JP5254852B2 - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector assembly that is fixed by locking a locking claw with respect to a mounted body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a connector that is fixed by locking a locking claw to a mounted body such as a connector mounting hole formed in a panel or a mating connector.

  As such a connector, there has been proposed a panel-fixed connector including a locking arm having a grip portion facing outward that functions as a locking claw (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, a connector including a latch claw member having a hook portion facing inward that functions as a locking claw has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2). Further, the hook portion of the latch claw member provided in this connector is disposed at a position where it is retracted one step from the outer surface of the shield cover assembly. Therefore, the shield cover assembly around the hook part also serves as a protection part for the hook part.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-60981 JP 2006-228703 A

  In the panel fixed type connector proposed in Patent Document 1, since the grip portion that functions as a locking claw is exposed outward, the exposed grip portion is attached to an electric wire or the like when the connector is attached or transported. There is a risk of damaging other parts. In addition, when such an exposed grip portion is made of metal, in addition to the possibility of damage to other parts, there is a risk of damaging an operator's finger or the like during handling, which causes a problem in work safety.

  In addition, the connector proposed in Patent Document 2 has a hook portion that functions as a locking claw facing inward, and has a protective portion around the hook portion. There is no risk of scratching. However, when such a hook portion faces outward, the hook portion is exposed although it has a protective portion around the hook portion, and the exposed hook portion damages a finger or the like. There is a risk and there is a problem in work safety.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly that is excellent in work safety and prevents damage to other components.

The connector assembly of the present invention that achieves the above object is
A connector housing;
A pair of latch arms arranged on both sides of the connector housing in the width direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and extending along the insertion direction, and projecting outward from each other on the front end side along the insertion direction A latch arm formed with a locking claw for locking to the mounted body,
A pair of protective arms extending on both sides of the connector housing in the width direction and adjacent to the inner side of the pair of latch arms, facing the outer sides at positions corresponding to the locking claws. In the locked state where the locking claw is locked to the mounted body, a protective piece is formed to protrude to a height higher than the protruding height of the locking claw and cover the locking claw. And a protective arm that exposes the locking claw from the protective piece by bending inwardly with each other by a cam action with the mounting body.

  In the connector assembly according to the present invention, the locking claws formed on each of the pair of latch arms protrude outwardly from each other, but the locking claw is locked to the mounted body. In the non-locking state excluding, the locking claw is covered with the protective piece of the protective arm. Therefore, according to the connector assembly of the present invention, when the connector assembly is mounted or transported, the locking claw may catch other parts such as electric wires and cause damage. It is prevented that a finger etc. are damaged.

  Here, the connector assembly according to the present invention is a single plate member in which the latch arm and the protective arm extending adjacent to each other are integrally formed by bending at the rear end side along the insertion direction. It is preferable that it is the member which consists of.

  According to such a preferred embodiment, the number of parts is smaller than when the latch arm and the protection arm are separate members, and the assembly man-hour and cost of the connector assembly can be reduced.

The connector assembly of the present invention is
“On the outside of the pair of latch arms, there are a pair of actuator arms extending along the insertion direction adjacent to each of the pair of latch arms, and a connecting portion for connecting the pair of actuator arms, Provided with an actuator that is movable along its insertion direction,
Each of the pair of actuator arms has slopes inclined in directions toward each other at the tips,
Each of the pair of latch arms is pushed by the slope of the tip of the actuator arm as the actuator moves in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, causing the pair of latch arms to bend inward with respect to each other. It has a step that removes the locking claw from the wearing body. ''
This is also a preferred form.

  According to the connector assembly including such an actuator, the actuator is moved in the direction opposite to the insertion direction in the locked state in which the locking claws formed on the pair of latch arms are locked to the mounted body. As a result of the cam action between the slope of the tip of the actuator arm and the stepped portion of the latch arm, the latching claws of the pair of latch arms are displaced inward toward each other, so the latching claws can be easily removed from the mounted body Can be removed.

