JP7286086B2 - CONNECTOR HOUSING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CONNECTOR HOUSING - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector housing fitted to a mating connector, and a method for manufacturing the connector housing.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a connector housing for a connector to be fitted with a mating connector, for example, a housing having a housing body and a lock arm extending from the housing body and engaging the mating connector is known. (See Patent Document 1, for example). The lock arm is formed with a catch portion that engages with the mating connector and an operation portion that is operated by the user when the engagement between the mating connector and the catch portion is released.

For example, the connector housing disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a tilting displacement portion that extends in a cantilevered manner in a direction parallel to the vertical direction, which is the direction in which the connector housing is inserted into and removed from the mating housing. An operation portion is formed at the rear end portion of the tilting displacement portion, and a locking projection as a catch portion is formed at a position forward of the operation portion. When molding a connector housing having such a lock arm, a cavity is formed by vertically combining an upper mold and a lower mold, and molding is performed by injecting resin into the cavity. .

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-22901

For example, the engaging portion and the operating portion are arranged on the lock arm so as to face each other in the vertical direction, which is the direction in which the lock arm extends.

When the surface of the engaging portion of the connector housing facing the operating portion is molded using an upper mold and a lower mold that are arranged in the vertical direction, a part of either the upper mold or the lower mold is formed on the operating portion. must pass through. In some cases, the operating portion and the engaging portion are arranged upside down. It is necessary to penetrate a part of one of them.

In the case of the connector housing disclosed in Patent Document 1, a part of the mold is passed through the operation portion in order to form the surface of the lock protrusion facing the operation portion. Then, the surface of the lock projection facing the operation portion is formed by the end surface of the portion of the upper mold or the lower mold that passes through the operation portion. For this reason, in order to secure the size of the surface of the engaging portion facing the operating portion, it is conceivable to increase the portion penetrating the operating portion of the mold. be molded. As the portion penetrating through the operation portion of the mold is enlarged, the operation portion becomes a hollow structure, making it difficult to ensure sufficient strength. Therefore, it is likely to be deformed or damaged by a pressing operation by the user. On the other hand, when the operation part and the engaging part are arranged upside down, it is conceivable to increase the part of the mold that penetrates the engaging part in order to secure the size of the surface of the operating part facing the engaging part. However, in this case, the thickness of the engaging portion is formed to be thin. As the portion penetrating through the engagement portion of the mold is enlarged, the engagement portion becomes a hollow structure, making it difficult to ensure sufficient strength. Furthermore, when the size of the connector housing becomes small, it becomes difficult to form the operation portion or the engaging portion while ensuring the thickness of the metal mold while partially penetrating the mold.

Also, if the portion of the mold that passes through the operation portion is made small in order to ensure the thickness of the operation portion, the molded engaging portion will be small and will firmly engage the mating connector. It becomes difficult to maintain a stable locked state. In other words, it is difficult to ensure the strength of the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion and to maintain a stable locked state by firmly engaging the lock engaging portion with the mating connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, the present invention is capable of ensuring the strength of the operating portion and engaging portion of the lock arm, as well as firmly engaging with the mating connector to easily maintain a stable locked state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector housing that can be used to produce a connector housing, and to provide a manufacturing method for easily manufacturing such a connector housing.

(1) A connector housing according to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object has a housing main body portion that is fitted to a mating connector, and a direction in which the housing main body portion is fitted to the mating connector. a lock arm extending cantilever from the housing body along a direction parallel to the mating direction, the lock arm comprising a lock arm body extending from the housing body; a lock engaging portion that engages with a mating connector; and a lock operating portion that is operated by a user when the engagement between the mating connector and the lock engaging portion is released, wherein the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion are provided integrally with the lock arm main body, respectively, and are formed as solid protruding portions protruding from the lock arm main body. Opposing surfaces, which are surfaces that oppose each other in a direction parallel to the fitting direction, are provided, and the opposing surface of the lock operating portion and the opposing surface of the lock engaging portion are aligned with the locking operation of the lock arm main body. are formed parallel to each other while being inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the surface from which the portion and the lock engaging portion protrude.

According to this configuration, the connector housing includes a housing main body that fits into the mating connector, and a lock arm that extends in a cantilevered manner along a direction parallel to the fitting direction. The lock arm has a lock arm main body, a lock engagement part that engages with the mating connector, and a lock operation part that is operated by the user, and the lock operation part protrudes from the lock arm main body. It is formed as a solid projection that Therefore, since the lock operation portion has a solid structure unlike the conventional hollow structure, the strength of the lock operation portion is sufficiently secured. This suppresses deformation or damage even when the user performs a pressing operation.

Further, the lock engaging portion is also formed as a solid protruding portion, and unlike the conventional hollow structure, strength is ensured. Furthermore, by forming the lock engaging portion as a solid projecting portion, the locked state with respect to the mating connector is maintained in a firm state.

Further, the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion are provided with opposing surfaces that face each other in a direction parallel to the fitting direction. Then, it is considered that the facing surface on the lock operation portion side is formed in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. However, since the opposing surface on the locking part side needs to be engaged with the mating connector, it needs to be formed as a surface that inclines so as to approach the opposing surface on the lock operating part side as it protrudes from the lock arm main body. There is In order to form such a lock operation part and a lock engaging part without providing a hole in the lock engaging part or the lock operation part, in addition to the upper mold and the lower mold, a slide core is used for molding. can be considered.

When forming the facing surfaces of the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion with the slide core as described above, when the slide core is pulled out from between the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion after molding, the slide core does not move against the lock operating portion. It gets caught on the slanted locking part and becomes difficult to pull out. In addition, if the slide core is forcibly pulled out from between the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion, the slide core may be caught in the lock engaging portion inclined with respect to the lock operating portion, applying a large load to the lock arm and causing damage. . Further, for example, in order to pull out the slide core without applying a load to the lock arm, it is conceivable to make the facing surface of the lock engaging portion gently inclined. It becomes difficult to maintain the locked state.

However, according to the configuration of the connector housing according to one aspect of the present invention, the facing surface of the lock operation portion and the facing surface of the lock engaging portion are the surfaces of the lock arm main body portion from which the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion protrude. They are formed parallel to each other while being inclined with respect to the vertical plane. Therefore, the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion can be easily formed by using the slide core that displaces in a direction parallel to the facing surfaces of the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion. As a result, the die can be easily pulled out from between the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion without applying a load to the lock arm main body portion.

