JP3562448B2 - Lever type connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lever connector.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a system called a lever-type connector using the "leverage principle" has been known as a device for reducing a fitting operation force between connector housings. One example is disclosed in JP-A-5-129048.
The lever is provided with a pin on the outer surface of one connector housing, and the lever is rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the other connector housing via a protruding shaft. The pins are guided with the fitting, and assist the fitting of the housings in the process.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, as in the case of the above, both the rotation center (projection shaft) of the lever and the pin are arranged on the center axis in the width direction of both connector housings (hereinafter referred to as the fitting center axis). I have. This is because if the pushing force generated by the turning operation of the lever is not applied along the central axis at the time of the above-mentioned fitting, the pushing force is not balanced on the left and right sides of the central axis, and as a result, at the time of fitting, This is for avoiding that the housing is not inclined and a smooth fitting operation is not ensured.
[0004]
However, depending on the required specifications, the position of the pin 20 may not be set on the fitting center axis X of the connector housing 22 (see FIG. 6). In such a case, the rotation center O of the lever 21 is also displaced in the same direction, but the pushing force applied to the mating connector housing 23 with the rotation operation of the lever 21 causes the fitting center shaft Since it deviates from X, this becomes a couple and tends to cause the connector housing 22 to be inclined, and a smooth fitting operation cannot be expected.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a lever capable of performing a smooth fitting operation even when the pins are arranged off the center axis of the fitting. It is to provide a type connector.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, one of a pair of connector housings that can be fitted with each other has a fixed side and the other is a movable side, and the movable side connector housing has a widthwise direction of the housing. A protruding shaft disposed near the center shaft and a lever having a cam groove for loosely inserting the protruding shaft and allowing relative displacement of the protruding shaft are provided, and the fixed-side connector housing has a width of the housing. A lever-type connector having a pin protruding at a position deviated farther from the protruding axis with respect to the center axis of the direction, wherein the lever has a recessed hook portion which can be hooked on the pin, and When the lever is rotated in a state where the pin is hooked on the hook portion at the time of fitting, the lever constitutes a lever using the pin as a fulcrum and the projecting shaft as an operation point, and the levers of the two connector housings are formed. Mating And it is characterized in that it becomes possible assisting the work.
According to the invention of claim 2, in the device of claim 1, the position where the pin is provided on the fixed-side connector housing is such that a restriction pin is provided symmetrically with respect to the center axis in the width direction of the connector housing. At the position facing the restricting pin in the movable connector housing, a guide groove that receives the restricting pin when the two connector housings are fitted and regulates the fitting posture of the movable connector housing is provided in the both connector housings. Are formed along the fitting direction.
[0006]
Function and Effect of the Invention
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the movable-side connector housing is used alone, the lever is in a state where the pin is relatively movable along the cam groove and the rotation around the pin is allowed. However, the hook portion is hooked on the pin when fitting the two connector housings. When the end of the lever is operated, the lever rotates around this pin. As the lever rotates, the protruding shaft relatively moves in the cam groove, during which the opening edge of the cam groove pushes the protruding shaft. That is, the lever constitutes a "lever" using the pin as a fulcrum and the protruding axis as an action point, whereby both connector housings can be fitted with a low operating force.
Even when the position where the pin is provided is set far away from the fitting center axis, the projecting shaft which is the point at which the pushing force is applied to the fixed-side connector housing is closer to the fitting center axis than the pin. Therefore, the moment for inclining the connector housing can be reduced as compared with the case where the pin is set as the action point, and the fitting operation between the connector housings can be made smooth.
According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the pins, the fixed connector housing is also provided with a restriction pin on a symmetrical side with respect to the center axis in the width direction of the connector housing with respect to the position where the pin is provided. When the housing is fitted, it enters into the guide groove. Therefore, the posture at the time of fitting the movable-side connector housing can be corrected to the normal posture.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a male connector housing, which is fixed to a predetermined device. The male connector housing 1 has a box shape that is long in the width direction, and accommodates a male terminal fitting (not shown) inside. Further, pins 3 and regulating pins 4 are respectively arranged on both outer side surfaces of the male connector housing 1. All of these are arranged offset from the center axis in the width direction of the male connector housing 1 (which also becomes the fitting center axis X when fitting with the female connector housing 2) toward the end. Further, as shown in the figure, the pins 3 are arranged so as to be higher in the figure.
