JP2018106801A - Connector assembly with connector member with operation lever - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector assembly capable of efficiently transmitting power from an operation lever to an actuated part of a second connector member by making a position where the operation lever is supported, coincident with or proximate to a position where the power acts at maximum for exerting the power upon the actuated part.SOLUTION: A connector assembly comprises a first connector member and a second connector member that is provided in a removable manner from the first connector member. The first connector member includes a first housing and an operation lever which is pivoted in the first housing and made movable between a first position and a second position by utilizing a rotary shaft that is provided on one surface side in a thickness direction. The operation lever includes an actuation part on a surface side opposite to the one surface side in the thickness direction and at a corresponding position of the rotary shaft. The second connector member includes a second housing, and the second housing includes an actuated part which receives power via the actuation part when the operation lever is moved between the first position and the second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention provides a connector assembly having a connector member provided with an operation lever, more specifically, a connector member provided with an operation lever, and another connector member capable of fixing the connector member using the operation lever, The connector assembly which consists of these groups.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-182874 discloses an example of a conventional connector assembly. In FIG. 16, the top view of the connector assembly disclosed by patent document 1 is shown.
The connector assembly includes a first housing provided with a lever and a second housing provided so as to be detachable from the first housing. The first housing 110 includes a lever 160 that is rotatably mounted. The lever 160 includes an operation unit 161 and a pair of arm units 162 extending in the width direction from both ends of the operation unit 161, and has a portal plate shape as a whole. The arm portion 162 is provided with a bearing portion 164 passing through the arm portion 162. A shaft portion 132 provided in a state of protruding from the outer side surface of the housing 110 is fitted into the bearing portion 164. The arm portion 162 has a cam groove 165 that receives a cam follower 145 provided in the housing 140 of the mating connector at a position away from the bearing portion 164. By rotating the lever 160, the cam follower 145 moves along the cam groove 165. As a result, the lever-type connector and the mating connector can be brought close to or separated from each other. Further, the cam follower 145 and the cam groove 165 can be used to maintain the lever-type connector and the mating connector in close proximity, in other words, the fitted state.

JP 2013-182874 A

In the conventional connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1, the position of the rotating shaft in the lever 160, in other words, the position for supporting the lever (164), the position of the action portion (165), in other words, the second connector. Since the position where the force is most exerted in order to exert a force on the actuated portion (145) of the second connector is separated, the load on the lever 160 is heavy, and the force applied to the lever 160 is applied to the actuated portion of the second connector. There is a problem that it cannot be efficiently transmitted to the section (145).
The present invention has been made to solve such a problem in the prior art. The position of the rotating shaft and the position of the action portion in the first connector member are made to coincide or approach each other, and the force from the operation lever is applied. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly capable of efficiently transmitting to an action part.

In order to solve the above problems, a connector assembly according to an aspect of the present invention is a connector assembly including a first connector member, and a second connector member that is detachable from the first connector member, The first connector member is pivotally supported on the first housing by using the first housing and a rotation shaft provided on one surface side in the plate thickness direction, and between the first position and the second position. An operating lever that is movable, and the operating lever is provided on the surface side opposite to the one surface side in the plate thickness direction and provided with an action portion at a position corresponding to the rotating shaft. The second connector member has a second housing, and the second housing moves the operation lever between the first position and the second position when the operation lever is moved. There is a working part that receives force through the working part. The operation lever includes a pair of arm portions each provided with the rotation shaft and a connection portion that connects the pair of arm portions, and the rotation shaft is the one of the pair of arm portions. On the surface side, the first housing extends from the inner wall side toward the outer wall side.
According to the connector assembly of this aspect, by providing the action portion on the surface side opposite to the one surface side on which the rotation shaft is provided in the plate thickness direction and at the position corresponding to the rotation shaft, The position of the operating lever, in other words, the position of the action part, in other words, the position where the force is most exerted to exert the force on the acting part of the second connector member. The operation lever can be stably fixed to the first housing, and the force from the operation lever can be efficiently transmitted to the operated part. Here, the corresponding position includes at least a position directly behind the rotation axis, but does not necessarily need to be the position directly, and includes a peripheral position where the force from the action portion can be effectively transmitted. For example, a position around the rotation axis is sufficient, and a position slightly deviated from the position of the rotation axis as shown in the embodiment is also included.
Further, according to the connector assembly of this aspect, by providing the rotation shaft of the operation lever from the inner wall side of the first housing toward the outer wall side, the force that spreads from the inner wall side of the first housing toward the outer wall side is improved. Even if it is a case where it adds to a part, it can prevent that an arm part expands with the inner wall of a 1st housing, and can prevent the fall of the rotating shaft from a 1st housing.