Further, if it becomes possible to mold the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion using the above-described slide core, when forming the facing surface of the lock engaging portion, the lock operating portion is formed by partially penetrating the mold. you don't have to. That is, the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion can be easily formed as solid projecting portions. Therefore, when forming the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion, there is no need to pass a part of the mold through the lock engaging portion or the lock operating portion. is not limited by the size of . As a result, the strength of the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion can be ensured, and by ensuring a sufficient size of the lock engaging portion, the connector can be firmly engaged with the mating connector and the locked state can be easily maintained. can do.

Therefore, according to the above configuration, the strength of the operating portion and engaging portion of the lock arm can be ensured, and the connector can be firmly engaged with the mating connector to easily maintain a stable locked state. It is possible to provide a housing for a connector, and also provide a manufacturing method by which such a housing for a connector can be easily manufactured.

(2) Preferably, the connector housing has a dimension of the lock operation portion, a dimension of the lock engaging portion, and a length of the lock arm main body in a width direction perpendicular to the fitting direction of the lock arm. The dimensions of the part are the same.

According to this configuration, the lock operating portion, the lock engaging portion, and the lock arm body portion have the same size in the width direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the fitting direction of the lock arm. That is, the lock engaging portion has a wide facing surface corresponding to the widthwise dimension of the lock arm main body. As a result, a sufficient contact area of the facing surface of the lock engaging portion with respect to the mating connector can be ensured, and the lock engaging portion of the connector housing is more firmly engaged with the mating connector to achieve the locked state. can be maintained.

(3) Preferably, in the connector housing manufacturing method for manufacturing the connector housing described above, molding is performed by forming a cavity in a mold and injecting a resin into the formed cavity to mold the connector housing. In the molding step, an upper mold that constitutes a part on one side of the mold; a lower mold that constitutes a part on the other side of the mold that faces the upper mold; A slide core combined with the lower mold forms the cavity, and when the upper mold and the lower mold are combined in the molding process, the vertical plane perpendicular to the direction in which the upper mold and the lower mold are combined The slide core is slidably displaced with respect to the lower die along an oblique direction, so that the upper die, the lower die, and the slide core are combined to be provided in the lock operation portion and the lock engaging portion, respectively. A surface forming the facing surface is formed by the slide core.

According to this method, the connector housing manufacturing method includes the molding step of forming a cavity in a mold and injecting resin into the formed cavity to mold the connector housing. In this molding method, the slide core is slidably displaced relative to the lower mold along a direction oblique to a vertical plane perpendicular to the direction in which the upper mold and the lower mold are combined. are combined. Therefore, when forming the facing surface of the lock engaging portion, the mold can be formed without penetrating the lock operating portion in the fitting direction. That is, when molding the facing surface of the lock engaging portion, it is possible to mold using a slide core that is slidably displaced with respect to the lower die. As a result, the lock operation portion can be formed as a solid protruding portion instead of being hollow, and sufficient strength of the lock operation portion can be ensured.

Further, since the slide core that slides relative to the lower mold can be used for molding, the facing surface of the lock engaging portion can be molded without being restricted by the size of the lock operating portion. As a result, the contact area can be increased so that the lock engaging portion can be firmly engaged with the mating connector and the locked state can be maintained.

Further, in the molding process, when the upper mold and the lower mold are combined, the slide core is slidably displaced with respect to the lower mold along a direction oblique to a vertical plane perpendicular to the direction in which they are combined. do. The facing surface of the connector housing is formed by the slide core that is slidably displaced with respect to the lower die. Therefore, it is possible to form the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion by using the slide core that displaces in a direction parallel to the opposing surfaces of the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the connector housing. can do.

Therefore, according to the above-described manufacturing method, the strength of the operating portion and engaging portion of the lock arm can be ensured, and a stable locked state can be easily maintained by firmly engaging the mating connector. It is possible to provide a manufacturing method by which a connector housing can be manufactured easily.

(4) Preferably, in the method of manufacturing a connector housing, a surface of the cavity for molding the lock operation portion is formed by the upper mold, the lower mold, and the slide core. A surface of the cavity for molding the lock engaging portion is formed by the lower die and the slide core, and both end surfaces of the lock operation portion in the width direction and the lock engaging portion of the Both end faces in the width direction are formed by a pair of parallel faces of the lower mold.

According to this method, the widthwise end surfaces of the lock operation portion and the widthwise end surfaces of the lock engaging portion are formed by a pair of parallel surfaces of the lower die. Therefore, the widthwise dimension of the lock engaging portion can be formed to have the same widthwise dimension as the widthwise dimension of the lock operating portion. As a result, the contact area can be increased so that the lock engaging portion can be firmly engaged with the mating connector and the locked state can be maintained. In addition, both end surfaces in the width direction of the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion can be easily molded simultaneously by a pair of parallel surfaces of the lower die. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide portions for molding the lock operation portion and the lock engaging portion of the lower mold, and the structure of the lower mold can be simplified.

(5) Preferably, in the method of manufacturing a connector housing, both end surfaces in the width direction of the lock arm main body are formed by the pair of parallel surfaces of the lower mold.

According to this method, in the manufacturing method of the connector housing, both widthwise end faces of the lock arm main body portion are parallel to a pair of parallel faces of the lower die for forming both end faces of the lock operating portion and both end faces of the lock engaging portion. molded by Therefore, the widthwise dimension of the lock operating portion and the widthwise dimension of the lock engaging portion can be formed to have the same widthwise dimension as the widthwise dimension of the lock arm body portion. As a result, the widthwise dimension of the facing surface of the lock engaging portion can be formed to have the same maximum width as the widthwise dimension of the lock arm body portion. That is, the lock engaging portion can be manufactured with the maximum possible contact area with the mating connector so that it can be firmly engaged with the mating connector to maintain the locked state. Further, both end surfaces in the width direction of the lock operating portion, the lock engaging portion, and the lock arm main body portion can be easily formed at the same time by the pair of parallel surfaces of the lower die. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide portions for molding the lock operating portion, the lock engaging portion, and the lock arm body portion of the lower mold, and the structure of the lower mold can be simplified.

According to the present invention, there is provided a connector housing that can ensure the strength of the operating portion and engaging portion of the lock arm, and can be firmly engaged with the mating connector to easily maintain a stable locked state. It is also possible to provide a manufacturing method by which such a connector housing can be easily manufactured.