[0008]
On the other hand, the female connector housing 2 includes an inner cylindrical portion 2A fitted inside the male connector housing 1 and an outer cylindrical portion 2B fitted outside. A pair of receiving grooves 3A and a pair of guide grooves 5 are provided at positions corresponding to the pins 3 and the restriction pins 4 on the outer wall surface of the outer cylindrical portion 2B, that is, at positions deviated left and right from the fitting center axis X, respectively. Are arranged. The receiving groove 3A and the guide groove 5 are both cut from the lower end of the female connector housing 2 in the drawing along the fitting direction of the connector housings 1 and 2.
[0009]
The female connector housing 2 is provided with a lever 6 for assisting the fitting operation between the two connector housings 1 and 2. The lever 6 is composed of a pair of side plates 6A (only one side is shown in FIG. 1 and the like) and an operation piece 6B for connecting the both side plates 6A. It has a shape. The cam grooves 7 are formed in the both side plates 6A in an arc shape. On the other hand, protruding shafts 8 protrude from the outer wall surfaces of the female connector housing 2 facing the side plates 6A of the lever 6, and can be loosely inserted into the cam grooves 7. As a result, the lever 6 can rotate around the protruding shaft 8 and can relatively move along the cam groove 7. However, the lever 6 comes into contact with the initial position (the position shown in FIG. 1) where the operation piece 6B comes into contact with the upper end of the female connector housing 2 and the step 2C on the upper surface of the female connector housing 2 so that the male / male connector housing 1 is fitted. It is possible to rotate between the completion position where the combination is completed (the position shown in FIG. 5).
However, only the starting end of the cam groove 7 is formed to be narrower than the other portions and serves as a lever holding portion 7A (see FIG. 4). The protruding shaft 8 can be squeezed and deformed by a split groove 9 cut along the axial direction from the front end surface. When the protruding shaft 8 is located at the lever holding portion 7A, the entire lever 6 is elastically moved to the initial position. To be held.
[0010]
The protruding shaft 8 is arranged at a position deviated from the fitting center axis X to the receiving groove 3A side, but closer to the fitting center axis X than the receiving groove 3A for receiving the pin 3. On the other hand, a slit 10 through which the pin 3 of the male connector housing 1 can enter is opened at the tip of the both side plates 6A. The entrance portion of the slit 10 communicates with the receiving groove 3A when the lever 6 is at the initial position, and can receive the pin 3 when the male and female connector housings 1 and 2 are fitted. Further, the inner side of the slit 10 is bent, so that the hook portion 11 is formed on the bent side of the slit 10. The hook portion 11 can hook the pin 3 as the lever 6 is slightly rotated from the initial position, and after the hook portion 11 is locked to the pin 3, Is rotated about the pin 3 from the protruding shaft 8.
The cam groove 7 is configured such that the distance from the pin 3 is gradually reduced when the pin 3 is locked on the hook portion 11.
[0011]
Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment configured as described above will be specifically described. The female connector housing 2 is fitted shallowly with the male connector housing 1 fixed to the device. At this time, the pin 3 is received into the groove 3A and the slit 10 (the state shown in FIG. 1). Then, when the lever 6 at the initial position is rotated around the protruding shaft 8, the pin 3 is locked to the hook 11 (the state shown in FIG. 2).
