JP6642109B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

  Patent Literature 1 discloses a connector including a male connector housing having a flexible lock arm, a female connector housing that can be fitted to the male connector housing, and a fitting detection member that detects a fitted state of both connector housings. It has been disclosed. The fitting detecting member is supported so as to be elastically displaceable integrally with the rear end of the flexible lock arm, and is slidable between an initial position and a detecting position in front of the initial position. I have. The fitting detection member has a flexible detection arm extending forward in a cantilever manner, and the flexible lock arm has a lock projection.

  In a state in which both connector housings are not fitted and a state in which the connector housings are half-fitted, the front end of the flexible detection arm abuts against the lock projection, whereby the fitting detection member is held at the initial position. When the two connector housings reach the normal fitting state, the flexible lock arms are locked to the engagement protrusions of the second housing, so that the two connector housings are locked in the normal fitting state. When the two connector housings are properly fitted, the flexible detection arm is disengaged from the lock projection by interference with the engagement projection, so that the fitting detection member can move to the detection position. According to this configuration, it is possible to detect the fitted state of the two connector housings based on whether the fitting detection member can be moved to the detection position.

JP-A-8-031517

  In the above connector, when the two housings are properly fitted and the fitting detection member moves to the detection position, the fitting detection member contacts the outer surface of the female connector housing, thereby displacing the lock arm in the unlocking direction. It is being regulated. However, since there is only one contact portion for restricting the displacement of the lock arm, if the lock arm is deformed illegally due to an excessive external force and the orientation of the fitting detection member changes, the fitting may fail. There is a possibility that the engagement detecting member may come off from the female connector housing and the lock arm may be displaced in the unlocking direction.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and has as its object to improve the reliability of a lock function by a lock arm.

The present invention
A first housing;
A second housing that can be fitted to the first housing from the front;
A lock portion formed in the second housing;
The first housing and the second housing are formed in the first housing and locked in the properly fitted state by engaging with the lock portion, and are elastically displaced in a lock release direction disengaged from the lock portion. A lock arm for releasing the lock,
The first arm and the second housing are attached to the lock arm so as to be elastically displaceable in an unlocking direction, and are held at an initial position in a state where the first housing and the second housing are not fitted and a state where the second housing is half-fitted. A fitting detection member that is allowed to move to a detection position when the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted;
A front-side displacement restricting portion formed on the first housing, for restricting the lock arm from displacing in the unlocking direction by contacting the fitting detection member at the detection position;
A rearward displacement formed in the first housing at a position behind the frontward displacement restricting portion and for restricting the lock arm from displacing in the unlocking direction by abutting the fitting detection member at the detection position. It is characterized by having a regulating part.

  A fitting detection member, which is means for restricting displacement of the lock arm in the unlocking direction, is brought into contact with two displacement restricting portions spaced apart in the front-rear direction. By the contact at these two locations, the orientation of the fitting detection member with respect to the first housing is stabilized in an appropriate form. Thereby, the elastic displacement of the lock arm in the unlocking direction is restricted, and the locked state between the lock projection and the lock portion of the lock arm is maintained, so that the reliability of the lock function by the lock arm is high.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first housing of the first embodiment in which the fitting detection member is held at the initial position, as viewed obliquely from the front. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the state where the fitting detection member is held at the detection position in the first housing, as viewed obliquely from the front. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the state where the fitting detection member is held at the initial position in the first housing, as viewed obliquely from behind. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the state where the fitting detection member is held at the detection position in the first housing, as viewed obliquely from the rear. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state where the fitting detection member is held at an initial position in the first housing. Front view of first housing A side view showing a state where the fitting detection member is held at an initial position in the first housing. Front view of mating detection member Rear view of mating detection member Top view of mating detection member Side view of mating detection member Sectional side view showing the state before fitting of the first housing and the second housing. Side sectional view showing a state in which the first housing and the second housing are half-fitted. Side view showing a state where the first housing and the second housing are half-fitted. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state where the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted and the fitted detection member is held at an initial position. Sectional side view showing a state where the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted and the fitted detection member is held at the initial position. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted and the fitting detection member has moved to a detection position. Sectional side view showing a state where the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted and the fitting detection member has moved to the detection position. XX sectional view of FIG. 17 corresponding to the line XX in FIG. 17 showing a state in which the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted, the fitting detection member is held at the detection position, and the displacement of the lock arm in the unlocking direction is restricted. Sectional view

  The present invention is characterized in that the fitting detection member is provided with a lock release operation surface for elastically displacing the lock arm and the fit detection member in a lock release direction, and a front side of the lock release operation surface, A front contact portion that can contact the displacement restricting portion may be formed.