  The connector assembly including the actuator of the connector assembly according to the present invention is more preferably one in which the actuator is biased to the front side along the insertion direction.

  According to such a preferable form, in the non-locking state except the locked state in which the locking claw of the latch arm is locked to the mounted body, a load is applied to the actuator to move in the direction opposite to the insertion direction. If not, the biasing force to the front side along the insertion direction keeps the claw covered with the protection piece of the protection arm, which further improves work safety and damages other parts. Is reliably prevented. Further, according to such a preferred embodiment, in the locked state, when the actuator is moved in the direction opposite to the insertion direction in order to remove the locking claw from the mounted body, the load on the actuator is released. Since the actuator is automatically moved to the front side along the insertion direction by the biasing force toward the front side along the insertion direction, the workability is excellent.

  Furthermore, the connector assembly including the actuator of the connector assembly of the present invention is a flexible member that is connected to the actuator and protrudes from the rear end side along the insertion direction of the connector housing. A form in which a pull tab is provided is also preferable.

  According to the connector assembly provided with such a pull tab, the actuator can be easily moved in the direction opposite to the insertion direction by pulling the pull tab. Excellent in properties. Moreover, since the pull tab has flexibility, the degree of freedom in the direction of pulling the pull tab is high, and the workability is excellent.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a connector assembly that is excellent in work safety and prevents damage to other components.

It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the connector assembly which is one Embodiment of this invention from the front diagonally upward. It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the state which removed the upper housing from the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 from front diagonally upward. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a state where an upper housing is removed from the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1. It is a disassembled perspective view of the connector assembly shown in FIG. It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the latching state which attached the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 to the connector attachment hole of the panel from diagonally downward. It is the external appearance perspective view which looked at the latching state which attached the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 to the panel from diagonally upward side. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the connector assembly with the upper housing removed in the locked state shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. It is a top view of the connector assembly which removed the upper housing in the state where the pull tab was pulled in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a connector assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from diagonally above the front surface. 2 is an external perspective view of the state in which the upper housing 121 is removed from the connector assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from the front, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the state shown in FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector assembly 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows each component obtained by disassembling the connector assembly 100 shown in FIG. 2 to 4, the cable 111 is not shown.

  1 to 4 includes a connector main body 110, a housing 120, two latches 210 and 220, an actuator 150, a pull tab 160, and two coil springs 170. Yes. The connector main body 110 and the housing 120 constitute a “connector housing” according to claim 1.

  The connector main body 110 accommodates an electrical terminal (not shown) to which an electric wire (not shown) in the cable 111 led out in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction as the insertion direction is connected. Further, the connector main body 110 is formed with a projection 112 that protrudes along the arrow C direction which is the vertical direction and is fixed to the housing 120.

  The housing 120 accommodates the connector main body 110 on the front end side (left side in FIG. 3) along the arrow A direction. The housing 120 includes an upper housing 121 and a lower housing 122. The upper housing 121 and the lower housing 122 are formed with a groove 123 that engages and fixes the protrusion 112 of the connector main body 110. The upper housing 121 and the lower housing 122 are also formed with a groove 124 for fixing the latches 210 and 220, a groove 125 for accommodating the actuator 150, and a groove 126 for accommodating the coil spring 170. The housing 120 is formed by processing a metal such as zinc die cast, for example, and has a sufficient strength.

  One latch 210 of the two latches 210 and 220 is formed by integrally forming a latch arm 131 and a protection arm 141 which are bent at the rear end side along the arrow A direction and extend adjacent to each other. It is a member made of a single plate material. Similarly to the one latch 210, the other latch 220 of the two latches 210 and 220 is bent at the rear end side along the arrow A direction and extends adjacent to each other. The protection arm 142 is a member made of a single plate material formed integrally. The two latches 210 and 220 are formed by processing a metal such as stainless steel and have a sufficient strength.

  In this way, if the latch arm and the protective arm that extend adjacent to each other are members made of a single plate material, the number of parts is smaller than when the latch arm and the protective arm are separate members, and the connector assembly The assembly man-hour and cost of the solid 100 can be reduced.

