JP3520965B2 - 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 having a so-called inertial lock mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When mating a pair of connector housings of a connector, the mating operation is performed when the mating resistance of the entire connector increases due to the mating resistance between terminals between the two during the mating process. There is a possibility that the operator misunderstands that the above is completed, and in this case, the connector housings are left in the half-fitted state. Therefore, in order to prevent the connector housing from being left half-fitted, a mechanism called a so-called inertia lock is used. This is because a fitting resistance generating means for temporarily generating a fitting resistance larger than the fitting resistance of the terminal fitting or the like in the process of fitting is provided, and the fitting resistance is overcome by the fitting resistance generating means. When passing through the combined resistance generation area, the operator can feel a moderation due to the rapid relaxation of the fitting resistance, and both connector housings are brought into the normal fitting state by the momentum or inertial force at the time of passage. .

An example of a connector provided with the inertia lock mechanism is shown in FIG. In this case, a seesaw-type lock arm 2 is provided in a female housing 1, and a lock protrusion 4 that can be locked by the lock arm 2 is provided in a protruding manner in a male housing 3. This structure itself is similar to a normal lock mechanism using a lock arm, but here, the front surface of the lock arm 2 and the front surface of the lock protrusion 4 make it difficult for the lock arm 2 to ride on the lock protrusion 4. The peak of the force required for the lock arm 2 to ride on the lock projection 4 is made larger than the peak of the frictional force when the male and female terminal fittings housed in the housings 1 and 3 are fitted to each other. Is set to. Thus, if the female housing 1 is pushed toward the mating male housing 3 and the lock arm 2 rides on the lock projection 4, the female housing 1 is pushed to the normal position by the inertial force, and The terminal fittings are properly fitted and connected, and the housings 1 and 3 are locked.

[0004]

When the inertia lock type is adopted as described above, there is little possibility that the two housings 1 and 3 will be left in a half-fitted state. When the female housing 1 is pushed in while the end-side pushing operation portion 2A is pushed and the lock arm 2 is released midway, the tip of the lock arm 2 does not hit the lock projection 4 and thus the inertia lock is performed. May not function and the lock arm 2 may remain on the lock protrusion 4 and remain in a semi-fitted state.

On the other hand, if the rear end side of the lock arm cannot be easily pushed down by increasing the rigidity of the lock arm side or the like, it is desired to release the lock and remove the male and female housings 1 and 3 for maintenance or the like. In case,
There was a problem that it could not be unlocked easily.

The present invention has been completed in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector in which the inertial lock can be reliably operated and unlocked easily.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a pair of co- fittable members that can be fitted to each other.
Seesaw-type lock arm on one side of the nectar housing
Is provided, and a regulating member is provided below the rear end of the lock arm.
Fit both connector housings in the arranged state
The lock arm of the other connector
The locking protrusion on the housing
Also, both connector housings are mated with a force greater than a specified value.
When pressed against the seesaw of the lock arm
Only the part in front of the fulcrum of is over the lock protrusion
The above regulation is suddenly released by bending like
Bring both connector housings to the mating completion position
Connector in which the lock arm engages with the lock protrusion
In the one connector housing,
Detachable cover that covers the wires drawn from the end
And the cover is fitted with both connector housings.
It is characterized in that a regulating member, which is located below the rear end of the lock arm and regulates the pressing operation of the lock arm, is integrally provided at the time of coincidence.

The invention according to claim 2 is the same as that of claim 1.
In that, the cover is used for the one connector housing.
The main locking position and the temporary locking position of the ring
It is possible to slide between the two positions, and the cover
Is in the main locking position, the restricting member locks
The pressing operation of the arm is restricted, and the cover is set to the temporary locking position.
Then, it is characterized in that the restriction by the restriction member is released .

[0009]

[0010]

<Invention of Claim 1 > On one of the connector housings, a cover is attached to an electric wire lead-out portion, and at this time, a regulating member integrally formed with the cover is arranged below the pressing operation portion of the lock arm. It becomes a state. When the two connector housings are pressed against each other, the lock arm hits the lock projection during fitting and the fitting is restricted. Only the portion on the front side of the fulcrum bends, the regulation is suddenly released, and the inertial force brings both connector housings to the fitting completion position, and the lock arm engages with the lock projection. Here, since the restricting member is arranged below the pressing operation portion of the lock arm, even if the operator accidentally presses the pressing operation portion of the lock arm during fitting, the lock arm is centered on the tilt fulcrum. There is no tilting, and both connector housings are always pushed in the fitting direction with a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value and are pushed to the regular fitting position. That is, the inertia lock can be reliably operated. On the other hand, in order to remove both connector housings, the cover is displaced from the connector housings to retract the restricting member from the position below the pressing operation portion of the lock arm. Then, the lock arm can be tilted by pressing the pressing operation portion, and the lock can be easily released.

