JP2018163827A - Connector for flat conductor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize a lock mechanism, and a connector for a flat conductor, having the lock mechanism.SOLUTION: A connector 1 comprises: a lock terminal 5 of a flat conductor F; and an operation member 4 that functions as a lock cancellation mechanism. The operation member 4 is positioned in an inner part of a side wall part 8 in which a rotational axial part 4j of an operation piece 4a rotated to a top surface wall 7a of a housing 2 is adjacent to an insertion port 11 of the housing 2. Thus, the operation piece 4a is along the top surface wall 7a of the housing 2 in a lock state that prevents the flat conductor F from pulling-off, the rotational axial part 4j is housed in the side wall part 8, and a whole of the connector 1 can be miniaturized.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a flat conductor connector for electrically connecting a flat conductor such as an FPC (Flexible printed circuit) or FFC (Flexible flat cable) to a substrate.

  Along with the need for miniaturization of electronic devices, a flat conductor connector for connecting a flat conductor to a substrate is also required to be downsized and low-profile, and connection reliability is also required. In order to enhance the connection reliability, a locking recess lacking in a concave shape is provided on the side edge of the flat conductor inserted into the mating chamber of the flat conductor connector, and the flat conductor connector has a thickness of the flat conductor. There has been known a flat conductor connector having a lock mechanism having a locking member that has a locking portion that engages with a locking recess in a direction and prevents the flat conductor inserted into the fitting chamber from coming off (Patent Document). 1). According to the flat conductor connector, the flat conductor does not come out unexpectedly, and a good conductive connection state can be maintained.

JP 2013-105685 A

  As for such a flat conductor connector, a connector having a lock release mechanism for releasing the locking of the locking portion with respect to the locking recess so that the flat conductor can be removed is known. Patent Document 1 described above is an example, but a connector having such a lock release mechanism tends to increase in size, width, depth, and height of the connector in order to provide the lock release mechanism.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the prior art as described above. The purpose is to reduce the size of a flat conductor connector having a lock mechanism and a lock release mechanism.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as having the following features.

  The present invention includes a housing having a flat conductor insertion port and a fitting chamber, a terminal that is in conductive contact with the flat conductor, a locking member that prevents the flat conductor inserted into the fitting chamber, and A flat conductor connector provided with an operation member that releases a locked state that prevents the flat conductor from coming off; and the operation member is a rotation shaft portion that is positioned inside a side wall portion adjacent to the insertion port of the housing. And an operating piece that rotates with respect to the top wall of the housing via the rotating shaft portion.

  According to the flat conductor connector of the present invention, the flat conductor lock member and the operation member functioning as a lock release mechanism are provided. And the operating member is located in the inside of the side wall portion adjacent to the insertion port of the housing because the rotating shaft portion of the operating piece that rotates relative to the top wall of the housing is in a locked state that prevents the flat conductor from coming off, The operation piece is along the top wall of the housing, the rotation shaft portion is accommodated in the side wall portion, and the entire flat conductor connector can be formed in a small size.

  The locking member extends from the rear side of the housing to the front side where the insertion port opens, and has an engaging piece that engages with the flat conductor in the thickness direction and engages in the removal direction. Branching from the elastic piece portion, extending above the operation piece, being pushed up in contact with the rotating operation piece and lifting the elastic piece portion to release the locking of the locking portion It can comprise so that it may have an operation piece part.

  According to the present invention, the lock member has an elastic piece part and an operating piece part branched from the elastic piece part, and when the operating piece is rotated, the operating piece part is pushed up, and the elastic piece part is pulled up together with it, The locked state of the locking portion with respect to the flat conductor is released. Thus, by converting the turning operation of the operation member (operation piece) to the unlocking operation, the unlocking mechanism can be formed compactly, and the flat conductor connector can be miniaturized.

  The locking member can be configured to have a bending spring portion that supports the elastic piece portion and the operating piece portion in a cantilever shape on the back side.

  According to the present invention, the spring length for the elastic piece portion and the operating piece portion branched from the elastic piece portion to be greatly displaced in the plate thickness direction of the flat conductor (the height direction of the flat conductor connector) by the bending spring portion. Can be secured.

  The rotating shaft portion of the operating member has an elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion extending in the front-rear direction of the housing, and the stepped path that rotates the cam surface portion while displacing the cam surface portion upward. It can comprise so that it may have.

