JP6871066B2 - Connector, receptacle, plug - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector, a receptacle, and a plug for connecting an electric signal line, an optical fiber cable, or the like to an apparatus by inserting a plug into a hole of the receptacle and fitting and connecting the plug.

Wiring cables such as electric signal lines and optical fiber cables, which are conventionally used for communication between devices using electric signals and optical signals, can be easily attached to and detached from the devices. So-called connectors are widely used.

The conventional connector facilitates the wiring cable by fitting a plug provided at the end of a wiring cable such as an electric signal line or an optical fiber cable into a receptacle installed on the surface of a device housing. It is configured so that it can be connected to the electric circuit inside the device and can be easily removed.

It is well known that in this type of connector, especially in the connector used for optical transmission equipment, when the plug and the receptacle are fitted and connected, a structure that performs more accurate axis alignment and plug rotation regulation is required. Is.

Therefore, in the conventional connector, as a structure for absorbing the positional deviation (error) that occurs when the plug is fitted and connected to the receptacle, for example, a structure called a floating structure is adopted.

The floating structure in the connector means that at least a part of a plug or receptacle component involved in connecting an optical fiber, a signal line, or the like can move in a plane orthogonal to the insertion direction of the plug. It is configured in.

In this case, when the plug is inserted into the hole provided in the receptacle, the tip portion of the plug is guided toward the hole in the vicinity of the periphery of the opening of the hole into which the plug is inserted. In addition to providing a guide portion for this purpose, some are configured to have a rotation restricting portion that regulates the rotation of the plug around the insertion shaft when the plug is inserted into the hole portion.

For example, the connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-20964 is a guide that guides the insertion of a cylindrical unit (plug) into a hole of a holder (receptacle) when the unit (plug) is inserted into the hole of the holder (receptacle). It is configured to have a portion and a groove portion that regulates rotation around the insertion shaft of the holder when the holder is inserted into the hole portion.

Specifically, for example, while a convex portion is projected on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical unit, the holder is a guide for axis alignment formed so that the vicinity of the insertion port expands toward the front side in the insertion direction. It has a portion and a positioning groove portion in which a part of the outer surface of the holder is cut out. The positioning groove portion is formed so as to be connected to the rotation regulation groove that regulates the rotation of the holder when the convex portion is inserted and to be connected to the rotation regulation groove so as to expand toward the front side in the insertion direction. It is formed by an introduction groove that guides the convex portion to the rotation regulation groove.

International Publication No. WO2008 / 023741 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-20964

However, in the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-20964 or the like, an introduction groove for a positioning groove portion is formed in a part of the axis alignment guide portion of the holder.
When inserting the columnar unit toward the hole of the holder, if the columnar unit at the start of insertion is significantly displaced in the rotation direction, the convex portion is before being introduced into the introduction groove portion of the positioning groove portion. There is a possibility that the convex portion may be fitted into or caught in the gap in the inner diameter direction of the shaft alignment guide portion. Therefore, there is a possibility that the convex portion cannot be reliably introduced from the introduction groove portion to the rotation regulation groove portion, or the parts may be damaged.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is a connector in which a plug is inserted into a hole formed in a receptacle to be fitted and connected, and the plug is used. In the form of having a guide part for aligning the insertion shaft of the plug with the central shaft of the hole, and a rotation control part for restricting the rotation of the plug around the insertion shaft when the plug is inserted into the hole. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector, a receptacle, and a plug having a structure capable of always and accurately and surely and accurately fitting and connecting the plug and the receptacle.

In order to achieve the above object, the connector of one aspect of the present invention includes a plug, a receptacle forming a hole into which the plug is inserted, a protrusion provided on one of the plug and the receptacle, and the plug. A receiving portion provided on the other side of the receptacle and restricting the rotation of the protrusion about the insertion direction to a predetermined width when the plug is inserted into the receptacle, and the other side of the plug and the receptacle. It is provided and has a shape that guides the plug into the hole of the receptacle in conjunction with the insertion of the plug into the receptacle after the rotation of the protrusion is restricted by the receiving portion, and the protrusion can be inserted. A plug guide portion forming a first groove wider than the predetermined width regulated by the receiving portion and a plug guide portion provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the plug guide portion so that the protrusion can be inserted. Yes A protrusion guide portion that forms a second groove that is narrowed in the insertion direction of the protrusion, and a protrusion guide portion that is provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the protrusion guide portion so that the protrusion can be inserted and the protrusion Has a rotation restricting portion that forms a third groove that narrows the rotation width of the protrusion from the predetermined width when the protrusion is inserted.

