JP2020181714A - Connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce force that keeps an operation portion pushed in.SOLUTION: In an elastic member 4 of a connection device 1, a pair of arm portions 42 extend downward on both left and right sides of a central portion 41. Distance between the pair of arm portions 42 in a horizontal direction increases as it goes downward. The operation portion 5 has a pair of pressing portions 53 that are arranged apart from each other in the horizontal direction and extend in a vertical direction. Distance between the pair of pressing portions 53 in the horizontal direction reduces as it goes upward. In a state where the operation portion 5 is located at a first position, the lower end portion of at least one of the pair of pressing portion 53 comes into contact with the outer surface of at least one of the pair of arm portions 42. In a state where the operation portion 5 is located at a second position, the pair of arm portions 42 are sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions 53 in a state of being bent in a direction of approaching each other in the horizontal direction. As a result, force that keeps a state where the operation portion 5 is pushed into a case 2 (that is, an unconnected state) can be reduced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a connecting device to which an electric wire is connected.

Conventionally, so-called push-in type connecting devices have been used as connecting devices to which electric wires are connected in control panels and the like. In the connection device, when the electric wire is inserted into the insertion hole of the case, the electric wire is pressed against the conduction terminal by the leaf spring provided in the case and electrically connected.

For example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a rod-shaped operating element that can move forward and backward is provided with respect to the housing, and the operating element is pushed into the housing by a screwdriver or the like to elastically deform the leaf spring in the housing and conduct it. Separate from the terminal. Then, the electric wire is inserted between the leaf spring and the conductive terminal while maintaining the open state in which the leaf spring is separated from the conductive terminal. After that, by releasing the pushing of the operating element, the leaf spring elastically returns and sandwiches the electric wire with the conductive terminal.

However, in the connected devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, in order to maintain the above-mentioned open state, it is necessary to maintain the connected device in a state where the driver or the like is pushed in with a relatively strong force with one hand. Operability is not very high.

Therefore, in Patent Document 3, there is a technique that can maintain the open state even if the driver or the like is pulled out from the case and the pressing force on the operating portion is released by locking the operating portion while pushing it into the case. Proposed.

Japanese Patent No. 6224836 U.S. Pat. No. 9,905,943 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-116773

By the way, in the connection device of Patent Document 3, a screwdriver or the like is reinserted into the case in order to return the operation portion locked to the case to the original position and to sandwich the electric wire between the elastic member and the conductive terminal. , It is necessary to change the position of the operation unit to release the lock with the case. That is, in order to connect the electric wire to the connected device, it is necessary to insert the driver or the like into the case twice, which may complicate the operation procedure of the connected device. In the field of operating such a connected device, there are both a voice requesting improvement in operability of the connected device and a voice requesting simplification of the operation procedure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the force for maintaining the operating portion in a pressed state.

The invention according to claim 1 is a connecting device to which an electric wire is connected, wherein the case, a conductive terminal portion fixed to the case, and the electric wire are attached to the case by a restoring force. The elastic member is provided with an elastic member which is a leaf spring that is pressed against and held by the case, and an operation portion that changes the shape of the elastic member by moving along a movement path extending in the vertical direction provided in the case. , The wire can be deformed between the connected state in which the electric wire is sandwiched between the terminal portion and the non-connected state in which the electric wire is released from being sandwiched between the terminal portion by bending more than the connected state. The operating portion is in contact with the elastic member in the connected state at the first position, and is pushed into the second position below the first position while maintaining the contact state with the elastic member. As a result, the elastic member is deformed into the non-connected state, and the elastic member extends downward on both the left and right sides of the bent portion located at the upper end and the distance in the left-right direction increases as it goes downward. The operation unit is arranged so as to be separated from each other in the left-right direction and extends in the vertical direction, and the distance in the left-right direction becomes smaller or the distance in the left-right direction is constant as it goes upward. In a state where the pair of pressing portions are provided and the operating portion is located at the first position, at least one lower end portion of the pair of pressing portions comes into contact with the outer surface of at least one of the pair of arm portions. In the state where the operating portion is located at the second position, the pair of arm portions are sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions in a state of being bent in a direction approaching each other in the left-right direction.

The invention according to claim 2 is the connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the inner side surfaces of the pair of pressing portions are left and right by the pair of arms due to the restoring force of the elastic member in the unconnected state. Pressed in the direction, the pair of pressing portions partially supports the restoring force of the elastic member.

The invention according to claim 3 is the connecting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the pair of pressing portions and the pair of arms has a convex portion, and the pair of pressing portions and the pair of pressing portions The other of the pair of arm portions has a concave portion that fits with the convex portion in a state where the operating portion is located at the second position.

