JP3470616B2 - 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 which prevents half-fitting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a connector of this type, for example, FIG.
The one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-37977 is known. The connector 51 is provided with a rectangular tubular hood portion 53 into which the mating connector 52 can be inserted, and a compression spring 54 is provided on the upper surface of the hood portion 53. And. When the mating connector 52 is inserted into the hood portion 53, the upper end of the mating connector 52 abuts against the compression spring 54 to elastically contract, and when both connectors 51 and 52 are properly fitted, the lock arm 55 causes Locked. Further, when the fitting operation is interrupted in the half-fitted state, the mating connector 52 is pushed back by the reaction force of the compression spring 54, whereby the half-fitted state can be easily discriminated.

[0003]

When the above-described structure is applied to a multi-pole connector, the fitting resistance increases, and the elastic reaction force of the spring member for pushing back the connector also increases. The fitting operation becomes difficult. Further, if one connector is simply divided into a plurality of split housings and the recesses into which these are fitted are provided in the mating connector, a compression spring must be provided for each recess and the number of parts is reduced. There is a problem that the number of connectors is increased and the size of the connector is increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can be easily fitted and can be miniaturized even if the number of poles is increased.

[0005]

As a means for achieving the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a connector housing comprising a plurality of split housings, and a plurality of split housings to which the split housings are fitted. In a connector including the other connector housing having a recess, sliders that move in the fitting direction and are urged forward are adjacent to the adjacent recesses of the other connector housing. The slider is provided so as to be shared in the recess, and the slider is provided with a part of each split housing fitted in each recess,
It is characterized in that it interferes in the fitting process and pushes back each split housing in the separating direction, and when the split housings are fitted, the interference is released and the split housings return to their original positions.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the connector according to the first aspect, each split housing is provided with a lock arm for locking the split housing in a normally fitted state, and the slider is a split housing. It is characterized in that it is pushed by interfering with the lock arm in the process of fitting, and when the fitting is completed, the interference is released by the change in the posture of the lock arm and the original state is restored.

[0007]

<Advantages and Effects of the Invention><Invention of Claim 1> To connect the connectors, the divided housings are sequentially fitted into the recesses. At this time, a part of the split housing interferes with the slider shared between the adjacent recesses, and the slider is pushed against the biasing force. Thus, when the fitting operation of each split housing is interrupted, the split housing is prevented from being pushed out by the slider in the detaching direction and left in the semi-fitted state. Further, when the split housing is completely fitted, the interference between the slider and the split housing is released, and the slider returns to the original state.

As described above, in the connector according to the present invention, one of the connector housings is divided into a plurality of divided housings and these are sequentially fitted, so that the fitting resistance is reduced and the half fitting is prevented. The biasing force for can be reduced. Therefore, even if the number of poles of the entire connector increases, the fitting operation of the connector against the biasing force can be easily performed. Moreover, since the slider for pushing back each split housing is shared between the adjacent recesses, the connector can be downsized as compared with a slider provided with them separately.

<Invention of Claim 2> When each split housing is pushed into each recess, the lock arm of the split housing interferes with the slider and pushes the slider, and the biasing force gradually increases. Then, when the fitting is completed, the posture of the lock arm is changed to cancel the interference, the slider returns to the original state, and the split arm is locked in the retaining state by the lock arm. Here, when the fitting operation of the split housing is interrupted, the split housing is pushed back to the disengaged state by the urging force, and it is prevented that the split housing is left in the semi-fitted state.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION <First Embodiment> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Female connector housing 10 provided in the connector of the present embodiment
As shown in FIG. 1, (hereinafter, referred to as "female housing 10") is composed of a pair of split housings 11, 11 which are provided in a male connector housing 12 (hereinafter referred to as "male housing 12"). It is configured to be fitted inside the recesses 13, 13. Below, in each housing, the fitting surface side is referred to as the front.

