JP4397717B2 - Connector lock structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector locking structure that electrically connects a plurality of connection terminals by fitting a pair of male and female connectors together.

  As an example of a conventional connector locking structure, a male connector housing on the wire harness side is provided with an engaging projection, and the male connector housing is fitted on and removed from the hood portion of the female connector housing on the equipment side (board side). An insertion groove through which an engagement protrusion of the connector housing is inserted is provided, and a slide member having a flexible locking protrusion that engages with the engagement protrusion is provided so as to be movable by a pressing operation of the operation portion. It is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In such a connector locking structure, when the slide member is pressed and the two connector housings are fitted, the engagement protrusions of the male connector housing are engaged and locked by the locking protrusions of the lock arm. Then, the lock is released by moving the slide member in a direction opposite to the lock by a width corresponding to one engagement protrusion.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-040266 (FIG. 1, pages 3 to 4)

  However, in the connector lock structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, the lock arm of the slide member is formed longer in the same direction as the connector insertion direction than in the direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, and the outer periphery of the lock arm is cut off. It is the structure which press-deforms by the notch which carried out. For this reason, if the lock arm is formed long so that the lock arm can be reliably deformed, the female connector housing becomes long and the entire outer shape may be increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector locking structure that can reliably perform a locking operation and an unlocking operation while having a compact outer shape. is there.

1) The connector locking structure of the present invention is a locking structure provided on a male and female connector that can be fitted,
Either one of the male connector and the female connector has an engaging protrusion,
A slide lock member having a locking portion that is held so that the other of the male connector and the female connector can move in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction and engages with the engagement protrusion, and the slide lock member Biasing means for biasing and moving,
An elastic piece as the urging means is formed integrally with the slide lock member,
The male connector has an opening into which the slide lock member can be inserted, and a contact portion that contacts the elastic piece,
When the engagement protrusion reaches the engagement position with the locking portion with the complete fitting of the male and female connectors,
By the urging means, the slide lock member is automatically moved in the orthogonal direction within the opening without protruding from the opening, and the locking portion engages with the engagement protrusion. Features.

According to the connector lock structure having the above-described configuration, the slide lock member is held by either the male connector or the female connector so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. Then, with the complete fitting of the male and female connectors, the engaging protrusion reaches the engaging position with the locking portion, and the slide lock member does not protrude from the opening in the orthogonal direction by the biasing means , It is automatically moved within the opening . As a result, the engaging protrusion engages with the locking portion, and the female connector and the male connector are locked in a completely fitted state.

Accordingly, since the male connector can be prevented from being detached from the female connector by automatically moving the slide lock member in the direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, the length of the male and female connectors in the connector insertion direction is affected. Never give. Therefore, the male and female connectors can be made compact, and the male and female connectors can be reliably locked and unlocked.
Further, according to the connector lock structure of the above-described configuration, the elastic piece and the slide lock member are molded integrally only with a resin material, a combination of a resin material and a metal material, or only with a metal material, thereby improving productivity. In addition, production costs can be reduced.

2) The connector locking structure of the present invention is the connector locking structure described in 1), wherein the male connector accommodates at least one first terminal of either the male terminal type or the female terminal type. Having a connector housing, the engagement protrusion projectingly provided on the outer surface of the male connector housing;
The female connector has a female connector housing that accommodates at least one second terminal that is electrically connected to the first terminal, which is either the male terminal type or the female terminal type.
The female connector housing surrounds the second terminal and the male connector housing is fitted and removed, an opening into which the slide lock member can be inserted, and an inner side of the opening with respect to the connector insertion direction. And a support portion that movably supports the slide lock member in a direction orthogonal to the
The hood portion is provided with an insertion groove that communicates with the opening and reaches the locking portion of the slide lock member and allows the engagement protrusion to be inserted therethrough.
Along with the fitting movement of the male and female connectors, the engagement protrusion is guided by the insertion groove, and abuts on the locking portion to move the slide lock member in one direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, It reaches the engagement position with the locking portion.

According to the connector lock structure of the above configuration, the slide lock member is inserted into the female connector housing through the opening, and is supported by the support portion so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. As a result, the slide lock member has a small protrusion amount from the female connector housing, and can perform a smooth slide movement.
When the male connector housing is inserted into the female connector housing, the engaging protrusion is guided by the insertion groove and comes into contact with the locking portion of the slide lock member, and the slide lock member is orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. It moves to a direction and reaches an engagement position with a latching | locking part. Thereby, in a series of operations in which the male connector housing is inserted into the female connector housing, the locking operation of the male and female connectors can be performed automatically.

3) The connector lock structure according to the present invention is the connector lock structure described in 1), wherein the male connector accommodates at least one first terminal of either the male terminal type or the female terminal type. Having a connector housing, provided on the outer surface of the male connector housing, the slide lock member, and the biasing means,
The female connector has a female connector housing that accommodates at least one second terminal that is electrically connected to the first terminal, which is either the male terminal type or the female terminal type.
The female connector housing has a hood that surrounds the second terminal and into which the male connector housing is fitted and removed;
The inner wall of the front hood portion is provided with a housing portion that houses the slide lock member, and the engagement protrusion that projects into the housing portion,
Along with the fitting movement of the male and female connectors, the engaging projection comes into contact with the locking portion to move the slide lock member in one direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, and the locking portion and the locking portion The engagement position is reached.

According to the connector locking structure having the above-described configuration, since the female connector housing has the accommodating portion and the engaging protrusion inside the hood portion, the slide lock member is exposed in a state where the male and female connectors are completely fitted. The portion can be reduced, and an unnecessary unlocking operation of the male and female connectors when subjected to an impact or the like from the outside can be prevented.
When the male connector housing is inserted into the female connector housing, the engaging protrusion comes into contact with the locking portion of the slide lock member, and the slide lock member is moved in one direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. The position of engagement with the stop is reached. Thereby, in a series of operations in which the male connector housing is inserted into the female connector housing, the locking operation of the male and female connectors can be performed automatically.

  4) The connector locking structure of the present invention is the connector locking structure according to any one of 1) to 3), wherein the male connector housing or the female connector housing provided with the slide lock member is It has a guide portion that prevents the slide lock member from falling off and guides movement in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction.

  According to the connector lock structure having the above-described configuration, the slide lock member is prevented from being detached by the guide portion, and the slide movement is guided. Thereby, the slide lock member can move more smoothly while being guided by the guide portion.

  5) The connector locking structure of the present invention is the connector locking structure according to any one of 1) to 4), wherein the urging means includes an elastic piece provided on the slide lock member, and the male connector. And an abutting wall that is provided on either one of the female connectors and that abuts the elastic piece.

  According to the connector lock structure of the above-described configuration, the elastic piece of the slide lock member bends in a state in which the elastic piece of the slide lock member is in contact with the contact wall as the male and female connector housings are fitted. The elastic restoring force of the piece acts, and an urging force for pushing back the slide lock member is generated by the reaction. As a result, when the engagement protrusion reaches the engagement position beyond the locking portion, the slide lock member is automatically pushed back by the biasing force and engaged with the locking portion, so that the male and female connector housings are fitted to each other. The combined state can be reliably locked. In addition, since the engaging operation between the engaging protrusion and the locking portion is clearly performed in a snap action manner, it is possible to detect the halfway fitting state between the male and female connector housings.

  6) The connector lock structure according to the present invention is the connector lock structure according to 5), wherein the elastic piece and the abutting wall are parallel to the moving direction of the slide lock member. A pair is provided symmetrically with respect to the center line.

  According to the connector locking structure of the above configuration, as the male and female connector housings are fitted, the pair of elastic pieces abut against the pair of abutting walls, respectively, and the pair of elastic pieces move in the moving direction of the slide lock member. Since the parallel imaginary center line bends evenly and uniformly, the elastic restoring force of each elastic piece acts so that components in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the slide lock member cancel each other. That is, the urging force parallel to the moving direction of the slide lock member acts on the slide lock member. This prevents the slide lock member from being tilted during movement, allowing the slide lock member to move smoothly without play, ensuring engagement between the engaging protrusion and the locking portion, and releasing the engagement. Operability at the time is improved. Further, the length of the elastic piece can be shortened, and the connector lock structure can be miniaturized.