The receptacle of one aspect of the present invention has a hole into which a plug having a protrusion protruding in the outer peripheral direction is inserted, and guides the plug toward the hole when the plug is inserted into the hole. A plug guide portion having a first groove capable of inserting the protrusion and having a first groove substantially parallel to the insertion direction of the protrusion or extending in the insertion direction, and a plug guide portion on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the plug guide portion. The protrusion guide portion is provided in the above and has a second groove narrowed in the insertion direction of the protrusion, and the protrusion is provided on the side of the protrusion guide portion in the insertion direction of the protrusion. It has a rotation regulating portion that is insertable and has a third groove that regulates the rotation of the plug around the insertion axis by inserting the protrusion.

The plug of one aspect of the present invention is a plug that can be inserted into a receptacle having a protrusion protruding toward the inner peripheral direction, and the plug is the plug that is centered on the insertion direction when the receptacle is inserted. The main body portion that regulates the rotation of the plug with respect to the protrusion to a predetermined width, and after the rotation of the plug is restricted by the main body portion, it is guided to a hole provided in the receptacle in conjunction with insertion into the receptacle. A plug guide portion having a shape and capable of inserting the protrusion and forming a first groove wider than the predetermined width regulated by the main body portion, and an insertion direction of the protrusion rather than the plug guide portion. A protrusion guide portion provided on the side and forming a second groove having a shape narrowed in the insertion direction of the protrusion and the protrusion can be inserted, and a protrusion guide portion provided on the side of the protrusion guide portion in the insertion direction of the protrusion. It has a rotation restricting portion that is capable of inserting the protrusion and forms a third groove that narrows the rotation width of the protrusion from the predetermined width by inserting the protrusion.

According to the present invention, it is a connector in a form in which a plug is inserted into a hole formed in a receptacle to be fitted and connected, and a guide portion for aligning the insertion shaft of the plug with the central shaft of the hole. , It is a form equipped with a rotation restricting part for restricting the rotation of the plug around the insertion shaft when the plug is inserted into the hole, and always reliably and accurately fits and connects the plug and the receptacle. It is possible to provide a connector, a receptacle, and a plug having a structure that can be used.

Overall configuration diagram showing an outline of an endoscope system including a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. External perspective view showing a plug forming a part of the connector of one embodiment of the present invention. External perspective view showing a receptacle constituting another part of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing a state at the initial stage of insertion when the plug of FIG. 2 is fitted and connected to the receptacle of FIG. A cross-sectional view showing a state in which the plug is further inserted into the receptacle from the state of FIG. 4 and before the plug shaft is inserted into the hole. When the plug of FIG. 2 is fitted and connected to the receptacle of FIG. 3, the plug is further inserted into the receptacle from the state of FIG. 5, and the plug shaft is inserted from the hole to the insertion hole of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion. A plan view showing a state in which the protrusion is being inserted into the position before the protrusion is fitted into the positioning groove. Of the components of the receptacle shown in FIG. 3, an enlarged perspective view of the main part (particularly the positioning groove part) of the plug shaft insertion receiving part is enlarged and shown. Conceptual diagram which briefly conceptualizes the engagement relationship and action between the protrusion on the plug side and the positioning groove on the receptacle side in the connector of one embodiment of the present invention. An enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged state when a protrusion on the plug side and a positioning groove on the receptacle side of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention are engaged with each other. The figure which shows the receptacle and the plug of the modification of one Embodiment of this invention. In another modification of one embodiment of the present invention, an enlarged plan view of a main part showing a state of an initial stage in which a plug shaft is inserted into a plug shaft insertion receiving portion. From the state of FIG. 11, an enlarged plan view of a main part showing a state in which the plug shaft is inserted into the plug shaft insertion receiving portion and the rotation of the plug is restricted.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Each drawing used in the following description is schematically shown, and in order to show each component in a size that can be recognized on the drawing, the dimensional relationship and scale of each member are made different for each component. May be shown. Therefore, the present invention relates only to the illustrated form with respect to the quantity of each component, the shape of each component, the size ratio of each component, the relative positional relationship of each component, etc. described in each drawing. It is not limited.

[One Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, for example, in the endoscope system 100, the plug 10 provided at the end of the wiring cable (universal cord 104) extending from the endoscope 101 is attached to the housing of the device (endoscope processor 110). The connector 1 for connecting to the receptacle 20 installed on the surface will be described as an example.