<Invention of Claim 2 > When the cover is slid from the main locking position of the connector housing to the temporary locking position, the restriction by the restriction member is released, and the lock arm can be pressed, so that both connector housings can be pressed. You can unlock. Here, since the cover is configured to be locked at the temporary locking position of the connector housing, there is no fear of losing the cover, and the work of mounting the cover to the main locking position of the connector housing again can be performed. Easy to do.

[0013]

According to the connector of the first aspect , the inertia lock can be reliably operated. In addition, since the regulation protrusion for that purpose is formed integrally with the cover, the number of parts is reduced, and further, when the cover is attached, the regulation protrusion is arranged at a position that reliably activates the inertia lock. You can prevent forgetting to set the protrusion. In addition, according to the configuration of the second aspect of the present invention, since the cover is configured to be locked at the temporary locking position of the connector housing even if it is displaced from the main locking position, the cover may be lost. Therefore, the work of attaching the cover to the main locking position of the connector housing again can be easily performed.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
~ It demonstrates based on FIG. The connector of this embodiment includes a male connector housing 10 that is fitted to each other.
(Hereinafter referred to as "male housing 10") and a female connector housing 20 (hereinafter referred to as "female housing 20"). In the following, each housing 1
The fitting surface side of 0 and 20 is the front surface side.

The male housing 10 is formed, for example, so as to directly project from a synthetic resin device, has a substantially rectangular tubular shape having a bottom with an open front surface, and has a fitting recessed portion 12 therein. Male terminal fittings 13 are aligned in the inner surface of the housing 12 and project from the inner surface. In addition, on the upper surface of the male housing 10,
The lock protrusion 14 is provided so as to project from the lock protrusion 14.
The front side of the is a guide surface 14A that is inclined in a gentle upward slope, and the rear side is a locking surface 14B that rises vertically.

One of the female housings 20 is also made of a synthetic resin material and has a lock arm 22 on an upper surface 21A of a housing body 21 in which a plurality of unillustrated female terminal fittings are housed. The lock arm 22 has an elongated shape extending parallel to the fitting direction of the female housing 20,
A support leg 23 hanging from substantially the center in the longitudinal direction is integrally connected to the upper surface 21A of the housing main body 21 and is tiltable in a seesaw shape as a whole. At the center of the lock arm 22 in the width direction, a relief groove 24 is formed from a position slightly inserted from the tip of the lock arm 22 to the rear end, and a locking portion 25 is provided at the tip of the relief groove 24. ing. The front surface of the locking portion 25 forms a guide surface 25A that is inclined so that the lower end side retracts, and the rear surface of the locking portion 25 is a locking surface 25B that is inclined so that the upper end side retracts. When the male and female housings 10 and 20 are in the normal fitting state (see FIG. 5), the lock arm 22
The lock protrusion 14 is housed in the escape groove 24 of the lock protrusion 24, and the lock protrusion 14 and the locking portion 25 are engaged with each other with the locking surfaces 14B and 25B facing each other, so that both housings 10 and 20 are in a properly fitted state. Locked in. Further, the lock arm 22 presses the pressing operation portion 26 provided at the rear end thereof,
The front side of the support leg 23 is lifted to release the lock (see FIG. 7).