  7) The connector lock structure according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the connector lock structure according to any one of 5) and 6), the elastic piece extends in the moving direction of the slide lock member. To do.

  According to the connector lock structure of the above configuration, the length of the male and female connectors in the connector insertion direction can be shortened, and thus the male and female connectors can be made compact.

  8) The connector lock structure of the present invention is the connector lock structure according to 7), wherein the elastic piece is the slide lock member and the male connector housing or the female connector housing provided with the slide lock member. Between the two.

  According to the connector lock structure having the above-described configuration, the elastic piece extended in the moving direction of the slide lock member (that is, the direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction) is connected to the slide lock member and the male provided with the slide lock member. Since it is interposed between the connector housing or the female connector housing, the elastic piece does not protrude from the slide lock member in the moving direction, or the protruding portion can be reduced. The length in the insertion direction can be shortened, and the length of the male and female connectors in the direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction can also be shortened. As a result, the male and female connectors can be made more compact.

  9) The connector locking structure according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the connector locking structure according to any one of 5) to 8), at least the elastic piece of the slide lock member is made of an elastic metal material. To do.

  In general, a metal material such as a copper alloy is more elastic than a resin material. According to the connector lock structure having the above-described configuration, an elastic piece that bends according to the movement of the slide lock member is formed of the metal material. Thus, the elastic piece can be reduced in size, so that the male and female connectors can be further downsized.

10) The connector locking structure of the present invention is the connector locking structure according to any one of 5) to 9) , wherein the contact wall has an inclined contact surface that contacts the elastic piece. It is characterized by.

  According to the connector lock structure having the above-described configuration, the abutment surface that abuts the elastic piece is inclined, so that the amount of bending of the elastic piece can be reduced to prevent excessive deformation. As a result, the elastic piece can be prevented from being damaged, and the slide lock member can be smoothly moved with a uniform elastic force.

11) The connector lock structure of the present invention is the connector lock structure according to any one of 1) to 3), wherein the slide lock member is engaged with the engagement portion on the front side in the connector insertion direction. It has an inclined surface with which the protrusion abuts.

  According to the connector locking structure of the above configuration, the engagement protrusion of the male connector housing comes into contact with the inclined surface on the front side of the locking portion of the slide lock member as the male connector housing is inserted into the female connector housing. After that, the slide lock member can be easily slid in the direction opposite to the inclination direction of the inclined surface.

12) The connector locking structure according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the connector locking structure according to any one of 1) to 3), the slide lock member has an operation portion protruding from the main body.

  According to the connector lock structure having the above-described configuration, the slide lock member can be easily slid in the unlocking direction by the operation portion, so that the male and female connector housings can be reliably and easily detached from each other during maintenance. Can do.

13) The connector locking structure of the present invention is the connector locking structure according to any one of 1) to 3), wherein the female connector housing or the male connector housing to which the slide lock member is attached is the male and female connectors. It has the indicator which shows the fitting state of a connector, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the connector lock structure having the above-described configuration, it is possible to detect the midway fitting state between the male and female connector housings, and to reliably lock and unlock the male and female connectors.

14) The connector locking structure of the present invention is the connector locking structure described in 1), wherein the slide lock member abuts on the engaging protrusion when the male connector housing is inserted into the female connector housing. A contact slope and an elastic pressing piece are provided.

  According to the lock structure of the connector having the above-described configuration, the engagement protrusion of the male connector housing comes into contact with the contact slope of the pressing piece of the slide lock member as the male connector housing is inserted into the female connector housing. The slide lock member is biased in one direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction while bending the piece. When the engaging protrusion gets over the engaging portion, the sliding lock member is slid in one direction opposite to the urging force of the bent pressing piece, and the engaging portion engages with the engaging protrusion. Therefore, the male connector housing can be prevented from being detached from the female connector housing, the length of the male and female connector housings in the connector insertion direction can be prevented, and the size can be reduced. Unlocking can be performed reliably. In addition, since the engaging operation between the engaging protrusion and the locking portion is clearly performed in a snap action manner, it is possible to detect the halfway fitting state between the male and female connector housings.

15) The connector locking structure of the present invention is characterized in that in the connector locking structure described in 14) above, the connector locking structure has a buffer portion that reduces an impact when the slide lock member slides.

  According to the connector lock structure having the above-described structure, the shock generated when the slide lock member slides is reduced by the buffer portion, and the slide lock member can be smoothly moved without being caught.

  According to the connector locking structure of the present invention, the outer shape of the female connector housing can be reduced by moving the slide lock member in a direction perpendicular to the connector insertion direction, and the locking operation between the male and female connectors can be achieved. And the unlocking operation can be performed reliably.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of suitable embodiments concerning the present invention are described in detail based on a drawing.

  1 is a plan view of a male and female connector housing showing a first embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the female connector housing and the slide lock member in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a slide in FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view of the female connector housing after mounting | wearing with a locking member.

  4 is a front view of the female connector housing in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a rear view of the female connector housing in FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 7B is a front view of FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C is a bottom view of FIG. 7A. 8 is a plan view showing a state before locking of the male and female connector housings in FIG. 1, and FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state after locking of the male and female connector housings in FIG.

  10 is an external perspective view of a female connector housing and a slide lock member showing a second embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention, FIG. 11 is an external perspective view seen from obliquely below in FIG. 10, and FIG. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before locking of the slide lock member in FIG. 10, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after lock of the slide lock member in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connector locking structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention accommodates a plurality of female terminals 14, a male connector housing 11 having an engaging projection 15, and a female terminal by mutual fitting. 14 is a fitting structure with a female connector housing 12 that houses a plurality of male terminals 16 electrically connected to 14 and has an insertion groove 17 through which an engagement protrusion 15 is inserted in the connector insertion direction. In the female connector housing 12, the engagement protrusion 15 is allowed to move in the connector insertion direction in the mid-fitting state, and the engagement protrusion 15 is moved in the connector release direction in the complete fitting state. A slide lock member 13 having a blocking portion 18 for blocking is mounted so as to be slidable in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction.

  The male connector housing 11 has an engagement protrusion 15 formed at the end portion in the connector insertion direction at the center of the upper surface. In the male connector housing 11, a plurality of female terminals 14 are accommodated in the connector insertion direction. Each female terminal 14 is electrically connected to each lead portion (not shown) included in a wire harness (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the female connector housing 12 has a hood portion 20 having a square tube shape. Further, the inside of the hood portion 20 is a connector insertion portion 21, and the insertion groove 17 is formed in the center portion of the inner surface of the hood portion 20. When the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the female connector housing 12, the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the insertion groove 17. A plurality of male terminals 16 are accommodated in the female connector housing 12 in the connector insertion direction. Each male terminal 16 is electrically connected to a printed wiring (not shown) disposed on a substrate (not shown). In other words, the female connector housing 12 is disposed on the board by fixing the board fixing portions 22 and 22 provided on the side surfaces of the female connector housing 12 to the board.

  The female connector housing 12 has an opening 23 into which the slide lock member 13 can be inserted, and supports the slide lock member 13 so as to be movable inside the opening 23 in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. A support 24 is provided. The opening 23 is formed by opening the rear side in the connector insertion direction at the center of the upper surface of the hood 20. The support part 24 is disposed inside the opening 23 and in parallel with the hood part 20. The opening 23 is used to insert the slide lock member 13 into the female connector housing 12. Therefore, since the slide lock member 13 is accommodated in the female connector housing 12 through the opening 23, the amount of protrusion of the slide lock member 13 from the female connector housing 12 can be minimized. Moreover, since the support part 24 supports the slide lock member 13 so that a movement in the direction orthogonal to a connector insertion direction is possible, the slide lock member 13 can perform a smooth slide movement.

