JP2602840Y2 - LIF connector - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

The present invention relates to an LIF (Low In) used for fitting / removing a mating connector and a connector by a small operation force and one-touch operation.
serviceforce) connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional connector has a problem that the number of contact cores increases and the fitting operation force increases during fitting and connection. To solve this problem, a connector as shown in FIG. is there. This connector has a connector 8 and a mating connector 9 which are fitted and connected by relative movement. The connector 8 and the mating connector 9 are fitted with each other.
The operability is improved by reducing the operating force when leaving.
When the connector 8 and the mating connector 9 are mated, the conductive contact held by the connector 8 and the conductive mating contact held by the mating connector 9 are connected. A large number of contacts and mating contacts are densely arranged in each of the connector 8 and the mating connector 9.

[0003] A pair of levers 8
1 is provided rotatably. The lever 81 has a half-moon-shaped slit 83 formed therein. In the slit 83, a projection 91 provided to protrude from the outer surface of the mating connector 9 is engaged, and the lever 81 is rotated in the arrow direction B. Then, the connector 8 and the mating connector 9
Are relatively close to each other, and they are finally fitted and connected.

[0004]

However, in the connector shown in FIG. 5, alignment is required to engage the projection 91 of the mating connector 9 with the slit 83 of the lever 81. It is necessary to perform an operation of fitting and connecting the connector 8 and the mating connector 9 by rotating 81.
The operation at the time of connection was troublesome.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an LIF connector that can be operated only once, that is, one-touch type and requires only a small operating force.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a mating connector having a conductive mating contact, and a connector having a conductive contact, wherein the mating connector and the connector are fitted in a mating direction. LI that connects the partner contact and the contact by moving
In the F connector, the connector includes a connector body holding the contact, a first member facing an outer wall surface of the connector body, the connector body and the first member.
And a second member that covers the periphery of the first member and moves in the fitting direction together with the connector main body. The connector main body and the first member move forward when the first member moves. > has a first engaging device for moving the Symbol connector body to said fitting direction, said first member and said second member, upon movement of said first member, said first member Mating direction and
A second engaging device for moving the connector main body in the fitting direction with respect to the mating connector by moving the connector main body in the orthogonal direction, wherein the second member includes the connector main body and the second With the guidance between the members, the member moves only in the fitting direction with the mating connector main body, and the mating connector and the first member move when the connector main body is mated with the mating connector. An LIF connector having a retaining device for retaining the connector body and the mating connector is provided.

According to the present invention, the first engagement device includes a plurality of first engagement devices provided on one of the opposed side walls of the connector body and the first member. And a plurality of first protrusions provided on the other side wall and respectively engaging with the first holes one-to-one, wherein the second engagement device includes the first member and the first member. A plurality of second holes provided in one of the opposing side walls of the second member and the second hole provided in the other side wall;
LIF connector having a plurality of second projections respectively engaging one to one with the holes.

Further, according to the present invention, the mating connector has a mating connector main body holding the mating contact, and the connector main body has a receiving groove for receiving the mating connector main body in the fitting direction. A notch formed by cutting out upper edges of a pair of side walls among the side walls constituting the receiving groove, wherein the retaining device is provided with a fitting projection projecting from a pair of outer walls of the mating connector main body; An engaging portion opened at a position corresponding to the notch portion of the connector body, the engaging portion extending in a horizontal direction from a vertical portion engaging with the fitting protrusion and a lower end of the vertical portion. An LIF connector having a horizontal hole is obtained.

[0009]

According to the present invention having the above construction, when the connector and the mating connector are fitted and connected, the fitting projection is fitted to the vertical portion of the first engaging portion of the first member that matches the notch. By fitting and pressing the connector, the first projection descends the first hole and the second projection descends the second hole. Further, the mating projection of the mating connector is guided to the end of the horizontal portion of the first engagement portion, and at this time, the first projection moves to the lower end of the first hole, and the second projection moves to the second hole. Of the second member
And the connection between the connector and the mating connector is completed.

[0010] The height of the second hole formed in the second member is set to be larger than the height of the first hole formed in the mating connector main body.

When the second member is pushed so as to approach the main body at the time of connection between the connector and the mating connector, the second member is pressed.
Are relatively oppositely moved with respect to the connector body and the first member by a large movement amount in the fitting direction, and at this time, the first member, the connector body and the second member are limited in a small movement amount. And the mating projection of the mating connector moves in the direction orthogonal to the mating direction, and is guided to the depth of the horizontal portion of the engaging portion of the first member to be locked. At the same time, the connector and the mating connector are relatively approached and connected to each other with a small force.

[0012]

Next, embodiments of the LIF connector of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2A show a first embodiment of the LIF connector of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2A, the LIF connector includes a mating connector 1 and a mating connector 1
And a connector 2 to be fitted and connected to the connector 2.

