JP4539523B2 - Detection terminal and lever-type connector provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a detection terminal and a lever-type connector including the same.

  Conventionally, there is known a connector provided with a detection terminal in order to electrically detect whether or not a male and female connector are properly fitted. This is provided with a pair of contact terminals on one connector housing, and a detection terminal that contacts the both contact terminals and closes the detection circuit when both connector housings are properly fitted to the other connector housing. In this structure, both the connector housings are provided with a lock arm that locks the connector housings in the disengagement restricted state.

The detection terminal includes a base plate portion, a bifurcated spring piece folded back from the front end thereof, and a connecting portion formed by bridging the rear ends of both spring pieces. Specifically, when the lock arm is bent and deformed while the two connector housings are fitted together, the lock arm presses the connecting portion and the spring piece is deformed to a position where the spring piece is retracted from the contact terminal in accordance with the pressing. Thus, the contact terminal and the detection terminal are in a non-contact state. Conversely, when the two connector housings are properly fitted, the detection arm spring piece is returned using the return operation of the lock arm, and the two contact terminals are brought into contact with the corresponding spring pieces to detect the detection terminal and the contact terminal. Are short-circuited.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-74025

  In the above case, since both spring pieces are integrated via the connecting portion, the bending operation of both spring pieces also behaves integrally. Therefore, if the heights of the terminals for both contacts are not aligned at the same height, the contact terminal at the lower position first contacts the corresponding one spring piece to bend and deform the spring piece. Accordingly, the other spring piece that is not in direct contact with the contact terminal is bent and deformed at the same time, so that the contact terminal at a higher position is not in contact with the corresponding other spring piece. There is a risk of becoming.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to ensure contact reliability with respect to a contact terminal at a detection terminal.

  As means for achieving the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 is provided in one connector housing of the connectors that can be fitted to each other, and only when either connector housing is properly fitted, A detection terminal configured to contact a pair of contact terminals provided on one of the other connector housings to close the detection circuit, and the board portion and both ends of the board portion are fulcrum portions. The first spring part and the second spring part are provided so as to be able to bend and be deformed with the fulcrum part as a fulcrum. The first spring part can contact the contact terminal. The second spring portion is formed with a pressed portion that receives a pressing force from the movable member in accordance with the displacement of the movable member disposed outside. The leading end is the aforementioned It overlaps on the movable member side with respect to the extended end portion of one spring portion, and when the pressed portion receives a pressing force, the extended end portion of the first spring portion is pressed to bend the first spring portion. The second spring part is constituted by a single spring plate, while the first spring part is used for the pair of contacts. It is characterized in that it is constituted by two spring plates that perform independent bending operations corresponding to the terminals individually.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, the first spring portion is formed by cutting and raising a part of the substrate portion.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a side wall is raised from the side edge of the base plate portion, and the side wall has the side edge of the second spring portion. A spring pressing portion that contacts the movable member side is formed, and the second spring portion is formed by folding back the extended end portion to give a preload to the spring pressing portion.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is a lever-type connector including the detection terminal according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the first spring portion is positioned forward in the fitting direction of the one connector housing. And the second spring portion is located in the rear of the one connector housing in the fitting direction and extends forward, and the one connector housing is A lever having a cam groove engageable with a cam pin provided in the other connector housing, and the lever protrudes relatively from a fitting initial position having a relatively large protruding amount toward the rear of the one connector housing; By rotating to a small fitting completion position, the fitting operation of both the connector housings is assisted by the cam action by the engagement of the cam groove and the cam pin. The lever is configured as the movable member, and has a pressing portion that can press the pressed portion, and the pressing portion rotates until the two connector housings are properly fitted. While being operated, the contact portion is pressed in a sliding contact state while drawing a turning locus from the rear in the fitting direction of the one connector housing toward the front, so that the contact portion and the contact terminal are pressed. When the lever is pivoted to a position where the two connector housings are properly fitted, the pressing portion is released and the contact portion is connected to the contact terminal. It has a feature that it returns to be able to contact.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the device according to the fourth aspect, the contact terminal is provided in the other connector housing and constitutes a harness circuit attached to the other connector housing. It is characterized by having the same shape as part or all of the metal fittings.

<Invention of Claim 1>
The movable member presses the pressed portion of the second spring portion until both connector housings are properly fitted, and the second spring portion is bent and deformed along with the pressing, and the extension of the second spring portion is extended. The second spring portion is also deformed by being pushed by the end portion, whereby the contact portion of the second spring portion is kept in a non-contact state with the corresponding contact terminal. After that, when the two connector housings are properly fitted, the second spring part is restored and the first spring part is restored, so that the contact part of the first spring part and the contact terminal come into contact with each other, and both are short-circuited. Thus, the detection circuit is closed. At this time, even if the terminals for both contacts are misaligned, the two first spring portions can absorb the misalignment because the two first spring portions independent of each other individually perform the bending operation. Any of these will not be in a non-contact state with the contact terminal, and contact reliability with respect to the contact terminal can be ensured.

  In addition, if the second spring portion is composed of two spring plates corresponding to the first spring portion, and the movable member moves in a pressed state along the outer surface of the second spring portion, between the two spring plates. There is a risk of malfunction when straddling the gap. In that respect, according to the invention of claim 1, since the second spring portion is constituted by one spring plate provided independently of the first spring portion, it means that the gap is straddled as described above. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunction.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the first spring portion is formed by cutting and raising a part of the substrate portion, the material can be taken better and the yield can be improved as compared with the case where the extension portion is folded back.
<Invention of Claim 3>
Since the second spring part is arranged in a preloaded state and pressed against the spring pressing part, compared with the one arranged in a free state without being provided with the spring pressing part, when the second spring part is folded back, It is easy to manufacture, and the pressed portion can be accurately aligned with a good contact position with respect to the movable member. Further, since the second spring portion and the first spring portion are in contact with each other, if the second spring portion is positioned by the spring pressing portion, the first spring portion can be positioned at the same time.

