, the surrounding portion 507 is located above the terminal holding portion 508 in the vertical direction. The surrounding part 507 surrounds the bottom accommodating part 509 in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the plane orthogonal to the vertical direction is the XY plane. The surrounding portion 507 has two short wall portions 512 and two long wall portions 514. The two short wall portions 512 are opposed to each other in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the up-down direction. Here, in the present embodiment, the front-rear direction is the Y direction. The front is the + Y direction, and the rear is the -Y direction. The two long wall portions 514 face each other in the width direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. Here, in the present embodiment, the width direction is the X direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, two cam projections (force receiving portions) 510, a first pressing portion 520, and a second pressing portion 530 are provided on the outer surfaces of the long wall portions 514. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, each of the cam protrusions 510 functions as a force receiving portion 510. Each of the cam protrusions (force receiving portions) 510 protrudes outward in the width direction from the outer surface of the long wall portion 514 and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The first pressing portion 520 has a substantially trapezoidal cross section in a plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction, and protrudes outward in the width direction from the outer surface of the long wall portion 514. In the present embodiment, the plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction is the XZ plane. The first pressing portion 520 has a slope (contact portion) 522 that obliquely crosses both the vertical direction and the width direction. The slope 522 extends downward and outward in the width direction from the upper end of the first pressing portion 520. The second pressing portion 530 is a plane orthogonal to the up-down direction and has a front end 532. Further, the second pressing portion 530 protrudes outward in the width direction from the outer surface of the long wall portion 514. The 1st press part 520 and the 2nd press part 530 are arrange | positioned along with this order in the front-back direction. That is, the 1st press part 520 is located ahead of the 2nd press part 530 in the front-back direction. Thereby, the size in the width direction of connector 100 can be made smaller than arranging the 1st press part 520 and the 2nd press part 530 in the width direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, the bottom accommodating portion 509 has an opening 516 in the upper direction in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, the male terminal 550 has a substantially L shape as a whole, and has a contact portion 552 and a fixed portion 554. The contact portion 552 is near the upper end of the male terminal 550, and the fixed portion 554 is the −X side end portion of the male terminal 550. Each male terminal 550 is held by the terminal holding portion 508 of the mating connector housing 505. The fixed portion 554 is soldered to a circuit board (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, the connector 100 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 200, a lever 300, a slider 400, and a plurality of female terminals 218. The housing 200, the lever 300, and the slider 400 are made of resin, and the female terminal 218 is made of metal.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, and 8, the housing 200 includes a housing main body 210 and a cover portion 250.

  As shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 9, the housing main body 210 includes an outer peripheral portion 219, an enclosure portion accommodating portion 211, a bottom portion 212, two housing side regulating portions 220, two flat portions 230, Two holes 240 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, the outer peripheral portion 219 defines the outer edge of the housing main body 210 in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the enclosure portion accommodating portion 211 is defined in the plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. Besieged. In the present embodiment, the plane orthogonal to the vertical direction is the XY plane.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 16, the surrounding portion accommodating portion 211 accommodates the surrounding portion 507 of the mating connector 500 and surrounds the bottom portion 212 in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 16, the bottom 212 is accommodated in the bottom accommodating portion 509 of the mating connector 500. The bottom 212 is positioned at the lower end of the housing main body 210 in the vertical direction, and a plurality of receiving portions 215 are provided. The receiving part 215 is a hole penetrating in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, near the both ends in the width direction of the housing main body 210, a combination of the housing side restriction portion 220, the flat portion 230, and the hole portion 240 is arranged one by one. Yes. The flat part 230 is a plane orthogonal to the width direction, and is located in front of the housing side restricting part 220 in the front-rear direction. The hole portion 240 communicates with the surrounding portion accommodating portion 211 in the width direction, and is positioned in front of the flat portion 230 in the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, and 8, the cover portion 250 is positioned above the housing body 210 in the vertical direction and is attached to the housing body 210. The cover portion 250 is provided with two initial position restricting portions 252 and a cover portion opening 254. The initial position restricting portion 252 extends rearward in the front-rear direction from both ends of the cover opening 254 in the width direction, and protrudes outward in the width direction.

