JP2605476Y2 - Rack and pinion connector assembly - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connector assembly having a plug housing and a cap housing, and more particularly to a rack and pinion type connector assembly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various mechanisms and devices of automobiles have become more electronic, and the number of poles of electric connectors has been increasing. As a result, the insertion force required for fitting the electrical connector is increasing. There has been proposed an electrical connector having a lever or cam type boosting mechanism so that an operator can easily fit the electrical connector. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a rack 102 and a pinion driven by a lever 108 are disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-99788.
An electrical connector 100 is shown in which 104 is disposed substantially at the center of a pair of housings 106 and 107, respectively. In addition, Akira Kai
63-99787 also shows an electrical connector having a sector gear driven by a rack and a lever.
In this conventional example, the sector gear and the rack are combined at a portion deviated from the center of the housing.

[0003] As described above, the conventional rack and pinion connector assembly are configured to engage with each other at one location and to be pulled in. For this reason, it is difficult to move the housings in parallel with each other because the housings are easily inclined when the housings are fitted. This tendency is particularly strong when the engagement portion between the rack and the pinion is displaced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a durable rack and pinion connector assembly in which the housings move smoothly when mated.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A rack and a pinion type connector assembly according to the present invention comprise a pair of racks which are arranged side by side with one of a pair of connectors to be fitted together in the fitting direction. A rack and a pinion type connector assembly in which the other connector is provided with a pair of pinions and fitted with a low insertion force to each other, wherein the pair of pinions are:
A pair of pinions meshed with each other, and a rotary lever rotatable on a flat outer wall of the other connector is connected to one of the pair of pinions to drive the pinion.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plug housing 2 and a cap housing 30 of a rack and pinion type connector assembly (hereinafter simply referred to as a connector assembly) according to the present invention are not fitted to each other. In FIG.
Reference numeral 12 denotes a cavity for inserting a terminal. The terminals are omitted. The plug housing 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a rectangular recess 8 is formed substantially at the center of the upper surface 6. Racks 10 are formed on both inner side walls of the recess 8 in parallel with the fitting direction of the plug housing 2. Projection on end face 14
16 are formed. Ribs 18 are formed at both ends of the upper surface 6 of the plug housing 2 in the fitting direction.

[0008] The cap housing 30 has an opening 32 for receiving the plug housing 2. On the lower surface 36 substantially at the center of the upper wall (outer wall) 34, two pinions 38 of the same shape are rotatably mounted corresponding to the concave portions 8 of the plug housing 2. FIG. 2 shows a state in which a portion surrounded by a dashed line circle in FIG. 1 is enlarged and seen through. The pinion 38 is fixed to shafts 40 and 42, respectively, and the shaft is inserted into a through hole (not shown) formed in the upper wall 34.
40 and 42 are inserted. The shaft 42 protrudes from the upper wall 34 and has a stopper ring 44 attached to an end thereof, thereby preventing the pinion 38 from falling down. The shaft 40 is longer than the shaft 42 and is inserted through a through hole (not shown) formed in an end portion 48 of a lever 46 (rotating lever), and a stopper ring 44 is attached similarly to the end portion of the shaft 40. . The shaft 40 is press-fitted into the lever 46, and the pinion 38, the shaft 40, and the lever 46 are configured to operate integrally. In order to increase the coupling strength between the lever 46 and the shaft 40, a rib (not shown) is formed on the shaft 40, and a slit (not shown) is also provided in the through hole of the lever 46 so that the rib and the slit are engaged. You may do so. Lever 46
May be made of plastic or metal. Since the lever 46 is provided on the flat upper wall 34,
By properly setting the length of the lever 46 and the diameter of the pinion without increasing the size of the cap housing 30 and, consequently, the connector assembly, and without limiting the rotation range (angle) of the lever 46, A force effect can be obtained.

The lever 46 is mounted at a slight distance from the upper wall 34 of the cap housing 30 so as not to interfere with the protruding end of the shaft 42. However, it is also possible to house the end of the shaft 42 and the stopper ring 44 in a recess (not shown) formed in the upper wall 34 and arrange the lever 46 so as to contact the upper wall 34. Further, the other pinion 38 not connected to the lever 46 does not necessarily need to be fixed to the shaft 42, and may be rotatably mounted around the shaft 42.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the two pinions 38 are arranged at intervals so as to engage with each other. Each of the pinions 38 is adapted to engage with the rack 10 of the recess 8. To fit the plug housing 2 and the cap housing 30, first, the fitting surface 20 of the plug housing 2 is inserted into the opening 32 of the cap housing 30, and the pinion 38 and the rack 10 are engaged. Next, the handle 50 of the lever 46 is rotated from the position shown in FIG. Due to the rotation of the lever 46, the pinions 38 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and the rack 10 is retracted. That is, the plug housing 2 is drawn into the opening 32.
The setting is such that the fitting of the two housings 2 and 30 is completed when the lever 46 is rotated by 180 ° to a position opposite to the initial position. In the final position, the lever 46 is engaged with the projection 52 provided on the upper wall 34 of the cap housing and locked.
The opposite operation is performed to separate the two housings 2, 30.

Plug housing 2 and cap housing
During the fitting process of the 30, the ribs 18 are moved and guided in the corresponding grooves 54 of the cap housing 30. Further, the projection 16 of the plug housing 2 is guided by moving within a slit 58 in the fitting direction provided on the end wall 56 of the cap housing 30. The lever 46 is a portion in which a conspicuous color such as red is colored on the opening 32 side.
There are 60. This part 60 is visible from the opening 32 side when the two housings 2 and 30 are not fitted, that is, when the cap housing 30 receives the plug housing 2, but after fitting, the part 60 is reversed so that it is visible. Can not.
Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between when the cap housing 30 is in the receiving state and when it is in the fitted state.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment,
Various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. For example, those skilled in the art can easily understand that the size of the pinion, the shape of the lever, and the like can be appropriately changed according to the size and shape of the housing.

[0013]

According to the present invention, a pair of pinions is a pair of intermeshing pinions, and a rotary lever rotatable on a flat outer wall of the other connector is connected to one of the pair of pinions. Then, the pinion is driven, so that the following effects are obtained.

That is, since the pinion and the rack are engaged at two places, the inclination of the housing can be reduced, and the connector assembly can be smoothly inserted and removed. Since the force at the time of insertion and removal is shared between the two pinions and the rack, a connector assembly having good durability can be obtained. Further, a connector assembly having a large boosting effect can be obtained without increasing the size of the connector assembly. 1

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state before a plug housing and a cap housing of a connector assembly according to the present invention are fitted to each other.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion surrounded by a dashed line circle of the cap housing of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional electrical connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Connector Assembly 2 Plug Housing 30 Cap Housing 10 Rack 38 Pinion 46 Lever

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A pair of mating connectors are provided, one of which has a pair of racks juxtaposed along the mating direction and the other of which has a pair of pinions. In a rack and pinion type connector assembly fitted with a low insertion force, the pair of pinions is a pair of intermeshing pinions, and the rotating lever rotatable on a flat outer wall of the other connector is provided. A rack and pinion type connector assembly, wherein said rack and pinion type connector assembly is connected to one of a pair of pinions to drive said pinion.