The invention according to claim 4 is the connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein of the inner surface of the pair of pressing portions and the outer surface of the pair of arms. At least one surface has a rough surface portion.

The invention according to claim 5 is the connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and when the operation unit is located at the second position, the angle formed by the pair of arms. Is greater than 0 ° and less than 180 °.

The invention according to claim 6 is the connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and in a state where the operation unit is located at the second position, the lower ends of the pair of arms are , It is located below the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions.

In the present invention, it is possible to reduce the force for maintaining the operating portion in the pushed state.

It is a perspective view of the connection device which concerns on one Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of connected equipment. It is sectional drawing of connected equipment. It is sectional drawing of connected equipment. It is sectional drawing of connected equipment. It is sectional drawing of connected equipment. It is sectional drawing of connected equipment. It is sectional drawing which shows the part of connected equipment enlarged. It is sectional drawing which shows the part of connected equipment enlarged. It is sectional drawing which shows the part of connected equipment enlarged.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connecting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connected device 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting device 1 cut at the position III-III in FIG. The connecting device 1 is a push-in type connecting device to which the electric wire 91 is connected. The connecting device 1 is used, for example, as a terminal block such as a control panel. In FIG. 1, a thin plate-shaped end plate 11 is attached to the front side of the connecting device 1. Further, in FIG. 1, a state in which a plurality of connected devices 1 are connected is shown by a two-dot chain line. 2 and 3 show a state in which the electric wire 91 is not inserted into the connecting device 1. In FIG. 2, the configuration on the back side of the cross section is also shown.

In the following description, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in FIG. 2 are also simply referred to as "vertical direction" and "horizontal direction". Further, in FIG. 2, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface is also referred to as a "thickness direction". FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the connected device 1 at substantially the center in the thickness direction. The vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the thickness direction do not necessarily have to coincide with the mounting direction when the connecting device 1 is used. Further, the vertical direction does not necessarily have to coincide with the direction of gravity.

The connecting device 1 includes a case 2, a terminal portion 3, an elastic member 4, and an operating portion 5. The case 2 houses the terminal portion 3, the elastic member 4, and the operation portion 5 inside. The case 2 is made of resin, for example. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the case 2 is provided with two insertion holes 21 into which electric wires can be inserted. Further, inside the case 2, two terminal portions 3, two elastic members 4, and two operating portions 5 are housed. In other words, the connecting device 1 includes two sets of terminal portions 3, an elastic member 4, and an operating portion 5. The connecting device 1 may include one set or three or more sets of terminal portions 3, an elastic member 4, and an operation portion 5.

Each set of the terminal portion 3, the elastic member 4, and the operation portion 5 is arranged corresponding to the insertion hole 21. The two sets of the terminal portion 3, the elastic member 4, and the operating portion 5 have the same shape and size, and are arranged in opposite directions. Focusing on the insertion hole 21 on the right side in FIG. 2, the terminal portion 3 is located on the right side of the lower end portion of the insertion hole 21 and extends downward from the lower end portion of the insertion hole 21. The elastic member 4 extends diagonally upward to the left from the lower end of the insertion hole 21, and further extends diagonally downward to the left. The operation unit 5 is arranged on the left side of the insertion hole 21 and above the elastic member 4.

The terminal portion 3 is a conductive member fixed to the case 2. The terminal portion 3 is made of metal, for example. The right terminal portion 3 in FIG. 2 is electrically connected to the left terminal portion 3 in FIG. In the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the two terminal portions 3 are connected members. Specifically, the lower ends of the two terminal portions 3 are connected by a conductive terminal connecting portion 32 extending in the left-right direction.

The elastic member 4 is an elastically deformable member attached to the case 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the elastic member 4 is a substantially strip-shaped leaf spring. The elastic member 4 is made of metal, for example. The elastic member 4 may be formed of a conductive material or an insulating material such as a resin. The elastic member 4 has, for example, a shape that is bent into a substantially V shape or a substantially U shape at the central portion 41 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the central portion 41 is a bent portion located substantially in the center of the elastic member 4 in the longitudinal direction. The elastic member 4 is fixed to the case 2 with the central portion 41 located at the upper end. The elastic member 4 is attached to the case 2 with both ends facing substantially downward by fixing the central portion 41 to the case 2. In the following description, the portion 22 of the case 2 that contacts the central portion 41 from below is referred to as a “support portion 22”. The support portion 22 has a substantially columnar shape centered on a central axis facing the thickness direction.