1 is a perspective view showing a connector including a connector housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, together with a mating connector connected thereto; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector shown in FIG. 1 in a state of being removed from the mating connector; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector housing shown in FIG. 1 together with electric wires to which contacts are attached; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector housing fitted to the mating connector together with part of the mating connector; 2 is a flowchart for showing an example of a manufacturing process of the connector housing shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a mold for molding the connector housing, schematically showing the mold in an open state; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a mold for molding the connector housing, schematically showing the mold in a closed state; FIG. 4 is a view showing a part of the mold in a closed state together with the connector housing; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the mold shown in FIG. 7 taken along the line AA. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the mold shown in FIG. 7 taken along the line BB.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, it demonstrates, referring drawings for the form for implementing this invention. The present invention can be widely applied to various uses as a connector housing to be fitted to a mating connector and a manufacturing method of the connector housing.

[connector]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector 1 including a connector housing 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention, together with a mating connector 50 connected thereto. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 removed from the mating connector 50. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the connector housing 4 shown in FIG. 1 together with the electric wires 5 to which the contacts 2 are attached. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the connector housing 4 fitted to the mating connector 50 together with part of the mating connector 50. As shown in FIG.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and each figure described later, for convenience of explanation, the direction indicated by the arrow indicated as "up" is referred to as "upper" or "upper", and the direction indicated by the arrow indicated as "down" is referred to as "lower" or "lower". called. Also, the direction indicated by the arrow indicated as right is referred to as the right side, and the direction indicated by the arrow indicated as left is referred to as the left side. Furthermore, the direction indicated by the arrow marked "forward" is referred to as the "front side" or "front", and the direction indicated by the arrow marked "back" is referred to as the "back side" or "backward". The vertical direction is the height direction of the connector 1 and the direction in which the connector 1 is inserted into and removed from the mating connector 50 (hereinafter also referred to as the fitting direction D1). The left-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the fitting direction D1 and the width direction of the connector 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the width direction D2).

1 and 2, the connector 1 and the mating connector 50 are configured as male and female connectors that connect electric wires on one side to electric wires on the other side.

The mating connector 50 is configured as a mating connector to be connected to the connector 1 . The mating connector 50 has mating contacts 51 , a mating retainer 52 , and a mating connector housing 53 . The mating connector 50 is configured to mechanically and electrically connect a mating electric wire 54 connected to a device or the like to the connector 1 through a mating contact 51 .

The mating connector housing 53 accommodates the ends of the mating electric wires 54 to which the mating contacts 51 are attached. The mating connector housing 53 is connected to the connector 1 . The mating connector housing 53 has a mating housing body portion 55 , a mating housing bridging portion 56 , a pair of first guide grooves 57 , and a pair of second guide grooves 58 .

The mating housing body portion 55 is configured as a portion that accommodates the connector 1 . The mating housing body portion 55 is configured so that the connector 1 can be slidably inserted.

The mating housing bridging portion 56 is provided as a portion for engaging the mating connector 50 with the connector 1 . The mating housing bridge portion 56 is configured as a portion that is bridged in the left-right direction on the front side of the mating housing main body portion 55 . The mating housing bridge portion 56 has a lower side surface 59 as shown in FIGS.

The pair of first guide grooves 57 and the pair of second guide grooves 58 are provided as guide grooves for guiding the connector 1 to the correct position of the mating connector 50 when connecting the connector 1 to the mating connector 50 . ing. The pair of first guide grooves 57 are arranged on the front side of the inner surface of the mating connector housing 53, as shown in FIG. The pair of second guide grooves 58 are arranged behind the pair of first guide grooves 57 and parallel to the pair of first guide grooves 57 .

The connector 1 is configured as a connector to be connected to the mating connector 50 . By fitting the connector 1 with the mating connector 50 , the device connected to the connector 1 and the device connected to the mating connector 50 can be electrically connected. A connector 1 has contacts 2 , a retainer 3 , and a connector housing 4 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , contact 2 is configured to be mechanically and electrically connected to male-side mating contact 51 of mating connector 50 . That is, the contact 2 is configured as a female contact. The contact 2 is attached to the tip portion of the electric wire 5 by being crimped with a part of the covering portion being stripped off. Four contacts 2 are provided in this embodiment. The contact 2 has an electric wire 5 .

The electric wire 5 has one end disposed inside the connector 1 and the other end extending upward from the connector 1 . A plurality of wires 5 are provided, and in this embodiment, a total of four wires are provided, two wires on the front side and two wires on the rear side. The electric wire 5 includes a conductive portion and a covering portion that covers the conductive portion. The contact 2 is attached to the electric wire 5 by partially peeling off the covering portion at the tip portion and crimping the contact 2 .

The retainer 3 is provided as a component for reliably holding the electric wire 5 at a predetermined position of the connector 1 . The retainer 3 includes a body portion and a pair of engaging portions extending in parallel from the body portion. The retainer 3 is configured to be elastically deformable.

[Housing for connector]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector housing 4, which is an embodiment of the present invention, accommodates the electric wire 5 to which the contact 2 is attached, and is configured as a portion to be connected to the mating connector 50. As shown in FIG. The connector housing 4 has a housing body portion 6 and a lock arm 7 .

The housing body portion 6 is configured as a portion that fits into the mating housing body portion 55 of the mating connector 50 . As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the housing main body 6 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape and has six surfaces in the front, rear, up, down, left and right directions. Further, the housing body portion 6 is configured so that the left and right sides are symmetrical. The housing body 6 includes a pair of front extensions 8, a rear extension 9, a pair of first guide protrusions 10, a pair of second guide protrusions 11, and a pair of engagement protrusions 12. , a plurality of contact accommodating portions 13 and a plurality of holding portions 14 .

The pair of front extending portions 8 are provided as portions to be pressed by a user's fingers when fitting the housing main body portion 6 to the mating housing main body portion 55 . As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the pair of front extending portions 8 are formed to extend laterally and forwardly from the housing body portion 6 so that the housing body portion 6 extends from the mating housing body. The holding position of the housing body portion 6 with respect to the mating housing body portion 55 is defined when the housing body portion 6 is inserted into the portion 55 . The pair of front extensions 8 are provided on the left and right sides of the front upper end of the housing main body 6 .