  The two latches 210 and 220 are arranged on both sides of the connector main body 110 in the arrow B direction, which is the width direction orthogonal to the arrow A direction. The latch arm 131 formed on one latch 210 and the latch arm 132 formed on the other latch 220 extend along the arrow A direction. The latch arms 131 and 132 engage with the grooves 124 of the upper housing 121 and the lower housing 122 projecting along the arrow C direction on the rear end side along the arrow A direction. Protrusions 1313 and 1323 for fixing to each other are formed. In addition, the latch arms 131 and 132 protrude to the front end side along the direction of the arrow A and face each other toward the outside. 6)), and locking claws 1311 and 1321 are formed. Further, the latch arms 131 and 132 are formed with step portions 1312 and 1322 in the vicinity of the extending intermediate portion, respectively. Hereinafter, the two latch arms 131 and 132 are referred to as a pair of latch arms 131 and 132.

  The protective arm 141 formed on one latch 210 and the protective arm 142 formed on the other latch 220 are on both sides of the connector main body 110 in the direction of arrow B, and are a pair of latch arms 131 and 132. Each extends adjacent to the inside. Further, the protective arms 141 and 142 project outward at positions corresponding to the locking claws 1311 and 1321, respectively, and protrude to a height higher than the protruding height of the locking claws 1311 and 1321. Protective pieces 1411 and 1421 are formed to cover the locking claws 1311 and 1321, respectively. Hereinafter, the two protection arms 141 and 142 are referred to as a pair of protection arms 141 and 142.

  The actuator 150 is accommodated in the groove 125 of the upper housing 121 and the lower housing 122, thereby extending outside the two latches 210 and 220, that is, outside the pair of latch arms 131 and 132 along the direction of arrow A. It is provided movably. The actuator 150 is adjacent to each of the pair of latch arms 131 and 132 and extends along the direction of arrow A, and along the direction of arrow A of the pair of actuator arms 151 and 152. And a connecting portion 153 that connects the rear end sides. In addition, the pair of actuator arms 151 and 152 have slopes 1511 and 1521 inclined at directions toward each other at their tips. The pair of actuator arms 151 and 152 have through-holes 1512 and 1522 in which the coil spring 170 is accommodated along the direction of the arrow A in the vicinity of the middle part of each extension. Further, projections 1513 for restricting the forward displacement of the coil spring 170 along the arrow A direction projecting inward from each other at the front end sides along the arrow A direction of the through holes 1512 and 1522. , 1523 are formed. The displacement of the coil spring 170 toward the rear side along the arrow A direction is such that the groove 126 of the upper housing 121 and the lower housing 122 on the rear end side along the arrow A direction in which the coil spring 170 is accommodated. It is restricted by the inner wall 1261. The actuator 150 is biased forward by the two coil springs 170 along the arrow A direction. The actuator 150 is formed by processing a metal such as stainless steel and has a sufficient strength.

  The pull tab 160 is connected to the connecting portion 153 of the actuator 150 and protrudes from the rear end side along the arrow A direction of the housing 120. The pull tab 160 is made of a flexible member, for example, a polyamide resin having a thickness of 0.4 mm. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 153 of the actuator 150 and the pull tab 160 are connected and integrated by, for example, caulking a burring. That is, two through holes 161 are formed on the front end side of the pull tab 160 along the direction of arrow A, and the connecting portion 153 of the actuator 150 has two penetrating holes that have been subjected to burring. A hole 1531 is formed, and an edge portion of the through hole 1531 formed in the connecting portion 153 is crimped so as to wind an edge portion of the through hole 161 formed in the pull tab 160, and the connecting portion 153, the pull tab 160, Are integrated.

  5 is an external perspective view of the locking state in which the connector assembly 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is mounted in the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300 as viewed from obliquely below, and FIG. 6 illustrates the locking state illustrated in FIG. It is the external appearance perspective view seen from the side diagonally upward. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the connector assembly 100 with the upper housing 121 removed in the locked state shown in FIGS. In FIG. 7, the illustration of the cable 111 is omitted.