The elastic member 4 includes a pair of arm portions 42 extending diagonally downward from the central portion 41 on both the left and right sides of the central portion 41. The distance between the pair of arms 42 in the left-right direction increases downward. The pair of arm portions 42 are substantially axisymmetric with respect to the center line passing through the central portion 41. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the angle formed by the pair of arm portions 42 is larger than 0 ° and smaller than 180 °. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the angle is larger than 90 °.

Focusing on the elastic member 4 on the right side in FIG. 2, the arm portion 42 extending from the central portion 41 to the right side of the support portion 22 of the elastic member 4 is in contact with the terminal portion 3 extending in the vertical direction. When the pair of arm portions 42 are pushed downward by the operating portion 5, they are elastically deformed with the upper end portion of the support portion 22 as a fulcrum, and bend in the direction closer to each other in the left-right direction. Further, when the downward pressing force on the pair of arms 42 disappears, the pair of arms 42 returns to the original state (that is, elastically returns) due to the restoring force.

In the state shown in FIG. 2, the tip of one arm 42 of the elastic member 4 contacts the terminal 3 below the insertion hole 21 as described above, and the lower end of the insertion hole 21 is viewed from below. It is closed. In the following description, the state shown in FIG. 2 is referred to as an “insertion hole closed state”. The insertion hole closed state is a state before the electric wire is inserted into the insertion hole 21, that is, an initial state before the connecting device 1 is used. The elastic member 4 in the insertion hole closed state (that is, the initial state) is slightly bent in the direction in which the pair of arm portions 42 approach each other. This makes it possible to prevent the elastic member 4 from falling off from the case 2.

The operation unit 5 is a substantially columnar member extending in the vertical direction. The operation unit 5 is located inside a hole portion (hereinafter, referred to as “movement path 24”) extending in the vertical direction provided in the case 2. The operation unit 5 can move in the vertical direction along the movement path 24. The movement path 24 opens to the upper surface 25 of the case 2 and extends substantially downward from the upper surface 25.

The operation unit 5 includes an upper end portion 51, a connecting portion 52, and a pair of pressing portions 53. The upper end portion 51, the connecting portion 52, and the pair of pressing portions 53 are one-connected members that are connected from the upper side to the lower side in this order. The operation unit 5 is made of resin, for example. The upper end portion 51 of the operation portion 5 is, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped portion. The upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51 is a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction. An operation recess that is recessed downward is provided at the center of the upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51. The connecting portion 52 extends downward from the lower end of the upper end portion 51, and connects the upper end portion 51 and the pair of pressing portions 53. The connecting portion 52 is, for example, a substantially plate-shaped portion whose width in the thickness direction is larger than the width in the left-right direction.

The pair of pressing portions 53 extend diagonally downward on both the left and right sides from the lower end of the connecting portion 52. In other words, the pair of pressing portions 53 are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction and extend substantially in the vertical direction. The distance between the pair of pressing portions 53 in the left-right direction increases toward the bottom. In other words, in the pair of pressing portions 53, the distance in the left-right direction (that is, the distance in the left-right direction between the inner side surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53) becomes smaller toward the upper side. The inner surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 are inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively. In the insertion hole closed state, the lower end of one of the pair of pressing portions 53 is the outer surface of one of the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4 in the left-right direction (that is, FIG. 2). Contact the top surface inside). Further, when the outer surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 come into contact with a part of the case 2, the upward movement of the operating portion 5 is restricted. In the insertion hole closed state, the lower ends of both of the pair of pressing portions 53 may come into contact with the outer surfaces of both of the pair of arm portions 42. In other words, in the insertion hole closed state, at least one lower end of the pair of pressing portions 53 comes into contact with at least one outer surface of the pair of arm portions 42.

The width of the upper end portion 51 in the left-right direction is substantially constant over substantially the entire length of the upper end portion 51 in the vertical direction. The width of the connecting portion 52 in the left-right direction is substantially constant over the substantially total length of the connecting portion 52 in the vertical direction. The width of the upper end portion 51 in the left-right direction is larger than the width of the connecting portion 52 in the left-right direction. Focusing on the operation unit 5 on the right side in FIG. 2, the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 projects to the left from the upper end of the connecting portion 52. The distance between the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions 53 in the left-right direction is larger than the width of the lower ends of the connecting portions 52 in the left-right direction. The left and right side surfaces of the connecting portion 52 are substantially perpendicular to the left and right directions, and extend substantially parallel to the vertical direction.