  The present invention is further characterized in that the fitting detection member is provided with a lock release operation surface for elastically displacing the lock arm and the fit detection member in a lock release direction, and a rearward position from the lock release operation surface, A rear contact portion that can contact the side displacement restricting portion may be formed.

  In the present invention, the first housing is provided with an interference restricting portion that restricts interference of foreign matter on a region facing the unlocking direction on the outer surface of the fitting detection member. A rear-side displacement restricting portion may be formed. According to this configuration, since the interference restricting portion and the rear displacement restricting portion are integrated, the shape of the first housing is smaller than when the interference restricting portion and the rear displacement restricting portion are formed in different portions. Can be simplified.

<Example 1>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the left and right directions in FIGS. Regarding the up and down direction, the directions appearing in FIGS. 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 11 to 13, 16 and 18 to 20 are defined as upward and downward as they are. Regarding the left and right directions, the upper side in FIGS. 5, 15, and 17 is defined as the right side.

<Basic configuration of connector>
The connector according to the first embodiment includes a first housing 10 and a second housing 50 that can be fitted to the first housing 10 from the front. A lock portion 54 is formed in the second housing 50, and a lock arm 15 is formed in the first housing 10 to lock the two housings 10 and 50 in a properly fitted state by engaging with the lock portion 54. . The lock arm 15 can be elastically displaced in a lock release direction that disengages from the lock portion 54. A support portion 20 is formed at the rear end of the lock arm 15, and the fitting detection member 30 is attached to the support portion 20 so as to be integrally elastically displaceable in the unlocking direction. The fitting detection member 30 can relatively move between an initial position with respect to the support portion 20 and a detection position in front of the initial position.

  The lock arm 15 is formed with a front stop portion 19 disposed at a position forward of the support portion 20 in the front-rear direction. The fitting detection member 30 is formed with an elastic locking piece 32 that projects forward from a main body 31 supported by the support portion 20. When the two housings 10 and 50 are not fitted and half-fitted, the fitting detection member 30 at the initial position moves to the detection position by the elastic locking piece 32 contacting the front stop portion 19. Is regulated. In a state where the two housings 10 and 50 are properly fitted, the elastic locking piece 32 is elastically displaced in the direction of disengaging from the front stop portion 19 due to the interference with the locking portion 54, and the fitting detecting member 30 is moved to the detecting position. You are allowed to move to.

<First housing 10>
The first housing 10 includes a synthetic resin housing main body 11 and a synthetic resin front retainer 12 attached to a front end of the housing main body 11. As shown in FIG. 12, a female terminal fitting 13 is inserted into the housing body 11 from the rear. On the upper surface of the housing body 11, a housing recess 14 is formed, which is recessed from the front end to the rear end.

  The lock arm 15 is housed in the housing recess 14. The lock arm 15 has an elongated shape in the front-rear direction, and is connected to the inner surface of the housing recess 14 at a connecting portion 16 at a front end thereof. That is, the lock arm 15 has a form extending cantilevered rearward from the connecting portion 16. The lock arm 15 can be elastically displaced in a lock release direction (downward), which is a direction approaching the upper surface of the housing body 11 with the connecting portion 16 as a fulcrum.

  At a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the lock arm 15, a locking hole 17 penetrating in the up-down direction is formed. A lock projection 18 is formed in a region of the upper surface of the lock arm 15 adjacent to the front of the locking hole 17 so as to protrude upward (in a direction opposite to the unlocking direction). A front end portion on the inner wall surface of the locking hole 17 and a rear end portion of the lock projection 18 form a front stop portion 19 which is continuous with each other. At the rear end (free end) of the lock arm 15, a support portion 20 for attaching the fitting detection member 30 is formed. The support 20 has a plate shape that is substantially perpendicular to the unlocking direction. A guide groove 21 linearly extending forward from the rear end edge of the support portion 20 is formed at the center in the left-right direction of the support portion 20.