The mating connector 1 is a mating connector main body 1.
a. The mating connector main body 1a is provided with a receiving groove 2 formed in a connector main body 21 of the connector 2 described later.
It has a rectangular receiving part 10 which is received at 00.
The receiving portion 10 is provided with a fitting projection 13 protruding from the side surface at the center of the pair of side surfaces in the longitudinal direction and near the lower end. The conductive contact (not shown) is held in the mating connector main body 1a inside the receiving portion 10.

The connector 2 includes a connector main body 21, a plate-shaped first member 23 provided to face a pair of outer wall surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the connector main body 21, and a connector main body 21 and the first member 23. And a cylindrical second member 25 covering the periphery of the outer side surface.

At the center of a pair of side surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the connector main body 21, a notch 211 opening to the upper edge is provided.
Are formed. In addition, three longitudinally elongated first inclined holes 213a, 213b, 213c are provided on a pair of longitudinal side surfaces of the connector main body 21, three in total on one side surface.
Are formed. These first inclined holes 213a, 213a
13b, 213c at the center of the first inclined hole 213b
Is provided with a spring stopper 215 for locking the first projection 235b of the first member 23 to either end of the first inclined hole 213b.

The first member 23 is formed in a flat plate shape so as to oppose a pair of outer wall surfaces of the connector main body 21 and to move along the longitudinal inner wall surface of the second member 25. An L-shaped groove-shaped engaging portion 230 is formed at the center of the upper edge of the first member 23. The engaging portion 230 includes a vertical portion 231 extending downward from an upper edge of the first member 23 and a horizontal portion 2 extending horizontally from a lower end of the vertical portion 231.
33. The vertical portion 231 is connected to the connector body 2
It is formed at a position corresponding to one notch 211. Here, the fitting projection 13 and the engaging portion 230 are collectively referred to as a retaining device.

In the first member 23, six first three members are formed on each of a pair of longitudinal side walls of the connector main body 21 on a surface (inner side) facing the connector main body 21. The first projections 235a, 235b, and 2 respectively engage one-to-one with the inclined holes 213a, 213b, and 213c.
Six 35c are provided. Here, the first inclined hole 2
13a, 213b, 213c and the first projection 235a,
235b and 235c are collectively referred to as a first engagement device.

Since the spring stopper 215 is provided in the center first inclined hole 213b, the first projection 235b located in the center is located in the center first inclined hole 213b.
b is located on the upper end side or the lower end side.

In the state before the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 are connected, the first protrusions 235a, 235b, 2
35c is engaged with the upper end side of the first inclined hole 213a, 213b, 213c, and the first projection 235a, 235b, 235c is in the first inclined hole 213 in the connected state.
a, 213b, and 213c.

Further, on the outer wall surfaces of the pair of first members 23, and near both longitudinal ends, second projections 237a and 237b protruding outward are provided on each of the plate surfaces.
Each is provided.

The second member 25 has two elongated second inclined holes 251a and 251 formed on a pair of longitudinal side surfaces, respectively.
b is formed. Second inclined holes 251a, 251b
Is set to, for example, 60 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second member 25. The length dimension of the second inclined holes 251a and 251b of the second member 25 is set to extend from the vicinity of the lower end to the vicinity of the upper end. Here, the second inclined holes 251a and 251b and the second
The protrusions 237a and 237b are collectively referred to as a second engagement device.

The second member 25 is composed of two constituent members 25a and 25b divided by an imaginary plane parallel to the longitudinal direction.
Are joined together.

Next, the assembly of the connector 2 will be described. First inclined holes 213a, 213 of connector body 21
3b and 213c have the first protrusions 23 of the first member 23.
The first member 23 is fitted to the side surface of the connector main body 21 such that the first members 23 are engaged one-to-one with 5a, 235b, and 235c. At this time, the inclined hole 213b at the center of the connector body 21
Since the spring stopper 215 is provided as described above, the first projection 235b located at the center can be located at the upper end side of the first inclined hole 213b.

Next, the connector body 21 to which the first member 23 is attached is inserted into the second member 25. At this time, the second
In a state where the member 25 is separated into two parts, the second protrusions 237a and 237b provided on the first member
The two constituent members 25a and 25b are joined together so as to be fitted one-to-one into the inclined holes 251a and 251b.

The connection operation between the mating connector 1 and the connector 2 will be described below. As shown in FIG.
The mating projection 13 of the mating connector 1 is inserted into a notch 211 formed in the connector main body 21 of the connector 2.
At this time, the receiving portion 10 of the mating connector main body 1a is in a state of being slightly inserted into the receiving groove 200 of the connector main body 21.

