JP3136909B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a connector housing is provided with a locking means for holding the fitted state when the male and female housings are fitted together, and various types of connectors have been developed. Is coming. FIG. 6 shows an example. Briefly describing the structure, a locking arm 41 constituting locking means is arranged on the upper surface of the female housing 40. The locking arm 41 cantileverly extends rearward from the front portion of the upper surface of the female housing 40 and is capable of bending and deforming in the vertical direction. The locking arm 41 is formed by connecting an intermediate portion and a terminal portion of two parallel pieces, and the piece connecting the terminal portions is a pressing piece 4 for separating operation.
2, and the piece connecting the intermediate portion is an engagement piece 43 involved in the lock.

On the other hand, the male housing 44 has a front portion serving as a hood portion 45 so as to be fitted to the female housing 40 side, and a locking projection 46 is formed on the inner wall surface thereof.
When the male and female connector housings 40 and 44 are fitted together, the fitting operation proceeds while pushing down the locking arm 41, and when the fitting is completed, the locking projection 46 and the engagement piece 43 are connected. The connector housings 40 and 44 are locked.

[0004]

In the above arrangement, the engaging projection and the engaging piece of the engaging arm are set in a positional relationship such that they engage with each other when both connector housings are completely fitted. Need to be done. Actually, these positional relationships are set in consideration of errors in molding and the like. That is, at the time of complete fitting, the locking projection and the engagement piece do not engage in close contact with each other, but as shown in FIG. It is set so as to pass through, that is, to create a certain gap between them.

[0005] However, such a gap, which is necessary to absorb molding errors, causes a play in the housing. Therefore, even when the locking arm is in the locked state, it can be relatively easily moved by the application of an external force, so that the locking arm may be displaced in the separating direction and disengaged.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of reliably holding a locked state.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the male and female connector housings are provided with locking means for maintaining their fitted state, and both locking means are mutually engaged. in the connector engagement surface is formed respectively facing, the facing surfaces of the mating connector at least one connector housing with formed through the mounting hole, the preparative
Regarding the mounting hole,
The elastic body is not attached by press-fitting from the rear side.
It is, and the elastic body is characterized in that it is possible biases in a direction to contact the both locking surface is compressed between the connector housing when the male and female connector housings are completely fitted.

The locking means is formed on the other connector housing, the flexible locking arm extending from one of the connector housings and having a locking surface at a part thereof, and is formed on the other connector housing. And a locking portion that engages with the elastic locking arm in a state in which a locking surface formed on a part thereof is completely opposed to the locking surface on the elastic locking arm side when completely fitted. The two locking surfaces may be formed in a reverse tapered shape in which the two connector housings are engaged with a predetermined biting margin in a direction in which the two connector housings are separated from each other (the invention according to claim 2).

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the two connector housings are fitted, the two locking means are engaged with each other, and the mutual locking surfaces are opposed to each other. Then, at this time, since the elastic force of the elastic body acts on both the connector housings so that the both locking surfaces are in close contact with each other, the two locking means are engaged without play.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the two connector housings are completely fitted, the elastic locking arm and the locking portion are engaged. At this time, the two engaging surfaces are brought into close contact with each other by the elastic force of the elastic body acting between the two housings and are engaged with each other without play, as in the case of the first aspect of the present invention. According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the locking surface is formed by an inversely tapered surface, the engagement surfaces are engaged with each other so as to bite each other.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the two housings are fitted by the provision of the elastic body, the locking means is engaged in tight contact without play. A stable engagement state can be realized, and the two connector housings can be securely prevented from coming off.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the locking surfaces are engaged with each other with a predetermined bite allowance, so that further prevention of disengagement can be achieved.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, the two connectors will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the male connector has a male connector housing (hereinafter, referred to as a male housing) 1, and the male housing 1 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material. ing.
A hood portion 3 that engages with a female connector housing (hereinafter, referred to as a female housing) 2 is formed at its front portion so as to open forward, and a body portion 4 is formed at its rear portion. A male terminal accommodating chamber 6 into which the male terminal fitting 5 is inserted from the rear is formed inside the main body 4, and the front is open so as to communicate with the hood 3. In addition, male terminal accommodation room 6
A lance 7 is formed so as to project obliquely forward from the upper wall surface. The lance 7 is formed so as to be able to bend and deform, and a locking portion 7a for holding the male terminal fitting 5 in a retaining state by engaging with the locking hole 8 of the male terminal fitting 5 is formed at the tip thereof. .