  At a position near the rear end on the upper surface of the first housing 10, a pair of side wall portions 22 that rise upward from the left and right side edges of the housing recess 14 are formed. The left and right end portions of the movement restricting portion 23 which is elongated in the left and right direction are connected to the upper end edges of the left and right side wall portions 22. That is, the movement restricting portion 23 is disposed so as to cross right and left above the housing recess 14. The movement restricting unit 23 restricts the fitting detection member 30 from being moved to the detection position carelessly. The region on the lower surface side of the movement restricting portion 23 functions as the reversing restricting portion 24. That is, the movement restricting portion 23 and the reversing restricting portion 24 are formed integrally. The reversing restricting portion 24 restricts the lock arm 15 from being illegally elastically displaced in the reversing direction (upward) opposite to the unlocking direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first housing 10 is formed with a pair of left and right symmetrical front side displacement restricting portions 25. The front-side displacement restricting portion 25 is configured to protrude inward in the left-right direction from both left and right inner wall surfaces of the housing recess 14. In the front-rear direction, the front-side displacement restricting portion 25 is disposed at the same position as the front end of the support portion 20 of the lock arm 15. On the rear end face 10R of the first housing 10, a pair of left-right symmetric rear-side displacement restricting portions 26 are formed. The rear-side displacement restricting portion 26 protrudes rearward from both left and right side edges of the opening edge at the rear end of the housing recess 14 in a rib shape. The front-side displacement regulating portion 25 and the rear-side displacement regulating portion 26 regulate the displacement of the fitting detection member 30 at the detection position in the unlocking direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a pair of left-right symmetrical interference restricting portions 27 projecting rearward in a rib shape are formed on the rear end face 10 </ b> R of the first housing 10. The interference restricting portions 27 are arranged along the left and right side edges of the rear opening edge of the housing recess 14 and the lower edges of the rear edge of the housing recess 14. From the upper ends of the left and right interference restriction portions 27, the rear displacement restriction portion 26 projects outward in the left and right direction. That is, the interference regulating portion 27 and the rear displacement regulating portion 26 are formed integrally. The rear edge of the interference restricting portion 27 and the rear edge of the rear displacement restricting portion 26 are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction.

<Mating detection member 30>
The fitting detection member 30 is made of a synthetic resin, and is a single component having a main body 31 and an elastic locking piece 32 as shown in FIGS. The main body 31 includes a substrate 33 having a substantially square shape in plan view, and a plate-like leg 34 projecting downward from the lower surface of the substrate 33. The plate-like leg portion 34 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the substrate portion 33 with the plate thickness direction facing the left-right direction.

  The elastic locking piece 32 has an elongated shape in the front-rear direction. The rear end portion 32R of the elastic locking piece 32 has a width dimension (dimension in the left-right direction) larger than that of the plate-like leg portion 34 and is connected to the lower edge of the plate-like leg portion 34. Portions of the rear end portion 32 </ b> R of the elastic locking piece 32 that protrude to the left and right sides of the plate-shaped leg portion 34 are arranged to face the lower surface of the substrate portion 33. An area of the elastic locking piece 32 that is located forward of the rear end 32R is an arm 35 extending forward from the main body 31 in a cantilever manner. The arm 35 can be elastically displaced vertically with respect to the main body 31. At the front end of the arm portion 35, a pressure receiving protrusion 36 having a form projecting upward is formed.

  The fitting detection member 30 is assembled to the support portion 20 of the lock arm 15 from behind. In the assembled state, the substrate part 33 and the rear end part 32R sandwich the support part 20 in the vertical direction, so that the relative displacement and the relative inclination of the main body part 31 with respect to the support part 20 in the vertical direction are regulated. That is, the support portion 20 and the main body portion 31 are displaced in the vertical direction as a unit in a side view.

  In a state where the fitting detection member 30 is assembled to the support portion 20, the plate-like leg portions 34 are fitted into the guide grooves 21. By this fitting, the relative movement of the main body 31 of the fitting detection member 30 in the left-right direction with respect to the support 20 is restricted. However, the plate-like leg 34 is guided by the guide groove 21 to detect the initial position (see FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7, 12, 13, 15, and 16) and the front of the initial position. It can be moved back and forth between positions (see FIGS. 2, 4, 17, 18-20).