  As can be understood from FIGS. 2, 4, 6, and 8, the lever 300 is attached to the housing body 210 of the housing 200 so as to be rotatable between the first position and the second position. Yes. Here, the position of the lever 300 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is the first position, and the position of the lever 300 shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 is the second position. The lever 300 includes two gear portions 310, two arm portions 314, and a connecting portion 316. The gear unit 310 has a plurality of teeth 312. The gear portions 310 are connected to the lower ends of the arm portions 314, respectively. The connecting portion 316 connects the upper ends of the arm portions 314 to each other. When the lever 300 is located at the first position, the initial position restricting portion 252 of the cover portion 250 restricts the forward movement of the lever 300 in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the rear end of the initial position restricting portion 252 is disposed so as to be located immediately before the front edge of the arm portion 314 when the lever 300 is located at the first position.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 6, 9, and 16 to 20, the slider 400 is attached to the housing main body 210 of the housing 200 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The slider 400 includes a pair of side plate portions 410. The side plate portions 410 are respectively located on the inner side in the width direction of the outer peripheral portion 219 of the housing main body 210, and are respectively located on the outer side in the width direction of the surrounding portion accommodating portion 211. Each of the side plate portions 410 includes a rack portion 420 having a plurality of teeth 422, two cam grooves 430, an arm portion accommodating portion 444, an arm portion fixing portion 442, an arm portion 440, and a slider-side pressed portion 470. And a slider-side regulating portion 480 and a regulated portion 450. Note that the side plate portion 410 of the present embodiment is integrally formed of resin, so that the number of parts is reduced.

  As can be understood from FIGS. 3, 4, 7, and 16 to 20, the teeth 422 of the rack portion 420 of the slider 400 and the teeth 312 of the gear portion 310 of the lever 300 are engaged with each other. The rotation of 300 is converted into the movement of the slider 400 in the front-rear direction. Since the lever 300 is attached to the housing body 210 as described above, the gear portion 310 of the lever 300 restricts the upward movement of the slider 400.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the two cam grooves (force transmission portions) 430 of the side plate portion 410 are arranged in the front-rear direction. Each of the cam grooves (force transmission portions) 430 has an opening 432 below in the vertical direction, and extends rearward and upward from the opening 432. Each of the cam grooves 430 functions as a force transmission unit 430. That is, the cam groove (force transmission portion) 430 transmits a force in the vertical direction to the cam protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 of the mating connector 500 when the slider 400 moves in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the cam groove (force transmitting portion) 430 accommodates the cam protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 of the mating connector 500 from the opening 432 when the slider 400 moves forward, and the slider 400 moves backward. The cam projection (force receiving portion) 510 of the mating connector 500 is moved toward the opening 432 by moving to the opening 432.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the arm portion accommodating portion 444 is a concave portion that is recessed outward in the width direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the arm portion 440 extends rearward from the rear end of the arm portion fixing portion 442 and is elastically deformable. The arm portion 440 is located on the inner side in the width direction of the inner surface of the arm portion accommodating portion 444.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the slider-side pressed portion 470 has a slope 472 that obliquely crosses both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. More specifically, the slope 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470 extends rearward and upward from the rear end of the arm portion accommodating portion 444.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the slider side restricting portion 480 has a flat surface 482 orthogonal to the vertical direction. The flat surface 482 of the slider side restricting portion 480 has a front end 484 connected to the rear end of the slope 472 of the slider side pressed portion 470 in the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the restricted portion 450 is provided at the rear end of the arm portion 440 in the front-rear direction and is movable in the width direction. The regulated portion 450 has a locking projection 460. The locking protrusion 460 protrudes inward in the width direction. The locking protrusion 460 has a lower surface (contact portion) 461, a rear surface 462, a front surface 463, and a side surface 464. The lower surface (contact portion) 461 is located at the lower end of the locking projection 460 in the up-down direction, and obliquely intersects with both the up-down direction and the width direction. The rear surface 462 is located at the rear end of the locking projection 460 in the front-rear direction and obliquely crosses both the front-rear direction and the width direction. The front surface 463 is a plane that intersects with the front-rear direction, and is located at the front end of the locking projection 460 in the front-rear direction. The angle formed between the front surface 463 of the locking projection 460 and the front-rear direction is 90 ° or less. The side surface 464 is a plane orthogonal to the width direction, and is located at the inner end in the width direction of the locking projection 460.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the regulated portion 450, the slider-side pressed portion 470, and the slider-side regulated portion 480 are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the regulated portion 450 is positioned in front of the slider-side pressed portion 470 in the front-rear direction, and the slider-side pressed portion 470 is positioned in front of the slider-side regulated portion 480 in the front-back direction. ing. Thereby, the size in the width direction of connector 100 can be made smaller than arranging restricted part 450, slider side pressed part 470, and slider side restricting part 480 in the width direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, the female terminal 218 is a contact portion of the male terminal 550 of the mating connector 500 when the mating connector 500 and the connector 100 are fitted together. 552 is in contact with it. The female terminals 218 are respectively held in the receiving portions 215 of the bottom portion 212 of the housing main body 210.