  The female connector housing 12 has a guide portion 25 that prevents the slide lock member 13 from coming off and guides the movement after the slide lock member 13 is inserted through the opening 23. The guide portion 25 is formed to protrude in a plate shape having two notches 26, 26 on the back side of the support portion 24. Since the guide portion 25 is disposed corresponding to a pair of protrusions 27 and 27 (see FIG. 7C) formed on the lower surface of the slide lock member 13, the slide lock member 13 passes through the opening 23. When the slide lock member 13 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, the projections 27 and 27 are moved to the projections 27 and 27. By sliding contact, the slide lock member 13 is smoothly slid while being prevented from coming off.

  The female connector housing 12 has a contact wall 28 at the side end of the support portion 24. The abutting wall 28 is arranged so that an elastic piece 30 which is an urging means formed at an end portion of a main body 29 housed in the support portion 24 in the slide lock member 13 abuts. Therefore, when the elastic piece 30 of the slide lock member 13 abuts against the abutting wall 28, the slide lock member 13 is urged in a direction of pushing back (downward in FIG. 1). And since it inclines in the outward direction of a female connector housing back side, the amount of bending of the elastic piece 30 can be made small and an excessive deformation | transformation can be prevented. Thereby, damage to the elastic piece 30 can be prevented, and the slide lock member 13 can be smoothly moved with a uniform elastic force.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, the slide lock member 13 is formed of a synthetic resin, and mainly includes a main body 29, protrusions 27 and 27, an elastic piece 30, and a locking portion 18. And an inclined surface 32 and an operation unit 33.

  The main body 29 is inserted into the female connector housing 12 through the opening 23 and is formed in a plate shape supported by the support portion 24. The protrusions 27, 27 are formed as a pair protruding rearward on the lower surface of the main body 29. The protrusions 27 and 27 pass through the notches 26 and 26 (see FIG. 2) of the guide portion 25 when the slide lock member 13 is inserted through the opening 23, and then the slide lock member 13 moves. In doing so, it slides while being prevented from coming off by slidingly contacting the guide portion 25.

  The elastic piece 30 is formed to project toward the side at the end of the main body 29 and is formed to be elastically deformable toward the main body 29 side. The elastic piece 30 abuts against the abutting wall 28 of the female connector housing 12, thereby elastically deforming and accumulating an elastic repulsive force when the slide lock member 13 is moved. It is biased in the direction of pushing back (downward in FIG. 1).

  The locking portion 18 has a hook shape that engages with the engaging protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 12 on the lower surface of the main body 29, and protrudes into the female connector housing 12. Then, when the slide lock member 13 is in the first state before movement, the locking portion 18 is disposed on the front side in the connector insertion direction of the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 12. Further, when the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the female connector housing 12 and the slide lock member 13 is moved in one direction and then pushed back in the opposite direction, the engagement protrusion of the male connector housing 12 is obtained. 15 is arranged on the rear side in the connector insertion direction to lock the engagement protrusion 15 and lock the male connector housing 11.

  The engaging portion 18 is engaged with the engaging protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 12 by a reciprocating movement in which the slide lock member 13 is moved once in the direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction and then pushed back again. Since the housing 11 is locked to the female connector housing 12, it does not move in the connector detachment direction. Therefore, locking and unlocking can be reliably performed without affecting the length of the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 in the connector insertion direction.

  The inclined surface 32 is disposed on the front side of the locking portion 18 in the connector insertion direction. The inclined surface 32 comes into contact with the engaging protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 when the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the female connector housing 12. Therefore, the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 is inserted while being in contact with the inclined surface 32 of the slide lock member 13, thereby moving the slide lock member 13 toward the contact wall 28 side of the female connector housing 12. Then, when the insertion of the male connector housing 11 proceeds and the engagement protrusion 15 gets over the locking portion 18, the slide lock member 13 is moved by the repulsive force of the elastic piece 30 that is in contact with the contact wall 28 in a bent state. Push back automatically. Thereby, since the engaging protrusion 15 is locked to the locking portion 18, the operation is performed in a snap action. Therefore, when the fitting state of the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 is a halfway fitting state, Since the male connector housing 11 is pushed back, the halfway fitting state can be easily determined.

  The operation portion 33 is formed so as to slightly protrude from the main body 29 with a waved end surface. The operation portion 33 is operated when the male connector housing 11 is detached from the female connector housing 12, and can be easily obtained by grasping the operation portion 33 and moving the slide lock member 13 to the contact wall 28 side. Can be unlocked. That is, the operator can release the engagement state of the engagement protrusion 15 and the engagement portion 18 simply by pressing or grasping the operation portion 33 and moving the operation portion 33 toward the contact wall 28 side. By pulling out the male connector housing 11, the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 can be easily detached.

  In addition, a guide plate 34 that protrudes along the connector insertion direction is formed at a position opposed to the locking portion 18 at a position spaced apart from the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11. The guide plate 34 reliably guides the engagement protrusion 15 to the rear of the locking portion 18 when the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 advances.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the slide lock member 13 is mounted by being inserted toward the opening 23 from the back side of the female connector housing 12. At this time, the main body 29 is supported by the support portion 24 of the female connector housing 12, and the protrusions 27 and 27 (see FIG. 7C) that protrude from the lower surface of the main body 29 of the slide lock member 13 are guides for the female connector housing 12. It passes through the notches 26, 26 of the portion 25. In the slide lock member 13 inserted into the female connector housing 12, the operation portion 33 is only slightly protruded from the upper surface of the hood portion 20, and the upper surface of the hood portion 20 is substantially flat.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the male terminal 16 accommodated in the female connector housing 12 has a leading end portion of the lead portion 16A of the upper male terminal 16 that is flush with the lower surface of the female connector housing 12, that is, the upper surface of the substrate. It is bent and arranged to form. In addition, the lead portion 16A of the lower male terminal 16 is formed to be shorter than the upper side, and the distal end portion thereof is bent and disposed so as to form the same surface as the lower surface of the female connector housing 12.

  Next, based on FIG.8 and FIG.9, the locking operation by the slide lock member 13 of the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 is demonstrated. First, in a state where the slide lock member 13 is mounted on the female connector housing 12 (see FIG. 1), the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the connector insertion portion 21 of the female connector housing 12, as shown in FIG. . Then, the engaging protrusion 15 is inserted while being in contact with the inclined surface 32, and the slide lock member 13 is slid in the direction toward the abutting wall 28 orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. At this time, the elastic piece 30 of the slide lock member 13 is in contact with the contact wall 28 in a bent state, and is biased in the opposite direction to the contact wall 28 side.

  Until the male connector housing 11 is completely inserted into the connector insertion portion 21, the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 passes through the insertion groove 17 of the female connector housing 12 while contacting the inclined surface 32. Then, when passing between the guide plate 34 and the locking portion 18, the slide lock member 13 is automatically pushed back to the original position (position of FIG. 9) by the urging force of the elastic piece 30, and the engagement protrusion 15 is It is arranged on the rear side of the locking part 18.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the slide lock member 13 is pushed back to the original position, the engaging portion 18 is disposed on the rear side in the connector insertion direction of the engaging protrusion 15, so that the engaging protrusion 15 is engaged by the engaging portion 18. The male connector housing 11 and the female connector housing 12 are locked. Thereby, the female terminal 14 of the male connector housing 11 and the male terminal 16 of the female connector housing 12 are electrically connected.

  When releasing the locked state, the operating portion 33 of the slide lock member 13 is operated and moved to the abutting wall 28 side (upward in FIG. 9), whereby the locking portion 18 and the engaging protrusion 15 are moved. The locked state is easily released, and the unlocked state is obtained. Accordingly, a passage is formed in the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 between the guide plate 34 and the locking portion 18 and to the insertion groove 17 of the female connector housing 12. The male connector housing 11 can be easily detached from the female connector housing 12 by being pulled out from the insertion portion 21 in the separating direction.

  As described above, according to the connector locking structure of the first embodiment, the slide lock member 13 is mounted on the female connector housing 12 so as to be slidable in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. Then, the engaging protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the female connector housing 12 through the insertion groove 17 of the female connector housing 12. Along with this insertion, the slide lock member 13 moves while bending the elastic piece 30 toward the abutting wall 28 orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, and the engaging protrusion 15 gets over the locking portion 18, thereby elastically moving. It is automatically pushed back to its original position by the urging force of the piece 30. As a result, the locking portion 18 locks the engagement protrusion 15 and prevents the male connector housing 11 from moving in the connector disengagement direction, thereby preventing the male connector housing 11 and the female connector housing 12 from coming off. Lock it.

