JP3503734B2 - 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 provided with a slide plate on a side surface of a connector housing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of connector, one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-117079 is known. This connector 1 is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and the terminal housing portion 3 provided in the connector housing 2 is opened to the upper surface 2A of the connector housing 2 and the terminal metal fitting 4 housed in the terminal housing portion 3 is formed. Are exposed on the upper surface 2A. A slide plate 6 is provided between the pair of side walls 5 and 5 provided on both sides of the terminal accommodating portion 3, and the slide plate 6 is pushed by the mating connector when coupled with the mating connector, so that the terminal fitting 4 The slide position is moved from the closed position (see FIG. 9) covering the exposed portion of the sheet to the open position (see FIG. 10) where the exposed portion is exposed.

[0003]

By the way, in the connector 1 described above, the slide plate 6 remains in the open state when it is detached from the mating connector, and the slide plate 6 must be pulled back to the closed position one by one. There was a problem of not becoming.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector in which a slide plate is automatically closed when the connector is detached.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 cuts off a part of a side wall of a connector housing to expose an electrical connection portion with a mating connector and at the same time to the side wall. A slide plate that can be slid along is provided, and the slide plate is pushed by the mating connector during the connector coupling operation between the connector housing and the mating connector to expose the electrical connection part from the closed position that covers the electrical connection part. For a connector that slides to a position, locks the slide plate so as not to separate from the mating connector during connector coupling operation, and closes the slide plate when separating the connector housing from the mating connector. It is characterized in that it is provided with a locking means that can be pulled to the position.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the connector according to the first aspect, the timing at which the locking means locks the slide plate with the mating connector is set before the start timing of the slide plate by the connector coupling operation. However, it has a feature.

[0007]

According to the structure of the present invention, when the connectors are coupled and operated, the slide plate is locked by the locking means so as not to separate from the mating connector. And
When the connector is detached, the mating connector pulls the slide plate back to the closed position. In this way, in this connector, the slide plate is automatically returned to the closed position at the time of disconnection to protect the electrical connection portion, so that it is not necessary to close the slide plate every time, and the handleability is excellent.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the slide plate and the mating connector are locked before the sliding movement of the slide plate. Even if the connector is detached from the half-opened state, the slide plate can be automatically returned to the closed position.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
It will be described with reference to FIG. Connector 20 of this embodiment
Is connected to a panel side connector 14 provided on a vehicle speedometer panel 10 (hereinafter referred to as "panel 10"). The panel-side connector 14 is the panel 1
A FPC terminal 12 in the form of a protruding piece is extended from the FPC 11 laid on the back surface of 0, and is laid in a hood 13 provided on the side surface of the panel 10. This FPC terminal 1
A plurality of conductive paths (not shown) extend parallel to each other on the top of the terminal 2, and the terminal fittings 30 provided on the connector 20 electrically contact with each other. In addition, the FPC terminal 12
An opening 12A is formed at the center in the width direction on the base end side of, and the locking portion 15 provided on the inner wall of the hood 13 faces the main connector 20 through the opening 12A. The locking portion 15 will be described later in detail. In addition, hood 1
Escape grooves 13A, 13A for accommodating both vertical walls 23, 23 provided in the connector 20 are formed on both sides of the surface on which the FPC terminal 12 is laid out of the inner side surface of the connector 3.

The connector 20 includes a connector housing 21 (hereinafter referred to as “housing 21”) which can be fitted inside the hood 13, and a cavity 22 formed in the housing 21 accommodates a terminal fitting 30. . The front half of the housing 21 in the fitting direction is shown in FIG.
As shown in, the left and right vertical walls 23, 23 are left and the upper wall 24
Is cut off over the entire cavity 22, and an opening 22A of the cavity 22 is formed above the drawing. The tongue piece 31 provided on the terminal fitting 30 projects from the opening 22A to form an electrical connection portion 32 that can electrically contact the conduction path of the FPC terminal 12.

On both vertical walls 23, 23 of the housing 21,
Grooves 25, 25 extend along the fitting direction, and the groove 2
The rear end portion of 5 is covered with the upper wall 24.

