JP3903885B2 - Connector with detection member - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector with a detection member on which a detection member for detecting a half-fitted state is mounted, and particularly relates to an improved operability when releasing the connector.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When fitting a pair of connectors together, a certain amount of operating force is required for the mating operation, so that the operator is not able to completely mat the connectors to the proper mating position. In spite of this, there is a concern that the fitting operation may be terminated halfway without noticing that. In this case, if both connectors are far apart from the normal mating position, it can be easily discerned visually, but if the mating operation is stopped immediately before the normal mating position, the normal mating position It is difficult to visually determine whether or not it has reached.
[0003]
Therefore, conventionally, a detection member for determining whether or not both connectors are in a properly fitted state is often used. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a lock arm 52 is provided in the housing 51 of the first connector 50 of the first and second connectors 50 and 60 that can be fitted to each other, and both the connectors 50 and 60 are properly fitted. When the position is reached, the locking portion 53 formed at the distal end portion of the lock arm 52 gets over the lock protrusion 62 provided on the outer wall of the housing 61 of the second connector 60, and both are locked to each other. A detection member 70 that is movable between a standby position and a detection position is attached to the first connector 50. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the detection member 70 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the lock arm 52 and is guided by the first connector 50. Provided at the center of the two connecting portions 73 and 73 for connecting the rear end portion and the vicinity of the center of the guide portions 71 and 71 in the fitting direction and the connecting portion 73 on the rear end portion side, both connectors 50 and 60 are provided. It has a generally rectangular frame shape including a displacement restricting portion 74 that can be locked to the lock arm 52 when the normal fitting position is reached. When the locking arm 52 is bent and deformed so that the locking portion 53 of the locking arm 52 gets over the locking projection 62 during the fitting of the two connectors 50 and 60, the detection member 70 is set to the standby position. , 60 are normally fitted and the lock arm 52 is elastically restored, the displacement restricting portion 74 of the detection member 70 is allowed to enter the displacement space of the lock arm 52, so that the detection member 70 is The movement to the detection position is enabled, and the operator can detect that both connectors 50 and 60 have reached the normal fitting position. Further, in the state in which the detection member 70 is arranged at the detection position, the displacement restricting portion 74 of the detection member 70 is engaged with the lock arm 52, so that the displacement of the lock arm 52 to the unlocking posture is restricted.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when releasing the fitting of both the connectors 50 and 60, first, the engagement between the displacement restricting portion 74 of the detection member 70 and the lock arm 52 is released, and the detection member 70 is moved to the standby position side, and thereafter By pressing the release operation portion 54 of the lock arm 52, the lock arm 52 is bent and deformed to the unlocking posture to release the engagement between the engagement portion 53 and the lock protrusion 62. In the detection member 70, the connecting portion 73 is positioned so as to cover the vicinity of the release operation portion 54, and therefore, a pressing operation must be performed by inserting a finger into the gap between the connecting portions 73 and 73. There is a problem that it is difficult. In particular, when the connector is miniaturized, the width of the gap becomes small, and the work is extremely difficult.
[0005]
The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector with a detection member that can be easily fitted and released even when the connector is downsized.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that the first and second connectors that can be fitted to each other, and the displacement between the locking posture and the unlocking posture of the first connector. In the locked position, the two connectors are locked in a properly fitted state, and in a state where the connectors are displaced to the unlocked position by operating the release operation portion provided at the rear end, the locks on both the connectors are released. The lock arm and the first connector are provided so as to be movable between a standby position and a detection position, and when the two connectors are half-fitted, movement from the standby position to the detection position is restricted. A detection member that is allowed to move to a detection position when the connector is properly fitted, and the detection member is positioned on both the left and right sides of the lock arm and the first member. A pair of guided portions guided by the nectar, a connecting portion that connects the both guided portions, and a displacement restricting portion that can be locked to the lock arm, and the lock arm is in a locked posture; and In the state where the detection member is in the detection position, the displacement restricting portion is locked to the lock arm so that the displacement of the lock arm to the unlocking posture is restricted, and in the state where the detection member is moved to the standby position. A connector with a detection member in which the displacement restricting portion is disengaged from the lock arm so that the lock arm is allowed to be displaced to the unlocking posture, and the connecting portion is forward of the releasing operation portion. It is characterized in that the rear end portion of the guided portion is a free end, and the displacement restricting portion is provided in the guided portion.
[0007]
[Action and effect of the invention]
According to the present invention, the detection member is located on both the left and right sides of the lock arm and is guided by the first connector, the connecting portion that connects the both guided portions, the lock A displacement restricting portion that can be locked to the arm, the connecting portion is disposed in front of the release operation portion of the lock arm, and the rear end portion of the guided portion is a free end. It is the structure which makes a character shape. Therefore, when the fitting of both connectors is released, that is, when the release operation portion of the lock arm is pressed, the connecting portion does not get in the way as in the prior art, and both ends are covered from the free end side of the guided portion. Since a finger can be inserted between the guide portions, an excellent effect of facilitating the connector release operation is achieved. In addition, since the displacement restricting portion is provided in the guided portion of the lock arm, both connectors can be reliably held in the locked state.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector with a detection member shown in this embodiment includes the first and second connectors 10 and 20 that can be fitted and detached from each other, and the fitted state of both the connectors 10 and 20 attached to the first connector 10. It is comprised from the detection member 30 for detecting. In the following description, the fitting surface side of both the connectors 10 and 20 is the front, the left and right descriptions are based on FIGS. 1 to 5, and the upper and lower descriptions are based on FIGS. 1 to 3. .