  In the state where the fitting detection member 30 is in the initial position, as shown in FIG. 12, the pressure receiving projection 36 of the elastic locking piece 32 enters the locking hole 17 and abuts against the front stop 19 from behind. Or, they are in a close-to-opposed positional relationship. When the pressure receiving protrusion 36 comes into contact with the front stop portion 19, the movement of the fitting detection member 30 to the detection position (forward) is restricted. Further, the fitting detection member 30 at the initial position locks the retaining protrusion 37 formed on the lower surface of the substrate portion 33 with the retaining portion (not shown) of the support portion 20, so that the fitting detection member 30 moves backward with respect to the support portion 20. Relative movement is regulated. Thereby, the fitting detection member 30 is held at the initial position.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the state where the fitting detection member 30 is at the initial position, the front end portion of the board portion 33 is positioned so as to face the reversing restricting portion 24 with a small gap from below. Therefore, when the support portion 20 of the lock arm 15 and the fitting detection member 30 are to be displaced in the reversing direction (upward), the front edge of the substrate portion 33 comes into contact with the lower surface of the reversing restricting portion 24. The displacement in the reverse direction is regulated. The front edge of the substrate 33 is located slightly behind the front end of the support 20, and the rear end of the substrate 33 projects rearward from the rear end face 10 </ b> R of the first housing 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, on the upper surface of the substrate portion 33, a finger hook portion 38 is formed in the form of a rib extending in the left-right direction along the rear edge. A pair of abutting portions 39 are formed on the upper surface of the substrate portion 33 so as to protrude in the form of ribs in the front-rear direction along the left and right side edges thereof in a symmetrical manner. The rear end of the abutting portion 39 is connected to the left and right ends of the finger hook 38. The position of the front end of the abutment portion 39 is a position slightly behind the front end edge of the substrate portion 33.

  When the fitting detection member 30 is in the initial position, the front end of the abutting portion 39 is located slightly behind the rear end edge of the movement restricting portion 23. When the fitting detection member 30 is at the initial position and the lock arm 15 is not elastically displaced, the range in which the abutting portion 39 is formed in the vertical direction (the elastic displacement direction of the lock arm 15) and the movement restricting portion 23 Are partially overlapped with the vertical formation range. That is, the front end face of the abutting portion 39 faces the rear end face of the movement restricting section 23 with a slight gap.

  A substantially rectangular area defined by the finger hook 38 and the left and right abutting parts 39 on the upper surface of the substrate part 33 is a lock release operation surface 40. That is, the pair of abutting portions 39 are arranged at positions so as to sandwich the unlocking operation surface 40 from both sides in the left-right direction (width direction). When the fitting detection member 30 is in the initial position, the unlocking operation surface 40 is disposed behind the movement restricting portion 23 and is exposed in an open state upward. When the fitting detection member 30 moves to the detection position, the front end of the unlocking operation unit is hidden below the movement restriction unit 23 (reversal restriction unit 24).

  Both left and right ends of the front edge of the substrate 33 function as front contact portions 41. In the left-right direction, the pair of front contact portions 41 are arranged at the same positions as the pair of front displacement restriction portions 25. However, when the fitting detection member 30 is in the initial position, the front contact portion 41 is located behind the front displacement regulating portion 25. Therefore, when the lock arm 15 elastically displaces in the unlocking direction, the front contact portion 41 does not interfere with the front displacement restricting portion 25.

  When the fitting detection member 30 moves to the detection position, the pair of front contact portions 41 are positioned so as to face the pair of front displacement restricting portions 25 from above with a slight gap. In this state, when the lock arm 15 attempts to elastically displace in the unlocking direction, the pair of front abutting portions 41 abut against the pair of front displacement restricting portions 25 from above. Displacement is regulated.

  A pair of right and left rear contact portions 42 are formed in the main body 31 of the fitting detection member 30. The left and right rear contact portions 42 are formed to project obliquely rearward from both left and right end portions of the rear end portion of the main body 31. The rear contact portion 42 extends outward in the left-right direction beyond the left and right side edges of the main body 31. In the left-right direction, the pair of rear contact portions 42 are arranged at the same positions as the pair of rear displacement restriction portions 26. However, when the fitting detection member 30 is in the initial position, the rear contact portion 42 is located rearward of the rear displacement restricting portion 26. Therefore, when the lock arm 15 elastically displaces in the unlocking direction, the rear contact portion 42 does not interfere with the rear displacement restricting portion 26.

  When the fitting detection member 30 moves to the detection position, the pair of rear contact portions 42 are positioned so as to face the pair of rear displacement restriction portions 26 from above with a slight gap. In this state, when the lock arm 15 attempts to elastically displace in the lock release direction, the pair of rear contact portions 42 contact the pair of rear displacement restriction portions 26 from above. Is restricted.

  A pair of left and right upper turning surfaces 43 and a pair of left and right lower turning surfaces 44 are formed at the rear end of the fitting detection member 30. The upper turning surface 43 is disposed on both left and right ends of the rear end edge of the substrate 33. The side view shape of the upper turning surface 43 is a substantially arc shape. In addition, a pair of rear turning surfaces are formed on the upper surface of the rear contact portion 42, and are disposed obliquely downward and rearward with respect to the upper turning surface 43. Both the upper turning surface 43 and the lower turning surface 44 face diagonally upward and rearward. Therefore, when a forward external force is applied to the upper and lower turning surfaces 43 and 44 from the rear, the forward external force is applied as a downward pressing force by the two turning surfaces 43 and 44 to the rear of the fitting detection member 30 and the lock arm 15. Applied to the end. This downward pressing force is the same in the vertical direction as the unlocking direction.