A slide plate 4 is provided between the vertical walls 23, 23.
0 is passed over and both ends thereof are accommodated in the grooves 25, 25. The slide plate 40 covers the opening 22A of the cavity 22 at the closed position (see FIG. 3) and the opening 22A.
Is slid between the exposed open position (see FIG. 2). The slide plate 40 has a stopper 47 (see FIG.
(See (b)), it does not slide forward from the closed position, and it does not slide rearward from the open position by another stopper (not shown).

At the rear end of the slide plate 40, as shown in FIG. 3, a stopper projection 43 is formed so as to project upward in FIG. The right side in FIG. 4 (b) of the stopper projection 43 is the vertical surface 43.
It forms A and has a gentle slope 43B on the left side. A stopper piece 44 is formed on the upper wall 24 of the housing 21 at a position corresponding to the stopper protrusion 43. A stopper projection 45 is formed at the tip of the stopper piece 44 so as to project toward the slide plate 40. The stopper protrusion 45 has a vertical surface 45A on the right side in FIG. 4B and a steep slope 45B on the left side. When the slide plate 40 is in the closed position, the stop protrusion 43
The vertical surface 43A of the stopper abuts and locks against the steep slope 45B of the stopper projection 45, and the slide plate 40 is regulated so as not to inadvertently slide to the open side (see FIG. 4B). Further, when the slide plate 40 is pushed with a large force, the stopper piece 4
As 4 is bent upward, the stop projection 45 and the stop projection 43 pass over the other side, and the locking of both is released.

Abutting portions 41, 41 are formed so as to project upward in FIG. 2 on both sides of the front end portion of the slide plate 40. Then, when the connectors 20 and 14 are fitted to each other, the abutment portion 41 has the above-described hood 13 (see FIG. 1).
The slide plate 40 contacts the opening edge of the housing 2
Pushed to the back of 1.

At the center of the front end of the slide plate 40, as shown in FIG.
0 is extended and can be locked with the locking piece 16 provided on the locking portion 15 of the panel-side connector 14 described above. As shown in FIG. 7, a locking projection 51 projects upward from the tip of the locking piece 50.
Of these, slopes 51A and 51A are formed on both left and right sides in the figure. On the other hand, the locking portion 15 of the panel side connector 14
4B, a step portion 15A is formed on the inner wall of the hood 13, and the main connector 2 of the step portion 15A is formed.
The locking piece 16 is projected from the surface 15B facing the 0 side. As shown in FIG. 7, the locking piece 16 also has a locking projection 17 projecting downward in FIG. 7, of which the slopes 17 are also provided on the left and right sides of the drawing.
A and 17A are formed. And both connectors 2
When 0 and 14 are pressed against each other, both locking protrusions 51 and 17
Slidably contact the slopes 51A and 17A with each other,
While flexing 16, the other side gets over the other side. Also,
In the connector 20 of this embodiment, the locking protrusions 51, 1
The resistance that the 7 bumps over each other is set to be weaker than the resistance that the stop projection 43 and the stop projection 45 cross over each other.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above configuration will be described. The connector 20 is carried into the assembly site with the panel-side connector 14 with the slide plate 40 closed. At the assembly site, as shown in FIG. 4, the slide plate 40 remains closed and the connector 20
Is pushed into the hood 13 of the panel-side connector 14. Then, in the initial stage of the pushing operation, the slide plate 4
The locking projection 51 of the locking piece 50 provided on 0 and the locking projection 17 of the locking piece 16 provided on the hood 13 come into contact with each other, and the slide plate 40 is pushed to the open side. However, the slide plate 40 does not move to the open side due to the engagement between the stopper protrusion 43 and the stopper protrusion 45.