<Invention of Claim 4>
When the lever is rotated, the pressing portion of the lever comes into contact with the pressed portion from the rear in the fitting direction, and makes sliding contact while drawing a turning locus. In this case, the second spring portion is along the sliding contact direction. Since it is an extended form, the bending operation of the second spring portion becomes smooth. On the contrary, since the first spring portion extends backward, the contact with the contact terminal can be obtained at an early stage of fitting and sufficient contact pressure can be obtained.

<Invention of Claim 5>
Since the contact terminals and part or all of the terminal metal fittings constituting the harness circuit can be constituted by the same parts, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector of the present embodiment exemplifies a case where the connector is applied to an airbag connector, and includes a pair of male and female connector housings 10 and 80 that can be fitted to each other. In the following description, FIG. 1 is used as a reference for the vertical direction, and the mating surfaces of the connector housings 10 and 80 are the front for the front-rear direction.

  The male connector housing 80 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 17, a hood portion 81 having a horizontally long rectangular shape as viewed from the front is formed to open to the front. A partition wall 82 is installed in the vertical direction (height direction) on the center axis in the width direction (center in the width direction) of the inner surface of the hood portion 81, and female connectors are provided on both the left and right sides of the partition wall 82 as a boundary. A pair of left and right fitting recesses 83 capable of individually housing the housing 10 are provided. The male connector housing 80 has the same internal structure in both fitting recesses 83 and has a bilaterally symmetrical shape with the partition wall 82 in between.

  In the hood portion 81, a plurality of male terminal fittings 99 formed in the form of tab pieces are arranged so as to protrude, and each male terminal fitting 99 is attached to penetrate the back wall 84 of the hood portion 81. Yes. A portion of each male terminal fitting 99 that protrudes from the back wall 84 to the outside of the hood portion 81 is bent downward at a substantially right angle in the middle, and its lower end portion is electrically connected to a conductive path of a printed circuit board (not shown). ing. A pair of left and right protective walls 85 project rearward from the rear ends of both side walls of the hood portion 81, and the exposed portions of the male terminal fittings 99 are protected from the outside by the two protective walls 85. It is like that.

  On the rear wall 84 of the hood portion 81, a protruding piece 86 for preventing erroneous assembly of both connector housings 10 and 80 protrudes into the hood portion 81 at a position eccentric from the center axis in the width direction of each fitting recess 83. Is formed. The back wall 84 of the hood 81 has a plurality of short-circuit releasing pieces 87 for releasing the short-circuited state of the detection terminals 70 provided on the female connector housing 10 when the two connector housings 10 and 80 are fitted. Similarly, it protrudes into the hood portion 81.

  And in the hood part 81, it arrange | positions in the side of the male side terminal metal fittings 99 group located in the upper stage among each male side terminal metal fittings 99 divided and arranged in three steps, and the male side located in the upper stage A pair of contact terminals 98 that protrude in the same form as the terminal fitting 99 and whose front end position is aligned with the front end position of each male terminal fitting 99 are arranged to protrude. Each contact terminal 98 is electrically connected to the detection terminal 60 provided on the female connector housing 10 as the two connector housings 10 and 80 are properly fitted to form a detection circuit. It has become.

The inner surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 81 can be engaged with the cam groove 41 of the lever 40 assembled to the female connector housing 10 at a position that is closer to the left and right sides of the widthwise central axis of each fitting recess 83. A cam pin 88 is projected. Further, on the inner surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 81, a lock that can be elastically locked with the locking piece 42 of the lever 40 at a position close to the partition wall 82 side from the center axis in the width direction of each fitting recess 83 A projecting portion 89 is projected.
Further, on the inner surface of the lower wall of the hood portion 81, a hook portion 43 provided on the lever 40 is located at a position near the left and right sides of the widthwise central axis of each fitting recess 83 and at the front end position of the hood portion 81. A receiving portion 91 that protrudes from the connector housing 10 and 80 to correct the fitting posture of the connector housings 10 and 80 is provided. Furthermore, on the inner surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 81, a vertical plate-like release protrusion 92 extending in the front-rear direction protrudes from the center axis in the width direction of each fitting recess 83 toward the left and right sides. Yes.

  The female connector housing 10 is also made of synthetic resin, and two corresponding to each fitting recess 83 are prepared. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 18, the housing body 11, the retainer 93, A lever 40 is provided. The female connector housing 10 shown in the figure is one that is accommodated in one fitting recess 83 in the male connector housing 80, and is symmetrical to the one accommodated in the other fitting recess 83. It has a shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 19 and 21, the housing main body 11 is formed in a substantially block shape as a whole, and has a plurality of cavities 12 along the front-rear direction at positions corresponding to the male terminal fittings 99 of the counterpart. It is configured. A female terminal fitting 97 connected to the end of the electric wire W is inserted into each cavity 12 from the rear, and the normally inserted female terminal fitting 97 is prevented from being detached by a lance 13 protruding from the inner surface of the cavity 12. It is designed to be elastically locked.

  On the front surface of the housing body 11, a protruding piece receiving portion 14 that receives the protruding piece 86 of the male connector housing 80 when the two connector housings 10 and 80 are fitted is recessed. By entering the piece 86, the connector housings 10, 80 are prevented from taking an upside down posture.

Further, a short-circuit terminal accommodating portion 15 for accommodating the short-circuit terminal 70 is formed on the front surface of the housing main body 11 so as to open to the front surface and communicate with the lower cavity 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the short-circuit terminals 70 accommodated in the short-circuit terminal accommodating portion 15 are arranged side by side in the lower cavity 12 until the fitting operation of both the connector housings 10 and 80 is started. A pair of elastic pieces 71 are provided in the width direction in contact with each of the pair of female terminal fittings 97 that can be short-circuited. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the short-circuit terminal 70 bends the elastic piece 71 corresponding to the short-circuit release piece 87 of the male connector housing 80 in the short-circuit release direction as the connector housings 10 and 80 are fitted together. By deforming, the short-circuit state of both female terminal fittings 97 is released.
A detection terminal accommodating portion 16 is formed at one end of the housing body 11. The detection terminal accommodating portion 16 is arranged adjacent to and parallel to the group of cavities 12 of the female terminal fitting 97 located on the upper stage, and the detection terminal 60 can be accommodated from behind here.