In the insertion hole closed state shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 is located on substantially the same plane as the area around the operation unit 5 in the upper surface 25 of the case 2. Alternatively, the upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 is located inside the case 2 (that is, below the area) of the upper surface 25 of the case 2 with respect to the area around the operation unit 5. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the side surfaces 513 of the operation unit 5 in the thickness direction are located inside the case 2 of the side surfaces 26 in the thickness direction of the case 2 with respect to the area around the operation unit 5. , Or, it is located on substantially the same plane as the area. The same applies to the other surfaces of the operation unit 5. In other words, in the insertion hole closed state shown in FIG. 2, the surface of the operation unit 5 is the surface of the case 2 in the case 2 rather than the area around the operation unit 5 (that is, the area around the movement path 24). It is located inside or substantially on the same plane as the area.

Next, the flow of connecting the electric wire to the connecting device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 to 6. In the following, a state when the electric wire is connected to the insertion hole 21 on the right side in the drawing will be described. When the electric wire is connected to the insertion hole 21 on the left side in the drawing, the operation of the worker is substantially the same except that the directions are opposite to each other.

First, the operation unit 5 is pushed toward the inside of the case 2 from the insertion hole closed state shown in FIG. 2, and moves downward along the movement path 24. When the operation unit 5 is pushed in, for example, a worker brings the tip of a normal flat-blade screwdriver or the like into contact with the operation recess of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5, and points downward to the operation unit 5 via the flat-blade screwdriver. Apply force. As the operation unit 5 moves downward, the elastic member 4 bends and the shape of the elastic member 4 is changed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4 are pushed downward by the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5, and the distance between the pair of arm portions 42 in the left-right direction is increased. It becomes smaller. In other words, the pair of arms 42 approach each other in the left-right direction. The right arm portion 42 is separated from the terminal portion 3 to the left side. As a result, the lower end of the insertion hole 21 is opened. In the following description, the state of the connected device 1 shown in FIG. 4 is referred to as an “insertion hole open state”. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the angle formed by the pair of arm portions 42 is larger than 0 ° and smaller than 180 °. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the angle is less than 90 °.

In the insertion hole open state shown in FIG. 4, the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4 are sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operation portion 5 in a state of being bent in a direction approaching each other in the left-right direction. The inner surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 come into contact with the outer surfaces of the pair of arm portions 42. Further, the lower ends of the pair of arm portions 42 are located below the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions 53. A restoring force that tries to return diagonally upward acts on the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4. The inner side surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 are pressed in the left-right direction (that is, in the direction away from each other) by the component force in the horizontal direction (that is, the left-right direction) of the restoring force. Since the pair of pressing portions 53 are formed so as not to be substantially elastically deformed, the horizontal component force of the restoring force of the elastic member 4 is received by the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5. That is, the restoring force of the elastic member 4 is partially supported by the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5. Therefore, the force with which the elastic member 4 pushes the operation unit 5 upward is reduced, and the force of the worker required to maintain the operation unit 5 in the state of being pushed downward is reduced. The restoring force of the elastic member 4 supported by the pair of pressing portions 53 is smaller than the total restoring force of the elastic member 4. Therefore, the state in which the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4 are located between the pair of pressing portions 53 is not maintained only by the pinching by the pair of pressing portions 53.

In the connecting device 1, the friction between the inner side surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 and the outer surfaces of the pair of arm portions 42 causes resistance to the hand of the worker holding the flat-blade screwdriver that pushes the operating portion 5. Therefore, the worker can easily recognize the completion of the transition from the insertion hole closed state to the insertion hole open state.

Further, in the connected device 1, at substantially the same time as the transition to the insertion hole open state shown in FIG. 4, the lower end of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 is substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction provided in the movement path 24 of the case 2. It contacts the stop surface 242 from above. Thereby, it is possible to limit the excessive movement of the operation unit 5 downward. Further, the operator can more easily recognize the completion of the transition from the insertion hole closed state to the insertion hole open state by the response and / or the generation of sound due to the contact between the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 and the stop surface 242. You can also.

In the state where the insertion hole is open as shown in FIG. 4, the upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 is inside the case 2 (that is, below the area) of the upper surface 25 of the case 2 than the area around the operation unit 5. Located on the side). Alternatively, the upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 may be located on substantially the same plane as the area around the operation unit 5 in the upper surface 25 of the case 2. The same applies to the other surfaces of the operation unit 5. In other words, in the insertion hole open state shown in FIG. 4, the surface of the operation unit 5 is the surface of the case 2 rather than the area around the operation unit 5 (that is, the area around the movement path 24). It is located inside or substantially on the same plane as the area.