  According to the present invention, the rotating shaft portion is displaced upward as the elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion rotates while displacing the step path upward. Since the height position of the rotation shaft portion is raised by the rotation of the operation member, the operation piece portion of the lock member that comes into contact with the operation piece can be pushed up higher, and the elastic piece portion is also raised higher. In order to secure the upward displacement of the operating piece and the elastic piece necessary for releasing the locked state by the locking part, for example, the aspect ratio of the rotating shaft part having the elliptical arc-shaped cam surface part is increased. Then, it is conceivable to form the rotation shaft portion so as to be largely horizontally long in the locked state and to be largely vertically long in the unlocked state. However, in this case, since the rotation shaft portion is large and horizontally long in the locked state, the flat conductor connector that accommodates it becomes large in the depth direction (front-rear direction of the housing). However, according to the present invention in which the lock member is displaced upward via the rotation shaft portion by the height of the stepped path by the rotation of the operation member, even if the aspect ratio of the rotation shaft portion is not increased, The lock member can be largely displaced upward, and the flat conductor connector can be downsized in the front-rear direction of the housing.

  The cam surface portion has a flat portion that keeps an open state in which the operating member is rotated and opened by contacting with the flat surface in a state of being biased by the pushed-up operation piece portion. Can be configured.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to maintain the open state in which the operation member is rotated and opened, and it is not necessary to hold the operation member in the open state with one hand. The extraction operation can be performed.

  The operation member can be configured to extend from the operation piece into the housing and have a rotation support portion having the rotation shaft portion on the distal end side.

  According to the present invention, since the rotation support portion having the rotation shaft portion extends inside the housing, the rotation shaft portion is located inside the housing, and the flat conductor connector is reduced in height. Can do.

  About the said rotation support part, it can comprise so that it may have a guide hole which penetrates the said operation piece part of the said lock member.

  According to the present invention, since the operating piece is inserted into the guide hole, when the operating member is rotated, the guide hole moves along the plate surface of the operating piece. can do.

  In the present invention, the operation member and the lock member may be made of a metal material, and the lock member may have a substrate connecting portion that is grounded to the substrate.

  According to the present invention, the static electricity charged in the flat conductor connector can be released to the ground connection contact of the substrate via the substrate connecting portion of the operation member and the lock member made of a metal material. Connection reliability can be improved.

  According to the flat conductor connector of the present invention, the overall size can be reduced while the lock mechanism and the unlock mechanism are provided.

1 is an external perspective view including a front surface, a right side surface, and a flat surface of a flat conductor connector according to an embodiment. The external appearance perspective view which shows the lock release state of the flat conductor connector of FIG. The external appearance perspective view containing the back surface, left side surface, and plane which show the unlocking state of the flat conductor connector of FIG. The front view of the connector for flat type conductors of FIG. The top view of the connector for flat type conductors of FIG. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including a front surface, a right side surface, and a plane of the operation member of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including a front surface, a right side surface, and a plane of the lock terminal of FIG. 1. The XIII-XIII sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 4 which shows the locked state of the connector for flat type conductors. XX sectional drawing of FIG. 4 which shows the locked state of the flat conductor connector. Sectional drawing equivalent to the XIII-XIII line | wire of FIG. 4 which shows the state which rotated the operation member to the middle. Sectional drawing equivalent to the XX line of FIG. 4 which shows the state which rotated the operation member to the middle. Sectional drawing equivalent to the XIII-XIII line | wire of FIG. 4 which shows the lock release state of the flat conductor connector. Sectional drawing equivalent to the XX line of FIG. 4 which shows the lock release state of the flat conductor connector.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a flat conductor connector of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the flat conductor connector is simply referred to as “connector”. Further, in this specification and claims, for convenience of explanation, the width direction of the flat conductor connector is described as the X direction, the depth direction (front-rear direction) as the Y direction, and the height direction (up and down direction) as the Z direction. However, they do not limit the mounting method and usage method of the flat conductor connector.

  The connector 1 includes a housing 2, a plurality of terminals 3, an operation member 4, and a plurality of lock terminals 5 as “lock members”. The connector 1 electrically connects the flat conductor F such as FPC and FFC and the circuit of the substrate P. The connector 1 is formed as a low profile connector having a height of about 1 mm.

[Housing 2]
The housing 2 is formed of a resin molded body, and includes a bottom wall portion 6 that forms the bottom surface of the housing 2, a connection portion 7 that connects the flat conductor F formed on the bottom wall portion 6, and left and right side wall portions 8. And recesses 9 respectively formed between the connecting portion 7 and the left and right side wall portions 8. An insertion port 11 into which the flat conductor F is inserted is opened on the front surface of the housing 2.