  Therefore, since the male connector housing 11 can be prevented from being detached from the female connector housing 12 by urging the slide lock member 13 in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, the connectors of the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 can be prevented. The male and female connector housings 11 and 12 can be made compact without affecting the length in the insertion direction, and can be locked and unlocked with certainty.

  Further, the slide lock member 13 is inserted into the female connector housing 12 through the opening 23, and the slide lock member 13 is supported by the support portion 24 so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. Thereby, the protrusion amount from the female connector housing 12 of the slide lock member 13 can be suppressed to the minimum, and the slide slide of the slide lock member 13 can be performed smoothly.

  Further, since the attached slide lock member 13 is prevented from coming off and slid by the guide portion 25, the slide lock member 13 can be guided by the guide portion 25 and smoothly slide while being prevented from coming off. it can.

  Further, since the elastic piece 30 abuts against the abutting wall 28 of the female connector housing 12, the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 is inserted in a state where the slide lock member 13 is urged. The lock member 13 can be pushed back automatically by the urging force, and the completely fitted state of the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 can be easily locked.

  Further, when the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the female connector housing 12, the engagement protrusion 15 of the male connector housing 11 slides while abutting against the inclined surface 32 of the slide lock member 13. The slide lock member 13 can be slid along with the insertion. Thereby, since the male connector housing 11 is pushed out from the female connector housing 12 in the halfway fitting state, the halfway fitting state can be easily detected.

  Moreover, since the slide lock member 13 can be easily slid by the operation part 33, the completely fitted state of the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 can be easily released.

  Next, a second embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the member etc. which have the structure and effect | action similar to 1st Embodiment already demonstrated, description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol or an equivalent code | symbol in a figure.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the connector locking structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention has an abutting inclined surface that abuts the engaging protrusion 15 when the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the female connector housing 12. A pressing piece 42 is formed on the slide lock member 41. The slide lock member 41 is slid by the contact of the engagement protrusion 15 with the pressing piece 42, and the locking portion 43 prevents the engagement protrusion 15 from moving in the connector release direction.

  The slide lock member 41 has a pressing piece 42 at the center of a plate-shaped main body 44. The pressing piece 42 has flexibility, and is configured in a square shape so as to form a contact slope with respect to the connector insertion direction. Further, the slide lock member 41 has a buffer part 45 at the end of the main body 44. When the slide lock member 41 slides and moves, the buffer 45 collides with the end face of the opening 23 of the female connector housing 12, thereby reducing the impact at that time. The slide lock member 41 is shaped to be accommodated in a rectangular opening 23 formed in the female connector housing 12.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the connector locking structure of the second embodiment, the male connector housing 11 is inside the connector insertion portion 21 of the female connector housing 12 when the slide lock member 41 is mounted on the female connector housing 12. Inserted into. At this time, the slide lock member 41 is urged by the pressing piece 42 when the engaging protrusion 15 contacts the pressing piece 42.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when the engagement protrusion 15 is inserted to a position beyond the engagement portion 43, the slide lock member 41 is slid to move the engagement portion 43 in the connector release direction of the engagement protrusion 15. The male connector housing 11 is prevented from being detached from the female connector housing 12 and is locked.

  According to the connector locking structure of the second embodiment described above, when the male connector housing 11 is inserted into the female connector housing 12, the male connector housing 11 is engaged with the pressing piece 42 having the abutting slope of the slide lock member 41. When the protrusion 15 comes into contact, the slide lock member 13 is automatically slid along with the insertion of the male connector housing 11. And the latching | locking part 43 prevents the movement of the engagement protrusion 15 in the connector detachment direction, and the complete fitting state of the male connector housing 11 and the female connector housing 12 is locked. At this time, if the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 are in the mid-fitting state, the male connector housing 11 is pushed back, so that the mid-fitting state can be detected.

  Accordingly, when the slide lock member 41 moves in a direction perpendicular to the connector insertion direction, the male connector housing 11 can be prevented from being detached from the female connector housing 12, and the length of the male and female connector housings 11 and 12 in the connector insertion direction can be reduced. The male and female connector housings 11 and 12 can be made compact without affecting the thickness, and locking and unlocking can be performed reliably.

  Further, since the shock generated when the slide lock member 41 slides is mitigated by the buffer portion 45, the slide lock member 41 can be smoothly moved without being caught.

  Next, a third embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the member etc. which have the structure and effect | action similar to 1st Embodiment already demonstrated, description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol or an equivalent code | symbol in a figure.

  14 is a perspective view of a male and female connector showing a third embodiment of a connector locking structure according to the present invention, FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a male connector housing and a slide lock member in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is a male connector housing in FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the lid of the male connector housing in FIG. 15, FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the back of the lid in FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the slide lock member in FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the rear surface of the slide lock member in FIG. 19, FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the female connector housing in FIG. 14, FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing an initial fitting state of the male and female connectors in FIG. FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a halfway fitting state in which the male and female connectors in FIG. 23 are further fitted, and FIG. 24 is a complete view in which the male and female connectors in FIG. Is a perspective view showing the engaged state.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the connector locking structure according to the third embodiment of the present invention accommodates a plurality of male terminals 16 and is electrically connected to the female connector 2 having the engaging protrusions 115 and the male terminals 16. It is a fitting structure with the male connector 1 that accommodates a plurality of female terminals 14 to be connected and has a slide lock member 113 and an abutting wall 128 as biasing means.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 to 18, the male connector 1 includes a male connector housing 111 that accommodates a plurality of female terminals 14 (not shown) in alignment. The male connector housing 111 is a wire connected to the plurality of female terminals 14 in cooperation with the housing main body 150 on the housing main body 150 that aligns the plurality of female terminals 14 at a predetermined pitch and holds them in the connector insertion direction. An assembly equipped with a lid 151 for fixing a harness (not shown) is connected in two upper and lower stages. Each wire of the wire harness is electrically connected by press-contacting a lead portion (not shown) exposed at the tip thereof to each female terminal 14. A slide lock member 113 is held at a substantially central portion on one side parallel to the longitudinal direction of the male connector housing 111 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction (that is, a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction). .

  The housing main body 150 of the male connector housing 111 is formed by injection-molding synthetic resin, and the end of the housing main body 150 on the front side in the connector insertion direction has an opening on the end surface to accommodate the female terminal 14. A plurality of female terminal receiving holes 157 are provided in alignment with the longitudinal direction. On one side surface parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing main body 150, a first guide portion 125 for guiding the movement of the slide lock member 113 in the longitudinal direction is provided at a substantially central portion of the front edge in the connector insertion direction. ing. The first guide portion 125 is formed so as to protrude from the housing main body 150 in a substantially prismatic shape parallel to the longitudinal direction, and spreads from the joint end with the housing main body 150 toward the distal end in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. (Hereinafter referred to as an inverted trapezoidal shape). Further, a contact wall 128 is provided in the vicinity of the first guide portion 125 in the longitudinal direction. The contact wall 128 is provided with a contact surface 159, and the contact surface 159 rises forward in the connector insertion direction from the center portion of the male connector housing 111 toward the side end portion in the longitudinal direction. Inclined.

  The end (base) of the housing body 150 on the rear side in the connector insertion direction communicates with the female terminal accommodation hole 157 and accommodates the tip portions of the wires provided with the lead portions. A portion 158 is provided, and each wire accommodating portion 158 is isolated from an adjacent wire accommodating portion 158 by a partition wall 154 and is formed with the one side face open. The plurality of partition walls 154 aligned in the longitudinal direction are respectively provided with locking projections 155, and each locking projection 155 engages with a locking groove 156 provided corresponding to the lid 151. Then, the lid 151 is fixed to the housing main body 150. A connection protrusion 152 for connecting the separate housing body 150 and a connection groove 153 are provided on a side surface opposite to the one side surface of the housing body 150, and the connection protrusion 152 connects the separate housing body 150. A pair of housing main bodies 150 and 150 are connected to each other by fitting the connecting protrusions 152 of the separate housing main body 150 into the groove 153 and into the groove 153.