  A panel 300 shown in FIG. 5 is, for example, a server casing panel, and six connector mounting holes 310 are formed in the panel 300 at an equal pitch.

  During the attachment of the connector assembly 100 to the connector attachment hole 310 of the panel 300, both the pair of locking claws 1311, 1321 and the pair of protective pieces 1411, 1421 are caused by cam action with the inner edge of the connector attachment hole 310. It will be in the state bent mutually inward.

  5-7, in the locked state in which the pair of locking claws 1311 and 1321 are locked to the inner edge of the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300, the pair of protective arms 141 and 142 are connected to the connector. Due to the cam action with the inner edge of the mounting hole 310, the inner holes remain bent inward. On the other hand, the pair of locking claws 1311 and 1321 get over the connector mounting hole 310 and return to each other outward by the spring force of the latches 210 and 220 themselves. The connector assembly 100 is exposed and fixed to the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of the connector assembly 100 with the upper housing 121 removed in a state where the pull tab 160 is pulled in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction. In FIG. 8, the illustration of the cable 111 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the pull tab 160 is pulled in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction, the actuator 150 coupled to the pull tab 160 moves in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction. As the actuator 150 moves in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A, the slopes 1511 and 1521 at the tips of the actuator arms 151 and 152 cause the vicinity of the middle part of the extension of the pair of latch arms 131 and 132, respectively. The step portions 1312 and 1322 formed in the above are pushed inward, and the pair of latch arms 131 and 132 bend inward. As a result, the locking between the inner edge of the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300 and the locking claws 1311 and 1321 is released. When the pull tab 160 is continuously pulled in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction, the connector assembly 100 is removed from the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300. At this time, the two coil springs 170 in which the rearward displacement along the arrow A direction is regulated by the inner wall 1261 on the rear end side along the arrow A direction of the groove 126 accommodating the coil spring 170 are a pair of The actuator arms 151 and 152 are compressed by protrusions 1513 and 1523 formed thereon.

  As described above, the actuator 150 is biased forward by the two coil springs 170 along the arrow A direction. Therefore, in order to unlock the inner edge of the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300 and the locking claws 1311 and 1321, the load on the actuator 150 is released after the actuator 150 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction. Then, the actuator 150 is automatically moved to the front side along the arrow A direction by the forward biasing force along the arrow A direction using the restoring force of the compressed coil spring 170. In this embodiment, the example in which the actuator 150 is automatically moved by the biasing force using the restoring force of the compressed coil spring 170 has been described. However, for example, the restoring force of the pulled coil spring is used. The actuator 150 may be automatically moved by the biasing force.

  As described above, the connector assembly 100 according to the present embodiment is such that the locking claws 1311 and 1321 formed on the pair of latch arms 131 and 132 protrude outward from each other. In the non-locking state except the locked state in which the locking claws 1311 and 1321 are locked to the inner edge of the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300, the locking claws 1311 and 1321 are protected by the protection pieces 1411, 1421 of the protection arms 141, 142. Is covered. Therefore, according to the connector assembly 100 of the present embodiment, when the connector assembly 100 is mounted or transported, the locking claws 1311 and 1321 may catch other parts such as electric wires and cause damage. This prevents the operator's finger from being damaged during handling.

  Further, the connector assembly 100 of the present embodiment is in a locked state in which the locking claws 1311 and 1321 formed on the pair of latch arms 131 and 132 are locked to the inner edge of the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300, respectively. By moving the actuator 150 in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow A, which is the insertion direction, the cam action between the inclined surfaces 1511 and 1521 at the tips of the actuator arms 151 and 152 and the step portions 1312 and 1322 of the latch arms 131 and 132, Since the locking claws 1311 and 1321 of the pair of latch arms 131 and 132 are displaced inward toward each other, the locking between the inner edge of the connector mounting hole 310 of the panel 300 and the locking claws 1311 and 1321 can be easily removed. Can do.