<Second housing 50>
The second housing 50 is made of a synthetic resin and includes a terminal holding portion 51 and a rectangular tubular hood portion 52 protruding from the outer peripheral edge of the terminal holding portion 51 to the front side (to the right in FIG. 12). I have. A plurality of male terminal fittings 53 are held by the terminal holding section 51, and tabs at the front ends of the male terminal fittings 53 are collectively surrounded by the hood section 52. A lock portion 54 is formed on an upper wall portion of the hood portion 52. The lock portion 54 is configured to protrude downward (inside the hood portion 52) from the front edge of the upper wall portion. The projecting direction of the lock portion 54 is the same as the unlocking direction of the lock arm 15 in the vertical direction. The first housing 10 is fitted into the hood portion 52. When the first housing 10 is correctly fitted into the hood portion 52, the two housings 10, 50 are in a properly fitted state, and the female terminal fitting 13 and the male terminal fitting 53 are connected.

<Operation and effect when both housings 10, 50 are not fitted>
In a state where the two housings 10 and 50 are not fitted, the rear end of the main body 31 of the fitting detection member 30 held at the initial position protrudes rearward from the interference restricting portion 27. If the foreign matter is caught on the lower surface of the rear end of the main body 31, the lock arm 15 and the fitting detection member 30 may be displaced in the reverse direction (upward). However, since the reversing restricting portion 24 is disposed above the front end of the main body portion 31 with a slight gap therebetween, the lock arm 15 and the fitting detection member 30 are largely displaced in the reversing direction. Never.

  When the rear end of the main body 31 (a region behind the inversion restricting portion 24) is pressed in the reversing direction with a large force in a state where the front end of the main body 31 is in contact with the inversion restricting portion 24, the locking is performed. The arm 15 may be curved so as to expand downward (in the unlocking direction). When the lock arm 15 bends, the support portion 20 at the rear end of the lock arm 15 is tilted forward so as to tilt forward. Therefore, the main body portion 31 supported by the support portion 20 is also integrated with the support portion 20. Lean forward. When the main body 31 is tilted forward, the front end (pressure receiving projection 36) of the elastic locking piece 32 extending forward from the main body 31 is displaced downward, and the engagement between the pressure receiving projection 36 and the front stop 19 in the vertical direction is reduced. The stop margin (contact area) becomes smaller, or the pressure receiving projection 36 is disengaged from the front stop portion 19.

  When the locking allowance between the pressure receiving protrusion 36 and the front stop portion 19 is reduced, or the pressure receiving protrusion 36 is disengaged from the front stop portion 19, when the pressing force from the rear is applied to the fitting detection member 30, the fitting detection is performed. There is a concern that the member 30 is pushed into the detection position without being held at the initial position. If the two housings 10, 50 are fitted together while the fitting detection member 30 is being pushed into the detection position, the fitted state of the two housings 10, 50 cannot be accurately detected. However, even if the fitting detection member 30 is pushed forward in the state where the lock arm 15 is curved as described above, the abutting portion 39 of the fitting detection member 30 will not move with respect to the movement restricting portion 23 of the first housing 10. Since it abuts from behind, the movement of the fitting detection member 30 to the detection position side is restricted.

  If the worker erroneously pushes the main body 31 from behind and pushes the fitting detecting member 30 at the initial position to the detecting position in a state where the two housings 10 and 50 are not fitted, the supporting portion 20 There is a concern that an upward force (a reverse direction opposite to the lock release direction) is applied, and the lock arm 15 is bent and deformed as described above. However, when the operator pushes the main body 31, the operator's finger hits the upper turning surface 43 and the lower turning surface 44, so that the forward pushing operation force applied to the main body 31 is directed downward by the inclination of the turning surfaces 43 and 44 ( (Lock release direction). Therefore, there is no possibility that the main body 31 and the support portion 20 of the lock arm 15 are pressed in the reverse direction (upward). Thus, since the bending deformation of the lock arm 15 is prevented, there is no possibility that the elastic locking piece 32 is separated from the front stop portion 19.