In the connector assembly according to the above aspect, a first contact portion is provided on the one surface side of the arm portion, and a first correspondence is provided on the inner wall side of the first housing corresponding to the first contact portion. A contact portion is provided, and when the operation lever is in the first position, the first contact portion and the first corresponding contact portion come into contact with each other and face the second position. It is preferable to interfere with the movement of the operating lever.
According to the connector assembly of this aspect, when the operation lever is in the first position, the operation lever moves toward the second position by bringing the first contact portion into contact with the first corresponding contact portion. Since the operation lever can be temporarily fixed at the first position by interfering with the operation lever, the operation lever can be handled easily.

In the connector assembly according to the aspect described above, a release portion is provided on the surface side of the arm portion opposite to the one surface side so as to be interlocked with the first contact portion, and corresponds to the release portion. A corresponding release portion is provided on the outer surface of the second housing of the second connector member, and at least when the operating lever is in the first position, the first housing and the second housing are brought close to each other. By doing so, the release portion and the corresponding release portion collide, and the first contact portion is displaced from the one surface side to the opposite surface side through the collision, and through the displacement, It is preferable that the operation lever is allowed to move toward the second position by releasing the contact between the first contact portion and the first corresponding contact portion.
According to the connector assembly of this aspect, the first contact portion and the corresponding release portion are brought into collision with each other by causing the first connector member and the second connector member to approach each other without operating the operation lever. The contact with the first corresponding contact portion can be automatically released and the operation lever can be allowed to move, and therefore the usability of the operation lever can be improved. Further, through the collision between the release portion and the corresponding release portion, the first contact portion is displaced from one surface side to the opposite surface side, in other words, in a direction from the outer wall side to the inner wall side of the first housing. Therefore, the enlargement of the apparatus can be prevented.

In the connector assembly according to the aspect described above, the release portion and the second abutting portion are arranged along a direction in which the first housing and the second housing are approximated when at least the operation lever is in the first position. It is preferable that the elastic means extending from the arm portion is provided.
According to the connector assembly of this aspect, by providing the release portion and the second contact portion in the same elastic means, the operation in the release portion can be directly transmitted to the corresponding contact portion. Further, by extending the elastic means along the direction in which the first housing and the second housing are brought close to each other, the force directed from the first housing to the second housing can be transmitted to the elastic means more efficiently.

In the connector assembly according to the above aspect, the arm portion may be provided with a slit that forms at least a part of the elastic means.
By using the slit, the length of the elastic means can be secured even in a small space, and sufficient elasticity can be exhibited. Moreover, the elastic characteristic of the elastic means can be easily adjusted by adjusting the length of the slit.

In the connector assembly according to the aspect described above, when the operation lever is moved in the direction toward the second position, the operated portion has a force for causing the first housing and the second housing to approach each other through the operating portion. When the receiving lever and / or the operating lever is moved in the direction toward the first position, the operated portion receives a force for separating the first housing and the second housing through the operating portion. Is preferred.
According to the connector assembly of this aspect, since the first housing and the second housing can be moved closer to or away from each other using the operation lever, the first connector member and the second housing can be compared with the case where the housing itself is operated. The two connector members can be easily attached and detached.

  In the connector assembly of the above aspect, when at least the operation lever is in the first position, the first connector member and the second connector member can be freely attached and detached, and at least the operation lever is in the first position. When in the second position, the attachment of the first connector member and the second connector member may be fixed.

In the connector assembly according to the above aspect, a second abutting portion is provided on the one surface side of the arm portion, and a second corresponding to the inner wall side of the first housing corresponding to the second abutting portion. A contact portion is provided, and when the operating lever is in the first position, the second contact portion and the second corresponding contact portion are in contact with each other, and are directed to the first position. The movement of the operating lever is preferably prohibited.
According to the connector assembly of this aspect, it is possible to inhibit the operation lever at the first position from moving further toward the first position. Further, the first abutting portion and the action portion are provided by providing the first abutting portion on one surface side of the arm portion, in other words, on the surface side facing the inner wall side of the first housing, like the rotation shaft. The arm portion can be integrally provided on one surface side.
The connector assembly of the said aspect WHEREIN: Said 2nd connector member may be attached to the board | substrate in an electronic control unit.

  According to the present invention, the position of the rotary shaft in the first connector member, in other words, the position to support the operation lever, the position of the action portion, in other words, the force to exert a force on the affected portion of the second connector member. Therefore, a connector assembly is provided that can match or be close to the most applied position and efficiently transmit the force from the operation lever to the operated part.

It is the perspective view which showed one usage example of the connector assembly by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the cable side connector member shown in FIG. 3A is a rear perspective view of the operation lever, and FIG. 3B is a front perspective view thereof. FIG. 6 is a plan view when the operation lever is in the initial position with the operation lever attached to the external housing. It is the II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 4. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a figure which shows a part of assembly process in connection with the attachment of a cable. It is a front view which shows the initial state of a fitting. It is the III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the IV-IV sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a figure explaining the cancellation method of temporary fixation, Comprising: It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. It is a figure which shows the state in the middle of fitting, Comprising: It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 13 and corresponding to FIG. 11. It is a figure which shows a fitting completion state, Comprising: It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG. 10, FIG. It is a figure which shows a prior art example.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although only preferred embodiments are shown, of course there is no intention to limit the invention thereby.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one use example of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. The connector assembly 1 includes a cable-side connector member 20 and a board-side connector member 70 that can be attached to and detached from the cable-side connector member 20. FIG. 1 shows a state before the cable side connector member 20 is attached to the board side connector member 70. Except as specifically described below, the cable-side connector member 20 and the board-side connector member 70 may be considered to have a substantially bilaterally symmetric shape.