In the state where the insertion hole is opened shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 4 is more bent than the elastic member 4 in the connected state described later, and does not sandwich the electric wire with the terminal portion 3. In other words, the insertion hole open state, which is the state of the connecting device 1 shown in FIG. 4, is a “non-connection state” in which the pinching of the electric wire between the elastic member 4 and the terminal portion 3 is released.

Subsequently, the electric wire 91 is inserted into the insertion hole 21 of the connecting device 1 as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 4 while the elastic member 4 is maintained in the insertion hole open state. The electric wire 91 may be, for example, a single wire or a stranded wire. Further, the electric wire 91 may be a stranded wire provided with a rod-shaped crimp terminal or the like at the tip end portion. The diameter of the tip of the electric wire 91 is preferably 0.42 mm or more, for example. The diameter of the tip of the electric wire 91 is practically 2.3 mm or less. The diameter of the tip of the electric wire 91 may be changed in various ways. Further, the diameter of the portion other than the tip end portion of the electric wire 91 may be changed in various ways.

The electric wire 91 is moved downward in the insertion hole 21 and is inserted between the terminal portion 3 and the elastic member 4 in the insertion hole open state as shown in FIG. After that, the force of the worker pushing the operating portion 5 is weakened, and the restoring force of the elastic member 4 becomes larger than the sum of the force of the worker and the supporting force of the pair of pressing portions 53, so that the elastic member 4 The pair of arm portions 42 moves diagonally upward and, as shown in FIG. 6, are released from being pinched by the pair of pressing portions 53.

Further, the right arm portion 42 of the elastic member 4 comes into contact with the electric wire 91 from the left side. The arm portion 42 presses the electric wire 91 against the terminal portion 3 by the restoring force and sandwiches the electric wire 91 with the terminal portion 3. As a result, the electric wire 91 and the terminal portion 3 are electrically and mechanically connected. In other words, the electric wire 91 is connected to the connecting device 1. In the following description, the state shown in FIG. 6 is referred to as a “connection state”. As described above, the elastic member 4 in the connected state sandwiches the electric wire 91 with the terminal portion 3. In the connecting device 1, the operation unit 5 moves upward from the insertion hole open state shown in FIG. 5 by the diagonally upward movement of the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4, and the lower end portion is the pair of elastic members 4. Stops in contact with the outer surface of the arm portion 42 of the arm.

In the wiring state shown in FIG. 6, the upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 is inside the case 2 (that is, below the area) of the upper surface 25 of the case 2 with respect to the area around the operation unit 5. Located in. Alternatively, the upper surface 511 of the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 may be located on substantially the same plane as the area around the operation unit 5 in the upper surface 25 of the case 2. The same applies to the other surfaces of the operation unit 5. In other words, in the wiring state shown in FIG. 6, the surface of the operation unit 5 is inside the case 2 rather than the area around the operation unit 5 (that is, the area around the movement path 24) in the surface of the case 2. It is located or is located substantially in the same plane as the area.

In the connection state shown in FIG. 6, when the connecting device 1 is arranged so that the upper side in FIG. 6 is the lower side in the direction of gravity, the operation unit 5 is moved upward in the drawing from the elastic member 4 due to gravity. Separate. Then, the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5 are locked to a part of the case 2 as in the insertion hole closed state shown in FIG. 2, and the upward movement of the operating portion 5 is restricted. Therefore, it is prevented that the operation unit 5 moves upward from the position shown in FIG.

When removing the electric wire 91 from the connecting device 1, for example, a worker brings the tip of a normal flat-blade screwdriver or the like into contact with the operating recess of the upper end portion 51 of the operating portion 5, and the flat-blade screwdriver is used to reach the operating portion 5. Apply a downward force. Then, the operation unit 5 is moved downward to open the insertion hole as shown in FIG. In the state where the insertion hole is open, as described above, the elastic member 4 bends and the right arm portion 42 is separated from the electric wire 91 to the left side. In other words, the sandwiching of the electric wire 91 by the elastic member 4 and the terminal portion 3 is released. Further, the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4 are sandwiched by the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5, and a part of the restoring force of the elastic member 4 is supported by the pair of pressing portions 53.

Also at this time, similarly to the above, the worker can easily recognize that the connecting device 1 is in the insertion hole open state (that is, the non-connection state). Further, it is more easily recognized that the connected device 1 is in the insertion hole open state (that is, the unconnected state) due to the response and / or the generation of sound due to the contact between the upper end portion 51 of the operation unit 5 and the stop surface 242. can do.