  As described above, in the connector of the first embodiment, the movement restricting portion 23 is formed in the first housing 10. In a state where the fitting detection member 30 is at the initial position, the lock arm 15 is bent and deformed by interference of a foreign substance or the like, and the elastic locking piece 32 is displaced in a direction to be disengaged from the front stop portion 19 due to the bent deformation. However, when the abutting portion 39 of the fitting detection member 30 contacts the movement restricting portion 23, the movement of the fitting detection member 30 to the detection position side is regulated, and the fitting detection member 30 is held at the initial position. Is done. Therefore, the reliability of the fitting detection function by the fitting detection member 30 is excellent.

  Further, the movement restricting portion 23 is formed with a reversing restricting portion 24 for restricting the displacement of the lock arm 15 in the reverse direction opposite to the unlocking direction. According to this configuration, the shape of the first housing 10 can be simplified as compared with a case where a dedicated inversion restricting portion 24 is formed in a portion different from the movement restricting portion 23.

  Further, since the fitting detection member 30 is made of a synthetic resin, there is a concern that improper deformation called sink may occur during molding of the mold. If the degree of sink marks generated in the main body 31 is large, when the lock arm 15 is bent and deformed, the abutment portion 39 is not correctly abutted against the movement restricting portion 23, and the fitting detection member 30 is pushed into the detection position. It is feared that it will. However, the abutting portion 39 does not have a block shape, but has a rib-like shape, and is divided into a plurality of positions. Thus, sink marks generated when the fitting detection member 30 is molded can be reduced.

  Further, on the outer surface of the fitting detection member 30, a lock release operation surface 40 for releasing the lock with the lock portion 54 by elastically displacing the lock arm 15 in the lock release direction is formed. A pair of abutting portions 39 are arranged so as to sandwich the unlocking operation surface 40 in a width direction (lateral direction) intersecting with the disengaging direction of the elastic locking piece 32 and the front stop portion 19. According to this configuration, since the abutment portion 39 does not exist within the formation range of the lock release operation surface 40, the lock release operation surface 40 has a flat shape with good operability.

  7 and 12, when the fitting detection member 30 is in the initial position, the rear edge 32E of the rear end portion 32R of the elastic locking piece 32 and the rear contact portion 42 are The first housing 10 (housing main body 11) protrudes rearward from a rear end face 10R (a face where the rear end of the terminal accommodating chamber opens). If foreign matter interferes with the lower surface of the rearmost edge 32E of the elastic locking piece 32 or the lower surface of the rear contact portion 42, an external force in the reverse direction is applied to the support portion 20 of the lock arm 15, and the lock arm 15 is There is a concern that the elastic locking piece 32 may be disengaged from the lock arm 15 due to bending deformation.

  However, in the rear end surface 10R of the first housing 10, a pair of left and right interference restricting portions disposed below the rear contact portion 42 are provided at positions corresponding to the pair of rear contact portions 42 in the left-right direction. 27 are formed. The interference restricting portion 27 has a form that protrudes from the rear end face 10R of the first housing 10 in a vertical rib shape. The presence of the interference restricting portion 27 makes it difficult for foreign matter to interfere with the lower surface of the rearmost edge portion 32E of the elastic locking piece 32 and the lower surface of the rear contact portion 42.

<Description of fitting process of both housings 10 and 50>
When fitting the two housings 10 and 50, the first housing 10 is fitted into the hood portion 52 of the second housing 50. In the fitting process, as shown in FIG. 13, the lock projection 18 interferes with the lock portion 54, and the lock arm 15 is elastically displaced in the unlocking direction, so that the two housings 10, 50 are in a half-fitted state. At this time, the main body 31 (fitting detection member 30) attached to the support 20 of the lock arm 15 is displaced integrally with the support 20, and the elastic locking piece 32 is in non-contact with the lock 54. Therefore, there is no possibility that the elastic locking piece 32 is separated from the front stop portion 19. Therefore, even if the fitting detection member 30 is pushed forward in this half-fitted state, the fitting detection member 30 is held at the initial position without moving to the detection position side.

  Further, when the fitting detection member 30 is displaced integrally with the lock arm 15, the front contact portion 41 is located behind the front displacement control portion 25, so that the front contact portion 41 does not interfere with the front displacement control component 25. Displaces downward. Similarly, since the rear contact portion 42 is located behind the rear displacement restricting portion 26, the rear contact portion 42 is displaced downward without interfering with the rear displacement restricting portion 26. Therefore, there is no hindrance to the elastic displacement operation of the lock arm 15 in the unlocking direction.