First, before explaining the detailed configuration of the connector 1 of the present embodiment, the outline of the overall configuration of the endoscope system 100 including the connector 1 will be described below mainly with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an outline of an endoscope system including the connector of the present embodiment.

The endoscope system 100 is mainly composed of an endoscope 101, an endoscope processor 110, a display device 120, and the like.

The endoscope 101 is an imaging device that images a desired observation site inside a subject such as a living body or a structure. The endoscope 101 mainly includes an insertion unit 102, an operation unit 103, a universal cord 104, and a plug 10.

Of these, the plug 10 is a constituent unit that constitutes a part of the connector 1 of the present embodiment. The plug 10 is provided at the end of the universal cord 104, which is a wiring cable extending from the endoscope 101. The plug 10 includes a plug shaft 11, a main body portion 12, and the like (detailed configuration will be described later). The plug 10 is configured to be connected to a receptacle 20 installed on the housing surface of the endoscope processor 110 as an external device.

The universal cord 104 is a wiring cable for connecting the operation unit 103 and the endoscope processor 110. A signal line such as an electric signal line or an optical fiber cable 105 is inserted through the universal cord 104. These electric signal lines, signal lines such as the optical fiber cable 105, and the like are inserted into the insertion unit 102 via the operation unit 103. In this case, for example, in the optical fiber cable 105, one end 105a is arranged on the plug 10 and the other end 105b is arranged on the tip end portion of the insertion portion 102 of the endoscope 101. With such a configuration, in the endoscope 101, an electric signal line through which the universal cord 104 is inserted from the insertion unit 102 via the operation unit 103, a signal line such as an optical fiber cable 105, and the like are connected to the endoscope processor via the connector 1. It is electrically connected to 110. As a result, the imaging data acquired by the endoscope 101 can be transmitted to the endoscope processor 110, and various control signals of the endoscope 101 can be transmitted from the endoscope processor 110. It is configured as follows.

The endoscope processor 110 is a control unit for performing various signal processing of imaging data acquired by the endoscope 101 and controlling the endoscope 101. On the front surface of the housing of the endoscope processor 110, a receptacle 20 is arranged in series with the opening 110a into which the plug 10 is fitted. The receptacle 20 is a constituent unit that constitutes another part of the connector 1 of the present embodiment. The receptacle 20 includes a plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21, a plug main body receiving portion 22, and the like (detailed configuration will be described later). The receptacle 20 is configured to be connected to the plug 10 provided at the end of the universal cord 104 of the endoscope 101 as an imaging device.

That is, the connector 1 of the present embodiment is a constituent unit composed of the plug 10 and the receptacle 20. The connector 1 connects the endoscope 101 and the endoscope processor 110 by fitting and connecting the plug 10 to the receptacle 20.

It should be noted that the other configurations of the endoscope system 100 will not be described in detail as they are the same as those of the endoscope system in a form generally widely used in the past.

Next, the detailed configuration of the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a plug forming a part of the connector of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a receptacle constituting another part of the connector of the present embodiment.

4 and 5 are cross-sectional views showing a state in which a plug is fitted and connected to a receptacle in the connector of the present embodiment.

Of these, FIG. 4 shows the state at the initial stage of starting to insert the plug into the opening of the receptacle when the plug is fitted and connected to the receptacle.

Further, FIG. 5 shows a state in which the plug is further inserted into the receptacle from the state shown in FIG. 4, a state in which the main body of the plug is restricted from rotating by the plug main body receiving portion 22 of the receptacle, and the plug shaft of the plug is the receptacle. It shows the state before being inserted into the hole of.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the plug is fitted and connected to the receptacle in the connector of the present embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the plug is further inserted into the receptacle from the state of FIG. 5, and the plug shaft of the plug is being inserted from the hole of the receptacle into the insertion hole of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion. The state before the protrusion of the plug is fitted into the positioning groove of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion of the receptacle is shown. In addition, in FIG. 6, only the plug shaft insertion receiving portion among the constituent members of the receptacle is shown in order to avoid complication of the drawing.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part (particularly a positioning groove part) of the plug shaft insertion receiving part among the components of the receptacle in the connector of the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing simply conceptualizing the engagement relationship and operation between the protrusion on the plug side and the positioning groove on the receptacle side in the connector of the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged state when a protrusion on the plug side and a positioning groove on the receptacle side of the connector of the present embodiment are engaged with each other.

As described above, the plug 10 forming a part of the connector 1 of the present embodiment is provided at the end of the universal cord 104 of the endoscope 101. As shown in FIG. 2, the plug 10 is mainly composed of a plug shaft 11 and a main body portion 12.