The male housing 12 is provided integrally with, for example, a wall portion 12A of an electric device, and has a hood portion 14 which projects forward from the wall portion 12A. The hood section 14 is
As shown in FIG. 2, a laterally long rectangular tube shape is provided, and a pair of unit accommodating portions 15, 15 that bulge outward and extend in the front-rear direction are provided in a lateral middle portion thereof. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the urging unit 16 is incorporated in the hood portion 14 such that the upper and lower ends are held by the unit accommodating portions 15, 15. Thereby, the hood portion 14
The inner space of the is divided into left and right, and the above-mentioned pair of recesses 1
It becomes 3,13.

The biasing unit 16 is shown in a disassembled state in FIG. 3, and comprises a slider 18 according to the present invention assembled to a base 17 together with a compression coil spring 19. The slider 18 has a pair of facing pieces 20 and 20 extending in parallel from both side surfaces of a rectangular parallelepiped elongated in the vertical direction of FIG.
At the tips of the facing pieces 20, guide projections 2 are formed outward.
1 is projected respectively.

The base 17 is provided with a pair of upper and lower walls 23, 23 extending in parallel as shown in FIG. 3, and a lock piece 23A formed on the upper and lower surfaces by separating a part of them.
Is locked to the inner surface of the hood portion 14 and fixed to the hood portion 14. The upper and lower walls 23, 23 are provided with guide grooves 24, 24 on the surfaces facing each other, and on both sides of the guide groove 24, a pair of stopper walls 25 for connecting the intermediate portions of the upper and lower walls 23, 23, 25 (only one stopper wall 25 is shown in FIG. 3) is vertically extended. Further, at the rear ends of the upper and lower walls 23, 23, a back wall 26 is vertically arranged, and reinforcing walls 27, 27 (in FIG. 3, from the upper and lower ends of the stopper walls 25 toward the back wall 26). Only one of the reinforcing walls 27 is shown) is extended horizontally, and a portion surrounded by the reinforcing walls 27, 27, the stopper wall 25, and the inner wall 26 serves as a guide slit 28.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper and lower walls 23,
The slider 18 is pushed into the space surrounded by 23 and the stopper walls 25, 25, and the back wall 26 and the slider 1
8, the compression coil spring 19 is sandwiched in a compressed state,
A biasing unit 16 is assembled. In detail, the guide protrusions 30 (see FIG. 3) formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the slider 18 are fitted in the guide grooves 24 of the upper and lower walls 23, 23, and the guide projections 28 are formed in the guide slits 28 at the tips of the facing pieces 20, 20 of the slider 18. The guide protrusion 21 provided is settled, and the slider 18 is prevented from coming off from the base 17 by the engagement between the end of the guide slit 28 and the guide protrusion 21. Further, the slider 18 is provided with the guide groove 24 and the guide slit 2.
8 slides in the front-rear direction by the guide 8 and at the same time, the elastic reaction force of the compression coil spring 19 always causes the base 17
Is urged to the front side of. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of conical protrusions 29, 29 are vertically juxtaposed on the opposing surface of the back wall of the base 17 and the slider 18, respectively. It is fitted over.

A pair of eaves portions 31 and 31 project laterally toward the upper and lower end portions of both side surfaces of the urging unit 16 and extend from the front end to the rear end of the urging unit 16. Are running in parallel. On the front sides of the side edges of the mutually facing surfaces of the eaves portions 31, the restriction protrusions 32 are provided so as to abut each other. The restriction protrusion 32 is
As shown in FIG. 4, it extends from the front end of the eaves part 31 to a middle portion and is elongated as a whole.

On the other hand, each divided housing 11 provided in the female housing 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape corresponding to each recess 13, as shown in FIG. These split housings 1
1 has different shapes, and the staggered recesses 13
It is designed so that it cannot be fitted to.

A lock arm 33 is integrally provided on a side surface of each divided housing 11 corresponding to the urging unit 16. The lock arm 33 has a female housing 10
It has a shape that rises from the front end and extends rearward in a cantilever shape, and is elastically deformable in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction. Also, at the rear end of the lock arm 33,
A pressing protrusion 34 is provided so as to project toward the urging unit 16, and when the split housings 11 are pushed into the recess 13 with the lock arm 33 being lifted, the pressing protrusion 34 is pressed.
Is capable of pressing the front surface of the slider 18.
Further, the lock arms 33, 33 of the split housings 11, 11 interfere with each other on the front surface of the slider 18 when the lock arms 33, 33 are lifted.