  The connection part 7 is a part formed between the top wall 7a in which the plurality of terminals 3 are arranged and the bottom wall part 6, and a conduction connection chamber 10 is formed therein. A plurality of terminal receiving grooves 7b extending in the Y direction are formed in the top surface wall 7a of the connecting portion 7 side by side in the X direction. The contact portion 3a of each terminal 3 can be displaced in the Z direction inside the terminal accommodating groove 7b. A terminal fixing portion 7c formed on the bottom wall portion 6 is formed below each terminal receiving groove 7b. Each terminal 3 is fixed by pressing the housing fixing portion 3b into the terminal fixing portion 7c. Each terminal 3 has a curved spring portion 3c that bends from the terminal fixing portion 7c to the terminal receiving groove 7b on the back side of the housing 2, and the inside of the terminal receiving groove 7b faces the front of the housing 2 from the upper end thereof. An elastic piece (not shown) extends, and a contact portion 3a that protrudes into the conductive connection chamber 10 is formed on the distal end side of the elastic piece.

  The fitting chamber 12 of the flat conductor F is formed to include such a conduction connection chamber 10 and left and right recesses 9 that are not covered by the top wall 7a. That is, it is formed as a portion into which the flat conductor F is inserted. Therefore, the insertion port 11 is formed to have an opening width in the X direction that combines the conduction connection chamber 10 and the left and right recesses 9. And the part of the housing 2 outside the insertion port 11 in the X direction becomes the left and right side wall portions 8.

  The left and right side wall portions 8 are formed along the Y direction of the housing 2. A step path 13 adjacent to the fitting chamber 12 is formed on the side of the side wall 8 on the insertion port 11 side. The step path 13 is a portion where a cam surface portion 4n of a rotation shaft portion 4j of the operation member 4 described later rotates. As shown in FIG. 9, the step path 13 has a bottom surface portion 13a, an inclined surface portion 13b, and an upper surface portion 13c located on the front surface side of the housing 2, and the bottom surface portion 13a and the upper surface portion 13c are not inclined. It is formed as a plane. A contact surface portion 13d with which the rotation shaft portion 4j contacts is formed on the front side of the bottom surface portion 13a.

  In addition, guide protrusions 14 that protrude toward the fitting chamber 12 are formed on the left and right side wall portions 8. The guide protrusion 14 has a guide surface 14 a formed at an extended upper position along the Y direction of the front inner wall surface 8 a of the side wall 8 that forms the insertion port 11. The guide surface 14 a guides the backward movement of the flat conductor F inserted from the insertion port 11. Further, the flat conductor F is inserted and positioned between the guide surfaces 14a of the left and right side wall portions 8 facing each other, whereby the contact (not shown) of the flat conductor F and the contact portion 3a of each terminal 3 are connected. Conductive contact can be made correctly without displacement in the X direction. A guide inclined surface 14b is formed on the front side of the guide surface 14a. The flat conductor F such as FFC or FPC has flexibility, and even if it is inserted straight into the insertion slot 11, the tip end side may be inclined obliquely. Even in such a case, the front end F2 of the flat conductor F abuts against the guide inclined surface 14b, so that the insertion direction can be correctly corrected even during the insertion.

  Further, the left and right side wall portions 8 are formed with holding projections 15 projecting toward the recess 9 on the back side of the housing 2. A holding spring piece 4 c that protrudes toward the side wall portion 8 is pressed into contact with the holding protrusion 15 at a side edge on the back side of the operation member 4 described later. As a result, the operation member 4 can be fixed so as not to move in the X direction. Further, the operation member 4 can be held so as not to rotate.

  The left and right recesses 9 are formed as accommodation spaces for accommodating a rotation support piece 4b of the operation member 4 and a lock terminal 5 to be described later. In the closed state of the operation member 4 shown in FIG. 1, that is, the locked state of the flat conductor F, the rotation support piece 4b does not protrude above the recess 9 in the height direction except for the base end side of the inclined portion 4e described later. Is accommodated inside the recess 9. Further, the lock terminal 5 is also accommodated in a locked state without protruding onto the recess 9 except for an operating piece portion 5e described later. A lock terminal fixing portion 9a is formed on the bottom wall portion 6, and the lock terminal 5 is fixed thereto. By adopting the housing structure that fixes the lock terminal 5 to the bottom wall portion 6 facing the substrate P in this way, the height of the protrusion of the lock terminal 5 in the Z direction can be suppressed and the height of the connector 1 can be reduced. Can do.

[Operation member 4]
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the operation member 4 includes an operation piece 4a, left and right rotation support pieces 4b as “rotation support portions” protruding forward from the front edge of the operation piece 4a, and the operation piece 4a. The holding spring piece 4c protrudes outward from the left and right side edges, and the whole is formed of a conductive metal material.

  The operation piece 4a is formed in a flat plate shape so as to protrude from the back surface of the housing 2 in the Y direction. The protruding portion is the operation portion 4d, and a finger is hooked on the operation portion 4d to rotate the operation member 4 upward. The operation piece 4a is positioned along the top wall 7a of the connection portion 7 of the housing 2 in the locked state.