The main body 12 is a housing provided with an internal space 12a (not shown in FIG. 2; see FIGS. 4 and 5) having a predetermined volume inside, which is connected to the terminal portion of the universal cord 104. Various signal lines (electric signal lines, optical fiber cables, etc .; not shown) through which the universal cord 104 is inserted and electric signal lines among these signal lines are connected to the internal space 12a of the main body 12. An electric board or the like (not shown) is provided. The components provided in the internal space 12a are not shown in order to avoid complication of the drawings (FIGS. 4, 5, etc.).

Further, for example, a plurality of terminal portions 13 are arranged at one end of the main body portion 12. These plurality of terminal portions 13 are electrically connected to the electric signal line (not shown) via the electric substrate (not shown) in the internal space 12a.

Then, when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, the plurality of terminal portions 13 come into contact with a plurality of terminal portions (not shown) provided so as to correspond to the receptacle 20 side.

As a result, the connector 1 uses the electrical signal lines on the endoscope 101 side (plural terminal portions 13 on the plug 10 side) and the electrical signal lines on the endoscope processor 110 side (plural terminal portions on the receptacle 20 side). To realize the function of establishing an electrical connection between the endoscope 101 and the endoscope processor 110.

The plug shaft 11 is a shaft member formed in a cylindrical shape and is provided so as to project outward (forward) from one end surface on the tip end side of the main body portion 12. Inside the plug shaft 11, an optical fiber cable or the like (not shown) among various signal lines through which the universal cord 104 is inserted is provided.

Then, when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, the plug shaft 11 is connected to the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 from the hole 20b (see FIGS. 4 and 5) on the receptacle 20 side, which will be described later. Insert.

As a result, the connector 1 changes the optical communication line (plug shaft 11) on the endoscope 101 side to the optical communication line on the endoscope processor 110 side (optical communication line on the receptacle 20 side; details will be described later; not shown). It is connected to realize the function of optical communication connection between the endoscope 101 and the endoscope processor 110.

Further, the plug shaft 11 is a protrusion provided so as to project in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface, and has, for example, a protrusion 11a made of a shaft-shaped member. By engaging the protruding portion 11a with the positioning groove portion (details will be described later; 21a) on the receptacle 20 side, the plug shaft 11 when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20 is guided and inserted. It is provided to assist and to regulate the rotation of the plug 10 around the plug shaft 11 when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20.

On the other hand, as described above, the receptacle 20 constituting the other part of the connector 1 of the present embodiment is continuously provided in the opening 110a on the front surface of the housing of the endoscope processor 110, and the plug 10 is fitted and connected. It is a constituent unit to be used. As shown in FIG. 3, the receptacle 20 is mainly composed of a plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 and a plug main body receiving portion 22.

The plug main body receiving portion 22 is formed in a box shape as a whole, and when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, the main body portion 12 of the plug 10 substantially houses the main body portion 12 inside. It is a component formed with a possible internal space 22a.

Therefore, the plug 10 is inserted through the opening 110a on the front side of the plug body receiving portion 22, that is, on the side connected to the opening 110a on the front surface of the housing of the endoscope processor 110. An opening 20a is formed to allow the above.

Here, in the connector 1 of the present embodiment, the shape of the opening 20a of the receptacle 20 is formed to be substantially rectangular. In line with this, the internal space 22a of the plug body receiving portion 22 of the receptacle 20 is formed in a box shape having substantially the same shape as the opening 20a and having a rectangular surface of substantially the same size on one surface. The one surface in the internal space 22a in this case is the surface facing the opening 20a. It should be noted that this one surface is also a surface orthogonal to the insertion direction of the plug 10.

Further, among the outer surfaces of the main body 12 of the plug 10 fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, the shape of the surface facing the opening 20a when the plug 10 is inserted into the opening 20a is the shape of the opening 20a. It is formed in a rectangular shape having substantially the same shape as the shape (substantially rectangular shape) and substantially the same size.

In this case, in order to allow the main body 12 of the plug 10 to be inserted through the opening 20a of the receptacle 20, the outer size of the main body 12 of the plug 10 is set to be larger than the size of the opening 20a of the receptacle 20. It is formed to be slightly smaller. Further, the internal space 22a of the plug main body receiving portion 22 is formed so as to be slightly larger than the outer size of the main body portion 12 of the plug 10.