  When the two housings 10 and 50 reach a proper fitting state, as shown in FIG. 16, the lock projection 18 passes through the lock portion 54, so that the lock arm 15 elastically returns upward. When the lock arm 15 elastically returns, the lock projection 18 and the lock portion 54 are locked, so that the two housings 10 and 50 are prevented from being separated from each other and locked in the properly fitted state.

  Further, when the housings 10 and 50 reach the normal fitting state, the pressure receiving projection 36 of the elastic locking piece 32 is located immediately below the lock portion 54, so that the pressure receiving projection 36 is locked with the elastic return of the lock arm 15. Interference with the portion 54 causes the arm portion 35 of the elastic locking piece 32 to elastically displace downward relative to the lock arm 15. Due to the elastic displacement of the arm portion 35, the pressure receiving protrusion 36 is dissociated downward relative to the front stop portion 19 of the lock arm 15, so that the fitting detection member 30 is allowed to move to the detection position side. Becomes

  Thereafter, if the fitting detection member 30 at the initial position is pushed into the detection position, the fitting operation of the two housings 10 and 50 is completed. If the two housings 10 and 50 remain half-fitted, the pressure receiving projection 36 and the front stop portion 19 are locked as described above, so that the fitting detection member 30 can be pushed into the detection position. Can not. Therefore, based on whether or not the fitting detection member 30 can be moved to the detection position, the fitting state of the two housings 10, 50 can be detected.

<Operation and effect in a state where the two housings 10, 50 are properly fitted and the fitting detection member 30 is moved to the detection position>
In a state where the two housings 10 and 50 are properly fitted and the fitting detection member 30 is pushed into the detection position, as shown in FIG. Under the lock projection 18. Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the pair of left and right front contact portions 41 are positioned so as to face the upper surfaces of the pair of left and right front displacement regulating portions 25 with a slight gap therebetween, and a pair of right and left rear portions. The contact portion 42 faces the upper surfaces of the pair of left and right rear displacement restricting portions 26 with a slight gap therebetween, or contacts the upper surfaces of the pair of left and right rear displacement restricting portions 26.

  Therefore, even if a downward (unlocking direction) external force or pushing force is applied to the rear end of the lock arm 15 in this state, the front contact portion 41 contacts the front displacement restricting portion 25 and the rear contact By the contact portion 42 abutting on the rear displacement regulating portion 26, the elastic displacement of the lock arm 15 in the unlocking direction is regulated. As a result, the locked state between the lock projection 18 and the lock portion 54 is maintained, so that the housings 10 and 50 are reliably maintained in the properly fitted state. Further, since the front contact portion 41, the front displacement regulating portion 25, the rear contact portion 42, and the rear displacement regulating portion 26 are all provided in a pair at intervals in the left-right direction, the lock arm 15 is provided. There is no possibility that the posture of the camera will be tilted left or right.

  As described above, in the connector of the first embodiment, the front housing 10 is provided with the front-side displacement restricting portion 25 and the rear-side displacement restricting portion 26. The front-side displacement restricting portion 25 restricts the lock arm 15 from being displaced in the unlocking direction by bringing the fitting detection member 30 at the detection position into contact. The rear-side displacement restricting portion 26 is formed at a position behind the front-side displacement restricting portion 25, and restricts the lock arm 15 from displacing in the unlocking direction by abutting the fitting detection member 30 at the detection position. .

  As described above, the fitting detection member 30 at the detection position exerts a function as a means for restricting the displacement of the lock arm 15 in the unlocking direction by abutting on the first housing 10. The member 30 is in contact with two displacement regulating portions 25 and 26 spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The contact of the two places stabilizes the orientation of the fitting detection member 30 with respect to the first housing 10 in an appropriate form, so that the lock arm 15 is not elastically displaced in the unlocking direction. Thereby, the locked state between the lock projection 18 of the lock arm 15 and the lock portion 54 is reliably maintained, so that the lock function of the lock arm 15 is highly reliable.

  Further, a lock release operation surface 40 for elastically displacing the lock arm 15 and the fit detection member 30 in the lock release direction is formed on the fitting detection member 30. The front contact portion 41 of the fitting detection member 30 as contact means for contacting the front displacement regulating portion 25 is disposed forward of the lock release operation surface 40. Further, a rear contact portion 42 of the fitting detection member 30 as a contact means for contacting the rear displacement regulating portion 26 is disposed rearward of the lock release operation surface 40. Thus, the front contact part 41 and the rear contact part 42 are arranged with a sufficient space in the front-rear direction.