  The cable-side connector member 20 is used in a state where a plurality of cables 5 are attached. On the other hand, the board-side connector member 70 has a plurality of contacts 98 attached thereto, and uses, for example, three legs 72 extending from the front and rear and one side surface, such as an electronic control unit (ECU). It is used in a state of being fixed to the substrate 3 provided inside the electronic device. Each leg 72 is fixed to a predetermined position of the substrate 3 by screws 91, for example. In addition to the board-side connector member 70, electronic parts such as an IC and a capacitor (not shown) can be mounted on the board 3.

The cable-side connector member 20 is attached to the board-side connector member 70 by moving along the illustrated arrow “β1” direction. The operation lever 40 is movable about the shaft 41a from the first position shown in FIG. 1, for example, from the initial position to the second position, for example, the fixed position, in the illustrated arrow “α1” direction. Is provided. At the time of attachment, first, in the state where the operation lever 40 is in the initial position, the operation lever 40 is not operated, and the gap penetrates upward from the bottom of the cable side connector member 20 (“gap 49” shown in FIG. 7). The upper part of the board side connector member 70 is inserted by a predetermined amount. Thereafter, the operation lever 40 of the cable-side connector member 20 is moved in the direction of the arrow “α1” shown in FIG. 1 from the initial position shown in FIG. Thereby, the cable side connector member 20 can be fixed to the board side connector member 70 by moving in the direction approaching the board side connector member 70, that is, in the direction of the arrow “β1” in the drawing. When the cable-side connector member 20 is completely fixed to the board-side connector member 70, the cable-side connector member 20 covers substantially the entire portion of the board-side connector member 70 that extends above the legs 72 (FIG. 15). reference). At this time, the terminal 6 and the contact 98 are electrically connected, and the cable 5 and the substrate 3 are electrically connected.
On the contrary, by moving the operation lever 40 of the cable side connector member 20 from the fixed position about the shaft 41a toward the initial position shown in FIG. The connector member 20 can be moved away from the board-side connector member 70, that is, in the direction of the arrow "β2" shown in the drawing. Thereafter, the cable-side connector member 20 is lifted along the direction of the arrow “β2” so that the cable-side connector member 20 is pulled away from the board-side connector member 70 without the operation of the operation lever 40. The connector member 70 can be removed.

  The board-side connector member 70 includes a housing 71 that is integrally formed of synthetic resin. The housing 71 mainly includes a substantially rectangular tubular upper portion 71a that fits with the cable-side connector member 20, a substantially rectangular plate-shaped lower portion 71b that is larger in diameter than the upper portion, and a lower portion. And legs 72 provided further below 71b. The upper portion 71a can be disposed so as to protrude from the housing through an opening provided in the housing such as an ECU (not shown). The lower portion 71b is provided with a waterproof packing 93 so as to surround the outer peripheral surface thereof, and can be waterproofed between the cable-side connector member 20 and the housing by being in close contact with the inner edge of the opening.

  The upper portion 71 a is provided with a hollow portion 71 c along the fitting direction “β” of the cable-side connector member 20 with respect to the board-side connector member 70. When the cable side connector member 20 is attached to the board side connector member 70, a part of a predetermined member provided in the cable side connector member 20 is inserted into the hollow portion 71c.

  A recess 76 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 71, for example, on the left and right outer walls. The concave portion 76 is provided by using a protruding portion 77 that protrudes outward, and the operated portion that receives an action from a part of the operating lever 40 when the operating lever 40 of the cable-side connector member 20 is operated. Function as. On the front side of the recess 76, a corresponding release portion 78 having a gap 78b between the outer wall of the housing 71 and a substantially L-shaped cross section is provided.

  The cable-side connector member 20 is provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting ribs 73a and 73b along the fitting direction “β” on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 71, for example, the front and rear and left and right outer walls. When the board side connector member 70 is fitted, the cable side connector member 20 can be guided with respect to the board side connector member 70 along the ribs 73a and 73b. Misalignment with respect to the board-side connector member 70 can be prevented. Further, these ribs 73a and 73b are asymmetrically provided on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 71, for example, by providing two ribs 73a on the front surface as shown in the figure, and by providing one rib 73b on the rear surface. By using these ribs, it is possible to determine the fitting direction of the cable-side connector member 20 and the board-side connector member 70 to prevent erroneous fitting.

  A contact 98 extends from the lower portion 71b of the housing 71 to the substrate 3 side through a plurality of holes (not shown).

  FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the cable-side connector member 20 shown in FIG. The cable-side connector member 20 is provided separately from the external housing 21 and the external housing 21, and is inserted into the external housing 21 along the direction indicated by the arrow “β2”. And an operation lever 40 that is pivotally supported by the outer housing 21 in a state of being movable between the outer housing 21 and the fixed position, and a cover 30 that is fixed to the outer housing 21 along the direction of the arrow “β1” shown in the figure.

  The outer housing 21 is integrally formed of synthetic resin. The outer housing 21 includes a substantially rectangular tube-shaped main body 28 whose upper portion is covered by a cover portion 26, and a substantially rectangular flat plate-shaped base 29 formed below the main body 28 and having a diameter larger than that of the main body 28. .

  The cover portion 26 is provided with a plurality of through holes 26a through which the contacts (contacts 6 shown in FIG. 8) and the cables (cable 5 of FIG. 1) pass. Further, a locking portion 26b for attaching the cover 30 is provided around the side surface of the cover portion 26 so as to protrude outward.

  A hollow portion (“hollow portion 48” shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) is formed in the main body 28 along the fitting direction “β” in order to insert the inner housing unit 50 having a diameter smaller than that of the main body 28. Has been. Further, a shaft hole 22 that supports the operation lever 40 is provided in a side surface 28 a of the main body 28 so as to penetrate therethrough. The shaft hole 22 only needs to be able to support the operation lever 40 and does not necessarily have to penetrate.

  The base 29 has an enlarged diameter corresponding to the waterproof packing 93 provided in the lower portion 71b of the board-side connector member 70 or the opening of the housing.

  The cover 30 is used while being fixed to the cover portion 26 of the outer housing 21. A locking hole 34 is provided below the cover 30 corresponding to the locking portion 26 b provided in the cover portion 26. The upper front side 31 of the cover 30 is inclined corresponding to the rotation diameter in order to allow the operation lever 40 to move. A lock portion 37 is provided on the top of the cover 30 so as to be elastically displaceable. When the operation lever 40 moves in the “α1” direction from the initial position and reaches the fixed position, the locked portion 47 provided on the connecting portion 41 d of the operation lever 40 is locked by the lock portion 37 of the cover 30. This locked state can be released freely by elastically displacing the lock portion 37 downward “β1”. In order to prevent the operation lever 40 from moving excessively in the “α1” direction and damaging the operation lever 40, it is preferable to provide a stopper 38 further rearward of the lock portion 37. A cable 32 (cable 5 in FIG. 1) is formed behind the stopper 38. The lead-out portion 32 extends in one direction substantially parallel to the substrate 3, that is, in the direction of the arrow “δ” shown in the figure, and leads the cable 5 along the lead-out portion 32 as shown in FIG.

3A and 3B are perspective views of the operation lever 40, respectively. 3A is a rear perspective view of the operation lever 40, and FIG. 3B is a front perspective view thereof.
The operation lever 40 is integrally formed of synthetic resin. The operation lever 40 has a pair of arm portions 41c extending substantially parallel to the same direction, and a connecting portion 41d for connecting the pair of arm portions 41c. A part to be locked 47 that is locked by the lock part 37 of the cover 30 is formed in the connecting part 41d by cutting out a part in a concave shape.

  A rotary shaft 41a is provided on one surface, preferably the outer surface 41cA, of the disk portion 41b formed at the tip of each arm portion 41c in a state of protruding outward. Further, the surface of the disk portion 41b is opposite to the one surface in the thickness direction, that is, the inner surface 41cB, and the cam 45 protrudes inward at a position corresponding to the rotating shaft 41a. ing.

At the approximate center of the cam 45, there is provided a convex portion 45b protruding in a direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction along the surface of the disk portion 41b. The convex portion 45 acts on the concave portion 76 (see FIG. 1) of the board-side connector member 70 when the operation lever 40 is moved. Thus, the cam 45, in particular, the convex part 45b functions as an action part, and the concave part 76 functions as an acted part. The position where the cam 45 is provided includes at least the back side where the rotating shaft 41a is provided, but of course, the position is not limited to this and includes a wide range of peripheral positions where the force from the cam 45 can be effectively transmitted. Furthermore, the position where the cam 45 is provided is sufficient if it is in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 41a. For example, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the cam 45 may be slightly shifted from the position of the rotating shaft 41a.
One end surface of the cam 45 is provided with a planar contact portion 45a (second contact portion) using the thickness in the plate thickness direction. The contact portion 45 a is used as a portion that makes contact with a part of the outer housing 21 of the cable-side connector member 20.