Therefore, with such a configuration, when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, after the main body 12 of the plug 10 is inserted into the opening 20a of the receptacle 20, the main body 12 is the plug main body of the receptacle 20. It is housed in the internal space 22a of the receiving portion 22.

At this time, the main body 12 of the plug 10, the opening 20a of the receptacle 20, and the internal space 22a of the plug main body receiving portion 22 are all formed to have substantially the same shape and substantially the same size, so that the main body 12 is formed. When the plug shaft 11 is housed inside the internal space 22a, the arrangement of the main body 12 inside the internal space 22a is almost defined before the plug shaft 11 is inserted into the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21. Therefore, the main body 12 of the plug 10 with respect to the receptacle 20 is in a state where the rotation is restricted (see FIG. 5).

In this case, in particular, the main body 12 of the plug 10 is in a state in which the rotation around the plug shaft 11 is restricted within a predetermined range (predetermined width). That is, when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, the main body 12 is housed in the internal space 22a of the plug main body receiving portion 22, and the plug shaft 11 is before being inserted into the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21. At the time point, the rotation of the plug 10 around the plug shaft 11 is regulated within a certain predetermined range (predetermined width) (see FIG. 5).

Further, a hole 20b into which the plug shaft 11 of the plug 10 is inserted is formed on the back surface side of the plug body receiving portion 22, that is, a surface facing the opening 20a. A plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 into which the plug shaft 11 of the plug 10 is inserted is arranged at a portion facing the hole portion 20b. The plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 is a cylindrical member having a hollow structure provided so as to project rearward from the back surface of the plug main body receiving portion 22. Therefore, the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 is formed to have an insertion hole 21b.

When the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, the plug shaft 11 is inserted into the plug body receiving portion 22. Therefore, when the plug 10 and the receptacle 20 are in the fitted connection state, the central axis Ax of the plug body receiving portion 22 and the central axis Ax which is the insertion axis of the plug shaft 11 are arranged so as to substantially coincide with each other. Will be done.

The arrow symbols A shown in FIGS. 2 to 8 indicate the insertion direction of the plug 10 when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20. The insertion direction A is a direction parallel to the central axis Ax (insertion shaft) of the plug shaft 11 of the plug 10 and the central axis Ax of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21.

Further, in the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21, a positioning groove portion 21a is formed at a predetermined portion in the circumferential direction at the end portion of the plug main body receiving portion 22 on the side facing the hole 20b. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the positioning groove portion 21a is formed to include a plug guide portion 31, a guide transition portion 32, a protrusion guide portion 33, and a rotation restricting portion 34.

The plug guide portion 31 is a plug when the plug shaft 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 through the opening 20a of the receptacle 20 when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20. The shape is such that 10 (the tip of the plug shaft 11) is guided to the opening 20a (via the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21) of the receptacle 20.

Specifically, the plug guide portion 31 is formed in a shape into which the protrusion 11a of the plug shaft 11 can be inserted. Further, the plug guide portion 31 forms a first groove that widens toward the front side (opening 20a side) in the insertion direction A with respect to the insertion direction A of the protrusion 11a. The plug guide portion 31 may be formed so as to be substantially parallel to the insertion direction A of the protrusion 11a. Further, the first groove has a width wider than the width in which the protrusion 11a of the plug shaft 11 of the plug 10 moves by rotation in a state where the main body 12 of the plug 10 is restricted from rotating by the plug main body receiving portion 22. Have.

As a result, the plug guide portion 31 guides the tip of the plug shaft 11 so as to be inserted into the insertion hole 21b, and the protrusion 11a of the plug shaft 11 of the plug 10 is inserted into the first groove. It serves to align the central axis Ax, which is the insertion axis of the plug shaft 11 of the plug 10, with the central axis Ax of the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 (reference numeral 11a [1] in FIG. 8). reference).

The protrusion guide portion 33 is a portion provided closer to the back surface (back side) in the insertion direction A of the protrusion portion 11a than the plug guide portion 31. The protrusion guide portion 33 is formed in a shape into which the protrusion 11a can be inserted. Further, the protrusion guide portion 33 forms a second groove narrowed toward the back surface (back side) in the insertion direction A of the protrusion portion 11a. Here, a rotation regulating unit 34 is continuously provided at the tip of the second groove. That is, the entrance opening portion of the rotation restricting portion 34 is provided at the narrowed end of the second groove.

Therefore, with such a configuration, when the plug shaft 11 is inserted toward the back surface in the insertion direction A, the protrusion guide portion 33 moves along the second groove to the rotation restricting portion 34. It is introduced (see reference numeral 11a [2] in FIG. 8).

