JP5434786B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

  The connector described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a lock arm along the outer surface of the housing, and a support portion serving as a fulcrum for elastic deformation of the lock arm is arranged at the center in the front-rear direction on both left and right edges of the lock arm. The lock arm is elastically bent like a seesaw between the lock position and the lock release position with the support portion as a fulcrum.

  When mating with the mating connector, the front end of the lock arm interferes with the locking portion of the mating connector, and the lock arm is temporarily elastically bent in the unlocking direction. When the two housings are in the fitted state, the lock arm is elastically returned to the locked position and locked with the locking portion, and both the housings are locked in the disengagement restricted state by the locking action. .

  Further, when the two housings in the fitted state are detached, the lock arm is elastically deflected to the lock release position by pushing the release portion provided at the rear end portion of the lock arm so as to be detached from the locking portion. It is like that.

JP 2002-329554 A

  The lock arm of the above conventional connector is either when the lock arm interferes with the locking part during the fitting of the housings, or when the operation part is pushed to release the lock while the housing is fitted. In the case of, similarly, it is elastically bent into a seesaw shape with the support portion as a fulcrum.

  However, in this connector, as a means for preventing the lock arm from inadvertently flexing to the unlocking position in the locked state, an auxiliary support portion for connecting the operation portion of the lock arm and the outer surface of the housing is provided. Due to the rigidity of the support portion, the lock arm is not easily elastically bent to improve the reliability of the lock function. For this reason, when the two housings are fitted together, it is inevitable that the fitting resistance when the lock arm is elastically bent due to the interference with the locking portion is increased.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce the fitting resistance caused by the elastic bending operation of the lock arm when the housing is fitted.

As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 comprises a lock arm provided along the outer surface of the connector housing, and in the process of fitting the connector housing to the mating connector, the lock When the front end portion of the arm interferes with the engaging portion of the mating connector, the lock arm is temporarily elastically bent in the unlocking direction, and the connector housing and the mating connector are fitted together, the lock arm In the connector in which the connector housing and the mating connector are locked in the disengagement restricted state by elastically returning to the locking position and locking with the locking portion, the lock arm has a front end portion. Is a free end capable of interfering with the locking portion, a first arm portion having a lock portion lockable with the locking portion, and the first arm An operation portion formed in the rear end portion of, extending from the operating portion forward or backward, and a second arm portion extending end portion is continuous with the connector housing,
A leg portion extending from the operation portion or the second arm portion and connected to a position between the lock portion and the operation portion in the front-rear direction of the connector housing; and the second arm The portion is characterized in that it extends forward from the operation portion and is arranged so as to be aligned with the first arm portion in the width direction .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the leg portion is substantially straight from the fulcrum portion connected to the connector housing in the leg portion toward the operation portion, and the first arm. It is characterized in that it is configured to extend in an oblique direction with respect to the part.

<Invention of Claim 1>
Since the extended end of the second arm part extending from the operation part is connected to the outer surface of the connector housing, and the leg part extending from the operation part or the second arm part is connected to the connector housing, the second arm part is It is supported by the connector housing at two places spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and it is difficult for elastic deformation to occur. Since the second arm portion extends from the operation portion, the operation portion is also difficult to displace. Accordingly, since the lock arm is prevented from inadvertently flexing in the unlocking direction due to the external force applied to the operation unit, the reliability of the lock function by the lock arm is high.

  Further, in the process of fitting the connector housing to the mating connector, when the front end portion of the first arm portion interferes with the locking portion, the operation portion at the rear end portion of the first arm portion is difficult to displace. The first arm portion is elastically bent with the operation portion as a fulcrum. In other words, the distance from the point of action that applies the bending force to the first arm part to the fulcrum of bending is substantially equal to the total length of the first arm part. Moreover, when the first arm portion is elastically bent, neither the second arm portion nor the leg portion is elastically bent. Therefore, the fitting resistance resulting from the elastic bending of the first arm portion is kept small.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Compared with the case where the leg portion is substantially perpendicular to the first arm portion and extends from the second arm portion toward the connector housing, the leg portion of the present invention has a longer dimension in the extending direction. can do. Thereby, when a leg part elastically bends with pushing operation operation at the time of lock release, the stress which arises in a leg part is relieved.