Here, the connector 20 is strongly pushed. Then, the resistance of the locking projections 51, 17 over the other side is set to be weaker than the locking force between the locking projection 43 and the locking projection 45, so that the engagement between the locking projection 43 and the locking projection 45 is set. Before the stop is released (before the slide plate 40 slides), the two locking projections 51, 17 pass over the other side while bending the locking pieces 50, 16. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the locking projections 51 and 17 are locked to each other so that the slide plate 40 is not separated from the hood 13, and the abutting portion 41 of the slide plate 40 has an opening edge of the hood 13. Abut. In this state, further attach the connector 20 to the hood 13.
When pushed into the part, this time, the stop projection 43 and the stop projection 4
While 5 and 5 bend the stop piece 44, they pass over each other and the two are unlocked. Then, the slide plate 40 is opened (see FIG. 6), and the tongue piece 31 of the terminal fitting 30 is
Electrically contacts the conducting path of the FPC terminal 12.

To disconnect the connectors 20 and 14, the connector 20 may be pulled out from the hood 13. Then, the locking projections 51 and 17 are locked, so that the slide plate 40 is pulled by the hood 13 and slides in the closing direction. Then, the stopper projection 45 and the stopper projection 43 come into contact with each other in the middle of the process, but the abutting portion is the gentle slope 43B of the stopper projection 43 and can easily be overcome, and the engagement between the locking projections 51, 17 can be increased. The slide plate 40 can be moved to the closed position without stopping. And the slide plate 4
When 0 is in the closed position, the stopper 47 prevents the slide plate 40 from moving any further, and the slide plate 40 is separated from the hood 13 by a strong force, and the locking projections 51, 1
7 is released.

Thus, when the connector 20 is detached,
The slide plate 40 is automatically returned to the closed position and the tongue piece 31 of the terminal fitting 30 is protected.
It is not necessary to close 0 and it is easy to handle. Further, in the connector 20 of the present embodiment, the locking projections 51 and 17 for locking the slide plate 40 and the hood 13 are engaged before the slide movement of the slide plate 40.
Even if the connector 20 is detached from the state where the connector 20 is fitted into the panel side connector 14 halfway and the slide plate 40 is half opened, the slide plate 40 can be automatically returned to the closed position.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, the embodiments described below are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and the scope other than the following does not deviate from the gist. Various modifications can be made within the implementation. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the locking means according to the present invention is constituted by the locking piece 50. The slide plate may be pulled to the closed position when detached. (2) In the above-described embodiment, the locking projections 51 and 17 can be locked before the slide plate 40 moves in the sliding direction. However, in order to ensure that, for example,
As shown in FIG. 8, the inclination angle of the front surface 61 of the locking projection 60 may be gentle and the opposite surface 62 may be a steep slope. (3) Unlike the above embodiment, the slide plate 40
It is also possible to set the locking projections 51 and 17 to lock after the lock is completely opened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector and a panel-side connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector with the slide plate open.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connector with the slide plate closed.

FIG. 4 (a) is a plan sectional view before fitting both connectors (B) Side sectional view

FIG. 5 (a) is a horizontal sectional view of both connectors with the locking pieces locked to each other.

FIG. 6 (a) is a plan sectional view of both connectors in a completely fitted state, and FIG. 6 (b) is a side sectional view thereof.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side sectional view of a locking protrusion.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side sectional view of a locking projection showing a modified example.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a conventional connector with a slide plate closed.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a conventional connector with a slide plate opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

14 ... Panel side connector (mating connector) 20 ... Connector 21 ... Connector housing 32 ... Electrical connection 40 ... Slide plate 50 ... Locking piece (locking means) 51 ... Locking protrusion (locking means) 60 ... Locking protrusion (locking means)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 12/28 H01R 13/52 302

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A part of a side wall of a connector housing is cut off to expose an electrical connection portion with a mating connector, and a slide plate slidable along the side wall is provided, and the slide plate is the connector housing. A connector which is pushed by the mating connector and slidably moves from a closed position that covers the electrical connection portion to an open position that exposes the electrical connection portion during a connector coupling operation between the mating connector and the mating connector. It is possible to lock the slide plate so as not to separate from the mating connector during the coupling operation, and to pull the slide plate to the closed position when separating the connector housing from the mating connector. A connector provided with various locking means. 2. The locking means sets the timing of locking the slide plate to the mating connector before the start timing of the slide plate by a connector coupling operation. connector.