  The lid body 151 of the male connector housing 111 is formed by injection molding synthetic resin. On one side surface parallel to the longitudinal direction of the lid body 151, the lid body 151 is substantially at the center of the edge on the rear side in the connector insertion direction. Is provided with a second guide portion 126 for guiding the movement of the slide lock member 113 in the longitudinal direction. The second guide part 126 is formed so as to protrude from the lid 151 in a substantially prismatic shape parallel to the longitudinal direction, and is formed in an inverted trapezoidal shape in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In the vicinity of the second guide portion 126 in the longitudinal direction, an indicator 166 that indicates a fitting state of the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 is provided. Examples of the indicator 166 include paint applied to the extent that the movement of the slide lock member 113 in the longitudinal direction is not hindered, or a concave depression.

  A plurality of locking grooves 156 are formed in a substantially central portion of the one side surface of the lid body 151 in the connector insertion direction so as to penetrate the lid body 151 in alignment with the longitudinal direction, and each locking groove 156 is formed. The lid 151 is fixed to the housing main body 150 by engaging with the corresponding locking projection 155 of the housing main body 150. On the side surface opposite to the one side surface of the lid 151, a plurality of first wires that are electrically connected to the female terminals 14 are fixed in cooperation with the wire accommodating portion 158 of the housing body 150. One wire fixing part 160 and a plurality of second wire fixing parts 161 are provided.

  The lid 151 is provided with a support portion 124 that movably supports the slide lock member 113 in the longitudinal direction. The support portion 124 is formed by the one side surface of the lid 151 and an end surface in front of the connector insertion direction. It is formed in a stepped shape at the corners.

  As shown in FIGS. 15, 19, and 20, the slide lock member 113 is formed by injection molding synthetic resin, and has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped main body 129. When the slide lock member 113 is attached to the male connector housing 111, the edge of the upper surface of the main body 129 on the rear side in the connector insertion direction has a wave shape (that is, convex portions and concave portions are alternately arranged). A formed operation unit 133 is provided. A locking portion 118 is provided at a corner opposite to the corner adjacent to the abutting wall 128 on the front side of the main body 129 in the connector insertion direction, and a notch is formed in a rear region of the locking portion 118 of the main body 129. In addition, an inclined surface 132 is provided on the front side in the connector insertion direction at the tip of the locking portion 118. In other words, the locking portion 118 protruding like a bowl is formed by cutting out the region of the main body 129.

  A support 127 that is supported by the support portion 124 of the lid 151 of the male connector housing 111 is formed in a substantially central portion of the lower surface of the main body 129 in the connector insertion direction so as to protrude from the lower surface in parallel with the longitudinal direction. Yes. The support 127 is provided with an elastic piece 130, and the elastic piece 130 is formed in a substantially J shape, and the curved portion thereof is brought into contact with the contact surface 159 of the contact wall 128. The straight portion is connected to the support protrusion 127 so as to be disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction.

  On the lower surface of the main body 129, a first guide groove 162 that fits with the first guide portion 125 of the housing main body 150 is formed at the front side edge of the connector insertion direction, and a lid 151 is formed at the rear side edge of the connector insertion direction. The second guide grooves 163 fitted to the second guide portions 126 are provided in parallel to the longitudinal direction. The first guide groove 162 is formed in the shape of the first guide portion 125, and the second guide groove 163 is formed in an inverted trapezoidal shape corresponding to the shape of the second guide portion. The two guide portions 126 are pressed into the first guide groove 162 and the second guide groove 163, respectively, thereby preventing the slide lock member 113 from falling off. The first guide groove 162 extends to one side surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main body 129, and the second guide groove 163 extends to the other side surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the main body 129. Thus, the slide lock member 113 is held movably in the longitudinal direction, and excessive movement of the slide lock member 113 is prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the female connector 2 is formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin, and accommodates a plurality of male terminals 16 arranged in two upper and lower stages and parallel to the longitudinal direction. 112. Each male terminal 16 is electrically connected to a printed wiring (not shown) disposed on a substrate (not shown) at the base end, and on both side surfaces orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the female connector housing 112. The board fixing portions 22 and 22 provided respectively are fixed to the board, and the female connector 2 is arranged on the board. The female connector housing 112 has a substantially rectangular tubular hood portion 120 that surrounds the plurality of male terminals 16 and into which the male connector housing 111 is inserted and removed. A housing portion 164 for housing the slide lock member 113 mounted on the male connector housing is provided at a substantially central portion of the inner wall of the hood portion 120. The housing portion 164 includes the shape of the slide lock member 113 and the longitudinal direction thereof. It is formed in consideration of the amount of movement in the direction.

  On the inner wall of the hood portion 120, an engagement projection 115 is provided that protrudes into the housing portion 164 in parallel with the longitudinal direction. The side surface of the engagement projection 115 facing the opening of the hood 120 is inclined toward the base of the female connector housing 112, and the slide lock member 113 is inserted when the male connector 1 is inserted into the female connector 2. The slide lock member 113 is moved in the longitudinal direction in contact with the inclined surface 132 of the locking portion 118.

  As shown in FIG. 15, in a state where the slide lock member 113 is mounted on the male connector housing 111, the elastic piece 130 of the slide lock member 113 is positioned forward of the contact surface 159 of the contact wall 128 in the connector insertion direction. is doing. At this time, the elastic piece 130 is interposed between the slide lock member 113 (more specifically, the main body 129 of the slide lock member 113) and the male connector housing 111, and is completely covered by the main body 129 of the slide lock member 113. When the male connector housing 111 is inserted into the female connector housing 112, the inclined surface 132 of the locking portion 118 of the slide lock member 113 comes into contact with the engagement protrusion 115 of the female connector housing 112, and the longitudinal contact is made. The slide lock member 113 is moved to the wall 128 side. At this time, the elastic piece 130 is deflected forward by the contact wall 128 in the connector insertion direction, and at the same time, an urging force for moving the slide lock member 113 in the reverse direction is generated.

  Next, the locking operation of the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 by the slide lock member 113 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 22 to 24.

  In a state where the slide lock member 113 is mounted on the male connector housing 111 (see FIGS. 14 and 15), the male connector housing 111 and the slide lock member 113 are connected to the hood portion 120 of the female connector housing 112 as shown in FIG. Inserted inside. At this time, the engaging protrusion 115 is inserted while being in contact with the inclined surface 132, and the slide lock member 113 is slid to the abutting wall 128 side in the longitudinal direction along with the insertion. At this time, the elastic piece 130 of the slide lock member 113 is bent in a state in which the tip portion thereof is in contact with the contact surface 159 of the contact wall 128.

  23, the inclined surface 132 of the locking portion 118 of the slide lock member 113 is brought into contact with the engaging protrusion 115 until the male connector housing 111 is completely inserted into the hood portion 120. Is released from. At this time, the indicator 166 provided on the lid 151 of the male connector housing 111 is covered with the slide lock member 113, and it is confirmed that the male and female connectors are in an intermediate fitting state.

  When the male connector housing 111 is further inserted into the hood 120, the slide lock member 113 is automatically pushed back to the original position by the urging force of the elastic piece 130 as shown in FIG. 115 is arranged on the rear side (that is, the engagement position) of the locking portion 118. When the slide lock member 113 is pushed back to the original position, the engaging portion 118 is arranged on the rear side in the connector insertion direction of the engaging protrusion 115, so that the engaging portion 118 is locked by the engaging protrusion 115, and the male connector The housing 111 and the female connector housing 112 are locked. At this time, the indicator 166 appears on the side of the slide lock member 113 in the longitudinal direction, and clearly indicates that the male and female connectors are in a completely fitted state.

  When releasing the locked state, the locking projection 115 and the locking portion 118 can be easily locked by operating the operating portion 133 of the slide lock member 113 and moving it to the abutment wall 128 side. Released and unlocked. Thereby, the male connector housing 111 can be pulled out from the hood portion 120 in the direction away from the hood portion 120, and the male connector housing 111 can be easily detached from the female connector housing 112.