The rotation restricting portion 34 is a portion provided closer to the back surface (back side) in the insertion direction A of the protrusion portion 11a than the protrusion guide portion 33. The rotation restricting portion 34 is formed in a shape into which the protruding portion 11a can be inserted. Further, the rotation regulating portion 34 forms a third groove that regulates the relative rotation between the receptacle 20 and the plug 10 by inserting the protrusion 11a. As described above, the third groove has an inlet opening portion and a tip portion of the second groove of the protrusion guide portion 33 connected in series. The third groove is a groove substantially parallel to the insertion direction A.

Further, the third groove is formed so that the groove width is substantially the same as the width dimension (diameter dimension) of the protrusion 11a and is slightly wider than the protrusion 11a. As a result, the protrusion 11a can be inserted into the rotation restricting portion 34, and the protrusion 11a inserted into the rotation regulating portion 34 is in the direction along the insertion direction A in conjunction with the insertion and removal of the plug 10. Is movable, while rotation in the direction of rotation around the plug shaft 11 is always restricted (see reference numeral 11a [3] in FIG. 8). In this way, the third groove makes it possible to regulate the rotation width to be shorter than the rotation width of the protrusion 11a regulated by the plug body receiving portion 22 of the receptacle 20.

The guide transition portion 32 is formed between the plug guide portion 31 and the protrusion guide portion 33. In the guide transition portion 32, the protrusion 11a is caught by another member or rides on the plug shaft 11 in the process of being inserted and guided by the plug guide portion 31 and being inserted into the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21. It is a part provided to prevent it from slipping. By providing the guide transition portion 32, the protrusion 11a smoothly moves from the plug guide portion 31 to the protrusion guide portion 33.

In this case, the radial position regulation of the protrusion 11a of the plug shaft 11 is the time before the plug shaft 11 is inserted into the opening 20a (the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21) as described above. Therefore, rotation is restricted within a certain predetermined range by the shape of the main body 12 of the plug 10, the opening 20a of the receptacle 20, and the internal space 22a of the plug main body receiving portion 22 (see FIG. 5). ..

Therefore, the protrusion 11a is located at a position substantially opposite to the guide transition portion 32 and the protrusion guide portion 33, and is not arranged at a position significantly deviated in the rotation direction around the plug shaft 11. Therefore, the protrusion 11a is always smoothly introduced into the rotation restricting portion 34 via the guide transition portion 32 and the protrusion guide portion 33.

As described above, according to the above embodiment, the connector 1 is a connector 1 in which the plug 10 is inserted into the hole 20b formed in the receptacle 20 to be fitted and connected, and the plug shaft 11 (insertion) of the plug 10 is inserted. The shaft) can be accurately aligned with the central shaft Ax of the hole (opening 20a and the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21) into which the plug shaft 11 is inserted, and the plug shaft of the plug 10 can be accurately aligned. When the 11 is inserted into the hole (the opening 20a and the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21), the rotation of the plug 10 around the plug shaft 11 (insertion shaft) can be reliably regulated. Then, the fitting connection of the plug 10 to the receptacle 20 can always be smoothly performed.

Further, when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 11a from being caught or riding on each portion of the positioning groove 21a, so that smooth insertion and removal are always performed. be able to.

Therefore, repeated insertion and removal of the plug 10 into the receptacle 20 does not damage each part of the protrusion 11a and the positioning groove 21a, so that the position shift when the plug 10 is fitted and connected to the receptacle 20 is displaced. It does not occur, so that the plug 10 can always be reliably and accurately positioned with respect to a predetermined position of the receptacle 20.

In one embodiment described above, the protrusion 11a is provided on the plug 10 side, while the positioning groove 21a (plug guide portion 31, guide transition portion 32, protrusion guide portion 33, and rotation regulation portion 34) is provided on the receptacle 20 side. Although the configuration provided in the above is illustrated, the present invention is not limited to the form shown in this example.