In the connecting device 1, the elastic member 4 is deformable between the insertion hole closed state shown in FIG. 2, the insertion hole open state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the connection state shown in FIG. In the following description, as shown in FIG. 6, the position of the operating portion 5 in contact with the elastic member 4 in the connected state is referred to as a “first position”. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the position of the operating portion 5 in contact with the elastic member 4 in the insertion hole open state (that is, the unconnected state) is referred to as a “second position”. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the position of the operating portion 5 in which the pair of pressing portions 53 are locked to a part of the case 2 is referred to as a "third position".

The above-mentioned movement path 24 connects the third position, the first position, and the second position of the operation unit 5 in this order. The third position is located on the movement path 24 on the opposite side of the first position from the second position. At the second position, as described above, the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4 are sandwiched by the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5. At the third position, the pair of pressing portions 53 is locked to a part of the case 2, so that the operation portion 5 moves upward (that is, moves away from the second position). At the third position, it is sufficient that a part of the operation unit 5 is locked to a part of the case 2, and the pair of pressing parts 53 do not necessarily have to be locked to a part of the case 2.

As described above, the connecting device 1 to which the electric wire 91 is connected includes a case 2, a terminal portion 3, an elastic member 4, and an operating portion 5. The terminal portion 3 is conductive and is fixed to the case 2. The elastic member 4 is attached to the case 2. The elastic member 4 is a leaf spring that presses and holds the electric wire 91 against the terminal portion 3 by a restoring force. The operation unit 5 changes the shape of the elastic member 4 by moving along a movement path 24 extending in the vertical direction provided in the case 2.

The elastic member 4 is in a connected state in which the electric wire 91 is sandwiched between the terminal portion 3 and a non-connected state in which the electric wire 91 is released from being sandwiched between the terminal portion 3 by being bent more than the connected state (that is,). It can be deformed with the insertion hole open state). The operation unit 5 comes into contact with the elastic member 4 in the connected state at the first position. The operating unit 5 deforms the elastic member 4 into a non-wired state by being pushed into the second position below the first position while maintaining the contact state with the elastic member 4. The elastic member 4 includes a bent portion (that is, a central portion 41) located at the upper end and a pair of arm portions 42. The pair of arm portions 42 extend downward on both the left and right sides of the central portion 41. The distance between the pair of arms 42 in the left-right direction increases downward.

The operation unit 5 includes a pair of pressing units 53 that are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction and extend in the vertical direction. The distance between the pair of pressing portions 53 in the left-right direction becomes smaller toward the upper side. When the operating portion 5 is located at the first position, at least one lower end of the pair of pressing portions 53 comes into contact with the outer surface of at least one of the pair of arm portions 42. In the state where the operation unit 5 is located at the second position, the pair of arm portions 42 are sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions 53 in a state of being bent in the direction of approaching each other in the left-right direction. As a result, it is possible to reduce the force for maintaining the operation unit 5 in the state of being pushed into the case 2 (that is, the unconnected state). As a result, the operability of the connected device 1 can be improved.

As described above, in the connecting device 1, preferably, the inner surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 are pressed in the left-right direction by the pair of arm portions 42 by the restoring force of the elastic member 4 in the unconnected state, and the pair of pressing portions 53 partially supports the restoring force of the elastic member 4. Therefore, when connecting the electric wire 91 to the connected device 1 in the unconnected state, the operation unit 5 can be easily moved from the second position to the first position by relaxing the force for pushing the operation unit 5 downward with a flat-blade screwdriver or the like. The electric wire 91 can be easily sandwiched between the arm portion 42 and the terminal portion 3 of the elastic member 4. Similarly, when the elastic member 4 is returned from the unconnected state (that is, the insertion hole open state) to the insertion hole closed state after the electric wire 91 is pulled out from the connecting device 1, the operation unit 5 is similarly moved by a flat-blade screwdriver or the like. By loosening the downward pushing force, the operation unit 5 can be easily moved from the second position to the third position. Therefore, when connecting the electric wire 91 or disconnecting the electric wire 91, it is not necessary to repeatedly insert a flat-blade screwdriver or the like into the moving path 24, so that the operability of the connected device 1 can be improved.