Partially cutaway plan view of the connector of the first embodiment AA line sectional view of FIG. BB sectional view of FIG. Partial rear view Sectional view showing the state of mating with the mating connector Sectional drawing showing the state which the 1st arm part elastically bent in the middle of fitting with the other party connector Cross-sectional view showing the normal mating with the mating connector Sectional view showing the lock released by the lock arm while properly mating with the mating connector

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The female connector F of this embodiment can be fitted to and detached from the male connector M (the mating connector that is a constituent of the present invention). In the following description, the direction of fitting / detaching is referred to as the front-rear direction. The male connector M has a known configuration in which a hood portion 31 protrudes forward (rightward in FIGS. 5 to 8) from the terminal holding portion 30, and the upper surface (outer surface) of the upper wall portion constituting the hood portion 31. ) Is formed with a locking portion 32 that exhibits a function of locking both connectors F and M in a normal fitting state by locking with a lock arm 14 described later. The front surface of the locking portion 32 that faces the female connector F is an interference surface 33 that is inclined with respect to the fitting / removing direction, and the rear surface of the locking portion 32 is substantially perpendicular to the fitting / detaching direction. It is a stop surface 34.

  The female connector F is made of a synthetic resin material, and is formed integrally with a connector housing 10 and a lock arm 14 provided along the upper surface (outer surface) of the connector housing 10. The connector housing 10 is formed integrally with a terminal accommodating portion 11 that accommodates a female terminal fitting (not shown) and a cylindrical fitting portion 12 that extends forward from the outer periphery of the terminal accommodating portion 11. The cylindrical fitting portion 12 has a pair of side wall portions 13 that are symmetrical. The side wall portion 13 has a rear end portion that is continuous with the upper surface of the terminal housing portion 11, rises upward from the upper surface of the terminal housing portion 11, and extends in the longitudinal direction.

  The lock arm 14 includes a first arm portion 15, a pair of left and right second arm portions 22, and a pair of left and right legs 24. The first arm portion 15 connects a pair of side frame portions 16 that are linearly symmetrical and extend in a straight line in the front-rear direction, and the front end portions (left end portions in FIGS. 5 to 8) of both side frame portions 16. The front frame portion 17 is elongated in the left-right direction (width direction), and the plate-like operation portion 18 that connects the rear end portions of the side frame portions 16 is provided. Accordingly, the first arm portion 15 has a frame shape having a large opening portion 19 penetrating in the vertical direction, and is extended from the operation portion 18 to the front in a cantilever shape.

  The front edge portion of the front frame portion 17 (the free end of the first arm portion 15) is an interference portion 20 that is in sliding contact with the interference surface 33 of the locking portion 32, and the rear edge portion of the front frame portion 17 is the engagement portion. The lock portion 21 is engaged with the engagement surface 34 of the stop portion 32. The upper surface of the operation unit 18 is formed in a step shape to prevent slipping. The width dimension of the operation portion 18 is wider than the left and right side frame portions 16, and the left end portion and the right end portion of the operation portion 18 protrude further outward in the width direction from the outer side edge of the side frame portion 16. .

  The pair of second arm portions 22 are bilaterally symmetric, and from the lower surface of the portion of the operation portion 18 that protrudes outward in the width direction from the side frame portion 16, forward (in the same direction as the extending direction of the first arm portion 15). ) In a straight line extending in parallel with the side frame 16. The second arm portion 22 is arranged so as to be aligned along the side edge of the side frame portion 16 (first arm portion 15) and the side wall portion 13 of the connector housing 10. In other words, the second arm portion 22 is disposed between the first arm portion 15 and the side wall portion 13.

  The front end portion of the second arm portion 22 is connected to the inner surface of the side wall portion 13 of the connector housing 10 via a connecting portion 23 that is flush with the outer side edge. The connecting part 23 is elongated in the front-rear direction, and the dimension of the connecting part 23 in the front-rear direction is the same as the dimension in the width direction of the connecting part 23 (that is, the distance in the width direction between the second arm part 22 and the side wall part 13). Long enough compared. The connecting portion 23 is positioned so as to correspond to the front end portion of the first arm portion 15 in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the front end of the connecting portion 23 is positioned in front of the front end (interference portion 20) of the first arm portion 15, and the rear end of the connecting portion 23 is behind the interference portion 20 of the first arm portion 15. And it is located ahead of the lock part 21.