  1, 3, 5, 7, 9 to 11, and 16 to 20, the mating operation between the mating connector 500 and the connector 100 is performed as described below. .

  First, when the lever 300 is in the first position in a state where the mating connector 500 and the connector 100 are not fitted, the housing-side restricting portion 220 is engaged with the restricted portion 450 to the front of the slider 400. Is restricted from moving. More specifically, in the above-described state, the rear surface 222 of the housing-side regulating portion 220 is in contact with the front surface 463 of the locking protrusion 460 of the regulated portion 450, and the forward movement of the regulated portion 450 is prevented. Yes. As a result, the forward movement of the slider 400 is restricted.

  Next, by moving the mating connector 500 upward with respect to the connector 100, the surrounding portion 507 of the mating connector housing 505 of the mating connector 500 is accommodated in the surrounding portion housing portion 211 of the housing body 210 of the connector 100. Then, the slope (contact portion) 522 of the first pressing portion 520 of the mating connector 500 presses the lower surface (contact portion) 461 of the locking projection 460 of the restricted portion 450 to cross the locking projection 460 with the front-rear direction. Move in the crossing direction. As a result, the contact between the front surface 463 of the locking projection 460 and the rear surface 222 of the housing side restricting portion 220 is eliminated, and thus the restriction on the forward movement of the slider 400 by the housing side restricting portion 220 is released. In the present embodiment, the intersecting direction is the width direction.

  When the mating connector 500 is moved further upward with respect to the connector 100, the second pressing portion 530 moves the slider 400 forward by a predetermined amount by pressing the slope 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470. More specifically, when the mating connector 500 is moved further upward with respect to the connector 100, the front end 532 of the second pressing portion 530 presses the slope 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470 upward. As described above, since the upward movement of the slider 400 is regulated by the gear portion 310 of the lever 300, the inclined surface 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470 converts a loaded upward force into a forward force. Accordingly, the front end 532 of the second pressing portion 530 sequentially presses from the lower end to the upper end of the slope 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470, and the slider 400 moves a predetermined amount toward the front. At this time, the regulated portion 450 and the flat portion 230 are aligned in the width direction, and the arm portion 440 is elastically deformed. More specifically, the lower surface 461, the rear surface 462, the front surface 463, and the side surface 464 of the locking protrusion 460 of the regulated portion 450 are located on the outer side in the width direction of the flat portion 230, and the side surface 464 contacts the flat portion 230. ing.

  Thereafter, when the second pressing portion 530 abuts against the flat surface 482 of the slider-side regulating portion 480, the upward movement of the mating connector 500 is regulated. More specifically, when the front end 532 of the second pressing portion 530 abuts against the front end 484 of the flat surface 482 of the slider side restricting portion 480, the upward movement of the mating connector 500 is restricted. In particular, in the present embodiment, the slider-side regulating portion 480 has a plane 482 perpendicular to the vertical direction, so that the user can easily recognize that the mating connector 500 has been pushed into the connector 100. be able to. At this time, the cam protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 of the mating connector 500 is located in the cam groove (force transmitting portion) 430, and the lever 300 is in a rotatable state.

  When the lever 300 is rotated from the first position to the second position after the slider 400 has moved forward by a predetermined amount, the regulated portion 450 is positioned in the hole 240 in the front-rear direction, and the arm portion 440 is It is not elastically deformed. More specifically, when the lever 300 is rotated from the first position to the second position after the slider 400 has moved forward by a predetermined amount, the side surface 464 of the locking protrusion 460 of the restricted portion 450 is flat. Is located in front of the flat portion 230 in the width direction. When the lever 300 rotates from the first position to the second position after the slider 400 moves forward by a predetermined amount, the slider 400 moves forward in the front-rear direction and the cam groove (force transmission portion) 430. Moves the cam protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 of the mating connector 500 upward in the vertical direction, whereby the connector 100 and the mating connector 500 are in a fitted state. That is, the contact portion 552 of the male terminal 550 of the mating connector 500 and the female terminal 218 of the connector 100 are connected to each other.