As described above, in the state where the operating portion 5 is located at the second position, the angle formed by the pair of arm portions 42 is larger than 0 ° and smaller than 180 °. As a result, in the elastic member 4 sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions 53, the restoring force of the elastic member 4 is a horizontal component supported by the pair of pressing portions 53 and a vertical component that pushes the operating portion 5 upward. And have. Therefore, the force for maintaining the operating portion 5 in the case 2 in the pushed state (that is, the unconnected state) can be reduced, and the pair of arm portions 42 when the force for pushing the operating portion 5 is relaxed can be slanted. It can be moved upwards. In this case, in the state where the operation unit 5 is located at the second position, the lower ends of the pair of arm portions 42 may be at the same position as the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions 53, and the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions 53. It may be located above or below.

As described above, in the state where the operating portion 5 is located at the second position, the lower ends of the pair of arm portions 42 are located below the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions 53. As a result, in the elastic member 4 sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions 53, the restoring force of the elastic member 4 is a horizontal component supported by the pair of pressing portions 53 and a vertical component that pushes the operating portion 5 upward. And have. Therefore, the force for maintaining the operating portion 5 in the case 2 in the pushed state (that is, the unconnected state) can be reduced, and the pair of arm portions 42 when the force for pushing the operating portion 5 is relaxed can be slanted. It can be moved upwards. In this case, the angle formed by the pair of arm portions 42 may be 0 ° in the state where the operation portion 5 is located at the second position. In the connected device 1, when the operation unit 5 is located at the second position, the angle formed by the pair of arm portions 42 is larger than 0 ° and smaller than 180 °, and the lower ends of the pair of arm portions 42 are formed. It is preferable that at least one of the pair of pressing portions 53 located below the lower ends is satisfied.

In the connected device 1, as shown in FIG. 7, the distance between the pair of pressing portions 53 in the left-right direction (that is, the distance between the inner side surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 in the left-right direction) extends over substantially the entire length in the vertical direction. It may be substantially constant. As illustrated in FIG. 7, when the operating portion 5 is located at the second position, the lower ends of the pair of arm portions 42 are located below the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions 53. The pair of arm portions 42 are sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions 53 in a state of being bent in a direction approaching each other in the left-right direction. As a result, similarly to the above, it is possible to reduce the force for maintaining the operation unit 5 in the state of being pushed into the case 2 (that is, the unconnected state). As a result, the operability of the connected device 1 can be improved. That is, in the connected device 1, the operation units 5 are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction and extend in the vertical direction, and the distance in the left-right direction becomes smaller toward the upper side, or the distance in the left-right direction is constant. The pressing portion 53 may be provided.

In the connecting device 1, as shown in FIG. 8, convex portions 531 may be provided on the inner surface of the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5, and concave portions 421 may be provided on the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4. .. The recess 421 fits with the convex portion 531 of the pressing portion 53 in a state where the operating portion 5 is located at the above-mentioned second position (that is, in a non-connection state). As a result, the force for maintaining the operation unit 5 in the case 2 in the pushed state can be further reduced. The convex portion 531 may be provided only on one pressing portion 53, and the concave portion 421 may be provided only on one arm portion 42.

Further, in the connecting device 1, recesses may be provided in the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operating portion 5, and convex portions may be provided in the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4. In other words, in the connecting device 1, one of the pair of pressing portions 53 and the pair of arm portions 42 has a convex portion, and the other of the pair of pressing portions 53 and the pair of arm portions 42 has the operating portion 5. It is preferable to have a concave portion that fits with the convex portion in a state of being located at the second position (that is, a non-connection state). As a result, as described above, the force for maintaining the operation unit 5 in the state of being pushed into the case 2 (that is, the unconnected state) can be further reduced. As a result, the operability of the connected device 1 can be further improved. Even in this case, when the force for pushing the operating portion 5 is relaxed, the operating portion 5 moves upward and the pair of arm portions 42 moves diagonally upward due to the restoring force of the elastic member 4.

In the connecting device 1, as shown by a thick line in FIG. 9, a rough surface portion 532 may be provided on the inner side surface of the pair of pressing portions 53, and a rough surface portion 422 may be provided on the outer surface of the pair of arm portions 42. The rough surface portion 532 and the rough surface portion 422 are regions having a surface roughness larger than that of the surrounding portions, respectively. When the rough surface portion 532 and the rough surface portion 422 come into contact with each other, the frictional resistance between the pair of pressing portions 53 and the pair of arm portions 42 increases, so that the operating portion 5 is maintained in a pushed state into the case 2. The force can be further reduced. The rough surface portion 532 may be provided only on one pressing portion 53, and the rough surface portion 422 may also be provided on only one arm portion 42.