An electric wire (not shown) is crimped onto each of the plurality of female terminal fittings (not shown) housed in the housing body 21, and is led out from the rear end of the housing body 21.
A cover 30 that covers the wire lead-out portion is provided at the rear end of the housing body 21. The cover 30 is
As shown in FIG. 1, the side cross-sectional shape is L-shaped as a whole, one side of the L-shape is aligned with the front-rear direction of the housing body 21 (left-right direction in the figure) and the other side of the L-shape is downward It is attached to the housing main body 21 in a facing posture. More specifically, the cover 30 has an open lower surface of the surrounding wall 31 that can be fitted to the outside of the housing body 21, and serves as a wire outlet 32. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, an intermediate portion in the width direction of the inner wall 33 that closes the rear end of the surrounding wall 31 bulges toward the side away from the housing body 21 to form a barrel portion 33A, and the barrel portion 33A is It hangs down from the edge of the wire outlet 32. The electric wire pulled out rearward from the rear end of the housing body 21 is drawn out from the electric wire outlet 32 while being guided downward at a right angle by the barrel portion 33A.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of locking claws 34 and 35 are provided on both sides of the cover 30 in the surrounding wall 31. The first locking claw 34 shown on the upper side of FIG.
Is provided with a first locking projection 36 at the tip extending from the back wall 33 of the cover 30 in parallel with the surrounding wall 31, and the second locking claw 35 shown on the lower side of FIG. It extends in parallel with the surrounding wall 31 and is located on the rear wall 33 side with respect to the first locking projection 36.
A locking protrusion 37 is provided. On the other hand, the housing body 21
A pair of locking arms 27, 27 are symmetrically provided on both sides of the
Is provided, and the locking protrusion 2 is provided at the tip of each locking arm 27.
7A is formed. Then, when the cover 30 is pressed against the rear end of the housing main body 21, as shown in FIG. 2B, the first locking projections 36 of the first locking claws 34 cause the first locking protrusions 36 of the one locking arm 27 to move. While overcoming the locking protrusion 27A,
The front surface of the second locking projection 37 of the second locking claw 35 hits the locking projection 27A of the other locking arm 27, and the cover 30 is locked at the temporary locking position of the housing body 21. . Further, when the cover 30 is further pushed in, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (A), the second locking projection 3 of the second locking claw 35.
7 has passed over the locking projection 27A of the locking arm 27, and the cover 30 is in the main locking position of the housing body 21 (see FIG. 2).
(See (A)).

As shown in FIG. 1, a restricting protrusion 38 is integrally formed on a portion of the surrounding wall 31 of the cover 30 facing the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22. The restricting protrusion 38 projects in a stepped shape from the surrounding wall 31, and when the cover 30 is in the main locking position, it is adjacent to the lower surface of the pressing operation part 26 and the cover 30 is temporarily locked, as shown in FIG. 1. When it is in the position, as shown in FIG.
Retract from the lower position to the rear.

This embodiment has the above-mentioned structure,
Next, the operation will be described. First, the female housing 20
Then, the cover 30 for covering the wire lead-out portion is attached. Therefore, when the cover 30 is pressed against the rear end portion of the female housing 20, the cover 30 is caught at the temporary locking position of the female housing 20 in the middle (see FIG. 2B), but when it is pushed in as it is, the cover 30 is pressed (see FIG. 2). As shown in A), the second locking projection 37 provided on the cover 30 rides over the projection 27A at the tip of the locking arm 27 and the cover 30 is held at the main locking position. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the restricting protrusion 38 formed integrally with the cover 30 is placed below the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22. Then, in this state, both housings 10 and 20 are coupled. Therefore, when the female housing 20 is pressed against the male housing 10, the lock arm 22 abuts on the lock protrusion 14 during fitting and the fitting is restricted, as shown in FIG. If both housings 10 and 20 are pressed in the fitting direction as they are, a force acts so that the lock projection 14 and the guide surfaces 14A and 25A of the lock arm 22 are brought into sliding contact with each other to lift the front side of the lock arm 22. However, since the restricting protrusion 38 is adjacent to the lower end of the rear end of the lock arm 22, the lock arm 22 does not tilt like a seesaw. Then, when the male and female terminal fittings housed in both housings 10 and 20 are pressed in the fitting direction with a force equal to or higher than the peak of frictional force when fitting, the lock arm 22 is supported as shown in FIG. Only the front side portion of the leg 23 is bent, and the lock arm 22 rides on the lock protrusion 14 to suddenly release the restriction. Then, due to the inertial force, both housings 10 and 20 reach the normal fitting position, and the lock arm 22 engages with the lock projection 14 as shown in FIG.

Here, the pushing operation portion 2 of the lock arm 22
Since the restricting protrusion 38 is disposed below 6, the operator mistakenly presses the lock operating portion 2 of the lock arm 22 during fitting.
Even if 6 is pressed, the lock arm 22 will not tilt around the support leg 23, and both housings 1
Nos. 0 and 20 are always pushed in the fitting direction with a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value and are pushed to the regular fitting position. That is, the inertia lock can be reliably operated.