  With reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 to 11, and 16 to 20, the removal operation of the mating connector 500 and the connector 100 is performed as described below.

  When the lever 300 is rotated from the second position to the first position in the fitting state described above, the slider 400 moves rearward in the front-rear direction, and the cam groove (force transmission portion) 430 is a cam of the mating connector 500. The protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 is moved downward in the vertical direction, so that the connector 100 and the mating connector 500 can be removed. More specifically, when the lever 300 is rotated from the second position to the first position in the above-described fitted state, the mating connector 500 accommodated in the cam groove (force transmission portion) 430 of the slider 400 of the connector 100. The cam projection (force receiving portion) 510 is moved to the vicinity of the opening 432, so that the connector 100 and the mating connector 500 can be removed. At this time, the locking projection 460 of the regulated portion 450 of the slider 400 moves over the flat portion 230 of the housing body 210 and moves rearward, and the front surface 463 of the locking projection 460 engages with the rear surface 222 of the housing side regulating portion 220. Will be. In other words, since the forward movement of the regulated portion 450 is hindered, the forward movement of the slider 400 is restricted. Here, since the rear surface 462 of the locking protrusion 460 of the regulated portion 450 of the slider 400 crosses in the front-rear direction and the width direction, it is easy to get over the flat portion 230 when the slider 400 moves rearward in the front-rear direction. It has become.

  In the present embodiment, the regulated portion 450 has a lower surface (contact portion) 461 that contacts the slope (contact portion) 522 of the first pressing portion 520, and the first pressing portion 520 is the lower surface ( The contact portion) 461 has a slope (contact portion) 522, and the lower surface (contact portion) 461 and the slope (contact portion) 522 are oblique to both the vertical direction and the width direction. At least one contact portion between the lower surface (contact portion) 461 of the portion 450 and the inclined surface (contact portion) 522 of the first pressing portion 520 moves the restricted portion 450 back and forth when the mating connector 500 is fitted to the connector 100. You may have the slope which inclines so that it may move to the crossing direction which cross | intersects a direction.

(Second Embodiment)
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 21 to 24, a connector assembly 10A according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the connector assembly 10 according to the above-described first embodiment (FIG. 1) except for the connector 100A. It has the same configuration as that of (see). Therefore, among the components shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the connector 100A according to the present embodiment includes a housing 200A, a lever 300, a slider 400A, and a plurality of female terminals 218. The housing 200A and the slider 400A are made of resin. The lever 300 and the female terminal 218 have the same structure as that of the connector 100 of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the housing 200 </ b> A includes a housing main body 210 </ b> A and a cover portion 250. Among these, the cover part 250 has the same structure as that of the connector 100 of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the housing main body 210A is provided with an enclosing portion accommodating portion 211, a bottom portion 212, an outer peripheral portion 219A, two housing side regulating portions 220A, and two arm portions 228A. It has been. Among these, the surrounding part accommodating part 211 and the bottom part 212 have the same structure as that of the connector 100 of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 21 to FIG. 24, the outer peripheral portion 219A defines the outer edge of the housing body 210 in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the enclosure portion accommodating portion 211 is defined in the plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. Besieged. In the present embodiment, the vertical direction is the Z direction. The upper direction is the + Z direction, and the lower direction is the -Z direction. In the present embodiment, the plane orthogonal to the vertical direction is the XY plane. The housing side restricting portion 220A is a protrusion 224A that protrudes inward from the inner surface in the width direction of the outer peripheral portion 219A. In the present embodiment, the width direction is the X direction. The protrusion 224A is located near the rear end of the arm portion 228A. The arm portion 228A is elastically deformable, and the protrusion 224A is movable in the width direction. The protrusion 224A includes a conical portion 225A and a shaft portion 226A. The conical portion 225A has a substantially conical shape and extends inward in the width direction from the inner end in the width direction of the shaft portion 226A. The shaft portion 226A has a constant outer diameter in a plane orthogonal to the width direction. In the present embodiment, the plane orthogonal to the width direction is the YZ plane.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the slider 400A is attached to the housing main body 210A of the housing 200A so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the front-rear direction is the Y direction. The front is the + Y direction, and the rear is the -Y direction. More specifically, the slider 400A includes a pair of side plate portions 410A. The side plate portions 410A are respectively positioned on the inner side in the width direction of the outer peripheral portion 219A of the housing main body 210A, and are respectively positioned on the outer side in the width direction of the surrounding portion housing portion 211. Each of the side plate portions 410A includes a rack portion 420 having a plurality of teeth 422, two cam grooves 430, a slider-side pressed portion 470, a slider-side restricting portion 480, and a restricted portion 450A. Yes. Among these, the rack part 420, the cam groove 430, the slider side pressed part 470, and the slider side restricting part 480 have the same structure as that of the connector 100 of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that the side plate portion 410A of the present embodiment is integrally formed of resin, so that the number of parts is reduced.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the regulated portion 450A is a hole 452A that penetrates the side plate portion 410A in the width direction. The hole 452A includes a tapered portion 454A and a cylindrical portion 456A. The inner diameter of the tapered portion 454A decreases from the outer side in the width direction to the inner side. The cylindrical portion 456A has a constant inner diameter in a plane orthogonal to the width direction, and extends inward in the width direction from the inner end in the width direction of the tapered portion 454A. In a plane orthogonal to the width direction, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 456A of the hole 452A of the regulated portion 450A is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 226A of the projection 224A of the housing side regulating portion 220A.