The rear extension 9 is provided as a portion that a user presses with a finger when fitting the housing body 6 together with the pair of front extensions 8 to the mating housing body 55 . Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the rear extension portion 9 is provided so as to extend laterally and rearward from the housing main body portion 6, and the housing main body portion 6 is connected to the mating housing main body portion. 55, the holding position of the housing main body 6 with respect to the mating housing main body 55 is defined. The rear extending portion 9 is formed across the left and right at the rear upper end portion of the housing main body portion 6 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pair of first guide protrusions 10 are formed in a plate shape. The pair of first guide protrusions 10 are formed on the front side of the housing body 6 so as to extend in the fitting direction D1. Also, the pair of first guide protrusions 10 are arranged on both left and right sides of the housing main body 6, respectively. The pair of first guide protrusions 10 are arranged in a state of partially projecting forward from the housing main body 6 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pair of second guide projections 11 are formed in a prism shape. The pair of second guide protrusions 11 are arranged rearwardly of the pair of first guide protrusions 10 on the left and right side surfaces of the housing body 6 . The pair of second guide protrusions 11 are formed so as to extend in parallel with the direction in which the pair of first guide protrusions 10 extend, that is, in the fitting direction D1. The pair of second guide protrusions 11 is set shorter than the pair of first guide protrusions 10 . The pair of second guide protrusions 11 extends to the lower end of the housing main body 6 at its lower end and below the retainer 3 attached to the housing main body 6 at its upper end.

The pair of first guide projections 10 and the pair of second guide projections 11 are provided for inserting the housing main body 6 into the mating housing main body 55 along the fitting direction D1. When inserting the housing body 6 into the mating housing body 55 , the pair of first guide protrusions 10 and the pair of second guide protrusions 11 are inserted into the pair of first guide grooves 57 of the mating housing body 55 . , and the pair of second guide grooves 58 . When the housing main body 6 is inserted into the mating housing main body 55 along the pair of first guide projections 10 and the pair of second guide projections 11, the female contact can be inserted without the male mating contact 51 being displaced. 2 is inserted.

A pair of engaging protrusions 12 are provided to hold the retainer 3 to the housing main body 6 . As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of engaging protrusions 12 are provided so as to protrude from the left and right surfaces at substantially the center of the upper portion of the housing main body 6 . Openings formed at both ends of the retainer 3 are engaged with the pair of engaging projections 12 .

A plurality of contact accommodating portions 13 are provided as openings for accommodating the contacts 2 . Each of the plurality of contact accommodating portions 13 extends in the fitting direction D1 as shown in FIG. The contacts 2 are inserted from above into the respective contact accommodating portions 13 .

A plurality of holding portions 14 are provided to prevent each contact 2 from dropping out of the contact accommodating portion 13 . Referring to FIG. 4 , each of the plurality of holding portions 14 is provided so as to be freely swingable in the front-rear direction with respect to the housing main body portion 6 . That is, each of the plurality of holding portions 14 is provided so as to extend and retract from the outside to the inside of the contact housing portion 13 . More specifically, when the contact 2 is inserted, each of the plurality of holding portions 14 is pressed against the outer surface of the contact 2 and bent outward from the contact accommodating portion 13 . When the contact 2 is inserted all the way into the contact accommodating portion 13 , the holding portion 14 is returned from the outside to the inside of the contact accommodating portion 13 by the restoring force, and the opening formed in the contact 2 becomes a convex portion. engages.

The lock arm 7 is configured as a portion for connecting the connector housing 4 to the mating connector 50, as shown in FIGS. The lock arm 7 extends like a cantilever from the housing main body 6 along a direction parallel to the mating direction D<b>1 in which the housing main body 6 is mated with the mating connector 50 . The lock arm 7 is formed with a predetermined width in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction D1, that is, in the width direction D2.

The lock arm 7 is supported on the housing main body 6 so as to be capable of swinging in the front-rear direction. A part of the front surface of the lock arm 7 is arranged so as to be close to the inner surface of the mating housing bridging portion 56 when the connector 1 is mated with the mating connector 50 (hereinafter referred to as mating state). be done. The lock arm 7 has a lock arm body portion 15 , a lock operation portion 16 and a lock engaging portion 17 .

The lock arm main body 15 extends from the front upper end of the housing main body 6, as shown in FIGS. The lock arm body portion 15 is formed integrally with the housing body portion 6 . The lock arm main body portion 15 is arranged parallel to the front surface of the housing main body portion 6 at a predetermined distance from the housing main body portion 6 . The lock arm main body 15 is arranged so that the front side surface from which the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion of the lock arm main body 15 protrude coincides with the front ends of the pair of first guide projections 10 in the front-rear direction. It is The lock arm body portion 15 has a lock arm outer side surface 18 .

The lock arm body portion 15 has a predetermined thickness in the front-rear direction. Further, the lock arm body portion 15 is formed to have a predetermined width in the width direction D2. The lock arm body portion 15 is arranged parallel to the pair of first guide projections 10 between the pair of first guide projections 10 arranged on both sides in the width direction D2. Further, the lock arm body portion 15 is arranged at an intermediate position between the pair of first guide protrusions 10 arranged on both sides in the width direction D2 with a predetermined distance therebetween.

The lock operation portion 16 is configured as a portion that is operated by the user when the mating connector 50 is disengaged from the lock engaging portion 17, which will be described later. The lock operation portion 16 is formed in the central portion of the lock arm body portion 15 . The lock operation portion 16 is provided integrally with the lock arm body portion 15 . The lock operation portion 16 is formed as a solid projecting portion projecting from the lock arm body portion 15 .

The lock operation portion 16 protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the lock arm body portion 15 facing the mating housing bridging portion 56 . The lock operation portion 16 is set to have the same dimension in the width direction D<b>2 as the dimension in the width direction D<b>2 of the lock arm main body portion 15 . The lock operation portion 16 is arranged on the front side surface of the lock arm main body portion 15 at a substantially central portion in the fitting direction D1. That is, the lock operating portion 16 is arranged above a lock engaging portion 17 to be described later with a predetermined distance therebetween.

The lock engaging portion 17 is provided as a portion that engages with the mating connector 50 by the operation of the lock operation portion 16 by the user. The lock engaging portion 17 is formed at the tip portion of the lock arm body portion 15 . The lock engaging portion 17 is provided integrally with the lock arm body portion 15 . The lock engaging portion 17 is formed as a solid projecting portion projecting from the lock arm body portion 15 .

The dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock engaging portion 17 is set to be the same as the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock arm main body portion 15 and the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock operating portion 16 . That is, in the width direction D2 of the lock arm 7 perpendicular to the fitting direction D1, the dimensions of the lock operating portion 16, the lock engagement portion 17, and the lock arm body portion 15 are the same. . The lock engaging portion 17 is arranged below the mating housing bridging portion 56 in the fitted state. The lock engaging portion 17 is set thinner than the lock operating portion 16 in the front-rear direction.

The lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 are provided with facing surfaces 19, which are surfaces facing each other in a direction parallel to the fitting direction D1. The lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 are formed to protrude forward from the front surface of the lock arm main body portion 15 . The facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 engages with a lower surface 59 that is the lower surface of the mating housing bridging portion 56 in the fitted state. The facing surfaces 19 of the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 are set to have the same dimension in the width direction D2. The dimension of the lock operation portion 16 in the fitting direction D1 is set larger than the dimension of the lock engaging portion 17 in the fitting direction D1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the lock arm outer side surface 18 is formed as a front side surface of the lock arm body portion 15 . The lock arm outer surface 18 is a surface on which the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 of the lock arm body portion 15 are formed. The lock arm outer side surface 18 is configured as a front side surface of the lock arm body portion 15 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the opposing surfaces 19 are formed parallel to each other while being inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the surface from which the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 of the lock arm main body 15 protrude. The opposing surface 19 of the lock operation portion 16 and the surface opposite to the fitting direction D1 are formed perpendicular to the surface of the lock arm body portion 15 from which the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 protrude. The surface opposite to the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 in the fitting direction D1 is perpendicular to the surface of the lock arm body portion 15 from which the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 protrude. It is formed so that it inclines.

In the connector 1 configured as described above, the housing main body 6 is connected to the mating housing main body 55 by pressing the pair of the front extending portion 8 and the rear extending portion 9 . At this time, the pair of first guide projections 11 and the pair of second guide projections 12 of the housing body 6 are aligned along the pair of first guide grooves 57 and the pair of second guide grooves 58 formed in the mating housing 50. , and is slidably displaced in the fitting direction D1.

Further, the contact 2 is electrically and mechanically connected to the mating contact 51 by being pressed until the pair of the front side extending portion 8 and the rear side extending portion 9 come into contact with the upper end portion of the mating housing main body portion 55 . connected to At this time, the lock arm 7 bends rearward as the lock engaging portion 17 comes into contact with the mating housing bridging portion 56 . When the housing main body 6 is further pushed in, the lock engaging portion 17 of the rearwardly bent lock arm 7 overcomes the mating housing bridging portion 56 and is returned by the restoring force. Then, the lock engaging portion 17 is engaged with the mating housing bridging portion 56 , and the housing 2 is connected to the mating housing 50 .

[Method for manufacturing connector housing]
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the manufacturing process of the connector housing 4 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a mold 30 for molding the connector housing 4, and schematically shows the mold 30 in an open state. In addition, in FIG. 6, only the external shape which appeared as a cross section is illustrated typically. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a mold 30 for molding the connector housing 4, and schematically shows the mold 30 in a closed state. Note that FIG. 7 shows the mold 30 in a closed state before resin is injected. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a part of the mold 30 in a closed state together with the connector housing 4. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, the connector housing 4 molded by injecting resin and the metal mold disposed therearound are schematically shown in a partially omitted form. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of the mold 30 shown in FIG. 7, taken along line AA. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the mold 30 shown in FIG. 7, taken along the line BB.

As shown in FIG. 5, the connector housing 4 described above is formed in a molding step S1 in which a mold 30 for resin molding is used to mold a predetermined shape, and the mold 30 is removed from the molded product molded in the predetermined shape. It is manufactured through a mold-releasing step S2.

In the molding step S<b>1 , the molds 30 are combined and resin is injected into the combined molds 30 .

In the molding step S1, a mold 30 for molding the connector housing 4 is composed of an upper mold 31, a lower mold 32, and a slide core 33, as shown in FIGS. In the molding step S1, the upper mold 31, the lower mold 32, and the slide core 33 form a cavity 34 for molding the connector housing 4. As shown in FIG.

The upper mold 31 constitutes one side portion of the mold 30 . That is, the upper mold 31 is the mold 30 for forming the upper portion of the cavity 34 . As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the upper mold 31 is configured to be able to approach and separate from the lower mold 32 in the vertical direction. The upper die 31 is formed with an injection port 35 for injecting resin into the cavity 34 and a first arm forming surface 36 . A slide pin 37 is attached to the upper die 31 .

The first arm forming surface 36 forms the surface of the cavity 34 forming the front side surface of the lock arm body portion 15 and the surface of the lock arm body portion 15 above the lock operating portion 16 .

The slide pin 37 is provided as a part of a mechanism for sliding a slide core 33 to be described later with respect to the lower mold 32 in conjunction with the vertical movement of the upper mold 31 . The slide pin 37 is detachably attached to the lower side of the upper die 31 . The slide pin 37 is formed in a substantially columnar shape and has a hemispherical tip portion. The slide pin 37 is provided to extend obliquely rearward from the lower surface of the upper die 31 . That is, the axis of the slide pin 37 is arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. More specifically, the slide pin 37 is arranged such that its axial center inclines rearward as it goes downward with respect to the direction in which the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 move toward and away from each other.

The lower mold 32 constitutes the other side of the mold 30 facing the upper mold 31 . That is, the lower mold 32 is the mold 30 for forming the lower portion of the cavity 34 . The lower mold 32 is formed with a mounting surface 38 , a receiving portion 39 , and a lower mold parallel surface 40 .

The mounting surface 38 is formed as a flat inclined surface of the lower die 32 for mounting the slide core 33 in a slidably displaceable state. The mounting surface 38 is formed on the upper surface of the lower mold 32 . The mounting surface 38 is formed obliquely with respect to a vertical plane perpendicular to the direction in which the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are combined when the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are combined. More specifically, the mounting surface 38 is formed as a surface parallel to each of the facing surfaces 19 of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 .

The receiving portion 39 is formed as a step portion for restricting the sliding displacement of the slide core 33 on the lower mold 32 beyond a predetermined range. The receiving portion 39 is formed on the upper surface of the lower mold 32 so as to protrude upward. That is, the receiving portion 39 is formed as a stepped portion protruding from the mounting surface 38 .

The lower mold parallel surfaces 40 are configured as a pair of parallel surfaces that form both end surfaces of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D2. As shown in FIG. 9, the lower mold parallel surfaces 40 are formed as surfaces facing each other in the width direction D2. The lower mold parallel surfaces 40 are configured to sandwich a second arm forming surface 45, which will be described later, from both sides in the width direction D2. The lower mold parallel surfaces 40 are configured to sandwich the lock arm body portion 15 from both sides in the width direction D2.

The left side of the lower die parallel surface 40 forms a surface of the cavity 34 for forming the left end surface of the lock operating portion 16 and the left end surface of the lock engaging portion 17 . The other side of the lower die parallel surface 40, which is located on the right side, forms a surface of the cavity 34 for forming the right end surface of the lock operating portion 16 and the right end surface of the lock engaging portion 17. As shown in FIG.