  The rotation support piece 4b has an inclined portion 4e that enters the concave portion 9 of the housing 4 from the proximal end side to the distal end side connected to the operation piece 4a. At the lower end of the inclined portion 4e, a flat plate-shaped tip portion 4g having a curved contact edge 4f that comes into contact with an operating piece portion 5e of the lock terminal 5 described later is formed. Further, the rotation support piece 4b is formed with a slit-shaped guide hole 4h extending in the longitudinal direction, and the above-mentioned operation piece portion 5e is inserted therein.

  A plate-like rotation shaft portion 4j is formed on the outer side edge of the tip portion 4g via a bent portion 4i that bends downward. The rotation shaft portion 4j is located inside the side wall portion 8 adjacent to the insertion port 11 of the housing 2. For this reason, in the locked state of the flat conductor F, the operation piece 4a extends along the top wall 7a of the housing 2 and the rotating shaft portion 4j fits in the side wall portion 8, so that the entire connector 1 can be reduced in size.

  The rotation shaft portion 4j is formed with a rotation base portion 4k connected to the bent portion 4i and a rotation end portion 4m protruding forward of the rotation base portion 4k. An elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion 4n is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft portion 4j. A first curved surface portion 4n1, a first flat portion 4n2, a second curved surface portion 4n3, a second flat portion 4n4, and a third curved surface portion 4n5 are formed on the cam surface portion 4n. Has been. The function of these cam surface portions 4n will be described later.

[Lock terminal 5]
For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the lock terminal 5 includes a board connecting portion 5a, a housing fixing portion 5b, a bending spring portion 5c, an elastic piece portion 5d, and an operating piece portion 5e, and the whole is made of a conductive metal material. Is formed.

  The board connecting portion 5a is soldered to a contact for ground connection of the circuit of the board P.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the housing fixing portion 5 b is press-fitted and fixed to a lock terminal fixing portion 9 a formed on the bottom wall portion 6 of the housing 2. By fixing the housing fixing portion 5b of the lock terminal 5 to the bottom wall portion 6 (lock terminal fixing portion 9a) in this way, the height of the lock terminal 5 is achieved despite having a large bending spring portion 5c described later. Therefore, the height of the connector 1 can be reduced.

  The bending spring portion 5c is located on the back side of the housing 2, and is a portion that elastically supports the elastic piece portion 5d and the operating piece portion 5e extending from the front side to the front side in a cantilever shape. The bending spring portion 5c is formed in an arc shape that is lower than the height of the concave portion 9 (the top wall 7a) of the housing 2 and close to the height of the top wall 7a and rises greatly from the housing fixing portion 5b and bends forward. Has been. By setting the shape to be bent in such a large arc shape, a spring length is ensured so that the elastic piece portion 5d and the operating piece portion 5e are largely displaced in the plate thickness direction of the flat conductor F (the height direction of the connector 1). Moreover, the stress at the time of large displacement can be relieved and the bending spring part 5c can be prevented from being bent or bent or plastically deformed.

  Further, the bending spring portion 5c that is bent in an arc shape has a downward bent portion that extends obliquely downward from the top of the arc in the Z direction, and the elastic piece portion 5d extends forward from the end portion. As a result, the arrangement of the elastic piece 5d in the Z direction can be positioned substantially in the center of the accommodating space between the recess 9 and the operation member 4, and the elastic member 5d is interposed between the operation member 4 and the elastic member 5d. A gap for upward displacement can be formed. Therefore, the height of the connector 1 can be reduced as compared with the case where the elastic piece portion 5d extends forward from the top of the arc of the bending spring portion 5c.

  The elastic piece portion 5d is formed as a spring piece extending from the base end side connected to the bending spring portion 5c to the front surface side of the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the elastic piece portion 5d is engaged in the locking recess F1 provided in the flat conductor F in the thickness direction (Z direction) as shown in FIG. A locking claw 5 f is formed as a “locking portion” that locks with the locking recess F <b> 1 in the removal direction. The locking claw 5f is formed with a curved edge 5g, and the tip F2 of the flat conductor F inserted into the fitting chamber 12 comes into contact with it and is pushed upward. By using the arc-shaped curved edge 5g, the insertion force of the flat conductor F can be reduced. The locking claw 5f is formed with a vertical locking edge 5h, and the locking recess F1 of the flat conductor F described above comes into contact with the locking edge 5h in the removal direction and is prevented from coming off. The

  The operating piece 5e branches from the elastic piece 5d and rises above the rotation support 4b through the guide hole 4h, and the contact piece 5j extending from the vertical piece 5i to the front side of the housing 2 And have.

  An inclined edge 5k is formed on the lower edge of the abutting piece 5j. The inclined edge 5k is inclined so that the plate width is wide at the base end side connected to the vertical piece portion 5i and the plate width is narrowed toward the distal end side. This is to prevent the contact piece 5j from being bent or plastically deformed from the base even when a strong pressing force is applied by the curved contact edge 4f when the operation member 4 is rotated. . The inclined edge 5k is formed so as to be smoothly pushed up by sliding contact with the curved contact edge 4f when the operation member 4 is rotated.