  The detection terminal 60 is formed by bending a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape, and as shown in FIGS. 1, 25, and 26, a substrate portion 61 disposed along the inner surface of the detection terminal accommodating portion 16. A first spring portion 62 extending upward from the front end portion of the substrate portion 61 toward the rear, a second spring portion 63 extending upwardly from the rear end portion of the substrate portion 61, and the substrate portion 61. And both side wall portions 64 raised along both side edges. Specifically, the first spring portion 62 is arranged in a pair in the width direction in the substrate portion 61, and is formed by making a substantially U-shaped cut in the substrate portion 61 and cutting up a section between the cuts. At the same time, a contact portion 65 for the contact terminal 98 is projected at a position near the base end portion. Therefore, both the first spring parts 62 can be connected to the corresponding contact terminals 98, and the two spring parts 62 are flexibly deformed independently of each other, whereby the alignment with respect to the both contact terminals 98 is shifted. Can be avoided. On the other hand, the second spring portion 63 has a single-plate spring structure in which the rear end portion of the base plate portion 61 is folded forward and the front end thereof is viewed from above with respect to the rear ends of the first spring portions 62. It is arranged so as to cover it.

  In the middle of extension of the second spring portion 63, a pressed portion 66 is formed so as to protrude upward, and the pressed portion 66 includes a pressing portion 44 and a preceding pressing portion 45 (described later) of the lever 40 entering from behind. To be pressed. Specifically, the pressed portion 66 has a slope that rises substantially vertically on the base side of the second spring portion 63 and then inclines forward and obliquely slopes, and extends slightly horizontally from the front end of the slope. It is set as the form extended substantially perpendicularly toward the downward direction. Then, when the lever 40 is turned, the pressing portion 44 and the preceding pressing portion 45 of the lever 40 are in sliding contact with the pressed portion 66 while drawing an arc along the turning trajectory of the lever 40. 66 is bent and deformed downward, and the first spring portion 62 is similarly bent and deformed downward in accordance with the displacement of the pressed portion 66.

  A pair of left and right excessive bending restricting pieces 67 for restricting the second spring portion 63 from being excessively bent are formed by being cut and raised inward on the both side wall portions 64. A pair of left and right lock protrusions 68 that can be locked to the inner surface of the detection terminal accommodating portion 16 are formed at the upper ends of the side wall portions 64. In addition, a pair of left and right spring pressing pieces 69 (spring pressing portions) that press both side edges of the second spring portion 63 from above are formed at the upper ends of the side wall portions 64 by being bent inward. . The second spring portion 63 is pressed in a state in which a preload that presses upward against both spring pressing pieces 69 is applied, so that it is not necessary to strictly adjust the magnitude of the spring reaction force. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the housing main body 11 is formed with retainer mounting holes 17 that are open on three surfaces of the lower surface and both side surfaces of the housing main body 11. The retainer mounting hole 17 has a depth that allows the upper and lower three-stage cavities 12 to vertically communicate with each other, and as shown in FIG. A main locking projection 19 and a temporary locking projection 18 for retaining 93 at the temporary locking position and the final locking position are formed side by side in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the retainer 93 includes a main body frame 95 having a plurality of window portions 94 that can communicate with the cavity 12, and a latch for preventing the female terminal fitting 97 from coming off on the inner surface of the window portion 94. A protrusion 94A is formed. The main body frame 95 is formed with a step portion 95A by cutting one of the four corners of the main body frame 95, and the peripheral wall of the detection terminal accommodating portion 16 is fitted inside the step portion 95A. It comes to be arranged in. A pair of left and right locking arms 95E protruding upward are formed on both side ends (excluding the step portion 95A) of the upper surface of the main body frame 95 so as to be able to bend and deform. A locking claw 95F is formed at the tip of the locking arm 95E so as to protrude inward.

  The retainer 93 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 17 so that its lower end protrudes from the lower surface of the housing main body 11, and is placed in a slightly floating state, thereby temporarily locking the locking claw 95F of the locking arm 95E. A temporary locking position for elastically latching on the protrusion 18 and a deeper push from the temporary locking position to the rear side of the retainer mounting hole 17, with the lower end thereof being substantially flush with the lower surface of the housing body 11, The locking claw 95F of the locking arm 95E is movable between a main locking position where the locking claw 95F is elastically locked to the main locking projection 19. At the temporary locking position, the locking protrusion 94A stands by to the side of the cavity 12 to allow the female terminal fitting 97 to be inserted and removed, while at the final locking position, the locking protrusion 94A faces the cavity 12. The female terminal fitting 97 that is normally inserted therein is locked together with the lance 13 in a retaining state. Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 22, an escape recess 96 for avoiding interference with the posture correcting arm 46 provided on the lever 40 is formed on the lower surface (pushing surface 93 </ b> A) of the retainer 93. When the retainer 93 is in the temporary locking position and is in a floating state, the lower end portion of the side edge of the posture correcting arm 46 is fitted into the escape recess 96.

  As shown in FIG. 21, a housing space 21 for housing the lever 40 is formed in the upper part of the housing body 11 so as to open on the rear surface. The accommodation space 21 is formed between a thin cover wall 22 (cam plate accommodation wall) located at the uppermost stage and a lever mounting surface 23 facing the same, and the lever 40 has a substantially horizontal posture from the rear. It is designed to be slide mounted while taking. The detection terminal accommodating portion 16 described above communicates with the accommodating space 21 through a through hole 24 formed so as to penetrate the lever mounting surface 23.