Each arm portion 41c is provided with a substantially flat bar-like elastic means 42 at a position closer to the connecting portion 41d side than the disk portion 41b. The elastic means 42 extends in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the arm portion 41c extends, and is set to extend in the direction along the fitting direction “β” when the operation lever 40 is in the initial position. By setting in such a direction, it is possible to contact a predetermined portion of the board-side connector member 70.
One end of the elastic means 42 is divided into two and is formed as a free end 43 having a substantially U-shaped cross section. The free end 43 can be elastically deformed in the thickness direction of the disk portion 41 b by the elastic action of the elastic means 42. The free end 43 has a protruding portion 44 protruding outward for temporarily fixing the operating lever 40 at the initial position, and a releasing portion 46 positioned inward of the protruding portion 36 for releasing the temporary fixing. Is provided.
The other end of the elastic means 42 is connected to the arm portion 41c. On the other end side, a part of the elastic means 42 is formed by providing a slit 41e in the arm portion 41c. By using the slit 41e, the length of the elastic means 42 can be secured even in a small space, and sufficient elasticity can be exhibited. Moreover, the elastic characteristic of the elastic means 42 can be easily adjusted by adjusting the length of the slit 41e. The elastic characteristics can be adjusted by changing the plate thickness of the elastic means.

  4 is a plan view when the operating lever 40 is in the initial position with the operating lever 40 attached to the external housing 21, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 4, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. Here, the cover 30 and the inner housing unit 50 are not yet attached to the outer housing 21.

  The rotation shaft 41a of the operation lever 40 reaches the shaft hole 22 along the guide groove 27 formed along the inner wall 21B of the outer housing 21 from the upper side to the lower side as shown in FIG. Each rotary shaft 41a is formed with an inclined surface 41f (see FIGS. 2 and 3) to facilitate insertion into the guide groove 27. Each rotation shaft 41a extends from the inner wall 21B side of the outer housing 21 toward the outer wall 21A side in the shaft hole 22. The operation lever 40 is movable between the initial position and the fixed position around the rotation shaft 41a. As described above, when the rotation shaft 41a is provided from the inner wall 21B side of the outer housing 21 toward the outer wall 21A side, a force that spreads from the inner wall 21B side of the outer housing 21 toward the outer wall 21A side is applied to the arm portion 41. Even so, it is possible to prevent the arm portion 41 from spreading by the inner wall 21 </ b> B of the outer housing 21, and to prevent the operation lever 40 from falling off the outer housing 21.

  When the operation lever 40 is installed in the outer housing 21, a part of the disk portion 41 b of the operation lever 41 includes an inner wall 21 </ b> B of the outer housing 21 and a wall provided inside the outer housing 21, for example, a substantially L-shape in cross-sectional view. It is inserted into a gap 25 formed between the upright portion 23 (see FIG. 6). The standing portion 23 is separated from the inner wall 21B of the outer housing 21 by a distance slightly larger than the thickness of the disk portion 41b. Thereby, the operation lever 41 can be attached to the outer housing 21 in a stable and movable state, and the operation lever 40 can be prevented from falling off from the outer housing 21. At this time, the disk portion 41b and the elastic means 42 of the operation lever 40 are protected by the outer wall 21A and are not exposed to the outside. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent problems such as a cable being caught on the operation lever.

  Corresponding to the contact portion 45a (second contact portion) provided on one end surface of the cam 45, a planar corresponding contact portion 23a (second corresponding contact portion) is formed on the inner wall 21B side of the outer housing 21. ) Is provided. The corresponding contact portion 23 a may be formed on the end surface of the standing portion 23. By abutting the abutting portions 45a and the corresponding abutting portions 23a, it is possible to prevent the operation lever 40 in the initial position from excessively moving in the “α2” direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 2, and 3, the free end 43 provided on the elastic means 42 of the operating lever 40 has a substantially rectangular protruding portion that protrudes toward the outer surface 41 cA of the operating lever 40. 44 is provided. When the operation lever 40 is in the initial position, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper surface 44a (first contact portion) of the protruding portion 44 is a part of the outer housing 21 of the cable-side connector member 20, for example, the outside It can abut against a corresponding abutting portion 24a (first corresponding abutting portion) formed by the bottom surface of the projecting portion 24 projecting inward from the inner wall 21B of the housing 21. By bringing them into contact, when the operating lever 40 is in the initial position, the operating lever 40 interferes with the movement in the “α1” direction toward the fixed position, and the operating lever 40 is temporarily fixed in the initial position. can do. Therefore, unintended rotation of the operation lever 40 is restricted, and handling becomes easy. The temporary fixing is performed by moving the operation lever 40 from the initial position toward the fixed position in the “α1” direction with a predetermined force, in other words, the upper surface 44a functioning as the contact portion and the corresponding contact portion. It can also be released by applying a force sufficient to release the contact state with 24a.

  The free end 43 is further formed with a release portion 46 that protrudes toward the inner surface 41 cB of the operation lever 40. The release part 46 is provided in the elastic means 42 together with the contact part 44a, for example, in a state where it can be interlocked with the contact part 44a. The release portion 46 is a taper 78a provided near the tip of the housing 71 of the board-side connector member 70, more specifically, a taper 78a provided near the tip of the corresponding release portion 78 of the housing 71 (see FIG. 1). ) To release the contact state between the contact portion 44a and the corresponding contact portion 24a. In this embodiment, both the release portion 46 and the corresponding release portion 78 are tapered, but either one may be used. Since both the release portion 46 and the contact portion 44a are provided in the elastic means 42, the operation in the release portion 46 can be directly transmitted to the corresponding contact portion 24a.