  Further, the inclined edge 5k is always in press contact with the curved contact edge 4f in the closed state of the operation member 4. As a result, the conductive operation member 4 and the lock terminal 5 are connected so as to be always conductive, and the static electricity charged in the connector 1 is grounded to the substrate P via the operation member 4 and the substrate connection portion 5 a of the lock terminal 5. It can escape to the contact for connection, and the connection reliability of the connector 1 is improved.

  The connector 1 configured as described above is electrically connected to the substrate P by soldering the substrate connection portions 5a of the terminals 3 and the lock terminals 5 to the substrate P.

[How to use Connector 1]
Next, a method for using the connector 1 will be described. As a usage method, a method for connecting the flat conductor F and a method for removing the flat conductor F will be described.

[Connection method of flat conductor F]
As shown in FIG. 1, a locking recess F <b> 1 is formed on the side edge on the front end side of the flat conductor F. The flat conductor F is inserted into the insertion port 11 of the connector 1 in which the operation member 4 is in a closed state. The opening width in the X direction of the insertion slot 11 is slightly larger than the width of the tip F2 of the flat conductor F, and the opening height in the Z direction of the insertion slot 11 is slightly larger than the thickness of the flat conductor F. Therefore, the insertion port 11 is formed by the flat conductor F by the bottom wall portion 6 and the top wall 7a facing each other in the Z direction on the insertion port 11 side, and the inner wall surfaces of the left and right side wall portions 8 facing each other in the X direction. Can be guided to be inserted straight.

  When the insertion of the flat conductor F is continued, the front end F2 of the flat conductor F comes into contact with the contact portion 3a of the terminal 3 and then comes into contact with the curved edge 5g of the locking claw 5f of the lock terminal 5. For this reason, since it is an arrangement structure in which a time difference occurs between the timing at which the tip F2 of the flat conductor F contacts the terminal 3 and the timing at which it contacts the lock terminal 5, compared to the arrangement structure in which they contact at the same time, The insertion force of the mold conductor F can be reduced.

  The front end F2 of the flat conductor F pushes up the locking claw 5f that has come into contact. At this time, since the curved edge 5g has an arc shape, the insertion force of the flat conductor F can be reduced. Further, since the locking claw 5f formed on the elastic piece portion 5d is elastically supported by the bending spring portion 5c, it can be softly displaced upward by the spring of the bending spring portion 5c and the elastic piece portion 5d. In particular, the bending spring portion 5c is located on the back side of the housing 2, and the elastic piece portion 5d is formed to have a length that extends the recess 9 from the back side to the front side of the housing 2. Is secured for a long time and can be displaced softly.

  When an operational feeling that the resistance at the time of inserting the flat conductor F is loosened is obtained, the locking claw 5f has climbed over the flat conductor F. When the flat conductor F is continuously inserted as it is, the locking claw 5f is engaged so as to fall into the locking recess F1 of the flat conductor F. As a result, the flat conductor F is locked. As described above, the connector 1 has an automatic locking function that can be fitted and connected only by inserting the flat conductor F without rotating the operation member 4. Therefore, in the case of the connector 1, the flat conductor F can be easily conductively connected.

  In the locked state of the flat conductor F, the connector 1 locks the locking recess F1 with respect to the locking edge 5h in the removal direction even if an attempt is made to pull out the flat conductor F from the fitting chamber 12. The conductor F is prevented from coming off. In such a locked state of the flat conductor F, even if the locking claw 5f is displaced upward by pulling the flat conductor F in the removal direction, the locking claw 5f and the vertical piece 5i are not connected to the operation member 4. Even if the tip 4g is brought into contact with the tip 4g and pressed upward, the tip 4g is provided close to the pivot shaft 4j serving as a pivot, so that the operation piece 4a is rotated. Absent. Thus, the upward displacement that causes the locking claw 5f to be detached from the locking recess F1 is suppressed, and the closed state of the operation member 4 and the locked state of the flat conductor F can be maintained. Further, since the operation member 4 is also held by the spring force of the holding spring piece 4c that is in press contact with the holding projection 15 of the side wall portion 8 of the housing 2, the rotation of the operation member 4 is suppressed. Can do.

  In the locked state of the flat conductor F, the operation member 4 and the lock terminal 5 are formed of conductive metal pieces, and the curved contact edge 4f of the distal end portion 4g of the operation member 4 and the inclined edge of the lock terminal 5 are used. 5k is always in contact. For this reason, the static electricity charged in the connector 1 can be released to the contact for ground connection of the circuit of the substrate P through the operation member 4 and the substrate connection portion 5a of the lock terminal 5, thereby improving the connection reliability of the connector 1. It has been.