  The lever mounting surface 23 is provided with a substantially cylindrical support shaft 25 that rotatably supports the lever 40, and a cam provided on the lever 40 while bending the cover wall 22 in the process of mounting the lever 40. The plate 47 gets over the support shaft 25, and then the lever 40 reaches the proper mounting position and the support shaft 25 is fitted into the bearing portion 47 </ b> A of the cam plate 47 so that the lever 40 is supported in the accommodation space 21 in a retaining state. It has come to be. The support shaft 25 is set at a position offset from the center axis in the width direction and the center axis in the front-rear direction (depth direction) of the housing body 11. A cam plate engaging portion 26 projects from the lever mounting surface 23 along with the support shaft 25, and this cam plate engaging portion 26 engages with an engaging recess 47 </ b> B formed in the cam plate 47. At the same time, the lever 40 is retained at the initial mating position and the final mating position.

  The bearing body 46A of the posture correcting arm 46 provided on the lever 40 is fitted on the lower surface of the housing main body 11 at a position coaxial with the support shaft 25 in the vertical direction, so that both the lever 40 and the support shaft 25 are supported. A support shaft 27 is formed in a protruding manner. At the tip of the support shaft 27, a retaining protrusion 27A that protrudes in opposite directions is formed so that the posture correcting arm 46 does not come out of the support shaft 27 while the lever 40 is rotating. In addition, a pair of left and right adjustment protrusions 28 are formed on the lower surface of the housing body 11 on the opposite side of the support shaft 27 and the retainer mounting hole 17 with respect to the front-rear direction and at both ends in the width direction. Both adjustment protrusions 28 have substantially the same projecting dimensions as the support shaft 27, and their tip positions are aligned with the same position as the tip position of the support shaft 27. It plays the role which prevents the connector housing 10 on the side from being fitted forward.

  As shown in FIG. 25, the cover wall 22 has a cam pin introduction groove 22A into which the cam pin 88 of the male connector housing 80 is introduced at a position immediately before the support shaft 25 in the front-rear direction. It is formed to open. Further, a guide groove 22B for introducing the locking projection 89 of the male connector housing 80 at a position displaced to the opposite side to the cam pin introduction groove 22A extends in the front-rear direction in the cover wall 22 as well. An opening is formed at the front end. The cam pins 88 are slidably introduced into both side edges of the cam pin introduction groove 22A, and the lock projections 89 are slidably introduced into both side edges of the guide groove 22B. Further, the cover wall 22 has a guide groove 22E for introducing the release protrusion 92 of the male connector housing 80 in a sliding contact state on the side opposite to the guide groove 22B and the guide groove 22B and the cam pin introduction groove. It is arranged in parallel with 22A.

  One side (left side in the figure) of the housing space 21 in the housing body 11 is formed by cutting out a part of the lever mounting surface 23 and the cover wall 22 and opening the rear surface. This is a rectangular frame shape provided on the lever 40. It is comprised as 21 A of protection part accommodation spaces which can accommodate the protection part 48 of this. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, a stepped portion 29 is formed on one side surface of the housing body 11 so as to extend in the vertical direction and to face the accommodation space 21 at the top. The front region with the boundary as a step is configured as a step recess 29B that is one step lower than the rear region. The step surface facing forward in the stepped portion 29 is configured as a contact surface 29A that is pressed against the operation arm 49 provided on the lever 40 when the lever 40 is rotated to the fitting completion position. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the lever 40 includes a cam plate 47, a posture correction arm 46, and an operation arm 49 that connects these end portions, and has a portal shape as a whole. In the cam plate 47, as shown in FIG. 7, a cam groove 41 that can be engaged with the cam pin 88 of the male connector housing 80 is formed in a predetermined direction on an end portion of the cam plate 47 away from the operation arm 49. When the cam pins 88 are relatively moved along the cam grooves 41, the connector housings 10 and 80 can be engaged and disengaged. The cam groove 41 is not provided in the posture correction arm 46. In the following description of the structure of the lever 40, the front-rear direction is based on the state in which the lever 40 is in the fitting completion position (the state shown in FIG. 10).

  A substantially circular bearing portion 47 </ b> A is recessed in the inner surface (lower surface) of the cam plate 47 near the end of the cam groove 41. An engaging recess 47B having an arc concentric with the bearing 47A is formed in the vicinity of the bearing 47A. The cam plate engaging portion 26 is slidably contacted with the engaging recess 47B and the lever 40 is rotated. The operation is guided.

  A temporary holding arm 51 that can be bent and deformed in the front-rear direction when the lever 40 is in the fitting completion position is formed in the vicinity of the entrance of the cam groove 41 in the outer peripheral edge of the cam plate 47. The temporary holding arm 51 is engaged with the temporary holding receiving portion 31 provided at the side edge portion of the housing space 21 of the housing body 11 in a hooked state before the connector housings 10 and 80 are fitted together. Therefore, when the fitting operation of both the connector housings 10 and 80 is started, the tip protrusion 51A is pushed by the release protrusion 92 of the male connector housing 80. The lever 40 is allowed to rotate by being bent and deformed in the unlocking direction.

  An end of the cam plate 47 opposite to the side where the cam groove 41 and the bearing portion 47A are disposed (the operation arm 49 side) can be elastically locked to the lock projection 89 of the male connector housing 80. A locking piece 42 is formed. The locking piece 42 is formed in a cantilever shape between the pair of slits 42A in the width direction that opens at the rear end of the cam plate 47 and extends in the front-rear direction, and is bent and deformed in the vertical direction with the front end as a base end. It is possible. One of the slits 42A is in the vicinity of an inclined edge portion 47E obtained by obliquely cutting one corner of the cam plate 47, and cannot be cut further forward.