  With reference to FIGS. 1 and 16 to 24, the fitting operation between the mating connector 500 and the connector 100A is performed as described below.

  First, when the lever 300 is in the first position in a state where the mating connector 500 and the connector 100A are not fitted, the housing side restricting portion 220A engages with the restricted portion 450A to move forward of the slider 400A. Is restricted from moving. More specifically, in the above-described state, the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A is inserted into the hole 452A of the restricted portion 450A, and the inner end in the width direction of the shaft portion 226A of the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A is Since the hole 452A of the regulated portion 450A is located on the inner side in the width direction than the inner end in the width direction of the tapered portion 454A, the forward movement of the regulated portion 450A is prevented. Thereby, the forward movement of the slider 400A is restricted.

  Next, by moving the mating connector 500 upward with respect to the connector 100A, the surrounding portion 507 of the mating connector housing 505 of the mating connector 500 is accommodated in the surrounding portion accommodating portion 211 of the housing body 210A of the connector 100A. Then, the inclined surface (contact portion) 522 of the first pressing portion 520 of the mating connector 500 presses the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A to move the protrusion 224A in the intersecting direction intersecting the front-rear direction. Thereby, the inner end in the width direction of the shaft portion 226A of the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A is positioned on the outer side in the width direction than the inner end in the width direction of the tapered portion 454A of the hole 452A of the restricted portion 450A. That is, the outer end in the width direction of the conical portion 225A of the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A is positioned on the outer side in the width direction than the outer end in the width direction of the cylindrical portion 456A of the hole 452A of the restricted portion 450A. Therefore, when the slider 400A moves forward, the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A can easily get over the hole 452A of the restricted portion 450A. Therefore, the slider 400A by the housing side restricting portion 220A. The restriction on the forward movement of the vehicle will be lifted. In the present embodiment, the intersecting direction is the width direction.

  When the mating connector 500 is moved further upward with respect to the connector 100A, the second pressing portion 530 moves the slider 400 forward by a predetermined amount by pressing the slope 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470. More specifically, when the mating connector 500 is moved further upward with respect to the connector 100, the front end 532 of the second pressing portion 530 presses the slope 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470 upward. As described above, since the upward movement of the slider 400 is regulated by the gear portion 310 of the lever 300, the inclined surface 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470 converts a loaded upward force into a forward force. Accordingly, the front end 532 of the second pressing portion 530 sequentially presses from the lower end to the upper end of the slope 472 of the slider-side pressed portion 470, and the slider 400 moves a predetermined amount toward the front. At this time, the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A is located outside the hole 452A of the restricted portion 450A in the width direction, and the arm portion 228A is elastically deformed.

  Thereafter, when the second pressing portion 530 abuts against the flat surface 482 of the slider-side regulating portion 480, the upward movement of the mating connector 500 is regulated. More specifically, when the front end 532 of the second pressing portion 530 abuts against the front end 484 of the flat surface 482 of the slider side restricting portion 480, the upward movement of the mating connector 500 is restricted. For this reason, the user can recognize that pushing-in of the mating connector 500 into the connector 100 is completed. At this time, the cam protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 of the mating connector 500 is located in the cam groove (force transmitting portion) 430, and the lever 300 is in a rotatable state.