  With reference to FIG.2 and FIG.8, the assembly process of the cable side connector member 20 is demonstrated. FIG. 8 shows a part of the assembling process, particularly an assembling process related to the attachment of the cable 5.

  First, the operation lever 40 is attached to the outer housing 21 from the upper side, and the inner housing unit 50 is attached from the lower side, so that the state shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.

  The operation lever 40 is attached to the outer housing 21 in a state where the operation lever 40 is in the fixed position as shown in FIG. 2, and after the rotary shaft 41 a is fitted in the shaft hole 21, the operation lever 40 is moved. By rotating in the “α2” direction, the initial position shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.

  An internal housing 51 that constitutes a main body portion of the internal housing unit 50 includes an upper portion 51A and a lower portion 51B. The upper portion 51 </ b> A is inserted into the hollow portion 48 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) of the outer housing 21 when the inner housing unit 50 is attached to the outer housing 21. In order to be inserted into the outer housing 21, a locking projection 51 b that is locked to a corresponding portion of the inner wall of the outer housing 21 is provided on the peripheral surface of the upper portion 51 </ b> A. When the inner housing 51 is inserted into the outer housing 21, substantially the entire inner housing unit 50 is accommodated inside the outer housing 21 in the fitting direction “β”. However, as is apparent from FIG. 7, even after the housing unit 50 is accommodated in the outer housing 21, the board-side connector member 70 is located between the inner housing 51 and the operation lever 40 on the inner surface 41 cB side of the operation lever 40. A gap 49 in which at least a part of the housing 71 is detached is left. The gap 49 penetrates upward from the bottom of the cable-side connector member 20. The lower portion 51B is inserted into the hollow portion 71c (see FIG. 1) of the housing 71 of the board-side connector member 70 when the cable-side connector member 20 is attached to the board-side connector member 70. At the same time, the waterproof packing 53 disposed below the upper portion 51A and between the upper portion 51A and the lower portion 51B is also inserted into the hollow portion 71c. By providing the waterproof packing 53, a gap between the outer wall of the inner housing 51 and the inner wall of the housing 71 forming the hollow portion 71c can be closed.

  In the direction “β” along the insertion direction “β2” of the inner housing 51 with respect to the outer housing 21, the terminal 6 with the cable 5 is moved in the “β1” direction from the side opposite to the insertion side of the inner housing 51 with respect to the outer housing 21. And attach. At this time, the terminal 6 with the cable 5 passes through the through hole 26 a of the cover portion 26 of the outer housing 21 and is aligned by the alignment member 52 (see FIG. 2) of the inner housing unit 50 inserted into the outer housing 21. The The alignment member 52 may be made of a synthetic resin such as rubber. The alignment member 52 has a plurality of alignment holes 52a through which cables (“cable 5” in FIG. 1) are inserted, and a fitting direction “β”. It is formed along. In a state in which the inner housing unit 50 is attached to the outer housing 21, the alignment hole 52a communicates with the through hole 26a along the direction “β”, and the inner peripheral surface of the alignment hole 52a and the surface of the cable Is in close contact, and the outer peripheral surface of the alignment member 52 and the inner peripheral surface of the upper portion 51A are in close contact with each other to provide waterproofing.

  After all the terminals 6 with the cables 5 are attached, the cover 30 having the lead-out portion 32 extending in the direction “δ” intersecting the direction “β” along the insertion direction is arranged in the direction “β” along the insertion direction. The outer housing 21 is attached to the outer housing 21 from the side opposite to the insertion side of the inner housing 51.

  Thus, according to this configuration, the internal housing 51 disposed inside the external housing 21 can be attached to the external housing 21 independently of the operation lever 40, as with the operation lever 40. Assembly is easy.

  The operation of the connector assembly 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11 show an initial state of fitting of the cable-side connector member 20 to the board-side connector member 70, FIG. 12 shows a method for releasing the temporary fixing of the operation lever 40, and FIGS. FIG. 15 which shows the state in the middle of fitting shows a fixed state.

  The initial state of fitting will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 is a front view in the initial state, FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. At least when the operation lever 40 is in the initial position, the cable side connector member 20 and the board side connector member 70 can be freely attached and detached. At this time, the contact portion 44a provided on the free end 43 of the elastic means 42 and the corresponding contact portion 24a provided on the inner wall 21B of the outer housing 21 come into contact with each other. The contact is fixed, in other words, this contact may interfere with the movement of the operating lever 40 toward the fixed position. However, it only interferes, not prohibits it. 9 to 11, the release portion 46 provided on the free end 43 of the elastic means 42 and the corresponding release portion 78a provided on the housing 71 of the board-side connector member 70 face each other. However, the contact state between the contact portion 44a and the corresponding contact portion 24a is not released unless a force is applied in the direction in which they are brought close to each other. Therefore, the operation lever 40 does not move in the “α1” direction. As described with reference to FIG. 5 and the like, in this case, since the contact portion 45a of the cam 45 and the corresponding contact portion 23a of the external housing 23 are in contact with each other, the operation lever 40 moves. In other words, when the operation lever 40 is in the initial position, the movement of the operation lever 40 in the “α2” direction further toward the initial position is also prohibited.