  Then, in the outer region (upper surface) of the cam plate 47, the lever 40 can be rotated by avoiding interference with the lock projection 89 in the middle of the rotation of the lever 40 in the region ahead of the locking piece 42. For this purpose, a lock relief portion 52 is recessed. At the base end portion of the locking piece 42, a locking projection 53 is formed which is continuous with a step from the rear end of the lock release portion 52. As shown in FIG. 1, the front surface constituting the step in the locking projection 53 is a tapered guide surface 53 </ b> A that is inclined upward and the upper surface of the locking projection 53 is the cam plate 47. The plane is almost the same height as the general reference plane. The rear surface of the locking projection 53 is a locking surface 53 </ b> B that forms a step with the recess 54 provided behind the locking projection 53. During the rotation of the lever 40, the lock protrusion 89 rides on the lock protrusion 53 along the guide surface 53A of the lock protrusion 53, and the lock piece 42 is bent and deformed downward. When the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position after sliding in contact with the flat surface of the locking projection 53, the locking projection 89 is fitted into the recess 54 and is prevented from coming off on the locking surface 53B of the locking projection 53. It is designed to lock together in a state.

  At the rear end portion of the locking piece 42, a locking piece operating portion 55 is set at a higher position, and the locked state between the locking piece 42 and the lock projection 89 can be released by pushing down this position. It is like that. A rectangular frame-shaped protective portion 48 is formed at the rear end portion of the cam plate 47 so as to surround the entire periphery of the locking piece operating portion 55, and the locking piece operating portion 55 is passed through the inside of the protective portion 48. Can be released. The protective portion 48 is formed such that one side thereof is joined to the operation arm 49 and bulges in the vertical direction from the rear end portion of the cam plate 47, and protects the housing body 11 when the lever 40 is in the fitting completion position. The whole is accommodated in the partial accommodating space 21A.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 24, a pressing portion 44 is formed on the inner surface (lower surface) of the cam plate 47 so as to protrude along one side edge of the proximal end portion of the locking piece 42. The pressing portion 44 is at the end position of the rotation before the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, and the locking piece 42 is bent and deformed downward based on the engagement between the locking projection 89 and the locking projection 53. Sometimes, the second spring portion 63 of the detection terminal 60 abuts against the pressed portion 66 of the second spring portion 63 from behind, and the second spring portion 63 is bent downward together with the first spring portion 62. At the same time as the position reaches the fitting completion position, the second spring portion 63 and the first spring portion 62 are elastically restored by releasing the pressed state against the second spring portion 63. The front end of the pressing portion 44 is arranged so as to stand substantially vertically, and the lower end of the pressing portion 44 is an inclined surface having an ascending gradient as going backward. When the locking piece 42 is most bent and deformed, the slope of the pressing portion 44 is arranged substantially horizontally.

  In the inner surface of the cam plate 47, a preceding pressing portion 45 that is separate from the pressing portion 44 protrudes and is formed at a position slightly shifted inward with respect to the pressing portion 44 in the width direction immediately before the locking piece 42. ing. The preceding pressing portion 45 is configured to extend in the front-rear direction in the same manner as the pressing portion 44, and is configured to have a shorter front-rear length than the pressing portion 44. Prior to the pressing portion 44 pressing the pressed portion 66 of the detection terminal 60 during the rotation of the lever 40, the preceding pressing portion 45 abuts against the pressed portion 66 from the rear side to cause the second spring portion 63 to move. The first spring part 62 is bent downward together with the first spring part 62, and the lever 40 is further rotated to get over the pressed part 66. When the preceding pressing portion 45 releases the pressing state against the second spring portion 63, the pressing portion 44 presses the pressed portion 66 of the second spring portion 63 instead of the preceding pressing portion 45. The lower part of the front end of the preceding pressing part 45 is an inclined surface having a downward slope toward the rear, and the lower end of the preceding pressing part 45 is a substantially horizontal flat surface. Since the preceding pressing portion 45 is formed in a range that is not affected by the bending operation by the locking piece 42 and the distance between the preceding pressing portion 45 and the pressing portion 44 is large, the locking piece 42 is provided. Interference between the rear end of the preceding pressing portion 45 and the front end of the pressing portion 44 can be avoided during the bending deformation.

  Here, the contact terminal 98 enters the inside of the detection terminal 60 as the lever 40 is rotated, but the preceding pressing portion 45 and the subsequent pressing portion 44 are in the middle of the rotation of the lever 40. Since the first spring part 62 is pressed together with the second spring part 63 to push the contact part 65 of the first spring part 62 downward, the contact terminal 98 and the contact part 65 of the first spring part 62 are not in contact with each other. Kept in a state. On the other hand, when the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, the pressing state of the pressing portion 44 against the second spring portion 63 is released, and the second spring portion 63 and the first spring portion 62 are elastically restored along with this. The contact terminal 98 and the contact portion 65 of the first spring portion 62 come into contact with each other, thereby closing the detection circuit.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the operating arm 49 of the lever 40 has a long plate shape extending in the height direction. When the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, the operating arm 49 is fitted in the stepped recess 29B of the housing body 11. At the same time, the front end is pressed against the contact surface 29A of the housing body 11 in the height direction, and the contact surface 29A is pushed forward, that is, in the direction in which the fitting proceeds. The front end of the operation arm 49 functions as a pushing surface 49A and plays a role of preventing the connector housings 10 and 80 from being fitted in an inclined posture.

  As shown in FIG. 24, the posture correcting arm 46 of the lever 40 is disposed at a position facing the cam plate 47 with the housing body 11 interposed therebetween, and the width dimension thereof is narrower than that of the cam plate 47. Thus, interference with the retainer 93 can be avoided. The posture correcting arm 46 is formed with a bearing portion 46A through which the support shaft 27 can be fitted in the thickness direction at a position coaxial with the bearing portion 47A of the cam plate 47 in the vertical direction. On the inner edge of the bearing portion 46A of the posture correcting arm 46, an escape groove 46B for fitting the retaining projection 27A is formed in a notch, and is engaged with the retaining projection 27A in the direction in which the lever 40 is detached. An engagement edge 46E is formed.