[How to remove flat conductor F]
To remove the flat conductor F, the operation member 4 in the closed state is pivoted upward by hooking a finger on the operation portion 4d protruding rearward of the back surface of the housing 2 (FIGS. 10 and 11). In order to rotate the operation member 4, it is necessary to pull it up with a force exceeding the spring force of the holding spring piece 4c. The rotation shaft portion 4j of the operation member 4 is in line contact with the corner edge 13e at the boundary between the upper surface portion 13c of the step path 13 and the inclined surface portion 13b in the X direction, with the first curved surface portion 4n1 of the cam surface portion 4n. . Therefore, when the holding spring piece 4c is detached from the holding projection 15 and the operation member 4 starts to rotate, the operation member 4 can be smoothly rotated and tilted with a small contact area due to line contact at the corner edge 13e. it can.

  In the closed state of the flat conductor F, the second flat portion 4n4 of the cam surface portion 4n of the rotating shaft portion 4j abuts against the abutting surface portion 13d of the housing 2 on a flat surface. However, when the operation member 4 starts to rotate as described above, the third curved surface portion 4n5 of the cam surface portion 4n abuts against the contact surface portion 13d, and the rotation end portion 4m faces the bottom surface portion 13a of the step path 13. It rotates so as to be depressed (FIGS. 10 and 11).

  When the operation member 4 is further rotated, the rotation shaft portion 4j that is lowered toward the bottom surface portion 13a is displaced downward while the third curved surface portion 4n5 slides on the contact surface portion 13d, and the second curved surface portion. 4n3 rotates as it climbs while sliding on the inclined surface portion 13b of the step path 13. When the second curved surface portion 4n3 exceeds the corner edge 13e, the second flat portion 4n4 comes into contact with the upper surface portion 13c of the step path 13 in a plane, and the plate surface of the distal end portion 4g of the operation member 4 is flat and the housing 2 The contact of the top wall 7a located in the recess 9 with the inner wall surface along the Z direction stops the rotation of the operating member 4 (FIGS. 2, 12, and 13). As a result, the operating member 4 is opened, and the flat conductor F is unlocked. That is, the locking claw 5f of the lock terminal 5 is displaced in the thickness direction of the flat conductor F and is pulled out above the locking recess F1, so that the flat conductor F can be pulled out from the fitting chamber 12 in the removal direction. .

  In the open state of the operation member 4, the curved contact edge 4 f of the operation member 4 receives the pressing force of the operating piece portion 5 e of the lock terminal 5, and the second flat portion 4 n 4 is brought into the upper surface portion of the step path 13 by the pressing force. Since it is in contact with 13c in a plane, the open state of the operation member 4 can be stably maintained. That is, since it is not necessary for the operator to suppress the operation member 4 in the open state, the operator can perform the unlocking operation and the flat conductor F removal operation with one hand.

  Further, in the process of opening the operation member 4, as described above, the rotation shaft portion 4 j (the rotation end portion 4 m) once falls on the bottom surface portion 13 a of the step path 13, and then the upper surface portion 13 c at a higher position. It is displaced to. That is, when the elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion 4n is rotated while displacing the step path 13 upward, the rotation shaft portion 4j is displaced upward. Since the height position of the rotating shaft portion 4j is thus increased, the operating piece portion 5e of the lock terminal 5 that contacts the curved contact edge 4f of the operation member 4 can be pushed up higher, and the elastic piece portion 5d is also Can be raised to a higher position. Here, in order to ensure the amount of upward displacement of the operating piece 5e and the elastic piece 5d necessary for releasing the locked state of the flat conductor F by the locking claw 5f, for example, an elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion It is conceivable to increase the aspect ratio of the rotating shaft portion 4j having 4n and to form the rotating shaft portion 4j so as to be largely horizontally long in the locked state and greatly vertically long in the unlocked state. However, in this case, the connector 1 is enlarged in the Y direction in order to accommodate the horizontally long rotating shaft portion in the locked state. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the operating piece 5e and the elastic piece 5d of the lock terminal 5 are displaced upward by the difference in height between the top surface 13c and the bottom surface 13a of the step path 13 by the rotation of the operation member 4. For example, the operating piece 5e and the elastic piece 5f of the lock terminal 5 can be greatly displaced upward without increasing the aspect ratio of the rotating shaft 4j. The connector 1 can be reduced in size by such a lock release mechanism.