In the connecting device 1, at least one of the inner side surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 and the outer surfaces of the pair of arm portions 42 may have a rough surface portion. Even in this case, since the frictional resistance between the pair of pressing portions 53 and the pair of arm portions 42 increases, the operating portion 5 is maintained in a state of being pushed into the case 2 (that is, in a non-wired state). The force can be further reduced. As a result, the operability of the connected device 1 can be further improved. Even in this case, when the force for pushing the operating portion 5 is relaxed, the operating portion 5 moves upward and the pair of arm portions 42 moves diagonally upward due to the restoring force of the elastic member 4.

Various changes can be made in the above-mentioned connected device 1.

For example, in the connecting device 1, the shapes of the terminal portion 3, the elastic member 4, and the operating portion 5 may be changed in various ways. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the connecting device 1 provided with the elastic member 4a having a shape different from the above example. In the elastic member 4a, a pair of intermediate portions 43 are provided between the central portion 41 and the pair of arm portions 42. Each of the pair of intermediate portions 43 extends obliquely upward from the central portion 41. The pair of arm portions 42 extend obliquely downward from the upper end portions of the pair of intermediate portions 43. The pair of intermediate portions 43 may extend diagonally downward from the central portion 41 and then bend upward and extend diagonally upward. In other words, in the elastic member 4a, the portion between the pair of arm portions 42 is curved or wavy with the central portion 41 as the center in the left-right direction, and in the connected device 1, the first position and the second position. The surface of the operation unit 5 located at the third position may protrude outward from the area around the operation unit 5 on the surface of the case 2.

In the connecting device 1, both the above-mentioned convex portions and concave portions that are fitted to each other and the above-mentioned rough surface portions are formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of pressing portions 53 of the operation portion 5 and the pair of arm portions 42 of the elastic member 4. It may be provided.

The connection device 1 described above may be used to connect electric wires in various devices. For example, the connected device 1 may be used as a relay socket, an operation switch, or the like.

The above-described embodiments and configurations in the respective modifications may be appropriately combined as long as they do not conflict with each other.

1 Connected equipment 2 Case 3 Terminal part 4, 4a Elastic member 5 Operation part 24 Movement path 41 Central part 42 Arm part 53 Pressing part 91 Electric wire 421 Recessed part 422 Rough surface part 531 Convex part 532 Rough surface part

Claims (6)

It is a connecting device to which electric wires are connected.
With the case
The conductive terminal part fixed to the case and
An elastic member that is a leaf spring that is attached to the case and holds the electric wire by pressing it against the terminal portion by a restoring force.
An operation unit that changes the shape of the elastic member by moving along a movement path extending in the vertical direction provided in the case.
With
The elastic member has a connection state in which the electric wire is sandwiched between the electric wire and the terminal portion and a non-connection state in which the electric wire is released from being sandwiched between the terminal portion by bending more than the connection state. Can be transformed between
The operating portion comes into contact with the elastic member in the connected state at the first position, and is pushed to the second position below the first position while maintaining the contact state with the elastic member. The elastic member is deformed into the unconnected state,
The elastic member is
The bent part located at the upper end and
A pair of arms extending downward on both the left and right sides of the bent portion and increasing the distance in the left-right direction toward the downward direction.
With
The operation unit is provided with a pair of pressing units that are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction and extend in the vertical direction, and the distance in the left-right direction becomes smaller or the distance in the left-right direction is constant toward the upper side.
In the state where the operating portion is located at the first position, at least one lower end portion of the pair of pressing portions comes into contact with the outer surface of at least one of the pair of arm portions.
When the operating portion is located at the second position, the connecting device is sandwiched between the pair of pressing portions in a state where the pair of arms are bent in a direction approaching each other in the left-right direction. .. The connected device according to claim 1.
Due to the restoring force of the elastic member in the unconnected state, the inner surfaces of the pair of pressing portions are pressed in the left-right direction by the pair of arms.
The pair of pressing portions is a connecting device characterized in that the restoring force of the elastic member is partially supported. The connected device according to claim 1 or 2.
One of the pair of pressing portions and the pair of arms has a convex portion,
A connecting device, wherein the other of the pair of pressing portions and the pair of arms has a concave portion that fits with the convex portion in a state where the operating portion is located at the second position. The connected device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
A connecting device, characterized in that at least one of the inner side surfaces of the pair of pressing portions and the outer surfaces of the pair of arms portions has a rough surface portion. The connected device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A connecting device characterized in that, in a state where the operating portion is located at the second position, the angle formed by the pair of arms is larger than 0 ° and smaller than 180 °. The connected device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A connecting device characterized in that, in a state where the operating portion is located at the second position, the lower ends of the pair of arms are located below the lower ends of the pair of pressing portions.

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