  A hook 43 having a hook surface 43 </ b> A is formed along the direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation direction of the lever 40 at the tip of the posture correction arm 46 (the end away from the operation arm 49). The hook 43 is provided with the male connector housing 80 immediately before the lever 40 reaches the mating completion position when the mating proceeds in a state where both the connector housings 10, 80 are inclined from the normal mating posture in the width direction. The catching surface 43A is opposed to the rear surface of the receiving portion 91 so as to be engaged with the receiving portion 91 in a hooked state, and the receiving portion 91 is pulled in the process of the lever 40 reaching the fitting completion position. Therefore, it plays a role of correcting the fitting posture of the connector housings 10 and 80.

  By the way, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 20, the lever 40 is disposed in a protruding state on the rear surface of the housing body 11 by positioning the operation arm 49 rearward of the rear surface of the housing body 11 at the initial fitting position. On the other hand, at the fitting completion position, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 16, the rear end surface is connected to the rear end surface of the housing body 11 so as to be substantially flush with each other so that no step is generated between the rear end surface of the housing body 11. It is. Therefore, by checking the flush state between the lever 40 and the housing body 11, it is possible to determine whether or not the two connector housings 10 and 80 are properly fitted.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, the male connector housing 80 is fixed to the surface of the board while establishing conduction between the male terminal fitting 99 and the conductive path of the printed circuit board, and the mating operation with the female connector housing 10 is started. It will be in a standby state.

  On the other hand, in the female connector housing 10, the retainer 93 is inserted into the retainer mounting hole 17 of the housing and retained in the temporary locking position, and in this state, the cam plate 47 of the lever 40 is slid and mounted in the housing space 21 of the housing body 11. Then, the bearing portion 47A of the cam plate 47 is supported by the support shaft 25, and the bearing portion 46A of the posture correcting arm 46 is supported by the support shaft 27 on the opposite side, whereby the lever 40 is held at the fitting completion position. Attach to the housing body 11 in a state. At this time, although the posture correction arm 46 of the lever 40 and the retainer 93 are in a positional relationship overlapping in the thickness direction, a part of the posture correction arm 46 enters the relief recess 96 of the retainer 93 as shown in FIG. This avoids interference between the two.

  Subsequently, the female connector housing 10 described above is conveyed to the assembly site of the female terminal fitting 97. At the assembly site, the female terminal fitting 97 is inserted into the cavity 12 of the housing main body 11 from the rear by an automatic machine. In this case, the rear end of the lever 40 and the rear end of the housing main body 11 are inserted. Since there is no step, the insertion operation of the female terminal fitting 97 can be performed smoothly. When all of the female terminal fittings 97 have been inserted, the retainer 93 is pushed into the final locking position, and the female terminal fittings 97 together with the lance 13 are prevented from coming off. Since the retainer 93 is not lifted up by pushing the retainer 93 into the main locking position, the lever 40 is allowed to rotate. Note that the short-circuit terminal 70 and the detection terminal 60 together with the female terminal fitting 97 are also assembled to the housing body 11.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 20, the lever 40 is rotated to the initial fitting position so that the tip protrusion 51 </ b> A of the temporary holding arm 51 is hooked on the temporary holding receiving portion 31 of the housing body 11. The entrance and the entrance of the cam pin introduction groove 22A of the housing body 11 are communicated in the vertical direction. In this state, the corresponding female connector housing 10 is shallowly fitted into both fitting recesses 83 in the hood portion 81 of the male connector housing 80 in the standby state. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the release protrusion 92 is inserted between the temporary holding arm 51 and the temporary holding receiving portion 31 to release the hooked state between them, and the cam pin 88 is connected to the cam pin introduction groove 22 </ b> A and the cam groove. 41, and the lock protrusion 89 enters the guide groove 22B.

  If the operating arm 49 is picked from this state and the lever 40 is rotated in the direction of the arrow X shown in FIG. 8, the cam pin 88 moves along the cam pin introduction groove 22A and the lock projection 89 moves along the guide groove 22B. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, at the initial turning stage of the lever 40, the short-circuit releasing piece 87 is divided between the elastic piece 71 of the short-circuit terminal 70 and the female-side terminal fitting 97 in contact with the elastic piece 71. Thus, the short circuit state of both is released. Further, at the initial rotation stage of the lever 40, the preceding pressing portion 45 hits the pressed portion 66 of the detection terminal 60 from the rear, and both inclined surfaces of the preceding pressing portion 45 and the pressed portion 66 are fitted to the connector housings 10 and 80. As shown in FIG. 3, the second spring portion 63 is slidably contacted in the direction to bend and deform, and further, the first spring portion 62 is pushed down as the front end portion of the second spring portion 63 is tilted. Further, the height of the contact portion 65 of the first spring portion 62 is lower than the height of the corresponding contact terminal 98. Thus, at the early stage when the contact terminal 98 enters the inside of the detection terminal 60, the first spring portion 62 is pushed down, and the contact terminal 98 is not in contact with the contact portion 65 and is located in the inner part of the detection terminal 60. Will enter.