  By the way, in the closed state of the operation member 4, the inclined edge 5k of the contact piece 5j of the operating piece 5e of the lock terminal 5 and the vertical piece 5i are the tip 4g of the rotation support piece 4b of the operation member 4 and its curve. It is in press contact with the contact edge 4f. In order to rotate the operation member 4 from here, the operating piece 5e and the elastic piece 5d must be displaced upward with the bending spring 5c as a rotation fulcrum. That is, in the process of rotating the operation member 4, the inclined edge 5 k of the operating piece portion 5 e is always in obliquely pressing contact with the curved contact edge 4 f, and the rotating end portion 4 m and the cam surface portion 4 n are in the housing 2. It is always pressed against the contact surface portion 13d and the step path 13. Therefore, the operation member 4 can reliably perform the rotation operation performed when the cam surface portion 4n moves along the step path 13 and the rotation shaft portion 4j is displaced.

  As described above, in the connector 1, the lock terminal 5 has the elastic piece portion 5d and the operating piece portion 5e branched from the elastic piece portion 5d. When the operating piece 4a is rotated, the operating piece portion 5e is pushed up. By pulling up the piece 5e, the locked state of the locking claw 5f with respect to the flat conductor F is released. Thus, by converting the rotation operation of the operation member 4 (operation piece 4a) to the lock release operation, the lock release mechanism can be formed compactly, and the connector 1 can be miniaturized.

  About the connector 1 of the said embodiment, implementation by various modifications is possible. As an example, the operation member 4 can be formed of a synthetic resin molded body. Moreover, although the example which provides the holding spring piece 4c was shown about the operation member 4, if the operation member 4 does not rattle in the X direction and the Z direction by the press contact of the action | operation piece part 5e of the lock terminal 5, it does not provide. May be.

1 Connector (Connector for flat type conductor)
2 housing 3 terminal 3a contact portion 3b housing fixing portion 3c curved spring portion 4 operation member 4a operation piece 4b rotation support piece (rotation support portion)
4c Holding spring piece 4d Operation portion 4e Inclined portion 4f Curved contact edge 4g Tip portion 4h Guide hole 4i Bending portion 4j Rotating shaft portion 4k Rotating base portion 4m Rotating end portion 4n Cam surface portion 4n1 First curved surface portion 4n2 First flat surface Part 4n3 Second curved surface part 4n4 Second flat part 4n5 Third curved surface part 5 Lock terminal (lock member)
5a Substrate connecting portion 5b Housing fixing portion 5c Bending spring portion 5d Elastic piece portion 5e Actuating piece portion 5f Locking claw (locking portion)
5g Curved edge 5h Locking edge 5i Vertical piece portion 5j Abutting piece 5k Inclined edge 6 Bottom wall portion 7 Connection portion 7a Top wall 7b Terminal receiving groove 7c Terminal fixing portion 8 Side wall portion 8a Front inner wall surface 9 Recessed portion 9a Lock terminal fixing portion DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Conductive connection chamber 11 Insertion port 12 Fitting chamber 13 Step path 13a Bottom surface part 13b Inclined surface part 13c Upper surface part 13d Contact surface part 13e Corner edge 14 Guide protrusion 14a Guide surface 14b Guide inclined surface 15 Holding protrusion F Flat conductor F1 Locking Recess F2 Tip P Substrate

1 is an external perspective view including a front surface, a right side surface, and a flat surface of a flat conductor connector according to an embodiment. The external appearance perspective view which shows the lock release state of the flat conductor connector of FIG. The external appearance perspective view containing the back surface, left side surface, and plane which show the unlocking state of the flat conductor connector of FIG. The front view of the connector for flat type conductors of FIG. The top view of the connector for flat type conductors of FIG. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including a front surface, a right side surface, and a plane of the operation member of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including a front surface, a right side surface, and a plane of the lock terminal of FIG. 1. The VIII-VIII sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 4 which shows the locked state of the connector for flat type conductors. IX-IX sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 4 which shows the locked state of the flat conductor connector. Sectional drawing equivalent to the VIII-VIII line of FIG. 4 which shows the state which rotated the operation member to the middle. Sectional drawing equivalent to the IX-IX line | wire of FIG. 4 which shows the state which rotated the operation member to the middle. Sectional drawing equivalent to the VIII-VIII line of FIG. 4 which shows the lock release state of the flat conductor connector. Sectional drawing equivalent to the IX-IX line of FIG. 4 which shows the lock release state of the flat conductor connector.

  The rotation support piece 4b has an inclined portion 4e that enters the concave portion 9 of the housing 2 from the proximal end side to the distal end side connected to the operation piece 4a. At the lower end of the inclined portion 4e, a flat plate-shaped tip portion 4g having a curved contact edge 4f that comes into contact with an operating piece portion 5e of the lock terminal 5 described later is formed. Further, the rotation support piece 4b is formed with a slit-shaped guide hole 4h extending in the longitudinal direction, and the above-mentioned operation piece portion 5e is inserted therein.