Next, the second member 25 is grasped by hand and pushed toward the connector main body 21 in the fitting direction along the fitting axis A. Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, the second protrusions 237a and 237b of the first member 23 relatively slide down the second inclined holes 251a and 251b of the second member 25. At this time, the first member 23 moves by a small amount in a direction (leftward) perpendicular to the fitting axis A, and inserts the fitting protrusion 13 of the mating connector 1 into the horizontal portion 233 of the engaging portion 230. 2
As shown in (c), detachment of the mating connector 1 from the connector body 21 of the connector 2 is prevented.

When the second member 25 is further pushed into the mating connector 1, the projections 235a, 235b, 235c of the first member 23 are brought into contact with the first member 25 of the connector body 21, as shown in FIG. Inclined holes 213a, 213b, 213
Move down c and move to the final end. At this time, the protrusion 235b
Is not easily returned by the spring stopper 215 located inside the first inclined hole 213b unless a force in the opposite direction is applied more than necessary, and the connection between the connector 2 and the mating connector 1 is completed.

The second member 25 is guided between the connector body 21 and the second member 25 (a pair of outer wall surfaces 217 of the connector body 21 and a pair of inner wall surfaces 255 of the second member 25). It moves only in the fitting direction with the mating connector main body 1a.

FIG. 2 shows the displacement of each member when the connector 2 and the mating connector 1 are connected.
The first inclined holes 213a, 213b, 21 shown in FIG.
The second member 25 rises with respect to the first member 23 by the dimension a along the fitting axis A so as to be easily understood from the length dimensions of the third inclined holes 251a and 251b. , First
Of the second member 25 (or the connector body 2)
It moves by dimension b in the direction perpendicular to 1). And
As the first member 23 moves the dimension b in the horizontal direction, the connector main body 21 approaches the mating connector 1 by the dimension c.

By the way, if the movement in the middle is not taken into consideration, even if the second member 25 is moved as large as the dimension a, only a small dimension c moves between the mating connector 1 and the connector main body 21. If there is no loss, a /
As a result, the connector 2 and the mating connector 1 can be connected with a small force.

Since the bb 'portions of the first inclined holes 213a, 213b and 213c of the connector body 21 are not related to the movement of the vertical axis, the efficiency of the expansion of the force is slightly reduced. , The rate of expansion of the force when moving is (a
/ B) × (b ′ / c).

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the holes formed in the connector body 21 are not inclined holes,
The holes 218a, 218b, and 218c extending in the horizontal direction may be provided. In this case, in the first member 23, the upper surface 233a of the horizontal portion 233 of the engaging portion 230 is inclined in the height dimension c.

The first and second projections 235a, 235b, 235c, 237a,
237b and the first and second inclined holes 213a and 213a.
13b, 213c, 251a, and 251b are opposite to each other in a range where the same action can be obtained.
1, the first and second members 23 and 25 may be formed on the side.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment applied to an LIF connector having a round shaft cross section, in which the mating connector 1 and the connector 2 are formed in a round shape and are mutually rotated. You may. In the third embodiment, the same parts as those of the LIF connector shown in FIG.

The LIF connector includes a mating connector 1 and
And a connector 2 fitted and connected to the mating connector 1.

The mating connector 1 is a mating connector body 1
a. The mating connector main body 1a includes the connector 2
Has a round receiving portion 10 that is received in a receiving groove 200 formed in the connector main body 21. This receiving part 1
0 is provided with a fitting projection 13 protruding from its outer wall. The conductive contact (not shown) is held in the mating connector main body 1a inside the receiving portion 10.

The connector 2 covers the connector main body 21, a cylindrical first member 23 provided facing the outer wall surface of the connector main body 21, and the outer periphery of the connector main body 21 and the first member 23. And a cylindrical second member 25.

On the side wall of the connector main body 21, a notch 211 opening at the upper edge is formed. In addition, a pair of vertical grooves 212 long in the direction of the two fitting axes A are formed on the side surface of the connector body 21. Further, on the side surface of the connector body 21, a total of two first projections 235a and 235b are provided between the pair of vertical grooves 212a and 212b.

The first member 23 includes two elongated first inclined holes 213a and 213b, and these first inclined holes 213a and 213b.
A total of two elongated second inclined holes 251a and 251b are formed one by one between 13a and 213b. Further, two L-shaped groove-shaped engaging portions 230 are formed on the upper edge portion of the first member 23. The engaging portion 230 is a first
Vertical portion 231 extending downward from the upper edge of member 23
And a horizontal portion 233 extending horizontally from the lower end of the vertical portion 231. The vertical portion 231 is formed at a position corresponding to the notch 211 of the connector body 21. Here, the fitting projection 13 and the engaging portion 230 are collectively referred to as a retaining device.