The slide core 33 is configured as a part that is combined with the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 of the mold 30 . The slide core 33 forms part of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 of the lock arm 7 . More specifically, the slide core 33 forms a surface forming the facing surface 19 provided on each of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 . The slide core 33 is provided with a pin guide hole 41 , a contact portion 42 , a first inclined surface 43 , a second inclined surface 44 , and a second arm forming surface 45 .

The pin guide hole 41 is provided as part of a mechanism for sliding the slide core 33 with respect to the lower die 32 in conjunction with the vertical movement of the upper die 31 . The pin guide hole 41 is provided through the slide core 33 . The pin guide hole 41 is formed as a portion that accommodates the cylindrical slide pin 37 . The hole diameter of the pin guide hole 41 is set larger than the outer diameter of the slide pin 37 so that the slide pin 37 can be slidably displaced. The axis of the pin guide hole 41 is arranged parallel to the axis of the slide pin 37 . More specifically, the pin guide hole 41 is arranged such that its axis is inclined rearward as it goes downward.

The contact portion 42 is configured as a portion that contacts the receiving portion 39 when the slide core 33 is slidably displaced on the mounting surface 38 . The contact portion 42 restricts movement in the slide direction D<b>3 in which the slide core 33 slides relative to the lower die 32 .

The first inclined surface 43 forms the surface of the cavity 34 forming the facing surface 19 of the lock operating portion 16, as shown in FIGS. The first inclined surface 43 is formed on the upper rear side of the slide core 33 . As shown in FIG. 8, the first inclined surface 43 is formed parallel to the facing surface 19 of the lock operation portion 16, and is perpendicular to the direction in which the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 are combined. are formed obliquely. That is, the first inclined surface 43 is formed in a state inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the lock arm outer surface 18 .

The second slanted surface 44 forms the surface of the cavity 34 that molds the facing surface 19 of the locking portion 17, as shown in FIGS. The second inclined surface 44 is formed on the lower rear side of the slide core 33 . As shown in FIG. 8 , the second inclined surface 44 is formed parallel to the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 and parallel to the facing surface 19 of the lock operation portion 16 . there is That is, like the first inclined surface 43 , the second inclined surface 44 is inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular to the outer side surface 18 of the lock arm.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second arm forming surface 45 forms the surface of the cavity 34 for molding the portion sandwiched between the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 of the lock arm outer surface 18. . The second arm forming surface 45 is formed on the rear surface of the slide core 33 . The second arm forming surface 45 is formed as a surface parallel to the fitting direction D1.

When forming the cavity 34 in the molding step S1, the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are displaced in a direction parallel to the fitting direction D1 and brought close to each other. At this time, the inner peripheral surface of the pin guide hole 41 of the slide core 33 placed on the lower die 32 is pressed by the slide pin 37 that descends from above. When the inner peripheral surface of the pin guide hole 41 is pressed, the slide core 33 is slidably displaced toward between the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 .

When the upper die 31, the lower die 32 and the slide core 33 are combined, a cavity 34 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the connector housing 4 is formed as shown in FIG. Furthermore, in the molding step S<b>1 , resin is injected into the cavity 34 formed in a shape corresponding to the connector housing 4 .

Each part of the cavity 34 formed by the mold 30 is formed by at least one or more of the upper mold 31 , the lower mold 32 and the slide core 33 . For example, the surfaces of the cavity 34 for molding the lock operating portion 16 are formed by an upper mold 31, a lower mold 32, and a slide core 33, as shown in FIGS. More specifically, the upper die 31 forms the surface of the cavity 34 that forms the surface opposite to the facing surface 19 of the lock operation portion 16 in the fitting direction D<b>1 . The upper die 31 also forms the surface of the cavity 34 that forms the front surface of the lock operation portion 16 in the cavity 34 . The surfaces of the cavity 34 forming both end surfaces in the width direction D<b>2 of the lock operation portion 16 are formed by the lower mold 32 .

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the surface of the cavity 34 forming the opposite surface in the fitting direction D1 of the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 is formed by the lower die 32, A surface for molding the front side surface of the engaging portion 17 is also formed by the lower mold 32 . The lower die 32 also forms the surfaces of the cavities 34 that form both end surfaces of the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D<b>2 .

The lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 are arranged side by side in the fitting direction D1 on the lock arm 7, and both end faces in the width direction D2 are also arranged side by side in the fitting direction D1. That is, the left surface of the lock operation portion 16 in the width direction D2 and the left surface of the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D2 are arranged on the same plane. The right surface of the lock operation portion 16 in the width direction D2 and the right surface of the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D2 are arranged on the same plane. Therefore, both end surfaces of the lock operation portion 16 in the width direction D2 and both end surfaces of the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D2 can be simultaneously formed by the lower die parallel surface 40 extending along the fitting direction D1.

7 and 10, the left surface of the lock arm main body 15 in the width direction D2 and the left surfaces of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D2 are coplanar. are placed in Further, the right side surface of the lock arm body portion 15 in the width direction D2 and the right side surfaces of the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D2 are arranged on the same plane. Therefore, the surfaces of the cavity 34 forming both end surfaces in the width direction D<b>2 of the lock arm main body 15 are formed by the lower mold parallel surfaces 40 of the lower mold 32 . That is, both end surfaces in the width direction D2 of the lock arm main body 15, the lock operating portion 16, and the lock engaging portion 17 can be simultaneously formed by the lower die parallel surface 40 extending along the fitting direction D1. Further, the surface of the cavity 34 forming the rear side surface of the lock arm body portion 15 is formed by the lower die 32 .

After the molding step S1 is performed, a demolding step S2 is performed in which the mold 30 is demolded from the connector housing 4 . In the demolding step S2, the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are displaced in the direction in which they are separated from each other, so that the slide core 33 is displaced in the sliding direction D3 with respect to the lower mold 32, and the upper mold 31, the lower mold 32, and the slide core 33 are displaced in the sliding direction D3. The cores 33 are removed from the connector housing 4 respectively. More specifically, when the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 are displaced in the direction of separation, the slide core 33 placed on the lower die 32 is moved by the rising slide pin 37 to the inner peripheral surface of the pin guide hole 41 . is pressed. When the inner peripheral surface of the pin guide hole 41 is pressed, the slide core 33 is slid and displaced along the slide direction D3 from between the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engagement portion 17 and removed from the mold. The process of manufacturing the connector housing 4 is completed when the mold 30 is removed from the molded body.