  As the rotation of the lever 40 proceeds, as shown in FIG. 4, the locking projection 53 of the locking piece 42 rides on the locking projection 89, and the locking piece 42 is bent and deformed downward. Thus, the preceding pressing portion 45 is separated from the pressed portion 66 and the front end of the pressing portion 44 presses the pressed portion 66 downward instead of the preceding pressing portion 45. During this time, since the second spring part 63 maintains the bent state, the height position of the contact part 65 of the first spring part 62 does not rise, and the contact part 65 of the first spring part 62 and the contact terminal The non-contact state with 98 is maintained. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, in the process in which the locking protrusion 53 passes through the lock protrusion 89, the inclined surface of the pressing portion 44 draws an arc along the rotation locus of the lever 40 while the inclined surface of the pressing portion 44. By sliding, the bent state of the second spring portion 63 and the first spring portion 62 is maintained.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the locking projection 53 of the locking piece 42 gets over the locking projection 89 by the lever 40 reaching the fitting completion position, the locking piece 42 is restored to the original natural state. At the same time, the pressing portion 44 is separated from the pressed portion 66 to release the pressing state, and the second spring portion 63 and the first spring portion 62 are restored to the original natural state accordingly. Then, the height position of the contact portion 65 of the first spring portion 62 rises and is pressed against the contact terminal 98 from below, and the detection circuit is closed by connecting the both. Thus, by electrically detecting a signal resulting from the connection between the contact terminal 98 and the detection terminal 60, it is known that the lever 40 has reached the fitting completion position and the connector housings 10, 80 have been properly fitted. it can. Of course, conduction between the male and female terminal fittings 97, 99 is established to constitute a predetermined circuit.

  When the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, the cam plate 47 is accommodated in the accommodating space 21 of the housing main body 11, the protective portion 48 is accommodated in the protective portion accommodating space 21A, and the operation arm 49 is accommodated in the housing main body. 11 stepped recesses 29B. Then, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 16, the rear end of the lever 40 and the rear end of the housing main body 11 are substantially flush with each other to eliminate a step, and the lever 40 can be fitted to the fitting completion position by checking this. You can know that you have reached.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, the rotation central axis of the lever 40 is set at a position eccentric with respect to the width direction, and the engagement region between the cam groove 41 and the cam pin 88 is the lever 40 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the fitting force of the lever 40 is biased on the rotation center axis side and the engagement region side of the cam groove 41 and the cam pin 88, and the engagement is performed on that side. While the alignment proceeds faster, the fitting may be delayed on the side away from the central axis and on the side opposite to the engagement region side between the cam groove 41 and the cam pin 88.

  However, in this embodiment, even if both the connector housings 10 and 80 are inclined from the normal fitting posture with respect to the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 15, the lever 40 immediately before reaching the fitting completion position. In addition, the hooking portion 43 of the lever 40 pulls the receiving portion 91 in the hooked state, so that the fitting operation on the posture correcting arm 46 side that has been delayed is advanced quickly, so the lever 40 is fitted. When the completion position is reached, both the connector housings 10 and 80 are corrected to the normal fitting posture.

  Further, even if both connector housings 10 and 80 are inclined from the normal fitting posture with respect to the width direction, as shown in FIG. 13, immediately before the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, The pressing surface 49A of the operation arm 49 hits the contact surface 29A of the housing main body 11 and pushes it toward the hood portion 81, so that the fitting operation at the end portion away from the central axis that has been delayed is advanced quickly. Therefore, when the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, both the connector housings 10 and 80 are corrected to the normal fitting posture.

  Further, during the fitting of both the connector housings 10 and 80, the lock projection 89 is slidably moved in the guide groove 22B of the housing body 11, and the cam pin 88 is also slidable in the cam pin introduction groove 22A of the housing body 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connector housings 10 and 80 from being fitted and guided and tilting while they are moving. Moreover, when the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, as shown in FIG. 14, the lock projection 89 engages the back end of the guide groove 22 </ b> B in the cover wall 22 of the housing body 11 and the engagement piece 42 of the lever 40. Since it is sandwiched between the projecting portion 53 and the protruding portion 53, it can be known that the fitting posture of the connector housings 10 and 80 is the normal posture when the lever 40 is in the locked state.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the lever 40 presses the pressed portion 66 of the second spring portion 63 until both the connector housings 10 and 80 are properly fitted, and the second portion is pressed in accordance with the pressing. The two spring portions 63 are bent and deformed, and the first spring portion 62 is also bent and deformed by being pushed by the extending end portion of the second spring portion 63, whereby the contact portion 65 of the second spring portion 63 corresponds. The contact terminal 98 is kept in a non-contact state. After that, when the connector housings 10 and 80 are properly fitted, the second spring portion 63 is restored and the first spring portion 62 is restored, whereby the contact portion 65 of the first spring portion 62 and the contact terminal 98 are restored. Come into contact with each other and both are short-circuited to close the detection circuit. At this time, even if the terminals 98 for both contacts are misaligned, the two first spring portions 62 that are independent of each other can be individually bent to absorb the misalignment. Any one of the spring portions 62 is not in contact with the contact terminal 98, and contact reliability with respect to the contact terminal 98 can be ensured.

Further, if the second spring portion 63 is composed of two spring plates corresponding to the first spring portion 62, the lever 40 moves in a pressed state along the outer surface of the second spring portion 63. May cause malfunction when straddling the gap between the two spring plates. In that respect, according to the present embodiment, since the second spring portion 63 is constituted by a single spring plate provided independently of the first spring portion 62, it means that it straddles the gap as described above. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunction.
Further, since the first spring portion 62 is formed by cutting and raising a part of the substrate portion 61, the material can be taken better and the yield can be improved as compared with the case where the extended portion is folded back. it can.

  In addition, since the second spring portion 63 is arranged in a preloaded state and is pressed against the spring pressing piece 69, the second spring portion 63 is compared with that provided in a free state without the spring pressing piece 69 being provided. Is easy to manufacture, and the pressed portion 66 can be accurately aligned with an appropriate contact position with respect to the lever 40. Further, since the second spring portion 63 and the first spring portion 62 are in contact with each other, if the second spring portion 63 is positioned by the spring pressing piece 69, the first spring portion 62 can be positioned simultaneously. .