  The pair of leg portions 24 are bilaterally symmetric, and obliquely downward and forward from the lower surface of the operation portion 18 toward the upper surface of the terminal accommodating portion 11 (connector housing 10) (relative to the fitting / detaching directions of the connectors F and M). The first arm portion 15 and the second arm portion 22 also extend straight (in an oblique direction). The lower end portion (extending end portion) of the leg portion 24 is connected to the upper surface of the connector housing 10 (terminal accommodating portion 11), and the portion where the leg portion 24 and the connector housing 10 are connected (the lower end portion of the leg portion 24) is The fulcrum portion 25 is an elastic deflection when the lock arm 14 is unlocked. The pair of leg portions 24 are arranged at positions corresponding to the side frame portions 16 in the width direction. Further, the fulcrum part 25 is arranged at a position between the operation part 18 and the lock part 21 in the front-rear direction.

  The lock arm 14 having such a configuration is connected (supported) to the connector housing 10 at a pair of symmetrically connected portions 23 and legs 24, and is not (always) subjected to external force to the lock arm 14 itself. The locking posture (locking position) shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 is held by rigidity. In a state where the lock arm 14 is in the locked posture, the side frame portion 16 and the second arm portion 22 of the first arm portion 15 are parallel to the fitting / removing direction of the connectors F and M.

  When the connectors F and M are started to be fitted and the connector housing 10 is brought close to the male connector M, the interference portion 20 at the front end portion of the first arm portion 15 interferes with the interference surface 33 of the locking portion 32, and interference occurs. Slide on the surface 33. Accordingly, an upward force (in a direction away from the outer surface of the connector housing 10) acts on the interference portion 20, so that the first arm portion 15 has the elongated side frame portion 16 with the operation portion 18 at the rear end as a fulcrum. Is bent elastically so that the front end is lifted, and is displaced to the interference avoidance posture (interference avoidance position) shown in FIG.

  When the first arm portion 15 is displaced to the interference avoidance posture, if the first arm portion 15 is tilted in a seesaw shape with the fulcrum portion 25 as a fulcrum, the leg 18 moves downward as the operation portion 18 is displaced downward. The portion 24 is elastically bent, and as a result, the elastic restoring force of the leg portion 24 increases the friction between the interference portion 20 and the interference surface 33, and accordingly, the fitting resistance of both the connectors F and M increases. It will be. However, in this embodiment, since the rear end portion of the second arm portion 22 is connected to the operation portion 18 and the front end portion of the second arm portion 22 is connected to the connector housing 10, the operation is performed depending on the rigidity of the second arm portion 22. The downward displacement of the part 18 is suppressed. Therefore, even if the first arm portion 15 is displaced to the interference avoidance posture, the operation portion 18 is not greatly displaced downward, and accordingly, the leg portion 24 is elastically bent as the operation portion 18 is displaced downward. An increase in fitting resistance due to this is avoided.

  When both the connectors F and M reach the proper fitting state, the front frame portion 17 of the first arm portion 15 passes through the locking portion 32, and the first arm portion 15 is elastically returned to the locked posture, as shown in FIG. As shown, the locking portion 21 is locked to the locking surface 34 of the locking portion 32, and both the connectors F and M are locked in the detachment restricted state by this locking action.

  When the two connectors F and M that are normally fitted are removed, an operating force is applied to the operating portion 18 from above while the lock arm 14 is in the locked posture. The operating force at this time needs to be large enough to overcome the rigidity of the leg portion 24 and the second arm portion 22. When an operating force is applied to the operating portion 18, the lock arm 14 is bent in a seesaw shape with the fulcrum portion 25 as a fulcrum while being elastically bent so that the leg portion 24 and the second arm portion 22 are bent. To the unlocking position (unlocking posture) shown in FIG.

  With this seesaw operation, the operation unit 18 is displaced downward (in a direction approaching the outer surface of the connector housing 10). At the same time, the second arm portion 22 tilts downward with the front-end connecting portion 23 as a fulcrum, and the leg portion 24 tilts downward with the front-end fulcrum portion 25 as a fulcrum. The posture is changed so that it can be lifted from the edge side. On the other hand, the first arm portion 15 is not affected by an external force and is extended in a cantilevered manner from the operation portion 18, so that the posture is changed integrally with the operation portion 18. That is, the 1st arm part 15 changes an attitude | position so that the lock part 21 of the front-end part may be displaced upwards without elastically bending. As a result, the locked state of the lock portion 21 and the locking portion 32 is released, and both the connectors F and M can be detached.