On the other hand, when the housings 10 and 20 are to be separated, the cover 30 is pulled rearwardly of the female housing 20 with a large force. As a result, the second locking claw 35 and the one locking arm 27 are flexibly deformed and the locking of the two is released, and the cover 30 is slid to the rear of the female housing 20 and the first locking claw 24 and the other locking claw 24 are locked. The locking arm 27 is engaged (see FIG. 2).
(See (B)), so that the cover 30 is locked at the temporary locking position of the female housing 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the restriction protrusion 38 is retracted rearward from the lower position of the pressing operation of the lock arm 22. When the pressing operation portion 26 is pushed down in this state, as shown in FIG.
Inclining like a seesaw around 3 as a fulcrum, both housings 1
The 0 and 20 locks are released. The female housing 20 can be pulled as it is and separated from the male housing 10.

As described above, according to the connector of this embodiment, the inertia lock can be reliably operated. Further, since the restriction projection 38 for that purpose is formed integrally with the cover 30, the number of parts is reduced, and further, the restriction projection 38 is arranged at a position where the inertia lock is reliably operated when the cover 30 is attached. Therefore, it is possible to prevent forgetting to set the regulation protrusion 38. Moreover, the cover 30
Since it is configured to be locked at the temporary locking position of the female housing 20, there is no fear of losing the cover 30,
The work of attaching the cover 30 to the final locking position of the female housing 20 again can be easily performed.

<Second Embodiment> The connector of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 8, and the front structure of the lock arm 22 and the lock projection 14 and the upper structure of the cover 30 are the same as those of the first embodiment. Have different configurations. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

In the connector of this embodiment, the front surface 50A of the locking portion 25 provided on the lock arm 22 is formed in a vertical shape, while the front surface 51A of the locking projection 14 is formed as a steep slope. It is made difficult for the lock arm 22 to ride on the lock protrusion 14. Then, the peak of the force required for the lock arm 22 to tilt in a seesaw shape and to ride on the lock protrusion 14 is set to the peak of both housings 10, 20.
It is set so as to be larger than the peak of the frictional force when the male and female terminal fittings housed in are fitted together. As a result, if the female housing 20 is pushed toward the mating male housing 10 and the lock arm 22 rides on the lock protrusion 14, the female housing 20 is pushed to the normal position by the inertia force, and The terminal fittings are properly fitted and connected, and the housings 10 and 20 are locked.

Further, on the upper surface of the cover 30 of the present embodiment, a projection 40 is provided so as to project upward from the rear end portion, and a restriction wall 41 projects forward from the upper end of the projection 40. The lower side of the regulation wall 41 is a housing space 43 for housing the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22. As shown in FIG.
When the main locking position is 0, the pressing operation part 26 of the lock arm 22 is accommodated in the accommodation space 43 adjacent to the lower surface of the restriction wall 41, and the pressing operation part 26 can be tilted downward from that state. Further, when the cover 30 is displaced to the temporary locking position of the female housing 20, the restriction wall 41 is pushed by the pressing operation portion 26.
The pushing operation portion 26 is exposed by retracting to the rear, and the pushing operation portion 26 can be pushed from the outside.

The connector of this embodiment is assembled as follows. First, the female housing 20 is fitted with the cover 30 for covering the wire lead-out portion. At this time, the restriction wall 41 formed integrally with the cover 30 covers the outside of the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22.
When the two housings 10 and 20 are pressed against each other, the lock arm 22 hits the lock projection 14 during the fitting to restrict fitting, and when the housing 10 and 20 are pressed in the fitting direction with a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The restriction is suddenly released, and the inertial force causes the housings 10 and 20 to reach the fitting completion position, and the lock arm 22 engages with the lock projection 14. Here, since the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22 is covered with the restricting member, the operator does not accidentally press the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22 during the fitting, and both housings 10 and 20 are always pushed in the fitting direction with a force equal to or more than a predetermined value and are pushed to the regular fitting position. That is, the inertia lock can be reliably operated.