  Further, the bending spring portion 5c that is bent in an arc shape has a downward bent portion that extends obliquely downward from the top of the arc in the Z direction, and the elastic piece portion 5d extends forward from the end portion. As a result, the arrangement of the elastic piece 5d in the Z direction can be positioned substantially at the center of the accommodating space between the recess 9 and the operation member 4, and the elastic piece portion is provided between the operation member 4 and the elastic piece 5d. A gap for 5d to be displaced upward can be formed. Therefore, the height of the connector 1 can be reduced as compared with the case where the elastic piece portion 5d extends forward from the top of the arc of the bending spring portion 5c.

  The operating piece 5e branches from the elastic piece 5d and rises above the rotation support piece 4b through the guide hole 4h, and the contact piece 5j extends from the vertical piece 5i to the front side of the housing 2. And have.

  Further, in the process of opening the operation member 4, as described above, the rotation shaft portion 4 j (the rotation end portion 4 m) once falls on the bottom surface portion 13 a of the step path 13, and then the upper surface portion 13 c at a higher position. It is displaced to. That is, when the elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion 4n is rotated while displacing the step path 13 upward, the rotation shaft portion 4j is displaced upward. Since the height position of the rotating shaft portion 4j is thus increased, the operating piece portion 5e of the lock terminal 5 that contacts the curved contact edge 4f of the operation member 4 can be pushed up higher, and the elastic piece portion 5d is also Can be raised to a higher position. Here, in order to ensure the amount of upward displacement of the operating piece 5e and the elastic piece 5d necessary for releasing the locked state of the flat conductor F by the locking claw 5f, for example, an elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion It is conceivable to increase the aspect ratio of the rotating shaft portion 4j having 4n and to form the rotating shaft portion so as to be largely horizontally long in the locked state and largely vertically long in the unlocked state. However, in this case, the connector 1 is enlarged in the Y direction in order to accommodate the horizontally long rotating shaft portion in the locked state. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the operating piece 5e and the elastic piece 5d of the lock terminal 5 are displaced upward by the difference in height between the top surface 13c and the bottom surface 13a of the step path 13 by the rotation of the operation member 4. For example, the operating piece 5e and the elastic piece 5d of the lock terminal 5 can be greatly displaced upward without increasing the aspect ratio of the rotating shaft 4j. The connector 1 can be reduced in size by such a lock release mechanism.

  As described above, in the connector 1, the lock terminal 5 has the elastic piece portion 5d and the operating piece portion 5e branched from the elastic piece portion 5d. When the operating piece 4a is rotated, the operating piece portion 5e is pushed up. By pulling up the piece 5d, the locked state of the locking claw 5f with respect to the flat conductor F is released. Thus, by converting the rotation operation of the operation member 4 (operation piece 4a) to the lock release operation, the lock release mechanism can be formed compactly, and the connector 1 can be miniaturized.

Claims (8)

A housing having a flat conductor insertion port and a fitting chamber;
A terminal in conductive contact with the flat conductor;
A locking member for preventing the flat conductor inserted into the fitting chamber from coming off;
In the flat conductor connector provided with an operation member that releases the locked state that prevents the flat conductor from coming off,
The operating member is
A rotating shaft portion located inside a side wall portion adjacent to the insertion port of the housing;
A flat conductor connector, comprising: an operation piece that rotates with respect to the top wall of the housing via the rotation shaft portion.
The locking member is
An elastic piece part extending from the rear side of the housing to the front side where the insertion opening opens, having an engaging part that engages in the flat conductor in the thickness direction and engages in the removal direction;
An operating piece that branches from the elastic piece, extends above the operating piece, is pushed up by contact with the rotating operating piece, and lifts the elastic piece to release the locking portion. The flat conductor connector according to claim 1, further comprising a portion.
The flat conductor connector according to claim 2, wherein the lock member has a bent spring portion that supports the elastic piece portion and the operating piece portion in a cantilever shape on the back side.
The rotating shaft portion of the operation member has an elliptical arc-shaped cam surface portion along the front-rear direction of the housing,
The flat conductor connector according to claim 2, wherein the housing has a stepped path that rotates while moving the cam surface portion upward.
The cam surface portion includes a flat portion that maintains an open state in which the operating member rotates and is opened by contacting the stepped path in a plane while being urged by the pushed-up operation piece portion. 4. The flat conductor connector according to 4.
6. The flat conductor according to claim 1, wherein the operation member includes a rotation support portion that extends from the operation piece into the housing and has the rotation shaft portion on a distal end side. connector.
The flat conductor connector according to claim 6, wherein the rotation support part has a guide hole through which the operating piece part of the lock member is inserted.
The operation member and the lock member are made of a metal material,
The flat conductor connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lock member includes a board connecting portion that is grounded to the board.

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