[0009]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first connector 10 includes a terminal accommodating portion 15 having a plurality of cavities 14 into which the female terminal fittings 11 can be inserted from the rear, and an outer cylinder surrounding the terminal accommodating portion 15. A retainer 13 that is mounted in a form that covers the front of the housing 12 constituted by the portion 16 and the terminal accommodating portion 15 is provided. Between the terminal accommodating part 15 and the outer cylinder part 16, the food | hood part 21 of the 2nd connector 20 mentioned later can be fitted from the front. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a cutout portion 16 </ b> A cut into a U-shape is formed on the rear side of the upper wall of the outer cylinder portion 16.
[0010]
Above the terminal accommodating portion 15, the lock arm 17 extending along the fitting direction of both the connectors 10 and 20 is connected to the upper surface of the terminal accommodating portion 15 by the support portion 18 near the center in the length direction. Is provided. The lock arm 17 has a lock posture in which a lock hole 17A provided on the distal end side is locked with a lock protrusion 23 of the second connector 20 described later, and an unlock posture in which the lock arm 17 is bent and deformed into a seesaw shape with the support portion 18 as a fulcrum. It is possible to displace between. In addition, the lower surface side of the distal end portion of the lock arm 17 is formed in an inclined surface so as to easily get over the lock protrusion 23. Further, the rear end side of the lock arm 17 is formed to be wide so as to have substantially the same width as that of the upper wall of the outer cylinder portion 16, and a part of the lock arm 17 is raised in a step shape to be a release operation portion 17B. Yes. The release operation portion 17B is exposed to the outside from the above-described notch portion 16A, thereby enabling a pressing operation.
[0011]
Further, guide grooves 19 for guiding the detection member 30 are formed between the terminal accommodating portion 15 and the outer cylinder portion 16 on the inner sides of both sides of the housing 12 across the lock arm 17.
[0012]
Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the second connector 20 includes a rectangular tube-shaped hood portion 21 that is open to the front and can be fitted into the first connector 10. A plurality of male terminals 22 that can be electrically connected to the female terminal fitting 11 are provided in a protruding manner. On the outer surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 21, a lock projection 23 that engages with the lock hole 17 </ b> A of the lock arm 17 described above is provided so as to protrude forward.
[0013]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 9, the detection member 30 has a substantially H shape in which the front side is connected by a connecting portion 33 slightly from the vicinity of the center in the length direction of the pair of guided portions 31 and 31. Yes. That is, the rear end of the guided portion 31 is a free end, and the substantially rear half portion of both the guided portions 31 and 31 and the connecting portion 33 have a substantially “U” shape released rearward. Guide ribs 32 and 32 that engage with the above-described guide groove 19 are formed on the side surfaces of the both guided portions 31 and 31 so that the detection member 30 stands by with respect to the first connector 10. It is mounted so as to be movable between the position and the detection position. Further, a locking projection 35 is formed in the vicinity of the center of the guide rib 32, and the displacement restriction is such that the rear end portion (free end portion) of the guided portion 31 is folded downward in a U shape. When the two connectors 10 and 20 reach the normal fitting position and the detection member 30 is moved to the detection position, the locking protrusion 35 is formed in the locking hole (see FIG. The displacement restricting portion 34 is set to have a size and a shape to be engaged with the rear end portion of the lock arm 17 from below.
[0014]
The present embodiment has the above-described structure, and the operation thereof will be described subsequently.
In order to fit both the connectors 10 and 20, first, the detection member 30 is set to the standby position, and the first connector 10 is lightly fitted to the hood portion 21 of the second connector 20 and is slowly pushed in. Then, the tip end portion of the lock arm 17 of the first connector 10 comes into contact with the lock projection 23 of the second connector 20 and rides along the inclined surface of the lock projection 23 as shown in FIG. Are bent and deformed with the support portion 18 as a fulcrum. When the fitting further proceeds, the lock projection 23 eventually engages in the lock hole 17A of the lock arm 17 and the lock arm 17 is elastically restored, so that both the connectors 10 and 20 are brought into a normal fitting state (see FIG. 2). ).