Further, the first inclined hole 21 of the first member 23 is formed.
The 3a, 213b and the first projections 235a, 235b that engage them one-to-one are collectively referred to as a first engagement device.

In the state before the connection between the connector 2 and the mating connector 1, the first projections 235a and 235b are engaged with the upper ends of the first inclined holes 213a and 213b. Are the first projections 235a, 235
b is located at the lower end side of the first inclined holes 213a and 213b.

On the inner wall surface of the second member 25,
Two second protrusions 237a and 237b protruding inward are provided. Second protrusions 237a, 237b
Are the second inclined holes 251a and 251b and the vertical groove 212
a, 212b. Here, the second protrusion 237
a, 237b, the second inclined holes 251a, 251b, and the vertical grooves 212a, 212b are collectively referred to as a second engagement device.

The angle of inclination of the second inclined holes 251 a and 251 b is set to, for example, 60 degrees with respect to the fitting axis A of the first member 23. The length of the second inclined holes 251a and 251b of the first member 23 is set to a length extending from the vicinity of the lower end to the vicinity of the upper end.

In the LIF connector, the movement of the second member 25 along the fitting axis A is converted into the rotation of the first member 23. The movement of the connector main body 21 along the fitting axis A is also converted into the rotation of the first member 23.

The major difference between the third embodiment and the first and second embodiments is that the third embodiment is limited only to the axial movement between the connector body 21 and the second member 25, ie In order to prevent the rotation of the second member 25, the second protrusions 237a and 237b formed on the second member 25 penetrate through the second inclined holes 251a and 251b formed on the first member 23 and are formed on the connector main body 21. It is necessary to reach the vertical grooves 212a and 212b. That is, the second member 25 is
Guide between the connector body 21 and the second member 25 (the vertical grooves 212a, 212b and the second protrusions 237a, 237a, 2b).
37b), it moves only in the fitting direction with the mating connector main body 1a.

[0047]

According to the present invention, as described in the above embodiments, the second member of the connector connected to the mating connector is guided by the guide between the connector body and the second member. The connector and the mating connector can be completely fitted and connected with a single operation and with a small force because they can move only in the fitting direction.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a first embodiment of the LIF connector of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory views showing an operation state of the first embodiment, wherein FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing an initial state of fitting of the LIF connector, and FIG. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the LIF connector is being fitted, and FIG. 4D is a sectional view showing a state in which the LIF connector is being fitted / connected.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a second embodiment of the LIF connector of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a third embodiment of the LIF connector of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a main part of a conventional connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 9 Mating connector 1a Mating connector main body 2, 8 Connector 10 Receiving part 13 Fitting protrusion 21 Connector main body 23 First member 25 Second member 81 Lever 83 Slit 211 Notch 213a, 213b, 213c First Inclined hole 215 Spring stopper 200 Receiving groove 230 Engagement portion 235a, 235b, 235c First protrusion 237a, 237b Second protrusion 251a, 251b Second inclined hole

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/56-13/72

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A mating connector having a conductive mating contact and a connector having a conductive contact, wherein the mating connector and the contact are moved by moving the mating connector and the connector in a fitting direction. A connector body that holds the contact, a first member facing an outer wall surface of the connector body, and a periphery of the connector body and the first member, and a second member which moves in the fitting direction with the connector body, the connector body and the first member, the second
A first engaging device for moving the connector main body in the fitting direction when the first member is moved , wherein the first member and the second member are provided on the first member. during the movement, the first
A second engaging device that moves the first member in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction and moves the connector main body in the fitting direction with respect to the mating connector;
By the guide between the connector body and the second member, the connector body and the first member move only in the fitting direction with the mating connector main body, and the mating connector and the first member move the connector main body to the mating connector. When mating with
An LIF having a retaining device for retaining the connector body and the mating connector.
connector. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement device includes a plurality of first holes provided in one of the opposed side walls of the connector body and the first member; A plurality of first protrusions provided on a side wall and respectively engaging with the first holes in a one-to-one manner, wherein the second engagement device is configured to include the first member and the second member; A plurality of second holes provided on one of the side walls facing each other, and a plurality of second protrusions provided on the other side wall and respectively engaging with the second holes one-to-one. Claim 1 which has
The described LIF connector. 3. The mating connector has a mating connector main body holding the mating contact, the connector main body comprising a receiving groove for receiving the mating connector main body in the fitting direction, and the receiving groove. A notch formed by cutting out upper edges of a pair of side walls of the pair of side walls, wherein the retaining device includes: a fitting protrusion protruding from a pair of outer walls of the mating connector main body; An engaging portion opened at a position corresponding to the notch portion, the engaging portion having a vertical portion engaging with the fitting projection and a horizontal hole extending horizontally from a lower end of the vertical portion. 2. The LI according to claim 1,
F connector.