  Next, a temporary fixing release method will be described with reference to FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. In the initial state, when a force in the direction “β1” for approaching the board-side connector member 70 is applied to the cable-side connector member 20, the taper 46a of the release portion 46 provided at the free end 43 of the elastic means 42 and the board-side connector Through the collision with the taper 78a of the corresponding release portion 78 provided in the housing 71 of the member 70, the release portion 46 is displaced so as to be guided into the gap 78b forming the corresponding release portion 78. As a result, the free portion together with the release portion 46 is free. The contact portion 44a formed at the end 43 is also displaced from the outer surface 41cA side to the inner surface 41cB side of each arm portion 41c, and the contact between the contact portion 44a and the corresponding contact portion 24a is automatically released. Is done. After the contact state is released, the operation lever 40 can be moved toward the fixed position. As described above, according to this configuration, the cable-side connector member 20 and the board-side connector member 70 are brought closer to each other without operating the operation lever 40, so that the contact between the release portion 46 and the corresponding release portion 78a is achieved. The contact between the contact portion 44a and the corresponding contact portion 78a can be automatically released to allow the operation lever 40 to move, and thus the usability of the operation lever 40 can be improved. Further, according to the present configuration, the contact portion 44a is moved from the outer surface 41cA side of each arm portion 41c to the inner surface 41cB side, in other words, through the collision between the release portion 46 and the corresponding release portion 78a. Since it can be displaced in the direction from the outer wall 21A side toward the inner wall 21B side, the apparatus becomes larger than the case where it is displaced from the inner wall 21B side in the outer housing 21 toward the outer wall 21A side. Can be prevented. Further, the elastic means 42 provided with the free end 43 extends from the arm portion 41 c along the direction “β1” in which the outer housing 21 and the housing 71 are brought close to each other, in other words, along the fitting direction “β”. Therefore, the force from the outer housing 21 toward the inner housing 51 can be efficiently transmitted by the elastic means 42.

  Furthermore, the state in the middle of fitting is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 13, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 11, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 13, corresponding to FIG. After the operation lever 40 is temporarily fixed, the protrusion 45b provided on the cam 45 is provided on the housing 71 of the board-side connector member 70 when the operation lever 40 is moved in the direction “α1” toward the fixing position. As a result, the recess 76 receives a force through the cam 45 in the direction “β1” in which the outer housing 21 and the housing 71 are brought close to each other. Thus, since the external housing 21 and the housing 71 can be brought close to each other using the operation lever 40, the cable side connector member 20 and the board side connector member 70 can be attached and detached as compared with the case where the housing itself is made close. It can be done easily.

  Further, as described above, the cam 45 is a surface opposite to the surface on which the rotation shaft 41a of the operation lever 40 is provided in the plate thickness direction of the arm portion 41c, and is provided at a position corresponding to the rotation shaft 41a. Therefore, the position of the rotating shaft 41a, in other words, the position of supporting the operation lever 40, and the position of the cam 45, in other words, the position where the force is most exerted on the recess 76 of the board-side connector member 70. Accordingly, the operation lever 40 can be stably fixed to the outer housing 21 and the force from the operation lever 40 can be efficiently transmitted to the recess 76. The corresponding position includes at least a position directly behind the rotary shaft 41a. However, the corresponding position does not necessarily need to be the position directly, and includes a peripheral position where the force from the cam 45 can be effectively transmitted. For example, the position around the rotation shaft 41a is sufficient, and a position slightly deviated from the position of the rotation shaft 41a as shown in the embodiment is also included.

  Furthermore, since the rotation shaft 41a of the operation lever 40 is positioned inside the outer housing 21, the force that spreads from the inner wall 21B side of the outer housing 21 toward the outer wall 21A is applied to the operation lever 40. However, it is possible to prevent the operation lever 40 from expanding due to the inner wall 21 </ b> B of the outer housing 21, and to prevent the rotation shaft 41 a from falling off the outer housing 21.