For example, as shown in the modified example of FIG. 10, in the connector 1A, the protrusion 21x is provided on the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21A side of the receptacle 20A, while the positioning groove portion 11x (plug guide portion 31, guide transition portion 32, and protrusion) is provided. The guide portion 33 and the rotation restricting portion 34) may be provided on the plug shaft 11A side of the plug 10A. Each configuration in this case is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. Here, the plug guide portion can guide the tip of the plug shaft 11 of the plug 10 to the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 through the opening 20a of the receptacle 20 by the tapered shape of the tip of the plug shaft 11A. .. Further, in this case, the main body 12 of the plug 10 regulates the rotation of the plug 10 with respect to the protrusion 21x. Even when such a configuration is adopted, the same actions and effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[Another variant]
By the way, it is a connector in a form in which a plug is inserted into a hole formed in a receptacle and fitted and connected. The insertion shaft of the plug and the central axis of the hole are aligned, and the insertion shaft of the plug is a hole. In a connector that regulates rotation around the insertion shaft of the plug when it is inserted into the connector, when the plug is fitted and connected to the receptacle, the protrusion is caught or rides on each part of the positioning groove. As a result, each part of the protrusion and the positioning groove may be damaged. In this case, if the damage is increased by repeatedly inserting and removing the plug, the clearance between the protrusion and the groove of the rotation restricting portion may be increased. Then, a relative positional deviation in the rotation direction occurs between the plug and the receptacle. Therefore, if this happens, it will not be possible to accurately position the plug with respect to the receptacle.

In particular, in the case of a connector that performs optical transmission, if a positional deviation (rotational deviation) occurs between the insertion axis of the plug and the central axis of the hole of the receptacle, the axis of the optical signal will be displaced and the required amount of light will be transmitted. Therefore, accurate optical transmission cannot be performed.

Therefore, for example, by adopting the following configuration, it is possible to avoid the problem that the position deviation (rotational deviation) between the plug and the receptacle occurs. 11 and 12 are views showing another modification of the above embodiment, and is an enlarged plan view of a main part showing only a part of the plug and the plug shaft insertion receiving portion of the receptacle. Of these, FIG. 11 shows the state of the initial stage in which the plug shaft of the plug is inserted into the plug shaft insertion receiving portion of the receptacle. Further, FIG. 12 shows a state in which the plug shaft of the plug is inserted into the plug shaft insertion receiving portion of the receptacle, and the rotation of the plug is restricted.

The basic configuration of this modification is substantially the same as that of the above-described embodiment. That is, in this modification, a plurality of protrusions provided on the plug shaft are provided, and the only difference is that these plurality of protrusions are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the insertion direction of the plug shaft. Therefore, in the following description, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, and as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in the connector 1B of the present modification, the plug shaft 11B of the plug 10B is formed to have a plurality of protrusions 11Ba and 11Bb on the outer surface. ing. Each of the plurality of protruding portions 11Ba and 11Bb is a shaft-shaped portion that protrudes toward the outer peripheral direction of the plug shaft 11B. The plurality of protrusions 11Ba and 11Bb are arranged side by side on a straight line in the direction along the insertion direction A at a predetermined interval in the insertion direction of the plug shaft 11B.

In this case, the arrangement intervals of the plurality of protrusions 11Ba and 11Bb are set as follows.

That is, in one of the plurality of protrusions 11Ba and 11Bb near the tip of the plug shaft 11B, the plug shaft 11B is inserted into the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21, and the shaft of the plug shaft 11B is inserted. When the surrounding rotation is restricted (the state shown in FIG. 12), it is arranged near the tip of the rotation restricting portion 34 of the positioning groove portion 21a.

As a result, the one protruding portion 11Ba serves as a guide for guiding the plug shaft 11B to the rotation regulating portion 34 of the positioning groove portion 21a, and also serves to regulate the rotation. Therefore, the one protruding portion 11Ba may be damaged by receiving a load from another member or the like when guiding the rotation restricting portion 34. However, while acting as a guide, it can contribute to accurate rotation regulation until it is damaged to the extent that misalignment occurs. Even if it gets damaged, it can continue to function as a guide.

Further, of the plurality of protrusions 11B and 11Bb, the other protrusion 11Bb near the rear end of the plug shaft 11B is in the same state (the state shown in FIG. 12), and when it is in the same state (the state shown in FIG. It is placed near the entrance opening of the. As a result, the other protrusion 11Bb always serves to regulate the rotation.

By arranging the other protruding portion 11Bb at such a position, the other protruding portion 11Bb is not subjected to a load from other members or the like, and is therefore not damaged. Therefore, even if one of the protrusions 11Ba is damaged, the plug shaft 11B is inserted into the insertion hole 21b of the plug shaft insertion receiving portion 21 (in the state of FIG. 12) into the plug shaft 11B. Accurate rotation regulation can always be performed without causing misalignment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications and applications can be carried out within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the invention. Further, the above-described embodiment includes inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by an appropriate combination of a plurality of disclosed constituent requirements. For example, even if some constituent requirements are deleted from all the constituent requirements shown in the above embodiment, if the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved and the effect of the invention is obtained, this constituent requirement is deleted. The configured configuration can be extracted as an invention. In addition, components across different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. The present invention is not limited by any particular embodiment thereof except as limited by the accompanying claims.