  According to the connector locking structure of the third embodiment described above, the female connector housing 112 has the accommodating portion 164 of the slide lock member 113 and the engaging protrusion 115 inside the hood portion 120. In a completely fitted state, the exposed portion of the slide lock member 113 can be reduced, and unlocking of the male and female connectors due to an erroneous operation can be prevented. When the male connector housing 111 is inserted into the female connector housing 112, the engaging projection 115 abuts on the inclined surface 132 of the locking portion 11 of the slide lock member 113, and the slide lock member 113 is moved in the connector insertion direction. To reach the engagement position with the locking portion 118. Thereby, in a series of operations for inserting the male connector housing 111 into the female connector housing 112, the locking operation of the male and female connectors can be automatically performed.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the member etc. which have the structure and effect | action similar to 3rd Embodiment already demonstrated previously, description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol or an equivalent code | symbol in a figure.

  25 is a perspective view of a male connector showing a fourth embodiment of a connector locking structure according to the present invention, FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a male connector housing in FIG. 25, and FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a slide lock member in FIG. FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view of the slide lock member in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 25, the male connector 1 includes a male connector housing 111 provided with a contact wall 228 and a slide lock member 213.
The slide lock member 213 is held on one side surface parallel to the longitudinal direction of the male connector housing 111 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction (that is, a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction).

  As shown in FIG. 26, the male connector housing 111 is integrally formed with an abutting wall that abuts an elastic piece provided on the slide lock member 213 by injection molding synthetic resin. The abutting wall 228 is provided at the side end of the male connector housing 111 on the rear side in the connector insertion direction on the one side surface, and is formed to protrude from the one side surface in a substantially rectangular shape. In the central portion of the abutting wall 228, a substantially triangular cutout portion is provided that extends from the side surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction on the central portion side of the male connector housing 111 to the vicinity of the opposite side surface. One slope of the notch is inclined so as to face the front of the connector insertion direction and toward the center of the male connector housing 111, and a contact surface that comes into contact with the elastic piece provided on the slide lock member 213 259 is formed.

  A first guide portion 225 and a second guide portion 226 that guide the movement of the slide lock member 213 in the longitudinal direction are provided in front of the notch portion of the contact wall 228 in the connector insertion direction. The second guide portion 226 is formed on the end surface of the contact wall 228 on the front side in the connector insertion direction in a substantially U-shaped groove shape and in parallel with the longitudinal direction. Further, the first guide portion 225 is formed in a substantially U-shaped groove shape in parallel with the longitudinal direction between the second guide portion 226 and the notch portion on the one side surface of the abutting wall 228. ing. Further, a third guide portion 227 for guiding the movement of the slide lock member 213 in the longitudinal direction is provided behind the notch portion of the abutting wall 228 in the connector insertion direction. The third guide portion 227 is formed on the end surface of the abutting wall 228 on the rear side in the connector insertion direction in a substantially U-shaped groove shape and in parallel with the longitudinal direction.

  The slide lock member 213 is integrally formed with the elastic piece 230 by an elastic metal material. The slide lock member 213 has a substantially rectangular thin plate-shaped main body 229. When the slide lock member 213 is attached to the male connector housing 111, the slide lock member 213 is located at the center of the edge of the main body 229 on the rear side in the connector insertion direction. Is provided with an operation portion 233 that protrudes. A notch portion corresponding to the shape of the engagement protrusion provided on the mating connector is provided at the center of the side of the main body 229 in the connector insertion direction. A stop 218 is provided. The corner portion on the front side of the locking portion 218 in the connector insertion direction has a chamfered inclined side, and a metal piece continuous in the orthogonal direction is extended to the inclined side, The metal piece is bent at a right angle vertically downward with respect to the main body 229 to form an inclined surface 232 that comes into contact with an engaging protrusion provided on the mating connector.

  A first guide protrusion 234 that protrudes downward from the main body 229 is provided in a substantially square shape at the end of the main body 229 in the connector insertion direction. Further, a metal piece extends outward from the main body 229 at an edge of the main body 229 on the front side in the connector insertion direction, and the metal piece is bent perpendicularly downward to the main body 229 at a right angle. The distal end portion is bent at a right angle to the inside of the main body 229 to form a substantially L-shaped second guide protrusion 235. Similarly, a metal piece extends outward from the main body 229 at the edge on the rear side in the connector insertion direction of the main body 229, and the metal piece is bent vertically downward with respect to the main body 229. The distal end portion is bent at a right angle to the inside of the main body 229 to form a substantially L-shaped third guide protrusion 236. The first guide protrusion 234 engages with the first guide portion 225 of the contact wall 228, the second guide protrusion 235 engages with the second guide portion 226 of the contact wall 228, and the third guide protrusion 236. Engages with the third guide portion 227 of the abutting wall 228, whereby the slide lock member 213 is held so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction on the male connector housing.

  A metal piece continuous to the outside of the main body 229 is provided on an end surface orthogonal to the main body 229 at an end portion of the third guide protrusion on the connector central portion side, and the metal piece has a base end portion (that is, The third guide protrusion) is bent toward the center of the main body 229, and its tip is bent in a substantially J shape toward the front in the connector insertion direction. 230 is formed. In a state where the slide lock member 213 is mounted on the male connector housing 111, the elastic piece 230 is interposed between the slide lock member 213 (more specifically, the main body 229 of the slide lock member 213) and the male connector housing 111, The slide lock member 213 is completely covered by the main body 229.

  Since the structure of the female connector that is the counterpart connector and the locking operation with the female connector are the same as those in the third embodiment described above, the description thereof is omitted.

  According to the connector lock structure of the fourth embodiment described above, since a metal material such as a copper alloy is generally more elastic than a resin material, an elastic piece that bends as the slide lock member moves is made of metal. The elastic piece can be reduced in size by being formed of a material, so that the male and female connectors can be made more compact.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the member etc. which have the structure and effect | action similar to 1st Embodiment already demonstrated to 4th Embodiment, description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol or an equivalent code | symbol in a figure.

  29 is a perspective view of a male and female connector showing a fifth embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention, FIG. 30 is a plan view of the upper surface of the cover of the male connector housing shown in FIG. 29, and FIG. FIG. 32 is a plan view of the lower surface of the slide lock member shown in FIG. 29, and FIG. 33 is a plan view when the slide lock member is attached to the lid of the male connector housing. 34 is a sectional view taken along arrow XXXIV-XXXIV in FIG. 33, FIG. 35 is a sectional view taken along arrow XXXV-XXXV in FIG. 33, and FIGS. 36 (A) to 36 (B) are operations of the slide lock member accompanying the mating movement of the male and female connectors. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 29, the connector locking structure according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes a female connector 2 that accommodates a plurality of male terminals 16 (not shown) and has an engaging projection 115, and a male terminal. 16 is a fitting structure with a male connector 1 that accommodates a plurality of female terminals 14 (not shown) electrically connected to 16 and has a slide lock member 313 and an abutment wall 328 that constitutes a biasing means. . Note that the configuration of the female connector 2 is the same as that of the third embodiment described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  The male connector 1 has a male connector housing 311 for accommodating a plurality of female terminals 14 (not shown) in alignment. The male connector housing 311 has a lid 351 in addition to an assembly in which two housing main bodies 350 and 350 for holding a plurality of female terminals 14 at a predetermined pitch and holding them in the connector insertion direction are connected in two upper and lower stages. Is assembled and configured. A slide lock member 313 is supported and attached to a substantially central portion of the upper surface of the male connector housing 311 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the male connector housing 311 (that is, the direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction). Yes.

  The housing main body 350 of the male connector housing 311 is formed by injection-molding synthetic resin, and the end of the housing main body 350 on the front side in the connector insertion direction has an opening on the end surface to accommodate the female terminal 14. A plurality of female terminal accommodation holes 361 are provided aligned in the longitudinal direction. A lead portion (not shown) exposed at the tip of each wire such as a wire harness is pressed into and electrically connected to each female terminal 14. A plurality of connection protrusions 352 are provided on the lower side surface of the housing body 350 and a plurality of connection grooves 353 are arranged in the longitudinal direction on the upper side surface. The connection protrusions 352 are formed in the connection grooves 353 of the other housing body 350. The housing main bodies 350 and 350 are connected with each other.