  Finally, the fitting end state will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIGS. 10 and 13. When in the fitted end state, the operation lever 40 has moved from the initial position shown in FIG. 9 and the like to the fixed position shown in FIG. At this time, the locked portion 47 provided on the connecting portion 41 d of the operation lever 40 is locked by the lock portion 37 provided on the cover 30. As a result, the attachment of the cable side connector member 20 and the board side connector member 70 is fixed. At this time, at least a part of the housing 71 of the board-side connector member 70 can reach the rotation shaft 41 a in the fitting direction “β” of the cable-side connector member 20 with respect to the board-side connector member 70. Therefore, the connector assembly 1 can be reduced in size in the fitting direction “β” of the board-side connector member 70 as compared with an apparatus having a configuration in which the insertion of the housing 71 is hindered by the rotating shaft 41a. In this case, in the fitting direction “β” of the board-side connector member 70, at least a part of the housing 71 of the board-side connector member 70 is disposed inside the rotation shaft 41a. The rotating shaft 41 a is sandwiched between the board-side connector member 70 and the rotating shaft 41 a can be effectively prevented from falling off the external housing 21.

  Contrary to the above, when the operation lever 40 is moved in the direction “α2” toward the initial position after unlocking the operation lever 40 by the lock portion 37, the recess 76 is connected to the external housing 21 through the cam 45. A force is received in a direction “β2” in which the housing 71 is separated. As a result, the cable side connector member 20 can be easily detached from the board side two connector member 70 as compared with the case where the housing itself is separated.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various other modifications are possible. For example, the rotating shaft 41a and the protruding portion 44 are not necessarily provided on any surface of the arm portion itself, like the release portion 46, and are provided on either side of the arm portion. Is sufficient.

1 Connector assembly 20 Cable side connector member (first connector member)
21 External housing 21A Inner wall 21B Outer wall 22 Shaft hole 23 Standing portion 23a Corresponding contact portion (second corresponding contact portion)
24a Corresponding contact part (first corresponding contact part)
30 Cable cover 32 Lead-out part 40 Operation lever 41a Rotating shaft 41b Disk part 41c Arm part 41cA Outer surface (one surface)
41cB inner surface (opposite surface)
41d Connecting part 42 Elastic means 43 Free end 44a Upper surface (first contact part)
45 Cam (action part)
45a Contact part (second contact part)
45b Convex part 46 Release part 46a Taper 49 Gap 70 Board side connector member (second connector member)
71 Housing 76 Recessed part (acting part)
78 Corresponding release portion 78a Taper 78b Clearance

Claims (9)

A connector assembly comprising a first connector member, and a second connector member detachable from the first connector member,
The first connector member is
A first housing;
An operating lever that is pivotally supported by the first housing using a rotating shaft provided on one surface side in the plate thickness direction and is movable between the first position and the second position. And
The operation lever is provided with an action portion at a position corresponding to the rotation shaft on the surface side opposite to the one surface side in the plate thickness direction,
The second connector member is
Having a second housing;
The second housing is provided with an actuated part that receives a force through the actuating part when the operation lever is moved between the first position and the second position;
The operation lever includes a pair of arm portions each provided with the rotation shaft and a connection portion for connecting the pair of arm portions, and the rotation shaft is the one surface of each of the pair of arm portions. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector assembly extends from an inner wall side of the first housing toward an outer wall side. A first contact portion is provided on the one surface side of the arm portion;
A first corresponding contact portion is provided on the inner wall side of the first housing corresponding to the first contact portion,
The first contact portion and the first corresponding contact portion are in contact with each other when the operation lever is in the first position, and interfere with the movement of the operation lever toward the second position. Item 2. The connector assembly according to Item 1. A release portion is provided in a state that can be interlocked with the first contact portion on the surface side opposite to the one surface side in the arm portion,
Corresponding release portion is provided on the outer surface of the second housing of the second connector member corresponding to the release portion,
When at least the operation lever is in the first position, the release portion and the corresponding release portion collide with each other by bringing the first housing and the second housing close to each other, and the first contact portion through the collision Is configured to be displaced from the one surface side to the opposite surface side,
3. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein movement of the operation lever toward the second position is permitted by releasing the contact between the first contact portion and the first corresponding contact portion through the displacement. .   The release portion and the second contact portion extend from the arm portion along a direction in which the first housing and the second housing are approximated when at least the operation lever is in the first position. 4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the connector assembly is provided on the elastic means.   The connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein the arm portion is provided with a slit that forms at least a part of the elastic means.   When the operation lever is moved in the direction toward the second position, the operated part receives a force for bringing the first housing and the second housing closer through the action part and / or the operation 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein when the lever is moved in the direction toward the first position, the operated portion receives a force for separating the first housing and the second housing through the operating portion. A connector assembly according to claim 1.   When at least the operation lever is in the first position, the first connector member and the second connector member can be freely attached and detached, and at least when the operation lever is in the second position, The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein attachment of the first connector member and the second connector member can be fixed. A second abutting portion is provided on the one surface side of the arm portion;
A second corresponding contact portion is provided on the inner wall side of the first housing corresponding to the second contact portion,
When the operation lever is in the first position, the second contact portion and the second corresponding contact portion are in contact with each other, and movement of the operation lever toward the first position is prohibited. The connector assembly according to claim 1.   The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second connector member is attached to a board in the electronic control unit.

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