Further, since the contact terminal 98 and a part of the male terminal fitting 99 constituting the harness circuit are formed of the same component, the number of components can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.
Further, when the fitting of both the connector housings 10 and 80 is completed, the lever 40 has shifted to the fitting completion position. At this position, the lever 40 protrudes rearward from the female connector housing 10 in a relatively small amount, so that the overall size is reduced. With such a structure, when the lever 40 is turned, the pressing portion 44 of the lever 40 comes into contact with the pressed portion 66 from the rear in the fitting direction, and slides forward while drawing a turning locus. In that case, since the second spring portion 63 extends along the sliding contact direction, the second spring portion 63 can be easily deformed by bending. On the contrary, the first spring portion 62 extends backward, so that the contact with the contact terminal 98 can be obtained at an early stage of fitting and sufficient contact pressure can be obtained.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) According to the present invention, the contact terminals can be incorporated together with the connector housing on the side where the detection terminals are arranged, that is, the female connector housing.
(2) According to the present invention, the pressed portion may be in a form capable of contacting a movable member such as a lever within a predetermined range, and may not have a form protruding from the second spring portion.
(3) According to the present invention, the present invention can be applied to a movable member that is not a lever, for example, a deformable lock arm that holds a connector housing in a fitted state.
(4) According to the present invention, the male terminal fittings may be arranged in parallel in a row, and in that case, the contact terminals may have the same shape as all of these male terminal fittings. .

Side sectional view of both connector housings before mating in the first embodiment Side sectional view of both connector housings immediately before the preceding pressing portion presses the pressed portion. Side sectional view of both connector housings in a state where the preceding pressing portion presses the pressed portion. Side sectional view of both connector housings in a state where the pressing portion presses the pressed portion instead of the preceding pressing portion. Side sectional view of both connector housings immediately before the pressing state by the pressing part is released Side sectional view of both connector housings in a state where the lever reaches the mating completion position and the pressing state by the pressing portion is released and the contact terminal and the detection terminal are brought into contact with each other. Cross section of both connector housings before mating Cross-sectional view of both connector housings just before mating begins Cross-sectional view of both connector housings during mating Cross-sectional view of both connector housings in which the lever has reached the mating completion position and has been properly mated Exploded side sectional view of female connector housing Cross-sectional side view of both connector housings in a properly mated state at the cam pin and cam groove engagement position Side sectional view of both connector housings where the lever's pushing surface pushes the housing body into a properly mated state Side sectional view of both connector housings in a properly fitted state showing the state where the lever locking piece is locked to the locking projection. Cross-sectional view of both connector housings that have been properly fitted by engaging the hook of the lever with the receiving part Cross-sectional view of both connector housings in a properly mated state based on engagement of cam pins and cam grooves Front view of male connector housing Rear view of female connector housing Front view of female connector housing Top view of female connector housing when lever is in initial mating position Rear view of housing body Retainer bottom view Rear view of retainer Side view of lever viewed from posture correction arm side Top view of detection terminal Front view of detection terminal

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Female connector housing 11 ... Housing main body 21 ... Accommodating space 22B ... Guide groove 23 ... Lever mounting surface 40 ... Lever 42 ... Locking piece 43 ... Hook part 44 ... Press part 45 ... Predecessor press part 46 ... Posture correction arm 47 ... Cam plate 60 ... Detection terminal 62 ... First spring portion 63 ... Second spring portion 66 ... Pressed portion 80 ... Male connector housing 81 ... Hood portion 89 ... Lock projection 97 ... Female terminal fitting 98 ... Contact Terminal 99 ... Male terminal fitting

Claims (5)

Provided in one connector housing of the connectors that can be fitted to each other, and contacts with a pair of contact terminals provided on either one or the other connector housing only when both connector housings are properly fitted. And a detection terminal configured to close the detection circuit,
A first spring portion and a second spring portion that extend in directions approaching each other from the substrate portion, with both end sides of the substrate portion serving as fulcrum portions, and each of which can be flexibly deformed with the fulcrum portion as a fulcrum;
The first spring portion is formed with a contact portion that can come into contact with the contact terminal, and the second spring portion receives a pressing force from the movable member in accordance with the displacement of the movable member arranged outside. Part is formed,
The extension end of the second spring part overlaps the extension end of the first spring part on the movable member side, and the extension of the first spring part when the pressed part receives a pressing force. The contact end terminal is brought into a non-contact state by pressing the protruding end portion to bend and deform the first spring portion.
The second spring portion is constituted by a single spring plate, while the first spring portion performs two independent bending operations corresponding to the pair of contact terminals individually. A detection terminal characterized by comprising. The detection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first spring portion is formed by cutting and raising a part of the substrate portion. A side wall is formed upright on the side edge of the substrate portion, and a spring pressing portion that is in contact with the side edge of the second spring portion so as to cover the side edge of the second spring portion from the movable member side is formed on the side wall. 3. The detection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the spring portion is formed by folding back an extended end portion thereof to give a preload to the spring pressing portion. A lever-type connector comprising the detection terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first spring portion is positioned forward in the mating direction of the one connector housing and extends backward, and the second spring portion is positioned in the mating direction of the one connector housing and forward. It is supposed to extend to
The one connector housing includes a lever having a cam groove engageable with a cam pin provided in the other connector housing,
The lever is rotated from a fitting initial position having a relatively large protruding amount toward the rear of the one connector housing to a fitting completion position having a relatively small protruding amount, whereby the cam groove and the A cam action by engagement with a cam pin assists the fitting operation of the two connector housings, and the lever is configured as the movable member and has a pressing portion that can press the pressed portion. And
While the pressing portion is rotated until both the connector housings are properly fitted, the pressing portion is slid while drawing a turning locus from the rear in the fitting direction of the one connector housing toward the front. By pressing in the contact state, the contact portion is held in a pressing state in which the contact portion is bent and displaced to a position away from the contact terminal, and the lever is rotated to a position where the two connector housings are properly fitted. When the contact is released, the lever is released so that the contact portion can be brought into contact with the contact terminal. The contact terminal is provided in the other connector housing, and has the same shape as a part or all of a terminal fitting constituting a harness circuit attached to the other connector housing. The lever-type connector according to claim 4.

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