  The lid body 351 of the male connector housing 311 is formed by injection molding synthetic resin, and the connecting projection 352 is aligned in the longitudinal direction on the side surface (lower side surface in FIG. 29) joined to the housing body 350. And are connected to the assembly of the housing main bodies 350 and 350 by fitting into the connecting grooves 353 of the housing main body 350, respectively. Locking arms 371 and 371 extending downward are provided on both sides of the lid 351 in the longitudinal direction, and the locking arms 371 are provided on both sides of the housing body 350 in the longitudinal direction. The engaging claws that are respectively fitted in the fitting grooves 363 and provided at the distal end portions of the respective locking arms 371 are engaged with the lower side surfaces of the assemblies of the housing main bodies 350 and 350. The assembly of the main bodies 350 and 350 and the lid body 351 are more firmly integrated.

  Further, referring to FIG. 30, on the side surface (upper side surface in FIG. 29) opposite to the side surface on which the connection projection 352 of the lid 351 is provided, the substantially central portion of the front side edge portion in the connector insertion direction is A guide portion 365 for guiding the movement of the slide lock member 313 in the longitudinal direction is provided, and the guide portion 365 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape parallel to the longitudinal direction. Further, at the rear of the guide portion 365 in the connector insertion direction, a pair of abutting walls 328 and 328 are provided in the direction of movement of the slide lock member 313 (that is, the direction perpendicular to the connector insertion direction and the male connector housing 311 The slide lock member 313 is provided symmetrically with respect to the virtual center line parallel to the longitudinal direction, and each abutment wall 328 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape parallel to the longitudinal direction. Contact surfaces 359 and 359 are respectively provided on the side surfaces of the pair of contact walls 328 and 328 facing each other, and the pair of contact surfaces 359 and 359 are configured to be a slide lock member when the slide lock member 313 is mounted. It is formed so as to be inclined so that the distance between the two gradually expands toward 313. Further, a guide groove 367 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is formed in parallel with the longitudinal direction on the side surface of each contact wall 328 opposite to the side surface on which the contact surface 359 is provided. Further, between the pair of abutting walls 328 and 328, a protrusion-like retaining member 369 for preventing the slide lock member 313 from coming off is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, the slide lock member 313 is formed by injection molding synthetic resin, and has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped main body 329. On the upper surface of the main body 329, an operation portion 375 protrudes from the main body 329 and is provided at the edge on the rear side in the connector insertion direction when the slide lock member 313 is attached to the male connector housing 311. Further, the operation portion 375 is provided. Are formed so as to project an arrow indicating an operation direction when the engagement of the slide lock member 313 is released. By forming the arrow in a convex shape, visual recognition can be facilitated, and a finger can be easily applied during operation to improve operability.

  In the side portion of the main body 329 formed on the operation portion 375 on the rear side in the direction indicated by the arrow, an inclined surface 332 is formed by notching a substantially triangular shape at a corner portion on the front side in the connector insertion direction. Further, a locking portion 318 is provided at a substantially central portion in the connector insertion direction, and the locking portion 318 is formed in a hook shape by cutting a rear region thereof into a substantially rectangular shape.

  A pair of elastic pieces 330, 330 are provided symmetrically with respect to the virtual center line of the slide lock member 313 on the lower surface of the main body 329, and the pair of elastic pieces 330, 330 are main bodies provided with locking portions 318. The side portion of 329 extends from a base portion 377 projecting from a substantially central portion in the connector insertion direction on the other side portion, and is formed in a substantially C shape so as to gradually expand toward the locking portion 318. . In addition, on the lower surface of the main body 329, guide grooves 367 formed in the pair of abutting walls 328 and 328 of the lid 351 are provided on the side walls respectively standing on the front and rear edges of the connector insertion direction. Guide rails 379 and 379 that are fitted and slidably contacted with 367 are provided in parallel to the longitudinal direction, and each guide rail 379 is formed to protrude inward from the side wall.

  Referring to FIGS. 33 to 35, the slide lock member 313 is attached to the lid 351 so that the elastic pieces 330 are along the inclined contact surface 359. At this time, each elastic piece 330 is interposed between the slide lock member 313 (more specifically, the main body 329 of the slide lock member 313) and the male connector housing 311 and completely covered by the main body 329 of the slide lock member 313. Is called. Further, guide rails 379 and 379 of the slide lock member 313 are fitted into guide grooves 367 and 367 provided in the abutting walls 328 and 328 to guide the movement of the slide lock member 313 in the longitudinal direction and to slide. The base portion 377 of the lock member 313 is in contact with the retaining member 369 of the lid 351, and the slide lock member 313 is restricted from moving in the longitudinal direction to prevent the slide lock member from falling off.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 36A and 36B, the operation of the slide lock member 313 accompanying the fitting of the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 will be described.

  When the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 are not fitted, the slide lock member 313 causes the base portions 377 of the pair of elastic pieces 330 and 330 to come into contact with the retainer 369 as shown in FIG. Arranged in a state. At this time, the tip portions of the pair of elastic pieces 330 and 330 are in light contact with the pair of contact surfaces 359 and 359, respectively, or are in close proximity with a slight gap. When the male connector housing 311 is inserted into the female connector housing 112 (not shown), the inclined surface 332 of the slide lock member 313 comes into contact with the engaging protrusion 115 (not shown) of the female connector housing 112, and FIG. As shown, the slide lock member 313 moves in the direction of the arrow formed in the operation portion 375.

  In the state shown in FIG. 36 (B), the pair of elastic pieces 330, 330 are deflected by the pair of contact surfaces 359, 359 so that their tips approach each other. At this time, each elastic piece 330 presses the abutting surface 359 by a restoring action due to its elasticity, and an elastic restoring force is applied to the abutting surface 359. The elastic restoring force includes a component parallel to and a component perpendicular to the moving direction of the slide lock member, but a pair of elastic pieces 330 and 330 and a pair of abutting walls 328 and 328 (from Specifically, since the pair of contact surfaces 359, 359) are formed symmetrically with respect to the virtual center line of the slide lock member 313, the vertical components of the elastic restoring force of each elastic piece 330 are mutually It will cancel out. Accordingly, the pair of elastic pieces 330 and 330 generate a biasing force parallel to the moving direction of the slide lock member 313 and in the direction opposite to the arrow direction of the operation unit 375.

  Then, as the male connector housing 311 is further inserted into the female connector housing 112, the engagement protrusion 115 of the female connector housing 112 reaches the side of the notch at the rear of the locking portion 318 in the connector insertion direction. The slide lock member 313 is automatically pushed back to the original position shown in FIG. 36 (A) by the urging force of the pair of elastic pieces 330 and 330. At this time, the engagement protrusion 115 is disposed in the notch (that is, the engagement position) behind the locking portion 318 in the connector insertion direction, and the male connector housing 311 and the female connector housing 112 are locked.

  When releasing this locked state, by operating the operating portion 375 of the slide lock member 313 in the direction of the arrow, the locked state between the engaging projection 315 and the locking portion 318 is easily released, and the unlocked state Become. Thereby, the male connector housing 311 can be pulled out from the female connector housing 112 in the separating direction, and the male connector housing 311 can be easily detached from the female connector housing 112.

  According to the lock structure of the connector of the fifth embodiment described above, the slide lock member 313 is formed with respect to the virtual center line as the slide lock member 313 moves when the male and female connector housings are engaged and disengaged. The pair of elastic pieces 330, 330 abut against the pair of abutting walls 328, 328, respectively, and the pair of elastic pieces 330, 330 bend in a uniform and uniform manner with respect to the virtual center line. Components of the elastic restoring force in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the slide lock member 313 act so as to cancel each other. As a result, an urging force parallel to the movement direction of the slide lock member acts on the slide lock member 313, preventing the slide lock member 313 from tilting during movement, and smoothly moving the slide lock member 313 without play. Thus, the engagement between the engaging protrusion 115 and the locking portion 318 is ensured, and the operability at the time of releasing the engagement is improved. Further, the length of the elastic piece 330 can be shortened, and the connector lock structure can be downsized.