  In the present embodiment, the extension end of the second arm portion 22 extending from the operation portion 18 is continuous with the outer surface of the connector housing 10, and the leg portion 24 extending from the operation portion 18 is continuous with the connector housing 10. The second arm portion 22 is supported by the connector housing 10 at two positions spaced in the front-rear direction, and is less likely to be elastically bent. Since the second arm portion 22 extends from the operation portion 18, the operation portion 18 is also difficult to displace. This prevents the lock arm 14 from being inadvertently flexed in the unlocking direction due to the external force being applied to the operation unit 18, and thus the reliability of the lock function by the lock arm 14 is high. .

  Further, when the front end portion of the first arm portion 15 interferes with the locking portion 32 in the process of fitting the connector housing 10 (female connector F) to the mating connector, the operation of the rear end portion of the first arm portion 15 is performed. Since the portion 18 is difficult to be displaced, the first arm portion 15 is elastically bent with the operation portion 18 as a fulcrum. That is, the distance from the point of action that applies the bending force to the first arm portion 15 to the fulcrum of bending is substantially equal to the entire length of the first arm portion 15. Moreover, when the first arm portion 15 is elastically bent, neither the second arm portion 22 nor the leg portion 24 is elastically bent. Therefore, the fitting resistance resulting from the elastic bending of the first arm portion 15 is kept small.

  In addition, when the form is different from the present embodiment, that is, the leg part is substantially perpendicular to the first arm part and extends from the second arm part toward the connector housing, the length of the leg part Becomes shorter, the stress at the time of elastic bending of the leg portion becomes larger. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the leg portion 24 is substantially straight from the fulcrum portion 25 connected to the connector housing 10 in the leg portion 24 toward the operation portion 18 and obliquely with respect to the first arm portion 15. It is made into the form extended to. According to this configuration, since the dimension in the extending direction of the leg portion 24 can be increased, when the leg portion 24 is elastically bent as the operating portion 18 is pushed when unlocked, the leg portion 24 is moved. The stress generated in is relaxed.

  Similarly to the first arm unit 15, the second arm unit 22 extends forward from the operation unit 18, and the first arm unit 15 and the second arm unit 22 are arranged in the width direction. . According to this configuration, a large width dimension of the operation unit 18 can be ensured, so that the operability of the operation unit 18 can be improved.

<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.
(1) In the above embodiment, the leg portion is disposed at a position corresponding to the first arm portion in the width direction. However, the leg portion is disposed at a position corresponding to the second arm portion in the width direction (left-right direction). Also good.
(2) In the above embodiment, the leg portion is extended from the operation portion. However, the leg portion may be extended from the second arm portion. In this case, the leg portion may extend from the rear end portion of the second arm portion, or may extend from a position ahead of the rear end portion of the second arm portion.
(3) In the above embodiment, a pair of second arm portions are provided symmetrically in the left-right direction. However, only one second arm portion may be provided at the center in the left-right direction.
(4) In the above embodiment, a pair of leg portions are provided symmetrically in the left-right direction, but only one leg portion may be provided at the center in the left-right direction.

F ... Female connector (connector)
M ... Male connector (mating connector)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Connector housing 14 ... Lock arm 15 ... 1st arm part 18 ... Operation part 21 ... Lock part 22 ... 2nd arm part 24 ... Leg part 25 ... Supporting point part 32 ... Locking part

Claims (2)

A lock arm is provided along the outer surface of the connector housing,
In the process of fitting the connector housing to the mating connector, the front end of the lock arm interferes with the locking portion of the mating connector, and the lock arm is temporarily elastically bent in the unlocking direction,
When the connector housing and the mating connector are fitted, the lock arm is elastically returned to the locked position and locked with the locking portion, so that the connector housing and the mating connector are in a detachment restricted state. In connectors that are locked,
The lock arm is
A front end portion is a free end capable of interfering with the locking portion, a first arm portion having a locking portion lockable with the locking portion;
An operation portion formed at a rear end portion of the first arm portion;
A second arm portion extending forward or rearward from the operation portion, and an extended end portion connected to the connector housing;
A leg portion extending from the operation portion or the second arm portion and connected to a position between the lock portion and the operation portion in the front-rear direction of the connector housing ;
The connector is characterized in that the second arm portion extends forward from the operation portion and is arranged in the width direction with the first arm portion .   The leg portion is configured to extend from a fulcrum portion connected to the connector housing of the leg portion substantially straight toward the operation portion and in an oblique direction with respect to the first arm portion. The connector according to claim 1.

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