On both side surfaces of the lock arm 33, a pair of lock projections 35, 3 are located slightly forward of the pressing projection 34.
5 is projected laterally. As shown in FIG. 4, the front end of the lock projection 35 is formed with a tapered surface 35 A that gradually approaches the biasing unit 16 side as it goes forward (upward in the figure). Has
A substantially vertical locking surface 35B is formed. The lock arm 33 has a width dimension that allows it to enter between the restriction protrusions 32, 32 of the biasing unit 16, and the lock protrusion 35 is arranged in series with the restriction protrusion 32 in the connector fitting direction. It is supposed to interfere.

A retainer 36 (see FIG. 1) for locking a terminal fitting (not shown) is laterally attached to each split housing 11.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. To connect the connectors, the split housings 11 are sequentially fitted into the recesses 13. For example, the split housing 11 shown on the right side of FIG. 1 is pushed into the recess 13 on the right side of FIG. Then, the base end portion of the lock arm 33 of the split housing 11 enters between the both regulation protrusions 32, 32 on the right side surface of the biasing unit 16. Then, before the front surface of the split housing 11 reaches the tip of the male tab T (see FIG. 4) protruding from the inner surface of the hood portion 14, the lock projections 35 provided on both sides of the lock arm 33 are provided with the restriction projections. Abut 32.

When the split housing 11 is strongly pushed in this state, the taper surface 35A of the lock projection 35 and the restriction projection 3 are formed.
By the sliding contact with 2, the lock projection 35 moves to the slider 18 side, the rear end of the lock arm 33 is lifted, and the pressing projection 34 of the lock arm 33 faces the front surface of the slider 18 (see FIG. 4). .

Further, as the split housing 11 is pushed in, the lock projection 35 moves along the inner surface of the restriction projection 32 on the slider 18 side, so that the pressing projection 34 remains facing the slider 18. Moves to the inner side of the recess 13 and pushes the slider 18 to the inner side (see FIG. 5). Then, the compression coil spring 19 is elastically contracted and the reaction force against the fitting gradually increases. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, when the fitting is completed, the lock projection 35 is locked by the restriction projection 32.
And the lock arm 33 is restored to the original posture. As a result, the lock protrusions 35 are arranged on the inner side of the restriction protrusions 32, and the split housing 11 is locked in the retaining state. At this time, the slider 18 moves toward the compression coil spring 1
The original position is restored by the restoration of 9.

If the fitting operation is finished before the split housing 11 reaches the normal fitting state (see FIG. 5), the split housing 11 is recessed due to the elastic reaction force of the compression coil spring 19. No. 13 was pushed out, which clearly shows that the worker did not reach the proper fitting.

Next, the split housing 11 shown on the left side of FIG. 1 is pushed into the recess 13 on the left side. Then, this time, both the restriction protrusions 32, 32 on the left side surface of the biasing unit 16 and the lock protrusions 35, 35 of the lock arm 33 come into contact with each other,
When pushed in as it is, the lock arm 33 is lifted to the slider 18 side, as in the case of the right split housing 11 as shown in FIG. Then, the split housing 11 is fitted against the reaction force of the compression coil spring 19.

In the process of fitting the split housing 11 shown on the right side of FIG. 1, for example, foreign matter is caught in the gap between the split housing 11 and the recess 13 and, as shown in FIG. 5, the right side of FIG. When the split housing 11 is held in the half-fitted state, the following is performed. That is, when the left split housing 11 in this figure is pushed into the recess 13 in this state, the lock arm 33 tries to ride on the lock projection 35, but the right split housing held in the half-fitted state. Since the rear end portion of the lock arm 33 of No. 11 projects to the boundary between the left and right recesses 13, 13 (see FIG. 5), the lifting operation of the lock arm 33 of the left split housing 11 is restricted. As a result, the lock arm 33 of the left split housing 11 cannot get over the lock projection 35, and the left split housing 11 cannot be pushed in at the initial stage of fitting, and the worker can notice abnormally.