  The connector locking structure of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications and improvements can be made. For example, the number of male / female terminals accommodated in the male / female connector housing is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may be at least one or more, and a plurality of terminals may be arranged in multiple stages such as three stages, four stages, etc. Also good.

  Moreover, about the shape of an elastic piece, those shapes will not be limited if an elastic restoring force is produced. For example, a curved shape or the like may be used.

It is a top view which shows 1st Embodiment of the locking structure of the connector which concerns on this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the female connector housing and slide lock member in FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view of the female connector housing after the slide lock member attachment in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the female connector housing in FIG. 3. It is a rear view of the female connector housing in FIG. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. (A) is a single plan view of the slide lock member in FIG. 1, (b) is a front view of (a), and (c) is a bottom view of (a). It is a top view which shows the state before the lock | rock by the slide lock member in FIG. It is a top view which shows the locked state by the slide lock member in FIG. It is the external appearance perspective view seen from diagonally upward of the female connector housing which shows 2nd Embodiment of the locking structure of the connector which concerns on this invention, and a slide lock member. It is the external appearance perspective view seen from diagonally downward of the female connector housing and slide lock member in FIG. It is a cross-sectional bottom view of the female connector housing which shows the state before locking by the slide lock in FIG. It is a cross-sectional bottom view of the female connector housing which shows the locked state by the slide lock in FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a male and female connector showing a third embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention. 15 is a perspective view of the male connector housing and the slide lock member in FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the main body of the male connector housing in FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the cover of the male connector housing in FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the back surface of the lid in FIG. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the slide lock member in FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the back surface of the slide lock member in FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the female connector housing in FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing an initial fitting state of the male and female connectors in FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a halfway fitting state in which the male and female connectors in FIG. 22 are further fitted. 24 is a perspective view showing a completely fitted state in which the male and female connectors in FIG. 23 are further fitted. FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a male connector showing a fourth embodiment of the connector locking structure according to the present invention. 26 is a perspective view of the male connector housing in FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the slide lock member in FIG. FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view of the slide lock member in FIG. It is a perspective view of the male and female connector which shows 5th Embodiment of the locking structure of the connector which concerns on this invention. FIG. 30 is a plan view of the upper side surface of the cover of the male connector housing shown in FIG. 29. It is a top view of the upper surface of the slide lock member shown in FIG. It is a top view of the lower surface of the slide lock member shown in FIG. It is a top view at the time of mounting | wearing a slide lock member with the cover body of a male connector housing. It is XXXIV-XXXIV arrow sectional drawing in FIG. It is XXXV-XXXV arrow sectional drawing in FIG. (A)-(B) are the schematic diagrams explaining operation | movement of the slide lock member accompanying the fitting movement of a male and female connector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Male connector 2 Female connector 11 Male connector housing 12 Female connector housing 13 Slide lock member 14 Female terminal 15 Engagement protrusion 16 Male terminal 17 Insertion groove 18 Locking part 23 Opening part 24 Support part 25 Guide part 28 Contacting wall 29 Main body 30 Elastic piece 32 Inclined surface 33 Operation part 41 Slide lock member 42 Pressing piece 43 Locking part 44 Main body 45 Buffer part 111 Male connector housing 112 Female connector housing 113 Slide lock member 115 Engagement protrusion 118 Locking part 120 Hood part 124 Support portion 125 First guide portion 126 Second guide portion 128 Contact wall 129 Main body 130 Elastic piece 132 Inclined surface 159 Contact surface 162 First guide groove 163 Second guide groove 213 Slide lock member 218 Locking portion 228 Contact Wall 229 body 30 resilient piece 232 inclined surface 234 abutting face the first guide protrusion 235 second guide protrusion 236 third guide protrusions 259 contact surface 313 slide lock member 328 abutting wall 330 resilient piece 359

Claims (15)

A locking structure provided in a matable male and female connector,
Either one of the male connector and the female connector has an engaging protrusion,
A slide lock member having a locking portion that is held so that the other of the male connector and the female connector can move in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction and engages with the engagement protrusion, and the slide lock member Biasing means for biasing and moving,
An elastic piece as the urging means is formed integrally with the slide lock member,
The male connector has an opening into which the slide lock member can be inserted, and a contact portion that contacts the elastic piece,
When the engagement protrusion reaches the engagement position with the locking portion with the complete fitting of the male and female connectors,
The urging means automatically moves the slide lock member in the orthogonal direction within the opening without protruding the slide lock member from the opening so that the locking portion engages with the engagement protrusion. A connector lock structure. The male connector has a male connector housing that houses at least one first terminal of either a male terminal type or a female terminal type, and the engaging protrusion protrudes from the outer surface of the male connector housing. And
The female connector is a male terminal type and a female terminal type, and has a female connector housing that houses at least one second terminal electrically connected to the first terminal;
The female connector housing surrounds the second terminal and the male connector housing is fitted and removed, an opening into which the slide lock member can be inserted, and an inner side of the opening with respect to the connector insertion direction. And a support portion that movably supports the slide lock member in a direction orthogonal to the
The hood portion is provided with an insertion groove that communicates with the opening and reaches the locking portion of the slide lock member and allows the engagement protrusion to be inserted therethrough.
As the male and female connectors are fitted and moved, the engaging projection is guided by the insertion groove and abuts on the locking portion to move the slide lock member in one direction perpendicular to the connector insertion direction. The connector locking structure according to claim 1, wherein the connector reaches the engagement position with the locking portion. The male connector has a male connector housing that houses at least one first terminal of either a male terminal type or a female terminal type, and the slide lock member and the attachment on the outer surface of the male connector housing Force means, and
The female connector is a male terminal type and a female terminal type, and has a female connector housing that houses at least one second terminal electrically connected to the first terminal;
The female connector housing has a hood that surrounds the second terminal and into which the male connector housing is fitted and removed;
The inner wall of the front hood portion is provided with a housing portion that houses the slide lock member, and the engagement protrusion that projects into the housing portion,
Along with the fitting movement of the male and female connectors, the engaging projection comes into contact with the locking portion to move the slide lock member in one direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction, and the locking portion and the locking portion The connector locking structure according to claim 1, wherein the connector locking structure is reached.   The male connector housing or the female connector housing provided with the slide lock member has a guide portion that prevents the slide lock member from falling off and guides movement in a direction orthogonal to the connector insertion direction. The connector locking structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The biasing means includes an elastic piece provided on the slide lock member, and a contact wall provided on one of the male connector and the female connector and contacting the elastic piece. The connector locking structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that:   The said elastic piece and the said wall for abutment are each provided with a pair symmetrically with respect to the virtual centerline of this slide lock member parallel to the moving direction of the said slide lock member. Connector lock structure.   7. The connector lock structure according to claim 5, wherein the elastic piece extends in a moving direction of the slide lock member.   The connector locking structure according to claim 7, wherein the elastic piece is interposed between the slide lock member and the male connector housing or the female connector housing provided with the slide lock member. .   9. The connector lock structure according to claim 5, wherein at least the elastic piece is made of an elastic metal material in the slide lock member. The connector locking structure according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the abutting wall has an inclined abutting surface that abuts on the elastic piece. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the slide lock member has an inclined surface with which the engagement protrusion abuts on a front side of the engagement portion in the connector insertion direction. 5. Lock structure. The said slide lock member has the operation part which protruded, The lock structure of the connector as described in any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the female connector housing or the male connector housing to which the slide lock member is attached has an indicator that indicates a fitting state of the female and male connectors. Lock structure. The said slide lock member is provided with the contact piece which contact | abuts to the said engagement protrusion at the time of insertion to the said female connector housing of the said male connector housing, and the pressing piece which has flexibility. The connector locking structure described. 15. The connector lock structure according to claim 14, wherein the slide lock member includes a buffer portion that reduces an impact when the slide lock member slides.

Images