The hood portion 3 of the male housing 1 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape, and a locking projection 9 for the female housing 2 is formed at the center of the upper edge of the opening edge in the figure. The locking protrusion 9 has a front edge formed with an inward slope.
It serves as a guide surface 9a for a smooth engagement operation with a locking arm (described later) on the female housing 2 side. The rear edge of the locking projection 9 (the edge on the side facing the inside of the hood portion 3) is also inclined in the same direction as the front edge. Become. On the other hand, a mounting hole 12 for mounting the elastic body 11 penetrates a wall surface of a portion of the hood portion 3 projecting from the main body portion 4. As shown in FIG. 2, each mounting hole 12 has two arrangements on the left and right on the upper side and one on the center on the lower side. It is open at a position where it can face the tip edge of the second. Further, as shown in FIG.
The opening diameter on the side is a small tapered hole on the outer surface side. An elastic body 11 described below is attached to each of the attachment holes 12.

The elastic body 11 is integrally formed of a rubber material having an appropriate elasticity. The elastic body 11 has a disk-shaped base 11a having a diameter sufficiently larger than the mounting hole 12, and a circle extending coaxially therefrom. It comprises a columnar shaft portion 11b and a retaining portion 11c formed at the tip of the shaft portion 11b. The outer diameter of the shaft portion 11b is set slightly larger than the outer surface side hole diameter of the mounting hole 12, and the shaft portion 11b is inserted into the mounting hole 12 while applying elastic force over the entire circumference. The retaining portion 11c is formed in a tapered shape for convenience of insertion into the mounting hole 12, and has a predetermined protrusion from the shaft portion 11b, that is, a sufficient margin for the hole edge of the mounting hole 12. It protrudes so that it can be engaged. Thus, the elastic body 11 is provided with the retaining portion 1.
The male housing 1 is securely attached to the male housing 1 by the engagement by 1c and the press-fitting of the shaft portion 11b and the mounting hole 12. The elastic body 11 is set to have such a size that the retaining portion 11c projects into the hood portion 3 by a predetermined length when the elastic body 11 is mounted on the male housing 1.
When the male and female housings 1 and 2 are in an incompletely fitted state to the extent shown in FIG. Such compression deformation is possible.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the female housing 2 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material similarly to the male housing 1, and from the front edge of the upper surface thereof, the fitting state with the male housing 1 is locked. Has a cantilever shape extending rearward. The locking arm 10 is constituted by connecting a middle part and a terminal part of a pair of pieces arranged in parallel on the left and right sides. The piece becomes the operating piece 15 for the bending operation, and the connecting piece in the middle part can be engaged with the locking projection 9 when the two housings 1 and 2 are in a regular fitted state (completely fitted state). It is an engagement piece 16.

When the engaging piece 16 is engaged with the locking projection 9 side, the surface (arm side locking surface 16a) facing the locking surface 9b of the locking projection 9 is directed toward the upper end. Up and down, so that both locking surfaces 9b,
16a are engaged with each other with a predetermined bite margin.

The female housing 2 has a female terminal fitting 1 therein.
A female terminal accommodating chamber 18 for accommodating the male terminal fitting 5 is formed in the front surface of the female terminal accommodating chamber 18. Furthermore, female terminal accommodation room 1
A lance 20 is provided from the upper wall in FIG. The lance 20 has substantially the same configuration as that of the male housing 1, and has a locking portion 20 a formed at the tip thereof so as to elastically engage with the locking hole 21 of the female terminal fitting 17. Further, in this embodiment, a retainer 22 is attached to the female housing 2, and a claw portion 22 a at one end of the retainer 22 can be engaged with a jaw of the female terminal fitting 17. As a result, after the female terminal fitting 17 is temporarily locked by the lance 20, the female terminal fitting 17 is fully locked by the retainer 22, and the detachment from the female housing 2 is double-controlled.

Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment configured as described above will be specifically described. After the male and female terminal fittings 5, 17 are inserted into the respective housings 1, 2, the housings 1, 2 are fitted together. In this case, the fitting operation is performed by matching the front portion of the female housing 2 with the opening surface of the hood portion 3 of the male housing 1. In the process of fitting, the front surface of the engagement piece 16 of the locking arm 10 abuts the guide surface 9a of the locking projection 9, and the inclination thereof guides the deformation operation of the locking arm 10 in the pushing-down direction ( 1 state). While the locking arm 10 is pressed down in this manner, the distal end surface of the female housing 2
And its compression has already been started. Therefore, when the fitting operation is stopped in the middle of the fitting process, the female housing 2 is displaced in a direction in which the female housing 2 is pushed out of the hood portion 3 by the elastic force of each elastic body 11. Knows that it is in the half-fitted state by this operation, and performs the fitting operation again. This prevents the transfer to the next process in the incompletely fitted state.

When the fitting is further advanced from the state shown in FIG. 1 and the locking projection 9 relatively passes through the engagement piece 16, the locking arm 10 returns as shown in FIG. 16a
Are engaged with the locking surface 9b on the locking projection 9 side. At this point, the male and female housings 1 and 2 are completely fitted, and the male and female terminal fittings 5 and 17 are electrically connected. In the completely fitted state, the female housing 2 further compresses the retaining portion 11c of each elastic body 11 from the state described above. Therefore, both housings 1,
2 is completely engaged, the locking surfaces 9
b, 16a, each elastic body 11
The female housing 2 is displaced by the resilient force, and the locking surfaces 9b and 16a are engaged in close contact with each other. In other words, since the locking surfaces 9b and 16a come into close contact with each other with the resilient forces acting on each other, the locking arm 10 may be displaced in the downward direction by the external force and the lock may be released carelessly. Be regulated.

Further, in this embodiment, since the locking surfaces 9b and 16a are formed in a reverse taper shape, the locking surfaces 9b and 16a are formed.
Because they are engaged with each other biting each other,
The bending deformation of the locking arm 10 is further restricted, and the locked state is reliably restricted.

As described above, in this embodiment, the respective elastic members 11 make the locking surfaces 9b and 16a on the locking arm 10 side and the locking projection 9 side adhere to each other in a state where an elastic force is applied. Thus, the locking arm 10 is held without rattling. For this reason, even if an external force is applied to the locking arm 10 in a direction of pushing the arm down, the frictional force between the locking surfaces 9b and 16a can resist the external force. Further, since the locking surfaces 9b and 16a are engaged with each other while biting each other with a reverse tapered surface, the unlocking of the locking arm 10 can be more reliably avoided. further,
In this embodiment, the mounting holes 12 are tapered to prevent the elastic members 11 from coming off.
Since sufficient measures have been taken, such as forming 1c, even if compressed between the housings, they will not come off easily. Furthermore, since the elastic body 11 urges the two housings 1 and 2 in a direction to disengage them, it is possible to make the worker recognize the half-fitted state by pushing out the mating housing in the half-fitted state. Has become.

The present invention can be variously modified.
The following modifications also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) Although the elastic body 11 is attached to the male housing 1 in the embodiment, it may be attached to the facing surface on the female housing 2 side.

(2) The elastic body 11 may be a spring instead of a rubber material. For example, the elastic body 11 may be provided with a spring piece that is curved in an arc toward the female housing 2 in the hood portion 3. You may.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is being fitted.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the same male connector.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a state before the connector is similarly fitted;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a completely fitted state of the connector.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the same elastic body.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Male housing 2 ... Female housing 9 ... Locking protrusion 9b ... Locking surface 10 ... Locking arm 11 ... Elastic body 16 ... Engagement piece 16a ... Locking surface

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/639

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connector comprising: a male and female connector housing provided with locking means for maintaining the fitted state thereof, and both locking means formed with mutually opposing locking surfaces. together they formed through the mounting holes on the surface facing the mating connector in either the connector housing, the mating co against this mounting hole
By press-fitting from the rear side with respect to the mating direction of the connector
An elastic body is attached, and the elastic body is compressed between the two connector housings when the male and female connector housings are completely fitted, and can be urged in a direction of bringing the both locking surfaces into close contact with each other. Connector to be. 2. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the locking means is formed on the other connector housing, the elastic locking arm extending from one of the connector housings and having a locking surface on a part thereof, and being formed on the other connector housing. And a locking portion which engages with the elastic locking arm in a state where a locking surface formed on a part thereof is completely opposed to the locking surface on the elastic locking arm side, 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein both locking surfaces are formed in a reverse tapered shape to engage with each other with a predetermined cutting margin in a direction in which both connector housings are separated from each other.