The present invention can be widely applied to an endoscope system and the like used in the medical field and the industrial field, as well as a connector used for communication connection between various types of devices.

1,1A, 1B ... Connector 10, 10A, 10B ... Plug 11, 11A, 11B ... Plug shaft 11a, 11Ba, 11Bb ... Protrusion 11x ... Positioning groove 12 ... Main body 12a ... Internal space 12a
13 …… Terminals 20, 20A …… Receptacle 20a …… Opening 20a
20b ... Holes 21 and 21A ... Plug shaft insertion receiving part 21a ... Positioning groove 21b ... Insertion hole 21x ... Projection 22 ... Plug body receiving part 22a ... Internal space 31 ... Plug guide part 32 …… Guide transition part 33 …… Protrusion guide part 34 …… Rotation regulation part 100 …… Endoscope system 101 …… Endoscope 102 …… Insertion part 103 …… Operation part 104 …… Universal cord 105 …… Optical fiber cable 105a ... One end 105b ... The other end 110 ... Endoscope processor 110a ... Opening 120 ... Display device

Claims (6)

With a plug,
A receptacle that forms a hole into which the plug is inserted, and
A protrusion provided on one of the plug and the receptacle,
Of the receiving portion and the plug and the receptacle, which are provided on the other side of the plug and the receptacle and regulate the rotation of the protrusion about the insertion direction to a predetermined width when the plug is inserted into the receptacle. The protrusion is provided on the other side and has a shape that guides the plug into the hole of the receptacle in conjunction with the insertion of the plug into the receptacle after the rotation of the protrusion is restricted by the receiving portion. A plug guide portion that is insertable and forms a first groove that is wider than the predetermined width regulated by the receiving portion.
A protrusion guide portion provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the plug guide portion and forming a second groove in which the protrusion can be inserted and has a shape narrowed in the insertion direction of the protrusion.
A third groove is formed that is provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the protrusion guide portion, the protrusion can be inserted, and the rotation width of the protrusion is narrower than the predetermined width by inserting the protrusion. Rotation control part and
A connector characterized by having. The plug according to claim 1, wherein the plug is provided in an imaging device that images the inside of a subject and generates an imaging signal, and transmits the imaging signal from the imaging device as an optical signal. connector. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the plug is provided at the end of a connection cable extending from the image pickup apparatus. 2. The receptacle is provided in a device to which the plug is connected, and when the plug is connected, the receptacle is a receptacle that transmits the image pickup signal from the image pickup device to the device. The connector described in. A plug having a protrusion protruding toward the outer peripheral direction can be inserted, and when the plug is inserted, a receiving portion that restricts the rotation of the protrusion about the insertion direction to a predetermined width,
After the rotation of the protrusion is restricted by the receiving portion, the shape is such that the plug is guided into the hole in conjunction with the insertion of the plug, and the protrusion can be inserted and regulated by the receiving portion. A plug guide portion that forms a first groove wider than a predetermined width, and
A protrusion guide portion provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the plug guide portion and forming a second groove in which the protrusion can be inserted and has a shape narrowed in the insertion direction of the protrusion.
A third groove is formed that is provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the protrusion guide portion, the protrusion can be inserted, and the rotation width of the protrusion is narrower than the predetermined width by inserting the protrusion. Rotation control part and
Receptacle characterized by having. It is a plug that can be inserted into a receptacle that has a protrusion protruding toward the inner circumference.
When the receptacle is inserted, the main body portion that restricts the rotation of the plug with respect to the protrusion about the insertion direction to a predetermined width, and
After the rotation of the plug is restricted by the main body, the shape guides the plug into a hole provided in the receptacle in conjunction with insertion into the receptacle, and the protrusion can be inserted by the main body. A plug guide portion forming a first groove wider than the regulated predetermined width, and a plug guide portion.
A protrusion guide portion provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the plug guide portion and forming a second groove in which the protrusion can be inserted and has a shape narrowed in the insertion direction of the protrusion.
A third groove is formed that is provided on the insertion direction side of the protrusion with respect to the protrusion guide portion, the protrusion can be inserted, and the rotation width of the protrusion is narrower than the predetermined width by inserting the protrusion. Rotation control part and
A plug characterized by having.

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