  When the lever 300 is rotated from the first position to the second position after the slider 400A has moved forward by a predetermined amount, the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A is positioned behind the rear end of the slider 400A in the front-rear direction. Yes. When the lever 300 rotates from the first position to the second position after the slider 400A moves forward by a predetermined amount, the slider 400A moves forward in the front-rear direction and the cam groove (force transmission portion) 430. Moves the cam protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 of the mating connector 500 upward in the vertical direction, whereby the connector 100A and the mating connector 500 are in a fitted state. That is, the contact portion 552 of the male terminal 550 of the mating connector 500 and the female terminal 218 of the connector 100A are connected to each other.

  With reference to FIGS. 1 and 16 to 24, the extraction operation of the mating connector 500 and the connector 100 </ b> A is performed as described below.

  When the lever 300 is rotated from the second position to the first position in the fitting state described above, the slider 400A moves rearward in the front-rear direction, and the cam groove (force transmission portion) 430 is a cam of the mating connector 500. The protrusion (force receiving portion) 510 is moved downward in the vertical direction, so that the connector 100A and the mating connector 500 can be removed. More specifically, when the lever 300 is rotated from the second position to the first position in the above-described fitted state, the mating connector 500 housed in the cam groove (force transmission portion) 430 of the slider 400 of the connector 100A. The cam projection (force receiving portion) 510 is moved to the vicinity of the opening 432, so that the connector 100A and the mating connector 500 can be removed. At this time, the protrusion 224A of the housing side restricting portion 220A gets over the outer surface of the slider 400A and is inserted into the hole 452A of the restricted portion 450A. That is, since the forward movement of the restricted portion 450A is hindered, the forward movement of the slider 400A is restricted.

  Although the present invention has been specifically described with reference to the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

  The mating connector housing 505 of the mating connector 500 of the present embodiment is integrally formed of resin, but may be configured by combining different parts.

  The side plate portions 410 and 410A of the connectors 100 and 100A of the present embodiment are integrally formed of resin, but may be configured by combining different parts.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,10A connector assembly 100,100A connector 200,200A housing 210,210A housing main body 211 enclosure part accommodating part 212 bottom part 215 receiving part 218 female terminal 219,219A outer peripheral part 220,220A housing side regulation part 222 rear surface 224A protrusion 225A cone Part 226A shaft part 228A arm part 230 flat part 240 hole part 250 cover part 252 initial position restricting part 254 cover part opening part 300 lever 310 gear part 312 teeth 314 arm part 316 connecting part 400, 400A slider 410, 410A side plate part 420 rack Part 422 Teeth 430 Cam groove (force transmission part)
432 Opening portion 440 Arm portion 442 Arm portion fixing portion 444 Arm portion accommodating portion 450, 450A Restricted portion 452A Hole 454A Taper portion 456A Cylindrical portion 460 Locking protrusion 461 Lower surface (contact portion)
462 Rear surface 463 Front surface 464 Side surface 470 Slider side pressed portion 472 Slope 480 Slider side regulating portion 482 Flat surface 484 Front end 500 Mating connector 505 Mating connector housing 507 Enclosure 508 Terminal holding portion 509 Bottom housing portion 510 Cam projection (force receiving portion) )
512 Short wall portion 514 Long wall portion 516 Opening portion 520 First pressing portion 522 Slope (contact portion)
530 Second pressing portion 532 Front end 550 Male terminal 552 Contact portion 554 Fixed portion

Claims (16)