As described above, according to the connector of this embodiment, since the female housing 10 is divided into the divided housings 11, the fitting resistance is reduced and the biasing force for preventing the half fitting can be reduced. Therefore, even if the number of poles of the entire connector increases, the fitting operation of the connector against the biasing force can be easily performed. Moreover, since the slider 18 for pushing back the respective divided housings 11 is shared between the adjacent recesses 13, the connector can be downsized as compared with the case where these are provided separately.

When the connector is disengaged from the normally fitted state, the rear end of the lock arm 33 may be pushed down. Then, the lock protrusion 35 moves to a region on the opposite side of the slider 18 from the regulation protrusion 32, and the interference does not interfere with the regulation protrusion 32 in the fitting direction.
1 can be pulled out backwards.

<Second Embodiment> This embodiment is shown in FIG. 7, and only the structure different from that of the first embodiment will be described below. The hood portion 41 provided in the male housing 40 of the present embodiment is divided into upper and lower two stages by a partition wall 41A. The partition wall 41A is cut at a lateral middle portion, and a vertically long biasing unit 42 is incorporated so as to cross the hood portion 41 vertically through the cut portion. As a result, the internal space of the hood portion 41 is
The upper and lower portions are divided into four recesses 13 in total, and a split housing (not shown) is fitted into each of them. This urging unit 42 has the same basic structure as the urging unit 16 of the first embodiment, and a pair of each recess 13 is provided on both sides of the slider 43 provided in the urging unit 42. The restriction protrusions 44, 44 are arranged. With such a configuration, one recess 18 can be shared by the four recesses 13, and the number of parts can be reduced.

<Third Embodiment> This embodiment is shown in FIG. 8, and the arrangement of the four recesses 13 is different from that of the second embodiment. The hood portion 45 of this embodiment has a shape in which a horizontally long hood and a vertically long hood are crossed in a cross shape. Four recesses 13
Are arranged. Even with such a configuration, one recess 47 can be shared by the plurality of recesses 13, and the number of parts can be reduced.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition to the above, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the slider 18 is biased by using the compression coil spring 19, but it may be configured to bias the slider by a leaf spring, for example. (2) In the above embodiment, the female housing 10 is divided into a plurality of parts, but the male housing may be divided into a plurality of parts. (3) In each of the above embodiments, the base of the biasing unit is provided separately from the connector housing.
For example, the base may be integrally molded with the connector housing to reduce the manufacturing cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a male housing

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a biasing unit.

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view showing a fitting process of one split housing.

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing a state immediately before completion of fitting of one of the split housings.

FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view showing a completed fitting state of one split housing and an initial fitted state of the other split housing.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the male housing of the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a male housing according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional connector.

[Explanation of Codes] 10 ... Female housing (one connector housing) 11 ... Divided housing 12, 40 ... Male housing (other connector housing) 13 ... Recesses 14, 41, 45 ... Hood portions 18, 43, 47 ... Slider 33 ... Lock arm

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/639 H01R 13/514

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connector comprising one connector housing including a plurality of split housings and another connector housing including a plurality of recesses into which the split housings are fitted, the connector housing being adjacent to the other connector housing. A slider that moves in the fitting direction and is biased forward is provided so as to be shared by the adjacent recesses in the section of the fitted recesses, and the sliders fit into the respective recesses. A part of each split housing is interfered with in the fitting process to push back each split housing in the detaching direction, and when the split housing is completely fitted, the interference is released and returns to the original position. A connector that is characterized by 2. Each of the split housings is provided with a lock arm for locking the split housing in a state where the split housing is normally fitted, and the slider interferes with the lock arm in a process of fitting the split housing. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is pushed back, and when the fitting is completed, the interference is released by the change of the posture of the lock arm and the original state is restored.