  Further, in the connector assembly 100 of the present embodiment, the actuator 150 is urged forward in the direction of arrow A, so that the locking claws 1311 and 1321 of the latch arms 131 and 132 are connected to the panel 300. In the non-locked state except the locked state locked to the inner edge of the connector mounting hole 310, when the actuator 150 is not subjected to a load that moves in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction, the actuator 150 is aligned along the arrow A direction. The state in which the locking claws 1311 and 1321 are covered with the protective pieces 1411 and 1421 of the protective arms 141 and 142 is maintained by the urging force to the front side, so that the work safety is further improved and damage to other parts is achieved. Is reliably prevented.

  Moreover, since the connector assembly 100 of this embodiment is provided with the pull tab 160, by pulling the pull tab 160, the actuator 150 can be easily moved in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction. The operability when releasing the engagement between the inner edge of the attachment hole 310 and the engagement claws 1311 and 1321 is excellent. Further, since the pull tab 160 has flexibility, the degree of freedom in the direction of pulling the pull tab 160 is high, and the workability is excellent.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the connector assembly of the present invention is a connector assembly that is attached to the connector mounting hole of the housing panel of the server has been described. However, the connector assembly of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a mating connector assembly may be used as the mounted body, and any connector assembly that can be attached to any mounted body as long as the locking claws facing the outside are locked. There may be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the latch arm and the protection arm extending adjacent to each other are members made of a single plate material has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and The latch arm and the protection arm that extend adjacent to each other may be different members.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the connector main body and the housing are separate has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the connector housing may be configured integrally with the connector main body and the housing. .

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the connector assembly of the present invention is an electrical connector has been described. However, the connector assembly of the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an optical connector. Good.

100 connector assembly 110 connector housing (connector body)
111 Cable 112 Projection 120 Connector housing (housing)
121 Upper housing 122 Lower housing 123, 124, 125, 126 Groove 1261 Inner wall 210, 220 Latch 131, 132 Latch arm 1311, 1321 Locking claw 1312, 1322 Step part 1313, 1323 Protrusion 141, 142 Protection arm 1411, 1421 Protection Piece 150 Actuator 151, 152 Actuator arm 1511, 1521 Slope 1512, 1522 Through long hole 1513, 1523 Protrusion 153 Connection portion 1531 Through hole 160 Pull tab 161 Through hole 170 Coil spring 300 Panel 310 Connector mounting hole

Claims (5)

A connector housing;
A pair of latch arms arranged on both sides of the connector housing in the width direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and extending along the insertion direction, and projecting outward from each other on the front end side along the insertion direction A latch arm formed with a locking claw for locking to the mounted body,
A pair of protective arms extending on both sides of the connector housing in the width direction and adjacent to the inside of the pair of latch arms, and facing each other at positions corresponding to the locking claws; In the locked state where the locking claws are locked to the mounted body, the protective pieces that cover the locking claws are formed so as to protrude to a height higher than the protruding height of the locking claws. A connector assembly, comprising: a protective arm that exposes the locking claw from the protective piece by bending inwardly with each other by a cam action with the mounting body.   The latch arm and the protection arm, which extend adjacent to each other, are members made of a single plate member that is bent and formed integrally on the rear end side along the insertion direction. Item 2. The connector assembly according to Item 1. A pair of actuator arms extending along the insertion direction adjacent to each of the pair of latch arms and a connecting portion for connecting the pair of actuator arms on the outside of the pair of latch arms; Provided with an actuator that is movable along the insertion direction,
Each of the pair of actuator arms has a slope inclined at a tip in a direction approaching each other,
Each of the pair of latch arms is pushed by the slope of the tip of the actuator arm as the actuator moves in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, causing the pair of latch arms to bend inward with respect to each other. 3. The connector assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a step portion for removing the locking claw from the mounting body.   The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the actuator is urged forward in the insertion direction.   5. The connector assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a pull tab made of a flexible member that is connected to the actuator and protrudes from a rear end side of the connector housing along the insertion direction.

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