A connector assembly comprising a connector and a mating connector that can be fitted and removed along the vertical direction with the connector,
The counterpart connector includes a force receiving portion and a first pressing portion,
The connector includes a housing, a lever, and a slider,
The housing is provided with a housing side restricting portion,
The lever is attached to the housing so as to be rotatable between a first position and a second position;
The slider is attached to the housing so as to be movable in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction,
The lever has a gear portion having a plurality of teeth,
The slider has a rack portion having a plurality of teeth, a force transmission portion, and a regulated portion,
The gear portion and the rack portion mesh with each other to convert rotation of the lever into movement of the slider in the front-rear direction.
The force transmission unit transmits the force in the vertical direction to the force receiving unit of the mating connector by the movement of the slider in the front-rear direction.
When the lever rotates from the first position to the second position, the slider moves forward in the front-rear direction, and the force transmitting portion moves the force receiving portion of the mating connector in the up-down direction. In the above, the connector and the mating connector are in a fitted state,
When the lever rotates from the second position to the first position, the slider moves rearward in the front-rear direction, and the force transmitting portion moves the force receiving portion of the mating connector in the up-down direction. In this way, the connector and the mating connector can be removed,
When the lever is in the first position in a state where the mating connector and the connector are not fitted, the housing-side restricting portion engages with the restricted portion to move the slider forward. Restricting movement,
When the mating connector and the connector are fitted, the first pressing portion presses the housing side restricting portion or the restricted portion, thereby releasing the restriction by the housing side restricting portion. . The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein
The first pressing portion is a connector assembly that performs the pressing against the regulated portion. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein
The slider further includes an elastically deformable arm portion,
The regulated part is provided at a tip of the arm part, and is movable in a width direction orthogonal to both the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein
The arm assembly is a connector assembly extending rearward in the front-rear direction. A connector assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising:
The mating connector further includes a cam projection and a second pressing portion,
The cam protrusion functions as the force receiving portion,
The slider further includes a slider-side pressed portion and a cam groove,
The slider-side pressed portion has a slope that obliquely crosses both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction,
The cam groove functions as the force transmission portion,
When the mating connector moves upward when the mating connector is mated with the connector, the second pressing portion is pressed against the slider side pressed after the regulation of the housing side regulating portion is released. A connector assembly that moves the slider forward by pressing the inclined surface of the portion. The connector assembly according to claim 3 or 4,
The mating connector further includes a second pressing portion,
The slider further includes a slider side restricting portion,
The slider side regulating portion has a plane orthogonal to the up and down direction,
When the mating connector moves upward when the mating connector is mated with the connector, after the regulation of the housing side regulation portion is released, the slider moves a predetermined amount forward, A connector assembly in which upward movement of the mating connector is restricted when the second pressing portion abuts against the flat surface of the slider side restricting portion. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein
The housing has a flat portion;
The flat portion is located in front of the housing side regulating portion in the front-rear direction,
When the slider is moved forward by the predetermined amount, the regulated portion and the flat portion are aligned in the width direction, and the arm portion is elastically deformed. The connector assembly according to claim 7, wherein
The housing has a hole penetrating in the width direction,
The hole is located in front of the flat portion in the front-rear direction,
When the lever is rotated from the first position to the second position after the slider has moved forward by the predetermined amount, the restricted portion is located in the hole in the front-rear direction, and A connector assembly whose arms are not elastically deformed. A connector assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising:
The mating connector further includes a second pressing portion,
The slider further includes a slider-side pressed portion and a slider-side regulating portion,
The regulated part, the slider-side pressed part, and the slider-side regulated part are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction,
The first pressing part and the second pressing part are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction,
When the mating connector moves upward when the mating connector is mated with the connector, the second pressing portion is pressed against the slider side pressed after the regulation of the housing side regulating portion is released. By moving the slider forward by a predetermined amount by pressing the part,
A connector assembly in which upward movement of the mating connector is restricted when the second pressing portion abuts against the slider side restricting portion after the slider has moved forward by the predetermined amount. The connector assembly according to claim 5, wherein
The slider includes a pair of side plate portions,
Each of the side plate portions is provided with two cam grooves,
The connector assembly in which the two cam grooves are arranged in the front-rear direction. A connector assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 10,
Each of the regulated portion and the first pressing portion has a contact portion that contacts each other when the mating connector and the connector are fitted,
At least one of the contact parts of the regulated part and the contact part of the first pressing part has a slope,
The inclined surface is a connector assembly inclined so as to move the restricted portion in a crossing direction intersecting the front-rear direction when the mating connector is fitted to the connector. A connector assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 10,
The regulated portion has a locking projection, and the locking projection protrudes inward in the width direction orthogonal to both the front-rear direction and the vertical direction,
The connector protrusion has a lower surface obliquely intersecting both the vertical direction and the width direction. The connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein
The locking projection has a rear surface that obliquely intersects both the front-rear direction and the width direction. A connector assembly according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein
The connector assembly, wherein an angle formed between the front surface of the locking projection and the front-rear direction is 90 ° or less. A connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14,
The housing includes a housing body and a cover portion,
The cover portion is attached to the housing body,
The lever and the slider are connector assemblies attached to the housing body. The connector assembly according to claim 15, wherein
The cover part is provided with an initial position restricting part,
When the lever is located at the first position, the initial position restricting portion restricts forward movement of the lever in the front-rear direction.

Images