[Actions and effects of the present embodiment]
According to this embodiment, the connector housing 4 includes a housing main body 6 that fits into the mating connector 50, and a lock arm 7 that extends in a cantilevered manner along a direction parallel to the fitting direction D1. . The lock arm 7 has a lock arm main body 15, a lock engagement portion 17 that engages with the mating connector 50, and a lock operation portion 16 that is operated by a user. It is formed as a solid projecting portion projecting from the lock arm body portion 15 . Therefore, since the lock operation portion 16 has a solid structure unlike the conventional hollow structure, the strength of the lock operation portion is sufficiently secured. This suppresses deformation or damage even when the user performs a pressing operation.

Further, the lock engaging portion 17 is also formed as a solid protruding portion, and unlike the conventional hollow structure, strength is ensured. Furthermore, by forming the lock engaging portion 17 as a solid projecting portion, the locked state with respect to the mating connector 50 is maintained in a firm state.

Further, the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 are provided with opposing surfaces 19 that face each other in a direction parallel to the fitting direction D1. Further, it is considered that the opposing surface 19 on the lock operation portion 16 side is formed in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. However, since the opposing surface 19 on the lock engaging portion 17 side needs to be engaged with the mating connector 50, it is inclined so as to approach the opposing surface 19 on the lock operating portion 16 side as it protrudes from the lock arm main body portion 15. It must be formed as a plane. When it is attempted to form the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 without providing a hole in the lock engaging portion 17 or the lock operating portion 16, in addition to the upper die 31 and the lower die 32, a slide Molding with the core 33 is conceivable.

When forming the facing surfaces 19 of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 as described above with the slide core 33, when the slide core 33 is removed from between the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 after molding, the slide core 33 is caught by the lock engaging portion 17 inclined with respect to the lock operation portion 16 and becomes difficult to come off. Further, if the slide core 33 is forcibly pulled out from between the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17, the slide core 33 is caught in the lock engaging portion 17 inclined with respect to the lock operating portion 16, and a large load is applied to the lock arm 7. There is a risk of damage. Further, for example, in order to pull out the slide core 33 without applying a load to the lock arm 7, it is conceivable to make the facing surface of the lock engaging portion 17 gently inclined. It becomes difficult to maintain the locked state with respect to the connector 50 .

However, according to the configuration of the connector housing according to one aspect of the present invention, the facing surface 19 of the lock operating portion 16 and the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 are aligned with the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion of the lock arm body portion 15 . They are formed parallel to each other while being inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the surface from which the portion 17 protrudes. Therefore, the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 can be easily formed using the slide core 33 that displaces in a direction parallel to the opposed surfaces 19 of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 . As a result, the die can be easily removed from between the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 without applying a load to the lock arm body portion 15 .

Further, if the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 can be formed using the slide core 33 described above, the mold 30 is placed in the lock operating portion 16 when forming the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17. It is not necessary to form a part through the hole. That is, the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 can be easily formed as solid projecting portions. Therefore, when molding the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17, there is no need to pass a part of the mold 30 through the lock engaging portion 17 or the lock operating portion 16. There is no limitation on the size of the lock operating portion 16 when molding the . As a result, the strength of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 can be ensured, and the size of the lock engaging portion 17 is sufficiently ensured, thereby firmly engaging with the mating connector 50 and stabilizing the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 . The locked state can be easily maintained.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the strength of the operating portion and engaging portion of the lock arm can be ensured, and the connector can be firmly engaged with the mating connector to easily maintain a stable locked state. It is possible to provide a housing for a connector, and also provide a manufacturing method by which such a housing for a connector can be easily manufactured.

Further, according to this configuration, the lock operating portion 16, the lock engaging portion 17, and the lock arm body portion 15 have the same dimension in the width direction D2, which is the direction perpendicular to the fitting direction D1 of the lock arm 7. . That is, the lock engaging portion 17 has a wide facing surface 19 corresponding to the dimension of the lock arm body portion 15 in the width direction D2. As a result, a sufficient contact area of the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 with respect to the mating connector 50 can be ensured, and the lock engaging portion 17 of the connector housing 4 can be more firmly engaged with the mating connector 50 . can be combined to maintain the locked state.

According to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, in the manufacturing method of the connector housing, the molding step S1 of forming the cavity 34 in the mold 30 and injecting resin into the formed cavity 34 to mold the connector housing 4 is performed. Prepare. In this molding method S1, the slide core 33 is slidably displaced with respect to the lower mold 32 along a direction oblique to a vertical plane perpendicular to the direction in which the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are combined. By doing so, the mold is combined. Therefore, when forming the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17, the mold 30 can be formed without penetrating the lock operating portion 16 in the fitting direction D1. That is, when forming the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 , the slide core 33 that is slidably displaced with respect to the lower mold 32 can be used for forming. As a result, the lock operation portion 16 can be formed as a solid projecting portion instead of being hollow, and the strength of the lock operation portion 16 can be sufficiently ensured.

In addition, since the slide core 33 that is slidably displaced with respect to the lower die 32 can be used for molding, the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 can be molded without being restricted by the size of the lock operating portion 16. can do. As a result, the contact area can be increased so that the lock engaging portion 17 can be firmly engaged with the mating connector 50 to maintain the locked state.

Further, in the molding step S1, when the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are combined, the slide core 33 extends along the direction oblique to the vertical plane perpendicular to the direction in which the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are combined. Slide displacement relative to The facing surface 19 of the connector housing 4 is formed by the slide core 33 that is slidably displaced with respect to the lower die 32 . Therefore, it is possible to form the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 by using the slide core 33 that displaces in a direction parallel to the facing surface 19 of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17, which is easy. , the connector housing 4 can be manufactured.

Therefore, according to the above-described manufacturing method, the strength of the operating portion and engaging portion of the lock arm can be ensured, and a stable locked state can be easily maintained by firmly engaging the mating connector. It is possible to provide a manufacturing method by which a connector housing can be manufactured easily.

According to this method, both end surfaces of the lock operation portion 16 in the width direction D<b>2 and both end surfaces of the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D<b>2 are formed by a pair of parallel surfaces of the lower die 32 . Therefore, the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock engaging portion 17 can be formed to have the same dimension in the width direction D2 as the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock operating portion 16 . As a result, the contact area can be increased so that the lock engaging portion 17 can be firmly engaged with the mating connector 50 and the locked state can be maintained. Further, both end faces in the width direction D<b>2 of the lock operating portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 can be easily formed simultaneously by a pair of parallel surfaces of the lower die 32 . Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide portions for forming the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engaging portion 17 of the lower mold 32, and the structure of the lower mold 32 can be simplified.