[0015]
When the connectors 10 and 20 are thus properly fitted, next, the rear end portion of the detection member 30 is pressed forward to move the detection member 30 to the detection position (see FIG. 3). ). At this time, when both the connectors 10 and 20 have not yet reached the normal mating position, but the operator misunderstands that the mating is completed and tries to move the detection member 30, the lock arm 17 is in a state of being tilted without completely returning to elasticity, the displacement restricting portion 34 of the detection member 30 cannot interfere with the lock arm 17 in the displacement space and move the detection member 30 to the detection position. From this, it is detected that both connectors 10 and 20 are in a half-fitted state. When both the connectors 10 and 20 are properly fitted, the lock arm 17 is completely elastically restored and retracted from the displacement space, so that the detection member 30 moves to the detection position without any trouble, The displacement restricting portion 34 enters below the lock arm 17 and engages with the rear end portion of the lock arm 17. Due to the locking of the displacement restricting portion 34, the lock arm 17 is restricted from being displaced to the unlocking posture, and even if a force in the direction of releasing the lock is accidentally applied to the lock arm 17, both connectors 10, 20 The fitting state is reliably maintained. At this time, the engagement protrusion 35 of the detection member 30 is engaged in an engagement hole (not shown) in the guide groove 19 so that the return of the detection member 30 to the rear (standby position) is restricted.
[0016]
On the other hand, when releasing the fitting of both the connectors 10 and 20, first, the detection member 30 is pulled out from the detection position to the standby position. Then, since the displacement restricting portion 34 is retracted from the displacement space of the lock arm 17, displacement of the lock arm 17 to the unlocking posture is allowed. Therefore, by pressing the release operation portion 17B of the lock arm 17 to bring the lock arm 17 into the unlocking posture, the engagement between the lock hole 17A of the lock arm 17 and the lock protrusion 23 is released, and the first connector 10 is detached from the second connector 20. At this time, the connecting portion 33 of the detection member 30 is positioned in front of the release operation portion 17B of the lock arm 17, and the rear end sides of the guided portions 31 and 31 are free ends. In this case, it is only necessary to insert a finger between the guided portions 31 and 31 from the rear side of the detection member 30, and the pressing operation can be easily performed.
[0017]
As described above, according to the connector with the detection member of the present embodiment, the connecting portion 33 of the detection member 30 is arranged in front of the release operation portion 17B of the lock arm 17 and is behind the guided portions 31 and 31. It is the structure which makes a substantially H shape by which the edge part was made into the free end. Therefore, when the fitting of both the connectors 10 and 20 is released, that is, when the release operation portion 17B of the lock arm 17 is pressed, the connecting portion 33 does not obstruct the pressing operation as in the prior art. Since a finger can be easily inserted between the guided portions 31 and 31 from the rear end side of the guide portion 31, an excellent effect of facilitating the connector release operation can be obtained. In addition, since the displacement restricting portion 34 is provided on the lock arm 17, when both the connectors 10 and 20 are properly fitted, the state can be reliably locked.
[0018]
<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
[0019]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the displacement restricting portion of the detection member is provided at the rear end portion of the guided portion, but may be provided at another portion.
[0020]
(2) In the above embodiment, the displacement restricting portion is brought into contact with the lock arm as a means for restricting the detection member from moving to the detection position when the connector is half-fitted. When both connectors are in a half-fitted state, they are positioned so that the front ends of the guided portions abut, and when both connectors are properly fitted, they are displaced laterally from the front position of the guided portions to open the path of the guided portions. It is good also as a structure.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fitting process of a connector with a detection member according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fitting state. FIG. 3 is also moved to a detection position. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the state of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the state of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the detection member. FIG. 8 is a side view of the detection member. FIG. 9 is a rear view of the detection member. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fitting process of a conventional connector with a detection member. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the detection member.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st connector 12 ... Housing 15 ... Terminal accommodating part 16 ... Outer cylinder part 17 ... Lock arm 17A ... Lock hole 17B ... Release operation part 18 ... Supporting part 19 ... Guide groove 20 ... 2nd connector 23 ... Lock protrusion 30 ... Detecting member 31 ... guided portion 32 ... guide rib 33 ... connecting portion 34 ... displacement restricting portion

Claims (1)

First and second connectors that are matable with each other;
The first connector is provided so as to be able to be displaced between a locked posture and an unlocked posture. In the locked posture, both the connectors are locked in a normal fitting state, and a release operation portion provided at the rear end is connected to the first connector. A lock arm that unlocks both connectors in a state of being displaced to an unlocking posture by an operation;
The first connector is provided so as to be movable between a standby position and a detection position, and when the two connectors are half-fitted, the movement from the standby position to the detection position is restricted, and both the connectors are properly fitted. A detection member that is allowed to move to the detection position in the combined state,
The detection member is located on both left and right sides of the lock arm and is guided by the first connector, a connecting portion for connecting the both guided portions, and the lock arm. A displacement restricting portion that can be stopped,
In a state where the lock arm is in a locked posture and the detection member is in a detection position, the displacement restricting portion is locked to the lock arm, so that the displacement of the lock arm to the unlocked posture is restricted,
In a state where the detection member is moved to the standby position, the displacement restricting portion is detached from the lock arm, and the lock arm is allowed to be displaced to the unlocking posture.
The connecting portion is disposed in front of the release operation portion;
The rear end portion of the guided portion is a free end,
The connector with a detection member, wherein the displacement restricting portion is provided in the guided portion.

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