On the other hand, in order to separate the two housings 10 and 20, the cover 30 is displaced from the housing to retract the restricting member from the position below the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22. Then, the lock arm 22 can be tilted by pressing the pressing operation portion 26, and the lock can be easily released. That is, even with the configuration of the connector of the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

<Third Embodiment> This embodiment is shown in FIG. 9, and the upper structure of the cover 30 is different from that of the first embodiment. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

A regulating portion 44 is integrally formed on the upper surface of the cover 30 of this embodiment. The regulation portion 44 is the enclosure wall 31.
A recess 45 is formed on the front surface of the lock arm 22 for accommodating the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22. When the cover 30 is in the main locking position, the pressing operation of the lock arm 22 is performed. The part 26 is housed in the recess 45. Then, the regulation table 46 (corresponding to the regulation member of the present application) located below the recess 45 in the regulation projection 38.
Restricts the lock arm 22 from tilting in a seesaw shape adjacent to the lower surface of the pressing operation portion 26 of the lock arm 22 and covers the cover 47 47 above the recess 45 of the restriction protrusion 38 (the restriction member of the present application). Corresponding to the above) covers the upper part of the pressing operation portion 26 so that the pressing operation by the operator becomes impossible. Further, when the cover 30 reaches the temporary locking position, both the regulation base 46 and the cover portion 47 are retracted to the rear of the lock arm 22, and the pressing operation portion 2 by the operator is pushed.
6 can be pressed. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the first embodiment.

<Fourth Embodiment> This embodiment is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in which the structure for locking the cover 30 and the housing body 21 is different from that of the first embodiment. is there. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

A pair of locking arms 48, 48 are formed on both sides of the cover 30 of this embodiment. The locking arm 48 is formed by providing a slit 49 in the surrounding wall 31 of the cover 30 and separating a part of the surrounding wall 31, and extends slenderly along the front-rear direction (the connecting direction between the housing body 21 and the cover 30). Further, it has a seesaw shape with a tilting fulcrum 49A at the center in the longitudinal direction. Further, a projection 50 is provided on the front end of the locking arm 48 toward the inside. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, a pair of protrusions 51 and 52 are provided side by side in the front-rear direction on both outer side surfaces of the housing body 21.

In this embodiment, when the cover 30 is pushed to the temporary locking position of the female housing 20, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the protrusion 50 of the locking arm 48 is housed between the protrusions 51 and 52 of the housing body 21, and the cover 30 is covered.
Are locked to the female housing 20. Also, the cover 30
Is pushed to the final locking position of the female housing 20,
As shown in FIG. 11B, the protrusion 50 of the locking arm 48
Engages with the projection 52 on the back side of the housing body 21. Then, in order to shift the cover 30 from the main locking position to the temporary locking position, the cover 30 may be pulled while the rear end of the locking arm 48 is pressed, as shown in FIG.

<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) Although the cover 30 of the above-mentioned embodiment is L-shaped as a whole and is guided so as to bend the electric wire, the cover is such that the electric wire is pulled straight out to the rear of the housing. May be.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view of the connector.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the lock arm and the lock protrusion are in contact with each other.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a state where the front side of the lock arm is bent.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a state in which both housings are completely fitted together.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a state where the cover is shifted to a temporary locking position.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a pressing operation portion of the lock arm is pressed.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the connector according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the connector according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of a cover according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view of the cover.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of a conventional connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Male housing 14 ... Lock protrusion 20 ... Female housing 22 ... Lock arm 26 ... Pressing operation section 30 ... Cover 38 ... Regulation protrusion (regulation member) 41 ... Regulation wall (regulation member) 46 ... Regulation stand (regulation member) 47 ... Cover part (regulating member)

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-9-139249 (JP, A) JP-A-10-223311 (JP, A) JP-A-10-41016 (JP, A) JP-A-10-12316 (JP , A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/639 H01R 13/64

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of connector housings which can be fitted to each other.
A seesaw type lock arm is provided on one side of the
A state in which the regulating member is arranged below the rear end of the lock arm
When mating both connector housings with,
The lock arm is provided on the other connector housing
Restricts mating by hitting the lock protrusion and both connectors
The housing is pressed in the mating direction with a force that exceeds the specified value.
Then, of the lock arm, the front side of the seesaw fulcrum
Only the part bends so as to get over the lock protrusion
The regulation was suddenly released, and both inertial
The lock housing to reach the mating completion position.
The connector engages with the lock projection, the one end of the connector housing is guided from the rear end.
A cover that covers the electric wire to be taken out is detachably provided.
The cover has a lock when both connector housings are fitted.
A connector characterized by being integrally provided with a restricting member that is located below a rear end of the lock arm and restricts a pressing operation of the lock arm. 2. The cover is provided with the one connector housing.
It is formed so that it can be locked at the main locking position and the temporary locking position of the ging.
In addition, it is slidable between both positions, and when the cover is in the main locking position, the regulating member is
The pressing operation of the lock arm is restricted and the cover is temporarily
When the locking position is reached, the restriction by the restriction member is released
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is formed.