According to this method, in the manufacturing method of the connector housing, both end faces of the lock arm main body portion 15 in the width direction D2 form both end faces of the lock operating portion 16 and both end faces of the lock engaging portion 17. It is formed by 32 pairs of parallel faces. Therefore, the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock operating portion 16 and the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock engaging portion 17 can be formed to have the same dimension in the width direction as the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock arm body portion 15. can. As a result, the dimension of the facing surface 19 of the lock engaging portion 17 in the width direction D2 can be formed to the same maximum width as the dimension of the lock arm main body portion 15 in the width direction D2. That is, the lock engaging portion 17 can be manufactured with a maximum contact area with the mating connector 50 so that it can be firmly engaged with the mating connector 50 to maintain the locked state. Further, both end faces in the width direction D2 of the lock operating portion 16, the lock engaging portion 17, and the lock arm main body portion 15 can be easily formed simultaneously by the pair of parallel surfaces of the lower die 32. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide portions for molding the lock operation portion 16, the lock engaging portion 17, and the lock arm body portion 15 of the lower mold 32, and the structure of the lower mold 32 can be simplified.

[Modification]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the claims. For example, the following modifications may be implemented.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the lock engaging portion 17 is formed at the tip portion of the lock arm main body portion 15 and the lock operation portion 16 is formed at the central portion of the lock arm main body portion 15 has been described as an example. does not have to be this way. For example, the lock engaging portion 17 may be formed at the central portion of the lock arm body 15 and the lock operating portion 16 may be formed at the tip portion of the lock arm body 15 .
(2) In the above embodiment, the lock arm main body 15, the lock operating portion 16, and the lock engaging portion 17 have the same dimension in the width direction D2, but this does not have to be the case. . For example, the dimensions in the width direction D2 of the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engagement portion 17 are the same, and the dimension in the width direction D2 of the lock arm body portion 15 is the same in the width direction D2 of the lock operation portion 16 and the lock engagement portion 17. The dimensions may be different. Further, the dimensions in the width direction D2 of the lock arm body portion 15, the lock operating portion 16, and the lock engaging portion 17 may be different.
(3) In the above embodiment, the slide core 33 is slidably displaceable with respect to the lower mold 32 in conjunction with the movement of the upper mold 31 by means of the slide pins 37 attached to the upper mold 31. Although the description has been made with the example of the case where the For example, the slide core 33 may be configured independently without interlocking with the movement of the upper die 31 or the lower die 32 .

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely applied to various uses as a connector housing to be fitted to a mating connector and a manufacturing method of the connector housing.

4 Connector housing 6 Housing main body 7 Lock arm 15 Lock arm main body 16 Lock operation part 17 Lock engaging part 18 Lock arm outer surface 19 Opposing surface 30 Mold 31 Upper mold 32 Lower mold 33 Slide core 34 Cavity 50 Mating connector D1 Fitting direction D2 Width direction S1 Forming process

Claims (4)

a housing main body that fits into a mating connector; and a lock arm that cantilevers from the housing main body in a direction parallel to a mating direction in which the housing main body fits into the mating connector. and a connector housing comprising:
The lock arm includes a lock arm main body portion extending from the housing main body portion, a lock engaging portion engaged with a mating connector, and a lock engaging portion that engages the mating connector and the lock engaging portion. and a lock operation unit operated by
The lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion are integrally formed with the lock arm main body, and formed as solid protruding portions protruding from the lock arm main body,
The lock operating portion and the lock engagement portion are provided with opposing surfaces that are surfaces facing each other in a direction parallel to the fitting direction,
The facing surface of the lock operating portion and the facing surface of the lock engaging portion are inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the lock arm main body from which the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion protrude. formed parallel to each other ,
The housing main body portion is provided for inserting the housing main body portion into the mating connector along the mating direction, and is formed in a plate-like protruding state and is arranged along the mating direction. having a pair of guide protrusions formed to extend along the
The lock arm main body portion extends parallel to the pair of guide protrusions between the pair of guide protrusions arranged on both sides in the width direction that is the direction perpendicular to the fitting direction of the lock arm. placed and
The surfaces of the lock arm main body portion from which the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion protrude, and the end portions of the pair of guide protrusions protruding in a plate shape from the housing main body portion correspond to the fitting direction and the width. A housing for a connector, characterized in that they are arranged in coincident positions in a plane parallel to a direction . The connector housing according to claim 1,
A housing for a connector, wherein the dimensions of the lock operating portion, the dimensions of the lock engaging portion, and the dimensions of the lock arm body portion are the same in the width direction. a housing main body that fits into a mating connector; and a lock arm that cantilevers from the housing main body in a direction parallel to a mating direction in which the housing main body fits into the mating connector. A connector housing manufacturing method for manufacturing a connector housing comprising :
The lock arm includes a lock arm main body portion extending from the housing main body portion, a lock engaging portion engaged with a mating connector, and a lock engaging portion that engages the mating connector and the lock engaging portion. and a lock operation unit operated by
The lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion are integrally formed with the lock arm main body, and formed as solid protruding portions protruding from the lock arm main body,
The lock operating portion and the lock engagement portion are provided with opposing surfaces that are surfaces facing each other in a direction parallel to the fitting direction,
The facing surface of the lock operating portion and the facing surface of the lock engaging portion are inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the lock arm main body from which the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion protrude. formed parallel to each other,
The manufacturing method of the connector housing comprises:
a molding step of forming a cavity in a mold and injecting resin into the formed cavity to mold the connector housing;
In the molding step, an upper mold that constitutes one side of the mold, a lower mold that constitutes the other side of the mold facing the upper mold, and the upper mold and the lower mold are combined together. the cavity is formed by a slide core formed by
In the molding step, when the upper mold and the lower mold are combined, the slide core is moved with respect to the lower mold along a direction oblique to a vertical plane perpendicular to the direction in which they are combined. The upper mold, the lower mold, and the slide core are combined by sliding displacement, and the slide core forms a surface for forming the facing surfaces provided in the lock operating portion and the lock engaging portion, respectively ,
A surface of the cavity for molding the lock operation portion is formed by the upper mold, the lower mold, and the slide core,
A surface of the cavity for molding the lock engaging portion is formed by the lower mold and the slide core,
Both end surfaces of the lock operating portion and both end surfaces of the lock engaging portion in the width direction perpendicular to the fitting direction of the lock arm are formed by a pair of parallel surfaces of the lower mold. A method of manufacturing a housing for a connector, comprising: A method for manufacturing the connector housing according to claim 3 ,
A method of manufacturing a connector housing, wherein both end faces in the width direction of the lock arm main body are formed by the pair of parallel faces of the lower die.

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