[0012]
When a force is further applied to the operation piece 6B of the lever 6 from this state, the lever 6 rotates about the pin 3. In other words, after the pin 3 is locked to the hook portion 11, the lever 6 shifts from a state in which the lever 3 is rotated around the protruding shaft 8 to a state in which the lever 6 is rotated about the pin 3, whereby the lever 6 is rotated. 6 will be switched. Thus, when the lever 6 rotates counterclockwise around the pin 3 in the drawing, the protruding shaft 8 relatively moves along the cam groove 7, and during this time, the protruding shaft 8 is moved from the groove edge of the cam groove 7 in FIG. The force in the direction of the arrow P shown in FIG. This is the fitting force of the female connector housing 2 to the male connector housing 1. Therefore, the female connector housing 2 has the pin 3 in the receiving groove 3A and the regulating pin 4 in the male connector housing 1 along the guide groove 5, respectively. It gradually fits in while being guided. When the operation piece 6B of the lever 6 is rotated until it comes into contact with the step 2C of the female connector housing 2, the two connector housings 1 and 2 are in a proper fitting state.
[0013]
By the way, before the fitting of the male and female connector housing 1 is started, the center of rotation of the lever 6 is the protruding shaft 8, but after the pin 3 is locked on the hook portion 11, the pin 3 becomes the center of rotation. The protruding shaft 8 is an action point where a pushing force acts on the male connector housing 1. In this embodiment, although the protruding shaft 8 is deviated from the fitting center axis X but has a small amount of displacement, the position where the pushing force acts on the male connector housing 1 is substantially substantially equal to the fitting position. It can be considered to be done along the central axis X. Therefore, since the female connector housing 2 is pushed into the male connector housing 1 without tilting, a smooth fitting state is realized.
[0014]
In particular, in this embodiment, since the regulating pin 4 is guided in the guide groove 5, the inclination of the two connector housings 1 and 2 at the time of fitting is reliably regulated, and the smoothness of the fitting operation is guaranteed. .
As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the position of the pin 3 is provided at a position deviated from the fitting center axis X, the rotation fulcrum of the lever 6 is switched to the pin 3 side. Since the pushing force is applied to the protruding shaft 8 closer to the fitting center axis X, the female connector housing 2 can be fitted to the male connector housing 1 without tilting.
[0015]
The present invention can be variously modified, and the following modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
{Circle around (1)} In the present embodiment, the position of the protruding shaft 8 is set to a position shifted from the fitting center axis X due to the restriction on the shape of the lever 6, but ideally, the protruding shaft 8 is Preferably, it is set on X.
(2) Which of the male and female connector housings is to be the fixed side or the movable side is arbitrary, and is not necessarily restricted by the embodiment.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing both connector housings; FIG. 2 is a front view showing an initial fitting state of both connector housings; FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which hook portions are locked to pins; FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state where fitting is completed. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a conventional problem.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Male connector housing 2 ... Female connector housing 3 ... Pin 3A ... Receiving groove 4 ... Regulatory pin 5 ... Guide groove 6 ... Lever 7 ... Cam groove 8 ... Protrusion axis X ... Mating center axis

Claims (2)

One of a pair of connector housings that can be fitted with each other is fixed, and the other is a movable side. The movable-side connector housing has a protruding shaft disposed near a central axis in the width direction of the housing and the protruding shaft. And a lever provided with a cam groove for allowing relative displacement of the protruding shaft is provided, and the fixed-side connector housing is displaced farther from the center axis in the width direction of the housing than the protruding shaft. A lever-type connector with pins protruding from
The lever is provided with a hook portion which can be hooked on the pin, and the lever is turned when the pin is hooked on the hook portion when the two connector housings are fitted together. A lever-type connector, wherein a lever having the pin as a fulcrum and the projecting shaft as an action point is configured to be able to assist the fitting operation of the two connector housings. A position where the pin is provided in the fixed-side connector housing is such that a restricting pin projects symmetrically with respect to a center axis in the width direction of the connector housing, and is located at a position facing the restricting pin in the movable-side connector housing. Is characterized in that a guide groove is formed along the fitting direction of the two connector housings, the guide groove being configured to receive the regulating pin when the two connector housings are fitted and to regulate the fitting posture of the movable connector housing. The lever-type connector according to claim 1.

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