  In addition, the pair of right and left rear displacement restricting portions 26 are formed so as to be integrally connected to upper end portions of the pair of interference restricting portions 27. Therefore, the shape of the rear end of the first housing 10 is simplified as compared with the case where the interference restricting portion 27 and the rear-side displacement restricting portion 26 are formed in different portions.

<Explanation of detaching work of both housings 10, 50>
When detaching the two housings 10, 50, a finger is hooked on the finger hook 38 to move the fitting detection member 30 at the detection position to the initial position. Then, the front contact portion 41 moves to a position displaced rearward with respect to the front displacement control portion 25, and the rear contact portion 42 moves to a position displaced rearward with respect to the rear displacement control portion 26. The lock arm 15 is allowed to move in the unlocking direction. When the lock release operation surface 40 is pushed from this state, the lock arm 15 is elastically displaced in the lock release direction, the lock projection 18 is disengaged from the lock portion 54, and the two housings 10, 50 are moved from the locked state by the lock arm 15 To be released. Thereafter, the two housings 10, 50 may be separated while the lock arm 15 is displaced in the unlocking direction.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the rear displacement restricting portion is formed in the interference restricting portion. However, the rear displacement restricting portion may be formed in a portion different from the interference restricting portion.
(2) In the above embodiment, the front contact portion is disposed at a position forward of the lock release operation surface. However, the front contact portion may be disposed within the formation range of the lock release operation surface in the front-rear direction. , May be arranged behind the unlocking operation surface.
(3) In the above embodiment, the rear contact portion is disposed at a position rearward of the lock release operation surface. However, the rear contact portion is disposed within the formation range of the lock release operation surface in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, it may be arranged forward of the unlock operation surface.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st housing 15 ... Lock arm 25 ... Front side displacement regulation part 26 ... Rear side displacement regulation part 27 ... Interference regulation part 30 ... Fitting detection member 40 ... Unlocking operation surface 41 ... Front contact part 42 ... Rear contact Contact part 50: second housing 54: lock part

Claims (4)

A first housing;
A second housing that can be fitted to the first housing from the front;
A lock portion formed in the second housing;
The first housing and the second housing are formed in the first housing and locked in the properly fitted state by being locked with the lock portion, and are elastically displaced in a lock release direction disengaged from the lock portion. A lock arm for releasing the lock,
The first arm and the second housing are attached to the lock arm so as to be elastically displaceable in a lock release direction, and are held at an initial position in a state where the first housing and the second housing are not fitted and a state where the second housing is half-fitted. A fitting detection member that is allowed to move to a detection position when the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted;
A front-side displacement restricting portion formed on the first housing, for restricting the lock arm from displacing in the unlocking direction by contacting the fitting detection member at the detection position;
A rear displacement formed at a position behind the front displacement restricting portion in the first housing and restricting the lock arm from displacing in the unlocking direction by abutting the fitting detection member at the detection position. With a regulation department,
The first housing is provided with an interference restricting portion for restricting interference of foreign matter on a region of the outer surface of the fitting detection member facing the unlocking direction, and the interference restricting portion is provided with the rear displacement restricting member. A connector, wherein a connector is formed . A first housing;
A second housing that can be fitted to the first housing from the front;
A lock portion formed in the second housing;
The first housing and the second housing are formed in the first housing and locked in the properly fitted state by engaging with the lock portion, and are elastically displaced in a lock release direction disengaged from the lock portion. A lock arm for releasing the lock,
The first arm and the second housing are attached to the lock arm so as to be elastically displaceable in an unlocking direction, and are held at an initial position in a state where the first housing and the second housing are not fitted and a state where the second housing is half-fitted. A fitting detection member that is allowed to move to a detection position when the first housing and the second housing are properly fitted;
A front-side displacement restricting portion formed on the first housing, for restricting the lock arm from displacing in the unlocking direction by contacting the fitting detection member at the detection position;
The lock arm is formed at a position behind the front displacement restricting portion in the first housing and separated from the lock arm, and the lock arm is displaced in the unlocking direction by abutting the fitting detection member at the detection position. And a rear-side displacement restricting portion for restricting the movement. In the fitting detection member,
A lock release operation surface for elastically displacing the lock arm and the fitting detection member in a lock release direction,
3. The connector according to claim 1 , further comprising a front contact portion disposed forward of the lock release operation surface and capable of contacting the front displacement restricting portion . In the fitting detection member,
A lock release operation surface for elastically displacing the lock arm and the fitting detection member in a lock release direction,
4. A rear contact portion disposed behind the lock release operation surface and capable of contacting the rear displacement restricting portion. A connector as described in.

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